Link

Social

Embed

Disable autoplay on embedded content?

Download

Download
Download Transcript

PROCEEDINGS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, SERGEANT WALTON. THE TIME IS 6:02 P.M. AND THIS MEETING IS

[00:00:08]

HEREBY CALLED TO ORDER. WE HAVE THE PRESENCE OF A QUORUM ATTENDING BOTH IN PERSON AND ONLINE. NOTICE OF THIS MEETING HAS BEEN POSTED ONLINE AND AT THE FORT BEND ISD ADMINISTRATION BUILDING FOR AT LEAST 72 HOURS. IF EVERYONE WOULD PLEASE WELCOME ME AND STAND FOR THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE LED BY TRUSTEE HAMILTON. PLEASE JOIN ME IN PLEDGING ALLEGIANCE TO BOTH THE US AND THE TEXAS FLAGS. I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STAND. ONE NATION UNDER GOD. ONE INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL. HONOR THE TEXAS FLAG. I. GOD, ONE AND INDIVISIBLE. AND PLEASE REMAIN STANDING FOR A MOMENT OF SILENC. OKAY. YOU MAY BE SEATED. ALL RIGHT. FIRST UP, WE HAVE BOARD

[3. Board Committee Updates]

COMMITTEE UPDATES. I'M GOING TO PASS IT OVER TO TRUSTEE HANNAN FOR TASB. DIRECTOR UPDATE. THANK YOU, MR. GARCIA. SO I DON'T HAVE A LOT TO SHARE. AND ACTUALLY, SINCE THERE ARE ONLY FOUR OF US, I GUESS I'LL SHARE IT SO THE REST OF THE PUBLIC CAN HEAR IT. I'M SORRY. THAT WAS REALLY FAST.

SO NOW I HAVE TO GET MYSELF ORGANIZED AND FIND MY. OH NO, BECAUSE I DON'T WANT TO BE HERE TILL MIDNIGHT. SO I'M GOING TO GO FAST. OKAY. OH, IT WON'T BE MY FAULT. OKAY? IT'LL BE RICK'S FAULT. OKAY. OKAY, SO FOR THOSE WATCHING MY COLLEAGUES APPOINTED ME TO FULFILL ONE OF THE POSITIONS ON THE NASBE. DIRECTOR ON THE BOARD FOR TASB. AND THEN I WAS ELECTED OFFICIALLY DURING THE DELEGATE ASSEMBLY BACK IN SEPTEMBER. I'M REALLY HONORED THAT DOCTOR STEVE BROWN FROM ECTOR ISD HAS BEEN ASSIGNED MY TO ME AS A MENTOR, AND I AM ON THE BUDGET AND FINANCE COMMITTEE FOR THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF TASB. SO FAR, I'VE ATTENDED THE JULY BOARD MEETING IN EL PASO.

THE SEPTEMBER MEETING AT THE TULSA TASB CONFERENCE, AND THEN THE NEXT ONE IS DECEMBER 5TH, SIXTH AND SEVENTH IN AUSTIN. THAT I WILL ALSO ATTEND. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I WANTED, I ACTUALLY ASK MISTER GWEN TO PROVIDE THIS, AND MISS MARTINEZ FORWARDED IT TO ME THIS MORNING BECAUSE I THINK SOMETHING THAT I WANTED TO SHARE IS I DON'T KNOW THAT MY COLLEAGUES ON THE DAIS OR THE PUBLIC REALLY REALIZES WHAT TASB DOES, AND THE NUMBER OF SERVICES, EVEN AS THE SIXTH LARGEST DISTRICT IN THE STATE THAT WE UTILIZE FOR THEM. AND SO YOU CAN IMAGINE THE DISTRICTS THAT ARE 100 STUDENTS OR, YOU KNOW, 2000 STUDENTS, SOME OF THE SMALLER DISTRICTS, BUT WE DO HAVE A TASB MEMBERSHIP. AND PART OF THAT THAT WE USE, WE USE ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES.

SUBSCRIPTION FOR RISK MANAGEMENT, FOR ASBESTOS, INDOOR AIR QUALITY. AND SOME OTHER ITEMS THERE. POLICY SERVICES FOR GENERAL COUNSEL. WE ALSO USE BY BOARD WHICH HELPS US WITH SOME PURCHASES AT A BETTER PRICE BECAUSE THEY'RE DOING IT AS A COLLECTIVE. WE PURCHASE INSURANCE COVERAGE THROUGH THE RISK MANAGEMENT FUND. AND THE DISTRICT HAS ALSO PARTICIPATED IN LEGISLATIVE UPDATES AND SHARS. AND THOSE TWO ITEMS DO NOT COST US ANYTHING. THE ONES THAT ARE READ PRIOR TO THE LAST TWO DO. AND SO IN AT THE TASB TOSA CONFERENCE IN SEPTEMBER, THE DELEGATE ASSEMBLY DID APPROVE THE LEGISLATIVE ADVOCACY AGENDA THAT TASB SUPPORTS ALL OF ITS MEMBERS ACROSS THE STATE, AND RICK GARCIA AND MYSELF, BECAUSE IF YOU HAVE A TASB DIRECTOR, YOU GET TWO DELEGATES. WE PARTICIPATED IN THAT, AND IT WENT VERY WELL. AND ALL MY COLLEAGUES, THE AGENDA THAT WAS PASSED, THE ADVOCACY AGENDA WAS FORWARDED TO YOU. I THINK ABOUT

[00:05:03]

A WEEK AND A HALF AGO, MAYBE OR TWO WEEKS AGO. SO IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN THAT, BUT IF YOU CAN'T FIND IT, LET ME KNOW AND I'LL SEND IT TO YOU AGAIN. 011 ITEM BECAUSE I DO WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THAT THAT TASB ANY TRAVEL OR EXPENSES THAT I INCUR THAT DEAL DIRECTLY WITH TASB TASB REIMBURSES ME AND THEY THEY MAKE PAYMENT OF THAT. FORT BEND DOES NOT PAY FOR THAT.

AT ALL. EVEN THOUGH I DO THINK THAT WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, AN ADVANTAGE HAVING A DIRECTOR AS A LARGE SCHOOL DISTRICT ON THE TASB BOARD. AND I THINK THAT THEY DO VERY, VERY GOOD WORK FOR THE TRADITIONAL PUBLIC SCHOOLS IN THE STATE OF TEXAS. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH. MR. GARCIA. THANK YOU, TRUSTEE HANNON. NEXT UP, TASB LEADERSHIP CLASS UPDATE. SO I'M IN A LEADERSHIP TASB THIS YEAR, AND OUR FIRST CLASS WAS IN SAN ANTONIO AT THE TASB CONVENTION. AND I WENT UP EARLY.

I THINK IT WAS TUESDAY. SO WE HAD CLASSES. WEDNESDAY, THURSDAY AND FRIDAY. AND THEN FRIDAY I WAS ABLE TO ATTEND THE CONFERENCE. SO WHEN WE GOT THERE, IT WENT RIGHT INTO WHAT WE'RE GOING TO BE WORKING ON FOR. I THINK 6 OR 7 OVERALL SESSIONS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.

GRADUATION WILL BE NEXT JUNE. THERE'S GOING TO BE A COMPONENT OF, YOU KNOW, RESEARCH PROJECTS.

RESEARCH ABOUT OUR OWN DISTRICTS THAT WE'RE GOING TO SHARE WITH, WITH EVERYBODY. RIGHT NOW WE'RE WORKING ON IS OUR RESEARCH PROJECT. SO WHEN I WAS IN SAN ANTONIO, WE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO VISIT TWO ISDS IN SAN ANTONI, WHICH THE UNIQUE THING ABOUT THAT IS THEY WERE TEXAS PUBLIC SCHOOLS ON FEDERAL LAND BECAUSE THEY WERE BOTH AT MILITARY BASES AND SO GOING TO SEE HOW THEY OPERATE A LOT DIFFERENT FROM HOW WE OPERATE. THEY DO GET HALF OF THEIR FUNDING FROM THE STATE, AND THEN THEY GET HALF OF THEIR FUNDING FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWNS AT THE NATIONAL LEVEL, IT REALLY AFFECTS THOSE SCHOOL DISTRICTS THAT ARE RECEIVING THEIR MONEY FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. SO THERE'S A COUPLE OF DAYS A YEAR THAT THEY GO UP TO WASHINGTON AND THEY ADVOCATE FOR THEIR, YOU KNOW, WHAT THEY NEED. AND THEY ALSO HAVE TO HAVE A MUCH LARGER FUND BALANCE THAN WE DO. WE HAVE A 90 DAY FUND BALANCE. THEY HAVE FUND BALANCES OF IN EXCESS OF PROBABLY 7 OR 8 MONTHS JUST IN CASE THERE ARE SOME UNFORESEEN ISSUES GOING ON IN WASHINGTON. SO I FOUND IT TO BE VERY INTERESTING, A LOT OF THINGS THAT THEY DO. AND WHEN I BROUGHT A LOT OF THIS INFORMATION BACK AND IT TURNS OUT THEY WERE ALREADY ACTUALLY LOOKING AT SOME OF THESE THINGS IN TERMS OF SOME OF THE UNIQUE OPPORTUNITIES FOR, FOR STUDENTS THINKING OUTSIDE OF THE BOX. AND SO IT WAS VERY, VERY INTERESTING TO SEE. AND I THINK NEXT WEEK I'M GOING TO BE HEADED OFF TO EL PASO FOR THE SECOND SESSION, WHICH WILL BE VISITING EL PASO ISD, VISITING THE BORDER. AND WE'LL BE LOOKING AND SEEING SOME OF THE UNIQUE CHALLENGES THAT THEY HAVE OVER IN FAR WEST TEXAS. AND JUST LIKE TRUSTEE HANNAN SHARED. I APPLIED FOR A SCHOLARSHIP FOR THIS CLASS, AND WE I DID RECEIVE A SCHOLARSHIP. SO THERE IS A COMPONENT OF THE SCHOLARSHIP FOR THE CLASS. AND THEN THERE WAS A SCHOLARSHIP FOR TRANSPORTATION.

AND SO TASB WILL ALSO BE REIMBURSING US FOR TRANSPORTATION COSTS. SO THERE WILL BE NO COST FOR THE DISTRICT FOR, FOR THIS TRIP. SO BUT THAT'S IT. I THOUGHT IT WAS A VERY GOOD FIRST SESSION. A LOT OF GOVERNANCE TOPICS AND HOW TO LEAD WITH GOOD GOVERNANCE AND WORK WITH WHAT DIFFERENT DISTRICTS ARE DOING TO PARTNER WITH THEIR SUPERINTENDENTS. WE HAVE SUPERINTENDENT. A COUPLE OF SUPERINTENDENTS COME AND SPEAK TO US. AND SO THAT WAS THAT WAS A VERY NICE SESSION. SO ALL RIGHT. SO NOW WE'LL GO ON TO INFORMATION ITEMS. FIRST UP IS

[4. Information]

OUR ANNUAL COMPREHENSIVE FINANCIAL REPORT. AND I'LL TURN IT OVER TO MR. GWIN. THANK YOU MR. PRESIDENT. I'M GOING TO BE HERE BRIEFLY. I'M GOING TO INTRODUCE MR. LUPE GARCIA. HE IS WITH WHITLEY PEN, THE DISTRICT'S FINANCIAL AUDITOR, AS A REMINDER TO THE BOARD, EACH YEAR, THE DISTRICT HAS TO UNDERGO A FINANCIAL AUDIT. THE RESULTS OF THOSE AUDITS MUST BE MADE PUBLIC, AND WE REPORT THAT INFORMATION TO BOTH TIA AND TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, AS REQUIRED BY LAW. AND SO, WITHOUT ANY FURTHER ADO, I'LL TURN IT OVER TO MR. LUPE GARCIA WITH WHITLEY PEN TO PRESENT THE FINDINGS FROM THE 2000 FISCAL YEAR 2024 FINANCIAL AUDIT. THANK YOU, MR. GWYNNE. GOOD EVENING. TRUSTEES, THE PRESENTATION I'M ABOUT TO GO THROUGH TONIGHT WILL

[00:10:06]

TAKE YOU THROUGH THE AUDIT RESULTS FOR FISCAL YEAR 2024 OF BOTH THE FINANCIAL STATEMENT AUDIT AND THE FEDERAL SINGLE AUDIT, WHICH IS A COMPLIANCE AUDIT OF YOUR FEDERAL PROGRAMS. I'LL GO THROUGH SOME FINANCIAL STATEMENT HIGHLIGHTS, AND THEN I'LL END WITH SOME REQUIRED COMMUNICATIONS. THE AUDIT PROCESS TAKES SEVERAL MONTHS TO COMPLETE. WE START OUR PLANNING AND PRELIMINARY PROCEDURES IN THE SPRING. WE UPDATE OUR UNDERSTANDING OF THE DISTRICT'S POLICIES AND PROCEDURES. WHAT WE CALL YOUR INTERNAL CONTROLS OVER THOSE TRANSACTION CLASSES THAT IMPACT YOUR FINANCIAL STATEMENTS. WE SELECT SAMPLES AND TEST YOUR INTERNAL CONTROLS TO ENSURE THAT TRANSACTIONS ARE BEING ACCOUNTED FOR IN ACCORDANCE WITH YOUR POLICIES AND PROCEDURES THAT THE SUPPORT AND APPROVALS ARE BEING RETAINE. AND WE ALSO IDENTIFY THE MAJOR PROGRAMS AT THIS STAGE OF THE AUDIT IN THE FEDERAL SINGLE AUDIT AND PERFORM THE MAJORITY OF THE COMPLIANCE TESTING THERE, AS WELL. ONCE THE DISTRICT'S FISCAL YEAR ENDS ON JUNE 30TH, MANAGEMENT NEEDS 6 TO 8 WEEKS TO POST CLOSING ENTRIES, AND THEN WE RETURN FOR YEAR END FIELD WORK WHERE OUR PROCEDURES ARE MORE FINANCIAL. IN NATURE, WE'RE CONFIRMING BALANCES DIRECTLY WITH YOUR FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS. WE'RE PERFORMING A VARIETY OF ANALYTICAL PROCEDURES AND SUBSTANTIVE PROCEDURES, ALL IN AN EFFORT TO OBTAIN ENOUGH AUDIT EVIDENCE TO SUPPORT THE OPINION THAT WE WILL EXPRESS ON YOUR FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND IN EXPRESS IN THE FEDERAL AND SINGLE AUDIT OVER YOUR FEDERAL PROGRAMS. AS EXTERNAL AUDITORS, WE CAN EXPRESS ONE OF A FEW DIFFERENT TYPES OF AUDIT OPINIONS. THE DISCLAIMER WOULD BE AN OPINION ISSUED WHERE RECORDS DIDN'T EXIST. THEY WE COULD WE WEREN'T ABLE TO ISSUE ANY TYPE OF OPINION WHATSOEVER, WHICH WOULD BE A HUGE RED FLAG. AND THAT'S NOT THE CASE HERE. A QUALIFICATION IS A TYPE OF MODIFIED OPINION WHERE EVERYTHING IS FAIRLY STATED, EXCEPT FOR THE ITEMS THAT WE LIST IN OUR REPORT, AND THEN THE OPINION ON THE FAR RIGHT. THE UNMODIFIED OPINION THAT'S OTHERWISE KNOWN AS A CLEAN OPINION, AND THAT IS THE OPINION WE'RE EXPRESSING ON THE DISTRICT'S FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR FISCAL YEAR 2024. THAT'S GOING TO BE FOUND AT THE BEGINNING OF THE FINANCIAL SECTION WITHIN THE DISTRICT'S ANNUAL COMPREHENSIVE FINANCIAL REPORT. THIS IS A REPORT THAT WILL HAVE OUR FIRM LETTERHEAD AND OUR FIRM SIGNATURE AND A FEW YEARS AGO, THEY ACTUALLY PUT THE OPINION IN THE VERY FIRST PARAGRAPH. THAT WAY, READERS OF THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS WILL SEE THAT RIGHT AWAY AND KNOW THAT THE DISTRICT EARNED AND RECEIVED AN UNMODIFIED OPINION ON ITS FINANCIAL STATEMENTS. NOW, WHAT DOES THAT UNMODIFIED OPINION MEAN? THAT MEANS THAT THE DISTRICT IS FOLLOWING ALL GENERALLY ACCEPTED ACCOUNTING PRINCIPLES, AND THAT YOUR FINANCIAL STATEMENTS NOTE DISCLOSURES ARE FAIRLY STATED IN ALL MATERIAL RESPECTS. WE ALSO ISSUE A REPORT OVER FINANCIAL REPORTING AND COMPLIANCE IN REGARDS TO YOUR FINANCIAL STATEMENTS. THE PROCEDURES THAT WE PERFORM THROUGHOUT THE AUDIT, BOTH DURING INTERIM FIELD WORK AND YEAR END FIELD WORK, SOMETIMES RESULTS IN MATERIAL WEAKNESSES OR SIGNIFICANT DEFICIENCIES OR NONCOMPLIANCE. OUR AUDIT PROCEDURES DID NOT IDENTIFY THOSE TYPES OF DEFICIENCIES OR NONCOMPLIANCE, SO GOOD NEWS HERE IN REGARDS TO THIS REPORT. AND THEN THE THIRD AND FINAL REPORT WE ISSUE IS IN REGARDS TO YOUR FEDERAL PROGRAM.

THE CIT IN THE FISCAL YEAR 2024 SINGLE AUDIT INCLUDED THE CHILD NUTRITION CLUSTER AND YOUR ESSER FEDERAL PROGRAMS, WHICH TOTALED 31.7 MILLION FOR ESSER AND THE CHILD NUTRITION CLUSTER TOTALED 33.5 MILLION IN EXPENDITURES. OUR TESTING OVER THESE TWO MAJOR PROGRAMS DID NOT RESULT IN ANY QUESTION COST OR ANY NONCOMPLIANCE. SO A CLEAN REPORT HERE AS WELL. THIS IS INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT BECAUSE WITHIN 30 DAYS THESE RESULTS GET UPLOADED TO THE FEDERAL AUDIT CLEARINGHOUSE.

AND THAT'S THE FIRST WAY THAT FEDERAL AND STATE AGENCIES BECOME AWARE OF HOW THE DISTRICT PERFORMED. AND THE FINANCIAL STATEMENT AUDIT AND THE FEDERAL SINGLE AUDIT LOOKING AT THE DISTRICT'S GOVERNMENT WIDE STATEMENT OF NET POSITION. SO THIS IS YOUR FIRST FINANCIAL STATEMENT IN YOUR REPORT. THE BASIS OF THIS FINANCIAL STATEMENT IS SIMILAR TO THE PRIVATE SECTOR, MEANING THAT YOU'RE REPORTING ALL YOUR ASSET, EVERYTHING THAT THE DISTRICT OWNS LESS ALL YOUR LIABILITIES, EVERYTHING THAT THE DISTRICT OWES, WITH THE DIFFERENCE BEING REFERRED TO AS NET POSITION. THE DISTRICT'S ASSETS AND DEFERRED OUTFLOWS OF RESOURCES. ON JUNE 30TH, 2024 TOTALED $2.4 BILLION OF THAT BALANCE THAT PRIMARILY WAS COMPRISED OF YOUR CASH AND INVESTMENTS OF $550.7 MILLION. AND THEN YOU REPORTED CAPITAL ASSETS, NET OF DEPRECIATION OF $1.5 BILLION. SO THOSE CAPITAL ASSETS ARE THE LAND, THE BUILDINGS, THE VEHICLES, YOUR CONSTRUCTION IN PROGRESS, EVERYTHING THAT YOU USE TO PROVIDE SERVICES TO STUDENTS HERE IN FORT BEND ISD, YOUR LIABILITIES AND DEFERRED INFLOWS OF RESOURCES TOTALED $2.8 BILLION OF THAT BALANCE. THAT'S PRIMARILY COMPRISED OF YOUR OUTSTANDING BONDS PAYABLE. AND THEN YOU REPORT TWO LIABILITIES RELATED TO YOUR PARTICIPATION IN THE TEACHER RETIREMENT SYSTEM OF TEXAS. THE FIRST IS THE NET PENSION LIABILITY, WHICH WAS $323 MILLION, AND THE NET OTHER POST-EMPLOYMENT BENEFIT LIABILITY, WHICH IS RELATED TO RETIREE HEALTH CARE. THAT'S $132.7 MILLION. THE DISTRICT HAS REPORTED. THESE BALANCES FOR SOME TIME NOW. THIS IS A REQUIREMENT 8 TO 10 YEARS AGO THAT THE DISTRICT HAD TO REPORT ITS PROPORTIONATE SHARE OF THE

[00:15:04]

OVERALL PLAN WIDE LIABILITY. THESE LIABILITIES ARE MEASURED EACH AND EVERY YEAR BY TRS AND THEIR AUDITORS AND ACTUARIES, AND THEN YOU HAVE TO REPORT YOUR SHARE. BEING ONE OF THE LARGEST DISTRICTS IN THE STATE, IT'S A SIZABLE SHARE. BUT I HAVE A FEW SLIDES IN A MOMENT THAT I'LL TALK MORE ABOUT THE PENSION LIABILITY AND THE OPEB LIABILITY, THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN YOUR ASSETS AND LIABILITIES AND YOUR OUTFLOWS AND YOUR RESOURCES OUTFLOWS AND YOUR INFLOWS IS REFERRED TO AS YOUR NET POSITION. AND THAT WAS A -$352.9 MILLION. AND THAT'S BECAUSE OF THAT NET PENSION AND NET OPEB LIABILITY. HERE'S THE BREAKDOWN OF YOUR LONG TERM LIABILITIES. THE LARGEST BALANCE HERE, OF COURSE, IS YOUR GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDS AND YOUR UNAMORTIZED BOND PREMIUMS. GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDS INCREASE FROM THE PRIOR YEAR BECAUSE YOU DID HAVE ISSUANCES OF SCHOOL BUILDING BONDS AND REFUNDING BONDS DURING THE YEAR, THERE WAS DEBT ACTIVITY. SO EVEN THOUGH IT INCREASED, IT DID DECREASE BY SCHEDULED PRINCIPAL PAYMENTS THAT WERE MADE DURING THE YEAR. THE BOND PREMIUMS WILL BE AMORTIZED OVER THE LIFE OF THE DEBT YOU HAVE COMPENSATED. ABSENCES OF 2.7 MILLION. THOSE ARE BALANCES THAT EMPLOYEES HAVE EARNED FOR TIME OFF IN THE FUTURE. WORKER'S COMPENSATION AND HEALTH CLAIMS OF 10.7 MILLION LEASES AND SUBSCRIPTIONS ARE RELATIVELY NEW PRONOUNCEMENTS. WE'RE IN YEAR THREE OF REPORTING LEASE LIABILITIES IN YEAR TWO OF REPORTING SUBSCRIPTIONS. THESE ARE RIGHT TO USE ASSETS. SO YOU RECORD THE ASSET AND THEN YOU RECORD THE LIABILITY FOR THE PAYMENTS THAT YOU'VE AGREED TO MAKE OVER THE CONTRACT TERM. AND THEN YOU HAVE THE PENSION AND OPEB LIABILITY THERE TO ROUND OUT YOUR TOTAL LONG TERM LIABILITIES. THE PENSION LIABILITIES $323 MILLION. THAT'S 73.15% FUNDED AT A PLANNED LEVEL IN THE PENSION WORLD. ANYTHING AROUND 75% IS CONSIDERED A WELL FUNDED PENSION PLAN. SO TRS DOES A GREAT JOB OF MAKING SURE ALL THE PARTICIPANTS, EMPLOYERS AND EMPLOYEES PAY THEIR SHARE EACH AND EVERY YEAR TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS BENEFIT WILL BE THERE FOR ALL THE EMPLOYEES ONCE THEY RETIRE. AND YOU CAN SEE WHAT THE NET PENSION LIABILITY HAS BEEN OVER THE PREVIOUS FOUR FISCAL YEARS AND WHAT THE FUNDED RATIO WAS IN EACH OF THOSE RESPECTIVE FISCAL YEARS. NOW, WHILE THE PENSION PLAN IS FUNDED, AS YOU CAN SEE HERE, MID 70S, EVEN 89%, A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO, THE HEALTH CARE RETIREE PLAN IS STRUCTURED A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENTLY. YOU CAN SEE THE FUNDED RATIO IS MUCH LESS. IT'S BEEN AS LOW AS 2.66% FIVE YEARS AGO. IT'S CURRENTLY JUST UNDER 15% FUNDED. BUT ALL THE CONTRIBUTIONS THAT GO INTO THIS PLAN, FOR THE MOST PART, IMMEDIATELY GO OUT THE DOOR TO PAY FOR CURRENT YEAR RETIREE HEALTH CARE BENEFITS. THAT'S JUST THE WAY THE STATE LAWMAKERS HAVE DESIGNED THIS PLAN. EVERYONE KNOWS THIS IS HOW THIS PLAN IS STRUCTURED. SO THIS IS JUST INFORMATION THAT LAWMAKERS CAN USE TO DECIDE HOW THIS THIS BENEFIT IS GOING TO BE CARRIED FORWARD IN THE FUTURE AND HOW IT'S GOING TO GET FUNDED BY THE STATE, BY THE EMPLOYERS AND BY THE EMPLOYEES. THE DISTRICT'S GENERAL FUND IS ITS MAIN OPERATING ACCOUNT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2024. TOTALED REVENUES TOTALED $813.2 MILLION. OF THAT AMOUNT, 46% CAME FROM PROPERTY TAXES AND 46% CAME FROM STATE AID. THE REMAINING 8% COMES FROM OTHER STATE FUNDING, WHICH IS PRIMARILY TRS. ON BEHALF, YOU HAVE 1% COMING FROM FEDERAL FUNDING, WHICH IN LARGE PART IS INDIRECT COSTS THAT THE DISTRICT IS ABLE TO RECOUP FROM ITS FEDERAL GRANTS AND THEN OTHER LOCAL FUNDING. 2% IS PRIMARILY INTEREST EARNINGS. SO KEEP THOSE TWO PERCENTAGES IN MIND. 46% FOR PROPERTY TAXES AND FOR STATE FUNDING. THIS IS LAST YEAR'S SLIDE OF HOW GENERAL FUND REVENUES LOOKED. AND YOU CAN SEE THE SWING THAT IT MADE IN ONE YEAR LAST YEAR. PROPERTY TAXES COMPRISED 63% OF YOUR GENERAL FUND REVENUES. AND STATE FUNDING WAS 28%. THE REASON FOR THAT WAS THE INCREASE IN THE HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION FROM 40,000 TO 100,000. AND SO THAT WAS A PRETTY DRAMATIC SWING IN YOUR IN YOUR GENERAL FUND REVENUES THAT ALL DISTRICTS HAVE EXPERIENCED THROUGHOUT THE STATE. YOUR EXPENDITURES IN THE GENERAL FUND FOR FISCAL YEAR 2024 TOTALED $802 MILLION. OF THAT BALANCE, 61% IS RELATED TO INSTRUCTION AND INSTRUCTION RELATED SERVICES. YOUR NON-STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES AT 14%. SO THAT'S FACILITIES AND OPERATIONS. DATA PROCESSING 112.2 MILLION. STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES IS 12%. THAT'S GUIDANCE AND COUNSELING, TRANSPORTATION AND OTHER STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES. 98.5 MILLION INSTRUCTIONAL AND SCHOOL LEADERSHIP. THAT'S CAMPUS BASED ADMINISTRATION, $68.9 MILLION.

GENERAL ADMINISTRATION IS 2% OF YOUR GENERAL FUND EXPENDITURES AT $20 MILLION. AND THEN OTHER EXPENDITURE CATEGORIES TOTALED $13 MILLION IN THE GENERAL FUND. THIS WAS LAST YEAR'S SLIDE. SO HERE THE PERCENTAGES ARE VERY SIMILAR. SO EXPENDITURES INCREASED DURING THE FISCAL YEAR. BUT HOW THE DISTRICT EXPENDED THOSE RESOURCES WAS VERY SIMILAR. FISCAL YEAR 23 TO

[00:20:04]

FISCAL YEAR 24. THERE'S THREE BUDGET TO ACTUAL COMPARISON SCHEDULES WITHIN THE REPORT. THE FIRST ONE I'M GOING TO PRESENT HERE IS YOUR GENERAL FUND BUDGET TO ACTUAL REVENUES WERE GREATER THAN BUDGETED REVENUES BY 4.8 MILLION. YOUR EXPENDITURES WERE LESS THAN BUDGETED EXPENDITURES BY 7.2 MILLION. OVERALL, YOUR REVENUES EXCEEDED YOUR EXPENDITURES BY $11.9 MILLION, MEANING FUND BALANCE INCREASED DURING FISCAL YEAR 2024. BY THAT AMOUNT, ENDING FUND BALANCE WAS $212.1 MILLION, AND THAT GETS BROKEN DOWN INTO A FEW DIFFERENT CATEGORIES. YOUR NON SPENDABLE FUND BALANCE IS 2.1 MILLION. THOSE ARE BALANCES THAT ARE ARE IN INVENTORY AND PREPAID ITEMS. YOU HAVE YOUR COMMITTED FUND BALANCE OF 63.8 MILLION. THIS IS THE 30 DAYS OF OPERATING THAT THE DISTRICT ASSIGNS IN ITS. AND IT COMMITS IN ITS GENERAL FUND ASSIGNED FUND. BALANCE OF $4.8 MILLION. ARE YOUR ENCUMBRANCES OUTSTANDING PURCHASE ORDERS THAT ROLL FORWARD FROM FISCAL YEAR 24 INTO FISCAL YEAR 25, AND THEN THE REMAINING BALANCE IS REPORTED AS UNASSIGNED FUND BALANCE, WHICH TOTALED 141.4 $141.4 MILLION. NOW FUND BALANCE. THIS IS AN AMOUNT AT A POINT IN TIME. THIS IS NOT THE DISTRICT'S SAVINGS ACCOUNT. THIS IS THE DISTRICT'S WORKING CAPITAL. THIS IS HOW YOU OPERATE. PAY EMPLOYEES, PAY VENDORS UNTIL YOU START COLLECTING MORE PROPERTY TAXES IN DECEMBER AND JANUARY. SO THIS HAS TO TAKE YOU THROUGH THE FALL TO OPERATE UNTIL ADDITIONAL REVENUES START COMING IN. IN THE FORM OF PROPERTY TAXES HERE SHORTLY. THIS SHOWS YOUR YOUR FUND BALANCE AS A PERCENTAGE OF EXPENDITURES OVER THE LAST TEN YEARS. THE BLUE BAR IS THE STABILIZATION. YOUR 30 DAYS OF OPERATING EXPENDITURES THAT ARE COMMITTED IN THE GENERAL FUND. THE GREEN BAR IS YOUR UNASSIGNED FUND BALANCE FOR FISCAL YEAR 2024, YOU HAD GREATER THAN 25% OF EXPENDITURES IN BOTH THOSE CATEGORIES OF FUND BALANCE, WHICH IS MEETING YOUR BOARD POLICY. THE BREAKFAST AND LUNCH PROGRAM HAD REVENUES OF $46.5 MILLION, WHICH WAS GREATER THAN YOUR BUDGET BY 2.8 MILLION. YOUR EXPENDITURES IN THE BREAKFAST AND LUNCH PROGRAM WERE $42.1 MILLION, WHICH WAS LESS THAN YOUR FINAL BUDGETED EXPENDITURES BY 11.4 MILLION OVERALL. YOU HAD AN INCREASE IN FUND BALANCE IN THIS FUND OF $4.3 MILLION FOR AN ENDING FUND BALANCE OF 28.2 MILLION. THE DEBT SERVICE FUND IS THE DISTRICT'S FUND, WHERE YOU ACCOUNT FOR THE INTEREST AND SINKING PORTION OF YOUR PROPERTY TAX REVENUE FOR THE REPAYMENT OF PRINCIPAL AND INTEREST REVENUES WERE GREATER THAN BUDGETED REVENUES BY $700,000. YOUR ACTUAL EXPENDITURES WERE EQUAL TO YOUR BUDGETED EXPENDITURES. THESE ARE PREDICTABLE. YOU KNOW WHAT YOUR DEBT SERVICE PAYMENTS ARE, SO YOU GET THAT RIGHT ON YOUR FUND BALANCE INCREASE IN THIS FUND BY $18.4 MILLION FOR AN ENDING FUND BALANCE OF $160.2 MILLION. THAT FUND BALANCE WAS NEEDED TO MAKE YOUR VERY NEXT DEBT SERVICE PAYMENT, SO THAT YOU DIDN'T HOLD ON TO THAT FOR VERY LONG BEFORE YOU HAD TO MAKE YOUR NEXT DEBT SERVICE PAYMENT. IN FISCAL YEAR 2025, AS PART OF THE AUDIT, WE DO REVIEW THE DISTRICT'S ACCOUNTING POLICIES, AND SO THE DISTRICT IS FOLLOWING ALL CURRENT PRONOUNCEMENTS IN REGARDS TO GENERALLY ACCEPTED ACCOUNTING PRINCIPLES. IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS DO INCLUDE ESTIMATES AND ESTIMATES CAN ALWAYS CHANGE IN THE FUTURE. SOME OF THE MORE SENSITIVE AND SIGNIFICANT ESTIMATES IN THE DISTRICT'S FINANCIAL STATEMENTS ARE RELATED TO STATE FUNDING. THERE'S A LOT OF VARIABLES THAT GO INTO CALCULATING THE DISTRICT STATE FUNDING EACH AND EVERY YEAR. ALLOWANCES FOR DOUBTFUL ACCOUNTS IS BASED ON HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS. AND THEN THE THIRD BULLET RELATED TO YOUR PENSION AND OPEB LIABILITIES AND RELATED AMOUNTS. THAT IS THE LARGEST ESTIMATE IN YOUR FINANCIAL STATEMENTS, AND THAT INFORMATION IS PROVIDED TO YOU BY TRS, AS I MENTIONED EARLIER. SO MANAGEMENT HAS A SOUND AND REASONABLE BASIS FOR RECORDING THESE ESTIMATES IN ITS FINANCIAL STATEMENTS. I'M HAPPY TO REPORT THAT WE DIDN'T ENCOUNTER ANY DIFFICULTIES IN PERFORMING AND COMPLETING THE AUDIT. ANY INFORMATION THAT WE REQUESTED WAS PROVIDED TO US. ANYONE THAT WE REQUESTED TO MEET WITH, TO INTERVIEW AND TO ASK QUESTIONS OF WAS MADE AVAILABLE. SO WE DO THANK THE DISTRICT FOR ITS COOPERATION OVER ALL THESE MONTHS IN PERFORMING THE AUDIT FOR BEING PATIENT AND COOPERATIVE AND GETTING US ALL OUR REQUESTS, IN ADDITION TO DOING THEIR DAY TO DAY RESPONSIBILITIES HERE AT THE DISTRICT. OUR PROCEDURES DID NOT IDENTIFY ANY MISSTATEMENTS THAT WE HAD TO BRING TO MANAGEMENT'S ATTENTION IN ORDER FOR IT TO PRESENT THESE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS IN ACCORDANCE WITH GENERALLY ACCEPTED ACCOUNTING PRINCIPLES. NO DISAGREEMENTS WITH MANAGEMENT. WHEN IT COMES TO THE APPLICATION OF ACCOUNTING PRINCIPLES OR ACCOUNTING ESTIMATES, WE WILL OBTAIN A LETTER FROM MANAGEMENT, WHICH WE CALL A MANAGEMENT REPRESENTATION LETTER. IN THAT LETTER, THE DISTRICT ESSENTIALLY STATES THAT THEY'VE BEEN AN OPEN BOOK.

