[00:00:07]
          IT IS NOW 6 P.M. ON TUESDAY, AUGUST 19TH, 2025. THIS MEETING OF THE CLEAN INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT BOARD OF TRUSTEES IS NOW CALLED TO ORDER. THE FOLLOWING TRUSTEES ARE PRESENT AND PARTICIPATING BRENDA ADAMS, SECRETARY. MARVIN RAINWATER, BOARD MEMBER OLIVER MINTZ, BOARD MEMBER TINA CAPITO, BOARD MEMBER RODNEY GILCHRIST, BOARD MEMBER. AND ME, BRETT WILLIAMS, PRESIDENT AND PRESIDING OFFICER. ABSENT AND NOT PARTICIPATING IN THIS MEETING IS BOARD VICE PRESIDENT SUSAN JONES. AND I JUST WANT TO STATE THAT SHE IS FULFILLING HER OBLIGATIONS WITH THE TAX APPRAISAL DISTRICT MEETING ON THIS EVENING. FOR THE RECORD, FOR THE RECORD, A QUORUM HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED IN THE PRESENT. WE'D ALSO LIKE TO WELCOME. WELL, HE'S NOT HERE, BUT WE STILL WANT TO WELCOME COLONEL MARK MCCLELLAN FOR BEING A NEW ADDITION TO OUR TEAM, OUR FORT HOOD GARRISON COMMANDER, AS WELL AS CHRISTINE CAPARCO, OUR FORT HOOD SCHOOL LIAISON OFFICER. SHE'S OUT THERE SOMEWHERE. SHE'S NOT OKAY. AS A REMINDER, ANYONE WISHING TO SPEAK AT PUBLIC FORUM MUST SUBMIT THEIR SIGN UP SHEET. AT THIS TIME, IT HAS BEEN THE BOARD'S PRACTICE BEFORE EACH REGULAR MEETING TO HAVE AN INVOCATION AND PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE TO THE UNITED STATES FLAG AND TEXAS FLAG. TONIGHT. THE INVOCATION WILL BE LED BY TRUSTEE RODNEY GILCHRIST, AND THE PLEDGES WILL BE LED BY TRUSTEE OLIVER MINTZ. PLEASE STAND. LET US PRAY. GOD OUR FATHER, WE BLESS YOU. WE THANK YOU, AND WE HONOR YOU. TODAY AS WE GATHER HERE TO DISCUSS THE BUSINESS OF OUR INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL WHO PARTICIPATE IN THE EDUCATION OF OUR CHILDREN. WE PRAY A SPECIAL BLESSING AS THIS SCHOOL YEAR BEGINS OVER. ALL OF OUR TEACHERS, ALL OF OUR ADMINISTRATORS, ALL OF OUR SUPPORT STAFF AND GOD, WE ESPECIALLY LIFT UP OUR BUS DRIVERS, OUR CAFETERIA WORKERS, AND WE THANK YOU FOR A SUCCESSFUL SCHOOL YEAR. IN JESUS NAME, AMEN. AMEN. 
          START. A RECORDING OF THIS MEETING IS BEING MADE AND WILL BE AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC AT A LATER DATE. WE'RE ALSO STREAMING THIS MEETING ON OUR CABLE CHANNEL 17 AND ON THE DISTRICT'S 
          [1. Public Forum]
WEB PAGE. AGENDA ITEM NUMBER ONE PUBLIC FORUM. THE BOARD WILL NOW HEAR COMMENTS FROM THOSE WHO SIGNED UP TO SPEAK PER BOARD POLICY. EACH PUBLIC COMMENT IS LIMITED TO THREE MINUTES. I'LL ASK THE AUDIENCE TO PLEASE REFRAIN FROM ANY PUBLIC OUTBURSTS AND TO MAINTAIN DECORUM. PARENTS, EMPLOYEES AND CITIZENS ARE ENCOURAGED TO UTILIZE THE DISTRICT'S GRIEVANCE PROCESS TO THE FULLEST EXTENT POSSIBLE. RELATED POLICIES ARE AVAILABLE ON THE DISTRICT'S WEBSITE OR UPON REQUEST. FOR THE RECORD, WE ASK THAT ALL PUBLIC FORUM PARTICIPANTS BEGIN BY STATING THEIR NAME AND THE CITY IN WHICH THEY RESIDE. ONCE COMPLETE, YOUR THREE MINUTES WILL BEGIN. FIRST, WE HAVE REBECCA FAY. WELCOME. 
          OH THANK YOU. OH, AND STEREO. GOOD EVENING, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD. MY NAME IS REBECCA FAY AND I RESIDE IN KILLEEN, TEXAS. I SERVE AS THE MIDDLE SCHOOL LEAD LIBRARIAN FOR KISD. AND I'M HERE TONIGHT TO SPEAK ABOUT TEXAS SENATE BILL 13, AND SPECIFICALLY THE OPTIONAL PROVISION TO CREATE A PARENT ADVISORY COMMITTEE FOR LIBRARY BOOK SELECTION. AS WRITTEN, SENATE BILL 13 IS CLEAR. ITS INTENT IS TO GIVE PARENTS MORE INFORMATION AND DIRECT CONTROL OVER WHAT THEIR OWN CHILD CAN OR CANNOT ACCESS. THAT IS AN IMPORTANT PRINCIPLE AND ONE I SUPPORT. PARENTS SHOULD ALWAYS BE ABLE TO GUIDE THEIR OWN CHILDREN'S READING CHOICES. THE OPTIONAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE RAISES SERIOUS CONCERNS. SUCH COMMITTEES COULD ALLOW A SMALL GROUP OF PARENTS TO MAKE DECISIONS THAT LIMIT ACCESS TO BOOKS FOR EVERY STUDENT IN THE DISTRICT THAT GOES BEYOND PARENTAL CONTROL, THAT BECOMES CENSORSHIP. OUR LIBRARIES SERVE DIVERSE FAMILIES AND WITH DIVERSE VALUES. WHAT ONE PARENT FINDS OBJECTIONABLE, ANOTHER MAY CONSIDER ESSENTIAL FOR THEIR CHILD'S GROWTH, EMPATHY, AND SHAPING OF THEIR WORLDVIEW. WE ALREADY HAVE STRONG SYSTEMS IN PLACE FOR PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT. PARENTS CAN VIEW THEIR STUDENTS LIBRARY ACCOUNT ONLINE VIA DESTINY REQUESTS THAT SPECIFIC TITLES BE RESTRICTED FOR THEIR CHILD VIA DESTINY AND OR BOOKMARKED, RECEIVE EMAIL NOTIFICATIONS OF BOOKS, CHECKED 
          [00:05:03]
IN AND CHECKED OUT, AND COMMUNICATE WITH LIBRARIANS AND TEACHERS ABOUT THEIR PREFERENCES. THESE SYSTEMS ENSURE THAT PARENTS ARE EMPOWERED WITHOUT TAKING AWAY RIGHTS FROM OTHER FAMILIES WITH VARYING VIEWS. ANOTHER PRACTICAL CONCERN IS THE TIMELINE. THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE DESCRIBED AN SB 13 REQUIRED TO ONLY MEET TWICE A YEAR. CONSIDERING THE PARENT ADVISORY COMMITTEE IS RUN STRICTLY BY PARENT VOLUNTEERS, NO ONE COULD LEGALLY HOLD THEM TO ANY HIGHER STANDARD. COMPARE THAT WITH THIS SCHOOL BOARD, WHICH MEETS TWICE A MONTH. IF BOOK CHALLENGES AND ACQUISITIONS MUST WAIT FOR A SEMIANNUAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETING, STUDENTS WILL LOSE TIMELY ACCESS TO MATERIALS. THAT DELAY UNDERMINES ONE OF OUR MOST IMPORTANT GOALS GETTING THE RIGHT BOOKS INTO STUDENTS HANDS. SLOWED ACCESS TO OUR LIBRARY SHELVES IS CRIPPLING. WHEN INCREASED CIRCULATION IS A PRIMARY GOAL FOR MANY SECONDARY LIBRARIES, OUR FOCUS SHOULD BE ON FAMILY CHOICE AND EQUITY FOR ALL STUDENTS. TWO HUGE FACTORS IN INCREASED READING PERFORMANCE. IN ADDITION, ONCE A DISTRICT CHOOSES TO ESTABLISH A PARENT ADVISORY COMMITTEE, THE LAW REQUIRES IT TO REMAIN IN OPERATION FOR THREE YEARS. THAT MEANS THE DECISION MADE THIS YEAR LOCKS OUR DISTRICT INTO A LENGTHY COMMITMENT, REGARDLESS OF STUDENT IMPACT, NOTED IN MONTHS TO COME, I URGE THE BOARD TO HONOR THE INTENT OF SENATE BILL 13. SUPPORT PARENTAL CHOICE AT THE FAMILY LEVEL WITHOUT ADOPTING THE OPTIONAL PARENT ADVISORY COMMITTEE. THIS PROTECTS BOTH INDIVIDUAL FAMILY VALUES AND EVERY STUDENT'S FREEDOM TO READ. AS LEAD LIBRARIANS, WE ARE MORE THAN HAPPY FOR BOARD MEMBERS TO CONTACT US DIRECTLY, TO PROVIDE CLARITY OR GIVE FEEDBACK FOR THIS TIMELY DECISION. THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU. NEXT WE HAVE HALEY CRAIG. WELCOME. IF YOU PUSH THAT LITTLE I THINK IT'S ON. THERE YOU GO. OKAY. HI, I'M HALEY CRAIG. I RESIDE ON FORT HOOD, TEXAS. I'M HERE TODAY. I'M NOT AS PREPARED AS SHE WAS. I'M SORRY, I THIS IS MY FIRST SCHOOL BOARD MEETING, AND I JUST FOUND OUT ABOUT THIS THIS AFTERNOON. THIS PROBLEM IS PARTICULARLY PERTAINING TO MY CHILD'S SCHOOL. 
          HE IS A MEMBER AT HOBBY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. THE ISSUE IS REGARDING DROP OFF AND PICKUP. 
          I'M NOT SURE IF EVERYONE IS FAMILIAR WITH HOW THAT SCHOOL IS SET UP, BUT THERE IS ONE ENTRANCE AND ONE EXIT TO THE PARKING LOTS. THAT HAS CAUSED QUITE AN ISSUE AS FAR AS SAFETY GOES IN MY OPINION, AND MANY OTHER PARENTS OPINIONS. OUR CHILDREN ARE NEARLY GETTING RUN OVER BY CARS ON A DAILY BASIS. THERE ARE LITERAL CAR ACCIDENTS HAPPENING. ONE HAPPENED TODAY. 
          FOR EXAMPLE. THERE'S PARENTS HAVING EXTREME ROAD RAGE WITH EACH OTHER IN THE PARKING LOT IN FRONT OF THE CHILDREN, LITERALLY YELLING AT EACH OTHER OUT THE WINDOWS AND SUCH. I BROUGHT THIS UP TO OUR PRINCIPAL FOR SEVERAL YEARS NOW. WE USED TO HAVE A VALET SYSTEM IN PLACE FOR PICKUP THAT, IN MY OPINION AND OTHER PARENTS OPINIONS RAN VERY SMOOTHLY AND WAS THE SAFER OPTION. AND SHE HAS TOLD ME THAT ESSENTIALLY HER HANDS ARE TIED AND THERE'S NOTHING THAT SHE CAN DO ABOUT THIS ISSUE, WHICH IS WHY I'M PRESENTING IT TO THE SCHOOL BOARD IN HOPES THAT SOMETHING CAN CHANGE THERE. IT'S KINDERGARTEN THROUGH THIRD GRADE. THESE ARE SMALL CHILDREN THAT ARE HAVING TO WEAVE IN AND OUT OF THE PARKING LOT. THEY'RE THERE WITH MANY SIBLINGS, SOMETIMES PREGNANT WOMEN STANDING IN THE HEAT, NEWBORN BABIES OUT IN THE HEAT, IN THE FREEZING, IN THE RAIN. IT'S JUST UNSAFE. AND I FEEL LIKE THE SCHOOL IS CAPABLE OF RE-IMPLEMENTING THE VALET SYSTEM. AND JUST FOR EVERYBODY'S SAFETY, I THINK THAT THAT WOULD BE WHAT'S BEST. SO I'M NOT SURE WHAT THE DISTRICT CAN DO. HOPEFULLY SOMETHING. I JUST FEEL LIKE MY VOICE IS NOT BEING HEARD THROUGH OUR DIRECT SCHOOL LINE. SO THAT'S IT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT WE HAVE. JERRICA BAILEY. OR IS JERRICA BAILEY? JERRICA BAILEY. MY APOLOGIES. 
          WELCOME. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. JERRICA BAILEY. KILLEEN, TEXAS. GOOD EVENING, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD. MY NAME IS BAILEY, AND I PROUDLY SERVED THIS DISTRICT FOR 18 YEARS AS AN EDUCATOR, INCLUDING THE PAST FIVE YEARS AS A SCHOOL LIBRARIAN. I ALSO CURRENTLY SERVE AS A LIBRARIAN FOR THE DISTRICT. TO SERVE THIS ROLE, SCHOOL LIBRARIANS MUST MEET EXTENSIVE PROFESSIONAL REQUIREMENTS, EARNING A BACHELOR'S DEGREE IN INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDIES, A CERTIFICATION AS A TEACHER, A MINIMUM OF TWO YEARS OF CLASSROOM TEACHING, AND A MASTER'S DEGREE WITH A LIBRARY CERTIFICATION. IN ADDITION, I AM CURRENTLY PURSUING MY PHD. I'M HERE TODAY TO SPEAK TO YOU ABOUT THE UPCOMING DISCUSSION ON THE PROPOSED REVISIONS TO BOARD POLICY EFB INSTRUCTIONAL RESOURCES, LIBRARY MATERIALS, AND THE RESOLUTION ESTABLISHING A LOCAL SCHOOL LIBRARY ADVISORY COUNCIL. SLACK. AS A SCHOOL LIBRARIAN, I STRONGLY SUPPORT 
          [00:10:01]
OPTION ONE. THIS OPTION MAINTAINS THE CURRENT STRUCTURE RECOMMENDED BY TASK POLICY SERVICES WHILE UPHOLDING PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS FOR COLLECTION, DEVELOPMENT AND TRANSPARENCY. IT PRESERVES THE ROLE OF CERTIFIED LIBRARIANS, EDUCATORS WHO ARE TRAINED TO EVALUATE MATERIALS FOR AGE APPROPRIATENESS, ACADEMIC RELEVANCE, AND DIVERSITY OF PERSPECTIVES, WHILE ENSURING PARENTS RETAIN FULL AUTHORITY OVER THEIR OWN CHILD'S ACCESS TO LIBRARY MATERIALS. WHILE I RESPECT THE INTENT BEHIND OPTION TWO AND THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A SLACK, I MUST URGE YOU NOT TO ADOPT THIS APPROACH. CREATING AN ADDITIONAL COUNCIL INTRODUCES UNNECESSARY BUREAUCRACY, DUPLICATES PROCESSES ALREADY IN PLACE, AND RISK UNDERMINING THE EXPERTISE OF PROFESSIONAL CERTIFIED SCHOOL LIBRARIANS. SPECIFICALLY, THE SLACK MODEL SHIFTS DECISION MAKING AWAY FROM CERTIFIED LIBRARIANS WHO ARE UNIQUELY TRAINED TO APPLY STATE LIBRARY STANDARDS AND INSTRUCTIONAL GOALS IN MATERIAL SELECTION. IT ADDS DELAYS AND INEFFICIENCIES TO THE ACQUISITION AND REVIEW PROCESS, WHICH COULD LIMIT STUDENT ACCESS TO RESOURCES. IT OPENS THE DOOR TO IDEOLOGICAL INFLUENCE OF LIBRARY COLLECTIONS, AS COUNCIL MEMBERSHIP PRIORITIZES NON DISTRICT EMPLOYEES, MANY OF WHOM ARE NOT FAMILIAR WITH EDUCATIONAL STANDARDS, LITERACY GOALS, OR THE INSTRUCTIONAL NEEDS OF OUR STUDENTS. IT CREATES INEQUITIES ACROSS CAMPUSES, AS COMMUNITY VALUES MAY BE INTERPRETED INCONSISTENTLY, LEADING TO FRAGMENTED LIBRARY COLLECTIONS AND UNEVEN STUDENT OPPORTUNITIES. OPTION ONE ALREADY PROVIDES A STRONG FRAMEWORK FOR PARENTAL INPUT, TRANSPARENCY, AND ACCOUNTABILITY WHILE PRESERVING THE INTEGRITY OF THE EDUCATIONAL PROCESS. 
          OPTION TWO ONLY ADDS COMPLEXITY WITHOUT IMPROVING SAFEGUARDS. OUR LIBRARIES MUST REMAIN SPACES THAT REFLECT PROFESSIONAL EXPERTISE, EQUITABLE ACCESS, AND INTELLECTUAL FREEDOM. BY CHOOSING OPTION ONE, YOU AFFIRM THE TRUST PLACED IN CERTIFIED LIBRARIANS, UPHOLD STATE STANDARDS AND COMPLIANCE WITH POLICY, AND ENSURE THAT OUR STUDENTS CONTINUE TO BENEFIT FROM RICH, DIVERSE, AND DEVELOPMENTALLY APPROPRIATE LIBRARY COLLECTIONS. THANK YOU FOR THANK YOU FOR YOUR THOUGHTFUL CONSIDERATION OF THIS IMPORTANT ISSUE, AND FOR YOUR CONTINUED COMMITMENT TO OUR STUDENTS AND SCHOOL LIBRARIANS OF KILLEEN ISD. THANK YOU. NEXT WE HAVE REY ANN PALM. DID I PRONOUNCE THAT CORRECTLY? YOU DID. WELCOME. THANK YOU. I ACTUALLY LIVE IN COPPERAS COVE. DEAR MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, SUPERINTENDENT DAVIS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS. MY NAME IS RYAN PALM AND I HAVE BEEN WITH THE DISTRICT FOR 11 YEARS, FOUR OF WHICH I TAUGHT FIRST GRADE, AND THIS WILL BE MY SEVENTH YEAR AS A SCHOOL LIBRARIAN AND THE SECOND YEAR AS A LIBRARIAN FOR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. TO SERVE THIS ROLE, LIKE MY PEERS, I HAD TO MEET EXTENSIVE PROFESSIONAL REQUIREMENTS, EARNING A MASTER'S MASTER'S DEGREE IN LIBRARY SCIENCE, A LIBRARIAN CERTIFICATION ALONG WITH THE BACHELOR'S DEGREE AND THE TEACHER CERTIFICATION. I AM SPEAKING TONIGHT REGARDING YOUR UPCOMING DISCUSSION AND VOTE ON THE PROPOSED REVISIONS TO BOARD POLICY EFB LOCAL INSTRUCTIONAL RESOURCES, LIBRARY MATERIALS, AND THE RESOLUTION ESTABLISHING A SCHOOL LIBRARY ADVISORY COUNCIL, OR SLACK. AS A LIBRARIAN, I SUGGEST OPTION ONE. THIS OPTION, LIKE MY PEERS HAVE SAID, MAINTAINS THE CURRENT STRUCTURE RECOMMENDED BY THE TEXAS POLICY. IT ALLOWS LIBRARIANS WHO ARE EDUCATORS TRAINED IN TO EVALUATE MATERIALS FOR AGE APPROPRIATENESS, ACADEMIC RELEVANCE, AND DIVERSITY OF PERSPECTIVES. THE ABILITY TO CONTINUE THEIR ROLE WHILE ENSURING PARENTS RETAIN THE AUTHORITY OVER THEIR OWN CHILD'S ACCESS TO THE MATERIALS. IN REGARDS TO OPTION TWO AND CREATING THE SLACK, I COULD LIST NUMEROUS REASONS WHY HANDING OVER THE DECISION MAKING TO A SLACK WOULD BE DETRIMENTAL TO OUR SCHOOL LIBRARIES. HOWEVER, I FEEL COMPELLED TO TALK ABOUT THE MOST IMPORTANT REASON, AND THAT IS OUR STUDENTS. I WAS TOLD RECENTLY THAT EDUCATING STUDENTS WHO DO NOT READ IS IMPOSSIBLE. OUR STUDENTS GET JUST AS EXCITED ABOUT THE UPCOMING BOOK RELEASES AS WE LIBRARIANS DO. I WATCH CHILDREN COME INTO THE LIBRARY THE LAST TWO WEEKS, AND I SAW THE EXCITEMENT OVER THE NEW BOOKS THAT CAME IN AT THE END OF THE YEAR. SORRY, IT REMINDS ME OF WHY I DO, AND THAT IS TO CREATE A LOVE OF LEARNING AND READING. THE PROCESS OF SELECTING BOOKS TO ORDER FOR A LIBRARY IS NOT AS SIMPLE AS MANY PEOPLE THINK. AS A TRAINED LIBRARIAN, I HAVE SPENT THE MONTHS CURATING A LIST FOR THE FALL THAT I KNOW MY STUDENTS WOULD BE EXCITED TO HAVE AND TO READ. I HAVE READ COUNTLESS REVIEWS, BLOGS, CONVERSED WITH OTHER LIBRARIANS, LOOKED AT CIRCULATION DATA, TOOK STUDENT FEEDBACK AT THE END OF THE YEAR, AND STILL KEPT IN THE EDUCATIONAL STANDARDS AND LIBRARY STANDARDS IN MIND. THE DELAY OPTION TWO WOULD CAUSE WOULD MEAN THAT THESE BOOKS WOULD LIKELY NOT COME INTO THE HANDS OF MY STUDENTS AT THE END OF THE DAY, AND HONESTLY, THAT BREAKS MY HEART. I LEAVE YOU WITH THE REMINDER THAT WHEN THE DISTRICT HIRES LIBRARIANS, YOU HIRE TRAINED PROFESSIONALS. 
