Apr 13, 2026 Called Meeting & Agenda Review

EVERYONE IS ABLE TO HEAR THE PROCEEDINGS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SERGEANT. THE TIME IS 6:01

[1. Call to order]

[00:00:08]

[3. Public Comment]

TIME WILL BE KEPT BY OUR BOARD SECRETARY, DOCTOR GILLIAM, AND SHE WILL GIVE YOU A 32ND WARNING. SUMITA GHOSH. SUMITA. NOT HERE. OKAY, THEN. WE HAVE NO SPEAKERS THIS EVENING, AND WE WILL MOVE ON TO OUR INFORMATION. SHE'S NOT. YEAH, SHE'S NOT HERE. I ALREADY KNOW

[4.A. General Fund Budget Update]

AND SO AS A RESULT OF THAT HARD WORK, WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO MAKE SOME SIGNIFICANT REDUCTIONS IN THAT DEFICIT. A LOT OF THAT WORK HAS BEEN ASSOCIATED AROUND CLOSING VACANT POSITIONS THROUGHOUT THE DISTRICT. I CHARGED EVERY DEPARTMENT WITH MAKING SOME CUTS. WE WENT THROUGH A VERY FORMAL, COMPREHENSIVE BUDGET PROCESS WHERE EACH DEPARTMENT HAD TO BASICALLY BUILD A BUDGET BASED ON NEED AND BASED ON IDEAS THAT WE WORKED ON COLLECTIVELY, WHERE WE WOULD PRIORITIZE OUR EXPENDITURES. AND WE WENT THROUGH A REALLY COMPREHENSIVE PROCESS OF JUST VACANCY MANAGEMENT, CLOSED OUT A LOT OF VACANCY, VACANT POSITIONS, AND FOCUSED ON CENTRAL OFFICE AND DEPARTMENT LEVEL CUTS, IF YOU WILL. AND SO WE SPOKE ABOUT THAT AT THE LAST BOARD MEETING, BUT WE ARE GOING TO CONTINUE TO SHARE THAT INFORMATION WITH YOU AND OUR PUBLIC AT EACH UPDATE. AND THEN AS WE HAVE OUR SMALL GROUP MEETINGS, AS WE TALK ABOUT THE BUDGET, AND THOSE ARE THOSE ARE IN THE PLANNING STAGES. NOW, THE OTHER THING THAT I WOULD WANT TO STRESS IS JUST HOW FLUID THE BUDGET PROCESS IS, AND JUST REMINDING THE BOARD OF DIFFERENT THINGS THAT TOOK PLACE AT THE TIME WE ADOPTED THE BUDGET AND SOME OF THE CHANGES THAT ARE OUTSIDE OF OUR CONTROL, THAT ARE JUST A PART OF HOW STATE AND SCHOOL FINANCE WORKS IN PUBLIC. AND, AND ONE SPECIFIC EXAMPLE, JUST TO KIND OF HIGHLIGHT THAT IS WHAT WE SPOKE TO YOU ALL ABOUT AT OUR LAST BOARD MEETING WHERE WE TALKED ABOUT THE CHANGES THAT TOOK PLACE. IT HAPPENED TO BENEFIT US THIS TIME, BUT IT DIDN'T ALWAYS BENEFIT US. BUT THE CHANGES ASSOCIATED WITH THE PROPERTY VALUE ANALYSIS AND WHAT WAS TAKING PLACE THAT REALLY LED TO THE OVER 65 EXEMPTION. WELL, OF COURSE, THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT WE DIDN'T KNOW AND WOULDN'T HAVE KNOWN AT THE TIME WE WERE ADOPTING OUR BUDGET, BUT IT IS AN EXAMPLE OF HOW FLUID AND HOW EVOLVING THE PROCESS IS. SO THE NUMBERS THAT WE SHARE WITH YOU AT ANY MOMENT IN TIME ARE BASED ON OUR BEST ESTIMATES AND OUR BEST TREND DATA, BECAUSE WE

[00:05:02]

