Jan 24, 2023 School Board Regular Meeting

[1. CALL TO ORDER]

[00:00:02]

THE TIME IS NOW 6:00, AND I CALL THE JANUARY 24TH MEETING OF THE ISD BOARD OF TRUSTEES TO ORDER.

MADAM SECRETARY, DO WE HAVE A QUORUM? WE DO. THANK YOU.

WE WILL NOW MOVE INTO CLOSED SESSION PURSUANT TO TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE 551.071 551.074 AND 551.

[3. CLOSED SESSION]

THANK YOU FOR COMING. WE'LL SEE YOU IN A BIT.

ALL RIGHT, LET'S GET GOING.

ALL RIGHT, I REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR PATIENCE WITH US THIS EVENING.

THE TIME IS NOW.

[4. RECONVENE INTO OPEN SESSION (Approximately 7:00 p.m.)]

WILL RECONVENE IN OPEN SESSION.

VERY GLAD YOU'RE HERE.

THANK YOU FOR COMING.

I THINK I CAN SPEAK ON BEHALF OF THE ENTIRE BOARD AND SAY WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO A GOOD MEETING THIS EVENING.

NOW, I HAVE A COUPLE OF THINGS I NEED TO COVER VERY QUICKLY.

FIRST PURPOSE OF TONIGHT'S MEETING IS FOR THE BOARD TO DELIBERATE AND VOTE ON MATTERS LISTED ON ITS 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.

WE HAVE EIGHT SPEAKERS SIGNED UP AND EACH WILL HAVE 3 MINUTES.

LAST THING IN THE EVENT OF AN EMERGENCY, PLEASE TAKE NOTE OF THE EXIT NEAREST YOU.

IF THE NEED ARISES, PLEASE HEAD TO THAT EXIT IN AN ORDERLY MANNER.

SO THERE ARE TWO EXITS ON THIS FLOOR.

THERE'S THE DOOR THROUGH WHICH YOU ENTERED.

AND THEN THERE'S A DOOR AT THE END OF THIS HALL.

THANK YOU FOR JOINING US AND FOR YOUR INTEREST IN OUR COMMUNITY AND SCHOOLS, AND WITH THAT, WE WILL BEGIN OUR AGENDA, AND THE FIRST ITEM THAT I HAVE IS OUR MISSION STATEMENT.

[5. EANES ISD MISSION STATEMENT]

UNITE, EMPOWER, INSPIRE EVERY PERSON, EVERY DAY.

WE UNITE OUR COMMUNITY THROUGH RESPECTFUL RELATIONSHIPS, CREATING A SENSE OF BELONGING FOR ALL.

WE EMPOWER STUDENTS, PROVIDING AN EXEMPLARY EDUCATION THAT DEVELOPS CURIOSITY, CREATIVITY AND INDIVIDUAL TALENTS, AND WE INSPIRE EACH OTHER TO LEAD PURPOSEFUL LIVES OF EMPATHY, GRATITUDE, AND COMPASSION.

PLEASE JOIN ME FOR THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.

THANK YOU ALL. THE NEXT ITEM ON THE REPORT IS AS OUR RECOGNITIONS, AND JEFF, I BELIEVE THIS IS YOURS.

[7. RECOGNITIONS]

WE WANT TO START WITH A VERY SPECIAL ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF THE SEVEN INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE SEATED WITH ME ON THE DAIS FOR THEIR HARD WORK AND THEIR SERVICE TO OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT.

JANUARY IS SCHOOL BOARD RECOGNITION MONTH, AND WE'RE HONORED TO CELEBRATE OUR TRUSTEES, THESE SEVEN INDIVIDUALS, FOR THEIR DEDICATION AND COMMITMENT TO OUR SCHOOL DISTRICTS, SCHOOLS AND STUDENTS.

OUR SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS ARE SELFLESS VOLUNTEERS WHO SPEND LONG HOURS WORKING TO ENSURE ALL STUDENTS HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN AND GROW.

CELEBRATING SCHOOL BOARD RECOGNITION MONTH IS ONE WAY TO SAY THANKS FOR ALL YOU DO.

SERVING AS A LINK BETWEEN THE COMMUNITY AND THE CLASSROOM TRUSTEES ARE ELECTED TO ESTABLISH THE POLICIES THAT PROVIDE THE FRAMEWORK FOR PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

THE EANES ISD BOARD IS RESPONSIBLE FOR AN ANNUAL BUDGET OF OVER $208 MILLION DOLLARS, NEARLY 7,800 STUDENTS, 1,000 EMPLOYEES AND TEN CAMPUSES.

SCHOOL BOARDS ARE ESSENTIAL TO A STRONG PUBLIC EDUCATION SYSTEM.

THEY PROVIDE THE LOCAL GOVERNANCE AND OVERSIGHT THAT ALLOWS SCHOOL DISTRICTS TO SERVE STUDENTS, INCLUDING ADOPTING POLICIES AND APPROVING A BUDGET.

PLEASE JOIN ME IN RECOGNIZING THEIR LEADERSHIP AND COMMITMENT TO OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT.

THANKS TO EACH OF YOU. [APPLAUSE] I WILL TELL YOU TRUSTEES THAT YOU HAVE AN ENVELOPE THAT CONTAINS A COMING REPRESENTATION OF OUR APPRECIATION FOR YOUR WORK AND YOUR SERVICE.

IT IS NOT MONEY, BUT IT IS SOMETHING INCLUDING INSTRUCTIONS ON AN ITEM THAT YOU'LL RECEIVE IN THE VERY NEAR FUTURE, AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO ENJOYING THAT WITH YOU.

SO AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR OUR TRUSTEES AND WE'RE VERY HAPPY TO RECOGNIZE YOU THIS MONTH.

ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

WE APPRECIATE THE KIND WORDS.

WE REALLY DO.

THE NEXT ITEM IS OUR SUPERINTENDENTS REPORT.

[8. REPORTS]

I'LL BE VERY BRIEF. I JUST WANTED TO UPDATE OUR COMMUNITY AND THE BOARD ON A FEW ITEMS OF INTEREST.

WE KNOW THAT THERE IS CONTINUED FOCUS ON SPANISH IMMERSION AND WHAT MAY HAPPEN NEXT WITH THIS PROGRAM, AND WHILE IT HAS BEEN RELATIVELY QUIET IN THE THREE WEEKS AFTER RETURNING FROM THE VACATION, I CAN ASSURE YOU WE'VE BEEN HARD AT WORK AND YOU CAN SEE REPRESENTED ON THE SCREEN AN OUTLINE OR THE FRAMEWORK FOR A TASK FORCE THAT WE'RE

[00:05:09]

WE'RE IN THE PROCESS NOW OF IDENTIFYING THE INDIVIDUALS, AND WE WILL VERY SOON BE REACHING OUT TO THOSE REPRESENTING EACH OF THE CAMPUSES, AS WELL AS DIFFERENT VIEWPOINTS THAT WE KNOW ARE INTERESTED IN THIS TOPIC.

ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT WE'RE WORKING ON AT THE MOMENT IS THE IDENTIFICATION OF AN INDEPENDENT FACILITATOR, SOMEONE WHO WILL COME IN AND HELP US TO MODERATE THAT WORK, NAVIGATE THE CONVERSATION WITH THE COMMUNITY AS WELL AS SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS THAT WILL BRING IN AS RESOURCES THROUGHOUT THAT PROCESS THAT WE ANTICIPATE IS PROBABLY GOING TO TAKE US AT THE VERY LEAST TO THE END OF THE SCHOOL YEAR, IF NOT INTO EARLY NEXT FALL, BUT WE LOOK FORWARD TO BEGINNING THAT WORK VERY SOON.

SO I WANTED TO MENTION THAT TOMORROW IS GOING TO BE A VERY BUSY DAY FOR SOME OF YOU.

WE'RE GOING TO BE DOWN AT THE CAPITOL AND THIS IS OUR EVERY OTHER YEAR VISIT TO ALL OF OUR LEGISLATORS AND OUR REPRESENTATIVES, AND WE'LL BE SPENDING MOST OF THE DAY DROPPING IN AND MEETING WITH THE DIFFERENT REPRESENTATIVES AND THE LEGISLATORS WHO REPRESENT OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT, VISITING WITH THEM ABOUT WHAT THEY FORESEE IN THE UPCOMING SESSION. IT'S GOING TO BE A BUSY DAY.

WE'RE GOING TO GET ALL OF OUR STEPS IN TOMORROW, MOVING AMONG ALL OF THE OFFICES AND KIND OF TRANSFER SEEING THE CAPITOL COMPLEX.

SO WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT AND WE'LL HAVE MORE INFORMATION TO REPORT BACK TO THE OTHER TRUSTEES WHO ARE NOT ABLE TO JOIN US ON THAT VISIT.

ALSO WANTED TO ACKNOWLEDGE OUR CHILD NUTRITION STAFF FOR THEIR HARD WORK.

EANES ISD HAS BEEN AWARDED A 2022 NATIONAL SCHOOL LUNCH PROGRAM EQUIPMENT ASSISTANCE GRANT, FOR NEARLY $100,000.

THIS WILL BE USED TO PAY FOR VARIOUS KITCHEN EQUIPMENT REPLACEMENTS AT BOTH CEDAR CREEK AND BARTON CREEK ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS, WHICH MAY FREE UP OTHER MONIES IN OUR BUDGET AS WELL.

SO AGAIN, THANK YOU TO OUR STAFF FOR SEEKING OUT THESE FUNDS, AND THEN YESTERDAY, WE CONCLUDED A SERIES OF PRESENTATIONS ON AWARENESS AND THE DANGERS ASSOCIATED WITH FENTANYL.

WE DID PRESENTATIONS FOR ALL OF OUR PARENTS THAT WAS OPEN TO THE COMMUNITY A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO, AND THEN WE DID STUDENT VERSIONS OF THAT PRESENTATION AT EACH OF OUR MIDDLE SCHOOLS, AND THEN YESTERDAY IT WAS A COMMAND PERFORMANCE AT THE HIGH SCHOOL.

ALL OF THE STUDENTS PARTICIPATED IN THIS PRESENTATION, EITHER IN PERSON IN THE PERFORMING ARTS CENTER OR THEY VIEWED IT STREAMED LIVE IN THEIR CLASSROOMS. SO IT WAS A VERY SOBERING DAY, BUT WE HOPE THAT IT RAISES AWARENESS OF THIS VERY CONCERNING SUBSTANCE THAT IS AVAILABLE IN OUR COMMUNITY AS IT IS, UNFORTUNATELY, IN ALL COMMUNITIES, BUT WE WANTED TO LET OUR STUDENTS KNOW WHAT THEY NEED TO BE WATCHING FOR.

THAT CONCLUDES MY REPORT FOR THIS EVENING, AND ANY QUESTIONS, I'LL BE HAPPY TO ENTERTAIN THOSE.

THANK YOU, JEFF. ANYBODY? I JUST WANTED TO THANK.

THANK YOU FOR THE REPORT.

I THINK THE FENTANYL PROGRAM, AS WE ALL KNOW, BECAUSE WE AS PARENTS, WE WERE ABLE TO WATCH IT, IS IMPORTANT.

I MEAN, IT'S NOT JUST REPORTING ON THINGS THAT ARE POSITIVE IN OUR DISTRICT.

IT IS KEEPING OUR KIDS SAFE AND GIVING THEM THAT KNOWLEDGE.

I ALSO AND WANTED THE AUDIENCE OUT THERE HEARD SOME SNICKERING WHEN WE OPEN THESE ENVELOPES, AND THANK YOU VERY MUCH, DR.

ARNETT, AND THANK YOU ADMINISTRATION.

THIS WAS A VEST AND.

IT IS A LITTLE BIT OF A JOKE BETWEEN US BECAUSE WE'VE TALKED ABOUT GETTING VEST FOR A LONG TIME.

SO THAT'S WHY WE WERE ALL GIGGLING, AND I DON'T KNOW THAT WAS ALL THAT OBVIOUS.

SO THANK YOU.

THEY STILL NEED TO BE FITTED FOR THEM, THUS THE INSTRUCTIONS IN THEIR ENVELOPE.

SO. [LAUGHTER] ANYBODY ELSE? NO. THE NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS OUR MONTHLY FINANCIAL REPORT AND BUDGET AMENDMENTS FOR THE PERIOD ENDING DECEMBER 31.

WE HAVE MARIA ROCKSTEAD.

MARIA. WELCOME THIS EVENING.

OKAY, SO YOU GUYS MAY HAVE NOTICED THAT WE ACTUALLY HAVE SOME TAX COLLECTIONS IN THE MONTH OF DECEMBER.

THEY'RE NOT QUITE WHERE WE WERE AT THIS POINT LAST YEAR, BUT WE EXPECT THAT WITH THE COLLECTIONS IN JANUARY, THEY'LL BE PRETTY CLOSE.

AND THEN AS FAR AS BUDGET AMENDMENTS, THERE WAS A BUDGET AMENDMENT SUBMITTED FOR THE GENERAL FUND AND THAT WAS, AGAIN, JUST CAMPUSES AND DEPARTMENTS SUBMITTING BUDGET TRANSFERS BETWEEN THE DIFFERENT FUNCTION CODES.

THE NET EFFECT ON THE FUND BALANCE IS ZERO, AND THEN THERE WAS NOT ANY BUDGET AMENDMENT SUBMITTED FOR THE CHILD NUTRITION FUND OR THE DEBT SERVICE FUND.

ANY QUESTIONS? ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS? ALL RIGHT, SEEING NONE.

THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU.

OKAY, THE NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS OUR OPEN FORUM, AND I AGAIN, HAVE SOMETHING I NEED TO READ.

[9. OPEN FORUM]

[00:10:06]

WE HAVE EIGHT SPEAKERS SIGNED UP AND EACH SPEAKER WILL BE AFFORDED 3 MINUTES TO SPEAK.

I'LL CALL YOU FORWARD WHEN IT'S YOUR TURN AND LET YOU KNOW WHEN YOUR TIME IS UP.

ONCE YOU ARE 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 AND 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 THIS OPEN FORUM PORTION OF THE 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 TO SHARE YOUR EVENING WITH US.

WE ARE READY FOR OUR FIRST SPEAKER.

OUR FIRST SPEAKER IS DAVID PAGE.

MR. PAGE. WELCOME.

WELCOME. THANK YOU.

I DON'T KNOW WHY I'M SAYING WELCOME, BUT ANYWAY, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR SERVICE ALL BOARD MEMBERS.

YOU DO GREAT THINGS FOR THE DISTRICT, AND EVEN THOUGH YOU RECEIVED SOME PERHAPS NOT GREAT LETTERS FROM US LAST YEAR, WE ARE APPRECIATIVE OF EVERYTHING YOU DO.

SPEAKING FOR MY FAMILY.

THANK YOU, DR.

ARNETT, FOR THE SLIDE ON THE PHRASE THE TASK FORCE, GETTING SOME QUESTIONS FROM [INAUDIBLE] PARENTS AND [INAUDIBLE] PARENTS.

THE 30 PARENT BODY.

PEOPLE ARE WONDERING WHY PERHAPS SOME ASPIRANT PARENTS COULD NOT ALSO BE INCLUDED IN THAT BECAUSE MANY PARENTS HAVE BEEN PUTTING THEIR KIDS INTO PRESCHOOLS WHEN THEY COULD HAVE CHOSEN, FOR EXAMPLE, MANDARIN OR FRENCH SPEAKING PRESCHOOLS. YET THEY CHOSE SPANISH BECAUSE IT'S A PATHWAY INTO THE FUTURO PROGRAM AND THEY'RE DOING THINGS LIKE MAKING IMPORTANT FINANCIAL DECISIONS, SUCH AS WHETHER TO BUY A HOUSE IN THE DISTRICT OR NOT BASED ON YOU KNOW, BEING HOPEFUL FOR THEIR ELDEST AND SUBSEQUENT CHILDREN.

SO PERHAPS WE COULD FORM HAVE SOME KIND OF MECHANISM WHERE BY, YOU KNOW, EVEN TWO OR THREE ASPIRANT PARENTS COULD BE INCLUDED SO THAT THEY FEEL THEY HAVE A VOICE.

WE'RE ALSO BEING ASKED TO ASK REGARDING THE SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS, WHAT INFORMATION CAN WE BE GIVEN ABOUT THEM IN ADVANCE AND CAN WE HAVE ACCESS EITHER ON THE WEBSITE OR VIA AN EMAIL TO THE STATEMENT OF WORK AND ALSO REQUESTS FOR PROPOSAL OR THE FACILITATOR? AND PARENTS ARE ALSO WONDERING, GIVEN THAT THE SO ADAMANTLY OPPOSED TO THE IDEA OF HIRING FOREIGN TEACHERS, EVEN WHEN MANY PARENTS THINK IT COULD BE A MEANS, EVEN IF IT'S JUST ONE OR TWO OF ARRESTING THE UPWARD PRESSURE ON THE STIPENDS.

WHICH WE KNOW IS ONE OF THE PROBLEMS RIGHT NOW.

