Oct 04, 2022 School Board Special Meeting

>> THE TIME IS NOW 7:45 AND I CALL

[00:00:02]

[1. CALL TO ORDER]

>> WE DO.

>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

I HAVE A SCRIPT THAT I TYPICALLY READ, BUT SINCE WE REALLY DON'T HAVE MUCH IN THE WAY OF A COMPANY THIS MORNING, I'M GOING TO DISPENSE WITH THAT AND MOVE RIGHT ON INTO THE REPORTS.

[3. REPORTS]

>> WELL, GOOD MORNING, EVERYBODY. WELCOME.

JUST A FEW QUICK POSITIVE THINGS THAT WE WANT TO SHARE WITH YOU.

WE'VE TALKED AT LENGTH ABOUT OUR CAFE SERIES THIS YEAR, CONVERSATIONS ABOUT FURTHERING EXCELLENCE.

EACH ONE OF THOSE AREAS WE HAVE ALREADY BEGUN THE WORK IN.

THAT INCLUDES THIS WEEK, WHERE WE'LL START OUR FIRST, WHAT WE CALL OUR CAMPUS CONVERSATIONS, PREVIOUSLY KNOWN AS THE STATE OF THE DISTRICT PRESENTATIONS.

BUT WE HAVE A CAMPUS CONVERSATION WITH PARENTS AND THE BOOSTER CLUB AT WESTLAKE HIGH SCHOOL.

YOU CAN SEE THE SCHEDULE THERE OF ALL THE ONES THAT ARE BEGINNING, BUT WE'LL START THIS WEEK AT WESTLAKE.

THEY'RE DOING THEIRS BY ZOOM BECAUSE THEY FEEL THAT GARNERS ARE BEST AUDIENCE FOR THEM, SO WE'LL BE VISITING THEM VIA ZOOM LATER THIS WEEK.

LAST WEEK, WE HAD A MEET-AND-MINGLE THAT WAS HOSTED BY OUR SPECIAL EDUCATION AND SPECIAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT.

MATT ZEMO AND EMILY DUNLAP ARE HERE.

THEY DID A TERRIFIC JOB OF OVERVIEWING THE PROGRAM FOR PARENTS AND THOSE WHO WERE VERY INVESTED IN MAKING SURE THAT THEIR CHILDREN RECEIVE SPECIAL SERVICES, SO THAT MEET-AND-MINGLE IS VERY POPULAR.

IT WAS A STANDING-ROOM ONLY AUDIENCE THAT MORNING AND IT WAS A GREAT WAY TO BEGIN THE SCHOOL YEAR WITH FAMILIES IN THAT PROGRAM.

SPEAKING OF SPECIAL EDUCATION, MATT AND HIS STAFF HAVE WORKED VERY HARD TO TRY TO CULTIVATE A PARTNERSHIP WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AND THEIR BEST BUDDIES PROGRAM AND THAT NOW IS FINALLY UNDERWAY WITH OUR ATS STUDENTS.

WE HAVE BEST BUDDIES IN A LOT OF DIFFERENT LEVELS, BUT NOW WE HAVE IT AT THE ATS SERVICES CENTER AND THE BEST BUDDIES PROGRAM AT UT, SO WE'RE VERY EXCITED ABOUT THAT PARTNERSHIP AS WELL.

LAST WEEK ALSO, WE ALWAYS ARE INTERESTED IN OUR RANKINGS, AND NICHE HAS BECOME THE SERVICE THAT PROVIDES THAT OVERVIEW BOTH AT THE NATIONAL, STATE, AND LOCAL LEVELS.

WE'RE VERY PROUD TO SAY THAT ONCE AGAIN, EANES ISD IS NUMBER 1 IN TEXAS, NUMBER 1 IN THE AUSTIN AREA, AND NUMBER 10 IN THE NATION.

THAT IS ACTUALLY UP ONE SPOT FROM LAST YEAR.

WE WERE NUMBER 11 LAST YEAR, BUT NOW WE'RE NUMBER 10.

INTERESTINGLY ENOUGH, IF YOU WERE TO FACTOR OUT ANY OF THE SELECTIVE ENROLLMENT SCHOOLS OR MAGNET SCHOOLS THAT MAKE THESE LISTS WHERE WE'RE NOT NUMBER 1, WE'RE ACTUALLY A LITTLE BIT HIGHER IN EACH OF THOSE RANKINGS AS WELL, SO WE'RE VERY PROUD OF THAT.

WESTLAKE HIGH SCHOOL, NUMBER 6 IN TEXAS, NUMBER 2 IN THE AUSTIN AREA.

AGAIN, IF YOU TAKE OUT NUMBER 1, WHICH IS A SELECTIVE ENROLLMENT SCHOOLS, WE'RE THE ONLY PUBLIC OPEN ENROLLMENT SCHOOL, OR THE HIGHEST-RANKED PUBLIC OPEN ENROLLMENT SCHOOL ON THE LIST, AND NUMBER 80 IN THE NATION.

WE'RE VERY, VERY PROUD OF THESE ACCOMPLISHMENTS.

THERE ARE A LOT OF OTHER RANKINGS THAT COME WITH THIS, AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT THOSE DURING THE CAMPUS CONVERSATION LATER THIS WEEK.

SPEAKING OF RECOGNITION OF THE HIGH-SCHOOL, THIS IS A TIME OF YEAR WHERE WE ALWAYS LOOK AT THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF OUR STUDENTS, ESPECIALLY THOSE WHO ARE BEING RECOGNIZED BY THE NATIONAL MERIT PROGRAM.

WE HAVE 121 STUDENTS WHO HAVE EARNED NATIONAL MERIT RECOGNITION.

THIRTY-FIVE OF THOSE ARE SEMI-FINALISTS, THAT'S COMPARED TO 33 LAST YEAR, 56 COMMENDED SCHOLARS, 24 HISPANIC SCHOLARS, TWO INDIGENOUS SCHOLARS, AND SIX AFRICAN-AMERICAN SCHOLARS.

OUR STUDENTS CONTINUE TO BE VERY ACCOMPLISHED AT THE HIGH-SCHOOL.

WE'RE VERY PROUD OF THEM WITH THE NATIONAL MERIT RECOGNITIONS THAT THEY RECEIVE, AND WE'LL HAVE SOME OF THEM HERE IN-PERSON LATER IN THE YEAR TO RECOGNIZE DURING A BOARD MEETING.

THAT'S IT FOR THE SUPERINTENDENT'S REPORT THIS MORNING.

ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE?

>> ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? NO? MY MATH SAYS 123 AS RECOGNIZED SCHOLARS.

>> WELL, WE'LL HAVE TO GO BACK AND TALLY THAT.

BUT ANYWAY, IT'S STILL IMPRESSIVE.

>> THAT'S GREAT. FABULOUS. THE NEXT ITEM IS OUR STUDENT COUNCIL UPDATE. COME ON DOWN.

>> HELLO. THANK YOU FOR HAVING US. MY NAME IS ERIK SEGHERS.

>> I'M JASE BENNET.

>> I'M THE STUDENT BODY PRESIDENT OF WESTLAKE FOR THE SCHOOL YEAR.

>> I AM THE STUDENT BODY VICE.

>> BASICALLY WE'RE JUST IN CHARGE OF THE MAJOR STUDENT EVENTS LIKE PROM, HOMECOMING.

WE ALSO CURRENTLY SET UP LIKE VETERANS DAY, SO MANY OF THE EVENTS AND ALSO DONATION DRIVES AND OUTREACH THINGS WITH OTHER SCHOOLS, WITH THE OTHER STUDENT BODIES.

>> WE'RE ALSO IN CHARGE OF TWO CHAMBERS IN THE WESTLAKE CENTER OF COUNSELING OF GENERAL COUNSEL,

[00:05:03]

BUT SOME OF WHICH WE DIRECTLY RUN, WHICH ARE ELECTED OFFICERS FROM EACH GRADE.

EACH GRADE HAS A PRESIDENT AND VICE PRESIDENT AND TWO REPRESENTATIVES AT LARGE.

THEN WE ALSO FILL IN A COUPLE APPOINTED MEMBERS OF THE EXECUTIVE BOARD, WHICH WE DID IN THE SPRING.

THEN WE EVER SEE THE EXECUTIVE BOARD, THEY'RE THE ONES WHO COME UP WITH IDEAS AND PROJECTS AND THEN GENERAL COUNCIL HELPS FACILITATE THOSE.

>> WHAT'S GOING ON RIGHT NOW, WE JUST FINISHED THE UVALDE SCHOOL DRIVE.

EVERY YEAR, WESTLAKE STUDENT COUNCIL AND OTHER STUDENT COUNCIL TRY TO DO A COMPETITION TO RAISE SOME FORM OF DONATION.

LAST YEAR WE DID A CANNED FOOD DRIVE AND THIS YEAR WE DECIDED TO DO A SCHOOL SPOT DRIVE TO THE VALLEY AREAS.

IT'S IN THE SUBURBS AND MAY NOT BE AS EASY TO GET SUPPLIES AS IT IS IN A PLACE LIKE WESTLAKE THAT'S CLOSE TO OUR SCENARIO.

>> FOR THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS, ACTUALLY, I THINK GOING ON FOUR OR FIVE YEARS, THERE'S BEEN A MURAL THAT STUDENT COUNCIL HAS BEEN TRYING TO COMPLETE IN THE UPSTAIRS OF THE COMMONS.

IT'S JUST LIKE A TILE MURAL.

WE'VE DEDICATED OUR ADMINISTRATION TO ACTUALLY FINISHING THAT THIS YEAR.

THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR A WHILE, SO THAT'S ACTIVELY BEING WORKED ON RIGHT NOW.

>> WHAT'S GOING ON, AS WE SPEAK IS THE FRESHMEN ELECTIONS.

ELECTING THEM INTO THE EXECUTIVE BOARD AS THE FRESHMAN, NORMALLY, ELECTIONS HAPPEN AT THE END OF THE YEAR FOR THE NEXT YEAR, BUT FOR FRESHMEN, SINCE THEY JUST CAME IN, THEY'RE HAPPENING RIGHT NOW, SO WE'RE LETTING THE CLASS PRESIDENT FOR FRESHMEN, VICE PRESIDENT FOR FRESHMEN, AND THEN THE TWO REPRESENTATIVES AT LARGE.

>> ANOTHER BIG THING COMING UP ON OUR PLAY IS HOMECOMING.

THIS WEEK WE STARTED NOMINATIONS FOR THE HOMECOMING COURT.

MOVING ON, OUR THEME IS ACTUALLY A HAUNTED THEME BECAUSE IT'S SO CLOSE TO HALLOWEEN, IT'S OCTOBER 22ND.

WE'RE GETTING SUPPLIES AND EVERYTHING.

WE'RE TRYING TO MAKE A HAUNTED HOUSE OUTSIDE OF THE SHAFT COURT AND WE ARE ALSO ORGANIZING SPIRIT DAYS THROUGHOUT THE WEEK OF HOMECOMING STARTING THE MONDAY BEFORE.

>> THE NEXT BIG THING IS VETERANS DAY.

WE ACTUALLY JUST CONTACTED OUR SPEAKER YESTERDAY FOR THAT EVENT.

WE'RE JUST WRITING OUR SPEECHES FOR THAT, AND THEN WE'RE ALSO FIGURING OUT THE ITINERARY FOR THE ACTUAL EVENT, LIKE SEEING HOW MANY AUDIENCE MEMBERS WE CAN HAVE AND THEN MAYBE CONTACTING POTENTIAL VETERANS THAT WANT TO COME AND SIT DOWN AND THEN TO MAKE SURE TO RECOGNIZE THEIR SERVICE AS WELL.

>> LAST YEAR, WE STARTED CUSTODIAN APPRECIATION WEEK, WHICH IS HUGE SUCCESS.

WE'VE ACTUALLY RAISED A LOT OF MONEY THIS YEAR FROM PEOPLE WHO WANT TO HELP OUT WITH CUSTODIANS.

WE WANT TO OBVIOUSLY CONTINUE THAT TRADITION, BUT THEN WE WANT TO START THE COUNSELOR APPRECIATION AS WELL BECAUSE WE FEEL, ESPECIALLY AT WESTLAKE, THEY'RE NOT APPRECIATED THAT MUCH.

A LOT OF PEOPLE NEGLECT.

MOST OF MY FRIENDS DON'T EVEN KNOW WHO THEIR OWN COUNSELOR IS, AND SO TO HAVE A WEEK SOMETIMES SOON JUST TO GIVE THANKS BACK TO THE HARDWORKING COUNSELORS.

>> WELL, THIS IS MOSTLY IN THE PLANNING STAGES.

WE'RE TRYING TO SCHEDULE IT AROUND LIKE REC LETTER TIME BECAUSE THEY WRITING HUNDREDS AND HUNDREDS OF REC LETTERS FOR ALL OF US TO HELP US GET INTO THE SCHOOLS THAT WE'VE WANTED TO GO TO OUR WHOLE LIFE.

WE JUST WANT TO RECOGNIZE THAT, SO WE'RE JUST WORKING ON RAISING MONEY FOR THAT AND THEN FIGURING OUT WHERE THOSE FUNDS CAN GO.

>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING US.

>> THANK YOU.

>> NO, THANK YOU. THAT WAS ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS.

ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS?

>> THANK YOU, GUYS. I JUST WANT TO SAY I LOVE THE SHOP RECOUNTS. THEY'RE REALLY GREAT.

>> THANK YOU FOR WATCHING. WE'RE ACTUALLY WORKING ON THAT TODAY [LAUGHTER] FOR THIS WEEK.

>> ANYBODY ELSE?

>> WHO'S YOUR VETERANS DAY SPEAKER?

>> AS OF RIGHT NOW, WE'RE IN CONTACT WITH MR. KERNEL BUCKLE.

HE HAS A STUDENT THAT ATTENDS WESTLAKE RIGHT NOW.

>> OKAY.

>> IT HASN'T BEEN FULLY CONFIRMED, BUT THAT'S WHO WE'RE MOST LIKELY GOING TO USE THIS YEAR.

>> IS THE PRESENTATION GOING TO BE PACKED THE WAY IT HAS BEEN?

>> YES, SIR. WE'RE GOING TO HAVE JUNIORS AND SENIORS FILL IN THE PACK AND THEN WE'RE THINKING OF IT USING THE FRONT COUPLE OF ROWS JUST TO TRY TO CONTACT VETERANS.

NORMALLY, THE CURRENT SITUATION IS MOST VETERANS TEND TO GO TO THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AND MIDDLE SCHOOLS AND THEN NEGLECT THE HIGH SCHOOL.

WE'RE TRYING TO MAYBE USE SOME MORE OUTREACH SUCH AS SOCIAL MEDIA AND THE NEWSLETTERS TO TRY TO GET MORE TO ACTUALLY ATTEND THE ACTUAL EVENTS SO WE CAN RECOGNIZE THEM DIRECTLY.

>> VERY COOL. ELLEN.

>> I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU FOR COMING OVER THIS MORNING AND LETTING US KNOW ABOUT ALL THIS EXCITING STUFF THAT IT REALLY IS HELPFUL TO US TO KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON IN CAMPUSES, AND TO HEAR IT FROM YOU IS ESPECIALLY SPECIAL.

THANKS FOR BEING HERE THIS MORNING.

>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING US.

>> IS THERE ANYTHING THAT YOU GUYS ARE DOING IN PARTICULAR TO GET STUDENTS TO COME TO THE HAUNTED HOMECOMING AND TO THE HAUNTED HOUSE?

>> YEAH. THAT'S THE BIGGEST THING.

LAST YEAR WE ACTUALLY HAD THE BIGGEST SHOW EVER SINCE, MOST BECAUSE OF COVID.

[00:10:02]

BUT RIGHT NOW, WE'RE ACTUALLY HAVING A WHOLE HAUNTED HOUSE IN THE HOMECOMING TO DECIDE A LITTLE, SOMETHING THAT PEOPLE WANT TO COME SEE. WE'RE CURRENTLY SETTING UP THAT.

WE MADE LIKE AN ENTIRE COMMITTEE JUST FOR THAT.

THEN ALSO WE'RE JUST DOING A BUNCH OF OUTREACH, MAKING POSTERS, SOCIAL MEDIA, JUST LIKE THAT.

>> THANK YOU, AND YOU GUYS ARE DOING A GREAT JOB.

>> THANK YOU.

>> THANK YOU.

>> ANYBODY ELSE? NO? THANK YOU ALL FOR COMING.

I REALLY APPRECIATE IT. THIS IS FUN.

>> OF COURSE. THANK YOU ALL AS WELL.

>> THE NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS THE COLLEGE ADMISSIONS AND ADVANCED PLACEMENT PROGRAM UPDATE.

FAVORITE PRESENTATION OF THE YEAR, PRESENTATION.

>> THANK YOU. GOOD MORNING.

I MYSELF AM NOT A PRODUCT OF EANES ISD, SO FORGIVE ME IF I DON'T SPEAK AS ELOQUENTLY AS THEY DID.

MY NAME IS LISA SANDERS. I AM THE LEAD COUNSELOR NOW AT WESTLAKE HIGH SCHOOL.

MR. ZEMO, OF COURSE, YOU ALL KNOW AND MR. RAMSEY, AND WE ARE HERE TO PRESENT THE COLLEGE ADMISSIONS ANNUAL REPORT.

FIRST LOOKING AT THE CLASS OF '22 BY THE NUMBERS, WE HAD 718 STUDENTS IN OUR GRADUATING CLASS, 72 PERCENT OF THEM WERE RANKED IN THE TOP 10 PERCENT.

[BACKGROUND] DO I DO MY OWN SLIDES? THANK YOU FOR TELLING ME. [LAUGHTER] OUR CUTOFF GPA WAS ABOUT 102.58.

THAT'S WHAT DETERMINED THE TOP 10 PERCENT.

OUR HIGHEST GPA WAS JUST ABOVE AT 106.6.

I'M SORRY, THIS NEXT LINE, THERE IS A TYPO IN HERE.

WE DID HAVE 35 SEMI-FINALISTS FOR NATIONAL MERIT FROM LAST YEAR'S CLASS.

WE HAD 430 SENIORS TAKE NEARLY 1,400 AP EXAMS. OF COURSE, THAT TOP 10 PERCENT IS RELEVANT BECAUSE IN TEXAS, THERE IS A LAW THAT REQUIRES THAT PUBLIC COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES ADMIT THE TOP 10 PERCENT FROM EACH GRADUATING CLASS IN THE STATE.

AT THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS, THAT CUTOFF IS THE TOP SIX PERCENT AND THAT IS HOLDING STEADY FOR THIS YEAR'S JUNIOR CLASS AS WELL.

THAT'S OKAY, THANK YOU. ON THIS NEXT SLIDE, WE'RE LOOKING AT THE PERCENTAGE OF OUR STUDENTS THAT PLANNED TO GO TO A FOUR-YEAR COLLEGE AFTER GRADUATION AND THE BLUE SEGMENT IS OUR TWO-YEAR COLLEGE STUDENTS.

THEN WE HAVE A SECTION FOR STUDENTS WHO MOVED ONTO THE ADULT TRANSITION SERVICES.

THEN 7.3 PERCENT OTHER WHICH COULD INCLUDE GOING INTO THE MILITARY, TAKING A GAP YEAR, GOING STRAIGHT INTO THE WORKFORCE, AND THINGS LIKE THAT.

OUR GAP YEAR STUDENTS WANTED TO PURSUE THINGS LIKE ART PORTFOLIOS, TRAVEL INTERNSHIPS, ONE STUDENT DESIGNATED THAT THEY WANTED TO WORK ON LEARNING SPANISH, WHICH I THOUGHT WAS INTERESTING AND VALUABLE.

THERE IS ONE STUDENT THAT'S PARTICIPATING IN A FORMAL GAP YEAR PROGRAM WHO IS TRAVELING THROUGH ISRAEL FOR A YEAR.

THEN WE HAVE AT LEAST ONE STUDENT DOING A SEMESTER AS C. OUR TECH AND TRADE SCHOOL PERCENTAGES.

WE HAVE FOUR STUDENTS THAT WANTED TO ATTEND A TECH OR TRADE SCHOOL, AND THAT INCLUDES ONE GOING TO THE GARY JOB CORPS.

ONE GOING TO AN ELECTRICIAN SCHOOL, ONES THAT ARE COSMETOLOGY SCHOOL, AND THEN WE HAD ONE STUDENT THAT WANTED TO BE AN AUTHOR AND WAS GOING TO SPEND SOME TIME TAKING SOME ONLINE WRITING COURSES.

THEN ANOTHER STUDENT WANTED TO DO AN INTERNSHIP WITH A CONSTRUCTION COMPANY.

NOW WE'RE GOING TO LET MR. ZEMO TALK ABOUT OUR STUDENTS THAT ARE IN ATF.

>> THANK YOU, LISA. THIS IS JUST A SLIDE THAT HIGHLIGHTS SOME OF THE PROGRAMS THAT OUR STUDENTS ARE GOING TO.

THESE ARE SOME OF THE MORE RECOGNIZED PROGRAMS IN THE STATE OF TEXAS.

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TWO A&M PROGRAMS IS THE PATHS PROGRAM IS REALLY MEANT FOR VOCATIONAL LEARNING TO BE A DIRECT SUPPORT PROFESSIONAL.

WE ACTUALLY HAVE A STUDENT THAT I PRESENTED LAST SPRING THAT WE'VE NOW HIRED IN IST THAT WENT THROUGH THAT PROGRAM AND WE'VE HAD A NUMBER OF KIDS HAVE GONE THROUGH THAT PROGRAM.

THE AGGIE ACHIEVE IS A LITTLE BIT MORE NEWER, AND THAT IS A FOUR-YEAR COLLEGE LIVING EXPERIENCE PROGRAM.

THAT'S A LITTLE BIT MORE COMPETITIVELY HARDER TO GET INTO.

THEN WE ALSO HAVE THE E4TEXAS, WHICH WE HAVE A PARTNERSHIP WITH THEM AND THAT'S VERY ALIGNED WITH THE PATHS PROGRAM.

THEY'RE REALLY FOCUSING ON GETTING SOME COLLEGE EXPERIENCE ON CAMPUS, BUT THEY'RE ALSO REALLY TRYING TO FOCUS ON GETTING THOSE VOCATIONAL EXPERIENCES AS WELL.

[00:15:03]

THEY ALSO HAVE A STEPS PROGRAM WHICH IS AN INTRO TO COLLEGE AND BUILDING ON SOME SKILLS THAT CAN HELP SUPPORT THEIR INDEPENDENCE.

THIS PAST YEAR, WE HAD FIVE STUDENTS AND OUR COHORT TOTAL OF NINE, FIVE OF THEM WENT ON TO SOME CONTINUING ED PROGRAM OR WERE COMPETITIVELY EMPLOYED.

THEN THE OTHER FOUR WERE ACCESSING THEIR TRANSITION PLAN AND ACCESSING COMMUNITY RESOURCES AT GRADUATION.

THIS IS SOMETHING THAT OUR EDUCATIONAL PARTNER TRANSITION SPECIALIST CARLY ROEBUCK PUT TOGETHER.

THIS IS ALL OF THE COLLEGE EXPERIENCE PROGRAMS IN THE STATE OF TEXAS.

WHAT'S REALLY NEAT AND HELPFUL FOR ANY FAMILY IS THAT IT REALLY BREAKS DOWN THOSE ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS, HOW THE PAYMENT PROCESS WORKS.

WHAT TYPE OF HOUSING IS AVAILABLE? WE USE THIS INFORMATION AND WE GET THIS IN FRONT OF PARENTS AS EARLY AS WE CAN IN THE TRANSITION PLANNING PROCESS, ESPECIALLY AT THE HIGH SCHOOL WHEN WE KNOW THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE DOING A LITTLE BIT MORE ROBUST TRANSITION PLANNING WITH FAMILIES.

WHAT WE'VE SEEN IS THERE IS SOME TRENDS TOWARDS STUDENTS ACCESSING ATS IN PREPARATION FOR THAT NEXT STEP.

SOME STUDENTS MAY BE READY TO DO THAT AFTER 12TH GRADE, BUT I THINK WHAT THEY'RE FINDING IS USING ATS IS THAT SPRINGBOARD INTO THOSE COLLEGE PROGRAMS IS A GOOD WAY TO GET GOING.

THERE'S A LOT OF WEALTH AND INFORMATION BEHIND THIS.

TYPICALLY, WE HAVE OUR PERSON-CENTERED PLANNING MEETINGS, WHICH IS THAT TRANSITION ASSESSMENT AROUND THAT JUNIOR, SENIOR YEAR.

THIS IS INFORMATION THAT STARTS TO GET CURATED AND COMMUNICATED.

THE OTHER PIECE THAT I WANT TO HIGHLIGHT IS THAT WE HAVE THE COLLEGE FAIR COMING UP AT WESTLAKE HIGH SCHOOL.

THE WESTLAKE COUNSELING DEPARTMENT HAS DONE A PHENOMENAL JOB OF PARTNERING WITH US AND WE'RE GOING TO BE COMMUNICATING OUT AND EXPECTING THESE COLLEGES TO PROVIDE INCLUSIVE PROGRAMS IN ACCESSIBILITY FEATURES THAT THEIR COLLEGE OFFERS.

FOR OUR TEXAS COLLEGES THAT DO HAVE A COLLEGE LIVING EXPERIENCE, THERE'S NOT A TONE, BUT THERE ARE SOME THAT WILL BE INVITED.

THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE A SPACE WITHIN I THINK IN THE PARK, IS THAT CORRECT? THAT WILL BE FOR THIS YEAR.

THEN GOING FORWARD IS THAT WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO PUSH THAT MESSAGE OUT THAT IF YOU'RE COMING TO WESTLAKE HIGH SCHOOL, YOU'RE HERE TO COMMUNICATE AND SUPPORT AND PARTNER WITH ALL OF OUR STUDENTS AND PROVIDE THOSE OUTCOMES THAT WE EXPECT FOR ALL WESTLAKE GRADUATES.

[BACKGROUND]

>> I'M SORRY, THANK YOU. [LAUGHTER] ALONG THOSE SAME LINES, WE'RE ALSO PLANNING ON A TECH AND TRADE SCHOOL FAIR WHERE WE CAN BRING IN SOME COMMUNITIES, SCHOOLS THAT AREN'T FOUR-YEAR COLLEGES THAT SOME OF OUR STUDENTS MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN AND ARE HOPING TO INCLUDE SOME GAP HERE PROGRAM THERE AS WELL, JUST TO BETTER EDUCATE KIDS ABOUT WHAT THEIR OPTIONS ARE AFTER HIGH SCHOOL IF THEY'RE NOT INTERESTED IN GOING TO A FOUR-YEAR SCHOOL.