          THANK YOU FOR THE THOUGHTFUL CONSIDERATION FOR THIS IMPORTANT ISSUE AND YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT 
          [00:15:04]
OF OUR STUDENTS AND OUR LIBRARIES. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. NEXT WE HAVE AALIYAH CLARK. 
          WELCOME. THANK YOU. SORRY. THANK YOU. MY NAME IS CLARK AND I LIVE IN BELTON, TEXAS. I HAVE WORKED IN THE SCHOOL DISTRICT FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS. THANK YOU. I WANT TO FIRST TELL YOU. THANK YOU FOR YOUR VOLUNTEER TIME. I KNOW YOU PUT IN A LOT OF TIME AND I GREATLY APPRECIATE THAT. 
          I'M. I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'VE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO READ SB 13 OR NOT, BUT I JUST WANTED TO SPEAK TO A LITTLE BIT OF HOW IT WILL AFFECT YOU, BECAUSE SB 13 WILL NOW REQUIRE YOU TO APPROVE ALL OF THE NEW BOOKS AND ALL OF THE NEW DONATED BOOKS IN THAT ARE DONATED AND ARE PURCHASED BY LIBRARIES AND KILLEEN ISD. THE SORRY, THE REQUIREMENT FOR THAT IS THAT. A CURATED LIST IS PUT TOGETHER AND IT NEEDS TO BE POSTED FOR PUBLIC ACCESS FOR AT LEAST 30 DAYS PRIOR TO Y'ALL VOTING ON IT, AND THEN YOU WILL NEED TO REVIEW THE MATERIAL AND WHICH IS TIME CONSUMING. AS RAY AND JUST SAID, WE. SORRY. WE DO SPEND A GREAT DEAL OF TIME WITH THAT. ANOTHER THING THAT THE LAW WILL ADD TO IT MANY THINGS. BUT ANOTHER THING IS CHALLENGE BOOK CHALLENGES. NOW THE IF A BOOK CHALLENGE IS APPEALED, IT WILL COME DIRECTLY TO THE SCHOOL BOARD AND THE. YOU'VE HEARD THAT LIBRARIANS ARE VERY MUCH IN FAVOR OF THE FIRST OPTION FOR SB LOCAL. THE ONE THING I WILL SAY ABOUT SB LOCAL TWO THERE ARE SEVERAL THINGS TO BE SAID, BUT ONE THING IS THERE'S NO PROVISION IN IT IMMEDIATELY FOR BOOK CHALLENGES. AND THE LAW PROVIDES THAT THE SLACK. THE ADVOCACY COMMITTEE WILL NEED TO CREATE A BOOK CHALLENGE POLICY, PRESENT IT TO Y'ALL FOR APPROVAL BEFORE ANY BOOK CHALLENGES COULD BE HEARD. SO THAT'S ONE MORE ASPECT. I THINK. WE TALKED TO ASPECTS OF. THE DELAYS IN PUTTING NEW BOOKS AND NEEDED BOOKS ON SHELVES. I JUST WANT TO TELL YOU ABOUT THREE STUDENTS, AND I'M GOING TO TRY TO DO IT REALLY FAST. ON WEDNESDAY WHEN SCHOOL STARTED, I HAD A STUDENT COME IN THE LIBRARY. SHE WALKED OVER TO A BOOKSHELF, IMMEDIATELY PICKED THIS BOOK UP, TURNED AROUND TO ME AND SAID, I'VE BEEN WAITING ALL SUMMER TO READ THIS BOOK. AND HAD IT NOT BEEN. HAD THERE BEEN DELAYS, THIS BOOK WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ON THE SHELF. AND I WISH I HAD TIME TO TELL YOU ABOUT THE TWO OTHER STUDENTS I HAVE IN MIND, BUT IT'S JUST I NEED TO TELL YOU THAT LIBRARIES CAN DO MAGICAL THINGS. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. 
          NEXT WE HAVE JULISA GONZALEZ. DID I SAY THAT CORRECTLY? WELCOME. HI. HI, MY NAME IS ALYSSA GONZALEZ. I JUST WANTED TO BRING UP THAT I WANT TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE, WHICH IS THE SCHOOL TIMES. I UNDERSTAND THAT PEOPLE TOOK A VOTE LAST YEAR. EVERY PARENT HAS TO BE AT THE SCHOOL FROM 7 TO 7. 25 OTHER PARENTS AND MYSELF THINK THAT IT'S TOO EARLY FOR STUDENTS. 
          SOME FAMILIES STRUGGLE OR CAN'T MEET THOSE TIMES, ESPECIALLY FOR THE FAMILIES THAT ONLY HAVE ONE VEHICLE, OR FOR ESPECIALLY ON POSTS ON BASE FOR THE PT SINCE IT'S SEVEN 3630 TO 730, I THINK WE SHOULD CHANGE THE TIMES FROM 730 TO 8 LIKE LAST YEAR. THAT'S PLENTY OF TIME FOR PARENTS TO GET THEIR KIDS TO SCHOOL. AND I TOTALLY UNDERSTAND THAT. SOME PARENTS DO GO TO WORK AT EIGHT, BUT I FEEL LIKE FOR THE TIMES AND THE STUDENTS, THEY HAVE TO WAKE UP SUPER EARLY. LIKE ME, MYSELF AS A MOM, I HAVE TO WAKE UP AT FIVE AND THEN BE THERE AT 630 BECAUSE THE DOORS OPEN AT SEVEN. AND ANOTHER BIG ISSUE FOR ALL PARENTS IS THE PLASTIC WATER BOTTLES. I MEAN, SOME PARENTS BELIEVE IN, IN ALL SCHOOLS SHOULD BE ABLE TO HAVE THERMAL WATER BOTTLES. THEY HAVE ACCESS TO COLD WATER AND CLEAN WATER. IT'S A SAFER WAY TO STAY HYDRATED. PLASTIC WATER BOTTLES DON'T STAY COLD AND THEY CARRY TOXINS IN IT. IF TEACHERS CAN HAVE THERMALS, WHY NOT STUDENTS? 
          [00:20:02]
ESPECIALLY SINCE IT'S GETTING REALLY HOTTER IN TEXAS LATELY. I ALSO MADE A PETITION FOR ALL THESE ISSUES. I GOT OVER 110 SIGNATURES WITHIN FIVE HOURS. WE ALSO MADE A PETITION FOR THE PARKING LOT ON BASE. IT'S GOTTEN 100 SIGNATURES AS WELL. ANOTHER ISSUE IS THE KIDS IN SCHOOLS NOT GETTING SNACK TIME. WE SHOULD MAKE IT. WE SHOULD MAKE IT MANDATORY FOR ALL SCHOOLS IN EVERY GRADE TO HAVE A SNACK, WHETHER IF IT'S CLASS TIME OR A SET BREAK. I SPOKE TO OTHER PARENTS IN DIFFERENT CLASSROOMS. SOME TEACHERS OFFER SNACK TIME AND SOME DON'T. MY DAUGHTER GOES TO KINDERGARTEN AND I HAD CALLED THE SCHOOL TO ASK THEM. THEY SAID THAT SHE'S SUPPOSED TO GET SNACK TIME, BUT SOME TEACHERS ARE LIKE PICKING AND CHOOSING. SO I BELIEVE WE SHOULD HAVE SNACK TIME FOR ALL THE KIDS. IT'S HEALTHIER. IT'S SUPPOSED TO MOTIVATE THEM DURING THE DAY, ESPECIALLY BECAUSE THEY HAVE TO WAKE UP SUPER EARLY IN THE MORNING. THAT'S PRETTY MUCH IT THAT I WANTED TO BRING UP. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. AS WE HAVE NO ONE ELSE SIGNED UP FOR PUBLIC 
          [2. Superintendent's Report and Review of First Week of School]
FORUM, WE'RE CLOSING PUBLIC FORUM. WE'LL NOW GO TO AGENDA ITEM NUMBER TWO, WHICH IS SUPERINTENDENT'S REPORT AND REVIEW OF THE FIRST WEEK OF SCHOOL. DOCTOR DAVIS THANK YOU MR. PRESIDENT. WELCOME EVERYONE. SO OVERALL IT'S BEEN A PRETTY SOLID START TO THE SCHOOL YEAR CERTAINLY HAS NOT BEEN PERFECT. AND WE'RE CERTAINLY CONTINUING TO WORK ON DIFFERENT LOGISTICS THROUGHOUT THE DISTRICT WHETHER IT BE TRANSPORTATION AND SO ON AND SO FORTH. AND SO BUT CERTAINLY PROUD OF THIS TEAM. AND AS WE CONTINUE TO GO FORWARD WORKING OUT THE KINKS. AND SO AT THIS TIME, I'LL TURN IT OVER TO DOCTOR OSBORNE AND MR. HECKENBERG. THANK YOU. DOCTOR DAVIS. THE CLICKER IS UP THERE. SO I'LL JUST LET YOU KNOW, OKAY? BELIEVE IT OR NOT, WE ARE FIVE DAYS IN THE BOOKS ON OUR TEN MONTH JOURNEY, AND WHILE IT IS VERY EARLY, WE BELIEVE, LIKE DOCTOR DAVIS SAID, THAT WE ARE READY TO CELEBRATE SOME SMALL WINS. SO WE WANT TO TAKE A LITTLE TIME TO TALK ABOUT THOSE GOOD THINGS AND TALK THROUGH A FEW OF THOSE CHALLENGES THAT HE REFERENCED, AS WELL AS TALK ABOUT WHAT WE CAN ENVISION AND EXPECT IN THE FUTURE. NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. SO STARTING WITH WHAT WE'RE PROUD OF, MOST PEOPLE MAY NOT KNOW FROM THE MOMENT THAT WE FINISH OUR LAST GRADUATION IN MAY. AS SOON AS WE WALK OUT OF THAT EVENT CENTER, WE ARE POINTED ALL ARROWS TO THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL FOR OUR CAMPUSES. FOR OUR DISTRICT, THAT INCLUDES HIRING. THAT INCLUDES REFINING OUR SYSTEMS TO IMPROVE OUR PRACTICES. THAT INCLUDES TRAINING OUR STAFF AND PREPARING FOR THEIR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND LEARNING. AND ALL OF THOSE THINGS ARE GEARED FOR US TO HAVE A READY, SET START TO THAT FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL. SO WE ARE REALLY PROUD OF THE READINESS FOR SCHOOL OPENING. WE SET OUT WITH A VISION FOR HOW THAT WILL LOOK, AND WE BELIEVE THAT WE REALLY WERE ABLE TO EXECUTE THAT IN THE BEGINNING OF THIS SCHOOL YEAR. NOW, IF YOU ASK KIDS IN MAY AND JUNE AND JULY, THEY ARE NOT READY TO RETURN TO US. THEY WILL SAY NO WITH A RESOUNDING VOICE. BUT THEY WERE ENERGY, SMILES, HUGS. JUST A FEW TEARS, BUT THOROUGHLY EXCITED AND BROUGHT SO MUCH POSITIVE ENERGY AS WELL AS THEIR FAMILIES TO THAT FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL. I BELIEVE THAT THAT IS A TESTAMENT. OUR TEAM BELIEVES THAT IS A TESTAMENT TO THE ADULT SITTING IN THIS ROOM, THE ADULTS THAT ARE OUT ON CAMPUSES AND ACROSS OUR DISTRICT, STAFF, TEACHERS, CUSTODIANS, TRANSPORTATION, EVERYBODY ENGAGED IN SMOOTH OPERATIONS. AND WE FEEL LIKE IN OUR FIRST FIVE DAYS THAT EXACTLY. THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT HAS HAPPENED FOR US. NOW, MAKE NO MISTAKE, IT WAS NOT PERFECT. WE HAD SOME HICCUPS, SOME CAMPUSES AND SOME SOME OTHERS AS WELL. BUT THE COLLECTIVE RESILIENCE OF OUR TEAM THROUGH THOSE HICCUPS SPEAKS TO THE NOTION THAT WE ARE COLLECTIVELY UNIFIED AROUND PROBLEM SOLVING AND HAVING THE BEST EXPERIENCES FOR KIDS. WE ARE WHOLEHEARTEDLY EXCITED ABOUT OUR READINESS FOR SCHOOL OPENING. SECOND TO THAT, OUR PHASE ONE SECURITY MEASURES WERE HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL AS WELL. AS WE MENTIONED LAST WEEK, WE LAUNCHED OUR SECONDARY APPROACH WITH SECONDARY SCHOOLS AND OUR WEAPONS DETECTION SYSTEMS. IN MIDDLE SCHOOL AND HIGH SCHOOL, WHERE IN THE PREVIOUS SCHOOL YEAR, WE DID NOT HAVE OUR WEAPON DETECTION SYSTEMS AT EVERY SECONDARY CAMPUS WE DO IN THIS SCHOOL YEAR, AND NOT ONLY JUST ONE AT THE FRONT DOOR OR ONE AT THE SIDE DOOR WHERE KIDS COME IN. OUR SECONDARY CAMPUSES WERE ABLE TO GET OFF THE GROUND WITH THREE, FOUR AND SOME CAMPUSES, FIVE WEAPON DETECTION SYSTEMS SUCCESSFULLY. I ALSO WANT TO GIVE SOME KUDOS TO OUR HR TEAM AND THE SAFETY DEPARTMENT. WE LOOKED TO HIRE FIVE, I'M SORRY, TEN SAFETY SPECIALISTS. COMING INTO THIS YEAR. WE WERE ABLE TO GET THOSE INDIVIDUALS HIRED AND IN THIS WEEK STARTED TRAINING. SO WE HAVE SEEN GREAT SUCCESS IN THAT PHASE. ONE OF OUR SECURITY 
          [00:25:05]
MEASURE IMPLEMENTATION. IN THIS FIRST WEEK, WE WERE ALSO ABLE TO UPGRADE OUR APPROACH TO OUR CAMPUS TO DISTRICT FEEDBACK LOOP. TRADITIONALLY, WE HAD PAPER AND PENCIL AND CHECK CHECKLIST SCAN THEM IN. WE UPGRADED IN THIS YEAR TO USING AN ELECTRONIC MICROSOFT FORM AND THAT WAS ATTACHED TO THIS ITEM. SO YOU CAN SEE THAT ONLINE IF YOU'RE CHECKING IT OUT AS A PARENT OR FOR OUR BOARD MEMBERS, WE COLLECTED ABOUT 15 DIFFERENT QUESTIONS OF INFORMATION FROM OUR 50 PLUS PRINCIPALS AND THEN SAT IN THIS BOARD ROOM WITH ABOUT 30 DISTRICT STAFF MEMBERS TO DISSECT THAT INFORMATION AND DECIDE, WHAT DO WE NEED TO DO NEXT TO IMPROVE THE EXPERIENCE. 
          THAT WAS HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL IN OUR FIRST WEEK AS WELL. AND LAST WEEK I TALKED ABOUT OUR HOPE FOR AND THAT WAS FAMILY AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT. AND I DEFINITELY HAVE TO SAY WHAT WE SAW ON DAY ONE, TWO, THREE AND THE LAST COUPLE OF DAYS OF THIS WEEK WAS WHOLEHEARTEDLY BEYOND WHAT WE WOULD HAVE EXPECTED. FROM DONATIONS OF BACKPACKS, SHAKING HANDS AND CAR RIDER LINES, OUR PARTNERS SHOWING UP FULL FORCE. YOU CAN SEE IT HERE ON THAT PICTURE. ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE THAT IS THE CAFETERIA AND ROY J. SMITH AND THOSE ARE PARENT VOLUNTEERS AND COMMUNITY VOLUNTEERS GIVING SEVENTH GRADERS THEIR SCHEDULE ON DAY ONE. SO WE ARE VERY PROUD OF THE CAMP, THE CAMPUSES AND THE FAMILIES THAT CAME OUT TO MAKE SURE THEY SUPPORTED A GREAT LAUNCH TO THE SCHOOL YEAR. NEXT SLIDE SCOTT. ALL RIGHT. GOOD EVENING. SOME OF THE DATA WE COLLECTED OVER THE OVER THE LAST WEEK THAT WE'RE GOING TO REPORT OUT ON, SO YOU CAN SEE 43 OVER 49 CAMPUSES ARE OVER 90% OF THE PROJECTED ENROLLMENT. WE'RE ACTUALLY EXACTLY WHERE WE WERE AT THIS TIME LAST YEAR AT 95% ENROLLMENT ON THE FIFTH DAY OF SCHOOL. SO WE'RE WE'RE TRACKING WHERE WE'RE WHERE WE NEED TO BE. THE 170 TEACHER VACANCIES RIGHT NOW. THAT IS A 94% TEACHER FILL RATE. THOSE VACANCIES, ABOUT ONE THIRD OF THOSE ARE SPECIAL EDUCATION BILLETS, AND THE OTHER THIRD ARE TYPICALLY INSTRUCTIONAL SPECIALIST. AND THEN THE LAST THIRD OF YOUR TYPICAL CLASSROOM TEACHERS. THAT'S THE BREAKDOWN OF THOSE VACANCIES. AGAIN, WE ARE VERY MUCH IN WE'RE BETTER OFF THAN WE WERE AT THIS TIME LAST YEAR IN THOSE NUMBERS, AS WE BRIEFED LAST WEEK, WE'RE CONTINUING TO WORK TO INCREASE THOSE NUMBERS, TO CONTINUE TO RECRUIT, CONTINUE TO LOOK FOR SOLUTIONS. VACANCIES WILL DECREASE AS POSITIONS ARE ADJUSTED BASED ON ENROLLMENT NUMBERS PER CAMPUSES, AND WE WILL WORK OVER THE NEXT WEEK OR TWO WITH HR AND THE LEARNING SERVICES TEAM TO MAKE THOSE ADJUSTMENTS, AND THEN A 95% FILL RATE FOR OUR SUBSTITUTE TEACHERS TO CLOSE THOSE GAPS WHERE WE DO HAVE VACANCIES, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE QUALIFIED PEOPLE IN THOSE ROOMS TAKING CARE OF THOSE KIDS TO CONTINUE THE LEARNING. NEXT SLIDE. SO AS DOCTOR OSBORNE TALKED ABOUT, WE DEFINITELY HAVE THINGS TO IMPROVE. YOU KNOW, WE HAVE VERY CLEARLY DONE SOME INITIAL HOURS WITH MORE TO COME. AND WE ARE PEELING BACK THE ONION ON THE THINGS WE DID RIGHT. BUT ALSO MORE IMPORTANTLY, THE THINGS WE DID WRONG BECAUSE WE WANT TO IMPROVE AND WE KNOW THAT WE CAN DO BETTER IN SOME AREAS. THE FIRST IS TRANSPORTATION, TIMELINESS AND PROCESSES. WE ARE RELOOKING AT OUR ROUTE TIMES THERE. THERE WAS SOME CITY CONSTRUCTION THAT KICKED OFF, YOU KNOW, THE FIRST WEEK OF SCHOOL THAT WE WEREN'T ALLOWED TO FULLY CONDUCT OUR REHEARSALS AND ANTICIPATE THE TRAFFIC PATTERNS IN PLACES LIKE FEATHER LINE, WHERE THE CONSTRUCTION STARTED RIGHT BEFORE SCHOOL STARTED. THAT ADJUSTED SOME OF OUR ROUTE PLANNING. SO WE'RE LOOKING FOR THOSE TIMELINESS ISSUES AND HOW WE READJUST OUR ROUTES TO CONTROL EVERYTHING WE DO BEFORE THAT FIRST STOP, WHERE WE PICK UP CHILDREN OR DROP OFF CHILDREN, WE'RE WORKING ON OUR PROCESS AS WELL, PROPERLY IN COMMUNICATION, BOTH WITH PARENTS AND ALSO WITH THE CAMPUSES, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE COMMUNICATING. WHEN THERE IS AN ISSUE, THAT WE RESOLVE IT QUICKLY AND THAT WE OVERCOMMUNICATE TO THOSE FAMILIES BECAUSE WE UNDERSTAND THEIR CONCERNS, IT IS EMOTIONAL FOR THEM, RIGHTLY SO, AND WE OWE THEM ANSWERS FASTER, WITH MORE CLARITY THAN WHAT WE DID THIS WEEK. AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO WORK ON THOSE PROCESSES. WE'RE CONTINUING TO TRAIN OUR SUBSTITUTE STAFF. I'M SORRY I SKIPPED ONE. GO BACK TO THE FACILITY. SO, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE START THE YEAR, WE ALWAYS TEST THE SYSTEMS, WE CHECK EVERYTHING, AND THEN MURPHY SHOWS UP AND WE HAVE SOME ISSUES WITH THE ACES. WE KNOW IT IS HOT IN TEXAS IN AUGUST AND WE'RE WORKING THROUGH THOSE CHALLENGES. WE ARE DEPLOYING PORTABLE AC UNITS AS QUICKLY AS WE CAN TO THE AREAS WHERE WE HAVE ISSUES. AND THE FACILITIES TEAM IS RAPIDLY, YOU KNOW, KNOCKING DOWN THOSE ISSUES, WORKING WITH CONTRACTORS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE GET THOSE SYSTEMS UP AND RUNNING AND THE ROOMS COOLED AS QUICKLY AS WE CAN. THE CAMPUS STAFF HAS BEEN FANTASTIC WHEN POSSIBLE, IF THEY HAVE ROOMS AVAILABLE. WE ARE WORKING TO MOVE STUDENTS TO ANOTHER SECTION OF THE BUILDING TEMPORARILY. THAT IS COOLER IF THAT'S POSSIBLE, AND WE'RE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR CREATIVE SOLUTIONS WITH THE STAFF TO PUT THE CHILDREN IN THE BEST ENVIRONMENT TO LEARN. FOR OUR 
          [00:30:05]
TRAINING OF THE SUBSTITUTE STAFF. YOU KNOW, AS WE MENTIONED ON THE PREVIOUS SLIDE, ABOUT A THIRD OF OUR VACANCIES ARE IN SPECIAL EDUCATION CLASSROOMS AND LEADERSHIP. SO WE ARE WORKING WITH OUR SUBSTITUTE PARTNER, S, WHO CURRENTLY HAS A TRAINING PROGRAM FOR GENERAL EDUCATION. 