COULD WE HAVE MORE OF A JUSTIFICATION FOR THE THINKING AROUND THIS? BECAUSE ON THE WEBSITE IT HAS, FOR EXAMPLE, THAT THE ADMINISTRATIVE BURDEN ON HELPING A FOREIGN TEACHER LEASE A VEHICLE, YOU KNOW, WHEN THERE ARE 300 MILLION CARS IN AMERICA, IT'S NOT REALLY SUFFICIENT JUSTIFICATION IN THE EYES OF MANY PARENTS.

A FEW OTHER THINGS, BUT MAYBE I'LL SEND YOU A LETTER ON THEM.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS CYNTHIA LEE.

MS. LEE. WELCOME.

HI THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.

YOU BET. APPRECIATE THE TIME, AND AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE.

MY NAME IS CINDY LEE.

I HAVE TWO CHILDREN IN THE SPANISH IMMERSION PROGRAM AT EANES AND A THIRD WHO'S COMING UP NEXT YEAR FOR KINDERGARTEN.

I WAS ONE OF DOZENS OF PARENTS WHO SPOKE TO YOU DURING THE DECEMBER BOARD MEETING AND WHO ATTENDED THE SI TOWN HALL MEETING IN DECEMBER SHOW OUR OVERWHELMING AND UNIFIED CONCERN ABOUT THE PROPOSED CHANGES TO THE SPANISH IMMERSION PROGRAM.

IT IS NOT UNEXPECTED THAT OUR PROGRAM THAT WAS STARTED JUST A FEW YEARS AGO IS EXPERIENCING SOME GROWING PAINS AND IS NOW AT AN INFLECTION POINT.

ALTHOUGH MANY PARENTS AND EVEN SOME ELEMENTARY STUDENTS THEMSELVES HAVE SHARED STORIES OF HOW MUCH THEY LOVE SI, WE ARE NOT ASKING FOR THE PROGRAM TO REMAIN AT THE STATUS QUO AS WAS SUGGESTED AT THE DECEMBER TOWN HALL MEETING.

RATHER, WE ARE HERE AGAIN TODAY TO ASK FOR MEANINGFUL STEPS TO BE TAKEN TO WORK WITH THE INTERESTED PARENTS AND THE COMMUNITY TO BE MORE CREATIVE IN SOLVING FOR THE COMPLEXITIES

[00:15:09]

BOARD AND ADMINISTRATION HAVE REPEATEDLY ASSURED US OF THE COMMITMENT TO GREATER TRANSPARENCY AND OPPORTUNITIES TO ENGAGE AND ATTEMPT TO FIND SOLUTIONS THAT ADDRESS THE CHALLENGES THAT YOU HAVE BROUGHT FORTH WHILE CONSIDERING THE DESIRES OF OUR COMMUNITY FOR A ROBUST, INCLUSIVE AND THRIVING PROGRAM.

WE'VE BEEN WAITING TO HEAR ABOUT THE TASK FORCE AND APPRECIATE THE SLIDE TONIGHT.

CLEARLY, THERE ARE SOME ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS ABOUT THE TASK FORCE STRUCTURE, THE SELECTION PROCESS.

PEOPLE ARE EAGER TO ENGAGE, AND SO WE'D LIKE TO KNOW HOW TO DO THAT, AND WE'D LIKE TO KNOW MORE ABOUT THE CONSULTANTS OR FACILITATORS AND THE SCOPE OF THEIR WORK BECAUSE THERE IS SO MUCH TO ADDRESS.

EVEN THOUGH THE DECISION TO CUT THE PROGRAM IN HALF FOR NEXT YEAR WAS PUT ON HOLD, IT'S CLEAR FROM READING THE RECENTLY POSTED SI FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS THAT THE POINT OF VIEW THE ADMINISTRATION HAS PRESENTED IN OCTOBER HAS NOT FUNDAMENTALLY CHANGED.

MEANWHILE, THE SI PARENT COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE HAS LISTENED WITH OPEN MINDS TO THE ISSUES THAT HAVE BEEN LAID OUT.

WE UNDERSTAND THAT THE FACTORS INFLUENCING THE SI PROGRAM DECISIONS ARE NOT CONFINED TO THE PROGRAM ITSELF, BUT ALSO MUST TAKE INTO ACCOUNT MANY VARIABLES ACROSS THE SCHOOL OPERATIONS; SPECIAL EDUCATION, EDUCATIONAL MINUTES, TEACHER RECRUITMENT AND COMPENSATION BUDGETS, FACILITY MANAGEMENT.

YOU KNOW THE LIST, JUST TO NAME A FEW.

OF COURSE, THESE THINGS WILL NECESSARILY IMPACT HOW THE SI PROGRAM WILL BE DELIVERED, AND WE ALL RECOGNIZE THAT.

THE MODEL ITSELF NEEDS TO BE CONSIDERED THE CAPACITY OF THE PROGRAM, THE PRESENCE OF SI CLASSES ON ALL CAMPUSES OR NOT, AND OF COURSE, MORE.

ALL OF THIS PRESENTS US WITH A BIG CHALLENGE, BUT AS WE LIKE TO SAY, WE CAN DO HARD THINGS.

I ENCOURAGE OUR LEADERSHIP TO HAVE THE COURAGE TO THINK BIG RATHER THAN SHRINK IN THE FACE OF THE CHALLENGE AND GO DOWN A PATH THAT WILL DIMINISH THE PROGRAM OVER TIME TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO FURTHER DRIVE A VISION FOR OUR SCHOOLS THAT IS INCLUSIVE OF A FLOURISHING AND ROBUST FUTURO PROGRAM AND MEETS THE NEEDS OF ALL STUDENTS WITH EXCELLENCE IN EDUCATION. THE COMMUNITY IS HERE AND READY TO HELP.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

OUR NEXT SPEAKER MAY NOT BE HERE.

DON HOGAN, IS MR. HOGAN HERE? OH, WELCOME, MR. HOGAN. YOU'RE UP. HELLO, I'M DON.

THANKS FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO TALK TODAY.

LIKE MANY OF THE PARENTS HERE, I'M REALLY STANDING HERE FOR MY CHILDREN TO GIVE THEM MORE OPPORTUNITIES TO SUCCEED THAN I HAVE, AND I'VE ALREADY HAD A LOT OF CHANCES TO SUCCEED IN LIFE, AND WE SEE THE TRAINING THAT THEY GET THROUGH SPANISH IMMERSION IS ONE OF THOSE WAYS TO HELP FOSTER AND GROW THEM AS GLOBAL CITIZENS THROUGH CURIOSITY, INSTILLING A LIFE OF LEARNING AND MANY OTHER OPPORTUNITIES TO TRY AND JUST DEVELOP A FAMILY AND CHILDREN WITH KINDNESS AND THAT CARE AND HAVE EMPATHY FOR THE WORLD AROUND THEM, AND SO SIMILARLY, MY GRANDPARENTS, DONATO RIVERA AND LUISA GARCIA, CHOSE THAT SAME PATH FOR THEIR CHILDREN, BUT MY MOTHER WAS ACTUALLY REFUSED TO BE TAUGHT SPANISH, AND SO IT WAS TAKEN FROM HER.

SO IT'S ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT WE ACTUALLY SEE THE SPANISH IMMERSION PROGRAMS, AND WE HAVE A KINDERGARTNER IN A YPW RIGHT NOW WHO'S GOING TO BE LOOKING TO KINDERGARTEN THIS NEXT YEAR.

WE SEE A SPANISH IMMERSION IN THE LEARNING OF LANGUAGE AS A GIFT TO KIND OF GIVE BACK TO OUR FAMILY WHAT WAS TAKEN FROM US, AND SO.

IT'S ACTUALLY REALLY KIND OF EMPOWERING THAT MY MOTHER, MY CHILDREN'S GRANDMOTHER IS LEARNING SPANISH AT THE SAME TIME THAT THEY'RE LEARNING IT AND TRYING TO HAVE CONVERSATIONS WITH EACH OTHER.

SO NOT ONLY DO WE SEE THIS AS JUST A REALLY POWERFUL MOMENT OF SOME HEALING IN OUR FAMILY FOR SOMETHING THAT WAS TAKEN AWAY FROM US, BUT WE SEE IT AS A CONTINUED OPPORTUNITY TO GIVE OUR CHILDREN SUCCESSFUL MEANS TO GO OUT TO THE WORLD AND BE GREAT GLOBAL CITIZENS.

AND WE'RE NOT THE ONLY ONES.

WE ARE NOT THE ONLY FAMILIES THAT HAVE HAD A LANGUAGE TAKEN AWAY FROM US, AND SO WHAT I JUST WANT TO TRY AND ENCOURAGE THE BOARD WITH IS THAT THE SPANISH IMMERSION PROGRAM IS NOT JUST A CHECKBOX OR A LIST OF THINGS TO DO TO TRY AND DRAW PEOPLE TO A PROGRAM, BUT IT CAN ACTUALLY BE A MEANS OF HEALING AND REPAIR IN A FAMILY'S LIFE AS WELL, AND SO I WANT TO ENCOURAGE YOU TO KIND OF KEEP THAT IN MIND AS WE GO ABOUT THIS PROCESS AS WELL.

SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS PATRICK HAYES.

MR. HAYES. WELCOME THIS EVENING.

GOOD EVENING. THAT'S A TOUGH ACT TO FOLLOW, AND EXCUSE MY VOICE.

JUST DEALING WITH SOME SINUS ISSUES TOLD CEDAR MIGHT BE PARTLY RESPONSIBLE.

I MOVED HERE WITH MY WIFE IN 2018.

WE'VE GOT A THREE YEAR OLD SON AT YPW AND WE'RE EXPECTING A DAUGHTER IN A COUPLE OF MONTHS.

[00:20:05]

ONE POINT IS JUST AROUND DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION, AND TO ME, AS I THINK ABOUT SOME OF THE COMMUNICATIONS THAT I'VE READ, MY INTERPRETATION IS THAT, YOU KNOW, REDUCTIONS TO THE SPANISH IMMERSION PROGRAM WOULD BE A SIGNIFICANT STEP BACKWARDS ON THAT STRATEGIC INITIATIVE.

THAT'S JUST ONE PERSON'S VIEW, BUT SOMETHING THAT I THINK SHOULD BE THOUGHT ABOUT DILIGENTLY THROUGH THIS PROCESS.

A SECOND POINT I'D MAKE IS, BUT I'VE GOT TO THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR SERVICE, BY THE WAY.

I INTENDED TO START WITH THAT.

IT'S A LOT OF RESPONSIBILITY, RIGHT, AND YOUR POSTURE REGARDING THIS PROGRAM AND THEN, OF COURSE, YOUR ACTUAL DECISIONS AND ACTIONS END UP IMPACTING THE DECISION MAKING OF PARENTS IN THIS DISTRICT WHO ARE WEIGHING THE SPANISH IMMERSION PROGRAM VERSUS NOT PARTICIPATING IN THAT PROGRAM AND VERSUS POTENTIALLY ENROLLING THEIR CHILDREN IN PRIVATE SCHOOLS, AND THE LAST POINT THAT I'D LOVE TO JUST DRAW YOUR ATTENTION TO IS JUST TRANSPARENCY AND OPEN MINDEDNESS, AND I THINK THAT'S A TWO WAY STREET AMONG THE PARENTS AS WELL AS THE ADMINISTRATION.

JUST THE MORE INFORMATION THAT YOU CAN SHARE AND THE MORE DATA AND THE MORE PERSPECTIVES ON HOW YOU ANALYZE THAT DATA, THAT TRANSPARENCY ENDS UP HELPING EVERYONE INVOLVED IN THE COMMUNITY TO BE OPEN MINDED AND CREATIVE AND ULTIMATELY REACH THE BEST SOLUTIONS.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS MARISSA WARD.

MS.. WARD, WELCOME THIS EVENING.

HI. I COMPLETELY CHANGED MY SPEECH BECAUSE I LISTEN TO AND THEY NAILED IT.

SO THEY HIT IT OUT OF THE PARK. SO I'M JUST GOING TO SHARE MY EXPERIENCE AND HOPEFULLY IT'LL GIVE A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE.

I HAVE A FIFTH GRADER AND A SECOND GRADER WHO ORIGINALLY STARTED IN THE CEDAR CREEK SPANISH IMMERSION PROGRAM.

WE ARE ZONED FOR FOREST TRAIL, BUT WHEN WE HEARD THAT THE PILOT PROGRAM WAS STARTING AT CEDAR CREEK, I PUT MY NAME ON THE WAITING LIST AND HAD NO EXPECTATION OF GETTING ADMITTED, AND THEN I DO REMEMBER IN EARLY MAY WHEN YOU, DR.

ARNETT, CALLED ME AND TOLD ME THAT YOU HAD A SPOT AVAILABLE, AND WAS I INTERESTED? I THINK I SAID SOMETHING TO THE EFFECT OF YES, AND THANK YOU FOR THE BEST MOTHER'S DAY GIFT EVER.

IT WAS THE WEEKEND. IT WAS THE WEEK RIGHT BEFORE MOTHER'S DAY.

SO I STILL THANK YOU FOR THAT.

WE LOVED CEDAR CREEK, AND UNFORTUNATELY, IN 2021, FOR HEALTH REASONS, WE MADE THE VERY DIFFICULT DECISION TO TRANSFER FROM CEDAR CREEK TO A DIFFERENT SPANISH IMMERSION PROGRAM IN AISD, AND WE FULLY INTENDED TO COME BACK FOR WHEN MY SON WAS READY TO TRANSFER TO MIDDLE SCHOOL, BECAUSE WE DO LOVE THE EANES DISTRICT, BUT AT THIS TIME WE WERE A BIT SKITTISH ABOUT COVID AND WE WANTED TO GET THEM VACCINATED.

WE JUST NEEDED A LITTLE BUBBLE TO HANG OUT IN.

SO NOW THE TIME IS APPROACHING, AND I'VE BEEN DOING MY HOMEWORK TO GET MY KIDS BACK INTO OR TRY TO GET MY KIDS BACK INTO THE PROGRAM, AND I'M A LITTLE DISHEARTENED TO SEE HOW DIFFICULT AND COMPLICATED THINGS ARE NOW.

THERE WAS SO MUCH PASSION IN THE 2019 BOARD MEETING WHEN THE BOARD UNANIMOUSLY DECIDED TO EXTEND THE PROGRAM THROUGH THE FIFTH GRADE, AND I CAME BACK AND THE PARENTS ARE JUST AS PASSIONATE AND THANKFUL FOR THAT, BUT I AM JUST NOT REALLY FEELING THAT THE ENTIRE THE DISTRICT AND THE BOARD AND THE PARENTS ARE WORKING TOGETHER TO COME TO A SOLUTION, AND IN FACT, WHEN I LOOKED INTO POSSIBLY AT THE RISK OF NOT HAVING A SPOT NEXT YEAR, ENROLLING, TRANSFERRING MY KIDS IMMEDIATELY IN DECEMBER, I WAS TOLD THAT THE DISTRICT WAS NOT ACCEPTING INTRA DISTRICT TRANSFERS AT THIS TIME, EVEN THOUGH THERE ARE VACANCIES.

SO WHILE IT'S FRUSTRATING, I UNDERSTAND THESE ARE COMPLICATED TIMES AND I'M TRYING TO BE AS FLEXIBLE AS POSSIBLE BECAUSE I DO LOVE THIS PROGRAM AND I DO WANT IT TO WORK AND I WANT TO WORK WITH THE DISTRICT AS WE ALL DO, BUT I DID WANT TO SHARE THAT PERSPECTIVE, AND OH, THE SAME FOR MY SON.

WHEN I WAS ASKING ABOUT TRANSFERRING HIM INTO HILL COUNTRY.

I'M STILL WORKING THIS OUT, BUT I WAS TOLD BECAUSE HE DID NOT HE'S NOT PROGRESSING FROM THE EANES PROGRAM HE MAY NOT QUALIFY FOR IT, WHICH I FIND THAT HARD TO SWALLOW.

SO I'M HOPING THAT THERE WILL BE CONCESSIONS, BUT THE PLAN WOULD BE WE WOULD LIKE TO TRANSFER HIM INTO HILL COUNTRY IF WE CAN, BUT YEAH, I MEAN, I'M SO GLAD THAT WE'RE DOING THE TASK FORCE AND I'M CONVINCED THAT THERE ARE EAGER PARENTS WILLING TO HELP OUT AND WANTING TO HELP OUT.

[00:25:01]

OUR NEXT SPEAKER, IF HE IS HERE IS TOM [INAUDIBLE].

MR. [INAUDIBLE]. HEY, TOM.

WELCOME. HI, EVERYONE.

YOU KNOW, I THINK THE LAST FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU ONCE AGAIN FOR GIVING US THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK HERE.

I THINK THE LAST TIME WHEN I SPOKE, WE HAD A THE PARENTS COLLECTIVELY, INCLUDING MYSELF, HAD A LEVEL OPTIMISM GOING IN THINKING THAT WE ARE MAKING GREAT STRIDES IN FINDING SOME TYPE OF SOLUTION THAT'S AMICABLE ON BOTH SIDES, THOSE WHO ARE FOR SPANISH IMMERSION, WHICH ARE VERY LOUD AND PROMINENT AND, YOU KNOW, NOT SHOCKINGLY, BUT THERE ARE PEOPLE THAT ARE REALLY AGAINST THE PROGRAM AND FOR REASONS THAT ARE STILL KIND OF UNKNOWN TO ME, BASED OFF OF THE COMMENTS THAT HAVE BEEN SHARED ACROSS IN THESE TYPE OF FORUMS AND IN THAT LARGE GROUP SETTING.