THIS NEXT SLIDE HAS OUR BANNER ON IT FROM THE CLASS OF 2022.

AT THE END OF THE YEAR, AFTER STUDENTS HAVE DECIDED WHERE THEY'LL BE ATTENDING COLLEGE, THEY ALL COME IN AND SIGN OUR COLLEGE BANNER.

THIS IS A REALLY EXCITING DAY.

I'LL SAY WEEK OR SO OR 10 DAYS MAYBE THE KIDS ARE WELCOME TO COME IN AND SIGN ON THAT BANNER, BUT IT'S DEFINITELY SOMETHING THEY LOOK FORWARD TO IN AND TAKE A LOT OF PRIDE IN DOING.

FROM LAST YEAR'S CLASS, WE HAVE STUDENTS ATTENDING 155 DIFFERENT COLLEGES.

JUST OVER HALF OF THEM WERE STAYING IN THE STATE OF TEXAS.

BUT WE DO HAVE STUDENTS IN 40 DIFFERENT STATES AND FOUR DIFFERENT COUNTRIES, AND 79 OF THE STUDENTS FROM LAST YEAR'S CLASS ARE THE ONLY STUDENT ATTENDING THE COLLEGE THAT THEY'RE AT FROM WESTLAKE.

I THINK THAT SPEAKS A LOT FOR THEIR INDEPENDENCE AND THEIR COURAGE AND THEIR READINESS TO TAKE THAT NEXT STEP IN THEIR LIFE. I THINK THAT'S AMAZING.

THIS SLIDE TALKS ABOUT THE TOP 10 COLLEGES IN TEXAS THAT OUR STUDENTS ARE ATTENDING.

I ADDED A PLUS OR MINUS NUMBER NEXT TO CERTAIN SCHOOLS THAT MOVED UP OR DOWN IN OUR RANKINGS.

YOU CAN SEE HOW THAT COMPARED FROM LAST YEAR NEW STUDENTS TO THE LIST THIS YEAR ARE BLINN AND UT DALLAS.

SMU AND TRINITY FELL OFF THE TOP 10 TEXAS LISTS, BUT THEY ARE AT NUMBERS 12 AND 13 RESPECTIVELY.

THE TOP 20 COLLEGES BY APPLICATIONS.

THESE ARE SCHOOLS THAT OUR STUDENTS APPLIED TO.

AGAIN, I ADDED A PLUS OR MINUS NUMBER HERE SO YOU CAN SEE WHERE THEY MOVED COMPARED TO LAST YEAR'S RANKINGS.

[00:20:03]

BUT IF THE SCHOOL DOESN'T REQUIRE A TRANSCRIPT, WE'RE RELYING ON THE STUDENT TO TELL US, HEY, I APPLIED TO THIS SCHOOL AND I WAS EITHER ACCEPTED OR DENIED OR WHATEVER OTHER OPTION THEY MAY HAVE GOTTEN, A RESPONSE FROM THAT COLLEGE.

STUDENTS THAT ADDED INTO THE LIST THIS YEAR ARE AUBURN, MICHIGAN, AND VIRGINIA.

AUBURN AND MICHIGAN BOTH MADE THE BIGGEST JUMP FROM LAST YEAR'S DATA AND THEN SCHOOLS THAT FELL OUT WERE ACC, STANFORD, BERKELEY, AND NYU.

LOOKING AT ADMITTED STUDENTS, THE TOP 20 COLLEGES BY ADMITTED STUDENTS IS ON THIS SLIDE.

FOR TEXAS A&M AND UT AUSTIN, THIS DOES INCLUDE ALTERNATE PATHWAYS TO ADMISSION, SO IT COULD BE DIRECT ADMIT AS WELL AS CAP OR OTHER PARTNERSHIPS WITH COMMUNITY COLLEGES.

THEN AGAIN, THERE'S THE PLUS AND MINUS NUMBERS SO YOU CAN SEE HOW THEY COMPARED TO LAST YEAR.

THE BIGGEST JUMPS ON THIS SLIDE ARE THE UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA AND COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY.

THEY ARE NEW TO THE TOP 20 AS WELL AS OREGON AND THEN PURDUE, ST. ED'S, TRINITY, AND ARIZONA FELL OUT OF THE TOP 20.

THIS NEXT SLIDE SHOWS OUR COLLEGES THAT ARE MOST ATTENDED, THE TOP 20 COLLEGES MOST ATTENDED BY LAST YEAR'S CLASS.

NEW TO THE LIST, MOVING UP 27TH SPOT IN THE RANKINGS IS THE SAVANNAH COLLEGE OF ART AND DESIGN, WHICH I THINK IS REALLY EXCITING.

WE ACTUALLY HAVE NINE STUDENTS AT SCAD FROM LAST YEAR'S CLASS.

DID YOU GO THERE? VERY GOOD.

[LAUGHTER] I HAVE A MATH BACKGROUND, SO ANYTIME I COME ACROSS KIDS WITH CREATIVITY, I ALWAYS GET REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THAT.

WE HAVE NINE KIDS AT SCAD FROM LAST YEAR'S CLASS.

INDIANA UNIVERSITY AND THE UNIVERSITY OF DENVER ARE ALSO NEW TO THE TOP 20 LIST.

THEN SCHOOLS THAT FELL OUT INCLUDE PURDUE, CAL POLY, UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS URBANA-CHAMPAIGN, ARIZONA, UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, AND LSU.

IF YOU'RE WONDERING WHY THERE ARE SO MANY, WE HAD SOME TIES FROM LAST YEAR'S DATA, SO WE HAD A FEW MORE FALL OUT THEN MOVED IN, AND THAT SEEMS AWKWARD, BUT THAT'S WHY.

LOOKING AT OUR HIGHLY SELECTIVE SCHOOLS.

THE NUMBERS IN PARENTHESES ARE LAST YEAR'S DATA, AND THE THREE COLUMNS INDICATE HOW MANY OF OUR STUDENTS FROM LAST YEAR'S CLASS APPLIED, ADMITTED, AND ARE ATTENDING THESE HIGHLY SELECTIVE COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES.

I ALSO ADDED A LINE AT THE BOTTOM THAT REPRESENTS THE TOTALS FOR EACH OF THOSE COLUMNS BECAUSE THEY CAN CLEARLY SEE HOW WE COMPARE TO LAST YEAR'S NUMBERS AS A WHOLE.

ONE THING I FOUND INTERESTING ON THIS SLIDE IS THAT WE HAD FOUR STUDENTS GET ADMITTED TO HARVARD AND NONE OF THEM CHOSE TO GO THERE.

I LOOKED UP THOSE FOUR STUDENTS INDIVIDUALLY BECAUSE I WANTED TO SEE WHAT OTHER CHOICES THEY MADE.

TWO OF THEM ENDED UP AT STANFORD AND TWO ARE AT MIT.

WE CAN TALK A LOT ABOUT HIGHLY SELECTIVE COLLEGES, BUT WE ALSO HAVE HIGHLY SELECTIVE STUDENTS.

TO KNOW THAT THEY HAVE THOSE OPTIONS IS AGAIN IS AMAZING.

AT THIS TIME I'D LIKE TO REFERENCE THE HANDOUT IN YOUR PACKET ALSO THAT TALKS MORE ABOUT HIGHLY SELECTIVE COLLEGE ADMISSION RATES.

THIS HANDOUT SHOWS THE NATIONAL ADMITTED RATE, PERCENTAGE FROM LAST YEAR'S COHORT, AND THEN OUR DATA GOING BACK TO 2007.

IN THAT RIGHT-HAND COLUMN WHERE IT SAYS WESTLAKE ADMIT PERCENTAGE, THIS IS THE PERCENTAGE OF STUDENTS THAT HAVE BEEN ADMITTED THAT APPLIED GOING BACK TO 2007 COMPARED TO LAST YEAR'S ADMIT RATE FOR THOSE HIGHLY SELECTIVE SCHOOLS.

YOU'LL NOTICE THAT SOME OF THE COLLEGES ARE NOT PUBLISHING DATA ANYMORE AND I DID A LITTLE BIT OF RESEARCH ON WHY THAT IS.

IT VERY MUCH PARALLELS THE REASON THAT WE DON'T RANK STUDENTS ANYMORE OUTSIDE OF THAT TOP 10 PERCENT.

THEY'RE CONCERNED ABOUT THE IMPACT THAT COMMUNICATING THOSE ACCEPTANCE RATES IS HAVING ON STUDENTS THAT GET IN OR DON'T GET IN TO THOSE SCHOOLS, AND SO THEY'RE CHOOSING TO WITHHOLD THEIR ADMITTANCE RATES.

THE NUMBERS FOR THOSE SCHOOLS, THE NUMBERS IN PARENTHESES ARE WHAT THEY HAD PUBLISHED LAST YEAR.

LOOKING AT TEXAS A&M AND THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS, AGAIN, THINKING IN TERMS OF AUTOMATIC ADMISSION AT TEXAS A&M WILL AUTOMATICALLY ADMIT THE TOP 10 PERCENT OF EACH GRADUATING CLASS AND UT THE TOP SIX PERCENT.

THIS SLIDE JUST SHOWS YOU IN THAT SECOND COLUMN HOW MANY OF OUR STUDENTS OUTSIDE OF THE TOP 10 AND TOP

[00:25:03]

WE DO STRESS TO STUDENTS, AUTOMATIC ADMISSION IS ONE WAY TO GET INTO THOSE SCHOOLS, BUT IT IS NOT THE ONLY WAY TO GET INTO THOSE SCHOOLS AND SO WE TRIED TO TAKE THE PRESSURE OFF BEING IN THAT TOP 10 PERCENT BY LETTING THEM KNOW THAT MANY OF OUR KIDS GET INTO THESE SCHOOLS OUTSIDE OF THAT TOP 10 PERCENT OR TOP SIX PERCENT AS WELL.

THIS NEXT SLIDE IS JUST A SAMPLING OF OTHER COLLEGES THAT OUR STUDENTS ARE ATTENDING.

I TRIED TO PICK SOME UNIQUE OR DIFFERENT OR OUTSTANDING SCHOOLS FOR ONE REASON OR ANOTHER.

BERKLEE COLLEGE OF MUSIC, I THINK, IS OBVIOUSLY A VERY GOOD SCHOOL.

THERE'S AN INTERESTING THINGS IN THE FASHION INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, THE STACEY JAMES INSTITUTE AS A COSMETOLOGY SCHOOL IN SAN ANTONIO, INTELLITEC AS A TRADE SCHOOL IN COLORADO SPRINGS.

THERE'S ONE FROM CANADA.

WE DO HAVE FIVE STUDENTS THAT GOT INTO AND ARE ATTENDING MIT.

ONE OF MY KIDS FROM LAST YEAR IS AT THE AMERICAN UNIVERSITY OF MALTA AND I'M HOPING TO GO VISIT HIM AT SOME POINT.

[LAUGHTER] I JUST TRIED TO PICK OUT SOME INTERESTING IN THE CULINARY INSTITUTE OF AMERICA AGAIN, JUST SHOWING THAT NOT ALL OF OUR KIDS GO TO FOUR-YEAR SCHOOLS AND THERE'S LOTS OF REALLY INTERESTING AND ENGAGING THINGS THAT THEY'RE DOING OUTSIDE OF THAT WORLD AS WELL.

THEN FINALLY MOVING ON TO HOW OUR STUDENTS CAN GET A HEAD START ON COLLEGE BY GETTING SOME COLLEGE CREDITS TAKEN CARE OF THROUGH HIGH SCHOOL.

WE HAVE TWO PRETTY GOOD SIZE PROGRAMS THAT WE OFFER.

ONE BEING DUAL CREDIT THROUGH AUSTIN COMMUNITY COLLEGE.

THESE STUDENTS TAKE CLASSES AT ACC, TYPICALLY DURING THE SUMMER, BUT IT IS AN OPTION DURING THE SCHOOL YEAR AND WE DO HAVE STUDENTS DO IT DURING THE SCHOOL YEAR OCCASIONALLY.

BUT DOING THESE DUAL CREDIT CLASSES ALLOWS THEM TO EARN AN ACT COLLEGE CREDIT AS WELL AS A HIGH SCHOOL CREDIT AT THE SAME TIME FROM THE SAME COURSE.

TYPICALLY THESE ARE DONE THROUGH SOCIAL STUDIES CLASSES, BUT WE ALSO DO HAVE SOME FINE ART, SOME WORLD LANGUAGE, AND OCCASIONALLY SOME SCIENCE OR MATH CLASSES, ALSO, IF STUDENTS ARE TRYING TO GET AHEAD IN THOSE AREAS.

THEN FINALLY OUR ADVANCED PLACEMENT PROGRAM.

GOING BACK TO ACC, WE DID HAVE 70 STUDENTS TAKE COURSES AT ACC.

LAST SUMMER THEY TOOK 85 CLASSES.

THEN COMPARING THAT TO THE ADVANCED PLACEMENT PROGRAM, WHERE WE HAD OVER 1,500 STUDENTS TAKE AP EXAMS, WE GAVE 3,648 EXAMS LAST YEAR.

WHICH IS A WHOLE LOT OF TESTING, AND 88 PERCENT OF THOSE STUDENTS THAT TOOK THOSE EXAMS ARE UNDER THREE OR HIGHER ON AT LEAST ONE EXAM.

THERE IS A LOT OF POTENTIAL THERE FOR GETTING COLLEGE CREDIT FINISHED WHILE THEY'RE IN HIGH SCHOOL.

NOW I'M GOING TO TURN THIS OVER TO MR. RAMSEY TO CONTINUE WITH THE AP PROGRAM.

>> THANK YOU, MRS. SAUNDERS. MRS. SAUNDERS MENTIONED WE ARE AN ADVANCED PLACEMENT SCHOOL.

THAT IS WHAT WE CHOOSE TO DO FOR OUR STUDENTS AND WANT TO TAKE AN ADVANCED CURRICULUM OUTSIDE OF THE NORMAL TAKES IN OUR REGULAR CLASSES.

AS YOU CAN TELL, WHAT IS AN AP COURSE? THE MOST OF WHAT WE TELL OUR KIDS IS THIS IS A CHANCE TO CHALLENGE YOURSELF, IT'S ABILITY TO ALSO LEARN SOME COLLEGE CREDIT, BUT IT'S ALSO A PLACE TO REALLY CHALLENGE YOURSELF INTELLECTUALLY.

THINGS THAT WE HOPE THEY GET OUT OF AN AP COURSE IS OBVIOUSLY, ONE OF THAT, COGNITIVE CHALLENGE, EACH AND EVERY DAY IF YOU'RE IN OUR AP CLASSES, YOU GET CHALLENGED PRETTY QUICKLY, INTELLECTUALLY.

ALSO, EXTENSIVE INTERACTION WITH IDEAS TO REALLY TAKE THE TIME TO PROCESS.

IF YOU'VE BEEN IN OUR ENGLISH CLASSES, SOCIAL STUDIES CLASSES, SEMINAR, ANY OF OUR CAPSTONE CLASSES, THAT THERE'S A HUGE DEPTH OF KNOWLEDGE THAT THESE KIDS GET INTO AND REALLY ANALYZE, WHICH IS GREAT.

ALSO ONE THING WE DO WANT TO POINT OUT HERE BEFORE WE GET GOING WITH JUST AP IS RIGOR IS ALL OVER OUR CURRICULUM.

YOU DON'T MAKE A 29.2 ACT AVERAGE FOR THE BEST IN TEXAS 1,300 PLUS IN SAT, UNLESS ALL OF OUR STUDENTS ARE GETTING A VERY INTENSE, BUT ALSO I THINK VERY REWARDING EDUCATION.

ONE THING WE ALMOST SAY OVER AND OVER AGAIN IS WE'VE YET TO HAVE KIDS COME BACK AND SAY, I WASN'T READY.

ONE THING WE HAVE KIDS SMILE RATHER LARGE ALL THE TIME IS COLLEGE IS AWESOME, IT'S EASY.

I'M PREPARED COMPARED TO EVERYBODY ELSE.

WHILE EVERYBODY ELSE IS STRESSING, I'M HAVING THE TIME OF MY LIFE.

THEY PICK UP ACTUALLY EXTRA THINGS.

A LOT OF THEM WILL HAVE NEW INTERESTS BECAUSE THEY HAVE MORE TIME THAN THEIR FELLOW STUDENTS.

THERE'S A LOT GOING ON WHEN IT COMES TO THE RIGOR THAT DEFINITELY PAYS OFF.

NOT ONLY WHILE THEY'RE AT WESTLAKE, BUT AS THEY MOVE ON FOR SURE.

WE ARE A RARE SCHOOL THAT WE OFFER 35 OF 38.

MOST SCHOOLS OFFER SOMEWHERE AROUND 20-22, EVEN IN OUR CONSORTIUM, SO OFFER 35 IS PRETTY AMAZING.

IT'S ONLY THAT WE DON'T OFFER ITALIAN, JAPANESE, AND WE KEEP TRYING TO OFFER COMPARATIVE GOVERNMENT AND NO ONE'S TAKING THAT OFF OVER THE LAST SEVEN, EIGHT, NINE YEARS.

WE'RE JUST GOING TO DO THAT FOR FUN NOW IN THE COURSE CATALOG, I GUESS, TO SEE IF ANYBODY REALLY WANTS TO DO THAT.

[LAUGHTER] AP EXAMS ARE SCORED FROM A ONE THROUGH FIVE.

THREE IS THE STANDARD WE'LL TALK ABOUT.

BUT KIDS GET VERY EXCITED ABOUT THIS.

I JUST KNOW THAT MY KIDS ARE GETTING OLDER.

IT'S AMAZING THAT OUR PARENTS ARE GETTING PRETTY CRAFTY TOO.

[00:30:01]

THAT'S INTERESTING WHEN KIDS TALK ABOUT THAT.

THEN ALSO JUST THE WHOLE IDEA THAT THREE IS OUR STANDARD.

WHEN KIDS TALK ABOUT THREE, FOURS OR FIVES, AS A PARENT, THAT'S WHAT YOU KNOW.

THREE IS A PASS, FOUR AND FIVE IS EXCELLENT, EXCELLENT, AND YOU CAN GET MORE CREDIT THAT WAY.

LISA ALREADY WENT IN AND SAID THIS, BUT THIS IS A SLIDE THAT WHEN WE WERE IN OUR CONSORTIUM, THEY WOULD NOT ALLOW US REALLY TO GIVE US INFORMATION.

THEY WERE TOLD BY THEIR HIGHER-UPS, DR. LEONARD THE WORLD SAID DO NOT TELL THEM WHERE THE PASSING PERCENTAGES ARE.

EIGHTY EIGHT PERCENT IS RATHER HIGH.

MY FIRST SPRING WITH DR. LEONARD, HE TOOK ME ASIDE AND SAID, YOUR FIRST BIG TASK IS GOING TO BE HOW TO EXPLAIN WHY YOU'RE NOT 75 OR ABOVE IN YOUR AP SCORES.

THAT 60 PERCENT IS THE NATIONAL AVERAGE, AND THAT'S FROM VERY HIGH-ACHIEVING PRIVATE AND PUBLIC SCHOOLS, 60 PERCENT OF MOST SCHOOLS GET A THREE OR ABOVE, WE'RE AT 88 PERCENT.

HIS CHALLENGE WAS, HOW ARE YOU GOING EXPLAIN THAT WHEN YOU GO BELOW 75? WELL, WE HAVEN'T DONE THAT, THANK GOODNESS. WHICH IS GREAT.

I HAVEN'T HAD TO WRITE THAT MEMO YET.

BUT 88 IS PRETTY ABSURD.

WHEN WE WERE DOING THIS DURING OUR PD, I GIVE IT A LITTLE BRIEF ON WHAT WE'RE DOING AS A HIGH SCHOOL, I THROW IT OUT THERE, HOW 88 PERCENT IS RATHER HIGH.

WE HAVE FACT CHECKERS OUT THERE.

I DON'T KNOW IF YOU KNEW THAT OR NOT.

WE HAD A COUNSELOR WHO'S NEW TO US AS WELL AS SOME TEACHERS FROM VERY HIGH PERFORMING SCHOOLS.

WE WENT AHEAD AND TESTED PEOPLE AND THEY CAME BACK AND SAID, MY SCHOOL IS ONLY A 56.

MINE WAS A 61.

HOLY MOLY 88 IS CRAZY.

THAT'S JUST ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE TAKE A LOT OF PRIDE IN.

THE FACT THAT ALMOST 90 PERCENT OF OUR KIDS, WHEN THEY TAKE AN AP CLASS, HAVE A CHANCE TO GET SOME COLLEGE CREDIT, BUT WE LIKE TO CALL THEM MORE OF THE EXPERIENCE.

WE DON'T TALK TO THE KIDS ABOUT COLLEGE CREDIT, OUR TEACHERS DON'T DO THAT.

THEY ARE REALLY HONING ON WHAT YOU'RE GETTING FROM THIS.

WHEN YOU GET TO COLLEGE, THE PAY OFF IS, ONCE AGAIN IN COLLEGE, IS PRETTY EXCITING AND COOL.

NOW WHEN IT COMES TO SELECTIVE COLLEGES, AND THIS IS WHERE WE CAUTION PEOPLE.

I'VE LEARNED OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS BECAUSE PEOPLE LISTEN TO THIS AND THEY TELL ME I SHOULD HAVE GOTTEN $7,900 FOR THE SAVINGS.

I DIDN'T MR. RAMSEY, YOU LIED TO US.

WE DON'T KNOW WHAT SCHOOLS ARE GOING TO DO WITH WHAT.

THEY MAY USE IT FOR PLACEMENTS.

THEY MAY USE IT JUST TO HAVE A PREREQUISITE.

SOME DON'T USE THEM AT ALL.

NOW THE BEST THING THOUGH, IF YOU GO TO COLLEGES THAT YOU'RE INTERESTED IN NOW, A LOT OF THEM ACTUALLY WILL HAVE A TAB YOU CAN GO TO UNDER ADMISSIONS WHERE THEY WILL TELL YOU, WHAT A THREE, FOUR OR FIVE GETS YOU.

THEY'VE TAKEN THAT AWAY.

I'M SURE WE'RE SICK OF GETTING THE SAME EMAILS AND STUFF.

WHAT DO I GET OUT OF THIS? BECAUSE IT'S AMAZING WHEN KIDS CAN GET THREE HOURS, SOMETIMES UP TO 24-36 HOURS OF CREDIT WHEN THEY LEAVE WESTLAKE HIGH SCHOOL.

WE HAVE KIDS WHO STARTED AS SOPHOMORES.

THAT'S QUITE THE SAVINGS THAT ONCE HE GET HE HAS A CHANCE TO DO A WHOLE LOT OF OTHER THINGS OUT THERE.

BUT THE BIG THING IS COLLEGES ARE BEING MORE UP FRONT ABOUT THAT.

THERE IS NO MORE, I GOT YOU, WHERE'S IT REALLY AT? KIDS CAN MAKE BETTER DECISIONS.

MAY 1ST BECOME A BIGGER DEAL FOR A LOT OF THE SELECTIVE SCHOOLS AS WELL AND HOW THEY ARE SEEING.

THE BENEFITS OF TAKING AP EXAMS. WE SHORTEN THIS DOWN BECAUSE THE TOP TWO, I THINK, ARE THE ONES THAT WE SEE OUR STUDENTS EXPERIENCE THE MOST.

IS THEY'RE GOING TO GET CHALLENGED, BUT WHEN THEY LEAVE WESTLAKE THEY HAVE A LOT OF COMPETENCE, EVEN THOUGH THEY DON'T HAVE A LOT OF CONFIDENCE.

WE ALWAYS TELL OUR KIDS DON'T KNOW SOME ITEMS, HOW BRILLIANT THEY ARE TILL THEY SHOW UP AT OTHER COLLEGE CAMPUSES.

LOOK AROUND THE ROOM, WE GO, WOW, THIS WAS A GREAT EXPERIENCE.

SOME OF OUR PARENTS, AS KIDS LEAVE SOMETIMES LIKE, MY KID REALLY GRINDED THEMSELVES TO DEATH AT THE END.

SUDDENLY THEY GET INTO OUT OF STATE COLLEGE, BUT THEY GET, HEY, MY SON JUST WENT IN WITH 21 HOURS.

I GOT A VERY NICE EMAIL FROM A PARENTS THIS SUMMER WHO WAS, LOOK CRITICALLY AT THE END OF THEIR EXPERIENCE AT WESTLAKE WHEN THEY WANTED TO GO IN A 24-HOUR SCHOOLS, A 24 HOURS OUT OF STATE SCHOOL, AND THEY WERE PUMPED BEYOND BELIEF THAT IT WAS ALL WORTH IT AND TO SEE THEIR KID SO EXCITED.

THE PARENTS WERE EXCITED WHY THINGS MIGHT HAVE BEEN CHALLENGING.

DEFINITELY THEY LEFT FEELING VERY CONFIDENT AND THEY'RE DOING QUITE WELL RIGHT NOW.

ALSO JUST PURSUIT OF RIGOR.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE CHALLENGING YOURSELF? ONE THING WE FOOT BACK INTO TALKING ABOUT REALLY NICELY WITH THE KIDS AND THE KIDS CAN ARTICULATE AS WELL, IT'S OKAY TO WORK HARD.

IF YOU WANT THINGS IN LIFE, YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO WORK HARD.

THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF THAT, BUT WE'RE ALSO GOING TO TRY TO BALANCE THAT.

THAT'S ONE THING WE'VE DONE, I THINK, ESPECIALLY WITH COUNSELORS, TEACHERS, THAT WE HAVE MUCH MORE BALANCED OUT THERE WHEN IT COMES TO NUMBER OF AP CLASSES VERSUS REGULAR CLASSES.

EXAMPLE WOULD BE SOME OF OUR AP ENGLISH CLASSES.

WHEN WE FIRST GOT THE WESTLAKE SEVEN YEARS AGO, WE HAD 26 SECTIONS OF ENGLISH, 21 OUT OF 26 WERE AP.

THERE WAS A FLIP NOW.

WE HAVE MORE ON LEVEL CLASSES THAN WE DO AP.

OUR KIDS ARE STILL TAKING THE CLASSES.

THEY WANT BEING SUCCESSFUL. IT'S BEEN NEAT.

I HAVE THAT. IF YOU WANT THAT INFORMATION, YOU GUYS SAW I ONLY GET VERY EXCITED [LAUGHTER] BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT WE'VE GONE AFTER BEFORE WE HAD THAT ON.