THE KEY TAKEAWAYS THAT WE SHARED WITH YOU ALL INCLUDED THAT WE EXPECT TO END 2526 BETTER THAN WHAT IS BUDGETED. AND I WANT TO REITERATE THAT WE EXPECT TO END THE YEAR BETTER, PRIMARILY FOR TWO REASONS. FIRST, WE STARTED TO WORK THE WORK TO ADDRESS THE BUDGET DEFICIT AT THE START OF THIS SCHOOL YEAR. AND SO WE'VE HELD POSITIONS THAT ARE VACANT, OPEN, AND WE HAVE ALSO BEEN DISCIPLINED IN OUR EXPENDITURES. AND THEN SECOND, AS DOCTOR SMITH JUST ALLUDED TO, WE RECEIVED TWO PROPERTY A PROPERTY TAX AUDITS DURING THE COURSE OF THE YEAR THAT HAD AN OVERALL POSITIVE IMPACT ON OUR REVENUES. AND SO BETWEEN THE LOWER EXPENDITURES AND HIGHER REVENUES, WE ARE SEEING A BETTER POSITION THAN WHAT WE EXPECTED FOR THIS YEAR END. THOSE ADJUSTMENTS THAT WE HAVE MADE WILL CARRY FORWARD AND ALLOW US TO PROVIDE THE FLEXIBILITY WE NEED TO ADDRESS SOME OF THE CHALLENGES THAT WE WILL BE FACING IN 2627. IN ADDITION, WE SHARED THAT WE ARE STILL IN THE PROCESS OF WORKING THROUGH THE BUDGET AND THERE WILL BE CHANGES TO THE NUMBERS, AND WE KEEP SAYING THAT. BUT JUST AS A REMINDER, EVERYTHING THAT WE DO IS FLUID AND WE WANT TO MAKE YOU SURE YOU UNDERSTAND THAT ALTHOUGH THE NUMBERS MAY CHANGE FROM PRESENTATION TO PRESENTATION, IT ISN'T BECAUSE THE UNDERLYING PRINCIPLES ARE DIFFERENT. IT'S JUST WE'VE COLLECTED NEW INFORMATION THAT HELP US BETTER PREPARE FOR THE BUDGET FOR 2627. AND THEN FINALLY, WE SHARED WITH YOU THAT WE ARE CURRENTLY WORKING ON AN OUTLOOK FOR 2728 THAT WORK IS IN PROGRESS AND DEPENDENT UPON SOME OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT STILL NEED TO BE MADE FOR. 2526 SO IT'S NOT YET READY TO BE REVIEWED, BUT WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF PREPARING THAT. AND SO AGAIN, I WANT TO REITERATE THAT WE ARE STILL ACTIVELY ENGAGED IN THE BUDGET PROCESS. AND SO THINGS CAN AND WILL CHANGE, BUT WE ALSO WANT TO MAKE SURE YOU ALL HAVE THE MOST UP TO DATE INFORMATION AS WE GO FORWARD TO COMPLETE THE FINAL BUDGET THAT WILL BE BROUGHT FORWARD FOR BOARD CONSIDERATION IN JUNE, WE'LL START THE DISCUSSION THIS EVENING WITH AN UPDATE ON THE HEALTH BENEFITS FUND, AND WE'RE SHARING THIS INFORMATION ON THIS FUND TONIGHT BECAUSE, ONE, WE HAVE UPDATED INFORMATION FROM OUR CONSULTANT BENEFITS CONSULTANT, AND THIS FUND DIRECTLY IMPACTS THE OTHER OPERATING FUNDS. AND SO THERE'S TWO COMPONENTS TO THIS NEW INFORMATION. AND THIS WILL IMPACT OUR OTHER FUNDS. AND SO TO BRIEFLY GIVE YOU AN OVERVIEW OF OUR HEALTH BENEFITS FUND, THE DISTRICT IS SELF-INSURED FOR HEALTH INSURANCE. AND WHAT THAT MEANS IS INSTEAD OF PAYING PREMIUMS TO AN INSURANCE COMPANY, CLAIMS ARE PAID BOTH BY THE CONTRIBUTIONS THAT EMPLOYEES HAVE DEDUCTED FROM THEIR PAYCHECKS, AS WELL AS CONTRIBUTIONS THAT THE DISTRICT MAKES BASED ON THE NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES THAT USE OUR HEALTH INSURANCE. THE ACTUAL CLAIMS THEMSELVES ARE ADMINISTERED BY A THIRD PARTY, AND IN THIS CASE, THE DISTRICT USES UNITEDHEALTHCARE AND HAVE FOR ABOUT THE LAST TEN YEARS. AND WE SHARED WITH YOU ALL LAST YEAR AROUND THIS TIME THAT WE'VE BEEN RUNNING A CONSISTENT DEFICIT OVER ABOUT THE LAST THREE YEARS. AND AT THE TIME THAT WHAT WE SHARED WITH YOU IS THAT THE PRIMARY CAUSES OF THAT DEFICIT ARE MEDICAL COSTS, INFLATION, HIGH COST CLAIMANTS LIKE CANCERS AND PREEMIE BIRTHS. AND THEN FINALLY, AN INCREASE IN UTILIZATION FOR PRESCRIPTION DRUGS. AND THAT'S PRIMARILY AROUND GLP ONES. THE EXPECTED DEFICIT THAT WAS SHARED AT THE TIME WAS $15 MILLION EACH YEAR OVER THREE YEARS, AND THAT WAS PROVIDED BY OUR BENEFITS CONSULTANT AT THE TIME. ALTHOUGH THE PLAN IS RUNNING AT A DEFICIT, WE HAVE BEEN ACTIVELY WORKING TO ADDRESS IT. AND SO THIS SLIDE WILL SHARE WILL WALK THROUGH SOME OF THE ACTIONS THAT WE'VE TAKEN IN AN ATTEMPT TO SLOW DOWN THE DEFICIT SPENDING. IN 2023, WE REEVALUATED THE HEALTH PLAN ADMINISTRATOR TO DETERMINE IF COSTS COULD BE LOWERED. IF WE SWITCH TO A NETWORK OTHER THAN UNITEDHEALTHCARE. AND AT THE TIME, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THAT WOULD NOT RESULT IN ANY SIGNIFICANT SAVINGS THAT WOULD ADDRESS THE ANTICIPATED DEFICIT SPENDING. WE DID CHANGE OUR PHARMACY BENEFITS PROVIDER, AND THAT INCREASED THE REBATES THAT WE RECEIVED ON PRESCRIPTION DRUGS AND LOWERED SOME OF OUR COSTS ON THOSE DRUGS. HOWEVER, THOSE COST SAVINGS HAVE BEEN OFFSET BY AN INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF PRESCRIPTIONS WRITTEN.

AND SO ALTHOUGH IT BENEFITED US, WE'RE ALSO SEEING ON THE OTHER SIDE, AGAIN, THE HIGHER

[00:10:02]

THESE WERE THE MAJOR BUDGET ASSUMPTIONS THAT WE SHARED WITH YOU ON MARCH 30TH, AND THERE ARE NO CHANGES TO THE NUMBERS EXCEPT FOR THE HEALTH BENEFIT DEFICIT. AT THAT MEETING, WE SHARED THAT WE WERE BUDGETING $15 MILLION IN THE GENERAL FUND TO COVER THE 2627 HEALTH BENEFITS DEFICIT OR THE ANTICIPATED DEFICIT, AND YOU CAN SEE THAT HIGHLIGHTED HERE ON THE SLIDE TONIGHT. WE'LL SHARE WITH YOU THE LATEST INFORMATION FROM OUR NEW CONSULTANT. AND YOU'LL SEE THAT THAT $15 MILLION WILL BE CHANGING. AND WE'LL REVIEW REVISIT THIS SLIDE SHORTLY WHEN WE GET TO THE GENERAL FUND. BUT I WANTED TO SHARE WITH YOU THIS INFORMATION THAT YOU SAW AT THE PRIOR MEETING. ON THE NEXT SLIDE, I'M GOING TO SHOW YOU THE UPDATE, BUT I WANT TO REMIND YOU AGAIN THAT THAT INITIAL DEFICIT THAT WE WERE EXPECTING WAS $15 MILLION PER YEAR OVER THREE YEARS. SO IT WAS $15 MILLION A YEAR IN YEAR ONE, 15 IN YEAR TWO AND 15 IN YEAR THREE. AND AGAIN, THAT INFORMATION HAS CHANGED FOR EACH YEAR. AND YOU'LL SEE WHAT YOU SEE COMING UP WILL BE WHAT'S REPRESENTATIVE OF WHAT OUR NEW CONSULTANT HAS PROJECTED. SO IN 2425, THE YEAR THAT HAS ALREADY ENDED, WE ENDED THE YEAR WITH A $16.1 MILLION DEFICIT THAT WAS COVERED AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS YEAR, WITH CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE BENEFITS FUND FROM EACH OF THE OPERATING FUNDS. THE GENERAL FUND MADE A CONTRIBUTION OF $14.4 MILLION. AND THAT'S YOU CAN SEE IN MAROON THERE. AND THAT WAS FUNDED BY A PORTION OF THE DISASTER PENNIES THAT THE BOARD APPROVED SPECIFICALLY TO HELP ADDRESS THIS, THE REMAINING 1.7 MILLION, WHICH IS THE TEAL SECTION YOU SEE THERE, WAS COVERED BY OTHER OPERATING FUNDS THAT HAVE EMPLOYEES WITHIN THE BENEFITS FUND, LIKE CHILD NUTRITION AND EXTENDED LEARNING. THEY CONTRIBUTED THEIR PORTION TO THE DEFICIT AS WELL. FOR THE CURRENT YEAR, THE UPDATED DEFICIT AMOUNT IS ALSO $16 MILLION, AND THE GENERAL FUND PORTION IS 14.9 MILLION, WITH THE OTHER FUNDS COVERING $1.2 MILLION. AND THEN FOR 2627, IT HAS BEEN REVISED SIGNIFICANTLY. FOR 2627. THE DEFICIT IS EXPECTED TO BE $27.9 MILLION. THAT INCREASE IS BASED ON MEDICAL COST INFLATION. LIKE WE DISCUSSED PREVIOUSLY, HIGH COST CLAIMANT TRENDS AND THE PRESCRIPTION DRUG COSTS. AND AGAIN, THESE ARE EXPECTED COSTS OF CLAIMS WITH NO CHANGES TO OUR PROVIDER OR ANY BENEFITS.