YOU KNOW, WHEN I READ THAT FUTURO FAQ ON THE WEBSITE, I WAS ACTUALLY PRETTY DISHEARTENED BECAUSE TO ME WHEN I READ IT, I'D RECOMMEND EVERYONE READING AGAIN.

IT SEEMED LIKE IT WAS A FOREGONE CONCLUSION THAT THIS PROGRAM IS GOING TO GET DWINDLED DOWN.

THERE IS A--IT READ AS IF WE WERE JUSTIFYING THE REASON WHY THAT THIS PROGRAM WILL BE NARROWED AND REDUCED AND WE WOULD, PARTICULARLY FAMILIES LIKE MYSELF, WOULD NOT HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO PARTICIPATE IN FUTURO.

FOR EXAMPLE, I AM ZONED FOR FOREST TRAIL.

IF WE'RE GOING TO REDUCE DOWN TO ONE CLASSROOM PER SCHOOL, THE CHANCES OF MY DAUGHTER WHO'S SEVEN MONTHS, THE CHANCE FOR HER WHEN SHE GETS INTO KINDERGARTEN TO GET INTO A PROGRAM, IS GOING TO BE VERY LIMITED, PROBABLY NONEXISTENT.

SO I AM ALREADY THINKING ABOUT, ALONG WITH OTHER PARENTS, ABOUT POTENTIALLY WHAT WE CAN DO OUTSIDE OF THE EANES SCHOOL DISTRICT.

HOW SAD IS THAT? WE ARE THINKING ABOUT LEAVING EANES AND GOING TO ANOTHER PROGRAM IN AISD BECAUSE OF THE FACT THAT THERE'S NO GUARANTEE THAT MY DAUGHTER WILL HAVE THIS PROGRAM AVAILABLE FOR HER, BECAUSE IF YOU'RE GOING TO REDUCE IT FROM THE OTHER CLASSES, YOU'RE NOT GOING TO INCREASE IT AT VALLEY VIEW OR FOREST TRAIL, THAT'S FOR SURE.

SO I WAS VERY DISHEARTENED BY HEARING ABOUT THAT, AND I DON'T KNOW HOW TO THINK ABOUT WHAT OPPORTUNITIES OR REALLY HOW I COULD FIND A REASON TO BE OPTIMISTIC GOING INTO THIS YEAR, READING THAT FAQ AND ALMOST KIND OF HAVING THE SINKING FEELING THAT WHAT I READ WAS A JUSTIFICATION OR FORESHADOWING OF WHAT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN TO THIS PROGRAM.

SO I WANTED TO SHARE MY EMOTIONS WITH YOU ALL IN MY TRANSPARENCY.

I HOPE YOU ALSO SHARE AND BECOME VERY TRANSPARENT IN THIS WHOLE PROCESS AS WE WORK TOGETHER TO FIND A SOLUTION.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS DANIEL WALK.

MR. WALK, YOU'RE UP.

WELCOME. THANK YOU SO MUCH, AND THANK YOU, DR.

ARNETT AND BOARD FOR YOUR SERVICE AND YOUR VOLUNTEERISM.

I AM ONE OF THOSE [INAUDIBLE] PARENTS WHO LIVE DOWN THE ROAD RIVER AND LOSS CREEK.

I GUESS I AM ZONED FOR FOREST TRAILS AND I'VE GOT A DAUGHTER WHO WILL BE STARTING IN SPANISH IMMERSION PRE-K THIS COMING SUMMER, AND I'VE SIMILAR SORT OF CONCERNS IS THAT THE BENEFITS OF BILINGUAL EDUCATION OR MANIFEST, YOU KNOW, IMPROVED CONCENTRATION, BETTER PROBLEM SOLVING SKILLS, BETTER CULTURAL COMPETENCY, THE ABILITY TO UNDERSTAND THEIR OWN PRIMARY LANGUAGE SO MUCH BETTER, AND I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT SHE HAS THIS OPPORTUNITY FOR HERSELF, AND THIS WAS PART OF ONE OF MY CONCERNS WHEN OR I SHOULD SAY, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I LOOKED FORWARD TO WHEN MY WIFE AND I DECIDED TO BUY A HOUSE HERE JUST A YEAR AND A HALF AGO WAS THAT EANES WAS AN EXCELLENT SCHOOL DISTRICT, AND THIS IS ONE OF THE SHINING EXAMPLES OF HOW IT WAS LEADING, AND I'D LOVE FOR THIS TO BE A PRIORITY FOR EANES ISD TO CONTINUE TO EXPAND.

I WOULD LOVE FOR WHEN SHE MATRICULATED IN 2026 THAT SHE COULD GO TO FOREST TRAILS, AND IF NOT THAT THEN THAT MAYBE THAT SHE WOULD STILL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO GO TO ONE OF THE OTHER SCHOOLS WHERE SHE IS SI AVAILABLE.

THIS IS MY FIRST MEETING AT ANY SORT OF PUBLIC BOARD BEFORE I HAVE TO THANK TOM [INAUDIBLE] FOR INTRODUCING ME TO THIS GROUP BECAUSE I FELT SO STRONGLY ABOUT SPANISH IMMERSION FINDING OUT THERE'RE OTHER PARENTS THAT FELT SO AS WELL, AND SO WHEN I HEARD THAT Y'ALL'S MISSION STATEMENT TO UNITE, TO EMPOWER, TO INSPIRE, I THINK THIS THE SPANISH

[00:30:04]

THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR COMING TO SPEAK TO US THIS EVENING.

OUR NEXT SPEAKER, IF HE IS HERE, IS MARCUS [INAUDIBLE].

GOOD EVENING, MARCUS. WELCOME.

WELL, THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE TODAY.

THIS IS MY SECOND TIME SPEAKING TO Y'ALL, AND THIS IS THE SECOND TIME DR.

ARNETT HAS MADE AN ANNOUNCEMENT THAT HAS COMPLETELY SCRAPPED WHAT I WAS PLANNING TO SAY.

[CHUCKLING] I'M HERE IN LARGE PART TO SPEAK ON SPANISH IMMERSION AND I DON'T THINK I'LL SAY ANYTHING NEW.

I THINK IT'S JUST REALLY HARD FOR ALL THESE PARENTS WHO REALLY CARE, BUT IT'S HARD TO FIND TIME TO COME HERE.

REMIND YOU ALL JUST HOW MUCH WE CARE.

SO I'M JUST AN EXTRA VOICE TO ADD TO THAT.

THESE PARENTS, YOU KNOW, THE PARENTS COME IN CONTACT WITH, WE ALL WANT OUR VOICE TO BE HEARD, AND IT SOUNDS LIKE THERE'S A TASK FORCE THAT WILL HOPEFULLY GIVE US AN AVENUE BY WHICH TO REALLY BE ACTIVE PARTICIPANTS.

SO I WON'T SAY TOO MUCH MORE ON THAT, EXCEPT TO SAY THAT WE WANT OUR VOICES PRESENT, WE WANT TO BE COLLABORATIVE, AND, YOU KNOW, IF THIS TASK FORCE IS AS IT SHAPES UP TO BE, GREAT.

SO THANK YOU ALL [INAUDIBLE] WE DO STILL CARE.

I DON'T THINK WE'RE GOING TO STOP CARING ANYTIME SOON, SO WE'LL KEEP WORKING WITH YOU.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

I APPRECIATE YOUR REMARKS.

I APPRECIATE YOU ALL TAKING THE TIME TO BE WITH US THIS EVENING.

THAT BRINGS US TO THE END OF THE OPEN FORUM PORTION OF OUR MEETING, AND THE NEXT ITEM ON OUR AGENDA IS OUR FIRST DISCUSSION ITEM.

[10. DISCUSSION]

HISTORICAL SUMMARY FINANCIAL REPORT.

CHRIS, MAKE IT FUN.

YOU KNOW, YOU CAN COUNT ON ME TO MAKE IT FUN.

IT'S THAT TIME AGAIN.

IT'S THE START OF THE BUDGET SEASON, NOT NOT QUITE OPENING DAY OF BASEBALL, BUT STILL PRETTY EXCITING.

SO WE'RE GOING TO GO THROUGH A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT WE ALWAYS DO ON THIS KICKOFF MEETING.

ONE, I'M GOING TO TALK ABOUT THE CALENDAR AND WHAT WE'RE GOING TO BE DOING, PARTICULARLY THIS SPRING LEADING UP TO THE ADOPTION OF THE BUDGET IN JUNE.

WE'RE GOING TO I FORGOT, I'VE GOT A SCREEN UP IN FRONT--THAT'S SO GREAT; I DON'T HAVE TO LOOK TO THE SIDE.

WE'RE GOING TO BE LOOKING AT HISTORICAL DATA, WHICH IS WHAT WHEN SOMETIMES WE COMPARE, WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT SALARIES AND THAT KIND OF THING, WE COMPARE WITH THE DISTRICTS IN THE AREA BECAUSE THAT'S THE RELEVANT DISTRICTS TO COMPARE IT TO AND THEN SOMETIMES WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT OTHER THINGS, WE WANT TO COMPARE TO DISTRICTS THAT LOOK MORE LIKE US AND THAT THEY MIGHT BE IN THE AREA THEY MIGHT NOT BE, AND SO THIS IS THE MEETING WHERE WE'RE GOING TO DO THAT.

I'M GOING TO GO OVER SOME OF OUR BUDGETING ASSUMPTIONS AND THEN I'LL SHOW YOU OUR INITIAL PROJECTION WHERE I THINK WE STAND RIGHT NOW.

SO HERE'S THE BULK OF WHAT WE'RE GOING TO BE LOOKING AT THIS SPRING, JANUARY, OBVIOUSLY, WE'RE MEETING TODAY, GOING TO HIT BOTH OF THOSE TARGETS. APRIL IS WHEN WE'LL GET THE PRELIMINARY TAXABLE ASSESSED VALUE FROM TCAD.

FROM THAT, WE'LL MAKE SOME ADJUSTMENTS, AND REMEMBER THAT'S NOT THE FINAL AND THE FINAL ONE WE WON'T ACTUALLY HAVE UNTIL AFTER YOU'VE ADOPTED THE BUDGET , AND THEN MAY IS WHEN YOU WILL COMMIT TO A FINAL SALARY INCREASE OR CHANGE FOR THE YEAR , AND I'VE ALSO PUT ANOTHER BULLET POINT DOWN THERE, WHICH IS THE CLOSE OF THE TEXAS LEGISLATIVE SESSION, WHICH IS ON MAY 29TH.

NOW, THAT'S INTERESTING, BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE A MEETING BETWEEN WHEN THE CLOSE OF THE SESSION IS AND WHEN I HAVE TO SUBMIT A BUDGET TO BE POSTED IN THE NEWSPAPER THAT THEN YOU WILL CONSIDER IT AT THE JUNE MEETING.

IF THINGS ARE MOVING AND WE KIND OF THINK WE KNOW HOW IT'S GOING.

OBVIOUSLY, WE CAN, I EXPECT WE'LL BE DOING THIS A LOT IN THE SPRING, GIVING YOU SOME ESTIMATES OF WHAT THIS THING THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT NOW, WHAT THAT WOULD MEAN FOR US, BUT SO IF THEY DO SOMETHING SIMPLE, WHICH IS JUST GO IN AND CHANGE THE BASIC ALLOTMENT AND THEY'VE PASSED IT AND THEY KNOW IT'S GOING TO THE GOVERNOR, I FEEL PRETTY GOOD ABOUT SAYING, OKAY, THIS IS THE IMPACT.

IF THEY GET IN THERE AND START TINKERING AROUND WITH MORE THAN JUST A BASIC ALLOTMENT, I PROBABLY WON'T FEEL THAT COMFORTABLE GOING IN THERE AND GIVING YOU A NUMBER, AND SO PROBABLY WHAT YOU'LL END UP DOING IS PASSING A BUDGET THAT WE'D KNOW THAT WE'RE GOING TO NEED TO DO SOME MAJOR MODIFICATION ON

[00:35:05]

REMEMBER, YOU DON'T ADOPT THE TAX RATE AT THAT TIME, BUT YOU HAVE THE HEARING FOR IT, AND THEN THE THREE THAT YOU HAVE TO PASS, WHICH IS THE GENERAL FUND, THE DEBT SERVICE FUND AND THE CHILD NUTRITION FUND, AND THEN THINGS HAPPEN AGAIN.

SO LIKE I SAID, BECAUSE WE PASSED THE BUDGET IN JUNE, THERE IS A LOT OF THINGS THAT WE DON'T KNOW.

ONE OF THEM IS WHAT OUR TAX BASE IS GOING TO LOOK LIKE.

WE GET A PRETTY GOOD IDEA IN APRIL, BUT THAT'S NOT DEFINITIVE, AND THEN IN OCTOBER, WE'RE GOING TO FIND OUT EXACTLY WHAT OUR ENROLLMENT LOOKS LIKE, AND FROM THAT, WE CAN PROJECT REALLY CLOSELY WHAT OUR ADA WILL BE FOR THE YEAR, AND SO THAT'S WHEN WE COME IN, IN DECEMBER AND DO THAT MAJOR BUDGET AMENDMENT THAT WE JUST DID LAST MONTH, AND OF COURSE, IN AUGUST, YOU'LL ADOPT THE TAX RATE THAT WE'LL TALK ABOUT IN JUNE.

SO LET'S TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT OUR HISTORICAL DATA COMPARISON WITH SIMILAR DISTRICTS.

KEEPING IN MIND THIS DATA IS ALWAYS GOING TO LAG BECAUSE WE'RE TAKING IT FROM TEA WEBSITE , AND JUST AS AN EXAMPLE, THE FISCAL YEAR WE JUST FINISHED THE 21-22 SCHOOL YEAR, WHICH YOU HAD A PRESENTATION FROM OUR AUDITORS BACK IN NOVEMBER, AND WE'VE SUBMITTED ALL OF OUR DATA TO THE STATE, BUT THOSE SCHOOL DISTRICTS THAT HAVE AN 8/31 CLOSE RATHER THAN A 6/30 CLOSE THEIR DEADLINE TO SUBMIT ALL THEIR DATA IS JUST NOW COMING, AND SO THERE'S NO DATA FROM 21-22 AVAILABLE YET, AND THAT WON'T BE AVAILABLE UNTIL LATER IN THE SPRING.

SO THAT'S WHY THIS DATA ALWAYS LAGS A LITTLE BIT, BUT YOU DO GET TO SEE TRENDS, PARTICULARLY WHEN WE LOOK AT THEM YEAR AFTER YEAR, AND SO THE DISTRICTS THAT WE'RE COMPARING ARE ALL PRETTY SIMILAR TO US.

THEY HAVE SIMILAR DEMOGRAPHICS, RELATIVELY SIMILAR SIZES.

MOST OF THEM HAVE ONE HIGH SCHOOL.

I THINK COPPELL ACTUALLY HAS ONE MAIN HIGH SCHOOL IN A SMALLER MAGNET TYPE HIGH SCHOOL, AND OF COURSE, LAKE TRAVIS IS WORKING ON MOVING TO A MULTI HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT.

OUR TAX RATES TWO YEARS AGO.

ONE THING I DO WANT TO POINT OUT HERE IS IF YOU LOOK AT THE LIGHT BLUE BAR, THAT'S THE DEBT SERVICE TAX RATE, AND WE ARE THE LOWEST.

WE'RE THE LOWEST AMONGST THIS GROUP AND WE'RE THE LOWEST AMONGST OR AMONG THE LOWEST, DEPENDING ON WHERE AISD ENDS UP IN ANY GIVEN YEAR IN THE AREA, AND SO WE JUST HAVE A REALLY LOW I&S TAX RATE, AND THAT'S A FUNCTION OF OUR TAX BASE.

WE DON'T HAVE TO HAVE A HIGH TAX RATE IN ORDER TO SERVICE OUR DEBT, AND ALSO NOT SURPRISING, WE HAVE A HIGH RECAPTURE PER STUDENT , AND SO HIGHLAND PARK, I BELIEVE, IS THE NUMBER THREE LARGEST CONTRIBUTING DISTRICT IN THE STATE SINCE THE INCEPTION OF RECAPTURE.

AUSTIN'S NUMBER ONE.

PLANO'S NUMBER TWO, HIGHLAND PARK'S NUMBER THREE, AND WE ARE NUMBER FOUR.

THIS IS ONE THAT I REALLY WANT TO POINT OUT BECAUSE I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT.

IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT A LOT AND THAT IS.

TRYING TO MINIMIZE THE AMOUNT OF MONEY WE SPEND ON ANYTHING OTHER THAN THE PEOPLE WHO WORK FOR US, AND AS WAS THE CASE LAST YEAR, AND AS I EXPECT THE CASE TO BE GOING FORWARD, WE'RE DOING A BETTER JOB OF THAT THAN ANY OF OUR COMPARISON DISTRICTS HERE.