IT'S NICE TO SEE THE RESULTS ARE STILL THERE, WE'RE STILL TAKING ABOUT THE SAME NUMBER OF AP EXAMS,

[00:35:03]

OUR KIDS HAVE VALUED THAT.

WE USED TO HAVE ONE ENGLISH 3 REGULAR CLASS COACH, AND NOW WE HAVE THREE, IF NOT FOUR, DEPENDING ON THAT.

THINGS HAVE DEFINITELY CHANGED. WE'D LIKE TO RIGOR THERE.

THEN ALSO BACK WHEN THE HOUSE BILL CAME OUT, WHERE IF YOU GO TO COLLEGE IN TEXAS, IF YOU GET A THREE YOU'RE GOING TO GET COLLEGE CREDIT.

YOU DON'T HAVE TO ARGUE ABOUT THAT, IT'S JUST THERE FOR YOU.

THEN THE POTENTIAL SAVINGS, HOW IT IS TO DO A GREAT JOB FINDING SOME CALCULATOR OUT THERE.

LISA AND I SAID WE'RE NOT DOING THAT BECAUSE WE JUST GET BAMBOOZLED AFTERWARDS THAT YOU LIED ABOUT THE AMOUNT OF MONEY SAVED.

I'M NOT IN CHARGE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS, DEFINITELY NOT HARVARD OR IN PLACES LIKE THAT.

WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY'RE GOING TO DO WITH THAT.

THE FOUR MAIN REASONS WHY WE DO WANT KIDS TO TAKE AP CLASSES.

THE SMALLER CLASS SIZE, IT'S PRETTY INTERESTING.

YOU GUYS REMEMBER IF YOU WENT TO TEXAS A&M OR UTI OR ANY OTHER BIG STATE SCHOOL, YOU MIGHT HAVE 250 KIDS IN A CLASS.

WE'RE GOING TO GO AND GIVE YOU A NICE EASY 25-30, WORKS OUT REALLY WELL.

THE AMOUNT OF TIME TO REALLY LOOK AT THE CURRICULUM.

ONE THING WE HEAR TOO IS OUR KIDS COME BACK AND WHEN THEY COME BACK FOR THEIR NATIONAL MERIT SEMIFINALIST, THEIR TEACHERS THAT THEY ADMIRE THE MOST, THE ONES THEY HAD THE BEST RELATIONSHIP WITH, AS MENTORS, THEY GOT TO SEE THEM EVERY DAY.

THAT'S A HUGE THING WHEN YOU'RE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT REALLY WHAT YOU WANT TO DO IN LIFE.

COLLEGE JUST WANT YOU TO KNOW WHAT YOU WANT TO DO IN LIFE WHEN YOU NOW ENROLL FOR THE FOUR, OR FIVE, SIX YEAR.

US WHO WENT THERE LONGER TO GRADUATE, I GOT 182 HOURS.

WAY TOO MANY HOURS. HAD A GOOD TIME THOUGH.

YOU'RE TOLD YOU GOT TO PICK THIS MAJOR AND YOU CAN'T GO FROM NOW ON THE DIFFERENT COLLEGES.

IT'S TOTALLY DIFFERENT SYSTEM NOW.

WE WANT OUR KIDS TO HAVE MORE OR LESS A PRETTY GOOD IDEA OF WHAT THEY WANT TO DO LATER IN LIFE.

BUT TIME IS VERY HUGE AND THE SUPPORTIVE ROLE THAT OUR TEACHERS PLAY IN THESE AP CLASSES, A LOT OF PLACES AT HIGH SCHOOLS, THEY TREAT THEM EXACTLY LIKE COLLEGE CLASSES.

YOU'RE ON YOUR OWN, GOOD LUCK TO YOU, YOU MISSED BECAUSE OF THIS, WE'RE NOT EVEN GOING TO TALK TO YOU, THIS IS A COLLEGE CLASS.

WE TAKE THAT OUT AT WESTLAKE.

YOU'RE STILL A HUMAN BEING WHO'S GOT THINGS GOING ON.

IF YOU'RE OUT OF LIVE OAK AND YOU'RE TAKING FOUR AP CLASSES, REGULAR CLASSES, WE GET THAT.

WE'RE GOING TO MAKE SURE WE TAKE CARE OF YOU WHEN YOU GET BACK.

WE DEFINITELY STILL HAVE THAT NICE RELATIONSHIP WITH OUR KIDS.

THEN ALSO DEFINITELY, IF YOU HAVE A STUDENT TAKING THIS MANY CLASSES, THEY LEARN TIME MANAGEMENT.

I'M AMAZED AT HOW MUCH OUR KIDS DO EACH AND EVERY DAY ON THEIR OWN.

THEY ARE EXPERTS AT FINDING WAYS TO MANAGE THEIR TIME AND DO ALL THE THINGS THEY WANT TO DO AND STILL PRETTY HAPPY SOMETIMES, NOT ALL THE TIME.

BUT ACTUALLY THE STUDY SKILLS.

YOU HEAR THAT ALL THE TIME FROM OUR KIDS, THEY DID NOT KNOW HOW THE LEVEL OF THEIR COMPETITION IN COLLEGE WAS UNPREPARED TO UNDERSTAND HOW TO STUDY.

BECAUSE THAT'S THE EASIEST WAY OF SAYING THAT, THE NICEST WAY OF SAYING THAT.

BUT THEY'RE PRETTY MESMERIZED WHEN THEY GO OFF TO SCHOOL.

OUR TEACHERS DEFINITELY MAKE THIS WORK.

ONE THING THAT WE DO IS ALL OF OUR TEACHERS CAN GO TO A SUMMER INSTITUTE, THAT'S ALSO VERY RARE.

MOST CASES YOU GO EVERY FIVE YEARS.

WE'LL LET YOU GO ONCE A YEAR, IF NOT MORE THAN THAT.

WE ARE PURPOSEFUL IN TRAINING TEACHERS.

ONE OF THE BIG THINGS WE TRY TO DO IS HAVE A PRETTY SUCCESSFUL SUCCESSION PLAN.

BECAUSE WE KNOW IF PEOPLE ARE GOING TO RETIRE, THEY'RE GOING TO MOVE ON, WE KEEP WORKING ON THAT.

THE RETENTION, THAT IS THERE IN THESE CLASSES AS WELL AND MENTORING.

WE WANT OUR AP TEACHERS, ALL OF OUR TEACHERS.

MENTIONED THIS BEFORE, IN OUR CASE RYAN DOES AN AWESOME JOB WITHOUT THE HIGH SCHOOL, REALLY TAKEN TIME TO PUT PEOPLE IN THE RIGHT PLACE.

THE MENTOR, THEY HAVE THAT ONE PERSON A GO TO, TO MAKE SURE THINGS ARE ROCKING AND ROLLING WHEN IT COMES TO THEIR ASSIMILATION WAS, LIKE HIGH-SCHOOL.

THAT IS OUR REPORT ON HOW OUR KIDS WENT TO SCHOOL, AND HOW THEY GOT THERE, AND WHAT BIASES THEY MAY HAVE GOTTEN CREDIT FOR WHEN THEY GOT THERE.

THANK YOU FOR THAT. AGAIN, THIS IS THE MOST FUN PRESENTATION WE GET ALL YEAR.

IT'S A FABULOUS K12 SUCCESS STORY AND JUST ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT.

QUESTIONS. KIM.

>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH AND I AGREE WITH JOHN THAT THIS IS A LOT OF FUN AND IT'S SO MUCH INFORMATION FOR US AND FOR THE COMMUNITY.

I'VE GOT FIVE QUESTIONS BUT THEY'RE QUICK.

I AGREE, STEVE, WITH YOUR COMMENT ABOUT OUR STUDENTS WHEN THEY GET TO HIGH SCHOOL, THEY LEARN TIME MANAGEMENT SKILLS.

I'VE OBSERVED IT IN MY OWN FAMILY AND I SEE IT IN FRIENDS, AND I THINK THAT'S A GREAT SKILL THAT OUR STUDENTS COME OUT OF WESTLAKE HIGH SCHOOL AS GRADUATES.

THAT WAS JUST A COMMENT THAT ONE OF MY FIVE QUESTIONS.

[LAUGHTER] EARLY IN THE PRESENTATION, LISA, YOU MENTIONED THAT THE CUTOFF FOR THE TOP 10 WAS 102, AND I SUSPECT, BUT I WONDER IF THERE'S ANY DATA ON THAT GPA THAT'S AROUND 95, 96-102 BECAUSE I WOULD ASSUME THAT OUR BELL CURVE IS A PRETTY HIGH BELL CURVE IF THAT'S WHAT WE CALL IT.

[00:40:01]

>> OUTSIDE OF THE TOP.

>> OUTSIDE OF THE TOP 10 PERCENT. YES.

>> I'M NOT GOING TO SAY IT DOESN'T EXIST BUT WE HONESTLY AND THE COUNSELING OFFICE DO NOT GET A RANK BEYOND THE TOP 10 PERCENT.

WE HAVE NO IDEA WHERE OTHER STUDENTS FALL, WHERE OTHER GPAS MIGHT FALL IN TERMS OF THE PERCENTAGE OF THE CLASS, SO THAT'S NOT SOMETHING WE EVER LOOK AT OR CONSIDER OUR TALK ABOUT WITH STUDENTS OR FAMILIES OR EVEN AMONGST OURSELVES.

>> THIS WAS GOING FOR CURIOSITY, BUT ALSO JUST TOWARDS OUR HIGH-ACHIEVING STUDENTS.

I WOULD THINK THAT THOSE THAT FALL OUTSIDE OF THE TOP 10 PERCENT THERE A LOT OF THEM THAT ARE IN THE GPA NOWADAYS.

>> I THINK THEIR REPUTATION OF THIS IN WESTLAKE SPEAKS FOR ITSELF ON OUR KIDS GO OUT INTO THE WORLD.

I THINK COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES KNOW THAT EVEN OUR STUDENTS OUTSIDE OF THAT TOP 10 PERCENT ARE STILL ARE STUDENTS, AND I THINK THAT SHOWS IN OUR ADMISSIONS DATA AS WELL.

>> GOOD, I AGREE WITH YOU.

>> THEN I HAD A QUESTION, IT'S PROBABLY ALSO FOR LISA OR STEVE.

THERE WAS SOMETHING ON ONE OF THE SLIDES THAT SAID THAT 7.3 PERCENT OF OUR STUDENTS ARE OUTSIDE OF THE TWO YEAR, FOUR-YEAR VOCATIONAL TRACK.

I'VE SEEN DATA ELSEWHERE THAT SAYS THAT 99 PERCENT OF OUR GRADUATES GO ON TO SOME TYPE OF HIGHER EDUCATION, I'M I READING THOSE TWO FACTS DIFFERENTLY? BECAUSE THE 99 PERCENT DIDN'T COORDINATE WITH THE 7.3 PERCENT THEY GO OUTSIDE OF OUR TRADITIONAL EDUCATION POSTGRADUATE TRACK?

>> I HONESTLY, I DON'T KNOW THAT I CAN ANSWER THAT OFF TOP OF MY HEAD.

I'D HAVE TO LOOK AT THE DATA THAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT AND LOOK AGAIN AT WHAT WE'RE COMPARING TO SEE COMPARISON.

>> I'M ASSUMING THAT IT FITS, BUT I JUST DIDN'T IT WAS A QUESTION TO ME.

THANKS. THERE'S THE AP PROGRAM AND THEN THERE'S THE DUAL CREDIT PROGRAM, I'VE HEARD OF SCHOOLS, AND THIS IS BACK WHEN I WAS IN HIGH SCHOOL THAT HAD DUAL CREDIT OFFERED ON CAMPUSES.

I WONDER, IF THAT'S ANYTHING THAT WE'VE EVER SUPPORTED, OR IF THAT'S EVEN AN OPTION, OR IF BASED ON THE SUCCESS OF OUR AP PROGRAM, IT'S JUST DOESN'T QUITE FIT WITH US.

>> WE LOOKED INTO THAT OVER THE YEARS FOR SURE, HELLEN [LAUGHTER] BECAUSE WE HAVE SUCH A LARGE AP PROGRAM, WE OFFER SO MANY AP COURSES.

REALLY DIDN'T FEEL LIKE WHAT ADVANTAGE WE MIGHT HAVE BY BRINGING PROFESSORS IN TO OUR BUILDING, AND THAT'S AN ANTIQUATED THIS POINT BECAUSE IF YOU DRIVE AROUND AUSTIN, YOU GO TO HOUSTON AND DALLAS.

A LOT OF TIMES THEY ARE PUTTING AN ACC DIRECTLY ACROSS FROM HIGH SCHOOLS AND SO THEY'RE CALLED EARLY COLLEGE.

SHE'S KIDS BASICALLY GO BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN THE BUILDINGS, VERY FEW ACTUALLY BRING PEOPLE INTO THE BUILDING ANYMORE FOR DUAL CREDIT.

OUR TEACHERS DEFINITELY FELL, AND DEPARTMENT CHAIRS, I'D SAY CURRICULUM LEADERS THAT ARE FOLKS WHO ARE IN FRONT OF OUR STUDENTS, MAY ACTUALLY GIVE A BETTER EXPERIENCE AND MAYBE WHAT THEY GET AT AUSTIN COMMUNITY COLLEGE AND THAT WAS THEIR BELIEF, AND SO THAT'S WHAT I'VE ALWAYS KEPT IT AS IS VERSUS BRINGING ANYBODY ON CAMPUS SO THAT'S SINCE I GOT THERE, SINCE 2002.

THAT'S A PRETTY STRONG BELIEF ON OUR CAMPUS THAT OUR KIDS WILL GET THE CREDIT WAS THEY GO TO COLLEGE, NOT DUAL CREDIT, BUT IT SEEMS TO WORK FOR OUR STUDENTS.

>> THEN, DO WE KNOW FOR THOSE STUDENTS THAT TAKE A DUAL CREDIT THAT TAKE CLASSES AT ACC? I KNOW THAT THERE'S THE DOWNTOWN HIGHLAND MALL, DO WE KNOW WHERE THEY GO TO ATTEND A DUAL CREDIT FOR THOSE 75 CLASSES THAT WE'VE TAKEN IN THE LAST YEAR?

>> WE DON'T NECESSARILY HAVE THE STUDENTS ACC SCHEDULE TO BE ABLE TO VERIFY WHERE THEY'RE GOING, ACC DOES OFFER A LOT OF COURSES ONLINE, SO I THINK A LOT OF OUR KIDS ARE DOING THAT BUT THERE IS A CAMPUS DOWNTOWN THAT IS RELATIVELY MORE EASILY ACCESSIBLE TO THEM.

I WOULD EXPECT THAT A LOT OF THEM PROBABLY TAKE THE CLASSES ONLINE, BUT I DON'T HAVE THAT DATA IN FRONT OF ME, BUT IT'S POSSIBLE THAT WE HAVE IN OUR ACC COMMUNICATIONS.

>> THANK YOU. THEN SO FOR MATT, WE TALKED ABOUT THE PATHS PROGRAM AND WE TALKED ABOUT THE AVAILABILITY OF VARIOUS PROGRAMS FOR OUR STUDENTS THAT GRADUATE FROM ITS.

OUTSIDE OF THOSE MORE INSTITUTIONAL PROGRAMS,

[00:45:03]

>> THERE'S A COUPLE OF STATE PERFORMANCE PLANS AND INDICATORS USED TO TRACK POST-SECONDARY.

ONE IN PARTICULAR IS THE INDICATOR 13, SO THAT'S MONITORS THE FIDELITY OF A TRANSITION PLAN THROUGH PUBLIC ED, AND THEN ONE YEAR OUT FROM THERE GRADUATING YEAR, THERE'S A INDICATOR 14 FOR POST-SECONDARY OUTCOMES THAT THE STATE OF TEXAS WILL SURVEY THOSE STUDENTS, AND WE PROVIDE ALL THE CONTACT INFORMATION FOR THOSE FAMILIES TO SUBMIT INFORMATION REGARDING, ARE THEY MEETING THEIR POST-SECONDARY GOALS AT THAT OUTLINE IN THEIR IEP? THAT'S SOME DATA THAT I CAN PROVIDE IT ON NOVEMBER 1ST, I THINK BOARD MEETING TO REVIEW SPECIAL ED PROGRAMS.

>> THAT WOULD BE FANTASTIC. THANK YOU.

>> I CAN ANSWER. I GO BACK TO THE QUESTION.

YOU ASKED LISA ABOUT THE PERCENTAGE OF THE 99 PERCENT THAT WE ADVERTISE AS THE KIDS HAVE BEEN ACCEPTED TO COLLEGE, MAY NOT GO AND ATTEND THOSE COLLEGES.

ALL OF OUR STUDENTS USUALLY APPLY TO COLLEGE, ONE THING THAT ASK THEM TO DO AS APPLIED TO ACC EACH AND EVERY YEAR THOUGH THE RATE THAT YOU SEE LIKE ON OUR SCHOOL, WHAT'S THAT FANCY THING WE PUT OUT? I ALWAYS FORGET THE NAME OF THE HIGH SCHOOL PROFILE [LAUGHTER], THAT'S WHERE THE 99 PERCENT COMES FROM.

THEY GET ACCEPTED, BUT THEN HERS IS HOW MANY WERE THEY ACTUALLY GO AFTERWARDS, THEY GO TO COLLEGE THAT'S THE 91 OR WHATEVER PERCENTAGE IS.

IT'S NOT THE DIFFERENCE OF THOSE TWO NUMBERS.

>> THAT MAKE SENSE, GOOD.

THANK YOU ALL, THIS IS GREAT.

>> GREAT QUESTIONS. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

LET'S SAY I'VE GOT JAMES AND THEN HEATHER AND THEN ELLEN.

>> THANK YOU. I DO ENJOY THIS PRESENTATION EVERY YEAR.

I ALWAYS SEEMS LIKE IT'S IN A MORNING TO COUPLE OF ONE QUESTION.

WE TALKED ABOUT THE AP [NOISE] HOW SOME SCHOOLS DON'T TAKE THE AP CREDITS, I MEAN, IT'S A HELPFUL PROGRAM, BUT ALSO DUAL CREDIT I KNOW THAT I TOOK ACC CLASSES MANY YEARS AGO.

THOSE DIDN'T ALWAYS TRANSFER TO FOUR-YEAR UNIVERSITIES AS WELL, DO YOU HAVE ANY INFORMATION ON THAT? I ASSUME THAT IT'S PROBABLY PRETTY COMPARABLE BECAUSE OTHERWISE STUDENTS WOULD BE PREFERRING ONE OVER THE OTHER BUT THAT'S TRUE AS WELL.

>> THAT IS TRUE, PUBLIC COLLEGES IN TEXAS WILL TAKE ACC CREDITS.

THEY HAVE A COMMON PROGRAM FOR THOSE CORE CLASSES.

OUTSIDE OF THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS IN TEXAS, IT'S REALLY UP TO THE COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY WHETHER OR NOT THAT LOOKS AT THOSE CREDITS, AND SO SOMETIMES KIDS ASK US, SHOULD I TAKE THIS ACC OR SHOULD I TAKE AN AP OR AND WE ADVISE THEM TO CONSIDER WHAT THEIR GOALS ARE AFTER HIGH SCHOOL.

IF THERE'S A BIG TEXAS PUBLIC COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY THAT YOU'RE WANTING TO GO TO, YOU'D BE FINE TAKING THIS ADCC, BUT IF YOU'RE LOOKING OUTSIDE OF THAT, YOU REALLY HAVE TO DO THE RESEARCH.

MR. MATT TALKED ABOUT BEING ABLE TO RESEARCH WHICH WHAT SCORES YOU NEED ON AN AP EXAM TO EARN CREDIT AT PARTICULAR COLLEGES, THOSE SAME CHARTS ARE AVAILABLE FOR DUAL CREDIT AS WELL.

ON MOST COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY WEBSITES YOU CAN PUT IN AUSTIN COMMUNITY COLLEGE, AND THEN IT'LL SHOW YOU A LIST OF WHICH CREDITS THEY'LL ACCEPT FROM ACC, IF ANY.

>> COOL. THANKS.

I JUST WANTED TO GIVE CREDIT BECAUSE I HAVE TWO SONS WHO ARE PRODUCTS OF WESTLAKE HIGH SCHOOL.

I HAVE ONE WHO'S AT PURDUE RIGHT NOW, WHO'S PROBABLY TECHNICALLY A JUNIOR BASED ON HIS AP CREDITS, BUT HAS CARRIED AS A FRESHMAN 17,18 HOURS THIS SEMESTER, 4.0 GPA.

I'M NOT TRYING TO BRAG. I'M GIVING CREDIT TO THE RIGIDITY OR THE RIGOR OF THE COURSES AT WESTLAKE AND WHAT HE TOOK OUT OF THAT.

I'M VERY GRATEFUL TO THE TEAM THAT HELPS PRODUCE STUDENTS LIKE THAT.

I'M ALSO GRATEFUL FOR ART STUDENTS THAT GET PRODUCED AS WELL.

I DON'T WANT TO MAKE IT SOUND LIKE I'M GRATEFUL FOR JUST SCIENTISTS, BUT TRULY I'M APPRECIATIVE OF WHAT YOU'RE PRODUCING AT WESTLAKE HIGH SCHOOL AND REALLY PROUD OF THE KIDS WHO CHOOSE NON-TRADITIONAL ROUTE.

I'M A BIG SUPPORTER OF THAT.

I'M GLAD TO HEAR THAT YOU'RE PROVIDING INFORMATION ON ALTERNATIVES TO TRADITIONAL FOUR-YEAR COLLEGES IN HELPING SUPPORT THOSE KIDS. THANK YOU.

>> THANK YOU, JAMES. HEATHER?

>> YES. LIKE EVERYONE ELSE, I LOVE THIS PRESENTATION, SO THANK YOU SO MUCH.

I REALLY WANT TO SAY THAT I APPRECIATE THE INCLUSION OF THE DATA ON OUR ETS STUDENTS, I THINK THAT'S HUGE.

IN TERMS OF THOSE PROGRAMS, ARE THE NUMBER OF PROGRAMS THAT ARE AVAILABLE TO OUR ETS STUDENTS OR THE NUMBER OF OPPORTUNITIES AT THE PROGRAMS GROWING, OR IS IT STILL PRETTY LOCKED AND HARD TO GET IN?

>> GOOD QUESTION. I THINK WITHIN AGE ACHIEVE IS ONE THAT COMES TO MIND.

WE'VE HAD STUDENTS THAT HAVE NOT GOTTEN IN THE FIRST TIME AND THEY'RE STILL AT ETS AND THEY'RE GOING TO TRY TO APPLY THIS COMING FALL.

[00:50:01]

I DON'T HAVE ENOUGH INFORMATION ON THAT.

WHAT I WILL SAY IS THAT IT'S BECOMING MORE COMMON THAT MORE PROGRAMS ARE BEING DEVELOPED ON OTHER COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES.

THAT'S EXCITING TO SEE THAT THERE'S THIS WHOLE 360 OF SERVICES AND PROGRAMS AT ALL PUBLIC UNIVERSITIES SO THAT'S EXCITING.

>> THAT'S OKAY. I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE BECAUSE WE'VE TALKED A LOT ABOUT SELECTIVE SCHOOLS AND OUR KIDDOS THAT ARE SELECTIVE AND THAT IS SUPER IMPORTANT AND IT'S AMAZING AND IT MAKES US LOOK GREAT.

HOWEVER, I DO ALSO WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE FOCUSING ON THE OTHER KIDS THAT MAYBE AREN'T IN THE TOP 10 PERCENT OR EVEN TOP 20 PERCENT MAYBE AND MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE GIVING OPPORTUNITIES FOR ALL OF THEM TO BE SUCCESSFUL.

I'M CURIOUS TO KNOW HOW MANY OF OUR STUDENTS TO TAKE AP CLASSES THAT DON'T CHOOSE TO TAKE THE TEST OR THAT DON'T PASS THE TEST AND HOW WE SUPPORT THOSE KIDDOS.

BECAUSE I KNOW JUST FROM HAVING A STUDENT, IT WAS LIKE HIGH-SCHOOL, THOSE CLASSES ARE REALLY HARD AND THERE ARE SOMETIMES A LOT OF TEARS, BUT THERE'S A LOT LEARNED.

[LAUGHTER] THEY'RE FANTASTIC CLASSES, BUT THEY MAY NOT BE FOR EVERYONE AND SO WHAT OTHER OPPORTUNITIES ARE WE OFFERING FOR OUR KIDS TO GET THAT? I KNOW THAT THERE WAS A TEA STUDY WHICH I WOULD LIKE MORE DATA AND I'VE ASKED FOR MORE DATA ON IT BECAUSE IT WAS BASED ON THE CLASS OF 2019 ON COLLEGE READINESS INDICATORS EVIDENCE AND THAT IT ACTUALLY SHOWED THAT DUAL CREDIT GOT BETTER RESULTS FOR STUDENTS IN HIGHER ED.

I THOUGHT THAT WAS REALLY INTERESTING OVER AP.

BUT AGAIN, THAT WAS JUST BASED ON THE CLASS OF 2019, WHICH I THINK IS A LITTLE BIT INTERESTING BECAUSE OF COVID AND ALL OF THAT.

BUT THEY ARE GOING TO BE LOOKING INTO THAT.

I'M JUST WONDERING WHAT ELSE WE CAN DO TO OFFER MORE TO OUR STUDENTS WHO MAYBE AREN'T GEARED FOR AP.

IT'S NO SECRET, I LOVED DUAL CREDIT.

I TOOK DUAL CREDIT WHEN I WAS IN HIGH SCHOOL.

I'VE GOT TO COLLEGE WITH A FULL YEAR OF CREDITS AND COULD HAVE GRADUATED EARLY.

I DIDN'T BECAUSE I HAD FUN IN COLLEGE.

[LAUGHTER] GOING FROM A PUBLIC HIGH SCHOOL TO A PRIVATE UNIVERSITY ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND IT STILL TRANSFERRED.

THAT WAS MILLION YEARS AGO SO I KNOW THAT WE'RE EVEN MORE COGNIZANT OF THAT NOW.

BUT IT USE PARENTS AND STUDENTS MONEY IN THE LONG RUN JUST LIKE AP.

I WOULD LIKE TO SEE WHAT WE CAN DO TO EXPAND OPPORTUNITIES FOR OUR KIDDOS.

THANK YOU. [NOISE]

>> OKAY. THANK YOU FOR THAT.