INFORMATION THAT WE'VE REQUESTED HAS BEEN PROVIDED. AND NOTHING'S BEEN WITHHELD THAT WOULD MATERIALLY IMPACT THESE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS. AS FAR AS WE'RE CONCERNED, THE DISTRICT ISN'T CONSULTING WITH ANY OTHER AUDITORS OR ACCOUNTANTS IN REGARDS TO ANYTHING RELATED TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS OR TO THE OPINION. AND THEN THE LAST BULLET HERE ON THIS SLIDE DURING THE YEAR, WE MAY ANSWER QUESTIONS AND PROVIDE INFORMATION AND GUIDANCE TO THE

[00:25:04]

DISTRICT, BUT AT NO TIME DO WE FEEL THE WAY WE ANSWER OR THE POSITION WE TAKE ON ANY MATTER, IS A CONDITION TO OUR RETENTION. AS THE DISTRICT'S EXTERNAL AUDITORS? SO THAT CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION. IF THERE ARE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS, THE FEDERAL SINGLE AUDIT, THE AUDIT PROCESS OR ANYTHING, PLEASE LET ME KNOW AND I'LL TAKE THOSE QUESTIONS AT THIS TIME. DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? TRUSTEE HAMILTON YES, THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR THAT PRESENTATION. SO I KNOW THIS WAS IN KIND OF IN THE SNAPSHOT PRESENTATIONS A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO, BUT I DON'T SEE AT THIS TIME. DO YOU HAVE THE PERCENTAGE OF FORT BEND ISD EMPLOYEES WHO ARE TEACHERS? DO YOU HAVE THAT? SO THAT WAS A, A, A PERCENTAGE THAT WAS IN YOUR EFFICIENCY AUDIT WHEN IN PREPARATION FOR THE VOTER APPROVAL TAX RATE ELECTION, IT WAS INCLUDED IN THAT EFFICIENCY AUDIT REPORT. GOTCHA. SO DO WE DO WE HAVE THOSE THE EMPLOYEE NUMBERS IN THE FINANCIAL REPORT SOMEWHERE, OR IS IT JUST THE DOLLAR AMOUNTS? IT'S JUST THE DOLLAR AMOUNTS HERE. AND IT'S NOT SEGREGATED BY TEACHERS VERSUS ALL OTHER EMPLOYEES, IS IT? IT'S I THINK IT'S JUST PAYROLL FROM WHAT I SAW. SO IF YOU LOOK IN THE STATISTICAL SECTION, THERE IS A TABLE IN THE BACK THAT SHOWS YOUR FTES BY FISCAL YEAR. AND SO THE PROPORTION OF TEACHERS WOULD BE FOUND IN THAT TABLE. OKAY. AND I BELIEVE THAT IS ROUGHLY ON PAGE 168. ABOUT PAGE 160 IS WHERE YOU CAN FIND THAT INFORMATION IN THE ACFR. OKAY. AWESOME. THANK YOU. SO THEN NEXT COMMENT. SO THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF DISCUSSION, ESPECIALLY SINCE THE LAST LEGISLATIVE SESSION ENDED ABOUT STATE FUNDING AND SO BASED ON THAT CONVERSATION, I WAS A LITTLE BIT SURPRISED TO SEE THAT OURS JUST JUST THE STATE AID INCREASED FROM $208.4 MILLION IN 2023 TO $370.5 MILLION, WHICH, IF MY MATH IS CORRECT, THAT'S ONE THAT'S AN INCREASE OF $162.1 MILLION. AND THEN IN TOTAL STATE AID, IT WENT FROM $246.3 MILLION TO $412.4 MILLION, WHICH IS A $166.1 MILLION INCREASE. AND SO I THINK I WOULD SAY THERE ARE SOME PEOPLE WHO ARE THEY'RE THEY'RE COMMENTING ON THE DECISION OF THIS OR THE STATE LEGISLATURE DID NOT INCREASE THE BASIC ALLOTMENT, BUT I THINK THERE WERE PEOPLE WHO SOME PEOPLE WHO PROBABLY CAREFULLY AND INTENTIONALLY SAID ONE THING, KNOWING PEOPLE WOULD HEAR THEM A LITTLE DIFFERENTLY. BUT I THINK SOME PEOPLE WENT BEYOND THAT AND SAID THAT THE STATE DID NOT INCREASE FUNDING. AND FOR FORT BEND ISD AT LEAST, THEY INCREASED OUR FUNDING BY $166.1 MILLION. SO I THINK IT'S WORTH POINTING THAT OUT. AND THEN JUST ONE QUESTION. I WANTED TO ASK. SO I BELIEVE WE WENT FROM NOT CONTRIBUTING TO THE ROBIN HOOD. I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S THAT'S MORE OF A FINANCIAL STATEMENT QUESTION, BUT I BELIEVE WE'RE NOW CONTRIBUTING TO ROBIN HOOD. IS THAT CORRECT? THE RECAPTURE? YES. WE ARE NOW WITH THE ADDITION OF THE COPPER PENNIES. FORT BEND ISD IS NOW A CHAPTER 49 DISTRICT, WHICH IS THE OLD ROBIN HOOD. YEAH. AND SO WHAT'S THE I LOOKED FOR THAT IN THE FINANCIAL STATEMENT. BUT THERE ARE A LOT OF PAGES AND I WILL HAVE TO PULL THAT NUMBER AND GET BACK TO YOU. BUT IT WE'RE PAYING IT. WE PAID IT LAST YEAR FOR THE FIRST TIME AND THIS YEAR WE'RE PAYING IT AS WELL. OKAY. THANK YOU. PRESIDENT TARZAN, DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? FOR SHANNON.

SO I KNOW THAT I APPRECIATE YOUR NUMBERS, MR. HAMILTON, BUT I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT FOLKS WATCHING UNDERSTAND THE NUMBERS THAT WERE SHARED, I AND PERHAPS DOCTOR SMITH. OR YOU COULD HAVE STAFF RESPOND THAT THAT INCREASE WAS OFFSETTING WHAT LOCAL REVENUES WERE THEN WITH THE HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION. THAT'S WHERE THAT MONEY CAME FROM. AND SO THERE WAS NOT AN INCREASE IN THE ALLOTMENT. IT WAS AN INCREASE BECAUSE OF THE HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION. IS THAT CORRECT OR PARTIALLY CORRECT? I WOULD SAY THE MAJORITY OF THAT IS CORRECT. YES. THAT WAS THAT IS THE CASE. THERE WAS AN INCREASE IN THE SAFETY ALLOTMENT AND A COUPLE OF OTHERS, BUT IT WAS NOT OF THAT MAGNITUDE. IT WAS THE MAJORITY OF THAT WILL BE BECAUSE OF THE INCREASE TO THE HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION. OKAY. AND WAS THE SAFETY ALLOTMENT PART OF HOUSE BILL THREE? THAT'S CORREC.

OKAY. WHICH STILL DID NOT MEET THE MARK. SO I JUST I JUST WANT TO BE CLEAR THAT WHILE THE MONEY IS COMING FROM A DIFFERENT BUCKET, WE DIDN'T GET, WE DIDN'T GET A BIGGER BUCKET NECESSARILY FOR EXPENSES. THANK YOU, MR. GARCIA. THANK YOU. NO FURTHER QUESTIONS. I APPRECIATE YOU

[00:30:08]

COMING AND SPENDING THE TIME. AND THANK YOU TO STAFF FOR PARTNERING WITH WHITNEY PENN TO GET THIS DONE. AND IT'S SOMETHING WE HAVE TO DO REQUIRED BY LAW ANNUALLY TO DO AND ALLOWS THE COMMUNITY TO KNOW WHERE WE ARE FINANCIALLY AND OUR STANDINGS. AND I APPRECIATE ALL THE WORK THAT YOU'VE DONE. THANK YOU SO MUCH, MR. GARCIA. IF I MAY ADD ONE THING, IT WAS BROUGHT TO MY ATTENTION. THE RECAPTURE THAT WE PAID LAST YEAR WAS ABOUT $606,000. THANK YOU FOR THAT. OKAY. MOVING ON. EMERGENCY PROCUREMENT UPDATE ON HURRICANE BERYL. DOCTOR SMITH.

YEAH, THANK YOU, VICE PRESIDENT GARCIA, I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO MR. GWIN. HE'S GOING TO LEAD THE PRESENTATION. GOOD EVENING. BOARD MEMBERS. THIS EVENING. THERE IS NOT A FORMAL PRESENTATION ON THIS PARTICULAR ITEM. WHAT I WOULD POINT OUT TO YOU IS THE INFORMATION THAT WE HAVE SHARED IN THE DOCUMENT INDICATE THE PURCHASE ORDERS THAT HAVE BEEN OPENED AS A AS IT RELATES TO BERYL, AS WELL AS THE ACTUAL EXPENDITURES THAT HAVE BEEN MADE. WE HAVE ABOUT $6 MILLION IN TOTAL PURCHASE ORDERS OPEN AND HAVE MADE ABOUT $2 MILLION IN EXPENDITURES. WE DID RECEIVE A QUESTION ABOUT THE DISCREPANCY BETWEEN THE ACTUAL ENCUMBRANCES OPEN OR THE PURCHASE ORDERS OPEN VERSUS THE EXPENDITURES MADE, AND THERE'S THREE PRIMARY THINGS THAT CONTRIBUTE TO THAT VARIANCE. THE FIRST ONE IS IN SOME CASES, WE HAVE NOT RECEIVED THE FINAL INVOICES OR INVOICES TO PAY THOSE. AND SO THOSE PAYMENTS ARE STILL PENDING OR AWAITING TO BE MADE. THE SECOND IS IN SOME CASES, WE OPEN PURCHASE ORDERS IN ANTICIPATION OF HAVING TO MAKE AN EXPENDITURE. AND AS A RESULT OF THAT, THE PURCHASE ORDER IS OPEN. HOWEVER, OUR STAFF WAS ABLE TO COMPLETE SOME OF THAT WORK AND SO THE EXPENDITURE WAS NOT MADE ON THE PURCHASE ORDER. THERE WILL BE A PROCESS AS WE GO THROUGHOUT THE YEAR WHERE WE WILL CLOSE OUT THOSE PURCHASE ORDERS WITHOUT MAKING PAYMENTS. AND SO AS WE GO THROUGH THIS PROCESS, YOU'LL START TO SEE SOME OF THOSE ITEMS COME OFF. AND THEN LASTLY, THERE ARE SOME ITEMS WHERE THE CONTRACT HAS BEEN ENTERED, BUT THE WORK HAS NOT BEGUN BEGUN. THE LARGEST ONE THAT YOU'LL SEE ON THERE IS RELATED TO THE ROOF REPLACEMENT. THE TEMPORARY PATCH WORK WAS COMPLETED BY BLACKMAN, MAUREEN. HOWEVER, THE BOARD HAS APPROVED THE CONTRACT FOR REPLACING THE ACTUAL ROOF AT $2 MILLION, BUT THAT CONTRACT AND WORK WILL NOT INITIATE UNTIL THE WINTER BREAK STARTS AND SO THOSE ARE THE THREE PRIMARY REASONS YOU SEE THAT DISCREPANCY. REALLY, THE WHAT I WOULD SAY IN CLOSING IS THAT THAT NUMBER COULD FLUCTUATE OVER TIME. BUT AS WE GO THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, WE'LL START TO CLOSE OUT SOME OF THOSE PURCHASE ORDERS AS WE GO THROUGH THE PROCESS. BUT AS OF THE END OF OCTOBER, THIS IS WHERE THE NUMBERS STOOD, AND I'LL BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT THE BOARD MAY HAVE. ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS FROM ANYONE? NO. ALL RIGHT.

THANK YOU FOR THAT UPDATE. APPRECIATE IT. 2023 BOND UPDATE. YES, SIR. SO DEPUTY SUPERINTENDENT KATHLEEN BROWN AND OUR CFO, BRIAN GWIN ARE GOING TO LEAD THE PRESENTATION AS THEY BEGIN JUST WANT TO KIND OF GIVE SOME CONTEXT. WE'RE ALSO GOING TO HAVE DOCTOR VISITS PLAY A ROLE. FOR THE FIRST PART. WE'RE PROVIDING THE GENERAL 2023 BOND UPDATE. AND THEN OF COURSE LATER ON IN THE AGENDA, WE HAVE A MUCH DEEPER DISCUSSION. BUT THIS WILL SERVE AS THE GENERAL MONTHLY BOND UPDATE. DOCTOR BILLS. GOOD EVENING. OUR PASS CONSTRUCTION UPDATES HAVE FOCUSED PRIMARILY ON NEW CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS, AND FOR THIS MONTH'S CONSTRUCTION UPDATE, I'D LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT SEVERAL RENOVATION PROJECTS IN THE 2023 BOND PROGRAM. BUT FIRST, I'D LIKE TO MENTION THE KEY EVENT THAT HAPPENED LAST WEEK. LAST MONTH, ITOUT CEREMONW BRIARGATE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. MAJOR CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS HAVE SEVERAL KEY MILESTONES THEY MUST REACH IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN THEIR SCHEDULE. ON OCTOBER 25TH, 2024, COMMUNITY COMMUNITY MEMBERS, CAMPUS ADMINISTRATORS, DISTRICT LEADERS, AND PROJECT LEADERS FROM ROGERS O'BRIEN CONSTRUCTION AND KIRKSEY ARCHITECTURE GATHERED TO CELEBRATE THE TOPPING OUT OF THE NEW ELEMENTARY SCHOOL STRUCTURAL FRAME AT THE CONSTRUCTION SITE ON BLUE RIDGE ROAD. THE TOPPING OUT CEREMONY IS AN AGE OLD TRADITION, AND CONSTRUCTION. IT REPRESENTS THE POINT AT WHICH THE LAST STRUCTURAL BEAM IS PUT IN PLACE, USUALLY AT THE HIGHEST POINT IN THE BUILDING FRAME. THE CEREMONY RECOGNIZES THE HARD WORK OF THE CONSTRUCTION TEAM AND THEIR PARTNERS IN GETTING THE PROJECT TO THIS STAGE OF COMPLETION, DOCTOR SMITH, TRUSTEE TRUSTEES GARCIA, AND DOCTOR ROSE GILLIAM AND OTHERS EXPRESSED GRATITUDE TO THE WORK

[00:35:04]

OF SUPERINTENDENTS, ARCHITECTURAL ENGINEERING TEAM AND OTHERS FOR THEIR ROLE IN CREATING AN IMPORTANT NEW FOCAL POINT OF THE BLUE RIDGE BRIARGATE COMMUNITY. NOW, I'D LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT SOME OF OUR 2023 BOND CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS. THE FIRST RENOVATION PROJECT I'D LIKE TO PRESENT THIS EVENING IS BID PACKAGE 014 KITCHEN RENOVATIONS. THE IMAGE THAT YOU SEE ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE SCREEN. THE BOARD APPROVED CONSTRUCTION. THE CONSTRUCTION CONTRACT FOR THIS PROJECT IN OCTOBER OF THIS YEAR. BID PACKAGE 14 INCLUDES RENOVATIONS AND UPGRADES TO MIDDLE SCHOOL AND HIGH SCHOOL KITCHENS AT EIGHT CAMPUSES, PLUS THE EXPANSION OF THE CAFETERIA AT ONE MIDDLE SCHOOL CAMPUS. ALTHOUGH CONSTRUCTION HAS NOT STARTED ON THIS PROJECT AND WANT TO HIGHLIGHT, I DID WANT TO HIGHLIGHT THIS PROJECT BECAUSE IT DEMONSTRATES WHAT CAN BE ACHIEVED THROUGH COLLABORATION AND CREATIVE PROBLEM SOLVING.

THE BID PROPOSALS RECEIVED FOR THIS PROJECT EXCEEDED THE ESTABLISHED CONSTRUCTION BUDGET AND THE BID PROPOSALS RECEIVED FOR THIS PROJECT EXCEEDED THE ESTABLISHED CONSTRUCTION BUDGET.

KITCHEN EQUIPMENT WAS A SIGNIFICANT PART OF THOSE BIDS. THE CHILD NUTRITION DEPARTMENT ASSISTED THE BOND PROGRAM BY PURCHASING SOME OF THE KITCHEN EQUIPMENT REQUIRED FOR THE UPGRADES. WITH THEIR AVAILABLE FUNDS, THEREBY ELIMINATING THE NEED TO REQUEST SUPPLEMENTAL FUNDS FROM THE BOND CONTINGENCY. IT'S A WIN FOR THE FORT BEND ISD TEAM, AND THE AWARDED GENERAL CONTRACTOR WILL INSTALL WILL INSTALL THE OWNER PURCHASED EQUIPMENT AS PART OF THEIR CONSTRUCTION WORK STARTING IN FEBRUARY OF 2025, THE CENTER OF THE SCREEN BID PACKAGE ZERO TWO FOR FACADE UPGRADES AND RENOVATIONS. THE CONSTRUCTION PROJECT, THE CONSTRUCTION CONTRACT FOR THIS PACKAGE WAS APPROVED BY THE BOARD IN JULY 2024, AND THIS PROJECT TOUCHES THREE CAMPUSES WILLOW RIDGE HIGH SCHOOL, HODGES BEND MIDDLE SCHOOL, AND SETTLERS WAY ELEMENTARY. CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITIES AT THE HIGH SCHOOL AND MIDDLE SCHOOL IS BEGINNING THIS MONTH, AND WORK AS SETTLERS WAY ELEMENTARY WILL START IN THE SUMMER OF 2025. THE NEXT PROJECT THAT I WOULD LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT IS THE PROJECT SHOWN IN THE UPPER RIGHT CORNER. BID PACKAGE ZERO FOUR FOR HVAC, MEP UPGRADES. THIS CONTRACT WAS ALSO APPROVED BY THE BOARD IN JULY OF 2024. THE CONTRACTOR HAS BEGUN CRITICAL PROCESS OF ORDERING AND PROCURING LONELY MECHANICAL EQUIPMENT. THEY WILL BEGIN SOME OF THE WORK IN DECEMBER TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF OUR SHUT DOWN FOR THE WINTER BREAK, BUT THE MAJORITY OF THE EQUIPMENT REPLACEMENTS AND UPGRADES WILL NOT START UNTIL THE SUMMER OF 2025, AND I'D LIKE TO PROVIDE A STATUS ON BID PACKAGE 050 DRINKING FOUNTAINS UNDER THIS PACKAGE, APPROXIMATELY 70 FACILITIES WILL RECEIVE NEW DRINKING FOUNTAINS AND BOTTLE FILLERS. THIS WORK IS BEING PERFORMED BY A JOB ORDER CONTRACTOR AND HAS BEEN SPLIT INTO FOUR ZONES. ZONE ONE WORK BEGAN IN MID OCTOBER AND EXPECTED TO BE COMPLETE BY MID JANUARY. ZONE TWO WILL IS SCHEDULED TO BEGIN IN JANUARY 2025. NEXT I'LL TRANSITION TO MISTER GWEN TO PROVIDE AN UPDATE ON FINANCIALS. THANK YOU. DOCTOR VELTZ. YOU CAN SEE THAT OUR TOTAL BUDGET FOR THE 23 BOND IS CURRENTLY AT $1.257 BILLION.

THERE IS CURRENTLY $270 MILLION. THAT IS ENCUMBERED. AND THOSE ARE FOR CONTRACTS THAT THE BOARD HAS APPROVED, BUT FOR WHICH PAYMENT HAS NOT ACTUALLY BEEN MADE. ACTUAL EXPENDITURES TOTAL $113.6 MILLION. AND THESE ARE ON CONTRACTS APPROVED BY THE BOARD FOR WHICH PAYMENT HAS ACTUALLY BEEN MADE. AND SO THAT LEAVES US WITH A TOTAL BALANCE IN THE BOND FUND OF $872.8 MILLION TO BE EXPENDED ON THE 23 BOND. LAST MONTH, THE BOARD I DID THAT ON PURPOSE. LAST MONTH, THE BOARD TOOK ACTION ON IN OCTOBER TO ADDRESS SHORTFALLS IN THE 23 BOND. THE DEFICIT THAT WE SHARED WITH THE BOARD AT THE TIME WAS AT $57.3 MILLION, AND YOU CAN SEE THAT IN THE FIRST COLUMN THERE. THE BOARD APPROVED ALIGNING BOTH THE KURTH AND ATHLETICS AND HIGHTOWER HIGH SCHOOL BUDGETS TO WHAT WAS INCLUDED IN THE BOND. THAT ACTION REDUCED THE DEFICIT BY $31.1 MILLION TO $26.2 MILLION. AND YOU CAN SEE THAT IN THE COLUMN IN THAT FIRST COLUMN IN ADDITION, OCTOBER CONTINGENCY AVAILABLE WITHIN PROPOSITION A WAS AT $1.9 MILLION. THE ACTION TAKEN TO ELIMINATE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL 55 AND DEFER THE TRANSPORTATION FACILITY RESULTED IN $66.8 MILLION BEING PLACED INTO PROGRAM CONTINGENCY, AND WHEN COMBINED WITH THE $1.9 MILLION, WE HAVE $68.7 MILLION IN TOTAL PROGRAM CONTINGENCY AVAILABLE AND PROPOSITION EIGHT.

[00:40:03]

THIS PROVIDES A CUSHION TO ADDRESS ANY IMMEDIATE COST INCREASES THAT MAY OCCUR WITHIN PROPOSITION A, AND SO LOOKING AT OUR CONTINGENCY AMOUNTS FROM EACH OF THE BONDS FROM THE 14 AND 18 BONDS, THOSE AMOUNTS HAVE NOT CHANGED. THERE'S $10.6 MILLION AVAILABLE IN 2014. BOND AND ABOUT $4.5 MILLION AVAILABLE IN THE 2018 BOND. WHEN COMBINED WITH THE $1.9 MILLION WE HAVE IN THE 23 BOND FOR PROPOSITION A, THERE'S $17.1 MILLION IN TOTAL CONTINGENCY AVAILABLE PRIOR TO THE BOARD ACTIONS THAT WERE TAKEN LAST MONTH WITH THE ELIMINATION OF ELEMENTARY 55 AND THE DEFERRAL OF THE TRANSPORTATION FACILITY THAT ADDED $66.7 MILLION TO PROGRAM CONTINGENCY AND THIS EVENING, THERE WILL BE A PROPOSAL TO USE $18 MILLION FROM PROGRAM CONTINGENCY THAT WILL BE DISCUSSED AS PART OF THE BOARD AGENDA REVIEW MEETING. IF APPROVED, THAT WILL LEAVE $65.9 MILLION IN TOTAL CONTINGENCY AVAILABLE. AND AS A REMINDER, THE $50.7 MILLION THAT WE'RE REFLECTING AS AVAILABLE IN THE 23 BOND CAN ONLY BE USED ON PROPOSITION A ITEMS THE BOARD DOES HAVE DISCRETION ON THE 2014 AND 18 BOND CONTINGENCY. HOWEVE, AND BECAUSE WE DO HAVE CONTINGENCY AVAILABLE THAT OFFSETS THE DEFICIT WILL NO LONGER BE SHOWING THE CHANGE IN THE BOND DEFICIT AS WE'VE DONE HISTORICALLY, SO THAT 59 MILLION THAT I OR $57 MILLION, I REFERENCED EARLIER WILL BE MOVING AWAY FROM THAT NUMBER, CHANGING AND FLUCTUATING MONTHLY. INSTEAD, WHAT WE'LL BE DOING IS, AS WE'VE SHOWED YOU PREVIOUSLY, WILL REPORT ON THE PROJECT PROGRESS ON THE PROJECTS THAT DON'T HAVE INDEPENDENT COST ESTIMATES. AND SO CURRENTLY THERE ARE 28% OF OUR PROJECTS THAT STILL ARE REMAINING TO GET THOSE INDEPENDENT COST ESTIMATES IN THE MONTH OF OCTOBER, WE RECEIVED 20 ESTIMATES THAT ARE BIDS THAT HAVE COME IN SINCE WE LAST MET WITH YOU. ALL OF THOSE PROJECTS, SIX WERE UNDER BUDGET BY ABOUT $6.5 MILLION, AND THERE WERE 14 PROJECTS THAT WERE OVER BUDGET BY ABOUT $10 MILLION. AND SO THE NET IMPACT OF THAT CHANGE IS RIGHT AT $3.5 MILLION MORE THAN WHAT WE EXPECTED IN COST.

HOWEVER, AS I JUST SHOWED YOU ON THE PREVIOUS SLIDE, WE HAVE $50.7 MILLION AVAILABLE IN BOND CONTINGENCY, AND YOU'LL BEGIN TO SEE THOSE PROJECTS COME FORWARD WITH A REQUEST TO USE CONTINGENCY TO OFFSET THE OVERAGES AS WE GO FORWARD. AND THOSE PROJECT BIDS ARE RECEIVED IN AND SO WHAT I WOULD LEAVE YOU WITH THIS EVENING IS THE ACTIONS THAT YOU ALL TOOK LAST MONTH IN TERMS OF ALIGNING THE PROJECT BUDGETS TO WHAT WAS APPROVED WITHIN THE BOND, AS WELL AS MOVING THOSE FUNDS INTO CONTINGENCY, HAVE PROVIDED US WITH THE FLEXIBILITY TO ADDRESS THE BOND SHORTFALLS THAT WE ANTICIPATE AND MOVE THE 23 BOND PROGRAM FORWARD. AND WITH THAT, WE'LL BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT THE BOARD MAY HAVE. DO WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? SO I HAVE A QUESTION I SAW IN OUR BOARD UPDATE TRUSTEE JONES WAS ASKING QUESTIONS REGARDING THE INTEREST RATES, AND I KNOW THAT WE'RE DOING COMMERCIAL PAPER PROGRAMS. AND WHEN WE'RE TAKING OUT MONEY SPECIFICALLY FOR THE PROJECTS THAT WE'RE DOING AT THE TIME, AND THEN AS WE GET FURTHER DOWN, WE DO WE DO THAT AROUND AGAIN. SO WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT THE INTEREST RATES FLUCTUATING, IF WE'RE TAKING OUT MONEY, SAY, YESTERDAY AT A 6% INTEREST RATE, AND THEN WE COME BACK AND WE FIND, YOU KNOW, 6 OR 7 MONTHS DOWN THE ROAD, INTEREST RATES ARE FLUCTUATING, THEY'RE GOING DOWN. ARE WE ABLE TO REFINANCE ANY PORTION OF THE FIRST ROUND OF DEBT THAT WE TOOK OUT AS SOME SORT OF A REFINANCE TO ALSO IN ADDITION TO THE COMMERCIAL PAPER PROGRAM, HELP WITH COSTS? FOR I ASKED BECAUSE I WAS DOING SOME RESEARCH ON WHAT OUR CURRENT RATES ARE BECAUSE I WAS HAVING CONVERSATIONS WITH FRIENDS ON WALL STREET, AND WE HAVE SOME OF THE BEST RATES AS A MATTER OF FACT, WE HAVE SOME OF THE LOWEST RATES ON BOND SERIES BONDS, WHICH IS A GOOD THING. I WAS TOLD THAT BRIAN MONITORS THAT AS FAR AS OUR INTEREST RATES, AND WHEN THAT OPPORTUNITY PRESENTS ITSELF TO REFINANCE SO THAT WE CAN GET COST SAVINGS OR CASH OU, THEN WE CAN. BUT I DON'T THINK WE'RE IN A POSITION RIGHT NOW BECAUSE WE'RE AT THE LOWEST COURSE. RIGHT? SO I DON'T THINK I COULD HAVE SAID IT MUCH BETTER THAN WHAT TRUSTEE JONES JUST SAID. SO I'M NOT GOING TO TRY TO ELABORATE ON THAT. SHE IS CORRECT. WE DO MONITOR THE DEBT MARKET CONSTANTLY. THERE IS ABOUT, I THINK, ROUGHLY 80% OF OUR DEBT THAT IS CALLABLE, MEANING THAT WE CAN REFUND IT IF THERE IS A MORE ADVANTAGEOUS RATE AVAILABLE TO US. WE WORK VERY CLOSELY WITH OUR FINANCIAL ADVISOR TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THOSE OPPORTUNITIES WHEN THEY

[00:45:01]

PRESENT THEMSELVES. AND AS A MATTER OF FACT, IN THE DECEMBER TIME FRAME, WE'LL BE BRINGING FORWARD TO YOU ALL ALONG WITH OUR FINANCIAL ADVISOR AND BOND COUNSEL, THE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE UPCOMING YEAR ON WHAT WE CALL THE PARAMETER ORDER, SETTING YOU ALL, SETTING THE PARAMETERS UNDER WHICH WE CAN GO TO THE MARKET TO DO REFUNDING, TO ISSUE NEW DEBT AND CONTINUE OUR COMMERCIAL PAPER PROGRAM. SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S ATTACHED TO THIS. AND WE CAN PROVIDE A MORE COMPREHENSIVE UPDATE AT THAT TIME ON HOW THAT PROGRAM WILL BE ON THE LOOKOUT, BECAUSE FROM WHAT I WAS TOLD, THAT THEY'RE LIKELY TO GO DOWN EVEN MORE. SO WE WANT TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THAT AS WELL. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR THAT. AND WHEN I LOOKED AT IT, THE RATES WERE PRETTY GOOD. AND I NOTICED THERE WAS A DIFFERENCE IN THEM. SO WE'VE DONE THIS ON THE MUD.

WHEN I SERVED ON THE MUD PREVIOUSLY. AND SO THAT WAS ONE OF THE THINGS WHEN I SAW THE RATES SORT OF I WAS LIKE, WELL, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT POPPED IN MY HEAD, SO THANK YOU FOR THAT INFORMATION. ONE MORE QUESTION. I HAVE IN REGARDS TO THE USE OF CONTINGENCY. AND WE CAN ONLY USE BOND 2023 CONTINGENCY ON PROP A ITEMS. SO WE CAN'T USE ANY OF THE CONTINGENCY HERE FOR THE NATATORIUM, SAY FOR INSTANCE. SO WE WOULD HAVE TO USE IT OUT OF 2014 OR 2018. IS THAT THAT'S CORRECT? YES, SIR. THAT IS CORRECT. OKAY. I JUST WANTED TO I JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY THAT BECAUSE I WAS I REMEMBER HEARING THAT, BUT I JUST WANTED TO DOUBLE CHECK THAT. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH. NO TRUSTEE HAMILTON THANK YOU. SO I JUST WANTED TO ASK SO THE 18 MILLION THAT IS PROPOSED TO BE USED ON THE CLEMENS PROJECT. I JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY THAT'S NOT ANYTHING ADDITIONAL. THAT'S JUST COVERING THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE BUDGETED BUDGETED AMOUNT AND THE ACTUAL EXPENDITURE AMOUNT. RIGHT. YES, SIR. THAT IS CORRECT. YEAH. AND I KNOW THERE HAVE BEEN SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT WHY ARE WE INCREASING THE SPENDING THERE WHILE WE'RE CUTTING IN OTHER AREAS. SO I, I THINK IT'S SAFE TO ASSUME FROM MY PERSPECTIVE THAT WE LOOKED AT, AT ANY AND ALL OPPORTUNITIES TO CUT COSTS AT CLEMENS HIGH SCHOOL. AND SO CAN YOU JUST CONFIRM THAT I DON'T KNOW IF MR. YEAH. MR. HE'S MAKING HIS WAY, ONE OF THE THINGS I WOULD SAY IS THAT THE PROCESS THAT WAS USED FOR BOTH BRIARGATE REBUILD AS WELL AS THE MISSION REBUILD WORK THAT VALUE ENGINEERING TO ENSURE THAT THOSE PROJECTS WERE DONE AS THE MOST COST EFFECTIVE WAY WE CAN. AND. YES, SIR. YOU YOU SUMMARIZED IT ACCURATELY. THE DIFFERENCE IS WHAT WAS BUDGETED VICE COMPARED TO THE NUMBERS THAT HAVE COME IN. BUT THOSE NUMBERS DO INCLUDE THE VALUE ENGINEERING THAT WE'VE DONE TO GET IT TO GET THAT DEFICIT DOWN TO 18. YES. YEAH. AND I THINK THE NUMBER WAS 45. IS THAT AT ONE POINT IT WAS EXPECTED TO BE 45 MILLION ABOVE BUDGET. I THINK I'D HAVE TO LOOK AT THE NOTES, BUT IT WAS. SO YOU'VE CUT IT FROM GREATER THAN 18 SOMEWHERE AROUND THERE. YEAH. OKAY. AWESOME. THANK YOU. YES, SIR. I JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY THAT BECAUSE THERE HAVE BEEN SOME, SOME QUESTIONS. SO I JUST WANT TO GIVE YOU AN OPPORTUNITY TO EXPLAIN THAT. THANK YOU. I HAVE ONE MORE TRUSTEE JONES, I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO THE TEAM AND THANK YOU FOR BRYAN ON SUCH SHORT NOTICE OF GETTING THAT INFORMATION ABOUT THE RATES, BECAUSE I WAS LIKE, IF WE'RE IN A POSITION TO REFI AND CASH OUT, WE CAN DO IT. AND IF NOT, YOU KNOW, LET'S NOT EXHAUST ALL OF OUR OPTIONS THERE. SO I REALLY APPRECIATE HOW FAST YOU GOT THAT BACK TO ME. THANK YOU. OKAY. AND WITH THAT WE'LL MOVE

[5. Public Comment]

ON TO PUBLIC COMMENTS TONIGHT. WE HAVE 11 SPEAKERS. THE BOARD ENCOURAGES AND WELCOMES COMMENTS AND INPUT FROM OUR PATRONS. PLEASE LIMIT YOUR COMMENTS TO THREE MINUTES AND PLEASE REFRAIN FROM MENTIONING A STUDENT OR EMPLOYEES NAME WHEN VOICING A CONCERN OR COMPLAINT. AS BOARD POLICY PROVIDES ALL ALTERNATE PROCEDURES THROUGH THE GRIEVANCE PROCESS POLICIES. GF LOCAL AND DBA LOCAL TO SEEK RESOLUTION TO COMPLAINTS. I WILL READ THE NAME OF THE PERSON REGISTERED TO SPEAK AND SHARE THAT THEY HAVE THREE MINUTES TO MAKE THEIR COMMENTS. ONCE SPEAKER STARTS THEIR COMMENTS. BOARD SECRETARY. TRUSTEE DAVID HAMILTON WILL ANNOUNCE WHEN THEY HAVE 30S REMAINING ONCE THE THREE MINUTE TIME LIMIT HAS EXPIRED, AND WHETHER THE SPEAKER HAS CONCLUDED THEIR COMMENTS. MR. HAMILTON WILL ANNOUNCE THE SPEAKER'S TIME HAS ELAPSED. I WILL THEN ASK THAT YOU RETURN TO YOUR SEAT SO TONIGHT, OUR FIRST SPEAKER IS THE VENKATAPPA. I GUESS, CAN YOU GUYS SEE ME? OKAY, SIR. SO MY NAME IS TANUJ KUMAR VENKATAPPA AND I'VE BEEN LIVING IN US FOR THE LAST 15 YEARS, SO I MOVED AROUND SIX DIFFERENT STATES IN THE US AND THEN AT THE LAST 12 YEARS I'VE BEEN LIVING AROUND HOUSTON AREA. I LIVED IN HOUSTON FOR SEVEN YEARS. THEN I WAS THINKING, YOU KNOW, WHERE SHOULD I BUY A HOUSE? YOU KNOW, BEFORE I GET KIDS? ONE OTHER THING. I WANTED WAS FBI, LIKE THE FOOD BANK. YOU KNOW, THAT'S WHERE, YOU KNOW,

[00:50:02]

THE SCHOOL DISTRICT IS GOOD. IT HAS A TRANSPARENCY. YOU KNOW, IT HAS SECURITY. SO THAT'S THE REASON I CHOSE, YOU KNOW, FORT BEND AND WITH THE FBI. RIGHT. BUT SINCE THEN, THINGS CHANGED.

YOU KNOW, LAST BOARD MEETING, I HEARD SOMETHING, YOU KNOW, WHICH IMPACTED ME A LOT. YOU KNOW, IT SOMETIMES I WAS I WAS NOT ABLE TO SLEEP BECAUSE WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN? BECAUSE THINGS ARE NOT EASY. I MEAN, THERE ARE A LOT OF THINGS INVOLVES, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU GUYS TAKE A DECISION, RIGHT? SO I KNOW ONE OF THE THING, YOU KNOW, WHICH IMPACTED MORE IS ES 55 ELIMINATION. SO IT WAS A SURPRISE FOR EVERYBODY. LIKE A LOT OF PARENTS, WE HAVE HERE, MOST OF THEM ARE GOING TO TALK ABOUT THE S 55 AND THE REZONING. IT WAS A SURPRISE FOR EVERYBODY. WE JUST GOT TO KNOW ONE DAY BEFORE, AS SOON AS WE GOT TO KNOW, WE REACHED OUT TO YOU KNOW, OUR BOARD, YOU KNOW, BOARD OF TRUSTEE GARCIA AND MR. YOU KNOW JONES AND YOU KNOW MISS JONES AND YOU KNOW WE HAD DISCUSSED WE RAISED OUR CONCERNS. YOU KNOW THANKS FOR SUPPORTING. YOU KNOW YOU GUYS YOU KNOW DURING THE SESSION. AND THEN ONE OF THE REASON YOU GUYS ELIMINATED BECAUSE OF THE MONEY, I MEAN, I WORKED FOR A, YOU KNOW, A OIL AND GAS COMPANY. WE DO ALL THE TIME WITH THE MONEY I GET IT. I MEAN, THERE IS A MONEY YOU DON'T HAVE MONEY. YOU NEED TO DO IT. BUT WE CANNOT JUST ELIMINATE A SCHOOL BECAUSE IT IMPACTS NOT ONLY A DISTRICT OR A TAXPAYER. IT'S GOING TO IMPACT FAMILIES, KIDS, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT THAT EASY DECISION TO TAKE. YOU KNOW, JUST A MATTER OF, YOU KNOW, 30 MINUTES. SO BEFORE THA, YOU KNOW, I WANT TO HAVE SOME THINGS I WANT TO COVER. SO WHILE I REACH OUT TO, YOU KNOW, MISS JONES AND THEN, YOU KNOW, GARCIA AND ALSO, YOU KNOW, PRESIDENT, YOU KNOW, WHY WE ARE ELIMINATING THE SCHOOL. SO ONE OF THE COMMENT I HEARD FROM EVERYBODY IS THE DISCUSSION YOU GUYS HAD LAST BOARD MEETING WAS JUST ABOUT THE ELIMINATION. BUT THE ONE MAIN THING, YOU KNOW, YOU GUYS TOOK, AS YOU KNOW, PART OF THE DECISION IS REZONING. SO EVERYBODY SAID LIKE, YOU KNOW, WE ARE NOT TALKING ANYTHING ABOUT REZONING. BUT IF YOU GUYS SEE THE ALL THE DOCUMENTS YOU GUYS TOOK THE DECISION IS BASED ON REZONING. SO YOU GUYS ARE CLEARLY SAYING THAT THESE ARE THE REZONINGS WE NEED TO DO TO DO THIS. AND, YOU KNOW, THAT'S THAT'S THE MAIN REASON MY CONCERN IS YOU GUYS TOOK THAT, YOU KNOW, REZONING AS A PART OF THE DECISION MAKING. SO AS A PART OF THE YOU KNOW, THE REZONING, YOU KNOW, ALL THE ELIMINATION THINGS, YOU GUYS TOOK, THERE ARE A LOT OF THINGS, YOU KNOW, I FELT LIKE INACCURATE. AND, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE A LOT OF I THINK THERE IS NO COMMUNITY INPUT PART OF THE DECISION. AND AGAIN, I FELT LIKE THE DECISION, IT WAS EMERGENCY DECISION BECAUSE WE COULD HAVE WAIT UNTIL TODAY OR MAYBE NEXT BOARD MEETING TO TAKE THE DECISION BECAUSE WE ARE NOT SPENDING THAT MONEY. RIGHT. THAT 47 MILLION THE MONEY IS STILL THERE. SO I DIDN'T FEEL LIKE IT WAS AN EMERGENCY DECISION YOU GUYS NEED TO MAKE. BUT SOME REASON YOU GUYS TOOK IT. AND SO WE ARE GOING TO, YOU KNOW, SUPPORT THE DECISION FOR NOW. SO ONE OF THE THING YOU KNOW ELIMINATING ELIMINATING THE SCHOOL DISTRICT. SO ELIMINATING SECONDS. SORRY. 30S. OKAY. 30S.

