[00:00:01] >> THE TIME IS NOW 6:00 AND I CALL THE APRIL 23, [1. CALL TO ORDER] 2004 MEETING OF THE EANES BOARD OF TRUSTEES TO ORDER. MADAM SECRETARY, DO WE HAVE A QUORUM? [2. ESTABLISH A QUORUM] >> WE DO. >> THANK YOU. WE WILL NOW MOVE INTO CLOSED SESSION PURSUANT TO [3. CLOSED SESSION] TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE SECTIONS 551.071 AND 551.074. WE WILL RECONVENE IN OPEN SESSION AT APPROXIMATELY 7:00 P.M. THANK YOU ALL FOR COMING VIA LIVESTREAM, AND WE WILL SEE YOU IN A BIT. [BACKGROUND] GOOD EVENING, EVERYONE. THE TIME IS NOW 7:05 AND WE WILL RECONVENE IN OPEN SESSION. [4. RECONVENE INTO OPEN SESSION] TONIGHT, I'M SITTING IN THIS SPOT AS VICE PRESIDENT. [5. EANES ISD MISSION STATEMENT] WE HAVE JANE CHAMPAGNE WHO IS OUT ON BUSINESS. BUT ALSO, OUR PRESIDENT JAMES SPRADLEY IS NOT JOINING US DUE TO A DEATH IN THE FAMILY SO AS VICE PRESIDENT, I'M GOING TO HELP LEAD THIS MEETING. THE 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 ANY OUTBURST OR ANY OTHER FORM OF DISRUPTIVE BEHAVIOR. I'M SURE THAT'S NOT GOING TO HAPPEN. THERE WILL BE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR PUBLIC COMMENT LATER IN THE MEETING, 19 PEOPLE HAVE SIGNED UP. A COUPLE ARE NOT ABLE TO JOIN, WE UNDERSTAND AND EACH SPEAKER WILL HAVE THREE MINUTES TO SPEAK. THANK YOU FOR JOINING US AND FOR YOUR INTEREST IN OUR COMMUNITY AND SCHOOLS. BECAUSE WE'RE WELCOMING A LARGER THAN TYPICAL AUDIENCE TONIGHT. WE NEED TO MANAGE ACCESS TO THE ROOM. WE ARE FOLLOWING A FIRE CODE FOR CAPACITY. WE ASK EVERYONE IN THE ROOM CURRENTLY TO FIND A SEAT. YOU'RE ALL SEATED. IF YOU MUST STAND, WE ASK THAT YOU DO SO IN THE LOBBY WHERE WE ARE LIVE STREAMING THE MEETING ON A LARGE SCREEN. AS SEATS BECOME AVAILABLE, OUR STAFF WILL DESIGNATE THE NEXT PERSON OUTSIDE TO TAKE A VACATED SEAT. WE WANT TO ACCOMMODATE EVERYONE, AND WE MUST ALSO BE MINDFUL OF EVERYONE'S SAFETY AND COMFORT. THANK YOU FOR YOUR COOPERATION AND UNDERSTANDING. WE WILL NOW BEGIN OUR AGENDA. WE WILL START WITH THE MISSION STATEMENT, WHICH IS 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. WE INSPIRE EACH OTHER TO LEAD PURPOSEFUL LIVES OF EMPATHY, GRATITUDE, AND COMPASSION. NOW WE HAVE THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE AND JOINING US TONIGHT TO LEAD OUR PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE IS ANUSHKA SERNVASA. DID I SAY IT CORRECT? NO. [LAUGHTER] I'M SORRY. COULD YOU INTRODUCE YOURSELF, YOUR NAME? >> ANUSHKA TRINIVASHA. >> TRINIVASHA, AND I'VE LOST MY PIECE OF PAPER, AND I APOLOGIZE. >> ANUSHKA IS IN. >> WEST RIDGE MIDDLE SCHOOL. >> WEST RIDGE MIDDLE SCHOOL, AND SHE HAS STARTED WITH ANS AT FOREST TRAIL. THANK YOU, ANUSHKA. >> I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS ONE NATION UNDER GOD INDIVISIBLE WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL. PLEASE FACE THE TEXAS FLAG. HONOR THE TEXAS FLAG. I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE TEXAS ONE STATE UNDER GOD, ONE INDIVISIBLE. >> YES. [LAUGHTER] ANUSHKA I WANTED TO GIVE YOU THIS ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD. I APOLOGIZE [LAUGHTER] WE ARE NOW GOING TO MOVE TO THE SUPERINTENDENT'S REPORT. [7. SUPERINTENDENT'S REPORT] >> THANK YOU, MRS. MACMATH. WELCOME, EVERYBODY. IT'S GREAT TO SEE A FULL HOUSE THIS EVENING. I WANTED TO BEGIN BY ACKNOWLEDGING ANY OF OUR BOOSTER CLUB PRESIDENTS WHO MAY BE IN THE ROOM. WE HELD OUR SECOND ANNUAL PTO BOOSTER CLUB BOOT CAMP A FEW WEEKS AGO. IT WAS ANOTHER BIG SUCCESS. [00:05:01] THIS IS A FULL DAY OF INFORMATIONAL SESSIONS FOR INCOMING LEADERSHIP AND CAMPUS AND CLUB SUPPORT ORGANIZATIONS, ALWAYS A FUN DAY OF DISCUSSION AND COLLABORATION. I SEE MANY OF YOU IN THE ROOM WHO ARE WITH US THAT DAY. WE ALL HAVE THE COMMON GOAL OF SUPPORTING STUDENTS AND STAFF SO IT'S AN AMAZING PARTNERSHIP SO THANK YOU. ALSO WANTED TO CONGRATULATE OUR WEST LAKE GIRLS SOCCER TEAM WHO FINISHED THE SEASON WITH 17 WINS FIVE LOSSES, TWO TIES, AND 11 SHUTOUTS. THE CHAPS WON THE REGION FOUR CHAMPIONSHIP WITH SHUTOUT WINS OVER HARLINGEN AND TAFT. RETURNING TO THE STATE FINALS FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE 1996. WE'RE INCREDIBLY PROUD OF THESE LADIES. HOPE TO RECOGNIZE THEM IN PERSON VERY SOON. MANY OF YOU WERE PROBABLY AT ZENITH LAST WEEK. THAT WAS AN INCREDIBLE THREE NIGHTS OF PERFORMANCES. GREAT TO SEE THE TALENT OF SO MANY STUDENTS, AS WELL AS OUR STAFF IN THE PIPELINE. THAT WAS A FUN NIGHT AND IF YOU WERE THERE AS WELL, I AM SURE THAT YOU ENJOYED IT. THEN ALSO LAST WEEKEND WAS THE ANNUAL BEST BUDDIES FRIENDSHIP WALK. THAT WAS A GREAT DAY FOR OUR COMMUNITY, AND A NUMBER OF STUDENTS, STAFF, PARENTS, ALL TURNED OUT TO CELEBRATE BEST BUDDIES. ONCE AGAIN, AS FAR AS WE KNOW, WE ARE THE ONLY SCHOOL DISTRICT IN THE NATION THAT HAS A BEST BUDDIES CHAPTER ON EVERY CAMPUS. IT'S A WONDERFUL WAY TO CELEBRATE THIS GREAT PROGRAM. SPEAKING OF CELEBRATING, I ALSO WANTED TO MENTION THE TRUSTEES. YOU'VE BEEN ON A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT VISITS OVER THE LAST WEEK, INCLUDING TO OUR TRANSPORTATION STAFF. I SPENT THURSDAY MORNING WITH THEM, AND WE HAD VISITS TO WEST RIDGE MIDDLE SCHOOL AND HILL COUNTRY MIDDLE SCHOOL, WHERE WE SAW THE NEW MURAL IN THE HALLWAY AND A NUMBER OF OTHER THINGS GOING ON IN THE SCHOOL DISTRICT. TO OUR TRUSTEES, THANK YOU AND TO OUR CAMPUSES THAT WELCOME YOU. THESE HAVE BEEN VERY INFORMATIVE VISITS. THAT CONCLUDES MY SUPERINTENDENT'S REPORT FOR THIS EVENING. >> THANK YOU, DOCTOR ARNETT. NOW, IN ACCORDANCE WITH BOARD POLICY AS THE PRESIDING OFFICER, I MAY MOVE SOME ITEMS AROUND ON THE AGENDA AS APPROPRIATE AND TAKE SOME ITEMS OUT OF ORDER. THERE IS THIS CHANGE IN TONIGHT'S AGENDA AND WE WANT OUR GUESTS TO BE AWARE OF IT. WE'VE ADJUSTED THE ORDER OF THE MEETINGS SO THAT PRESENTATIONS WILL PRECEDE PUBLIC COMMENTS. THIS MEANS THAT PUBLIC COMMENTS MAY BE SLIGHTLY LATER IN THE MEETING, THE NORMAL. WE APPRECIATE YOUR PATIENCE AS WE FEEL THE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN THE LAST PRESENTATION AND THE ANTICIPATED NATURE OF PUBLIC COMMENTS MAY BE INFORMATIVE. ALSO, FOR PEOPLE IN THE AUDIENCE THAT AFTER THEY HAVE SPOKEN OR AFTER A PRESENTATION IS MADE, YOU ARE AGAIN, FREE TO LEAVE OR LEAVE EARLY. YOU DON'T HAVE TO STAY FOR THE ENTIRETY OF THE MEETING. OUR FIRST REPORT TONIGHT IS OUR FINANCIAL REPORT, [9.1 Monthly Financial Report and Budget Amendment(s) for the Period Ending March 31.] AND IT'S BY MARIA ROCKTED. THANK YOU, MARIA. >> GOOD EVENING. A COUPLE OF THINGS TO JUST HIGHLIGHT, AGAIN, OUR EXPEND TO DATE IS PRETTY CONSISTENT. IT'S ACTUALLY EXACTLY WHERE WE WERE LAST YEAR AT THIS POINT, AND THEN YOU MAY HAVE NOTICED THAT WE HAVE A LOT OF CASH AND INVESTMENTS ON OUR BALANCE SHEET RIGHT NOW, AND THAT'S OF COURSE, BECAUSE OF TAX COLLECTIONS. THIS IS ALWAYS OUR HIGH POINT IN THE YEAR IN TERMS OF HOW MUCH ASSETS WE HAVE ON OUR BALANCE SHEET. THAT WILL GRADUALLY BE GOING DOWN AND THEN OF COURSE, IN AUGUST WHEN WE MAKE OUR PAYMENT TO EA FOR RECAPTURE, YOU'LL SEE A VERY SIGNIFICANT DECREASE IN THAT, SO OUR ESTIMATED RECAPTURE WILL BE $93 MILLION. THEN AS FAR AS BUDGET AMENDMENTS, THE ONLY FUND THAT HAS ANY BUDGET AMENDMENTS IS THE GENERAL FUND AND IT'S JUST MOVING MONEY WITHIN THOSE FUNCTION CODES AND NO NET EFFECT ON THE FUND BALANCE, AND NO BUDGET AMENDMENTS FOR THE DEBT SERVICE FUND OR THE CHILD NUTRITION FUND. ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS? >> CASSIE HEATHER? >> YES. THANK YOU. MARIA, SO YOU MENTIONED THAT $93 MILLION IS GOING BACK TO THE STATE FOR RECAPTURE. CAN YOU REMIND US AGAIN WHAT THE BUDGET IS, THE FULL BUDGET FOR THE SAKE OF THE ROOM? OUR OPERATING BUDGET AFTER? >> THE EXPENDITURE BUDGET IS 185 MILLION. >> THANK YOU. >> DO WE HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR MARIA? >> I DID. MARIA. I APPRECIATE YOU BRINGING UP THE FACT THAT IF YOU SAW THAT SLIDE, THERE WAS A LOT OF CASH THAT WAS SITTING THERE ON OUR BUDGET, ON OUR BOOKS RIGHT NOW. AGAIN, YOU EXPLAINED THAT IT WAS DUE TO TAX COLLECTIONS AND NOT HAVING TO YET MAKE THE BUDGET PAYING THE RECAPTURE PAYMENTS. >> THE MAJORITY OF THAT IS HELD IN OUR INVESTMENT POOLS. >> THANK YOU SO MUCH. [00:10:02] >> THANK YOU. >> THE NEXT AGENDA ITEM IS CONTINUING EDUCATION. [9.3 Annual Board Member Continuing Education Report] I'M GOING TO READ AGAIN AND IT IS A LONG ONE, BUT THIS IS REQUIRED BY LAW. UNDER THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION RULE, COMPLETING REQUIRED CONTINUING EDUCATION EACH YEAR OF SERVICE IS A BASIC OBLIGATION AND EXPECTATION OF ANY SITTING BOARD MEMBER. AS BOARD VICE PRESIDENT, SITTING IN FOR THE BOARD PRESIDENT, I'M REQUIRED TO ANNOUNCE THE NAME OF EACH MEMBER WHO HAS COMPLETED THE REQUIRED CONTINUING EDUCATION, HAS EXCEEDED THE REQUIRED CONTINUING EDUCATION, AND IS DEFICIT IN MEETING THE REQUIRED CONTINUING EDUCATION. REQUIREMENTS FOR TRAINING ARE MEASURED AS OF THE FIRST ANNIVERSARY OF THE DATE OF THE TRUSTEES ELECTION OR APPOINTMENT OR TWO YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF HIS OR HER PREVIOUS TRAINING AS APPLICABLE. THIS IS WHAT I'M REQUIRED TO READ. THERE ARE SEVEN TRAINING AREAS FOR BOARD MEMBER CONTINUING EDUCATION, LOCAL DISTRICT ORIENTATION, ORIENTATION TO THE TEXAS EDUCATION CODE, POST LEGISLATIVE UPDATE TO THE TEXAS EDUCATION CODE, TEAM BUILDING, ADDITIONAL CONTINUING EDUCATION, EVALUATING STUDENT ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE AND SETTING GOALS, IDENTIFYING AND REPORTING ABUSE, TRAFFICKING, AND OTHER MALTREATMENT OF CHILDREN. THIS YEAR, EVERYONE HAS COMPLETED THE REQUIRED CONTINUING EDUCATION WITH ONE EXCEPTION. THE EVALUATING STUDENT ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE AND GOAL SETTING COURSE IS BEING OFFERED IN JUNE, WHICH IS OBVIOUSLY AFTER TODAY'S REQUIRED ANNOUNCEMENT. THAT IS WHY CURRENTLY ONLY DIANE HERN AND HEATHER SHEFFIELD HAVE COMPLETED THE REQUIRED TRAINING. MOST OF THE BOARD WILL COMPLETE THIS LAST TRAINING COURSE IN JUNE, BUT WE DO AFFIRM THAT THE ENTIRE BOARD WILL COMPLETE THIS LAST REQUIRED COURSE BY THE END OF SEPTEMBER 2024. THAT CONTINUES. THAT COMPLETES THE SLIDE. ANY QUESTIONS FROM THE BOARD? >> NO. [9.2 2024-25 Property Value Review, Staff Compensation, and Budget Update] >> OUR NEXT AGENDA ITEM IS THE 2024-'25 PROPERTY VALUE REVIEW, STAFF COMPENSATION, AND BUDGET UPDATE. WE HAVE CHRIS SCOTT, OUR CFO, LAURIE LEE, OUR CHIEF HR DIRECTOR AT THE TABLE. THANK YOU CHRIS AND LAURIE FOR JOINING. >> GOOD EVENING. >> GOOD EVENING. ON THE BUDGET CALENDAR, YOU CAN SEE WE'RE IN APRIL NOW AND THE MAIN THING WE'RE LOOKING AT THIS MONTH IS WE HAVE A REQUIRED REPORT WHERE WE TALK ABOUT THE IMPACT OF PROPERTY VALUES ON THE DISTRICT FINANCES. THAT'S GOING TO BE THE FIRST THING WE LOOK AT. THEN WE'RE GOING TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT WE HAVE THE CAPACITY TO DO AS FAR AS RAISES FOR THE COMING YEAR. FOLLOWING THAT, WE'RE GOING TO GIVE A QUICK BUDGET UPDATE. IF YOU LOOK DOWN IN MAY THOUGH, YOU'LL SEE THAT WE'RE EXPECTING YOU TO APPROVE THE COMPENSATION PLAN AT THAT TIME AND SO WE INTEND TO BRING THAT TO YOU AT THE MAY 21ST MEETING. WE'LL START OUT WITH THE PROPERTY VALUE REVIEW. AS YOU MIGHT REMEMBER, I HAD BEEN ESTIMATING THAT THE TAXABLE ASSESSED VALUE OR THE TAV WOULD INCREASE ABOUT 3% FROM LAST YEAR TO THIS YEAR. THAT'S BECAUSE WE'VE BEEN HEARING A LOT ABOUT THE DEPRESSED HOUSING MARKET HERE IN HOUSTON. IF YOU LOOK AT WHAT WE GOT HERE, ACTUALLY THE AVERAGE APPRAISED VALUES OF HOMES IN THE DISTRICT DECREASED SLIGHTLY FROM LAST YEAR TO THIS YEAR FROM 2.08 MILLION-2.06 MILLION. HOWEVER, BECAUSE WE HAVE A LIMITATION ON HOW MUCH APPRECIATION YOU CAN RECOGNIZE IN ANY GIVEN YEAR. A FEW YEARS AGO, AS YOU'LL RECALL, A LOT OF PEOPLE WERE SAYING SEEING 50% INCREASES IN THE ASSESSED VALUES OF THEIR HOMES AND SO THERE WAS QUITE A BIT OF ASSESSED BUT UNTAXED VALUE. THAT CAME ON THIS YEAR AND YOU'LL SEE THAT THE TAXABLE VALUE OF HOMESTEADS IN THE DISTRICT INCREASED FROM 1.37 MILLION-1.5 MILLION, WHICH IS ABOUT 9.5%, SO RIGHT AT THAT 10% LIMIT. THAT MADE UP THE BULK OF WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT HERE. COMMERCIAL PROPERTY WAS A LITTLE BIT MIXED. THE RETAIL STOCK ACTUALLY SAW AN INCREASE IN VALUE. THAT WOULD BE YOUR STRIP MALLS AND THAT KIND OF THING. [00:15:03] THE OFFICE VALUES ARE STILL PRETTY DEPRESSED NOT JUST HERE IN EANES BUT ACROSS TRAVIS COUNTY AND REALLY PROBABLY ACROSS THE COUNTRY AS PEOPLE ARE STILL NOT FULLY COMING BACK TO OFFICE AT OFFICE WORK. THAT'S DEPRESSED THE VALUE A LITTLE BIT. THE NET EFFECT OF THAT IS, RIGHT NOW WE'VE INCREASED OUR PROJECTION OF A 3% INCREASE IN TAV TO 4.2%. WHAT THAT WORKS OUT TO BE ON THE REVENUE SIDE IS ABOUT $200,000 MORE THAN WHAT WE HAD ANTICIPATED. IT'S BEEN POINTED OUT TO ME THAT BULLET POINT 4 LOOKS WEIRD AND THAT IS BECAUSE THE ASSESSED VALUES THAT YOU USE IN ANY GIVEN YEAR, SO THE 2024 VALUES ARE BASED ON WHAT THE ASSESSED VALUE WAS ON THE LAST DAY OF THE PREVIOUS CALENDAR YEAR. ON DECEMBER 31ST, 2023, THAT'S THE NUMBER THAT THEY'RE LOOKING AT TO GIVE YOU THE VALUES THAT YOU'RE GOING TO BE TAXING ON IN THE NEXT YEAR. 2024 VALUES IS BASED ON A 2023 ASSESSMENT. HERE, I'M JUST GOING TO GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT OF A COMPARISON FROM YEAR TO