ELLEN. THEN I'LL HAVE LAURA AND I GUESS MAYBE JEN.

>> THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE THIS MORNING.

THIS IS FABULOUS INFORMATION.

LISA, I HAVE A GENERALIZED QUESTION FOR YOU.

FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU FOR INCLUDING THE ASTERIX ON THE APPLICATION.

I DIDN'T REALIZE THERE WERE COLLEGES THAT ACTUALLY DID NOT REQUIRE TRANSCRIPTS.

WITH APOLOGIES TO HEIDI, IF THAT'S BEEN IN REPORTS BEFORE, I HAD NOT PICKED UP ON THAT.

BUT SINCE SOME COLLEGES DON'T REQUIRE TRANSCRIPTS, OTHERS DON'T REQUIRE SAT OR ACT AND SCHOOLS LIKE US DON'T RANK OUR STUDENTS, COULD YOU JUST TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT HOW DECISIONS ARE MADE THESE DAYS? [LAUGHTER]

>> THERE'S MAYBE A MISUNDERSTANDING ON THE TRANSCRIPTS.

STUDENTS ARE NOT REQUIRED TO SEND OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPTS FOR THOSE PARTICULAR SCHOOLS, BUT WHEN THAT HAPPENS, THEY ARE INSTEAD SELF-REPORTING THEIR TRANSCRIPTS SO THEY HAVE A COPY OF THEIR TRANSCRIPT IN FRONT OF THEM AND THEY'RE LITERALLY HAND ENTERING EVERY CLASS THEY TOOK IN HIGH SCHOOL AND THEIR GRADES AND WHAT LEVEL, OF COURSE THAT WAS INTO A FORM.

I THINK THIS HELPS COLLEGES RECEIVE THEIR DATA ON THE SAME SPREADSHEET OR WHATEVER PROGRAM THEY ARE USING TO COLLECT DATA FROM THESE STUDENTS FROM ALL OVER THE COUNTRY.

THEY ARE DEFINITELY GETTING THE ACADEMIC DATA.

WHEN A STUDENT IS ACCEPTED AND DECIDES TO GO TO A PARTICULAR COLLEGE, WE DO SEND A FINAL TRANSCRIPT TO THEM THAT THEY COMPARE IT TO WHAT THE STUDENT ENTERED WHEN THEY APPLIED TO MAKE SURE [LAUGHTER] EVERYTHING IS THE SAME.

IT ALSO OF COURSE VERIFIES THAT THEY GRADUATED FROM HIGH SCHOOL SO THEY DEFINITELY ARE GETTING THAT ACADEMIC DATA.

>> I MEAN, JUST AS ADVICE TO STUDENTS AND PARENTS, ARE SCHOOLS LOOKING MORE HOLISTICALLY, AUTHENTICALLY AT STUDENTS? [OVERLAPPING].

>> FOR SURE. ESPECIALLY WITH SO MANY COLLEGES STILL BEING TEST OPTIONAL, I ACTUALLY THINK THEY ENJOYED BEING TEST OPTIONAL AND BECAUSE IT FORCED THEM TO LOOK AT STUDENTS BEYOND THEIR DATA AND WHO THEY REALLY ARE AND WHAT THEY'VE DONE WITH THEIR LIVES SO FAR AND WHAT THEIR GOALS ARE MOVING FORWARD.

A LOT OF SCHOOLS ARE LOOKING AT WHY ARE YOU APPLYING TO THIS PARTICULAR SCHOOL.

WE ENCOURAGE STUDENTS TO DO THAT RESEARCH AND BE ABLE TO SPEAK TO WHAT PROGRAMS THOSE COLLEGES OFFER,

[00:55:03]

>> GREAT. THOSE SKILLS WILL SERVE THEM WELL IN LIFE. VERY GOOD.

MATT, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE INFORMATION ABOUT OPTIONS FOR OUR ATS STUDENTS AND OTHER SPED STUDENTS.

I THINK THE INCLUSION IN THE COLLEGE FAIRS AND JUST THE GENERAL ATTITUDE OF INCLUSION IS REALLY COMING THROUGH.

I KNOW YOU ALL HAVE WORKED VERY HARD ON THAT.

I JUST WANT TO SAY IT CERTAINLY IS WORKING AND IT'S SHOWING AND I APPRECIATE IT VERY MUCH.

AS WELL AS BRINGING IN TO THE COLLEGE FAIR PERHAPS VOCATIONAL ASPECTS, I THINK IT HELPS US WALK THE WALK OF SAYING THAT THERE'S A PLACE FOR ALL STUDENTS AND WE ARE PREPARING OUR STUDENTS FOR WHATEVER IS THE BEST OPTION FOR THEM.

THOSE THINGS HELPED TO ILLUSTRATE EXACTLY HOW THAT CAN LOOK.

LISA, THIS ONE'S PROBABLY FOR YOU AS WELL.

IT'S ABOUT THE DUAL CREDIT.

IN THE OLD DAYS, IF YOU WILL, A LOT OF OUR STUDENTS WOULD TAKE CLASSES AT ECC, PARTICULARLY ONLINE.

SOMETIMES THEY WERE CALLED CORRESPONDENCE COURSES, AND SOMETIMES THEY WOULD CALL DUAL CREDIT COURSES.

IN GENERAL, THEY WOULD TAKE THEM MORE TO FREE UP SPACE IN THEIR SCHEDULE DURING THE ACADEMIC YEAR, SO THEY COULD BE IN FINE ART OR ANOTHER EXTRACURRICULAR.

IS THAT STILL THE CASE OF THOSE 70 STUDENTS? OR HAVE THINGS SHIFTED? WE REALLY HAVE A GROUP OF STUDENTS WHO ARE LOOKING FOR SPECIFIC ACADEMIC CREDIT.

AND THEN FOLLOWING ON TO THAT, IT USED TO BE THAT THE CORRESPONDENCE COURSES ARE THOSE SUMMER COURSES DID NOT GET CALCULATED IN THE GPA? HOW ARE THEY TREATED THESE DAYS?

>> I DO THINK FOR THE VAST MAJORITY OF STUDENTS THAT TAKE COURSES OUTSIDE OF WEST, LIKE HIGH SCHOOL IT IS BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE ENOUGH SPACE, AND THEY'RE SCHEDULED TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE CLASSES THAT WE HAVE THERE.

I THINK THAT SPEAKS A LOT TO WHAT WE'RE OFFERING THEM.

IT'S RARE THAT WE FIND A STUDENT THAT CAN'T FIND AN ELECTIVE, AND THAT THEY WANT TO COMPLETE THEIR SCHEDULE.

USUALLY, THEY'RE OVERFLOWING WITH CLASSES THAT THEY WANT TO TAKE, THEN ELECTED TO TAKE SOME THINGS OUTSIDE OF THE SCHOOL DAY.

NEITHER THE DUAL CREDIT NOR CORRESPONDENCE CLASSES ARE CALCULATED IN GPA.

WE'RE STILL ONLY LOOKING AT COURSES THAT THEY TAKE WITHIN THE WALLS OF WESTLAKE HIGH SCHOOL.

WHAT WE CALL CORRESPONDENCE COURSES ARE GENERALLY THROUGH TEXAS TECH OUT HIGH SCHOOL.

THOSE ARE HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL COURSES AND THEY'RE HIGH-SCHOOL CREDIT ONLY.

DUAL CREDIT CLASSES THROUGH ECC.

WE DON'T REFER TO AS CORRESPONDENCE CLASSES EVEN THOUGH THEY ARE SOMETIMES TAKEN ONLINE.

>> THANK YOU. I ALSO WAS INTERESTED TO SEE THE DATA FROM THE TEA STUDY THAT CAME OUT RECENTLY COMPARING AP TO DUAL CREDIT.

BUT I THINK THE 88 PERCENT, STEVE TO THE POINTS THAT YOU MADE, MAYBE WHAT EXPLAINS ARE VERY DIFFERENT EXPERIENCE VERSUS THE MORE GENERALIZED TEXAS EXPERIENCE.

AS WE GET FURTHER INTO THAT, I DO HOPE THAT WE LOOK AT HOW VERY SPECIFICALLY OUR AP PROGRAM IS QUITE DIFFERENT IN MY EXPERIENCE THAN A LOT OF OTHER PROGRAMS ACROSS TEXAS.

>> I CAN ADD TO THAT A LITTLE BIT.

WE ACTUALLY ALLOW KIDS TO DECIDE IF THEY NEED TO TAKE THAT TEST OR NOT.

A LOT OF SCHOOLS WILL HAVE VERY INTERESTING CONVERSATIONS WHERE HEY LISA, THAT MAY NOT BE THE BEST OPPORTUNITY FOR YOU TO SHOW YOUR KNOWLEDGE.

IT MAY NOT BE THE BEST THING TO SPEND THAT MONEY ON THAT.

HEY, KIDS INFLUENCED THEM ONE WAY OR ANOTHER TO TAKE THAT TEST OR NOT.

I'D LOVE TO SEE THE RESULTS OF THAT BECAUSE I THINK THERE'S, OUR NUMBERS ARE MUCH HIGHER THAN MOST SCHOOLS.

THAT'S JUST BEEN OUR EXPERIENCE FOR SHARING WHEN IT COMES TO THAT.

ONE THING I'D ADD IS WE'VE JUST TALKED ABOUT A LITTLE BIT.

THINGS CHANGE ALL THE TIME IN COLLEGE SELECTION, THE BIGGEST THING RIGHT NOW IS A SELF-REPORTED TRANSCRIPT THAT IS FREAKING PARENTS OUT THAT THEIR KIDS GET TO SIT DOWN AND PUT IN THEIR GRADES AND IT'S GOING TO BE LEGIT AND IT'S OKAY.

BECAUSE WE DEAL A LOT WITH THAT IN THE SUMMER THAT SOMEHOW THAT'S NOT LEGAL AND WE NEED A TRANSCRIPT FOR THEY DON'T WANT A TRANSCRIPT.

NO, THEY HAD TO HAVE A TRANSCRIPT. THEY DON'T NEED A TREND.

THERE'S A LOT OF BACK-AND-FORTH IN THAT.

THAT'S ONE MESSAGE WE CAN GET OUT THERE.

I WANT A UNIT, TEXAS A&M IS PROBABLY ONE OF THE BASIC EXAMPLES WHEN THEY SAY SELF-REPORT, THEY MEAN SELF-REPORT.

THAT'S JUST ONE OF THOSE THINGS IS VERY INTERESTING.

WE SAW A LOT OF THIS SUMMER AND YES, THERE ARE SOME THREE YEARS AGO, DID NOT NEED THE SELF-REPORT. THEY NEEDED A TRANSCRIPT.

NOW THAT'S NOT THE CASE ANYMORE.

WHEN YOU SEE THAT THINGS ARE CONSTANTLY EVOLVING, BUT IT'S A RECORD-KEEPING PART ON THEIR END.

IT'S ALL RIGHT THERE. THEY DON'T HAVE TO WAIT.

THEY DON'T HAVE TO CHECK THE MAIL.

IT'S JUST RIGHT THERE FOR THEM.

>> I'D LOVED TO SEE THE NUMBER OF TESTS THAT HAVE BEEN TAKEN,

[01:00:02]

DO YOU HAVE A FEEL FOR WHETHER OR NOT THOSE, PARTICULARLY THE SENIORS THAT WERE CITED IN THE SLIDE, ARE THEY TAKING 3-4 AP TESTS EACH, OR DO WE HAVE A BUNCH OF KIDS THAT ARE TAKING 5-6 TESTS AND A BUNCH OF KIDS THAT ARE TAKING 1-2 TESTS.

THE AVERAGE IS AROUND THREE OF THE STUDENTS THAT TAKE AP EXAMS, THEY TAKE AN AVERAGE OF THREE.

>> BECAUSE CERTAINLY FOR THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS WE ESPECIALLY YOU ALL HAVE BEEN WORKING VERY HARD TO CHALLENGE SUCCESS AND TO PROVIDE BALANCE AND TO GET KIDS TO THINK MORE REALISTICALLY ABOUT WHAT WORKS BEST FOR THEM.

AS HUGE PROPONENT AS I AM OF OUR AP CLASSES, STEVE, I'M THRILLED TO HEAR THAT THE BALANCE IN THE ENGLISH CLASSES SPECIFICALLY HAS SHIFTED PRETTY DRAMATICALLY.

BECAUSE I THINK IT HAD TO SHIFT IN ENGLISH FOR THE CULTURE TO BE ABLE TO SHIFT.

IN THE PAST THREE YEARS, YOU ALL HAVE DONE A REMARKABLE JOB OF MAKING THAT CHOICE AVAILABLE, WHICH I THINK SERVES OUR STUDENTS WELL.

>> I THINK ONE THING WE FOUND TOO, IS THE NUMBER OF SECTIONS THAT ARE OFFERED NOW AND REGULAR CLASSES, THEY'VE GONE UP NOT DRAMATICALLY.

IT MIGHT BE TWO OR THREE.

THAT'S STILL 60 TO 90 STUDENTS WHO IN THE PAST PROBABLY WOULD HAVE TAKEN SOMETHING THAT MADE THEM COMPLETELY MISERABLE.

I HAD TO DO IT. THEY FELT THEY HAD TO DO IT.

NOW THEY'RE NOT DOING IT.

THERE HAS BEEN A GREAT EARLY IF THERE BECAUSE YOU DO HAVE MORE KIDS WE HOPE TAKING CLASSES THAT REALLY CHALLENGE THAT THEY WANT TO BE THERE VERSUS THEY FEEL THEY HAVE TO BE THERE.

WE'RE GETTING MORE KIDS THAT ARE MORE STERN AND MORE HUMANITIES VERSUS I HAVE TO TAKE ENGLISH FOR AP NO MATTER WHAT OR I WON'T GET INTO SCHOOL AND NOW THEY'RE NOT DOING THAT. THEY MAY PICK UP.

AP BIOLOGY IS A SENIOR SECOND SCIENCE VERSUS FEEL I HAVE TO DO THE AP ENGLISH BECAUSE THEY'RE GETTING A GOOD EXPERIENCE THERE TOO.

THAT'S WHAT WE'RE HOPING TO DO.

PEOPLE WORKING IN, BUT IT'S GOT A LOT OF GOOD PEOPLE WORKING ON THAT ARE INSTRUCTIONAL PARTNERS WHO DO A GREAT JOB.

AS LONG AS OUR TEACHERS AS WELL AS DEPARTMENT CHAIRS FOR THE RIGHT PEOPLE IN THE RIGHT SPOT.

>> CONGRATULATIONS ON THAT CULTURAL SHIFT.

I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT ONE OF THE THINGS OR THE THING I LOVE THE MOST ABOUT THIS REPORT IS NOT THE BRAGGING RIGHTS THAT IT GIVES US, BUT THE OPPORTUNITY IT GIVES OUR HIGH-SCHOOL AND EXTENDED STAFF TO REALLY SHOW HOW YOU CARE ABOUT OUR STUDENTS AND HOW YOU LOOK AT THE WHOLE CHILD, AND HOW THAT COMES THROUGH.

WE'RE NOT JUST AN ACADEMIC CHURN MILL.

WE ARE IN FACT, THE ONE WHO CARES ABOUT THE WHOLE CHILD. THANK YOU FOR THAT.

>> THANK YOU. ELLEN. LAURA [LAUGHTER].

>> I DON'T THINK JEN, [OVERLAPPING] NO, WE'VE ASKED ALL OF OUR QUESTIONS.

>> HERE WE GO.

>> I HAVE TO THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR ABILITY TO ANTICIPATE OUR QUESTIONS.

IT'S PRETTY IMPRESSIVE HOW YOU ALL HAVE FIGURED THIS OUT AND YOU KNOW WHAT WE'RE GOING TO ASK AS I WAS GOING THROUGH THE DAC, I WAS WRITING ALL THESE QUESTIONS AND THEN FOUND MYSELF HAVING TO GO BACK AND NOW THEY GOT THAT ONE [LAUGHTER] KUDOS TO YOU ALL ON THAT.

I DO LOVE THE INFORMATION ABOUT THE WIDE VARIETY OF SCHOOLS THAT OUR KIDS GO TO.

WHERE OUR GOAL IS TO GRADUATE KIDS THAT HAVE CONFIDENCE AND WHO ARE INDEPENDENT AND WHO FEEL CAPABLE TO GO OUT INTO THE WORLD AND DO AMAZING THINGS.

I THINK THAT THE INFORMATION YOU'VE PROVIDED US REALLY SHOWS THAT WE'RE ECCOMPLISHING THAT.

THE CONVERSATION ABOUT THAT BALANCE WITH THE APS, THE LIFE BALANCE, AND THAT WE'RE ACHIEVING THAT BALANCE WHILE STILL MEETING THESE REALLY HIGH LEVELS OF ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT.

IT'S VERY IMPRESSIVE.

I TALKED JUST A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS.

MATT FOR THE ATIS FOR THOSE PROGRAMS. HOW THEY'RE ASKED THIS QUESTION IS, DO WE HAVE MORE KIDS WANTING TO GO INTO THESE PROGRAMS THAN THERE ARE PLACES? IS THERE A NEED FOR MORE PROGRAMS LIKE AGGIE ACHIEVE?

>> I WOULD SAY YES. JUST TO BE CLEAR, NOT ALL STUDENTS THAT ARE AT UTS WANT TO GO TO COLLEGE LIVING EXPERIENCE.

SOME ARE TAKING CULINARY CLASSES AT ECC.

SOME ARE WANTING TO BE VOCATIONALLY EMPLOYED.

BUT I WOULD SAY GENERALLY ACROSS THE ATS AND STATE OF TEXAS AND THE COUNTRY,

[01:05:02]

BUT AGAIN 10-12 YEARS AGO THERE WAS A HANDFUL OF PROGRAMS AND THE WHOLE ACROSS THE COUNTRY.

I THINK THERE'S STILL A LOT OF MESSAGING AND COMMUNICATION AND ANECDOTAL PARENT-TO-PARENT NETWORKING THAT NEEDS TO CONTINUE TO BREED THAT CONFIDENCE IF THIS IS AN OPTION FOR YOUR CHILD TO GO TO A PROGRAM LIKE THIS AND THEY CAN BE SUCCESSFUL.

I STILL FEEL WE'RE IN THE EARLY STAGES OF GATHERING AND COMMUNICATING THAT INFORMATION OUT IN TERMS OF THE PARENT, AND JUST BROADLY.

BUT WE COME HERE AND WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT IT'S COMMUNICATED OUT TO YOU ALL AND THE COMMUNITY WHO ANYTIME WE HAVE OUR MINGLES OR JUST PROGRAM UPDATES, IT'S JUST SOMETHING THAT WE WANT TO TAKE A LOT OF PRIDE IN AND SUPPORT.

>> THANK YOU. I APPRECIATE THAT.

THAT MIGHT BE SOMETHING TRUSTEES WERE OUT THERE.

WE'RE HAVING CONVERSATIONS WITH PEOPLE AND LITERS.

THIS MIGHT BE SOMETHING JUST TO KEEP IN THE BACK OF OUR MINDS AS WE'RE HAVING THESE CONVERSATIONS IS TO TALK TO THE HIGHER PEOPLE AND LET THEM KNOW THAT THERE'S A NEED THAT OUR STUDENTS, I THINK THAT IT WOULD BE APPROPRIATE FOR US TO COMMUNICATE AT HIGHER-END WHAT OUR STUDENTS NEED.

I THINK THIS WOULD BE ONE OF THOSE AREAS IF YOU FEEL THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL.

THANK YOU, MATT. THE INFORMATION WHERE WE HAVE ABOUT 15 PERCENT OF OUR KIDS GO TO EITHER ALTERNATIVE OPPORTUNITIES, GAP YEARS, THAT THING, OR TO YOUR COLLEGES.

FIRST OF ALL, FOR THE TWO-YEAR, DOES THAT DATA INCLUDE THE ALTERNATIVE ADMISSION KIDS OR IT DOES? THAT IS NOT A HUGE PERCENTAGE OF OUR KIDS.

WE'VE GOT SEVEN PERCENT, MAYBE MORE, BECAUSE SOME OF THOSE TWO YEAR KIDS, MAYBE YOU'RE DOING TWO-YEAR PROGRAMS. THAT MIGHT BE AN AREA WHERE WE COULD PARTNER WITH LOCAL BUSINESSES, AND CHAMBERS TO PROVIDE SEE IF WE COULD DEVELOP WHETHER IT'S INTERNSHIPS OR GAP YEAR PROGRAMS OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT TO HELP SUPPORT THOSE KIDS AND PROVIDE THOSE KIDS MORE OPPORTUNITIES.

LAST QUESTION. YOU GAVE US THIS YEAR'S DATA.

ARE THERE ANY BIG TRENDS? ALL ARE SEEING THAT'S NOT REFLECTED OR THAT WE CAN'T SEE BY RECEIVING JUST THIS ONE YEAR WORTH OF DATA.

>> THIS IS THE QUESTION I'VE BEEN DREADING BECAUSE I HAVEN'T BEEN IN THIS ROLE FOR VERY LONG [LAUGHTER]

>> THAT'S OKAY. I WILL SPEAK TO WHAT I THINK I KNOW AND THEN IF MR. RAMSEY WANTS TO ADD ANYTHING, HE'S WELCOME TO.

BUT I THINK ONE THING THAT REALLY IMPRESSES ME ABOUT OUR KIDS IS THEIR ABILITY TO LOOK BEYOND OUR IMMEDIATE GEOGRAPHIC AREA IN TERMS OF WHICH COLLEGES THAT ARE APPLYING TO.

I KNOW THEY HAVE A LOT OF OPPORTUNITY TO SEE THE WORLD AS THEY'RE GROWING UP.

BUT I ALSO THINK IT TAKES A LOT OF COURAGE TO WANT TO GO SOMEWHERE FAR FROM HOME.

IN TERMS OF TRENDS I FEEL LIKE THIS IS MAYBE NOT CHANGING, BUT I THINK THAT I AM IMPRESSED WITH OUR STUDENTS WILLINGNESS TO LOOK OUT INTO THE WORLD AND SEE WHAT'S OUT THERE FOR THEM BEYOND OUR IMMEDIATE GEOGRAPHIC AREA.

I DO THINK LIKE WE'VE TALKED ABOUT WITH THE CULTURAL SHIFTS, I KNOW WHEN COUNSELORS GO INTO CLASSROOMS DURING COURSE SELECTION AND TALK TO STUDENTS ABOUT WHAT THEIR OPTIONS ARE AND WE DO SPEND A LOT OF TIME AND A LOT OF ENERGY AND A LOT OF WORDS TRYING TO MAKE SURE THEY UNDERSTAND THAT THEY ARE MORE THAN STUDENTS AND THEY HAVE OTHER PARTS OF THEIR LIVES THAT ARE IMPORTANT AND THAT THEY SHOULD BE VALUING AND NURTURING AND THAT THEY SHOULD BE HAVING FUN IN HIGH-SCHOOL AND THIS SHOULD BE AN ENJOYABLE EXPERIENCE FOR THEM.

I'M HOPING THAT WE ARE SEEING A TREND OF STUDENTS BEING MORE ABLE TO REALLY ENJOY THEIR TIME IN HIGH-SCHOOL AND NOT FEEL THE PRESSURE AND THE STRESS OF BEING AT HIGH-ACHIEVING SCHOOL WHILE STILL BEING HIGH-ACHIEVING.

[LAUGHTER] THERE'S BOTH SIDES OF THAT.

>> [NOISE] AS SOMEONE WHO WENT TO UT, THE TREND STILL IS THERE STILL AN INTERESTING PART OF THE YEAR WHEN EVERYBODY THAT GETS INTO UT OR WHEN THEY DON'T.

I THINK THAT WHEN UT GAVE OUT ACCEPTANCES ARE NOT USED TO BE MORE APOCALYPTIC.

[01:10:06]

I THINK IT WAS MORE IMPACTFUL AND I THINK OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS WE'VE SEEN THAT GO DOWN TO A DEGREE THAT SOMETHING THAT USED TO RESIDUAL THAT WOULD LAST FOR A WEEK OR TWO.

NOW AS ALMOST THROUGH THAT WEEKEND VERSUS THE AMOUNT OF PEOPLE, APPEAL LETTERS THAT WE WRITE, AND STUFF.

I THINK THAT'S A GOOD THING THAT KIDS ARE GETTING BETTER AT UNDERSTANDING THAT THERE'S A WHOLE LOT OF OTHER SCHOOLS OUT THERE, BUT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT USED TO REALLY DISRUPT OUR CAMPUS WAS AROUND THAT DAY.

I THINK THAT WHEN WE HAVE KIDS COME AND SIGN THE BANNER, I THINK THERE'S A LOT MORE CONFIDENCE IN KIDS FEELING BETTER ABOUT GOING TO DIFFERENT SCHOOLS.

STRESS IS STILL THERE, I HAVE THREE THE HIGH SCHOOL NOW THAT'S STILL PART OF IT.

YOU'RE STILL GOING TO HEAR THOSE DIFFERENT THINGS, BUT WE ARE TRYING TO BRING THAT.

BUT I THINK [NOISE] ONE OF THE TRENDS I'VE SEEN IS THE ABILITY OF OUR COUNSELORS, SO FOR COUNSELORS, TEACHERS TO LET KIDS, WE STILL ALLOW KIDS TO DROP FROM AP TO REGULAR.

A LOT OF CAMPUSES ONCE YOU GET THERE, WHATEVER YOU GOT IN YOUR SCHEDULE FIRST DAY YOU'RE THERE THE WHOLE YEAR.

WE DIG A LOT OF TIME TO LISTEN, AND PROCESS, AND WORK WITH FOLKS.

ONE THING WE KEEP TELLING PEOPLE IS WE'VE YET TO SIGN UP PEOPLE FOR CLASSES OR FOR THE FAMILIES AND THEY MAKE THOSE DECISIONS AND TRY TO MAKE THOSE THE BEST DECISIONS AND THEN WORK WITH THEM IF THEY'RE NOT THE BEST DECISIONS.

I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE KEEP WORKING OVER AND OVER AGAIN.

I THINK THAT'S HOPEFULLY GETTING THERE.

THEY JUST TURN ALWAYS GO BACK TO IS WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THE COLLEGES ARE GOING TO DO.

ONE YEAR RISE WILL TAKE NINE, THE NEXT YEAR THEY TAKE ZERO.

THE NEXT YEAR THEY TAKE ONE AND THEY TAKE 92. I DON'T KNOW.