SO THIS IS EVERYTHING STAYS THE SAME AS IT IS TODAY. AS I SHOWED YOU EARLIER, WE WERE PLANNING TO SPEND $15 MILLION IN THE GENERAL FUND TO COVER A PORTION OF THAT DEFICIT. WE'LL NEED AN ADDITIONAL $10.8 MILLION IN ORDER TO FROM THE GENERAL FUND IN ORDER TO MEET THAT OBLIGATION AND $2.1 MILLION FROM OTHER FUNDS. AND SO THAT GETS US TO THE $27.9 MILLION THAT WE'RE EXPECTING. AND I DO WANT TO ADD HERE, ALTHOUGH THIS DOESN'T MAKE US FEEL BETTER, WE ARE NOT THE ONLY DISTRICT IN THIS SITUATION. WE'VE TALKED TO THE CFO AT THE CFO AT CONROE AS WELL AS ALI, AND THEY ARE ALL DEALING WITH A SIMILAR SITUATION IN THEIR HEALTH BENEFITS FUND THAT WE ARE IN FORT BEND. AND SO ALTHOUGH, AGAIN, IT DOESN'T MAKE US FEEL BETTER, WE'RE NOT ALONE IN THIS SPECIFIC INSTANCE. SO WHAT I BEFORE I MOVE TO THE NEXT SLIDE, WHAT I WANT TO SHARE IS OUR TOTAL DEFICIT IN THE HEALTH BENEFITS FUND IS $27.9 MILLION. THE GENERAL FUND PORTION OF THAT SHARE WOULD BE $25.8 MILLION. AND SO AS WE

[00:15:02]

WE'VE BUDGETED FOR 121 STUDENTS FEWER THAN OUR TEAM SNAPSHOT THAT IS BASED ON THE PASSIVE PROJECTION. AND THEN WE HAVE INCLUDED AN ATTENDANCE RATE OF 95%, WHICH IS CONSISTENT. THEN WE HAVE THE APPRECIATION SUPPLEMENT YEAR TWO, IF YOU ALL RECALL FOR THERE WERE CERTAIN STAFF THAT WERE NOT ELIGIBLE TO RECEIVE THE TEACHER RETENTION ALLOTMENT, AND THOSE THAT RECEIVED THE STAFF RETENTION ALLOTMENT ONLY RECEIVED A MINUSCULE AMOUNT. AND SO WE INCLUDED AN APPRECIATION SUPPLEMENT. WE HAVE INCLUDED $6.5 MILLION FOR YEAR TWO. AND THEN HERE'S WHERE YOU WILL SEE THE CHANGE FROM THE PRIOR PRESENTATION. THE HEALTH FUND DEFICIT, AS I SHARED PREVIOUSLY, $25.8 MILLION IS WHAT THE GENERAL FUND SHARE IS.

PREVIOUSLY, THAT AMOUNT WAS $15 MILLION ON MARCH 30TH. AND SO WE'VE INCREASED IT BY 10.8 MILLION, WHICH IS THE ADDITIONAL COST THAT WE'RE EXPECTING THERE. AND SO THAT WOULD BRING US TO THE TOTAL OF OUR SORRY. MOVING TO THE NEXT ITEM, WE'VE INCLUDED FUNDING FOR THE OPENING OF COLEMAN MIDDLE SCHOOL, THE STRATEGIC REDUCTIONS THAT WE'VE IDENTIFIED THAT WILL MOVE INTO NEXT YEAR. WOULD THAT HAVE A $10.9 MILLION SAVINGS? AND THEN WE HAVE THE STRATEGIC REDUCTION HOLD HARMLESS. IF YOU RECALL, WE HAVE SOME STAFF MEMBERS THAT WERE IDENTIFIED THAT COULD POTENTIALLY BE REDUCED. WE ARE ACCOUNTING FOR THE HOLD HARMLESS. THAT WILL ALLOW THOSE STAFF TO REMAIN IN POSITION FOR THE DURATION OF THE 2627 SCHOOL YEAR. AND SO THOSE ARE THE AGAIN, THE ONLY ADJUSTMENT TO THIS IS THE HEALTH FUND DEFICIT.

THIS IS THE OUTLOOK THAT WE SHARED WITH YOU ALL ON MARCH 30TH. AND SO NO CHANGES FROM WHAT YOU SAW PREVIOUSLY AND SO ON. THE WHAT THE WHAT THIS INCLUDED WAS NO CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE HEALTH FUND IN 25, 26 AND A $15 MILLION CONTRIBUTION IN 26, 27. AND ALTHOUGH YOU DON'T SEE THAT ON HERE, THAT IS INCLUDED IN THE EXPENDITURES LINE ITEM IN ROW TWO AND THE FAR RIGHT COLUMN, THE $894.3 MILLION INCLUDED $15 MILLION SPECIFICALLY FOR THE HEALTH BENEFITS FUND. AND SO THE TWO LIGHTLY SHADED ORANGE ITEMS WILL BE WHERE YOU SEE THOSE CHANGES. THAT WILL MAKE GOING INTO 2627. AND SO LOOKING AT THAT, WHAT THE CHANGES THAT WE HAVE MADE SINCE MARCH 30TH, IT ASSUMES THAT THE GENERAL FUND WILL CONTRIBUTE $14.9 MILLION TOWARDS THAT TOTAL, $16.1 MILLION HEALTH FUNDS DEFICIT IN 2526. AND THAT'S INDICATED IN THE FIRST ORANGE SALE ON THE LEFT, THE REMAINING $1.9 MILLION THAT MAKES UP THE 16.1 WILL COME FROM THE OTHER OPERATING FUNDS FOR 2627. THE HIGHLIGHTED SALE INDICATES THE ADDITIONAL $10.8 MILLION THAT THE GENERAL FUND NEEDS TO CONTRIBUTE. AND REMEMBER, WE ALREADY HAD THE $15 MILLION ALLOCATED AND THE $89.3 MILLION, I'M SORRY, $894.3 MILLION. AND SO THE TOTAL GENERAL FUND SHARE WOULD BE THE $25.8 MILLION I MENTIONED A MOMENT AGO. AND