ONE THING, YOU KNOW, THIS IS A BUSY SLIDE.

PERHAPS I SHOULD MAKE IT LESS BUSY, BUT IF YOU LOOK AT THE SILVER BAR THERE, THAT REPRESENTS FUND BALANCE PER STUDENT.

SO THIS IS NOT A PERCENT BECAUSE WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT FUND BALANCE, WE'RE REALLY INTERESTED IN THE PERCENT OF OF GENERAL FUND EXPENDITURES, BUT IT'S IMPORTANT AS A GENERAL IDEA TO LOOK AT IT ON A PER STUDENT BASIS, AND IF YOU'LL NOTICE, WE'RE THE LOWEST THERE.

NOW, WE'VE BEEN GOING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION, AND AS YOU'LL SEE LATER THIS EVENING, I'M PROJECTING THAT WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO MOVE IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION ON THAT, BUT WE HAVE LESS WIGGLE ROOM THAN SOME OF OUR COMPARISON DISTRICTS DO BECAUSE WE HAVE A LOWER FUND BALANCE.

[00:40:03]

I'M JUST GOING TO POINT OUT SOME OF THEM THAT I THINK ARE PARTICULARLY IMPORTANT THIS YEAR.

NUMBER ONE, I'VE BASED THIS THESE PROJECTIONS ON THE IDEA THAT THE SCHOOL FUNDING SYSTEM IS GOING TO REMAIN UNCHANGED.

WE ALL KNOW THAT'S NOT TRUE.

WE KNOW THAT THE LEGISLATURE IS GOING TO DO THINGS.

WE HOPE THAT THEY WILL DO THINGS THAT ARE HELPFUL TO US, BUT ABSENT ANY DIRECTION ON WHAT THAT IS, OUR BEST ASSUMPTION IS TO SAY THIS IS WHERE WE ARE AND AS WE START GETTING IDEAS OF HOW THOSE THINGS ARE GOING TO IMPACT US, THEN WE'LL TALK TO YOU ABOUT THOSE.

ANOTHER IMPORTANT THING IS OUR ENROLLMENT BASED ON OUR DEMOGRAPHIC PROJECTION IS ABOUT 7623 KIDS FOR NEXT YEAR.

JUST AS A COMPARISON, IN '18-19, WE WERE AT 8132.

THAT'S A DROP OF MORE THAN 500 KIDS IN FIVE YEARS.

IF WE LOOK OUT A FEW YEARS BEYOND HERE, WE SEE THAT DOWNWARD TREND IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE.

LAST YEAR WHEN WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THIS AS A BOARD, YOU PUT IN THE GOAL THAT WE WERE GOING TO LOOK AT A REDUCTION IN FTE IN THIS SCHOOL YEAR TO HELP ACCOUNT FOR THAT DROP THAT WE'RE SEEING NOW.

I DON'T I DON'T HAVE THE EXACT COUNTS IN FRONT OF ME, BUT I BELIEVE THAT WE ACTUALLY MIGHT HAVE SAVED A COUPLE OF POSITIONS THIS CURRENT YEAR BECAUSE BECAUSE OF THE DROPS, AND I EXPECT THAT THERE WILL THERE WILL PROBABLY BE SOME SITUATIONS WHERE WE CAN DO THE SAME THING THIS YEAR, BUT OF COURSE, THAT ALL DEPENDS, AS FAR AS THAT GOES, ON WHERE THE CHANGES HAPPEN, WHERE ARE THE SAVINGS, CAN YOU REDUCE AN FTE THERE OR CAN YOU NOT? I'M SPEAKING SPECIFICALLY AT THE ELEMENTARY LEVEL WHERE WE HAVE THAT 22 TO 1 MANDATE.

SO THERE'S A GOOD CHANCE THAT WE CAN MEET THAT OR AT LEAST COME CLOSE TO MEETING THAT JUST BY REACTING TO TO THE ENROLLMENT PATTERNS AS WE SEE THEM BUT AGAIN, THAT'S BUILT INTO THE MODEL AS I'VE PRESENTED IT, AND FINALLY.

I HAVE NOT INCLUDED ANY SAVINGS FROM A POTENTIAL 2023 BOND THAT YOU GUYS MIGHT ORDER HERE IN THE NEXT FEW WEEKS.

NOW, IF YOU DO AND IF THE BOND PASSES AS IT'S CURRENTLY PRESENTED, WE WOULD EXPECT TO SEE IMMEDIATE M&O SAVINGS OF SOMEWHERE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF $2.2 MILLION IN THE '23-24 SCHOOL YEAR, BUT AGAIN, THAT'S ALL A BIG MAYBE, AND I DON'T WANT TO INCLUDE IT YET, BUT JUST KEEP IT IN THE BACK OF YOUR MIND AS WE PROCEED THAT MIGHT BE SOMETHING THAT YOU CAN LOOK AT WHEN WE COME BACK, ASSUMING WE DO, YOU KNOW, IN AUGUST OR SEPTEMBER.

YES, THE 2019 BOND, ALL OF THE PROGRAMS THAT WERE GOING TO GIVE US M&O SAVINGS HAVE ALREADY BEEN IMPLEMENTED.

SO, IN THE '23 BOND, LIKE I SAID, THERE ARE SOME THAT WILL COME ON AUTOMATICALLY THE FIRST YEAR, ABOUT 2.2 TO 2.3 MILLION, AND THEN THERE ARE OTHER SAVINGS THAT WILL TAKE MORE TIME TO COME ON, AND THAT'S SPECIFICALLY COMING FROM THE SOLAR PROJECTS, AND SO I'M NOT SURE WHAT THE TIMELINE ON THAT WILL BE, BUT OBVIOUSLY WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE INSTALLING SOLAR IN THE FIRST YEAR.

IT'S GOING TO TAKE QUITE A BIT OF LEAD TIME IN PREPARATION FOR THAT.

SO LET'S LOOK AT THE INITIAL PROJECTION.

SO OUTLINED IN RED IS THIS YEAR'S PROJECTION AND YOU CAN SEE THAT I'M PROJECTING A BUDGETED DEFICIT OF ABOUT $240,000 AND MY EYES AREN'T QUITE GOOD ENOUGH TO SEE THE LITTLE SCREEN THERE.

I'M LOOKING OVER HERE, $260,000 BUDGETED DEFICIT, BUT A PROJECTED DEFICIT OF $740,000.

FOR THOSE OF YOU IN THE AUDIENCE OR LISTENING AT HOME, WE ALWAYS OR OFTEN WE'LL TALK ABOUT TWO DIFFERENT THINGS.

NUMBER ONE, BUDGETED DEFICIT, WHICH IS THE BOTTOM LINE.

IF YOU JUST LOOK AT THE BUDGET, THAT'S WHAT YOU WOULD SEE.

HOWEVER, BECAUSE OF THE WAY WE BUDGET, BECAUSE OF LIMITATIONS THAT THE STATE PUTS ON US, WE ALWAYS OVER BUDGET KNOWING THAT WE'RE GOING TO PERFORM BETTER THAN THAT. YOU TYPICALLY IT'S GOING TO BE IN THE RANGE OF ABOUT $700,000 TO MAYBE $1.3 MILLION.

WE AVERAGED IT OUT TO ABOUT $1,000,000, WHICH IS WHERE WE COME UP WITH OUR PROJECTED SURPLUS OR DEFICIT, AND SO IF YOU LOOK ACROSS THERE,

[00:45:07]

I DIDN'T DO ANYTHING.

THIS IS WHOLLY RELATED TO THE INCREASE THAT WE'RE SEEING IN OUR INVESTMENT REVENUE.

SO IF OUR INVESTMENT REVENUE HAD ACTUALLY TURNED OUT.

WELL, WHERE WE THOUGHT IT WAS GOING TO BE LAST YEAR AT THIS TIME, IT WOULD STILL BE RED, BUT WE'RE ROLLING IT FORWARD WITH THESE PROJECTIONS OF HIGHER REVENUE.

I FEEL CONFIDENT THAT '23-24, WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO SEE THOSE THOSE HIGHER INVESTMENT REVENUES AFTER THAT.

I THINK IT GETS A LITTLE IFFY HERE, BUT FOR RIGHT NOW, WE'RE GOING TO GO BACK TO OUR OLD MODEL AND MAKE THE ASSUMPTION OF THE LEVEL OF RETURNS WE'RE GETTING ONE YEAR IS RELATIVELY SIMILAR TO THE LEVEL OF RETURNS WE'LL GET THE NEXT YEAR, ALTHOUGH THAT MAY BREAK DOWN IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS, BUT I DON'T BELIEVE IT WILL IN THE COMING SCHOOL YEAR, AND I'M HAPPY TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH, CHRIS.

KIM. I JUST HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS, CHRIS.

ONE WAS WHEN I WAS LISTENING TO YOU ON THE JUST THE INITIAL BUDGET PROJECTION, AND THIS IS REALLY FOR ANYONE IN THE AUDIENCE. I THINK A MINUTE AGO YOU JUST SAID YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT BUDGET SURPLUS OR BUDGET DEFICIT, AND THEN YOU SAID PROJECTED DEFICIT, BUT THE SCREEN SHOWS HERE, I'M SORRY, SURPLUS.

THAT WAS A MISSPEAK.

YES. PROJECTED SURPLUSES FOR THE NEXT FEW YEARS.

YES, AND I SAW THAT, AND I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE ANYONE LISTENING WOULD HEAR THAT THE PROJECTION IS OF A SURPLUS FOR THE COMING YEAR, AND THEN YOU ALSO SAID THAT THE BUDGETED AND THE PROJECTED ARE ALWAYS GOING TO DIFFER AND THAT IT SOUNDED LIKE YOUR CONCLUSION WAS BECAUSE OF THE BECAUSE OF COST SAVINGS, BECAUSE OF THE WAY YOU BUDGET, IT'S GOING TO GO UP.

IS THAT HISTORICAL? YES, IT IS. SO WHEN WE ADOPT THE BUDGET, WHEN YOU ADOPT THE BUDGET, YOU DON'T JUST ADOPT IT BY FUND.

YOU HAVE TO ADOPT IT BY FUNCTION AS WELL AND IN THE GENERAL FUND, MARIA PROBABLY KNOWS OFF THE TOP OF HER HEAD I'M GOING TO MAKE UP A NUMBER SOMEWHERE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF 15 TO 20 DIFFERENT FUNCTIONS, AND NONE OF THOSE FUNCTIONS CAN EXCEED WHAT YOU BUDGETED.

SO IF YOU, FOR EXAMPLE, FUNCTION 11 IS INSTRUCTION, AND THERE WILL BE SOMEWHERE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF PROBABLY 50-$60 MILLION IN FUNCTION 11, YOU CAN'T WHATEVER THAT NUMBER IS THAT YOU ADOPT, YOU CAN'T EXCEED THAT, AND SO AND THAT'S TRUE OF INSTRUCTION WITH FUNCTION 11 IT'S TRUE IN FUNCTION 91 WHICH IS WHERE WE CODE RECAPTURE IT'S TRUE IN FUNCTION 34 YOU KNOW, WHICHEVER FUNCTION IT IS, WE WHATEVER YOU ADOPT, WE CAN'T EXCEED IT, AND SO EVERYTHING IS BUDGETED WITH A CUSHION SO THAT WE'RE NOT GOING TO EXCEED THAT, AND THAT WILL BE ONE OF THE LAST THINGS THAT MARIA DOES AT THE END OF THE YEAR IS START MOVING THINGS AROUND TO MAKE SURE, OKAY, IF A LATE INVOICE COMES IN THIS FUNCTION, ARE WE STILL GOING TO BE OKAY? WE START LOOKING AT BECAUSE YOU OF COURSE, HAVE TO ADOPT THOSE AMENDMENTS BEFORE THE END OF THE SCHOOL YEAR, BEFORE THAT TIME ACTUALLY COMES AND SO WE'LL GO IN THERE AND LOOK AT IT.

OKAY, WE'VE GOT 20 DAYS OF JUNE LEFT.

HOW MUCH MONEY DO WE THINK WE'RE GOING TO COLLECT IN TAXES? BECAUSE IF IT GOES BEYOND WHAT WE THOUGHT WE WERE GOING TO COLLECT, THEN THAT'S GOING TO THROW RECAPTURE OFF AS WELL, AND SO WE'LL HAVE TO GO IN AND ADJUST THAT, AND SO WE START MAKING THOSE MOVEMENTS AT THE END OF THE YEAR, BUT.

IN GENERAL, IT'S ABOUT $1,000,000 THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT, AND THANK YOU FOR THAT.

I APPRECIATE THAT, AND THAT'S WHAT I'VE SEEN HAPPEN, AND THEN, AS YOU JUST SAID IN DECEMBER, WE'RE GOING TO GO IN WITH A BUDGET AMENDMENT AND

[00:50:02]

CORRECT. OKAY, AND THEN I JUST HAD ONE QUICK QUESTION.

YOU SAID, BECAUSE I'VE SEEN IN DIFFERENT TOPICS, DIFFERENT COMPARISON DISTRICTS, SO YOU WENT OVER THE COMPARISON DISTRICTS THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT, AND IN THIS DATA SET, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT ONE HIGH SCHOOL, THE SIMILAR I&S RATE, AND THEN THERE WAS ONE OTHER SIMILAR STUDENT DEMOGRAPHIC, AND RECAPTURE.

SO THOSE WERE THE CRITERIA THAT YOU PULLED OR YOU WERE LOOKING AT WHEN YOU LOOKED AT OUR COMPARISON DATA.

YEAH, A FEW YEARS AGO WHEN WE HAD TO DO THE EFFICIENCY AUDIT, WHEN YOU GUYS WENT OUT FOR THE VATRE, THEY HAD TO PULL SOME COMPARABLE DISTRICTS AND THESE ARE THE ONES THEY PULLED THERE, TOO.

SO THEY'RE PRETTY CLOSE TO US.

SO AND THAT WAS ANOTHER QUESTION THEN, THAT THOSE ARE CONSISTENTLY OUR COMPARISON DISTRICTS FOR BUDGETING.

I KNOW WHEN WE LOOK AT HIGH PERFORMING, WE THERE'S ANOTHER SET BUT FOR BUDGETING THAT WE'RE CONSISTENT IN LOOKING AT THIS.

EXACTLY. THANK YOU.

THANKS FOR ALL THE QUESTIONS OR THE ANSWERS.

THANK YOU. JAMES.

THANK YOU.

CHRIS, A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS.

MAYBE I MISSED THIS.

YOU'RE SHOWING AN FTE CHANGE EACH YEAR NEGATIVE.

WHAT IS THAT BASED ON OR WHAT IS DRIVING AN FTE CHANGE? THE DROP IN THE PROJECTED ENROLLMENT.

THAT'S WHAT I THOUGHT. YEAH, AND TO CLARIFY, THOSE AREN'T US FINDING A TEACHER IN A CLASSROOM AND TELLING THAT PERSON YOU DON'T HAVE A JOB ANYMORE.

THIS IS USUALLY THROUGH.

YEAH, AND EXACTLY WHAT WE'RE HOPING IS THAT THE DROP IN STUDENTS WILL CORRESPOND IN SUCH A WAY THAT WE JUST DON'T NEED A TEACHER.

WE HAD FIVE TEACHERS AT THIS GRADE LEVEL, AND NOW WE NEED FOUR.

I DON'T BELIEVE IT'S GOING TO BE WE NEED TO CUT A PROGRAM, BUT SO, YOU KNOW, AT SEVEN THAT'S NOT REALLY I DON'T REALLY GET INTO THE NUTS AND BOLTS OF THAT A WHOLE LOT, BUT I THINK THAT'S PROBABLY PRETTY DOABLE.

YEAH AND I THINK THAT'S WORTH CALLING OUT THAT IT'S RELATED TO FALLING ENROLLMENT AND WE ARE TAKING FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE STEPS TO STAY IN LINE WITH THAT, RIGHT? GO AHEAD. IF I COULD SAY, TOO, THOSE REDUCTIONS ALMOST ALWAYS OCCUR NATURALLY THROUGH ATTRITION.

RIGHT, THROUGH ATTRITION, TEACHER RETIREMENT, TEACHERS MOVING.

OKAY, THANK YOU.

CHRIS, I WAS OUT OF THE ROOM, BUT YOU HAD A SLIDE THAT SHOWED OUR I BELIEVE, OUR FUND BALANCE PER STUDENT RELATIVE TO OTHER SCHOOL DISTRICTS , AND OUR BALANCE PER STUDENT TENDS TO BE IS THE LOWEST ON THIS LIST IF I'M READING THIS.

YES IT IS. YEAH, AND ALTHOUGH FALLING ENROLLMENT WOULD HELP CHANGE THAT A LITTLE BIT IN OUR FAVOR, I SUPPOSE THAT'S NOT A FAVORABLE THING, BUT WHEN I LOOK AT BUDGET SURPLUSES IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF $1,000,000, BUT IF WE PASS A BOND AND CAN SAVE ANOTHER COUPLE OF MILLION DOLLARS, I MEAN, WE'RE TALKING THREE, THREE AND ONE HALF MILLION A YEAR SURPLUSES GOING FORWARD, AND THERE'S THIS FISCAL CONSERVATIVE PART OF ME THAT WOULD LOVE TO SEE US BUILD OUR FUND BALANCE UP THAT RAINY DAY FUND TO BE ABLE TO HELP US THROUGH SOME OF THOSE LEAN TIMES.

