>> THE TIME IS NOW SEVEN O'CLOCK AND WE WILL RECONVENE IN OPEN SESSION. THANK YOU.
[4. RECONVENE INTO OPEN SESSION AT APPROXIMATELY 7:00 PM]
[00:00:07]
GOOD EVENING, WE WELCOME YOU TO THE EISD BOARD MEETING.I'VE SEEN YOU IN QUITE A WHILE, WELCOME BACK.
>> I REPRESENT [LAUGHTER] A MASSIVE GROUP [LAUGHTER]
>> THANK YOU FOR THAT. LET'S SAY, I HAVE A COUPLE OF THINGS I NEED TO COVER.
JUST OUT OF HABIT, EVEN THOUGH WE MAY NOT NECESSARILY NEED THE REMINDER AT THIS MOMENT.
BUT FIRST, THE PURPOSE OF TONIGHT'S MEETING IS FOR THE BOARD TO DELIBERATE AND VOTE ON MATTERS LISTED ON IT'S AGENDA.
THE DISTRICT IS COMMITTED TO TREATING EVERYONE HERE WITH RESPECT AND WE EXPECT THE SAME IN RETURN.
PLEASE REFRAIN FROM OUTBURSTS OR ANY OTHER FORM OF DISRUPTIVE BEHAVIOR.
THERE WILL BE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR PUBLIC COMMENT LATER IN THE MEETING, SEVEN SPEAKERS WHO HAVE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK AND EACH WILL HAVE THREE MINUTES.
LAST THING IN THE EVENT OF AN EMERGENCY, PLEASE TAKE NOTE OF THE EMERGENCY EXIT NEAREST TO YOU.
IF THE NEED ARISES PLEASE HEAD TO THAT EXIT IN AN ORDERLY MANNER.
THERE'S THE ENTRANCE THROUGH WHICH YOU ARRIVE, AND THERE'S ONE DOWN HERE AT THE END OF THIS HALL.
THANK YOU FOR JOINING US AND FOR YOUR INTEREST IN OUR COMMUNITY IN SCHOOLS.
WE WILL NOW BEGIN WITH OUR AGENDA.
THE FIRST ITEM ON THAT AGENDA IS OUR SUPERINTENDENT'S REPORT. DR. ARNETT.
[5. REPORTS]
>> THANK YOU, EVERYBODY. WELCOME. HAPPY NEW YEAR.
I'M GOING TO START BY RECAPPING AN EVENT THAT SOME OF YOU WERE ABLE TO ATTEND WITH US EARLIER THIS WEEK OR IT'S LAST WEEK I GUESS.
THE DAYS GO BY QUICKLY, BUT WE HAD A FENTANYL AWARENESS PRESENTATION AT THE HIGH SCHOOL THAT WAS WELL ATTENDED, NEARLY 200 PEOPLE IN THE AUDIENCE.
WE WERE VERY GRATIFIED BY THE FACT THAT SO MANY PEOPLE CAME FROM OUTSIDE OF OUR OWN COMMUNITY.
IT'S CERTAINLY A TOPIC OF INTEREST AND OF CONCERN TO PEOPLE BOTH WITHIN OUR DISTRICT AS WELL AS OUTSIDE.
WE'RE GRATEFUL TO DEPUTY ANTHONY HIPOLITO, WHO IS WITH THE HAYS COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE.
HE GAVE A PRESENTATION THAT WAS VERY POWERFUL AND HAD SOME FAMILIES THAT JOINED HIM WHO HAD BEEN AFFECTED BY FENTANYL.
WE HOPE THAT IT HAS IMPACT ON OUR COMMUNITY AND WE'LL BE DOING A VERSION OF THAT, FOR BOTH OUR MIDDLE SCHOOLS AND OUR HIGH SCHOOL IN THE COMING WEEKS AS WELL.
THANK YOU FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO WERE ABLE TO ATTEND.
ALSO I WANTED TO MENTION THAT OUR STRATEGIC SUMMIT IS COMING UP THE ANNUAL EVENT WITH THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES AND THE ADMINISTRATION.
WE'LL BE LOOKING AT OUR PRIORITIES AND OUR GOALS AS WE FORECAST THE UPCOMING YEAR.
THAT WILL BE ON JANUARY THE 19TH, BEGINNING IN THE EVENING, AND THEN WE'LL FOLLOW THAT WITH A MORNING SESSION ON THE 20TH FROM 08:00 TO NOON WILL BE IN THE COMMUNITY ROOM AT LAURA BUSH LIBRARY. WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT.
EVERYBODY HAS BEEN WORKING VERY HARD ON THAT ANNUAL EVENT AND WE HOPE THAT YOU'LL JOIN US.
JUST AN UPDATE TO NOT ONLY THE BOARD, BUT ALSO TO OUR COMMUNITY.
EVEN DURING THE VACATION, WE WERE WORKING ON THE TOPIC OF SPANISH IMMERSION.
WE WANT TO REASSURE OUR COMMUNITY AND MANY PARENTS WHO HAVE BEEN INVESTED IN THIS ISSUE THAT WE'RE CONTINUING TO TALK ABOUT WHAT THE REFRESH OR WHAT THE REVIEW CYCLE WILL LOOK LIKE AND WE'RE IN THE PROCESS NOW OF NOT ONLY IDENTIFYING A POTENTIAL THIRD-PARTY FACILITATOR TO COME IN AND WORK ALONGSIDE OF US.
WE'RE INTERVIEWING DIFFERENT GROUPS THAT WE THINK POTENTIALLY COULD BE A GOOD FIT FOR THAT ROLE.
BUT WE'RE ALSO TALKING ABOUT THE COMPOSITION OF THE PARENT TASK FORCE ITSELF AND THINKING THOUGHTFULLY ABOUT WHO COULD BE ON THE TASK FORCE, HOW WE WANT TO ORGANIZE THAT GROUP, WHAT ITS WORK, WHAT ITS SCHEDULE WILL LOOK LIKE? IN THE VERY NEAR FUTURE, WE'LL BE COMMUNICATING WITH FAMILIES AND WE'LL BE UPDATING THE BOARD ON WHAT DIFFERENT OPPORTUNITIES WILL BE TO ENGAGE ALONG THIS TOPIC.
BUT WE WANTED TO JUST LET EVERYBODY KNOW THAT WE'RE CONTINUING TO WORK VERY HARD ON THE TOPIC OF SPANISH IMMERSION AND MOVING THAT FORWARD AND MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE FOLLOWING THROUGH ON OUR COMMITMENT TO ADDRESS IT, TO REVIEW IT, AND SPENDING THE NEXT 6-12 MONTHS, TO RECONSIDER WHAT IT MAY LOOK LIKE.
THEN ALONG THOSE SAME LINES, WHILE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A POTENTIAL FACILITATOR FOR SPANISH IMMERSION.
WE'RE ALSO TALKING ABOUT A POTENTIAL FACILITATOR FOR A LONG-RANGE FACILITIES PLAN.
EVEN THOUGH WE HAVE A MAINTENANCE AND EFFICIENCY BOND POTENTIALLY THAT YOU'RE CONSIDERING FOR THE MAY OF 2023 BALLOT.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE BOND AND THE FUTURE, AND MAYBE THE NEXT 2-3 YEARS AND THINKING NOW WHAT WILL REQUIRE US TO LOOK AT OUR FACILITIES AND WHAT WE WANT TO FOCUS ON, PROBABLY BEGINNING WITH THE HIGH SCHOOL.
BUT JEREMY TRIMBLE AND OTHER STAFF ARE ACTUALLY TALKING TO POTENTIAL FACILITATORS WHO CAN COME IN AND AGAIN, WORK ALONGSIDE OF US TO LOOK AT A LONG-RANGE FACILITIES PLANNING.
OUR HOPE IS THAT SOMETIME IN SHORT ORDER THIS SPRING WE'LL BE ABLE TO COMMENCE THAT PROCESS.
WE'LL UPDATE YOU ALONG THE WAY AS WELL.
I'LL END MY REPORT WITH A FUN ITEM.
FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS NOW WITH CLAUDIA MCWHORTER'S HELP WE STANDARDIZED ALL OF OUR LOGOS FOR OUR CAMPUSES.
[00:05:02]
WE HAVE NINE TRADITIONAL CAMPUSES.WE HAVE SIX OF THE ELEMENTARY LEVEL, TWO MIDDLE SCHOOLS, AND ONE HIGH SCHOOL.
BUT WE'RE ALSO VERY FOND OF SAYING THAT WE HAVE A 10TH CAMPUS.
WE REFER TO THE ADULT TRANSITION SERVICES CENTER AS OUR 10TH CAMPUS.
WE'RE PROUD TO LET YOU KNOW THAT THEY NOW HAVE THEIR OWN LOGO AS WELL THAT IS CONSISTENT WITH THE FAMILY OF BRANDING THAT CLAUDIA AND OTHERS HAVE CREATED.
FROM THIS POINT FORWARD, [BACKGROUND] THEY WILL BE KNOWN AS THE ATS BATS, THE STUDENTS AND THE STAFF THERE WERE INVOLVED IN THIS.
THEY WORKED WITH A GRAPHIC ARTIST ALONGSIDE OF CLAUDIA MCWHORTER.
THEY CAME UP WITH THE IDEA OF ATS BEING REPRESENTED BY A BAT.
OF COURSE, ATS IS A PART OF THE BAT NAME AS A PART OF THAT ACRONYM.
BUT BATS ARE ALSO SYNONYMOUS WITH AUSTIN.
THEY WILL BE THE ATS BATS FROM NOW ON MOVING FORWARD.
WE'RE EXCITED FOR THEM AND I'M GLAD THAT WE CAN WALK ON THIS LOGO AS A PART OF OUR BRANDING FAMILY AND THE SCHOOL DISTRICT AS WELL.
THANKS FOR CLAUDIA AND THE STAFF AND THE STUDENTS WHO WORK REAL HARD ON THIS PROJECT ALONGSIDE OF OUR SPECIAL ED STAFF AS WELL.
I WILL BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
>> THANK YOU FOR THAT COOL LOGO.
>> I LOVE THE ATS LOGO. THAT'S FANTASTIC.
I JUST WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU FOR PUTTING ON THE FENTANYL AWARENESS PRESENTATION. IT'S NOT REALLY A QUESTION.
IT WAS EYE-OPENING AND HORRIFYING.
DEFINITELY MADE ME GO HOME AND TALK TO MY OWN CHILDREN AND I HAVE HEARD FROM SO MANY PARENTS THAT WERE THERE AT THE SAME.
I'M REALLY GLAD THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE ROLLING THIS OUT TO MIDDLE SCHOOL AND HIGH SCHOOL KIDS BECAUSE IT'S SUCH AN IMPORTANT TOPIC THAT I'M GLAD THAT WE'RE COVERING. THANK YOU.
>> ANYBODY ELSE? I WILL ALSO SAY THAT THAT FENTANYL PROGRAM WAS REALLY POWERFUL.
I HOPE THE KIDS GET AS MUCH OUT OF THIS AS THE PEOPLE WHO ATTENDED THAT NIGHT.
WITH THAT, WE WILL MOVE ON TO THE NEXT AGENDA ITEM.
WE'VE GOT TECHNOLOGY SERVICES AND EDTECH, DR. KRISTY SAILORS AND FRED BENITEZ.
WELCOME THIS EVENING. HAPPY NEW YEAR.
>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING US. WE'RE GOING TO LET FRED TALK ABOUT THE EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY WORK FIRST, AND THEN I'LL FOLLOW UP WITH THE TECHNOLOGY SERVICES PORTION.
>> GOOD EVENING, I'M FRED BENITEZ.
I'M THE DIRECTOR OF EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY.
>> I COULD TRY TO DO YOURS IF YOU WANT TO DO MINE.
>> LET'S DO THAT. IT'S ALL GOOD.
I'M GOING TO TALK ABOUT TECHNOLOGY SERVICES.
I HAVE TO SAY THAT I'M PROUD TO REPRESENT THIS GROUP OF PEOPLE.
THIS IS NOT MY WORK, THIS IS THEIR WORK.
I JUST GET TO BE THE FACE OF THEM.
SO I'M VERY PLEASED TO BE HERE.
SOME THINGS THAT WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT SPECIFICALLY ALIGN WITH THE BOARD PRIORITIES THAT YOU GAVE US.
WE HAVE LOTS OF THINGS, YOU KNOW ME WELL ENOUGH TO KNOW I COULD TALK FOR DAYS UPON DAYS ABOUT HOW GREAT THESE PEOPLE ARE IN THE WORK, BUT WE'RE GOING TO KEEP IT SHORT, AND WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT JUST THE PROJECTS THAT ALIGN WITH THE BOARD PRIORITIES.
FOR LONG-RANGE PLANNING, SORRY FOR THE TRANSITIONS, I'M THANKFUL TO THE TECHNOLOGY ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
THIS IS THE FIRST YEAR THAT WE'VE ACTUALLY HAD A TECHNOLOGY PLAN.
IT'S A MULTIYEAR PLAN, AND THE COMMITTEE ALLOWED US TO GET PRIORITIES AND OBJECTIVES FOR BOTH EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY, FOR TECHNOLOGY INTEGRATION, AND FOR TECHNOLOGY SERVICES.
THOSE INDIVIDUALS WHO WORKED HARD, IT WAS A MULTIYEAR.
IT WAS A YEAR LONG PROCESS, WE'RE REALLY PLEASED WITH WHAT WE CAME UP WITH AND WE USE THAT, AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO USE THAT TO GUIDE THE WORK MOVING FORWARD.
WE ALSO IDENTIFIED DEPARTMENT GOALS AND PRIORITIES.
WHAT DID WE WANT TO FOCUS ON? YES, WE ARE HERE AS CUSTOMER SERVICE, BUT WHAT IS A PRIORITY FOR US? HOW CAN WE BETTER IMPROVE THE SERVICE THAT WE PROVIDE TO THE DISTRICT? WE RESTRUCTURE OUR DEPARTMENT STAFFING.
WE BECAME REALLY CREATIVE WITH THE POSITIONS THAT WE HAVE.
WE LOOKED AT WHAT THE DISTRICT NEEDED US TO DO, WHAT THEY NEEDED US TO SUPPORT, AND SO WE GOT REAL CREATIVE WITH HR AND DR. ARNETT, AND WE FEEL LIKE THAT'S WORKING BETTER FOR US.
AS ALWAYS, WE'RE ALWAYS WORKING ON THE BOND PROJECTS.
MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE, MAKING SURE THAT WE DID WHAT WAS ASKED OF US,
[00:10:02]
AND MAKING SURE THAT WHAT WE'VE PUT INTO PLACE IS BEING MAINTAINED AND IS APPROPRIATELY BEING USED IN THE CLASSROOMS OR IN THE PHYSICAL BUILDINGS.WE ALSO ARE PLEASED TO SAY THAT WE HAVE STREAMLINED AND FINALIZED THE DISASTER RECOVERY PLAN.
IF SOMETHING WOULD HAPPEN, WE HAVE A PLAN, WE HAVE THE VENDORS THAT WOULD NEED TO SUPPORT US.
WE KNOW WHAT WE NEED TO DO, WHAT SYSTEMS NEED TO BE BROUGHT UP, AND IN WHAT ORDER, HOW TO DO THAT, AND WE HAVE CROSS-TRAINING ACROSS OUR DEPARTMENT FOR MULTIPLE PEOPLE WHO CAN BRING THOSE SYSTEMS UP.
IF SOMEBODY WOULD BE OUT THERE, EVERYBODY HAS A BUDDY.
IF I'M OUT, FRED'S MY BUDDY, HE KNOWS MY JOB, HE KNOWS WHAT TO DO, HE KNOWS THE STEPS TO TAKE.
WE'RE HAPPY TO SAY WE HAVE THAT IN PLACE.
WE ALSO CREATED THE DEPARTMENT GOVERNANCE MANUAL.
WITH THE HUGE TURNOVER THAT WE HAD LAST YEAR, WE FELT IT WAS VERY IMPORTANT THAT WE DOCUMENT OUR PROCESSES AND OUR PROCEDURES.
WHAT DO WE DO? HOW DO WE SET THINGS UP? WE HAVE DOCUMENTATION FROM EVERYTHING, FROM HOW DO I ACTIVATE SOMEONE'S ACCOUNT? WHAT HAPPENS IF SOMEONE LEAVES? HOW DO I SET UP A NEW IPAD? WHAT HAPPENS IF WI-FI DOESN'T WORK? WE HAVE THOSE THINGS IN PLACE NOW.
>> MAYBE YOU NEED A NEW CLICKER?
>> THIS IS NOT MY CLICKER. CYBERSECURITY: WE HAVE DONE SIGNIFICANT WORK IN THE CYBERSECURITY AREA.
LOTS AND LOTS OF THINGS, THAT'S BEEN OUR PRIMARY FOCUS THIS YEAR, SPECIFICALLY WITH MAKING SURE THAT EVERYTHING IS SHORED UP.
WE DECIDED THAT WE WOULD INVEST IN THIRD-PARTY ASSESSMENTS SO THAT IT WASN'T OUR FOLKS LOOKING AT OUR SYSTEMS, AND OUR PRACTICES, AND OUR PROCESSES, THAT WE ACTUALLY HAD OUTSIDE PEOPLE COMING IN AND LOOKING AT IT HOLISTICALLY.
WE CONDUCTED FIVE OF THOSE ASSESSMENTS AND WE TOOK THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE ASSESSMENTS, MADE ANY CHANGE THAT THEY SUGGESTED TO BETTER IMPROVE THE SECURITY AND OUR PROCESSES, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE WE'RE STREAMLINING AND PROVIDING THE MOST SECURE ENVIRONMENT THAT WE POSSIBLY COULD.
WE ALSO PARTNERED WITH A VENDOR.
THEY'RE A CYBERSECURITY COMPANY.
THEY ARE, IN THEIR WORDS, EYES ON GLASS 24/7, 365.
THEY WATCH OUR SYSTEMS, IF ANYTHING SHOULD HAPPEN, IF THEY SEE ANYTHING THAT'S SKETCHY OR QUESTIONABLE, THEY WILL INTERVENE.
THEY WILL PUT A PREVENTATIVE MEASURE IN PLACE.
IF THE SYSTEM OR THE INDIVIDUAL GOT TO A CERTAIN POINT, THEY WILL BACK-FILL, FIX ANY OF THE DAMAGE THAT THE INDIVIDUAL MAY HAVE DONE, EVEN IF IT'S THREE O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING, AND THEN WE RECEIVE NOTICE AT 7:00 AM THAT SAYS, THIS HAPPENED AT 3:00 AM, HERE ARE THE STEPS THAT WE TOOK, YOU'RE GOOD TO GO.
WE FEEL VERY COMFORTABLE WITH THAT COMPANY WATCHING US 24/7 NOW.
WE ALSO IMPLEMENTED AN APPLICATION THAT MONITORS NETWORK TRAFFIC, SO WE KNOW WHAT COMES INTO THE DISTRICT AND WE KNOW WHAT GOES OUT.
IF THERE IS A POINT THAT OUR PROCESSING SPEED SLOWS DOWN, OR SOMETHING'S HAPPENING, MORE AND MORE IS COMING INTO THE NETWORK THAN NORMALLY COMES IN, WE WILL BE ALERTED SO THAT WE CAN CHECK THOSE SYSTEMS TO MAKE SURE EVERYTHING IS FUNCTIONING AS EXPECTED AND THAT THERE'S NOTHING QUESTIONABLE HAPPENING.
TO CONTINUE WITH THAT, FOCUSING ON STUDENT DATA AND PRIVACY AND SECURITY, WE IMPLEMENTED AN ONLINE DATA REQUESTS PROCESS.
WE FOUND THAT LOTS OF PEOPLE WERE ASKING FOR LOTS OF INFORMATION FROM US AND THEY WERE GETTING IT FROM A VARIETY OF SOURCES.
SOMETIMES THEY WOULD GO TO THE CAMPUS, SOMETIMES THEY WOULD ASK THE TEACHER, SOMETIMES THEY WOULD ASK IT, CENTRAL ADMIN.
WHAT WE DID IS WE PUT IN PLACE AN ONLINE DATA REQUEST SYSTEM THAT ALLOWS US TO VERIFY WHAT THEY'RE ASKING FOR.
WHY ARE THEY ASKING FOR IT? HOW DO THEY WANT THAT? WHAT'S THEIR INTENT? WHAT HAPPENS IF THEY DECIDE THAT THEY DON'T WANT TO CONTINUE TO DO BUSINESS WITH A VENDOR WHO THEY'VE SHARED THE INFORMATION WITH? WE HAVE A HISTORICAL RECORD OF WHO'S ASKING, AND WHAT INFORMATION WE'VE PROVIDED TO THEM.
WE FEEL THAT THAT BETTER GOVERNS THE STUDENT DATA AND THE STAFF DATA SOMETIMES.
WE ALSO IMPLEMENTED MULTI-FACTOR AUTHENTICATION, WHICH JUST MEANS THAT WHEN SOMEONE TRIES TO LOGIN WITH YOUR CREDENTIALS, YOU AS THE END-USER WHO HAS THIS SET, GETS A CODE, IT SAYS, IS THIS YOU? SOMEONE'S TRYING TO USE YOUR ACCOUNT.
IT'S JUST AN ADDED SECURITY LAYER.
WE DID THIS FOR ALL THE CENTRAL ADMINISTRATION, EVERYBODY IN THIS BUILDING.
WE DID IT FOR ALL OF THE PRINCIPLES AND WE DID IT FOR EVERYONE IN TECHNOLOGY SERVICES TO START WITH.
WE DID THAT BECAUSE THOSE INDIVIDUALS HAVE ADVANCE LEVEL ACCESS TO SOME PRETTY SECURE SYSTEMS. SO WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT IF SOMEONE'S TRYING TO LOGIN AS FRED,
[00:15:02]
OR MYSELF, THAT WE'RE NOTIFIED, AND IF IT'S US, GREAT, WE HAVE THE CODE.IF IT'S NOT, WE KNOW THAT WE NEED TO WATCH WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH OUR SPECIFIC ACCOUNTS.
WE ALSO ESTABLISH DATA ENCRYPTION ON OUR EMAIL AND THAT ACTUALLY ALLOWS THE END USER TO SEND ENCRYPTED DATA TO A SPECIFIC END USER.
WE HAVE RESTRICTIONS ON THAT THAT DOES NOT ALLOW THAT PERSON WHO RECEIVES THAT INFORMATION TO FORWARD IT.
WE ALSO CAN PUT INFORMATION OR RESTRICTION ON IT THAT DOESN'T ALLOW THEM TO PRINT IT EITHER.
IF THEY NEED TO HAVE SPECIFIC INFORMATION, THEY RECEIVE IT, THEY CAN READ IT, BUT THEY CAN'T REALLY DO ANYTHING WITH IT, TO FORWARD THAT TO ANYBODY WHO DOESN'T NEED TO KNOW THAT INFORMATION.
WE ALSO UPDATED THE DISTRICT WIDE PASSWORD POLICY.
WE NOW HAVE IMPLEMENTED IT THAT WILL BE THE STAFF WILL CHANGE THEIR PASSWORDS TWICE THIS SCHOOL YEAR.
WE'VE TIMED THAT SPECIFICALLY SO THAT WE'RE HERE TO SUPPORT THEM, SO THAT THEY DON'T CHANGE THEIR PASSWORD OVER A BREAK THAT THEY ARE GOING TO CHANGE IT AGAIN IN MARCH AND THAT WILL TAKE THEM THROUGH THE SUMMER MONTHS.
WHEN THEY GET BACK FOR FALL, IT'S THE SAME THING.
THEY STILL HAVE ACCESS TO WHAT THEY NEED, AND THEN WE'LL GO AGAIN.
WE UPDATED THE CRITERIA FOR OUR PASSWORDS BECAUSE IT WAS NOT ALIGNED TO SOME OF THE BEST PRACTICES USING; DON'T USE YOUR LAST NAME, DON'T USE SPECIAL CHARACTERS, OR DON'T USE CERTAIN THINGS.
WE'VE UPDATED THAT AND MADE THAT HAPPEN THIS PAST SEMESTER.
FOR BUDGET AND FUNDING, I HAVE SUBMITTED ON THERE, BUT AS DR. ARNETT SHARED WITH YOU, WE RECEIVED A TASB, A GRANT FOR CYBERSECURITY.
IT WILL PAY FOR A PORTION OF OUR ANNEX VULNERABILITY ASSESSMENT, SO WE'RE PLEASED WITH THAT.
WE ARE ALSO IN THE MIDDLE OF APPLYING FOR E-RATE SUPPLEMENTAL FUNDING.
BECAUSE WE ARE EANES, IT WILL ONLY COVER A PORTION OF OUR INTERNET AND SOME HARDWARE FOR OUR NETWORK, BUT WE'RE GRATEFUL TO HAVE ANYTHING THAT WE HAVE.