[00:20:05]

ADDITIONALLY, HR IS CURRENTLY WORKING TO PLACE THE STAFF WHO WERE IMPACTED BY CONSOLIDATIONS AND BOUNDARY CHANGES INTO VACANT POSITIONS. AND AS THE OLD POSITIONS ARE CLOSED OUT, THAT WILL CREATE SAVINGS THAT ARE NOT YET INCORPORATED INTO OUR ASSUMPTIONS. SO THAT WILL BE ADDITIONAL SAVINGS THAT WILL BE ADDED. AND THEN FINALLY, WE ARE STILL AWAITING THE OUTCOME OF THE HEALTH BENEFITS SOLICITATION. AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, STAFF IS CURRENTLY EVALUATING THOSE THAT HAVE RESPONDED TO THAT SOLICITATION. AND ONCE THAT IS FINALIZED, THAT WILL GIVE US AN IDEA OF WHAT THOSE FINAL NUMBERS WOULD BE. BUT I DO WANT TO SAY THAT REMEMBER THE NUMBER, THE 27.9 MILLION THAT WE SAID IS THE MAXIMUM AMOUNT. THAT IS WHAT I WOULD SAY, THE MAXIMUM AMOUNT THAT WE WOULD EXPECT TO PAY, BECAUSE IT'S ASSUMING NO CHANGES TO OUR BENEFITS AND THE SOLICITATION COULD RESULT IN SOME CHANGES THAT WOULD RESULT IN COST SAVINGS. BUT WE DON'T HAVE THAT INFORMATION YET, SO IT IS NOT FORMALLY INCORPORATED INTO THE BUDGET. FOR OUR NEXT STEPS. WE HAVE THE HIRING EVENT THIS PAST WEEKEND AND MOVING INTO MAY, WE'LL PROVIDE YOU ALL WITH ANOTHER BUDGET UPDATE. WE'LL ALSO HEAR IT SAYS A VOTE ON THE TIME AND PLACE FOR THE BUDGET. BUT WE'VE SINCE TALKED WITH OUR TAX ATTORNEYS. THERE WILL BE INFORMATION IN THE AGENDA ITEM THAT COULD POTENTIALLY TELL YOU WHEN THAT WOULD BE IN JUNE, BUT THAT IT WILL NOT BE FORMAL ACTION THAT THE BOARD TAKES. WE WILL BE ADVERTISING THE BUDGET, AND THE TAX RATE FOR THE PUBLIC HEARING AT THE END OF MAY, AND THEN IN JUNE, WE WILL HOLD THE PUBLIC HEARING ON THE TAX RATE IN THE BUDGET, AND THE BOARD WILL VOTE ON THE 2627 BUDGET AT THAT TIME. AND THEN FOLLOWING THE ADOPTION OF THE BUDGET IN JUNE, IN JULY, THE CENTRAL APPRAISAL DISTRICT WILL RELEASE THE CERTIFIED TAX ROLL FOR ALL VALUES IN THE DISTRICT IN AUGUST OR THE VERY BEGINNING OF AUGUST. WE WILL PUBLISH WHAT'S CALLED THE MAXIMUM COMPRESSED RATE, AND THEN THE BOARD WILL VOTE ON THE TAX RATE IN SEPTEMBER. SO THOSE ARE THE ACTIONS THAT YOU'LL BE TAKING OVER THE NEXT FIVE MONTHS. AND THAT CONCLUDES OUR PRESENTATION. AND WE'LL BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT THE BOARD HAS. THANK YOU, MISTER GWEN. QUESTIONS FROM THE TRUSTEES. MISS GALLAGHER, GOOD EVENING. JUST COULD YOU JUST TAKE ME BACK? MAYBE I GOT LOST IN THE FIRST PART. I KNOW YOU SHARED THAT THIS IS FLUID. IS THAT A CORRECT TERM THAT I CAN USE HERE? THAT IT'S PRETTY FLUID. AND THIS CHANGE FROM MARCH TO TO TO NOW, WHICH IS ABOUT A MONTH. CAN YOU SHARE WITH ME? MAYBE, MAYBE I MISSED IT. HOW DID WE GET TO NOW JUST SEEING THAT DEFICIT OR WAS IT SHOWN EARLIER? WAS IT SHOWN EARLIER? AND WE JUST DIDN'T. MAYBE I MISSED IT, BUT CAN YOU TELL ME HOW WE GOT THERE FROM FROM LAST TIME WE SAW THE BUDGET TO TODAY. THAT'S THE PART I'M. I'M MISSING THAT KIND OF BRIDGE. YES, MA'AM. SO IN APRIL OF LAST YEAR, WE RECEIVED INFORMATION FROM OUR HEALTH

[00:25:02]

I SAID MEDICAL COST INFLATION AND I JUST COMPLETELY SLIPPED MY MIND. THE THIRD ONE IS PRESCRIPTION PRESCRIPTION DRUG DRUG COSTS. THE SECOND ONE IS HIGH COST CLAIMANTS, HIGH COST CLINICS, HIGH COST CLAIMANTS. SO THESE ARE EMPLOYEES IN OUR PLANS OR THEIR FAMILY MEMBERS WHO HAVE VERY GRAVE CONDITIONS LIKE CANCER. OR IT COULD BE ALSO A PREEMIE NEWBORN. AND TYPICALLY IF THEY ARE STAYING IN THE NICU, THEY CALL IT THOSE COSTS TEND TO BE VERY HIGH. THE DISTRICT DOES CARRY STOP LOSS FOR COSTS ABOVE IF FOR UP TO 250,000, BUT AFTER THAT, I'M SORRY, THE DISTRICT PAYS UP TO 250,000 ON THOSE CLAIMS. AFTER THAT, WE HAVE STOP LOSS. THAT COVERS THE REMAINING PORTION, BUT WE HAVE HAD AN INCREASE AGAIN IN THOSE TYPE CLAIMS THAT ARE DRIVING COSTS IN OUR HEALTH BENEFITS PLAN. YEAH, I SEE THAT ON ON PAGE FIVE WE LISTED THOSE THREE THINGS OUT THE MEDICAL COST INFLATION, HIGH COST CLAIMS AND PRESCRIPTION. BUT YOU WERE WHEN YOU WERE GIVING US THE OVERVIEW, YOU HIGHLIGHTED SOME SPECIFIC THINGS THAT WAS REALLY LEADING TO CONTRIBUTING TO THIS, THOSE INCREASE. AND SO I'M SORRY. YES.