YEAR. IT'S THE FREEZE ADJUSTED TAXABLE VALUE THAT'S REALLY THE MOST IMPORTANT. IF WE TALK ABOUT THE TOTAL VALUE OF PROPERTY IN THE DISTRICT, IT'S SOMEWHERE NORTH OF $30 BILLION, BUT THE FREEZE ADJUSTED TAXABLE IS LOWER THAN THAT, IT'S ABOUT $19.8 BILLION THIS YEAR. WHAT THAT IS, IS ONCE YOU TAKE OUT THE DIFFERENT TAX EXEMPT PROPERTIES LIKE THE ONES THAT THE DISTRICT OWNS, THE PROPERTIES THAT HAVE FROZEN TAXES, ET CETERA, THAT'S THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT ACTUALLY GETS THE TAX RATE APPLIED TO IT. THE WAY THAT WOULD WORK IS YOU TAKE THAT NUMBER, YOU MULTIPLY IT BY THE ADOPTED TAX RATE, AND THEN YOU ADD IN THOSE FROZEN TAXES, AND SO THERE'S NO NUMBER THAT YOU CAN GET ON THAT BECAUSE EVERYBODY'S FROZEN TAXES ARE DIFFERENT, DEPENDING ON WHEN THEY WERE FROZEN. YOU CAN SEE THAT LAST YEAR, PRIMARILY BECAUSE OF THE BIG DROP IN THE M&O TAX RATE, AS WELL AS THE INCREASE IN THE HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION, THERE WAS VERY LITTLE CHANGE IN THE FREEZE ADJUSTED TAXABLE VALUE, BUT A BIG DIFFERENCE IN THE M&O LEVY, HOW MUCH MONEY WE ACTUALLY COLLECTED ON THAT. THAT WAS A DROP OF ABOUT $28 MILLION, AND YOU CAN SEE THIS YEAR, WE'RE PROJECTING THAT WE'LL COLLECT MORE THIS COMING YEAR 24-25 THAN WHAT WE DID DURING THE 23-24 YEAR. TRY NOT TO FOCUS TOO MUCH ON THAT LEVY, THOUGH, BECAUSE THAT LEVY IS BASED ON WHERE WE ARE IN JULY, AND AS YOU KNOW, THE ACTUAL LEVY WILL DECREASE THROUGHOUT THE SCHOOL YEAR. THAT'S ABOUT $162.4 MILLION IS ABOUT WHERE WE WERE IN JULY OF 2023. RIGHT NOW, IT'S CLOSER TO ABOUT 160.4, SO YOU CAN EXPECT THAT THAT'LL HAPPEN WITH NEXT YEARS AS WELL, BUT WE DO EXPECT THAT THE OVERALL GROWTH SHOULD BE ABOUT 4.2%. I'M GOING TO LET LAURIE TALK. >> THANK YOU, CHRIS. I WANTED TO TALK A LITTLE BIT AND START MY COMPENSATION CONVERSATION WITH THOUGHT EXCHANGE. WE COME TO THE BOARD AND TALKED ABOUT HOW WE'RE GOING TO UTILIZE THOUGHT CHANGE TO DO SOME SURVEYS. WE RECENTLY DID A EMPLOYEE SURVEY, AND WE REALLY TALKED ABOUT WHAT COULD WE DO BETTER AS ADMINISTRATORS IN THE DISTRICT? JUST THOUGHTS OF WHATEVER OUR EMPLOYEES HAD ON THEIR MIND AT THE TIME. WE WERE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THE PARTICIPATION. WE HAD ABOUT 641 PEOPLE WHO ACTUALLY PARTICIPATED IN THIS SURVEY, AND WE HAVE ABOUT 1,150 EMPLOYEES, SO WE THOUGHT THAT WAS REALLY GREAT. AS YOU REMEMBER WHEN TASB WAS HERE A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO, WE TALKED ABOUT WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE IN OUR DISTRICT IN THAT CHART, I KNOW IS REALLY SMALL, BUT TALKS ABOUT HOW, OUR EMPLOYEES, ABOUT 50% OF THEM ARE BETWEEN THAT 1-10 YEARS, AND WE DID FIND INTERESTINGLY THAT IN THAT THOUGHT EXCHANGE, WE COULD EXTRACT THAT THE MAJORITY OF THOSE INDIVIDUALS WHO ACTUALLY PARTICIPATED WERE THOSE NEW TO THE DISTRICT EMPLOYEES. WE FELT THAT WAS GREAT INFORMATION TO HAVE, AND WE REALLY WANTED TO KNOW, WHAT ARE THEY THINKING? WE HAVE TALKED BEFORE ABOUT WHAT WE VALUE AND WHAT MATTERS FOR OUR EMPLOYEES IN THE DISTRICT, SO WE WERE HOPING THAT WE WOULD GET A LITTLE BIT OF INFORMATION OUT OF THAT. IN THE THOUGHT EXCHANGE, OBVIOUSLY WE TOOK SOME INFORMATION. THEY CAN ACTUALLY PUT IN WHAT THEY'RE THINKING, SO THEY CAN TELL US, OBVIOUSLY, [00:20:03] WE LOOKED AT THE WORD CLOUD AND YOU CAN SEE THAT PAY AND SALARY AND LIVING IN THE AUSTIN AREA IS VERY IMPORTANT, JUST LIKE WE WOULD HAVE EXPECTED. WE ALWAYS KNOW AND WE VALUE OUR EMPLOYEES, AND WE KNOW THAT THE SALARY IS VERY IMPORTANT TO THEM, AND THAT LIVING WAGE IN AUSTIN IS VERY DIFFICULT. OUR EMPLOYEES CAN ACTUALLY WRITE WHAT THEY'RE THINKING, AND THEN OTHER INDIVIDUALS CAN COME IN, OR OTHER EMPLOYEES CAN COME IN AND RATE IT, SO YOU CAN SEE THAT THEY WOULD RATE WITH THE STARS. WE FOUND THAT INFORMATION WAS REALLY GREAT, AND SO WE ARE GOING TO BE COMING BACK TO YOU WITH A LITTLE MORE OF THAT EMPLOYEE SURVEY, BUT WE WANTED TO GIVE YOU A PIECE OF IT TONIGHT BECAUSE IT REALLY DID CORRELATE TO WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, WHICH WAS OUR SALARIES. ANOTHER THING THAT WE FOUND IN THAT SURVEY WAS THAT THERE WAS A MISCONCEPTION OF THAT DISTRICT FUNDING SOURCES. WE KNOW THAT CHRIS TALKS ABOUT THIS A LOT, AND SO I THOUGHT I WOULD PUT IT INTO PICTURES, SO IT MIGHT BE A LITTLE BIT EASIER TO UNDERSTAND. WE KNOW THAT OUR M&O FUND IS WHAT FUNDS OUR SALARIES. THAT'S WHAT GIVES US OUR SALARY AND OUR BENEFITS. THAT'S OUR DAY TO DAY OPERATIONS. I THINK THE MISCONCEPTION IS THAT IN OUR INS, THAT IS WHERE WE'RE SEEING OUR TECHNOLOGY, THAT'S WHERE WE'RE SEEING OUR LAND OR OUR VEHICLES. I THINK SOME OF THOSE NEW EMPLOYEES, IT WAS REALLY IMPORTANT FOR US AND WE LEARNED THAT WE NEED TO GO OUT AND EDUCATE THEM ON WHERE THAT MONEY COMES FROM, BECAUSE A LOT OF TIMES THERE WERE QUESTIONS ABOUT, WELL, IF WE DON'T HAVE TECHNOLOGY, CAN WE GET A RAISE? THOSE ARE TOTALLY DIFFERENT BUCKETS OR UMBRELLAS, AND SO WE KNOW THAT WE NEED TO DO SOME MORE EDUCATION ON THAT, THAT SEEMS TO BE STILL A QUESTION OUT THERE WITH OUR EMPLOYEES. WHEN WE WERE TALKING WITH TASB, THEY DID COME IN AND THEY DID, YOU KNOW, A REVIEW OF OUR 13 COMPARABLE DISTRICTS AROUND US, AND THAT'S WHAT WE LOOK AT EVERY YEAR. THOSE ARE OUR SISTER DISTRICTS AROUND US, THE ONES THAT WE COMPETE WITH FOR EMPLOYEES. WE DO SEE THAT ON THE RED IS WHERE EANES ISD, FALLS JUST A LITTLE BIT BELOW THAT MARKET MEDIAN LINE FOR ALL OF THOSE OTHER COMPARABLE DISTRICTS IN TEACHER SALARIES. WE KNOW THAT TASB CAME IN, THEY DID A VERY COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW. WE KNOW THEY HAVE SOME TARGETED AREAS THAT THEY'VE TALKED TO US ABOUT, AND WE ARE LOOKING AT THOSE AS WE START TO MAKE PLANS. WHICH THIS CHART, I THOUGHT WAS REALLY INTERESTING, TOO, BECAUSE THIS GIVES YOU AN IDEA OF WHAT OUR AREA DISTRICTS AROUND US ARE GOING TO BE PROPOSING FOR COMPENSATION, WHICH YOU CAN SEE THERE'S NOT A LOT OF CONVERSATION. I DON'T THINK THAT'S BECAUSE THERE'S JUST NOT CONVERSATION, I THINK THEY HONESTLY DO NOT KNOW. WE ALL KNOW THAT INDIVIDUALS AROUND US, JUST LIKE US ARE LOOKING AT A DEFICIT BUDGET, AND SO THEY ARE REALLY REVIEWING THEIR BUDGET AND TRYING TO MAKE SOME VERY TOUGH DECISIONS. WE DO KNOW THAT ROUND ROCK HAS ADOPTED THEIRS, WHICH WAS A 1% PAY INCREASE. THEY DID MENTION THAT THERE COULD POSSIBLY BE A 1% LATER, I'M NOT SURE WHAT THE LATER FACTOR IS. THEN ALSO FLIGERVILL ADOPTED A 2%. THEY ALSO HAVE SOME TARGETED AREAS THAT BOTH OF THOSE DISTRICTS ARE LOOKING AT TOO, JUST LIKE WE WERE GOING TO DO. BUT I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT WHEN WE LOOK BACK ON OUR 22-23 AND OUR 23-24 COMPENSATION THAT WHEN YOU ADD