THEN WE'RE WORKING ON MAINTAINING DOCUMENTATION FOR OUR BOND PURCHASES AND ANYTHING THAT WE MAY HAVE PURCHASED AND, OR WILL PURCHASE AS PART OF OUR 2019, 2015, AND 2023 BONDS.
LASTLY WE WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT SOME THINGS THAT DIDN'T TECHNICALLY APPLY TO THE BOARD PRIORITIES, BUT WE WANTED TO SHARE.
WE'VE CREATED TO STREAMLINE SERVICES AND TO BETTER HELP OUR STUDENTS AND OUR STAFF.
WE STREAMLINED AND IMPLEMENTED VIRTUAL HELP DESK FOR SECONDARY STUDENTS.
THEY CAN NOW SUBMIT A REQUEST FORM 24/7.
THERE IS A WEB CLIP ON THEIR IPADS, THERE IS AN ONLINE FORM AT EACH OF THEIR CAMPUSES AND THEY CAN GO TO THE HELP DESK, PICK UP A PHONE AND IT DIALS DIRECTLY TO US, SO THAT WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT THEY GET WHAT THEY NEED.
THE INTENT WAS THAT, IF A STUDENT HAD LOST A DEVICE OR IF THERE WAS A DEVICE BROKEN OR THEY NEEDED HELP OR THEIR KEYBOARD, WE COULD HAVE THAT TO THEM THE NEXT MORNING, SO THAT THERE WASN'T ANY DOWNTIME AND WE DIDN'T HAVE TO PULL THEM OUT OF CLASS TO WORK ON ANYTHING THAT WE COULD HAVE THAT READY FOR THEM.
WE'VE REDESIGNED OUR DEPARTMENT WEBSITE, FOR GET HELP, FOCUSING ON FAMILIES AND OUR STUDENTS.
HOW DO I HELP MY STUDENTS? MY STUDENTS TELLING ME THEY NEED ACCESS THIS BOOK.
WHERE IS THIS TEXTBOOK LOCATED? THINGS LIKE THAT, TO HOPEFULLY HELP THE FAMILIES SUPPORT THEIR KIDS.
PART OF THE 2019 BOND, WE'VE REPLACED STUDENT DEVICES, WE'VE REPLACED CLASSROOM AV, WE'VE REPLACED DESK PHONES.
THE DESK PHONES WERE COMPLETED BECAUSE OF THE NEW EMERGENCY NOTIFICATION SYSTEM, SO WE HAVE THAT.
WE PARTNERED WITH ON SAFETY AND SECURITY MATT AND BK, I THINK THEY'RE HERE AND M&O TO GET THAT UNDERWAY.
WE ANTICIPATE THEY'LL BE READY TO GO CAMPUS WIDE BY MARCH.
THEN TO HELP US GROW AS INDIVIDUALS, WE IMPLEMENTED A CUSTOMER FEEDBACK, GROWTH OPPORTUNITIES.
WHAT CAN WE DO BETTER? WHAT DID WE DO WELL? WE DON'T OFTEN GET THE KUDOS.
NOBODY IS LIKE, YEAH, I CAN LOG ON TODAY. [LAUGHTER] NO, WE DON'T GET THAT.
BUT WE MADE THE SURVEYS, SO THAT IF SOMEONE DID SOMETHING SPECIAL THAT THEY CAN PROVIDE FEEDBACK FOR. THAT'S ME.
>> THANK YOU. [NOISE] LET'S DO IT.
>> EANES ISD HAS A REPUTATION FOR BEING INNOVATIVE WITH HOW WE USE TECHNOLOGY IN THE CLASSROOM.
WE'RE STARTING TO NOTICE THAT INCOMING NEW STAFF ALREADY KNOW THAT WE'RE 1-1 AND THAT THEIR STUDENTS ARE GOING TO HAVE IPADS TO SUPPORT THEIR LEARNING.
THEY KNOW THAT THERE CAN BE SUPPORTED WITH HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE THAT THEY NEED TO BE SUCCESSFUL.
THAT'S USUALLY PRETTY EXCITING FOR THEM.
[00:20:01]
THEY ARE HAPPY AND THAT'S GREAT.THEN WE SEE THEM BEFORE SCHOOL STARTS AT NEW TEACHER INSTITUTE AND THEY FIND OUT THAT, YEAH, WE'RE AN APPLE ECOSYSTEM.
WE'VE GOT LOTS OF GREAT DEVICES, BUT WE ALSO UTILIZE MICROSOFT AND GOOGLE AND EDUPHORIA AND SKYWARD AND WE HAVE THREE DIFFERENT PLATFORMS FOR LEARNING MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS. PRETTY QUICKLY THAT EXCITEMENT TURNS INTO SOMETHING ELSE.
WHERE THEY START TO QUESTION LIKE, WHO'S GOING TO SUPPORT ME TO LEARN ALL THIS AND WHO'S GOING TO HELP ME INTEGRATE THIS IN THE CLASSROOM? THAT IS WHERE OUR TEAM COMES IN AS EDUCATIONAL PARTNERS.
WE'VE REALLY TRIED TO FOCUS ON NEW TEACHERS TO ENSURE THEY'RE SUPPORTED FOR OUR TECH RICH CLASSROOM.
OUR EDUCATION PARTNERS LEAD TRAINING SESSIONS THAT SPARK EXCITEMENT AND SUPPORT STUDENT ENGAGEMENT.
WE ALSO SHARE DURING NEW TEACHER INSTITUTE OR EDTECH WEBSITE, WHICH JUST IS A REPOSITORY OF RESOURCES THAT TEACHERS CAN ACCESS ANYTIME AFTER THAT.
FOR STUDENTS SUPPORT, WE'VE REALLY TRIED TO PUSH BEYOND JUST THE TECHNICAL AND FUNCTIONAL AREAS OF TECHNOLOGY BY CELEBRATING DIGITAL CITIZENSHIP.
OUR EP'S AGAIN HAVE DEVELOPED THE LESSONS THAT TEACHERS CAN USE TO SUPPORT STUDENTS GROWING THEIR SKILLS, THAT THEY NEED TO USE DEVICES SAFELY AND ETHICALLY AND EFFECTIVELY.
TO EMPOWER OUR STUDENTS AND STAFF, WE'RE CONTINUING TO FOCUS ON THE 21ST CENTURY SKILLS OF COMMUNICATION, COLLABORATION, CREATIVITY AND CRITICAL THINKING.
WE'RE DOING THAT THROUGH BEING THOUGHTFUL OF HOW WE USE THE TECHNOLOGY WHEN WE USE IT AND HOW WE USE IT.
THIS IS JUST ONE EXAMPLE OF ONE CLASSROOM, OF ONE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL WHERE THE STUDENTS ARE PRACTICING THEIR COMPUTATIONAL THINKING SKILLS.
THEY'RE PROGRAMMING ON THE IPAD TO CONTROL THE DASH ROBOT TO SOLVE PROBLEM.
ONE ACTIVITY, ONE LESSON AND IT SUPPORTS ALL OF THE REQUIREMENTS OF FORESEE FOR 21ST CENTURY LEARNING AND IT MAKES THE LESSON FUN AND ENGAGING AND INNOVATIVE.
THAT'S WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR. OUR EDUCATION DEPARTMENTS ALSO HOST SIXTH GRADE AND NINTH GRADE BASE CAMPS.
THEN THESE CAMPS STUDENTS LEARN THE BEST PRACTICES FOR USING IPADS TO SUPPORT THEIR LEARNING.
THEY COVER RESPONSIBILITY AND MANAGEMENT TIPS FOR ORGANIZING THE DIGITAL FILES, MANAGING THE TEACHER WEBSITES AND RESOURCES ON THERE AND HOW TO TRACK THEIR GRADES AND SCORE.
WE ARE CONTINUING OUR ONE TO ONE IPAD INITIATIVE.
WE'RE ALSO CONTINUING TO BE THOUGHTFUL WITH HOW WE USE TECHNOLOGY IN THE CLASSROOM.
WITH THE NEW INSTRUCTIONAL ROUNDS, WE'RE ABLE TO CAPTURE WHERE TECHNOLOGY INTEGRATION IS HAPPENING AND WHERE IT'S ENHANCING THE LESSON.
NOW WE'RE TAKING THAT DATA AND WE'RE LOOKING AT REFLECTING ON THAT THROUGH THE CENTER MODEL WITH TECHNOLOGY INTEGRATION.
THIS HELPS US TO DETERMINE WHETHER THE TECHNOLOGY IS SUBSTITUTING OLDER METHOD OR IF IT'S TRULY REDEFINING AND TRANSFORMING THE LESSON.
[NOISE] OUR AMAZING EDUCATIONAL PARTNERS CONTINUE TO SUPPORT TEACHERS THROUGH INDIVIDUAL COACHING CYCLES WHERE THEY MAKE A PLAN FOR SUPPORTING AN INSTRUCTIONAL GOAL, IMPLEMENT THAT PLAN AND THEN REFLECT ON HOW WELL IT SUPPORTED THE GOAL.
I JUST HAVE TO SAY, I CAN'T EXPRESS ENOUGH HOW VALUABLE OUR EDUCATIONAL PARTNERS ARE.
THEY'RE DOING AMAZING WORKFORCE FOR US.
WE LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUING THE WORK OF EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY AND TRULY VALUE YOUR SUPPORT. THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I'M GOING TO GO LAURA JAMES AND THEN KIM.
>> THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH FOR ALL THIS INFORMATION.
HOPEFULLY, JUST TWO QUICK QUESTIONS.
KRISTY, YOU MENTIONED A COUPLE OF TIMES THESE VULNERABILITY ASSESSMENTS.
WHAT IS THE SCHEDULE FOR THAT? IS THERE A SET SCHEDULE AND IS THAT SOMETHING THAT WE DO OR IS THAT A TEA REQUIREMENT?
>> GREAT QUESTION. THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE DO.
WE HAVE FINISHED FOUR OF THEM.
WE DID THEM IN A SPECIFIC ORDER BASED ON THE SYSTEMS, BECAUSE ONE SYSTEM PIGGYBACKS ON THE OTHER SYSTEM, SO WE DID IT THAT WAY.
WE STARTED WITH OUR NETWORK ENVIRONMENT.
WE THEN MOVED TO OUR SERVERS AND OUR CRITICAL SYSTEMS, TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY WERE CONTROLLED AND THEY WERE SECURE.
WE DID AN ASSESSMENT ON OUR PHONE INFRASTRUCTURE, TO MAKE SURE THAT IT WAS UP TO DATE AND THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE ANY LOOSE ENDS AROUND AND THAT THE EXTENSIONS REALLY WERE ASSIGNED TO THE PHONES AND THE LOCATIONS THAT WE NEEDED THEM TO BE.
THEN WE WENT AND DID ONE ON OUR WIRELESS INFRASTRUCTURE.
WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE IS THERE A VULNERABILITY THERE? DO WE HAVE WIRELESS ACCESS POINTS THAT AREN'T WORKING? DO WE HAVE SOMETHING THAT'S BROKEN IN THE 300 HALLWAY OR SOMETHING.
WE STRATEGICALLY DID EACH SYSTEM AS THEY BUILT UPON THEM.
GOING BACK THROUGH, WE'LL START WITH THE TASB GRANT.
WE WILL DO A VULNERABILITY ASSESSMENT ON OUR NETWORK AGAIN AND OUR CRITICAL SYSTEMS.
[00:25:06]
>> DO WE DO THOSE EVERY YEAR? EVERY TWO YEARS? IS THERE A CYCLE?
>> WE WILL PROBABLY CONTINUE TO DO THEM FOR THE NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS.
THAT WAS A LOT FOR US TO HANDLE, BUT WE WILL FOR SURE DO ONE EACH SEMESTER ON THE CRITICAL SYSTEMS JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE EVERYTHING SHORTER.
>> GREAT. THEN I HAVE ANOTHER QUESTION.
I LOVE ALL THE ONBOARDING THAT YOU'RE DOING FOR THE TEACHERS.
THAT'S A LOT OF WORK AND EVERYTHING'S JUST CHANGING SO FAST.
THAT, I KNOW THAT ALL OF OUR STAFF NEEDS SUPPORT IN THAT AREA.
HOW ARE WE HANDLING SUBS? SO MUCH OF OUR INSTRUCTION IS TIED TO TECHNOLOGY, SO HOW DO WE ALLOW FOR THAT OR PROVIDE FOR THAT CONTINUITY OF LEARNING WHEN WE HAVE SUBS?
>> YEAH. THE EDTECH RESOURCE WEBSITE THAT I SHARED, IT'S AVAILABLE FOR THEM.
I THINK IT WAS SHARED THROUGH THE ONBOARDING, THROUGH THE VIDEO THAT THEY'VE RECEIVED IN ORDER TO BECOME A SUB.
I THINK THEY GET ACCESS TO THAT.
>> THEY HAVE ALL THE ACCESS THAT THEY NEED, SO WE DON'T LOSE A DAY OR TWO OR THREE WHEN WE HAVE A SUBSTITUTE IN THE CLASSROOM?
>> CORRECT. WE HAVE TECHNOLOGY AVAILABLE TO THEM.
IF THEY'RE GOING TO BE SEVEN IN THE CLASSROOM THEY DON'T HAVE TO RELY ON, DID THE TEACHER REMEMBER TO LEAVE ANYTHING THERE? WE PROVIDE THAT FOR THEM.
THEN WE WORK WITH CAMPUS OFFICE STAFF TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY HAVE THE SUB PLANS AND THAT THEY HAD ACCESS TO WHAT THEY NEED TO FOR THAT DAY.
>> DO THEY HAVE ACCESS TO SKYWARD? IS THAT OR DO THEY HAVE LIMITED ACCESS TO THE ROLE?
>> THEY DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO SKYWARD.
THEY'LL TAKE ATTENDANCE USING PAPER AND PENCIL OR THE OFFICE WILL COME IN AND ASSIST WITH THAT.
BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT FULL TIME EMPLOYEES, THERE IS SOME PRIVACY THINGS WITHIN SKYWARD THAT WE COULD NOT GIVE THEM ACCESS TO.
IF THEY BECOME LONG TERM SUBS, THEY TAKE OVER FOR MATERNITY LEAVE OR MEDICAL LEAVE OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, THEN THAT'S A DIFFERENT SITUATION.
THEN WE EMPOWER THEM AND GIVE THEM ADDITIONAL ACCESS, BUT JUST OUR TRADITIONAL SUBS, THEY DO NOT HAVE ACCESS TO SKYWARD.
>> THANK YOU FOR THAT. LET'S SAY JAMES AND THEN KIM.
>> DR. SAILOR, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION AND THANK YOU TO YOUR WHOLE STAFF THAT HELP SUPPORT AND TECHNOLOGY.
THERE HAVE BEEN TIMES THAT I'VE HEARD FROM PARENTS ABOUT REALLY GOOD THINGS THAT HAVE HAPPENED TO HELP SUPPORT THEIR KIDS, LEARNING THROUGH THE TECHNOLOGY.
I'VE TRIED TO PASS THOSE ON DIRECTLY TO STAFF WHAT I'VE HEARD THEM, SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO, I THINK IT WAS ABOUT TWO YEARS AGO WE WERE WORKING ON UPGRADING THE PIPELINE, IF YOU WILL, THAT WAS BRINGING OUR INTERNET INTO OUR CAMPUSES, IS THAT WORK COMPLETED AT THIS POINT?
>> ASSUMING THAT THOSE NEEDS ARE ALWAYS INCREASING, HOW ARE WE NOW? IS IT SUFFICIENT, DO WE HAVE ROOM TO GROW, ARE WE ASSESSING THAT IN THESE ASSESSMENTS YOU'RE DOING?
>> GREAT. I FORGOT TO BRING THAT UP.
RIGHT NOW WE HAVE A 10 GIG COMING INTO THE DISTRICT.
THEN WE HAVE REDUNDANT FIBER AS WELL FROM CAMPUS TO CAMPUS.
WE HAVE JUST PARTNERED WITH OUR FIBER SPECIALISTS TO DO A FIBER ASSESSMENT THAT WILL GO AS FAR AS WHAT'S COMING INTO THE EACH OF THE CAMPUSES WHERE IT'S ATTACHING TO THE POWER POLES.
THEN THEY WILL GO DOWN BEECAVES TO MAKE SURE THAT THESE, THE CANS, ARE FREE OF SQUIRREL NEST AND THAT EVERYTHING IS CONNECTED AND IF NEEDED, THEY WILL REPLACE THE CANS WITH STAINLESS STEEL CANS TO PREVENT CRITTERS FROM VISITING.
BUT THAT'S GETTING STARTED IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS.
WE'LL KNOW WHERE WE ARE ON OUR FIBER CONNECTIONS ALL THROUGH THE DISTRICT WITHIN, I WOULD SAY BY THE END OF THE SEMESTER.
>> COOL. I'D LOVE TO SEE THAT REPORT MAYBE JUST AN EMAIL OR SOMETHING TO THE BOARD AT SOME POINT.
SECOND QUESTION, I HAD A STUDENTS ASKING ME THIS ACTUALLY JUST A FEW DAYS AGO, WHEN THEY LEAVE CAMPUS, HOW LONG ARE THEIR EMAILS AND FILES, AND EVERYTHING THAT THEY'VE DONE AND STORED ON THEIR GOOGLE DRIVE AND IN THEIR EMAIL, HOW LONG DO WE RETAIN THAT? IF IT'S A SECURITY THING THAT WE SHOULDN'T SPEAK ABOUT, THAT'S FINE TOO.
YOU CAN GIVE ME THAT ANSWER AS WELL.
>> WE RETAIN IT FOR A LONG TIME.
THEY HAVE ACCESS TO IT FOR A SHORTER PERIOD OF TIME.
FOR EXAMPLE WORKING WITH TWO STUDENTS WHO GRADUATED LAST MAY, THEY REALIZED THIS WEEK THAT THEY NEEDED AN ASSIGNMENTS FROM ONE OF THEIR CLASSES SO THEY CONTACTED US.
I DO THE REVIEW AND SEARCH FOR THE FILES THAT THEY'RE LOOKING FOR MYSELF,
[00:30:05]
AND THEN I SHARE THAT WITH THEM FROM THEIR DRIVE.WE DON'T REACTIVATE THEIR ACCOUNT OR GIVE THEM ACCESS TO EMAIL OR ANYTHING.
I DO THAT RESEARCH ON THEIR BEHALF.
BUT WE TRIED TO PROVIDE THEM ANYTHING THAT THEY NEED.
THE FILES AND FOLDERS AND EMAILS AND EVERYTHING STAY FOR A SIGNIFICANT PERIOD OF TIME, THEIR ACCESS NOT SO MUCH.
>> I THINK ONE OF MY SONS NEEDED SOME MATH NOTES AT ONE POINT.
THAT'S GREAT AFTER HE GRADUATED WHEN HE WAS IN COLLAGE, THAT'S GREAT TO KNOW.
>> ALL THEY HAVE TO DO IS CONTACT US.
>> IS IT POSSIBLE FOR OUR GRADUATE TO REQUEST TO HAVE THEIR DATA ERASED? IS THERE A MECHANISM FOR THAT, IS THAT ALLOWED?
IS THERE A MECHANISM TO REQUEST THAT? I DON'T KNOW, BUT WE CAN CERTAINLY FIGURE ONE OUT IF THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT THEY WANTED.
I DON'T KNOW WHERE I STAND. MAYBE YOU'RE REQUIRED TO KEEP THAT FOR SOME REASON.
>> WE'RE REQUIRED TO KEEP SOME OF IT BUT, LIKE THEIR HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENTS OR THEIR NOTES OR SOMETHING, NOT SO MUCH BUT WE CAN INVESTIGATE THAT AND SEE.
>> IT'S INTERESTING. THANK YOU.
>> THANKS FOR THAT. LET'S SEE KIM AND THEN ELLEN.
>> THANK YOU BOTH FOR THE PRESENTATION.
SAILORS, YOU BROUGHT UP THE TECHNOLOGY ADVISORY COMMITTEE, WHICH I ALWAYS WANTED TO TAKE THE CHANCE TO OR TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO THANK COMMUNITY MEMBERS FOR HELPING US OUT.
NOW I'VE GOT A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS AND THEY ARE JUST IN GOING THROUGH THE LONG-RANGE PLANNING AND THEN THE ONBOARDING.
SAILORS THAT WHEN YOU CREATED THE TECHNOLOGY PLAN, YOU LOOKED AT A FOUR-YEAR PLAN, '22-'25.
IN YOUR OPINION, IS THAT SUFFICIENT OR IS THAT MAYBE TOO FAR OUT IN THE FUTURE BECAUSE OF THE CHANGES IN TECHNOLOGY.
THEN I GUESS IN MY THINKING, IS THAT SOMETHING THAT IS CONTINUOUSLY, AS WE REVISIT PRIORITIES, DO WE NEED TO NOW SET A FUTURE PLAN? THINGS ARE CHANGING SO OFTEN.
>> GREAT QUESTION. THE TECHNOLOGY ADVISORY COMMITTEE FELT LIKE FOUR YEARS WAS ENOUGH TIME, BUT THEY WANTED IT TO BE A LIVING AND BREATHING DOCUMENT.
WE AGREED THAT EACH SCHOOL YEAR WE WOULD LOOK AT THE OBJECTIVES, THE DELIVERABLES, HAVE, WE COMPLETED THOSE? WHAT'S CHANGED? WHAT'S NEW? WHAT DO WE WANT TO RE-PURPOSE? DO WE WANT TO BRING EVERYBODY BACK IN AND TALK ABOUT THE NEW PRODUCTS THAT WE'RE GOING TO IMPLEMENT.
WE LEFT THE DOOR OPEN WITH THE COMMITTEE THAT THIS IS A LIVING BREATHING DOCUMENT, WE CAN CHANGE IT, ADD IT, PUT ADDENDUMS IN AT ANYTIME AND THAT WE WOULD YEARLY LOOK AT IT.
THEN IF WE NEEDED TO SHORTEN THAT OR COMPLETELY SCRAP IT AND START AGAIN, THEN WE WOULD DO THAT.
>> GOOD. WELL, THAT'S A LIVING DOCUMENT IN THE AREA OF TECHNOLOGY MAKES A LOT OF SENSE SO I APPRECIATE THAT.
YOU JUST WERE TALKING TO LAURA ABOUT THE DISASTER RECOVERY PLAN AND JUST THE GOVERNANCE OF IT AND YOU ALSO MENTIONED GOVERNANCE MANUAL.
IS THAT SOMETHING THAT YOU'RE ALSO GOING TO REVISIT ON A REGULAR BASIS TO KEEP UP ESPECIALLY IF WE HAVE IT ON PAPER, THAT WE'RE GOING TO KEEP UP THE CHANGES AS CHANGES HAPPEN?
>> ALL OF THOSE DOCUMENTS ARE LIVING DOCUMENTS SO WE EDIT THEM ALL THE TIME.
WHERE REQUIRED WITH OUR CYBERSECURITY VENDOR, OUR COMMITMENT WITH THEM THAT WE LOOK AT OUR DISASTER RECOVERY PLAN MONTHLY.
DID WE TWEAK ANYTHING? HOW DID IT GO LOOKING AT THE RESPONSES? WERE THERE ANY INCIDENTS WITH WHAT COULD WE HAVE DONE BETTER? WERE THERE NOT ANY RESPONSES? FEEDBACK FROM THE TEACHERS, THINGS ARE TOO LOCKED DOWN OR WHATEVER THAT MIGHT BE.
WE LOOK AT IT MONTHLY AND THEN ANYTHING THAT WE NEED TO CHANGE, WE ALTER AND CHANGE, AND THEN EVERYTHING IS TIMESTAMPED AND WE KNOW WHO MADE THAT CHANGE.
IS IT THE CYBERSECURITY VENDOR THAT WE WERE PARTNER WITH? IS THAT PART OF THE EANES TEAM, AND THAT THERE'S NO QUESTION.
IT WAS UPDATED, WHY WAS IT UPDATED AND WHEN WAS IT UPDATED? WE LOOK AT THAT MONTHLY.
THEN THE DISASTER RECOVERY PLAN, AS WE IMPLEMENT A NEW SYSTEM, A NEW APPLICATION, WE MAKE A STAFFING CHANGE, WE CHANGE THE PROCESS OR PROCEDURE, WE ALSO EDIT THAT DOCUMENT.
[NOISE] IT IS LIVING AND BREATHING, SO IT HAS A TIMESTAMP AND WE ALSO TRACK HISTORY INVERSION. WHO CHANGED IT? WHY DID WE CHANGE IT AND THEN WE AS A LEADERSHIP TEAM, NOTE IN THAT DOCUMENT, THIS WAS ADJUSTED BECAUSE OF, SO THAT WE HAVE A RATIONALE WHEN WE GO BACK OR WHEN WE'RE GONE OUR PREDECESSORS KNOW, OR THE PEOPLE WHO COME AFTER US OR WHOMEVER INHERITS THAT DOCUMENT,
[00:35:02]
THEY UNDERSTAND OUR THOUGHT PROCESS FOR MAKING THE DECISION THAT WE MAKE.>>THANK YOU. THAT'S VERY THOROUGH.