SO THAT WOULD BE YES. FOR THE HIGH COST CLAIMANTS. IT'S THE PREEMIES AND THE CANCERS ON THE PRESCRIPTION DRUG COSTS. WHAT WE'VE SEEN IS AN INCREASE IN THE UTILIZATION OF THE GLP ONES.

AND TO CLARIFY THERE THE DISTRICT DOES NOT PROVIDE THAT TYPE OF DRUG FOR WEIGHT LOSS PURPOSES. IT CAN ONLY BE USED FOR DIABETES MANAGEMENT. AND SO THIS IS NOT AS IF WE HAVE EMPLOYEES THAT ARE JUST STARTING TO USE IT, BECAUSE THEY WANT TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE WEIGHT LOSS ASPECTS OF IT. IT IS FOR THOSE WHO ARE MANAGING DIABETES ONLY, OKAY.

ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MISS MISS RANIA. SO I HEARD YOU SAY THAT OUR HEALTH INSURANCE PLAN IS IS IN LINE WITH WHAT THE OTHER DISTRICTS OFFER, BECAUSE I KNOW LAST TIME WHEN IT WHEN WHEN THESE CHANGES CAME ABOUT, THERE WERE A LOT OF EMPLOYEES AND TEACHERS WHO HAD COME OUT AND SAID, OKAY, THIS IS. SO IT SOUNDS LIKE, I MEAN, ARE WE LOOKING TO INCREASE LIKE, LIKE TO MAKE A CHANGE TO OUR HEALTH INSURANCE PLAN? I THINK IT WOULD BE FAIR TO SAY WE'RE LOOKING AT ALL ASPECTS OF IT, BUT WE HAVE NOT MADE ANY DETERMINATION ON WHAT MAY CHANGE, MAY OR MAY NOT CHANGE. AND SO IT'S BEING EVALUATED AGAIN. THE FIRST STEP OF THAT WAS TO DO THE SOLICITATION FOR OUR THIRD PARTY ADMINISTRATOR, WHICH IS UNITED HEALTH CARE.

ONCE WE HAVE COMPLETED THAT INFORMATION, WE'LL HAVE BETTER INFORMATION WE CAN SHARE. BUT AT THIS POINT, WE HAVE NOT MADE ANY ADJUSTMENTS. OKAY, GOING INTO NEXT YEAR, AND THAT WILL BE SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE ON THE TABLE. SO IF IT IS, ARE WE ALSO LOOKING TO SEE OR I DON'T KNOW, DO WE TALK TO OTHER DISTRICTS TO SEE WHAT ARE THEY DOING OR WHAT ARE THEY OFFERING? BECAUSE WE WANT TO ENSURE WE REMAIN COMPETITIVE, YOU KNOW, WITH WHAT THE OTHER DISTRICTS ARE OFFERING. RIGHT. AND THAT IS ALSO ONE OF THE THINGS WHAT I WOULD SAY IS AS OUR CONSULTANT LOOKS AT THIS, THEY USUALLY WILL ALWAYS BRING TO US WHAT OUR PEER DISTRICTS ARE

[00:30:01]

IS THAT IN LINE WITH WHAT THE OTHER DISTRICTS TYPICALLY CARRY? BECAUSE THEY ALL HAVE A SIMILAR TYPE OF DEFICITS, PLUS OR MINUS. SO EACH DISTRICT BASED ON AND REALLY IT WOULD BE DRIVEN BY THE CLAIMS. BUT IN THE CONVERSATIONS THAT WE HAVE HAD WITH OTHER CFOS IN THE AREA THAT ARE DEALING WITH THIS, THE SHORT ANSWER IS YES, WE'RE SEEING A SIMILAR TREND. MOST ALL THE LARGE DISTRICTS ARE HAVE A SIMILAR DEMOGRAPHIC ON THE WORKFORCE. AND SO THEY'RE SEEING SIMILAR TYPE CLAIMS. SO THE SHORT ANSWER RIGHT NOW IS, YES, THIS IS A SHARED EXPERIENCE OR SHARED PAIN. OKAY. AND JUST FOR MY KNOWLEDGE, WHY IS IT THAT WE WOULD BE CHANGING THE HEALTH PLAN? ADMINISTRATOR? IS THERE A COST SAVINGS TO US OR POTENTIALLY YES. AND THAT'S AGAIN, WE DID LOOK AT THIS BACK IN 2023. SO YOU MAY HAVE SEEN RECENTLY HEADLINES THAT BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD, THOSE PATIENTS WILL NO LONGER HAVE ACCESS TO MEMORIAL HERMANN UNTIL THEY NEGOTIATE THAT. AND SO EACH CARRIER HAS DIFFERENT NEGOTIATIONS THAT THEY'VE DONE WITH HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS. AND SOMETIMES THOSE CAN PROVIDE DEEPER SAVINGS THAN WHAT WE MAY BE RECEIVING THROUGH UNITED. AND SO THE ANSWER IS YES, WE MAY SEE THOSE. BUT AGAIN, WE HAVE TO EVALUATE IT ON A HOLISTIC PERSPECTIVE IN TERMS OF HOW WILL IT DISRUPT POTENTIALLY OUR EMPLOYEES AND THE ACCESS THAT THEY HAVE TO CARE. SO YES, IT IS DIFFERENT BETWEEN EACH CARRIER AND WE COULD SEE SAVINGS, BUT IT HAS TO BE EVALUATED IN ORDER TO DETERMINE THAT. GOT IT. THANK YOU. APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU, MR. AND MISS HANNAN, THANK YOU, MR. GWEN, FOR THE INFORMATION. AND THANK YOU, DOCTOR SMITH, FOR YOU GUYS WORKING TO REDUCE THIS DEFICIT THAT WE HAVE. MR. GWEN, CAN YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT? YOU SAID THAT ONE OF THE WAYS THAT WE ARE TRYING THAT THAT YOU'RE A STRATEGY TO REDUCE THE DEFICIT IS HOLDING POSITIONS VACANT. VACANT. VACANT. YES, MA'AM. THAT WORD. CAN YOU TALK ABOUT THAT A LITTLE BIT? AND WHAT THAT WHAT THAT EXACTLY MEANS. YES. SO AND THIS WE'VE EMPLOYED THIS STRATEGY IN CENTRAL OFFICE SPECIFICALLY. AND SO AS EMPLOYEES SEPARATE THROUGHOUT THE YEAR WE WILL KEEP THAT POSITION VACANT. HOWEVER, WE HAVE BUDGETED TO SPEND THOSE FUNDS. AND SO BY NOT FILLING THE POSITIONS, WE REALIZE SALARY SAVINGS FROM THE VACANCY. A NUMBER OF THE POSITIONS THAT BECAME VACANT THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, THAT PART OF THAT $10 MILLION IN STRATEGIC SAVINGS THAT WE HAD, WE DID ELIMINATE CERTAIN VACANT POSITIONS THROUGH THAT PROCESS.