THOSE AND LOOK AT THOSE, IT'S ABOUT A 9.5% INCREASE. WE GAVE 10, SO I FEEL LIKE WE WERE VERY COMPETITIVE, AND WE KNOW THAT DURING THOSE TIMES, WE DID NOT HAVE THE ER FUNDS THAT OTHER DISTRICTS HAD. I THINK WE'VE DONE A GREAT JOB, I APPRECIATE THE BOARD. YOU'VE REALLY TRIED TO LOOK OUT FOR OUR EMPLOYEES, AND SO I THINK THAT'S A REALLY IMPORTANT PIECE TO LOOK AT. THEN LAST, I JUST WANTED TO REVIEW TASB'S RECOMMENDATION. WE HAD THAT MODEL OF 2%, WHICH WE KNOW IN SOME TARGETED AREAS, IT'S GOING TO LOOK MORE LIKE 2.6. THEN THE MODEL FOR 3%, SOME TARGETED AREAS, IT'S GOING TO LOOK MORE LIKE 3.6. THOSE TARGETED AREAS REALLY ARE WHAT THEY'RE SAYING. I COULDN'T TELL YOU THAT IT'S AN ENTIRE GROUP BECAUSE IT MIGHT BE THAT YOU HAVE AN ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT PAY SCHEDULE THAT THEY'RE LOOKING AT ONLY ONE PAY GRADE THAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN SLIGHTLY OFF, SO IT WOULDN'T BE THAT EVERYONE WHO IS UNDER AN ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT WOULD GET THE 2.6. THEY ARE VERY TARGETED. IT DID LOOK AT BUS DRIVERS, AND THAT IS ONE THAT WE ARE CONSIDERING, BUT FOR THE MOST PART, IT IS BITS AND PIECES THROUGHOUT OUR SALARY SCHEDULES. [00:25:07] >> AS FAR AS THE BUDGET INFORMATION UPDATE, THE BIG ONES ARE 4.2% TAV GROWTH UPDATED FROM THE 3.0% THAT WE HAD BEEN USING. ALSO, BASED ON SOME WORDS THAT WE'RE HEARING OUT OF THE FEDERAL RESERVE OPEN MARKET COMMITTEE, I'VE STRETCHED OUT THE TIMELINE FOR WHEN I THINK THAT THOSE RATE CUTS ARE GOING TO BE COMING BASED ON INDUSTRY CONSENSUS AND WHAT THAT DID WAS THAT ALLOWED ME TO BUMP UP MY ESTIMATE OF INVESTMENT EARNINGS FOR NEXT YEAR, BUT JUST A LITTLE BIT, NOT A WHOLE LOT, BUT IT LOOKS LIKE THE MORE AGGRESSIVE SCHEDULE IS A LITTLE BIT OFF THE TABLE NOW. WE'RE SHOWING TWO OF THEM HERE, WHICH IS WHAT TASB RECOMMENDED, THE 3%, WHICH I'M SHOWING HERE. IF YOU'LL NOTICE, ACROSS THE BOARD, I'M SHOWING 3% ON THE OUT YEARS AS WELL. I'M SHOWING 4.2% UP THERE ON THE TAX BASE GROWTH AND A HIGHER NUMBER IN THE FOLLOWING YEARS, 8%, WHICH IS OUR LONG-TERM AVERAGE. HISTORICALLY, WHEN WE'VE HAD A COUPLE OF YEARS WITH LOWER GROWTH, THAT'S FOLLOWED BY A YEAR OF ABOVE-AVERAGE GROWTH. WOULD THAT BE NEXT YEAR? I DON'T KNOW. WE'RE GOING WITH THE AVERAGE, BUT ANYTHING PROJECTING BEYOND THIS YEAR IS A CRAPSHOOT AT THIS POINT. SNAPSHOT ENROLLMENT IS, OF COURSE, BASED ON OUR DEMOGRAPHIC REPORT, PROJECTED M&O TAX RATE. KEEP IN MIND THAT AS YOUR TAX BASE GROWS, THE SYSTEM ACCOUNTS FOR AN M&O TAX RATE COMPRESSION. BASED ON THE 4.2% GROWTH, I WOULD PROJECT THAT OUR M&O TAX RATE WOULD DECLINE BY A LITTLE BIT MORE THAN A PENNY, WHICH IS MORE THAN WHAT IT WAS AT THE 3% SCENARIO. I'M SHOWING AGAIN, THE 3% ACROSS THE BOARD ON SALARY INCREASES AND THE FTE CHANGES. RIGHT NOW, WE'RE ESTIMATING, WHICH IS WHAT YOU ASKED US TO LOOK AT LAST YEAR AT FIVE. WE STILL BELIEVE THAT THERE'S A GOOD CHANCE THAT WE WILL NET MORE THAN FIVE THIS YEAR IN JUST FINDING SOME EFFICIENCIES. >> CHRIS, I'M SORRY FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE AUDIENCE, FTE IS? >> I'M SORRY, FULL-TIME EQUIVALENT EMPLOYEE. >> IT'S NOT FORCE TRAILER? >> NO, IT'S NOT FORCE TRAILER. WE'RE NOT GOING TO LOSE FIVE FORCE TRAILS. AT THE 3%, THAT PUTS US AT A BUDGETED DEFICIT OF ABOUT $4.1 MILLION FOR NEXT YEAR, AND A PROJECTED PERFORMANCE OF THE BUDGET OF ABOUT $3.1 MILLION DEFICIT. YOU CAN SEE THAT EACH SUBSEQUENT YEAR THAT NUMBER GROWS A LITTLE BIT MORE AND WHAT REALLY, I BELIEVE IS IMPORTANT IS IF YOU LOOK DOWN AT THE BOTTOM UNDER THE DARK BLACK LINE, YOU SEE THE PROJECTED FUND BALANCE TO GET DOWN TO $26 MILLION AT THE END OF THE '24/'25 SCHOOL YEAR, WHICH IS ABOUT 27.5% OF OPERATING EXPENSES. NOW, AS YOU GUYS KNOW, THE TEA GUIDELINE IS THAT YOU SHOULD NOT GO BELOW 25%, AND AS WE LOOK TO THE FOLLOWING YEAR '25/'26, WE WOULD SEE THAT WE ACTUALLY WOULD GO BELOW THAT TEA GUIDELINE OF 25% FUND BALANCE. JUST FOR THOSE HERE IN THE AUDIENCE AND THOSE LISTENING AT HOME, I JUST WANT TO MAKE THE DISTINCTION BETWEEN FUND BALANCE AS FAR AS THE WAY A SCHOOL LOOKS AT IT, AND AND A RAINY DAY FUND, LIKE THE STATE, LOOKS AT IT. YOU HEAR A LOT OF TIMES THAT THE STATE HAS SOME UNGODLY AMOUNT OF MONEY IN THE RAINY DAY FUND, AND THAT REALLY IS A SET POOL OF MONEY THAT THEY'VE SET ASIDE IN INVESTMENTS THAT THEY CAN PULL FROM IT ANY TIME AND IF THEY DON'T PULL FROM IT, THEN IT JUST TENDS TO GROW. THE SCHOOL'S FUND BALANCE IS A DIFFERENT THING ALTOGETHER. THE WAY THAT WORKS IS AT A PARTICULAR TIME OF YEAR, AT THE END OF OUR FISCAL YEAR, WHICH FOR US IS JUNE 30TH, WHAT WAS OUR TOTAL ASSETS, MINUS OUR TOTAL LIABILITIES, AND WHATEVER THAT NUMBER IS, THAT'S YOUR FUND BALANCE AND MOST OF THAT IS IN CASH BUT THE IMPORTANT THING TO KEEP IN MIND ABOUT OUR FUND BALANCE IS WE USE IT. MOST OF OUR MONEY COMES IN IN JANUARY, FEBRUARY, DECEMBER, RIDE AROUND, AND THEN WHEN I GET OUR TAX RECEIPTS. WE GET OTHER AMOUNTS OF MONEY THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, BUT THE BULK OF IT COMES IN THEN. WHENEVER WE HAVE AT THE END OF JUNE, THAT MONEY HAS GOT TO LAST US UNTIL WE START BRINGING IN NEW TAX RECEIPTS. TYPICALLY, WHAT WE'LL FIND IS THAT WE'RE GOING TO DECLINE AND OUR LOWEST POINT [00:30:04] OF THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT WE HAVE AVAILABLE TO USE IS GOING TO BE AT THE END OF NOVEMBER, AND THEN IN DECEMBER, IT STARTS SLOWLY, MAYBE IT BE EVEN, MAYBE BUILD UP SLIGHTLY, AND THEN JANUARY WE GET A HUGE INFLUX OF MONEY. I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND THAT MONEY IS NOT JUST SET ASIDE FOR US TO HAVE, IT'D BE NICE TO HAVE IF WE NEEDED IT, BUT WE REALLY DON'T NEED IT. WE USE IT AND WE USE IT EVERY YEAR. LOOKING AT THE 2% SALARY INCREASE AND AGAIN, I'M SHOWING 2% NOT JUST NEXT YEAR, BUT IN THE OUT YEARS, AND WITH THAT, WHEN WE LOOK DOWN TO THE FUND BALANCE PERCENT OF OPERATING EXPENSES, YOU SEE THAT WE CAN STILL MAINTAIN ABOVE 25% IN THE '25/'26 SCHOOL YEAR. I BELIEVE THIS IS IMPORTANT AND SO WE'VE TALKED AROUND THIS A LOT AS A BOARD, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT IT A LOT AS AN ADMINISTRATION JUST THAT THERE ARE POTENTIAL VERY DIFFICULT TIMES AHEAD FOR SCHOOL DISTRICTS. THIS IS SOMETHING THAT AS LAURIE MENTIONED, SCHOOL DISTRICTS ACROSS THE STATE ARE DEALING WITH RIGHT NOW. THEY'RE LOOKING FOR WAYS TO CUT THEIR BUDGET AND UNFORTUNATELY, THE WAYS THAT YOU CUT THE BUDGET AS SIGNIFICANT AS WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT TO BRING OURSELVES TO BALANCE, THOSE ARE GOING TO CAUSE A LOT OF DISCOMFORT FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE. THOSE ARE THINGS