WHO HAS ACCESS TO THAT DISASTER RECOVERY PLAN? IS IT LEADERSHIP TEAM OR IS IT PEOPLE OUTSIDE OF YOUR DEPARTMENT?
DR. ARNETT HAS IT, CABINET HAS ACCESS TO IT BECAUSE THEY'RE INVOLVED IF SOMETHING WOULD HAPPEN.
THEN THE TECHNOLOGY LEADERSHIP TEAM AND OUR CYBERSECURITY VENDOR.
>> THANK YOU. YOU ALSO MENTIONED, AGAIN UNDER CYBERSECURITY, YOU MENTIONED THE ENCRYPTION AND IN THE BULLET POINT IT SAID THAT THERE WAS ENCRYPTION FOR EMAIL.
DOES THAT ALSO APPLY TO ANY DOCUMENT PROCUREMENT, DOCUMENT MOVEMENT?
>> IT'S ON THE ACTUAL CONTENT OF THE EMAIL.
NO ONE CAN SEE EXCEPT THE INTENDED RECEIVER.
NOBODY CAN SEE THE CONTENT OF THE EMAIL, BUT THEY ALSO CAN ACCESS THE ATTACHMENTS.
>> WHAT ABOUT SOMETHING OUTSIDE OF EMAIL? WHAT ABOUT JUST THE MOVEMENT OF DOCUMENTS THROUGH ANY OTHER SYSTEM? ARE THOSE ALSO ENCRYPTED OR DO YOU FEEL THAT THAT'S NECESSARY?
>> IT'S GOING TO DEPEND ON THE SYSTEM.
MOST OF THE SYSTEMS, SKYWARD IS AN EXAMPLE, EDUPHORIA IS AN EXAMPLE.
THOSE ARE CREDENTIAL BASED, SO DEPENDING ON YOUR ROLE IN THE ORGANIZATION, WHAT LEVEL OF SECURITY DO YOU HAVE, THAT DETERMINES WHAT ACCESS YOU HAVE.
THAT'S PRETTY GOOD AS FAR AS WHAT WE CAN ENCRYPT ON SOME OF OUR SYSTEMS. THERE ARE ADDITIONAL SYSTEMS, I'M TRYING NOT TO GIVE AWAY ANYTHING.
THERE ARE ADDITIONAL SYSTEMS THAT HAVE CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION THAT IT WOULD BE, YES, IT'S PROTECTED.
>> I DON'T WANT TO GO INTO DETAILS AND I AM GETTING INTO THE WEEDS A LITTLE BIT, BUT I GUESS I WANTED TO GIVE A SENSE OF YOUR COMFORT LEVEL IN TERMS OF PROTECTION.
BE THEY NDAS, BE THEY SOME OTHER TYPE OF PROTECTION OUTSIDE OF ENCRYPTION.
>> I THINK THE PROCESSES AND PROCEDURES THAT WE HAVE IN THE DISTRICT ARE REALLY STRONG.
OUR VENDOR PACKETS, OUR DISCLOSURE DOCUMENTS OR CONTRACTOR AGREEMENTS, THE SYSTEMS THAT WE HAVE IN PLACE, THE AGREEMENTS AND COMMITMENTS THAT WE HAVE WITH THE VENDORS THAT WE DO BUSINESS WITH, THE DATA SHARING AGREEMENT THAT WE HAVE IN PLACE.
I'M NEVER EVER GOING TO BE 6,000 PERCENT COMFORTABLE, DO I WAKE UP IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT AND THINK, WE COULD DO THIS BETTER? YES. BUT I AM COMFORTABLE WITH WHAT WE HAVE IN PLACE IN THE DISTRICT.
THEN MY LAST QUESTION THEN I'LL PASS IT ON.
JAMES JUST BROUGHT UP THE THE FIBER UPGRADE, THAT WAS PART OF THE 2019 BOND, WASN'T IT?
>> GOOD. BOND TO WORK. THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU. GREAT DISCUSSION, ELLEN.
I JUST WANTED TO SHARE PUBLICLY A KUDOS I SENT TO KRISTY AND [LAUGHTER] HER STAFF OVER THE WINTER BREAK.
I HAD A VERY IN-DEPTH CONVERSATION WITH MY KINDERGARTEN GRANDCHILD, WHO WAS A FOREST TRAIL.
I ASK WHAT HIS FAVORITE SUBJECT WAS IN KINDERGARTEN, FULLY EXPECTING RECESS OR LUNCH, AND HE SAID TECHNOLOGY.
[LAUGHTER] I WAS SO IMPRESSED BY THAT.
OF COURSE, MY HUSBAND WHO'S FAIRLY CYNICAL SAID, "BUT THAT'S JUST BECAUSE HE GETS TO PLAY GAMES ON HIS IPAD." [LAUGHTER] BUT THE CONVERSATION CONTINUED AND HE STARTED TELLING ME ALL OF THESE THINGS OF COUNTING BY UNITS OF FIVE AND 10 AND USING MATH FACTS IN LOTS OF DIFFERENT WAYS, AND THOSE WERE THINGS THAT HE LEARNED USING TECHNOLOGY.
IF SOMEONE WANTS TO CALL IT A GAME, THAT'S FINE WITH ME.
TO ME, IT WAS A GREAT EXAMPLE OF HOW EDUCATION CAN BE SO BOOSTED BY THE ENGAGEMENT OF TECHNOLOGY FOR CHILDREN WHO THINK THAT'S PRETTY COOL.
>> DOES ANYBODY ELSE HAVE ANY? I APOLOGIZE. WELL, I DON'T APOLOGIZE.
I THINK THIS QUESTION REALLY SHOWS HOW TECHNOLOGY IS JUST A PART OF EVERYTHING THAT WE DO.
I NEED TO GO BACK TO THE SUBS AND MOLLY, THIS IS REALLY A QUESTION FOR YOU.
IF OUR IEPS AND OUR 504S ARE IN SKYWARD; IS THAT CORRECT?
[00:40:01]
>> HOW DO TEACHERS KNOW THAT A CHILD HAS A 504 OR AN IEP?
>> THE TEACHER SHOULD BE LEAVING THAT INFORMATION SO THAT THE SUBJECT MARKS ARE ASSIGNED.
>> EVEN THAT THEY DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO IT, THE TEACHER SHOULD BE LEAVING?
>> YEAH. IN A FOLDER OR SOMETHING THEY WOULD HAVE ACCESS TO.
THANK YOU, THAT'S BEEN CONCERNING TO ME.
I REALLY APPRECIATE THE UPDATE AND I'M PARTICULARLY REASSURED BY THE SUCCESSION PLANNING THAT YOU'RE DOING AND THAT YOU SHARED WITH US, SO GOOD JOB ALL THE WAY ROUND.
>> OH NO. [LAUGHTER] NOT GOING ANYWHERE.
>> I THOUGHT YOU WANTED ME TO STAY [LAUGHTER] HERE, I WAS LIKE WHAT? [LAUGHTER]
>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THE NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS ANOTHER BOARD PRIORITY UPDATE AND THIS TIME, I BELIEVE JEREMY IS GOING TO COME UP HERE AND TALK ABOUT OPERATIONS AND LONG RANGE PLANNING.
>> HELLO EVERYONE. I FEEL MY CHAIR IS LOW.
TONIGHT, BOARD PRIORITY UPDATE ON OPERATIONS AND LONG-RANGE PLANNING.
I'M GOING TO SPEND MAJORITY OF MY TIME HIGHLIGHTING SOME UPDATES AS TIED TO BOARD PRIORITIES.
THAT'S WHAT I'M GOING TO TRY TO DO TONIGHT, BUT THIS IS A GREAT EXAMPLE OF JUST SOME OF THE WORK THAT MY TEAM DOES EACH AND EVERY DAY AND REPRESENTS THOSE THAT I STAND AND I SERVE ALONGSIDE EACH AND EVERY DAY.
I REALLY APPRECIATE MY TEAM AND I COULD SPEND A WHOLE LOT OF TIME BRAGGING ABOUT THEM, BUT WE DON'T HAVE THAT TIME.
I JUST WANT TO REPRESENT THAT THEY DO INCREDIBLE WORK AND I'M VERY PROUD OF EVERYTHING THEY DO AND THIS REPRESENTS JUST A SMALL SNAPSHOT.
ONE OF THE PRIORITIES IS TO MAINTAIN A LONG-RANGE PLANNING FOR OPERATIONAL PROCESSES, BUT SPECIFICALLY LOOKING AT DEMOGRAPHIC ENROLLMENT AND TRANSFER AND HOW THAT AFFECTS RESOURCES THROUGHOUT THE DISTRICT.
A LOT OF THESE UPDATES, WE DIDN'T PLAN IT THIS WAY, BUT A LOT OF THIS IS VERY RECENT BECAUSE OF SOME OF THE BOARD PRESENTATIONS THAT YOU'VE SEEN.
THE FIRST ONE JUST BEING ON ENROLLMENT.
WE JUST RECEIVED IN NOVEMBER AN UPDATE ON OUR PEAMS ENROLLMENT SNAPSHOT.
RIGHT NOW, WE'RE SITTING ACCORDING TO THAT SNAPSHOT 7,731 STUDENTS.
THAT DOES CHANGE THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, BUT THAT IS THE DATA POINT THAT WE CARRY AND COMPARE OURSELVES YEAR OVER YEAR.
WE HAVE APPROXIMATELY 678 TRANSFERS OF THE 7,731 INCLUDING BOTH OUT OF DISTRICT, BUT ALSO INCLUDING EMPLOYEE TRANSFERS.
THAT EQUATES TO ABOUT NINE PERCENT OF OUR TOTAL ENROLLMENT ARE TRANSFERS.
WE ALSO REPRESENTED THAT WE ARE CURRENTLY IN AN ENROLLMENT DECLINE FOR THIS YEAR, AND ACCORDING TO THE DEMOGRAPHER, WE'RE PROBABLY GOING TO SEE ANOTHER SLIGHT DECLINE NEXT YEAR.
WHAT IS OUR RESOURCE TO BATTLE THAT DECLINE IS THE TRANSFERS.
WE DID AN INCREDIBLE JOB THE TEAM DID, AND GETTING OUT THERE TRYING TO ATTRACT TRANSFERS AND PROCESSING THOSE TRANSFERS THOUGH THEY DON'T ALWAYS FIT WHERE YOU NEED THEM TO FIT, BUT WE DO OUR BEST IN WORKING WITH OUR CAMPUS SYSTEM TO MAXIMIZE THE CLASS SIZES AND THE RESOURCES THAT WE HAVE ON THERE.
THAT'S INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT, BUT THIS WORK NEVER STOPS.
WE'LL CONTINUE TO MONITOR THAT.
WE'RE ABOUT TO GO INTO ENROLLMENT SEASON.
WE'VE ROUNDUP COMING UP AND THAT KICKS OFF THAT PROCESS.
WE'RE MAKING SOME ADJUSTMENTS TO BE BETTER THIS YEAR THAN WE WERE LAST YEAR AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO DO THAT WHEN IT COMES TO MONITORING OUR ENROLLMENT AND HOW IT IMPACTS OUR FACILITIES AND OUR RESOURCES.
THEN WE'RE TIED ALSO TO LONG-RANGE PLANNING, BUT IT'S ALSO MANAGING OUR CAPITAL PROJECTS.
WE ARE VERY LUCKY TO HAVE A DIRECTOR OF CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS, TJ WASHBURN, WHO REALLY LOOKS OVER ALL THESE PROJECTS, WHETHER IT'S BOND OR JUST CAPITAL PROJECTS, INCLUDING OUR ACE PROJECTS WHICH ARE BOOSTER FUNDED SOMETIMES.
HE'S THE ONE, BUT HE WORKS VERY CLOSELY WITH BRIAN BULLOCK IN THE MAINTENANCE AND OPERATIONS DEPARTMENT TO REALLY LOOK THROUGH THIS PROJECT, NOT ONLY PLANNING, BUT IMPLEMENT THEM AS WELL.
WHEN IT COMES TO CAPITAL PROJECTS, WE NEED COMMUNITY INPUT AND WE'VE BEEN VERY BUSY WITH COMMUNITY COMMITTEES GOING BACK TO END OF 2021, GOING INTO 2022 WITH ENVISION EANES, RE-IMAGINING WHAT THAT COMMITTEE WOULD DO.
WE SPENT ALL LAST SPRING DEVELOPING A REPORT THAT WAS SHARED WITH YOU FROM THAT COMMITTEE, JUST WHEN IT COMES TO FUTURE BONDS AND PLANNING.
THEY MADE A NUMBER OF OBSERVATIONS AND SOME OF THOSE OBSERVATIONS ARE IN THE PRESENTATION WE'RE GOING TO GIVE YOU A LITTLE LATER ON POTENTIAL 2023 BOND.
[00:45:03]
WORKING CLOSELY WITH THEM, BUT ALSO WE ARE COMING TO THE END OF THE 2019 BOND, AND SO WE'RE CLOSE.WE'RE STILL WORKING WITH THAT OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE UNTIL WE GET TO THAT 90 PERCENT THRESHOLD WITHIN THE CHARTER THAT WE WILL SUNSET THAT COMMITTEE. WE STILL GOT THEM.
BUT THAT SAME GROUP AS YOU CAN SEE, IS THE TEAM THAT'S BEEN WORKING ON A POTENTIAL 2023 BOND OVER THIS FALL.
YOU CAN SEE THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF WORK WHEN IT JUST TIED TO CAPITAL PROJECTS AND GETTING COMMUNITY INPUT IN MAKING SURE THAT WE FORWARD ALL THAT INTO THE FUTURE PLANNING.
IN A VERY IMPORTANT SUBJECT THAT KRISTY COVERED, THE CYBERSECURITY, BUT THERE'S ALSO THE PHYSICAL SECURITY IN THE MENTAL HEALTH ASPECT OF SAFEGUARDING OUR STUDENTS.
AGAIN, WE'RE VERY LUCKY BECAUSE WE HAVE TWO TALENTED INDIVIDUALS IN MATT GREER AND BK IN THE BACK OF THE ROOM, WHO DO THIS EVERY DAY AND TO SAFEGUARD OUR STUDENTS, BUT A LOT OF WORK HAPPENED FOLLOWING THE TRAGEDY IN UVALDE THAT WE HAD TO PIVOT AND MAKE SOME ADJUSTMENTS.
THIS SUMMER WAS A VERY LARGE SUMMER TRYING TO GET OUR HEADS AROUND THE REQUIREMENTS FROM TEA IN ORDER TO IMPLEMENT A NUMBER ABOUT SEVEN STRATEGIES PRIOR TO THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL.
EVERYONE DID A GREAT JOB COLLABORATING IN MAKING THAT HAPPEN.
THEN TRAINING; WE CAN'T [NOISE] IMPLEMENT SOMETHING AND WITHOUT TRAINING THE INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE GOING BE RESPONSIBLE FOR IMPLEMENTING THOSE THINGS INCLUDING OUR STUDENTS.
IT WAS JUST A BUSY SUMMER OF TRAINING WHEN IT CAME TO SAFETY.
THAT TRAINING CONTINUES TO THIS DAY.
THIS WILL NEVER STOP AND WE'RE LUCKY BECAUSE WE CAN BALANCE THE NUMBER OF TRAININGS WITH THOSE TWO GUYS LEADING THOSE DISCUSSIONS.
OUR SAFETY AND SECURITY UPDATES, SO WE GET THE REQUIREMENT, NOW WE HAVE TO TRAIN ON WHAT WE'RE GOING TO BE IMPLEMENTING AND WE HAVE TO TELL PEOPLE WHAT WE'RE IMPLEMENTING, AND THAT WAS PART OF THE MESSAGE LEADING INTO THE NEW SCHOOL, WHAT'S GOING TO BE DIFFERENT? WHAT AM I GOING TO SEE? WHAT AM I GOING TO FEEL?HOW ARE ALL THESE STRATEGIES GOING TO BE IMPLEMENTED? HOW'S IT GOING TO AFFECT ME AS A STAFF MEMBER, BUT ALSO MY STUDENTS? WE PUT OUT A VIDEO TO HIGHLIGHT SOME OF THOSE STRATEGIES THAT WERE IN PLACE AND THAT WE WERE WORKING ON.
THEN LASTLY, TOPICAL TOWN HALL MEETING.
THIS WAS OUR INITIAL TOWN HALL MEETING.
I THINK IT WAS IMPORTANT TO COVER SAFETY AND SECURITY UPFRONT.
IT DID FOLLOW AN INCIDENT AT CEDAR CREEK, AND SO WE HAD A LOT OF DISCUSSION JUST AROUND THE INCIDENT AS AN EXAMPLE, BUT WE GOT FEEDBACK FROM OUR COMMUNITY.
WE HAD REQUESTS FROM OUR COMMUNITY AND WE IMPLEMENT SOME OF THOSE. SOME OF THE VIDEOS.
WHAT VIDEOS ARE YOU SHOWING MY CHILDREN? WE SHARED THOSE. THAT'S ON OUR WEBSITE.
WE HAVE ACCESS FOR OUR PARENTS TO SEE WHAT VIDEOS WE'RE SHARING WITH THEIR STUDENTS, TO HELP PREPARE THEM AND EDUCATE THEM ON WHAT ALL OF THESE SAFETY MEASURES ARE.
BUT A PRIORITY, IT MAY NOT BE SPECIFIC WORD PRIORITY, BUT A PRIORITY IS JUST LOOKING AT OPERATIONS IN GENERAL.
I'LL BE REMISS IF I DID NOT HIGHLIGHT SOME PRETTY INCREDIBLE DATA POINTS HERE IN OUR MAINTENANCE DEPARTMENT.
WE COMPLETED APPROXIMATELY 8,100 WORK COURSE.
WE DO THAT PRIMARILY WITH 12 PEOPLE.
NOW THERE'S THAT ARE TIED TO WORK ORDERS, BUT THE 12 PEOPLE ARE IN IT EVERY SINGLE DAY.
THERE'S A LOT OF WORK THAT HAPPENS BEHIND THE SCENE.
LOUIS HERE REPRESENTS THE ATTITUDE THAT THEY PUT FORTH IN COMPLETING THOSE WORK ORDERS.
WHEN IT COMES TO THE FACILITY RENTALS, THAT'S ANOTHER VERY LARGE NUMBER.
IT MAY JUST BE, I NEED TO USE A CLASSROOM.
THAT'S ONE OF FACILITY RENTAL REQUESTS.
OVER 7,600 OF THOSE REQUESTS TOTALING APPROXIMATELY $800,000 IN REVENUE.
WE KNOW THAT REVENUE IS INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT. THIS IS A PRIORITY.
YOU CAN GO THROUGH COVID, HOW CAN WE MAINTAIN SOME LEVEL OF REVENUE? WE'RE ABLE TO DO SO.
WE DIDN'T QUITE GET TO THAT NUMBER, BUT WE'RE BACK UP TO WHERE WE SHOULD BE AND WHERE WE EXPECT TO BE AND WE HOPE TO CONTINUE TO GROW THIS AS WELL IN THE FUTURE.
WHEN IT COMES TO TRANSPORTATION, WE TRANSPORT, ON AVERAGE, AROUND 2,900 STUDENTS A DAY.
WE HAVE APPROXIMATELY 45 ROUTES THAT WE RUN EACH AND EVERY DAY.
ALSO ON THE FOOD SERVICE, WE SERVED APPROXIMATELY 6,000 MEAL EQUIVALENTS.
THIS IS NOT JUST A SINGLE MEAL, SOME INDIVIDUALS DON'T GET THAT REIMBURSABLE MEAL, BUT THEY GET SOMETHING AS A MEAL.
WE HAVE A MEAL EQUIVALENCY HERE OF 6,000 MEALS A DAY ACROSS OUR DISTRICT.
WE DO THAT WITH THE STAFF THAT WE HOPE TO HAVE.
WE'VE HAD ACROSS THE BOARD HERE AT OUR OPERATIONAL DEPARTMENTS,
[00:50:02]
WE'VE HAD STRUGGLES WITH STAFFING.I WANT TO THANK ALL THE DIRECTORS IN THOSE PROGRAMS, BUT ALSO LAURIE LEE AND HER HR GROUP TO HELP US NAVIGATE THIS.
YOU'VE SEEN THE TRANSPORTATION, BUS DRIVERS IS JUST A NATIONAL PROBLEM IN TRYING TO FIND QUALIFIED DRIVERS.
WE HAD A LOT RETIRE AT THE END OF LAST FALL.
WE HAD A CHANGE IN LEADERSHIP THERE AND ALEX ROMERO, THE NEW DIRECTOR AND TRANSPORTATION, HAS DONE AN INCREDIBLE JOB OF RECRUITING.
RIGHT NOW WE HAVE A FEW DRIVERS IN THE PIPELINE TO REALLY GET US UP TO WHERE WE REALLY NEED TO BE.
WE'RE VERY HOPEFUL THAT WE'RE NOT HAVING TO CANCEL ROUTES AND HAVING TO MAKE THOSE ADJUSTMENTS.
BUT IT TAKES TRAINING TO GET THEM TO THAT POINT TO BE BEHIND THE WHEEL OF A BUS.
BUT HE'S DONE AN INCREDIBLE JOB IN THE SHORT TIME THAT HE'S BEEN UNDER LEADERSHIP THERE TO RECRUIT THOSE DRIVERS.
WELL, YOU MAY HAVE SEEN A COMMUNICATION GO OUT THAT WE'RE STRUGGLING TO FIND DRIVERS AND WE MAY HAVE TO CANCEL ROUTES OCCASIONALLY.
WE JUST WANTED TO SET THAT EXPECTATION.
WE HAD A COMMUNITY MEMBER GET THAT MESSAGE AND CALLED TRANSPORTATION AND ASK, TELL ME ABOUT THIS BUS DRIVING THING, TELL ME WHAT'S INVOLVED.
THAT COMMUNITY MEMBER IS IN TRAINING RIGHT NOW TO BE A BUS DRIVER.
THAT'S THE THINGS THAT WE NEED AND THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT WE WANT TO HIGHLIGHT.
ANOTHER THING I WANT TO HIGHLIGHT IS WITH US STAFFING STRUGGLES.
THESE ARE FOUR DEPARTMENTS AND THERE ARE PEOPLE THAT GO FROM ONE DEPARTMENT TO THE NEXT.
WE HAVE SECURITY AT THE HIGH SCHOOL THAT HELPS OUT AFTER HOURS IN CUSTODIAL.
WE HAVE FOOD SERVICE WORKERS THAT WORK AFTER THE HELP CUSTODIAL.
THEY JUST CONTINUED TO CROSS OVER.
WE HAVE BUS DRIVERS THAT ARE WORKING IN THE CAFETERIAS, WE HAVE BUS DRIVERS THAT ARE WORKING IN THE KITCHENS.
WE'RE ALL TRYING TO HELP EACH OTHER AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT'S GOING GET US THROUGH THE SCHOOL YEAR UNTIL THINGS CHANGE STAFFING WISE.
THESE PICTURES TELL THE STORY OF THE FAMILY THAT WE ALL HELP EACH OTHER AND THERE ARE STORIES BEHIND EACH AND EVERY ONE OF THESE INDIVIDUALS.
OUR FLYWHEEL SUPPORT TEAM CAME IN REALLY HANDY AT THE BEGINNING OF THE SCHOOL YEAR FOR SUBBING IN WHEREVER THEY NEED IT TO.
YOU'LL ALSO SEE CLAUDIA MCWHORTER IS THERE WORKING, THAT'S IN THE SHOP COURT, WHERE SHE WAS SERVING BURRITOS.
SHE NOW HAS A NEW SKILL [LAUGHTER] TO ADD TO HER RESUME.
BUT THAT'S THE FAMILY THAT WE HAVE HERE THAT WE'RE ABLE TO STEP IN AND SERVE AND HELP EACH OTHER.
I'M VERY PROUD OF THAT, AS WE STRUGGLE, WE ALL STEP IN.
I KNOW TRUSTEES, YOU'VE DONE THE SAME THING WITH TEAM TRUSTEES AND STEPPED IN WHERE YOU CAN TO HELP ON CAMPUSES AS WELL.
KNOW THAT'S JUST A PROUD POINT FOR THE OPERATION STAFF. ANY QUESTIONS?
>> WOW. THANK YOU. DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR JERRY? JAMES?
>> MAYBE NOT A QUESTION SO MUCH, BUT I BELIEVE THAT WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT THE OPERATIONS TEAM, I BELIEVE YOU'VE GOT SOME REALLY LONG SERVING PEOPLE THERE.
I THINK THAT YOUR TEAM MAY HAVE THE AVERAGE LONGEST SERVICE TO THE DISTRICT.