IT'S ALL OVER THE PLACES AND THAT'S STILL WHAT I TELL PEOPLE ALL THE TIME IS THEY'RE NEVER GOING TO TELL YOU WHAT'S REALLY GOING ON WHEN IT COMES TO THE COLLEGE ADMISSION FOR SURE.

I THINK OUR KIDS ARE PRETTY SAVVY.

THEY SEE THROUGH SOME OF THAT STUFF TOO.

>> GREAT. THANK YOU. I'LL TAKE BOTH OF THOSE TRENDS ANY DAY.

THE BALANCE AND THE LESSENING OF THE APOCALYPSE AROUND UT ACCEPTANCE.

THANK YOU THOSE ARE ALL GREAT. THANK YOU.

>> THANK YOU. ANYBODY ELSE? [LAUGHTER]

>> YES. JUST ONE.

OBVIOUSLY, WE LOVE THIS REPORT A LITTLE TOO MUCH, BUT THANK YOU ALL FOR ALL OF THAT INFORMATION.

CAN YOU REMIND ME WHICH YEAR, CLASS RIGHT NOW IS THE ONE CLASS THAT IS ON THE NEW GPA CITIZEN THAT HAS GOT.

WHERE ARE WE WITH THAT OR THEY DO NEWS? COULD WE GET A MORE IN-DEPTH REPORT ON THOSE TRENDS OF WHERE WE'VE GONE WITH AP CLASSES FROM THE OLD GPA SYSTEM? THAT WAS ONE OF THE THINGS WE HAD DISCUSSED WAS HAVING THAT MORE IN-DEPTH LOOK AT THE CHANGES WE MADE OR A FORMER BOARD MADE WITH THAT GRADING SYSTEM.

NOW THAT WE'VE GONE THROUGH FOUR YEARS OF THAT, I THINK HOPEFULLY, WOULD YOU THINK WE HAVE ENOUGH DATA TO HAVE SOMETHING MEANINGFUL?

>> YES.

>> YOU COULD JUST MAKE SOMETHING UP? [LAUGHTER]

>> NO, THE SECTIONS ARE NUMBERS, AND I CAN SHARE THAT WITH YOU. [LAUGHTER] THAT'S ALL TO THE MEMO, THEN WE CAN TALK ABOUT IT NEXT YEAR AS WELL.

>> PERFECT, OKAY.

>> I DIDN'T THINK IT MAYBE SIX YEARS VERSUS FOUR YEARS TO REALLY SEE THE IMPACT.

BECAUSE I THINK THERE'S A GENERATIONAL LINK OF THE FIRST STUDENT GOING THROUGH WITHIN THEIR YOUNGER BROTHERS AND SISTERS ON [OVERLAPPING] HOW THEY DECIDE HOW TO NAVIGATE THAT

>> YEAH, THAT MAKES SENSE.

I MEAN, HOW DO WE DECIDE THAT? I HAVE NO CLUE. THANK YOU.

>> THANK YOU.

A COUPLE OF QUICK POINTS.

BUT FIRST, I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S REALLY INTERESTING ABOUT THIS IS WHAT IT SAYS ABOUT CULTURE.

BECAUSE WE'VE BEEN IN IT FOR A WHILE, WE HAVE SEEN THE SHIFT IN CULTURE.

BUT A LOT OF FOLKS IN OUR COMMUNITY DON'T SEE THAT.

ONE EXAMPLE WAS THE GPA CHANGE AND SO FOR THE BENEFIT OF ANYBODY THAT MIGHT NOT REMEMBER WHAT WE WENT THROUGH WHEN WE CHANGE THE WAY WE WERE GOING TO RECORD GPAS.

I WANT YOU REFRESH OUR MEMORY MR. RAMSEY.

[LAUGHTER] IT WAS A VERY DIFFICULT TIME, BUT FOLKS HELP PEOPLE UNDERSTAND WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.

>> YEAH, SO WE WENT FROM A MULTIPLIER SYSTEM TO A BONUS SYSTEM.

WE WENT FROM 0.1 AND 0.2 MULTIPLIER AND HONORS VERSUS AP CLASSES.

IF YOU'RE IN AN HONORS SLASH, THEY WERE CALLED PRE AP THEN YOU GOT TO 0.1 MULTIPLIER,0.2 FOR AN AP COURSE.

THOUGH, THEN WE REDUCE THAT DOWN TO A PLUS FIVE ARE HONORS, AND THEN PLUS 10 FOR AP WHEN IT COMES TO THE NUMERICAL AVERAGE.

[01:15:03]

THEN A LOT OF THE BIG DISCUSSION WAS, WHAT DO YOU DO WITH AP CLASSES? DO YOU LIMIT THE AMOUNT OF CLASSES PEOPLE SHOULD TAKE? DO YOU SET A CAP? DO DIFFERENT THINGS LIKE THAT.

IN MY OPINION, THAT WAS A GREAT DECISION NOT TO DO THAT.

I THINK ANYTIME YOU LIMIT PEOPLE, THAT'S ALWAYS BEEN MY BELIEF THEY ALWAYS WANT IT MORE IS LAW OF SCARCITY.

WE SAW THAT RATHER QUICKLY.

I THINK THAT TURNED OUT PRETTY WELL WHEN IT CAME TO STILL ALLOWING PEOPLE WHAT THEY NEEDED TO TAKE AND WHAT THEY FELT LIKE THEY COULD TAKE.

I THINK THAT WAS THE BIG SHIFT WAS JUST THE PLUS FIVE, PLUS 10.

I DON'T THINK THAT'S NECESSARILY IMPACTED THINGS.

IMPRESSION, THE FEARS OF THAT THAT DEFINITELY DIDN'T PAN OUT AS MUCH AS I THINK THAT THEY WERE HESITANT IN WHAT IT WOULD DO TO THE WHOLE SCHOOL.

I SAT AT A BOARD MEETING WHEN I GOT BACK TO THE HIGH SCHOOL AND I HAD A PARENT COME IN AND SAY I WAS DUMPING DOWN THE HIGH SCHOOL, YOU'LL BE THE WORST HIGH SCHOOL.

ONE TIME, I STAND AS SENIOR AND HE WAS, I THINK IN 6TH OR 7TH GRADE AT THE TIME.

WELL, THAT'S NOT TRUE. LET'S TURN OUT TO BE VERY NICE.

I THINK IT'S ACTUALLY GOTTEN BETTER.

BUT I THINK THAT THERE'S DIFFERENT THINGS THAT YOU SEE ALONG THE WAY.

I THINK THAT CONVERSATION WE HAD TO HAVE AS A COMMUNITY IS PROBABLY IMPACTED US MORE AT THE HIGH SCHOOL THAN ANYTHING ELSE.

BECAUSE IT REALLY SAID THIS IS WHAT MATTERS, AND MATTERS WE ALSO ADDED AND YOU HAD TO TAKE A FIFTH, WHICH SOUNDS RIDICULOUS.

A FIFTH NON WEIGHTED COURSE.

BUT THAT'S ALLOWED KIDS REALLY.

NOW AS I WRITE LETTERS, YOU SEE A LOT MORE KIDS AND ORCHESTRA FOR FOUR YEARS.

THEY'RE ATHLETES FOR FOUR YEARS.

THEY'RE NOT HAVING TO MAKE THOSE DECISIONS BASED UPON THAT.

WE PUT KIDS IN BAD POSITIONS WHEN IT CAME TO TRYING TO NAVIGATE THE SYSTEM.

I MADE THEM THE THINGS THAT THEY FELT WERE PROBABLY A LITTLE UNETHICAL WHEN IT CAME TO ASSIST THEM WITH THE WAY THINGS WERE IN PLACE.

I THINK IT'S MORE OPEN AND HONEST.

BUT I THINK IT WAS REALLY MADE THE COMMUNITY PUSHING WHAT'S MOST IMPORTANT.

I THINK IF YOU LOOK AT, [NOISE] I THINK THERE'S LITTLE EXAMPLES AS LONG I THINK YOU'D BE LOOKING AT TAKING A FRIDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL GAME NOW.

WE HAVE MORE KIDS GO INTO THAT THAN WE'VE HAD IN A LONG TIME.

WE'VE HAVE KIDS PARTICIPATING IN AND OUTSIDE THINGS MORE THAN WE HAVE IN THE PAST.

I THINK THAT'S RELIEVED A LITTLE BIT OF THE PRESSURE.

I THINK THAT'S JUST A VERY GOOD THING.

BUT THE GPA SYSTEM WAS PROBABLY ONE OF THE WORST THINGS TO GO THROUGH BECAUSE IT REALLY IS THE CORE OF WHAT YOU EXIST AS A DISTRICT AND WHAT DO YOU HAVE AS THE MOST IMPORTANCE.

I THINK THAT'S ONE THING THAT WE'VE WORKED THROUGH AND I THINK YOU HAVE TO REMIND PEOPLE WHAT YOU GO THROUGH.

I APPRECIATE YOUR QUESTION A LOT.

I'VE ENCOURAGED ALL THE OTHER TO SAY IF YOU'VE BEEN AT ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS AND ELEMENTARY PRINCIPAL OR SIX OR SEVEN YEARS, YOU NEED TO REMIND PEOPLE WHY YOU DO THE THINGS THAT YOU DID.

THIS SUMMER WE WENT BACK TO HIGH SCHOOL AND WE ACTUALLY WENT THROUGH [INAUDIBLE] HAS BEEN WHICH COUNTS SUCCESSFUL TIME.

WE MADE A LIST OF ABOUT EIGHT SLIDES.

IT HAS EVERYTHING WE'VE DONE TO HELP GET US TO WHERE WE'RE AT.

I THINK PEOPLE EVEN BEEN THERE.

THEY DON'T UNDERSTAND ALL THE DIFFERENT THINGS AS SIMPLE AS HAVING A DEAD WEEK THAT WAS GOING TO BE UNHEARD OF AT WESTLAKE HIGH SCHOOL, WE WILL NEVER DO THAT.

IT SHOULD TAKE A FINAL EXAM THAT DAY AFTER THEY TAKE A FINAL SEMESTER TEST.

THAT'S JUST NORMAL AND THAT'S NOT.

WE'VE CHANGED A LOT OF THAT STUFF.

IT'S JUST PART OF THE WORLD NOW.

REFLECTIVE HISTORY IS NOT A BAD THING BECAUSE IT DEFINITELY TELLS THE STORY.

BUT AS WE WENT THROUGH THAT IT WAS PRETTY INTENSE FOR SURE AND A VERY VISCERAL AND I THINK THE RESULTS SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES.

NOW IF YOU LOOK AT DIFFERENT THINGS, I'VE ONLY GONE UP MY FRIEND ELLEN BELT, THOSE ARE I SAY FRIEND BECAUSE I COACHED HER SON WAY BACK WHEN CHALLENGED ME TO BOARD MEETING IN ABOUT YEAR, THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE THEM ALL FEELING WAY TOO GOOD WITH SEL AND WE'RE GOING TO FAIL HISTORICALLY, LARGEST RATES EVER ACADEMICALLY.

OR YOU'RE KILLING THEM AND YOU'RE MURDERING THEM ACADEMICALLY AND HOW YOU'RE GOING TO FIND THE MIDDLE.

I ARROGANTLY SAID, [LAUGHTER] WE CAN BE GOOD AT BOTH AND I THINK SOMEHOW WE'VE COME PRETTY A GOOD POINT WHERE I THINK WE DO THAT PRETTY WELL NOW THAT OUR KIDS FEEL PRETTY GOOD.

I'LL START TO OUR SENIORS, THAT WE WANT THEM TO FEEL OKAY WITH GRADUATING ON HOW MANY RESENTMENT AS THEY WALK ACROSS THE STATE ANY HATE.

I THINK THAT OUR KIDS GRADUATE A LITTLE MORE LEVEL OF WARMTH FOR A HIGH SCHOOL CAMPUS IN MOST PLACES.

HOPEFULLY THAT'S OUR GOAL. WELL, I THINK THE GPA PLAYED INTO THAT AS WELL BECAUSE IT MADE YOU IDENTIFY WHAT WAS MOST IMPORTANT.

AS LONG-WINDED ANSWER, WHICH I CAN DO SO YOU BETTER WATCH IT AND ASK ANY MORE OPEN-ENDED QUESTIONS.

>> NO, I'LL DIRECT THE NEXT ONE TO ALISA.

[LAUGHTER] BUT HONESTLY, I THINK THAT THERE ARE A NUMBER OF METRICS THAT ARE OUT THERE THAT DEMONSTRATE THAT TO CHANGE TO THE WAY WE GRADE.

WELL, GOING BACK TO THE REASON WHY WE CHANGED THAT.

WE CHANGED THAT IN AN EFFORT TO ADDRESS WHAT WE SAW AS EXCESSIVE STRESS AMONG OUR STUDENTS AT OUR SCHOOLS.

ADDING A NON-WEIGHTED REQUIREMENT AND CHANGING THE WAY WE GRADE WAS DESIGNED TO REDUCE STRESS AND MAKE THE HIGH-SCHOOL EXPERIENCE MORE PLEASANT FOR STUDENTS AND FOR PARENTS.

[01:20:02]

I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I LIKE TO LOOK AT WHEN I THINK ABOUT A CONVERSATION THAT STEVE AND I HAD ONE YEAR OF MIDDLE SCHOOL.

WE WERE STANDING IN THE BACK OF THE ROOM AND I ASKED HIM WHAT HIS BIGGEST FEAR WAS AND AT THE TIME HE SAID IS THE STRESS TO THE STUDENTS.

YOUR GOAL WAS TO HELP PARENTS BECAUSE THAT WE RECEIVED AT THE TIME THAT WAS GOOD.

THAT WAS A GREAT SOURCE OF STRESS.

THE PRESSURE THAT PARENTS WERE PUTTING ON KIDS, THAT YOU WANTED PARENTS TO UNDERSTAND THAT THE ACHIEVEMENT OF THEIR STUDENTS WASN'T GOING TO BE MEASURED BY WHETHER THEY GOT INTO AN IV OR A&M OR UT.

THAT THERE WERE MORE OPPORTUNITIES THAT KIDS COULD EXPRESS THEMSELVES IN MANY DIFFERENT WAYS AND PURSUE MANY DIFFERENT THINGS AND THE WINDOW THROUGH WHICH FOLKS VIEWED SUCCESS WAS SIMPLY TOO NARROW.

THIS WAS SIX YEARS AGO OR WHATEVER IT IS.

DO YOU REMEMBER HOW MANY COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES STUDENTS APPLY TO? WELL, THEY WERE ACCEPTED INTO 155.

BUT MIKE YOU GENERATED A NUMBER FOR ME SEVERAL MONTHS AGO AND MY RECOLLECTION IS THAT IT WAS OVER 250.

THE VISION THAT OUR STUDENTS HAVE TODAY IS VASTLY BROADER THAN THE VISION AND THE PARENTS TOO, THEN THE VISION THAT THEY HAD JUST A FEW YEARS AGO BEFORE WE BEGAN MAKING THESE CHANGES AND TRYING TO ADDRESS CULTURAL AND OUR CAMPUSES.

I THINK YOU OUGHT TO FEEL VERY GOOD ABOUT THAT.

I CERTAINLY DO THAT WE STRUGGLED TO DEMONSTRATE TO OURSELVES THAT WE'RE HAVING ANY IMPACT AND I THINK THAT'S A GREAT EXAMPLE OF IT.

I ALSO THINK MATT, YOU AND MOLLY HAVE WORKED VERY HARD TO PROVIDE POST-SECONDARY OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE STUDENTS IN YOUR CARE AND NOW, I THINK THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I'VE SEEN A SLIDE WHERE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A RANGE OF COLLEGE OPPORTUNITIES, POST-SECONDARY OPPORTUNITIES FOR STUDENTS.

WE'RE RECOGNIZING THAT WE NEED MORE PARENTS.

AGAIN, PARENTS AMBITIONS FOR THEIR STUDENTS ARE GROWING AND WE'RE HAVING TO MEET THAT SO ANYWAY.

THANK YOU. I GOT LONG-WINDED THERE, SO YOU'RE WELCOME.

WITH THAT, WE'LL MOVE ON TO THE NEXT ITEM ON OUR AGENDA.

>> JOHN, WOULD IT BE POSSIBLE FOR US TO GET A COPY OF THE SLIDE THAT KATIE BRYANT DID WITH THOSE EIGHT THINGS I'D LOVE TO BE REMINDED.

IT'S GREAT STUFF AND LOVE TO BE ABLE TO SHARE IT MORE ARTICULATELY. THANK YOU.

>> YEAH, THANK YOU ALL. THANK YOU VERY, VERY MUCH.

BEST PRESENTATION IN THE YEAR.

ALL RIGHT THE NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS THE OPEN FORUM.

BUT WE DON'T HAVE ANYBODY SIGNED UP THIS MORNING, SO WE'RE GOING TO JUMP STRAIGHT INTO OUR FIRST DISCUSSION ITEM,

[5.1. 2023 Bond Category Review: Safety & Security]

JEREMY, YOU'RE COMING UP?

>> MORNING MARK. MORNING HOLLY.

MORNING CHRIS. MORNING EVERYONE.

WE HAVE WE HAVE A TEAM HERE.

WE ARE GOING TO DO OUR BEST TO BE THE SECOND BEST PRESENTATION OF TODAY.

WE'RE GOING TO DO OUR BEST.

THERE'S NO PROMISES.

>> GOOD LUCK.

>> [LAUGHTER] THANK YOU, JOHN. WE ARE HERE, OBVIOUSLY, YOU KNOW, CHRIS SCOTT, BUT ALSO ALSO ALL IN ALL WITH THE BOND ADVISORY COMMITTEE, BUT BEFORE THAT BOND OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE, VICE CHAIR OF THAT COMMITTEE, AND THEN MATT HAGEN, A MEMBER SINCE THE ONSET OF THE 2019 BOND OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE.

I'M GOING TO REFER TO THESE AS THE BACK AND THE BACK FOR THE REST OF THIS PRESENTATION.

OTHERWISE, I'LL BE VERY LONG-WINDED, BUT WE APPRECIATE THEM BEING HERE.

WHY? BECAUSE THEY ADD A WHOLE LOT OF VALUE TO THIS CONVERSATION.

BECAUSE IN THE END, A POTENTIAL BOND RECOMMENDATION IS GOING TO COME FROM THE COMMITTEE ON WHAT THAT COMMITTEE FEELS COMFORTABLE WITH THE COMMUNITY SUPPORTING.

[01:25:01]

LAST TUESDAY, THE BOND ADVISORY COMMITTEE MET FOR THE INAUGURAL MEETING AND WE ALREADY GOT TO WORK DISCUSSING ONE OF THE TABLES, THE FIRST TABLE FOR REVIEWS OF SAFETY AND SECURITY TABLE.

I'M GOING TO RUN THROUGH DETAILS AROUND THAT.

I DON'T WANT TO GET INTO A WHOLE LOT OF WAIT HERE.

IF YOU WANT TO, YOU CAN ASK THE QUESTIONS WE GET INTO THE WEEDS, WHAT WE WANT TO DO IS REPRESENT THE WORK THAT THE COMMITTEE DID AND SOME OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS ON CATEGORIZATION OF THOSE LINE ITEMS. BUT BEFORE WE DO THAT, YOU'RE GOING TO SEE A NUMBER OF SLIDES.

EACH TIME WE COME TO YOU.

THEY'RE GOING TO BE THE SAME.

YOU MAY GET TIRED OF THEM, BUT I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THOSE INDIVIDUALS THAT MAY BE TUNING IN FOR THE FIRST TIME, TWO MONTHS FROM NOW, GET THE SAME INFORMATION THAT WE'RE SHARING WITH YOU TODAY BECAUSE IT'S IMPORTANT.

YOU'VE SEEN THIS SLIDE BEFORE, THE ROADMAP.

IT SHOULD, IF WE DO OUR JOB, THAT ISD LOGO SHOULD BE MOVING DOWN THE ROAD.

HOPEFULLY, WE'RE NOT STAYING IN THE SAME PLACE.

BUT RIGHT NOW, WE'RE AT THE STAGE OF EVALUATING THE PROJECTS.

WE OVER THE EARLY SPRING, IN LATE SPRING, WE DEVELOPED WHAT THOSE CRITICAL NEEDS, THOSE PROJECT NEEDS ARE THROUGH A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT METHODS.

ONE BEING ADMINISTRATIVE, RECOMMENDATIONS FOR EQUIPMENT REPLACEMENTS, ETC., BUT ALSO MEETING WITH OUR CAMPUS ADMINISTRATORS, OUR PROGRAM ADMINISTRATORS THEN ALSO WEAVING IN THERE THE ENVISIONING SOME OF THE SHORT AND MID TERM GOALS AND PRIORITIES.

THAT'S WHERE ALL OF THESE NEEDS WERE DEVELOPED AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE GOING TO ULTIMATELY REVIEW.

OVERALL, WE HAVE AN APPROXIMATE ESTIMATED COST OF NEEDS TO BE EVALUATED IS AROUND $155 MILLION.

BUT AS CHRIS SCOTT DISCUSSED A WHILE BACK, WE WERE WORKING WITH AROUND $130 MILLION OF CAPACITY BASED ON A TAX RATE NEUTRAL BOND THAT WOULD COME UP IN MAY.

THIS IS ALL BASED ON MAY OF 2023.

ALL OF THOSE PROJECTS WITHIN THAT $155 MILLION ARE CATEGORIZED IN FOUR TABLES, SAFETY AND SECURITY, ENERGY EFFICIENCY AND CONSERVATION, STUDENT PROGRAMS AND SUPPORT, AND ALSO FACILITIES.

THOSE ARE THE FOUR THAT WILL MEET WITH YOU AND REVIEW OVER THE NEXT FOUR MONTHS.

THERE ARE NEW CHANGES PRIMARILY TO THE PROPOSITIONS THAT WENT INTO EFFECT AFTER THE 2019 BOND, BUT BEFORE OUR NEXT BOND, THERE IS A LITTLE SHIELD, THEY'RE MISSING PROPOSITION A.

PROPOSITION A IS GOING TO BE VERY FAMILIAR TO A LOT OF INDIVIDUALS BECAUSE THAT'S JUST OUR GENERAL PROPOSITION THAT YOU SEE ON EVERY BOND THAT WE CAN BUILD SCHOOLS, WE CAN BUY BUSES AND WE CAN RENOVATE OUR FACILITIES.

BUT SOMETHING DIFFERENT FOR THIS UPCOMING BOND WILL BE SPECIAL PROPOSITIONS THAT WILL NEED TO BE SEPARATE.

ONE OF THOSE THAT WILL COME INTO PLAY IN A POTENTIAL BOND WOULD BE EQUIPMENT FOR STADIUM WITH SEATING CAPACITY OF MORE THAN 1,000.

AS YOU SAW LAST FRIDAY, WE HOLD WEIGH MORE THAN 1,000 PEOPLE AT OUR STADIUM AND SO ANY IMPROVEMENTS THAT WE MAKE, ANY RENOVATIONS, IF WE WORK ON THE ELEVATOR, OR ANYTHING WORK ON THE BLEACHERS, IT NEEDS TO BE IN ITS OWN SEPARATE PROPOSITION SO WE WILL DO OUR BEST TO IDENTIFY THOSE PROJECTS AS WE WORK THROUGH THESE DIFFERENT TABLES SO YOU AS A BOARD AND OUR COMMUNITY KNOW WHAT THOSE PROJECTS ARE.

THEN PROPOSITION C IS THE ACQUISITION AND UPDATE OF TECHNOLOGY EQUIPMENT.

THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS THAT WE CAN INCLUDE IN THE GENERAL PROPOSITION THAT ARE TIED TO TECHNOLOGY.

BUT THERE ARE SOME MAINLY TIED TO EQUIPMENT THAT NEED TO BE ON ITS SEPARATE PROPOSITION TO ALLOW THE COMMUNITY TO VOTE ON THESE SEPARATE PROPOSITIONS.

HOW THEY CHOOSE. WELL, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S DIFFERENT.

AGAIN, WE'LL COVER THIS EACH MEETING.

TWO TYPES OF BOND PROGRAMS. WE HAVE YOUR BIG MAJOR CAMPUS CONSTRUCTION BOND PROGRAM, AND THEN YOU HAVE YOUR PROGRAM, MAINTENANCE AND EFFICIENCY BOND PROGRAM, AGAIN, SIMILAR TO 2019.

THAT'S WHAT THIS BOND WILL BE FRAMED AS IS MORE OF A PROGRAM MAINTENANCE INEFFICIENCY OR M&O TYPE BOND.

FUNDING WHEN IT COMES TO BOND VERSUS M&O.

WHEN WE LOOK AT BOND, FOR EVERY DOLLAR WE RECEIVE IN TAX DOLLARS, WE KEEP $1 SO AGAIN, THIS CAN ADD A WHOLE LOT OF VALUE TO THE SCHOOL DISTRICT.

ONE IMPORTANT FACTOR IS WE CANNOT FACE TEACHERS OUT OF BOND MONEY.

BUT WHAT WE CAN DO, AS YOU'LL SEE IN THE NEXT TABLE WE REVIEW, IS WE CAN SAVE MONEY ON THE M&O SIDE THAT CAN BE UTILIZED FOR ADDITIONAL FUNDS TOWARDS STAFFING.

NOW ON THE FLIP SIDE, THE M&O, FOR EVERY DOLLAR IN TAX AND TAX DOLLARS THAT WE RECEIVE, WE KEEP APPROXIMATELY $0.36, MEANING THAT WE SEND $0.64 BACK TO THE STATE THROUGH RE-CAPTURE.

WHEN YOU COMPARE BOND VERSUS M&O, WE HAVE TO PAY THREE TIMES AS MUCH FOR THAT $1 WIDGET THAN WE DO AT A BOND AND SO AS A DISTRICT AND THE MAKEUP OF OUR FUNDING IS VERY BENEFICIAL FOR BONDS TO FUND A LOT OF THOSE THINGS SO WE CAN,

[01:30:04]

FOR THE FUNDING, HERE'S OUR CURRENT TAX RATES, 12 CENTS ON OUR I&S WHICH IS OUR BOND TAX RATE.

THEN ON THE M&O IS 0.8846 FOR A TOTAL TAX RATE OF $1.0046.

WE'RE BASING THAT MAY 2023 BOND ON NO TAX RATE INCREASE.

SPECIFICALLY, THIS DOES NOT MEAN THAT AN INDIVIDUAL'S TAXES WILL NOT INCREASE.

THIS MEANS THAT THE TAX RATE WILL NOT INCREASE.

A LOT OF THINGS CAN CHANGE OVER A YEAR'S TIME.

YOUR RESIDENCE MAY BECOME MORE VALUABLE AT THIS TAX RATE, TAXES MAY GO UP.