          AND THEY ARE DEVELOPING ONE IN CONJUNCTION WITH OUR TEAM TO FOCUS ON THE SPECIAL EDUCATION ASPECTS. SO THOSE SUBSTITUTES ARE BETTER PREPARED WHEN THEY COME INTO THE CLASSROOM TO DEAL WITH THE SITUATIONS THEY WILL FACE ON A DAY TO DAY BASIS. THERE WE ARE WORKING TO DELIVER THE REMAINING INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS. AS OF TODAY, THERE WERE TWO PACKETS, TWO DELIVERIES THAT STILL NEEDED TO BE MADE. THIS WAS PRIMARILY DUE TO STATE FUNDING DELAYS IN THE ORDERING PROCESS. SO ONE ONE ASPECT CAME IN TODAY. THE OTHER IS STILL ON ORDER WAITING. THE TEAM DID A REALLY GOOD JOB OF KNOCKING DOWN THOSE ISSUES USING PURCHASE ORDERS GETTING DONE. SO WE STILL HAVE TWO CURRICULUM MATERIALS LEFT TO DELIVER, AND THOSE WILL BE DONE AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE. 
          OBVIOUSLY, OUR REGISTRATION WERE NOT AT 100% OF PROJECTED ENROLLMENT, SO WE'RE WORKING TO CONTACT AND REGISTER THOSE INACTIVE STUDENTS. WE HAVE THE ROLLS OF WHO WE ANTICIPATED STUDENTS THAT WERE HERE LAST YEAR, AND WE ARE WORKING THAT INFORMATION TO TRY AND GENERATE NUMBERS. WE, YOU KNOW, ADD IN ABOUT 500 OR SO A DAY CURRENTLY. RIGHT NOW, WE KNOW WITH SCHOOL STARTING ON A WEDNESDAY LAST WEEK, THERE WERE SOME FOLKS WHO DECIDED TO TAKE THOSE EXTRA COUPLE DAYS TO EXTEND THE SUMMER JUST A LITTLE BIT AND START LEARNING THIS WEEK. AND SO THOSE REGISTRATION NUMBERS CONTINUE TO INCREASE, AND WE BELIEVE WE'LL CONTINUE TO CLOSE THAT GAP OVER OVER THE NEXT WEEK OR TWO. AND THEN LAST WE KNOW WE HAVE TO ADDRESS THE VACANCIES. THERE'S A LOT OF WAYS WE CAN DO THIS. THE FIRST AND FOREMOST IS AS OUR ENROLLMENT STARTS TO NORMALIZE, AND WE FEEL THAT WE'RE CLOSE TO HAVING A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT THE EACH CAMPUS ENROLLMENT IS GOING TO BE. WE WILL LOOK AT THE CROSS LEVELING OF TEACHERS MOVING FROM CAMPUSES TO WHERE THERE IS NOT ENOUGH ON ONE CAMPUS AND AN EXTRA ON ANOTHER BASED ON THE PROJECTED ENROLLMENTS, AND WE WILL ADJUST THOSE AS NEEDED TO MAKE SURE WE MINIMIZE THE VACANCIES ACROSS THE ENTIRE DISTRICT. OKAY. NEXT SLIDE. SO NOW THAT WE'RE OFF THE GROUND, OF COURSE THE QUESTION BECOMES WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE. SO JUST A FEW THINGS THAT WE WANT TO TALK ABOUT FROM NOW UNTIL SEPTEMBER. FIRST AND FOREMOST, WE MOST CERTAINLY WANT OUR FAMILIES TO KNOW, OUR STUDENTS TO KNOW. WE ARE IMPLEMENTING THE STUDENT CODE OF CONDUCT. SCOC IS IN FULL EFFECT. 
          SO WE INVITE OUR PARENTS TO HAVE THOSE CRITICAL CONVERSATIONS AT HOME WITH THEIR STUDENTS, NOT ONLY ABOUT THE DISTRICT EXPECTATIONS, BUT THE SPECIFIC CAMPUS EXPECTATIONS. EVEN AS TIME PASSES, WE WANT OUR FAMILIES TO ALSO KNOW THAT WE ARE STILL LOCKED IN ON CUSTOMER SERVICE. WE WANT TO SOLVE ISSUES AT THE LOWEST LEVEL, BUT DON'T BE AFRAID TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU'RE REACHING OUT TO THE RESPECTIVE DEPARTMENTS SO WE CAN STREAMLINE SOLUTIONS ON YOUR BEHALF. WE ALSO WANT OUR CAMPUSES TO KNOW OUR LEADERS TO KNOW WE WILL OPERATE WITH SCHOOLS AT THE CENTER. IT'S WHERE THE WORK IS HAPPENING. INSTRUCTION IS IN THE CLASSROOM. 
          IT'S NOT AT OUR DISTRICT OFFICES. SO WE WANT TO FOCUS ON SCHOOLS. OVER THE NEXT FEW WEEKS, WE'LL CONTINUE TO MOVE TOWARDS FULL OPERATIONAL CAPACITY WITH OUR SAFETY PROGRAM. THAT'S GOING TO INCLUDE GETTING THOSE SAFETY SPECIALISTS OUT OF TRAINING AND INTO THE FIELD, SUPPORTING THREAT ASSESSMENT, SUPPORTING DOOR CHECKS AND OUR REQUIREMENTS THAT ARE INCLUDED IN SAFETY. WE ALSO WILL BE ABLE TO IMPLEMENT OUR ADDITIONAL FEATURES WITH OUR WEAPONS DETECTION SYSTEMS. SO WE'LL CONTINUE TO UPGRADE THERE. AND THEN WE'LL EVENTUALLY BE TRANSITIONING TO OUR PHASE IN OF OUR SECURITY MEASURES AT OUR ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS. NOW, WHILE OPERATIONS IS CRITICAL TO GETTING OFF THE GROUND, WE WANT OUR FAMILIES TO KNOW AS WELL. 
          THE MAIN THING IS STILL THE MAIN THING, AND THAT IS TEACHING AND ULTIMATELY LEARNING. SO AT THE KITCHEN TABLE, AT THE GROCERY STORE, IN THE CAR RIDE HOME, PLEASE ASK YOUR STUDENTS HOW THEIR SCHOOL DAY WENT. YOU SHOULD HEAR THEM TALKING ABOUT BEGINNING OF YEAR INSTRUCTION, OPENING UP THOSE I-READY TEXTBOOKS IN K-8, GETTING ENGAGED IN THE AGENDAS AND THE SYLLABI IN THOSE SECONDARY CLASSES, AND STARTING OUR BEGINNING OF YEAR DIAGNOSTIC TEST SO THAT WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT EVERY STUDENT GROWS EVERY YEAR. WE IMAGINE THAT MOST OF OUR COMMUNITY, IF NOT ALL, HAS HEARD ABOUT THE RELEASE OF THE ACCOUNTABILITY RATINGS. THOSE ARE AVAILABLE PUBLICLY, THOUGH THEY CAME OUT LAST THURSDAY. WE HAVE A LOT OF THINGS TO CELEBRATE FROM 21 DISTRICT DISTINCTIONS THAT OUR CAMPUSES HI, SUCCESS AT OUR HIGH SCHOOLS, OUR HIGHEST NEED MIDDLE SCHOOLS SAW IMPROVEMENT. WE ARE PROUD OF THE PROGRESS THAT WE MADE WITH OUR ACCOUNTABILITY SCORES. BUT AGAIN, MAKE NO MISTAKE, WE ENVISION OURSELVES AS A DISTRICT 
          [00:35:03]
WITH NOT A SINGLE D OR F SCHOOL, SO WE ARE LOCKED IN AND FOCUSED ON ADDRESSING THOSE CHALLENGES, IMPLEMENTING THOSE ACTION PLANS, AND MAKING SURE WE'RE MONITORING OUR DATA FOR OUR STUDENTS. THE EXCITING THING ALSO ABOUT THE SCHOOL YEAR IS THE EXTRACURRICULAR AND THE STUDENT EXPERIENCE. WHEN I DRIVE IN EVERY DAY, I SEE CROSS COUNTRY RUNNERS SOON. THE BEST THING IN TEXAS, IF YOU ASK SOMEONE, WILL BE HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL. THAT WILL BE HAPPENING TOO. 
          VOLLEYBALL IS UNDERWAY. PRAY FOR THOSE KIDS OUT THERE IN MARCHING BAND BECAUSE IT IS HOT. SOMEONE MENTIONED THAT EARLIER, BUT THOSE ARE THE GREAT THINGS THAT WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE SPOTLIGHTING FOR OUR CAMPUSES AS WELL. AND THEN LAST BUT NOT LEAST, WE WANT TO CONTINUE TO ENGAGE OUR FAMILIES IN THE OPTIMIZATION PROCESS. WE'VE HAD ENGAGEMENT OVER THE LAST SEVERAL MONTHS FROM OUR CAMPUS LEADERS, DISTRICT LEADERS, PARENT COMMUNITY ADVISORIES, AND WE ARE WANTING YOU TO TUNE IN NEXT WEEK AS WE TALK ABOUT OPTIMIZATION NEXT TUESDAY AT THE BOARD MEETING. AND THEN KEEP IN MIND, OUR GOAL THROUGH OPTIMIZATION IS TO MAKE SURE AS MANY KIDS AS POSSIBLE ARE AT THE HIGHEST QUALITY FACILITIES, AT THE HIGHEST PERFORMING SCHOOLS, AND THERE WERE MAXIMIZING OUR REVENUE AND RESOURCES TO MAKE GOOD ON THE MISSION OF SERVING KIDS. SO JUST THOSE TWO THINGS. AND THEN LAST SLIDE. I LOVE THIS QUOTE. SO I WANT TO CLOSE WITH IT. BELIEVE YOU CAN. AND YOU'RE HALFWAY THERE. WE WANT IT TO BE THAT SIMPLE. BUT WHAT I WOULD SAY IS THAT THE BELIEF IS HIGH IN KILLEEN ISD. WE ARE LEANED IN FROM THE COMMUNITY ASPECT. FROM THE STAFF ASPECT. WE'VE SHOWN PROGRESS AND WE THINK OUR TRAJECTORY IS EXACTLY WHERE WE NEED IT TO BE. BUT JUST LIKE OUR BELIEF IS HIGH, SO IS OUR COMMITMENT, AND WE ENCOURAGE OUR PARENTS AND COMMUNITY TO CONTINUE TO PARTNER WITH US AND MAKING SURE WE CREATE THE BEST EXPERIENCES FOR KIDS. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. WE'LL NOW GO TO AGENDA ITEM THREE, WHICH 
          [3. Action Items for Consideration]
IS ACTION ITEMS FOR CONSIDERATION. A RECEIVING APPROVED MINUTES FOR THE JULY 8TH, 2025 BOARD WORKSHOP. MADAM CAPITO. I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE AN ACTION TO RECEIVE AND APPROVE THE MINUTES FROM THE JULY 8TH, 2025 BOARD WORKSHOP. THE MOTION BY MADAM CAPITO, SECOND BY MR. MINTZ. ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION BY TRUSTEES THERE BEING NONE. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? SHOW OF HANDS. 
          WE HAVE FIVE IN FAVOR. THOSE OPPOSED, NONE IN OPPOSITION. THOSE ABSTAINING, MR. GILCHREST. 
          ABSTAINING. AND WE HAVE VICE PRESIDENT JONES ABSENT AND NOT PARTICIPATING. SO IT'S A502 VOTE, ONE ABSTENTION, ONE ABSENT AND NOT PARTICIPATING. WE'LL NOW GO TO BE RECEIVED AND APPROVED MINUTES FOR THE JULY 15TH, 2025 REGULAR MEETING. MADAM SECRETARY. I MOVE TO APPROVE THE MINUTES FOR THE JULY 15TH, 2020 REGULAR MEETING. AS WRITTEN, THE MOTION BY SECRETARY ADAMS, SECOND BY MADAM CAPITO. ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION BY TRUSTEES THERE BEING NONE. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? SHOW OF HANDS. WE HAVE SIX IN FAVOR, NONE IN OPPOSITION, ONE ABSENT AND NOT PARTICIPATING. AND VICE PRESIDENT SUSAN JONES, WE'LL NOW GO TO C, WHICH IS RECEIVED AND APPROVED MINUTES FOR THE JULY 23RD, 2025 SPECIAL CALL MEETING. MADAM CAPITO, I MOVE TO APPROVE THE MINUTES FROM THE JULY 23RD 25 SPECIAL CALLED MEETING AS WRITTEN. I HAVE A MOTION BY MADAM CAPITO, SECOND BY MR. MINTZ. ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION BY TRUSTEES THERE BEING NONE. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? SHOW OF HANDS. WE HAVE SIX IN FAVOR, NONE IN OPPOSITION, ONE ABSENT AND NOT PARTICIPATING. AND VICE PRESIDENT SUSAN JONES, WE'LL NOW GO TO D, WHICH IS RECEIVED AND APPROVED MINUTES FOR THE JULY 26TH, 2025 SPECIAL CALL MEETING. MADAM CAPITO, I MOVE TO APPROVE THE MINUTES FROM THE JULY 26TH, 2025 SPECIAL CALLED MEETING AS WRITTEN. WE HAVE A MOTION BY MADAM CAPITO. WE HAVE A SECOND BY SECRETARY ADAMS. ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION BY TRUSTEES THERE BEING NONE. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? SHOW OF HANDS. WE HAVE FIVE IN FAVOR. NONE. AND THOSE OPPOSED? THOSE ABSTAINING. SO WE HAVE FIVE IN FAVOR, NONE IN OPPOSITION, ONE ABSTAINING, AND ONE ABSENT AND NOT PARTICIPATING, MR. GILCHREST ABSTAINING. AND VICE PRESIDENT 
          [4. Information Items for Discussion]
JONES ABSENT AND NOT PARTICIPATING. THANK YOU. WE'LL NOW GO TO FOR INFORMATION, ITEMS FOR DISCUSSION, A DISCUSSION OF THE TEXAS EDUCATION AGENCY APPLICATION FOR OPTIONAL FLEXIBLE SCHOOL DAY PROGRAM AND GRADUATION ALLIANCE, INC. STUDENT RE-ENGAGEMENT PROGRAM AGREEMENT THROUGH AUGUST 31ST, 2028. WELCOME. DOCTOR. JELLINEK. CREIGHTON. 
          [00:40:05]
GOOD EVENING, PRESIDENT WILLIAMS, DOCTOR DAVIS, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, THE TEXAS EDUCATION AGENCY IMPLEMENTS A RANGE OF DROPOUT PREVENTION AND RECOVERY PROGRAMS THAT ARE GROUNDED IN RESEARCH AND BEST PRACTICE. THESE STRATEGIES INCLUDE EARLY IDENTIFICATION AND INTERVENTION FOR AT RISK STUDENTS, PERSONALIZED ACADEMIC AND SOCIAL EMOTIONAL SUPPORT, FLEXIBLE LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS, AND ALTERNATIVE EDUCATION PROGRAMS, AND STRONG PARTNERSHIPS WITH FAMILIES, COMMUNITIES, AND WORKFORCE ORGANIZATIONS. AND ONE EXAMPLE IS THE OPTIONAL FLEXIBLE SCHOOL DAY PROGRAM. SO WE THOUGHT IT IMPORTANT TO BEGIN BY MAKING CONNECTIONS TO OUR BOARD IDENTIFIED GOALS. AND THE FIRST ONE IS PRIORITY ONE STUDENT SUCCESS. WE WANT TO PARTICULARLY FOCUS ON 1.4, WHICH ARTICULATES OUR BELIEF IN THE IMPORTANCE OF STUDENTS GRADUATING FROM HIGH SCHOOL READY TO ENROLL IN POST-SECONDARY EDUCATION, ENLIST IN THE MILITARY, OR ENTER THE WORKFORCE. NOW, WHILE OUR DISTRICT'S GOAL FOCUSES ON STUDENTS GRADUATING WITHIN FOUR YEARS, THE STATE RECOGNIZES THAT SOME STUDENTS MAY NEED ADDITIONAL TIME FOR VARIOUS REASONS. SO T TRACKS THE PERCENTAGE OF STUDENTS EARNING A DIPLOMA WITHIN FOUR YEARS, WITHIN FIVE YEARS, AND WITHIN SIX YEARS AFTER STARTING NINTH GRADE, AND IT TAKES THE HIGHEST OF THE FOUR YEAR, FIVE YEAR, OR SIX YEAR GRADUATION RATE FOR ACCOUNTABILITY. HIGH SCHOOLS IMPACT THE FOUR YEARS PATHWAYS IMPACTS THOSE AT RISK OF NOT GRADUATING WITHIN FOUR YEARS, AND THAT COULD GRADUATE IN FIVE YEARS. AND THEN THIS PROPOSAL WOULD ALLOW US TO IMPACT RECENT DROPOUTS WHO ARE STILL IMPACTING THE SYSTEM, BECAUSE IF STUDENTS GRADUATE WITHIN 5 OR 6 YEARS, IT WILL POSITIVELY IMPACT DOMAIN ONE. THIS DATA IS FROM THE TAPER REPORT, THE TEXAS ASSESSMENT PERFORMANCE REPORT. AND REMEMBER THAT DATA LAGS BEHIND THE CURRENT YEAR. SO THE FIRST CHART THERE ON THE LEFT FROM 2024 REVEALS THAT THE STATE USED KILLEEN ISD'S HIGHEST GRADUATION RATE, WHICH WAS THE SIXTH YEAR COHORT AT 92.5. THE CHART ON THE RIGHT FOR 25 ACCOUNTABILITY INDICATES THAT THE STATE USED OUR HIGHEST RATE, WHICH WAS THE FIVE YEAR COHORT AT 91.7 FOR OUR ACCOUNTABILITY. SO GRADUATION RATES IMPACT STATE ACCOUNTABILITY RATINGS BECAUSE IT COUNTS AS 20% OF DOMAIN ONE FOR HIGH SCHOOLS. NOW, GRADUATION RATES CAN ALSO BE IMPACTED BY STUDENTS WHO WERE ENROLLED IN ONE YEAR, WHO DO NOT ENROLL THE NEXT YEAR IN A PUBLIC SCHOOL IN TEXAS OR A CHARTER SCHOOL. THESE STUDENTS ARE CONSIDERED DROPOUTS FOR MULTIPLE REASONS, AND THE GROUP THAT WE WANT TO TARGET IN THIS PROPOSAL IS THE GROUP THAT WE CALL LEAVERS THAT ARE CODED AS 98 WITH PEMS. SO IN 2223, WE HAD 420 DROPOUTS. IN 2324 WE HAD 411 DROPOUTS. AND IN 2425 WE HAD 472 DROPOUTS. SO THE MORE STUDENTS THAT WE CAN GET TO GRADUATE, THE HIGHER OUR SCALE SCORE WILL BE ON DOMAIN ONE, WHICH IMPACTS RATINGS FOR HIGH SCHOOLS AND THE DISTRICT. T RECOGNIZES THAT SOME STUDENTS HAVE EXTENUATING CIRCUMSTANCES AND HAVE CREATED PROGRAMS TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL OPTIONS FOR THEM, LIKE THE OPTIONAL FLEXIBLE SCHOOL DAY PROGRAM, THE OPTIONAL FLEXIBLE SCHOOL DAY PROGRAM HAS FIVE COMPONENTS. FLEXIBILITY, SUPPORT FOR TARGETED STUDENTS, CREDIT RECOVERY, ALTERNATIVE LEARNING, AND COMMUNITY BASED PROGRAMS. NOW, WE BOLDED A FEW WORDS ON THIS SLIDE BECAUSE WE WANT TO TARGET STUDENTS WHO HAVE ALREADY DROPPED OUT THAT ARE CODED AS 98 IN POEMS TO PROVIDE THEM WITH ADDITIONAL FLEXIBILITY NEEDED TO GRADUATE FROM HIGH SCHOOL. ULTIMATELY, THE GOAL OF THE PROGRAM IS TO ENHANCE STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT, ENGAGEMENT, AND ATTENDANCE, WHICH WOULD IMPROVE 
          [00:45:04]
GRADUATION RATES AND KEEP STUDENTS ENGAGED IN THEIR EDUCATION BY ADDRESSING THEIR INDIVIDUAL NEEDS AND THEIR INDIVIDUAL CIRCUMSTANCES IN GRADUATION. ALLIANCE SUPPORTS DISTRICTS WITH OPERATING THE OPTIONAL FLEXIBLE SCHOOL DAY PROGRAM, SO GRADUATION ALLIANCE PARTNERS WITH MULTIPLE DISTRICTS IN TEXAS WITH SIMILAR SIZE AND DEMOGRAPHICS TO KILLEEN ISD, LIKE ARLINGTON ISD, WITH 54,713 STUDENTS, FORT WORTH ISD WITH 71,000 STUDENTS. A NEIGHBORING DISTRICT, PFLUGERVILLE WITH 25,000 STUDENTS. ROUND ROCK WITH 47,000 STUDENTS. AUSTIN WITH 72,000 STUDENTS DALLAS ISD WITH 139,000 STUDENTS, JUST TO NAME A FEW, AND DOCTOR RANDY CAVAZOS, WHO IS THE VICE PRESIDENT OF GRADUATION ALLIANCE, IS HERE TO SHARE SOME DETAILS ABOUT THE PROGRAM. SO I'LL CALL RANDY AND JAMIE TO THE PODIUM. WELCOME. THANK YOU, DOCTOR CREIGHTON. 