I JUST WANTED TO EXPRESS MY GRATITUDE TO THAT TEAM.
I THINK IT SAYS A LOT ABOUT THE WORK THEY DO AND THE PARTNERSHIP THEY FEEL AND EVERY TIME I GET AN OPPORTUNITY, I THANK THEM.
THESE ARE THE PEOPLE THAT WHAT I'M RECOVERING FROM CHRISTMAS DAY, THEY'RE DRIVING BY ME IN A VAN GOING TO TAKE CARE OF SOMETHING.
I'M GRATEFUL THAT THEY'RE PAYING ATTENTION LIKE THAT AND DOING THAT SERVICE.
PLEASE PASS ALONG OUR GRATITUDE TO THE WHOLE TEAM.
>> WE AS TRUSTEES HAVE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE FOOD SERVICES, MEALS THIS YEAR, AND THEY ARE REALLY GOOD.
I HOPE THAT YOU'LL PASS ALONG TO THE FOOD SERVICES TEAM THAT THAT'S BEEN REALLY GREAT.
WE'VE REALLY ENJOYED THOSE AND I'M GRATEFUL THAT THEY DON'T JUST PREPARE FOOD, THEY PUT LOVE INTO THAT.
I KNOW THEY DO. I KNOW THEY CARE ABOUT THAT AND WE'RE REALLY APPRECIATIVE OF THAT.
>> THEY WILL APPRECIATE THAT, I'LL SHARE WITH THEM.
>> I ALSO WANT TO SAY THANK YOU.
I KNOW THAT A TON OF WORK GOES INTO OUR DAILY OPERATIONS AND IT DOESN'T GO UNNOTICED. THANK YOU.
I ALSO JUST WANTED TO EXPRESS CONDOLENCES TO ONE OUR DRIVERS AND CAFETERIA WORKERS, KEVIN, WHO WAS A FIXTURE AT FOREST TRAIL.
MY KIDS KNEW HIM AND SO I JUST WANTED TO EXPRESS MY CONDOLENCES TO HIS FAMILY.
[00:55:04]
>> ALONG THAT LINE, I KNOW THE M&O TEAM LOST SOMEWHAT OVER THANKSGIVING BREAK AND, RICK, WHO WAS VERY HELPFUL AT HISTORY CENTER AND SO PLEASE CONDOLENCES TO HIS FAMILY AS WELL.
I JUST WANT TO CLARIFY ONE THING FOR OUR AUDIENCE PRIMARILY.
ON YOUR FIRST SLIDE, THE ONE WHERE YOU HAD THE STATISTICS, AND THE NINE PERCENT TRANSFER, AND LUMPING TOGETHER THE EMPLOYEE IN THE OUT OF DISTRICT TRANSFERS AND GETTING NINE PERCENT, SOUNDS PRETTY CLOSE TO THE 10 PERCENT INFORMAL CAP WOULD OPERATE UNDER.
I JUST WANT TO CLARIFY THAT IF YOU TAKE OUT THE EMPLOYEE CHILDREN, WHO THE BOARD HAS BEEN VERY CLEAR, WE TREAT AS IF THEY ARE OUR OWN, YOU GET DOWN TO ONLY ABOUT FIVE PERCENT TRANSFERS.
I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT ANYBODY WHO WAS GETTING NERVOUS ABOUT THAT HIGH NUMBER OF TRANSFERS UNDERSTANDS THAT THE WAY THAT WE REALISTICALLY TALK ABOUT OUT OF DISTRICT TRANSFERS, IT'S IN THE FIVE PERCENT RANGE, WHICH I THINK IT WAS IN A PRESENTATION YOU SHOWED US A COUPLE MONTHS AGO.
>> THANK YOU FOR THAT. THAT'S AN IMPORTANT CLARIFICATION.
ANYBODY ELSE HAVE ANYTHING LIKE TO ADD?
>> DO YOU GUYS GET A LOGO? I WAS LOOKING AT THIS FLYWHEEL THING, IS THAT NEW? [LAUGHTER]
>> IT'S NEW. WE HAD TO HAVE SOMETHING.
>> YOU GUYS ARE THE FLYWHEELS? [LAUGHTER]
>> CELEBRITY NICKNAMES, BUT THANK YOU, JOHN.
>> THANK YOU TEAM FOR ALL THE WORK THAT THEY'RE DOING.
I DON'T THINK WE CAN ADEQUATELY EXPRESS OUR GRATITUDE TO APPRECIATE YOU ALL.
WITH THAT, THE NEXT ITEM ON OUR AGENDA IS OPEN FORUM,
[6. OPEN FORUM]
AND I'VE GOT SOMETHING I NEED TO READ.GO AHEAD AND DO THAT REAL FAST.
WE HAVE SEVEN SPEAKERS SIGNED UP TO SPEAK TO THIS EVENING AND EACH SPEAKER WILL BE AFFORDED THREE MINUTES.
I'LL CALL YOU FORWARD WHEN IT'S YOUR TURN, AND LET YOU KNOW WHEN YOUR TIME IS UP.
ONCE YOU'RE NOTIFIED THAT YOUR TIME IS UP, PLEASE FINISH YOUR SENTENCE AND THEN STOP.
OF COURSE, WE HAVE NO REASON TO SUSPECT THAT THIS WILL HAPPEN, BUT IF ANY SPEAKER REFUSES, THIS WILL BE CONSIDERED A DISRUPTION OF THE BOARD MEETING.
WE WILL TAKE APPROPRIATE ACTION.
SPECIFIC FACTUAL INFORMATION AND RECITATION OF EXISTING POLICY MAY BE FURNISHED IN RESPONSE TO INQUIRIES BUT THE BOARD CANNOT DELIBERATE REGARDING ANY SUBJECT THAT IS NOT INCLUDED ON THE AGENDA.
PLEASE BE AWARE THAT THE AUDIO OF THE OPEN FORUM PORTION OF THE BOARD MEETING IS RECORDED AS PART OF THE RECORDING OF THE ENTIRE MEETING, AND IS PUBLISHED ON THE DISTRICT'S WEBSITE WITHOUT ALTERATION.
PERSONS WHO CHOOSE TO SPEAK IN OPEN FORUM ARE CONSENTING TO THE ONLINE PUBLICATION OF THEIR COMMENTS.
THANK YOU AGAIN FOR TAKING THE TIME AND MAKING THE EFFORT TO SHARE YOUR COMMENTS IN YOUR MEETINGS WITH US.
WE'RE NOW READY FOR OUR FIRST SPEAKER, AND THAT'S DAVID PAGE.
MR. PAGE, WELCOME BACK, AND HAPPY NEW YEAR.
>> HAPPY NEW YEAR. HOPEFULLY, THIS YEAR WILL GIVE US ALL REASONS TO BE HAVING MORE ENJOYABLE TIME THAN LAST YEAR.
BY NOW, SPANISH IMMERSION PARENTS HAVE STUDIED THE FAQS ON THE PROGRAM THAT THE DISTRICT POSTED JUST BEFORE THE HOLIDAY.
THERE'S A LOT OF UNHAPPINESS AROUND SOME OF THE ANSWERS.
I ONLY HAVE TIME TO FOCUS ON ONE, WHICH WILL BE THE, WHY DON'T YOU JUST HIRE TEACHERS FROM SPANISH-SPEAKING COUNTRIES QUESTION.
THE DISTRICT QUOTE SAYS, "ON THE J-1 VISA PROGRAM, THE TEACHER MAY ONLY STAY IN THE US FOR THREE YEARS BEFORE THEY ARE REQUIRED TO RETURN TO THEIR COUNTRY." BUT THAT IS SIMPLY NOT TRUE, IT'S 100 PERCENT FALSE, AND IT FURTHER ERODES TRUST BETWEEN THE ADMINISTRATION AND SI PARENTS.
YOU CAN READ THE US DEPARTMENT OF STATE WEBSITE WHICH SAYS, "HOST SCHOOLS MAY APPLY TO THE SPONSOR FOR A ONE OR TWO-YEAR EXTENSION" AND, "THERE IS NO LIMIT ON THE NUMBER OF EXTENSIONS THAT THE STATE DEPARTMENT CAN GRANT." BASICALLY, EANES ISD COULD RETAIN A QUALIFIED TEACHER FROM ABROAD INDEFINITELY IF IT WAS WILLING TO DO SOME PAPERWORK.
THEN THE DISTRICT SAYS, "LOSING THESE TEACHERS AFTER THREE YEARS," WHICH WE KNOW IS NOT CORRECT NOW, "WOULD BE A CONTINUOUS SETBACK TO THE PROGRAM." BUT THAT SOUNDS RIDICULOUS WHEN THE POTENTIAL ALTERNATIVE IS A MASSIVE SETBACK OF A 50 PERCENT CUT TO THAT PROGRAM, PARTLY BECAUSE OF A SUPPOSED LACK OF QUALIFIED TEACHERS.
AUSTIN ISD, HAYES, AND FIVE OTHER DISTRICTS IN CENTRAL TEXAS,
[01:00:01]
DON'T TAKE A PROVINCIAL VIEW OF HIRING.THEY ALL HAVE TEACHERS ON A VISITING TEACHER FROM SPAIN PROGRAM.
IF YOU WANT TO BE A WORLD-CLASS INSTITUTION AS DR. ARNETT SAYS, THE DISTRICT'S ASPIRATION IS, YOU SHOULD BE MORE OPEN TO DOING WHAT ALL WORLD-CLASS INSTITUTIONS DO, WHICH IS FIND THE TALENT NEEDED TO MEET OBJECTIVES, EVEN IF THAT DOES NOT COME FROM IN COUNTRY.
I'VE BEEN DISCUSSING THIS ISSUE AND OTHERS WITH SPAIN'S MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND VOCATIONAL TRAINING, AND I'LL DETAIL THOSE DISCUSSIONS IN MY NEXT EMAIL TO YOU ALL.
IN SHORT, SPAIN HAS A TRIED AND TESTED SYSTEM FACILITATING THE PROCESS WHEREBY AMERICAN SCHOOLS CAN HIRE EXPERIENCED TEACHERS FROM SPAIN.
YOU MIGHT SAY, BUT ACCOMMODATION IS SO EXPENSIVE IN AUSTIN COMPARED TO MADRID WHERE AIRBNB DISTORTS THEIR HOUSING MARKET.
IT'S ACTUALLY A LOT CHEAPER TO RENT HERE THAN IN A LOT OF SPANISH CITIES.
EVEN IF THE DISTRICT INSISTS ON STRAINING CREDULITY BY MAINTAINING THE LINE THAT HIRING FROM ABROAD IS NOT FEASIBLE, YOU COULD LOOK TO HIRE AMBITIOUS TEACHERS FROM PUERTO RICO, WHICH IS THE MOST BILINGUAL US STATE OR TERRITORY.
THEN ALSO WE HAVE AN INCREASINGLY STUDENTS NATIONAL BODY.
FOR EXAMPLE, 23 PERCENT OF MY SON'S FIRST-GRADE CLASS AT BRIDGEPORT ELEMENTARY HAVE EVEN GERMAN OR BRITISH CITIZENSHIP, IN ADDITION TO AMERICA.
>> I'M SORRY MR. PAGE, IT LOOKS LIKE YOUR TIME'S UP. THANK YOU.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS BRUCE GARDNER.
WELCOME, MR. GARDNER, IT'S A PLEASURE TO MEET YOU, SIR.
>> IT'S A PLEASURE TO MEET YOU.
>> THANK YOU ALL, AND GOOD EVENING.
I APPRECIATE YOU ALLOWING ME TO PUT IN MY TWO CENTS.
THANK YOU, TRUSTEES, THANK YOU SUPERINTENDENT ARNETT.
I'M BRUCE GARDNER, I'VE LIVED HERE FOR 34 YEARS FROM THIS DISTRICT, OVER PULLIGAN LANE.
ALL MY THREE CHILDREN, GIRLS, WENT THROUGH A SCHOOL DISTRICT.
I HAVE ONE GRANDSON NOW WHO IS AT BRIDGEPORT.
I HAVE THREE GRANDCHILDREN THAT I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO SEE ENTER THE SPANISH IMMERSION PROGRAM THE NEXT FEW YEARS SO THAT THEY CAN MAKE THEIR WAY AS BILINGUAL INDIVIDUALS, AS MY THREE DAUGHTERS ARE.
IT'S ALWAYS HELPFUL TO BE ABLE TO SPEAK ANOTHER LANGUAGE WELL.
ANYWAY, I'M REALLY GETTING CONCERNED ABOUT THE PROSPECT OF HAVING TO USE A LOTTERY TO RESTRICT ACCESS BECAUSE OF THE PROPOSED 50 PERCENT CUT.
SEEMS VERY DRASTIC, AND SOMETHING THAT WOULD EXPECT US TO NOT DO.
I URGE YOU TO HOLD TRUE TO THE EANES WAY, WHICH JUST TO DO RIGHT EVEN THOUGH IT MAY BE HARD.
I SHOULD HAVE GOTTEN SOME DIFFERENT GLASSES.
[LAUGHTER] HOPEFULLY WE CAN SOLVE THE PROBLEMS THAT ALLOW YOU TO CONSIDER CUTTING THIS IMMERSION PROGRAM.
YOU HAVE A LOT ON YOUR PLATE I DO, I'M VERY MUCH AWARE OF IT.
I SIGNED THE PROVISION TO PRESENT THE CUT TO THE PROGRAM.
CUTTING A PROGRAM IS NOT THE WAY AND NEVER HAS BEEN.
WE DON'T UPHOLD THE REPUTATION THAT THIS DISTRICT HAS BY CUTTING PROGRAMS. I IMPLORE YOU NOT TO TAKE OPPORTUNITIES AWAY FROM OUR CHILDREN AND GRANDCHILDREN.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH, MR. GARDNER.
I APPRECIATE YOU MAKING THE TIME TO COME VISIT WITH US.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS DANIELLE CHAPMAN.
IS MS. CHAPMAN HERE? MS. CHAPMAN, HAPPY NEW YEAR WELCOME.
>> HI, THANK YOU. WE MOVE TO WEST LAKE MAYBE FOUR YEARS AGO NOW.
ONE IS FOUR YEARS OLD, THE OTHER ONE IS FOUR AND A HALF.
[NOISE] WE MOVED HERE BECAUSE WE WERE VERY EXCITED ABOUT THE PROSPECTS OF EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES.
MY DAUGHTER ACTUALLY, SHE'S ADOPTED AND SHE'S HOT MEXICAN SO IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO US THAT SHE IS ABLE TO LEARN SPANISH AND THAT WE CAN GIVE HER BOTH OPPORTUNITIES THAT SHE SHOULD HAVE.
MY SON IS SIX MONTHS YOUNGER THAN HER.
LUCKILY, SHE WILL PROBABLY GET INTO THE PROGRAM BECAUSE SHE'LL BE GOING INTO
[01:05:02]
ELEMENTARY SCHOOL THIS YEAR AND I APPRECIATE YOU GUYS EXTENDING THAT PROGRAM FOR ANOTHER YEAR AND NOT CUTTING IT.BUT MY SON, HE'LL BE THE FOLLOWING YEAR, AND THERE'LL BE A LOT OF OTHER YOUNGER SIBLINGS WHO WILL LOSE OUT ON THAT OPPORTUNITY POTENTIALLY, IF YOU CUT THAT PROGRAM IN HALF, AND THIS WILL BE REALLY UPSETTING AND DISRUPTIVE.
FOR OUR WHOLE FAMILY DYNAMIC AND THAT'S JUST FROM A PERSONAL STANDPOINT, BUT CUTTING THE PROGRAM IS NOT SOMETHING A LOT OF US WANT FOR OUR CHILDREN.
OUR CHILDREN RIGHT NOW ARE IN A YPW [NOISE] SPANISH IMMERSION PROGRAM AND WE WANT TO CONTINUE THAT.
IT JUST FEELS LIKE IF THEY LOSE THAT GO INTO KINDERGARTEN, IT'S REALLY UPSETTING TO US TO THINK THAT WAY BECAUSE WE THOUGHT THAT MOVING HERE WE WOULD HAVE THESE OPPORTUNITIES FOR THEM.
I'M HERE TO JUST ASK YOU TO CONTINUE RECONSIDERING NOT CUTTING THAT PROGRAM IN HALF.
THANK YOU. THAT'S ALL I HAVE. THANKS.
>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS ADRIAN SNEED.
SUPERINTENDENT, MY NAME IS ADRIAN SNEED AND I CERTAINLY HAVEN'T LIVED HERE 34 YEARS.
I HAVEN'T EVEN LIVED HERE 34 WEEKS YET, BUT WE JUST RETURNED AFTER AN ALMOST TWO DECADES SOJOURN TO THE EAST COAST BACK TO TEXAS TO BE CLOSE TO FAMILY.
I GREW UP IN SAN ANTONIO AND ALAMO HEIGHTS AND THAT SCHOOL DISTRICT ALWAYS SAW ITSELF AS IN COMPETITION WITH HIGHLAND AND THIS SCHOOL DISTRICT AND SO I KNOW IT WELL.
WE MOVED HERE SIMILARLY BECAUSE WE WANTED OUR CHILDREN TO BE IN BILINGUAL EDUCATION.
WE WERE IN WASHINGTON DC FOR THE LAST 14 YEARS.
WE HAVE A ONE-AND-A-HALF YEAR OLD AND ONE THAT JUST TURNED FOUR TODAY.
WASHINGTON HAS EIGHT ELEMENTARY AND PRE-K SCHOOLS THAT ARE SPANISH IMMERSION, ALL OF WHICH ARE OVERSUBSCRIBED.
ALL WITHDRAWN LOTTERIES BECAUSE THE DEMAND IS SO HIGH.
WHEN WE WERE MOVING TO AUSTIN, WHEN WE WERE DECIDING, WE KNEW WE WANTED TO MOVE TO A DAYCARE THAT HAD SPANISH IMMERSION.
THERE WERE ONLY A FEW HERE AND ALL BUT YPW WERE OVERSUBSCRIBED AND THAT'S WHY WE ENDED UP THERE AND NO SURPRISE WHY WE'RE IN FRONT OF THIS BOARD.
I'VE BEEN A FOREIGN POLICY ADVISOR TO UNITED STATES SENATOR.
TEXAS IS A LEADER IN THE WORLD, BUT PART OF THAT WORLD THAT IS CHANGING AND EMERGING IS A VERY BILINGUAL MULTICULTURAL WORLD, AND FOR OUR CHILDREN, AT LEAST IN MY PERSPECTIVE, TO CONTINUE TO MAINTAIN THIS STATE'S ELITE BUSINESS AND POLITICAL FOUNDATIONS AND ALSO PERSPECTIVE, WE NEED TO TEACH OTHER LANGUAGES.
IN FACT, I'VE BEEN A LITTLE SURPRISED COMING HERE THAT EANES ONLY HAS SPANISH IMMERSION.
I WAS VERY MUCH EXPECTING: MANDARIN, FRENCH, GERMAN, AND THAT WE ARE SO FAR BEHIND OTHER SCHOOL DISTRICTS.
ALAMO HEIGHTS HAS HAD SPANISH IMMERSION, SINCE I WAS IN HIGH SCHOOL 20 YEARS AGO AND BEFORE THAT, AND IT MAINTAINS THAT.
TO THINK THAT MY CHILDREN MAY EITHER HAVE TO BE ON A LOTTERY OR NOT AUTOMATICALLY BE ADMITTED TO A SPANISH IMMERSION PROGRAM IS TROUBLING BECAUSE WE HAVE MADE THE DECISION THAT IF THAT'S THE CASE, WE ARE UNLIKELY TO CONTINUE GOING TO SCHOOL HERE AND WE WOULD RECONSIDER WHETHER WE'RE GOING TO KEEP OUR ROOTS HERE LONG TERM BECAUSE IT'S THAT IMPORTANT TO US.
I KNOW THAT BUDGETS ARE TOUGH, I KNOW THE PROGRAMS ARE TOUGH.
I'VE BEEN ON BOARDS MYSELF AND I KNOW HOW DIFFICULT DEALING SOMETIMES WITH ANGRY CONSTITUENTS CAN BE.
BUT WHAT I'M HERE TO ASK YOU IS REALLY TO THINK HARD ABOUT THIS, TO THINK ABOUT THE FUTURE OF THIS STATE, OF THIS SCHOOL DISTRICT, OF THE CITY, WHERE THE NEXT-GENERATION WILL BE IN COMPETITION WITH THE REST OF THE WORLD AND TO DO WHAT YOU DETERMINE BEST, BUT CERTAINLY IT IS MY STRONG HOPE THAT YOU WILL MAINTAIN THIS PROGRAM, AND INSTEAD OF EVEN THINKING ABOUT SHRINKING IT, YOU WILL GROW IT, EXPAND IT, AND HOPEFULLY IF I'M STILL HERE 10 YEARS FROM NOW, MY CHILDREN WILL STILL BE IN IMMERSION, AND WE'LL BE TALKING ABOUT THE NEXT-GENERATION GOING TO MANDARIN IMMERSION. THANK YOU SO MUCH.
>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS. MAGGIE SHEARER.
I DON'T BELIEVE MAGGIE'S HERE.
FOLLOWING MAGGIE, WE HAVE ALETHEA DILLON.
>> THAT IS ABSOLUTELY CORRECT.
>> THANKS TO YOU. YAY. [LAUGHTER]
>> YAY, ME. WELCOME. [LAUGHTER]
>> LIKE OTHERS THAT HAVE SPOKEN BEFORE ME, I TOO I'M HERE TO ADVOCATE FOR THE SPANISH IMMERSION PROGRAM.
[01:10:01]
I WANT TO THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR TIME AND FOR HEARING US OUT TODAY.I HAVE TWO KIDS THAT ARE CURRENTLY IN SPANISH IMMERSION IN ELEMENTARY.
ONE IS IN THIRD GRADE AND ONE IS IN FIRST GRADE.
ONE OF MY GREATEST CONCERNS IS FOR THE ELDER KIDS.
THIS IMMERSION PROGRAM IS ALL THAT MY KIDS HAVE KNOWN IN TERMS OF PRIMARY EDUCATION AND SO FOR THE OLDER KIDS, THE QUESTION IS; WHAT WILL BECOME THE PROGRAM? I KNOW THERE ARE SOME DIFFERENT THINGS THAT ARE ON THE TABLE, BUT MY REQUEST TO THE BOARD IS TO CONSIDER APPOINTING A PERMANENT DIRECTOR OF THIS PROGRAM.
IT'S THE MOST POPULAR PROGRAM IN THE DISTRICT.
UNLIKE THE OTHER PRESENTATIONS THAT WE EVEN HEARD HERE TODAY, A LONG-TERM PLAN IS NEEDED.
KIDS LIKE MINE WHO DON'T KNOW ANY OTHER TYPE OF EDUCATION THAN THIS AND WHAT THEY'VE HAD AND THEY'RE THRIVING.
IT'S IMPORTANT TO US THAT WE UNDERSTAND HOW THIS IS GOING TO GO FOR THEM GOING FORWARD.
I THINK THAT A PROGRAM DIRECTOR WOULD BE A TRUSTED RESOURCE ON BOTH SIDES.
THERE'S A LOT OF INFORMATION BEING COMMUNICATED AND BEING GATHERED ON BOTH SIDES.
BUT HAVING A TRUSTED RESOURCE THAT IS TRULY THE SOURCE OF TRUTH, THAT SOURCE OF KNOWLEDGE, I THINK, WOULD HELP BOTH SIDES COME TOGETHER AND REALLY FIND THE PATH FORWARD.
I'M GOING TO KEEP IT SHORT BUT THAT'S MY ONE REQUEST TO THE BOARD IS I THINK THAT A PROGRAM DIRECTOR REALLY IS NEEDED IN ADDITION TO THE CONSULTANT THAT I KNOW THAT YOU'VE ALREADY APPROVED.
BUT WITH SO MANY PEOPLE WANTING THIS PROGRAM AND ALREADY IN THIS PROGRAM, I THINK WE OWE IT TO THEM TO GIVE THESE CHILDREN A LONGER-TERM PLAN. THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH. OUR FINAL SPEAKER THIS EVENING IS DOREEN VIRGINIAS. MS. VIRGINIAS?
>> GOOD EVENING, [OVERLAPPING] WELCOME.
>> I'M ALSO HERE TO ADVOCATE FOR THE SPANISH IMMERSION PROGRAM.
MY NAME IS DOREEN AND I'M HERE ON BEHALF OF MY HUSBAND AND MANY OTHER PARENTS IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD.
MY HUSBAND AND I RELOCATED TO THIS AREA NOT ONLY FOR THE GREAT REPUTATION OF THE SCHOOLS, BUT ALSO FOR THE SPANISH IMMERSION PROGRAM.