SO ONE OF THE THING YOU GUYS ARE TAKING IS ELIMINATING THE 55. BUT WHEN YOU GUYS ELIMINATE THE 55, THERE ARE A LOT OF THINGS HAPPENS. YOU KNOW, THE YOU KNOW YOU GUYS ARE THE PART OF THE REZONING. YOU GUYS YOU KNOW, BRINGING IN NEW STUDENTS INTO THE SCHOOL AND THEN BRINGING OUT THE STUDENTS FROM THIS SCHOOL TO A DIFFERENT SCHOOL. SO IT IMPACT A LOT OF, YOU KNOW, THE SAFETY REASONS, BECAUSE THE ROADS ARE ALREADY BUSY IN THE SCHOOL TIME. WE HAVE MIDDLE SCHOOL, HIGH SCHOOL, EVERYTHING TOWARDS THE COMMUNITY. SO IT'S GOING TO BE A GREAT MAJOR IMPACT. SO I FEEL LIKE, YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY, BEFORE YOU EASILY ELIMINATE THE DECISION. SORRY. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU SIR FOR COMING. OUR NEXT SPEAKER, TIM JONES. GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS TIM JONES. MY CHILDREN LIVE IN THE HARVEST GREEN NEIGHBORHOOD WHERE NEAL ELEMENTARY IS. WE LIVE IN THE DISTRICT THAT WOULD BE PART OF THE REZONING. AND SO TO MAKE AN EMPHASIS ABOUT HOW OUR CHILDREN MOVING OUT OF OUR NEIGHBORHOOD, WHERE THEY'RE ABLE TO WALK AND BIKE TO SCHOOL, WOULD BE POTENTIALLY BUSED OR DRIVEN TO BACONGO ELEMENTARY, WHERE THERE IS NOT A SIMPLE ROAD THAT GOES INTO THE NEIGHBORHOOD. WE WOULD HAVE TO GO NORTH PAST OUR EXISTING NEAL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL THAT OUR CHILDREN GO TO NOW, OR GO SOUTH TOWARDS BOWIE MIDDLE SCHOOL, WHERE THERE'S ALREADY A LOT OF TRAFFIC. IN ADDITION TO AFFECTING TRAFFIC, I KNOW THERE'S A BUS DRIVER SHORTAGE. SO ADDITIONAL BUSSES NEEDED FOR BUSING OUT KIDS THAT ALREADY WALK AND BIKE TO THE SCHOOL WOULD JUST INCREASE TRAFFIC, INCREASE BUSSES AND MORE BUS DRIVERS NEEDED, WHICH COULD POTENTIALLY CAUSE STAGGERED START TIMES FOR DIFFERENT SCHOOLS AND THINGS LIKE THAT. SO I WOULD ALSO CONSIDER IF IT'S 55, COULD BE ADDED TO A UPCOMING BOND NOW THAT IT'S BEEN MOVED INTO CONTINGENCY FOR THE TIME BEING. AND THAT IS IT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SIR. OUR NEXT SPEAKER, TRICIA MIHAJLOVIC. I SAID THAT RIGHT. I AM SHORT. GOOD EVENING.

MY NAME IS TRICIA MIHAJLOVIC AND I'M HERE TO RAISE AN IMPORTANT QUESTION REGARDING THE LONG TERM

[00:55:01]

PLAN FOR OUR COMMUNITY WITH THE ELIMINATION OF SCHOOL IS 55 PECAN. PECAN GROVE ELEMENTARY IS CURRENTLY ALMOST 36 YEARS OLD, WHICH MAKES IT SIGNIFICANTLY OLDER THAN OAKLAND BY 18 YEARS AND NEAL BY ALMOST 30 YEARS. UNLIKE THE NEWER CAMPUSES, PECAN GROVE ELEMENTARY IS AT A UNIQUE DISADVANTAGE BECAUSE THERE ARE NO NEIGHBORHOOD SCHOOLS AVAILABLE FOR TEMPORARY REZONING OR CONSOLIDATION. WITH THE DECISION TO ELIMINATE IS 55. THE THREE NEARBY SCHOOLS WILL BE AT NEARLY FULL CAPACITY, BETWEEN 99% AND 103% THROUGH AT LEAST THE 2033 34 SCHOOL YEAR, WHILE PECAN GROVE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IS CURRENTLY UNDER CAPACITY, ANY REZONING SCENARIOS PLACED IT RIGHT BACK AT OR ABOVE CAPACITY. AS IT STANDS, THE AGING BUILDING WILL CONTINUE TO NEED SUBSTANTIAL MAINTENANCE AND SHOULD REQUIRE THE LEVEL OF INVESTMENT THAT WE'VE RECENTLY SEEN WITH SCHOOLS LIKE MISSION BAND GLEN OR BRIARGATE. WHERE WILL THAT LEAVE US? MR. HAMILTON NOTED DURING A RECENT BOARD MEETING THAT ONE REASON FOR INCLUDING ES 55, IN BOND 2023 WAS TO SERVE AS A CONTINGENCY FOR HOUSING PECAN GROVE ELEMENTARY STUDENTS IF AND WHEN THE BUILDING BECOMES UNSAFE OR IT REPAIRS, COSTS BECOME UNSUSTAINABLE. NOW, WITHOUT ES 55, WHAT IS THE WHAT IS THE DISTRICT'S PLAN? IF PECAN GROVE ELEMENTARY REACHES A CRITICAL POINT AS A PARENT AND ADVOCATE FOR OUR COMMUNITY AND ITS STUDENTS, I URGE YOU TO CONSIDER WHAT IS THE LONG TERM VISION FOR OUR COMMUNITY AND OUR CHILDREN? HOW CAN WE ENSURE THE STABILITY AND SAFETY OF PECAN GROVE ELEMENTARY AND ITS STUDENTS INTO THE FUTURE? WITHOUT A PLAN FOR THEM? WHEN THIS SCHOOL NEEDS REPAIRS OR REBUILT WITHOUT ES 55, WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO THESE STUDENTS AND WHERE WILL THEY GO WITH THE THREE NEIGHBORING SCHOOLS AT OR OVER CAPACITY? THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, MANDY BUI. GOOD EVENIN. IN THE SPRING OF 2023, I ATTENDED A COMMUNITY MEETING IN THE HARVEST GREEN NEIGHBORHOOD MEANT TO DISCUSS AND PROMOTE THE 2023 BOND HEARING. THE MANY WAYS ABOUT HOW THIS FUNDING CAN POSITIVELY, POSITIVELY IMPACT NOT ONLY MY COMMUNITY, BUT THE ENTIRE DISTRICT. I BECAME ACTIVELY INVOLVED IN INFORMING OTHERS ABOUT THE BOND'S SIGNIFICANCE AND ITS POTENTIAL BENEFITS FOR OUR AREA. THROUGH MY NEIGHBORHOOD AND THROUGH THE SCHOOL PTO. I SHARE THIS WITH YOU ALL TO PROVIDE CONTEXT TO MY PERSONAL FRUSTRATION WITH THE RECENT BOARD DECISION TO ELIMINATE ES 55, MY FRUSTRATION IS ROOTED IN GENUINE CARE AND COMMITMENT. DESPITE MY PERSONAL RECENT LACK OF AWARENESS AND PARTICIPATION IN YOUR SCHOOL BOARD MEETINGS REGARDING THESE MATTERS IN THE MONTH PRECEDING YOUR VOTE. SADLY, TO ME IT FEELS AS THOUGH THIS DECISION TO CUT ES 55 REFLECTS MORE OF A RESPONSE TO PRESSURE TO ADDRESS A DISTRICT WIDE BUDGET DEFICIT THAN AN ACTUAL STEP FORWARD FOR THE STUDENTS IN MY COMMUNITY. AND SO WITH MY SPEAKING TIME, I'D LIKE TO BRING ATTENTION TO THE URGENT ISSUE OF OVERCROWDING IN OUR SCHOOLS, SPECIFICALLY AT NEILL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, WHICH IS OPERATING AT 113.85 CAPACITY AS OF TODAY'S ENROLLMENT NUMBER, NEILL HAS SEEN A SHARP RISE IN ENROLLMENT THIS YEAR, WITH PROJECTIONS SUGGESTING EVEN MORE STUDENTS NEXT YEAR. IT'S CRITICAL FOR US TO UNDERSTAND WHAT IMMEDIATE STEPS THE DISTRICT AND THE BOARD ARE TAKING TO ADDRESS THESE CHALLENGES, IMPACTING BOTH STUDENTS AND TEACHERS, OVERCROWDING, AND ACTUALLY SIMPLY HAVING 1258 STUDENTS AT A SINGLE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL CAMPUS STRAINS NOT ONLY CLASSROOMS, BUT ALSO PLAYGROUNDS AND CAFETERIAS, AND CREATES SIGNIFICANT ISSUES WITH ARRIVAL AND DISMISSAL. I WOULD PERSONALLY INVITE EACH OF YOU TO COME WITH ME IN THE MORNING AND THE AFTERNOON AS I WALK MY CHILDREN TO AND FROM SCHOOL, YOU'LL SEE FIRSTHAND THE EXTREME TRAFFIC BOTTLENECKS, THE BURDEN ON OUR CROSSING GUARDS, AND THE STAFF'S VALIANT AND EXHAUSTING EFFORTS TO KEEP OUR KIDS SAFE BEFORE THEY EVEN ENTER THE BUILDING AND AFTER THEY'VE DEPARTED THE CAMPUS. THIS PAST SUMMER, FOUR PORTABLES WERE ADDED DIRECTLY ON TOP OF OUR PLAYGROUND, BRINGING THE TOTAL TO SIX AND RAISING CONCERNS ABOUT STUDENT SAFETY AND THEIR EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING. I TRULY WOULD LIKE TO KNOW HOW DOES ADDING MORE STUDENTS, WHILE REDUCING PLAYGROUND SPACE, DEMONSTRATE ANYONE'S COMMITMENT TO OUR CHILDREN'S HOLISTIC NEEDS? I ALSO WANT TO KNOW IF THERE IS A SPECIFIC ENROLLMENT CAP FOR NEILL, OR A THRESHOLD TO TRIGGER OVERFLOW MEASURES BEYOND SIMPLY ADDING MORE PORTABLES. AS OUR COMMUNITY GROWS, AND ESPECIALLY NOW WITH THE ELIMINATION OF ES 55, WE NEED A CLEAR AND SUSTAINABLE PLAN TO ENSURE OUR SCHOOLS CAN SAFELY AND EFFECTIVELY SUPPORT ALL STUDENTS. IT'S NOT JUST IN NEILL ELEMENTARY THAT NEED THAT IS IMPACTED BY THE SIGNIFICANT AND ONGOING GROWTH IN OUR AREA.

BOWIE MIDDLE SCHOOL AND TRAVIS HIGH SCHOOL ARE ALL OPERATING AT OR NEAR CAPACITY, AND THERE'S NO APPARENT RELIEF IN SIGHT. I URGE THE BOARD TO PRIORITIZE LONG TERM PLANNING THAT TRULY CONSIDERS THESE FACTORS AND PLEASE ENGAGE THE COMMUNITY. WE ARE HERE BECAUSE WE CARE. WE DIDN'T KNOW WE NEEDED TO BE HERE AS MUCH AS WE DID THIS PAST MONTH, BUT WE'RE HERE NOW AND WE WANT TO TALK, WE WANT TO LISTEN, AND WE WANT TO MOVE FORWARD TOGETHER. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, JENNY LEE. THANK YOU FOR COMING. YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES. HI, EVERYONE. MY NAME

[01:00:03]

IS JENNY LEE. I'M HERE WITH THE WONDERFUL CITIZENS OF HARVEST GREEN AND SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES. I MOVED TO HARVEST GREEN A YEAR AGO WITH A BEAUTIFUL TWO YEAR OLD DAUGHTER, AND WE'RE REALLY, REALLY EXCITED TO BE ABLE TO ATTEND NEILL NOT REZONE PECAN GROVE. AND NOW WE'RE NOT REALLY SURE WHICH SCHOOL WE MAY BE GOING TO. A COUPLE OF YEARS. I SHARE WITH YOU THE STORY BECAUSE PECAN GROVE ELEMENTARY, OAKLAND, ALL THESE COMMUNITY AREAS HAVE HAD THIS HUGE INFLUX OF TAX BASES. WE, THE AVERAGE AGE IS 33 YEARS OLD. THE MEDIAN HOUSEHOLD INCOME IS ABOUT 105 110,000. SO WHEN YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT HOW DO YOU GROW YOUR REVENUE FROM THAT PROPERTY TAX PART, THE ALLURE OF BRAND NEW, BRAND NEW SCHOOLS, THESE WONDERFUL SCHOOL AT FORT BEND ISD, POTENTIALLY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL 55, WILL HELP YOU GROW THAT TAX BASE. THEY WON'T BE ELIGIBLE FOR THE HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION FOR THAT FIRST YEAR, WHICH I LEARNED LAST YEAR WHILE DOING MY TAXES AND SHE'LL DEFINITELY GET THAT FIRST BUMP IN YOUR TAXES. I'M HERE TODAY WITH A LOT OF THESE CITIZENS TO ASK YOU FOR TWO THINGS. THE FIRST IS THAT I DON'T LIKE PAYING TAXES. I DON'T THINK ANY OF US DO, BUT WE'D BE MORE IN SUPPORT OF A 2025 BOND TO PROPOSE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL 55. AS TIM AND OTHERS HAVE MENTIONED, PROPOSITION A OF THE 2023 BOND THAT WAS ISSUED WAS SPECIFICALLY EARMARKED FOR A COUPLE OF KEY PROJECTS. EVEN IF YOU GO OVERRUN ALL THE OTHER PROPOSITIONS, YOU'LL PROBABLY HAVE SOME MONEY LEFT OVER. AND SO IT MAKES SENSE. I SEE TRUSTEE HAMILTON NODDING TO ISSUE A NEW BOND FOR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL 55, SO YOU CAN USE ANY FUNDS THAT ARE EARMARKED IN PROPOSITION A FOR THAT AMOUN. SINCE YOU CAN SEE WE'RE DEFINITELY AT CAPACITY HERE. THE SECOND THING I'D LIKE TO THE BOARD TO CONSIDER IS THAT WE KNOW REZONING IS YOUR SHORT TERM SOLUTION. HAVE US INVOLVED WITH THIS. WE KNOW THE BUS ROUTES, WE KNOW THE PARTS THAT DON'T WORK. AND WE REALLY DON'T WANT TO BE DRIVING OUR KIDS TO SCHOOL.

THAT'S 2 OR 3 MILES AWAY WHEN THEY COULD BE WALKING, BIKING AND BEING MORE ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD. SO I URGE THE BOARD TO CONSIDER TWO THINGS. THE FIRST IS TO HAVE US INVOLVED IN YOUR REZONING DISCUSSIONS. IF THAT IS INDEED THE SHORT TERM SOLUTION, AND WE'RE HAPPY TO PARTICIPATE. THE SECOND IS TO ISSUE A 2025 BOND TO SOLVE FOR THIS BUDGET SHORTFALL, AND SO THAT YOU CAN INCLUDE ANY LEFTOVER FUNDS FROM PROPOSITION A TO BE ROLLED OVER SO YOU CAN ACTUALLY USE THEM INSTEAD OF JUST LETTING THE FUNDS KIND OF LAY THERE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR COMING. NEXT SPEAKER ALISA RUKAVINA I SAID THAT RIGHT. MELISSA RUKAVINA.

RUKAVINA, THANK YOU FOR COMING. HI. MY NAME IS ALYSSA RUKAVINA AND I'M A PARENT AFFECTED BY THE ELIMINATION OF ES 55 AS OUR COMMUNITY WORKS THROUGH THE RAMIFICATIONS OF ES 55 NOT OPENING IN 2026, THAT WOULD AVOID A MAJOR REZONE. WE'RE FACED WITH MANY QUESTIONS FOR WHICH WE FEEL WE WERE NOT GIVEN TIME TO ASK OR PROCESS. ONE OF THE MAJOR THEMES I HAVE SEEN PEOPLE ASKING IS ABOUT HOW WE COULD ELIMINATE ES 55, BUT STILL PROCEED WITH OTHER PROJECTS, AS THE DISTRICT IS LOOKING FOR WAYS TO REDUCE THE BOND SHORTAGE. WHY WERE THE SAME DETERMINING FACTORS AND QUALIFICATIONS THAT WERE USED TO ELIMINATE ES 55 NOT USED ON OTHER PROJECTS TO NOT CANCEL, BUT TO REDUCE THE OVERALL FOOTPRINT OF THE BUILDS? I'M CERTAINLY NOT HERE TO SAY THAT THESE OTHER COMMUNITIES DO NOT DESERVE A NEW FACILITY, BUT RATHER, WHY ARE WE WASTING BOND MONEY AND BUILDING SCHOOLS TO AN EDUCATION SPECIFICATION THAT GOES WELL ABOVE AND BEYOND, BEYOND TIA STATUTES AND FAR EXCEEDS THE CAPACITY NEEDS FOR THE COMMUNITIES IN WHICH THEY'RE BEING BUILT. WHILE THE JUSTIFICATION FOR ELIMINATION THAT WAS GIVEN FOR ES 55 BEING UNDERUTILIZED OR LESS THAN 80% PROJECTIONS FROM PASA SHOWED THAT IN 2033 ES, 55 WOULD BE AT 78% OF STUDENTS WHO WOULD POTENTIALLY BE ZONED TO THIS SCHOOL, AND 680 STUDENTS IN 2026. IF THE PROJECT WERE TO MOVE FORWARD. AND WHILE TOO LATE NOW AND THE PROJECTS HAVE BEEN VIEWED, THE SCHOOL DISTRICT IS STILL BUILDING 1000 STUDENT CAPACITY SCHOOLS IN AREAS THAT DO NOT SUPPORT NEEDING THIS CAPACITY. THE MISSION BEN GLENN REBUILD HAS CURRENT PROJECTIONS FOR 2033 AT LESS THAN 250 STUDENTS, OR 25% OF THEIR NEW CAPACITY. BRIARGATE IS ALSO BEING BUILT TO A 1000 CAPACITY SCHOOL, YET THE SURROUNDING ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS ARE AT LESS THAN 60% UTILIZED. ONCE AGAIN, THESE OTHER SCHOOLS ARE CERTAINLY IN NEED OF A REBUILD.

BUT MY QUESTION IS WHY SO BIG AND THE BUILDING OF THE MEAL PLAN TO WHICH MBG IS BEING BUILT? IF THE DISTRICT WAS TO REDUCE JUST THE NUMBER OF CLASSROOMS AND LEAVE ALL OTHER SPACES AS IS IN THE EDUCATION, EDUCATION SPECIFICATION, IT COULD ELIMINATE ALMOST 12,000FTS AND UNUTILIZED CLASSROOM SPACE AND STILL MAINTAIN A CAPACITY OF 792, PER THE BOND INVESTIGATION REPORT. PBC GAVE A RANGE OF DOLLARS PER SQUARE FOOT FOR THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL BILLS COMING TO APPROXIMATELY 4.2 TO $4.6 MILLION IN SAVINGS, OR 7 TO 8% OVERALL PROJECT COSTS BY FOCUSING ON UTILIZING ON ON UNUTILIZED REDUCING OF CLASSROOMS DOWN TO 792, 78% OF FORT BEND ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS HAVE A CURRENT STUDENT ENROLLMENT OF LESS THAN 792 STUDENTS. THE ELIMINATION OF ESF 55 IS NOT A LONG TERM PLAN. WE CAN RELY ON, BUT RATHER ONE THAT

[01:05:04]

SATISFIES THE 2023 BOND CONDITIONS ONLY, IF NOT NOW, WHEN? THE LONGER WE WAIT TO SOLVE THE ISSUE OF OVERCAPACITY IN THIS AREA, THE MORE IT WILL COST AND CONSTRUCTION COSTS AND FOR TAXPAYERS DOWN THE ROAD AND PUTS US FURTHER DOWN THE ROAD INTO 36 YEAR OLD PGE NEEDING SERIOUS REPAIRS OR REBUILD, BUT NOT BEING ABLE TO DO THAT DUE TO THE OVERCAPACITY ISSUES THAT PGE WILL NOW FACE. THANK YOU FOR COMING NEXT. SPEAKER LEE EDWARD. YOU. GOOD EVENING. MEMBERS OF THE BOARD. MY NAME IS LEE EDWARDS, AND I'M A MOM TO A KINDERGARTNER AT NEIL ELEMENTARY. AND I'M HERE IN SUPPORT OF ELEMENTARY SCHOOL 55. AT THE BOARD MEETING LAST MONTH, MR. GARCIA SAID THAT THERE IS A SHUFFLE OF STUDENTS THAT COULD EASILY OCCUR IF ELEMENTARY SCHOOL 55 WAS ELIMINATED AND MR. HAMILTON SAID THERE ARE 1800 SPOTS IN NEARBY ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS. HOWEVER, AS OF THE CURRENT NUMBERS FROM THE WEBSITE TODAY, THE CAPACITY AT NEIL IS 113%, AT OAKLAND 99%, AND PECAN GROVE 81%. THE TOTAL NUMBER OF OPEN SPOTS AT OAKLAND AND PECAN GROVE IS 158, WHICH IS JUST FIVE MORE THAN THE NUMBER OF KIDS NEEDED TO GET NEIL FROM 113% TO 100% CAPACITY. THE OPTIONS FOR REZONING GIVING BYPASS TO PUT OAKLAND AND PECAN GROVE IMMEDIATELY OVER 100% CAPACITY, WITH NEIL QUICKLY GOING BACK OVER 100% WITHIN 2 TO 3 YEARS.

ANOTHER PROBLEM IS THAT THERE IS NO ROADS CONNECTING HARVEST GREEN AND PECAN GROVE. THE SITUATION THAT SEEMED LIKE AN EASY SHUFFLE BY PROXIMITY WILL MEAN ACTUAL DRIVING DISTANCES OF FOUR AND A HALF TO SIX MILES BY WAY OF MAJOR SURROUNDING ROADS, AND STRAIN A DISTRICT THAT IS ALREADY DEALING WITH THE BUS DRIVER SHORTAGE AND STAGGERED START TIMES. THE SCHOOLS MENTIONED BY THE BOARD LAST MONTH THAT ARE UNDERUTILIZED ARE JORDAN, MISSION, BEND, GLEN AND MISSION WEST. THEY ARE AROUND SIX MILES AWAY FROM NEIL. THIS WOULD BE LIKE TELLING THE KIDS AT SIENNA CROSSING ELEMENTARY THAT THEY COULD BE EASILY SHUFFLED TO GOODMAN, PARKS OR PALMER ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS. THE ELIMINATION OF ES 55 WAS SOLD AS A SIMPLE FIX TO A BUDGET PROBLEM BECAUSE OF THE AVAILABLE ALTERNATIVES. HOWEVER, WHEN PLACED IN THE CORRECT CONTEXT, YOU CAN SEE THE NEW SCHOOL IS NECESSARY BECAUSE THERE ARE NOT ACTUAL VIABLE LONG TERM ALTERNATIVES. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR COMING. NEXT SPEAKER ELIZABETH ARSENAULT. GOOD EVENING, BOARD OF TRUSTEES. WHILE WE ACKNOWLEDGE THE SWIFT APPROVAL TO ELIMINATE THE CONSTRUCTION OF ELEMENTARY SCHOOL 55, WE BELIEVE THAT THIS DECISION WOULD HAVE A LONG LASTING NEGATIVE IMPACT THAT AFFECTS STUDENT SAFETY, ATTENDANCE, AND OVERALL EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCE. BY APPROACHING THIS SITUATION CAREFULLY, WE ENCOURAGE YOU TO CONSIDER ACCESSIBILITY AND COST IMPLICATIONS FOR STUDENTS WHO NOW LIVE WITHIN A ONE MILE RADIUS OF THEIR SCHOOL, VERSUS A REZONE THAT WILL PLACE STUDENTS FOUR MILES AWAY, ACCORDING TO THE DISTRICT'S OWN TRANSPORTATION POLICY. STUDENTS WHO LIVE AT LEAST TWO MILES FROM THEIR SCHOOL ARE ELIGIBLE FOR TRANSPORTATION. WITH THE PROPOSED CHANGES, MANY STUDENTS WOULD NOW BE OUTSIDE OF THIS THRESHOLD AND CONSEQUENTLY NOT QUALIFY FOR TRANSPORTATION. THIS NOT ONLY EXTENDS DAILY COMMUTE TIME, BUT ALSO RAISES SERIOUS CONCERNS ABOUT SAFETY. WITHOUT ADEQUATE INFRASTRUCTURE FOR STUDENTS TO WALK, RIDE A BIKE, OR A BUS, STUDENTS ARE FORCED TO RELY ON CAR RIDES, FURTHER INCREASING TRAFFIC CONGESTION. IN ADDITION TO LOGISTICAL CONCERNS, WE MUST ALSO ADDRESS THE FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS OF THIS DECISION. IF ACCOMMODATIONS ARE MADE FOR STUDENTS WHO LIVE OUTSIDE OF THE TWO MILE RADIUS, ADDITIONAL TRANSPORTATION RESOURCES ARE REQUIRED, INCLUDING MORE BUSSES AND STAFF TO MANAGE THE INCREASED DEMANDS.

FOR EXAMPLE, THE LOWER PART OF THE COMMUNITY HAS OVER 850 HOMES THAT SPAN OVER A LARGE GEOGRAPHIC GEOGRAPHICAL AREA. BASED ON THIS ESTIMATE, IF EVERY STUDENT WERE TO TAKE A BUS, THIS WOULD REQUIRE AT LEAST EIGHT ADDITIONAL BUSSES TO ENSURE ALL STUDENTS HAVE A SAFE AND RELIABLE TRANSPORTATION TO SCHOOL. THESE ARE SIGNIFICANT COSTS THAT WILL NOT ONLY STRAIN OUR DISTRICT'S BUDGET, BUT ALSO PLACE UNNECESSARY BURDENS ON OUR ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF. IN LIGHT OF ALL OF THESE FACTORS, WE URGE YOU TO TAKE A HOLISTIC AND PRACTICAL APPROACH AND REEVALUATING THE DECISION TO ELIMINATE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL 55. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR COMING.

NEXT. SPEAKER NABILA KHAN. GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS NABILA KHAN, AND I'M AN EDUCATOR AND A NEAR LONG HORN MOM TO A SECOND GRADER AND A SIXTH GRADE STUDENT. I LIVE IN WATERVIEW, WHICH, DEPENDING ON THE REZONING, MAY BE SPLIT IN HALF AS CONCERNED PARENTS AND ACTIVE MEMBERS OF THE FORT BEND ISD COMMUNITY, WE WANT TO EXPRESS OUR THOUGHTS ON THE BOARD'S DECISION TO

[01:10:03]

ELIMINATE ES 55 AND ITS IMPLICATIONS. THE MISSION OF THE BOARD IS TO SUPPORT THE GROWTH AND SUCCESS OF EVERY STUDENT, WHILE REPRESENTING ALL CITIZENS. THE CODE OF ETHICS REQUIRES BOARD MEMBERS TO BE ACCOUNTABLE AND RESPONSIVE TO THE COMMUNITY. YET, IN ELIMINATING ES 55, IT SEEMS THE BOARD RELIED SOLELY ON ADMINISTRATIVE DATA WITHOUT BOARD PUBLIC CONSULTATION. AND WHILE PASSIVE DATA IS VALUABLE, IT SHOULD SUPPLEMENT, NOT REPLACE, COMMUNITY INPUT AND HOLISTIC PLANNING. I RECOGNIZE THAT MANY IN OUR COMMUNITY, INCLUDING MYSELF, HAVE RELIED TOO MUCH ON ADMINISTRATIVE UPDATES RATHER THAN ON ENGAGING DIRECTLY WITH BOARD MEETINGS.

THESE PAST WEEKS HAVE HIGHLIGHTED THE NEED FOR US TO STAY INVOLVED, TO ENSURE DECISIONS TRULY REFLECT OUR COMMUNITY'S VALUES. THE TIMELINE FOR ES 55 SHOWS LONG TERM GROWTH PROJECTIONS THAT JUSTIFIED ITS NEED AS FAR BACK AS SEVEN YEARS AGO, WITH DATA SUPPORTING LAND PURCHASES AS PART OF THE 2018 BOND, LEADING TO AGREEMENTS IN 2022 FOR ES 55, WHICH WAS APPROVED ON THE 2023 BOND. WITH ONGOING EXPANSIVE GROWTH IN OUR AREA, THE BOARD'S DECISION FEELS UNJUST AND RISKS ERODING COMMUNITY TRUST AND ALSO LEADS TO HIGHER COSTS. ALL AROUND ALL I KNOW IS MY CHILD WILL BE AT AN OVERCROWDED SCHOOL AND MAY BE REZONED TO ANOTHER OVERCROWDED SCHOOL, AND YOU CANNOT DENY THAT THIS IMPACTS THE QUALITY OF EDUCATION HE WILL RECEIVE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR COMING. OUR NEXT SPEAKER, NICHOLAS BENJA. HELLO. I'M ALSO A PARENT OF ONE FIRST GRADER AND SOON TO BE A KINDERGARTNER. THAT'S GOING TO BE GOING TO PECAN GROVE NOW IF THE REZONING GOES ON THROUGH. SO WHILE THE VOTE FROM TWO WEEKS AGO CANNOT BE CHANGED, I FEEL IT'S IMPORTANT TO RAISE CERTAIN POINTS FOR FUTURE PLANNING. WE'VE HEARD MANY TIMES THAT WE DON'T HAVE THE MONEY FOR THIS SCHOOL YET. I MUST CHALLENGE THIS BECAUSE YOUR LAST YEAR'S BOND APPROVED FUNDS SPECIFICALLY FOR ES 55. YET THOSE FUNDS ARE NOW BEING REDIRECTED, MAKING THE CLAIM OF INSUFFICIENT FUNDING REALLY MISLEADING. IF S55 IS PLACED ON FUTURE BOND AND THAT BOND DOESN'T PASS YET, THE NEED FOR THE SCHOOL PERSISTS, THEN WHAT'S THE BOARD'S PLAN TO ADDRESS IT? I'D LIKE TO UNDERSTAND THE FULL SCOPE OF THE AVAILABLE CONTINGENCY FUNDS, AND WHY THESE COULDN'T COVER US 55 IF DEEMED ESSENTIAL. MOVING FORWARD, I THINK THE BOARD MUST ADHERE TO THE FC LOCAL POLICY, KEEPING COMMUNITIES TOGETHER TO SUPPORT OUR STUDENTS SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING. WE OWE IT TO OUR STUDENTS, FAMILIES AND TEACHERS TO PRIORITIZE TRANSPARENT, SUSTAINABLE SOLUTIONS THAT GENUINELY REFLECT THE VALUES OF OUR COMMUNITY AND THE COMMITMENTS MADE TO THEM. THEREFORE, IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT THE BOARD CONSIDER REZONING EFFORTS, KEEPING HARVEST GREEN TOGETHER OR ACROSS MULTIPLE SCHOOLS IN THE SAME AREA, AS OPPOSED TO THE CURRENTLY CIRCULATING PLANS OF SPLITTING THE COMMUNITY ACROSS MULTIPLE SCHOOLS. WITH COMPETING TRAFFIC PATTERNS, GEOGRAPHICAL BOUNDARIES, EVERYTHING WE'VE BEEN HEARING. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, SIR, FOR COMING LAST SPEAKER, NICOLE JAROSIK, THANK YOU FOR COMING. HI, I'M NICOLE YURACHEK. I HAVE A STUDENT AT NEAL AND A STUDENT AT BOWIE. ON THE SAME DAY, THE BOARD VOTED TO ELIMINATE THE CONSTRUCTION OF ES 55, I RECEIVED AN EMAIL FROM NEAL ELEMENTARY STATING THAT FORT BEND ISD HAS APPLIED FOR AND RECEIVED A WAIVER FROM TEXAS EDUCATION CODE 25.112 FROM TEXAS EDUCATION TO SUPPORT THE EXCEPTION TO HAVE OVER 22 STUDENTS IN THE CLASSROOM FOR THIS CURRENT SCHOOL YEAR. THIS IS FOR MY FOURTH GRADER AT NEAL.

THERE ARE NINE FOURTH GRADE CLASSES AT NEAL. ALL OF THE ALL OF THE FOURTH GRADE CLASSES ARE OVER. THAT 22 STUDENT LIMIT. AND WE'RE NOT EVEN HALFWAY THROUGH THE YEAR. THE NEXT DAY, WE RECEIVED AN AN EMAIL SAYING THAT THE DEMOGRAPHIC DATA SHOWED THAT THE HARVEST GREEN AREA WOULD BE UNDER UTILIZING ES 55. AND FOR THAT REASON IT WAS ELIMINATED AS OTHERS HAVE SHARED, NEAL IS CURRENTLY OVER CAPACITY WITH 1258 STUDENTS ENROLLED. THE SCHOOL WAS DESIGNED FOR 1105 STUDENTS. THERE SEEMS TO BE MUCH TALK ABOUT EVERYONE MOVING TO PECAN GROVE TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM. PECAN GROVE HAS 642 STUDENTS. HOWEVER, IT WAS ONLY DESIGNED TO HOLD 792 STUDENTS.

IN ADDITION TO THIS HARVEST GREEN TWO IS CURRENTLY BEING BUILT. THIS COMMUNITY IS BOASTING TO BUILD OVER 1400 NEW HOMES. I DON'T KNOW OF ANY CONSIDERATION HAS BEEN MADE INTO HOW MANY CHILDREN WILL BE INTO THOSE IN THOSE HOMES, AND WHERE THOSE CHILDREN WILL BE GOING TO SCHOOL. PLEASE TAKE ACTION TO ADDRESS THE OVER UTILIZATION, OVER UTILIZATION AT NEAL. MOVING STUDENTS TO OAKLAND PECAN GROVE WILL NOT SOLVE THE PROBLEM. IN ADDITION TO THIS, I URGE YOU TO ALSO LOOK AT BUIE, WHO IS BY PERCENTAGE, THE SECOND MOST OVERPOPULATED MIDDLE SCHOOL AT

[01:15:06]

FORT BEND IN TRAVIS. OUR HIGH SCHOOL, WHICH IS BY PERCENTAGE THE MOST OVERPOPULATED HIGH SCHOOL AT FORT BEND ISD. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR COMING. OKAY. THAT CONCLUDES PUBLIC COMMENTS.

[6. Convene in closed session under Texas Open Meetings Act, Texas Government Code, Chapter 551 under the following sections: 551.071 - For the purpose of a private consultation with the Board's attorney on any or all subjects or matters authorized by law; Section 551.072 - Consider purchase, exchange, lease, or value of real property, Section 551.074 - Personnel matters, Section 551.076 - Security matters, Section 551.082 - Student discipline matter or complaint, or Section 551.0821 - Personally identifiable information about public school student]

AND WITH THAT, WE WILL NOW CONVENE IN CLOSED SESSION UNDER TEXAS OPEN MEETINGS ACT, TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE, CHAPTER 551 UNDER THE FOLLOWING SECTIONS. SECTIONS FIVE, FIVE, 1.071.

SECTION 551.072. SECTION 551.074. SECTION 551.076. SECTION 551082 AND

[7. Reconvene in Open Session]

OKAY, THE TIME IS 8:07 P.M. AND WE ARE NOW CONVENED AND WE ARE NOW RECONVENED IN OPEN SESSION.

[8. Consider Action on Closed Session Items]

[9.A. Special Bond Hightower High School Fine Arts]

THERE ARE NO ACTION ITEMS TO CONSIDER FROM CLOSED SESSION, SO WE'LL MOVE RIGHT INTO DISCUSSION. SO ON THAT I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO YOU DOCTOR SMITH. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU.

VICE PRESIDENT GARCIA. SO I WANT TO CALL KATHLEEN BROWN AND BRIA. GWEN, IF YOU COULD BEGIN TO MAKE YOUR WAY TO THE PODIUM, THEY WILL BOTH BE LEADING THE PRESENTATION, SUPPORTED BY DIFFERENT STAFF MEMBERS AS NEEDED. I DID WANT TO JUST KIND OF GIVE SOME CONTEXT AND JUST REMIND THE BOARD OF JUST THIS JOURNEY AND WHERE WE ARE TODAY. FOR THE LAST SEVERAL MONTHS, WE HAVE BEEN SPENDING QUITE A BIT OF TIME TALKING ABOUT OUR BOND PROGRAM. THE CHALLENGES THAT WE HAVE WITHIN THE BOND PROGRAM, AND VARIOUS OPTIONS THAT ARE AVAILABLE TO US TO BE ABLE TO DELIVER ON WHAT THE WAS PROMISED TO THE COMMUNITY. WE KNOW THAT WE ARE NOT IN AN IDEAL SITUATION, MEANING THAT THERE ARE NO NO EASY SOLUTIONS OR EASY ANSWERS TO THE DECISIONS THAT THE BOARD HAS TO MAKE. AND SO WE AS AN ADMINISTRATION ARE COMMITTED TO MAKING SURE THAT WE PROVIDE YOU ALL WITH ALL THE INFORMATION THAT YOU NEED IN ORDER TO MAKE THE DECISIONS THAT YOU HAVE TO MAKE. AND RESPONDING TO YOUR QUESTIONS JUST AGAIN, SO THAT YOU HAVE ALL THE DATA THAT YOU NEED AS A BOARD TO BE ABLE TO GUIDE YOUR DECISION MAKING. MYSELF, OUR ADMINISTRATION, WE CLEARLY UNDERSTAND THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE ALWAYS GOING TO BRING A RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD, AND THAT RECOMMENDATION IS GOING TO BE ROOTED IN THE QUESTIONS THAT YOU ASK OF ME TO PROVIDE FOR YOU. IT'S GOING TO BE ROOTED IN JUST THE DEEP STUDY AND ANALYSIS OF THE SITUATION.