          PRESIDENT WILLIAMS, SUPERINTENDENT KING, HONORARY BOARD MEMBERS, THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO COME TALK TO YOU TODAY ABOUT GRADUATION ALLIANCE. AND I'M HERE WITH MY TEXAS PROGRAM MANAGER, JAMIE AL-KAZIM, AND WE'RE EXCITED TO BE HERE. WE'RE EXCITED TO BE CONSIDERED AS A POTENTIAL PARTNER THROUGH OPTIONAL FLEXIBLE SCHOOL DAY TO SERVE THE STUDENTS THAT DOCTOR CREIGHTON JUST MENTIONED. THERE HAS BEEN SOME LEGISLATION THAT HAS COME THROUGH THAT HAS REALLY BEEN DESIGNED TO INCENTIVIZE SCHOOL DISTRICTS TO RECOVER DROPOUTS, BECAUSE YOU GO BACK A FEW YEARS AGO, THE INCENTIVES IN TERMS OF ACCOUNTABILITY WEREN'T THERE. THE, THE PATHWAYS AND THE OPPORTUNITIES TO HAVE THE INFRASTRUCTURE TO RECOVER THESE STUDENTS REALLY HASN'T BEEN THERE. SO A BILL PASSED, I FORGET IT WAS A COUPLE OF SESSIONS AGO. I THINK IT WAS HOSPITAL 1706 THAT PUT IN PLACE A STATUTE THAT IS THERE TODAY FOR OPTIONAL FLEXIBLE SCHOOL DAY TO ALSO OFFER A PATHWAY UNDER CODE SEVEN FOR RECOVERING DROPOUT STUDENTS IN TEXAS. AND WHAT'S VERY UNIQUE ABOUT THIS PROGRAM IS THAT IT ALLOWS THE DISTRICT TO BRING THE STUDENTS BACK INTO THE ENROLLMENT OF KILLEEN ISD AND SERVE THESE STUDENTS, JUST AS ANY STUDENT IN THE DISTRICT. ONLY DIFFERENCE IS, IS THESE STUDENTS WHO HAVE DROPPED OUT, THAT WE'RE RECOVERING THEIR REASON. THE ONLY REASON THEY'RE ELIGIBLE FOR THIS PROGRAM IS THEY CAN'T OR WON'T ATTEND A TRADITIONAL CLASSROOM. BECAUSE IF THEY CAN'T, BECAUSE IF THEY WILL OR IF THEY ARE, THEY SHOULDN'T BE ELIGIBLE FOR THIS PROGRAM. SO WE HAVE A UNDER THE STATUTE AS DOCTOR CREIGHTON PUT UP HERE ON THE SCREEN. THESE ARE THE CRITERIA THAT TO HAS SET UP FOR APPLYING AND GETTING APPROVED FOR THIS TYPE OF PATHWAY. SO WE PROVIDE SIGNIFICANT SUPPORTS IN THE DISTRICT. AS YOU SEE UP THERE, ACADEMIC COACHES THAT CREATE THE LEARNING PATHWAYS FOR THESE STUDENTS. IN WORKING WITH WITH THE TEAM HERE AT KILLEEN ISD, PROVIDING TEXAS CERTIFIED TEACHERS, PROVIDING A LOCAL ADVOCATE WHO SUPPORTS THE STUDENT FOR SOCIALLY, EMOTIONALLY AND ACTUALLY VISITS WITH THAT STUDENT IN PERSON. AND THEN OBVIOUSLY WE PROVIDE THE PLATFORM, THE COURSES THAT MEET THE GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS OF KILLEEN ISD AND THE STATE OF TEXAS. THE FOCUS IS, IS TO SERVE STUDENTS WHO JUST CAN'T OR WON'T GET TO THE CAMPUS. AND WHAT WE'RE FINDING, THOUGH, IS WE'RE FINDING SUCCESS TWO WAYS. WE'RE FINDING THE SUCCESS OF STUDENTS WHO, WHEN GIVEN THIS OPPORTUNITY, CAN COMPLETE THESE COURSES AND MEET THEIR GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS, GET THEIR DIPLOMA FROM DISTRICTS LIKE KILLEEN ISD. AND WE'RE LOOKING WE'RE SEEING STUDENTS WHO ACTUALLY ENTER THE PROGRAM. AND AFTER A PERIOD OF A SEMESTER OR A YEAR, THEY'RE BACK IN THE CLASSROOM HERE IN KILLEEN ISD, GETTING THEIR DIPLOMA THROUGH THROUGH THE TRADITIONAL PATHWAY. SO WE ARE EXCITED BECAUSE WHEN I LOOKED UP AT YOUR YOUR SCORECARD AND I SAW THAT FIRST NUMBER ONE, 1.1, I THINK IT WAS CREATING PATHWAYS FOR ALL STUDENTS. WE FIT IN THERE AS CREATING PATHWAYS FOR ALL STUDENTS. BUT WE'RE THAT LAST PATHWAY. WE ARE THAT LAST SAFETY NET, THAT LAST OPTION. SO IF A KID, AS DOCTOR CREIGHTON SAID, IF THEY'RE GOING TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR THIS PROGRAM, THEY NEED TO BE UNDER THESE CODES AS A DROPOUT OR THEY NEED TO BE A STUDENT THAT HAS GONE THROUGH AND THE DISTRICT HAS EXHAUSTED ALL RESOURCES AND ALL PROGRAMS. AND, YOU KNOW, THIS MIGHT BE THE ONLY OPTION LEFT TO KEEP THIS STUDENT ENROLLED IN KILLEEN ISD AND TO SERVE AND TO HAVE THAT OPPORTUNITY TO GRADUATE WITH OR WITH THEIR PEERS IN THEIR COHORT. SO, AND ACCOUNTABILITY WISE, FOR GRADUATION RATES. THE GREAT 
          [00:50:03]
THING THAT THAT TO FINALLY DID WAS THEY PUT GRADUATION RATES IN IN THE NUMERATOR. IT'S NO LONGER IN THE DENOMINATOR. THAT MEANS THAT THESE STUDENTS WHO ARE DROPOUTS, WHO WOULD ENROLL IN THIS PROGRAM IF THEY GRADUATE, THEY HELP ACCOUNTABILITY HERE IN KILLEEN. BUT IF THEY DON'T, THEY DON'T HURT ACCOUNTABILITY AND KILLEEN. SAME THING WITH CMR. SO WE THINK IT'S AN EXCITING OPPORTUNITY. IT'S NOT FOR EVERY STUDENT, BUT FOR THOSE STUDENTS, THAT NICHE OF STUDENTS WHO JUST HAVE THESE BARRIERS, LIFE BARRIERS THAT DON'T ALLOW THEM TO ATTEND A TRADITIONAL CLASSROOM, IT'S A VERY UNIQUE PATHWAY. OH, I'M SORRY. THE COST NEUTRAL AND FUNDING MODEL. SO THE OTHER GREAT THING ABOUT THIS PROGRAM. AND SO WHEN YOU THINK OF A REMOTE PROGRAM AND YOU THINK OF STUDENTS GETTING THERE, WE PROVIDE THE LAPTOPS TO ALL THE STUDENTS WHO ARE IN THE PROGRAM. WE PROVIDE WIRELESS ACCESS. WE HANDLE ALL THE SUPPORT OF THE TECHNOLOGY. SO THAT'S NOT ON THE DISTRICT AT ALL. AND SO WHEN YOU THINK OF THE HUMAN SUPPORTS THAT WE PROVIDE THE COURSE PLATFORM, THE TECHNOLOGY AND ALL THAT, YOU'RE PROBABLY YOUR MIND THINKING, WELL, THAT'S GOT TO COST A LOT OF MONEY. WELL, THERE IS NO INVESTMENT THE DISTRICT HAS TO MAKE FOR THIS PROGRAM. THIS IS A, A LITERALLY A TRUE PAY FOR PERFORMANCE MODEL. AND WHAT I MEAN BY THAT IS THAT THIS IS THIS IS A COURSE COMPLETION MODEL. SO WE WHEN WE GET A LIST FROM THE FROM THE DISTRICT AND THE DISTRICT DETERMINES WHO'S ELIGIBLE FOR THAT LIST AND THE DISTRICT APPROVES THAT LIST, OUR JOB IS TO HELP THESE STUDENTS SUCCEED. AND WHEN STUDENTS SUCCEED IS WHEN THEY COMPLETE COURSES AND THEY MOVE FORWARD AND COMPLETE THE REQUIREMENTS FOR GRADUATION. SO WHAT OUR OUR JOB IS TO HELP TRIGGER ADA FUNDING BACK TO THE DISTRICT. SO EVERY, EVERY COURSE THAT A STUDENT COMPLETES IN THIS PROGRAM IS EQUAL TO 88 FUNDING OR ONE COURSE IS EQUAL TO ONE EIGHTH OF ADA FUNDING FOR THE DISTRICT. AND EIGHT COURSES IS ONE FULL YEAR OF ADA FOR THAT STUDENT HERE IN KILLEEN ISD. SO WE CALL IT A COST NEUTRAL MODEL. 
          BUT IT'S ACTUALLY BETTER THAN A COST NEUTRAL MODEL. AND I'LL TELL YOU WHY. WHEN YOU WHEN THE DISTRICT RECEIVES THE ADA FROM TI, WE BILL AGAINST THE COURSES THAT WERE COMPLETED. BUT WE BUILD A PERCENTAGE AND THE DISTRICT RETAINS A PERCENTAGE. SO WE'RE IT'S FUNDING ADDITIVE. 
          BUT WE ONLY BILL BASED ON THE BASIC ADA ALLOTMENT. WE DON'T BILL AGAINST FEDERAL FUNDS OR WEIGHTINGS THAT THE STUDENTS RECEIVE, WHETHER IT BE STATE COMPENSATION FOR AT RISK STUDENTS, SPED STUDENTS, EMERGENT BILINGUAL STUDENTS, JUST DIFFERENT TYPES OF WEIGHTINGS AND FEDERAL FUNDING LIKE THAT. SO THE PROGRAM IS REALLY IT'S COST ADDITIVE. I'M SORRY. IT'S FUNDING ADDITIVE TO THE DISTRICT. AND YOU GOT TO REMEMBER, THESE ARE STUDENTS THAT HAVEN'T COME BACK TO THE DISTRICT. AND OUR JOB IS TO GET THEM ENROLLED. RIGHT. SO WE'RE NOT WE'RE NOT WORKING AGAINST ADA FOR ANY STUDENT IN THE DISTRICT. WE'RE WE'RE WORKING FOR ADA FOR STUDENTS THAT ARE NOT IN THE DISTRICT. THAT'S HERE'S AN EXAMPLE OF, YOU KNOW, WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE IN TERMS OF PERCENTAGES OF ADA THAT GOES TO GRADUATION ALLIANCE FOR A WE GO, WE GO. IT'S BASED ON THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS. SO THERE'S DIFFERENT TIERS. BUT YOU CAN SEE THE PERCENTAGES. THIS IS ASSUMING THAT WE'RE WORKING WITH IN THIS YOU KNOW 1 TO 14 STUDENTS. YOU SEE 15 TO 39 STUDENTS ALL THE WAY UP TO 100 STUDENTS. FOR A DISTRICT THE SIZE OF KILLEEN, MOST OF THE MOST OF DISTRICTS THAT WE'RE WORKING WITH, LIKE PFLUGERVILLE AND FORT WORTH, ARE, YOU KNOW, TYPICALLY, AND I'M TRYING TO THINK OF SOME OF THE OTHER DISTRICTS THAT WERE THE BRAZOSPORT. YEAH, ALL THESE DISTRICTS, AGAIN, DISTRICTS TYPICALLY HAVE BETWEEN 40 TO 100 STUDENTS IN THE PROGRAM. SO YOU CAN KIND OF SEE WHAT THE WHAT THE DISTRICT OR WHAT GRADUATION LINE IS RECEIVING FROM THE ADA AND WHAT THE DISTRICT IS RETAINING PER STUDENT. I'M SORRY, DOCTOR CRAIG, YOU MAY WANT TO ANSWER THAT ONE. SO HERE'S HOW IT WOULD WORK. OUR DEPARTMENT WOULD IDENTIFY THE LIST OF LEAVERS, THE STUDENTS WHO HAVE NOT RETURNED THAT ARE CODED AS 98, AND THEN THEY WOULD SEND THE LIST OF LEAVERS TO GRADUATION ALLIANCE. GRADUATION ALLIANCE WORKS THEIR MAGIC TO LOCATE STUDENTS, AND THEN THEY WOULD SHARE THE NAMES OF THE STUDENTS BACK WITH US. IN KILLEEN ISD, WE HAVE A DISTRICT REVIEW COMMITTEE THAT WILL REVIEW THE LIST OF NAMES TO ENSURE THAT STUDENTS MEET THIS 
          [00:55:03]
ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA. SO THEY HAVE BEEN CODED AS A 98 A LEAVER IN TEAMS. THEY HAVE EXHAUSTED THEIR COMPREHENSIVE HIGH SCHOOL OPTIONS AND THEIR PATHWAY ACADEMIC CAMPUS OPTIONS. THEY HAVE PASSED A MINIMUM OF THREE STAR ASSESSMENTS PRIOR TO THEM LEAVING THE DISTRICT, AND ARE NO MORE THAN 22 YEARS OLD AS OF SEPTEMBER 1ST OF THE CURRENT SCHOOL YEAR, AND THEY HAVE AN ADDRESS WITHIN KILLEEN INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT, OR THEY HAVE PREVIOUSLY HAD AN ADDRESS WITHIN KILLEEN SCHOOL DISTRICT. IF THE STUDENT IS IDENTIFIED AS A 504 STUDENT, A STUDENT OR AN EMERGENT BILINGUAL, THEN THOSE RESPECTIVE COMMITTEES WILL REVIEW THE INFORMATION ON THOSE STUDENTS TO MAKE A DECISION ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT THEY ARE BEST SUITED FOR THIS PROGRAM. SO I GAVE YOU SOME INFORMATION BEFORE ABOUT DROPOUTS. AND SINCE OUR ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA REQUIRES THAT THEY HAVE PASSED THREE STAR EXAMS, THESE ARE THE NUMBERS THAT WE COULD BE CONSIDERING FOR THE PROGRAM. SO WE'LL START WITH 2223, A TOTAL OF 110 STUDENTS THAT WE COULD SHARE THEIR NAMES WITH. GRADUATION ALLIANCE FOR THEM TO POSSIBLY RECAPTURE 89 STUDENTS FROM 23, 24, AND THEN 101 STUDENTS FROM 2425. SO AFTER WE WOULD GIVE ALL OF THOSE NAMES TO GRADUATION ALLIANCE, WE'RE HOPING THAT THEY CAN RECAPTURE AS MANY OF THOSE STUDENTS AS POSSIBLE SO THAT WE CAN REENGAGE THEM IN THE PROCESS AND HOPEFULLY HELP THEM EARN THEIR DIPLOMA. SO GRADUATION ALLIANCE WILL DO THESE NINE THINGS HERE LISTED. THEY'RE GOING TO IDENTIFY AND RECRUIT THE LEAVERS. DOCTOR CAVAZOS MENTIONED THAT THEY HAVE CERTIFIED TEACHERS AND COUNSELORS IN ONLINE ONLINE ENVIRONMENT IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE INSTRUCTION AND SUPPORT FOR THE STUDENTS, THEY PROVIDE ALL OF THE HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE. THEY PROVIDE THE ACADEMIC OVERSIGHT FOR PARTICIPANTS. THEY MONITOR THEIR PROGRESS, NOTIFY STUDENTS IF THEY ARE NOT MAKING PROGRESS, AND PARENTS IF THEY'RE UNDER THE AGE OF 18. THEY HAVE GENERAL ACCOMMODATIONS FOR ALL STUDENTS. THEY WILL ATTEND WEEKLY MEETINGS WITH KISD STAFF WITH THEIR REVIEW COMMITTEE AND DESIGNEES THAT I MENTIONED TO YOU PREVIOUSLY, AND THEN THEY WILL PREPARE THE REPORTS FOR ADA TO SHARE WITH KISD STAFF. AND THEN WHAT WILL WE DO IN RETURN? THEN WE ALREADY MENTIONED WE'LL GIVE THEM THE LEVERS. WE'LL ESTABLISH OUR COMMITTEE REENROLL STUDENTS AFTER GRADUATION. ALLIANCE HAS LOCATED THEM AND THEY HAVE MET THE ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA. AND THEN THOSE STUDENTS WILL RECEIVE SUPPORT THROUGH PATHWAYS ACADEMIC CAMPUS. WE WILL PROVIDE 500 FOR SPED AND EMERGENT BILINGUAL SERVICES AS NEEDED. AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, THEIR RESPECTIVE COMMITTEES WILL REVIEW THEIR INFORMATION TO MAKE A DECISION ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT GRADUATION ALLIANCE IS THE BEST PROGRAM FOR THEM. WE MUST PROVIDE ACCESS TO A RESOURCE CENTER, SO THE SPACE THAT'S CONSIDERED AS A LIBRARY PATHWAYS WILL BE AVAILABLE TO STUDENTS SHOULD THEY NEED BRICK AND MORTAR TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE SUPPORT WITHIN NORMAL SCHOOL HOURS. WE WILL SHARE THAT SHOULD THEY COME BACK TO PATHWAYS TO RECEIVE SUPPORT, THEY ARE EXPECTED TO FOLLOW THE STUDENT CODE OF CONDUCT, AND THEN WE WILL ATTEND THE WEEKLY MEETINGS WITH GRADUATION ALLIANCE TO BE SURE THAT THERE'S CONSTANT COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THEM AND US AS WELL. SO WHAT WOULD WE BE REQUESTING OF THE BOARD? OF COURSE, AFTER YOU ASK QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE, WE'D LIKE FOR YOU TO APPROVE THE RECOMMENDATION FOR US TO PARTICIPATE IN THE OPTIONAL FLEXIBLE SCHOOL DAY PROGRAM, BECAUSE WE HAVE TO THEN SUBMIT AN APPLICATION TO TIA OR TIA TO APPROVE FOR US TO PARTICIPATE. 