BUT HERE WITH THE DISTRICT THE TAX RATE WOULD NOT INCREASE IS WHAT WE'RE BASING THIS ON.

ALL THESE PROJECTS FOUR TABLES, THIS IS JUST AN EXAMPLE OF SOME OF THE ITEMS THAT ARE CONTAINED WITH EACH ONE OF THOSE.

OUR DEVELOPMENT TIMELINE, WE HAVE MADE IT TO THE THIRD OF BLOCK HERE. WE'RE IN OCTOBER.

OCTOBER IS GOING TO BE A BUSY MONTH FOR US BECAUSE WE'RE ACTUALLY COVERING TWO TABLES WITH THE BOARD WITHIN OCTOBER WORKING ALL THE WAY THROUGH THE END OF THE YEAR.

BY THE TIME WE HIT A HOLIDAY BREAK, WE WILL HAVE COVERED ALL OF OUR TABLES AND WE'LL BE NARROWING DOWN A POSSIBLE RECOMMENDATION.

ALL LEADING UP TO IN THE FIRST WEEK IN FEBRUARY, THE BOARD IF YOU'D TO DO SO, WOULD NEED TO ORDER AN ELECTION FOR MAY 6TH.

WHEN WE LOOK AT ALL OF OUR LINEUPS, THEY'RE GOING TO BE CLASSIFIED IN THREE DIFFERENT WAYS, CATEGORY 1, CATEGORY 2, OR CATEGORY 3.

WHEN WE LOOK AT THIS, CATEGORY 1 ARE ALL THOSE CRITICAL NEEDS THAT HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED, IMMEDIATE CRITICAL NEEDS THAT WE KNOW OF RIGHT NOW THAT NEEDS TO BE REPLACED OR UPGRADED.

BUT IN ADDITION TO THAT, CATEGORY 1 ALSO INCLUDES THOSE PROJECTS THAT WOULD GENERATE POSSIBLE M&O SAVINGS.

ALL OF THOSE THAT WILL GENERATE TO HELP M&O WOULD BE IDENTIFIED IN THE CATEGORY 1.

CATEGORY 2 ARE PRODUCTS THAT ARE HIGHLY LIKELY THAT WE'LL NEED TO BE REPLACED OR UPGRADED WITHIN THE BOND CYCLE.

IF YOU LOOK AT THE BOTTOM OF THE SLIDE, THE BOND CYCLE IS ASSUMED TO BE FISCAL YEAR 2023/'24 THROUGH 2027/'28 FISCAL YEAR, SO APPROXIMATELY A FIVE-YEAR BOND CYCLE, SO CATEGORY 2, IT INCLUDES CLOSE THOSE PROJECTS THAT MAY COME UP WITHIN THAT TIMEFRAME.

THEN CATEGORY 3.

CATEGORY 3 DOES NOT MEAN THAT THE PROJECT IS NOT NEEDED.

IT JUST MEANS THAT WE COULD ACTUALLY CONTINUE OPERATIONS POSSIBLY AS WE'RE DOING NOW BUT IT WOULD ADD VALUE OR ENHANCE CERTAIN PROGRAMS THROUGHOUT THE DISTRICT.

THOSE ARE OUR THREE CATEGORIES.

WE'LL REMIND YOU WHAT THOSE ARE EACH TIME WE REVIEW THOSE.

BUT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE REVIEWED WITH A BOND ADVISORY COMMITTEE AS WELL.

WE ALWAYS HAVE GOOD CONVERSATION AROUND THESE CATEGORIES AND EXACTLY WHAT THEY MEAN.

WE HAVE TO GO BACK TO THEM SEVERAL TIMES TO MAKE SURE WE'RE ALL ON THE SAME PAGE WHEN WE DO VOTE TO CATEGORIZE EACH LINE ITEM.

NOW I'M GOING TO GET INTO THAT SAFETY AND SECURITY TABLE.

WE REVIEWED EACH LINE ITEM THAT YOU'LL SEE IN YELLOW AND THEN SOME OF THOSE LINE ITEMS HAVE SUB-PROJECTS UNDERNEATH THOSE, SO WE REVIEWED THOSE THAT MAKE UP EACH LINE ITEM.

WE HAD DISCUSSION BETWEEN BACK MEMBERS AND WE WILL ALWAYS HAVE DISCUSSION WITH OUR COMMUNITY IF THEY'RE PRESENT.

WE HAD ONE COMMUNITY MEMBER PRESENT AT LAST TUESDAY'S MEETING.

IF THEY WANT TO SPEAK, WE'LL ALLOW THEM TO DO SO.

THEN WE WENT THROUGH EACH ONE AND DEVELOPED A CATEGORY IDENTIFICATION.

THIS NEXT SLIDE IS JUST A SUMMARY, JUST OVER NINE MILLION DOLLARS IN TOTAL PROJECTS WITHIN THE SAFETY AND SECURITY TABLE.

BUT I WANT TO EXPAND SOME OF THESE LINE ITEMS, SO YOU BETTER UNDERSTAND WHAT'S INCLUDED.

WHEN WE LOOK AT EMERGENCY MEDICAL EQUIPMENT, THIS HAS A LOT TO DO WITH OUR AUTOMATED EXTERNAL DEFIBRILLATORS, OUR AEDS.

WE HAVE A NUMBER OF THOSE THROUGHOUT OUR CAMPUSES.

THAT'S JUST LIKE ANY TECHNOLOGY.

THERE'S COMPONENTS THAT NEED TO BE REPLACED, BATTERIES, PADS, THINGS LIKE THAT, SO THIS LINE ITEM WOULD COVER THAT.

ALSO OUR STOP THE BLEED KITS AND ANY REPLACEMENTS THAT ARE NEEDED THERE.

BUT ALSO INCLUDING THIS ARE OUR EMERGENCY GO KITS WITHIN THE CLASSROOMS, GO BUCKETS AS YOU MAY HEAR THOSE.

THEY'RE INCREASINGLY POPULAR RIGHT NOW TO HAVE IN CASE OF A CRITICAL INCIDENT THAT WE HAVE RESOURCES IN THAT CLASSROOM.

THEY DO HAVE CONSUMABLES IN THOSE THAT NEED TO BE REPLACED AND MAINTAINED OVER TIME.

BUT THAT WOULD ALL BE REPLACED WITHIN THIS BOND CYCLE.

WE HAVE 550 CLASSROOMS, SO YOU CAN LOOK AT COST EXTRAPOLATING ACROSS HOW MANY CLASSROOMS WE HAVE.

BUT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT'S BECOMING IMPORTANT AND WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE RESOURCES AVAILABLE TO OUR CLASSROOM.

ALSO MISCELLANEOUS EMERGENCY MEDICAL AID KITS ALL CONTAINED WITHIN THIS LINE ITEM DISTRICT-WIDE.

[01:35:07]

THE SECOND ONE, YOU WILL SEE SOME THAT ARE VERY SPECIFIC TO A CAMPUS.

A LOT OF THESE CAME OUT OF THOSE CONVERSATIONS WITH OUR CAMPUS ADMINISTRATORS OR OUR PROGRAM ADMINISTRATORS AND SPECIFIC NEEDS THAT THEY HAD.

WHEN WE LOOK AT FACILITY SAFETY AND IMPROVEMENTS, THE FIRST ONE BEING VALLEY VIEW, JUST LOOKING AT STAIRWELLS AND SOME OF THE CHALLENGES THAT THEY'RE HAVING WITH STUDENTS AND BEHAVIORS.

MAKING SURE THAT WE CAN ACTUALLY PUT BARRIERS ON THOSE STAIRWELLS TO PREVENT THEM FROM CLIMBING AND DOING THINGS LIKE THAT.

WE DID SOMETHING SIMILAR ACETIC CREEK IN THE LAST BOND.

THIS WAS IDENTIFIED THROUGH CONVERSATIONS WITH CAMPUS ADMINISTRATION AS A NEED THAT THEY DID HAVE.

REPLACE STOREFRONT ENTRY SYSTEMS. SPECIFIC VALLEY VIEW AND THE HIGH SCHOOL.

WHY? BECAUSE THOSE ARE THE SAME TYPE OF SYSTEM.

IT'S VERY DIFFERENT THAN WHAT WE CALL STOREFRONT, THAT ALUMINUM GLASS.

WHY? BECAUSE THESE DON'T HAVE [INAUDIBLE], THEY RELY ON A PIN INTERNAL LOCKING SYSTEM AND IT JUST TAKES A LOT OF MAINTENANCE.

THEY HAVE A LOT OF ISSUES WITH THIS DOORS.

WHEN YOU HAVE A LOT OF ISSUES WITH EXTERIOR DOORS, WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE GO BY AND CHECK THESE DOORS CONSTANTLY BECAUSE OF JUST THE SYSTEM.

WE'D LIKE TO REPLACE THOSE, UPGRADING THEM TO A MORE STANDARD SYSTEM THAT YOU'LL SEE ACROSS MOST OF THE REST OF THE CAMPUSES.

THEN PLAYGROUND SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS.

THIS IS NOT THE REPLACEMENT OF AN ENTIRE PLAYGROUND.

BUT LIKE ANYTHING, WE HAVE COMPONENTS THAT NEED TO BE REPLACED BEFORE THE END OF THE LIFE OF THE ACTUAL ENTIRE PLAYGROUND.

THIS WOULD COVER THOSE COSTS.

CURRENTLY, IF WE HAVE SOMETHING THAT NEEDS TO BE REPAIRED THAT HAS TO BE FUNDED OUT OF M&O CURRENTLY, THIS WOULD ALLOW US TO FUND THOSE REPLACEMENTS AND REPAIRS OUT OF THE BOND FUNDS.

WE HAVE SOME OF THE MOST UNIQUE PLAYGROUND THAT I'VE SEEN IN ANY SCHOOL DISTRICT.

THAT'S AN ADDED BENEFIT. IT'S GREAT.

WE SPENT A LOT OF TIME, EFFORT AND MONEY ON THOSE PLAYGROUND IMPROVEMENTS, BUT OUR KIDS LIKE TO PLAY AND RUN AROUND.

ALL OF OUR PLAYGROUNDS ARE SAFE, BUT THERE'S SOME AREAS THAT WE MAY NEED TO PUT A PAD OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT ON A COMPONENT, A POLL OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT WE WORK WITH.

ALL THOSE ARE CUSTOM AND THEY'RE COSTLY AND WE HAVE TO FUND THOSE OUT OF M&OS.

THIS WILL ALLOW US TO USE BOND FUNDS IN ORDER TO MAKE THOSE IMPROVEMENTS.

NEXT, INSTALL ADDITIONAL SAFETY BARRIERS.

THIS WOULD ENCOMPASS THAT SAFETY AND SECURITY FILM, ADDITIONAL FILM THROUGHOUT THE DISTRICT, BUT ALSO INCLUDE RECEPTION AREA BUZZERS.

WE HAVE NICE VESTIBULES, BUT WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO IS TAKE THE NEXT STEP IN THE DOOR FROM THE VESTIBULE INTO THE RECEPTION AREA TO HAVE SOME TYPE OF ENTRIES AND A BUZZ IN SYSTEM THERE SO THEY CAN BETTER MANAGE THAT SINGLE DOOR.

THAT'S AN IMPROVEMENT THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO MAKE.

THEN LASTLY, FRONT ENTRY VESTIBULE RECONFIGURATION AT THE HIGH SCHOOL.

THIS IS SPECIFIC TO THE HIGH SCHOOL BECAUSE OF THE VOLUME OF VISITORS.

IT'S MUCH MORE MANAGEABLE THEIR SYSTEM FOR A MIDDLE SCHOOL OR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.

BUT WITH THE VOLUME OF VISITORS, BEFORE COVID WE HAD ABOUT 12,000 VISITORS TO THAT HIGH SCHOOL.

WE MADE IMPROVEMENTS TO THE SHOP COURT AND IT'S WORKING REALLY WELL.

SOMETHING TO WHERE YOU ENTER THE VESTIBULE AND YOU HAVE THAT GLASS WINDOW AND THAT'S THEIR TOUCH POINT.

WE HAVE OUR BUZZ IN, BUT BE BASED ON VOLUME AND PEOPLE COMING IN, YOU'LL HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE SLAMMING THE DOORS RIGHT BEHIND THEM AND NOT LETTING THE NEXT PERSON IN AND SO ALLOWS US TO CAPTURE MULTIPLE VISITORS INTO AN AREA VESTIBULE.

HERE AT THE FRONT ENTRY TO HIGH-SCHOOL, THAT'S WHAT WE DO.

WE MOVE THAT SPACE OUT TOWARDS THE VESTIBULE, SO YOU'D HAVE ONE OF THOSE SMALL WINDOWS THAT YOU CAN HAVE THAT EXCHANGE BEFORE THEY ENTER THE RECEPTION AREA.

THIS IS AN UPGRADE TALKING WITH WITH CAMPUS AND SAFETY PERSONNEL.

OVERALL, ALL THESE PROJECTS THE COMMITTEE VOTED FOR CATEGORY 1.

I WILL TELL YOU THERE'S A COUPLE OF OTHER PIECES OF DATA THEY'D LIKE TO SEE FROM US LIKE, HOW MUCH ARE WE SPENDING ON COSTS FOR PLAYGROUND REPAIRS? LET'S TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THAT VALLEY VIEW SITUATION.

ONCE WE GET THROUGH THE TABLES, WE'RE GOING TO REVISIT THIS BECAUSE THERE'S SOME WE MAY HAVE TO MAKE CUTS AND SO THERE'S MORE INFORMATION THAT WE MAY NEED TO PROVIDE TO THE COMMITTEE SO ULTIMATELY THEY CAN MAKE THE BEST DECISION.

THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'LL FOLLOW UP WITH THEM ON.

CYBER SECURITY AND SAFETY.

THIS IS SOMETHING NEW WHEN WE TALK TECHNOLOGY.

WE DO HAVE THE OPTION WITHIN A BOND TO MOVE CERTAIN THINGS FROM M&O TO BOND THAT WE CURRENTLY UTILIZE.

THIS IS TAKING SYSTEMS AND SOFTWARE THAT WE ALREADY HAVE IN PLACE,

[01:40:02]

THIS IS NOTHING NEW.

THIS IS NOTHING IN ADDITION TO WHAT WE ALREADY CURRENTLY HAVE WITHIN THE DISTRICT.

THAT FIRST ONE, INTEGRATED TECHNOLOGY ENDPOINT NETWORK SECURITY, THAT'S VIRUS PROTECTION ON OUR SERVERS IN OUR CRITICAL SYSTEM.

WHAT YOU'LL SEE IS THAT $1.6 MILLION ENCOMPASSES THAT BOND CYCLE.

WE DON'T SPEND THAT PER YEAR.

THAT'S OVER A FIVE-YEAR PERIOD WITH SOME INFLATION TIED INTO THERE.

CYBERSECURITY MANAGED SERVICES.

WE HAVE A MANAGED SERVICE THAT WE PAY FOR THAT MONITORS OUR CYBERSECURITY 24/7, 365.

WE'RE NOT RELIANT ACTUALLY ON A DISTRICT EMPLOYEE TO BE MANAGING THIS AND BE IN FRONT OF THIS BECAUSE THEY CAN'T BE IN FRONT OF IT 24/7, 3625.

WE HAVE ACTUAL PEOPLE LOOKING AT OUR SYSTEMS. IF THEY SEE SOMETHING, SEE A RISK, THEY MITIGATE IT AND THEN THEY LET US KNOW WHAT THEIR RESOLUTION WAS.

ALSO IF WE NEED BACKUP, OUR ENTIRE NETWORKS BACKED UP ON THEIR SERVER AS WELL WHICH IS SEPARATE FROM OURS.

THEN LASTLY, SAFETY SECURITY SOFTWARE.

THIS IS OUR CASE-MANAGEMENT, BUT ALSO OUR STUDENTS SAFETY AND SECURITY WHICH HAS GAGGLE.

THOSE TWO PLATFORMS ARE WITHIN THAT LAST LINE ITEM THERE.

AGAIN, THAT'S APPROXIMATELY $300,000 IN COST AVOIDANCE A YEAR GOING FROM M&O TO BOND.

AGAIN, IT'S NOT JUST ENERGY SAVINGS THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT HERE.

LET ME GET TO THE CATEGORIZATION.

AGAIN, ANOTHER CATEGORY 1. FIRE ALARM SYSTEMS. I'M NOT GOING TO GO THROUGH ALL THESE, BUT THESE ARE ALL SYSTEMS THAT ARE IN NEED OF REPLACEMENT BASED ON REPLACEMENT CYCLES.

IN THE 2015 BOND, WE'RE ABLE TO REPLACE FORCE TRAIL, AND THEN WITHIN THE 2019 BOND, WE DID CEDAR CREEK HILL COUNTRY IN THE HIGH SCHOOL.

THESE ARE A FEW SYSTEMS THAT ARE IN NEED OF REPLACEMENT FOR THOSE.

THAT WAS A CATEGORY 1 AS WELL.

THEN COMMUNICATIONS PLAYGROUND INTERCOM/ NOTIFICATION SYSTEM UPGRADES.

YOU'LL HEAR SOME OF THE FEEDBACK EVEN FROM THE LATEST CEDAR CREEK INCIDENT WAS, I COULDN'T QUITE HEAR ON THE PLAYGROUND.

WE HAVE RADIOS THAT WE TAKE OUT TO PLAYGROUNDS AND IN OTHER AREAS, BUT WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR PA SYSTEMS YOU CAN HEAR THEM BEYOND JUST THE DIRECT PERIMETER AROUND THE BUILDING.

WE WON'T BE ABLE TO HEAR THOSE ON OUR PLAYGROUNDS ETC.

THIS WOULD UPGRADE THOSE SYSTEMS IN ORDER TO DO JUST THAT.

THAT WAS VOTED A CATEGORY 1 AS WELL.

SAFETY SIGNAGE WAYFINDING.

WE'VE TALKED WAYFINDING A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT TIMES HERE AT THE BOARD, EVEN IN THE LAST BOND, BUT ONE THING I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE UNDERSTAND IS WAYFINDING CAN BENEFIT THE DISTRICT IN A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT WAYS.

ONE OF THOSE IS JUST BEING ABLE TO GET AROUND FOR CONVENIENCE.

THE OTHER ONE IS FOR SAFETY.

FOR ANY VISITOR, ANY STUDENT, ANY STAFF MEMBER IN ANY TYPE OF CRITICAL INCIDENT NEEDS TO KNOW WHERE THEY NEED TO GO.

WHERE THEY CAN BE SAFE.

WITHOUT PROPER SIGNAGE, YOU MAY NOT BE ABLE TO DO THAT.

DO WE HAVE CLASSROOM NUMBERS AND PLACARDS ON ALL OUR CLASSROOMS? YEAH. IS IT CONFUSING SOME? YES. BUT IT'S REALLY JUST HOW DO WE GETTING FROM THE STREET INTO THE BUILDING? WHERE DO I GO TO THE RIGHT PLACE SO I'M NOT WANDERING THE ENTIRE CAMPUS TRYING TO FIND THE ENTRY DOOR.

HOW DO WE GET PEOPLE TO THOSE PLACES WHERE WE WANT THEM TO GO AND THEN ONCE THEY'RE INSIDE THE BUILDING, HOW DO WE GET THEM WHERE THEY NEED TO BE? THAT'S NOT JUST A VISITOR, THAT'S OUR STUDENTS.

WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE THAT IN PLACE.

WE CAN IMPROVE UPON THAT BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF THAT IN PLACE RIGHT NOW.

WE'VE ALREADY BEEN WORKING WITH FIRST RESPONDER MAPS, GETTING THEM TO OUR CAMPUSES.

EVEN OUR FIRST RESPONDERS, HOW THEY'RE GOING TO GET OVER WHERE TO GET TO.

CAN ONLY BE RELIANT ON MAPS, WE NEED TO BE RELIANT ON SIGNAGE AS WELL AND THIS WOULD IMPROVE THAT.

A LOT OF PEOPLE LOOK AT $1.5 MILLION FOR SIGNAGE, BUT I WILL TELL YOU THAT SIGNAGE, IT'S COSTLY BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO DO IT THE RIGHT WAY.

YOU HAVE TO DESIGN IT IN A WAY THAT WOULD ACTUALLY DO WHAT YOU WANT IT TO DO, AND THEN, THERE'S A LOT OF SIGNS THAT WOULD BE NEEDED.

IT'S NOT JUST REPLACING WHAT WE HAVE IS ACTUALLY ADDING TO THAT IN ORDER TO MAKE IT MORE EFFICIENT AND EFFECTIVE.

THAT'S THIS PROJECT BECAUSE IT REALLY IS TIED TO SAFETY.

WE'RE SEEING SO MANY LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES THAT ARE COMING FROM OUTSIDE EVEN OUR JURISDICTION THAT ARE COMING TO OUR CAMPUSES AND THEY DON'T KNOW OUR CAMPUSES AS WELL, MAYBE AS SOME OF OUR LOCAL FIRST RESPONDERS AND SO I THINK THIS IS SOMETHING THAT'S IMPORTANT, SOMETHING THAT THEY'VE SHARED WITH US AS AN IMPORTANT TOPIC.

ULTIMATELY, THIS WAS A CATEGORY II.

[01:45:01]

THEN LASTLY, WE HAVE OUR ADD/ UPDATES SECURITY CAMERAS & ACCESS CONTROL IN EMERGENCY COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS. OUR ACCESS CONTROL AND CAMERAS.

THOSE ARE ON CYCLES AS WELL, IT'S ALL TECHNOLOGY.

WE NEED TO UPGRADE CAMERAS, EVEN THE CAMERA THAT WE REPLACED FIVE YEARS AGO.

WE'RE CONSTANTLY LOOKING AT WHICH CAMERAS NEED TO BE UPGRADED AND REPLACED, BUT ALSO MEETING WITH OUR CAMPUS LEADERSHIP TEAMS AND WHERE THEY MAY NEED SOME CAMERAS BASED ON BEHAVIORS AND ACTIVITIES THEY MAY HAVE ON THEIR CAMPUS.

WE CAN IMPROVE UPON THAT.

THAT'S WHAT THIS LINE ON IT WOULD DO.

IT ALSO, IF WE NEED ADDITIONAL PROP ALARMS DO TO ALLOW FOR THAT BUT ALSO REMEMBER WE'RE IN THE FIVE YEAR CYCLE.

THERE COULD BE REPLACEMENTS FOR A LOT OF THE THINGS THAT WE JUST RECENTLY INSTALLED.

CAMERA SECURITY, THE SERVERS TECHNOLOGY THAT NEEDS TO BE REPLACED.

SENATE BILL 507, THE SPECIAL EDUCATION CAMERAS.

THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WAS INTRODUCED IN 2016, '17.

SOME OF YOU MAY REMEMBER THAT THIS CAME ON US AND WE DID NOT HAVE A FUNDING SOURCE FOR THIS.

WE HAD TO SPEND SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF M&O DOLLARS TO IMPLEMENT THESE SYSTEMS. WE DON'T GET AS MANY OF THESE REQUESTS.

WHAT THIS MEANS IS THIS IS A STATE LAW THAT REQUIRES SCHOOL DISTRICTS TO ADD CAMERAS WITH AUDIO CAPABILITIES AND CERTAIN SELF-CONTAINED CLASSROOMS AND OTHER SPECIAL EDUCATION AREAS FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES.

IT HAS TO BE REQUESTED FROM A PARENT, FROM A TRUSTEE, FROM A STAFF MEMBER, AND THEN WE'RE REQUIRED TO MEET CERTAIN TIME FRAMES IN ORDER TO INSTALL THOSE.

THIS INCLUDES THE INSTALLATION OF SUCH, AND THEN IF THERE NEEDS TO BE ANY UPGRADES AND REPAIRS TO THE CURRENT SYSTEMS. THEY'RE ALL STANDALONE SYSTEMS. THEY DON'T LIVE ON OUR CAMERA SERVERS THAT WE HAVE THROUGHOUT OUR DISTRICT.

IT'S VERY RESTRICTED ACCESS TO THESE, BUT THIS ALLOWS US IF THE REQUEST COME UP TO FUND THOSE INSTALLATIONS.

KEY WATCHMEN, WHEN YOU LEAVE THIS BUILDING, GO OUT THE FRONT DOOR, LOOK, THERE'S A CABINET WHERE IT HOUSES KEYS.

IT'S AN ELECTRONIC KEY SYSTEM.

IT CHECKS IT OUT, YOU BADGE IN PUT A CODE, CHECKS A KEY OUT TO YOU.

WE USE THIS FOR CUSTODIANS AND OTHER STAFF MEMBERS.

IT'S A COMPUTERIZED SYSTEM AND THE MOTHERBOARDS AND THINGS NEED TO BE REPLACED ON IT.

WE'RE NOT REPLACING THE CABINET, WE'RE JUST REPLACING THE INTERNAL COMPONENTS TO THOSE.

LIGHTNING PREDICTION.

THIS IS NOT LIGHTNING DETECTION. WE DON'T NEED ONE OF THOSE.

WE NEED A PREDICTION SYSTEM AND THAT'S WHAT WE HAVE IN PLACE AND SO THIS FUNDS SOMEWHERE WITH REPLACEMENTS AS MANY COMPONENTS IN SOME OF THOSE NEED TO BE REPLACED.

THEN DOOR LOCKING DEVICE UPGRADES.

THIS WAS IN THE LAST BOND, BUT WE WANT TO DO BASED ON WHAT WE NEED IS ADDITIONAL FUNDS TO COMPLETE THE INSTALLATION THROUGHOUT THE DISTRICT OF NEW CLASSROOM LOCKING HARDWARE.

THIS ONE WAS VOTED A CATEGORY I.

ULTIMATELY YOU'LL SEE THAT WE HAD MAJORITY CATEGORY IS, BUT WE DID WITH THE SAFETY SIGNAGE, WE DID HAVE A CATEGORY II.

CATEGORY IS TOTAL JUST OVER $7.5 MILLION.

CATEGORY II IS JUST OVER $1.5 MILLION.

BUT THAT COMPRISES THE SAFETY AND SECURITY TABLE AND PROJECTS.

I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS, LET US KNOW, I'M GOING TO ALLOW HOLLY AND MATT TO ANSWER SOME QUESTIONS AS WELL, IF YOU WANT TO KNOW HOW THAT WENT WITH THE COMMITTEE.

>> THANK YOU FOR THAT, JEREMY. QUESTIONS, JAMES AND THEN KIM.

>> YEAH. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, JEREMY.