AND BASED ON ALL OF THOSE FACTORS, WE'RE GOING TO BRING A RECOMMENDATION THAT WE THINK IS IN THE BEST INTEREST OF THE DISTRICT. BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE KNOW THAT THE BOARD IS A CORPORATE BODY, IS GOING TO MAKE THAT ULTIMATE DECISION. AND WHATEVER THAT DECISION IS, I JUST WANT TO REASSURE THE BOARD THAT WE'RE GOING TO EXECUTE WITH FIDELITY WHATEVER DECISION YOU CHARGE US WITH MAKING. BUT AGAIN, I WANT TO BE SURE THAT WE BRING ALL THE NECESSARY INFORMATION. SO THAT YOU CAN MAKE THE DIFFICULT DECISIONS THAT WE HAVE BEFORE US. SO TONIGHT, OUR PLAN IS WE ADDRESS THE ISSUES AND REVIEW THE ITEMS WITH YOU. OF COURSE, WE DID A DEEP DIVE AT THE LAST TIME WE WERE TOGETHER, AND WE'LL PRESENT THAT INFORMATION WITH EACH OF THE ITEMS HERE IN A LITTLE BIT. AND WE SPECIFICALLY WILL BE ANSWERING QUESTIONS THAT YOU ALL HAVE ASKED US TO ANSWER OR RESEARCH SINCE THE LAST TIME THAT WE MET. AND ENGAGED IN THE DISCUSSION. AND SO WE HOPE THAT THIS WILL BE THE INFORMATION THAT YOU NEED TO CONTINUE TO GUIDE DECISION MAKING AS WE MOVE FORWARD. SO WITH THAT, I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO MISS BROWN AND MR. GWEN, AND THEN THEY'LL LEAD US THROUGH THE PRESENTATION. THANK YOU ALL RIGHT. GOOD EVENING. BOARD OF TRUSTEES. DOCTOR SMITH, IT IS MY PLEASURE THIS EVENING TO REVIEW WITH YOU AND PROVIDE A BRIEF OVERVIEW WITH YOU TO OUR FIRST ITEM, WHICH IS THE HIGHTOWER HIGH SCHOOL RENOVATION. ON OUR LAST MEETING, THE BOARD VOTED ON THE RECOMMENDATION THAT ADMINISTRATION MADE. BUT BEFORE WE LOOK AT THAT RECOMMENDATION, I WANT TO REMIND YOU OF WHERE WE WHERE WE WERE. THE HIGHTOWER HIGH SCHOOL RENOVATIONS WERE BUDGETED FOR $14.7 MILLION. AND THAT IS WHAT WAS APPROVED BY THE BOARD AS A PART OF BID PACKAGE 32. AND SO UP ON LOOKING CLOSELY AT THE HIGHTOWER HIGH SCHOOL RENOVATIONS AND THE ITEMS THAT WERE INCLUDED IN THE HIGHTOWER HIGH SCHOOL RENOVATIONS, WE WERE ABLE TO NOTE THAT THE PUBLIC INFORMATION SHEETS ALSO INCLUDED INFORMATION ABOUT FINE ARTS, BUILDING ADDITIONS. HOWEVER, IN THE APPROVED BUDGET THAT WAS

[01:20:07]

APPROVED BY THE BOARD IN THE SUMMER, THOSE FUNDS TO THE TUNE OF $6 MILLION, WERE NOT INCLUDED IN THE BUDGET IN WHAT WAS APPROVED, AND SO THAT $6 MILLION WAS ADDED TO THE DEFICIT. THAT THE ADMINISTRATION HAS BEEN PROVIDING EACH MONTH. AND SO OUR RECOMMENDATION AT THE LAST MEETING WAS TO ALIGN THE HIGHTOWER HIGH SCHOOL RENOVATIONS PROJECT TO THE AVAILABLE BUDGET. BUDGET, WHICH WAS THE $14.7 MILLION, ONE OF THE PIECES THAT WE TOOK, A VERY CLOSE LOOK AT HAD TO DO WITH THE FEES, THE STANDARDS, THE FACILITY, EDUCATIONAL STANDARDS.

AND WE DISCUSSED WITH YOU BOARD THAT THAT $6 MILLION IN RENOVATIONS, IN ADDITIONS.

EXCUSE ME, WOULD NOT BRING THAT CAMPUS TO THE STANDARD. AND SO BY ALIGNING THAT BUDGET TO THE APPROVED BUDGET OF $14.7 MILLION, IT WOULD GIVE US AN OPPORTUNITY TO WORK WITH THE FINE ARTS TO IDENTIFY ANY NEEDS FOR THAT CAMPUS, TO BRING THEM UP TO STANDARD IN THE FUTURE.

AND SO, OF COURSE, THAT ENGAGEMENT AND COLLABORATION BETWEEN DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION, BETWEEN DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION, WITH THE FINE ARTS DEPARTMENT, IT IS OUR OUR HOPE AND OUR DESIRE, THROUGH PROPER PLANNING, TO BE ABLE TO BRING BACK A FUTURE CONSIDERATION FOR YOU.

RELATED TO THE ADDITIONS AT HIGHTOWER HIGH SCHOOL FOR FINE ARTS. AND SO, MR. VICE PRESIDENT, I'LL TURN IT OVER TO YOU AT THIS TIME FOR ANY DISCUSSION OR QUESTIONS. OKAY.

THANK YOU. SO WITH THAT, WE'LL OPEN UP THE FLOOR FOR QUESTIONS AND I WILL REMIND THE TRUSTEES THAT WE'RE TALKING SPECIFICALLY. THIS DISCUSSION IS AROUND A SPECIAL BOND. SO I'LL LOOK TO JONATHAN, MR. BUSH, IF WE NEED TO JUST MAKE SURE WE STAY ON TRACK. SO WITH THAT I'LL OPEN UP THE FLOOR FOR QUESTIONS. TRUSTEE HAMILTON YEAH, THANK YOU, MR. GARCIA. THANK YOU, MRS. BROWN. I WANTED TO GIVE YOU AN HONORARY DOCTORATE. FOR SOME REASON, I WAS I WAS TELLING EVERYBODY YOU WERE DOCTOR BROWN, SO. THANK YOU. YOU'RE WELCOME. YOU JUST SEEM LIKE A DOCTOR TO ME. SO FOR SOME OF US WHO HAVE BEEN IN THE ROOM TOGETHER A LOT LATELY, THIS IS GOING TO SOUND LIKE BEATING A DEAD HORSE. BUT THERE ARE SOME NEW PEOPLE IN THE ROOM, AND SO JUST HELPFUL, I THINK, TO ONCE AGAIN FRAME IT AND JUST REALIZE THAT WE'RE WE'RE IN THIS SITUATION BECAUSE THE ADMINISTRATION UNDER THE FORMER ADMINISTRATION, THEY USE COST PROJECTIONS THAT WERE CREATED IN EARLY 2021 WITH THE POSSIBILITY OF A BOND GOING ON THE BALLOT IN NOVEMBER 2021, AND THEN THAT DECISION TO PUT A BOND ON THE BALLOT KEPT GETTING DELAYED AND THEN EVENTUALLY BECAME THE MAY 2023 BOND AND SO THE PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATION, WITH SOME HELP FROM A THIRD PARTY OR SOME CONTRIBUTIONS FROM A THIRD PARTY, NOT SURE THE BEST WAY TO WORD THAT, BUT THEY MADE THE DECISION TO NOT UPDATE THE COST PROJECTIONS. AND SO THE MAY 2023 BOND WENT TO THE BOARD AND THEN TO THE VOTERS WITH EARLY 2021 COST PROJECTIONS. AND THAT WOULD BE PROBLEMATIC IN ANY TWO YEAR PERIOD. BUT THAT WAS A TWO YEAR PERIOD THAT SAW RAMPANT INFLATION AND RAMPANT CONSTRUCTION COST INCREASES. SO THAT PUT US IN THE SITUATION THAT WE'RE IN WHERE WE HAVE TO MAKE SOME DIFFICULT DECISIONS. SO WITH THAT, THAT SUMMARY KIND OF AFFECTS A FEW THINGS THAT WE'LL DISCUSS TONIGHT. SO I'LL JUST SAY IT ONCE, BUT BUT SPECIFIC TO THIS, THAT'S THAT'S THE REASON THAT WE'RE HERE. AND THEN SPECIFIC TO THIS, IT WAS REALLY SURPRISING TO ME THAT THAT MR. DREW DURING OUR LAST MEETING WAS WAS UNAWARE THAT THIS SPECIFIC PROJECT WAS REMOVED FROM FROM THE BUDGET. ONCE THE PROJECT LIST BECAME THE PROJECT LIST WITH BUDGETS, I WAS VERY SURPRISED THAT THAT THAT HE WAS BLINDSIDED BY THAT DECISION. AND SO WE'RE WE'RE HERE. IT MAKES SENSE THAT EVEN THE YOU KNOW, EITHER WAY, WE'RE NOT MEETING THE FACILITIES EDUCATION STANDARDS, WHICH THOSE ARE THE FORT BEND ISD. SO THE FACILITIES DO MEET THE STATE T STANDARDS.

THAT SPEC. YES. SO. SO WITH WITH THE SITUATION THAT WE'RE IN. BUT I THINK IT MAKES SENSE TO WORK WITH WHAT WE HAVE. WE ARE WE ARE SPENDING THE, THE $14.7 MILLION AT HIGHTOWER, AS PROMISED IN BOTH THE PROJECT LIST AND THE BUDGET. AND SO WE ARE INVESTING IN HIGHTOWER HIGH SCHOOL AND I SUPPORT THE ADMINISTRATION'S RECOMMENDATION OF IN ADDITION TO HAVING TO COVER THE COST DISCREPANCY DUE TO THE OUTDATED COST PROJECTIONS THAT WERE USED, I SUPPORT NOT GOING ABOVE AND

[01:25:05]

BEYOND WITH THAT, WITH THAT 6 MILLION THAT THAT WASN'T EVEN BUDGETED. SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU. TRUSTEE HAMILTON, TRUSTEE HANNON. SO LET ME CLARIFY. MR. HAMILTON'S POINT. SO ARE WE SPENDING 14.7 MILLION ON THE AUDITORIUM RENAULT, OR ARE WE SPENDING 14? WE'RE SPENDING 14.7 MILLION ON THE APPROVED HIGH HIGHTOWER HIGH SCHOOL RENOVATION IN BID PACKAGE 32. IT INCLUDES MULTIPLE ITEMS. SO IT'S NOT ALL ON THE AUDITORIUM. IT'S NOT ALL IN THE AUDITORIUM. OKAY. OKAY.

THANK YOU. SO FIRST, MY QUESTIONS ARE BECAUSE I DO THINK WHILE WE WHILE IT MAY MEET A STANDARD, IT DOES NOT MEET OUR FACILITY STANDARD. AND AGAIN TO BRING PARITY ACROSS THE DISTRICT. RIGHT. SO WE HAVE X NUMBER OF HIGH SCHOOLS THAT HAVE ALREADY RECEIVED THE ADDITIONS.

CORRECT. I CAN'T RECALL HOW MANY, BUT THEY WERE IN BOND 14 AND 18 FOR CAMPUSES FOR HIGH SCHOOLS. SO FOR AND HOW MANY MORE IN ADDITION TO HIGHTOWER. NOT IN THIS BOND BUT ARE SLATED THAT THEY NEED THE FINE ARTS ADDITIONS. ALL THE REST. I GUESS ALL OF THEM. OKAY. IT'S IN THAT FACILITIES. IT'S IN THAT BOOK, BUT I CAN'T RECALL WHAT IT IS. AND I. OKAY. SO TO MEET THE NEW THE REVISED PHASE WHICH WAS DELIVERED AT CRAWFORD HIGH SCHOOL, THAT WOULD BE THE ONLY CAMPUS THAT MET PHASE WHEN CRAWFORD WAS BUILT, THAT WAS THE NEW DISTRICT STANDARD. OKAY. SO EVEN JUST TO USE DULLES HIGH SCHOOL, THEIRS WAS BUILT, COMPLETED TWO YEARS AGO.

CORRECT? OKAY. SO THERE'S ALSO DOES NOT MEET THE PHASE OKAY. BY A MILLION MILES OR BY A COUPLE OF MILES. I MEAN. THEY'RE A LOT CLOSER THAN ARE THEY I MEAN, ARE THEY IN THE BALLPARK. YES. OKAY.

SO WE HAVE SOME CAMPUSES IN THE BALLPARK FOR. PLUS CRAWFORD WOULD BE FIVE AND WE HAVE 11 CAMPUSES. CORRECT? 1212 I'M SORRY. SO MY FIRST QUESTION IS BECAUSE I'M NOT I THINK THIS IS A STRUGGLE TO GO TO VOTERS AGAIN. BUT MY BIGGEST QUESTION IS AROUND, IF WE HAD A BOND 2025 OR BOND 20, WELL, WHATEVER WOULD THE STAFF HAVE? THE BANDWIDTH. TO HAVE TWO BONDS GOING AT THE SAME TIME WITH A $1.2 BILLION BOND PLUS A 2025 BOND, OR 2026 BOND? WOULD THE STAFF HAVE ENOUGH BANDWIDTH WITH WITH CONTRACTORS AND BIDDING AND PROGRAM MANAGEMENT AND ALL OF THAT? WOULD WE HAVE THE BANDWIDTH IF WE DID THESE ADDITIONAL? BECAUSE TO ME, IF YOU'RE GOING TO ASK FOR HIGHTOWER, I WOULD WANT TO ASK THE COMMUNITY FOR THE OTHER TWO SCHOOLS THAT THAT AREN'T IN THE BALLPARK FOR THE FINE ARTS ADDITIONS DOES THAT. I'M JUST ASKING, WOULD WE HAVE THE BANDWIDTH TO HAVE TWO BONDS GOING SIMULTANEOUSLY? BECAUSE IN 14 AND 18, THEY'RE THEY'RE THEY'RE THOSE PROJECTS ARE DONE. SO THE SHORT ANSWER IS IT DEPENDS. IT DEPENDS ON THE SCOPE OF THE NEW BOND. SO IF YOU'RE TALKING SPECIFICALLY A BOND JUST TO ADDRESS FINE ARTS, THE ANSWER IS PROBABLY WE COULD WE COULD MANAGE THAT OKAY. IF WE'RE. YEAH I DON'T WANT TO GO FOR I'M NOT GOING FOR ANOTHER 1.2 BILLION. BUT I'M BECAUSE OF THE FINE ARTS. I YOU KNOW I KNOW WE'RE ONLY YOU KNOW ONLY RIGHT. WE'RE ONLY LOOKING AT 6 MILLION. BUT WE DO HAVE THOSE ADDITIONAL SCHOOLS THAT AREN'T THERE EITHER. OKAY. SO THAT IS. THOSE THOSE THOSE WERE MY QUESTIONS. AND YOU KNOW, THIS IS THIS IS TOUGH. BUT I DO WANT MY COLLEAGUES TO BE THINKING OF THAT. AND MAYBE YOU COULD JUST PROVIDE THAT MAYBE IN WRITING TO SHOW HOW MANY SO THAT WE COULD SEE IF CRAWFORD IS THE STANDARD RIGHT, THEN OBVIOUSLY CLEMENTS WILL ALSO MEET THAT STANDARD. CORRECT. AND THEN HOW HOW CLOSE ARE THE OTHER ONES THAT JUST GOT THE REBUILD OR THE ADDITIONS? HOW CLOSE TO THAT STANDARD ARE THERE? ARE THEY AND THEN JUST

[01:30:07]

NAME THE REMAINING ONES? I THINK THAT WOULD PROBABLY BE HELPFUL FOR ALL OF US TO SEE. THANK YOU DOCTOR. AND JUST A LITTLE MORE CLARITY. PART OF THE CHALLENGE IS THAT THE TIMING. SO THE FBS WAS UPDATED POST SOME OF THOSE ADDITIONS. SO WE'RE ALWAYS CHASING WHAT THE NEWEST PHASE IS. AND I'M NOT SAYING THAT WE NEED TO THEN THEN EVERYONE HAS TO MEET CRAWFORD. BUT EVERYONE SHOULD HAVE THEY SHOULD BE IN THE BALLPARK RIGHT? I MEAN, WE SHOULDN'T, YOU KNOW, SPEAKING OF BALLPARKS LIKE WE YOU KNOW, WE SHOULDN'T LEAVE. I WON'T GET OFF TOPIC THERE. SO ANYWAY, THANK YOU. THANK YOU. TRUSTEE HANNON. TRUSTEE HAMILTON. YES. I JUST WANTED TO KIND OF TACK SOMETHING ON TO THAT. SO IF WE HAVE THE PHASE IN PLAN IN PLACE THAT WE DO CURRENTLY, THEN I THINK THAT RECOMMENDATION MAKES SENSE. BUT GIVEN THE BIGGER CONTEXT AND KIND OF PIGGYBACKING ON A COMMENT THAT WAS MADE EARLIER, I THINK IT MAKES SENSE TO REVISIT THE PHASE OVERALL. AND DETERMINE. SO I THINK WHEN WE WHEN WE ESTABLISH THOSE OR WHEN WE REVISE THEM, I THINK WE WERE IN A LITTLE BIT OF A DIFFERENT ECONOMIC. WE WERE OBVIOUSLY NOT IN THE SITUATION THAT WE ARE ARE IN NOW WITH THE BOND SHORTAGE OR THE BOND OVERAGE, HOWEVER YOU WANT TO DESCRIBE IT. AND SO IN THE CONTEXT WHERE WE HAVE JUST MADE A DECISION TO REMOVE AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL FROM THE BUDGET AND REMOVE THESE OTHER PROJECTS, I HAVE A HARD TIME SAYING, LET'S GO SPEND ADDITIONAL MONEY THAT THAT GOES ABOVE AND BEYOND THE TO ADD SPECS WHEN WE'RE CUTTING. SO YOU KNOW, WE'RE WE'RE SAYING WE'RE GOING TO GO SPEND MONEY ON HIGH SCHOOL PROJECTS TO RAISE EVERYBODY TO THE PHASE, WHILE AT THE SAME TIME WE DON'T HAVE MONEY TO COMPLETE PROJECTS THAT HAVE ALREADY BEEN PROMISED. SO I THINK JUST KIND OF REEVALUATING BOTH SIDES OF THAT COIN. IF THAT MAKES SENSE. THANK YOU. GO AHEAD. I ACTUALLY HAVE A REQUEST FOR DOCTOR SMITH. I WOULD I WOULD PERSONALLY LOVE TO GO SEE A COUPLE OF HIGH SCHOOLS THAT HAVE HAD THE ADDITIONS. MAYBE SEE CRAWFORD. I'M TALKING ABOUT THE FINE ARTS AREAS AND THEN SEE THE CAMPUSES THAT HAVEN'T. AND I WOULDN'T LIKE TO JUST SEE THEM EMPTY. I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THEM WHEN THE MAGIC IS HAPPENING. AND SO THAT WOULD BE A REQUEST. AND I DON'T KNOW THAT THAT I DON'T KNOW HOW THAT WORKS. IF WE COULD ALL GO. BUT THAT IS SOMETHING TO ME THAT, THAT I WOULD LIKE, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE. SURE, WE CAN WORK WITH THE STAFF AND ARRANGE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR ALL THE BOARD MEMBERS TO ATTEND. THANK YOU.

TRUSTEE JONES. I WAS THINKING ABOUT SOME OF THE COMMENTS REGARDING PHASE AND THE FINE ARTS FACILITY FOR HIGHTOWER, AND I REMEMBER IN OUR LAST CONVERSATION, IT WAS STATED THAT IF WE WERE GOING TO ASK FOR A REPURPOSE BOND, IT WAS FOR EXACTLY FOR THOSE PROJECTS THAT NEEDED TO BE TAKEN CARE OF, NOT AN EXTENSION OF, WELL, LET'S JUST THROW THIS IN THERE WHILE WE'RE ASKING FOR MONEY. NOW, IF WE'RE GOING TO DO THIS, THEN WE NEED TO ASK FOR WHAT WE NEED RATHER THAN WHAT WE WANT BECAUSE IT'S GOING TO BE A HARD SELL. IT'S GOING TO BE AN EXTREMELY HARD SELL. AND YOU'RE GOING TO SAY, OKAY, WELL, HIGHTOWER, WELL, WE GOT DOLLARS AND WE GOT THIS SCHOOL, AND THEY'RE GOING TO BE LIKE, WAIT A MINUTE. I THOUGHT YOU ONLY NEEDED HIGHTOWER. SO WE HAVE TO BE MINDFUL WHEN WE ARE THINKING ABOUT A REPURPOSE BOND IS IT GOES BACK TO WHAT WAS STATED IN THE LAST MEETING TO FINISH THE PROJECTS THAT WE NEEDED TO FINISH. AND LET'S STICK TO THAT. THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO SAY. THANK YOU, TRUSTEE JONES. OKAY, SO I AGREE WITH TRUSTEE HAMILTON THAT AND HOW OFTEN DO WE ACTUALLY REVIEW THE SPECS. IS IT IS IT WAS IT EVERY THREE YEARS IS WHAT IN PREPARATION FOR THE FOR THE NEXT BOND OKAY. AND I THINK IT DOES MAKE SENSE TO GO BACK AND EVALUATE. AND IF WE'RE REALLY WORKING VERY HARD TO TRY TO MEET THOSE SPECS BUT READ SPECS, I WOULD ACTUALLY BE INTERESTED TO SEE. AND I KNOW WE'VE GONE THROUGH THIS AND YOU'RE PROBABLY YEAR AND A HALF AGO, BUT I WOULD ACTUALLY LIKE TO LOOK AT IT AGAIN IN TERMS OF THE DELTAS BETWEEN WHAT FORT BEND ISD AND SPECS ARE VERSUS WHAT TIA SAYS.

[01:35:04]

AND TO SEE, YOU KNOW, SQUARE FOOTAGE WISE OR FACILITIES COMPARISON. WHAT IS WHAT IS ONE VERSUS THE OTHER? HOW FAR OFF ARE WE FROM? ARE WE JUST LIKE THE TAJ MAHAL OF, YOU KNOW, ED SPECS OR ARE WE JUST RIGHT THERE? WE'RE A LITTLE BIT ABOVE. SO IF WE ACTUALLY PEELED BACK SOME OF OUR INTERNAL ED SPECS, HOW MUCH DOES THAT ACTUALLY DO FOR US? AND I ASSUME THAT IT WOULD BE SOME COST SAVINGS. AND WOULD WOULD BE GIVE US AN OPPORTUNITY TO REALIZE SOME SOME OF THOSE SAVINGS. I SO I DO AGREE WITH WITH TRUSTEE HAMILTON, I AGREE WITH TRUSTEE JONES. I THINK A BOND IN ANY SITUATION WOULD BE A HARD SELL FOR THE SHEER FACT OF HOW WE GOT TO $163 MILLION DEFICIT IN THE FIRST PLACE. SO NOT THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, THERE'S PLENTY OF BLAME TO GO AROUND. AND WE, YOU KNOW, WE LIKE TO REMIND FOLKS HOW WE GOT HERE. AND WE ARE WE'RE OWNING IT AND WE'RE DOCTOR SMITH IS TAKING THE LEAD ON THAT. AND I APPRECIATE MEMBERS OF STAFF FOR GETTING US KIND OF BACK ON TRACK AND HAD TO MAKE SOME VERY TOUGH DECISIONS.

BUT WE ARE HERE IN THE SITUATION THAT WE'RE IN AND WE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE WE'RE ALL FISCAL CONSERVATIVES. SO WE HAVE TO DO WHAT WE HAVE TO DO TO MAKE SURE THAT WE MAINTAIN A THAT FISCAL CONSERVATISM. WE'RE TRYING TO DO WHAT WE CAN IN THE BEST INTEREST OF THE TAXPAYER DOLLAR. AND SO THAT'S SORT OF MY COMMENTS. AND THEN I THINK A, I THINK A VISIT WOULD BE A WOULD BE A GOOD IDEA.

SO I WOULD I WOULD BE FOR IF WE'RE ALL ABLE TO GO, I WOULD DEFINITELY LIKE THAT. SO AND WITH THAT, LET'S MOVE ON TO THE NEXT ITEM, THE OH I'M SORRY. YEAH. CAN I JUST MAKE SURE. SO I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT. SO I AGREE WITH MISS JONES THAT I THINK WHEN WE HAD THIS CONVERSATION AT THE LAST MEETING, WE DISCUSSED THE SPECIAL PURPOSE BOND BEING LIMITED TO THE THINGS THAT WERE IN THE 2023 BOND. AND I THINK THAT IF THE OTHER PROJECTS WERE NOT INCLUDED IN THE 2023 BOND, THEN FOR AS FAR AS A SPECIAL PURPOSE BOND GOES, THAT WE SHOULD STICK TO THE PROJECTS THAT WERE IN THAT BOND. IF WE WERE TO DISCUSS CALLING A SPECIAL PURPOSE BOND. SO I COMPLETELY AGREE WITH THAT. OTHERWISE WE'RE JUST LOOKING AT ANOTHER BOND AND YOU KNOW, ANOTHER BOND THAT THAT WE SHOULD BE DISCUSSING AND CALLING AND THEN WE THAT OPENS IT UP TO, YOU KNOW, EVERYTHING WE MIGHT POSSIBLY NEED. SO THAT'S MY FIRST COMMENT. SECONDLY, TO MR. HAMILTON'S COMMENT, I SERVED ON THE COMMITTEE THAT DRAFTED THE TIA FACILITIES EDUCATION SPECIFICATIONS. SO AND I DON'T RECALL THERE BEING A LARGE DISCREPANCIES BETWEEN WHAT WE PASSED THERE AND WHAT WE HAD IN THE DISTRICT. SO I THINK IT MIGHT BE GOOD FOR US TO TAKE A LOOK AT. WELL, SO I DO AGREE THAT WE NEED TO TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT THOSE DIFFERENCES ARE. AND BECAUSE I DON'T I DON'T REALLY RECALL I DON'T KNOW IF THINGS HAVE CHANGED SINCE SINCE I SERVED IN THAT CAPACITY. SO I THINK IT WOULD BE A GOOD IDEA FOR US TO TAKE A LOOK AT THAT. AND I'M NOT SURE. ALSO, MAYBE THIS IS SOMETHING THE POLICY COMMITTEE COULD TAKE A LOOK AT, BECAUSE I'M NOT SURE HOW OFTEN WE'RE SUPPOSED TO BE REVIEWING AND UPDATING THOSE. SO MAYBE THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN PUNT TO YOU. MR. HAMILTON, AS CHAIR OF THE POLICY COMMITTEE AND MR. WILBANKS, IF YOU GUYS WILL TAKE A LOOK AT THAT AND MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE UP TO DATE ON THAT, AND THEN GIVE US SORT OF THE BREAKDOWN OF WHAT THOSE DIFFERENCES ARE. I WOULD AGREE WITH THAT. THAT'S ALL I HAVE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MISS DAWSON. DOCTOR GILLIAM, I REALLY WOULD LIKE TO THANK YOU. FIRST, MISS BROWN, I AS I'M SITTING HERE AND I'M HEARING ALL OF THE DIFFERENT THINGS AND I DO AGREE WITH MRS. TARZAN. TARZAN, AS SHE SHARED. BECAUSE WHAT I'M HEARING NOW IS OKAY, SINCE WE DID THIS NOW WE'LL DO THIS. AND SINCE WE DID THIS, THEN WE CAN DO THIS. AND SO AND I KNOW THAT WE HAVE TO HAVE SOME FOLKS IN HERE THAT ARE A LITTLE BIT LIKE, WHAT ARE WE DOING? WE'RE AND IT'S LIKE WHO'S ON FIRST? THAT'S WHERE I AM RIGHT NOW. BECAUSE AS I'M HEARING IT, IT'S GOING TO GROW. CAN YOU CAN YOU JUST SHARE AGAIN

[01:40:02]

FOR ME. BECAUSE THERE ARE TIMES THAT, YOU KNOW, I GET I, YOU KNOW, I HAVE DIFFERENT THINGS AND I START THINKING ABOUT OTHER THINGS AND MAYBE I MISS SOMETHING. SO HOW DID WE GET HERE? CAN YOU SHARE WITH WITH THE FOLKS HERE WHO MAY BE JUST A LITTLE BIT. I'M ONE OF THEM ON THE BOARD. LIKE, HOW DID WE GET HERE AND HOW DID WE HOW DO NOW WE'RE, WE'RE IN A, WE'RE IN A PLACE WHERE I THOUGHT THAT'S WHERE WE WANT IT TO BE. THE LAST TIME WE TALKED ABOUT IT, AND NOW IT SEEMS LIKE WE'RE MAYBE WANTING TO BE IN A DIFFERENT PLACE. YES, MA'AM. SO THE WAY WE GOT HERE AS IT RELATES TO THE BOND BOND 2023 OVERALL IS SEVERAL FACTORS. ONE FACTOR BEING WHAT TRUSTEE HAMILTON MENTIONED IS THAT 2021, WE WERE PLANNING AS A DISTRICT FOR A BOND. AND SO INFORMATION THAT WAS RECEIVED, ESTIMATES THAT WERE RECEIVED DURING THAT TIME, WE DIDN'T HAVE A BOND BACK THEN. WE DIDN'T HAVE A 2021 BOND. HOWEVER, WHEN WE WENT OUT FOR A BOND IN 2023, THE SAME ESTIMATES THAT WERE PROVIDED OR RECEIVED DURING THE 2021 TIME FRAME, THOSE SAME ESTIMATES WERE USED IN MANY CASES TO PLAN AND PREPARE FOR BOND 2023. SO, AS WE'VE SEEN AS WE'VE BEEN LOOKING AT THE BOND PROJECTS, WE KNOW INFLATION, ALL OF THE THINGS, ALL THE FACTORS THAT COME INTO PLAY WITH THAT, THOSE ARE THINGS THAT CAUSED THE DEFICIT. IN ADDITION TO THAT, THERE WERE SEVERAL ITEMS RELATED TO BOND 2023, WHERE WHAT WAS COMMUNICATED TO THE PUBLIC ON PUBLIC INFORMATION SHEETS, ON COMMUNICATION, ON BEHALF OF THE DISTRICT DID NOT ALIGN WITH THE WITH THE BOARD APPROVED BUDGET. SO THOSE ITEMS DID NOT CARRY OVER TO THE BUDGET THAT WAS APPROVED BY THE BY THE SCHOOL BOARD. AND SO WHEN YOU FACTOR THOSE TWO THINGS IN IN ADDITION, WITH THE INFLATION AND OTHER ITEMS LIKE THAT, THAT'S HOW WE GOT HERE. AND SO SINCE WE ARE HERE, WHAT WE ARE DOING AS AN ADMINISTRATION IS ANALYZING.

WE'VE TALKED TO YOU ALL A LOT ABOUT VALUE ENGINEERING, TAKING THE NECESSARY STEPS TO ENSURE THAT WE COMBAT THE DEFICIT. RIGHT. AND SO WE DON'T WANT THE DECISIONS TO BE ARBITRARY OR JUST RANDOM. WE ARE USING DATA AND INFORMATION TO MAKE SOLID RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE BOARD, AND WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE TRANSPARENT IN HOW WE GOT HERE. BUT WE UNDERSTAND THAT WE ARE HERE, BUT WE ARE TRYING TO MOVE FORWARD AND BE ABLE TO EXECUTE WITH EXCELLENCE AND DO THAT IN SUCH A WAY THAT WE CAN REGAIN THE TRUST OF OUR COMMUNITY. YES, MA'AM. OKAY.

[9.B. Special Bond Natatorium ]

THANK YOU. SO MOVING ON TO SPECIAL BOND NATATORIUM, DOCTOR SMITH. ALL RIGHT. YES, WE ARE GOING TO CONTINUE. THANK YOU. OKAY. SO NOW BOARD OF TRUSTEES, WE WILL MOVE FROM PROPOSITION A.

WHEN WE WERE TALKING ABOUT HIGHTOWER HIGH SCHOOL RENOVATIONS, WE WERE IN PROPOSITION A. WE WILL NOW BE TRANSITIONING TO THE NATATORIUM, WHICH IS PROPOSITION C. SO JUST AS A REMINDER, WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT PROPOSITION C BEING THE NATATORIUM, WE ARE NOT SPEAKING OF ANY OF THE CONTINGENCY FUNDS THAT ARE IN BOND 2023. AND SO THE TWO ITEMS THAT THE BOARD VOTED ON AND APPROVED AT THE LAST MEETING BEING THE ELIMINATION OF ELEMENTARY SCHOOL 55 AND THE DEFERRING OF THE TRANSPORTATION FACILITY, THOSE FUNDS WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO CONSIDERED BE CONSIDERED WITH ANYTHING THAT WE'RE SPEAKING OF WITH THE NATATORIUM. AND SO JUST A LITTLE HISTORY OF THE NATATORIUM AND HOW WE GOT HERE. THIS IS A PERFECT EXAMPLE THAT ALIGNS WITH HOW WE GOT HERE AS A DISTRICT. AND SO WHEN WE'VE LOOKED AT COMMUNICATION THAT WAS SENT OUT TO THE PUBLIC, HOW THE ONE PAGER MAY READ, ONE WAY. AND THEN WHEN WE LOOK AT THE ACTUAL THE BOND INFORMATION, IT WOULD READ ANOTHER WAY. AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE ONLY THE BOARD ONLY NOT ONLY THE BOARD BUDGETED FOR $22.9 MILLION. AND SO IF WE JUST TAKE THAT NUMBER OF $22.9 MILLION AND LOOK AT THE SPACE, THE SPACE THAT WAS LOOKED AT FOR THIS, THIS NATATORIUM, IT WAS BASED ON A PRACTICE FACILITY. AS FAR AS WHAT ADMINISTRATION WAS LOOKING AT. RIGHT? SO AS ADMINISTRATION IS PLANNING, ADMINISTRATION WAS LOOKING AT A PRACTICE FACILITY BY SPACE, BY THE ESTIMATE, ALL ALL OF THOSE THINGS. AND SO EVEN WITH LOOKING AT A PRACTICE FACILITY WITH THE SPACE AND THE $22.9 MILLION, IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO REMEMBER THAT EVEN WITH THAT, WE ARE SIX POINT WE WERE $6.3 MILLION SHORT DUE TO USING OLD

[01:45:07]

INFORMATION. RIGHT? SO WE'RE ALREADY $6.3 MILLION. SO IF WE WERE AS A DISTRICT TO BUILD A PRACTICE FACILITY, WE WOULD NEED TO USE THE $22.9 MILLION THAT YOU APPROVED PREVIOUSLY, AND WE WOULD NEED AN ADDITIONAL $6.3 MILLION TO GO WITH THAT TO BUILD A PRACTICE FACILITY. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I THINK THAT WE COULD HAVE DONE A BETTER JOB OF AS COMMUNICATING SINCE THE TIME THAT I'VE GOT HERE WITH YOU ALL, IS THE DIFFERENCES IN THE PRACTICE FACILITY THAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE AND WHAT THE PRACTICE FACILITY THAT IS BEING WAS BEING PLANNED LOOKS LIKE.

AND SO ONE OF THE QUESTIONS THAT YOU ASKED, YOU'VE ASKED US SEVERAL TIMES IS, IS IT A GROUNDED POOL OR NOT. IT IS THE NEW PRACTICE FACILITY THAT WE WERE RECOMMENDING MOVING FORWARD WITH IS A GROUNDED POOL, AND THAT IS ONE OF THE BIG DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE PRACTICE FACILITY THAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE AND THE PRACTICE FACILITY THAT WE WERE RECOMMENDING TO MOVE FORWARD WITH. HOW THAT IMPACTS OUR STUDENTS IS A IS OF UTMOST IMPORTANCE. AND SO WHEN THE WEATHER IS BAD, THE STUDENTS WOULD NOT HAVE TO GET OUT OF THE POOL, AND SO THEY WOULD STILL BE ABLE TO CONTINUE WITH THEIR PRACTICE. SO THE ANOTHER THING THAT WE'VE BEEN DOING, LIKE I SAID IN THE PREVIOUS ITEM, IS THAT WE HAVE BEEN WORKING COLLABORATIVELY WITH THE DEPARTMENTS THAT ARE IMPACTED BY ANY OF THESE ITEMS, AND I BELIEVE THAT THAT IS A HUGE LESSON LEARNED AS IT RELATES TO BOND 2023, RIGHT? IT TAKES ALL OF US TO LOOK AT WHAT WE NEED TO SEE WHERE WE ARE, AND TO SEE WHAT WE CAN DO. AND SO IN WORKING WITH OUR ATHLETICS DEPARTMENT, THE ASSESSMENT THAT THEY DID SHOW THAT WE DO HAVE A NEED FOR A PRACTICE FACILITY, FACILITY BY USAGE AND BY ATTENDANCE. AND SO IN LOOKING AT A COMPETITION FACILITY, AN AUDITORIUM THAT WOULD BE CONSIDERED A COMPETITION FACILITY IF WE'RE LOOKING LIKE DON AT THE CURRENT COMPETITION FACILITY THAT WE HAVE, IT WOULD REQUIRE US TO HAVE A SITE WE TALKED ABOUT THE SPACE THAT IS ADJACENT TO THE MIDDLE SCHOOL 16 SITE, AND THE AMOUNT OF SPACE THAT IS THERE CAN ONLY HOLD A PRACTICE FACILITY. WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE SPACE, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE ACTUAL BUILDING, ALSO THE PARKING AND ALL THE OTHER PIECES THAT GO ALONG WITH THAT.

IT WOULD ALSO HAVE A COST ASSOCIATED WITH THE DESIGN OF WHAT THAT FACILITY WOULD LOOK LIKE. AND WITH LOOKING AT INFORMATION FROM THOSE AROUND US, IT WOULD COST TO THE TUNE OF 17 MILLION PLUS DOLLARS. RIGHT. SO YOU'LL RECALL THAT I SAID WE WERE AT $22.9 MILLION. THAT WAS APPROVED. WE HAVE A $6.3 MILLION SHORTFALL. AND IF WE WERE LOOKING AT BUILDING A COMPETITION FACILITY AT THE LEAST WE WOULD BE LOOKING AT AN ADDITIONAL $17 MILLION. AND SO AT THE LAST MEETING, YOU'LL RECALL THAT THE ADMINISTRATION RECOMMENDED THAT WE BUILD A PRACTICE FACILITY AND THAT WE ALLOCATE 2014 AND 2018 CONTINGENCY FUNDS TO COVER THAT 6.3 MILLION SHORTFALL, BECAUSE THOSE ARE THE ONLY FUNDS THAT WE'D HAVE ACCESSIBLE TO US.