          AND THEN WE WOULD ALSO HAVE A MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING WITH THIS PARTNER TO HELP US IMPLEMENT THE OPTIONAL FLEXIBLE SCHOOL DAY PROGRAM. WHEN WE RETURN NEXT WEEK FOR OUR SCHOOL BOARD MEETING. QUESTIONS FROM TRUSTEES. MADAM SECRETARY, DO WE HAVE ANY SUGGESTED TURNAROUND TIME FOR THE APPLICATION TIMELINE? DOES IT TAKE A WEEK, TWO WEEKS? DO WE HAVE ANY WAY OF KNOWING OR IT CAN TAKE UP TO 30 DAYS FOR THEM TO APPROVE THE APPLICATION? MADAM CAPITO, I JUST WANT TO COMMEND EVERYONE FOR BRINGING FORWARD ANOTHER PROGRAM, CONSIDERING THAT OUR GRADUATION RATE IS HIGHER THAN THE NATIONAL AVERAGE AT THIS TIME, BECAUSE THERE'S WHEN I LOOKED IT UP, IS ONLY 90.3 AND WE'RE HIGHER THAN THAT. SO I'M GLAD THAT WE'RE STILL LOOKING FOR EVERY STUDENT TO BE SUCCESSFUL. THANK YOU. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FROM TRUSTEES? THANK 
          [01:00:02]
YOU DOCTOR CRAIG, MAY I JUST ADD ONE OTHER THING BEFORE WE STEP AWAY? I JUST WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE COLLABORATION BETWEEN ALL OF THE DEPARTMENTS TO HELP PULL THIS TOGETHER. SO WE HAD TEAMS BUDGET ASSESSMENT AND ACCOUNTABILITY, SPECIALIZED LEARNING, MULTILINGUAL SERVICES, COUNSELING, THE CURRICULUM DEPARTMENT, IN ADDITION TO MR. HICKS, WHO'S DONE QUITE A BIT OF THE HEAVY LIFTING RELATED TO THIS PRODUCT. SO WE DIDN'T VENTURE OFF INTO THIS BY OURSELVES. IT'S TRULY BEEN A GROUP EFFORT TO BE SURE WE COULD BRING YOU A VIABLE OPTION FOR KIDDOS IN OUR DISTRICT. AWESOME. IT'S GREAT TO HEAR. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU. 
          WE'LL NOW GO TO B, WHICH IS DISCUSSION OF PROPOSED REVISIONS TO BOARD POLICY EFB LOCAL INSTRUCTIONAL RESOURCES, LIBRARY MATERIALS, AND POSSIBLE RESOLUTION ESTABLISHING A LOCAL SCHOOL LIBRARY ADVISORY COUNCIL. WELCOME, MR. HARPER. THANK YOU, MR. PRESIDENT. MEMBERS OF THE BOARD AND DOCTOR DAVIS, WE BRING TO YOU THIS EVENING A PROPOSED LOCAL POLICY REVISION AS A RESULT OF SENATE BILL 13 THAT PASSED THIS PAST LEGISLATIVE SESSION, WHICH ADDS TEXAS EDUCATION CODE, SECTION 33.026 REQUIRES OUR BOARD TO ADOPT A POLICY ON ACQUISITION OF LIBRARY MATERIALS, INCLUDING THE PROCURING THOSE LIBRARY MATERIALS AND THE RECEIPT OF DONATED LIBRARY MATERIALS. AND PART OF THIS LAW HAS TWO DIFFERENT OPTIONS. THE FIRST IS JUST SETTING IN PLACE THESE DIFFERENT REQUIREMENTS. WITHOUT A SCHOOL LIBRARY ADVISORY COUNCIL. AND THEN THE SECOND OPTION IS TO CREATE A SCHOOL LIBRARY ADVISORY COUNCIL. AS YOU HEARD, A NUMBER OF OUR LEAD LIBRARIANS SPEAK TO THIS EVENING WITHIN SENATE BILL 13, IT DOES CREATE THAT OPTION FOR A SCHOOL LIBRARY ADVISORY COUNCIL, WHICH WOULD ASSIST THE DISTRICT IN REFLECTING REFLECTING COMMUNITY VALUES IN THE LIBRARY COLLECTION AND THE ADVISORY COUNCIL. IT WOULD BE REQUIRED IF 50 PARENTS SIGN A PETITION REQUESTING ONE. SO YOU MIGHT BE ASKING, WELL, WHAT WOULD BE THE DUTIES OF THE SCHOOL LIBRARY ADVISORY COUNCIL? THEY WOULD MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS WHEN ADDING LIBRARY MATERIALS TO THE SCHOOL LIBRARY CATALOG. THEY'D ALSO MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS ABOUT REMOVING LIBRARY MATERIAL MATERIALS WHEN THERE'S A FORMAL CHALLENGE. UNDER THE NEW TEXAS EDUCATION CODE, SECTION 33.027. AND THEY'D ALSO MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS ABOUT CHANGING MAKING CHANGES TO POLICIES AND GUIDELINES RELATED TO THE SCHOOL LIBRARY CATALOG. YOU MIGHT ASK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, WELL, TELL US WHAT THE LAW SAYS ABOUT CREATING THIS LIBRARY ADVISORY COUNCIL. 
          WELL, EACH OF YOU, AS BOARD MEMBERS, WOULD SELECT AT LEAST ONE MEMBER, BUT YOU ALL HAVE TO SELECT THE SAME NUMBER OF MEMBERS. SO IF YOU ALL, YOU CAN BEGIN TO THINK THAT THE BOARD OR THE COUNCIL WOULD HAVE AT LEAST SEVEN MEMBERS. AND THEN IF YOU ALL APPOINTED TWO, IT'D BE 14, AND THEN KEEP MULTIPLYING THAT BY SEVEN AS THE SIZE OF THE COUNCIL, WHICH IS IN THE LAW HERE YOU CAN ALSO. AND OF THOSE THE MAJORITY MUST BE PARENTS OF SCHOOL, OF STUDENTS ENROLLED HERE IN THE DISTRICT AND NOT EMPLOYED BY THE DISTRICT. SO THERE COULD BE SOME OVERLAP OF MAYBE A PARENT WHO HAS A STUDENT ENROLLED BUT IS ALSO AN EMPLOYEE OF THE DISTRICT, BUT THE MAJORITY WOULD HAVE TO BE PARENTS OF STUDENTS ENROLLED IN THE DISTRICT NOT EMPLOYED. IN ADDITION, YOU COULD ALSO APPOINT SOME NON-VOTING BOARD MEMBERS. THE. REMEMBER, THE MAJORITY MUST BE PARENTS OF STUDENTS ENROLLED IN THE DISTRICT, AND IN THOSE NON-VOTING BOARD. APPOINTED MEMBERS COULD INCLUDE CLASSROOM TEACHERS, LIBRARIANS, CERTIFIED SCHOOL COUNSELORS, ADMINISTRATORS, AS WELL AS MEMBERS OF THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY OR MEMBERS OF THE CLERGY, AND ALSO LET YOU KNOW THAT THE SCHOOL LIBRARY ADVISORY COUNCIL MUST MEET CERTAIN OPEN MEETING REQUIREMENTS UNDER LAW, INCLUDING 72 HOUR POSTING, MAINTAINING MINUTES, MAKING AN AUDIO OR VIDEO RECORDING OF IT, AND THEN POSTING THOSE TO THE DISTRICT'S WEBSITE SO THAT THE COMMUNITY WOULD KNOW. I'D POINT TO ONE OF THE CLOSED SESSION ITEMS THIS EVENING. BOARD. 
          COUNCIL JOEY MOORE IS HERE AND PLANS TO SPEAK TO YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT IMPLEMENTING THIS. THE IMPLICATIONS OF IMPLEMENTING THIS LAW ABOUT WHETHER WITH A SLACK OR WITHOUT. SO I'LL POINT THAT OUT TO YOU. BUT I DID WANT TO POINT OUT A FEW THINGS THE DISTRICT HAS BEEN DOING KNOWING THAT THIS LAW WAS REALLY COMING ABOUT AND KIND OF PLANNING FOR IT. JUST SO YOU KNOW, WHAT THE DISTRICT HAS BEEN DOING AND WHAT WILL BE IMPLEMENTED SEPTEMBER 1ST WHEN THIS LAW GOES INTO EFFECT. SO LAST YEAR, DOCTOR FEY AND DOCTOR BOBBY OTT FROM TEMPLE ISD MET WITH COMMISSIONER MORATH CONCERNING. PARENT INPUT AND PARENTS BEING ABLE TO FLAG LIBRARY BOOKS, FOR LACK OF A 
          [01:05:06]
BETTER TERM, OF BOOKS THAT THEY DO NOT WISH FOR THEIR STUDENTS TO BE ABLE TO READ. AND SO THIS PAST YEAR, WE'VE BEEN IMPORTING OUR SCHOOL LIBRARIES, THE DIGITAL CATALOG, INTO A SOFTWARE THAT WE WERE PROVIDED A BASICALLY A KIND OF A BETA TESTING OF IT THIS PAST YEAR. 
          IT'S ON SHELF BY BOOKMARKED. AND ONE OF OUR LEAD LIBRARIANS WHO HAS A STUDENT IN AN ELEMENTARY. 
          HERE ARE A COUPLE OF STUDENTS ACTUALLY PILOTED THIS PAST YEAR TRYING IT OUT USING THEIR SCHOOL LIBRARY. IT'S SET UP TO WHERE THE PARENT, WHEN THEY ENTER ON SHELF OR BOOKMARK, AS IT'S OFTEN CALLED, THEY SEE THE LIBRARY THAT THEIR STUDENT HAS ACCESS TO. SO IF IT'S AT ONE OF OUR ELEMENTARIES, THEY SEE, FOR INSTANCE, THAT SKIP SHAW ELEMENTARY, THEY'RE GOING TO SEE THEIR CATALOG. SO THEY'RE NOT SEEING HIGH SCHOOL BOOKS THAT ARE CERTAINLY WELL OUT OF THAT KINDERGARTNERS REACH, BUT THEY'RE SEEING WHAT'S AVAILABLE THERE AT SKIP SHAW. AND SO THEY MIGHT SEE SOME BOOKS THAT THEY WOULD LOVE FOR THEIR KID TO READ LATER, BUT NOT MAYBE AT KINDERGARTEN OR FIRST GRADE LEVEL. AND SO THEY CAN MARK THOSE AS NOT OPTIONS FOR THEM TO CHECK OUT FOR THE KINDERGARTEN AND FIRST GRADE YEAR. BUT MAYBE IN FIFTH GRADE, JUST AS AN EXAMPLE, HARRY POTTER. THEY MAY THINK FIRST GRADE IS A LITTLE TOO YOUNG TO BE READING HARRY POTTER AS A PARENT, BUT BY FIFTH GRADE, I'M FINE WITH MY KID DOING THAT, SO YOU CAN TOGGLE THAT ON AND OFF WHAT THE STUDENT IS ABLE TO SEE OR CHECK OUT, I SHOULD SAY, FROM THE LIBRARY. 
          AND I WILL SAY THAT WE HAVE BEEN KIND OF IMPLEMENTING GETTING THAT ALL LOADED IN. AND SEPTEMBER 1ST IT WILL BE ABLE PARENTS WILL BE ABLE TO GO ON TO OUR WEBSITE AND HAVE ACCESS TO BOOKMARK AND GO AHEAD AND BEGIN MAKING DECISIONS FOR THEIR OWN KID'S LIBRARY BOOKS. I WILL SAY, IN THE PAST, IF A PARENT CAME IN TO A LIBRARIAN OR SENT AN EMAIL AND SAID, I DON'T WANT MY STUDENT TO HAVE ACCESS TO THIS BOOK, THEN THEY CERTAINLY WOULDN'T HAVE ACCESS TO THAT ALREADY. BUT THIS IS MORE OF A, I GUESS, AN EASIER WAY OF DOING THIS ONLINE FOR PARENTS AND BE A LITTLE MORE BROADER ACCESS. I WILL SAY THAT CURRENTLY, IF YOU GO TO OUR WEBSITE AND GO UNDER PARENT AND STUDENTS THEN GO TO LIBRARY ONLINE, YOU CAN SEE EXACTLY WHAT BOOKS ARE IN EACH OF THE LIBRARIES. SO PARENTS CAN ALREADY DO THAT AND SEE WHAT IS IN THE CATALOG. DIGITAL CATALOG OF WHAT'S THERE. TO GIVE YOU KIND OF AN IDEA. THIS NEW LAW WILL REQUIRE THE BOARD TO APPROVE NEW BOOKS OR NEW TITLES THAT ARE BEING BROUGHT IN. TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA, WE'VE ADDED ABOUT 9000 BOOKS THIS PAST YEAR TO OUR LIBRARIES. IF YOU THINK ABOUT HOW LARGE SOME OF THESE COLLECTIONS ARE, I SAW THAT. HARKER HEIGHTS HIGH SCHOOL HAS OVER 27,000 BOOKS THEMSELVES IN THEIR LIBRARY, AND SO IT'S A NUMBER OF BOOKS. BUT THE NEW LAW WILL REQUIRE BOARD APPROVAL OF ANY NEW ADDITIONAL TITLES, AND SO IT WILL NEED TO BE POSTED FOR 30 DAYS BEFORE THAT BOARD MEETING TO GIVE COMMUNITY TIME TO SEE THOSE AND GIVE INPUT TO BOARD MEMBERS IF THEY WOULD LIKE TO. AND THEN THE BOARD WOULD THEN APPROVE. I ALSO WANT TO TALK JUST FOR A MINUTE OR TWO. 
          CURRENTLY. RIGHT NOW, LIBRARIANS AND STAFF ARE THE ONES THAT ARE TRAINED AND DEVELOPING OUR COLLECTIONS. THEY HAVE GUIDANCE LOOKING AT AUTHORITATIVE REVIEWS FROM OUTSIDE SOURCES, AND THEY ALSO BASE THESE DECISIONS ON TEXTS OR TEXT ALIGNMENT AND AGE APPROPRIATENESS. LIKE I MENTIONED BEFORE, THERE'S SOME BOOKS THAT ARE VERY APPROPRIATE FOR KINDERGARTEN OR FIRST GRADER, BUT A FIFTH GRADER MAYBE A LITTLE TOO A FIFTH GRADE BOOK, MAYBE A LITTLE TOO OLD FOR THESE YOUNGER KIDS. AND SO THEY LOOK AT BUILDING A COMPREHENSIVE LIBRARY OF BOOKS THAT WILL INTEREST ALL SORTS OF STUDENTS AND ALL DIFFERENT GRADES AT THEIR CAMPUSES. AND SO I BRING THIS TO YOU, AND NEXT WEEK, WE'LL BE BRINGING IT BACK TO YOU TO CONSIDER VOTING, WHETHER TO ADOPT THIS WITH THE SCHOOL LIBRARY ADVISORY COUNCIL OR WITHOUT. AND AGAIN, JOEY MOORE WILL BE HERE IN CLOSED SESSION TO DISCUSS SOME PARTICULARS OF THE LAW WITH YOU. QUESTIONS FROM TRUSTEES. MADAM SECRETARY, SO IF QUESTION IF OPTION ONE IS APPROVED DURING THE YEAR AND YOU HAVE A PETITION WITH THE 50 PARENTS, DOES IT CHANGE ANYTHING IN THAT YEAR. SO IT WOULD CHANGE IT AT THAT POINT. AND SO ONCE 50 PARENTS OR COMMUNITY MEMBERS FROM THE KILLEEN ISD BOUNDARIES PRESENT IT, IT WOULD GO INTO EFFECT. THERE IS A PROVISION ALSO THAT ONCE IT GOES INTO EFFECT, IT'S THREE YEARS BEFORE IT CAN BE UNDONE. SO IF YOU WERE TO VOTE IT IN, IT WOULD BE THREE YEARS OF THE SCHOOL LIBRARY ADVISORY COUNCIL BEFORE IT WOULD BE UNDONE, BEFORE THE BOARD 
          [01:10:02]
COULD VOTE TO UNDO IT AGAIN. THANK YOU. JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE I HEAR THIS RIGHT. SO WE COULD THE BOARD COULD VOTE TO TAKE OPTION ONE, WHICH IS NOT HAVING THE SLACK. BUT THEN AT ANY POINT IN TIME, 50 PARENTS SIGN A PETITION, YOU GO THAT ROUTE. THAT'S MY READING OF THE LAW. AND I'LL LET MISS MOORE SPEAK TO YOU ALL AS WELL ABOUT THAT DURING CLOSED SESSION. 
          OKAY, MR. GILCHRIST? THAT WAS RECORDED, MR. MINTZ. SO I'VE HEARD WHAT FOLKS SAID IN PUBLIC COMMENT TODAY, AND I WE'VE GOTTEN SOME EMAILS ABOUT IT, AND I'VE KIND OF DONE A LITTLE BIT OF INDEPENDENT RESEARCH ON IT. SO I THINK WHAT THIS FUNDAMENTALLY COMES DOWN TO IS IT'S ALMOST A GATEKEEPING FUNCTION. WHO DO WE WANT TO BE THE GATEKEEPERS OF WHAT THIS COLLECTION OF BOOKS LOOKS LIKE? ARE WE GOING TO ENTRUST IT TO THE LIBRARIANS, OR ARE WE GOING TO ALLOW OUR COMMUNITY, OUR PARENTS, TO HAVE INPUT INTO THAT? I DON'T AGAIN, NOTHING IN THIS WHOLE PROCESS ALLOWS PARENTS WHO WANT THEIR CHILD TO READ SOMETHING THAT'S NOT IN THE COLLECTION FROM GOING OUT AND BUYING THAT BOOK. AND SIMILARLY, THERE'S NOTHING HERE TO PREVENT A PARENT WHO SEES A BOOK IN A COLLECTION THAT THEY DON'T WANT THEIR KID FROM READING TO PREVENT THEM FROM READING IT. SO BUT I SO I HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS THAT ARE MORE, I THINK, LOGISTIC THAN, THAN KIND OF PHILOSOPHICAL. SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT PURCHASING BOOKS LIKE SO MR. HARPER, YOU MENTIONED WE JUST PURCHASED 9000 BOOKS AND THAT SEEMS LIKE A LARGE NUMBER. 