THERE'S ALSO THIS STRONG PIECE OF ME THAT'S LIKE THERE'S A STRONG PIECE OF ME THAT WHEN WE HAVE A SURPLUS, I WANT TO GIVE IT TO EMPLOYEES.

I WANT TO, YOU KNOW THAT--HOW DO I SAY THAT? I'D LOVE TO BE ABLE TO PUT THAT INTO SALARIES.

I KNOW 660,000 PER 1% AT THIS POINT, AND THAT'S PRETTY SIGNIFICANT.

NOW, I'M HOPING THE LEGISLATURE COMES THROUGH WITH SOME STUFF AND DEFINITELY WE WANT TO WAIT FOR THAT, BUT I THINK THAT AND I HOPE THAT THE RECOMMENDATION AT SOME POINT WOULD BE TO LOOK AT A BALANCE OF THAT.

OR I GUESS THE THIRD OPTION WOULD BE TO LOOK AT LOWERING THE TAX RATE OR GOING OUT TO THE VOTERS AND LOWERING THE M&O RATE AND THOSE GOLDEN PENNIES WE COLLECT, WHICH THAT MAY BE SOMETHING TO CONSIDER AS WELL, BUT I APPRECIATE THESE AND I HOPE THAT THE FAVORABLE RATES ON OUR INVESTMENTS CONTINUE, BUT THAT COULD BE ANOTHER RAINY DAY KIND OF THING AS WELL.

WELL, I KNOW THAT YOU ALL ARE REALLY FAVOR PUTTING PUTTING MONEY INTO EMPLOYEE COMPENSATION, AND I THINK WE AS AN ADMINISTRATION ALSO FAVOR THAT.

I MEAN, NUMBER ONE, IT'S JUST THE RIGHT THING TO DO BECAUSE OUR EMPLOYEES WORK VERY HARD.

NUMBER TWO, IT'S A COMPETITION THING BECAUSE OTHER DISTRICTS AROUND US ARE INCREASING AND WE WANT TO KEEP PACE WITH THEM, AND SO I THINK THAT'S REALISTIC

[00:55:07]

I'M LIKE YOU.

I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO SEE A BUILD UP OF THE FUND BALANCE, BUT I THINK THAT THERE IS PROBABLY ROOM TO DO BOTH OF THOSE THINGS AND WE SHOULD ALSO MENTION, TOO, AND CHRIS CAN ELABORATE ON THIS, BUT THE M&O PART OF OUR TAX RATE IS LOWERING BECAUSE OF ACTION BY THE TEXAS LEGISLATURE TO COMPRESS TAX RATES IN AN EFFORT TO TRY TO SAVE PROPERTY OWNERS ON THEIR TAXES.

SO THAT'S HAPPENING NATURALLY.

IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT WE'RE DOING ON OUR OWN.

THANK YOU BOTH FOR THAT.

HEATHER. ALONG THOSE SAME LINES, I WOULD JUST LIKE TO COMMENT THAT THE STATE'S CONTRIBUTION TO PUBLIC EDUCATION IS THE BIGGEST WAY TO REDUCE PROPERTY TAXES. SO THERE'S THAT, AND I LOOK AT OUR INFORMATION HERE AND I SEE THAT 2%, AND THAT'S JUST SOMETHING THAT WE ALWAYS PUT IN THERE, BUT I TOO AM HOPEFUL THAT WE'RE ABLE TO GIVE OUR STAFF MORE THAN THAT, AND I KNOW THE COMPTROLLER OF THE STATE OF TEXAS CAME OUT AND SAID THAT WE HAVE $32.7 BILLION IN SURPLUS FOR THE STATE AND ANOTHER 27.1 BILLION IN THE STATE'S RAINY DAY FUND, AND ON TOP OF THAT, THERE'S $3 BILLION IN FEDERAL FUNDS.

SO THAT IS JUST $59.8 BILLION WITHIN THE STATE THAT I HOPE WE CAN HAVE OUR LEGISLATORS MAKE AN OPPORTUNITY THAT IS SIGNIFICANT TO OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND OUR STAFF IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS, AND I'M TALKING FACILITIES AND STAFFING.

SO I'M REALLY HOPEFUL, BUT I'M NOT HOLDING MY BREATH.

BUT THAT'S A LOT OF MONEY, AND SO I DO THINK I'M EXCITED THAT WE'RE GOING TOMORROW AND WE'RE GOING TO PUT SOME PRESSURE ON OUR LEGISLATORS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE ABLE TO PUT SOME OF THAT MONEY BACK INTO OUR SCHOOLS AND REALLY SHOW OUR STAFF THAT THEY ARE WHAT MAKES THE WORLD GO ROUND BECAUSE ALL OF THE OTHER PROFESSIONS ARE DEPENDENT ON TEACHERS.

SO I'M EXCITED ABOUT THAT, BUT THANK YOU FOR THIS.

IT'S ALWAYS INTERESTING TO SEE HOW WE ARE AND I ALWAYS REALLY APPRECIATE THE COMPARISON TO THE DIFFERENT DISTRICTS, AND I APPRECIATE THAT WE ARE VERY FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE AND WE SPEND SO MUCH JUST ON OUR STAFF BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT MATTERS, EDUCATING KIDS.

SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

ELLEN. THANKS, CHRIS.

JUST TO GO BACK TO KIM'S QUESTION, THESE ARE THE DISTRICTS THAT WE TEND TO COMPARE OURSELVES ON, ON ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT AS WELL.

THAT'S RIGHT. SO I JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY THAT, THAT IT TENDS TO BE A PRETTY CONSISTENT GROUP.

MOST OF THESE ARE HIGHER PERFORMING, HIGHER SOCIOECONOMIC, AND THEN THERE'S LAKE TRAVIS, JUST BECAUSE IT'S LAKE TRAVIS.

RIGHT, BUT THERE'S LOVEJOY.

THERE'S OTHER DISTRICTS THAT I'VE SEEN IN A WIDER COMPARISON, AND THAT WAS REALLY MY POINT.

I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THIS WAS HISTORICAL, AND I DIDN'T MEAN TO INTERRUPT YOU.

OKAY, ALSO, CHRIS, I WANTED TO CLARIFY THE ENROLLMENT ASSUMPTION YOU MAKE FOR NEXT YEAR.

DOES THAT ASSUME THAT TRANSFERS STAY THE SAME? IDENTICAL TO WHAT WE HAVE THIS YEAR? I SEE JEFF NODDING HIS HEAD.

SO I'M GOING TO GO WITH, YES. YEAH, IT DOES.

SO WE HAVE MAINTAINED THAT NUMBER AS A STATIC FIGURE.

SO NOT MAKING ANY ASSUMPTIONS, BUT IF WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO INCREASE THAT NUMBER, OBVIOUSLY IT WOULD.

SO IN SOME OF THE ASSUMPTIONS, WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO FIND WAYS TO INFLUENCE THEM A LITTLE BIT.

IT'S ALWAYS FUN TO START THIS PROCESS AND WE'LL BE TALKING ABOUT IT FOR A LONG TIME, AND SO THIS IS PROBABLY PREMATURE BECAUSE I ASSUME DETAIL IS COMING LATER, BUT JUST TO CLARIFY, WILL WE HAVE A CHANCE TO TO SEE COMPARISONS TO THIS SET OF COMPARISON DISTRICTS BY DIFFERENT.

I DON'T WANT TO CALL IT FUNCTIONS BECAUSE I KNOW THOSE ARE THE BIG BUCKETS ON THE BUT THE LINE ITEM MAYBE IT'S THE LINE IN THE BUDGET THINGS LIKE EXTRACURRICULARS, SPECIAL EDUCATION ADMINISTRATION, OR ON THE REVENUE SIDE, RENTAL INCOME.

I MEAN, IN YEARS PAST, WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO SEE THAT KIND OF LEVEL DETAIL AGAINST THESE DISTRICTS.

WILL WE BE ABLE TO SEE THAT THIS YEAR? I DIDN'T HAVE IT SCHEDULED TO SHOW THAT TO YOU, BUT I CAN CERTAINLY PUT THAT TOGETHER FOR YOU, YES.

IF IT NEEDS TO BE IF THE REQUEST NEEDS TO BE NARROWED, I'M PARTICULARLY INTERESTED IN CARROLL AND HIGHLAND PARK.

HIGHLAND PARK BECAUSE THEY ARE PART OF THE HIGH PERFORMING CONSORTIUM AND WE DO COMPARE OURSELVES QUITE HANDILY WITH HIGHLAND PARK AND CARROLL, BECAUSE THEIR ECONOMIC

[01:00:02]

I KNOW I ASKED SOME QUESTIONS LAST SPRING, AND I'M STILL NOT SURE WHAT THE ANSWER THERE IS.

I'LL PUT SOMETHING TOGETHER FOR YOU.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

I THINK THAT BRINGS US TO THE END OF THE Q&A PORTION OF YOUR WORK TONIGHT, CHRIS.

THE NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS OUR 2023 BOND PLANNING.

JEREMY, YOU'RE UP.

OH, AND CHRIS, YOU'RE STILL HERE? YEAH, JUST IN CASE. ALL RIGHT.

YEAH, I WAS GOING TO FEEL ALONE AT THESE TWO LARGE TABLES WITH A BUNCH OF CHAIRS, SO I'M GLAD CHRIS CAN JOIN US.

SO GOOD EVENING, EVERYONE.

SO WE'RE HERE AGAIN TO TALK ABOUT A POTENTIAL 2023 BOND, KIND OF TO REVIEW WHAT WE PRESENTED LAST WEEK SORRY, LAST MEETING, AND SO WE'RE GOING TO SPEND SOME TIME JUST GOING OVER KIND OF WHERE WE ARE IN THE PROCESS.

CONGRATULATIONS, WE HAVE MOVED THAT NEEDLE A LITTLE BIT CLOSER, ENCROACHING ON FEBRUARY 7TH, WHICH IS THAT NEXT BOARD MEETING WHERE YOU MAY HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO ORDER A BOND ELECTION IF YOU WOULD ELECT TO DO SO FOR MAY 6TH.

SO WE'RE GETTING CLOSE TO THAT DATE.

I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE ALL THE HARD WORK THAT THE BOND ADVISORY COMMITTEE PUT FORTH OVER THE LAST SEVERAL MONTHS OVER THE ENTIRE FALL, PUT A LOT OF HOURS INTO IT.

SO AGAIN, I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THEIR HARD WORK, AND THAT'S GOING TO BE THE FOUNDATION ON WHICH WE BEGIN THE CONVERSATION TONIGHT.

LOOKING BACK AT THAT FINAL RECOMMENDATION THAT WE BROUGHT TO YOU LAST MEETING FROM THE BOND ADVISORY COMMITTEE TOTALING $130 MILLION.

SO THIS IS THE FOUNDATION AND THE BREAKDOWN ACROSS THE FOUR TABLES, AND THEN WE ALSO HAD IT BROKEN DOWN BY PROPOSITION BECAUSE WE HAVE THOSE THREE PROPOSITIONS EXPLAINED HERE, A, B, AND C, SO WE CAN KIND OF SEE WHAT THOSE TOTALS ARE GOING TO LOOK LIKE.

SO THAT'S KIND OF THE FOUNDATION, BUT THEN AT THAT SAME MEETING, WE ALSO BROUGHT SOME OTHER THINGS TO YOU.

ONE OF THOSE WAS THE POSSIBLE PROGRAM EXPANSION RENOVATIONS TIED TO THE NEWLY ACQUIRED PURCHASE OF 401 CAMP CRAFT ROAD, AND SO WE OUTLINED KIND OF WHAT THOSE MAY BE IN ORDER TO ACCOMPLISH SOME PROGRAM EXPANSIONS THAT WOULD BENEFIT WESTLAKE HIGH SCHOOL.

I WILL TELL YOU THAT THIS WOULD BE AN INCREASE TO THE $130 MILLION BY $3,660,000.

YOU'LL SEE THAT NUMBER IS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT THAN WHAT WE PRESENTED LAST MEETING.

THE REASON FOR THAT IS THAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO REALIZE SOME INTEREST EARNINGS THAT WE WERE ABLE TO CREDIT BACK THOSE THOSE ACCOUNTS THAT WE'RE TAKING THOSE FUNDS FROM, AND SO THAT DROPPED IT BY APPROXIMATELY $40,000 AND SO THAT'S WHY THAT NUMBER CHANGED, BUT PLEASE REMEMBER THAT THE COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH THIS EXPANSION WOULD NOT AFFECT THE TAX RATE, AND IT ALSO WOULD NOT SIGNIFICANTLY IMPACT ANY FUTURE BONDING CAPACITY.

SO THAT'S A QUICK SUMMARY, BUT I ALSO WANTED TO LAY OUT WHAT THESE ADAPTATIONS MAY MEAN.

WE TALK $3.6 MILLION, BUT WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN WITHIN THAT PROCESS? SO WE STARTED AT WESTLAKE HIGH SCHOOL AND SOME OF THE PROGRAMS THAT WOULD BE INVOLVED IN THESE ADAPTATIONS IS OUR HOSA, OUR CERT AND CTE.

THEY ARE IN VERY IRREGULAR SHAPE CLASSROOMS WITHIN THE HIGH SCHOOL CURRENTLY, AND SO CREATING A NEW SPACE FOR THEM, AND WE COULD CREATE THAT SPACE AT THE CURRENT TLC, WHICH IS ACROSS THE STREET FROM THE MAIN HIGH SCHOOL AND AROUND THE SOFTBALL AND TENNIS COMPLEX, BUT THEN YOU MAY THINK, WELL, WHAT HAPPENS TO TLC? AND THOSE CONVERSATIONS LED TO EXPANDING THAT TLC, THE LEARNING CENTER, AND IN ORDER TO EXPAND IT, IT NEEDS MORE SPACE, AND THAT SPACE COULD BE FOUND IN THIS CURRENT BUILDING THAT WE'RE SITTING IN NOW, AND THIS BUILDING ACTUALLY LEADS TO A LOT OF POSITIVE IMPROVEMENTS TO CLASSROOM TYPE SPACE.

CLASSROOMS FIT VERY WELL IN THIS BUILDING AS IT CURRENTLY STANDS, BUT THERE'S GOING TO NEED TO BE RENOVATIONS GOING FROM KIND OF AN ADMINISTRATION CENTER TO A TLC. THIS WILL ALLOW POSSIBLE EXPANSION OF THAT PROGRAM IN FUTURE YEARS AND THEN WE LEAD TO, WELL, WHERE IS EVERYONE THAT'S HOUSED IN THIS BUILDING TO GO? ADMINISTRATION WOULD BE RELOCATED TO THE NEWLY ACQUIRED 401 CAMP CRAFT.

401 CAMP CRAFT IS A CURRENT OFFICE BUILDING.

IT SERVES OFFICE LAYOUTS VERY, VERY WELL, JUST IN THE ACTUAL HOW IT'S SHAPED AND THE THINGS THAT ARE WITHIN THAT FACILITY, THE

[01:05:08]

IT MAY SEEM CLOSE.

IT'S RIGHT THERE AT THE END OF THE PARKING LOT, BUT IN PROXIMITY TO THE ACTUAL HIGH SCHOOL CAMPUS, THERE COULD BE SOME CHALLENGES GETTING STUDENTS IN AND OUT OF.

SO REALLY, STUDENTS IN THIS BUILDING SERVES PROBABLY THE BEST PURPOSE, AND THEN ADMINISTRATION UTILIZING AN EXISTING OFFICE COMPLEX AT 401 CAMP CRAFT.

SO THAT'S KIND OF THE PROGRAM EXPANSION AND THE ADAPTATIONS TIED TO THAT, BUT WITH THAT, THERE'S COST ASSOCIATED WITH THAT.

SO WE WANTED TO BREAK DOWN FOR EACH ONE OF THOSE STEPS, WHAT ARE THOSE COSTS FOR RENOVATING THIS BUILDING AND TO ACCOMMODATE TLC, THAT EXPANSION, $2 MILLION, BUT ONE THING I WANTED TO EXPLAIN HERE IS THAT IN THE CURRENT BOND RECOMMENDATION, THERE ARE ACTUALLY COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH RENOVATIONS OF THIS BUILDING, HVAC AND SOME REFURBISHMENT.

SO THAT REALLY WOULD DRAW DOWN THE OVERALL ASK OF ALL THESE COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH IT, AND THEN WE HAVE $450,000 TIED TO JUST THE TLC AND REARRANGING THAT, RENOVATING THAT TO ACCOMMODATE THE HOSE, CERT AND CTE AND THEN REPURPOSING THOSE EXISTING CLASSROOMS AT APPROXIMATELY $100,000 IN WESTLAKE HIGH SCHOOL JUST TO RENOVATE THOSE AND SOME OF THEM ARE BROKEN UP INTO DIFFERENT SPACES JUST TO MAKE IT LARGER INTO A TRADITIONAL CLASSROOM, AND THEN CAMP CRAFT TIED WITH A 1.5.