OUR SON FINLEY IS ONLY TWO AND ALSO ATTENDS YPW CURRENTLY IN SPANISH IMMERSION PROGRAM AND WE'RE HOPING TO CONTINUE HIS SPANISH IMMERSION EDUCATION IN ABOUT 3-4 YEARS AS HE ENTERS CEDAR CREEK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
I STRONGLY ADVOCATE THAT YOU HOPEFULLY NOT CUT THE PROGRAM BUT GROW IT.
I'M A FORMER HIGH SCHOOL FOREIGN LANGUAGE TEACHER, SO I HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF EXPERIENCE OF THE SIGNIFICANCE OF INTEGRATING FOREIGN LANGUAGES CURRICULUM AT AN OLDER AGE, BUT GROWING UP IN GERMANY ACTUALLY, I'M A PRODUCT OF AS TO WHY YOU SHOULD INTEGRATE FOREIGN LANGUAGES AT A VERY YOUNG AGE AS EARLY AS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, BECAUSE THAT'S WHEN I STARTED LEARNING ENGLISH AND OTHER LANGUAGES AS WELL.
AGAIN, I REALLY HOPE THAT YOU RECONSIDER YOUR DECISIONS ON THAT AND NOT CUT THE PROGRAM, BUT ACTUALLY GROW IT.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR LETTING ME SPEAK.
>> THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR COMING.
I'D LIKE TO THANK ALL OF THOSE WHO HAVE SIGNED UP AND MADE TIME TO COME SPEAK TO US THIS EVENING.
[NOISE] THE NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS OUR FIRST DISCUSSION ITEM,
[7. DISCUSSION]
AND IT IS ABOUT OUR 2023 BOND PLANNING.TONIGHT IS VERY IMPORTANT BECAUSE IT IS GOING TO SHOW THE CULMINATION OF A NUMBER OF MEETINGS WITH THE BOND ADVISORY COMMITTEE TO DEVELOP A FINAL RECOMMENDATION TO BRING IN FRONT OF YOU FOR CONSIDERATION FOR MAY 2023 BOND.
THIS PRESENTATION AND IS NOT GOING TO BE LINE ITEM-BY-LINE ITEM.
WE DID THE WORK AS A COMMITTEE ON THE 3RD, JUST AS WE CAME BACK FROM HOLIDAY BREAK SO I APPRECIATE EVERYONE'S EFFORTS AT ONE BEING PRESENT, AND ACTUALLY, EVERYONE HAD HOMEWORK OVER THE HOLIDAY BREAK ON THE COMMITTEE TO TRY TO DEVELOP WHAT THEY BELIEVE THE COMMUNITY WOULD SUPPORT.
THAT'S WHAT I'M GOING TO PRESENT TODAY BUT I'M GOING TO GO THROUGH THOSE FIRST SLIDES THAT YOU'VE SEEN A MILLION TIMES.
BUT SOMEBODY BEHIND ME HASN'T SEEN THESE, AND THIS MAY BE THE FIRST TIME.
[01:15:01]
I WILL GO SWIFTLY, BUT I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT I COVER THESE BOTH FOR WHO'S HERE, ALSO ANYONE ONLINE WITH OUR AUDIENCE.WE ARE HERE, WE'RE ABOUT TO MOVE THAT LOGO OVER TO FEBRUARY IF THE BOARD ELECTS TO MOVE FORWARD WITH CALLING A BOARD ELECTION.
OUR BREAKDOWN, YOU KNOW WE HAVE FOUR TABLES AND SAFETY AND SECURITY ENERGY IT COULD JUST SEE CONSERVATION FACILITIES AND THEN STUDENT PROGRAMS AND SUPPORT.
WE HAD APPROXIMATELY $152, $155 MILLION WORTH OF TOTAL IDENTIFIED NEEDS THAT WE HAD TO DEVELOP AND PARE DOWN TO THAT BOND CAPACITY OF $130 MILLION, WHICH WOULD NOT INCREASE THE TAX RATE FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
WE ARE DEALING WITH THE NEW ASPECT OF BONDS SO A LOT OF DISTRICTS HAVE DEALT WITH THIS, BUT THIS IS OUR FIRST TIME WHERE WE'RE GOING TO HAVE MULTIPLE PROPOSITIONS.
MOST OF US ARE FAMILIAR WITH OUR GENERAL PROPOSITION.
THE LANGUAGE IS VERY FAMILIAR SO WE WILL HAVE THAT THE BULK OF THIS RECOMMENDATION LIES WITHIN PROPOSITION A.
BUT THERE'S A COUPLE OF OTHER AREAS DUE TO THE IDENTIFIED PROJECT NEEDS THAT THERE HAS TO BE A SEPARATE SPECIAL PROPOSITION.
WE BELIEVE EVEN AFTER REVIEWING THIS WITH OUR BOND COUNSEL, THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TWO ADDITIONAL PROPOSITIONS.
THE FIRST ONE IS TIED TO EQUIPMENT AT THE STADIUM.
ANY PROJECTS TIED TO THAT STADIUM WOULD BE INCLUDED IN WHAT WOULD BE PROPOSITION B.
THEN THIRDLY, THE ACQUISITION, UPDATE OF TECHNOLOGY EQUIPMENT, VERY SPECIFIC.
IT'S REALLY JUST GETTING DOWN TO YOUR LAPTOPS AND DESKTOPS, YOUR ONE-TO-ONE DEVICES.
THAT WOULD BE PROPOSITION C. THIS IS SOMETHING NEW THAT OUR VOTERS ARE GOING TO SEE, THERE'S GOING TO BE BATTLING SPECIFIC TO ALL THREE OF THOSE.
WE WILL REVIEW THAT BALLOT LANGUAGE AT THE JANUARY 24TH BOARD MEETING.
TWO TYPES OF BOND PROGRAMS, YOU HAVE YOUR MAJOR CONSTRUCTION TYPE BONDS AND THEN YOU HAVE YOUR PROGRAM MAINTENANCE AND EFFICIENCY BOND.
THAT'S WHAT THIS IS STRUCTURED AROUND IS THAT PROGRAM MAINTENANCE AND EFFICIENCY.
TWO, THE STRUCTURE HAS TWO PARTS TO OUR TAX RATE.
ONE BEING THE INTEREST AND SINKING, I&S, WHICH IS OUR BOND, AND THEN OUR M&O.
THE GOOD THING ABOUT BONDS IS THAT FOR EVERY TAX DOLLAR THAT WE COLLECT, WE GET TO KEEP 100 PERCENT OF THAT DOLLAR TO GO TO BOND PROJECTS.
THE ONE THING WE CANNOT PAY OUR TEACHERS OUT OF THE BOND FUNDS.
THERE'S A HUGE LIMITATION THERE BECAUSE 86 PERCENT OF OUR BUDGET IS PEOPLE.
THEN ON THE OTHER FLIP SIDE IS OUR M&O BUDGET SO FOR EVERY DOLLAR THAT WE COLLECT IN TAXES, WE KEEP 36 WHOLE CENTS OF THAT DOLLAR.
WE SEND $0.64, 64 PERCENT BACK TO THE STATE THROUGH RE-CAPTURE.
THIS IS VERY CRITICAL BECAUSE LIKE I SAID, 86 PERCENT OF THIS BUDGET GOES TO PAYING PEOPLE.
DOESN'T LEAVE MUCH MONEY LEFT TO DO PROJECTS.
THIS IS WHAT KEEPS OUR LIGHTS ON.
THIS IS WHAT PAYS OR UTILITIES.
LOOKING AT THAT, THE CURRENT TAX RATE IS $0.12 ON THE BOND SIDE, AND THEN 0.8846 ON OUR M&O FOR A TOTAL TAX RATE OF $1.0046.
[NOISE] THIS RECOMMENDATION YOU'RE GOING TO SEE TONIGHT WOULD NOT INCREASE THAT TAX RATE, IF WE CAN KEEP THAT TAX RATE THE SAME.
OUR TIMELINE LOCALLY, WE'VE MOVED ALL THE WAY THROUGH ALL THESE BLOCKS AND WE'RE INTO INTO JANUARY, WE'RE HERE ON THE TENTH.
WE HAVE AN OPEN BOND ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETING ON THE CALENDAR IF WE NEED IT FOR THE 17TH.
WE WILL COME BACK, LIKE I EXPLAINED BEFORE TO REVIEW BALLOT LANGUAGE ON THE 24TH AND ANY OTHER SUBSEQUENT CONVERSATIONS THAT WE NEED TO HAVE TIED TO THE BOND.
THEN IT WILL BE ON THE AGENDA FOR FEBRUARY 7TH IS A SPECIAL MEETING IF YOU'D LIKE TO ORDER A BOND ELECTION FOR MAY 6TH.
ALL PROJECTS WHEN WE BEGAN THIS, WE HAD TO CATEGORIZE THEM IN SOME WAY.
THESE ARE OUR THREE CATEGORIES THAT WE UTILIZED IN THAT PROCESS TO HELP GUIDE THOSE CONVERSATIONS AND TO NARROW DOWN THOSE PROJECTS.
WE DO CALL THEM TABLES A, B, C AND D AS WELL.
JUST WANT TO REFERENCE THAT HERE IN THE ORDER THAT WE REVIEWED IT.
AT THE JANUARY 3RD BAC MEETING, LIKE I SAID BEFORE, EVERY MEMBER HAD HOMEWORK, WE GAVE THEM A TOOL TO UTILIZE TO COME UP WITH THEIR $130 MILLION SCENARIO.
[01:20:02]
I'LL TELL YOU, I DON'T THINK WE HAD TWO SCENARIOS THE SAME. WE DID NOT.YOU CAN SEE THE AMOUNT OF OPTIONS THAT THEY HAD TO MOVE AND PRIORITIZE THEIR LINE ITEMS SO THAT WAS GOOD.
WE SHOWED THAT WE CAN GET THERE.
BUT THE OTHER THING IS THEN WE HAD TO WORK THROUGH SOME OF THOSE LINE ITEMS TO GET TO CONSENSUS SO THAT'S WHAT WE DID.
WE WORKED THROUGH THAT AND WE HAVE TWO INCREDIBLE CHAIRS HERE THAT REALLY HELP GUIDE THOSE CONVERSATIONS.
EVERYONE PROVIDED FEEDBACK, IT WAS A LONG MEETING.
IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT MEETING, I WOULD LOVE FOR THEM TO EXPLAIN SOME OF THE PROCESSES THAT WE WENT THROUGH.
WE ANALYZED THAT CAME UP WITH A CONSENSUS ON WHAT THE BAC BELIEVED WOULD BE $130 MILLION SCENARIO THAT THE COMMUNITY WOULD SUPPORT.
THIS IS A BREAKDOWN OF ALL OF OUR TABLES AND HOW THAT TOTALS UP TO $130 MILLION.
COINCIDING WITH THAT IS A COLUMN ON THE RIGHT.
BECAUSE ONE OF THE LARGE COMPONENTS OF THIS BOND WAS POSSIBLE M&O SAVINGS THAT WOULD FREE UP A LOT OF THAT THAT WE TALKED ABOUT EARLIER.
BASED ON THE RECOMMENDATION, WE ARE AT APPROXIMATELY JUST OVER $2.8 MILLION IN ANNUAL COST AVOIDED SAVINGS ONCE ALL THE PROJECTS ARE FULLY IMPLEMENTED.
THERE ARE SOME PROJECTS WHICH IS TAKING A LOT OF OUR SOFTWARE AS A SERVICE IN THE TECHNOLOGY DOMAIN.
>> WE WILL RECOGNIZE THOSE FIRST-YEAR.
>> THAT'S A VERY LARGE NUMBER, BUT THERE'S SOME OTHER PROJECTS THAT HAVE TO BE SCHEDULED AND SEQUENCED, BUT THIS IS THAT TOTAL NUMBER ONCE WE'RE FULLY IMPLEMENTED.
THEN WE BREAK DOWN OUR PROPOSITIONS, A, B, AND C, AND WHAT THOSE WOULD LOOK LIKE.
YOU CAN SEE MAJORITY OF THE PROJECT DO LIE WITHIN PROPOSITION A.
THERE'S ANOTHER COMPONENT THAT WE TALKED WITH THE BOND ADVISORY COMMITTEE ABOUT.
THEIR TASK WAS $130 MILLION SCENARIO.
BUT WE ALSO HAVE ANOTHER COMPONENT THAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON AND THAT'S THE ACQUISITION OF 401 CAMP CRAFT.
WE ARE ABLE TO UTILIZE LAND PROCEEDS TO PURCHASE THAT PROPERTY BUT UNDERSTANDING THAT THAT FACILITY WAS GOING TO EXPAND PROGRAMS AT THE HIGH SCHOOL IN SOME WAY IT WAS GOING TO BE BUILT INTO SOME TYPE OF PLAN THAT WOULD DO JUST THAT.
WITH ANY PLAN AROUND THAT, YOU'RE GOING TO BE UTILIZING RESOURCES THAT MAY NOT BE INTENDED FOR CLASSROOM INSTRUCTION.
THERE'S COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH SOME RENOVATION, SOME IMPROVEMENTS TO MAKE THAT EXPANSION POSSIBLE.
RIGHT NOW, THAT COULD BE INCLUDED IN A POTENTIAL 2023 BOND BASED UPON WHERE WE'RE SITTING RIGHT NOW IN THE SEQUENCE OF EVENTS.
THE IDENTIFIED COSTS WOULD IT BE AN ADDITIONAL 3.7 MILLION.
THE COST TO DO THE WORK IS A LITTLE BIT MORE, BUT SOME OF THAT MONEY IS ACTUALLY ALREADY ALLOCATED TO TWO PROJECTS WITHIN THE BOND AND SO THAT WOULD BE UTILIZED FOR THOSE IMPROVEMENTS.
AT $3.7 MILLION BEYOND THAT 130 MILLION.
THIS 3.7 IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECOMMENDATION AT THE BACK IS BRINGING YOU TONIGHT.
>> ABOUT A PROJECT. A LITTLE OVER $300,000 OF THAT WOULD REPRESENT MONEY THAT WE PAID OUT OF FUND BALANCE IN ORDER TO MAKE UP THE DIFFERENCE WITH WHAT WE HAD WITH THE OTHER CAPITAL FUNDS.
IF YOU APPROVE THIS AND THIS IS INCLUDED, THEN WE WOULD COME BACK TO YOU WITH A REIMBURSING RESOLUTION TO PAY FUND BALANCE BACK FOR THAT PURCHASE.
>> THANKS CHRIS THAT'S A VERY GOOD POINT.
THIS IS JUST TAKING WHAT YOU SAW BEFORE.
THE 130 MILLION WOULD BE INCLUDING THAT IN ADDITION TO THE 3.7 MILLION AND ALL OF THAT WOULD BE IN PROPOSITION A.
THIS IS JUST TO HIGHLIGHT THAT ASPECT.
>> JEREMY, COULD YOU JUST CLARIFY, PLEASE JUST BRIEFLY, WE HAD PREVIOUSLY DISCUSSED A FIGURE OF ABOUT $4.35 MILLION IN ADDITION TO THE 130 BUT THERE'S A REASON WHY WE'RE SHOWING 3.7 INSTEAD.
>> YEAH. BECAUSE SOME OF THAT WORK WITHIN OUR FACILITIES AND ASSETS AND RESOURCES THAT WE HAVE ALREADY INCLUDED FOR UPDATES AND RENOVATIONS IN THE BACK PROPOSAL.
SOME OF THOSE COSTS ARE ALREADY ALLOCATED TO IMPROVEMENTS SO THAT JUST DRAWS DOWN YOUR NUMBER TO 3.7.
WHAT WE'RE HERE TODAY IS TO ANSWER QUESTIONS.
[01:25:02]
MIKE AND HOLLY CAN'T ANSWER A WHOLE LOT OF QUESTIONS ABOUT PROCESS, AND HOW THE COMMITTEE WORKED.BUT WHAT WE'RE REALLY NEEDING IS SOME DIRECTION AND DIRECTION IN TWO PLACES.
ONE, JUST BEING A POSITION ON WHAT YOU'VE BEEN ABLE TO SEE ON THAT FINAL RECOMMENDATION THAT THE COMMITTEE WORKED ON TO PUT IN FRONT OF YOU, BUT ALSO THAT FUNDING METHOD FOR THAT $3.7 MILLION TIED TO THE HIGH-SCHOOL EXPANSION CONNECTED TO 401 CAMP CRAFT.
THAT'S THE DIRECTION THAT WE NEED FROM YOU.
WE'RE HERE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT WE CAN AND SO AT THIS POINT, CHRIS WANTS TO SAY SOMETHING.
>> I DO WANT TO SAY SOMETHING. [LAUGHTER] WHAT I WANTED TO SAY WAS IF THE $3.7 MILLION WAS JUST ADDED ON TOP OF $130 MILLION, WE'RE STILL FINE AS FAR AS OUR RIGHT NOW CAPACITY, THERE'D BE NO NEED TO CHANGE THE TAX RATE $0.12 WE'LL BE MORE THAN SUFFICIENT, AND IT WOULD NOT HAVE AN APPRECIABLE IMPACT ON WHAT YOUR CAPACITY MIGHT BE IN A COUPLE OF YEARS IF YOU END UP LOOKING AT A LARGER BOND AT THAT TIME.
>> LET'S SEE. WE'RE GOING TO START WITH JEN AND GO TO JAMES.
I CAN'T TELL YOU HOW MUCH I APPRECIATE THE WORK OF THE BAG.
JEREMY, YOUR TEAM, CHRIS, THE BOARD, AND THIS DISTRICT HAS REALLY COME TO RELY ON YOU ALL AND IT'S A HUGE SERVICE, SO THANK YOU.
CAN YOU GO BACK TO THE QUESTIONS, MAYBE YOU JUST SO I THINK THAT MIGHT BE HELPFUL FOR THE BOARD TO KEEP THAT IN MIND AS WE'RE TALKING.
COULD YOU GIVE US AN OVERVIEW OF WHICH THINGS WERE REMOVED IN ORDER TO MAKE THIS $130 MILLION RECOMMENDATION?
>> WELL, YOU GUYS COULD HELP OUT ON SOME OF THE ITEMS HERE BUT WE STARTED WITH ABOUT 15 MILLION IN THERE FOR SOLAR ACROSS THE DISTRICT.
WE STARTED OFF BY CUTTING THAT IN HALF AND WE DID THAT FOR A COUPLE OF REASONS.
ONE WAS THERE'S THE POTENTIAL FOR ADDITIONAL FUNDING THROUGH GRANTS, AND SECOND WAS I THINK THERE'S MAYBE STILL A LITTLE BIT OF SKEPTICISM AS TO HOW MUCH THIS IS GOING TO BE ABLE TO RESULT IN OUR ACTUAL ENERGY SAVINGS AND SO FORTH AS WELL AS THE AMOUNT OF TIME THAT WAS GOING TO TAKE TO REALLY ROLL OUT $15 MILLION WORTH OF SOLAR SO AS WE LOOKED AROUND, THERE WAS SOME OTHER PRIORITIES.
WE COULD GET A REALLY GOOD START ON SOLAR WITH WHAT ENDED UP BEING ABOUT 48 PERCENT OF THAT ORIGINAL BUDGET IS WHAT WE GOT TO.
THAT WAS A PRETTY BIG CUT RIGHT THERE.
WE HAD A COUPLE OF ITEMS THAT WERE CATEGORIZED AS CATEGORY 3 THAT JUST DIDN'T ENTER INTO THE DISCUSSION AT ALL AS FAR AS WHEN WE PUT IT INTO THE SPREADSHEET THERE.
THEN ONCE WE GOT INTO IT, WE LOOKED AT ALL THE CATEGORY 1'S AND WE'VE KEPT TRACK OF WHICH ONES WERE PRETTY UNANIMOUS AS WE WENT THROUGH.
THOSE JUST WERE AUTOMATICALLY THE ONES THAT MIGHT HAVE HAD A SPLIT VOTE AND THERE WAS SOME CONVERSATION AROUND INDIVIDUAL LINE ITEMS WITHIN THERE.
WE WERE GIVEN OPTIONS AS TO WELL, WE COULD CHOOSE THAT WE TAKE ALL OF THAT PARTICULAR GROUPING, THEN WE TAKE SOME LINE ITEMS OUT, AND SO FORTH.
EVERYBODY TOOK A SHOT AT WHAT THAT WANTED TO LOOK LIKE AND SO WE LOOKED AT THE RESULTS AS IT CAME OUT.
THAT CAME OUT OF A FAIRLY SOLID MAJORITY LEFT IT.
NOW LET'S LOOK AT THE ONES THAT ARE SPLIT VOTES ON THOSE AND THOSE WERE WHERE WE GOT TO DEBATE.
THERE'S A FAIR AMOUNT OF DEBATE AROUND THE ROAD GOING THROUGH IN TELEMETRY.
[LAUGHTER] WE TALKED LONG AND HARD ABOUT WHAT WE COULD DO ON SOME OF THE ADDITIONAL ATHLETIC AS AND I THINK THAT HONESTLY THERE WAS A LITTLE BIT OF FATIGUE AROUND ARTIFICIAL TURF AND SO BASEBALL FIELD DID NOT GET ARTIFICIAL TURF.
[01:30:02]
THAT'S PROBABLY WHAT HAPPENED.THAT WAS HOW WE WENT, THERE WAS SOME ADDITIONAL FACILITIES COST, JEREMY, I GUESS AROUND WINDOWS WHERE WE CHOSE TO SINCE WINDOWS ARE THERE, CAN THEY LAST ANOTHER FEW YEARS BEHIND, WENT AT 50 PERCENT BUDGET AROUND THE WINDOWS ASKED, WHICH I THINK WAS ABOUT 5.5 MILLION AND WE BASICALLY CUT THAT IN HALF.
WAS LOOKING AT THINGS THAT COULD PUSH WITHIN THERE AND TRYING TO KEEP SOME OF THE OTHER PROGRAMS. JUST TO FINISH, AS FAR AS THE SOLAR WIND, THERE WAS A BUNCH OF DEBATE AND DISCUSSION AROUND THAT AND SOME FAIRLY PASSIONATE OPINIONS.
I THINK THERE WERE MORE THAN A FEW PEOPLE THAT WANTED TO SPEND MORE THAN WHAT WE'VE GOT IN THE BUDGET AROUND.
I THINK THAT WAS CERTAIN LEVEL OF [INAUDIBLE].
>> NO. I THINK THE SOLAR WAS FOR MY MIND AND I THINK MIKE'S ALSO IT WAS JUST ONE THAT'S EASY TO RAMP UP OR RAMP DOWN.
THERE WEREN'T A LOT OF OTHER PROJECTS THAT FELL INTO THAT CATEGORY, AND TO GO FROM 0-100 IS A LOT.
GOING FROM 0-50, TAKING YOUR TIME, SEEING IF IT WORKS, AND THEN YOU ALWAYS HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO COME BACK LATER.
WHERE WE REALLY ENDED UP WITH THE END OF THE SOLAR, THERE WERE A FEW PEOPLE THAT WOULD HAVE LOVED TO SEE IT AT 100 PERCENT.
IT WAS TAKEN AWAY FROM SPECIFIC STUDENT PROGRAMS AND SPECIFICALLY, IT WAS COMING DOWN TO THE REMOVAL OF ALL THE CHALKBOARDS IN CLASSROOMS TO WHITEBOARDS.
IT WAS ALSO AN EDUCATIONAL COMPONENT AND A CLASSROOM IMPROVEMENT.
I THINK THAT'S WHY THE MAJORITY FELT, ALONG WITH SCALING DOWN THE SOLAR SO THAT WE COULD BE MAKING SPECIFIC IMPROVEMENTS FOR STUDENTS.
ONE THING ELSE WE TALKED ABOUT ELLEN, BECAUSE YOU HAD MENTIONED THIS WITH THE AWNINGS A COUPLE OF MEETINGS AGO AND ASKING ABOUT ONE OF THE PROPOSALS WAS HAVING ALL THE AWNINGS FOR THE PICKUP AND DROP-OFF AREAS AND I THINK DIDN'T WE LAND ON ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS? THAT GOT PUT BACK IN FOR ALL THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS TO HAVE COVERED AND NOT AWNINGS BUT WE ALSO TALKED A LOT OF TIME TALKING ABOUT THE ACTUAL SUPPORT STRUCTURES, MAKING SURE THAT JEREMY WASN'T PUTTING IT ANYTHING THAT WASN'T GOING TO BE QUALITY, SO THEY'LL BE QUALITY METAL STRUCTURES, AND THAT REALLY CAME FROM YOUR INPUT ABOUT THE TEACHERS AND JUST MAKING THEIR LIVES.
>> THAT'S REAL STAFF QUALITY OF WORK ISSUE, AND WE MAY NEED TO THINK ABOUT HOW TO DESCRIBE IT BECAUSE EVEN WHEN I LOOKED AT IT OVER HERE, I THOUGHT, WHY WOULD WE SPEND MONEY ON THAT? [LAUGHTER] AND THEN I REALIZED THAT'S WHAT IN FACT, I WAS SUGGESTING WITH THE PREVIOUS THING.