THAT WE DON'T WANT TO DO UNLESS WE HAVE TO DO THEM. WHEN WE WILL KNOW WHETHER OR NOT WE HAVE TO DO THEM, IN MY OPINION, IS IN THE SPRING OF 2025, THE LEGISLATURE WILL BE MEETING AGAIN, AS YOU'RE WELL AWARE. THE LEGISLATURE HASN'T UPDATED THE SCHOOL FINANCE SYSTEM SINCE 2019, AND WE'VE BEEN MAKING IT WORK, BUT IT'S GETTING HARDER AND HARDER TO MAKE IT WORK. I FEEL LIKE AT THAT TIME, 2025, THAT WILL BE THE TIME WHEN YOU GUYS WILL PROBABLY NEED TO PULL THE TRIGGER ON DOING ONE OF THOSE BIG THINGS OR MORE OF THOSE THINGS. THERE MIGHT BE MORE THAN ONE THING THAT YOU CHOOSE TO LOOK AT IN ORDER TO CLOSE THAT GAP BUT FOR MOST OF THESE THINGS THAT WE'VE BEEN LOOKING AT BEHIND THE SCENES, THOSE ARE THINGS THAT WILL TAKE MULTIPLE YEARS TO FULLY IMPLEMENT AND BRING THEM ONLINE. THERE'S REALLY NOT TOO MANY SOLUTIONS WHERE YOU CAN PULL THE TRIGGER AND SAY, NOW WE'VE GOT FOUR MILLION DOLLARS MILLION EXTRA IN OUR BUDGET. I'M GOING ABOUT, THIS THE LONG WAY OF SAYING, I HAVE A RECOMMENDATION FOR YOU, AND THAT RECOMMENDATION IS THAT YOU LOOK AT A 2% INCREASE FOR SALARY FOR THIS YEAR, AND PROBABLY FOR NEXT YEAR SO THAT YOU GIVE YOURSELF THE OPPORTUNITY TO ADDRESS THIS AND YOU PUT IT OFF SO THAT YOU DON'T MAKE THOSE DIFFICULT DECISIONS, WHICH WILL IMPACT STUDENTS, THEY WILL IMPACT EMPLOYEES UNTIL YOU KNOW THAT YOU HAVE TO. I THINK THAT BY GOING WITH 2%, YOU'RE JUST PRESERVING YOUR OPTIONS TO ACT WITHOUT HAVING TO ACT AS RASHLY AS YOU MIGHT OTHERWISE. WITH THAT PLEASANT CLOSER, I'LL GO AHEAD AND OPEN UP FOR ANY QUESTIONS OR DISCUSSION YOU MIGHT HAVE. >> DO WE HAVE QUESTIONS FROM THE BOARD? I'M SURE WE DO. I SEE HEATHER. HEATHER AND THEN LAURA. >> THANK YOU FOR THAT RECOMMENDATION, CHRIS, THAT WAS IMPORTANT. I APPRECIATE THAT PRESERVING OUR OPTIONS IS GREAT BECAUSE THAT MEANS WE'RE PRESERVING OUR PROGRAMS AND OUR PEOPLE, WHICH IS THE BIG THING FOR OUR KIDS AND OUR STAFF. GOOD NEWS THAT WE HAVE AN ADDITIONAL $200,000 IN TAV. THAT IS WELCOME AND SORRY TO PEOPLE WHO HAVE THE APPRAISED VALUE INCREASE. HOWEVER, HOPEFULLY, THE IMPOSED TAX CAP AND THE INCREASED HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION HELP OUR TAXPAYERS AND I AM STILL VERY PROUD OF THE FACT THAT WE HAVE THE SECOND-LOWEST TAX RATE IN ALL OF CENTRAL TEXAS BY A PENNY. AUSTIN ISD HAS US BEAT BY A PENNY, BUT I'M STILL REALLY PROUD OF THAT. TO LAURIE'S POINT, I THOUGHT IT WAS REALLY INTERESTING THAT WE HAD THE MAJORITY OF OUR NEW TEACHERS THAT DID THE SURVEY BUT I'M SO GLAD THAT THEY DID. [00:35:01] I DON'T KNOW HOW WE CAN GET MORE PEOPLE TO PARTICIPATE, BUT I WOULD LOVE THAT TO HAPPEN BECAUSE IT IS SO INTERESTING. THANK YOU TO BOTH OF YOU FOR EDUCATING NOT ONLY JUST OUR PARENTS AND OUR COMMUNITY, BUT ALSO OUR STAFF BECAUSE I KNOW WHEN I TAUGHT, I HAD NO IDEA WHAT M&O AND I&S WAS, AND I DIDN'T REALLY CARE. I WAS JUST TRYING TO LOOK FOR THE TICKS FOR FIRST GRADERS AND SO MY PRIORITIES WERE NOT THAT BUT REALLY, IT'S A BIG DEAL WHEN IT COMES TO THEIR SALARY AND HOW IT WORKS AND YOU DO HEAR THE RHETORIC, NOT NECESSARILY IN OUR COMMUNITY BECAUSE WE LOVE SOME FRIDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL AND WE DON'T HAVE A HUMONGOUS STADIUM BUT YOU HEAR RHETORIC ABOUT FOOTBALL STADIUMS AND THEY CAN'T PAY THEIR TEACHERS, BUT THEY HAVE THIS FOOTBALL STADIUM, WHATEVER AND THAT'S NOT HOW THAT WORKS. I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT YOU'RE HELPING TO TELL PEOPLE HOW IT DOES WORK. I'M SORRY, THIS ISN'T A QUESTION. THIS IS A LONG COMMENT. BUT THEN ALSO MAINTENANCE AND ALL THE UPKEEP OF OUR BUILDINGS GOES INTO THAT ALSO BECAUSE I THINK THAT THEY LIKE TO HAVE AIR CONDITIONING AND HEAT IN OUR BUILDINGS AND I ALSO JUST WANTED TO SAY, YES, WE HAVE THE LONG AGE FACILITY PLANNING, BUT CAN YOU CONFIRM AND I SHALL HAVE SOME MORE QUESTIONS, BUT I CAN LET YOU AND THEN THEY'LL COME BACK BUT CAN YOU CONFIRM THAT WE DON'T HAVE A BOND ON THIS ELECTION, CORRECT? >> RIGHT. THERE HASN'T BEEN ANY RECOMMENDATIONS YET FROM THE LRFPC. >> WE ARE NOT TRYING TO ISSUE A BILLION-DOLLAR BOND RIGHT NOW. THEN I JUST ALSO WANT TO MAKE SURE AND I'VE SAID IT BEFORE, AND I'LL SAY IT AGAIN I'M ALWAYS GLAD TO BE IN OUR DISTRICT AND IF WE ALL PUT OUR DISTRICT PROBLEMS OUT ON THE TABLE, I WILL GRAB OURS RIGHT BACK BECAUSE THERE ARE OTHER DISTRICTS THAT HAVE HUGE DEFICITS THAT THEY ARE LAYING OFF STAFF. WE KNOW OF ONE DISTRICT THAT LAID OFF ALL OF THEIR LIBRARIANS. SINCE 86% OF OUR M&O BUDGET GOES TO PAY OUR STAFF THERE'S NOT A LOT OF OTHER PLACES TO CUT. I AM REALLY GRATEFUL FOR THE FISCAL CONSERVANCY OF OUR DISTRICT AND FOR EVERYBODY HERE. LAURA, I'LL LET YOU GO IN AND THEN I'LL FOLLOW UP IF YOU DON'T ASK. >> THANK YOU. CHRIS, I ALSO APPRECIATE YOUR EXPLANATIONS OF SOME OF THE MORE NUANCED ASPECTS OF PUBLIC EDUCATION BUDGET. COULD YOU REMIND US OF WHAT PERCENTAGE OF OUR M&O BUDGET IS SPENT ON SALARIES? >> IT VARIES FROM YEAR TO YEAR, BUT IT'S GENERALLY IN THE 86,87% RANGE. >> EIGHTY-SIX TO 87% IS SALARIES AND SO THAT LEAVES 13-14%. >> TO DO EVERYTHING ELSE. >> TO KEEP THE LIGHTS ON, GAS OR WHATEVER FUEL WE USE FOR OUR BUSES, THAT SORT OF THING. >> THE PRIMARY THINGS THAT WE SPEND THE REST OF IT ON IS TRANSPORTATION FUEL, UTILITIES, AND THEN THOSE REGULAR CLASSROOM SUPPLIES, THE THINGS THAT THE WE PUT IN THE COPY MACHINES. >> CONSUMABLE. >> YEAH, CONSUMABLES. >> WE'VE MOVED MOST OF OUR TECHNOLOGY OVER TO BONDS SO THAT WE CAN FREE UP OUR M&O BUDGET IN ORDER TO PAY SALARIES. >> THAT'S RIGHT. >> I THINK THIS IS MY FIFTH YEAR SITTING HERE LISTENING TO YOU PROVIDE THIS INFORMATION TO US AND THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I'VE HEARD YOU COME OUT WITH A VERY DIRECT RECOMMENDATION. THANK YOU. I GREATLY APPRECIATE YOUR CANDOR ON THAT ONE. COULD YOU CLARIFY FOR ME ON THE 2% INCREASE, DOES THAT INCLUDE THAT 0.6% FOR THOSE ADJUSTMENTS? >> I'VE BUILT THAT IN, YES. >> BUILT THAT IN, OKAY. COULD YOU ALSO JUST ONE MORE TIME, EXPLAIN THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE BUDGETED DEFICIT AND THE PROJECTED DEFICIT AND THE ADOPTED BUDGETS? UNFORTUNATELY, THEY'RE BOTH DEFICITS THIS TIME AROUND. >> GENERALLY, WHEN WE'RE UP HERE AND WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE BUDGET, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE GENERAL FUND BUDGET, BUT YOU'RE RIGHT. THERE ARE A NUMBER OF BUDGETS, THREE OF WHICH YOU ADOPT OBVIOUSLY, THE GENERAL FUND, YOU ADOPT THE DEBT SERVICE FUND, AND YOU ADOPT THE CHILD NUTRITION FUND. GENERALLY, WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE BUDGET, OF COURSE, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE GENERAL FUND. ONE OF THE REQUIREMENTS THAT