          BUT WHEN ONE OF FIVE HIGH SCHOOLS AND ONE OF 54 CAMPUSES HAS 27,000 BOOKS IN IT ALREADY, WHEN YOU BREAK THAT OUT BY CAMPUS, THAT SEEMS LIKE END UP BEING A PRETTY SMALL NUMBER. SO MY QUESTION IS, WHAT IS THE PURCHASING TIMELINE? BECAUSE I'VE HEARD CONCERNS EXPRESSED THAT IF WE PUT THIS SLACK IN, WHICH IS ONLY REQUIRED TO MEET TWICE A YEAR, HOW DOES THAT IMPACT OUR ABILITY TO TIMELY PROCURE BOOKS? BECAUSE AGAIN, IF WE PURCHASED 9000 AND THERE'S 27,000 IN 1 CAMPUS, THAT DOESN'T SEEM LIKE A HUGE HIT TO ME. THAT'S A VERY SMALL NUMBER THAT CAN CERTAINLY WAIT UNTIL THE NEXT YEAR. AND SO THOSE ARE, I WOULD ADD, THOSE ARE NEW TITLES TO THE COLLECTION AS WELL. SO IF, FOR INSTANCE, IF A BOOK IS LOST OR DAMAGED, THAT IS A PART OF THE COLLECTION ALREADY REPLACING, THAT WOULD NOT HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE BOARD APPROVAL. SO THIS IS NEW EDITION. SO THIS IS A PRETTY SMALL NUMBER. CORRECT. BUT SO I GUESS MY QUESTION THEN, AND I DON'T EXPECT THAT YOU WOULD ANSWER, MAYBE I WOULD POINT IT TO THE SUPERINTENDENT OR SOME OTHER FOLKS WHO MIGHT BE BETTER INFORMED IF WE PUT THIS IN THERE. WHAT'S THE ACTUAL IMPACT TO THE PURCHASING TIMELINE, OR IS THAT JUST A RED HERRING ARGUMENT? WITH THE CURRENT REQUIREMENT, THEY WOULD MEET TWICE A YEAR, SO ANY PURCHASES THAT LIBRARIANS WOULD BE REQUESTING WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO BE MADE UNTIL THAT COMMITTEE APPROVED IT. SO IT WOULD YOU KNOW, I UNDERSTAND THAT, BUT THAT'S NOT TO SAY WE COULDN'T ASK THEM. WE COULDN'T REQUIRE THAT THEY MEET ADDITIONAL TIMES. BUT MY QUESTION IS, DO WE TYPICALLY ORDER BOOKS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR? YES. WE DON'T JUST MAKE LIKE A BULK PURCHASE AT THE BEGINNING OF AT THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR. CORRECT. AND IT'S NOT I'M NOT. TRUST ME, I'M TALKING TO YOU. I'M NOT LISTENING TO WHAT? THE CROWD, THE ASSEMBLED CROWD IS SAYING. THEY'RE SUPPORTING ME, MR. MASS. OKAY, NEXT QUESTION IS ON CHALLENGES. SO AS I UNDERSTAND THIS, IF THERE'S A CHALLENGE WHICH CAN BE BROUGHT BY ANY NUMBER OF PEOPLE, IF WE HAVE NO SLACK CHALLENGE, THE FLOW IS CHALLENGE IS MADE. IT GOES TO A CAMPUS COMMITTEE. IT THEN GOES, IT GOES TO THE CAMPUS COMMITTEE. IF THE COMPLAINANT IS DISSATISFIED WITH THE ANSWER, THEY THEN MAY APPEAL THAT TO THE SCHOOL BOARD. AND THE COMMITTEE IS MAKING A YES OR NO DETERMINATION. CORRECT? CORRECT. AND I WOULD POINT OUT IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS, THERE HAVE NOT BEEN ANY FORMAL CHALLENGES TO BOOKS IN OUR LIBRARIES. THERE'S BEEN ONE INFORMAL THAT APPARENT THAT CAME AND TALKED HERE AT A PUBLIC FORUM THAT QUESTIONED ONE OF THE BOOKS. AND SO THAT WAS WHEN MISS ELLISON WAS DEPUTY SUPERINTENDENT. AND SHE SAID, LET'S TRY OUT OUR PROCESS AND SEE HOW IT WORKS. AND SO EVEN THOUGH IT WASN'T A FORMAL CHALLENGE, THEY TOOK THAT INFORMAL CHALLENGE THROUGH THE PROCESS AND LOOKED AT IT. AND THE COMMITTEE MET AND DECIDED THAT THE BOOK WOULD STAY THERE. AND I THINK I LEFT OUT THE PART WHERE AFTER A CHALLENGE, WE'RE OBVIOUSLY TRYING TO INFORM RESOLVE IT AT THE LOWEST LEVEL, RIGHT? SO THEN IF WE DO HAVE A SLACK, YOU HAVE CHALLENGE INFORMAL RESOLUTION. IF NOT, THEN WE IT GOES TO THE SLACK. IS THAT SLACK? IS SLACK GOING YAY OR NAY? OR ARE THEY SIMPLY FORWARDING A RECOMMENDATION TO 
          [01:15:05]
THE BOARD? THEY'RE FORWARDING RECOMMENDATIONS TO YOU. SO THERE'S SO THEY'RE NOT MAKING ANY DECISION. IT'S STILL THE BOARD'S DECISION. THE SLACK IS JUST PROVIDING COMMUNITY INPUT THROUGH THAT BODY TO THE BOARD AND TO MAKE A DECISION. SO THE ARGUMENT THAT, WELL, IT'S JUST GOING TO BE WE'RE GOING TO HAVE THIS SMALL GROUP OF PEOPLE CONTROLLING KIND OF WHAT GOES IN AND OUT. AND I DON'T I DON'T KNOW THAT THAT NECESSARILY HOLDS WATER BECAUSE IF IS THE SLACK IS ALSO PROVIDING INPUT TO THE BOARD WHEN IT COMES TO THE SELECTION OF BOOKS. CORRECT? CORRECT. SO THEY ARE SIMPLY ADVISORY. THEY'RE NOT A GATEKEEPER. UNDER OPTION ONE, KEEPING IT AS IT IS, THE LIBRARIANS ARE THE GATEKEEPERS. CORRECT. AND SAVE FOR A CHALLENGE, KEEPING IT AS IT IS WITH THE ADDITIONAL STEP OF BRINGING ALL THOSE NEW TITLES TO THE BOARD FOR APPROVAL BEFORE THEY'RE PURCHASED. MADAM. MR. MINTZ, I'M GOOD. THANK YOU, MADAM CAPITO. FIRST, I WANT TO SAY I WOULD LIKE TO BE IN THE CLUB OF THE LIBRARIANS, BECAUSE YOU GUYS ALWAYS SHOW UP IN FULL FORCE WHEN THERE'S SOMETHING GOING ON. SO KUDOS TO ALWAYS COMING IN AND HAVING A VOICE. CAN I BE ADOPTED? ALL RIGHT. I GUESS ONE OF MY ONLY QUESTIONS I HAVE ABOUT THIS IS WILL THERE BE A COMMITTEE OF LIBRARIANS? WE GO WITH OPTION ONE. I MEAN, I'M IN FAVOR OF ALLOWING OUR LIBRARIANS TO DO THIS BECAUSE PARENTS HAVE THE CHOICE, BECAUSE WE HAVE AN APP AND THEY GET TO CHOOSE WHAT THEIR KIDS GET TO READ. IT'S FABULOUS. EVERYBODY WINS. BUT WILL THERE BE A COMMITTEE OR SOMETHING THAT BRINGS THESE BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE BOARD WITHIN THE LIBRARIANS? AND I UNDERSTAND WHAT THE SLACK. BUT FOR THE LIBRARIANS, WOULD THERE JUST BE LIKE THE LIBRARIANS WOULD COME? YES. AND YOU HEARD OUR LIBRARIANS WHO HAD ALREADY BEEN SELECTED AS LIBRARIANS, TALK ABOUT THE AMOUNT OF EXPERTISE THAT THEY BRING TO THIS WORK. WHAT I AND I CAN'T SPEAK FOR THEM, BUT I CAN TELL BETWEEN OPTION ONE AND OPTION TWO, IT'S ABOUT GIVING PARENTS CHOICE, AND WE ALREADY HAVE A LEVEL OF THAT AT THE DISTRICT CURRENTLY. SO I'M IN SUPPORT OF OPTION ONE FOR SURE. MR. GILCHRIST. SO IF THE PARENTS ALREADY HAVE AN OPTION TO REVIEW, IF WE KIND OF ALL KNOW WHAT BOOKS ARE KIND OF CONTROVERSIAL. SO AS THE LIBRARIANS DO, THEY HAVE A PROCEDURE OR POLICY THAT SAYS IF THESE BOOKS IF WE'RE CONSIDERING PURCHASING THESE BOOKS FOR OUR INVENTORY, WHEREVER THEY'RE COMING FROM, IS THERE A MEANS TO BRING THOSE UP TO THE BOARD AND SAYING, Y'ALL NEED TO LOOK AT THIS LIST AND SEE IF WE WANT TO BUY THESE AS A DISTRICT? IS THAT IS THAT IN PLACE CURRENTLY OR. 
          NO, IT'S JUST AT THE LIBRARIAN LEVEL. SO CURRENTLY IT'S AT THE LIBRARIAN LEVEL. LOOKING AT BOOKS. THEY CERTAINLY DO HAVE A NUMBER OF RESOURCES. LET ME GO BACK TO MY NOTES HERE BECAUSE I MET WITH THEM. THERE IS TEACHING BOOKS, THERE'S COMMON SENSE MEDIA AND THERE'S ALSO TIDAL WAVE THAT THEY CAN CONSULT. THEY CAN LOOK AT WHAT BOOKS HAVE BEEN BANNED SOMEWHERE IN THE UNITED STATES. THEY CAN SEE IF IT THE REASON FOR IT BEING BANNED. THERE HAVE BEEN SOME BOOKS BANNED AT THE ELEMENTARY LEVEL BECAUSE PARENTS DIDN'T THINK WAS APPROPRIATE. IT WAS A HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL MAYBE BOOK THAT THEY THOUGHT THE CONTENT WAS MORE HIGH SCHOOL. AND SO IT WAS BANNED AT AN ELEMENTARY BUT LEFT AT A HIGH SCHOOL LIBRARY. AND SO THERE ARE RESOURCES THAT THEY CAN CONSULT TO SEE ABOUT THOSE SORT OF THINGS. MADAM SECRETARY. SO AGAIN, FOR CLARITY, WHEN THE DISTRICT REVIEW COMMITTEE BRINGS A NEW LISTING OF BOOKS VERSUS THE SLACK COMMITTEE, WE'RE LOOKING AT TRAINED PROFESSIONALS WHO DO THIS 24 OVER SEVEN, 325, 55, 75, 80 DAYS OF THE YEAR. 
          YES, MA'AM. VERSUS A GROUP OF COMMUNITY AND PARENTS MAKING CHOICES ON BOOKS THAT ARE BEING PURCHASED IN OUR SCHOOL LIBRARIES, ESSENTIALLY WOULD ADD ANOTHER LAYER IN THERE, I GUESS IS THE BEST WAY OF SAYING IT. IT WOULD STILL BE THOSE TRAINED LIBRARIANS CREATING THAT INITIAL LIST AND THEN ADDING THAT LAYER OF SLACK FOR THE LACK OF A BETTER TERM. SO I DON'T KEEP SAYING IT OVER AND OVER. AND DO WE HAVE THE TRAINED LIBRARIANS ON THE SLACK REPRESENTATION OR MAINLY PARENTS? SO THAT'S AN OPTIONAL THAT'S AN OPTION FOR THE BOARD, WHETHER YOU WOULD LIKE THEM TO BE NON-VOTING MEMBERS OR NOT. SO THEY COULD BE THERE TO ADVISE AND GIVE COUNSEL, BUT THEY WOULD NOT HAVE A VOTE. THE AT LEAST THE MAJORITY OF THEM. SO WITH A FEW TWEAKS, WE'VE ALREADY HAVE AN OPTION THAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON. OPTION ONE AT LEAST GIVING PARENTS OPTIONS WHICH BOOKS THEIR OWN CHILDREN CAN, CAN READ OR NOT, OR HAVE ACCESS TO MR. MUNTZ. SO AS PER NORMAL, I'M AGAINST, I THINK, WHAT MOST OF MY COLLEAGUES ARE FOR, I AM IN 
          [01:20:03]
FAVOR OF OPTION TWO. HOWEVER, I DON'T KNOW THAT I'M 100% THERE YET. TO WHAT MISS ADAMS JUST TALKED ABOUT. IS IT POSSIBLE TO WRITE IN THAT WE MUST INCLUDE ON THE SLACK OUR LEAD LIBRARIANS, EVEN THOUGH THEY MAY BE NON-VOTING? CAN WE MANDATE THEIR PARTICIPATION IN THAT? I, I JUST FUNDAMENTALLY DISAGREE WITH THE NOTION THAT BECAUSE THEY'RE TRAINED LIBRARIANS, THEIR OPINION IS SOMEHOW MORE OR LESS VALUABLE THAN THAT THAN THE PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY? I FUNDAMENTALLY REJECT THAT IDEA. HOWEVER, I DO RECOGNIZE THAT LIBRARIANS PROVIDE A PERSPECTIVE THAT PARENTS AND OTHER CITIZENS MAY NOT HAVE, AND I THINK THEY BOTH DESERVE TO BE HEARD. IT, QUITE FRANKLY, AND YOU ALL PROBABLY GOING TO HATE ME, BUT IT'S BOTHERSOME TO ME THAT WE SIT HERE AND SAY WE SHOULD BE THE GATEKEEPERS AND WE SHOULD NOT INCLUDE THESE OTHER PEOPLE IN IT. LET'S. MORE IDEAS ARE BETTER, RIGHT? LET'S LET'S ARGUE ABOUT THOSE THINGS AND LET'S FIND OUT WHAT'S BEST. I DO HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT THE LOGISTICS OF IT AS WELL AS AS AS IT STANDS HERE, IMPLEMENTED TODAY. SO I WOULD LIKE THAT IF WE ARE GOING TO PROPOSE A SLACK OR AT LEAST HAVE A DISCUSSION ABOUT MANDATING LIBRARIANS AND POTENTIALLY OTHER EDUCATORS ON THAT BOARD TO PROVIDE THAT. AGAIN, DIVERSITY OF OPINION IS WHAT I WANT TO GET AT EVERY LEVEL. SO IF WE COULD MANDATE THAT, I THINK I THINK THAT WOULD BE A GOOD THING. I THINK WE CAN WORK THROUGH THE SCHEDULING AND LOGISTICS AND ORDERING ISSUES. MR. GILCHRIST. OKAY. AS A PARENT WHO HAD CHILDREN COME THROUGH KILLEEN INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT, MY CHILDREN NEVER READ A BOOK. I DIDN'T APPROVE, AND WE DIDN'T HAVE ALL THESE CHECKS AND BALANCES. THEY NEVER GOT A BOOK OUT OF THAT LIBRARY THAT I DIDN'T SEE. SO I JUST. PARENTAL RESPONSIBILITIES CANNOT BE PASSED ON TO THE GOVERNING BODY. SO IF WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO TRY TO MAKE THE GOVERNING BODY THE PARENTS, I FUNDAMENTALLY DISAGREE WITH THAT. I'M A PARENT WHO'S ENGAGED, AND I THINK PARENTS NEED TO BE ENGAGED IN THEIR CHILDREN'S EDUCATION. I TOTALLY AGREE THAT PARENTS SHOULD MAKE THOSE DECISIONS, BUT I DON'T THINK THEY SHOULD MAKE THEM FOR ALL KIDS. THEY MAKE THEM FOR THEIR KIDS. AND I HAVE SOME PROBLEMS WITH A LOT OF BOOKS, BUT I DON'T TELL YOU YOUR CHILD CAN'T READ THAT BOOK. MR. MINTZ, I APOLOGIZE. THIS IS MORE OF A QUESTION. SO, FOR EXAMPLE, 27,000 BOOKS IN HARKER HEIGHTS HIGH SCHOOL AS A PARENT, IS THERE A TOOL? AND I THINK YOU ALL TALKED ABOUT IT, BUT I JUST DON'T KNOW IF IT'S ACCESSIBLE TO PARENTS. DO DO TEACHER DOES DOES A PARENT HAVE TO GO THROUGH 27,000 BOOKS AND RESEARCH EACH ONE TO SEE IF THEY ARE SOMEHOW OFFENSIVE OR DISAGREEABLE TO THAT PERSON'S CLOSELY HELD BELIEFS? OR DO THEY HAVE ACCESS TO THESE TOOLS WHERE THEY CAN GO IN THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR, LOG IN AND SAY, HEY, LOOK, THESE ARE WHAT I DON'T WANT MY KID TO READ ANY, ANY BOOK THAT'S COVERS THE TOP, THE TOPIC OF HUMAN SEXUALITY. I'M GOING TO BLOCK ALL THOSE BOOKS. ONE CLICK IS OR SOMETHING THAT HAS BEEN RIGHT, AS YOU ALLUDED TO BEFORE, BANNED IN ANOTHER STATE OR IN ANOTHER COUNTY IN TEXAS. IS THERE ANY WAY FOR PARENTS TO KIND OF FILTER THOSE OUT SO THEY'RE MAKING INFORMED DECISIONS? BECAUSE OTHERWISE THAT PUTS PARENTS AT AN INCREDIBLE DISADVANTAGE BECAUSE THEY HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO EDUCATION, WHICH GOES TO THE LIBRARIANS POINT THAT WE SHOULD HAVE PROFESSIONAL PEOPLE WHO ARE PROFESSIONALS. BUT I THINK THERE'S GOT TO BE A BALANCE. SO IS THERE A TOOL FOR PARENTS TO DO THAT? BOOKMARK BOOKMARK. DOES THAT HAS THAT CAPABILITY? YEAH. I'M LOOKING BACK TO MY PHONE OF FRIENDS HERE. BLOCK BOOKS TYPE OF THING. YEAH. BLOCK ALL THE SCHOOLS NEED TO JUST DOUBLE CHECK THAT. JUST WE'LL GET THAT INFORMATION BACK TO YOU. MADAM SECRETARY, I RECALL AS A MIDDLE SCHOOL PRINCIPAL, OPENING A NEW SCHOOL AND SITTING DOWN WITH THE LIBRARIAN, THERE WERE STANDARDS THAT THAT LIBRARIAN USED. I CAN'T EVEN BEGIN TO PULL ALL THOSE UP IN MY MIND. THERE WERE ALL OF THESE EXEMPLARY AWARD. AWARD BOOKS. THERE IS A MATRIX THERE CRITERION THAT THEY USE TO SELECT BOOKS. MY CONCERN IS I AGREE WITH PARENT RIGHTS. I HAVE 
          [01:25:02]
NO PROBLEM WITH THAT. BUT PARENT SAYS MY CHILD CANNOT READ THIS, THIS, THIS, THIS. WE ALREADY HAVE THAT IN PLACE. BUT FOR THEM TO CENSOR ALL OTHER CHILDREN AND THOSE PARENTS FEELINGS ON IT, THAT'S WHERE I HAVE THE ISSUE. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FROM TRUSTEES? SO DISCUSSION TONIGHT, IT'S COMING BACK TO A CLOSED SESSION. YES, SIR. BUT FOR POTENTIAL APPROVAL WOULD BE CORRECT NEXT, NEXT TUESDAY, NEXT TUESDAY. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS. IF THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS PLEASE MAKE SURE WE DIRECT THOSE TO STAFF SO WE CAN TRY TO HAVE SOME CLARITY. THERE'S BEEN SOME STRONG OPINIONS ON HERE. AND ONE OUTSTANDING QUESTION THAT WE WILL GET INFORMATION TO THE BOARD MEMBERS. THANK YOU SIR. THIS WEEK THE GOAL WOULD BE TO THERE IS A HOT MIC SOMEWHERE. 
          THE GOAL WOULD BE TO NOT RE REHASH THIS ENTIRE CONVERSATION NEXT TUESDAY. IT WOULD BE TO MAKE SURE WE GET CLARITY FOR EVERYONE. AND SO WHEN WE COME IN HERE, KIND OF KNOW WHERE WE'RE AT IDEALLY. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. WE'LL NOW GO TO. ITEM C DISCUSSION OF FISCAL YEAR 2026 DISTRICT BUDGET PLANNING. MISS VADEN WELCOME. TRY THAT AGAIN. THANK YOU AND GOOD EVENING. WE ARE GOING TO TONIGHT TALK THROUGH OUR PROPOSED BUDGET AGAIN. THAT WAS OFFICIALLY PROPOSED LAST WEEK. MUCH OF THIS PRESENTATION IS THE SAME, BUT THERE ARE SEVERAL SLIDES THAT ARE NEW. AND SO I WILL TRY AND GO VERY FAST THROUGH MOST OF THIS. BUT WHEN WE HIT A SLIDE THAT HAS NEW INFORMATION ON IT, I WILL POINT THAT OUT AND TALK THROUGH THAT INFORMATION. STATE THAT ONE MORE TIME YOU SAID YOU'RE GOING TO GO REALLY FAST, BUT THEN YOU SAID WHEN THERE'S SOMETHING NEW, WHEN THERE IS A NEW SLIDE, I WILL POINT THAT OUT. AND OBVIOUSLY AS WE GO THROUGH, IF THERE ARE QUESTIONS THAT POP UP, PLEASE ASK ON ANY OF THE INFORMATION BUDGET FROM LAST WEEK AS WELL. I DON'T WANT TO RUSH YOU. IT'S THE BUDGET, BUT OKAY. THANK YOU. SO WE TALKED ABOUT THERE ARE THREE FUNDS THAT THE BOARD HAS TO APPROVE, THE GENERAL FUND, WHICH IS USED FOR DAY TO DAY OPERATIONS, SCHOOL NUTRITION, WHICH IS THE NATIONAL SCHOOL LUNCH PROGRAM, AND DEBT SERVICE, WHICH IS PRINCIPAL AND INTEREST ON VOTER APPROVED BONDS IN THE GENERAL FUND. THE TAX RATE WILL NOT BE SUBJECT TO COMPRESSION, SO OUR PORTION OF THE TAX RATE WILL REMAIN THE SAME AS IT IS THIS CURRENT YEAR. 8.6682 AND THE HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION RELATED TO PROPERTY TAXES WILL INCREASE TO 140,000 COMING UP IN THIS NEXT YEAR. OUR BUDGET ASSUMPTIONS AGAIN HAVE NOT CHANGED. WE ARE LOOKING AT WE TALKED ABOUT THE RATE, WE TALKED ABOUT THE HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION. WE HAVE LEFT OUR PROPERTY TAX COLLECTIONS AT 99%. WE DO HAVE OUR GENERAL PAY INCREASES INCLUDED THAT WERE APPROVED BY YOU. THANK YOU. THE HEALTH INSURANCE IS INCLUDED. THAT HAS INCREASED TO $425 A MONTH AND UNFILLED POSITIONS. WE DID INCREASE THIS YEAR TO A OR DECREASE, I GUESS YOU'D SAY, TO A 94% FILL RATE. THIS IS WHAT OUR ATTENDANCE LOOKS LIKE COMPARED TO OUR AVERAGE DAILY ENROLLMENT COMPARED TO OUR AVERAGE DAILY ATTENDANCE. YOU CAN SEE THERE'S A VERY STRONG CORRELATION THERE, EXCEPT FOR THE YEARS AFFECTED BY COVID. THIS IS OUR PROPERTY VALUE COMPARISON TALKED ABOUT IN 2022. 