AND SO THOSE SAVINGS NOT ONLY HAPPENED THIS YEAR, BUT THEY WILL CONTINUE GOING FORWARD.

BUT THE SHORT ANSWER TO YOUR QUESTION IS, WHEN A POSITION IS VACATED, WE HOLD IT VACANT AND REALIZE THE SAVINGS FROM NOT FILLING IT AND NOT SPENDING THOSE FUNDS. AND AND THEN THAT'S JUST A DETERMINATION. WHETHER THAT POSITION IS ELIMINATED FOR ETERNITY OR THAT WAS EVALUATED TO DETERMINE IF IT MADE SENSE TO DO THAT. IN SOME CASES, AS WE DID, WE MADE THE DETERMINATION THAT IT DOES NOT MAKE SENSE TO ELIMINATE THE POSITION. AND SO WE AFTER WE HAD GONE THROUGH THE PROCESS OF DOING OUR REDUCTIONS, THOSE POSITIONS WERE OPEN TO HIRE.

BUT IN SOME CASES THE DETERMINATION WAS MADE. WE CAN CONTINUE TO OPERATE WITHOUT THIS AND WILL GOING FORWARD. OKAY. BUT WE ARE NOT DOING THAT WITH CAMPUS INSTRUCTIONAL POSITIONS, LIKE A TEACHER OR A CAMPUS ADMINISTRATOR. THAT IS CORRECT. THESE THE TEN POINT, THE $10 MILLION THAT WE DID IN REDUCTIONS WAS SPECIFIC TO CENTRAL ADMIN. SO IT DID NOT INCLUDE CAMPUSES AS PART OF THAT REDUCTION. OKAY. THANK YOU FOR THE CLARIFICATION ON THAT.

THE SECOND QUESTION I, AND I KNOW YOU SAID, YOU KNOW, TO JUST HOLD ON, BUT THE 80 DAYS IS DIFFERENT THAN WE SAW IN IN MARCH. AND SO. I'M THINKING IS THAT, YOU KNOW, SOMEWHERE THERE'S GOT TO BE AN ADDITIONAL ABOUT 20 MILLION TO, TO MAKE UP THOSE TEN DAYS. IS THAT ABOUT RIGHT? IT WOULD BE ROUGHLY IN THAT ORDER OF MAGNITUDE. AND AGAIN, WE HAVE THOSE LEVERS THAT WE HAVE NOT YET FULLY INCORPORATED INTO THE BUDGET. AND THERE'S SOME ADDITIONAL REVENUE COMING IN, AS YOU'RE AWARE, FROM LAND SALES. SO THERE'S A A RANGE OF OPTIONS

[00:35:04]

MR. GWEN AND MISS DAWSON. THANK YOU, MISS. MISS, MISS, MISS TORSEN, IF I MAY, JUST BEFORE TO MISS HANNAN'S POINT THE A, B, C ALLOTMENT THAT WAS ENACTED IN THE MOST RECENT SESSION. PART OF THAT WAS TO COVER SOME OF THOSE INFLATIONARY PRESSURE COSTS THAT DISTRICTS SAY OR ARE FACING, AND SO THAT MIGHT BE AN AVENUE IN THE UPCOMING SESSION TO POTENTIALLY ADDRESS THAT, ALTHOUGH, AS WE'VE SEEN, THEY'RE NOT PARTICULARLY WILLING TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFO OR ADDITIONAL FUNDING THAT GIVE DISTRICTS FLEXIBILITY. BUT I THINK THIS IS A SPECIFIC EXAMPLE TIED TO INFLATION THAT YOU COULD HIGHLIGHT, RIGHT? BUT AT LEAST WE COULD SAY WE ASKED, YES, MA'AM. RIGHT. WHETHER THEY'RE WILLING OR NOT. THANK YOU. MISS VICKY. ON THE SAVINGS NOT INCLUDED IN THE GENERAL FUND WAS SAVINGS FROM BOUNDARY AND CONSOLIDATION CHANGES. ARE YOU ABLE TO PROVIDE A NUMBER FOR HOW MUCH WE ACTUALLY SAVED ON THE BLUE RIDGE BLUE BRIARGATE CONSOLIDATION LAST YEAR. WE CAN PULL THAT INFORMATION AND PROVIDE IT IN A BOARD UPDATE. I DON'T HAVE IT WITH ME IMMEDIATELY, BUT YES, WE CAN DO THAT. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU, MISS VICKY. SO I JUST WANT TO BOTTOM LINE THIS FOR THE BOARD AND FOR THOSE LISTENING. WE STARTED WITH A 56 ROUGHLY MILLION DOLLAR DEFICIT. WE CAME DOWN TO ABOUT $38 MILLION. WE'RE BACK UP TO ABOUT $47 MILLION BECAUSE OF THE HEALTH THE HEALTH CARE FUND.

OKAY. I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT I'M FOLLOWING KIND OF HOW THESE THINGS ARE PROGRESSING. I HAD THE SIMILAR QUESTION TO MISS CHARANIA ABOUT CHANGES, AND I KNOW YOU GUYS CAN'T ANSWER THAT QUESTION RIGHT NOW. I WOULD APPRECIATE SEEING WHAT WHAT THINGS YOU GUYS MIGHT PROPOSE, BUT I ALSO APPRECIATE THE MINDSET THAT WE HAVE TO LOOK AT IT IN THE CONTEXT OF RECRUITMENT, RETENTION, COMPETITIVENESS. AND SO I WOULD JUST WHILE I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY, WE ARE FACING A PRETTY SEVERE DEFICIT AND WE HAVE TO LOOK AT EVERYTHING, I DO WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE NOT OVERBURDENING STAFF BY DOING TOO MUCH, TOO QUICKLY, ESPECIALLY. SO I WOULD JUST MAKE THAT COMMENT AND, YOU KNOW, MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE CONSIDERING THAT AS YOU GUYS BRING THAT STUFF TO US. I DON'T REALLY HAVE ANYTHING ELSE

[00:40:07]

[4.B. Bond 2023 Overview]