YOU HAVE IS THAT YOU ADOPT THE BUDGET BY FUNCTION LEVEL, NOT JUST BY FUND AND SO THE GENERAL FUND IS ACTUALLY BROKEN UP INTO MULTIPLE FUNCTION LEVELS AND THOSE FUNCTIONS [00:40:01] DESCRIBE WHAT THE BROAD CATEGORY THAT THE MONEY IS BEING SPENT IN. FOR EXAMPLE, THE BIGGEST ONE, ASIDE FROM FUNCTION 91, WHICH IS WHERE WE PAY OUR RECAPTURE THE BIGGEST ONE IS FUNCTION 11, WHICH IS INSTRUCTION AND THEN FUNCTION 12 WOULD BE MEDIA SERVICES, WHICH IS YOUR LIBRARIES, 13 IS INSTRUCTIONAL COACHING. IT GOES ON DOWN THE LINE. WHEN YOU ADOPT IT BY FUNCTION, AT THE END OF THE YEAR, YOU CANNOT HAVE EXCEEDED ANY OF THE BUDGET AND ANY OF THOSE FUNCTION LEVELS. WE BUDGET AT SUCH A LEVEL THAT AT THE END OF THE YEAR, WE CAN MOVE MONEY AROUND WITHIN THOSE FUNCTIONS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE NOT EXCEEDING THE BUDGET IN ANY OF THOSE PLACES AND THE WAY THAT GENERALLY WORKS IS WE ADOPT THE BUDGET AT A LEVEL THAT WE KNOW WE'RE GOING TO BEAT IT, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A PERFORMANCE LEVEL. IN GENERAL, THAT'S ABOUT A MILLION DOLLARS BETTER. SOMETIMES IT'S A LITTLE BIT MORE THAN THAT SOMETIMES IT'S A LITTLE BIT LESS, BUT A GOOD AVERAGE IS A MILLION DOLLARS BETTER THAN WHAT WE BUDGETED. I'D LIKE TO SHOW YOU BOTH BECAUSE ONE IS THE ONE YOU VOTE ON AND THE OTHER ONE IS THE ONE WHERE WE ACTUALLY THINK WE'RE GOING TO BE AT THE END OF THE YEAR. >> THANK YOU. WE ADOPT A BUDGET THAT LEAVES ROOM FOR US TO MAKE THOSE ADJUSTMENTS AS WE GO THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. IF WE EXCEED THAT BUDGET, IF WE EXCEED THOSE LINE ITEMS, DOES THAT IMPACT OUR FIRST RATING? >> IT COULD. WE WOULD GET A SLAP ON THE HAND IN OUR ANNUAL FINANCIAL REPORT AND THEN TEA WOULD WRITE A LETTER AND TELL YOU THAT WE EXCEEDED BUDGET IN THIS PARTICULAR FUNCTION AREA, AND THEN I WOULD COME TO YOU AND I WOULD SAY, I'M SORRY, WE EXCEEDED AND SO WE DON'T WANT THAT TO HAPPEN. >> THAT'S WHY WE ADOPT THE BUDGET AS WE DO. >> THAT'S THE WAY WE DO IT. >> THOSE ARE MY QUESTIONS FOR NOW. THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU, LAURA. THE NEXT IS ELLEN. ELLEN BALTHASAR HAD A QUESTION. >> THANK YOU. I HAVE SOME COMMENTS AND SOME QUESTIONS, AND I'LL SEE IF I CAN CLARIFY WHICH WITH WHICH. FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU FOR THE EXPLANATION OF INS BUDGET VERSUS THE M&O BUDGET. WE TALK ABOUT THAT OVER AND OVER AGAIN, BUT IT'S SO IMPORTANT FOR OUR COMMUNITY AND PARTICULARLY FOR OUR STAFF TO UNDERSTAND THAT AND YOU CLARIFIED THAT THE MONEY THAT GOES FOR BUILDINGS CANNOT BE USED FOR SALARIES, TWO VERY SEPARATE BUCKETS BUT SOMETHING ELSE I'VE HEARD RUMBLING AROUND RELATES TO THE UTILITIES THAT IT TAKES TO RUN THOSE BUILDINGS AND THAT THE UTILITY COSTS ARE COMPETING DIRECTLY WITH STAFF SALARIES. I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE I'M UNDERSTANDING CORRECTLY THAT IN OUR LAST BOND, WHEN WE PASSED SOLAR CAPACITY, IT WAS TO, IN FACT, FREE UP MORE OF THOSE DOLLARS THAT ARE CURRENTLY BEING SPENT ON UTILITIES SO OVER THE LONG RUN, WE COULD PUT MORE MONEY INTO THE BUCKET THAT WE COULD PAY STAFF, IS THAT CORRECT? >> THAT'S CORRECT. IN FACT, I BELIEVE LATER TONIGHT, YOU'LL BE ASKED TO VOTE. WE'VE JUST EVALUATED THE PROPOSALS FOR THE SOLAR PROJECT SO HOPEFULLY, YOU'LL APPROVE AND WE'LL GET UNDERWAY ON THAT PROJECT SOON. >> RIGHT. I REALIZED THAT THOSE SAVINGS WON'T BE TOMORROW, BUT OVER THE LONG RUN, THAT IS SIGNIFICANT SAVING OPPORTUNITIES FOR US. I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE UNDERSTOOD THAT WE WEREN'T JUST OUT THERE BEING GOOD TO THE EARTH WE WERE ALSO SAVING M&O DOLLARS OVER THE LONG RUN. LAURIE, I REALLY APPRECIATED YOUR COMMENT ON THE PROPOSED COMPENSATION COMPARISON BETWEEN DISTRICTS IN POINTING OUT THAT EXCEPT FOR DEL VALLEY, VIRTUALLY EVERYBODY ELSE WAS IN THE 9.5,10% RANGE OVER THE TWO YEARS. WE REALLY TOOK IT ON THE YEAR THE FIRST OF THOSE TWO YEARS WHEN WE WEREN'T AS COMPETITIVE AND I THINK THERE'S STILL SOME RESIDUAL ASSUMPTIONS IN THE COMMUNITY THAT WE'RE ALWAYS ON THE BOTTOM END, AND WE'RE NOT. OVER THE TWO-YEAR PERIOD, WE WERE ABLE TO BE COMPETITIVE AT THAT LEVEL SO I THINK THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT FOR US TO REMIND OURSELVES OF. THE THIRD THING I WANTED TO ASK ABOUT IS THE MARKET GRAPH THAT TASB PRESENTED TO US. [00:45:01] THIS MAY BE A QUESTION FOR THE BOARD, AS MUCH AS IT IS A QUESTION FOR ADMINISTRATION, EVEN THOUGH I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR ADMINISTRATION'S RECOMMENDATION BUT I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT WE KNOW WHERE WE ARE, AND I WAS THRILLED WHEN THE TASB REPORT GAVE US THIS KIND OF LEVEL OF DETAIL BUT WHILE WE'RE MAKING THESE MARKET ADJUSTMENTS, I WOULD ASK US, WHAT DO WE WANT TO DO STRATEGICALLY? WHAT DO WE WANT TO ACHIEVE? DO WE WANT THAT CURVE TO JUST BE STRAIGHT AND ON TOP OF COMPARISON DISTRICTS, EXACTLY AS IT IS OR THERE WAS ONE TIME IN THE PAST, FOR EXAMPLE, WE DEFINED OUR SWEET SPOT AS TENURE TEACHERS SO THE BOARD DIRECTED, WE WANT TO BE REAL COMPETITIVE AT 10 YEARS. IN FACT, WE WANT TO BE ABOVE THAT BLUE LINE AND IF THAT MEANS THAT WE AREN'T THAT COMPETITIVE WITH FIRST-YEAR TEACHERS SO BE IT. I'M NOT SURE OUR PRIORITIES WOULD BE THE SAME ANYMORE, BUT I THINK IF WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT DOING THESE MARKET ADJUSTMENTS, WHICH I THINK ARE IMPORTANT, I WOULD LIKE FOR US TO THINK THROUGH THE STRATEGY OF, DOES IT GET US TO WHERE WE WANT TO BE AT ALL OF THE VARIOUS POINTS OR IN THE OPINION OF THE BOARD AND THE ADMINISTRATION, DOES IT NOT MATTER? WE JUST WANT TO MATCH. THAT'S OBVIOUSLY SOMETHING WE WON'T DO TONIGHT, BUT I THINK IT'S AN IMPORTANT CONSIDERATION FOR US. NOW, GOING TO THE PROJECTED DEFICIT OFF THE 2% CHART, PLEASE. THIS IS A QUESTION I HATE TO EVEN ASK. ASSUMING THAT WE'RE TRYING TO GROW REVENUE IN EVERY POSSIBLE WAY, AND WE'RE LOOKING FOR NON-CLASSROOM WAYS TO REDUCE COSTS, BUT BOTTOM LINE, IT DOES COME DOWN TO PERSONNEL, IF WE WANTED TO NOT HAVE A DEFICIT BUDGET FOR NEXT YEAR, THE 2.3, HOW MANY FTE WOULD WE BE TALKING ABOUT? >> JUST QUICK MATH, PROBABLY IN THE 35-40 RANGE. >> I JUST WANTED US TO HEAR THAT NUMBER, BECAUSE THAT'S THE REALITY OF WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT. THEN MY LAST QUESTION IS A REQUEST, CHRIS, IF WE COULD, AND AGAIN, IT'S NOT CONTRADICTORY, I'M JUST NOT SURE OF THE SEQUENCING, YOU SAID THAT THE 2% INCLUDES THE 0.6 MARKET ADJUSTMENTS. ASSUMING THAT MARKET ADJUSTMENTS AFTER WE HAVE THE STRATEGIC DISCUSSION, IF WE HAVE ONE, IS STILL AT 0.6, COULD WE SEE A SCENARIO WHERE WE HAVE A 2% PLUS THE 0.6, SO A 2.6. >> IT'S