SO IT'S THE LAST THING IS THAT REIMBURSEMENT RESOLUTION.

SO WE HAD FUNDS WITHIN THOSE LAND PROCEEDS TO PAY 401 CAMP CRAFT.

THIS WOULD REIMBURSE THAT ADDITION, THOSE ADDITIONAL FUNDS THAT WERE HAD TO BE UTILIZED FROM OUR OPERATING BUDGET TO FINALIZE THAT PURCHASE, AND THAT'S APPROXIMATELY $310,000 FOR A TOTAL OF $3.66 MILLION, AND SO THIS IS KIND OF A BREAKDOWN OF WHAT THAT EXPANSION WOULD LOOK LIKE OVER A CERTAIN TIME PERIOD IN ORDER TO IMPLEMENT ALL THIS.

SO TAKING THAT INTO CONSIDERATION, WE GO BACK TO KIND OF THE BREAKDOWN OF OUR TABLES AND HOW THIS WOULD BE LAID OUT WITH THOSE DOLLARS INCLUDED IN THE $133,660,000 TOTAL AND THEN BROKEN DOWN BY OUR PROPOSITION, I WILL TELL YOU THE RENOVATIONS ASSOCIATED WITH THAT WOULD ALL BE IN PROPOSITION A. SO THAT'S AN UPDATE KIND OF WHERE WE SIT OVERALL WITH THE RECOMMENDATION.

WE'RE HERE AS WE TALK THROUGH THIS, SO I CAN ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE WITH THAT OVERALL RECOMMENDATION.

THANK YOU, JEREMY. KIM.

JEREMY, THANKS SO MUCH FOR THE UPDATE.

I DO HAVE SOME QUESTIONS AROUND THE RENOVATIONS OF THE VARIOUS BUILDINGS.

SORT OF THE TIMELINE PROCESS.

PRESUMABLY RENOVATIONS WOULD NEED TO START AT 401 CAMP CRAFT, CORRECT? CORRECT. SO THAT AS WE MOVE ADMIN, WE COULD THEN TAKE CARE OF THIS SPACE AND THEN SO ON AND SO FORTH.

SO I WAS A LITTLE BIT SURPRISED TO SEE THE COST BREAKDOWN AND THAT THE RENOVATIONS COST AT 401 CAMP CRAFT IS VERY SIMILAR TO THE COSTS OF RENOVATING THIS BUILDING.

HOW CONFIDENT ARE YOU THAT IS GOING TO BE ENOUGH MONEY THAT 1.5 MILLION IS ENOUGH MONEY FOR THE RENOVATIONS AT 401? RIGHT, SO IF WE LOOK AT THIS BREAKDOWN, I WILL TELL YOU RIGHT NOW THAT EXCHANGE THOSE NUMBERS.

$2 MILLION IS FOR 401 CAMP CRAFT BECAUSE THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE ELEVATOR AND FIRE SPRINKLER AND SO RENOVATIONS OF THE OVERALL SPACE OUTSIDE OF THAT WOULD BE VERY SIMILAR AND LUCKILY WE DO HAVE THOSE THINGS IN PLACE CURRENTLY RIGHT HERE.

ONE STEP TO DO IS UTILIZE AS MUCH OF THE ACTUAL PARTITIONS THAT WE CAN AND EXPAND UPON THAT, AND SO WHAT WE DO IS WE LOOK AT THE OVERALL RENOVATION OF THE SPACE, AND LAYING THINGS OUT.

ONE THING IS THAT 401 CAMP CRAFT THAT WOULD INCLUDE A BOARD ROOM, WHICH IT'S A VERY LARGE SPACE.

THERE'S NOT A WHOLE LOT OF WORK, PARTITION WALLS AND THINGS LIKE THAT, AND SO WE GO TO OUR CONSULTANTS AND SAY, THIS IS THE TYPE OF RENOVATION THAT WE WANT TO PERFORM ON THESE BUILDINGS, AND WE DO IT COST PER SQUARE FOOT BASED ON WHAT THE PROJECTION IS, AND SO I RELY ON THEM AND THEY HAVE THE MOST EXPERIENCE WITH THESE TYPE OF RENOVATIONS AND SO THAT'S WHAT WE KIND OF BASE THESE COSTS ON, AND HAVE YOU INCLUDED THE COST OF TECHNOLOGY INFRASTRUCTURE INTO THAT?

[01:10:05]

HOW FAR DOWN THE LINE ARE SOME OF THESE ITEMS? SO IN A PERFECT WORLD, THAT SOMETIMES PERFECT WORLD DOES NOT WORK OUT.

THE GOOD THING IS WE'RE DEALING WITH AN UNOCCUPIED BUILDING, AND SO WE WOULD HAVE TO GO THROUGH PERMITTING AND EVERYTHING ELSE FOR THOSE RENOVATIONS.

IT'S MAINLY INTERIOR RENOVATIONS TO THAT SPACE THAT WOULD THE GOAL WOULD BE HOPEFULLY TO HAVE WE WANT TO START A NEW SCHOOL YEAR IN THIS BUILDING WITH TLC, AND SO THAT WOULD BE THE GOAL, BUT IF WE DON'T GET THERE, WE'LL DO IT MID-YEAR.

SO FOR THE 24-25 SCHOOL YEAR, IT WOULD BE GREAT TO BE IN THIS BUILDING.

TLC AND THIS BUILDING BY THE START OF THE '24.

THAT WOULD BE MY GOAL, AND SO THAT WOULD MEAN THAT ONE WOULD GO ON AND THEN WE WOULD HAVE TO SHIFT OVER, YOU KNOW, GET ABOUT 6 TO 8 MONTHS ON ON THAT BUILDING AND THEN TRANSITION TO THIS ONE.

OKAY, PERFECT. THAT HELPS ME, AND THEN ONE LAST QUESTION.

DO YOU HAVE AN ESTIMATE FOR THE INCREASE IN M&O EXPENDITURES BASED ON OUR ACQUISITION OF 401 CAMP CRAFT? CORRECT. YEAH, SO OUR OVERALL COST, LIKE ALL IN, YOU KNOW, WE'RE BETWEEN $4.50 AND $5 PER SQUARE FOOT AND THAT, THAT INCLUDES UTILITIES, ETC..

SO IF YOU LOOK AT OUR OVERALL ANNUAL COST OF WHAT THAT BUILDING WOULD COST US, YOU TAKE THAT AND YOU MULTIPLY IT BY 12,000 SQUARE FEET, AND YOU KNOW, WE'RE LOOKING AT ABOUT, YOU KNOW, $60,000 TO KIND OF MAINTAIN AND KEEP UP THAT BUILDING, BUT THAT'S A GOOD BALLPARK FIGURE TO WORK WITH. I APPRECIATE THAT.

THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU.

ANYBODY ELSE HAVE ANYTHING THEY'D LIKE TO OFFER UP? LAURA. SO LAST TIME WE WERE TOGETHER, LAST MEETING, WE TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE DRIVEWAY OR ROAD AROUND EANES ELEMENTARY.

I DON'T EVEN KNOW HOW TO START THIS.

SO I TOOK DR.

ARNETT AND JEREMY UP ON THEIR OFFER TO TO TOUR THAT CAMPUS THIS MORNING, AND WE STOOD OUT THERE IN THE COLD AND THE RAIN AND LOOKED AT IT AND TALKED ABOUT IT, AND I PUSHED JEREMY PRETTY, PRETTY HARD ON SOME OF THE QUESTIONS, AND JUST TO SHARE WITH YOU ALL, SOME OF THE QUESTIONS THAT I HAD WERE REGARDING THE IMPACT OF THE SAFETY AND SECURITY OF PUTTING THAT ROAD.

YOU KNOW, WHAT IS IT DO TO OUR STUDENTS, YOU KNOW, WHERE ARE THE SECURITY PERIMETERS, YOU KNOW, WHAT IMPACT DOES IT HAVE ON THE MASTER SCHEDULE? AND THESE ARE SORT OF KIND OF MORE IN THE WEEDS TYPE OF QUESTIONS THAT, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T NORMALLY ASK OF BOND PROJECTS, BUT WE'RE LOOKING AT A MAINTENANCE AND OPERATION BOND AND THIS IS SORT OF A MORE TRANSFORMATIVE PROJECT. IT ALSO IS ON A CAMPUS THAT HAS A LOT OF HISTORY, TO SAY THE LEAST.

SO, I NEEDED TO ASK THOSE QUESTIONS, AND I THINK FOR OUR COMMUNITY, THOSE QUESTIONS NEEDED TO BE HONEST AND THEY NEED TO BE ANSWERED AT SOME POINT, JEREMY.

SORRY, I NEED TO MAKE SURE I GET EVERYTHING IN.

SO IN SOME WAYS IT FALLS OUT OF LINE OF THE SCOPE OF THIS BOND.

SO M&O BOND, THIS IS MORE TRANSFORMATIVE.

I KNOW THE BAC, THAT THIS WAS THERE WAS A LOT OF DISCUSSION AROUND THIS ROAD. I STILL DON'T HAVE ALL MY QUESTIONS ANSWERED AT THIS POINT, BUT I'M STILL WHERE I WAS LAST TIME.

[01:15:01]

THERE'S A PROBLEM AT THAT CAMPUS AND IT NEEDS TO BE RESOLVED.

I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT IS.

I'M NOT CONVINCED IT'S THE ROAD AT THIS TIME BUT IF WE DON'T INCLUDE IT IN THIS BOND, THEN ONCE JEREMY HAS SORT OF DONE SOME MORE DUE DILIGENCE ON IT. IF WE DON'T INCLUDE IT, WE WON'T HAVE THAT OPPORTUNITY TO PUT THAT ROAD IN.

UM, SO, JOHN, I KNOW THAT THIS WAS A BIG ONE FOR YOU, BUT AT THIS POINT, I'M OKAY WITH MONEY BEING IN THERE FOR, I DON'T KNOW IF WE CALL IT TRAFFIC REMEDY OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

I'D PREFER TO SEE IT PERHAPS AS A DIFFERENT LINE ITEM.

I HEAR WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, AND I DO THINK THAT THERE ARE POTENTIALLY A NUMBER OF WAYS TO BEGIN TO MITIGATE.

I MEAN, THE PROBLEM IS PRETTY BIG, SO I'M NOT SURE ANY OF THEM ARE THE REAL PANACEA, AND I THINK WE NEED HELP.

SO I HOPE THAT MONEY IS INCLUDED, THAT IT'S KIND OF LIKE THE LONG TERM.

LOOK AT THE HIGH SCHOOL.

THERE ARE SO MANY ISSUES HERE, WE REALLY NEED TO HAVE SOME PROFESSIONAL HELP IN BOTH LOOKING AT THE TRAFFIC ISSUES AS WELL AS THE WHOLE SITE ISSUES. I MEAN, THE EROSION ISSUES AND THOSE SORTS OF THINGS ARE PROBABLY COMPLICATED BY PUTTING ANY MORE IMPERVIOUS COVER ON THE CAMPUS.

SO, YOU KNOW, IT'S ALWAYS A CHICKEN AND EGG OF DO YOU FINALIZE THE IDEA AND THEN GET THE MONEY APPROVED OR DO YOU GET THE MONEY APPROVED AND THEN WORK TOWARDS A SOLUTION? I'M SUGGESTING AT THIS POINT THAT WE MAKE SURE THAT WE INCLUDE OR USE SOME OF THE MONEY TO ACTUALLY GET SOME PROFESSIONAL HELP TO SEE IF WE CAN OPTIMIZE, BECAUSE THERE ARE THERE ARE A NUMBER OF OPPORTUNITIES, BUT THERE ARE ALSO A NUMBER OF COMPLICATIONS, I THINK, IN TERMS OF THAT PARTICULAR CAMPUS.

I WANT TO RECOGNIZE A COUPLE OF INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE IN THE AUDIENCE THIS EVENING.

WE HAVE TREY FLETCHER, WHO IS THE CITY ADMINISTRATOR FOR THE CITY OF WEST LAKE HILLS, AND POLICE CHIEF SCOTT GERDES, WHO IS WITH US AS WELL.

WE ARE SO APPRECIATIVE OF OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CITY OF WESTLAKE HILLS.

WE'VE HAD A NUMBER OF CONVERSATIONS WITH THEM OVER THE LAST SEVERAL WEEKS AND IN DISCUSSING THIS PROJECT WITH THEM, THEY'VE ALSO GIVEN US INSIGHT TO THEIR BIG PROJECT THAT VOTERS HAVE APPROVED, AND THAT'S THE CONSTRUCTION OF A CITY HALL OR A VILLAGE ADMINISTRATION CENTER, WHICH WILL BE ALMOST DIRECTLY ACROSS THE STREET FROM EANES ELEMENTARY, AND TREY, CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, BUT YOU WILL BE DOING YOUR OWN TRAFFIC STUDY IN CONJUNCTION WITH THAT PROJECT, AND THEY'VE OFFERED THAT PERHAPS WE CAN PARTNER WITH THEM IN THAT STUDY TO BETTER UNDERSTAND THE FLOW OF TRAFFIC THROUGH THAT INTERSECTION AND AROUND THE EANES ELEMENTARY CAMPUS.

SO THAT MIGHT BE ONE WAY TO GET SOME FURTHER ANSWERS TO SOME OF THE QUESTIONS THAT YOU HAVE, AND I'LL JUST GIVE US AN EXAMPLE.

I MEAN, IT WAS EXCITING WHEN THE CAMP CRAFT ROAD WAS IMPROVED, BUT THAT ACTUALLY MADE THE ISSUES THAT EANES ELEMENTARY A LOT WORSE BECAUSE NOW THERE'S NO PULLOVER SPACE AND THAT HAS SO FUNDAMENTALLY COMPLICATED THINGS.

IT'S SMALL THINGS LIKE THAT.

THE UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES THAT SCARE ME ABOUT THIS CAMPUS BECAUSE IT HAS MAJOR TRAFFIC ALL AROUND IT, AND THERE'S NOT A LOT OF WIGGLE ROOM. SO THE UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES OF THAT CAMP CRAFT IMPROVEMENT.

IT MAKES ME THINK WE NEED TO BE VERY CAUTIOUS IN MAKING OUR CHOICES.

THANKS FOR THAT. JEN.

ELLEN, APPRECIATE THAT.

JEREMY, COULD YOU REMIND ME OF THE LANGUAGE ON THAT LIGHT ITEM THAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE WRITTEN? YES, IT IS CONSTRUCT ACCESS ROAD FROM UPPER PARKING LOT TO LOWER PARKING LOT. I WILL SAY THAT AT THIS POINT I AM NOT COMFORTABLE WITH THAT LANGUAGE BEING A PART OF THE BOND.

I AM COMFORTABLE WITH SOMETHING, ELLEN, SUGGESTING IN THE SENSE OF SOME SORT OF LANGUAGE COMMITTING SOME FUNDS, HOPEFULLY, MAYBE NOT QUITE THAT MUCH, TO A STUDY TO DEVELOP A PLAN FOR THAT CAMPUS THAT MIGHT HELP

[01:20:06]

IT'S OBVIOUSLY A CONCERN.

WHAT YOU SAID IS TRUE.

I MEAN, UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES OF THINGS THAT THE CITY OF WESTLAKE OR WHOEVER HAVE IMPACTED US BEYOND OUR CONTROL.

I'M APPRECIATIVE TO THE CITY OF WESTLAKE FOR THEIR WILLINGNESS TO PARTNER WITH US, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, THEY'RE CHOOSING TO PLACE ANOTHER MAJOR ADMINISTRATIVE BUILDING DIRECTLY ACROSS THE STREET, WHICH WILL FURTHER IMPACT TRAFFIC.

SO I THINK WE NEED THE TIME TO STEP BACK FROM THAT, BECAUSE I WORRY NOW THAT I HEAR THAT THERE IS ANOTHER BUILDING GOING TO BE RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET.

IS THAT ROAD EVEN GOING TO BE ENOUGH? AND WHAT ARE WE DOING TO THAT CAMPUS? I'M ALSO VERY CONCERNED THAT WE HAVE NOT HAD SOME IMPACT TO THE FAMILIES THAT ARE AT THAT CAMPUS, AND I THINK THAT I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE TO DO FOR THIS TYPE OF PROJECT.

SO I LIKE YOUR SUGGESTION OF PUTTING SOME MONEY IN SPECIFICALLY FOR.

YOU KNOW, PLANNING, STUDYING THE SITE, COMING UP WITH THE BEST POSSIBLE PLAN AND CONTINUING TO WORK WITH OUR PARTNERS IN WESTLAKE.

SO MY TWO CENTS.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

I, TOO, HAVE A LOT OF RESERVATIONS ABOUT THE ROAD, AND FOR ME, AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL, IT'S IF YOU CAME TO ME WITH A CHOICE BETWEEN A NEW LEARNING SPACE THAT WAS GOING TO COST US $2.4 MILLION FOR CHILDREN AND A ROAD THAT WAS GOING TO COST US $2.4 MILLION, I'D LEAN TOWARD CLASSROOM SPACE ALL DAY LONG, AND I REALIZE THAT IN THIS BOND, WE'RE NOT PUTTING CLASSROOM SPACE.