MY ONE QUESTION WAS AROUND THE $300,000 SAVINGS WAS AT ANNUAL AND YOU SAID YES, IT'S ANNUAL SO THAT HELPS A LOT.

ALMOST SELL FUNDS THAT ONE PARTICULAR ITEM, IF YOU THINK ABOUT A FIVE YEAR HORIZON.

HOLLY AND MATT, I VALUE YOUR VOICE IN THE ROOM AND YOUR OVERVIEW AND THE WORK YOU'RE DOING ON THE BACK.

I HAVE FOUND JEREMY AND TEAM TO BE EXCELLENT AT IDENTIFYING NEEDS AND REALLY ZEROING IN ON THE COST.

I TRUST THE DATA WE'RE LOOKING AT HERE, BUT ULTIMATELY WE HAVE TO GO TO THE VOTERS.

WE HAVE TO GO OUT TO THE PEOPLE OF THE DISTRICT AND WE REPRESENT THAT VOICE HERE ON THE SCHOOL BOARD.

YOU REPRESENT THAT VOICE ON THE BACK, AND I'D LIKE TO GET YOUR THOUGHTS IN ANYTIME YOU HAVE THOUGHTS.

ANYTIME YOU'RE ATTENDING ONE OF THESE MEETINGS OR YOUR FELLOW COMMITTEE MEMBERS ARE ATTENDING, I'D LOVE TO GET YOUR THOUGHTS ON THESE ITEMS WE'RE LOOKING AT SPECIFICALLY TODAY.

I THINK MY QUESTION WOULD BE AROUND THE CATEGORY II ON THE SAFETY SIGNAGE.

WHAT WERE SOME OF THE THOUGHTS AND WE AS A BOARD DISCUSSED, DOES IT MAKE SENSE FOR US TO ATTEND THESE MEETINGS AND HEAR THE CONVERSATIONS GOING ON, SEE THE SAUSAGE GETTING MADE AND WE SAID, NO, WE WANT TO BELIEVE THIS IN YOUR HANDS.

[01:50:01]

WE DO HAVE TO PUT THE BOND OUT THERE FOR A VOTE.

I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO HEAR YOUR CONCERNS BECAUSE I THINK THAT THEY WOULD ECHO OR REPRESENT THE CONCERNS WE WOULD HEAR FROM OTHER PARENTS IN THE DISTRICT.

>> WE HAD, I THINK 11 VOTERS HERE ON TUESDAY WITH OUR TWO NEW ADDITIONS OF ALAN KNOX AND MONICA, WHO CAME OVER FROM ENVISIONED AGENTS WHICH ARE VERY HAPPY TO HAVE THEM BECAUSE THEY BROUGHT A NEW PERSPECTIVE AND MORE BACKGROUND INTO IT.

AS FAR AS HOW THE VOTING BROKE OUT, I WOULD SAY WE HAD TWO TABLES THAT WERE JUST UNANIMOUS, CATEGORY IS AND IN THOSE SITUATIONS, IT WOULD BE CYBERSECURITY AND SAFETY AND THE FIRE ALARMS AND THE SECURITY CAMERAS.

THEY SAVE M&O DOLLARS AS WELL AS A TRUE CATEGORY I WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT HAS TO BE REPLACED, SOMETHING THAT WE ALREADY HAVE, THAT WE HAVE TO MAINTAIN, AND SO IN THOSE THREE INSTANCES, UNANIMOUS CATEGORY IS.

I WOULD SAY OTHER THAN THAT, ALL THE VOTES WERE SPLIT, NOTHING WAS DOWN TO THE WIRE BUT I MEAN, WE HAD A LOT OF 7, 4, 8, 3 VOTES AS FAR AS THE WAYFINDING.

I THINK THE THINKING BEHIND THAT WAS ON THE 2019 BOND.

IT GOT PULLED OFF, IT'S NOW ON THIS BOND.

WHICH PUTS YOU IN A TRICKY SITUATION IF YOU'RE TRYING TO ANSWER THE QUESTION, WELL, WILL THIS BE FUNDED OUT OF M&O DOLLARS? IF NOT, PROBABLY NOT IS THE ANSWER AND THAT'S UNFORTUNATE.

ONE NOTE THAT WAS MADE ON THAT PARTICULAR ITEM IS THAT THE MILLION FIVE THAT'S IN THERE, THAT IS FOR EVERY SCHOOL IN THE SCHOOL DISTRICT.

WHICH IS IDEAL TO DO IT ALL AT ONCE AS A HIGH LEVEL PROJECT, BUT MAYBE THAT'S NOT PRACTICAL.

WE DID MAKE THE NOTE AND JEREMY POINTED OUT REALLY WESTLAKE HIGH SCHOOL AND EANES ELEMENTARY AS IF THEY WERE BUILT OVER TIME AND LAID OUT ARE PROBABLY IN THE MOST DIRE NEED OF UPDATED SIGNAGE, AND SO WE MADE A NOTE WHEN WE GO BACK THROUGH THIS TO LOOK AT THAT AND IF FOR SOME REASON THAT DOESN'T MAKE IT ONTO THE BOND WITH THE FULL MILLION FIVE THAT WE CAN PULL OUT CERTAIN AREAS OF CRITICAL NEED.

>> THANK YOU.

>> THANK YOU, KIM.

>> JUST A COUPLE OF COMMENTS AND THEN I HAVE ONE QUESTION, NICHE QUESTION.

THANK YOU ALL FOUR OF YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION AND WHAT YOU'RE DOING.

ESPECIALLY THANK MATT AND HOLLY BECAUSE THE OTHER TWO, IT'S THEIR DAY JOB AND YOU GUYS THIS IS SERVICE.

I APPRECIATE WHAT YOU AND THE OTHER NINE COMMITTEE MEMBERS ARE DOING.

IT'S A LOT OF DATA.

ONE COMMENT AND THIS IS MAYBE TO US AND TO ADMINISTRATION.

I LOOK BACK ON THE 2019 BOND AND ULTIMATELY WHAT WENT OUT TO THE PUBLIC WAS EIGHT MILLION DOLLARS IN THE CATEGORY OF SAFETY AND SECURITY.

HERE IF WE'RE JUST LOOKING AT CATEGORY 1, IT'S SEVEN MILLION DOLLARS.

OR IF WE INCLUDE, ULTIMATELY WE CLICK CATEGORY 2 IT'S NINE MILLION DOLLARS.

WE'RE STAYING IN THAT SAME AMOUNT OF MONEY.

BUT I THINK THAT THERE'S HEIGHTENED INTEREST, MAYBE EVEN MORE SO THAN THERE WERE IN 2018-2019.

I'M GOING TO BE VERY SENSITIVE ON WHEN WE GET TO SHOULD WE VOTE, I'M GOING TO LOOK AT THAT.

THE QUESTION THAT I HAD AND THIS WAS AGAIN GETTING INTO THE WEEDS, WHICH I PROBABLY SHOULDN'T.

BUT JEREMY, IN YOUR PRESENTATION ON SAFETY AND SECURITY IMPROVEMENTS, YOU TALKED ABOUT IMPROVEMENTS TO DOORS AND DOOR LOCKING.

THEN AGAIN ON THE FURTHER DOWN ON THE SECURITY CAMERAS AND ACCESS CONTROL, THERE WAS ALSO LOCKING OF DOORS.

THIS ISN'T SO MUCH TO JEREMY, IT MAY BE TO THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS, BUT WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE? BECAUSE I THINK THAT IS AN IMPORTANT ITEM AND IT FELL INTO TWO DIFFERENT TAPES AND I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT THAT DIFFERENCE MAY BE TO THE ISSUE OF SAFETY AND SECURITY FOR OUR STUDENTS AND OUR STAFF.

>> ONE OF THE THINGS I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT I UNDERSTAND YOUR QUESTION, 100 PERCENT IS TALK ABOUT LOCKS A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT AREAS EVEN IN THE FACILITY IMPROVEMENTS.

ONE BEING JUST THE ENTRY SYSTEMS. THAT'S AN ENTIRE SYSTEM IN AND OF ITSELF THAT TAKES CONSTANT MAINTENANCE ON THE LOCKING MECHANISMS OF THAT SYSTEM.

THE DOORS ARE TIED TO THE SYSTEM, REPLACED THE SYSTEM AND UPGRADE THAT,

[01:55:02]

THAT'S TIED TO A VERY LARGE FACILITY IMPROVEMENT, NOT ONLY THE LOCK OF THE ACTUAL SYSTEM IN AND OF ITSELF.

THAT'S WHY IT'S IN A SEPARATE CATEGORY BECAUSE IT'S A GLAZING SYSTEM, NOT JUST THE LOCKING SYSTEM.

BUT THEN WE ALSO LOOK AT THE ADDITIONAL SAFETY BARRIERS.

WITH THOSE SYSTEMS, IT MAY TAKE A LITTLE BIT MORE WORK THAN JUST ACCESS CONTROL WITH SOME OF THOSE AND SO THAT'S WHY WE WANTED TO CATEGORIZE IT IN THAT SAFETY BARRIER CATEGORY.

BUT AGAIN, SOME OF THESE, THEY COULD MOVE IF WE FEEL THAT WELL MAYBE WE JUST TAKE ALL THAT.

WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE GET THE MESSAGE OUT IS VERY CONSISTENT, THAT WE MOVE THAT PART OF THAT CATEGORY DOWN INTO ACCESS CONTROL, THAT'S FINE.

WE CAN MOVE SOME OF THOSE.

OUR MAIN PRIORITY IS THAT WE'RE CAPTURING THOSE NEEDS.

THAT'S ULTIMATELY OUR GOAL AND WE'VE SEEN OVER TIME THAT SOMETIMES SOME OF THESE MAY LITTLE SLIDE.

WE MAY HAVE SOMETHING SLIDE UP INTO SAFETY LATER ON THAT WASN'T NECESSARILY DIRECTED TOWARDS SAFETY, BUT WE FEEL THAT IT MAY NEED TO BE THERE.

ADJUSTMENTS CAN BE MADE BUT I WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT I COMMUNICATED WITH YOU ALL THAT SOME OF THOSE ARE TIED INTO THE ENTIRE SYSTEM.

IT'S NOT JUST LUCK RELATED.

>> PLEASE GO AHEAD NOW.

>> ONE OTHER THING CAME.

>> THANKS, MAN.

>> RECALL THAT YOU ARE AN ATTORNEY [LAUGHTER] SO AS AM I, AND CATEGORY 1 AS DESCRIBED DOESN'T MAKE THE POINT THAT CATEGORY 1 ALSO WOULD INCLUDE LEGAL REQUIREMENTS WHICH MAY GO TO THE POINT THAT YOU'RE MAKING ABOUT SECURITY CONCERNS.

MORE GENERALLY, I THINK YOU'RE RELYING ON THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE TO HELP YOU UNDERSTAND PRIORITIES, BUT WE'RE RELYING ON STAFF AND I THINK STAFFS IN THE BEST POSITION TO GIVE US ADVICE ON THE DETAILS OF THE NEEDS.

WE'RE DOING THE BEST WE CAN IN THE 2-3 HOURS SESSIONS WHERE WE'RE LISTENING TO THESE PRESENTATIONS BUT RELYING HEAVILY ON STAFF'S ADVICE.

>> I APPRECIATE, SO MATT, THANK YOU.

I HEAR WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IN TERMS OF AND THE CATEGORY 1 AND THE CATEGORY 2, THAT'S NOT REALLY MY TAKEAWAY IS IT'S NOT THAT YOU VALUE THINGS IN CATEGORY 1 ABOVE CATEGORY 2 BUT AS JEREMY LAID OUT IN THE PRESENTATION THAT THEY FALL INTO MAYBE DIFFERENT NEEDS OR IN DIFFERENT WAYS THAT WE'RE GOING TO LOOK AT IT.

I ASSUME THAT YOU'RE GOING TO LOOK AT IT AGAIN, AS JEREMY SAID, AS A COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE AS YOU LOOK AT ALL FOUR CATEGORIES DOWN THE ROAD.

I THINK THEY'RE ALL IMPORTANT AND THAT'S WHY THEY WERE BROUGHT BEFORE YOU GUYS. THANK YOU.

GOING BACK TO MY QUESTION, JEREMY, JUST ON THE LOCKS AND YOUR ANSWER ARE THEY TWO DIFFERENT LOCKING MECHANISMS?

>> YEAH.

>> THEY'RE NOT THE SAME THING BUT CATEGORIZED DIFFERENTLY.

>> RIGHT. IF WE LOOK AT DOOR LOCKING DEVICE UPGRADES IS PROBABLY ONE OF THE QUESTIONS THAT YOU HAVE WITHIN THAT LAST LINE ITEM.

THOSE ARE CLASSROOM LOCKING DEVICES.

CLASSROOMS, A LOT OF SCHOOLS WERE BUILT BEFORE TEA CAME OUT WITH CONSTRUCTION SAFETY STANDARDS.

NOW CONSTRUCTION AND SAFETY STANDARDS, WE BUILT A NEW ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, WE WOULD NEED CLASSROOM DOORS AND THEY HAVE A LOCKING MECHANISM ON THE INSIDE. WE DON'T HAVE THAT.

MOST DISTRICTS DON'T HAVE THAT BECAUSE THERE'S SO MANY SCHOOLS BUILT BEFORE THAT TIME.

WHAT THIS WOULD DO IS BRING US UP TO THAT STANDARD FOR CLASSROOMS. IT'S VERY SPECIFIC TO THE CLASSROOM DOORS AND THE TYPE OF HARDWARE THAT'S REQUIRED.

WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE MEETING THAT SAME STANDARD WITHOUT BUILDING A NEW SCHOOL.

>> THANK YOU. HEATHER.

>> IN TERMS OF THE SPECIAL EDUCATION CAMERAS, DID YOU SAY THAT SOME OF THOSE ARE REPLACEMENTS OR THOSE ARE JUST TO HAVE THEM IN CASE THEY ARE REQUESTED?

>> WE CAN MOVE THEM.

THERE'S COSTS INVOLVED IN MOVEMENT IF WE HAVE ONE THAT'S NOT BEING UTILIZED ANYMORE, WE CAN MOVE THAT PHYSICAL CAMERA AND SERVER TO ANOTHER LOCATION IF IT'S REQUESTED.

BUT AGAIN, THERE'S STILL COSTS INVOLVED IN DOING SO.

THAT LINE OUT WOULD JUST MANAGE THAT PROCESS WHETHER WE'RE PURCHASING ANOTHER SYSTEM OR WE'RE MOVING A SYSTEM FROM ONE SPACE TO THE NEXT.

BECAUSE AGAIN, AS STUDENTS MATRICULATE THROUGH THE SYSTEMS, THEY LEAVE BEHIND SOME OF THESE SYSTEMS THAT MAY NOT BE REQUIRED FOR THE NEXT GROUP OF STUDENTS SO WE CAN MOVE THEM POSSIBLY, BUT THERE'LL BE ASSOCIATED COSTS SO THIS WOULD COVER ALL THOSE.

>> THAT MAKES SENSE. THERE COULD POTENTIALLY BE

[02:00:02]

>> CORRECT YEAH. WE WOULD ONLY USE IT FOR THOSE REQUESTS AND SO IF WE DON'T NEED IT, WE WON'T USE IT. YEAH.

>> THANK YOU.

>> THANK YOU. ANYBODY ELSE? HEATHER?

>> MATT AND HOLLY, THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE AND FOR ALL YOUR WORK.

BETWEEN THE TWO OF YOU, YOU HAVE QUITE A FEW YEARS OF EXPERIENCE WITHIN THE DISTRICT.

I APPRECIATE HAVING YOU ALL AS PART OF THE BOOK TO BACK AND PROVIDING YOUR EXPERIENCE AND EXPERTISE TO US.

JUST A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS.

WAS THERE ANYTHING ELSE? WE TALKED ABOUT THE WAYFINDING SIGNAGE.

IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE THAT'S ON HERE THAT WAS PULLED FROM THE LAST BOND?

>> WITHIN THIS TYPE TABLE, I THINK THE ONLY TWO ITEMS THAT WERE PULLED WERE WAYFINDING IN THE CAMPUS MARQUIS.

I THINK THOSE ARE THE TWO BINARY RECORDED OUT OF [OVERLAPPING]

>> CAMPUS MARQUIS WE ENDED UP MORE OR LESS GETTING THERE. [OVERLAPPING]

>> YEAH. WE'VE ELECTED TO PARTNER WITH OUR BOOSTER CLUBS IN ORDER TO DO THOSE WHERE THEY WANT THEM.

>> OKAY. YEAH, HOLLY, I APPRECIATE YOUR POINT ON THAT. ANOTHER QUESTION.

COULD YOU HIGHLIGHT FOR US WHAT OUR REPLACEMENT ITEMS? WHAT ITEMS ARE WE SEEING THAT WE WILL SEE AGAIN IN FOUR YEARS OR THAT WE SAW FOUR YEARS AGO? WHAT ITEMS ARE WE CONTINUALLY REPLACING?

>> YOU WILL SEE A NUMBER OF THESE ITEMS. SAFETY AND SECURITY WILL ALWAYS HAVE A PLACE IN A BOND.

IT MAY NOT BE ITS OWN TABLE, BUT IT WILL HAVE A PLACE WITHIN THE BOND.

YOUR EMERGING MEDICAL EQUIPMENT CONTAINS COMPONENTS THAT NEED TO BE REPLACED ON A CYCLE.

WE'RE NOT REPLACING ENTIRE AEDS ON THIS CYCLE, BUT NEXT CYCLE WILL REPLACE ENTIRE AEDS THAT HAVE A 10-YEAR LIFE.

THEN YOUR CYBERSECURITY, AGAIN, SOMETHING THAT WILL COME UP.

THAT'S AN ANNUAL COST THAT WE HAVE.

OUR FIRE ALARM SYSTEMS MY HOPE IS TO GO ANOTHER ROUND WITHOUT MAYBE WE'LL JUST HAVE ONE OR TWO.

MAYBE FORCE TRAIL WILL COME BACK ON THERE IN THE NEXT CYCLE BUT THOSE ARE BETWEEN 10 AND 15-YEAR REPLACEMENTS.

THEN YOUR SECURITY CAMERAS AND ACCESS CONTROL AGAIN, IT'S TECHNOLOGY.

ANYTHING TIED TO TECHNOLOGY, ASSUME 5-7 YEAR REPLACEMENT CYCLE ON THOSE ITEMS AS WELL.

IT'S SOMETHING THAT REPLACEMENT CYCLES HAVE TO BE FUNDED SOMEHOW IN BONDS.

RIGHT NOW IS THE BEST SOURCE FOR US TO DO THOSE.

BUT AGAIN, IF WE DON'T USE BOND, WE'RE GOING TO USE M&O FOR A NUMBER OF THESE ITEMS. BECAUSE ONCE WE HAVE THEM IN PLACE, THEN WE NEED TO MAINTAIN THEM.

I WOULD SAY A NUMBER OF SAFETY SECURITY THERE'S A LOT OF ITEMS UP THERE WITH IT WOULD BE REOCCURRING, WAYFINDING, NOT ONE OF THOSE.

>> OKAY. THANK YOU. MY LAST QUESTION IS HOLLY AND MATT, YOU ALL ARE HERE, YOU HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE WITH US.

IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE THAT WE NEED TO KNOW OR ANYTHING THAT YOU ALL NEED, ANY INFORMATION THAT YOU NEED OR DIRECTION THAT YOU NEED FROM US THAT WASN'T PRESENTED?

>> WELL, STAFF DESCRIBE THE CAPACITY AVAILABLE AT $135 MILLION TO SUPPORT THE NEEDS OF THE DISTRICT AND NOT IMPACT THE CURRENT TAX RATE.

I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S A BOARD EXPECTATION OF LOWERING RATES, INCREASING RATES.

THIS TAX NEUTRAL OBJECTIVE IS SHARED BY THE BOARD OR NOT? THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL FOR US TO KNOW.

>> YOU WANT ME TO ANSWER THAT? [LAUGHTER] I DON'T THINK WE'VE WEIGHED IN ON THAT YET.

I THINK WHAT WE'D REALLY LIKE TO SEE IS WHAT THE SCOPE ENDS UP LOOKING LIKE AND WHAT OPPORTUNITIES ARE ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THAT.

>> OTHER QUESTION AND I KNOW IT'S A HARD QUESTION.

PROBABLY ALL OF YOUR QUESTIONS WELL, ARE PUBLIC QUESTIONS [INAUDIBLE]

[02:05:04]

WHAT ROLE THAT WILL [INAUDIBLE], WHAT FEEDBACK WE'RE GOING TO GET YOU OVER.

>> I DON'T HAVE THAT INDEPENDENT FORECAST.

I'LL TELL YOU WHAT WE'VE DONE IN THE PAST.

IN THE PAST, THE COMMUNITY'S INTEREST GROWS THE FURTHER ALONG WE GET IN THE PROCESS.

WE SAW MORE AND MORE PEOPLE ATTENDING THE BAD MEETINGS.

YOU WILL GET MORE AND MORE INPUT FROM YOUR FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS.

CORRESPONDINGLY, GROUPS WILL BEGIN TO COALESCE AROUND CERTAIN TOPICS AND WE WILL BEGIN GETTING INPUT THAT WAY AND OUR MEETINGS WILL NOT LOOK LIKE THIS, THEY WILL BE MORE ROBUST.

THOSE ARE REALLY NOT METRICS, BUT THEY ARE WAYS FOR US TO HAVE SOME INSIGHT INTO WHERE THE COMMUNITY IS ON CERTAIN THINGS.

I HOPE THAT HELPS A LITTLE BIT.

>> I'LL JUMP IN ON THAT. JUST TO BUILD ON WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, JOHN, IS WE HAVE DONE SOME COMMUNICATION REGARDING THE BACK MEETINGS.

DR. ARNETT, WE HAD SOME SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS AND SOME INFORMATION GOING OUT ABOUT THAT.

IT WILL BUILD, I THINK, ANYTHING WE CAN DO, EVERYBODY IN THE ROOM CAN DO, YOU ALL CAN DO, THE BACK CAN DO TO SPREAD THE WORD ABOUT THESE MEETINGS.

THEY WERE MY FAVORITE MEETINGS TO ATTEND BECAUSE THE COMMUNITY DID GET TO HAVE SOME PRETTY DIRECT VOICE [NOISE] AND EXPRESS THEIR WISHES AND DESIRES FOR THE BOND GOING FORWARD.

I THINK ANYTHING WE CAN DO WE SHOULD.

I THINK SO. [LAUGHTER]

>> HEATHER.

>> I THINK AS YOU ALREADY ACKNOWLEDGED, THE ADDITION OF ANNE AND ELLEN FROM ENVISION EANES IS GOING TO BE VERY HELPFUL ALSO BECAUSE THEY HAVE DONE THE TOURS OF THE SCHOOLS AND WORKED VERY CLOSELY WITH JEREMY AND HIS TEAM TO REALLY SEE FROM THAT ANGLE FACILITIES AND OTHER IMPROVEMENTS THAT ARE NEEDED.

THEY'VE GOTTEN REALLY IN THE WEEDS ON ALL OF THE THINGS AND EVEN HOW IN THE WEEDS WITH FACILITIES IT GOES INTO CURRICULUM AND IT'S A VERY INTERESTING THING.

I THINK THAT THEY'LL BE HELPFUL. BUT THEN AS YOU KNOW WHOLLY FROM THE 2019 BOND, PEOPLE ARE VERY VOCAL ABOUT WHAT THEY WANT, SO I DON'T THINK THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A PROBLEM FIGURING OUT WHAT OUR COMMUNITY IS GOING TO SUPPORT AND WHAT THEY WANT TO SEE HERE.

I'M EXCITED TO SEE WHAT THE COMMUNITY BRINGS.

>> ANYBODY ELSE? VERY BRIEFLY, ONE REAL QUICK QUESTION.

THE CYBERSECURITY AND SAFETY IS A NUMBER THAT WE'RE GOING TO USE TO ADDRESS ONGOING COSTS.

CAN WE GO BACKWARDS AND REIMBURSE OURSELVES FOR WHAT ARE ARGUABLY CAPITAL EXPENSES?

>> THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION.

MY GUT INSTINCT IS PROBABLY NOT, BUT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN DISCUSS.

>> THANK YOU. WITH THAT, I'D LIKE TO THANK YOU ALL.

YOU'VE BEEN DOING THIS FOR SEVERAL YEARS NOW.

IT'S A LONG COMMITMENT.

I APPRECIATE YOUR PATIENTS WITH IT AND IT'S GOING TO GET MORE EXCITING, SO BUCKLE UP.

[LAUGHTER] THANK YOU AGAIN.

THE NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS OUR LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES.

[5.2. Legislative Priorities]

>> UP YOUR PREVIOUS MEETING, WE INCORPORATED SEVERAL EDITS AND REVISIONS TO THE DOCUMENT THAT YOU FIRST REVIEWED AND TRIED TO CAPTURE ALL OF THOSE AS POSSIBLE IN THE NEW DOCUMENT THAT YOU HAVE AS A PART OF YOUR AGENDA.

WE DON'T HAVE SLIDES TO STEP THROUGH EACH ONE OF THOSE SECTIONS RESPECTIVELY, BUT YOU'VE BEEN PROVIDED THAT UPDATED VERSION AND HAPPY TO LOOK AT THAT AGAIN IF THERE'S ANYTHING THAT WE MISSED OR SOMETHING THAT YOU'D LIKE FOR US TO CONTINUE TO ADJUST BEFORE YOU CONSIDER IT FOR ADOPTION LATER IN THIS MEETING.

>> THANK YOU. LET'S SEE. ELLEN, YOU WANT TO START THERE?

[02:10:04]

>> THANK YOU. FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU SO MUCH, DR. ARNETT FOR THE REVISIONS TO THIS AND FOR TAKING INPUT.

I THINK IT'S A LOT SIMPLER, A LOT CLEARER, A LOT CLEANER, AND HOPEFULLY THAT WILL HELP IN ITS EFFECTIVENESS.

I JUST HAVE TWO COMMENTS.

THE DOWN UNDER SCHOOL FACILITIES AND BONDS.

POINT NUMBER 2, WHERE WE RECOGNIZE DISPARITIES AND LOCAL PROPERTY VALUES.

I THINK I UNDERSTAND THAT THAT MEANS THE PROGRAMS THAT ASSIST SCHOOL DISTRICTS WITH BOND PROJECTS NEED TO BE ADJUSTED AND THEY NEED TO BE ADJUSTED IN RECOGNITION OF THE DISPARITIES.