          THE HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION WAS 40,000. THE MIDDLE TWO YEARS IT WAS 100,000 AND THEN BUILT INTO 25 IS 140,000. EXEMPTION FOR HOMESTEAD. AND SO IT DOES SKEW THE COMPARISON SOMEWHAT. THE MAIN THING THAT WE TALKED ABOUT ON THIS SLIDE, THE BOTTOM RIGHT NUMBERS, THE FREEZE ADJUSTED TAXABLE, WHICH IS THE VALUE THAT THE SCHOOL DISTRICT TAX RATE WILL BE APPLIED TO, HAS DECREASED BY 3.3% FROM PRIOR YEAR. THIS IS THAT SAME INFORMATION REPRESENTED GRAPHICALLY. YOU CAN SEE SEVERAL YEARS OF VERY STRONG VALUE INCREASES. AND IT DOES SHOW THERE AGAIN THAT THAT FOR COMING THIS COMING YEAR WE DO EXPECT THAT DECREASE. THIS IS OUR COMPARISON OF OUR TAX RATES. AGAIN WE'VE TALKED ABOUT FOR NEXT YEAR THE RATE WILL BE THE 0.6682. THE RATE WE'LL TALK ABOUT A LITTLE BIT LATER, BUT WILL BE 0.2096 FOR A TOTAL OF 0.8778. THIS IS A NEW ONE. SO WE HAVE COMPARISON OF ALL OF THE YEARS OF KISD TAX RATE. JUST 
          [01:30:05]
WANTED TO POINT OUT YOU CAN SEE THERE ARE MANY, MANY YEARS OF DECREASING TAX RATE. SIGNIFICANT DECREASES OVER THE LAST EIGHT YEARS. AGAIN, THERE WILL BE A POINT TWO CENT INCREASE GOING INTO NEXT YEAR, NOT TWO CENT, BUT A POINT TWO CENT PER HUNDRED DOLLAR VALUATION. AND SO JUST AGAIN, THAT TAX RATES OVERALL HISTORICALLY HAVE HAVE DECREASED AND WILL REMAIN LOW. THIS IS ANOTHER ONE THAT'S NEW. THIS IS A PART OF THE REQUIRED PUBLICATION FOR OUR NOTICE THAT WAS IN THE PAPER LAST FRIDAY FOR THE PUBLIC HEARING AND TAX RATE THAT WILL HAPPEN NEXT WEEK. AND SO YOU SEE ACROSS THE TOP YOU'VE GOT THE CURRENT YEAR THAT WE'RE IN THE AVERAGE TAXABLE VALUE OF A RESIDENCE. AND THAT COMES TO US FROM THE BELL COUNTY APPRAISAL DISTRICT. SO THIS YEAR THAT WE'RE CURRENTLY IN THE AVERAGE TAXABLE VALUE. AGAIN THAT'S GOT YOUR HOMESTEAD PIECE IN IT. THE AVERAGE TAXABLE VALUE IS 152,000 FOR NEXT YEAR. BECAUSE OF THAT INCREASE WOULD BE 126,000. SO OVERALL THE TAXABLE VALUE FOR THE AVERAGE HOUSE WILL GO DOWN JUST A LITTLE OVER 25,000. YOU SEE IN THE MIDDLE ROW. THAT'S OUR PROPOSED TAX RATE. AGAIN THE 0.2 CENT INCREASE THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT FOR NEXT YEAR. BUT BASED ON THOSE AVERAGE RESIDENCE VALUES OVERALL ANTICIPATED $219 DECREASE FOR TAXES NEXT YEAR. SO IF YOU LOOK AT THAT ON A MONTHLY BASIS, THAT'S JUST A LITTLE OVER $18 A MONTH. EXPECTED SAVINGS FOR PROPERTY TAXES. THIS IS ANOTHER ONE THAT'S NEW. JUST A COMPARISON OF WHAT OUR TAX RATES WILL BE COMPARED TO THOSE THAT ARE IN THIS AREA. AGAIN, YOU CAN SEE FOR MOST OF THOSE OTHER THAN FOR COPPERAS COVE, OUR NEXT DOOR NEIGHBOR, WE'RE THE LOWEST ONE DO WANT TO POINT OUT FOR THE TOTAL TAX RATE. AT THIS POINT, WE ARE ABSOLUTELY THE LOWEST ONE. YOU WILL NOTICE ACROSS THE TOP THERE ARE SOME ASTERISKS THERE. MANY OF THESE DISTRICTS ARE EITHER HAVE VOTED OR EXPECT TO VOTE TO HAVE A BOND ELECTION IN NOVEMBER. AND SO AT THIS POINT, THESE ARE THE RATES THAT WERE PUBLISHED IN THEIR NOTICE. 
          SO FOR INSTANCE YOU NOTICE LIKE A COPPERAS COVE RIGHT NOW THEIR DEBT IS ZERO. AGAIN DEPENDING ON WHAT THIS HOW THIS BOND ELECTION DOES, THAT RATE IS LIKELY TO CHANGE. BUT DID WANT TO AGAIN JUST HAVE THIS COMPARISON AND SHOW THAT OVERALL OUR TAX RATE COMPARED TO OUR NEIGHBORS IS VERY LOW. THIS IS WHAT WE TALKED ABOUT. THE GENERAL FUND REVENUES AT THE TOP OVERALL KIND OF THE INVERSE RELATIONSHIP, THE LOCAL TAXES WE EXPECT TO GO DOWN. YOU CAN SEE THE INCREASE DECREASE IN THE FAR RIGHT COLUMN AND THE COMPARISON BETWEEN THE TWO YEARS, THE LOCAL REVENUES, WHICH IS PRIMARILY OUR PROPERTY TAXES, WE EXPECT TO GO DOWN. AND AS YOU WOULD EXPECT, THE STATE REVENUE INCREASES FOR A TOTAL REVENUE OF INCREASE OF 29, JUST OVER 29 MILLION. AND THE EXPENDITURES LOOKING AT PAYROLL IS GOING TO BE YOUR BIGGEST INCREASE. AGAIN, THAT'S PRIMARILY DUE TO YOUR HOUSE BILL TWO RAISES. BUT THERE'S SOME SOME ADDITIONAL PERSONNEL IN THERE. AND WE WILL TALK ABOUT THAT A LITTLE MORE AS WE GET TO THE END OF THE PRESENTATION TONIGHT. DO WANT TO POINT OUT OVERALL PROPOSED BUDGET FOR NEXT YEAR IS AN ANTICIPATED DEFICIT OF 4.2, THAT BEING FROM PRIOR YEAR, STATE COMPENSATORY EDUCATION FUND BALANCE AND ABSOLUTELY INTENTIONAL. THOSE OBJECT CODES REPRESENTED GEOGRAPHICALLY. WE TALK ABOUT PERCENTAGES SPENT ON PAYROLL VERY OFTEN. AND AS YOU CAN SEE, THERE ARE PAYROLL COSTS ARE OVER 84% GOING INTO NEXT YEAR. THE CURRENT YEAR WE WERE IN, THEY WERE JUST ABOUT 83. SO AGAIN INCREASING OVER PRIOR YEAR. THAT SAME INFORMATION BY FUNCTION. AGAIN, MOST OF THE INCREASES YOU SEE THE SIGNIFICANT INCREASES. FUNCTION 11 IS GOING TO BE YOUR DIRECT CLASSROOM INSTRUCTION HAD THE LARGEST INCREASE AS YOU WOULD EXPECT. I KNOW WE TALKED ABOUT MR. MINTZ ASKED A QUESTION LAST WEEK ABOUT FUNCTION 13. WE'RE GOING TO IF WE DON'T ANSWER YOUR QUESTION LATER, LET ME KNOW. BUT MOST OF THAT'S GOING TO BE RELATED TO SPECIFIC CURRICULUM. AND THEN WE'VE GOT SUBS THAT ARE RELATED TO TRAINING FOR THAT CURRICULUM. SCHOOL NUTRITION TALKED ABOUT. WE STILL HAVE OUR 
          [01:35:07]
COMMUNITY ELIGIBILITY PROVISION ON 37 CAMPUSES. SO THIS PROVIDES A FREE LUNCH. ALL CAMPUSES HAVE A FREE BREAKFAST. WE TALKED ABOUT EXPANDING THE CHILD AND ADULT CARE FOOD PROGRAM OR THE SUPPER PROGRAM THAT WE ARE SLOWLY STARTING THIS AT ALL OF THE CAMPUSES. WE'VE GOT 13 THAT ARE CURRENT SITES, ELEMENTARIES WE WILL BEGIN TO PULL IN IN SEPTEMBER AND THEN THE SECONDARY GROUP IN OCTOBER. WE HAVE THE OTHER THING WE TALKED ABOUT. THEIR DEPARTMENT HAS JUST OVER 500 STAFF TOTAL. THIS IS WHAT THEIR BUDGET IS GOING TO LOOK LIKE. AS YOU WOULD EXPECT, WE'VE GOT QUITE A SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE FROM PRIOR YEAR. IN TOTAL, THE BUDGETED FUND BALANCE, THE INCREASE LAST YEAR WE HAD A DEFICIT, LARGE DEFICIT BUDGETED RELATED TO THE TEN CAMPUSES THAT HAD KITCHEN EQUIPMENT REPLACEMENT. AND SO WE'RE NOT ANTICIPATING TO DO THAT. SO THAT'S WHY YOU SEE AN OVERALL INCREASE OF FAIRLY SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN THE BUDGETED CHANGE IN FUND BALANCE FOR SCHOOL NUTRITION. THAT INFORMATION REPRESENTED GRAPHICALLY, AGAIN, AS YOU WOULD EXPECT, PAYROLL IS A LARGE PERCENTAGE OF THEIR COSTS, BUT ALSO FOOD AND SUPPLIES. AND SO BETWEEN THOSE TWO, YOU'VE GOT JUST RIGHT AT 97% OF THEIR EXPENSES. THIS IS THAT SAME INFORMATION BY FUNCTION CODE. THE EXPENDITURES ARE BROKEN DOWN WITHIN SCHOOL NUTRITION. YOU HAVE TWO FUNCTIONS. FUNCTION 35 ACTUALLY COVERS YOUR YOUR PROGRAM. AGAIN MOST OF YOUR KIND OF DAY TO DAY OPERATIONS. AND THEN YOU'VE GOT THE MAINTENANCE AND OPERATION FUNCTION, WHICH IS A SMALL PIECE WHICH HAS TO DO WITH REPAIRS. IT WOULD ALSO HAVE TO DO WITH UTILITIES, ETC. AGAIN, THE PROPOSED BUDGET FOR 2526 IS A SLIGHT INCREASE TO FUND BALANCE OF 277,000. THIS IS THE DEBT SERVICE BUDGET. WE'VE TALKED AGAIN ABOUT PROPOSED TAX RATE FOR NEXT YEAR. THE 0.2 INCREASE THAT THE INS TAX RATE AND REVENUES ARE VERY SIMILAR TO THE RATE AS AS LOCAL PROPERTY TAXES GO DOWN RELATED TO INS. THERE IS ADDITIONAL STATE ASSISTANCE THAT THAT KICKS IN. OUR PAYMENTS ARE RELATIVELY FLAT FROM YEAR TO YEAR, AND THAT'S INTENTIONAL AS THE BONDS HAVE BEEN SOLD OR REFINANCED OVER THE YEARS. SO THEN HERE'S HERE'S THAT BUDGET. OVERALL, WE EXPECT PROPERTY TAXES IN THAT STATE AID THE MIDDLE COLUMN TO BE JUST NEARLY 28 MILLION. THE EXPENDITURE PAYMENTS OF PRINCIPAL AND INTEREST DURING THE MIDDLE. AND SO A SLIGHT INCREASE TO FUND BALANCE OF 361,000. THIS IS ALL THREE OF THOSE COMBINED. THIS IS WHAT YOU WILL BE ASKED TO APPROVE NEXT TUESDAY EVENING. IN ADDITION TO THE PUBLIC HEARING. AND SO THIS IS THIS IS NEW AND SO WANTED TO TRY AND LIST THOSE ITEMS. WHAT ARE YOU GETTING IN THIS BUDGET. AND SO TALKED ABOUT ENHANCEMENTS TO SAFETY AND SECURITY. YOU'VE GOT WEAPONS DETECTION. YOU'VE GOT THE ENTRY SHIELD PIECE. WE KNOW THAT WAS A HUGE INITIATIVE THIS YEAR. AND THAT'S OPERATING AT ALL OF OUR CAMPUSES. WE'RE LOOKING AT SILENT PANIC ALERT TECHNOLOGY SO THAT THE STAFF, IF THERE IS AN EMERGENCY, CAN JUST IMMEDIATELY, YOU KNOW, CONTACT THOSE THAT NEED TO BE CONTACTED OR FIRST RESPONDERS IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY. AND THEN THERE'S ADDITIONAL SAFETY PERSONNEL. WE'VE GOT TEN ADDITIONAL SPECIALISTS WITHIN THE SAFETY DEPARTMENT TO PERFORM THINGS, OBVIOUSLY TO WORK WITH THE ENTRY SHIELD AND THE SPEC SPAT TECHNOLOGY THAT TRAINING, MONITORING, THREAT ASSESSMENT, THOSE KINDS OF THINGS AS WELL. 
          THERE ARE ALSO IMPROVEMENTS WITH IMPROVEMENTS WITHIN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT. THERE'S ADDITIONAL OFFICERS THERE GONE FROM LIKE 46 TO ABOUT 64, AS WELL AS ADDITIONAL VEHICLES, SOME CAMERAS, ETC. FOR THAT DEPARTMENT. THE GENERAL PAY INCREASE. WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THAT. THE FIRST TWO ARE THE HOUSE BILL, TWO RAISES AS PASSED ON BY THE LEGISLATURE. WE'VE GOT OUR STARTING TEACHER SALARY AT JUST OVER $59,000. INCREASED COMPENSATION TOWARDS OUR HARD TO 
          [01:40:07]
FILL SPECIAL EDUCATION ROLES, EVALUATION ROLES, HOPEFULLY TO ENTICE SOME STAFF ON BOARD WITH THAT IMPROVED COMPENSATION STRUCTURE FOR OUR CAMPUS ADMINISTRATORS. THAT WAS AN AREA THAT WE FELT LIKE THE DATA SHOWED THAT WE WERE NOT QUITE AS COMPETITIVE AS WE'D LIKE TO BE WITH OUR NEIGHBORS, AND SO HAVE PUT SOME INCREASES IN PLACE THERE. THE ADDITIONAL PERCENTAGES FOR THE REMAINING STAFF, INCLUDING THE $13 PER HOUR MINIMUM WAGE, THE ADDITION, I THINK IT WAS LAST WEEK APPROVED FOR THE SUBSTITUTES AND THE SLIDING SCALE BASED ON THE NUMBER OF DAYS THAT THEY HAVE WORKED, AND THEN THE INCREASED CONTRIBUTION, THE $25 INCREASE, SO THAT OUR EMPLOYER CONTRIBUTION TO HEALTH INSURANCE IS $425. ALL RIGHT. THIS NEXT SLIDE. AND THIS IS WHERE I THINK, MR. MINTZ, THAT YOUR QUESTION IS GOING TO BE ANSWERED BECAUSE THIS IS NOT MY AREA OF STRENGTH. THE FIRST FIVE ITEMS ON THIS SLIDE, I'M GOING TO LET JILL, LYNETTE, AND I THINK FIRST AND THEN DOCTOR OSBORNE KIND OF TALK THROUGH WHAT THOSE MEAN SPECIFICALLY AND HOW THAT IMPACTS OUR CAMPUSES. SO FOR STANDARDIZING THE H. I WAS ABOUT TO CALL THEM HQ, I'M SORRY. THE HIGH QUALITY INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS. LAST YEAR WE CAME AND REQUESTED THE PURCHASE OF CARNEGIE MATH TO ADDRESS OUR MIDDLE SCHOOL MATH DATA. AND AS WE DID PROGRESS MONITORING THROUGHOUT THE COURSE OF THE YEAR, WE REALIZED THAT THE DATA WASN'T MOVING THE WAY THAT WE WANTED. SO THEN WE CAME BACK AND ASKED TO MOVE TO A DIFFERENT MATH RESOURCE THAT'S VERTICALLY ALIGNED. I ALREADY CLASSROOMS, SO WE PURCHASED IREADY CLASSROOMS FOR 400. I MEAN, 641,792. WE DID PROFESSIONAL LEARNING WITH THE ACCOMPANYING INTERVENTION FOR K THROUGH FIVE. THAT TOTAL WAS 1.1 MILLION. AND THEN WE PURCHASED ADDITIONAL INTERVENTIONS SO THAT ALL OF OUR STUDENTS IN SECONDARY HAD AN INTERVENTION TO USE CALLED EXCEL. WE APPLIED FOR A GRANT WITH TI LAST YEAR AND WERE AWARDED IT FOR MATH IN IN MIDDLE SCHOOL AND IN NINTH GRADE ALGEBRA. THAT GRANT WILL ACTUALLY END FOR US IN FEBRUARY. 
          SO INSTEAD OF JUST HAVING IXL FOR MATH AND A DIFFERENT INTERVENTION FOR OTHER CORE SUBJECTS, WE DECIDED WE WANTED STUDENTS TO USE THE EXACT SAME INTERVENTION FOR ALL CORE SUBJECTS. SO THE PURCHASE OF THOSE INTERVENTIONS FOR SECONDARY WERE RIGHT AT $442,000, FOR A TOTAL OF 1.5 MILLION, AND SOME OF THOSE FUNDS WOULD BE RECOUPED WITH OUR IMA MONEY, BECAUSE IT USED TO BE RELEASED EARLIER, IN PREVIOUS YEARS, IT WAS NOT RELEASED TO US UNTIL END OF JULY, SO WE HAD TO PURCHASE IT. AND THEN WHEN WE RECEIVE THOSE FUNDS, WE'LL BE ABLE TO REIMBURSE THE DISTRICT FOR THAT. SO THAT EXPLAINS OUR HQ FOR MATH READING. WE DIDN'T PURCHASE A NEW ONE. WE JUST REPLENISHED SOME MATERIALS FOR SERVICE. AND THEN THE ADDITION OF THE 27 FULL TIME EQUIVALENT POSITIONS FOR SECONDARY OR MIDDLE SCHOOL MATH. THANK YOU FOR APPROVING THAT PURCHASE. WE CREATED A PROCESS FOR CAMPUSES TO ANALYZE THEIR DATA, IDENTIFY WHICH SUBJECT AREA THEY FELT THEY NEEDED THE MOST SUPPORT IN FOR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND LEARNING COMMUNITIES. THEY THEN RAN THOSE PROPOSALS BY DOCTOR HARRIS, WHO'S THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR SECONDARY, IN CONJUNCTION WITH THEIR EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS. THEY HAD TO BE FULLY STAFFED IN ORDER FOR US TO MOVE FORWARD WITH ADDING THAT ADDITIONAL FTE. SO TO DATE, TEN OF THE 12 MIDDLE SCHOOLS HAVE ADDED 1 OR 2 ADDITIONAL FTE SO THAT MATH TEACHERS OR READING TEACHERS DURING THE COURSE OF THE DAY COULD HAVE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT. INSTEAD OF US WAITING TO HAVE PROFESSIONAL LEARNING COMMUNITIES ONCE EVERY TEN DAYS. OKAY, BULLET FOR SPEAKS TO A MAJOR PROJECT THAT WE TOOK ON AND SPECIAL EDUCATION SPECIALIZED LEARNING. STARTING AROUND NOVEMBER OF 2024, OUR CHARGE WAS TO INCREASE THE PERCENTAGE OF OUR SELF-CONTAINED ELEMENTARY STUDENTS THAT WERE ABLE TO BE SERVED WITHIN THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD SCHOOLS. THE EFFORT TO DO THAT WAS BASED ON THE HOPE THAT WE COULD DECREASE THE NUMBER OF SIBLING TRANSFERS. 