THAT'S NOT WHAT WE'RE CONSIDERING, BUT WE WILL BE PERHAPS IN A TRANSFORMATIVE BOND IN THE FUTURE, AND ANY MONEY THAT WE SPEND TODAY IS MONEY WE TAKE OUT OF THAT FUTURE BOND , AND SO YOU ARE EFFECTIVELY CHOOSING ASKING ME TO CHOOSE BETWEEN A $2.4 MILLION OF CLASSROOM SPACE, OF LIBRARY SPACE OF SOME SORT OF SPACE OR A ROAD AND I'M GOING TO CHOOSE CLASSROOM SPACE ALL DAY LONG.

SO THAT'S THE MOST FUNDAMENTAL THING.

I'M OPPOSED TO A $2.4 MILLION ROAD.

I BELIEVE IF YOU BUILD IT, THEY WILL COME, AND WHAT I MEAN BY THAT IS YOU UPSIZE THE PROBLEM FOR TODAY'S TRAFFIC PATTERN, BUT IF YOU MAKE IT EASIER FOR PARENTS TO DRIVE TO SCHOOL AND PICK UP THEIR CHILDREN, MORE WILL DO THAT, I FEAR, ESPECIALLY WITH THAT SCHOOL SO CLOSE TO THE NEIGHBORHOODS THERE, YOU'RE SOLVING TODAY'S PROBLEM, BUT WHEN 50 MORE FAMILIES CHOOSE TO DRIVE OVER AND PICK UP THEIR KIDS, YOU'VE GOT ANOTHER PROBLEM AGAIN, YOU'RE RIGHT BACK TO WHERE YOU STARTED, AND WE'RE $2.4 MILLION FURTHER BEHIND, AND SO I DON'T LIKE THAT IDEA, AND THAT'S WHY I REALLY SUPPORT THE IDEA OF DOING SOME ANALYSIS HERE.

LET'S DO SOME MORE ANALYSIS.

I WENT OVER ON LAST FRIDAY AFTER WE SPENT FOUR OR FIVE HOURS IN THE MORNING MEETING AS A BOARD.

I WENT OVER AND TOURED THAT CAMPUS AND WALKED AROUND AND LOOKED AT THOSE SPACES FOR MYSELF AND THE IDEA OF A ROAD THERE, AND NONE OF US KNOWS WHAT THAT ROAD LOOKS LIKE, BUT I ASSUME THERE'S A FENCE ON ONE SIDE AND THERE'S SOME ASPHALT AND THERE'S ANOTHER FENCE, AND THE AMOUNT OF SPACE THAT'S EATING INTO THOSE PLAYGROUNDS REALLY BUGS ME A LOT.

I CAN'T ENVISION THAT, AND LIKE ELLEN HAS SAID, WE'RE GIVING UP IMPERVIOUS COVER THAT WE MAY WANT AT SOME POINT IN THE FUTURE, AND I'M CONCERNED ABOUT THAT.

SO I JUST THINK WE NEED A LOT MORE ANALYSIS HERE, AND I COULD NOT VOTE FOR LANGUAGE IN A BOND THAT SAYS GO BUILD A ROAD.

I JUST COULDN'T DO THAT AT THIS POINT.

THANK YOU FOR THAT. KIM? I'M GOING TO JUMP IN.

I'M STILL THINKING ABOUT IT AND I'M STILL STUDYING IT, AND I'M LISTENING TO SOME COMMUNITY INPUT, AND I DON'T WANT TO IN ANY WAY, WELL, AND I APPRECIATE ALL OF THE WORK THAT THE BOND ADVISORY COMMITTEE HAS DONE BECAUSE THEY ALSO RECEIVED INPUT IN MAKING THE DECISION AND INCLUDING IT, BUT WHEN WE LOOK AT THAT LANGUAGE, WHERE I GET A LITTLE TIED UP IS, JEN, TO YOUR POINT, IF WE LOOK AT THE BOND LANGUAGE AND WE TIE OURSELVES INTO THIS, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE TO COME BACK TO US AS A BOND ADVISORY COMMITTEE AND ASK FOR A CHANGE IN THE BOND LANGUAGE IF WE WERE TO DO SOMETHING ELSE, AND I THINK THAT TIES US INTO A ROAD THAT I'M NOW HEARING A WHOLE LOT OF QUESTIONS ABOUT, AND I WAS SITTING ON THE FENCE AND WANTING TO LEARN MORE ABOUT IT, BUT WHAT I HEAR IS THE CONSENSUS THAT THERE ARE SOME QUESTIONS.

I LIKE, ELLEN, YOUR IDEA OF STUDYING THIS SOME MORE.

I DO WANT TO BE IN A PARTNERSHIP WITH OUR COMMUNITY OF WESTLAKE HILLS, BUT I JUST HAVE TOO MANY QUESTIONS AT THIS POINT.

[01:25:05]

WE NEED TO STUDY THIS TO COME TO THE BEST RESOLUTION FOR THE FOR THE COMMUNITY.

THANK YOU FOR THAT. I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANYTHING NEW I CAN SAY, SO I CONCUR.

I LIKE THE IDEA OF THE FLEXIBILITY.

I ALWAYS THINK THAT SAFETY OF STUDENTS IS SHOULDN'T ALWAYS BE AT THE FOREFRONT, BUT I THINK THAT WE HAVE A LOT MORE TO DO, OBVIOUSLY, AND I THINK ADDING THAT BUILDING ACROSS THE STREET EXCUSE ME IS DEFINITELY GOING TO IMPACT THIS IN WAYS THAT WE DON'T KNOW YET.

SO I'M OPEN FOR THE FLEXIBILITY.

LAURA. SORRY, I JUST WANTED TO JUMP BACK IN AND MAYBE CLARIFY.

I THINK WE ALL ARE IN AGREEMENT THAT SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE WITH THE TRAFFIC PROBLEM OVER THERE.

IT IS A LONG TIME PROBLEM.

IT GOES BACK. I MEAN, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS.

YOU KNOW, WHEN MY KIDS WERE LITTLE IN THERE, IT WAS A PROBLEM.

SO SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE, AND ABSOLUTELY, I'M NOT COMFORTABLE WITH THE SOLUTION THAT HAS BEEN PRESENTED TO US, JEREMY.

I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE SOMETHING, SOME FUNDS AVAILABLE.

MY CONCERN, IF WE PUT IN JUST ENOUGH TO COVER A CONSULTANT OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, THAT IF OUR NEXT OPPORTUNITY TO IMPLEMENT ANY SORT OF CHANGES.

WE DON'T KNOW WHEN THAT WOULD BE, AND SO A PROBLEM THAT HAS BEEN SITTING AND FESTERING FOR A LONG TIME IS SORT OF PUSHED DOWN THE ROAD A LITTLE BIT FURTHER.

THIS IS A PROBLEM THAT, YOU KNOW, I THINK GOT BEHIND WITH COVID.

YOU KNOW, IT WAS SOMETHING THAT PROBABLY WOULD HAVE BEEN ADDRESSED, YOU KNOW, PRIOR TO THIS OR WE MAYBE COULD HAVE HAD THESE DISCUSSIONS PRIOR TO THIS, BUT KIND OF COVID PUT US ON THE HEELS WITH THIS ONE, BUT YEAH, I'M NOT COMFORTABLE WITH THE SOLUTION THAT HAS PRESENTED.

I'D LIKE FLEXIBILITY IN THE LANGUAGE, BUT I WOULD LIKE MONEY IN THERE--COULD I ADD SOMETHING? YEAH, SURE. GO AHEAD.

MY INTENT, PROBABLY THE WAY THAT WE WOULD ADDRESS ACTUALLY SELLING THE BONDS IF YOU CALL THIS ELECTION AND IT WINS, WOULD BE THAT I WOULD SELL THEM IN TWO DIFFERENT TRANCHES, PROBABLY, MAYBE PROBABLY MORE THAN HALF THE FIRST YEAR AND THEN A SECOND TRANCHE A YEAR OR TWO LATER, AND I DO THAT, NUMBER ONE.

WELL, I DON'T WANT TO GO INTO ALL THE REASONS I DO THAT, BUT THERE'S A REASON, BUT IF WE DID THAT, THAT WOULD GIVE YOU THE ABILITY AS A BOARD, IF YOU WANTED TO ALLOCATE $2.4 MILLION FOR A SOLUTION.

IT GIVES JEREMY TIME TO WORK WITH WESTLAKE HILLS, COME UP WITH A SOLUTION THAT YOU ARE HAPPY WITH AND IF YOU DON'T, WE DON'T COME UP WITH A SOLUTION THAT YOU'RE HAPPY WITH.

I COULD NOT SELL THOSE BONDS CORRESPONDING TO THAT LINE ITEM, IF THAT'S YOUR CHOICE.

THANK YOU. HEATHER.

SO THIS WOULD BE SIMILAR TO WHEN WE PUT THE POOL ON THE BOND AND WE HAD THE AGREEMENT THAT WE WOULD NOT SELL THE BOND UNLESS WE HAD A PRIVATE PUBLIC PARTNERSHIP AND NO M&O COST IS THAT, AND THEN WE HAD A RESOLUTION, IS THAT CORRECT? CORRECT. SOMETHING SIMILAR? CORRECT.

THANK YOU. WE JUST WOULDN'T SELL THAT PORTION OF THE APPROVED BONDS.

THANK YOU, AND IF WE WERE TO DO THAT, WOULD THAT REQUIRE BOARD APPROVAL TO SELL THAT SECOND TRANCHE? WHAT WOULD THE PROCESS BE THERE? I CAN'T REALLY RECALL US HAVING ANOTHER VOTE ON MOVING FORWARD WITH THE POOL, BUT THAT WAS A LITTLE WHILE AGO.

WE COULD SET IT UP HOWEVER YOU WANT.

IF THERE WAS NO QUESTIONS ABOUT IT, THEN I WOULD JUST GO OUT AND SELL IT WHEN THE TIME WAS RIGHT.

OBVIOUSLY I'D KEEP YOU INFORMED THAT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN, BUT ON THIS CASE, IF THERE'S A QUESTION SO, YOU KNOW, $52.4 MILLION OR SO $50 MILLION, WE WOULD CERTAINLY COME TO YOU AND YOU'D GIVE US THE THUMBS UP OR THUMBS DOWN, AND DO YOU HAVE FOLLOW UP THERE? ALLISON IS ASKING TO JUMP IN.

I WAS GOING TO CLARIFY ON THE AQUATIC CENTER.

YOU PASSED A RESOLUTION WHEN YOU CALLED THE BOND OUTLINING SOME PARAMETERS FOR THE COMMUNITY ABOUT WHAT WOULD HAVE TO HAPPEN IN ORDER FOR YOU TO FEEL CONFIDENT TO GIVE THE GREEN LIGHT FOR THE POOL MOVING FORWARD? AND THEN ONCE YOU WERE COMFORTABLE WITH THAT AND WE ENTERED INTO A MANAGEMENT AGREEMENT WITH THE COMPANY, YOU PASSED ANOTHER RESOLUTION SAYING, GO FORWARD.

OKAY, THANK YOU FOR THE REMINDER OF THAT.

[01:30:01]

I DON'T KNOW THAT I NEED TO THINK.

I DON'T KNOW THAT I HAVE ANOTHER QUESTION RIGHT NOW.

YEAH, IT'S A GOOD QUESTION.

JUST A CLARIFYING QUESTION, JEREMY.

HAVE THERE BEEN PREVIOUS TRAFFIC STUDIES ON THE PROPERTY AND WHEN WERE THOSE? WE DID ENGAGE A TRAFFIC EXPERT WHEN WE WERE TRYING TO COME UP WITH THE FIRST INITIAL SOLUTION AND THAT LED TO THE MOVING THE BUSSES UP TO THE TOP AND THE CARS DOWN TO THE BOTTOM TO ANALYZE HOW MANY CARS WE WERE EVALUATING, HOW MANY CARS WE COULD FIT ON OUR PROPERTY, ETC..

IN ORDER TO BUILD THAT KIND OF FINAL RECOMMENDATION, WE HAD TO WORK QUICKLY IN THAT ONE.

WE HAD TO WORK QUICKLY AND BECAUSE IT WAS ON A HUGE SCALE, AND SO WE DID ENGAGE A TRAFFIC STUDY EXPERT FOR THOSE SOLUTIONS. HOW LONG AGO WAS THAT? THAT WAS 2018.

ELLEN. OH, SORRY AND I WENT OVER AND SO JEREMY AND JEFF SPENT 2 HOURS PLUS IN THE COLD AND RAIN THIS AFTERNOON.

THANK YOU BOTH VERY MUCH, AND THERE REALLY HAS TO BE A SOLUTION.

I'M JUST NOT SURE WE ARE QUITE SURE WHAT THAT IS, AND I WOULD APPRECIATE THE TIME AND THE INTENTION FOR US TO DO PLANNING, AND I WILL TOSS OUT THAT. I THINK MY BIGGEST CONCERN IS CAR ACCESS FROM BEE CAVES ROAD, GIVEN WHAT BEE CAVES ROAD IS NOW, I MEAN, WHICH IS DIFFERENT FROM WHAT IT WAS IN 2018 AND PROBABLY FOR THE REASON THAT THE PREVIOUS TRAFFIC STUDY RECOMMENDED THAT THE BUSSES GO BECAUSE BUSSES ARE BIG AND CAN BE SEEN AND YOU ONLY HAVE X NUMBER OF VEHICLES MAKING THAT TURN INTO, YOU KNOW, CROSS TRAFFIC INTO THE UPPER DROP OFF.

I'M CONCERNED ABOUT US HAVING ALL OF THE TRAFFIC ENTER THE CAMPUS FROM BEE CAVE ROAD VERSUS FROM CAMP CRAFT , BUT I'M NOT A TRAFFIC ENGINEER, SO THAT'S WHY I WANT TO [INAUDIBLE] AND I DO WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT WOULD BE PART OF THE PROCESS NO MATTER WHAT.

THAT FIRST ENGAGEMENT IN LEADING TO A SOLUTION THAT WOULD BE SHARED WOULD BE GETTING THOSE TYPE OF CONSULTANTS AND PROFESSIONALS INVOLVED.

THANK YOU. I JUST WANT TO AGAIN, LISTENING TO THE ROOM, LISTENING TO THE COMMUNITY INPUT.

I WOULD LIKE. TO ALSO THINK ABOUT THIS.

I DON'T THINK IT'S QUITE AS SIMPLE AS WHAT THE BOARD DID WITH THE POOL, BECAUSE IT SEEMS LIKE WE'VE GOT A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT ISSUES WHERE THE POOL WAS. WHILE NOT SIMPLE, IT WAS STRAIGHTFORWARD AND WHAT THE BOARD WOULD BE ASKED TO DO OR HOW WE COULD WORK IT.

SO, I MEAN, I WOULD ASK THAT WE HAVE A LITTLE MORE DISCUSSION ON THIS.

I KNOW WE'RE ON A TIGHT TIMELINE IN TERMS OF CALLING A BOND, SHOULD WE DO THAT, BUT I WOULD LIKE THAT I'M ASSUMING IT'S ON THE AGENDA IN TWO WEEKS AND WE CAN STILL TALK ABOUT THIS, AND MAYBE IN THE MEANTIME, WE CAN LOOK AT HOW WE WOULD, VARIOUS IDEAS OF HOW THAT WOULD BE PRESENTED IN TERMS OF A STUDY AND IN TERMS OF ADDRESSING THIS TRAFFIC SAFETY ISSUE ON THIS UNIQUE CAMPUS.

THANK YOU. ANYBODY ELSE? I HAVE SOME THOUGHTS I'D LIKE TO SHARE.

I APPRECIATE THE COMMENTS THAT YOU GUYS HAVE OFFERED UP, AND I APPRECIATE OUR FRIENDS FROM WESTLAKE HAVE COME THIS EVENING TO LISTEN TO THIS.

I'M NOT AS I EXPRESSED LAST TIME WE MET.

I DON'T LIKE THE IDEA OF THE ROAD, AND I DON'T LIKE THE IDEA FOR A NUMBER OF REASONS, BUT AMONG THE REASONS THAT BOTHER ME MOST ABOUT THIS PROJECT IS THAT WE'RE SITTING AROUND AND WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IT LIKE A TRANSPORTATION CHALLENGE, AND WHAT WE'VE REALLY GOT IS IT'S A SCHOOL, AND WE'RE TALKING ABOUT

[01:35:01]

WE ARE FUNDAMENTALLY RESHAPING THE WAY THAT CAMPUS FUNCTIONS, AND WE ARE NOT TAKING INTO CONSIDERATION ANY OF THE OTHER ISSUES THAT ROAD MIGHT CREATE FOR US OR FOR OUR TEACHERS OR FOR OUR CHILDREN, AND TO THE EXTENT THAT I CAN KIND OF GET BEHIND THIS LINE ITEM AT ALL, I SUPPORT THE IDEA OF REVIEWING TRAFFIC ISSUES, REVIEWING IN THE CONTEXT OF A COMPREHENSIVE CAMPUS PLAN.