BECAUSE THIS IS PROPOSITION C. SO, MR. VICE PRESIDENT, I WILL YIELD TO YOU AT THIS TIME FOR ANY QUESTIONS AND DISCUSSION. THANK YOU. AND WHAT QUESTIONS DO WE HAVE ON THIS ONE? TRUSTEE HAMILTON SO MORE OF A COMMENT AND A QUESTION. SO IT WAS HELPFUL IN OUR PREVIOUS DISCUSSION THAT IT WAS HELPFUL FOR ME TO HEAR THAT. SO PRACTICE FACILITY IS THE MORE ACCURATE TERM FOR WHAT WAS INTENDED TO BE BUILT. AND IT'S ALSO A LITTLE BIT WRONG BECAUSE WE, WE LEARNED LAST MONTH THAT THAT WE HAVE HELD WATER POLO MEETS AT THE WEST SIDE PRACTICE FACILITY. AND SO PRACTICE FACILITY DOES NOT MEAN THAT THERE ARE NOT COMPETITIONS THERE. AND SO I THINK THAT THAT HELPED ME TO SEE THAT EVEN THOUGH IT'S CALLED A PRACTICE FACILITY, WE WILL WE CAN AND WILL HAVE SOME COMPETITIONS AT LEAST PROBABLY SOME WATER POLO GAMES AND MAYBE EVEN SOME SWIM MEETS THERE. AND SO BUT I THINK THE PRIMARY NEED OVER THERE IS, IS TO HAVE A PRACTICE FACILITY AND THEN ANYTHING THAT GOES ABOVE AND BEYOND THAT, WE HAVE DON COOK.

THAT'S NOT THAT FAR AWAY ON A SPECIAL EVENT TYPE OF BASIS. BUT THE REAL CHALLENGE IS THE DAY IN, DAY OUT, EVERYDAY PRACTICE SITUATION. AND SO THIS FACILITY OR YOU'RE MOVING FORWARD WITH THE ADMINISTRATION'S RECOMMENDATION TO BUILD AN AQUATIC PRACTICE FACILITY, MEETS THE PRIMARY NEED THAT WE HAVE. AND THEN WE HAVE DON COOK TO FALL BACK ON FOR LARGER EVENTS.

THANK YOU, TRUSTEE HAMILTON. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I WILL SHARE, I REALLY APPRECIATE IN THE LAST ITEM, TRUSTEE HANNON TALKING ABOUT VISITING FINE ARTS ADDITION AND SEEING WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE. AND WE WELCOME THAT. AND WE CAN DEFINITELY ARRANGE THAT. I WOULD ACTUALLY RECOMMEND

[01:50:04]

THE SAME AS IT RELATES TO THE PRACTICE FACILITY AND THE DON COOK NATATORIUM. IF YOU HAVE NOT SEEN IT. DOCTOR WILKES HAS BEEN VERY GRACIOUS IN TAKING ME EVERYWHERE ACROSS THE DISTRICT, AND SO I'VE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO VISIT THE PRACTICE FACILITY SEVERAL TIMES. AND SO IF YOU HAVE NOT SEEN IT IN PERSON, IT IS A SIGHT TO SEE. WE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK WITH STUDENTS WHILE WE WERE THERE, ATHLETES, SWIMMERS AND TALK TO THEM ABOUT THE FACILITY AND WHAT THEY THOUGHT ABOUT THE FACILITY. THAT WENT A LONG WAY. IT'S A BEAUTIFUL, BEAUTIFUL FACILITY.

THE POOL SIZE IS ACTUALLY LARGER THAN THE POOL SIZE AT DON COOK. THERE ARE SOME DIFFERENCES, RIGHT? IT'S NOT A GROUNDED POOL. IT DOES NOT HAVE CENTRAL AIR. ONE OF THE SWIMMERS ACTUALLY EXPLAINED TO ME ABOUT I ASKED THEM ABOUT SPECIFICALLY ABOUT THE AIR AND SHE SAID, WELL, THAT'S GOOD FOR THOSE WHO ARE WATCHING. BUT WHEN WE GET OUT OF THE WATER, WE'RE COLD, RIGHT? AND SO JUST ENGAGING WITH THE STUDENTS AND SPEAKING TO THEM ABOUT HOW IT IMPACTS THEM, BEING ABLE TO SEE PICTURES OF WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE WHEN WE HAVE A MEET. THERE WAS ALSO VERY TELLING THE FAMILIES OUTSIDE ENJOYING FOOD TOGETHER, JUST REALLY SUPPORTING THEIR ATHLETES. AND SO I WAS ABLE TO GET ANOTHER IDEA OF WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE. AND SO WE WOULD BE HAPPY. IT WOULD BE OUR PLEASURE TO ARRANGE THAT IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE THAT AS WELL. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, MR. STEIN? DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? YEAH. SO I JUST HAVE A COMMENT AND I WANTED TO SAY FIRST, MISS BROWN, THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION AND FOR CLARIFYING THE DIFFERENCES. I SOUGHT OUT SOME FEEDBACK. SO I HAD KIDS WHO PARTICIPATED IN THE SWIM PROGRAM IN FORT BEND ISD.

AND SO I DO UNDERSTAND THE DIFFERENCES IN THE TWO FACILITIES. AND I HAD COMPETITIONS AT BOTH FACILITIES. AND SO I DO APPRECIATE THAT THIS THIS FACILITY, WE ARE PLANNING TO ENSURE THAT IT'S GROUNDED, UNLIKE THE PRACTICE FACILITY WE HAVE ON THE WEST SIDE OF THE DISTRICT. ONE OTHER CONCERN THAT WAS POINTED OUT WAS THE DISTANCE OR THE CUSHION THAT A COMPETITION FACILITY LIKE DON COOK PROVIDES BETWEEN FANS AND REFEREES OR FANS AND COMPETITOR, PARTICULARLY IN WATER POLO VERSUS AT A PRACTICE FACILITY WHERE THE THERE'S YOU DON'T HAVE THAT CUSHION AND FAN CONTROL GETS TO BE A LITTLE MORE PROBLEMATIC. I HAVE HAD COMPETITIONS WITH MY DAUGHTER AT THE PRACTICE FACILITY, AND I CAN SEE HOW, YOU KNOW, THAT MIGHT BE A CONCERN. IS THERE SOMETHING WE CAN DO IN THE DESIGN OF THIS FACILITY TO ALLEVIATE THAT CONCERN? I'M SORRY, PRESIDENT HASSAN. THAT IS SOMETHING WE CAN DEFINITELY LOOK AT WITH THAT BEING A CONCERN THAT WE'RE BEING BROUGHT THIS EVENING, WE CAN DEFINITELY LOOK AT THAT, BECAUSE I COULD SEE HOW THAT COULD BE A CONCERN AS WELL. OKAY. THE MAJORITY OF THE FEEDBACK I GOT WAS BASICALLY JUST THAT THERE WAS A NEED AT LEAST FROM THE COACHES AND THE PEOPLE THAT, YOU KNOW, HAVE EITHER REACHED OUT TO ME OR THAT I'VE SOUGHT FEEDBACK FROM. AND SO ONE OF MY BIGGER CONCERNS IS ENSURING THAT WE GET SOMETHING SOONER RATHER THAN LATER. AND I REALLY WOULDN'T WANT TO. I MEAN, I GUESS MY VIEW IS I DON'T WANT TO DELAY THIS ANY LONGER THAN IT'S ALREADY BEEN DELAYED. YOU KNOW, I THINK RIGHT NOW THAT'S JUST KIND OF MY, MY THOUGHT PROCESS. AS LONG AS WE ARE ADDRESSING SOME OF THOSE CONCERNS THAT HAVE BEEN RAISED. SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU, TRUSTEE HANNAN. THANK YOU. I WAS JUST KIND OF WAITING BECAUSE IT SEEMS LIKE EVERYBODY MIGHT HAVE BEEN WAITING ON SOMEBODY TO GO FIRST. SO, YOU KNOW, I'M STILL I KNOW EVERYBODY YOU KNOW KNOWS THAT THAT I FEEL REALLY THAT THE VOTERS WERE INTERESTING. RIGHT. OKAY. NOT. I'M TRYING TO CHOOSE MY WORDS TO NOT BECAUSE I'M NOT TRYING TO OFFEND THE STAFF. BUT WE WERE SOLD SOMETHING THAT THAT WASN'T TRUE. IT SIMPLY WASN'T TRUE. AND SO WHETHER IT WAS AN UNTRUTH BY SIMPLE NEGLECT,

[01:55:05]

CONFUSION, WHATEVER. SO IT HIT ME AS BOTH A BOARD MEMBER AND A VOTER AND A COMMUNITY MEMBER. SO MY LEVEL OF FRUSTRATION ON THIS LOOMS LARGE. I DO BELIEVE WE NEED A FACILITY OVER THERE. I APPRECIATE MISS BROWN'S DISCUSSION TO TAKE THE BOARD OUT. WHAT I WOULD LIKE THE BOARD TO GO DO IS GO SIT AND WATCH A WATER POLO MATCH ON AUGUST 29TH AND SEE HOW LOVELY THAT FEELS, BECAUSE IT'S NOT GOING TO BE GREAT IF YOU'RE AT THE PRACTICE FACILITY TO MISS TAR SANDS POIN.

IF A PRACTICE FACILITY COULD BE BETTER DESIGNED FOR THE PURPOSE NOT JUST OF THE ATHLETES, BUT OF THE SPECTATORS, THAT WOULD BE IMPORTANT. I MEAN, I'M TALKING GIANT FANS ON THE CEILING. I MEAN, I YOU KNOW, I'M NOT A ARCHITECT OR A DESIGNER, BUT I HAVE SAT IN A WHOLE LOT OF VERY MISERABLE SWIM MEETS AND I STILL IN MY HEART THINK THAT THIS SHOULD GO BACK BECAUSE THIS ONE'S A LITTLE DIFFERENT THAN ELEMENTARY 55. I KNOW WE PROMISED SOMETHING THERE, BUT WE WEREN'T SAYING WE'RE GOING TO GIVE YOU A SCHOOL AND IT WASN'T REALLY A SCHOOL. WE WERE GOING TO BUILD YOU A BARN FOR YOU KNOW, IT IT THIS IS SOMETHING DIFFERENT TO ME. SO SOMETHING THAT THE COMMUNITY DIDN'T HAVE PRIVY TO WAS THE SHEET THAT WAS IN FRONT OF ALL OF US THAT LOOKED AT THE NUMBER OF POOLS AND COMPETITION POOLS AND POOLS WITH AIR CONDITIONING IN CY-FAIR, KATIE AND LAMAR CONSOLIDATED, AND THESE ARE ALL NEIGHBORING SCHOOLS WHERE WE LOSE STUDENTS. NOW. WE GET STUDENTS FROM THERE TOO, BUT WE LOSE STUDENTS TO THOSE SCHOOLS.

AND ATHLETICS IS REALLY IMPORTANT TO A LOT OF PEOPLE CHOOSING TO COME AND LIVE IN OUR COMMUNITY. AND, YOU KNOW, WE I REALLY FEEL LIKE WE NEGLECT OUR SWIM, OUR DIVE. I KNOW WE JUST ADDED WATER POLO A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO, BUT WE WOULD NEVER CONSIDER SHARING FOOTBALL AND BASKETBALL COURTS AND BASEBALL FIELDS AND SOFTBALL FIELDS. AND SO THE FACT THAT WE ARE ALMOST 80 000 KIDS WITH TWO POOLS, YOU GUYS LOOK AT OUR SURROUNDING COMPETITION. AND SO I AM STILL OF THE MINDSET. I WILL, OF COURSE, RESPECTFULLY SUPPORT THE DECISION THAT THE BOARD MAKES, AS I ALWAYS DO. BUT I STILL LEAN TOWARDS I DO WANT THEM TO HAVE SOMETHING, BUT THIS ONE I JUST FEEL LIKE WE JUST WE MISSED THE MARK ON ON HOW WE SOLD THIS TO ME AS A BOARD MEMBER TO ME AS A VOTER, AND NOBODY EVER CORRECTED ME WHEN I SAID THE WORD NATATORIUM. I DON'T KNOW IF WE WENT BACK AND TALLIED 100 TIMES. NOBODY EVER CORRECTED ME. AND THAT IS INEXCUSABLE. AND SO I'M SORRY TO BE ALL GRUFF, BUT THIS ONE REALLY, REALLY IS IMPORTANT TO ME BECAUSE WE HAVE A GREAT SWIM COMMUNITY, AND I THINK THESE KIDS DESERVE TO, YOU KNOW, THEY DESERVE GREAT FACILITIES AND THEY DESERVE TO NOT BE DRIVING, YOU KNOW, AT 5 A.M. IN THE MORNING TO GET WHERE THEY NEED TO BE. SO THAT'S JUST MY LITTLE $0.02. AND SO JUST IF YOU DIDN'T CATCH THAT, MY TRUE PREFERENCE IS TO TAKE THIS BACK IN A SPECIAL CALLED MEETING. I KNOW I KNOW, SPORTS COMPLEXES ARE A HARD SELL AND WE WERE LUCKY TO GET THIS, BUT WE GOT IT BECAUSE WE SOLD ONE THING TO THE COMMUNITY, NOT A PRACTICE FACILITY. THANK YOU. TRUSTEE SCHOOF. THANKS, MISS BROWN. A COUPLE QUICK QUESTIONS. WHAT? HOW MUCH LAND DOES DOES THE COOK CENTER SIT ON? DAN COOK YES, SIR. WE'LL HAVE. YEAH. WHAT'S THE LAND? LAND DIMENSIONS OF DAN COOK. WE'RE GOING TO HAVE HIM COME OUT TO ANSWER. YES, SIR. GOOD AFTERNOON. THE COOK FACILITY SHARES SPACE WITH THE FOOTBALL STADIUM. BUT A KIND OF PRELIMINARY CALCULATION WE DID. SAID IT WAS ABOUT SIX, ABOUT

[02:00:06]

SIX, SIX AND A HALF ACRES IS WHAT THE DON COOK SITS ON. OKAY. AND WHAT WAS ALLOCATED FOR THIS NATATORIUM FOR THE AQUATIC PRACTICE FACILITY AT 16. YES. PROP C NATATORIUM. RIGHT, RIGHT.

ABOUT THE SAME. I THINK. BUT MIDDLE SCHOOL 16 WOULD HAVE BEEN ABOUT 5 TO 6 ACRES TO SIX. OKAY.

SO IT'S LIKE SO NEARLY THE SAME SIZE LAND. NO, IT'S A SMALLER PIECE OF LAND. PLUS THE NEW PRACTICE FACILITY WOULD ALSO REQUIRE DETENTION AND SOME OTHER FEATURES. PARKING THAT THE DON COOK SHARES WITH THE FOOTBALL STADIUM. OKAY, SO IS THE FIVE, SIX ACRES. THAT'S THAT'S THE ENTIRE FACILITY. THAT'S THE ENTIRE INCLUDING THE MIDDLE SCHOOL. MR. SHOOP, I'M ALSO BEING CORRECTED THAT IT'S MORE LIKE THREE ACRES. OKAY. MAYBE A LITTLE BIT OVER THREE ACRES.

OKAY. SO ALMOST HALF THE MIDDLE SCHOOL. YEAH. OKAY. ALMOST HALF THE SIZE. ALL RIGHT, I APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU. YEAH. THANK YOU. TRUSTEE JONES. THANK YOU, MISS BROWN, FOR THAT. YOUR PRESENTATION ON THE AQUATICS FACILITY. BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT WE CAN AFFORD IS THE QUALITY OF THE AQUATICS FACILITY. NUMBER ONE, I AM MOST APPRECIATIVE OF THE SIENNA MOMS AND SIENNA HOA THAT WE'VE HAD SOME CONVERSATIONS ABOUT OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH THEM. AND OUR KIDS BEING IN THEIR POOLS AND IT'S A NECESSITY THAT WE BUILD SOMETHING BECAUSE THE PARENTS ARE PAYING AND THEY SHOULD BE PAYING FOR SOMETHING THAT THEIR KIDS ARE USING TAX WISE. AS FAR AS THE AQUATICS FACILITY, BECAUSE I'VE RAISED THIS POINT BEFORE, THEY'RE ALSO PAYING THEIR HOA FEES OVER THERE AND THEY'RE AROUND, WHAT, 15, 1600 A YEAR TO USE THOSE POOLS. SO IT'S LIKE THEY'RE PAYING DOUBLE HERE WHEN YOU LOOK AT IT. OR TRIPLE WITH THE SWIM FEES AND ALL THE OTHER STUFF THAT COME TO COMPETITION FEES AND I'M LOOKING AT IT FROM A POINT OF VIEW OF I LIKE THE WAY SHE SAID IT. WE CAN ONLY PUT AQUATICS FACILITY ON THAT PIECE OF PROPERTY, OKAY? WE CAN ONLY DO THAT. WE CAN'T PUT A LUXURY HOUSE ON A SUBDIVISION LOT. THAT'S, YOU KNOW, WE JUST CAN'T DO IT. AND SO PART OF THAT IS, YOU KNOW, WE WANT CERTAIN THINGS. WE WANT OUR KIDS TO BE COMPETITIVE WITH THE OTHER SCHOOL DISTRICTS, BUT WE'RE NOT KEEPING UP WITH THE JONES KEEPING UP WITH THE JONESES EITHER, BECAUSE I KNOW THE TYPE OF TYPES OF PROPERTY TAXES THEY PAY OUT IN CY-FAIR AND KATY. SO HAVING THAT SAID THAT, I AM IN SUPPORT OF A NATATORIUM BECAUSE OUR KIDS, I MEAN AQUATICS FACILITY BECAUSE OUR KIDS NEED IT, WE NEED TO GET OUR KIDS OUT OF THE SIENNA POOLS AND ACTUALLY PUT THEM SOMEWHERE IF I HAD IT MY WAY AND IF THE PROPERTY WAS BIG ENOUGH, I'D SAY, WELL, CAN WE HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF THE AQUATICS AND CAN WE HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF THE NATATORIUM AS A COMPROMISE? HAVE THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS SOMEWHERE IN THERE. BUT IF WE CAN'T, WE JUST CAN'T.

AND WE CAN ONLY GO WITH WHAT WE HAVE. WE CAN AFFORD AND THAT'S JUST PRETTY MUCH IT. WE HAVE TO MAKE DO WITH WHAT WE HAVE FOR RIGHT NOW. AND IF THAT'S THE AQUATICS FACILITY, THEN FINE, MAYBE LONG TERM WE CAN EXPAND IT TO SOMETHING ELSE. BUT WE GOT TO GET THEM IN SOMETHING. AND THAT'S WHERE I'M AT ON IT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MISS JONES. AND TO BE CLEAR, YOU SAID PRACTICE FACILITY, CORRECT. INSTEAD OF NATATORIUM. OKAY. SO THANK YOU. SO I KNOW I'VE ASKED THE QUESTION BEFORE, THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A PRACTICE FACILITY AND AN AUDITORIUM. AND YOU LOOK IN THE DICTIONARY AND THERE'S NO REAL DISTINCTION BETWEEN WHAT'S WHAT. YOU KNOW, TECHNICALLY, OUR PRACTICE FACILITY BY DEFINITION IS A NATATORIUM. AND SO I'M I'M WITH TRUSTEE JONES IN THAT RESPECT. AND WE'VE WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THE SEATING IS AN ISSUE. AND PRESIDENT TOLSON IS MENTIONING THE SPACE IN BETWEEN REFS AND ATHLETES AND FAN CONTROL. SO IF WE'RE ALREADY TO THE TUNE OF AN ADDITIONAL 6.3 TO GET US TO PRACTICE FACILITY STANDARDS, THE POOL IN AND OF ITSELF IS NOT THE PRACTICE FACILITY BECAUSE IT IS GOING TO HAVE SOME SEATING. IT IS GOING

[02:05:06]

TO BE A GROUNDED POOL. BUT IF WE ARE LOOKING AT POSSIBLY DOING SOME THINGS WE'RE ALREADY, I'M SURE, AND I'VE ASKED ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF, YOU KNOW, A REDESIGN OR LOOKING AT OTHER DESIGNS. AND I KNOW THAT YOU ALL HAVE DONE YOUR DUE DILIGENCE ON ON THOSE THINGS. YOU KNOW, IF WE'RE SOMEWHERE IN BETWEEN, LIKE WHAT MR. JONES IS SAYING, GETTING THAT EXTRA SPACE A LITTLE BIT MORE SPACE, A LITTLE BIT MORE COMFORT, THE SEATING IS, IS OBVIOUSLY AN ISSUE. THE POOL IS BIGGER FROM WHAT I, FROM WHAT YOU MENTIONED AND DON COOK. AND SO BY ALL DEFINITIONS AND I'M NOT SAYING WE CALL IT A NATATORIUM BECAUSE EVERYBODY KNOWS IT'S THE PRACTICE FACILITY. BUT BY ALL DEFINITIONS IT'S GOING TO BE BETTER THAN WHAT THEY CURRENTLY HAVE. SO I'M IN AGREEMENT WITH TRUSTEE HAMILTON AND TRUSTEE JONES AND I ACTUALLY APPRECIATE TRUSTEE SHOWS QUESTION, BECAUSE I ACTUALLY DIDN'T KNOW THE DIFFERENCE IN THE LAND SIZE BEING USED. SO IT DEFINITELY MAKES IT MORE CHALLENGING TO PUT SOMETHING A LOT LARGER TO ACCOMMODATE MORE OF THAT COMPETITION FEEL. DON COOK ON A MUCH SMALLER PIECE OF LAND. SO WE GO BACK OUT FOR BOND. IT'S GOING TO BE ANOTHER ONE OF THOSE SITUATIONS WHERE IT'S GOING TO BE VERY DIFFICULT TO PASS AND I'M NOT, YOU KNOW, I'M NOT OPPOSED TO THE IDEA OF LETTING THE VOTERS DECIDE. BUT, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T WANT TO COME BACK WITH A, A LARGE MARGIN OF YOU KNOW, FOLKS, FOLKS COMING TO AGAINST OUT AND AGAINST IT. AND SO THAT ALSO PUTS US IN A TOUGH SITUATION FOR WHEN 4 OR 5 YEARS DOWN THE ROAD, WHEN IT'S TIME FOR THE NEXT BOND, YOU KNOW, WHAT DOES THAT DO FOR US? SO I THINK IN MY FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, WE'VE GOT TO DO WHAT WE CAN TO DO WHAT WE CAN WITH THE MONEY THAT WE HAVE. TRUSTEE HAMILTON AND TRUSTEE JONES IS SAYING REGAIN THAT COMMUNITY TRUST, BUT ALSO TRY TO GO A LITTLE BIT ABOVE AND BEYOND WHAT EVERYBODY IS THINKING, THAT IT'S GOING TO BE MORE SPACE. IT'S A GROUNDED POOL, IT'S A BIGGER POOL. AND SO I THINK WE SHOULD MOVE FORWARD WITH WITH THE PRACTICE FACILITY AS, AS RECOMMENDED, RECOMMENDED BY THE, BY THE ADMINISTRATION. SO DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL. JUST GO AHEAD. SO I HAVE ONE QUESTION BECAUSE EVERYBODY'S COMPLAINING ABOUT IT'S HOT. CAN WE BRING IN PORTABLE ACS OR SOMETHING FOR THE SPECTATORS. IS THAT AN OPTION. THANK YOU. IS NOT AN WELL I'M JUST ASKING. SO I MEAN WHAT COULD BE DONE TO COUNTER THAT WITHOUT HAVING TO. THE KIDS ARE USED TO IT. YEAH. WE CAN HAVE OUR TEAM LOOK AT SEVERAL DIFFERENT OPTIONS. THERE CAN BE FORCED AIR VENTILATION. WE COULD ACTUALLY LOOK AT HVAC. THE NUMBERS THAT WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT ARE NOT DO NOT INCLUDE CENTRAL AIR CONDITIONING. OKAY. OR BUT WE COULD LOOK AT SOMETHING LIKE THAT OKAY. AND SO MY OTHER QUESTION IS WHAT ABOUT THERE'S THE ISSUE OF SEATING.

CAN WE GET LIKE MAYBE PORTABLE SEATING MAYBE IS NOT BUILT IN. WE ALREADY HAVE OUR BUILT INS, BUT MAYBE BRINGING IN SOME ADDITIONAL SEATING TO ACCOMMODATE THE OVERFLOW AS WELL. I'M NOT SAYING GET CHURCH CHAIRS OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT, BUT I'M JUST SAYING, WHAT ELSE CAN WE DO? YEAH, WE CAN AGAIN, LOOK AT THAT. I'VE SEEN OTHER SITUATIONS WHERE THEY WILL PUT DOWN PAVING CONCRETE OUTSIDE, AND THAT ALLOWS FOR THE SETUP OF BLEACHERS AND SPECIAL EVENTS.

AND BUT IT PROVIDES A FOUNDATION FOR IT. BUT THAT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT STAYS UP PERMANENTLY. YEAH.

LIKE I SAID, ONCE WE UNDERSTAND WHAT THE NEEDS ARE AND WHAT YOUR DESIRES ARE, WE CAN HAVE OUR TEAM LOOK AND COME UP WITH SOME CREATIVE SOLUTIONS FOR THAT. YEAH, BECAUSE WE JUST CAN'T SAY, WELL, WE WON'T HAVE ENOUGH AC AND WE WON'T HAVE ENOUGH CHAIRS. WE JUST THROW IN A 17 MILLION.

IT'S LIKE, LET'S WORK, LET'S GET CREATIVE. AND FIND SOLUTIONS TO A SITUATION WHERE WE CAN ACCOMMODATE FOR RIGHT NOW. AND LIKE I SAID, MAYBE EXPAND LATER ON. SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

OKAY, ONE MORE COMMENT FROM MISS THOMPSON AND THEN WE'LL MOVE ON. YEAH. SO FOLLOWING UP ON ALL OF THAT CONVERSATION, WHAT I WOULD APPRECIATE SEEING LIKE THE NOT ONLY HOW CREATIVE CAN WE BE, BUT WHAT WOULD BE THE COST OF THESE SOLUTIONS. PERHAPS IT WOULD BE MINIMAL AND IT'S SOMETHING WE CAN DO. I KNOW YOU GUYS TALKED ABOUT HAVING THE EXTENDED COVERAGE WITH THE WITH THE

[02:10:04]

GARAGE DOORS OR HAVING THE, THE COVERED EXTERIOR. IF WE JUST POUR ADDITIONAL PAVEMENT, I KNOW BACK WHEN I WAS DOING COMPETITIVE SWIM, EVERYONE KNEW TO BRING YOUR CHAIR, JUST LIKE YOU DO TO SOME OF THE FOOTBALL GAMES, AND YOU WOULD JUST SET UP AND SIT AND WATCH. BUT I APPRECIATE SEEING SOME OF THAT AS WELL. AFTER HEARING ALL OF THE CONVERSATION, DOCTOR SMITH, I'D LIKE TO ASK THE ADMINISTRATION TO PLEASE PUT THIS ON OUR NEXT AGENDA FOR OUR REGULAR BOARD MEETING IN A COUPLE OF WEEKS AS AN ACTION ITEM. SO NOT ON THE CONSENT AGENDA. AND SINCE WE'VE HAD THIS DISCUSSION, WE CAN BRING IT BACK. AND THE TRUSTEES CAN TAKE A VOTE ON THIS RECOMMENDATION. YEAH. POINT TAKEN. WE'LL TAKE CARE OF IT. THANK YOU. OKAY.

[9.C. Special Bond ES 55]

THANK YOU. LET'S MOVE ON TO SPECIAL BOND ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, 55, AND I'LL TURN IT BACK OVER TO MR. BROWN. THANK YOU, MR. VICE PRESIDENT. SO FIRST I'D LIKE TO START BY THANKING OUR.

OH, OH, LET ME THANK YOU I APOLOGIZE I'D LIKE TO START BY THANKING OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS, OUR STAKEHOLDERS FOR COMING OUT TONIGHT AND SHARING THEIR INPUT RELATED TO ELEMENTARY SCHOOL 55 BEFORE WE JUMP INTO WHERE WE ENDED ON LAST MONTH IN OCTOBER, ONE OF THE QUESTIONS THAT HAVE COME UP THROUGH EMAIL, THROUGH A VARIETY OF WAYS FROM OUR STAKEHOLDERS, HAS BEEN ABOUT THE UNDERUTILIZATION OR OVER OVER UTILIZATION OF SOME OF OUR CAMPUSES AND SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I'VE LEARNED DURING MY TIME HERE IN, IN OUR IN FORT BEND ISD IS THAT WE HAVE SEVERAL CAMPUSES ACROSS OUR DISTRICT THAT ARE UNDERUTILIZED. AND SO WHEN WE SPEAK ABOUT THE UNDER UTILIZATION TONIGHT AS IT RELATES TO THE AREA SURROUNDING ELEMENTARY SCHOOL 55, I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE ALSO THINKING THROUGH OTHER CAMPUSES THAT WE HAVE THAT ARE UNDERUTILIZED IN THE DISTRICT AND THAT AS A LEADERSHIP TEAM, AS AN ADMINISTRATION, OUR SUPERINTENDENT HAS CHARGED US WITH LOOKING AT THAT ACROSS THE DISTRICT. AND SO ALTHOUGH TONIGHT WE ARE SPEAKING ABOUT ELEMENTARY SCHOOL 55, WE DO UNDERSTAND THAT WE HAVE WORK TO DO AS IT RELATES TO UNDER UTILIZATION AND POLICY. FC LOCAL AND SO ON. LAST MONTH, WE BROUGHT TO YOU A RECOMMENDATION RELATED TO ELEMENTARY SCHOOL 55. AND SO ELEMENTARY SCHOOL 55. AS WE ALL KNOW, IT'S NOT PROJECTED TO MEET THE 80% EFFICIENT UTILIZATION. AND SO ONE OF THE QUESTIONS THAT CAME UP ON LAST MONTH WAS, DID WE ALL DID WE CONSIDER THAT WHEN WE BROUGHT ELEMENTARY SCHOOL 55 TO THE BORDER, WHEN ADMINISTRATION AT THAT TIME BROUGHT ELEMENTARY SCHOOL 55 FORWARD TO SAY THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE NEED AND THAT IS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT ONE OF OUR TRUSTEES SAID TO US AT THAT TIME AS WELL, IS THIS A NEED OR IS THIS A WANT RIGHT? THAT INFORMATION DEFINITELY RESONATED WITH US, AND IT CAUSED US TO GO AND DIG DEEPER AS IT RELATES TO NOT ONLY THIS ITEM, BUT WITH OTHER ITEMS AND SO ALTHOUGH WE KNOW THAT WE'VE STARTED PROJECTS AS IT RELATES TO BOND 2023, ANYTHING THAT HAS HAPPENED SINCE JANUARY UP ON DOCTOR SMITH'S ARRIVAL, WE DEFINITELY HAVE BEEN LOOKING AND SCRUBBING AND MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE THE DATA TO MAKE A VERY INFORMED DECISION AND TO BRING INFORMATION TO YOU THAT IS THAT IS SOLID AND TRANSPARENT. AND ALTHOUGH IT'S ALWAYS NOT FAVORABLE INFORMATION, WE DO WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE TELLING YOU EVERYTHING THAT WE KNOW. SO THAT YOU'RE ARMED WITH THE INFORMATION YOU NEED TO MAKE A SOLID DECISION, AND SO WHETHER WE BUILD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL 55 OR NOT, WE KNOW THAT REZONING WOULD NEED TO OCCUR. YOU HEARD FROM OUR OUR STAKEHOLDERS TONIGHT ABOUT THE OVERUTILIZATION AND SOME OF THE CAMPUSES AND THE IMPACT THAT THAT HAS ON OUR COMMUNITY. AND SO WE KNOW THAT THE AREA WOULD NEED REZONING, WHETHER WE HAVE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL 55 OR NOT. WE ALSO KNOW BY ELIMINATING ELEMENTARY SCHOOL 55, WHICH YOU APPROVED ON LAST MONTH, THAT WE WOULD HAVE MORE EFFICIENT UTILIZATION AT SOME OF OUR CAMPUSES. AND SO IF YOU VISIT SOME OF OUR CAMPUSES, YOU CAN SEE SOME OF THEM HAVE A FEW KIDS, AND THEN SOME OF THEM HAVE WERE BURSTING AT THE SCENES. RIGHT. AND SO THAT'S ON US AS IT RELATES TO HOW WE'RE PLANNING AND WHAT THAT NEEDS TO LOOK LIKE. AND WE KNOW THAT THAT WOULD CAUSE US TO NEED A NEED FOR US TO REZONE. AND SO ELIMINATING ELEMENTARY SCHOOL 55, WE KNOW, WOULD CAUSE MORE EFFICIENT UTILIZATION AT SOME OF OUR CAMPUSES. THOSE BEING JORDAN AND NEIL, OAKLAND PATTERSON AND PECAN GROVE. AND SO ANOTHER THING THAT WE BROUGHT TO YOU IN THAT RECOMMENDATION HAD TO DO WITH THE OVERHEAD COST. WHEN WE'RE THINKING OF BUILDING A CAMPUS, OF COURSE, THERE'S STAFFING THAT GOES ALONG WITH THAT. AND THE OVERHEAD COST AT ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, 55, LIKE ANY

[02:15:03]

OTHER CAMPUS, WOULD BE OUR PRINCIPAL ASSISTANT, PRINCIPAL, COUNSELOR, NURSE. ALL OF THE INDIVIDUALS THAT IT WOULD TAKE TO HAVE THE OVERHEAD AND STAFF THAT CAMPUS. AND SO WITH THE INFORMATION THAT WE HAVE, WE MADE A RECOMMENDATION TO YOU TO ELIMINATE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL 55 AND THAT WE ADDRESS THE ENROLLMENT AND GROWTH THROUGH REZONING AT NEARBY UNDERUTILIZED CAMPUSES, AND THAT THAT WOULD PLACE $47.6 MILLION IN THE 2023 BOND CONTINGENCY BOND PROGRAM CONTINGENCY. AND AT OUR LAST MEETING IN OCTOBER, YOU APPROVED THAT THAT RECOMMENDATION. AND SO, MR. VICE PRESIDENT, I'LL. I'M SORRY. OH, NOT YET, I APOLOGIZE. WE HAVE TWO MORE SLIDES. SO WE YOU ALSO ASKED US SOME ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS RELATED TO THE PARCEL INFORMATION. AND ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS, AS IT RELATES TO COST AND SO AT THIS TIME I WILL YIELD TO MR. GWYNNE. THANK YOU FOR THE REMINDER. THANK YOU. KATHLEEN. ONE OF THE ITEMS THAT HAS BEEN QUESTIONED IS THE ACCURACY OF THE INFORMATION THAT WE RECEIVED FROM OUR DEMOGRAPHER ON AN ANNUAL BASIS. AND SO I WANT TO SHARE WITH YOU SOME OF THE INFORMATION THAT COMES OUT OF THAT STUDY. AND HOW IT COMPARES TO THE ACTUAL INFORMATION OR THE ACTUALS THAT THAT MATERIALIZE EACH YEAR. AND SO WE'VE PREPARED THE INFORMATION OVER THE LAST TEN YEARS. AND WHAT WE ARE SHOWING HERE, THE FIRST COLUMN THAT YOU SEE IS THE SCHOOL YEAR. THE NEXT COLUMN IS PROJECTION. AND THEN THE NEXT COLUMN IS TEAMS. THAT STANDS FOR THE SNAPSHOT DATE. SO ONE OF THE IMPORTANT THINGS TO REMEMBER ABOUT THE DEMOGRAPHERS UPDATE OR THE DEMOGRAPHERS NUMBERS IS THEY ARE BASING THEIR INFORMATION ON ENROLLMENT AS OF THE TEAM SNAPSHOT, WHICH IS TYPICALLY THE LAST DAY OR THE LAST FRIDAY IN OCTOBER. AND SO WHEN WE LOOK AT THEIR ENROLLMENT NUMBERS, WE'RE LOOKING TO SEE HOW ACCURATE ARE THEY AGAINST THAT OCTOBER SNAPSHOT DATE. AND SO LOOKING BACK AT THIS HISTORICALLY, YOU CAN SEE WHAT THOSE NUMBERS ARE. THERE WERE TWO PARTICULAR YEARS THAT THEY WERE NOT ACCURATE WITH THEIR DATA OR THEIR DATA WAS OFF MORE THAN WHAT I WOULD SAY THEY NORMALLY ARE. AND THAT WAS SCHOOL YEARS 2021 AND 2122. AND BOTH OF THOSE WERE DURING THE PANDEMIC. AND WHAT WE SAW STATEWIDE IS THAT THE ACTUAL ENROLLMENT NUMBERS DID NOT MATERIALIZE AS THE STATE SAW IT HAPPENING. THERE WERE SOME DISTRICTS THAT HAD HIGHER ENROLLMENT THAN WHAT THEY WERE EXPECTING, BUT BY AND LARGE, THE MAJORITY OF DISTRICTS WITHIN THE HOUSTON REGION, WITH A FEW EXCEPTIONS, SAW LOWER GROWTH. OR THEY DID NOT SEE THE GROWTH THAT THEY WERE EXPECTING. HOWEVER, EVEN WITH THOSE TWO NUMBERS IN THERE, THOSE TWO ABERRATIONS PASSES. ACCURACY RATE IS 99.5%. AND SO IF YOU THINK OF IT FROM A LETTER GRADE, THEY ARE GETTING AN A WITH EACH OF THEIR NUMBERS. WE ALSO LOOK SPECIFICALLY AT THE AREAS THAT WE JUST MENTIONED. THE CAMPUSES. SO JORDAN, MISSION BEND, GLEN OAKLAND, PATTERSON AND PECAN GROVE. AND HOW DOES THIS LOOK OVER TIME AND WHERE WAS THERE? WHAT WAS THEIR ACCURACY RATE THERE? THE RED LINE THAT YOU SEE ON HERE IS PROJECTION. AND SO YOU CAN SEE.