THANK YOU FOR LISTENING TO THAT.
>> THAT ALSO IDEA WAS PRESENTED BY EANES ENVISIONING GROUP.
I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT CREDIT GOES THERE.
>> ONE MORE QUESTION. I DO HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF CONCERN, I GUESS AROUND THE REDUCTION FROM WAS IT 4.35 DOWN TO 3.7 MILLION.
>> $700,000 AND THAT IS ALREADY INCLUDED IN 2020 BOND.
>> SPECIFICALLY, WASN'T THAT SOME AIR CONDITIONER WORK THAT WAS ALREADY THERE? [OVERLAPPING]
>> AIR CONDITIONING WORK FOR WHICH BUILDING?
>> FOR THIS BUILDING IN A HIGH SCHOOL.
WHAT WE WANT DO IS ALLOCATE FUNDS FOR POTENTIAL PROGRAM ENHANCEMENTS.
WE HAVE REFURBISHMENT AND HVAC DOLLARS ATTACHED TO MULTIPLE BUILDINGS.
THAT'S WHERE WE CAN LEVERAGE THAT. THAT'S ALREADY INCLUDED.
WE JUST DON'T WANT REDUNDANCY.
THAT WAS OUR GOAL HERE IS NOT TO HAVE REDUNDANCY.
>> I UNDERSTAND THAT. I GUESS MY CONCERN IS THAT EACH HVAC NEEDS TO BE DONE REGARDLESS OF WHAT HAPPENS TO THIS BUILDING CORRECT? DOES THIS LEAVE US ENOUGH MONEY TO DO ALL OF THE OTHER RENOVATIONS WITHOUT SKIMPING OR RUNNING OUT OF MONEY, AND THEN I GUESS SECONDARY THAT CHRIS IF GOING $700,000 HIGHER, IS THAT GOING TO IMPACT OUR ABILITY TO RAISE OR TO KEEP THE TAX RATE FLAT?
>> THAT WOULD NOT IMPACT THE ABILITY TO KEEP IT ACROSS [INAUDIBLE] SUNSETS.
IT WOULD BE A FAIRLY INSIGNIFICANT ANNUAL CHARGE.
>> I GUESS I WANT SOME ASSURANCE THAT WE'RE NOT GOING TO RUN OUT OF MONEY.
[01:35:01]
>> LET ME ADDRESS THAT BECAUSE JEREMY DID IN ALL OF HIS PREPARATIONS, NUMBER 1, INCLUDE AN ESCALATING FACTOR FOR INFLATION FOR EACH YEAR KNOWING THAT THESE PROJECTS WON'T BE STARTED IN 2023, THAT SOME OF THEM MIGHT NOT BE TILL '26 OR '27 OR EVEN '28.
THERE'S ALWAYS, A LITTLE BIT OF PADDING FOR ANCILLARY CHARGES THAT YOU DON'T KNOW.
ONE THING THAT WE'VE TALKED A LOT ABOUT RECENTLY IN THE GENERAL FUND BUDGET IS INVESTMENT EARNINGS.
RIGHT NOW I'M ESTIMATING THAT THE FIRST YEAR IF WE SELL THESE BONDS IN THE SUMMER AND WE'VE GOT $130 MILLION THAT WE WOULD PROBABLY HAVE INVESTMENT EARNINGS IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF 5-$6 MILLION THE FIRST YEAR, AND LIKE I SAID, IT'S GOING TO TAKE MULTIPLE YEARS TO SELL THESE.
WE DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN TO THAT OVERNIGHT RATE OVER THE COURSE OF THIS BOND, BUT CERTAINLY, IN THE FIRST YEAR, WE'RE GOING TO MAKE FAIRLY SIGNIFICANT MONEY ON OUR INVESTMENTS AND PROBABLY FOR THE NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS.
I THINK ON TOP OF WHAT JEREMY'S ALREADY BUILT, AND I THINK THERE'S GOING TO BE SOME MONEY BUILT INTO THE FACT THAT WAS PART OF THE DISCUSSION AT THE BACK HAD, THEY BROUGHT UP THIS IDEA OF IF WE PUT IN THE $7 MILLION WORTH OF SOLAR AND IT'S PERFORMING THE WAY WE WANT TO, WE WANT TO SCALE IT UP.
THAT MIGHT BE SOMETHING THAT THE NEXT BLOCK MIGHT RECOMMEND TO YOU TO USE SOME OF THAT MONEY TO EXPAND THAT PROGRAM.
TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION IN A VERY LONG WAY. SORRY ABOUT THAT.
I'M NOT CONCERNED THAT THERE'S GOT TO BE ENOUGH MONEY.
I THINK JEREMY HAS NAILED IT PRETTY CLOSELY, AND I THINK WE'VE GOT ENOUGH BUFFER HERE THAT IF HE DIDN'T, WE WILL STILL BE OKAY.
>> I WAS GOING TO STICK TO WALKING YOU THROUGH THE 20 AS IT'S BEEN REALLY INTERESTING BEING A BAC MEMBER AND THEN A BAC MEMBER AND I GUESS NOW WE'RE BOTH BAC MEMBERS, BUT WALKING THROUGH THAT 2019 PROCESS WITH THEM, I THINK WE ONLY HAD TWO OR THREE PROJECTS OF ALL OF THAT.
NOW WE'RE AT 88 PERCENT COMPLETION THAT WE HAD TO VOTE ON BECAUSE WE WERE OVER BUDGET.
ONE WAS SPECIFIC TO A CONSTRUCTION OF A BUILDING THAT ISN'T REALLY IN THIS BOND.
WITHIN THE BAC MEETINGS, WE HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT ARE IN THE CONSTRUCTION BUSINESS THAT PUSH BACK ON JEREMY AND ON HIS NUMBERS, AND THEN HOW SOMETIMES HIS NUMBERS MAYBE SEEM A WEE BIT HIGH.
I THINK THAT'S BECAUSE THEY ARE VERY CAREFUL AND WE HAVEN'T SEEN EVEN IN COVID, I THINK ONE OF THE ONLY COVID-RELATED ONES WAS WINDOWS WERE JUST SO EXPENSIVE AND WE WERE A LITTLE OFF ON ONE OF THOSE NUMBERS, BUT IN GENERAL, THEY'VE BEEN SPOT ON.
>> THE BAC IS NOT PUTTING FORWARD ANY RECOMMENDATION ON THIS SECOND PIECE.
YOU'RE ONLY INCLUDING THE 130, AND I KNEW THIS NOTICE CAME TO YOU ALL A LITTLE BIT LATE IN THE GAME, OBVIOUSLY.
DID YOU DISCUSS AT ALL? AND CAN YOU GIVE US AN IDEA OF THE FLAVOR OF THAT DISCUSSION?
>> I THINK AS FAR AS JUST THE BUILDING WENT, I THINK EVERYBODY WAS VERY MUCH IN FAVOR OF THAT HAD BEEN DONE, YOU HAVE THIS CONTIGUOUS PROPERTY WHY NOT TAKE ADVANTAGE OF DOING THAT? AS FAR AS YOU OBVIOUSLY YOU HAVE TO SPEND SOME MONEY TO RE-FACILITATE IT.
THE ADVICE FROM THE STAFF WAS, LET'S JUST PUT THAT ASIDE AND SEE WHAT DIRECTION THAT WE HAVE.
IF YOU'RE TO COMPENSATE, YOU GOT TO GO FIND ROUGHLY $4 MILLION OUT OF THAT 130, WE'D HAVE TO GO BACK, AND GO TO WORK BASED ON WHAT WE WERE DEBATING AT THE END.
THAT PROBABLY COMES BACK TO WE GO LOOK AT SOLAR, WE GO LOOK AT WINDOWS, WE GO LOOK AT CHALKBOARDS PROBABLY, AND MAYBE EVEN WHAT WE DID LEAVE IN ON THE ATHLETICS LINE.
THAT'S WHAT WE SPENT THE LAST HOUR AND A HALF GOING AFTER.
>> I THINK THE OVERWHELMING TENOR OF THE DISCUSSION WAS THAT EVERYONE WAS INCREDIBLY EXCITED, FELT LIKE IT WAS A VERY SAVVY INVESTMENT AND NO ONE PUSHED BACK ON THE COST OF RENOVATING IT OR ANYTHING AS PARENTS OR TAXPAYERS, I THINK EVERYONE THINKS LIKE THIS IS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR ALL OF US.
>> MY FIRST QUESTION IS GOING TO BE THE WHAT GOT LEFT OUT QUESTION.
I APPRECIATE YOUR ATTENTION ON THAT.
A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS RELATED TO THAT.
[01:40:01]
IF SOLAR WAS CUT TO 50 PERCENT, HOW MUCH WAS THE TOTAL OR HOW MUCH WAS THE HALF THEY GOT CUT? HOW MUCH WAS THAT?>> SEVEN GOT CUT AND SEVEN IS IN?
>> WE GOT 6.6, I THINK, LEFTOVER IT'S ABOUT 48 PERCENT AND CERTAINLY I DID THAT. THE ORIGINAL TOTAL.
>> WAS THE EANES ROAD IN OR OUT?
>> I DIDN'T CARE. I DIDN'T SEE THAT.
>> [LAUGHTER] THE EANES COMMUNITY IS ASKING FOR THIS?
>> I CAN ELABORATE ON THAT PROJECT.
WE HAVE BEEN APPROACHED MULTIPLE TIMES BY THE CITY OF WEST LAKE HILLS ABOUT TRAFFIC CONCERNS AROUND EANES ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
WE'VE WORKED WITH THEM FOR THE PAST THREE YEARS AND WE'VE TRIED EVERYTHING.
WE'VE MOVED BUSES FROM THE BOTTOM TO THE TOP, WE'VE MOVED GRADE LEVELS FROM MIDDLE TO LOWER ROAD, [NOISE] AND THERE'S JUST AN INCREDIBLE AMOUNT OF CONGESTION.
THEY CONTINUE TO FEEL CALLS FROM THE COMMUNITY ABOUT THAT CONGESTION.
THERE'S CARS BLOCKING THE ROAD GOING THE WRONG WAY, NEAR ACCIDENTS, AND SO WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH THEM.
THEY'VE BEEN VERY PATIENT, BUT THE PROBLEM STILL REMAINS, AND SO WE AS A DISTRICT AND OPERATING THAT SCHOOL, LEAD TO THAT PROBLEM.
THE UNFORTUNATE PART IS WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF INFRASTRUCTURE ON OUR SIDE AT EANES ELEMENTARY TO INTAKE THOSE CARS, SO THEY'RE SITTING ON MAJOR THOROUGHFARES BEING BEECAVE ROAD, BUT MORE SPECIFICALLY, CAMP CRAFT ROAD.
THEY MADE SOME WIDENING IMPROVEMENTS, BUT IT'S STILL NOT ENOUGH.
>> WHICH DID AWAY WITH THE ABILITY TO GET ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD.
WE MAKE IT WORSE RATHER THAN REALLY MAKING IT BETTER.
WE'VE BEEN TALKING TO THEM, THERE'S JUST NOT MANY SOLUTIONS. WE'VE TRIED EVERYTHING.
MATT GREER AND MYSELF HAVE MET WITH POLICE CHIEF AND THE MAYOR, JEFF, AND I AS WELL, AND THERE'S JUST NOT SOLUTIONS LEFT.
WE DID A TRAFFIC STUDY AND TRIED TO MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS, THERE'S JUST NOTHING WE CAN DO WITH THE RESOURCES THAT WE HAVE.
NOW, A ROAD WHICH WOULD NAVIGATE THE PERIMETER OF THAT SITE FROM THE TOP TO THE LOWER WOULD ALLOW MORE CARS TO BE IN THAT SITE, TO ACCESS THAT AND WE'D BE TAKING IT OFF THOSE PUBLIC ROADS.
IT'S MORE OF A SAFETY ISSUE THAT THEY'RE HAVING.
WE'VE HAD TO SAY NO, DON'T GO WRITING TICKETS PLEASE BECAUSE THAT'S GOING TO COME BACK TO ALL OF US.
IT'S BEEN ONGOING FOR THREE YEARS CONSTANT, THAT'S WHY A PROJECT LIKE THAT WOULD BE ARGUED.
>> THAT'S A PRETTY GOOD DEBATE.
>> ARE YOU SURE THAT'S GOING TO SOLVE THIS PROBLEM? I MEAN, THE PARENTS CAN STILL GO THE WRONG WAY, YOU CAN STILL BLOCK TRAFFIC.
>> WHAT WE DO IS WE'VE WORKED VERY CLOSELY WITH LESLIE RYAN IN CREATING TRAFFIC FLOWS THAT SHE'S COMMUNICATED WITH HER COMMUNITY.
WE LITERALLY TAKE ONE GRADE LEVEL AND MOVE THEM HERE JUST TO MODIFY THE NUMBER OF CARS.
THEY'RE DOING THE ONLY THING THEY KNOW WHAT TO DO.
I'M CONFIDENT THAT IF THE PRINCIPAL RYAN STATES THAT WE'RE REVERSING OUR TRAFFIC, YOU'RE GOING TO ENTER ON THE BEECAVE ROAD, TAKE THE ROAD AROUND THE CAMPUS, AND THEN PICK UP AT THE CAFETERIA, I BELIEVE THE COMMUNITY AND THE PARENTS WOULD DO SO BECAUSE THERE'S NOT GOING TO BE ANOTHER WAY INTO THAT SIDE.
WE HAVE CONTROL AS MUCH AS WE HAVE RESOURCES AND WE JUST HAVE RUN OUT OF RESOURCES ON THAT CAMPUS.
THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO TRY TO INCLUDE A SOLUTION TO THAT PROBLEM THAT TIED EANES ELEMENTARY WITHIN A BOND, SO WE CAN'T USE M&O, WE JUST DON'T HAVE THE M&O FUNDS TO TRY AND FUND AN IMPROVEMENT LIKE THAT.
THIS IS JUST AN OPPORTUNITY TO TRY TO INTRODUCE THAT SOLUTION.
>> I'M NOT A FAN OF THE ROAD, BUT OKAY.
ON YOUR FUNDING METHOD QUESTION, MIKE AND HOLLY ALLUDED TO IF WE DON'T SAY WE'RE WILLING TO HAVE 133.7 MILLION DOLLAR BOND AND WE STILL WANT THESE, YOU WOULD HAVE TO GO BACK AND CUT 3.7.
I'LL EXPRESS MY OPINION THERE THAT I'M OKAY WITH 133.7 IF THAT'S THE QUESTION COMING TO US HERE.
THEN MY LAST QUESTION IS TO CHRIS, YOU MENTIONED WE'RE BENEFITING RIGHT NOW FROM INTEREST RATES, HOW DOES THAT AFFECT US ON THE OTHER SIDE WHEN WE'RE SELLING BONDS AS WELL? I MEAN, IT FEELS LIKE THERE WOULD BE AN OFFSETTING POSITIVE OR NEGATIVE, YEAH?
[01:45:03]
>> YES, YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT.
WHEN WE TALK ABOUT BOND FUNDS, WE'RE REALLY TALKING ABOUT TWO SEPARATE FUNDS.
THE ONE FUND IS WHERE WE PUT THE PROCEEDS SO WE GO SELL BONDS, WE GET 133.7 OR $130 MILLION, AND THAT'S THE MONEY THAT WE USE TO DO THESE PROJECTS.
THE OTHER SIDE OF IT IS THE I&S SIDE AND THAT'S THE AMOUNT THAT WE TAX IN ORDER TO PAY THE DEBT SERVICE.
YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY CORRECT THAT HIGHER EARNINGS ON ONE SIDE, BUT HIGHER COST ON THE OTHER SIDE, AND I'VE INCORPORATED THOSE INTO MY MODELS.
RIGHT NOW I'M USING AN ESTIMATE THAT'S ABOUT ONE PERCENTAGE POINT HIGHER THAN THE CURRENT RATES.
ALTHOUGH WHAT THE FED HAS BEEN SIGNALING THEY'RE GOING TO DO HAS ALREADY BEEN PRICED IN, AND SO THAT MIGHT EVEN BE A LITTLE BIT ON THE HIGH END OF WHAT I'M ESTIMATING, I THINK IT'S PRETTY CONSERVATIVE ACTUALLY.
HOWEVER, IF THEY GO NUTS AND START WITH THE 75 BASIS POINT, CHECK BUMPS AGAIN, NEXT SEMESTER THEN I'LL PROBABLY HAVE TO ADJUST IT AGAIN, BUT RIGHT NOW, A FEEL THAT WE'VE GOT A CONSERVATIVE ESTIMATE OF WHAT THE COST OF SERVICING THE DEBT IS GOING TO BE.
>> THANK YOU. KIM AND THEN HEATHER AND THEN ELLEN AND THEN ON.
>> I'VE GOT A HODGEPODGE OF THINGS.
THANK YOU, HOLLY, MIKE, TOM, BOC, BAC, AND JEREMY'S DEPARTMENT, CHRIS'S DEPARTMENT.
IT IS A VILLAGE HERE IN THIS PROCESS AND I APPRECIATE ALL OF THE HARD WORK AND NUMEROUS HOURS THAT YOU ALL HAVE PUT INTO THIS, SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THAT.
I'LL JUST START OUT WITH THE QUESTIONS.
I MEAN, I WILL BE SUPPORTIVE OF THE 130 MILLION BACK RECOMMENDATION AS WELL AS THE ADDITIONAL FUNDING.
I WOULD BE THAT 133.7 MILLION FOR THIS.
AGAIN, APPRECIATE ALL THE WORK THAT WENT INTO COMING TO THAT NUMBER. THAT'S NUMBER 1.
NUMBER 2 IS CHRIS, YOU JUST GAVE YOUR OPINION ON JUST THE COST AND THE CONSERVATIVE APPROACH, AND I APPRECIATE THAT.
I KNOW THAT WE'VE HAD NUMEROUS DISCUSSIONS IN YOUR PRESENTATIONS ABOUT, THESE ARE PUBLIC FUNDS, WE HAVE TO BE CONSERVATIVE.
I WOULD RATHER BE CONSERVATIVE IN THAT AS OPPOSED TO NOT BEING THE FIDUCIARY THAT WE'RE ENTRUSTED TO BE.
IN THAT REGARD, WHEN WE LOOK AT 2019 BONDS, AND WE'RE AT 88 PERCENT.
IS THERE GOING TO BE SURPLUS IN THE 2019 BOND? I THINK I UNDERSTAND IT.
I THINK I REMEMBER IT IN OUR DISCUSSIONS, BUT CAN YOU JUST EDUCATE THE COMMUNITY ON WHAT WE DO WITH THOSE 2019 SURPLUS BONDS?
>> WELL, ONCE WE'VE COMPLETED ALL OF THE PROJECTS THAT WE SAID WE WERE GOING TO COMPLETE, IF WE STILL HAD MONEY LEFTOVER AND WE WILL I HAVE NOT LOOKED AT IT CLOSE ENOUGH TO GIVE YOU A NUMBER, BUT IT'S GOING TO BE SIGNIFICANTLY MORE THAN WHAT WE WERE LOOKING AT AT THE CLOSE OF THE 2015 BOND, WHICH WAS IF I REMEMBER RIGHT, JUST A FEW HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS AT THE TIME, THIS ONE WILL PROBABLY BE MORE THAN $1 MILLION.
THE PROCESS AT THAT POINT IS THE BOC AS THEIR FINAL ACT AS A BOC, WILL MAKE A RECOMMENDATION TO YOU AS TO HOW THOSE FUNDS OUGHT TO BE USED.
KEEPING IN MIND THAT WE COULD NEVER USE THOSE FUNDS FOR ANYTHING THAT WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN APPROPRIATE UNDER THE BOND WHEN IT WAS PASSED.
IF IT WOULD NOT HAVE FIT UNDER THE CATEGORIES THAT WE HAD IN 2019, THAT WOULD NOT BE AN ACCEPTABLE USE OF THE FUNDS.
THAT LIMITS US ON WHAT WE CAN DO.
THE LAST TIME THEY MADE A RECOMMENDATION THAT WAS MORE BROAD IN SCALE AND THEY SAID, BECAUSE THIS IS NOT REALLY ENOUGH TO DO A PARTICULAR PROJECT.
WE WOULD LIKE TO USE THESE FUNDS TO FOCUS ON THE SAME CATEGORIES AS A 2019 BOND THAT WE WERE GETTING READY TO MOVE INTO.
I DON'T KNOW WHERE WE'LL GO WITH THIS ONE.
IT MAY BE A SIMILAR RECOMMENDATION, BUT WE REALLY NOT EVEN BROACHED THAT WITH THE BOC YET.
I THINK WE PROBABLY WILL SOMETIME IN THE SPRING AS WE GET CLOSER TO 90 PERCENT.
[01:50:05]
BUT WE'RE NOT THERE YET.YES, THERE WILL BE MORE MONEY THAN LAST TIME AND ULTIMATELY, THEY'LL MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WILL BE YOUR DECISION.
>> THANK YOU. THAT'S WHERE I THOUGHT.
THAT'S WHAT I REMEMBER AND I APPRECIATE THAT.
THEN I GUESS MY THIRD COMMENT OR QUESTION IS NOT ON THIS SLIDE AND NOT TO THE BACK OF THE BOC, BUT IT'S MORE TO ADMINISTRATION.
IT'S WHEN I LOOK AT THIS, WHEN I'VE LOOKED AT ALL THE PRESENTATIONS AND I KNOW WHAT OUR CAPACITY IS AND WE'VE SETTLED ON THIS AND WE'VE ALWAYS HAD A TARGET OF AROUND 130.
I STEP BACK AND I LOOK AT 52 MILLION IN 2015 AND THEN 80 MILLION IN 2019, WHICH INCLUDED FACILITIES THAT WE BUILT.
I THINK I HAVE IDEAS ON WHY WE GOT TO THAT NUMBER AND WHY THAT'S A GOOD THING FOR THE COMMUNITY.
BUT I GUESS I'M DIRECTING THIS AT JEREMY AND CHRIS AND DR. ARNETT.
I'D JUST LIKE TO HEAR FROM ADMINISTRATION WHY WE MADE THE BIG JUMP.
I CAN THINK OF DIFFERENT THINGS, BUT MAYBE THE ADMINISTRATION, IF WE CAN HELP EDUCATE THE COMMUNITY ON WHERE THAT IS NEEDED, WHY THAT IS NEEDED, AND WHY THAT JUMP WAS NEEDED.
>> WE'RE ALSO MINDFUL THAT WE UNDERSTAND THE IMPRESSION OF THOSE NUMBERS AND THE DIFFERENCES FROM BOND TO BOND.
I'M GOING TO LET CHRIS AND JEREMY PROCESS THIS FOR YOU BECAUSE IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE SPENT QUITE A BIT OF TIME ON.
>> I'LL MAKE A GENERAL STATEMENT AND THEN I'LL LET JEREMY JUMP ON THE SPECIFICS OF INFLATION THAT HE'S EXPERIENCED IN THE CONSTRUCTION SITE.
BUT JUST AS A GENERAL IDEA, REALLY, SINCE MAYBE ABOUT 2017-18, WE REALLY STARTED THINKING DIFFERENTLY MORE HOLISTICALLY ABOUT HOW WE BUDGET IN THE DISTRICT.
WE'VE STARTED MAKING A CONCERTED EFFORT, PARTICULARLY STARTING WITH THE 2019 BOND, TO TRY TO IDENTIFY THINGS, EXPENSES THAT WE HAVE THAT WE'RE PAYING FOR CURRENTLY AT AN M&O, THE MAINTENANCE AND OPERATION SIDE OF THE BOND AND REALLY WORKING TO MOVE THEM OUT OF OPERATIONS ONTO THE BOND SIDE WHEN POSSIBLE.
THE HEATHER'S FAVORITE,[OVERLAPPING] COFFEE MACHINES LAST TIME, THAT WAS ONE OF THE BIG ONES AND THERE WERE SOME OTHERS IN 2019 THAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN MOVED OVER, BUT WE MOVED THEM OUT TO MAKE ROOM FOR THOSE CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS IN 2019.
BUT THE EXPERIENCE ON 2019, WE'VE PURCHASED MACHINES, THEY HAVE A LIFESPAN OF 4-5 YEARS.
THEY'RE IN THIS BOND TOO, THAT EXPENSE CONTINUES ON.
IN THIS BOND, WE'VE IDENTIFIED MORE THINGS, NOT JUST THAT REPLACE EXISTING EXPENDITURES, BUT WE HAVE IDENTIFIED THOSE TO THE TUNE OF APPROXIMATELY $3 MILLION A YEAR, BUT WE'RE ALSO LOOKING AT THINGS THAT CAN DIFFER EXPENSES OR MOVE EXPENSES.
RIGHT NOW, OBVIOUSLY, WE PAIR UTILITY BILLS OUT OF OPERATIONS.
IF WE CAN REDUCE THE UTILITY BILL BY PUTTING SOLAR PANELS ON THE ROOF, THAT'S A SAVINGS AS WELL.