YES, MA'AM. THANK YOU, MADAM PRESIDENT. MISS KATHLEEN BROWN AND MEMBERS OF OUR TEAM, THOMAS LEE, MR. DAN BANKHEAD, AND THEY WILL ALL BE PRESENTING THE BOND UPDATE. GOOD EVENING, MADAM PRESIDENT. DOCTOR SMITH BOARD OF TRUSTEES THIS EVENING FOR OUR BOND UPDATE, WE'LL HAVE TWO PARTS. THE FIRST COMPONENT OF THE BOND UPDATE WILL BE ON FURNITURE, FIXTURES AND EQUIPMENT. F.F.A AND OUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION, MR. DAN BANKHEAD, WILL BE PROVIDING YOU WITH THAT INFORMATION JUST AS A REMINDER TO YOU AS HE SHARES INFORMATION ON BOND 2023 AND WHERE WE ARE WITH F.F.A. THE SLIDES THAT HE WILL BE SHOWING, ALL OF THOSE PIECES OF FURNITURE AND THINGS THAT YOU SEE ARE ALIGNED WITH OUR EDUCATIONAL SPECIFICATIONS. SO THAT DIFFERENT LEARNING ENVIRONMENT THAT'S MORE FLEXIBLE, MORE COLLABORATIVE, THAT'S WHAT YOU WILL. WE'LL SEE AS HE SHARES THOSE IMAGES. ALSO, WE HAVE MISS MELISSA HUBBARD HERE WHO WILL ALSO BE ABLE TO SHARE ANY INSIGHT. IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS RELATED TO WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE IN PRACTICE, IN IN THE CLASSROOM SETTING FOLLOWING THE F.F.A UPDATE FOR BOND 2023, YOU'LL HEAR AGAIN FROM OUR CFO AS IT RELATES TO WHERE WE STAND FINANCIALLY WITH THE BOND. I DO WANT TO REMIND YOU THAT WE DID HAVE AN EMERGENCY IN DECEMBER 2025 WITH THE DON COOK NATATORIUM, WHERE WE HAD AN ELECTRICAL ISSUE THAT WAS CAUSED BY WATER. WE'VE PROVIDED YOU WITH A MEMO IN MARCH, AND WE PUT THAT BACK IN YOUR UPDATE ON FRIDAY. JUST TO REMIND YOU ABOUT THAT UNEXPECTED EXPENSE. WE OFTEN BRING THINGS TO YOU ABOUT THINGS THAT COME UP THAT WE DON'T ANTICIPATE. THE DON COOK NATATORIUM EMERGENCY WAS ONE OF THOSE THINGS. AND WHAT HAPPENED THERE IS THAT WE HAD AN ELECTRICAL ISSUE THAT WAS CAUSED BY WATER AND THEN CAUSED SOME PAVEMENT ISSUES, SOME STRUCTURAL DAMAGE, AND THEN AFTER THAT FOUND AN ADDITIONAL LEAK. AND SO WE WORKED ON THAT PROJECT FOR QUITE SOME TIME AND ARE HAPPY TO REPORT THAT IT HAS BEEN FIXED, BUT TO A COST, THERE'S A COST ASSOCIATED WITH THAT. AND SO. MR. NGUYEN WILL SHARE THAT. YOU'LL SEE IT IN THE TIMELINE. THE REASON WE ARE HIGHLIGHTING THAT FOR YOU IS WE'VE BEEN PROVIDING YOU WITH A TIMELINE EACH MONTH THAT OUTLINES ANTICIPATED USE, USAGE OF CONTINGENCY FUNDS. AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE'VE ADDED THAT WAS NOT ORIGINALLY THERE. SO WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU'RE AWARE OF THAT. SO AT THIS TIME, I'LL TURN IT OVER TO MR. BENKERT. THANK YOU, MISS BROWN. GOOD EVENING, PRESIDENT HASSAN. BOARD MEMBERS AND DOCTOR SMITH. IN PAST UPDATES, I'VE TALKED ABOUT HOW NEW AND RENOVATED AND WELL MAINTAINED FACILITIES HELP SHAPE THE STUDENT EXPERIENCE. WELL, FURNITURE ALSO PLAYS A FOUNDATIONAL ROLE IN SUPPORTING TEACHING AND LEARNING ACROSS CAMPUS ENVIRONMENTS. THIS EVENING, I'D LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT SOME OF THE WORK IN BID PACKAGE NUMBER 16. OUR FURNITURE, FIXTURES AND EQUIPMENT PACKAGE, AND SHOW YOU HOW THESE IMPROVEMENTS ARE MAKING A REAL DIFFERENCE ACROSS THE DISTRICT.

UNDER THE 2023 BOND PROGRAM, 14 CAMPUSES ARE SLATED TO RECEIVE CLASSROOM FURNITURE REFURBISHMENTS BY THE END OF THIS SUMMER. NINE OF THOSE CAMPUSES, INCLUDING ONE SUPPORT BUILDING, WILL HAVE BRAND NEW FURNITURE IN PLACE READY FOR STUDENTS AND STAFF ON DAY ONE.

THE NEW SCHOOL. YOU KNOW, I LIKE TO GO THROUGH NUMBERS AND SO I'M REALLY JUST SHARING SOME OF THESE NUMBERS WITH YOU. THIS EFFORT BEGAN IN THE 2018 BOND PROGRAM, AND TOGETHER BOTH OF THE PROGRAMS HAVE GIVEN MORE THAN 11,000 STUDENTS FLEXIBLE, COLLABORATIVE LEARNING SETTINGS.

ADDITIONALLY, UNDER BID PACKAGE NUMBER 16, WE'VE ORDERED OVER 50,000 INDIVIDUAL PIECES OF FURNITURE, FIXTURES, AND EQUIPMENT TO DATE ACROSS THE BROADER PROGRAM. NOT TO FORGET OUR BIGGER PROGRAM, WE HAVE OVER 40. WELL, WE HAVE EXACTLY 40 PROJECTS THAT ARE IN THE PROCUREMENT OR CONSTRUCTION PHASE. SO WE'RE CONTINUING ON AND MAKING GREAT PROGRESS AND MOMENTUM IN THE OVERALL BOND PROGRAM. THE CLASSROOM FURNITURE REFURBISHMENT INITIATIVE IS ABOUT MORE THAN REPLACING OLD DESK. IT'S ABOUT CREATING SPACE THAT FEELS

[00:45:03]

MODERN EDUCATIONAL FURNITURE ALSO MOVES US BEYOND THAT ONE SIZE FITS ALL CLASSROOM LAYOUT.