BECAUSE BECAUSE WHAT WE ARE DOING IS WE ARE CHANGING THE WAY THAT CAMPUS WORKS.

IT'S THE OLDEST CONTINUOUSLY OPERATING SCHOOL SITE IN THE STATE, AND IT DESERVES TO BE TREATED BETTER THAN WE ARE TREATING IT RIGHT NOW.

IT'S A RIGHT OF WAY OPPORTUNITY IN MANY RESPECTS, AND THAT BOTHERS ME QUITE A LOT.

THE $2.4 MILLION IS A NUMBER THAT WE CAN'T BE CERTAIN WILL BE SUFFICIENT.

WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THE ALIGNMENT MIGHT BE, SO WE DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH OF OUR PLAYGROUNDS WE'RE GOING TO LOSE.

THERE IS NO GUARANTEE THAT US TAKING THIS ACTION, EVEN IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE CITY OF WESTLAKE, IS A WORKOUT INGRESS AND EGRESS ON THEIR FUTURE CITY HALL.

THERE IS NO GUARANTEE THAT US CUTTING A ROAD THROUGH THIS, THROUGH OUR SCHOOL SITE IS GOING TO SOLVE THE TRAFFIC PROBLEMS THAT WE HAVE ON BEE CAVES.

I'M DOUBTFUL THAT IT ACTUALLY WILL.

I THINK WE'RE IN FOR TRAFFIC FOREVER, AND THERE HAS BEEN ABSOLUTELY NO COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.

NONE, ZERO.

WE'RE TALKING ABOUT RESHAPING THE WAY THIS CAMPUS WORKS IN PERPETUITY, AND WE HAVEN'T GOTTEN A BIT OF COMMUNITY INPUT, AND I, FOR ONE AM RELUCTANT TO MAKE A DECISION LIKE THAT ABSENT A VIGOROUS ENGAGEMENT OF THE COMMUNITY AS PART OF A COMPREHENSIVE CAMPUS PLAN.

SO I'M IN FAVOR OF ADDING MONEY TO THE BOND THAT PROVIDES FOR A THOUGHTFUL KIND OF RECONSIDERATION OF TRAFFIC NEEDS, AND AS IT RELATES TO EANES ELEMENTARY AND ACCOMMODATING ANY IMPACTS THAT MIGHT BE ASSOCIATED WITH THIS ROAD.

I'M NOT IN FAVOR OF PUTTING $2.4 MILLION IN THERE BECAUSE I'M NOT SURE WHERE THAT NUMBER IS DERIVED FROM OR THAT IT WILL BE SUFFICIENT TWO OR THREE OR FOUR YEARS DOWN THE LINE WHEN WE GET AROUND TO IT.

SO THAT'S WHERE I AM.

I AM A HARD NO ON A $2.4 MILLION ROAD.

I AM OPEN TO THE IDEA OF A THOUGHTFUL PLANNING PROCESS THAT WILL HELP US ADDRESS THE CAMPUS' NEEDS, THAT WILL ENGAGE THE COMMUNITY, AND THAT WILL TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION SOME OF THE ISSUES THAT WE HAVE OUT THERE ON BEE CAVES.

YEAH, I WANT TO SHARE A COUPLE OF THINGS BECAUSE MY RESPECT EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOUR VIEWPOINTS ON ON THE PROJECT AND, AND ALL I CAN DO IS REPRESENT WHAT I BELIEVE WOULD THE PROCESS WOULD BE WITH, WITH ANY TYPE OF BOND PROJECT THAT WOULD IMPACT ANY CAMPUS, WHETHER IT'S EANES ELEMENTARY, BRIDGE POINT, IT DOESN'T MATTER BUT IF IT IS GOING TO MAKE A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT, I DO BELIEVE THAT HAVING THAT COLLABORATION IS IMPORTANT.

IT'S JUST LIKE DESIGNING A WRESTLING BUILDING, RIGHT? JEREMY AND US, WE DIDN'T GO BUILD A WRESTLING BUILDING.

WE GOT A COMMITTEE TOGETHER TO REALLY EVALUATE HOW THIS WOULD HOW IT BE CONSTRUCTED AND HOW IT IMPACT EVERYTHING THAT'S GOING ON ON THAT CAMPUS.

SO I DO WANT TO REPRESENT THAT.

THAT WOULD BE PART OF ANY TYPE OF PLAN, NO MATTER WHAT THE STRATEGY WAS, AND SOME OF THESE WERE EASIER WITH PRINCIPAL RYAN, RIGHT, BECAUSE WE'RE SHIFTING TRAFFIC, BUT THIS I UNDERSTAND THIS IS A LARGER IMPACT.

THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION IS IN MY BLOOD, AND SO I THINK I VALUE EANES ELEMENTARY AND WHAT IT MEANS TO THIS COMMUNITY AND THIS DISTRICT, AND I DON'T WANT

[01:40:08]

SO IT IS IMPORTANT TO US AS A DISTRICT ADMINISTRATIVELY TO HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS WITH ANYTHING THAT WOULD HAPPEN ON.

THAT CAMPUS.

SO THAT'S EXACTLY WHERE WE WOULD START IS WITHIN THOSE CONVERSATIONS.

I JUST I WANTED TO REPRESENT THAT WOULD BE PART OF THE PROCESS BECAUSE I DO UNDERSTAND HOW IMPORTANT THIS IS AND THAT IT MAY IMPACT MANY, MANY FAMILIES, WHETHER THEY'VE BEEN EANES BEFORE, YOU KNOW, FUTURE MUSTANGS AS WELL.

THANK YOU FOR THAT. IF THERE ARE NO FURTHER COMMENTS.

YEAH, THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION.

I THINK WE'VE HEARD VARYING VERSIONS OF CONSENSUS TONIGHT.

WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE FOR US TO BRING TO YOU IN TWO WEEKS? WE NEED, I THINK, CLEAR DIRECTION ON WHAT IT IS YOU'RE LOOKING FOR FROM US, BECAUSE YOU BASICALLY HAVE TO MAKE THAT DECISION IN TWO WEEKS.

WELL, I'M NOT SPEAKING FOR THE BOARD, BUT MY TWO CENTS AND KIND OF WHAT I'M HEARING IS SOME MONEY WITH AN EXPLANATION OF HOW THAT WOULD BE SPENT WITH A FOCUS ON ANALYSIS OF A LONG TERM PLAN, NOT NECESSARILY THE BUILDING OF A ROAD.

THAT'S WHAT I WOULD PREFER, AND I GETTING THE SENSE THAT'S WHERE EVERYBODY IS.

SO I'LL LET YOU ALL SPEAK FOR YOURSELVES.

SORRY. I SAW A [INAUDIBLE].

YEAH, IF I COULD THROW SITE WORK IN THERE.

I MEAN, THE EROSION PROBLEM IS PRETTY SIGNIFICANT, SO, BUT THAT'S PART OF A LONG RANGE PLAN.

GOING BACK TO LAURA'S POINT OF, IF A SOLUTION IS IDENTIFIED, DO WE WANT TO HAVE MONEY IN THERE TO BE ABLE TO IMPLEMENT SOMETHING OR NOT? I'LL ANSWER THAT.

MY FEAR IS IF YOU FUND IT, YOU WILL BUILD IT, AND SO I AM DISINCLINED TO I'M DISINCLINED TO PLUG TWO AND ONE HALF MILLION DOLLARS THAT WE MAY OR MAY NOT WORK INTO THE DEAL.

I WAS GOING TO SAY THAT I WOULD NEED LANGUAGE THAT WOULD SAY A ROAD COULD NOT BE BUILT UNTIL THE BOARD APPROVES.

I JUST DON'T WANT TO PUT MONEY IN THERE FOR A STUDY AND A STUDY TO BE DONE AND THEN SAY, WELL, WE DID THE STUDY AND NOW WE BUILT THE ROAD.

I REALLY WOULD LIKE TO HAVE THE BOARD GIVE--SO I MIGHT BE OKAY WITH PUTTING THE MONEY IN THERE.

ALTHOUGH, JOHN, I SEE YOUR POINT, BUT I WOULD WANT TO MAKE IT CLEAR THAT IT WOULD REQUIRE A BOARD VOTE TO BUILD A ROAD.

I'M PROBABLY WHERE JAMES IS, BUT BEFORE I CAN MAKE.

SO I'M A MAYBE, BUT.

I HEARD THAT THERE WAS A 2018 TRAFFIC STUDY.

JEREMY I MEAN, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THAT.

I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IF, IF THE CITY OF WESTLAKE HILLS HAS DONE A STUDY, IF WE CAN GET SOME MORE INFORMATION SO THAT AS WE GO FORWARD, WE ARE COLLABORATING WITH THEM.

SO I'M NOT SURE WHERE I AM RIGHT NOW.

I MEAN, I DON'T.

I HEAR THE CONSENSUS THAT WE'RE NOT COMFORTABLE WITH THE ROAD.

I DON'T KNOW WHETHER THAT'S JUST A STUDY OR A STUDY WITH A POSSIBILITY, BUT I'D LIKE SOME MORE INFORMATION.

OKAY, SO YOU'VE GOT CONSENSUS FOR PUTTING PLANNING DOLLARS INTO THE BOND.

THANK YOU ALL FOR ALL THAT.

THE NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS OUR CONSENT AGENDA.

JOHN, REAL QUICK, WE'RE GOING TO JUST COVER THE BALLOT LANGUAGE JUST TO KIND OF REVIEW PRELIMINARY BALLOT LANGUAGE.

THANK YOU, AND I APOLOGIZE TO THE PUBLIC THAT THIS WASN'T IN THE BOARD PACKET, BUT BOND BALLOTS ARE SO CONFUSING.

I DIDN'T WANT TO RISK HAVING ANY DRAFT LANGUAGE OUT THAT MIGHT CONFUSE PEOPLE, BUT THE BOARD HAS A COPY OF WHAT WE'VE DRAFTED FOR YOU TO LOOK AT, AS WELL AS THE 2019 BALLOT AND THE 2015 BALLOT LANGUAGE.

IN CASE YOU WANTED TO REFERENCE THAT, YOU'LL SEE HERE, REFLECTION OF THE THREE REQUIRED BALLOTS NOW THE A, B, AND C AS JEREMY HAS BEEN TALKING WITH YOU ABOUT AND REALLY THE LAW JUST REQUIRES, YOU KNOW, PROPOSITION A SCHOOL BUILDING BONDS, PROPOSITION B STADIUM, PROPOSITION C, TECHNOLOGY, BUT WE KNOW THIS BOARD HAS TRADITIONALLY WANTED TO PUT A LITTLE MORE INFORMATION ON THE ACTUAL BALLOT SO THAT WHEN VOTERS GO TO MAKE A DECISION, IT'S A LITTLE MORE INFORMATIVE, AND SO YOU SEE OUR FIRST KIND OF STAB THAT AT LEAST SOME BUCKETS OF INFORMATION ON THE BALLOT.

OF COURSE, THE MOST NOTABLE LANGUAGE THAT I DO WANT TO POINT OUT TONIGHT AND BEGIN TALKING TO OUR VOTERS ABOUT IS THAT EACH OF OUR PROPOSITIONS WILL BE

[01:45:05]

THIS IS A PROPERTY TAX INCREASE THAT IS REQUIRED BY TEXAS EDUCATION CODE SECTION 46.003, AND THE LAW SAYS EVERY SINGLE SCHOOL BOND PROPOSITION SHALL HAVE THIS LANGUAGE, PERIOD.

IT DOESN'T SAY IF IT'S A TAX INCREASE, IT WILL HAVE THIS LANGUAGE OR IF, YOU KNOW, IF IT'S A TAX DECREASE, IT DOESN'T HAVE TO HAVE THIS LANGUAGE.

SO EVEN THOUGH THIS BOND WILL NOT BE A PROPERTY TAX INCREASE, WE WILL STILL BE REQUIRED TO HAVE THAT LANGUAGE ON THE BALLOT LEGALLY.

I DON'T I JUST CANNOT IMAGINE HOW THAT IS EVEN LEGAL, BUT IT IS THE REQUIREMENT NOW, AND THIS IS OUR FIRST BOND ELECTION THAT WILL REQUIRE TO HAVE THAT LANGUAGE ON.

SO VOTERS WILL NOT HAVE SEEN THAT IN 2019 OR IN 2015, AND WE CANNOT QUALIFY, CLARIFY OR CHANGE THAT WORDING AT ALL.

THAT IS STRAIGHT FROM THE LAW.

THANK YOU, ALLISON.

ELLEN? CAN WE ADD A SENTENCE AFTER THAT SENTENCE THAT SAYS IN EANES, THE PROPERTY TAX RATE INCREASE WILL BE 0.00? MM HMM.

THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION.

OUR BOND COUNCIL DID TELL US THAT THEY, IN PREVIOUS YEARS HAVE TRIED TO QUALIFY THAT STATEMENT, AND THE ATTORNEY GENERAL HAS TOLD THEM, YOU KNOW, ANY CLIENTS YOU WORK WITH THAT HAVE ALTERNATIVE LANGUAGE, WE WILL NOT CERTIFY THOSE BONDS, BUT THAT WAS LANGUAGE CLARIFYING THIS SENTENCE.

RIGHT. SO MAYBE THERE'S SOME OPPORTUNITY TO TO ADD ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, BUT LEAVE THAT SENTENCE ALONE.

SO WE'LL CHECK ON THAT.

GOOD IDEA. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU. ANYBODY ELSE? THANK YOU VERY MUCH. SO YOU'LL SEE IF YOU HAVE ANY OTHER SORT OF INFORMATION OR CATEGORIES, ANY OTHER WORDING YOU'D LIKE TO SEE REFLECTED ON THIS, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO LET ME KNOW AT THE NEXT MEETING FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION.

THIS WILL BE IN THE ELECTION ORDER AND WE CAN DO WORDSMITHING THAT NIGHT, BUT IF YOU HAVE ANYTHING THAT YOU'D LIKE US TO LOOK AT BETWEEN NOW AND THEN, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO EMAIL ME AND WE WILL LOOK AT ANY ADDITIONAL WORDING PERHAPS THAT WE COULD PUT IN THERE.

ALL RIGHT, I APPRECIATE THAT.

THANK YOU. THE NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS OUR OUR ACTION ITEM OR OUR ACTION ITEMS, THE FIRST OF WHICH IS THE CONSENT

[11. ACTION - CONSENT AGENDA]

DO I HAVE A SECOND? DO YOU WANT ME TO READ A MOTION OR YOU JUST--I MOVE THAT.

OKAY.

I MOVE THAT THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA AS PRESENTED.

OKAY, DO I HAVE A SECOND? SECOND. I'VE GOT A MOTION FROM JAMES AND A SECOND FROM HEATHER.

IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? I HAVE A CLARIFYING.

I HAD SENT TIFFANY A SMALL CHANGE TO ONE OF THE MINUTES THINGS.

I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT GETS IN.

SO DO WE NEED TO SAY AMENDED OR WHAT DO WE SAY HERE? APPROVED AS AMENDED? IT SAID IN THE WORDING, IT SAID SIX MEMBERS PRESENT AND LISTED SEVEN, AND I THINK ALL SEVEN WERE PRESENT.

SO IT'S JUST CHANGING THE SIX TO A SEVEN.

OKAY, I MOVE THAT THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA WITH THE AMENDMENT, WITH THE ADJUSTMEN T--AS AMENDMENT. SECOND AGAIN. ALL RIGHT, I HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND ON THE AMENDMENT.

ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? SEEING NONE. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR.

AYE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

THE NEXT ITEM IS OUR FIRST ACTION ITEM, AND THAT IS THE ORDER OF GENERAL TRUSTEE ELECTION FOR MAY 6TH, 2023.

[12. ACTION (Part 1 of 2)]

SECOND. I HAVE A MOTION FROM HEATHER AND A SECOND FROM ELLEN.

ANY DISCUSSION? SEEING NONE.

ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? THANK YOU. WE WILL NOW MOVE BACK INTO CLOSED SESSION PURSUANT TO TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE 551.071

[Additional Item]

THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR TIME THIS EVENING.

I WOULD NOT SUGGEST THAT YOU HANG AROUND.

[CHUCKLING] SO ANYWAY, THANKS.

OKAY, IT IS 9:37 AND WE ARE RECONVENING IN OPEN SESSION.

THE NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS THE LEVEL III APPEAL OF STUDENT PARENT GRIEVANCE.

[12. ACTION (Part 2 of 2)]

[01:50:06]

I MOVE THAT THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES GRANT A NEW LEVEL II REVIEW WITH AN INDEPENDENT THIRD PARTY.

SECOND.

MOTION BY JEN, SECOND BY KIM.

ANY DISCUSSION? OKAY, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? AYE. ANY OPPOSED? WE HAVE SIX AYES. THE MOTION PASSES.

PLEASE TAKE NOTE OF FUTURE MEETINGS.

WE HAVE A STUDY SESSION ON FEBRUARY 7TH, 2023, AND THEN WE WILL HAVE A REGULAR MEETING ON FEBRUARY 21ST, 2023

[13. UPCOMING MEETINGS]

THANK YOU.

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.