AND THEN THE BLUE LINE IS THE ACTUAL TEAM'S DATA. AND YOU CAN SEE THAT THAT LINE TRACKS WITH THE DATA THAT WE JUST SHARED. 2021 AND 2122 ARE OUTLIERS, BUT BY AND LARGE, THEIR NUMBERS ARE TRACKING EXACTLY WITH WHAT IS ENROLLMENT IS MATERIALIZING BASED ON THEIR PROJECTION. THE OTHER THING THAT I THINK IS NOTEWORTHY ON THIS IS THAT WITHIN THAT REGION, ALTHOUGH THERE ARE SCHOOLS THAT ARE SEEING TREMENDOUS GROWTH OVERALL, THE ENROLLMENT IN THAT AREA IS ACTUALLY DECLINING SLIGHTLY. IT'S DOWN BY ABOUT 400 AND SOME 557 STUDENTS OVER A FIVE YEAR PERIOD. WITHIN THOSE CAMPUSES. AND SO AGAIN, PASSES INFORMATION. IF YOU LOOK AT IT OVER THE YEAR, IF YOU LOOKED AT THE INFORMATION FOR ENROLLMENT IN MAY AND COMPARED IT AGAINST THEIR NUMBER, YES, IT WOULD NOT BE ACCURATE BECAUSE WE'VE GROWN SINCE THEN. BUT BASED ON THE OCTOBER SNAPSHOT, WHICH IS WHAT THEY ARE TARGETING, THEIR INFORMATION IS VERY ACCURATE.

AND I'LL TURN IT OVER TO DOCTOR VELTZ FOR THE NEXT COMPONENT. OKAY. AS A STAFF, WE WERE ASKED TO LOOK AT OUR CONSTRUCTION COST AND DO A COMPARISON TO A RECENTLY APPROVED PROJECT IN ROYAL ISD. ARROYO ISD RECENTLY APPROVED ELEMENTARY SCHOOL NUMBER TWO, SO WE COMPARED THE MISSION BAND BRIARGATE REBUILD AND WHAT'S PROJECTED FOR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL 55 TO THE TO THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AT ROYAL ISD. SO DO YOU WANT TO SAY THAT THE TIMING IS VERY CLOSE. THE GMP FOR ROYAL ISD WAS ISSUED IN MAY. GMP FOR MISSION BEND WAS ISSUED IN JANUARY AND THE GMP FOR BRIARGATE WAS ISSUED IN APRIL. SO BETWEEN JANUARY AND MAY ALL OF THESE OF THIS YEAR,

[02:20:03]

THE GMP WERE ISSUED WHEN COMPARING MISSION BEND AND BRIARGATE TO ROYAL ISD, ONE OF THE MOST SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES IS THAT THE FACILITY IN ROYAL ISD IS A GREENFIELD PROJECT, WHICH MEANS IT'S BUILT ON SITE ADMISSION BEND AND BRIARGATE. WE HAD TO TEAR DOWN THE FACILITY AND REBUILD ON SITE WITH THOSE TWO CAMPUSES. WE INCURRED ABOUT A MILLION DOLLARS FOR DEMOLITION OF THOSE CAMPUSES. ALSO, ROYAL ROYAL ISD'S CAMPUS IS A LITTLE BIT SMALLER. IT'S 110 ZERO ZERO ZERO SQUARE FEET IN COMPARISON TO OUR CAMPUSES THAT ARE 127,000FTā– !S. SO IF YOU LOOK AT THE LINE THAT SAYS PROJECT ESTIMATE, THAT'S THE ACTUAL CONSTRUCTION COST AND PRICE PER SQUARE FOOT, WE'RE LOOKING AT OUR CONSTRUCTION COST COMPARED TO OUR SIZE OF OUR BUILDINGS.

MISSION BEND WAS BUILT FOR $341 PER SQUARE FOOT. BRIARGATE $350 PER SQUARE FOOT, AND THE FACILITY AT ROYAL ISD WAS $347 PER SQUARE FOOT. SO WE'RE VERY, VERY COMPETITIVE WITH THOSE.

THOSE TWO CAMPUSES. AND IF YOU LOOK AT ELEMENTARY SCHOOL 55, IT'S A GREENFIELD PROJECT. THE BUDGET CONSTRUCTION BUDGET IS 40, 45.40 5.1 MILLION. AND THE COST PER SQUARE FOOT IN $2,024 IS $355 PER SQUARE FOOT. SO AGAIN, ELEMENTARY SCHOOL 55 COMPARED TO THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IN ROYAL, IS COMPARATIVE. WHEN WE DO THE PROJECTIONS FOR BUILDING ELEMENTARY SCHOOL 55 AND 2026, THE NUMBER GOES UP TO ABOUT $421 PER SQUARE FOOT. BUT AGAIN, IF WE'RE COMPARING $2,024, WE'RE PRETTY CLOSE. OKAY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. SO I HAD ASKED, SO WHEN WE'RE GOING BACK TO THE TEAMS DATA, THE ACCURACY OF THE PROJECTIONS, I WAS THE ONE THAT ASKED THAT QUESTION. AND I HAD ASKED THAT IF YOU LOOK IN THE PACKET OF INFORMATION THAT YOU HAVE THE BOARD INFORMATION REQUEST, I ASKED A TON OF QUESTIONS IN REGARDS TO PROJECTIONS, ACTUAL VERSUS PROJECTED OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS. I'VE ASKED FOR IT TO BE PRESENTED ALSO IN A LINE GRAPH, SO THAT WE COULD SEE TRENDS WHICH WAY UP OR DOWN, BECAUSE AS I WAS LOOKING AT IT, I NOTICED THAT TREND. I'VE ASKED FOR THE ACTUAL PAST PROJECTIONS FOR THE NEXT TEN YEARS. SO THE NEXT 7 OR 8 YEARS GOING OUT AND THEN ENROLLMENT FIGURES FOR NEIL FOR THE LAST TWO WEEKS. AND IT AND IT SHOWS KIND OF WHERE WE ARE, NEIL AND THE DISTRICT, DISTRICT WIDE PERSPECTIVE. AND THEN OF COURSE IN THE LAST COUPLE OF PAGES WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE ACTUAL DIFFERENCE IN ACTUALS VERSUS THE PROJECTIONS. SO I THOUGHT THAT WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL FOR EVERYBODY TO SEE.

AND WITH THAT, I'LL JUST OPEN IT UP FOR QUESTIONS. TRUSTEE HAMILTON I WAS GOING TO LET SOMEBODY ELSE GO FIRST THIS TIME, BUT I'M THE QUICKEST ON THE DRAW. I GUESS. SO I, I THINK AS, AS WE DISCUSSED LAST MONTH AND AS I SAID LAST MONTH, I THINK THAT THE ADMINISTRATION WENT THROUGH THE RIGHT APPROACH IN COMING TO THIS CONCLUSION, ESPECIALLY IF YOU LOOK AT IT ON PAPER. AND SO YOU LOOK AT IT ON PAPER. WE HAVE CAPACITY FOR I THINK IT'S I THINK IT WAS A LITTLE BIT OVER 100,000 STUDENTS, RIGHT AROUND 100,000 STUDENTS EITHER WAY. AND OUR ENROLLMENT IS CURRENTLY UNDER 80,000. SO WE'VE GOT AROUND 20,000 SEATS WORTH OF CAPACITY.

IF YOU WILL, SEATS WORTH OF UNUSED CAPACITY, UNUTILIZED CAPACITY IN THE DISTRICT AND SO YOU LOOK AT IT ON PAPER AGAIN. AND LIKE I SAID LAST TIME, I THINK WE HAVE ABOUT 1800 SEATS WORTH OF CAPACITY IN THESE NEARBY ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS. BUT THEN ONCE YOU GET INTO THE REAL LIFE APPLICATIONS OF THE SITUATION. SO YOU HAVE TO BRING IN THE FACT THAT THAT, THAT PROMISES WERE MADE ACROSS OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT. SO I THINK THE PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATION WANTED TO GIVE EVERY NEIGHBORHOOD IN THE SCHOOL DISTRICT A REASON TO GO VOTE FOR THE BOND AND HOPEFULLY VOTE YES ON THE BOND. AND ONE OF THE WAYS THEY DID THAT WAS BY FINDING A WAY TO

[02:25:02]

HAVE A PROJECT IN EVERY NEIGHBORHOOD IN THE DISTRICT. AND SO THIS WAS THE PROMISE THAT WAS MADE TO THE HARVEST GREEN NEIGHBORHOOD. AND SO DUE TO THE OUTDATED COST PROJECTIONS, AS WE'VE DISCUSSED SEVERAL TIMES, WE MADE THE DECISION TO CANCEL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL 55 SO THAT WE COULD KEEP PROMISES THAT WERE MADE TO OTHER NEIGHBORHOODS WITHIN THE SCHOOL DISTRICT. AND SO JUST, YOU KNOW, THIS THIS IS ON THE OPPOSITE END OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICT FROM ME. AND SO I SHARED LAST TIME THAT I WAS EXPLAINING IT TO SOMEBODY WHO LIVES IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD. AND SO I SAID, I THOUGHT, YOU KNOW, HOW CAN I EXPLAIN THIS TO SOMEBODY WHO'S NOT FAMILIAR WITH THAT? WITH THE WEST PART OF THE DISTRICT? AND I THOUGHT, OKAY, LET'S USE THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS IN MY AREA TO EXPLAIN THIS. AND SO AS I DID THAT, I SAID, YOU KNOW, IT WOULD BE LIKE, YOU KNOW, RATHER THAN BUILDING ANOTHER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, LET'S REZONE SIENNA SECTIONS OF SIENNA TO THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS THAT ARE NOT IN SIENNA BUT ARE IN THE SURROUNDING AREA. AND SO YOU JUST BRING IN A LOT OF A LOT OF EXTRA COMPONENTS. SO YOU RATHER THAN GETTING A BRAND NEW ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, I THINK MOST FAMILIES WOULD RATHER HAVE BRAND NEW ELEMENTARY SCHOOL VERSUS A LITTLE MORE DATED ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. YOU BRING IN. BASICALLY, WE PROMISED THE NEIGHBORHOOD A NEW SCHOOL, AND THEN RATHER THAN A NEW SCHOOL, THEY'RE GETTING REZONED TO A CAMPUS THAT'S NOT ONLY DATED, BUT ALSO SOME OF THOSE SCHOOLS ARE NOT THE HIGHEST PERFORMING SCHOOLS IN THE DISTRICT. AND SO AND THEN THINKING THROUGH THE SIENNA COMPARISONS, IF YOU JUST LOOK AT THE MAP THERE ARE SITUATIONS WHERE THERE ARE SECTIONS OF SIENNA THAT ARE JUST LOOKING AT THE MAP AS THE CROW FLIES, AS MY DAD WOULD SAY, THEY'RE RIGHT NEXT TO HERITAGE ROSE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. BUT THEN WHEN YOU LOOK AT HOW HOW THAT SECTION OF SIENNA WOULD HAVE TO DRIVE TO ACTUALLY GET TO HERITAGE ROSE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL FOR EXAMPLE, IT'S ACTUALLY MAYBE A 15 OR 20 MINUTE DRIVE, EVEN THOUGH IT'S A IT'S A VERY SMALL DISTANCE. THERE'S JUST NOT A, THERE'S NOT A DIRECT ROAD THAT GOES FROM THAT SECTION OF SIENNA TO 521. AND SO IT'S IT TAKES TIME TO GET OVER THERE. AND THEN AS WE HEARD EARLIER, THERE WERE TRAFFIC CONSIDERATIONS, ALL THOSE KINDS OF THINGS. AND SO PRESIDENT, I THINK MADE A GOOD POINT ABOUT THE I THINK IN GENERAL, IT'S PROBABLY FAIR TO SAY THAT OUR DISTRICT FACILITY STANDARDS ARE ARE GENERALLY GOING TO BE PRETTY COMPARABLE TO THE STATE STANDARDS. HOWEVER, WE HAVE ONE CLEAR EXAMPLE WHERE THERE'S A $6 MILLION COST DIFFERENCE IN THAT WE ARE COMPLIANT WITH THE STATE STANDARDS, BUT ACTUALLY WE WOULD SPEND 6 MILLION AND STILL NOT COMPLY WITH THE LOCAL STANDARDS THAT WE CREATED. AND SO I, I WOULD LIKE TO SAY IF THIS MAKES SENSE, MY FIRST PRIORITY IS TO IS TO GO LOOK AT THE, THE LOCAL DESIGN STANDARDS AND ESPECIALLY I WOULD ASSUME YOU MAY HAVE ALREADY DONE THIS. DOCTOR WILSO.

MR. BANKHEAD, AS YOU'VE GONE THROUGH THE VALUE ENGINEERING AND TRIED TO IDENTIFY COST SAVINGS, I WOULD ASSUME THERE MAYBE THERE MAY HAVE BEEN SOME ISSUES WHERE YOU'VE THOUGHT WE DON'T WE DON'T NECESSARILY NEED THIS, BUT IT'S IN THE LOCAL STANDARDS. AND SO WE'RE TRYING TO COMPLY WITH THE LOCAL STANDARDS. AND THEREFORE WE MAY NOT NEED THIS COST OBJECTIVELY, BUT TO MEET THE STANDARDS WE HAVE THIS ADDITIONAL COST. SO I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HAVE ANY EXAMPLES OF THOSE THAT YOU COULD SHARE. NOW, I DON'T WANT TO PUT YOU ON THE SPOT, BUT IF YOU CAN, IF I GUESS YOU YOU'RE WORKING YOUR WAY TO THE MICROPHONE. SO I'LL LET YOU DO THAT. BUT THE MAIN POINT IS JUST TO GO BACK AND IDENTIFY THOSE TYPES OF POTENTIAL COST SAVINGS. IF WE DID REEVALUATE THE LOCAL STANDARDS. SO I'LL I'LL JUST SHARE THAT WHEN THOSE DECISIONS ARE MADE, THEY'RE NOT MADE IN A VACUUM. AND THE OPERATIONS DEPARTMENT OR DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION. SO WE'RE TALKING SPECIFICALLY ABOUT FINE ARTS WHEN THOSE WHEN THOSE DECISIONS ARE MADE FOR THAT SPECIFIC CAMPUS. THE DIRECTOR OF FINE ARTS AND CAMPUS LEADERSHIP ARE INVOLVED IN THE DECISION MAKING. SO WE TRY TO MAXIMIZE THE DOLLARS. WE TRY TO IDENTIFY THE TYPES OF PROGRAMS THAT ARE CURRENTLY AT THE CAMPUS. WE LOOK AT PARTICIPATION AND WE GET INPUT FROM FROM CAMPUS LEADER AND THE DIRECTOR OF FINE ARTS BEFORE THOSE DECISIONS ARE MADE.

THANK YOU. SO JUST TO FINISH MY POINT. SO I WOULD SAY MY FIRST PREFERENCE IS TO LOOK FOR SAVINGS. IF WE CAN IDENTIFY SAVINGS FROM IN ADDITION TO THE VALUE ENGINEERING THAT'S ALREADY BEEN DONE AND ALL THE COST CUTTING MEASURES THAT WE'VE ALREADY GONE THROUGH, IF THERE ARE WAYS THAT WE ARE PLANNING TO INCLUDE THINGS IN THE PLANNED PROJECTS THAT ARE BEING DRIVEN BY THE LOCAL STANDARDS RATHER THAN THE STATE STANDARDS, THEN I THEN I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF

[02:30:02]

THERE ARE POTENTIAL SAVINGS TO BE FOUND BY BY GOING THAT ROUTE AND THEN IF NOT JUST PUTTING MYSELF IN THE SITUATION OF A HARVEST GREEN RESIDENT, WHICH I'M NOT. BUT IF I WERE, I WOULD NOT SIT WELL WITH ME THAT YOU'RE YOU'RE YOU'RE BREAKING THE PROMISE THAT YOU MADE TO MY NEIGHBORHOOD SO THAT YOU CAN KEEP THE PROMISES THAT WERE MADE TO THE REST OF THE DISTRICT. AND SO FOR THAT REASON, I WOULD SAY I'M I'M IN FAVOR OF IF, IF, IF OUR ONLY OPTION TO FIND THE MONEY FOR THIS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IS TO, TO DO A SPECIAL PURPOSE BOND, THEN I'M IN FAVOR OF GOING THAT ROUTE. THANK YOU. COMMENTS. QUESTIONS. SO, DOCTOR GILLIAM, SORRY. OKAY, I'M PRAYING FOR THE RIGHT WORDS. WE HAD THIS CONVERSATION LAST WEEK, AND WHEN WE JUST GOT OFF OF THE NATATORIUM, AND IT'S NOT WHAT IT'S GOING TO BE BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE THE MONEY AND. WHEN WE'RE LOOKING FOR ME, LOOKING AT ELEMENTARY 55 IS LIKE, HOW CAN WE THEN THEY'RE STILL ON THE OTHER SIDE. HOW CAN WE? BECAUSE WE HAVE SEVERAL THINGS THAT WE SAID WE WOULD DO. WE JUST DON'T HAVE THE MONEY. SO AND I CAN ONLY TALK FOR ME WITH THE VOTE THAT WE HAD, IT WAS WE DON'T HAVE THE MONEY. AND I THINK WE JUST HAVE TO BE VERY CAREFUL BECAUSE AND I HEAR THE PARENTS AND IT'S HARD BECAUSE IT'S LIKE, HOW DO YOU DO THIS? BUT IF WE DON'T HAVE THE MONEY AND WE'RE NOT GOING FOR ANOTHER BOND, AND I DON'T TO ME IT'S IF YOU DON'T HAVE THE MONEY, YOU JUST YOU CAN'T GET THE CAR, YOU CAN'T GET THE HOUSE, YOU CAN'T. SO AND NOW I'M HEARING, OKAY, SO WE DO THAT AND HELP ME WITH MR. HAMILTON. WITH WHAT YOU JUST SAID BECAUSE YOU SAID, OKAY, SO WE CAN DO THAT, BUT WE JUST GOT OFF THE NATATORIUM AND SAID, THIS IS WHAT WE HAVE TO DO BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE THE MONEY. WE'RE STILL NOT GOING TO GET THAT NATATORIUM. AND I'M IN. I'M IN A PICKLE RIGHT NOW BECAUSE WE JUST SAID, NO FOR THIS. IS IT THE SAME THING? WELL, I WOULD THINK TO SOME PARENTS IT WOULD BE THE SAME THING. THIS IS IT'S HARD AND. WHEN I DECIDED TO DO THIS AND ANYTHING ELSE THAT I DID, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE THINGS THAT ARE JUST HARD AND WE HAVE TO UNDERSTAND THAT WHEN WE, WE COME AND I DON'T MEAN TO BELITTLE ANYONE, I'M LIKE, WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO AS A TRUSTEE? NOT AS SHIRLEY, WHO I JUST ABSOLUTELY, I WANT I WANT EVERYBODY TO GET EVERYTHING THAT THEY WANT BECAUSE THAT'S WHO I HOW CAN I DO IT? BUT WE HAVE A TEAM HERE AND WE HAVE TO THINK ABOUT THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE TO DO WHEN WE HAVE THE EXPERTS.

I'VE SHARED THAT WHEN WE'RE AT WILLOW RIDGE THAT DAY, WE HAVE EXPERTS, AND SOMETIMES WE'RE NOT LISTENING TO THE EXPERTS. WE'RE TRYING TO GET AROUND NOW. WE'RE TRYING TO GO SEE WHAT WE CAN SEE. WE DON'T KNOW WHAT WE'RE LOOKING. I MEAN, WE DON'T KNOW, LIKE THE EXPERTS KNOW. AND I'M NOT SAYING THIS TO ANYONE IN PARTICULAR. MY STOMACH IS IN KNOTS BECAUSE AS SOON AS I HEAR WHAT THE COMMUNITY WANTS AND WHAT THE PARENTS WANT AND I'M LIKE, BUT WE DON'T HAVE THE MONEY. AND I WISH THAT WE COULD COME TO AN AGREEMENT RATHER THAN KIND OF PUTTING EACH OTHER UP T, WELL, WHO'S GOING TO DO IT AND WHO'S GOING TO SAY THESE THINGS? AND THIS IS HARD. AND WHEN WE DECIDE TO DO THIS PARTICULAR JO. WE KNOW IT'S HARD AND WE HAVE TO MAKE THE DECISIONS THAT ARE GOING TO BE BEST FOR THE DISTRICT AND BEST FOR THE COMMUNITY. SO I, I'M NOT NECESSARILY SHARING EITHER THIS OR THAT. I JUST WANT TO KNOW WE DON'T HAVE THE MONEY. AM I CORRECT, DOCTOR SMITH I'M GOING TO STOP THERE. ACCURATE AM I ACCURATE? THANK YOU. ACCURATE.

WE DON'T HAVE THE MONEY. MISS JONES, THANK YOU, VICE PRESIDENT. GARCIA. SO, GRANTED,

[02:35:13]

IN THIS BOND, WE DON'T HAVE THE MONEY. AND I'M JUST ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE WHO JUST DON'T GIVE UP, OKAY? AND SO I, AS A REALTOR, WHEN BANK COMES BACK ALL THE TIME AND SAY, WELL, WE CAN'T CLOSE BECAUSE OF WE CAN'T GET THEM TO CLOSE, I ALWAYS HAVE THREE BACKUP LENDERS BECAUSE I UNDERSTAND THAT LENDERS HAVE THEY MEASURE RISKS DIFFERENTLY AND UNDERWRITING DEPENDING ON THAT MORTGAGE COMPANY. SO IN REAL ESTATE, YOUR TOP PRODUCERS ALWAYS FIND A SOLUTION OR A WAY TO CLOSE AND TO HELP GET THAT CLIENT THEIR HOUSE. OKAY. AND SO I TOOK OUT THE TIME TO FIND OUT.

OKAY. WELL, WE DON'T HAVE THE MONEY, BUT WE CAN GET THE MONEY. SO HOW DO WE GET THE MONEY AND HOW DO WE GET THE MONEY WITHOUT ASKING THE TAXPAYERS? SO THERE ARE A WHOLE BUNCH OF SOLUTIONS.

AND SO DOCTOR SMITH, YOUR TEAM GET TO WRITING BECAUSE THIS IS SOMETHING YOUR BOND MANAGER SHOULD HAVE TOLD YOU HOW TO GET THE MONEY ON THIS PARTICULAR ON THESE ALL THREE PROJECTS AND POSSIBLY COULD HAVE COVERED THE SHORTFALL. SO I LOOK AT IT, I HAD SOME CONVERSATIONS WITH A VARIETY OF PEOPLE, PEOPLE WHO COULD DONATE, PEOPLE WHO ARE IN INDUSTRY, PEOPLE WHO HAVE EVEN OTHER SCHOOL DISTRICTS WHO'VE HAD WHO'VE BEEN IN THIS SITUATION WHERE THEY JUST COULDN'T GET ALL OF THEIR PROJECTS FUNDED OR WHAT HAVE YO. SO THE FIRST IS A DISTRICT PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT, AND TIA HAS THAT LINED OUT WHERE A SCHOOL DISTRICT CAN PARTNER WITH A NONPROFIT, A GOVERNMENT BODY, HIGHER ED. AND IT JUST SO HAPPENED THAT THE KNOWLEDGE OF THIS COMES THROUGH RAISE YOUR HAND. TEXAS, THAT ORGANIZATION, THEY KNOW A GREAT DEAL ABOUT GETTING PROJECTS FUNDED. ANOTHER OPTION THAT WAS PRESENTED WAS A P3 PARTNERSHIP, WHICH IS A PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP WHERE WE ACTUALLY COULD PARTNER WITH PRIVATE INDUSTRY. THERE ARE 25 FORTUNE 500 COMPANIES HERE WHO ARE HOUSED IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. WHO WOULDN'T MIND DOING EITHER FRONTING US THE MONEY, GOING IN, FINDING A WAY TO FINANCE IT UP FRONT. WE COME BACK IN A 26 BOND AND PAY IT OFF OR WE CAN ALSO GET A PRIVATE ENTITY TO SELL BONDS ON OUR BEHALF IN THE CAPITAL MARKET. OKAY. AND WE PAY INTEREST UNTIL OUR PROJECT IS COMPLETE. GOING BACK TO THE 26 BOND, WE JUST PAY IT OFF, OKAY. USING THAT PARTICULAR BOND, I'M NOT TRYING TO GET IN THE WEEDS OF THIS, BUT WE DO HAVE SOME OPTIONS. TWO OF THE OPTIONS THAT ARE THERE. I WAS THINKING ABOUT THAT PARTNERSHIP, ESPECIALLY WHEN TIA TALKS ABOUT IT AND RAISE YOUR HAND TALKS ABOUT IT. I THINK CONROE ISD PARTNERED WITH WOODFOREST BANK TO GET ONE OF THEIR STADIUMS BUILT OUT THERE A LONG TIME AGO, AND SO IT'S A LOT OF ATTORNEY WORK THAT CAN BE DONE IN GETTING OUR FUNDS UP. AND GETTING OUR PROJECTS FUNDED. IT'S JUST WE HAVE TO THINK OUT OF THE BOX RATHER THAN SAYING, WELL, WE DON'T HAVE THE MONEY NOW WE GOT TO GO ASK FOR IT AGAIN. I WILL HAVE YOU. I WAS WATCHING TV LAST WEEK AND THEY WERE SAYING THAT FAMILIES WHO ARE MAKING $150,000 ARE NOW FOR ANNUAL INCOME ARE NOW LIVING PAYCHECK TO PAYCHECK. AND THAT'S THE SAD REALITY OF MANY OF OUR TAXPAYERS THAT THEY ARE. AND PROBABLY SOME PEOPLE IN THIS

[02:40:06]

ROOM ARE LIVING PAYCHECK TO PAYCHECK, AND THEY FIND IT DIFFICULT TO PAY FOR THEIR OWN PERSONAL STUFF. YET WE COME BACK AND ASK FOR ANOTHER BOND. WE'RE ASKING THEM FOR MONEY. THEY PROBABLY DO NOT HAVE. I WAS READING SOMEWHERE WHERE THE BANKS WERE REPORTING THAT THERE ARE MORE PEOPLE OVERDRAFTING THEIR ACCOUNTS TO PAY FOR GAS. IT'S EITHER FOOD OR GAS. THAT'S WHERE WE'RE AT. AND THE SAD REALITY IS, HOW DARE WE COME BACK AND ASK FOR ANOTHER BOND WHEN WE HAVE NOT EXHAUSTED, EXHAUSTED ALL OF OUR OPTIONS FOR FUNDING? AND SO THAT'S WHERE I'M AT. I'M OKAY WITH THE MODERN SCHOOL. NEED OUR THE SCHOOL NEEDS TO BE MODERNIZED TO MEET THE ASPECTS. OKAY. BUT I HAVE SOME RESERVATIONS AND I, I SENT THE STAFF AN EMAIL THAT DIDN'T QUITE GET TO YOU. IT WAS AT LIKE THREE IN THE MORNING, AND I REALIZED IT'S STILL IN THE OUTBOX. SO I REALLY WANTED TO SEE THE SURVEY OF THE LOCATION OF THIS PARTICULAR CAMPUS, BECAUSE THERE ARE SOME CONCERNS OF ITS LOCATION AND WHERE IT'S GOING TO BE BUILT NEAR SOME OF THE FACILITIES THAT ARE ALREADY EXISTING THAT ARE OUT THERE. AND SO I'M JUST ASKING, CAN SOMEBODY PLEASE SEND ME THE SURVEY FOR THAT, FOR THAT PARTICULAR PROPERTY? AND LET'S JUST START THINKING ABOUT, WELL, THIS IS THE END ALL TO BE ALL AND START GETTING CREATIVE. AND WE CAN AT LEAST SAY IF IT IF IT DOESN'T WORK OUT, AT LEAST WE CAN SAY TO THE TAXPAYERS AND TO THE COMMUNITY, WE TRIED, WE LOOKED INTO THESE OPTIONS. WE DID THIS. YOU'RE OUR LAST HOPE. YOU'RE THE LAST. YOU KNOW, YOU'RE IT. WE NEED IT. AND SO BEFORE WE GO AND SAY, WELL, WE DON'T HAVE THE MONEY AND Y'ALL HAVE TO PAY FOR IT, LET'S DO OUR PART. WE OWE THAT TO THE COMMUNITY AND WE OWE THAT TO THE TAXPAYERS AS WELL. AND THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO SAY. THANK YOU, MISS JONES, TRUSTEE SHOAF. ALL RIGHT. I GOT A FEW QUESTIONS. I THINK I THINK THIS IS GOING TO BE MR. BANKHEAD WHO ASSISTS ME WITH THIS, TRYING TO UNDERSTAND A FEW THINGS AS YOU SAID, THAT THE ESTIMATES EXCEEDED THE BUDGET. WHAT EXACTLY WAS THE BUDGET FOR? FOR IT. WAS IT EXACTLY THE BOND AMOUNT OR ANYTHING LESS? OH. SO YOU'RE SPEAKING SPECIFICALLY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL 55, CORRECT.

YEAH. YES. SO THE. SORRY, I GOT. THERE IS A LITTLE OVER $37 MILLION. WAS THE CONSTRUCTION BUDGET FOR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL 55 OKAY, THAT'S JUST CONSTRUCTION BUDGET. I'M SORRY. THAT'S JUST CONSTRUCTION BUDGET. I'M JUST POINTING THAT OUT. OKAY. DO WE ALL DO WE ALL REQUIRE THE LAND FOR IT? IT'S NOT. YES. WE HAVE THE LAND. WHERE? WHERE EXACTLY IS THE LAND? AND HARVEST GREEN.

I CAN GIVE YOU THE. IT'S ON HARLEM ROAD, BUT I CAN GIVE YOU THE SPECIFIC THE. YOU KNOW, WE REQUESTED THE SURVEY THAT WILL BE SHARED WITH. CAN YOU PROVIDE THAT LEGAL DESCRIPTION AS WELL? THANK YOU. DO YOU KNOW THE CLOSEST CROSS STREET ON HARLEM? WEST AIRPORT, HARLEM AIRPORT ON THE EAST SIDE. ON THE EAST SIDE OF HARLEM? YES. DOES IT BORDER THE PRISON? IT'S RIGHT OFF OF HARLEM. IT'S NEAR HARLEM AND WEST GUILFORD. YES, IT'S RIGHT THERE BY THE GESTURE. ONE. OH, OKAY. FURTHER NORTH OF THE PRISON. OH, WELL, UP AND DOWN. OKAY. AND. WELL, MY OTHER QUESTION IS, I MEAN, ONCE AGAIN, NEW HERE WASN'T HERE FOR ALL THIS. WHY COULDN'T WE DROP THE

[02:45:01]

SQUARE FOOTAGE DOWN TO, LET'S SAY, 120 ZERO ZERO ZERO SQUARE FOOT AND TRY TO GET CONTRACTORS TO STICK TO THAT $347.57 PER SQUARE FOOT. AND THAT WOULD I MEAN, THE TOTAL PROJECT ESTIMATE WOULD ROUGHLY BE 41.7 MILLION, WHICH WOULD BE UNDER THE ALLOTTED AMOUNT ON THE BOND. SO THE ANSWER TO THAT, YES, YOU COULD DOWNSIZE THE SCHOOL. AND THAT'S GOING TO BRING THE BUDGET DOWN. BUT RECALL THE ISSUE THAT WE WERE DEALING WITH. AND I GUESS NOW WE CAN'T SAY WE'RE DEALING WITH IS A PROJECTED $80 MILLION SHORTFALL IN THE OVERALL BOND. AND SO TO ADDRESS THOSE ISSUES, ONE OF THE WAYS TO DO IT WAS TO USE THE FUNDS THAT WERE ALLOCATED FOR 55 TO OFFSET THAT DEFICIT. AND PART OF THE REASON FOR THAT RATIONALE WAS BASED ON THE NEARBY SCHOOLS. THERE WAS CAPACITY TO ABSORB THE ANTICIPATED ENROLLMENT GROWTH TO DO THAT. AND SO IT WASN'T A MATTER OF NOT HAVING FUNDING FOR THAT SPECIFIC SCHOOL. IT WAS NEEDING TO REDIRECT THOSE FUNDS TO ADDRESS THE OVERALL BOND SHORTFALL. I THOUGHT WE COULDN'T REALLOCATE BOND MONEY TO OTHER PROJECTS PROPOSITIONS. THIS IS ALL PROP A, CORRECT? OKAY. THAT'S OKAY BECAUSE IT ALL FALLS UNDER PROP A, RIGHT. SO THIS IS PROP A, WE CAN'T REALLOCATE THE FUNDING FROM PROP EIGHT OR PROP C. HOWEVER, WITHIN PROP A THE BOARD DOES HAVE THE DISCRETION AND AUTHORITY TO REALLOCATE FUNDS. WHAT'S A NUMBER. WHAT'S A CONSTRUCTION COST NUMBER THAT COULD KIND OF BALANCE AND BE THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS? STILL BUILD A SCHOOL IF IT'S EVEN IF IT'S SIGNIFICANTLY SMALLER AND STILL ALLOCATE FUNDS TO PLAY WITH ELSEWHERE. SO THE SHORT ANSWER OF THAT IS FOR MY STAFF PERSPECTIVE, WE DID NOT BELIEVE IT WAS FINANCIALLY FEASIBLE TO BUILD AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AS WELL AS CLOSE THE BOND DEFICIT, AND THAT WAS THE REASON THAT THE RECOMMENDATION WAS MADE. AND I'LL GO BACK TO WHAT DOCTOR SMITH AND MRS. BROWN MENTIONED EARLIER IS THAT AND I'VE HEARD SEVERAL BOARD MEMBERS SAY IT TONIGHT. WE DIDN'T COME LIGHTLY TO THAT DECISION. AND IT WAS A DECISION THAT WAS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO RECOMMEND, NOT JUST TO SAY IT. IT'S VERY EASY, EVEN AS A, YOU KNOW, WE'RE WE'RE BUREAUCRATS. IT'S EASY FOR US TO SAY THE LAST THING THAT WE WANT TO EVER DO TO A BOARD IS TO COME TO YOU AND SAY, WE WANT TO RAISE TAXES AND WE DON'T WANT TO DO SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE SAID THAT WE HAVE COMMITTED TO DO. AND UNFORTUNATELY, THE SITUATION THAT WE FOUND OURSELVES IN, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, I DON'T WANT TO RECANT TOO MUCH OF HISTORY, BUT WE STARTED OUT WITH AN OVER $160 MILLION DEFICIT. WE BROUGHT THAT DOWN TO WHAT WE BELIEVE WILL BE ROUGHLY $80 MILLION. AND THE ACTIONS THAT WE RECOMMENDED CLOSED THAT GAP. BUT UNFORTUNATELY, AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE HAD TO MAKE HARD DECISIONS TO DO IT. THIS WAS ONE OF THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT FALLS INTO THAT CATEGORY. MR. BRUSH, YOU HAVE SOMETHING. I THINK WE'RE DEPARTING FROM THE QUESTION OF A SPECIAL PURPOSE BOND AS WE GET TOO FAR INTO THE QUESTION OF REDESIGNING OR REDESIGNING A SPECIFIC SCHOOL PROJECT SO WE CAN LIMIT DISCUSSION TO WHETHER OR NOT WE WANT TO HAVE A BOND. I THINK WE'RE GETTING OFF INTO THE DISCUSSIONS AROUND WHY WE GOT TO THIS POINT, SO WE CAN JUST TRY TO REDIRECT AND GET BACK TO THAT, IF THAT MAKES SENSE. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. WELL, I APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU. GOOD.