AS YOU CAN SEE IN THIS TYPICAL FIRST GRADE CLASSROOM, FLEXIBLE ARRANGEMENTS, SUPPORT GROUP COLLABORATION, PEER DISCUSSIONS ALSO, AND INDEPENDENT WORK ALL WITHIN THE SAME ROOM. A TEACHER CAN RECONFIGURE SEATING IN MINUTES TO MATCH THE LESSON. THAT KIND OF ADAPTABILITY IS ESSENTIAL FOR MEETING TODAY'S DIVERSE INSTRUCTIONAL GOALS AND GIVING EVERY STUDENT IN THE ENVIRONMENT THEY NEED TO THRIVE. RESEARCH HAS CONSISTENTLY SHOWN THAT FLEXIBLE SEATING IMPROVES FOCUS, PARTICIPATION, AND STUDENT OWNERSHIP OF LEARNING. WHEN STUDENTS CAN MOVE AND CHOOSE WHERE THEY WORK, ENGAGEMENT GOES UP AND DISTRACTIONS GO DOWN THE CLASSROOM. PICTURED HERE IS A KINDERGARTEN OR EARLY CHILDHOOD SPECIAL EDUCATION SETTING. IT'S A GREAT EXAMPLE OF HOW REFRESHED FURNITURE CREATES AN ACTIVE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT THAT SUPPORTS A RANGE OF INSTRUCTIONAL APPROACHES. THIS ISN'T JUST ABOUT COMFORT, IT'S A STRATEGIC INVESTMENT. WE'RE ALIGNING THE PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT WITH THE INSTRUCTIONAL QUALITY SO THAT FURNITURE BECOMES AN EXTENSION OF GREAT TEACHING AND NOT JUST SIMPLY A FUNCTIONAL AFTERTHOUGHT. WHEN TEACHERS HAVE THE RIGHT TOOLS IN THE ROOM, THEIR DIVERSE INSTRUCTIONAL APPROACHES ARE SUPPORTED AND THE DAILY LEARNING EXPERIENCE IS ENHANCED. A KEY PRIORITY OF THIS PROGRAM IS MAKING SURE FURNITURE WORKS HAND IN HAND WITH TECHNOLOGY FURNITURE SELECTED THROUGH OUR RECENT TWO BOND PROGRAMS IS DESIGNED TO INTEGRATE SEAMLESSLY WITH EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY, COLLABORATIVE TOOLS, AND DIGITAL RESOURCES STUDENTS USE THROUGHOUT THE DAY. LOOKING AT THE CTE LAB AT DULLES HIGH SCHOOL, AND I PROMISE YOU, I DIDN'T PICK THIS PICTURE JUST BECAUSE I'M AN ARCHITECT, BUT YOU CAN SEE HOW THE FURNITURE WAS SPECIFICALLY CHOSEN TO SUPPORT HANDS ON TECHNICAL WORK, POWER ACCESS, SURFACE SPACE, EVEN SIGHT LINES WERE ALL CONSIDERED IN THE SELECTION OF THIS FURNITURE. WE'RE ALSO CHOOSING AGE APPROPRIATE AND PROGRAM APPROPRIATE OPTIONS AT EVERY GRADE LEVEL, ENSURING THAT THE ERGONOMICS, THE SCALE, THE FUNCTIONALITY MATCH EACH STUDENT'S DEVELOPMENTAL NEEDS. FURTHERMORE, AS MISS BROWN HIGHLIGHTED, OUR FURNITURE SELECTIONS ARE ALIGNED WITH AND GOVERNED BY OUR BOARD APPROVED EDUCATIONAL SPECIFICATIONS FROM EARLY CHILDHOOD THROUGH HIGH SCHOOL CAREER PATHWAYS. THE FURNITURE SUPPORTS HOW STUDENTS ACTUALLY LEARN TODAY. DURABILITY ALSO MATTERS JUST AS MUCH AS DESIGN. HUNDREDS OF STUDENTS USE THIS FURNITURE DAILY, AND IT NEEDS TO HANDLE CONSTANT MOVEMENT AND RECONFIGURATION WITHOUT LOSING ITS APPEARANCE OR FUNCTION. THAT'S WHY WE'RE SELECTING PIECES THAT BALANCE INNOVATION WITH LONGEVITY, REDUCING MAINTENANCE AND REPLACEMENT COSTS OVER TIME, WHILE ENSURING LEARNING SPACES REMAIN EFFECTIVE AND ATTRACTIVE, YOU KNOW, FOR YEARS TO COME. THESE IMAGES SHOW THE REFURBISHED LIBRARY AT DULLES HIGH SCHOOL, A SPACE THAT INVITES STUDENTS IN AND SUPPORTS A RANGE OF ACTIVITIES FROM QUIET STUDY SPACES LIKE YOU SEE ON THE LEFT TO GROUP PROJECTS AND GROUP ACTIVITIES. INSTRUCTION LIKE THE SPACE THAT YOU SEE ON THE RIGHT. THIS INTENTIONAL APPROACH SUPPORTS TEACHERS IN DELIVERING INSTRUCTIONAL EFFICIENCY EFFICIENTLY AND ENSURES OUR SPACES STAY ADAPTABLE. AS EDUCATIONAL NEEDS EVOLVE ACROSS THE DISTRICT, AND WE CONTINUE TO SYSTEMATICALLY PROVIDE UPDATED LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS FOR FBISD STUDENTS, IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT LEARNING DOESN'T JUST STOP AT THE CLASSROOM DOOR. OUR FURNITURE PROGRAM REFLECTS THIS EXPANDED VISION OF INSTRUCTIONAL SPACE, EXPANDED VISION OF INSTRUCTIONAL SPACE ACROSS MULTIPLE CAMPUSES. FURNITURE SUPPORTS LEARNING AND HALLWAYS, LEARNING LABS, DINING ROOMS, LIBRARIES, AS YOU SAW ON THE PREVIOUS SLIDE, AND OTHER COMMON SPACES AT HODGES BEND.

IN THE IMAGE ON THE LEFT, A SPACE NEAR THE FRONT OF LOBBY HAS BEEN TRANSFORMED INTO A COLLABORATION ZONE, WHERE STUDENTS CAN GATHER BEFORE AND BETWEEN CLASSES ON THE RIGHT.

WHY SECOND FLOOR HALLWAYS NOW FEATURE FURNITURE THAT SUPPORTS GROUP WORK, AND IT ALSO HAPPENS TO HELP WITH THE STUDENT CIRCULATION DURING CLASS TRANSITION. THESE CREATIVE SOLUTIONS TURN UNDERUSED SQUARE FOOTAGE INTO FUNCTIONAL, INVITING ENVIRONMENTS WHERE

[00:50:01]

[00:55:02]

YES, MA'AM. WE'LL HAVE THAT INFORMATION FOR YOU IN THE MAY BOARD MEETING. OKAY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU, MISS HAMMOND. THANK YOU, MR. GWYNNE. MISS BROWN, MR. BANKHEAD, WE

[5. 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]