THOSE TYPES OF THINGS, WE'RE REALLY TRYING TO LOOK AND SEE HOW CAN WE TAKE FUNDS THAT WE'RE CURRENTLY SPENDING NOT ON OUR PEOPLE AND RE-PURPOSE IT SOMEWHERE ELSE SO THAT WE HAVE MORE MONEY AVAILABLE TO SPEND ON OUR PEOPLE.
THAT'S PART OF WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT, IS JUST A CHANGE IN OUR OVERALL PHILOSOPHY ABOUT HOW THE MAINTENANCE AND OPERATION AND THE DEBT SERVICE SIDE TIE TOGETHER.
I'LL LET JEREMY TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT INFLATION BECAUSE IT'S BEEN HIGH RECENTLY[LAUGHTER].
>> IT'S VERY SIMILAR TO I DON'T KNOW IF WE HAD THIS QUESTION WHEN WE WENT FROM 15-19 BUT IT WAS 32 AND A HALF MILLION IN 1980. IT'S A BIG JUMP.
BUT WHEN YOU DO THE SAME TYPE OF CALCULATIONS, JUST COMPOUNDED INTERESTS OVER YEARS BECAUSE WE HAVE TO GET THROUGH THE BOND CYCLE, AND IN DEVELOPING ANY BOND OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS, YOU'RE CONTINUING TO USE IN INFLATION.
NO ONE'S GOING TO GIVE YOU A PRICE HOPING THAT INFLATION DROPS BACK DOWN TO REASONABLE NUMBERS.
WE'RE DEALING WITH THAT IN THE MARKET.
WHAT WE WANT DO IS IDENTIFY COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH THOSE AND THEN WHEN THEY'RE GOING TO BE IMPLEMENTED, WHAT DOES INFLATION LOOK LIKE? IF INFLATION IS BETTER THEN GREAT.
WE DO HAVE DIFFERENT INFLATIONS FOR CONSTRUCTION VERSUS PURCHASING TECHNOLOGY.
BUT CONSTRUCTION VARIES FROM 8 PERCENT TO 40 PERCENT INCREASES RIGHT NOW.
[01:55:03]
WE HAVE TO DEAL WITH THAT.BUT I WILL SAY IF YOU TAKE $80 MILLION AND GO THROUGH THE END OF THE 2023 BONDS CYCLE, YOU'RE GETTING OVER $110 MILLION AND SO JUST INFLATING THOSE INFLATION COMPOUNDED INFLATION YEAR OVER YEAR.
THE BIG CONTRIBUTOR TO THE DELTA IS A LARGE NUMBER OF M&O EXPENSES BEING MOVED OVER TO INS.
SO IF I WAS TO EXPLAIN IT, THAT'S THE BIG DELTA, THAT'S THE BIG DIFFERENCE, BUT THAT DELTA IS LEADING TO GREATER SAVINGS ON THE M&O SIDE.
BUT WE ARE DEALING WITH A DIFFERENT ENVIRONMENT ECONOMY THAN WE WERE IN 2019.
THAT'S ANOTHER WAY TO EXPLAIN IT.
THAT'S WHY WE WENT THROUGH THE TIMELINE.
THAT'S WHY WE NEEDED TO WORK JUNE THROUGH AUGUST AND TJ WASHBURN AND BRIAN INCREASING WORKING THROUGH DEVELOPING ASSOCIATED COSTS BECAUSE WE KNEW THAT WE HAD TO HAVE SOMEONE GIVE US NUMBERS TO BE ABLE TO TRUST THOSE NUMBERS AND UNDERSTAND THE ECONOMY THAT WE'RE WORKING WITHIN.
WE DON'T KNOW WHO'S GOING TO CHANGE THE ECONOMY.
WE ASSUME IT'S GOING TO STAY THE SAME AS IT IS RIGHT NOW.
THOSE ARE SOME OF THE VARIABLES THAT GO INTO A LARGER BOND.
BUT THAT'S WHY WE'RE SEEING SCHOOL DISTRICTS JUST EXCEED THAT $1 BILLION REALLY QUICKLY THESE DAYS.
AT THIS POINT, WE'RE LUCKY BECAUSE IT'S TIED MORE TO MAINTENANCE.
IT'S NOT TIED TO NEW FACILITIES WHICH IS VERY VOLATILE RIGHT NOW.
HOPEFULLY, WHEN WE HAD THAT CONVERSATION, THE MARKET HAS ADJUSTED BACK DOWN.
THOSE ARE JUST SOME VALUABLES TIED TO IT.
>> THANK YOU. I APPRECIATE THAT.
THAT WAS NOT IN LINE WITH WHAT I WAS THINKING AND I APPRECIATE THE THOUGHT AND THE PLANNING THAT HAS GONE INTO THIS.
>> THANK YOU. HEATHER ELLEN AND LAURA.
>> LIKE EVERYONE ELSE, I WOULD LIKE TO SAY THANK YOU, ESPECIALLY TO OUR COMMUNITY.
YOU GUYS AND STAFF AS AMAZING AS I'LL PUT IT IN A LOT OF WORK.
BUT WE PAY YOU, BUT THANK YOU[LAUGHTER].
BUT I APPRECIATE YOUR WORK, BUT ALSO OUR COMMUNITY HAS REALLY PUT IN A TON OF TIME ON THIS, NOT EVEN JUST THE BOC AND THE BAC, BUT BEFORE THE INVASION NEEDS, AND SOME OF THOSE PEOPLE ARE ON THE BAC NOW OR THE BOC OF THEM.
IT'S SO GREAT THAT WE HAVE YOU ALL AS RESOURCES AND THEN IT REALLY, YOU DO THIS WORK FOR US.
IT'S SO IMPORTANT. CHRIS IS RIGHT, I DO LOVE THE COFFEE MACHINE THING.
I LOVE THE FACT THAT WE CAN GET AS MUCH OUT OF OUR M&O INTO OUR BOND AND BE MORE RESPONSIBLE WITH OUR M&O MONEY.
I JUST REALLY APPRECIATE THAT.
A LOT OF MY QUESTIONS HAD BEEN ANSWERED ALREADY.
THIS IS A VERY INFORMATIVE CONVERSATION, THANK YOU AND I'M REALLY GLAD THAT YOU GUYS DID HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO TALK ABOUT CAMP CRAFT.
I WISH THAT WE WOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO TELL YOU A LITTLE SOONER, BUT LIFE IS LIFE.
I'M GLAD THAT YOU COVERED THAT THOUGH.
I AM IN SUPPORT OF THE 130 MILLION AND THE 3.7 MILLION.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR HARD WORK ON THAT.
I REALLY APPRECIATE IT AND I KNOW THIS IS NOT EASY AND I KNOW I'VE SAT THROUGH ONE OF THE MEETINGS IN THE PAST AND JUST IT'S A LOT OF CONVERSATION AND A LOT OF BACK-AND-FORTHS, AND I REALLY DO APPRECIATE ALL THE TIME DO YOU GUYS HAVE SPENT ON THIS. THANK YOU.
>> IT'S SO GOOD TO HAVE A BOC BACK THAT YOU CAN TRUST TO MAKE JUDGMENTS THAT ARE THOUGHTFUL AND REFLECTIVE OF THE STRATEGY, WORKING WITH STAFF TO GET US TO THE RIGHT PLACE.
ONE IS, I'M EXCITED ABOUT THIS BOND, BUT I'M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT WHAT WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO DO TRANSFORMATIONALLY LONG-TERM AND SO I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE ENOUGH MONEY TO PLAN THAT BOND WELL, AS OPPOSED TO NOT HAVING THE RESOURCES TO BE ABLE TO REALLY THINK DIFFERENTLY AND PERHAPS DO THINGS DIFFERENTLY.
TWO HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS IS WHAT IS IN HERE.
>> BASED ON WHAT WE DON'T KNOW YET? [LAUGHTER]
>> I'M GLAD YOU'RE TAKING THAT APPROACH.
>> THERE'S VARIED APPROACHES TO THAT PROCESS.
WE ALSO HAVE 2019 BOND FUNDS AS WELL.
THAT'S A SIMILAR, VERY SIMILAR LINE ITEM.
I THINK THE GOAL IS THAT $200,000 WOULD BE ADEQUATE TO HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS.
BUT UNDERSTAND IF WE TAKE IT ON MULTIPLE LEVELS, WE DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THAT'S GOING TO LOOK LIKE, BUT WHAT'S VERY IMPORTANT, AND WE TALKED ABOUT THIS WITH THE BAC.
IF WE DON'T HAVE THAT LINE ITEM IN THE BOND,
[02:00:02]
WE HAVE LESS CONTROL AND IT HAS TO COME OUT OF THE M&O.THAT'S VERY CONSERVATIVE ESTIMATE ON WHAT WOULD BE INVOLVED THERE.
BUT PACKAGING THAT TOGETHER, WHAT'S IN 2019 AS WELL.
WE'RE VERY HOPEFUL THAT THAT WOULD COVER THE COST THAT WOULD BE TIED TO ANY PLANNING AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
IT DEPENDS ON HOW LONG THE PLANNING GOES ON, ETC.
GIVEN WHAT YOU DON'T KNOW, IT MAKES SENSE.
[LAUGHTER] MY SECOND QUESTION IS, I LOVED HOW YOU SHOWED US THE SAVINGS IN M&O.
I DO WANT TO ASK THE QUESTION ABOUT ARE WE ADDING ANY SQUARE FOOTAGE THAT WOULD ADD M&O? I FOUND A BATHROOM GOING OUT INTO THE COURTYARD FOREST TRAIL THAT PROBABLY WON'T ADD A WHOLE LOT OF AIR CONDITIONING.
IT'LL BE THAT BIG. I THOUGHT I SAW A LEARNING SPACE AT CEDAR CREEK, BUT NOW I CAN'T FIND IT.
>> WE TALKED ABOUT THAT WITH THE BAC.
WE RESTRUCTURED THAT LINE ITEM BECAUSE IT'S VERY SPECIFIC TO THE COMMONS.
BASED SOMEWHAT ON THE FEEDBACK THAT WE RECEIVED WITH THIS BOARD, WAS MAYBE NOT COMING YOU INTO JUST THAT.
ADDING ADDITIONAL LEARNING SPACES, THAT COULD BE A LEARNING STUDIO RIGHT AT CEDAR CREEK GIVING FLEXIBILITY TO THAT LINE ITEM BECAUSE A BETTER SOLUTION MAY BE THERE.
>> WE REALLY DON'T KNOW, BUT THAT MIGHT BE [OVERLAPPING] THAT'S WHAT 500 SQUARE FOOTS ON AVERAGE CLASSROOM.
>> IT'S 1,500 SQUARE FEET FOR THE TOTAL PORTABLE.
>> WE WHY MAYBE A LITTLE SQUARE FOOTAGE THERE.
BUT THEN OF COURSE WE GET 401 AND WE NEED TO BE TRANSPARENT AND SAY THAT THAT IS ADDING SQUARE FOOTAGE.
I JUST ENCOURAGE YOU TO THINK ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE AN OFFSET WITH THE M&O SAVINGS JUST SO THAT WE CAN BE TRANSPARENT ON THE UP AND DOWN PALETTE.
>> WE WERE VERY TRANSPARENT IN THAT IN DEVELOPING 2019 BONDS, IF YOU REMEMBER IN THE FACILITIES AND WE SPEND ABOUT $4.50 A SQUARE FOOT ALL IN FOR MAINTENANCE OF FACILITIES.
WE CAN PUT SOME DATA TOGETHER MAY BE TIED TO THAT. IT'S A GOOD POINT.
>> THANK YOU. LET'S SEE, LAURA. GOT YOU.
[LAUGHTER] REALLY, I THOUGHT IT WAS GOING TO HAVE MORE QUESTIONS.
I THOUGHT I HAD TIME. [LAUGHTER]
I KNOW THAT THIS IS JUST A HUGE TASK AND I REALLY DO APPRECIATE IT ALL THE TIME YOU'LL HAVE PUT INTO THIS.
I REALLY WISH I HAD BEEN A FLY ON THE WALL IN THE LAST MEETING, THOSE ARE GREAT MEETINGS AND I'M SURE YOU ALL HAD SOME GREAT CONVERSATIONS.
I'D LIKE FOR YOU TO ACTUALLY SHARE WITH ME A LITTLE MORE ABOUT THE DISCUSSIONS AROUND THE ROAD.
JEREMY, YOU'VE EXPLAINED TO ME FROM A DISTRICT PERSPECTIVE AND THE FACILITY PERSPECTIVE, I'M REALLY CURIOUS, HOLLY AND MIKE WHAT THE FEELING IS WITHIN THE COMMUNITY REGARDING THIS.
>> LET ME ANSWER. I WOULD SAY, YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU DON'T KNOW AND UNLESS YOU'RE AN EANES PARENT WHO HAS DONE PICKUP AND DROP-OFF, IT'S HARD TO REALLY VISUALIZE WHAT YOU'RE ASKING US TO SPEND MONEY ON.
I WOULD SAY THE BIGGEST QUESTION THAT WAS ASKED REGARDING WHETHER THERE ARE SEVERAL, BUT THE BIGGEST ONE WAS IF SOMETHING HAPPENS TO EANES ELEMENTARY IN THE FUTURE IN FIVE YEARS AND 10 YEARS, DID WE JUST BUILD A ROAD THAT IS NOW USELESS? I THINK JEREMY GOT ASKED THAT QUESTION AT LEAST THREE TIMES.
[LAUGHTER] THAT WAS THE FIRST QUESTION AND WE WERE REASSURED THAT WHATEVER HAPPENS IN THE FUTURE, WHERE OR WHATEVER THAT BUILDING LOOKS LIKE, IT WILL BE BUILT WITHIN THE SAME AREA OF WHERE EANES IS NOW AND THE ROAD WILL CONTINUE TO FUNCTION AND DO WHAT IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE DOING.
I THINK ONCE WE CHECK THAT BOX, THERE WERE A LOT OF DIFFERENT OPINIONS.
I HAVE HEARD DIFFERENT OPINIONS IN THE COMMUNITY, BUT FOR ME, AND I'M SURE MIKE CAN TALK TO HOW HE CAME TO THAT DECISION.
BUT WHEN JEREMY COMES TO US AND SAYS THIS IS AN ISSUE WITH WEST LAKE HILLS AND IT IS UNRESOLVED AND WE NEED TO RESOLVE
[02:05:01]
IT AND THEY ARE NOT GOING TO RESOLVE IT FOR US.I LIVE QUITE NEAR THE HIGH SCHOOL, SO I REALLY UNDERSTAND THE ISSUE OF TRYING TO BE A GOOD NEIGHBOR AND I'M TRYING TO KEEP THOSE RELATIONSHIPS STRONG.
I DO NOT WANT TO SEE A SITUATION WHERE IN TWO YEARS WE'RE PAYING FOR ROAD OUT OF M&O BECAUSE THAT'S JUST NOT FEASIBLE OR THE SCHOOL DISTRICT IS IN A SITUATION WHERE THEY'RE NOT IN A GREAT PLACE WITH WEST LAKE HILLS BECAUSE IT DIDN'T END UP IN THE BOND.
TO ME THAT WHEN JEREMY SAYS THAT WHETHER YOU NEED THE ROAD OR NOT, I HAVE NO IDEA.
I JUST IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT I CAN REALLY EVALUATE AND I DON'T EVEN WANT TO BEGIN TO THINK ABOUT WHAT THE TRAFFIC FLOW LOOKS LIKE IN THE DESIGN.
THAT'S JUST NOT IN THE REALM OF WHAT I DO, BUT AS A PARENT AND A TAXPAYER, THOSE ARE THE TWO THINGS THAT FOR ME PUSH MY VOTE TO KEEP THE ROAD IN.
>> I'M THINKING I WAS THE LONE DISSENTER.
>> AT THE END WHAT CAME AROUND TO WAS WHY NOT FORCE MORE OF A DIALOGUE WITH THE CITY VERSUS JUST HAVING TO PUT IT.
BUT ALSO THE SCHOOL HAS BEEN THERE FOR, COMING UP ON 100 YEARS OR THEREABOUTS, AND NOW WE'VE GOT TO GO THIS ROAD, HAS THE TRAFFIC REALLY CHANGED THAT MUCH OR PEOPLE JUST GETTING TOO SENSITIVE AND SO FORTH? I WOULD HAVE LIKED TO HAVE FORCE THE ISSUE MORE WITH THE CITY I THINK BEFORE JUST PUTTING IT IN THE BOND AND HAVING MONEY THERE.
BUT AS HOLLY SAID, IF WE DON'T HAVE IT IN THERE, THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN IF WE END UP ON THE WRONG END OF SOME DISCUSSION OR NEGOTIATION, NOW THERE'S TWO-AND-A-HALF MILLION BUCKS THAT'S COMING FROM SOMETHING ELSE OUT OF M&O OR GUESS, IF WE REALLY DIDN'T HAVE A LINE ITEM FOR IT ON BOND, IT'D BE HARD TO GO TO APPROPRIATE MONEY FOR IT OUT OF THE BOND, MOVING FROM SOMETHING ELSE.
I THINK THAT'S WHERE THE GROUP CAME TO, BUT I FELT COMPELLED TO DISSENTERS, OTHERS FELT COMPELLED TO DISSENT ON ANOTHER LINE ITEM.
I THINK THAT THE SPIRIT OF ALL THE DISCUSSIONS IN THERE WAS EVERYBODY GOT THEIR PIECE.
EVERYBODY IS WILLING TO COMPROMISE ON DIFFERENT THINGS AND THAT'S HOW WE GOT TO ALL THESE DECISIONS.
THAT WAS ONE OF THE ONES WE WERE DISCUSSING LATE.
IT PUT US OVER THE NUMBER AND WE'RE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT, OKAY, NOW, THAT'S GOT TO BE IN THERE.
HOW DO WE GET BACK TO ONE THIRD?
>> JEREMY, YOU SAID THAT OVER THE LAST THREE YEARS WE'VE HAD A LOT OF PROBLEMS WITH THE TRAFFIC AROUND THERE.
IT'S BEEN THREE YEARS OR HAS IT BEEN LONGER?
>> BECAUSE THERE'S COVID INVOLVED, I CAN'T PINPOINT IN MY MIND EXACTLY THE FIRST CONVERSATION THAT WE DID HAVE ON IT.
BUT IT'S BEEN A PROBLEM FOR QUITE A WHILE.
>> YEAH. THAT WAS OUR FIRST MOVE, WAS LET'S MOVE THE BUSES UP TO THE FRONT BECAUSE AT THAT TIME WERE BACKING UP ON BEECAVE ROAD.
IT WAS LIKE, THAT'S A NO GO ZONE.
MOVE THE BUSES THAT WE CAN FIT THEM IN THAT FRONT PARKING LOT AND THEN WE HAD TO TAKE CARS BETWEEN THE MIDDLE DRIVE AND THE LOWER DRIVE.
WE WENT IN THE EXIT OFF OF EANES SCHOOL.
WE WENT THERE AND TRIED TO SNEAK THEM THROUGH.
WE DON'T KNOW YEAR-TO-YEAR, HOW MANY KIDS ARE GOING TO BE CAR RIDERS.
TRUST ME, JUST GET THEM ALL ON THE BUS AND I'LL BE FINE. I LOVE THAT.
BUT IT DOESN'T ALWAYS WORK OUT THAT WAY AND ONE SEMESTER IT MAY NOT BE AS BAD AND IN THE NEXT SEMESTER NOW WE'RE HUSTLING AND TRYING TO FIGURE OUT.
EVEN WHEN WE HAVE A NUMBER OF WALKERS NOW.
[OVERLAPPING] BUT THAT HASN'T HELPED THE PROBLEM.
>> DO WE HAVE FEWER BUS RIDERS THAN WE USED TO OR YOU'RE SAYING IT JUST VARIES?
>> IT VARIES. EVEN ONE KID DOESN'T RIDE THE BUS, BUT THEY'RE IN A CAR.
WE LITERALLY HAD TRAFFIC FLOW MAPS WITH SCALED CARS, SEEING HOW MANY CARS I CAN FIT BEFORE I'M IN THE ROAD.
WE LOST THE SHOULDER WITH THE EXPANSION OF THE WESTBOUND TURN LANE.
WE LOST A SHOULDER, SO NOW WE'RE LITERALLY SITTING IN A LANE.
IF YOU'RE NOT GOING TO EANES ELEMENTARY, YOU'RE GOING AROUND THAT WAY AND NOW YOU'RE TRAVELING IN THE WRONG WAY.
THAT'S WHERE ALL THOSE OFFENSES ARE TICKETTABLE BY WEST LAKE PD.
WE'VE HAD TO SIT ON THE CORNER WITH THEM AND TRY TO
[02:10:01]
STRATEGIZE AROUND THAT SO WE CAN ALWAYS CONTINUE CONVERSATION. WE STILL DO.WELL, BECAUSE WE'RE NOT GOING TO ROAD TOMORROW.
WE'LL CONTINUE TO GO DOWN THIS ROAD.
WE'VE HAD TO TRY TO BALANCE MID-YEAR AS WELL.
WELL, NOW 3RD GRADE IS GOING DOWN TO THE BOTTOM.
THERE'S JUST NOT A WHOLE LOT MORE RESOURCES THAT WE CAN PUT TOWARDS IT.
BUT YEAH, IT'S BEEN ONGOING FOR QUITE A WHILE.
>> I WASN'T AN EANES PARENT AND SO I DID GET TO THIS.
I THINK I TALKED ABOUT THIS LAST TIME WHEN WE DISCUSSED THIS AND THIS WAS BEFORE WE HAD THAT TURN LANE AND SO I WOULD JUST SIT ON BEECAVE'S ROAD FOR MULTIPLE LEFT LANE WITH MY HAZARDS ON AND WE WOULD JUST BACK UP.
I WOULD LIKE BE CALLING MY FRIENDS, MOVE UP [LAUGHTER] IF EVERY PLACE SCOLDS UP I CAN GET INTO THE CAR RIDE OR LANE.
I DO HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT THIS.
I DO HAVE CONCERNS AND I ABSOLUTELY AGREE WITH WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IS THAT THIS IS NOT WHAT WE DO.
WE'RE NOT EXPERTS IN TRAFFIC AND THAT THING.
JEREMY, YOU'RE TELLING US THAT WE NEED IT, BUT MIKE, I'M WHERE YOU ARE IS LIKE I'D LIKE TO HAVE MORE DISCUSSIONS AROUND THIS ROAD.
MY FIRST THOUGHT IS YOU'RE STILL GOING TO HAVE EVERYBODY WHO COMES OUT OF THAT DRIVE IS GOING TO BE TURNING LEFT ON CAMP CRAFT BECAUSE YOUR DEMOGRAPHICS, THEY ALL LIVE UP OFF BEECAVE.
YOU'RE NOT GOING TO HAVE CARS COMING OUT ONTO CAMP CRAFT SPLITTING LIKE THAT.
LIKE CAMP CRAFT THEY'RE ALL GOING LEFT AND THAT COULD CREATE.
I GUESS I'M CONCERNED ABOUT UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES OF THIS ROAD AND I HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT THE ROAD.
>> FOR ANY REASSURANCES WITH ANY PROJECT NECESSARILY WITHIN THE SCOPE OF THIS BOND, ALL MEANS AND METHODS HAVE NOT BEEN PRESCRIBED AND WHAT THIS ROAD WOULD LOOK LIKE.
HOW WIDE IS THIS ROAD? WHERE EXACTLY IS IT? THAT'S WHY WE GET PROFESSIONALS INVOLVED AND SO WE WOULD HAVE A TRAFFIC STUDY.
WE'D WORKED WITH THE CITY OF WEST LAKE HILLS AND THEIR STAFF TO IDENTIFY WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO IMPLEMENT THIS PROJECT AND WORKING WITH ENGINEERS AS WELL.
I THINK THAT'S WHERE A LOT OF THOSE MEANS AND METHODS ARE STILL TO BE DETERMINED IN THIS PROJECT AND IN A NUMBER OF OTHER PROJECTS AS WELL.
THIS IS CONCEPTUAL TO ALLOCATE DOLLARS FOR A ROAD AT EANES ELEMENTARY TO ALLEVIATE TRAFFIC.
THAT IS A SAFETY CONCERN IDENTIFIED BY THE CITY OF WEST LAKE HILLS.
THAT'S WHY IT WOULD BE WITHIN THE SCOPE TO PLAN FOR THAT AND TO IDENTIFY WHAT THAT MAY LOOK LIKE.
>> I'M COMFORTABLE WITH THE MORE GENERAL AND I KNOW THAT YOU'LL HAVE TO PUT WHEN YOU WRITE IT THAT THERE'S LANGUAGE AROUND LIKE EVEN THE LINE ITEMS. IS THAT CORRECT? THAT ALLOWS YOU THE FLEXIBILITY OR NO FLEXIBILITY, RIGHT?