THANK YOU. MISS. MISS HANNON THANK YOU. SO CAN I CLARIFY I HEARD MISS TORSEN ASK DOCTOR SMITH TO INCLUDE AN ACTION ITEM TO VOTE ON AT THE REGULAR MEETING. WAS THAT ON THE PROP C? OKAY. AND THAT WAS NOT ON HIGHTOWER? NOT YET. NOT YET. OKAY. SO I'M GOING TO JUST TELL MY COLLEAGUES THAT I, YOU KNOW, I DON'T FEEL LIKE I WOULD BE READY NEXT WEEK TO SAY TO INCLUDE THIS ON A SPECIAL CALLED BOND BECAUSE I JUST I JUST DON'T FEEL LIKE I HAVE ENOUGH INFORMATION. BECAUSE OKAY, I'LL CLARIFY. SO WHAT I ASKED FOR, WE DID NOT MAKE A DECISION ON THE ADMINISTRATION'S RECOMMENDATION ON THE NATATORIUM BECAUSE YOU MADE A MOTION TO POSTPONE THAT DECISION. AND IN LIEU OF THIS DISCUSSION. SO WE HAD THE DISCUSSION ABOUT THE SPECIAL PURPOSE BOND RELATED TO THE NATATORIUM. AND SO NOW I'M PUTTING IT BACK ON THE AGENDA TO VOTE ON THE ADMINISTRATION'S RECOMMENDATION TO BUILD OKAY, TO BUILD THE PRACTICE FACILITY

[02:50:07]

USING CONTINGENCY FUNDS TO MAKE UP THE DIFFERENCE. RIGHT. WE DID NOT MAKE A DECISION. THAT'S WHAT I ASKED. OKAY. THANK YOU, MISS TOLSON, FOR THAT CLARIFICATION. OKAY. SO REGARDING A SPECIAL CALLED BOND FOR ELEMENTARY 55 AND MR. BRUSH, YOU TELL ME IF I'M OFF, BUT I WANT TO LOOP MY MIND BACK BECAUSE MISS BROWN SAID THAT WHILE WE'RE ON THIS CONVERSATION, IT'S IMPORTANT THAT TO KNOW THAT THE STAFF HAS BEEN CHARGED BY DOCTOR SMITH IN LOOKING AT SORT OF A BOUNDARY STUDY AND SCHOOL UTILIZATION STUDY AND THAT REALLY PLAYS INTO MY MIND THE DECISION ON WHETHER TO DO A SPECIAL CALLED BOND, BECAUSE TO ME, IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT ELEMENTARY. 55. I DO BELIEVE WE PROMISED OUR CONSTITUENTS SOMETHING. AND THAT'S REALLY HARD TO GO BACK ON. YOUR WORD. IT DESTROYS PUBLIC TRUST. AND THAT'S THAT'S AN ISSUE FOR ME. AND SO BEFORE I AM ABLE TO MAKE THE DECISION ON THIS, I SAT WITH THE CONSTITUENT AND LOOKED AT A MAP AND IT DOES LOOK LIKE THERE OR IT DOESN'T LOOK LIKE THERE IS A STREET THAT GOES ANYWHERE FROM IS THERE A STREET THAT GOES FROM HARVEST GREEN TO OAKLAND ELEMENTARY, OR DO YOU HAVE TO GO OUT ON A MAJOR THOROUGHFARE LIKE HARLEM OR THE FEEDER ROAD TO 99? I YOU DON'T I MEAN, YOU DON'T HAVE TO ANSWER THAT, BUT THAT'S YOU KNOW, I LIVE IN A NEIGHBORHOOD, BUT I CHOSE THAT NEIGHBORHOOD. AND SO YOUNG FAMILIES ARE MOVING IN, YOU KNOW, AND I KNOW YOU'RE NOT GUARANTEED WHEN YOU MOVE IN A NEIGHBORHOOD. BUT WHEN THE BUILDERS HAVE A BIG OLD THING ON THEIR WEBSITE THAT SAYS ELEMENTARY 55, COMING SOON BECAUSE THEY THOUGHT IT WAS COMING SOON, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE INVEST THEIR THEIR LIFE SAVINGS AND THEN HAVE A GIANT MORTGAGE, AND THEY'RE CHOOSING THAT BECAUSE OF A, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE GOING TO RAISE A FAMILY OR HAVE A FAMILY. SO. HAS I HAVEN'T HEARD IT, BUT HAVE WE, HAVE WE LOOKED OR CAN WE LOOK AT A TEMPORARY CAP AND OVERFLOW? BECAUSE WHEN I WAS LOOKING THROUGH THE FINANCIAL REPORT, I, I GOT CAUGHT UP ON LOOKING AT SOME OF THE NUMBERS FOR INSTANCE, LIKE COMMONWEALTH THAT WAS IN HERE. AND I LOOKED AT COLONY BEND AND SETTLERS WAY AND HOW THEY ADJUSTED AND, YOU KNOW, COLONY BEND NUMBERS AND SETTLERS WAY. THEY WENT WAY UP AS WE WERE TRYING TO BALANCE. AND IT WASN'T WE DIDN'T DO A BOUNDARY CHANGE BECAUSE I GUESS THEN SULLIVAN WAS BUILT, BUT THERE WAS A CAP AND OVERFLOW SITUATION. AND SO I KNOW THAT'S NOT IDEAL, BUT I THINK ALSO WHAT'S NOT IDEAL TO SOME HARVEST GREEN PARENTS IS YOU'RE, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE GOING TO GET REZONED TO 55. AND I YOU KNOW, THAT'S PROBABLY PREFERABLE THAN GOING TO PECAN GROVE OR OAKLAND BECAUSE THAT TAKES YOU OUT AND AROUND YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD. BUT I'M JUST I'M TRYING TO THINK OF SOME ALTERNATIVES. AS I'M, AS I'M THINKING TO WHETHER I'M GOING TO VOTE TO ADD THIS FOR A SPECIAL CALLED BOND OR NOT, YOU KNOW, I, I SORT OF FEEL THE SAME WAY ABOUT THIS ONE AS I DO THE NATATORIUM, PERHAPS THE BOARD.

WE MADE THE WRONG DECISION IN VOTING FOR IT. RIGHT. I YOU KNOW, WE WEREN'T PRESENTED WITH WITH EVERYTHING WE NEEDED TO MAKE A GOOD DECISION. BUT THE FACT IS WE MADE THAT DECISION.

SO IT'S TOUGH FOR ME. IT'S TOUGH FOR ME TO NOT TO NOT GIVE THIS TO THE COMMUNITY. BUT IT'S ALSO REALLY TOUGH FOR ME WHEN I LOOK AT HOW MANY UNDERUTILIZED BUILDINGS WE HAVE. AND I KNOW THAT WE'RE NOT THE ONLY SCHOOL DISTRICT, YOU KNOW, I KNOW YOU'RE GOING TO EL PASO. AND I READ EL PASO IS CLOSING 33 ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS AND SO I KNOW WE'RE NOT THE ONLY ONE FACED WITH UNDERUTILIZED BUILDINGS. SO I SO MY ASK AND I DON'T KNOW IF I CAN ASK THIS, BUT I REALLY DOES THIS ADMINISTRATION. DOCTOR SMITH, ARE YOU ANTICIPATING BRINGING US SOME KIND OF COMPREHENSIVE BOUNDARY STUDY? AND THE REASON I'M ASKING IS DIRECTLY RELATED TO OUR CONSTITUENTS. THEY'RE SAVVY. THEY'RE LOOKING AT NUMBERS, THEY'RE LOOKING AT PASTA NUMBERS, AND THEY'RE SAYING, WHY ON EARTH DID YOU BUILD A 1000 CAPACITY SCHOOL THAT'S PROJECTED TO HAVE 300 KIDS OVER THE NEXT EIGHT YEARS? AND SO I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT, AS WE'RE HAVING THIS

[02:55:04]

DISCUSSION ON WHETHER TO CONTINUE WITH 55, THAT THAT OUR CONSTITUENTS UNDERSTAND WHAT OUR PLAN IS, BECAUSE RIGHT NOW, THE PLAN ON PAPER DOESN'T LOOK VERY CLEAR. THERE'S NOT A LOT OF CLARITY TO IT, AND IT DOES CAUSE CONFUSION. IT CAUSES CONFUSION TO OUR TO OUR FAMILIES, TO OUR COMMUNITIES, ESPECIALLY THIS ONE. NOW THAT'S IMPACTED. SO YES, THANK YOU FOR THAT FEEDBACK. WE DEFINITELY HAVE A PLAN. PART OF THE FIRST STEP IN THE PLAN IS ACTUALLY ON THE AGENDA LATER ON THE AGENDA THIS EVENING. AND WE'LL OUR PLAN IS TO HAVE IT ON THE AGENDA AS AN ACTION ITEM ON THE 15TH IS THAT 18TH? SORRY. WHEN WE HAVE OUR REGULAR SCHEDULED BOARD MEETING AND SO OUR EXPECTATION IS THAT IF THE BOARD APPROVES THE GROUP, THEY WILL DO A REALLY THOROUGH ANALYSIS, COMPREHENSIVE ANALYSIS ON OUR PROJECTIONS, ON OUR DEMOGRAPHIC PROFILE, STUDYING ALL ASPECTS OF THE DISTRICT WHERE THE GROWTH IS OCCURRING AND ALL THE DATA ASSOCIATED WITH THAT. AND SO TONIGHT IS THE FIRST STEP IN THAT DIRECTION OKAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, DOCTOR SMITH, IF I MAY ADD, MR. PRESIDENT, TO WHAT DOCTOR SMITH JUST SAID. SO AS HE JUST MENTIONED, THE LONG RANGE BOUNDARY PLAN IS ON THE AGENDA FOR THIS EVENING. YOU ALL WOULD VOTE ON THAT ON THE 18TH. THE OTHER ITEM THAT I WOULD ALSO INDICATE IS THAT OUR DEMOGRAPHER HAS STARTED THE WORK ON THEIR DEMOGRAPHIC STUDY FOR THE UPCOMING SCHOOL YEAR, AND THAT WOULD ALSO INCLUDE A TEN YEAR OUTLOOK AS WELL. AND SO WE'LL HAVE MORE UP TO DATE INFORMATION THAN WE HAD LAST YEAR. THAT'S A SECOND COMPONENT TO THAT. THE THIRD THING, AND I SAY THIS TO BOTH THE BOARD AND TO THE COMMUNITY, ONE OF THE TOOLS YOU HAVE IN YOUR ARSENAL AS WE GO THROUGH THIS PROCESS IS THE INTENT TO REIMBURSE. AND SO WHAT YOU CAN DO AS A BOARD IS IF WE DETERMINE FROM THE INFORMATION FROM OUR BOUNDARY PLANNER, FROM THE DEMOGRAPHIC UPDATE, THAT THERE IS A NEED FOR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, 55, EVEN THOUGH A BOND ELECTION HAS NOT BEEN CALLED, YOU CAN USE AN INTENT TO REIMBURSE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT SCHOOL. WE HAVE USED THAT ON TWO OCCASIONS IN THE PAST AND SO IT IS NOT SOMETHING OUT OF THAT. AND I BELIEVE IT WAS SULLIVAN AND FERGUSON ELEMENTARIES WHERE WE USE BOTH OF THOSE AS A TOOL IN ORDER TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THOSE ELEMENTARIES PRIOR TO A BOND BEING CALLED. AND SO FROM A COMMUNITY PERSPECTIVE, AS WE GET THAT UPDATED INFORMATION, WE CAN MAKE ADJUSTMENTS TO THE RECOMMENDATIONS WE'VE MADE. CONVERSELY, AS A BOARD, YOU NOW HAVE FLEXIBILITY TO IF WE NEED TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT PRIOR TO A BOND ELECTION BEING CALLED. YOU CAN DO THAT AS A BOARD.

THANK YOU, MR. QUINN. MISS TYSO. THANK YOU, MR. GARCIA. SO, MISS GWEN, YOU STOLE MY THUNDER BECAUSE THOSE WERE GOING TO BE MY COMMENTS. I WAS. THERE ARE LOTS OF THINGS THAT WERE STATED BY THE OTHER MY FELLOW TRUSTEES THAT I AGREE WITH. I, I TOO WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE UPDATED DATA. I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE BOUNDARY STUDY. I RECALL USING THE INTENT TO REIMBURSE WHEN WE NEEDED A SCHOOL. WE ALSO DISCUSSED THAT IF WE DON'T COME IN AS AS DEFICIENT IN THE 2023 BOND, AND WE HAD ADDITIONAL FUNDING THAT WE COULD UTILIZE THAT TO BUILD A SCHOOL IF NEEDED. SO I THINK MY THOUGHT RIGHT NOW IS TO TAKE A WAIT AND SEE APPROACH. I LIKE MISS JONES'S THOUGHTS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, ALTERNATE FUNDING. I JUST THINK THAT THERE ARE I THINK WE HAVE SOME MORE DATA THAT NEEDS TO BE COLLECTED. I THINK MAYBE WE NEED TO SEE WHERE WE'RE, YOU KNOW, WHERE WE'RE HEADED AND THEN AND, AND THEN MAKE A DECISION ON IT. THAT'S HOW I FEEL ABOUT IT RIGHT NOW. I ALSO FEEL THAT A LOT OF THESE DECISIONS ARE NOT LIVING UP TO, WELL, ALL OF THESE DECISIONS ARE NOT LIVING UP TO PROMISES THAT WERE MADE TO THE COMMUNITY. THE NATATORIUM INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT THINGS LIKE MR. HAMILTON SAID THINGS WERE NOT WERE NOT STATED TO THE COMMUNITY IN A IN A CLEAR WAY THAT QUESTIONS WERE NOT ANSWERED IN THE WAY THAT THEY SHOULD HAVE BEEN. THERE WERE THINGS ON WEBSITES THAT CLEARLY STATED, OR AT LEAST SEEMED TO STATE, THAT A COMPETITION FACILITY WAS GOING TO BE WAS GOING TO BE BUILT, AND THAT'S A PROMISE TO THE COMMUNITY. ELEMENTARY SCHOOL 55 IS A PROMISE TO THE COMMUNITY, BUILDING OUT HIGHTOWER HIGH SCHOOL'S FINE ARTS IS A PROMISE

[03:00:07]

TO THE COMMUNITY. SO FOR CONSISTENCY'S SAKE, YOU KNOW, I KIND OF LIKE I JUST FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE AREN'T SAYING YES TO SOME AND NO TO OTHERS. BUT AT THE SAME TIME, YOU KNOW, I'VE DOESN'T IT'S A BIG DEAL. IT'S A BIG DEAL TO THIS COMMUNITY. AND I THINK THAT WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE WE GOT ALL OUR I'S AND CROSS ALL OUR T'S, AND WE HAVE ALL OF THE DATA THAT WE NEED. AND I, YOU KNOW, I'D LIKE TO SEE IT BEFORE I WOULD BE READY TO MAKE A DECISION ON ANYTHING LIKE THIS. THAT'S ALL I HAVE. THANK YOU, MISS AWESOME.

OKAY, SO ONE OF THE QUESTIONS THAT I ASKED WAS FOR A BRIEF EXPLANATION AS TO WHY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL 55 WAS INCLUDED IN BOND 2023 TO BEGIN WITH. BECAUSE AS I WENT BACK THROUGH PREVIOUS PRESENTATIONS AND REPORTS AND DATA, IT JUST IT WAS NOT PRESENTED TO THE BOARD IN A MANNER THAT A NEW ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IN HARVEST GREEN MIGHT NOT BE NEEDED. IT WAS ALL INDICATIONS THAT WE'RE HEADED IN THAT DIRECTION. AND, YOU KNOW, THE ENROLLMENT PROJECTIONS, I GUESS AT THE TIME, THEY WERE BASED ON 2021. SO I GET THAT. I ALSO KNOW THAT COME NEXT YEAR WILL BE IN SESSION. AND I KNOW VOUCHERS ARE COMING AND CHARTER SCHOOLS ARE POPPING UP ALL OVER THE PLACE. AND I KNOW BY SEEING NUMBERS EVERY DAY THAT WE GET FROM THE DISTRICT THAT ENROLLMENT IS 1000 STUDENTS LESS THAN WE WERE THIS TIME LAST YEAR. AND SO THAT'S CONCERNING.

SO FOR US TO SAY, LET'S GO AHEAD AND JUST MOVE FORWARD AND BUILD THE SCHOOL KNOWING WHAT WE KNOW THAT. AND I'VE ASKED THE QUESTION AND I'VE SEEN COMMENTS FROM THE COMMUNITY SAYING THAT THE DATA IS INCORRECT, THE DATE IS INCORRECT. AND THEN I ACTUALLY CAME TO YOU THE LAST MEETING AND ASKED YOU, WE YOU KNOW, I KNOW THE ANSWER TO THE QUESTION ARE WE SURE THE DATA AND YOU TOLD ME I DON'T HAVE TO BE RIGHT. WE JUST HAVE TO GET IT RIGHT. AND YOU LOOKED AT IT AND YOU TRIPLE, DOUBLE, TRIPLE CHECKED IT. SO MY REASONING BEHIND ALL THESE QUESTIONS THAT I ASKED IS I WANT TO SEE THE ACTUAL VERSUS THE PROJECTED, WHAT WAS PROJECTED, WHAT IS ACTUAL, AND I WANT TO SEE IT. I WANT TO SEE IT FOR, YOU KNOW, THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS. AND SO THAT SLIDE THAT WE HAD UP THERE, THAT WAS ONE OF THE QUESTIONS THAT I ASKED. AND SO WE'RE SITTING AT SO FAR THIS YEAR 98.8% ACCURATE. THE LAST TWO YEARS AT 100% ACCURATE. AND SO THAT'S VERY TELLING TO ME. NOW I UNDERSTAND THAT. AND I KNOW WE DID THIS WITH SULLIVAN THAT THAT WE BUILT THE SCHOOL BEFORE WE HAD IT WITH THE INTENT TO REIMBURSE. SO THAT'S AN OPTION.

AND I'M NOT SAYING THAT IT'S A GOOD IDEA TO PUT IT ON THE BOND RIGHT NOW. AND I'M NOT SAYING THAT WE'RE NOT GOING TO HARVEST GREEN WON'T HAVE THE SCHOOL, BECAUSE I ALSO FEEL LIKE WE PROMISED THEM A SCHOOL THEY SHOULD GET A SCHOOL. AND I APPLAUD TRUSTEE JONES FOR SOME OF THE COMMENTS MADE ABOUT LET'S LOOK, LOOK AND SEE WHAT WE CAN DO. WHAT ARE SOME CREATIVE SOLUTIONS? AND THAT'S ACTUALLY A VERY GOOD, GOOD POSSIBLE OPPORTUNITY. WHEN WE GET THE NUMBERS IN AND WE START LOOKING AT WHERE WE ARE FROM THE LAST FIVE YEARS VERSUS NEXT YEAR, WHERE WE'RE GOING TO WHERE WE'RE GOING TO BE HEADED, WE KNOW THAT THERE'S 1400 HOMES COMING BACK INTO HARVEST GREEN. I KNOW THAT WHERE I LIVE, THERE'S 1400 HOMES AND YOU'RE TYPICALLY ANYWHERE BETWEEN 3 TO 500 KIDS. ELEMENTARY SCHOOL KIDS COMING OUT OF A NEIGHBORHOOD WITH ROUGHLY THAT MANY. SO YOU CAN EXPECT ANOTHER POTENTIALLY 3 TO 400 STUDENTS COMING IN. SO THEN THE QUESTION IS WHERE DO WE PUT THEM? WE CAN'T PUT ANOTHER 400 KIDS IN A SCHOOL THAT'S ALREADY OVER OVERCAPACITY. AND WE CAN WE CAN BUS KIDS AND WE CAN MOVE THEM TO OAKLAND. WE CAN MOVE THEM. AND I WAS MY SON WAS AT OAKLAND WHEN THEY HAD 1500 KIDS AT THAT SCHOOL. IT WAS 120 SOME ODD PERCENT ON 120, ALMOST 130% OVER UTILIZED AT THE TIME. HE DIDN'T EVEN FINISH HIS FIFTH GRADE YEAR AT OAKLAND. HE HAD TO GO TO BOWIE AS A FIFTH GRADER. SO THAT'S DEFINITELY NOT THE SITUATION THAT I WANT TO SEE OURSELVES IN. I KNOW WE'VE GOT SOME CREATIVE SOLUTIONS. ANOTHER QUESTION I ASKED WAS ABOUT CAP AND OVERFLOW. AND SO THERE'S I KNOW WE'RE KEEPING A VERY CLOSE EYE ON THAT. AND SO I THINK PUTTING THIS ON THE BOND IN MAY IS, IS RIGHT NOW IS NOT A GOOD IDEA, ESPECIALLY KNOWING WHAT WE KNOW WITH WITH CHARTER SCHOOLS AND VOUCHERS AND THINGS COMING LIKE THAT. AND I THINK WE SHOULD REALLY BE CERTAIN, I KNOW WE'RE CERTAIN WITH THE DATA THAT WE HAVE NOW, BUT WHEN WE GET THE DEMOGRAPHER UPDATES AND WHEN WE START TALKING ABOUT LONG RANGE PLANNING, I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT WE NOT RUSH THIS. WE'VE GOT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE GET IT RIGHT. TO QUOTE DOCTOR SMITH. SO AND WITH THAT, I'M GOING TO GO AHEAD AND CLOSE DOWN

[03:05:04]

TRUSTEE JONES. ONE MORE COMMENT AND THEN WE'LL MOVE ON. I THINK BRIAN SAID SOMETHING BECAUSE I'M GOING BACK IN THE BOARD BOOK. YOU SAID PASTA IS COMING BACK FOR 2526. PASTA HAS ALREADY INITIATED THE DEMOGRAPHIC STUDY FOR THE 2526 SCHOOL YEAR, AGAIN GOING OUT TEN YEARS AS WELL.

OKAY, THE TYPICALLY THE BOARD RECEIVES THAT REPORT IN FEBRUAR. WE HAVE REQUESTED OF THEM TO SEE IF WE COULD POTENTIALLY DO THAT IN JANUARY INSTEAD. SO YOU HAVE IT A MONTH EARLIER THAN NORMAL.

OKAY. AND SO MY QUESTION WITH THAT IS, I GUESS, TO GO BACK TO ASK THEM THIS ONE QUESTION, BECAUSE WE HAVE THE NEXT LEGISLATIVE SESSION COMING UP. AND AS HE DISCUSSED ABOUT VOUCHERS OR WHAT HAVE YOU, IS AT SOME POINT THEY CAN GIVE THEIR NUMBERS FOR 25, 26. CAN THEY COME BACK AND ADJUST IF THAT PASS? WHAT WOULD THAT LOOK LIKE IF WE LOST STUDENTS AS WELL? BECAUSE WE HAVE TO NOT ONLY LOOK AT IT FOR SCHOOLS, BUT WE HAVE TO LOOK AT IT FOR OUR OPERATING BUDGET AS WELL. SO CAN THEY COME BACK AND JUST MAKE THOSE ADJUSTMENTS AS WELL? IF IT PASSES, WE CAN CERTAINLY MAKE THAT REQUEST OF THEM. I KNOW THAT WE HAVE HAD AS A STAFF SOME INITIAL CONVERSATIONS ABOUT ABOUT WHAT IF THAT HAPPENS? YEAH, I DON'T WANT TO SPEAK FOR THEM UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES. BUT WHAT I WOULD SAY IS THAT THEY HAVE CAUTIOUSLY TOLD US THAT THEY FEEL LIKE IT WILL BE VERY DIFFICULT FOR THEM TO PROJECT THAT, JUST BECAUSE THE STATE HAS NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THAT. OKAY, I THINK WE WOULD HAVE TO PERHAPS LOOK AT SOME OTHER STATES THAT HAVE ENACTED THAT TO SEE WHAT HAS HAPPENED. BUT THE OTHER CAUTIONARY TALE ON THAT WOULD BE PROBABLY WHAT TEXAS DOES IS NOT GOING TO BE EXACTLY LIKE WHAT OTHER STATES HAVE DONE. AND SO GETTING I HATE SAYING THIS, BUT WE WILL PROBABLY HAVE TO LIVE THE EXPERIENCE FOR A YEAR AND DETERMINE, OKAY, THIS IS WHAT THE IMPACT HAS BEEN. THE BENEFIT TO HAVING THE ENROLLMENT STUDY DONE ON AN ANNUAL BASIS IS, IS WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS IN THE BUSINESS AND FINANCE SIDE. IF WE OVERSTAFF IN ONE SCHOOL YEAR, IT IS A SELF-CORRECTING ISSUE THE FOLLOWING YEAR BECAUSE WE'RE GOING TO GO BACK AND RESTART. THE ISSUE WOULD BE WE WOULD HAVE POTENTIALLY ONE YEAR WHERE WE HAVE EXPENDED MORE ON STAFFING THAN WHAT WE NEED TO. AND THEN WHAT IS THE OVERALL IMPACT GOING TO LOOK LIKE ON AN ONGOING BASIS? BUT WE HAVE HAD THOSE DISCUSSIONS WITH THEM AND WE CAN CERTAINLY CHALLENGE THEM BEYOND. YEAH, WE MAY NOT GET IT RIGHT, BUT AT LEAST KIND OF HAVE AN IDEA OF WHAT IF. SO, IF WE HAVE AN IMPACT, IT JUST WON'T CATCH US OFF GUARD AT LEAST WE'VE PREPARED. ON SOME LEVEL WE CAN'T FULLY PREPARE, BUT AT LEAST WE'LL HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF PREPARATION AND SOME MOVEMENT THERE. SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

AND ACTUALLY, ONE MORE THING. GOING BACK TO WHERE TRUSTEE SHOAF WAS HEADED WITH THE BUILDING, SMALLER SCHOOLS, AND I THINK WE TALKED ABOUT THIS AT THE LAST MEETING. THE COST TO RUN A SCHOOL, EVEN IF IT'S 100,000FTā– !S VERSUS 127,000FTā– !S STILL THE SAME COST. SO IT'S A ROUGHLY $1.5 MILLION TO JUST OPERATE THE SCHOOL REGARDLESS OF THE SIZE. YOU STILL HAVE TO STAFF IT AND YOU STILL HAVE UTILITIES AND THINGS LIKE THAT. SO IS THAT IS THAT ACCURATE? YES, SIR. I ACTUALLY I WAS STEPPING UP TO SAY THAT LAST POINT THAT YOU JUST MADE THE 1.5 MILLION THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IS THE STAFF ONLY COMPONENT. SO YOU WOULD HAVE TO HAVE THE UTILITY COSTS, ETC. THIS IS JUST OVERHEAD STAFFING COSTS. SO YOU ARE CORRECT. YES, SIR. OKAY.

[10.A. Annual Comprehensive Financial Report (ACFR)]

THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. WELL LET'S MOVE ON TO ITEM TEN, A ANNUAL COMPREHENSIVE FINANCIAL REPORT.

DO WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ON THI? OKAY. ITEM TEN B BUDGET AMENDMENT CONSIDERATION APPROVAL

[10.B. Budget Amendment]

OF GENERAL FUND BUDGET AMENDMENT FOR 2425. OKAY. TEN C DELEGATION OF AUTHORITY CONSIDERATION.

[10.C. Delegation of Authority]

APPROVAL OF A DELEGATION OF AUTHORITY TO THE SUPERINTENDENT FOR NEGOTIATION AND EXECUTION OF REQUIRED ELECTRICITY SUPPLY CONTRACTS. ANY COMMENTS? ALL RIGHT. TEN D 20 2425 FORT BEND

[10.D. 2024-25 Fort Bend Central Appraisal District]

CENTRAL APPRAISAL DISTRICT. MR. VICE PRESIDENT, IF I MAY, ON THIS ONE. SO THIS ITEM IS INCLUDES THE RESOLUTION FOR THE VOTE ON THE DELEGATES OR I'M SORRY, THE DIRECTORS THAT HAVE BEEN APPROVED BY ALL OF THE DIFFERENT ENTITIES. WHAT STAFF WOULD RECOMMEND THIS EVENING IS FOR YOU ALL TO INDICATE HOW YOU WOULD LIKE TO VOTE ON THAT. THE REASON FOR THAT BEING IS THAT WHEN WE COME BACK TO YOU ON THE 18TH, THE RESOLUTION WOULD BE READY AND IN PLACE FOR YOUR DECISION. SO WHEN YOU VOTE ON IT, WE CAN SEND IT DIRECTLY TO THE CENTRAL APPRAISAL DISTRICT.

[03:10:04]

THIS IS NOT A INDICATION OF HOW YOU SHOULD VOTE, BUT WHAT I WOULD SAY IS THAT THE BOARD HAS THE DISCRETION TO ALLOCATE THE VOTES HOWEVER THEY WOULD LIKE. HOWEVER, TRADITIONALLY WHEN THERE HAS BEEN FIVE PLACES WITH FIVE CANDIDATES, THE BOARD HAS CAST THEIR BALLOTS EQUALLY AMONG EACH CANDIDATE. AND SO THAT'S NOT NECESSARILY A STAFF RECOMMENDATION. THAT'S JUST HOW THE BOARD HAS HANDLED THAT IN THE PAST. BUT WE WOULD APPRECIATE IT IF YOU ALL GIVE US COULD GIVE US SOME INDICATION OF HOW YOU ALL WOULD LIKE US TO PREPARE THE FINAL RESOLUTION FOR YOU ALL TO VOTE ON THE 18TH. OKAY. AND ITS FIVE CANDIDATES FOR HOW MANY POSITION? IT'S FIVE CANDIDATES FOR FIVE POSITIONS. SO ESSENTIALLY ALL CANDIDATES COULD RECEIVE A SPOT. OKAY.

PRESIDENT TOLSON YEAH. SO THANK YOU, MR. GARCIA. AND I WAS GOING TO MAKE THAT COMMENT THAT MR. GWEN JUST MADE AS WELL. AND I WAS GOING TO RECOMMEND TO THE BOARD THAT WE ALLOCATE OUR VOTES EVENLY TO THE FIVE CANDIDATES FOR THE FIVE SEPARATE SPOTS THAT ARE AVAILABLE, AS WE HAVE DONE IN THE PAST. NO OBJECTION HERE. OKAY? OKAY. SO NO OBJECTION HERE. WE'LL GO DO THAT FOR NEXT.

[10.E. Board of Trustees Meeting Minutes]

NEXT MEETING TEN E MEETING MINUTES FOR SEPTEMBER 9TH, SEPTEMBER 16TH AND THE 23RD. ALL

[10.F. 2023 Bond Contingency]

RIGHT. TEN F 2023 BOND CONTINGENCY. OKAY. TEN G WATER METER EASEMENT WITH CITY OF

[10.G. Water Meter Easement with City of Houston Mission Bend Elementary School (BP002)]

HOUSTON MISSION BEND ELEMENTARY SCHOOL BID PACKAGE, 2002. AND THIS ONE WAS THAT WE NEEDED. LET ME SEE. ADDITIONAL EASEMENT. TEN G YES OKAY. THAT WAS ADDITIONAL EASEMENT. ANY QUESTIONS, MISS

[10.H. Review of proposed expenses that exceed $50,000: Specifically for:]

JONES? OKAY. ALL RIGHT. REVIEW PROPOSED EXPENSES THAT EXCEED $50,000 SPECIFICALLY FOR ITEM TEN H ONE VENDOR MANAGEMENT SYSTEM. ALL RIGHT, TEN H TWO ALTERNATE TRANSPORTATION. TEN H THREE ATHLETIC RENOVATIONS. LET ME SEE. HOLD ON. SO THIS ONE, IT SAYS FOR NOT TO EXCEED AMOUNT 8.3. BUT THEN THE FINAL RANKINGS IS 8.9. JUST CLARIFY THAT FOR ME. THE ATHLETIC RENOVATIONS BID PACKAGE 11. THAT'S FOR THE CRANE GROUP.

ATHLETIC RENOVATIONS TEN H THREE. OKAY, SO THIS IS WILL YOU WILL YOU SAY THAT YOUR QUESTION OUT LOUD? I'M NOT SURE IF EVERYBODY CAUGHT IT, SO I HEARD IT, BUT YEAH, WHAT I'M LOOKING AT. LET ME GO BACK. WHEN I LOOKED AT IT, IT SAID, ACTUALLY, I'M READY TO GO. IT SAYS CONSIDERATION, APPROVAL OF CONSTRUCTION SERVICE AGREEMENT WITH CRANE GROUP FOR BID PACKAGE 11 FOR NOT TO EXCEE. AMOUNT 8.37 $8.3 MILLION. AND THEN IN THE FINAL RANKINGS, IT SAYS CRANE GROUP 8.9. I WAS JUST ASKING FOR SOME CLARIFICATION ON THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN 8.3, 8.9, 8.9. OKAY. SOME OF MY. SO THIS IS BID PACKAGE 11 OH. THEN ON THE NEXT PAGE IT SAYS 10.3.

[03:15:06]

YEAH. SO JUST WALK ME THROUGH I. SO THIS IS A BID PACKAGE 11 ATHLETIC RENOVATIONS AT OUR MIDDLE SCHOOL CAMPUSES. THE ORIGINAL APPROVED CONSTRUCTION BUDGET WAS A LITTLE OVER $8 MILLION, 8.02, FOR A TOTAL OVERALL BUDGET OF 10.3 MILLION. IN THE. WHAT WAS RECEIVED THE.

THE RECOMMENDATION IS TO GO WITH CRANE. THEIR BASE BID WAS 8.9, BUT THROUGH NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE GENERAL CONTRACTOR WE WOULD WE WERE ABLE TO DO SOME ADDITIONS AND DEDUCTIONS FOR THE CONSTRUCTION COSTS OF 8.3. SO THE 8.3. IS A SLIGHTLY ABOVE THE APPROVED CONSTRUCTION BUDGET, BUT IT IS WITHIN THE TOTAL OVERALL BUDGET. OKAY, I GOT IT NOW. THANK YOU. DOES ANYBODY ELSE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ON THAT ONE. THANK YOU DOCTOR BILLS. YES SIR. TEN EIGHT FOUR CONSTRUCTION MANAGER AT RISK. GUARANTEED MAXIMUM PRICE. PHASE TWO FOR THE REBUILD OF CLEMENS HIGH SCHOOL.

TRUSTEE HAMILTON, THANK YOU. SO JUST I KNOW WE HAD THIS DISCUSSION A FEW TIMES, SO CAN YOU JUST UPDATE SINCE WE ARE IN THE CONTEXT OF CANCELING OTHER PROJECTS. SO THE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT USING OTHER DELIVERY METHODS FOR THE CONSTRUCTION SO THAT THAT WAS LOOKED INTO AND WE DECIDED TO STICK WITH THIS AS THE AS THE BEST VALUE OPTION FOR THIS PROJECT. CORRECT? YES, SIR.

WE SEE MORE OF THE CONSTRUCTION METHOD FOR THIS PARTICULAR PROJECT. AND WE'VE ALREADY APPROVED GMP ONE. AND THIS IS THE RECOMMENDATION IS TO APPROVE GMP TWO. THANK YOU. OKAY GREAT.

TRUSTEE HANNAN SO I JUST I WANT TO ASK BECAUSE I'M GOING TO STRUGGLE IF I'M ASKED TO VOTE AGAIN BEYOND THIS 18 MILLION FOR CLEMENS. SO. AS FAR I GUESS AS PROJECT MANAGEMENT GOES ON THIS PROJECT. I BECAUSE THIS IS THE BIGGEST PROJECT IN THIS BOND PACKAGE AND PROP A, IS THERE ANY WAY THAT I CAN ASK THAT? JUST ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD, THAT IF THERE IS ANY, IF THERE IS ANY FORESEEABLE SITUATION WHERE YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO ASK FOR MORE MONEY, CAN CAN IT BE CAN WE SOMEHOW CAN WE BE UPDATED IN OUR FRIDAY UPDATES LIKE ONCE A MONTH TO SAY WE'RE ON TRACK? WE ARE GOOD OR WE ARE UNDER UNDER ON SOMETHING OR BECAUSE THIS ONE IS REALLY A STRUGGLE FOR ME, ESPECIALLY IN LIGHT OF THE CONVERSATIONS THAT WE JUST HAD THAT WOULD REALLY BE APPRECIATED. I DON'T KNOW HOW THAT CAN BE COMMUNICATED TO US, BUT JUST SOME WAY. SO WE ARE NOT CAUGHT LIKE A DEER IN HEADLIGHTS GOING WHAT? SO OKAY. THANK YOU. MISS JONES OKAY, SO JUST TO CLARIFY SOMETHING THAT WAS SAID EARLIER ABOUT CLEMENS AND IT WAS ASKED THEY HAD TO CUT SOME THINGS FROM THEIR BUDGET AS WELL. CORRECT. OKAY. SO EVERYBODY'S CUTTING AND THEY CAN CUT WHAT THEY CAN CUT. AND I'M NOT SURE THEY CAN CUT ANY MORE ANY MORE THAN THEY CAN. SO I'M FOR IT. I DON'T SEE WHERE THE STRUGGLE IS BECAUSE EVERYBODY HAS DONE THEIR PART IN CUTTING WHAT THEY CAN CUT, AND WE JUST HAVE TO CONTINUE TO MOVE FORWAR. THAT'S WITH WHAT'S WITHIN OUR BUDGET. SO IT'S NOT FAVORITISM FOR ONE SCHOOL OVER ANOTHER BECAUSE THEY HAD TO DO IT TOO.

SO AS I ALWAYS SAY, WHAT'S GOOD FOR THE GOOSE IS GOOD FOR THE GANDER. SO AS SIMPLE AS THAT.

THANKS. COULD THEY CUT LABS? THEY CUT CLASSROOMS. THEY CUT PART OF THEIR TENNIS COURTS. I MEAN, THEY WENT AND THAT WAS IN THE BOND WORKSHOP. TENNIS COURTS. DID THEY REMOVE LABS? I

[03:20:04]

DON'T RECALL THAT. I DON'T WANT TO I DON'T WANT TO CONFUSE THE COMMUNITY. AND IF I'M CONFUSED, PLEASE, PLEASE SET ME STRAIGHT. SO THE REDUCTIONS THAT MISS JONES MISS JONES IS TALKING ABOUT IS COMPARING THE ORIGINAL ESTIMATE, WHICH WAS MORE THAN $18 MILLION COMPARED TO THIS BUDGET. THIS THIS ASK TO USE BOND CONTINGENCY OF 18 MILLION WITH REGARD TO TENNIS COURTS.

THE ORIGINAL DESIGN HAD SIX. THE CURRENT DESIGN HAS EIGHT. SO THEY ADDED AND THERE WERE SOME SOME CHANGES WITHIN THE BUILDING, BUT THERE WAS ALSO SOME VALUE ENGINEERING DONE WITHIN THE BUILDING TO HELP OFFSET THOSE COSTS. OKAY. SO THERE WAS A COMPONENT OF CUTTING. I KNOW THAT WE PULLED BACK ON TENNIS COURTS AND THEN WE ADDED THE TWO COURTS BACK AND SO, YOU KNOW, I, I THINK ON THIS AND THEN THE BIG CHALLENGE WITH, WITH THAT I HAD WITH IT WAS AND FROM WHAT EVERYTHING THAT I'VE DONE IN RESEARCH THAT, YOU KNOW, CONSTRUCTION MANAGER IS TYPICALLY A LITTLE BIT MORE EXPENSIVE, BUT IT'S A LOT MORE EFFICIENT IN OTHER AREAS. AND SO I THINK THERE'S A TIMELINE THAT ALLOWS US TO GET AND I WE ACTUALLY TALKED ABOUT THE TIMELINE EARLIER, MAINTAINING THAT TIMELINE WITH WITH THE CONSTRUCTION MANAGER RISK IS THAT THAT THAT FLEXIBILITY IN WORKING WITH THE CONTRACTORS, THE POOL OF CONTRACTORS. SO I HAVE NO OBJECTIONS TO THIS ITEM. SO I'M GOING TO MOVE US ALONG IF IT'S OKAY. TEN HB CONSTRUCTION SERVICES AGREEMENT FOR INTERIOR RENOVATIONS. BID PACKAGE 20 020. TEN H SIX. FLEET MANAGEMENT REPAIR SERVICES AND VEHICLE REPLACEMENTS. I GOT TRUSTEE JONES. SO, YOU KNOW, WE LIKE TO TALK ABOUT THE TRANSPORTATION AND SO I'M ASSUMING IT'S THE WHITE TRUCKS CORRECT. YES MA'AM.