          PREVIOUSLY, OUR SYSTEM, AND ABOUT 60% ARE IN THEIR HOME CAMPUSES NOW. SO PREVIOUSLY, A 
          [01:45:06]
MUCH LARGER MAJORITY OF OUR STUDENTS WERE SERVED AT HUB CAMPUSES. THAT MEANT THAT MOST OF OUR CAMPUSES DID NOT HAVE EVERY SPECIAL EDUCATION, SELF-CONTAINED PROGRAM. SO OUR EFFORT WAS TO INCREASE THAT NUMBER NOT ONLY TO DECREASE THE SIBLING TRANSFERS, BUT DECREASE THE POSSIBILITY THAT A FAMILY MIGHT HAVE A SPECIALIZED LEARNING, SPECIAL, SELF-CONTAINED STUDENT AT ONE CAMPUS, AND THEN A THIRD GRADER OR SECOND GRADER AT THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD SCHOOL. SO BRINGING FAMILIES TOGETHER, IN FACT, THAT ALLOWED US TO DECREASE OUR OPERATIONAL COSTS, I BELIEVE, TO THE FISCAL NOTE OF APPROXIMATELY $300,000 AS IT RELATES TO TRANSPORTATION AND OPERATIONS. THE FIFTH ITEM THAT YOU SEE ON THERE WAS OUR EFFORT TO STREAMLINE OUR ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE AND LEARNING SERVICES, SPECIFICALLY AROUND POSITIONS THAT SERVE DIRECTLY OUR CAMPUS SUPPORT. WE WERE ABLE TO REPURPOSE TWO POSITIONS WITHIN THE LEARNING SERVICES AND ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES DEPARTMENTS TO INCREASE OUR PRINCIPAL SUPERVISORS FROM 2 TO 4. IN THE REALM OF INCREASES IN STAFF, WE ADDED TWO INDIVIDUALS IN THE CURRICULUM, INSTRUCTION AND ASSESSMENT DEPARTMENT TO INCREASE OUR FOCUS ON ACADEMIC PROGRAMS. SO WE ADDED ONE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF ACADEMIC INITIATIVES THAT INDIVIDUAL THAT WE ARE HIRING FOR CURRENTLY WILL OVERSEE ADVANCED ACADEMICS, CTE, FINE ARTS COUNSELING, AS WELL AS MENTAL HEALTH AND WELLNESS. AND THEN THAT INDIVIDUAL WOULD REPORT DIRECTLY TO DOCTOR CRAYTON. IN ADDITION TO THAT, WE ADDED ONE POSITION THROUGH SUPPLEMENTAL FUNDING FOR EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS, AND THAT IS MR. HICKS, WHOSE WORK WAS SPOKEN TO TONIGHT THROUGH GRADUATION ALLIANCE AND OUR DROPOUT RECOVERY EFFORTS, AS WELL AS AVID AND MENTOR TEACHER PROGRAMS. THANK YOU. SO IN ADDITION TO THAT, ADDITIONAL STAFFING AND EQUIPMENT FOR THE GROUNDSKEEPING AREA, LANDSCAPING WAS ADDED AS WELL. WE KNOW THAT'S BEEN A FOCUS FOR THE DISTRICT, AND SO WE HAVE ADDED THAT TEAM. THE OTHER THING THAT'S INCLUDED IN THIS BUDGET, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT A LITTLE BIT BRIEFLY, THE INTENTIONAL USE OF THE FUND BALANCE FROM PRIOR YEAR'S STATE, COMPENSATORY EDUCATION FUNDS TO CONTINUE FUNDING FOR THE CAMPUS INSTRUCTIONAL COACH ROLE, AND THEN WITHIN SCHOOL NUTRITION. AGAIN, THE EXPANSION OF THE SUPPER PROGRAM, THE CONTINUATION OF THE FREE UNIVERSAL BREAKFAST, THE CONTINUATION OF THE SEP CAMPUSES. AND THEN WE'VE GOT NO CHANGES FOR THOSE THAT DO HAVE TO PAY, THERE'S NO CHANGE IN THE MEAL PRICES. AND SO THEN AGAIN, HERE ARE OUR ADOPTION DATES WE DID HAVE LAST FRIDAY AS REQUIRED LEGALLY, THE PUBLIC NOTICE FOR THE BUDGET AND TAX RATE HEARING THAT WILL OCCUR NEXT TUESDAY. 
          AND SO THEN AT THIS POINT WE WILL BE BACK NEXT TUESDAY HOPEFULLY FOR A VOTE. MADAM CAPITO, I DO HAVE A QUESTION AND SORRY, ADAM, I'M GOING TO PICK ON YOU WAY IN THE BACK OVER THERE. IS SCHOOL NUTRITION PART OF THE LONG RANGE FACILITY PLANS FOR LIKE REPLACEMENT CYCLES AND ALL OF THOSE THINGS. I KNOW THAT WE JUST REPLACED SOME OF THOSE KITCHEN THINGS, BUT IS THAT GOING TO BE PART OF THE LONG RANGE PLAN THAT YOU'RE DEVELOPING? YES, MA'AM. SCHOOL NUTRITION, KITCHEN EQUIPMENT. THAT'LL BE A PART OF THE ENTIRE PROCESS. YES. OKAY. AND I KNOW IT'S SEPARATE AND BUDGET IN SOME AREAS. I JUST WANTED TO KNOW IF THAT WAS GOING TO BE INCLUDED, BECAUSE WE DEFINITELY DON'T WANT TO GET TO A PLACE WHERE WE'RE NEEDING TO REPLACE SO MANY ALL AT ONCE. AGAIN, OBVIOUSLY THAT SHOWS A HUGE DIFFERENCE IN THE BUDGET. YES, MA'AM. THANK YOU. 
          ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FROM TRUSTEES? YOU'RE ALMOST ACROSS THE FINISH LINE, MISS. WE'RE GOING TO GET THERE ALMOST ACROSS THE FINISH LINE. IT'S LIKE THE 400. YOU'RE IN THAT LAST 100 STRETCH. SO. YOU ONLY GET ONE QUESTION, MADAM CAPITO. AND SO CAN YOU JUST TELL US ABOUT SPECIAL OLYMPICS? SPECIAL OLYMPICS AT THIS POINT THERE ARE FUNDS WITHIN WHAT WE'VE GOT CALLED BEYOND DISTRICT FUNDS. SO AS OTHER PROGRAMS AS WELL. SO IT COULD BE ATHLETICS, FINE ARTS, CTE STUDENTS GO BEYOND THAT DISTRICT LEVEL. THOSE FUNDS ARE ALLOCATED TO COVER COSTS RELATED TO ANY OF THOSE EXPENSES, WHETHER THAT BE, YOU KNOW, THE MEALS, THE TRAVEL, THOSE KINDS OF THINGS, ETCETERA. THEN WITHIN I KNOW THERE'S SOME STAFFING STIPENDS RELATED TO THAT. I KNOW MR. BAKER AND I HAD A CONVERSATION ABOUT TRYING TO COME UP WITH A FORMULA, WORKING 
          [01:50:04]
THROUGH A FORMULA BASED ON, YOU KNOW, POTENTIALLY HOW MANY STUDENTS YOU'VE GOT, ETC, TO KEEP THAT FAIR, MAKE THAT EQUITABLE. SO BUT ANSWERING YOUR QUESTION. JUST ADDING TO THAT, I KNOW WE ALSO HAD A QUESTION ABOUT SPECIAL OLYMPICS AT THE RECENT ANNUAL MEETING FOR THE EDUCATION FOUNDATION. I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO CONVEY THAT WE DO HAVE A PROPOSED BUDGET THAT INCLUDES THE THINGS THAT CALLAN IS DESCRIBED FROM TRANSPORTATION PRACTICE, TRAVEL, STAFFING, UNIFORMS, SO THAT WE MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE EQUITABLY PROVIDING THOSE RESOURCES FOR OUR SPECIALIZED LEARNERS. YES, MA'AM. THANK YOU. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? THANK YOU. MISS. BACK TO YOU AND YOUR TEAM FOR ALL THE WORK. OKAY. NO YOU'RE GOOD. SO NOW WE'RE GOING TO GO TO D WHICH IS DISCUSSION OF FUTURE BOARD MEETING AGENDAS AND TRUSTEE REMARKS. WE'LL START WITH FUTURE BOARD MEETING AGENDAS. DOCTOR DAVIS ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU MR. PRESIDENT. OF COURSE. NUMBER ONE PUBLIC FORUM AND THEN CLOSED SESSION FOR LEGISLATIVE UPDATE WITH LEGAL COUNSEL FOR THE PURPOSE OF A BOARD MEMBER. CONTINUING EDUCATION NUMBER THREE. HONORS AND RECOGNITION. 
          AND WE'LL GO MOVE TO OUR PUBLIC FORUM. NUMBER FIVE SUPERINTENDENTS REPORT. THEN NUMBER SIX, OUR ACTION ITEMS FOR CONSIDERATION. BOARD MEMBERS, PLEASE STOP ME OR INTERVENE WITH ANY QUESTIONS OR NEED. CLARITY OF COURSE. RECEIVE AND APPROVE MINUTES AND A, B CONSIDERATION OF RESOLUTION TO RECOGNIZE SEPTEMBER 16TH, 2025 AS INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY PROFESSIONALS DAY. C CONSIDERATION OF RESOLUTION TO RECOGNIZE SEPTEMBER 2025 AS ATTENDANCE AWARENESS MONTH. D CONSIDERATION OF THE MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING WITH GRADUATION ALLIANCE STUDENT RE-ENGAGEMENT PROGRAM AND THE TEXAS EDUCATION AGENCY APPLICATION FOR OPTIONAL FLEXIBLE SCHOOL DAY PROGRAM. E CONSIDERATION OF MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING WITH TARLETON STATE UNIVERSITY REGARDING HIGH SCHOOL PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM F CONSIDERATION OF PROPOSED REVISIONS TO BOARD POLICY C H LOCAL PURCHASING AND ACQUISITION G CONSIDERATION OF PROPOSED REVISIONS TO BOARD POLICY F LOCAL INSTRUCTIONAL RESOURCES, LIBRARY MATERIALS, AND POSSIBLE RESOLUTION ESTABLISHING A LOCAL SCHOOL LIBRARY ADVISORY COUNCIL H CONSIDERATION OF DISTRICT OPTIMIZATION AND REZONING RECOMMENDATIONS AND SCHEDULING OF TOWN HALL MEETINGS DURING SEPTEMBER 3RD THROUGH 12, 2025. I. CONSIDERATION OF PROPOSED FINAL BUDGET AMENDMENT TO THE FISCAL YEAR 2025 ADOPTED BUDGET J PUBLIC HEARING TO DISCUSS THE BUDGET AND TAX RATE FOR FISCAL YEAR 2026. K CONSIDERATION OF FISCAL YEAR 2026 ACCELERATED INSTRUCTION BUDGET. L CONSIDERATION OF ADOPTION OF PROPOSED FISCAL YEAR 2026 DISTRICT BUDGETS ONE. GENERAL FUND BUDGET TWO. SCHOOL NUTRITION AND SCHOOL NUTRITION FUND BUDGET, AND THREE DEBT SERVICE FUND BUDGET. M CONSIDERATION OF RESOLUTION TO ADOPT THE TAX RATE OF 0.6682 AND DEBT SERVICE TAX RATE OF 0.2096, FOR A TOTAL TAX RATE OF 0.8778. FOR THE FISCAL YEAR 2026, IN CONSIDERATION OF EXISTING CENTRAL ADMINISTRATION BUILDING RENOVATION PROJECT ARCHITECT CONTRACT. O CONSIDERATION OF ALICE W DALLAS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL DATA CENTER RELOCATION PROJECT ARCHITECT. CONTRACT P CONSIDERATION OF FRANKLIN AND EMILY PRATT LEARNING AND LEADERSHIP CENTER RENOVATION PROJECT ARCHITECT CONTRACT. NQ CONSIDERATION OF INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT WITH REGION EIGHT. EDUCATION SERVICE CENTER FOR TEACHER INCENTIVE ALLOTMENT CONSULTATION SERVICES THROUGH AUGUST 31ST, 2026. INFORMATION ITEMS FOR DISCUSSION A DISCUSSION OF FUTURE BOARD MEETING AGENDAS AND TRUSTEE REMARKS. THEN OF COURSE, CLOSED SESSION. ANY QUESTIONS ON THE AGENDA FROM TRUSTEES? ADDITIONS. DELETIONS. OKAY, WE'RE GONNA MOVE TO TRUSTEE REMARKS. START WITH MADAM CAPITO. I HAVE A COUPLE. ONE IS I WANT TO THANK COMMUNICATIONS FOR PUTTING OUT INFORMATION ABOUT THE OPT IN PROGRAM, ABOUT OPTING BACK IN 
          [01:55:03]
FOR COMMUNICATION, AND HOW IMPORTANT THAT IS FOR PARENTS THAT YOU ARE OPTING IN. IF YOU HAVE PREVIOUSLY OPTED OUT, GO BACK TO OPT YOURSELF BACK IN AND GET THAT COMMUNICATION. THANK YOU FOR THOSE FINANCIAL SLIDES. I LIKED THE COMPARISON OF ALL THOSE, SO I APPRECIATE THAT. I WOULD LIKE TO ASK FOR SOCIAL MEDIA FOR THAT BOOKMARK FOR THE LIBRARY SYSTEM, SO PARENTS ARE AWARE OF THEIR OPTION TO BE INVOLVED IN WHAT THEIR CHILDREN ARE READING. AND THEN JUST THANK YOU TO THE LEADERSHIP STAFF FOR A GOOD FIRST WEEK. WE KNOW THERE'S ALWAYS A MARGIN OF ERRORS, BUT FOR SCHOOL DISTRICT THIS SIZE, THIS LARGE, IT WENT REALLY WELL. MR. MINTZ, JUST I'D LIKE TO ECHO WHAT MISS CAPITO SAID ABOUT GETTING THE SCHOOL YEAR OFF THE GROUND ON THE. I COMMUNICATED THIS WITH WITH DOCTOR DAVIS ON THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL. I WENT OUT AND I MADE IT TO ABOUT THREE CAMPUSES IN THE MORNING. I WAS VERY IMPRESSED. THERE WAS NOT THE USUAL KIND OF CHEERLEADER'S RAH RAH, BUT IT WAS VERY POSITIVE. KIDS WERE UP, WERE SMILING, PARENTS WERE COMING IN. EVERYBODY LOOKED POSITIVE. STAFF WAS READY TO RECEIVE A LITTLE BIT OF ENERGY IN THE AIR, BUT EVERYTHING I THOUGHT WAS BEING HANDLED VERY PROFESSIONALLY, DILIGENTLY WORKING THROUGH SOME OF THE NEW SECURITY MEASURES. AND I KNOW THAT WAS THAT WAS A BIG LIFT. I KNOW DOCTOR OSBORN AND HER TEAM KIND OF GOT THAT MOVING AMID A NOT INSIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF CONTINUOUS CHANGE IN THE DISTRICT. SO I COMMEND EVERYBODY ON THAT. AND I KNOW MR. HECKENBERG WORKS, WORKED HARD ON ON A LOT OF THE SECURITY STUFF, AND WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO REFINE IT. SO GOOD JOB OF THE TEAM GETTING THE GETTING OFF THE GROUND. LET'S JUST KEEP GOING. 
          MADAM SECRETARY. ALSO, EXCELLENT START TO THE NEW YEAR. I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO VISIT LUNCHTIME AND GOT TO OBSERVE STUDENTS WITH THEIR TRAYS AND CAFETERIA PEOPLE AND PEOPLE HANDING OUT NAPKINS AND CONDIMENTS AND JUST HAVING A GOOD TIME LEARNING THE ROUTINE OF HOW TO ENTER. AND WE KNOW IN THE SCHOOL BUSINESS, WE DON'T MAKE THE ASSUMPTION THAT KIDS KNOW HOW TO COME IN A CAFETERIA AND HOW TO SIT DOWN AND HOW TO RESPECT PROPERTY AND PEOPLE, SO WE DO HAVE TO TAKE THE TIME. 
          ALSO, I WANT TO COMMEND OUR COMMUNITY CONNECTION. A LOT OF THINGS I SAW ON FACEBOOK. MEN IN BLACK, YOU KNOW, OUR ADULT COMMUNITY MEMBERS COMING OUT SHAKING HANDS, HIGH FIVES ON THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL FOR THOSE SMALLER KIDS, AND EVEN MIDDLE SCHOOL. SO IT REALLY DOES MAKE A GOOD, SOLID, POSITIVE CONNECTION WHEN WE HAVE PEOPLE WHO VOLUNTEER THEIR TIME AND SERVICE FOR OUR KIDS. SO REALLY APPRECIATE THAT, MR. GILCHRIST. JUST WANTED TO ECHO ALL THE OTHER BOARD MEMBERS COMMENTS ABOUT THE START OF THE SCHOOL YEAR. REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THIS SCHOOL YEAR. I THINK SOME GREAT THINGS ARE HAPPENING IN THE KILLEEN INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT, AND I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO IT. EVEN GREATER THINGS HAPPENING. I DO WANT TO COMMEND AND I KEEP I KEEP REITERATING THIS. THE BUS DRIVERS, THE CAFETERIA WORKERS, EXCEPTIONAL JUST PHENOMENAL. SO I THAT'S IT. THANK YOU, MR. RAINWATER. I'D LIKE TO DISCUSS AGAIN AS QUICKLY AS WE COULD FOUR MEETINGS A MONTH. WE'VE HAD 46 BOARD MEETINGS IN THE LAST YEAR. WE'RE ALMOST A LAUGHING STOCK OF THE STATE OF TEXAS DUE TO THE NUMBER OF BOARD MEETINGS. 
          I REALLY FEEL LIKE THERE'S SO MUCH GOING ON, AND OUR STAFF HAS SO MANY OTHER IMPORTANT THINGS TO WORK ON THAT REALLY, IN ALL CANDOR, 46 BOARD MEETINGS SPEAKS TO ME OF MICROMANAGEMENT, WHICH I DETEST. SO I THINK IT'S AN IMPORTANT ISSUE, AND I'D LIKE TO BRING THAT TO A VOTE AS SOON AS WE COULD. I'D APPRECIATE IT, BRET. THANK YOU. AND I WILL PIGGYBACK ON THAT. I CAN TELL THIS GROUP THAT I DID CHALLENGE DOCTOR DAVIS IN A CONVERSATION THIS WEEKEND. I SAID WITHIN 60 DAYS AND 45. ACTUALLY SOUNDS BETTER IN 30 DAYS. SOUNDS EVEN BETTER TO GET TO TWO MEETINGS A MONTH. AND I SAID, LET'S JUST SEE HOW IT WORKS. BUT I'M IN LINE WITH THE AMOUNT OF TIME THAT WE ARE. WE'RE MEETING IS WE GOT TO GET BETTER, AND WE GOT TO JUST TAKE A LOOK AT OURSELVES. 
          AND SO I LOOK FORWARD TO THAT PLAN THAT IS GOING TO GET US DOWN TO FEWER MEETINGS AND FEWER TIME HERE. AS MUCH AS I LIKE DOCTOR BUCKLEY AND DOCTOR OSBORNE AND DOCTOR CREIGHTON AND EVERYBODY UP HERE, I'D RATHER BE DOING SOMETHING ELSE ON LIKE FIRST AND THIRD TUESDAY AS OPPOSED TO HANGING OUT WITH YOU ALL HERE. SO WE WILL DEFINITELY WORK TOWARDS THAT. AND THANK YOU, MR. RAINWATER. I JUST WANT TO SAY TO THE PRINCIPALS AT HAYNES ELEMENTARY. SO I WENT TO HAYNES ON THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL BECAUSE I, I WENT TO HAYNES ELEMENTARY IN THIS DISTRICT. I WENT TO MANOR SECOND. THEN I STOPPED AT SKIPCHA, NOLANVILLE AND OUR CROSS. AND THEN YESTERDAY I MADE IT TO UNION GROVE IN LIBERTY HILL. AND I JUST WANT TO SAY TO THE FOLKS AT THOSE CAMPUSES, BIG KUDOS TO YOU. THEY'RE VERY, VERY NICE. BUT THEY WERE STILL 
          [02:00:01]
FOCUSED ON THE MISSION, AND IT WAS JUST GOOD TO SEE KIDS OUT AND SEE EDUCATORS AND JUST THE EXCITEMENT, OPPORTUNITY TO BE A HERO EVERY DAY. SO I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU. AND THAT'S ALL 
          [5. Closed Session]
I GOT. NOW WE'RE GOING TO GO TO ALWAYS EXCITING ITEM FIVE CLOSED SESSION. THE BOARD WILL NOW CONVENE IN CLOSED SESSION FOR THE FOLLOWING AGENDA ITEMS. IN SECTION FIVE, A CONSULTATION WITH LEGAL COUNSEL REGARDING PENDING LITIGATION. CASE 625625 CV 00344 ADA DTG AS ALLOWED BY TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE 551.071 BE CONSULTATION WITH LEGAL COUNSEL REGARDING AMENDMENT TO BOARD POLICY AS ALLOWED BY TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE 551. 071. SEE CONSULTATION WITH LEGAL COUNSEL REGARDING LEGAL AND REGULATORY FRAMEWORK CONCERNING CAMPUS ACCOUNTABILITY ISSUES AS ALLOWED BY TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE 551. 071D CONSULTATION WITH LEGAL COUNSEL REGARDING SUPERINTENDENT TRANSITION PROCESS AS ALLOWED BY TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE 551. 071E DISCUSSION REGARDING DUTIES OF THE ACTING INTERIM SUPERINTENDENT AS ALLOWED BY TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE 551. 074F DELIBERATE REGARDING BOARD AND SUPERINTENDENT, COMMUNICATIONS BOARD OPERATING PROCEDURES, BOARD MEMBER DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES AS ALLOWED BY TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE 551.074. 
          NO VOTING WILL TAKE PLACE IN CLOSED SESSION, ANY ACTION THE BOARD WISHES TO TAKE AS A RESULT OF DISCUSSIONS IN CLOSED SESSION WILL TAKE PLACE AFTER THE BOARD RECONVENES IN OPEN MEETING. THE TIME IS NOW 8:01 P.M. AND WE ARE IN CLOSED SESSION. CAN WE?
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.