BUT WHEN I FIRST READ IT, I THOUGHT, I HOPE WE ARE NOT SUGGESTING A ROBIN HOOD-TYPE PROGRAM BECAUSE THERE ARE DISPARITIES IN HERE.

I'M NOT SURE HOW THAT LANGUAGE MIGHT BE ADAPTED, BUT IT JUST WAS A BIT OF A FLAG TO ME THAT THE WAY IT COULD BE INTERPRETED IS THAT WE'RE ASKING THEM TO DO SOMETHING TO ADJUST THE DISPARITIES IN PROPERTY VALUES, WHICH COULD GET TO BE A REAL INTERESTING CONVERSATION IF THEY TOOK IT THAT WAY.

THEN IN THE ACCOUNTABILITY FOR PUBLIC DOLLARS, THE LAST ONE, THAT'S A TOUGH ONE BECAUSE IT'S A BEAST WITH A LOT OF DIFFERENT PIECES.

I STILL FIND IT CONFUSING THAT CHARTERS AND VOUCHERS ARE TALKED ABOUT AS IF THEY'RE THE SAME.

MAYBE THAT'S JUST THAT I NEED MORE EDUCATION AND UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO THERE, TO ME, VOUCHERS IS INFINITELY MORE DANGEROUS TO PUBLIC EDUCATION BECAUSE THAT WOULD BE GOING TO PRIVATE SCHOOLS PRIMARILY.

I ALSO, I'M STILL CONFUSED IN POINT NUMBER 2, ABOUT SPECIFICALLY TALKING ONLY RECAPTURE MONEY.

I KNOW THAT RECAPTURE COVERS A LARGE PERCENTAGE OF THE SCHOOL FUNDING IN TEXAS THESE DAYS.

BUT DOING RESEARCH BOTH THROUGH TRYING TO GET THE TASB AND THIS TEXAS SCHOOL COALITION LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES, I COULDN'T FIND THE DATA THAT ACTUALLY EXPLAINS THAT.

TO ME, THE RECAPTURE MONEY IS STILL CONFUSING.

AGAIN, THAT COULD BE THAT I JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND.

BUT IF WE'RE ONLY TALKING RECAPTURE, I WOULD EXPECT IT TO BE VERY PREVALENT, PARTICULARLY WITH TEXAS SCHOOL COALITION.

I COULDN'T FIND WHAT IS SUPPORTIVE OF THIS, SO THAT'LL BE HELPFUL IF I COULD JUST GET MORE INFORMATION.

>> THANK YOU, ELLEN. DO I HAVE ANYBODY THAT WANTS TO ADDRESS THOSE CONCERNS? JEN.

>> I SEE WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, ELLEN.

I DON'T SEE ANYTHING WRONG WITH US CHANGING THAT FROM ANY RECAPTURE TO ANY PUBLIC TAX DOLLARS.

I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THAT PERSONALLY, IF THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE ASKING.

>> YEAH TO ME IS ANY TECHNOLOGY.

>> YES.

>> [BACKGROUND] [OVERLAPPING]

>> CAN I FINISH? BUT I'M NOT IN FAVOR OF TAKING CHARTERS AWAY FROM THAT STATEMENT.

CHARTERS DON'T HAVE THE SAME ACCOUNTABILITY THAT TRADITIONAL PUBLIC SCHOOLS DO.

I'M ABSOLUTELY AGAINST TAKING THAT OUT.

>> [BACKGROUND].

>> I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, BUT WE HAVE ALSO SEEN THE CHARTER SCHOOL SYSTEM GROW EXPONENTIALLY IN TEXAS AND IT'S CONTINUING TO BE AN ISSUE WHEN THOSE SCHOOLS ARE NOT HELD TO THE SAME ACCOUNTABILITY STANDARDS THAT A TRADITIONAL PUBLIC SCHOOL IS.

IN MY OPINION, IT JUST HAS TO SAG AND IT IS A GROWING ISSUE.

>> I HAVE THAT DATA FROM TEXAS SCHOOL COALITION.

CHRISTY ROAN JUST SPOKE AT OUR ROTARY CLUB TWO WEEKS AGO.

SHE PROVIDED ACTUALLY IN SPECIFIC DATA THAT I'D BE HAPPY TO SHARE WITH YOU.

IT IS $3 BILLION IN RECAPTURE FUNDING THAT GOES BACK TO THE STATE,

[02:15:04]

THEN I THINK IT'S 3.5 BILLION ACTUALLY GOES TO CHARTERS, SO A IT'S AN ISSUE. I'M WITH JEN.

I DO NOT SUPPORT REMOVING CHARTERS FROM IT, WHILE I SUPPORT SOME CHARTER SCHOOLS, I DON'T SUPPORT THEM.

THE VAST MAJORITY OF THEM BECAUSE I DO THINK THAT IT'S A SEPARATE AND UNEQUAL SYSTEM.

THEY ARE NOT HELD TO THE SAME STANDARDS THAT WE AS TRADITIONAL ISDS ARE.

UNTIL THEY ARE THEN I THINK THAT IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE HAVE SOMETHING IN THERE.

BUT IN TERMS OF THE FUNDING SOURCE, I'M HAPPY TO SHARE THAT INFORMATION WITH YOU BECAUSE IT IS READILY AVAILABLE.

>> THANK YOU. LET'S SEE. LAURA.

>> I'M GOING TO JUMP IN ON THIS ONE BECAUSE I ALSO MARKED THAT APP IS THAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE ENTER ACCOUNTABILITY FOR PUBLIC DOLLARS.

ITEM 2, I'D LIKE TO SEE THE LANGUAGE CHANGE.

IT READS, SCHOOLS RECEIVING PUBLIC TAX DOLLARS, RATHER THAN THAT BENEFIT FROM RECAPTURE MONIES.

THAT IS ACTUALLY IN LINE WITH THE TEXAS SCHOOL COALITIONS LANGUAGE.

THAT'S MY RECOMMENDATION.

>> JAMES.

>> YEAH. I AGREE. I WOULD BE OKAY WITH SAYING HOLD ALL SCHOOLS RECEIVING PUBLIC FUNDING COMMA INCLUDING YOU COULD SAY CHARTERS, ETC.

COMMA, ACCOUNTABLE.

I JUST FEEL LIKE THE MESSAGE HERE IS WE'RE NOT SAYING DO ANYTHING SPECIAL JUST FOR THIS CATEGORY.

WE'RE NOT PICKING ON THAT CATEGORY.

WE'RE SAYING EVERY SCHOOL THAT RECEIVES PUBLIC FUNDING SHOULD BE HELD TO THE SAME STANDARD, INCLUDING THESE.

>> WE'VE GOT SOME SUGGESTED LANGUAGE OUT THERE THAT I GUESS SHARPENS THE READER'S UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.

DOES ANYBODY OBJECT TO THAT?

>> I DON'T OBJECT TO THE CHANGES, THOSE SIMPLE CHANGES, BUT I DO WANT TO MAKE NOTE THAT THERE IS A MEETING ON OCTOBER 12TH OF SEVERAL CENTRAL TEXAS DISTRICTS THAT WE'LL BE BRINGING THEIR PRIORITIES.

HAVING THESE APPROVED BEFORE THEN WOULD BE HELPFUL SO THAT WE CAN BE INCLUDED IN THE PACKET THAT'S GOING TO GO SO THAT WE HAVE STRENGTHENED NUMBERS, BUT I'M JUST MAKING THAT NOTE.

WELL, I WAS GOING TO MAKE A PROCEDURAL POINT WHICH YOU MIGHT BE GETTING READY TO MAKE IS THAT WE CAN APPROVE THOSE TODAY WITH THE CHANGES I THINK DR. ARNETT'S MAKING NOTES.

THE DISCUSSION THAT WE'RE HAVING DOES NOT NECESSARILY NEED TO HOLD UP OUR ABILITY TO APPROVE THESE LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES TODAY.

>> THANK YOU ALL. IS THERE ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION ABOUT OUR LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES? YEAH, JAMES? > YEAH. ACTUALLY, THIS IS THE ONE I WANTED TO ORIGINALLY BRING UP.

I RIGHT NOW COULD NOT VOTE FOR THIS WITH SCHOOL FACILITIES AND BONDS NUMBER 3.

THE REASON IS BECAUSE IT SAYS, CREATE A STATEWIDE FUNDING MECHANISM TO ASSIST SCHOOL DISTRICTS WITH BUILDING NEW FACILITIES AS NEEDED.

THE ONLY STATEWIDE FUNDING MECHANISM IS TAXES.

BY SAYING CREATE A STATEWIDE FUNDING MECHANISM, WE'RE SAYING PLEASE RAISE OUR TAXES.

THERE WAS A LOTTERY AND THAT IS ANOTHER TAX, BUT CREATING A STATEWIDE FUNDING MECHANISM IS A TAX.

EITHER THEY TAKE FROM EXISTING TAX DOLLARS, WHICH I DON'T THINK ANYONE IS EVER GOING TO SAY.

WE KNOW THEY HAVE EXTRA FUNDS, BUT THEY'RE NEVER GOING TO SAY WE CONSISTENTLY HAVE EXTRA FUNDS AND WE'RE WILLING TO PUT THAT MONEY HERE.

WE'RE ASKING THEM TO RAISE OUR TAXES TO ASSIST DISTRICTS WITH BUILDING NEW FACILITIES.

TWO LINES BEFORE THAT OR A COUPLE OF LINES BEFORE THAT, WE SAY THAT WE WANT LOCAL CONTROL.

WE'RE SAYING WE WANT LOCAL CONTROL AND THEN WE'RE SAYING, PLEASE TAKE OUR TAX DOLLARS AND CREATE AN ENTITY THAT WILL REDISTRIBUTE THOSE TO DISTRICTS IN NEED.

I THINK THAT'S A GREAT POINT TO MAKE AS A STATE, I DO NOT THINK THAT THAT'S AN ENZYME ISD PRIORITY.

I WOULD PREFER THAT WE, AS WE HAVE ALWAYS, USE BONDS TO FUND OUR FACILITIES AND THAT WE KEEP THAT FUNDING HERE LOCAL AND NOT TAKE IT TO THE STATE.

I COULD NOT VOTE FOR THIS.

BECAUSE NUMBER ONE, IT REMOVES LOCAL CONTROL OF TAX DOLLARS.

NUMBER 2, IT INCREASES, I BELIEVE IT'S ANOTHER LIKE YOU SAID IT, ROBIN HOOD I BELIEVE THAT WE WOULD BE PAYERS AND NOT RECEIVER'S SYSTEM THAT TAKES TAX DOLLARS AND DISTRIBUTES THEM TO SCHOOLS IN NEED.

I COULD NOT VOTE FOR ANYTHING THAT WOULD INCLUDE NUMBER 3 UNLESS YOU'RE GOING TO TELL ME THAT IT'S COMPLETELY DIFFERENT.

[02:20:04]

>> ANYONE WANT TO ADDRESS JAMES.

>> I'LL TAKE A SHOT. I DON'T THINK THAT WAS THE INTENT WHEN THIS WAS WRITTEN.

THE INTENT PROBABLY NEEDS TO BE CLARIFIED IF THAT WAS YOUR READ, AND WHAT WE WERE SHOOTING AT, WAS THE DESIRE TO HAVE THE STATE COME FORWARD WITH A MORE ROBUST SHARE OF THE FUNDING.

THEY DON'T NEED TO RAISE TAXES TO DO THAT.

THEY HAVE A SURPLUS OF $35 BILLION RIGHT NOW.

THAT IS GROWING ALL THE TIME.

THERE'S PLENTY OF MONEY AVAILABLE.

THE STATE NEEDS TO COME TO THE TABLE AND AS A MORE FULL PARTNERS THAN THEY ARE.

THAT'S WHAT I WAS TRYING TO EXPRESS.

IF IT DOESN'T EXPRESS THAT CLEARLY, THEN WE NEED TO CLEAN IT UP.

>> YEAH, I WOULD SAY THAT INSTEAD OF SAYING CREATE A FUNDING MECHANISM, CREATE A STATEWIDE FUNDING, I WOULD SAY USE EXISTING STATE SURPLUS FUNDS TO FUND A MECHANISM FOR SUCH AND SUCH.

I THINK IT HAS TO BE CLEAR THAT WE'RE NOT ASKING FOR AN INCREASE IN TAXES.

I'VE NEVER SAT HERE AT THIS DIETS AND VOTED FOR AN INCREASE ON TAX INCREASE ON THE CITIZENS OF EANEISD AND I WON'T START TODAY, SO I COULD NOT VOTE FOR THIS AS IT IS.

>> HEATHER.

>> THAT WAS ABSOLUTELY NOT THE INTENT.

I DON'T THINK ANYONE ON THIS BODY WANTS TO INCREASE TAXES AND ASKED FOR THAT.

THAT'S RIDICULOUS.

THAT WAS NOT THE INTENT, I DON'T THINK.

BUT I THINK MAYBE IT WOULD BE BETTER TO SAY IT WOULD BE APPROPRIATE OR THERE IS SOMETHING ABOUT THE STATE APPROPRIATING FUNDS FOR BUILDING FACILITIES? WITHOUT I DON'T KNOW HOW TO WORDSMITH THAT WRITER EXISTING FUNDS OR THROUGH THE GENERAL REVENUE OR USING RECAPTURED DOLLARS.

I DON'T CARE. HOWEVER, WE WANT TO PHRASE THAT BETTER. THAT'S FINE.

BUT I UNDERSTAND YOUR CONCERN, BUT THAT IS ABSOLUTELY NOT THE INTENT OF THE LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE AT ALL EVER.

>> ANY MONEY THE STATE OF TEXAS SPENDS, THEY DON'T SELL T-SHIRTS, THEY TAKE TAX DOLLARS AND SPEND THEM.

EITHER WE'RE ASKING THEM TO RAISE OUR TAXES OR NOT GIVE US A TAX REFUND. THAT'S WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE.

>> YEAH. WE THE EDUCATIONIST FUNDED IN THE STATE IS THAT THEY USE RECAPTURE FUNDS TO PAY FOR ALL OF IT.

THEY'RE NOT ADDING MORE MONEY ON TOP TO THIS SYSTEM WHEN THEY HAVE MORE MONEY NOW, MAYBE NOT EVERY BIENNIUM, BUT THIS BIENNIUM, THEY HAVE ADDITIONAL FUNDING.

I TOTALLY UNDERSTAND YOUR CONCERN AND THAT WAS NEVER THE INTENT.

>> LET'S SEE. JEFF HAS BEEN OVER HERE SCRIBBLING AND WORD-SMITHING IN AN EFFORT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE SAY WHAT WE MEAN TO SAY. JEFF, YOU WANT TO TAKE A SHOT?

>> YEAH, I THINK I HEAR THREE PRIMARY EDITS AND I'LL START WITH THAT ONE WHICH IS 0.3 UNDER SCHOOL FACILITIES AND BONDS.

ONE VERSION OF THAT MIGHT READ APPROPRIATE EXISTING STATE SURPLUS FUNDS WHO ASSIST SCHOOL DISTRICTS WITH BUILDING NEW FACILITIES AS NEEDED.

THE OTHER EDIT WAS ALSO IN UNDER SCHOOL FACILITIES AND BONDS L AND THIS WAS YOUR POINT MADE EARLIER OR NUMBER 2, I'M WONDERING IF JUST FLIPPING THOSE AND THE ORDER COULD READ ADEQUATELY FUND AND UPDATE CURRENT FACILITY PROGRAMS WHILE RECOGNIZING DISPARITIES AND LOCAL PROPERTY VALUES.

THEN THE THIRD EDIT THAT I BELIEVE I HEARD IS NUMBER 2, UNDER ACCOUNTABILITY FOR PUBLIC DOLLARS AND THAT WOULD BE, HOLD ACCOUNTABLE ANY SCHOOL RECEIVING OR ANY SCHOOL THAT BENEFITS FROM PUBLIC MONIES BY ENFORCING CONSISTENT STANDARDS FOR STUDENT PERFORMANCE AND MANAGEMENT OF TAXPAYER RESOURCES.

QUESTION IS WHETHER OR NOT YOU WANT A SPECIFIC REFERENCE TO CHARTERS AND BOUCHER RECEIVING SCHOOLS.

>> LET'S SAY I'VE GOT HEATHER AND THEN LAURA.

>> I'M HAPPY WITH THOSE EDITS.

AS LONG AS WE LEAVE THE CHARTERS AND VOUCHERS UP IN NUMBER 1.

>> LAURA.

>> YEAH. THANK YOU FOR THIS EDITS.

I WOULD SAY RECEIVE RATHER THAN BENEFIT BECAUSE YOU CAN ALWAYS ARGUE WHETHER THAT'S A BENEFIT OR NOT.

THEN I LIKED THE FLIPPING THAT YOU DID WHERE YOU MOVED, YOU KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT [LAUGHTER] BUT I REQUEST THE SAME FINESSE TO SCHOOL FINANCE.

NUMBER 3, THE WAY IT READS RIGHT NOW, SUPPORT EQUITABLE PROPERTY TAX RELIEF WITHOUT THE BURDEN OF UNFUNDED MANDATES.

[02:25:06]

I THINK THOSE ARE SEPARATE ITEMS. I THINK WE CAN FLIP THIS LIKE YOU DID WITH THE OTHER ONE.

>> ANYBODY WANT TO FOLLOW UP ON THAT?

>> YOU GOT THAT, DOCTOR OR NOT? DOES THAT MAKES SENSE?

>> YEAH.

>> THANK YOU.

>> ARE THERE ANY OTHER COMMENTS ON OUR LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES ITEM? READY TO MOVE ON? THE NEXT ITEM IS DIVERSITY EQUITY INCLUSION, COMMITTEE MEMBERSHIP.

[5.3. Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee Membership]

>> I'M GOING TO ASK DIANE PARKS AND KRISTY SAILORS TO COME FORWARD AT THIS TIME.

THEY'RE HERE BRIEFLY JUST TO OVERVIEW WHAT WE THINK WILL BE A RELATIVELY SIMPLE PROCESS FOR FILLING THE OPEN POSITION ON THE DEI ADVISORY COMMITTEE.

THERE'S ONE SPOT THAT'S AVAILABLE.

DIANE CAN PROVIDE THE CONTEXT FOR THE CURRENT COMPOSITION OF THE COMMITTEE.

KRISTY CAN TALK ABOUT THE PROCESS THAT SHE'LL SHARE WITH YOU IMMEDIATELY AFTER THIS MEETING LEADING UP TO YOUR BOAT ON THAT NEW MEMBER AT THE OCTOBER 18TH MEETING.

>> GOOD MORNING. YOU GUYS PROBABLY REMEMBER THAT LAST MAY YOU APPROVED A NEW CHARTER FOR THE DEI ADVISORY COMMITTEE.

IN THAT CHARTER, IT WAS DECIDED THAT BOTH PARENT REPRESENTATIVES AND COMMUNITY REPRESENTATIVES WOULD BE APPOINTED BY YOU GUYS.

WE ACTUALLY ONLY HAVE ONE VACANCY IN ALL OF THOSE POSSIBLE POSITIONS AND THAT IS FOR THE PARENT REPRESENTATIVE FOR BRIDGE POINT.

WE SENT OUT THE EXACT SAME APPLICATION FORM AS WE DID IN PREVIOUS YEARS.

WE SENT THAT OUT ON SEPTEMBER 2ND TO THE BRIDGE POINT COMMUNITY.

WE DECIDED IT MADE SENSE TO ONLY GO TO THE BRIDGE POINT COMMUNITIES AND SO THAT'S WHO WE'RE LOOKING FOR.

THEN LEFT THAT OPEN FOR THREE WEEKS AND RECEIVED FIVE APPLICATIONS.

I BELIEVE WE'RE AT THE POINT OF SHARING THOSE WITH YOU-ALL.

>> WE'RE GOING TO FOLLOW THE SAME PROCESS WE DID BEFORE.

YOU'RE EACH GOING TO GET YOUR INDIVIDUAL SCORING CARD.

THE CANDIDATES HAVE ALL BEEN ASSIGNED A NUMBER, SO WHEN WE HAVE TO TALK ABOUT IT AT THE OCTOBER 18TH MEETING, WE CAN TALK IN NUMBERS IF THERE'S ANY DISCUSSION THAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN.

IN THE EMAIL, WE'RE ASKING YOU TO HAVE YOUR SCORING OF THE PICKING THE TOP CANDIDATES OF YOUR CHOICE BY OCTOBER 11TH, SO THE WEEKEND DIANE AND I CAN LOOK AT IT AND MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE AN ACCURATE REPRESENTATION OF THE GROUP TO BRING FORWARD FOR A RECOMMENDATION ON THE 18TH.

>> LAURA.

>> KIM AND I WERE NOT ON THE BOARD WHEN THIS DEI COMMITTEE WAS PUT TOGETHER ORIGINALLY.

YOU-ALL WILL GUIDE US THROUGH [LAUGHTER] THAT PROCESS.

>> YES.

>> OKAY.

>> WE WILL. I PROMISE.

>> YOU'LL HOLD OUR HAND. THANK YOU.

>> THANK YOU. JAMES.

>> I APPRECIATE YOUR WORK ON THIS AND I WAS GOING TO SAY THAT IF YOU-ALL NEED HELP WITH THE PROCESS, I'VE DONE IT TWO OR THREE TIMES.

IT'S NOT LIKE I'M AN EXPERT BUT I WAS GOING TO SAY WE HAD TALKED ABOUT AT ONE POINT, LIKE A PARENT WHO ARE AGED OUT, IF YOU WILL, NO LONGER A BRIDGE POINT PARENT, IF YOU WILL, THAT THERE WOULD BE AN OPPORTUNITY TO MAYBE STAY ON ITS EMERITUS STATUS.

IS THAT WHAT WE'RE SEEING IN THIS CASE OR WHY DO WE HAVE A VACANCY?

>> THAT'S ACTUALLY AN EXCELLENT QUESTION.

I'M NOT POSITIVE WHAT HAPPENED TO OUR BRIDGE POINT REPRESENTATIVE FROM LAST YEAR.

I CAN CERTAINLY ASK THE FOLKS, I CAN FIND OUT.

>> I GET IT. PEOPLE GET BUSY OR MOVE OUT OF THE DISTRICT.

THAT'S PROBABLY NOT AS IMPORTANT.

I GUESS WHERE I WAS HEADED WAS DID WE KEEP THIS PARENT AS AN EMERITUS AND THEY'RE STILL SERVING AND ARE WE SEEING THAT HAPPENING IN OTHER SCHOOLS AT THIS POINT?

>> YOU KNOW IT'S INTERESTING.

WHAT I DO THINK IS AMAZING IS THE COMMITMENT OF THIS GROUP AND THE FACT THAT THERE IS ONLY ONE VACANCY.

WE DID NOT KEEP ANYONE AS AN EMERITUS MEMBER.

OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS ARE THE SAME COMMUNITY MEMBERS WE HAD LAST YEAR.

I THINK THE RETENTION OF MEMBERS SPEAKS VOLUMES TO THEIR COMMITMENT.

>> EXCELLENT. PLEASE PASS ALONG OUR APPRECIATION TO THE WHOLE COMMITTEE FOR THE WORK THEY'RE DOING AND THE TIME THEY'RE PUTTING INTO THIS. WE DO APPRECIATE THAT.

>> WE'LL DO.

[02:30:01]

>> WELL. SORRY. [LAUGHTER] I JUST THOUGHT OF ONE MORE THING THAT I WANT YOU GUYS TO KNOW.

I WILL SAY THIS ONE OF THE BIGGEST THINGS THAT WAS VOICED IN OUR FIRST MEETING OF THIS YEAR WAS HOW EXCITED EVERYBODY WAS TO HAVE MORE STUDENTS.

YOU MIGHT RECALL THAT WE ADDED AN ADDITIONAL MIDDLE-SCHOOL STUDENT FROM EACH SCHOOL AND THEN ALSO ADDITIONAL HIGH-SCHOOL STUDENTS TO THE MIX.

THERE'S MORE KID VOICES IN THE CONVERSATION, WHICH IS HUGE BECAUSE THEY'RE THE WHOLE REASON WE'RE HERE, SO THAT IS DEFINITELY A BONUS THIS YEAR.

THANK YOU GUYS FOR THAT.

>> THANK YOU FOR THOSE REMARKS.

THANK YOU, KRISTY, FOR YOUR HELP WITH THIS.

ANYBODY ELSE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS THEY WANT TO TOSS OUT? NO. WE'RE READY FOR OUR NEXT ITEM AND

[6.1. Adopt Legislative Priorities]

DO I HAVE A MOTION? HEATHER.

>> I MOVE THAT THE UNIVERSITY'S BOARD OF TRUSTEES ADOPTED 2023 PRIORITIES FOR THE 88TH SESSION AS AMENDED OF THE TEXAS LEGISLATURE.

>> I HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND.

ANY DISCUSSION? LAURA.

>>CAN WE JUST HEAR THOSE AMENDMENTS?

>> YEAH. I'LL TRY TO RECOUNT THEM.

UNDER SCHOOL FINANCE, WE WOULD ADD A FOURTH SUB-SECTION TO RELIEVE THE BURDEN OF UNFUNDED MANDATES.

UNDER SCHOOL FACILITIES AND BONDS FOR 0.2, IT WOULD READ ADEQUATELY FUND AND UPDATE CURRENT FACILITY PROGRAMS WHILE RECOGNIZING DISPARITIES AND LOCAL PROPERTY VALUES.

THEN FOR THREE, IT WOULD READ APPROPRIATE EXISTING STATE SURPLUS FUNDS TO ASSIST SCHOOL DISTRICTS WITH BUILDING NEW FACILITIES AS NEEDED.

UNDER ACCOUNTABILITY FOR PUBLIC TAX DOLLARS, POINT 2 WOULD READ OLD ACCOUNTABLE, ANY SCHOOL THAT RECEIVES PUBLIC FUNDING BY ENFORCING CONSISTENT STANDARDS FOR STUDENT PERFORMANCE AND MANAGEMENT OF TAXPAYER RESOURCES.

I THINK THOSE ARE THE FOUR EDITS THAT I HAVE.

>> THANK YOU.

>> THANK YOU.

>> WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND.

WE'VE HAD A DISCUSSION. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR?

>> AYE.

>> AYE.

>> GREAT. LET ME REMIND THE ROOM OF UPCOMING MEETINGS.

[7. UPCOMING MEETINGS]

WE HAVE ANOTHER ON NOVEMBER 1ST, IT WILL BE A STUDY SESSION AND WITH THAT,

[8. CLOSED SESSION]

THE TIME IS 10:18.

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.