THIS IS FOR THE WHITE FLEET VEHICLES. THAT FACILITIES DEPARTMENT MAINTAINS. YEAH. SO HOW OLD ARE THESE TRUCKS. WE HAVE SOME OVER 20 YEARS OLD AND WE HAVE SOME THAT WERE PURCHASED WITH 2023 BOND FUNDS. OKAY. AND WHAT'S YOUR ESTIMATE OF HOW MANY OF THEM NEED TO BE REPLACED OF THESE TRUCKS. SO THIS PARTICULAR ITEM IS NOT FOR REPLACEMENT WHOLESALE REPLACEMENT OF VEHICLES THAT'S COVERED UNDER THE BOND OKAY. THIS IS PRIMARILY FOR MAINTENANCE MAINTENANCE FLEET VEHICLES. SO WE HAVE WE HAVE VEHICLES IN IN FOR FACILITIES IT ATHLETICS FINE ARTS. THERE'S THE POLICE DEPARTMENT OKAY. SO THIS IS TO MAINTAIN THOSE VEHICLES. THE REPLACEMENT THAT'S IN HERE IS THE ONE OFFS VEHICLES IN AN ACCIDENT. AND IT'S TOTAL LOSS.

WE WOULD USE. WE COULD USE THESE FUNDS INSTEAD OF BOND FUNDS TO REPLACE THAT VEHICLE. OKAY. SO MY NEXT QUESTION IS COMING FROM THE MECHANIC'S DAUGHTER OVER HERE. WHAT'S THE AVERAGE MILE ON THESE VEHICLES. WHAT'S THE MILEAGE ON IT? I CAN GET YOU A SPREADSHEET OF ALL OUR VEHICLES AND OUR CURRENT MILEAGE. OKAY, OKAY. BECAUSE I'M LOOKING ABOUT MILEAGE AND MAINTENANCE AND IS IT WORTH IT THAT WE KEEP FIXING THEM, OR DO WE JUST NEED TO BUY A WHOLE NEW BRAND NEW FLEET OF VEHICLES? SO THAT'S WHAT I'M LOOKING AT. AND YOU'RE SAYING THEY'RE 20 YEARS OLD AND WE'RE HAVING TO FIX THEM. YEAH. SO THE PART OF THIS IS THAT THE DAILY MAINTENANCE REPLACING TIRES, BRAKES. YEAH. CHANGING THE OIL, OUR MECHANICS TAKE CARE OF ALL OF THE MAINTENANCE ON ALL OF OUR VEHICLES. YEAH. SO THAT'S WHY I'M THINKING ABOUT I'M KIND OF LIKE, WELL, DO WE JUST NEED NEW TRUCKS OR. YES. YES WE DO, WE DO, WE DO. OKAY, SO BUT THOSE ARE FUNDED UNDER THE BOND OKAY.

OKAY. BECAUSE THAT'S WHY I WAS LOOKING AT SOME OF THE VENDORS HERE. AND I WAS JUST KIND OF LIKE, OKAY, IT'S IN LINE WITH WHAT YOU'RE TRYING TO DO. THAT'S WHY I WAS ASKING, WELL, HOW MANY MILES ARE ON THESE TRUCKS SO THAT WE WERE SPENDING THIS KIND OF MONEY ON MAINTENANCE RATHER THAN MAYBE WE JUST NEED TO REPLACE THEM. AND THAT'S WHERE THAT'S WHERE I'M COMING FROM AS WELL. ONE VENDOR THAT YOU MAY WANT TO LOOK INTO IS THE NEW THE NEW KID ON THE BLOCK, WHICH IS EXCEL AUTO PARTS. I DON'T KNOW IF YOU TRIED THEM, BUT THEY'RE A LITTLE CHEAPER THAN O'REILLY AND THEY SPECIALIZE IN FLEET VEHICLE PARTS AS WELL. AND THEY'RE ALL OVER HOUSTON NOW. SO THANK YOU, MR. JONES, FOR THE RECOMMENDATION. ALL RIGHT. TEN H7 HR CONSULTING SERVICES. DID YOU HAVE ANYTHING ON THIS ONE, DOCTOR SMITH? NO. YOU'RE GOOD, YOU'RE GOOD. OKAY. MR. JONES SO

[03:25:02]

I BECAUSE I READ THROUGH THIS AND I THOUGHT ABOUT HOW WE STRUGGLED WITH OUR LAST DEMOGRAPHER. NOPE. THAT'S NOT IT. WRONG. WRONG ONE. KEEP GOIN. OKAY. SORRY. I WANT TO. THIS IS THE SB, THE HR CONSULTING. RIGHT. CONSULTING? YES, SIR. SORRY. YES, IT IS. OKAY, SO THIS IS A LITTLE BIT OF A RABBIT TRAIL, BUT I THINK IT'S WORTH GOING DOWN. SO JUST WITH MY OVERALL ASSESSMENT OF TASB, I AM PERSONALLY OF THE OPINION THAT WE ALREADY GIVE A WHOLE LOT OF MONEY TO THEM. AND MY PERSONAL OPINION IS THAT WE SHOULD BE GIVING THEM LESS MONEY RATHER THAN MORE MONEY. AND IN PART, THIS GOES BACK TO AN ISSUE THAT'S THAT HAPPENED A FEW YEARS AGO. BUT I THINK IT REFLECTS SOMETHING THAT WE SHOULD BE. I DON'T PERSONALLY FEEL LIKE TASB HAS ADEQUATELY ADDRESSED THIS, AND THEREFORE WE SHOULD BE DOING THINGS TO ADDRESS IT. SO I DON'T WANT TO GO TOO FAR DOWN THE RABBIT TRAIL. SO I'M GOING TO TRY TO BE QUICK AND CONCISE, BUT IT'S A LITTLE BIT COMPLICATED. SO THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION COORDINATED WITH THE NATIONAL SCHOOL BOARD ASSOCIATION IN 2021 AND THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE BEGAN LOOKING AT PARENTS WHO SPOKE AT SCHOOL BOARD MEETINGS AS POSSIBLE DOMESTIC TERRORISTS. THAT WAS A VERY WILD DECISION BY THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION, IN COORDINATION WITH THE NATIONAL SCHOOL BOARD ASSOCIATION AND SEVERAL STATE SCHOOL BOARD ASSOCIATIONS, CUT TIES WITH THE NATIONAL SCHOOL BOARD ASSOCIATION OVER THAT ACTION, AND TASB WAS ONE OF THE ONE OF THE LAST TO DO SO. SO THEY INITIALLY JUST SAID THAT THEY FELT LIKE THE NATIONAL SCHOOL BOARD ASSOCIATION MISSED THE MARK, AND THEN LATER THEY THEY GAVE IN TO THE PRESSURE AND THEY DID CUT TIES EVENTUALLY WITH THE NATIONAL SCHOOL BOARD ASSOCIATION. SO THAT'S ONE ISSUE THAT I HAVE, ANOTHER ISSUE THAT I HAVE IS THAT, IN MY OPINION, SO TRUSTEES FROM AROUND TEXAS GO THROUGH THE PROCESS OF COMING UP WITH THE LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES THAT REPRESENT ALL OF THE TASB MEMBERS. AND THEN IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT TASB THEN SENDS LOBBYISTS TO AUSTIN THAT DO THINGS THAT ARE NOT IN ALIGNMENT WITH THOSE LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES. SO THAT'S MY OPINION OF BASED ON MY RESEARCH THAT I'VE DONE IN THIS SITUATION. AND THEN THIRDLY, I WANTED TO MAKE THIS COMMENT EARLIER. IT KIND OF FIT INTO TWO DIFFERENT AGENDA ITEMS, BUT IT SORT OF FITS HERE TOO. SO WE DISCUSSED THE FINANCIAL REPORT AND ONE THING THAT I DON'T THINK WE DO OFTEN ENOUGH IS, IS GO BACK WITH A WIDER LENS. AND SO WE JUST LOOK PRIMARILY AT THE YEAR OVER YEAR, AND SOMETIMES WE GO BACK TWO YEARS. BUT IF YOU GO BACK TEN YEARS, ENROLLMENT IN FORT BEND ISD HAS GONE UP BY 11.1% OVER THE LAST TEN YEARS, AND THE BUDGET HAS INCREASED BY 47% OVER THAT TIME FRAME. AND SO, IN MY OPINION, BASED ON EVERYTHING THAT I'VE COME TO LEARN ABOUT TASB, THEY ARE GENERALLY PRETTY MUCH ALWAYS IN FAVOR OF RAISING TAXES AT THE LOCAL LEVEL. AND INCREASING FUNDING FROM THE STATE LEVEL. AND I BELIEVE WHEN YOU LOOK AT THAT WIDE ANGLE LENS OVER THE PAST TEN YEARS, I WOULD STATE MY VERY STRONG OPINION THAT WE DO NOT HAVE A TAXING PROBLEM, MEANING THE SOLUTION IS NOT THAT WE NEED MORE TAX DOLLARS FROM FORT BEND ISD AND THE STATE. WE HAVE A SPENDING PROBLEM IN PUBLIC EDUCATION AND A SIGNIFICANT SHARE OF THAT IS A RESULT OF UNFUNDED MANDATES FROM BOTH THE STATE AND THE FEDERAL LEVEL. THEY PASS REGULATIONS THAT COST MONEY AND THEY DON'T ALWAYS GIVE US ENOUGH MONEY TO COVER THOSE COSTS. SO THAT IS A SIGNIFICANT SHARE OF IT. AND IF YOU LOOK AT THE INCREASES IN PUBLIC EDUCATION COSTS OVER TIME, PUBLIC EDUCATION IN TEXAS AND AROUND THE COUNTRY, WE INCREASINGLY SPEND MORE AND MORE MONEY IN WAYS THAT DO NOT DIRECTLY IMPACT THE CLASSROOM. AND IF YOU GO BACK 20 OR 30 YEARS, I THINK WE HAVE SEVERAL MORE LAYERS BETWEEN THE CLASSROOM AND THE SUPERINTENDENT THAN WE USED TO. AND SO I THINK JUST BRINGING THIS BACK TO THE AGENDA ITEM, TO THE EXTENT THAT WE HAVE HR ISSUES THAT ARE UNIQUE TO FORT BEND ISD, I THINK OUR HR DEPARTMENT UNDERSTANDS THOSE UNIQUE ISSUES BETTER THAN TASB WOULD. AND TO THE EXTENT THAT WE ARE FACING HR ISSUES THAT ARE REGIONAL OR STATEWIDE OR NATIONAL TEACHER SHORTAGE ISSUES, TASB SHOULD BE PROVIDING THAT INPUT TO US BASED, AS YOU KNOW, AS A SERVICE BASED ON THE MONEY THAT WE'RE ALREADY SPENDING. AS YOU KNOW, WE

[03:30:05]

PROVIDE A LARGE AMOUNT OF OUR TAXPAYERS MONEY TO TASB EVERY YEAR. AND SO IF THEY HAVE INFORMATION THAT'S THAT'S NOT UNIQUE TO FORT BEND ISD, THEN THAT INFORMATION SHOULD BE PUT OUT THERE IN A DIFFERENT MANNER, I THINK. AND SO I THINK AT THE END OF THE DAY, AND I WOULD ALSO SAY THIS, THIS PREDATES DOCTOR SMITH, OBVIOUSLY, BUT IN RECENT YEARS. SO WE DO TEACHER AND PARENT SURVEYS EVERY YEAR. AND I WOULD SAY SO WHEN YOU CAME ON, ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS THAT I DID WAS SEND YOU AN EMAIL WITH SOME OF THE SUMMARIES THAT I HAD FROM THE PREVIOUS TEACHER SURVEY THAT WE HAD DONE, OR PARENT AND TEACHER SURVEY, AND IT'S MY BELIEF THAT ONE OF THE REASONS WE'VE HAD SUCH A TEACHER TURNOVER PROBLEM OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS IS THAT WE WHETHER IT'S THE SURVEY, WHETHER IT'S FEEDBACK, JUST GOING THROUGH THE CHAIN OF COMMAND, I DON'T BELIEVE WE'VE DONE A GOOD JOB AS A SCHOOL DISTRICT OF LISTENING TO TEACHERS AND VALUING THEIR FEEDBACK IN SUCH A WAY THAT SHOWS THEM THAT WE APPRECIATE THEM. WE VALUE THEM, WE, WE SEE THEM AT THE FRONT LINES IN THE CLASSROOM AS THE THAT'S THE THAT'S WHERE THE RUBBER MEETS THE ROAD WITH ALL THE DECISIONS WE MAKE AND SO THERE ARE MANY WAYS THAT I THINK YOU'VE COME IN AND MADE SOME PROGRESS. AND, AND I THINK WE WOULD WE WOULD GET MORE VALUE AS A SCHOOL DISTRICT FROM GOING BACK TO THAT TEACHER AND PARENT. THOSE TEACHER AND PARENT SURVEYS AND INCORPORATING THAT DATA INTO OUR DECISION MAKING THAN WE WOULD BY SPENDING THIS MONEY WITH TASB. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU, MISS HAMILTON. DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING ON THIS ITEM? OKA, OKAY. MISS HANNAN. SO I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT THAT I BELIEVE THIS IS AN ITEM THAT WAS DISCUSSED IN THE AUDIT COMMITTE, AM I CORRECT? IS THIS IS AM I CORRECT? YES. YES. SO TRUSTEE HAMILTON AND I HAVE DIFFERING VIEWS ON THIS VENDOR. I THINK THAT AS THE DISCUSSION WENT IN THE AUDIT COMMITTEE AND IT'S MY, MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THE AUDIT COMMITTEE SUPPORTED DOCTOR SMITH WHEN HE COMMUNICATED THAT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT HE FEELS I'M NOT GOING TO SPEAK FOR YOU, BUT FEELS THAT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WOULD HELP HIM IN HIS POSITION AS HE'S MOVING FORWARD AND LOOKING AT THE DISTRICT'S COMPENSATION GOALS AND THE PAY SYSTEMS AND THE EXTRA CURRICULUM DUTY FUNDS. AND SO WOULD YOU. I DON'T MEAN TO PUT YOU ON THE SPOT, BUT COULD YOU SPEAK TO THAT? BECAUSE I DO SUPPORT THIS ITEM. I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT AND I SUPPORT THE WORK THAT TASB DOES IN THIS AREA. SO THE LAST COMPENSATION STUDY THE DISTRICT DID WAS IN 2019, AND A LOT HAS CHANGED SINCE THAT TIME. WHAT I AM WANTING TO DO IS TO REALLY LOOK AT THE LABOR MARKET, TO REALLY ANALYZE OUR CURRENT COMPENSATION STRUCTURE AND SET THE DISTRICT UP TO BE COMPETITIVE AS WE MOVE FORWARD.

THE WAY TO DO THAT IS TO IDENTIFY, YOU KNOW, WHERE OUR CURRENT CHALLENGES ARE AND OUR COMPENSATION PLAN. AND THEN OVER TIME, BECAUSE IT'S NOT SOMETHING YOU CAN DO OVERNIGHT IN ONE BUDGET, BUT AT LEAST WE WILL KNOW WHERE WE ARE. WE WILL KNOW WHAT'S REALISTIC FOR US TO MAKE ADJUSTMENTS IN OUR COMPENSATION STRUCTURE SOONER RATHER THAN LATER. AND WE'LL BUILD A SHORT TERM PLAN AND A LONG TERM PLAN TO BECOME MORE COMPETITIVE, TO HAVE BETTER ECONOMY OF SCALE IN OUR COMPENSATION STRUCTURE, AND TO POSITION OUR EMPLOYEES WHERE WE CAN REALLY MAXIMIZE, YOU KNOW, THE COMPENSATION AND THE SALARIES. THANK YOU. I APPRECIATE THAT EXPLANATION. I ALSO THINK IT'S IMPORTANT WHEN YOU DO AUDITS OR EVEN EXTERNAL EVALUATIONS, THAT THAT YOU REALLY YOU'RE GETTING A VERY OBJECTIVE VIEW BECAUSE THEY THEY'RE COMING IN AND THEY'RE THEY'RE JUST HERE ARE THE FACTS MA'AM. AND SO I DO THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE DON'T ONLY DO THINGS INTERNALLY. I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO GO TO THE EXPERTS AND HAVE SOMEBODY LOOK, LOOK AT US EXTERNALLY. THANK YOU, DOCTOR SMITH, FOR THAT EXPLANATION, MISS JONES. THANK YOU, TRUSTEE GARCIA. AND THANK YOU, DOCTOR SMITH, BECAUSE YOU ANSWERED MY QUESTION ABOUT THE EXPECTED OUTCOMES. AND WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE LAST COMPENSATION STUDY DONE IN 20 2019. SO I'M A LITTLE CONFUSED HERE. SO HOW DO WE BASED BASE GIVING TEACHERS SALARIES ON THE VADER. HOW DID

[03:35:02]

WE WHAT WAS THAT BASED ON. BECAUSE THAT WAS MY ASSUMPTION THAT THERE WAS A COMPENSATION STUDY AT SOME POINT FOR THEM TO COME UP WITH THE NUMBERS OF HOW MUCH WE NEED TO PAY OUR TEACHERS. AND SO I GUESS THAT'S MY FIRST QUESTION, WHERE DID THAT THOSE NUMBERS COME FROM? IF IT WASN'T BASED ON COMPENSATION STUDY? MY OTHER THING IS WITH TASB AND I WROTE THIS QUESTION DOWN. I WAS LOOKING AT THE LANGUAGE IN PARAGRAPH ONE, TWO, THREE, FOUR, FIVE AND I WAS LIK, OKAY, I'VE SEEN THIS LANGUAGE BEFORE. AND IT GOES BACK TO THAT VADER THAT JUSTIFIED IT. AND SO I'M LIKE, THIS IS THE SAME LANGUAGE OR CLOSE TO IT. AND SO MY NEXT QUESTION IS AND THIS MAY THROW YOU OFF GLENDA, BUT WHY DO WE NEED TO PAY A TAXPAYER TO RECOMMEND THAT TEACHERS NEED RAISES? WE ALREADY KNOW THAT TEACHERS ARE UNDERPAID. WE ALREADY KNOW WHAT THE NEIGHBORING SCHOOL DISTRICTS ARE OFFERING. I MEAN, THAT'S PUBLIC INFORMATION. SO WHAT IS TASB GOING TO DO DIFFERENTLY THAN THE OBVIOUS? TO ANSWER YOUR FIRST QUESTION AND THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTION, FOR THE VAT RATE, THE DISTRICT HAD A BENCHMARK INTERNAL. WE HAD AN INTERNAL BENCHMARK BENCHMARK WITH SURROUNDING DISTRICTS AND WITH THAT AS AN EXECUTIVE TEAM AS WELL AS THE SUPERINTENDENT AT THE TIME, CAME UP WITH THE NUMBER TO MAKE US TRY TO BE COMPETITIVE AT THAT TIME. SO AT THAT TIME, IT MOVED US UP TO WHERE WE ARE NOW AT THE $62,000.

OKAY, SO IT WASN'T THE VADER WASN'T BASED ON COMPENSATION STUDY. IT WOULD NOT TSB. IT WAS INTERNAL. OKAY, OKAY OKAY. AND THE SECOND QUESTION. SO AS IT RELATES TO WHAT TSB WOULD DO FOR US IN THE COMPENSATION STUDY IS IN ADDITION TO LOOKING, THEY'LL DEFINITELY LOOK AT THE MARKET WITHIN EDUCATION. BUT OUTSIDE AS WELL. THE OTHER THING THAT THEY LOOK AT IS EQUITY ADJUSTMENTS.

AND SO WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT COMPENSATION FOR OUR STAFF MEMBERS, ONE THING IS THE COMPENSATION WE GIVE YOU WHEN YOU'RE HIRED. SO THE OUR HIRING SCHEDULE. BUT IN ADDITION TO THAT IT WILL HELP US LOOK AT EQUITY. SO THAT TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR EMPLOYEES THAT ARE INTERNAL WHO'VE BEEN COMMITTED TO FORT BEND ISD, MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE VALUING THEM IN THE COMPENSATION PROCESS. AND SO WE HAVEN'T HAD EQUITY ADJUSTMENTS ACROSS THE BOARD SINCE THE LAST TIME WE HAD A SALARY STUDY. AND SO THAT IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO DO THAT FOR OUR FOR OUR, OUR EMPLOYEES. AND THAT INCLUDES TEACHERS. THIS STUDY, THEY WOULD BE LOOKING AT ALL OF OUR PAY GRADES. AND SO OUR AUXILIARY STAFF, OUR TEACHERS, EVERYONE WOULD BE INCLUDED BECAUSE I'M I'M STRUGGLING WITH THIS ONE BECAUSE WE JUST ASKED TAXPAYERS FOR MONEY TO PAY OUR TEACHERS.

AND I GUESS I'M LOOKING AT WHAT IS THE EXPECTED OUTCOME FROM THIS STUDY. WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING TO GET OUT? WHAT ARE SOME OF THE CONCLUSIVE INFORMATION THAT IS NEEDED? BECAUSE I'M FEELING LIKE WE'RE WE'RE GOING TO BE COMING BACK. SOMEONE'S GOING TO COME BACK AND SAY, WE NEED TO PAY OUR TEACHERS MORE AND SO I'M KIND OF LIKE, WELL, WE ALREADY DID THAT. AND WE GOT SOME OTHER BUDGET STUFF GOING ON. WHAT'S THE WHAT'S THE END GAME? THAT'S WHAT I'M ASKING. RIGHT. SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THE STUDY WILL DO IS HELP US TO LOOK AT POSITIONS OUTSIDE OF THE TEACHER ROLE AS WELL. AND SO THAT THAT IS AN IMPORTANT PIECE OF THE OF THE PROCESS. SO IF WE GIVE A RAISE TO TEACHERS, THERE ARE OTHER EMPLOYEES WHO MAY NOT HAVE BEEN INCLUDED IN THAT. SO IT'S HELPING US TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE BEING COMPETITIVE ACROSS THE BOARD IN ALL AREAS. SO THAT'S ONE OF THE OUTCOMES. THE OTHER OUTCOME IS TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR COMPENSATION PRACTICES ARE ALIGNED AND THAT THEY'RE SEAMLESS. SO FOR EXAMPLE, IF WE'RE HIRING SOMEONE, IF WE'RE BRINGING SOMEONE IN THE DISTRICT AND SEEING HOW MANY YEARS OF EXPERIENCE THEY HAVE IN COMPARISON TO SOMEONE WHO HAS THAT SAME NUMBER OF EXPERIENCE, WHO ARE CURRENTLY IN THE DISTRICT. SO IF SOMEONE IS, I'LL USE A BUS DRIVER. SINCE WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT TRANSPORTATION TONIGHT, IF WE HAVE A BUS DRIVER WHO HAS BEEN IN THE DISTRICT FOR TEN YEARS, DEPENDING ON WHAT WE ARE PAYING THAT DRIVER CURRENTLY COMPARED TO IF THEY WENT NEXT DOOR, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE DEFINITELY COULD LOOK AT. HOWEVER, DO WE HAVE THE CAPACITY TO DO THAT? SO ONCE WE GET THE INFORMATION FROM THE STUDY AS AN ADMINISTRATIVE TEAM, WE WOULD HAVE TO LOOK AND SEE, OKAY, WHAT CAN WE DO? WHAT CAN WE NOT DO? WHAT DO WE HAVE TO STOP DOING? AND IF THIS IS WHERE WE ARE TRYING TO GET TO. AND SO THE INFORMATION THAT'S PROVIDED IN

[03:40:01]

THE STUDY WOULD HELP IN THAT AREA. IN ADDITION TO THAT, WHEN WE LOOK AT OUR EXTRACURRICULAR, THAT'S OUR COACHING STAFF STIPENDS AND A VARIETY OF AREAS. WE DEFINITELY ARE CONSTANTLY LOOKING AT OUR NEIGHBORS AND THOSE THAT WE COMPETE WITH. BUT IT ALSO HELPS HELPS US TO LOOK ACROSS THE BOARD. SO YOU ALL, AS YOU ALL KNOW, THE TAXPAYER DOES A SALARY STUDY EVERY YEAR.

THAT'S INFORMATION THAT WE HAVE READILY AVAILABLE TO US THAT HELPS US LOOK AT OTHER DISTRICTS THAT ARE CLOSE TO US. SO WE PULL THAT ON AN ANNUAL BASIS TO LOOK AT IT. THIS JUST GIVES US A BROADER SCOPE, HELPS US LOOK AT OUR COMPENSATION PLAN AND HOW WE ARE, HOW WE ARE IMPLEMENTING THAT, AND JUST HELPS US TO IMPROVE. YES. YES, MA'AM. THANK YOU, MISS DAWSON. ANYTHING? YEAH. SO THANK YOU. SO AS THE AS MISS HANNON STATED, THE AUDIT COMMITTEE MET AND WE BROUGHT TO YOU GUYS THE BOARD MEMBERS, I GUESS A GROUP OF AUDITS THAT WE ARE RECOMMENDING MOVING FORWARD WITH THIS PARTICULAR AUDIT AND THE CURRICULUM AUDIT THAT IS ITEM NUMBER ONE IS IT'S THE LAST ONE THAT THOSE ARE TWO AUDITS THAT DOCTOR SMITH REQUESTED AND STATED THAT HE NEEDED IN ORDER TO DO SOME PLANNING IN ORDER TO SORT OF DIG INTO PRACTICES WITHIN THE DISTRICT IN THESE TWO AREAS. SO THE AUDIT COMMITTEE DECIDED THAT BECAUSE DOCTOR SMITH AND HIS TEAM FELT LIKE THESE WERE THINGS THAT THEY NEEDED TO MOVE FORWARD, THAT IT WAS A GOOD IDEA TO HAVE THESE AUDITS DONE. AND IN ORDER TO HELP THEM PLAN FOR THE NEXT FEW YEARS, REGARDLESS OF WHAT EITHER OF THESE AUDITS BRINGS FORWARD AT THE END OF THE DAY, YOU KNOW, THE TRUSTEES ARE GOING TO GET A BUDGET TO VOTE ON AND, YOU KNOW, WE'LL ULTIMATELY DECIDE WHAT WE CAN AND CAN'T SPEND MONEY ON AND WHAT BUCKETS THE MONEY CAN GO INTO. BUT WE FELT LIKE THAT IF DOCTOR SMITH WAS ASKING FOR THIS, THAT, THAT WE NEEDED TO HONOR THAT REQUEST AND, AND ALLOW HIM AND HIS TEAM TO HAVE THE DATA AND INFORMATION THAT THEY NEEDED IN THESE TWO AREAS, WE HE ALSO ASKED FOR RECOMMENDATIONS ON VENDORS. AND THIS WAS I MEAN, TASK B IN THIS PARTICULAR AREA IS HAS A LOT OF STATEWIDE AND LOCAL AS WELL AS SURROUNDING AREA DATA TO DO COMPARISON STUDIES. AND THEY FELT LIKE THAT THIS WAS A THE APPROPRIATE VENDOR TO PERFORM THIS PARTICULAR AUDIT. SO THAT'S WHY THE AUDIT COMMITTEE IS BRINGING THIS FORWARD FOR THE TRUSTEES TO VOTE ON. SO I JUST WANTED TO MAKE THAT CLEAR AS WE ARE MOVING FORWARD ON THIS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MISS DAWSON. AND I'M ALSO ON THE AUDIT COMMITTEE. AND, YOU KNOW, I SUPPORT THE DISTRICT'S RECOMMENDATION. I WAS IN STAFFING AND HR FOR 11 YEARS, AND I WAS A RECRUITER. AND IN SALES, AND I UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF SALARY STUDIES, SALARY SURVEYS. IT'S HOW WE STAY COMPETITIVE. AND, YOU KNOW, THERE IS MONEY IN THE BUDGET FOR THIS ITEM. AND SO THE DISTRICT, YOU KNOW, NEEDS HASN'T DONE THIS IN QUITE A WHILE. AND IT'S DEFINITELY VERY IMPORTANT FROM MY PERSPECTIVE IN THAT, IN THAT INDUSTRY IN THAT FIELD, A LOT OF VALUE BEHIND HAVING THAT INFORMATION, A LOT OF A LOT OF GOOD CAN COME FROM IT, AND IT'LL GIVE US THE ABILITY TO PIVOT IN AREAS WITHIN OUR INTERNAL FUNCTIONS WHERE WE NEED TO BE MORE COMPETITIVE, NOT JUST IN SALARY, BUT IN OTHER AREAS OF COMPENSATION. SO I THINK IT'S SOMETHING THAT'S MUCH NEEDED. SO I DEFINITELY SUPPORT THIS RECOMMENDATION. SO ALL RIGHT MOVE US TO TEN H EIGHT LONG RANGE PLANNING SERVICES CONSIDERATION AND APPROVAL OF LONG RANGE BOUNDARY PLANNING SERVICES FROM ZONDA EDUCATION. DO YOU HAVE ANY MISS JONES? OKA. SO I APPRECIATE YOU GUYS. THE ADMINISTRATION PUTTING THE BACKGROUND HERE BECAUSE I CAME INTO THE SITUATION WITH THE DEMOGRAPHER NOT KNOWING WHAT THE SITUATION WAS AND WHICH PRETTY MUCH ENDED WITH THE BOARD NOT RECOMMENDING THEM FOR ADDITIONAL SERVICES. SO I LOOKED UP ZONDA EDUCATION, WHICH IS FORMERLY TEMPLETON. DEMOGRAPHICS AND. I SEE THAT YOU CHOSE RFQ RATHER THAN RFP. WHY IS THAT? THANK

[03:45:15]

YOU, MISS JONES, FOR THIS QUESTION. AT THIS TIME, I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO THE FOLKS WHO'VE BEEN DEEPLY INVOLVED IN THE PLANNING AND THE PROCESS AROUND THIS LONG RANGE PLANNING SERVICE. SO I'LL I'LL YIELD THE FLOOR. TO MISS JONES, THANK YOU FOR THAT QUESTION.

ESSENTIALLY, WHAT WE DID WAS WE, AFTER HAVING TWO RFP PROCESSES THAT WERE NOT SUCCESSFUL, WE DECIDED TO GO AND LOOK AT THE COOPERATIVE ROUTE. WE FOUND THREE COOPERATIVES. WE FOUND 3 OR 4 VENDORS THAT WE KNEW OF THAT WERE IN THE IN THE DEMOGRAPHIC AREA THAT WERE ON THOSE COOPERATIVES. AND SO NORMALLY WHAT YOU DO IS THEY'VE ALREADY GONE THROUGH AN RFP PROCESS WITH THE COOPERATIVE. SO WHAT YOU DO IS YOU THEN GO AND ASK THEM, YOU PROVIDE THEM WITH A PROPOSAL OF THE SERVICES YOU WANT, AND YOU ASK THEM TO QUOTE THEIR SERVICES. AND SO THAT'S WHY WE DID THE RFQ. OKAY. I APPRECIATE THAT MY ASK I'M FOR THIS 100% FOR THIS, BUT I HAVE AN ASK. I NOTICED THAT THEY DID SOME WORK FOR DALLAS ISD, FRISCO, HARLINGEN AND DUNCANVILLE. AND SO MY ASK IS CAN I GET SOME REFERENCES REGARDING THEIR WORK? BECAUSE WE KNOW WHAT OUR EXPERIENCE HAS BEEN. AND SO AT LEAST WE CAN HAVE SOMEONE OR ANOTHER SCHOOL DISTRICT TO VOUCH FOR THEIR WORK AS WELL. AND FROM THEM BEING IN THE MEDIA, IT SEEMS LIKE THEY'RE DOING GOOD WORK. IN REGARDS TO THEIR DEMOGRAPHIC WORK. SO THANK YOU FOR ASKING THAT. AND WE HAVE LOOKED AND DONE OUR DUE DILIGENCE IN CONTACTING OUR LOCAL SCHOOL DISTRICT IN, AS WELL AS SCHOOL DISTRICT OUTSIDE OF DALLAS TO MAKE THIS INFORMED DECISION TO BRING YOU, BRING TO YOU FOR CONSIDERATION. AND WE CAN ABSOLUTELY DO THAT. ALL RIGHT. WELL, THANK YOU, THANK YOU. AND WHEN IF YOU REMEMBER WHEN WE DID THE RFQ FOR THE AUDITORS AND WE WENT THROUGH ALL THE PACKETS OF INFORMATION THEY HAD THEIR REFERENCES LISTED IN THERE SO YOU COULD GET TO SEE THE REFERENCES. AND ANY OF THEM THAT DIDN'T THAT ACTUALLY NEGATIVELY AFFECTED THEIR SCORES. IF THEY DIDN'T PROVIDE REFERENCES. SO I KIND OF AS TRUSTEE JONES IS BRINGING THAT UP. THAT'S THE FIRST THING THAT POPPED IN MY HEAD WAS GOING THROUGH THE WAS IT BONFIRE, BONFIRE, WHATEVER. SO GOING THROUGH ALL THOSE, GOING THROUGH ALL THAT, ALL THE APPLICATIONS.

SO THANK YOU FOR THAT. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ON THIS ITEM? OKAY. LAST ITEM TEN H NINE TESSA AUDIT FOR CURRICULUM AND LITERACY. ALL RIGHT. SO I JUST WANT TO A POINT OF CLARIFICATION. AND THE AUDIT COMMITTEE CAN HELP ME ON THIS. AND I'M SORRY I DIDN'T ASK THIS IN ADVANCE. IT IS MY RECOLLECTION THAT DOCTOR SMITH HAD A CONVERSATION SIMPLY ABOUT THE BANDWIDTH OF HIS STAFF, AND THAT I THOUGHT THAT THE AUDIT COMMITTEE WAS ONLY BRINGING THE CURRICULUM AUDIT AT THIS TIME, NOT THE LITERACY AUDIT, BECAUSE THEY ARE BOTH QUITE EXTENSIVE AND TO DO THEM BOTH AT THE SAME TIME REQUIRES A LOT OF HEAVY LIFTING FROM THE STAFF, ESPECIALLY IN PREPARATION AND ACTUALLY THROUGHOUT THE AUDIT, BECAUSE WHILE THEY DON'T NECESSARILY THEY DON'T DO THE WORK OF THE AUDITORS, THERE ARE CLEARLY SOME THINGS THAT THEY HAVE TO DO. SO MAYBE IF TRUSTEE GARCIA OR TRUSTEE TOLSON CAN HELP ME RECALL, BUT I THINK THE ONLY ACTION ITEM WE WOULD HAVE WOULD BE TO CONSIDER AT THIS POINT, THE CURRICULUM AUDIT AND THEN DELAY THE LITERACY AUDIT TO A FUTURE DATE. CORRECT? MR. DO YOU WANT TO COMMENT ON THAT? WELL, DOCTOR SMITH OR DOCTOR SMITH. YES. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU. YOU ARE INDEED CORRECT AT THE TIME WITH THE INFORMATION THAT WE HAD, WE DISCUSSED DOING REALLY JUST KIND OF SEPARATING THE AUDITS. THEN AFTER FURTHER DISCUSSION, WE LEARNED THAT THERE WAS ADDITIONAL INFORMATION THAT WE WERE THINKING MIGHT MAKE THIS MUCH MORE OF A OF A PROCESS THAT MAYBE INTERNALLY WE WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO MANAGE. I ASKED DOCTOR JORDAN TO DO SOME FURTHER RESEARCH, AND SO I WANTED HER TO SHARE THE RESULTS OF THAT RESEARCH, WHICH IS ALL IN ALIGNMENT WITH WHY WE CHOSE TO CONTINUE TO FOCUS ON THE LITERACY AS WELL. AND WITH THE UNDERSTANDING, OF COURSE, IN THE

[03:50:04]

REVIEW SESSION THAT WE WOULD REVIEW THAT IF THE FEEDBACK, DEPENDING UPON THE FEEDBACK FROM THE BOARD, WE WOULD MAKE ADJUSTMENTS ON THE 18TH. GOOD EVENING. SO WHEN YOU'RE REVIEWING BOTH THE CURRICULUM MANAGEMENT AUDIT AND THE LITERACY AUDIT WHEN THEY OCCUR SIMULTANEOUSLY, THE STAFF WILL BE GATHERING SOME OF THE SAME DOCUMENTS. SO WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT THE CURRICULUM MANAGEMENT AUDIT, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE WOULD GATHER ARE THE CURRICULUM FRAMEWORKS, WHICH WILL BE INCLUDED IN OUR LITERACY AUDIT. AND SO THINKING ABOUT SEPARATING IT OUT WOULD ACTUALLY CREATE DOUBLE WORK FOR THE TEAM. AND SO MANY OF THE DOCUMENTS, THE SURVEY SURVEYS, THE FOCUS GROUPS, THE TASK THAT'S HAPPENING DURING THE CURRICULUM MANAGEMENT AUDIT WILL BE PULLED OUT AND USED FOR THE LITERACY AUDIT. AND SO AN EASY WAY TO MANAGE THIS, I WILL GIVE AN EXAMPLE. SO I MAY BE THE POINT OF CONTACT FOR THE CURRICULUM MANAGEMENT AUDIT GATHERING. ALL THE DOCUMENTS. AND THEN DOCTOR STEVENS MAY BE THE POINT OF CONTACT FOR THE LITERACY, BUT WE'RE ACTUALLY COLLECTING THE SAME DOCUMENTS. WE MIGHT JUST BE GIVING THEM TO TWO DIFFERENT LEAD AUDITORS. OKAY. THANK YOU, DOCTOR JORDAN, FOR THAT EXPLANATION. AND I WOULD SUPPORT THAT. I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT I WAS CLEAR IN IN WHAT VOTE WE WERE BRINGING TO THE BOARD. SO THANK YOU. I APPRECIATE THAT. SO JUST TO BE CLEAR, I WILL SUPPORT BOTH OF THEM BECAUSE I THINK THEY'RE BOTH IMPORTANT. I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THE BANDWIDTH WAS THERE TO ACCOMPLISH WHAT WE HOPE FOR OUR STUDENTS. THANK YOU, MISS HANNON. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? OKAY. WELL, I'D LIKE TO THANK STAFF FOR PUTTING ALL THE INFORMATION TOGETHER, GIVING US A LOT TO THINK ABOUT, A LOT TO CONSIDER. I'D LIKE TO THANK ALL OF OUR TRUSTEES AND COLLEAGUES FOR THE DEBATE, AND I APPRECIATE EVERYBODY'S TIME. CAN I GET A MOTION TO ADJO

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.