>> I WOULD LIKE AS MUCH FLEXIBILITY AROUND THAT AS POSSIBLE SINCE WE DON'T REALLY KNOW EXACTLY WHAT IT WILL LOOK LIKE.
WE KNOW THAT WE HAVEN'T MADE AT THAT CAMPUS, BUT I'M NOT REAL CONFIDENT THAT WE KNOW WHAT THE SOLUTION IS TO IT.
MAYBE YOU ALL ARE, BUT I HAVEN'T BEEN CONVINCED OF THAT THIS TIME.
I KNOW I'M NOT THE LAST PERSON TALKING ABOUT THIS ROAD.
JUST TWO OTHER QUICK QUESTIONS.
THE SOLAR, I AGREE AND UNDERSTAND THE REASONING ON CUTTING THAT.
DO WE KNOW WHAT THE IMPACT IS? WE HAD SOME NUMBERS ON HOW BENEFICIAL THAT WOULD BE TO OUR M&A.
WITH THIS CUT, DO WE KNOW THAT THE NUMBERS ON THAT CUT IN HALF?
>> YEAH. IT WAS ORIGINALLY $500,000 IN PREDICTED SAVINGS ANNUALLY.
IT'S ALWAYS COMPLICATED BECAUSE WE HAVE THOSE INCENTIVES THAT ARE IN THE FIRST FIVE YEARS TIED TO IT AS WELL.
BUT LOOKING BEYOND FIVE YEARS IT'S YOUR ANNUAL PERPETUITY BASED ON TODAY'S RATE WAS AROUND $500,000, SO WE CUT DOWN DOWN TO 48 PERCENT.
I DON'T KNOW THAT NUMBER ON TOP MY HEAD, BUT I KNOW IT'S JUST SOUTH OF $250.
>> I HAVE ONE MORE QUESTION THAT I DON'T THINK ANYONE'S GOING TO LIKE.
THE FACILITIES REFURBISHMENT, THE PHASE 3.
I HATE TO DO THE LINE ITEM THAT CAN YOU TELL ME WHAT'S INCLUDED IN THAT EANES ELEMENTARY?
[02:15:04]
>> SURE. THE OVERALL REFURBISHMENT ARE CLASSIFIED.
THE BEST WAY TO DESCRIBE THEM IS CEILINGS, WALLS, AND FLOORS.
THAT'D BE FLOORING IN YOUR CLASSROOMS, THAT WOULD PAINT.
THAT WOULD BE CEILING WORK AS WELL AS.
EANES ELEMENTARY HAS DIFFERENT CEILINGS.
THEY MAY NOT GET CEILING TILES, BUT THEY STILL NEED WORK ON THEIR CEILINGS.
THOSE REFURBISHMENT ALLOW US TO DO THAT.
WE GET INTO THE RESTAURANTS AS WELL AND ALL THOSE.
BUT THAT'S GOING INTO THE GYM, THAT'S GOING INTO THE CAFETERIA, ALL SPACES.
WHEN WE LOOK AT, WE BASE IT ON SQUARE FOOTAGE.
THAT'S THE BEST WAY TO DO IT BECAUSE SOME CAMPUSES ARE LARGER, SOME ARE SMALLER.
SO BASED ON SQUARE FOOTAGE, HOW CAN WE ALLOCATE DOLLARS TO GET FURTHER INTO THOSE CAMPUSES? NOT NECESSARILY EANES, BUT A LOT OF OUR CAMPUSES, WE NEED TO GET INTO THE CLASSROOMS. WE'VE GOTTEN INTO SOME CLASSROOMS, BUT WE NEED TO GET EVEN DEEPER INTO THOSE CLASSES.
WE HOPE AT THE END OF THIS BOND WE WALK AWAY AND THOSE CLASSROOMS AND SAY, ENJOY YOUR CLASSROOM, WE'LL SEE YOU IN 10 YEARS WHEN WE GO TO REPAINT.
THAT'S OUR HOPE WITH THIS PHASE 3.
>> DO WE SELL STUDENTS AND PORTABLES AT EANES ELEMENTARY?
>> I BELIEVE WE DO IN P1 AND P2.
BEST WAY TO DESCRIBE THAT IS NEXT TO CHICKEN COOP.
THE OTHER PORTABLES ARE UTILIZED FOR JUST ANCILLARY SERVICES.
WE HAVE GT. WE HAVE SCIENCE STORAGE AND SOME OF THOSE WILL ALLOCATE A SPEECH.
IT GIVES SPACE TO THAT CAMPUS BECAUSE WE'RE LIMITED ON ROOMS AT EANES BECAUSE OF THE PODS.
THOSE ARE UTILIZED PRIMARILY FOR INSTRUCTIONAL PURPOSES.
SINCE PORTABLES ARE THERE, THEY ARE RESOURCE THAT WE CAN UTILIZE FOR OTHER THINGS.
WE'RE NOT STORING SCIENCE MATERIALS IN THE IPOD, WE'RE ABLE TO DO THAT IN THE PORTABLES.
>> WHEN YOU BROUGHT UP THE FUTURE AND POSSIBLE TRANSFORMATIVE BOND THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO EXPLORE GOING FORWARD.
THIS HAS BEEN A LONG TIME DISCUSSION.
WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THIS, WE DID A LITTLE REDISTRICT TO TRY TO GET THOSE KIDS OUT OF THOSE PORTABLES.
NEXT TIME AROUND WE REALLY NEED TO GET [LAUGHTER] THOSE KIDS OUT OF PORTABLES, WE REALLY DO.
>> ARE THOSE HOMEROOM CLASSROOMS OR ARE THEY SPECIAL?
>> YEAH. THEY PROVIDE THE CHICKEN COOP.
>> BECAUSE THIS IS THE NORMAL ESTABLISHMENT.
>>YEAH OUR IMPRESSION WAS THAT THE CHILDREN OR THE STUDENTS WHO ARE IN PORTABLES THOSE ARE MOSTLY ADDITIONAL CLASSROOMS THEY ARE NOT FOR THE CORE CLASSROOMS, GRADES KINDERGARTEN THROUGH FIVE.
>> ESPECIALLY WITH THE REDUCED [OVERLAPPING].
>> THE CHICKEN THAT I [OVERLAPPING].
>> I THINK THOSE ARE SPECIAL ITEMS.
>> I BELIEVE THERE'S SPECIAL EDUCATION CLASSROOMS, ONE OF THEM [OVERLAPPING].
>> THEY'VE MOVED OVER THERE SO THEY HAVE BATHROOMS NOW.
>> BECAUSE IF THEY DIDN'T HAVE THEY WERE [OVERLAPPING].
>> THEY WERE WITHOUT BATHROOMS FOR A LONG TIME BUT I'M STILL GOING TO HOLD ON TO THAT COMMENT.
THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS, I'M IN SUPPORT OF THE 133.7. THANK YOU ALL.
>> THANK YOU. I HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS AND I 'D TO GO OVER AND THEY RELATE TO THE ROAD PERHAPS NOT A SURPRISE.
WHY DO WE THINK THE ROAD SOLUTION WILL WORK? WHAT DO WE HAVE THAT TELLS US THAT THAT ROAD WILL SOLVE THE PROBLEM THAT WEST LAKE HILLS HAS?
>> THERE'S NEVER A GUARANTEE JOHN BUT THE ONE THING THAT WE ARE LIMITED ON, THERE'S TWO BIG ONES IN MY DOMAIN IS ONE'S IMPERVIOUS COVER AND THE OTHER ONE IS ROADWAYS ON OUR SITES.
WHERE THIS WORK WE HAD TO DO BARTON CREEK AND SHIFT ALL THERE'S AROUND THIS YEAR BECAUSE OF THE SAFETY CONCERNS THAT WE HAD THERE.
LUCKILY WE'RE ABLE TO DO THAT AND ACCOMMODATED BUT WE JUST DON'T HAVE ENOUGH ROADS ON OUR PROPERTY TO TAKE CARS OFF OF PUBLIC ROADWAYS AND THAT'S AN ISSUE.
IF WE WERE TO REDESIGN OUR SCHOOLS TODAY WE WOULD MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ABLE TO QUEUE OUR CARS FOR DROP-OFF AND PICK-UP ON OUR PROPERTY UNDERSTANDING THERE MAY BE A COUPLE HERE AND THERE AND SO WE CAN'T BE POSITIVE BUT THIS IS ONE SOLUTION THAT WOULD BE IMPLEMENTED IF WE WERE TO REDESIGN A CAMPUS ON THESE ELEMENTARY SITE RIGHT NOW WE HAVE ENOUGH ROADWAYS TO FIT THE CARS ON TOP OF IT SO THAT'S ONE LIMITATION.
[02:20:04]
>> WE DON'T KNOW THAT IT WOULD WORK.
IT'S $2.4 MILLION FOR A SOLUTION THAT WE'RE NOT CERTAIN IS ACTUALLY GOING TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM THAT WEST LAKE HILLS HAS AND IF IT DOES PROVIDE A SOLUTION WE DON'T KNOW HOW LONG THAT SOLUTION WOULD BE PROVIDED.
WHAT WE DO KNOW IS THAT TRAFFIC IS INCREASING, IT'S INCREASING YEAR-ON-YEAR.
I THINK WE CAN ALL REMEMBER WHAT THE TRAFFIC ON PEAK CAVE WAS BEFORE THE ROAD WAS EXPANDED.
IT WAS EXPANDED IN AN ATTEMPT TO PROVIDE MORE LANE WIDTH AND MORE OPPORTUNITY FOR MORE CARS AND I THINK WE ALL KNOW WHAT HAPPENS EVERY DAY ON PEAK CAVE ROAD PARTICULARLY AS YOU'RE APPROACHING THE SCHOOLS AND YOU'RE APPROACHING [INAUDIBLE] CARLTON AND THE TRAFFIC IS BAD.
THESE TRAFFIC CALMING SOLUTIONS WHETHER THEY'RE THE ADDITION OF ROAD LANES OR THEY ARE ATTEMPTS TO PROVIDE BACK EDGE WHICH IS WHAT THIS TRAFFIC CALMING THING WOULD BE A PACKAGE ROAD THAT RUNS THROUGH RINGS.
WE DON'T KNOW HOW LONG THOSE SOLUTIONS ARE GOING TO WORK BUT WHAT WE DO KNOW IS THAT THEY WON'T LAST FOREVER.
IF HOWEVER WE TAKE THOSE PLAYGROUNDS AWAY FROM THOSE STUDENTS THEY ARE GONE FOREVER, THAT IS A PERMANENT TAKING THAT CHANGES THE FUNCTION OF THAT SCHOOL, THE FUNCTION OF THAT UPPER AND THAT LOWER PLAYGROUND AND I'M NOT SURE WHAT ELSE WOULD BE IMPACTED SINCE WE DON'T HAVE A DESIGN FOR THE ROAD, WE DON'T KNOW HOW HIGH THE ROAD IS, WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THE ALIGNMENT OF THE ROAD IS, WE'RE NOT CERTAIN OF THE SOLUTION THAT THE ROAD IS GOING TO PROVIDE.
I'M HAVING A HARD TIME WITH THE ROAD PROPOSAL AS IT'S CURRENTLY CONTEMPLATED.
WHAT IS THE OPINION OF THE PARENTS ON THE CAMPUS? HOW HAVE THEY RESPONDED TO THIS INITIATIVE IN THIS PROPOSED CHANGE TO THEIR CAMPUS AND THEIR PLAYGROUNDS?
>> JUST LIKE YOU SPEAK OF, WE DON'T KNOW THE EXACT IMPACT OF WHAT THAT ROAD WOULD BE ON THAT CAMPUS.
THE INTENTION IS, THE RESOURCES THEY HAVE, THE PLAYGROUNDS THAT THEY HAVE WOULD REMAIN WORK AROUND THOSE.
THERE MAY BE SOME ADJUSTMENTS THAT WOULD BE NEEDED IN THE PLAY FIELDS.
I WOULD PROBABLY THINK THE LOWER PLAYGROUND A PLAY FIELD WOULD BE THE MOST IMPACTED IN THIS.
BUT LIKE ANYTHING WE DO ON THE CAMPUS, THERE'S NO WAY WE'RE GOING TO PUT A ROAD IN THERE WITHOUT FEEDBACK FROM THAT COMMUNITY AND EVEN THEN, IF WE INCLUDED THE ROAD AND THE BOND WE MAY RUN INTO OBSTACLES EVEN NAVIGATING THOSE CONVERSATIONS BUT THE SOLUTION THAT WE BELIEVE THAT WE HAVE CONTROL OVER WOULD BE ADDITIONAL ROADS.
NOW WE COULD ADJUST LANGUAGE TO BE LESS PRESCRIPTIVE TO ALLOW ADJUSTMENTS BECAUSE THERE MAY BE A DIFFERENT IDEA, THERE MAY BE A BETTER IDEA BUT IMPROVING THE ROAD ACCESS IN THIS ELEMENTARY WOULD ALLOW IMPROVEMENTS TO WHAT IS CURRENTLY THERE AND IT'S NOT 100 PERCENT PRESCRIBED BUT A ROAD IS A SOLUTION BUT THAT WAY IT LOOKS LIKE WE DON'T KNOW EXACTLY RIGHT NOW.
BUT THE COMMUNITY, THE CAMPUS WOULD BE PART OF ALL THOSE CONVERSATIONS TO THIS POINT.
>> I APPRECIATE. IT SEEMS TO ME THAT WE'RE APPROACHING THE EANES PARENTS A LITTLE LATE IN THE GAME BUT I ACCEPT THAT THERE WILL BE CONVERSATIONS IF WE DO PUT $2.4 MILLION AND THEREFORE, FOR A ROAD.
I'M GUESSING IT'S A ROAD THAT WE WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL THE MNO ON THAT ROAD AS WELL.
BUT WE'RE BUILDING THIS ROAD FOR THE CITY OF WEST LAKE HILLS.
TO WHAT EXTENT DO WE THINK WEST LAKE HILLS WOULD PARTICIPATE IN THE FUNDING OF THIS ROAD THAT SOLVES THEIR PROBLEM?
>> THAT'S A CONVERSATION WE CAN APPROACH WITH THE CITY OF WEST LAKE HILLS BECAUSE I THINK BOTH FROM THE DISTRICT STANDPOINT AND THE CITY STANDPOINT, THEY'RE GOING TO DEFINE THE PROBLEM MAYBE A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENTLY AND WE'RE GOING TO BE POINTING AT EACH OTHER.
[02:25:04]
THAT'S STILL PART OF ALL CONVERSATIONS THAT CAN HAPPEN AND IT WOULD BE GREAT THAT WE HAVE AN ADDITIONAL CONVERSATION UNDERSTANDING WE HAVE ALLOCATIONS TO COMPLETE A PROJECT IMPROVEMENT ON OUR CAMPUS.WOULD THEY FUND 100 PERCENT OF THAT? I'M VERY DOUBTFUL ON THOSE IMPROVEMENTS BUT IF WE WERE TO ENTER NEGOTIATIONS AND FIND A WAY, A COMPROMISE, THEN THAT WOULD MEAN THAT WE WOULD SPEND LESS ON THAT LINE ITEM.
THEY'RE GOING TO DESCRIBE THAT PROBLEM AS THE DISTRICT PROBLEM.
>> I APPRECIATE THAT. I GUESS WE HAVEN'T TALKED TO WEST LAKE HILLS TO SEE WHAT THE EXTENT TO WHICH THEY'D BE INTERESTED IN PARTICIPATING IN EITHER THE COST OF BUILDING THE ROAD OR THE COST OF MAINTAINING THE ROAD AND I THINK THAT'S A CONVERSATION WORTH HAVING AS WELL.
WE DON'T KNOW WHETHER THE ROAD WILL SOLVE THE PROBLEM, WE DON'T KNOW THE NATURE OF THE ROAD THAT WE WANT TO BUILD, WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THE EANES COMMUNITY THINKS ABOUT THE ROAD, WE DON'T KNOW WHETHER WE HAVE A PARTNER WITH WEST LAKE HILLS THAT MIGHT DEFRAY SOME OF THE CAPITAL COST OR THE OPERATIONAL COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH THAT ROAD.
WHILE I LIKED THE IDEA OF A $130 MILLION BOND WITH $3.7 MILLION FOR THE IMPROVEMENT AND PROVISION OF ADDITIONAL PROGRAMS FOR CAMP CRAFT AND SOME OF THE OTHER FACILITIES THAT WILL BE RELATED TO THE CAMP DRAFT PROPERTY, I'M NOT CONVINCED THAT WE NEED A $2.4 MILLION LINE ITEM FOR A UNDEFINED ROAD.
THAT'S WHERE I AM WITH RESPECT TO THE CURRENT SLATE OF PROJECTS.
I CERTAINLY APPRECIATE EVERYTHING THAT YOU AND YOUR TEAM HAVE DONE TO BUILD THIS FOR US.
I MEAN, IF I'M TALKING ABOUT ONE PROJECT AND YOU'VE GOT THREE OR FOUR PAGES WORTH, JUST REST ASSURED THAT I AM VERY PLEASED WITH WHAT YOU'VE DONE, I'M VERY HAPPY WITH THE HARD WORK THAT YOU DID AND I THINK WE ARE REALLY CLOSE TO DOING SOME GOOD STUFF FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
>> JOHN, IF I COULD RESPOND TO THE CONVERSATION ABOUT THE LANE, THE AVENUE, THE ROAD, WHATEVER WE WANT TO CALL, IT'S IN ELEMENTARY, WERE' CERTAINLY COMMITTED TO CONTINUING THAT CONVERSATION AND PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CITY WEST LAKE HILL.
WE HAVE A GOOD RELATIONSHIP WITH THEM SO WE'LL RESUME THAT DIALOGUE AND LET THEM KNOW THE THOUGHTS AND THE CONCERNS OF THE BOARD.
JEREMY AND CHRIS, CAN YOU REMIND US WHEN THE CITY OF WEST LAKE HILLS DID THE IMPROVEMENTS TO CAMP CRAFT AND TO BEECAVE IN PROXIMITY TO THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
DID WE BEAR ANY OF THAT EXPENSE?
>> WITH RESPECT TO THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR ROADS IN WEST LAKE, TYPICALLY THE COUNTY HAS RESPONSIBILITY, TYPICALLY THE CITY HAS RESPONSIBILITIES, STATE MAY HAVE SOME RESPONSIBILITIES, DO WE ACTUALLY OWN AND MAINTAIN ANY ROADS?
>> THE BEST EXAMPLE THAT I WOULD GIVE YOU IS THE ROAD BETWEEN BARTON CREEK AND WESTWOOD MIDDLE SCHOOL.
[OVERLAPPING] THAT'S A GOOD EXAMPLE OF A ROAD THAT WE DID.
>> OKAY. WHEN WE THINK ABOUT OUR RESPONSIBILITY FOR COLLABORATING WITH WEST LAKE HILLS, I'D BE WILLING TO BET THAT INTER-ELEMENTARY WAS THERE BEFORE WEST LAKE HILLS WAS INCORPORATED.
>> YOU WANT TO KNOW HOW FAR? [LAUGHTER] I CAN TELL YOU THAT.
>> IT SEEMS TO ME THAT [OVERLAPPING] WE GOT PRETTY GOOD STANDING IF WEST LAKE HILLS WANTS SOMETHING FROM US WITH RESPECT TO THIS LAND, HAS BEEN THERE LONGER THAN THE CITY.
EMILY, DO YOU HAVE SOMETHING YOU WANT TO ADD?
>> I DO. THANK YOU. I MIGHT CALL IT A DRIVEWAY INSTEAD OF A ROAD AND THAT ALLOWS FOR SOME REPOSITIONING OF THINKING PERHAPS.
I JUST WANTED TO REALIZE THAT I HAVE NOT WEIGHED IN ON 133.7 MILLION WITH NO CHANGE TO THE TAX RATE AND I THINK, WHY NOT? OF COURSE, IN SUPPORT OF THAT.
I ALSO JUST WANTED TO CELEBRATE THAT IT'S BEEN 150 YEARS SINCE THERE WAS A SCHOOL THERE BECAUSE THE SCHOOL WAS THE FIRST THING AND IT'S ALWAYS BEEN THERE.
THIS TRAFFIC PROBLEM IS ALWAYS BEEN THERE IN THE MODERN ERA
[02:30:03]
THAT I'LL REMIND US THAT 15 YEARS OR SO AGO, THE SCHOOL DISTRICT PURCHASED THE YELLOW HOUSE, THAT'S ON CAMP CRAFT ROAD BECAUSE IT WAS GOING TO BE TRYING TO IMPROVE THE CIRCULATION SYSTEM AROUND EANES ELEMENTARY.THE YELLOW HOUSE WAS PURCHASED AND THEN THE BOND FAILED.
[LAUGHTER] IT GOT PRETTY INTERESTING AND THE CIRCULAR DRIVEWAY IDEA WENT WAY BECAUSE THE BOND FAILED.
BUT I WILL SAY THAT SINCE I HANG OUT NEXT TO EANES ELEMENTARY AT THE HISTORY CENTER LAW, THE IMPROVEMENTS TO OVERALL TRAFFIC ON CAMP CRAFT AND BEECAVE WERE GREAT FOR THOSE ROADS, THEY WERE HORRIBLE FOR ACCESS AND EGRESS TO THE SCHOOL BECAUSE THEY MADE EVERYTHING FULL TRAFFIC LANES.
THEY TOOK THE SHOULDER AND THEY PUT IT IN THE MIDDLE AS A TURN LIGHT.
IT WORKS SO MUCH WORSE NOW THAN IT EVEN HAS FOR THE LAST 15 YEARS THAT I'VE BEEN CLOSE TO THAT CAMPUS.
MAYBE THERE IS A SOLUTION THAT WE HADN'T THOUGHT OF, BUT IT'S SOMETHING THAT.
>> THIS IS AN ISSUE THAT AFFECTS TRINITY AS WELL.
>> TRINITY WASN'T THERE 15 YEARS AGO.
>> WE KNOW BECAUSE OF OUR PARTNERSHIP AND RELATIONSHIP WITH TRINITY THAT THEY HAVE ALSO HAD TO MAKE ADJUSTMENTS AND ACCOMMODATIONS WITHIN THEIR OWN CAMPUS TO TRY TO IMPROVE TRAFFIC FLOW OVER CAMP CRAFT AS WELL.
SO EVERYBODY WORKING TOGETHER.
>> THE RESIDENTS OFF OF IN SCHOOL ROAD ARE ONES WE HAVE CERTAINLY HEARD FROM OVER THE YEARS WITH GREAT ENTHUSIASM.
>> I JUST WANTED TO GO BACK REAL QUICK TO THE 3.7 MILLION, MAKE CLEAR.
WE'VE PURCHASED 401 CAMP CRAFT AND WE OWN THAT WITH FUNDS THAT CAME FROM THE SALE OF OTHER PROPERTY IN PREVIOUS YEARS.
WE'RE NOT NOW COMING TO THE TAXPAYERS AND SAYING, WE BOUGHT THIS THING AND NOW WE NEED TO MAKE YOU PAY FOR IT, THAT'S DONE.
TO BE CLEAR, THIS $3.7 MILLION IS TO NOW TAKE THAT SPACE AND OTHER SPACES AND TURN IT INTO EDUCATION SPACES.
IF THIS BOND WERE TO FAIL OR THAT $3.7 MILLION WAS NOT AVAILABLE, I DON'T LIKE THE IDEA, WE COULD TURN THE PROPERTY BACKUP FOR SALE AND SELL IT TO THE PUBLIC AGAIN.
BUT JUST TO BE CLEAR, WE OWN 401 CAMP CRAFT, THAT WE PAID CASH, WE OWN THAT.
THIS 3.7 IS US TURNING IT INTO EDUCATION SPACE.
>> THAT'S CORRECT. JUST A CLARIFICATION THOUGH, ABOUT 300,000 OF IT IS TO REIMBURSE US BECAUSE THE MONEY WE HAD AVAILABLE AND THOSE OTHER CAPITAL FUNDS COVERED MOST BUT NOT ALL OF THE PURCHASE PRICE.
>> I THINK THAT BRINGS US TO THE END OF THIS PORTION OF THE END OF EANES AGENDA ITEM.
[OVERLAPPING] YOU GUYS PLEASE TELL TRINITY HOW MUCH WE APPRECIATE WHAT THEY'VE DONE.
NEXT TIME ON THE AGENDA IS THE RECITATION OF FUTURE MEETINGS.
[8. UPCOMING MEETINGS]
WE'VE GOT ONE JANUARY 19TH, IS DAY ONE OF OUR SUMMIT BEGINS AT 5:00, JANUARY 20TH, WE HAVE DAY TWO OF OUR SUMMIT AND THAT DAY BEGINS AT 8 O'CLOCK, JANUARY 24TH, WE WILL HAVE A REGULAR MEETING OF THE BOARD.EXCUSE ME. THE TIME IS 9:33 AND WE ARE ADJOURNED.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.