BUILT IN THERE. I'VE GOT 0.6 BUILT INTO BOTH OF THESE. >> IT'S 2% FOR EVERYONE. [OVERLAPPING] >> I'M SORRY. WHEN YOU SAID YOU BUILT IT IN, I THOUGHT IT WAS A 1.4 PLUS A 0.6. SORRY. GLAD TO CLARIFY. THANK YOU. >> HEATHER HAD TABLED SOME QUESTIONS, AND THEN DIANE. DIANE AND THEN HEATHER. >> THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I'M LOOKING AT THE TWO AND 3% CHARTS, AND I SEE THAT, JUST FOR SIMPLICITY, YOU PUT 3%, 3%,3%, BUT OF COURSE, IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE 3% EVERY YEAR OUT. WE'RE SITTING IN THIS CHALLENGE BECAUSE OF THINGS THAT HAVE HAPPENED IN THE LEGISLATURE, AND WE'RE HOPEFUL, [LAUGHTER] I TRY TO BE HOPEFUL THAT IN 2025, WE MIGHT HAVE MORE MONEY TO WORK WITH. WHAT WOULD IT LOOK LIKE? MAYBE WE HAVE A SPREADSHEET WE CAN PLAY WITH WHERE WE GO OUT THERE AND WE DO 3% THIS YEAR, AND THEN MAYBE DO ZERO THE NEXT YEAR OR DO 1%. DO WE HAVE SOMETHING WHERE WE CAN PLAY AROUND WITH THIS, AND JUST LOOK AT MORE OPTIONS TO HELP US SEE WHAT THAT GIVE US? >> YOU CAN DO THAT IN THE BOARD BUDGET TOOL I'VE GIVEN YOU. AS FAR AS THAT GOES, THOUGH, AGAIN, I THINK 3% THIS YEAR IS REALLY STEPPING OUT ON A LIMB. BUT IF YOU LOOK AT THE 2% PLUS 2% NEXT YEAR, YOU ALWAYS HAVE THE OPTION OF SAYING THAT WE'LL LOOK AT IT AGAIN LATER IF CONDITIONS CHANGE. [00:50:04] REALISTICALLY, NEXT YEAR, YOU WILL NEED TO COMMIT TO RAISES IN MAY, BEFORE MORE THAN LIKELY THE LEGISLATURE, IF THEY'RE GOING TO ACT, WILL HAVE ACTED. IT WOULD MAKE SENSE TO, AT THAT POINT, SAY, WE'RE GOING TO ADOPT A 2%. THEN IF THERE'S A CHANGE IN THE FUNDING, THEN WE CAN REVISIT IN THE FALL. THERE'S ALWAYS THAT OPTION FOR YOU. >> THANK YOU VERY MUCH. >> HEATHER? >> ELLEN, YOU BROUGHT UP JUST THE SOLAR, AND I KNOW THAT WE'VE HAD SOME SAVINGS ALSO DUE TO LED LIGHTS AND SOME OTHER BOND EFFICIENCIES. BUT THERE'S ONLY A COUPLE OF OTHER LEVERS FOR US TO PULL IN TERMS OF REVENUE. CAN YOU REMIND US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HOW TRANSFERS IMPACT OUR BUDGET, AND HOW THEY HELP US PAY TEACHERS AND KEEP PROGRAMS, PLEASE? >> SURE. AS FAR AS THE SCHOOL FUNDING SYSTEM IS CONCERNED, A STUDENT IS A STUDENT, AND SO WE'RE LOOKING AT HOW MANY KIDS ARE IN AVERAGE DAILY ATTENDANCE, NOT WHERE THEY LIVE. I THINK JEREMY WOULD CONFIRM THAT, WHENEVER WE'RE LOOKING AT OUR TRANSFER PROGRAM, WE'RE NOT LOOKING TO BUILD CLASSES OF TRANSFER STUDENTS. WHAT WE'RE DOING IS LOOKING AT CLASSES THAT HAVE CAPACITY, AND WE'RE TRYING TO MOST EFFICIENTLY USE OUR RESOURCES. AS YOU KNOW, IF WE'VE GOT 30 KIDS AT A GRADE LEVEL IN A SCHOOL, I'M TALKING ABOUT ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS BECAUSE WE HAVE THAT 22:1 REQUIREMENT WE'RE LOOKING AT, SO THAT WOULD MEAN THAT YOU NEED TWO CLASSES, AND TWO CLASSES OF 15 IS NOT AN EFFICIENT USE OF OUR RESOURCES. IF WE GO OUT, NORMALLY, WHAT JEREMY WOULD DO, HE WOULD, IF HE COULD GET 10 TRANSFERS TO BRING THEM UP TO 20 AND 20, THAT LEAVES CAPACITY, IF SOME STUDENTS MOVE IN EITHER AT THE END OF THE YEAR OR AT THE END OF THE SUMMER OR DURING THE SCHOOL YEAR EVEN, SO WE WOULDN'T EXCEED THE 22:1. I LIKE TO THINK THAT WE TRY TO USE THE TRANSFER PROGRAM TO JUST INCREASE THE EFFICIENCY OF HOW WE UTILIZE OUR RESOURCES. >> THANK YOU. I KNOW THAT WE GO THROUGH A ROBUST TRANSFER PROCESS, AND WE DON'T JUST TAKE ANYBODY, AND WE ALSO HAVE LIMITATIONS TO THOSE TRANSFERS. WE'RE NOT TRYING TO FILL SCHOOLS. AS YOU SAID, WE'RE NOT TRYING TO CREATE NEW SCHOOLS WITH ENTIRE CLASSROOM SCHOOL TRANSFERS, BUT THEY ARE AN IMPORTANT PART OF OUR BUDGETING, AND I APPRECIATE THAT. THANK YOU. >> ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? >> I'D ALSO LIKE TO THANK EF. >> WELL, THANK YOU FOR THAT, EVERYONE. I HAD A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS, WELL, AND COMMENTS. WHEN I FIRST OPENED THE BOARD PACKET A FEW DAYS AGO AND I SAW, AND CHRIS, YOU AND I MET AT THE END OF LAST WEEK, AND I HAD A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS, AND SAW THAT THE TAX BASE GROWTH HAD GROWN OR INCREASED FROM 3% TO 4.2, I THOUGHT, MAYBE THAT HELPS US. MAYBE THAT GIVES US A LITTLE BIT MORE. THE DISAPPOINTING THING, I BELIEVE, IS THAT, BASED ON WHAT WE ADOPT, IF WE ADOPT A RAISE, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT INCREMENTS OF $100,000 OR 200,000, AND THAT'S DISAPPOINTING. WE ALSO TALKED, CHRIS, IN OUR DISCUSSIONS, AND YOU BRING THESE TO US ALL THE TIME, IDEAS ON EFFICIENCIES. THERE ARE NEVER ANY MAGIC BULLETS OF EFFICIENCIES, WHERE WE'RE LOOKING AT $1 MILLION OR WE'RE LOOKING AT TWO OR $3 MILLION. WE'RE ALWAYS TRYING TO EKE OUT THOSE EFFICIENCIES A LITTLE BIT HERE AND A LITTLE BIT THERE SO THAT WE CAN DO THINGS FOR OUR STAFF, SO THAT WE CAN COMPENSATE THEM AND REWARD THEM LIKE, I WISH WE COULD. I THINK, ELLEN, YOUR COMMENT ABOUT THE FTES AND THE HARD DECISIONS ON 35 WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS JARRING FOR ME, BECAUSE I THINK THAT WE DO HAVE SOME HARD DECISIONS. IN MY MIND, IT'S THOSE LITTLE EFFICIENCIES THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO KEEP LOOKING FOR, BECAUSE THERE'S JUST NOT A STONE THAT WE HAVEN'T UNTURNED AT THIS POINT. THE DIRE NEWS THAT WE GET, AND THE DIRE NEWS THAT WE'RE FACED WITH IS IN A WAY, JUXTAPOSITIONED WITH LAURIE, YOUR PRESENTATION ON WHAT OUR STAFF IS DOING. [00:55:02] WHEN I HEAR THAT OUR STAFF MAKES COMMENTS, AND I DON'T KNOW IF PEOPLE COULD READ IT ON THE BOARD, BUT I READ IT IN MY BOARD PACKAGE, WHICH SAID, A TEACHER HAD SAID, "I KNOW I CAN'T AFFORD TO LIVE IN THIS DISTRICT. IT'S AN EXPENSIVE DISTRICT, BUT NOW I CAN'T EVEN AFFORD TO LIVE IN AUSTIN. PEOPLE ARE HAVING TO TRAVEL AN HOUR TO COME AND TEACH OUR STUDENTS HERE. IT PUTS US IN A VERY HARD PLACE. WE'RE NOT UNIQUE IN THAT HARD PLACE. IT'S MOST SCHOOL DISTRICTS AROUND TEXAS. I GUESS, I COME OUT AND I WANT TO DO AS MUCH FOR OUR TEACHERS AS WE POSSIBLY CAN. I HEAR THE RECOMMENDATION. I DON'T KNOW WHERE WE CAN SQUEEZE OUT $4 MILLION, WHICH IS WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO OR $8 MILLION SO THAT WE COULD LOOK A NICE SALARY INCREASE. I WOULD, BECAUSE I'M STILL LOOKING FOR THAT MAGIC BULLET, IF WE COULD SEE SOME PROJECTIONS ON 2.5%. I WOULD THINK IT WOULD BE RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THIS, BUT I KNOW THAT IT'S NOT. >> THAT'S IT'S PRETTY CLOSE. SORRY, I DIDN'T TURN ON MY MICROPHONE. HALF OF A PERCENT INCREASE WOULD COST SOMEWHERE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF $325,000 RIGHT AROUND IN THERE. YOU REALLY COULD. I BELIEVE THE PROJECTED DEFICIT AT 2% WAS 2.2 MILLION. >> 2.3. >> 2.3 THIS WOULD TAKE YOU TO ABOUT 2.6 OR 2.7. >> THAT'S GOOD INFORMATION TO KNOW. I THINK THOSE WERE THE QUESTIONS ARE REALLY THE COMMENTS THAT I HAD. I APPRECIATE THIS PRESENTATION. IT'S NOT GOOD NEWS, AND SO MANY THINGS ARE OUT OF OUR CONTROL IN THIS. IT'S THE LEGISLATURE AND IT'S OUR TAX GROWTH AT THIS POINT. THANK YOU. DOCTOR ARNETT, DID YOU HAVE SOME QUESTIONS? >> MISS MACMATH. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I WANT TO THANK THE AUDIENCE. YOU HAVE PATIENTLY SAT THROUGH A VERY INTRICATE PRESENTATION. ALSO WANT TO THANK OUR STUDENTS. WE'VE GOT A NUMBER OF STUDENTS WHO ARE IN THE ROOM TONIGHT. THIS WAS AN ADULT TOPIC, AND YOU SAT AND WAITED PATIENTLY AND RESPECTFULLY, AND I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE YOU, ESPECIALLY ON A SCHOOL NIGHT. WE ADMIRE THAT GREATLY. I WANT TO THANK ALL OF YOU, AND BEAR WITH ME JUST A MOMENT. WE'RE VERY CLOSE TO PUBLIC COMMENTS, WHICH AS I KNOW, IS WHAT MOST OF YOU HAVE COME FOR. CONSIDERING THIS BUDGET DISCUSSION AND AS A SEGUE TO PUBLIC COMMENTS, I WANT TO ADD A FEW POINTS. I HOPE UNDERSCORES WHAT WE'VE JUST HEARD AND PERHAPS PROVIDES CONTEXT FOR WHAT I THINK WE'RE ABOUT TO HEAR FROM THOSE IN THE AUDIENCE. I'M AWARE THAT YOU ARE HERE TONIGHT TO EXPRESS CONCERN ABOUT ADJUSTMENTS BEING MADE TO ONE MIDDLE SCHOOL COURSE OFFERING AS WELL AS ONE PART TIME ADMINISTRATOR POSITION THAT WE'RE CURRENTLY NOT REPLACING. AS YOU SAW IN THE PREVIOUS PRESENTATION, N'S IST AND MANY OTHER TEXAS PUBLIC SCHOOLS ARE NOT IMPERVIOUS TO A LACK OF FUNDING. AS WE BEGIN TO EXPERIENCE THE SHORTFALLS LOCALLY, WE ARE CAUTIOUSLY MAKING INCREMENTAL ADJUSTMENTS TO MINIMIZE EXPENSES AND TO BE MORE EFFICIENT. IT IS WHAT WE DO EVERY YEAR TO OPERATE A LEAN AND FISCALLY EFFECTIVE ORGANIZATION. THESE ARE NOT WHOLESALE CHANGES. WHILE WE ARE FACING A DEFICIT, WE ARE NOT SLASHING PROGRAMS OR ELIMINATING LARGE NUMBERS OF STAFF. HOWEVER, STUDENT AND STAFF ATTRITION DO PRESENT AN OPPORTUNITY TO STREAMLINE THE BUDGET WHEN POSSIBLE, EVEN IF TEMPORARILY UNTIL WE FIND A LONG TERM SOLUTION. YES, WE ARE SUN SETTING LATIN AS A LANGUAGE IN THE MIDDLE SCHOOLS DUE TO DECLINING ENROLLMENT. BUT WE WILL STILL OFFER IT AT THE HIGH SCHOOL. YES, WE ARE PAUSING AND NOT YET REPLACING THE PART TIME DIRECTOR OF FINE ARTS POSITION, BUT WE ARE NOT REDUCING ANY COURSES IN THE FINE, VISUAL, AND PERFORMING ARTS AT ANY LEVEL. THAT IS NOT OUR INTENT, AND THERE ARE NO ANTICIPATED CUTS TO THESE ESSENTIAL PROGRAMS. OUR COMMITMENT TO ALL ARTS REMAINS A STRONG VALUE. ON THE LATTER TOPIC, I HAVE SEEN THE CALL TO ACTION CIRCULATED AMONG FINE ARTS PARENTS, AND I RESPECT YOUR CONCERNS. THERE IS A POINT IN YOUR MATERIALS I NEED TO ADDRESS. YOUR INFORMATION CONTENDS THAT 89% OF ALL SCHOOL DISTRICTS IN TEXAS HAVE AT LEAST ONE FULL TIME DIRECTOR OF FINE ARTS AND THAT ELIMINATING THIS POSITION WILL PLACE'S ISD IN THE 4% OF TEXAS SCHOOL DISTRICTS WITH NO FINE ARTS DIRECTOR. RESPECTFULLY, THIS ASSERTION ONLY APPLIES TO THE 110 DISTRICTS WITH SIX A HIGH SCHOOLS. [01:00:08] 49 OF WHICH ARE MULTI HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICTS, THOSE THAT UNDERSTANDABLY NEED A DISTRICT DIRECTOR OF FINE ARTS. THERE ARE MANY SINGLE HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICTS AT OTHER LEVELS MORE COMPARABLE TO N'S ISD. IN FACT, THE TEXAS EDUCATION ASSOCIATION AND THE ASSOCIATION OF TEXAS FINE ARTS ADMINISTRATORS, INDICATE JUST 153 OF THE 1,207 TOTAL SCHOOL DISTRICTS IN TEXAS OR 13% HAVE AN OFFICIAL DIRECTOR OF FINE ARTS. THAT MEANS 87% DO NOT. DO WE WANT TO BE LIKE MOST, EITHER IN OUR FINE ARTS OR OTHER PROGRAMS? NO, WE DON'T. WE WANT TO BE EXCELLENT, EXCEPTIONAL, AND EXEMPLARY IN HONORING THE SUCCESSFUL ACADEMIC AND EXTRACURRICULAR LEGACY OF OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT. UNFORTUNATELY, WE ARE NOT IMMUNE TO FINANCIAL CHALLENGES, AND WE MUST BE CREATIVE STEWARDS OF OUR LIMITED RESOURCES. I'LL TELL YOU THIS. WE DO HAVE A CONCEPT OF FINE ARTS LEADERSHIP AT THE DISTRICT AND HIGH SCHOOL LEVELS FOR THE NEAR FUTURE THAT WE INTEND TO THOUGHTFULLY ASSESS, ADMINISTER, AND RE IMPLEMENT AS FUNDING AND STAFFING OPPORTUNITIES ALLOW. I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TIME TO ADDRESS OUR FINANCIAL CONCERNS RELATED TO BUDGETING, STAFFING, AND COURSE OFFERINGS. WHILE NONE OF US WANT TO AFFECT OR CHANGE PROGRAMS, WE MUST PRUDENTLY ANALYZE AND REDUCE COSTS AT A TIME LIKE THIS. WITH THAT, MISS MACMATH WE'LL BEGIN OPEN COMMENTS AND PUBLIC COMMENTS. >> THANK YOU, DOCTOR ARNETT. AS DOCTOR ARNETTE SAID, IT'S NOW, AND I THANK YOU AGAIN FOR YOUR PATIENCE. IT'S NOW TIME FOR THE OPEN FORUM PORTION OF THE MEETING. [8. OPEN FORUM] WE HAVE 19 SPEAKERS SIGNED UP THIS EVENING WITH TWO THAT WERE NOT ABLE TO JOIN US. SO 17 SPEAKERS IN TOTAL. EACH SPEAKER WILL BE AFFORDED THREE MINUTES TO SPEAK. I'LL CALL YOU FORWARD WHEN IT'S YOUR TURN AND LET YOU KNOW WHEN YOUR TIME IS UP. I'LL ALSO CALL THE NEXT PERSON IN LINE SO THAT, AGAIN, BECAUSE WE HAVE A FULL HOUSE, WE CAN EFFICIENTLY MOVE FORWARD, MOVE THROUGH EVERYONE AND ALLOW EVERYONE TO SPEAK. ONCE YOU'RE NOTIFIED, YOUR TIME IS UP, PLEASE FINISH YOUR SENTENCE AND THEN STOP. AS A GENERAL RULE, TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 551 PROHIBITS DISRUPTION OF BOARD MEETINGS BY THE PUBLIC. THIS SECTION ALSO ALLOWS FOR ANY PUBLIC COMPLAINT OF SPECIFIC EMPLOYEES TO BE HEARD BY THE BOARD IN CLOSED SESSION. IF ANY SPEAKER WISHES TO NAME A DISTRICT EMPLOYEE IN A COMPLAINT, THE DISTRICT WILL HEAR THIS COMPLAINT IN CLOSED SESSION, NOT OUT HERE. SPECIFIC FACTUAL INFORMATION AND RECITATION OF EXISTING POLICY MAY BE FURNISHED IN RESPONSE TO INQUIRIES, BUT THE BOARD SITTING UP HERE 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 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 YOUR TIME, FOR YOUR PATIENCE IN WAITING HERE AND MAKING THE EFFORT TO SHARE YOUR COMMENTS. WE ARE READY FOR THE FIRST SPEAKER, AND THE FIRST SPEAKER IS A COMBINATION OF STUDENTS ZOE, MILLER PAYNE, AND MABEL LEVY. DO YOU WANT TO COME ON FORWARD AND YOU WILL HAVE THREE MINUTES TO SPEAK ON LATIN CLASSES? RIGHT OVER HERE. AND YOU'RE GOING TO WANT TO TURN THAT MICROPHONE ON. LOOKS LIKE IT'S ON. ZOE AND MABEL. PLEASE GO AHEAD. >> GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS ZOE MILLER PAYNE. >> MY NAME IS MABEL LEVY. >> TODAY WE'RE HERE TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT THE MIDDLE SCHOOL LATIN PROGRAM. JOINING THIS PROGRAM HAS NOT ONLY ENHANCED MY UNDERSTANDING OF LATIN AND LANGUAGES IN GENERAL, BUT HAS ALSO IMPROVED MY GRASP ON ENGLISH. IT HAS HAD A POSITIVE IMPACT ON BOTH MY GRAMMAR AND VOCABULARY. I THINK THAT BY DISCONTINUING THIS PROGRAM, WE WOULD BE DEPRIVING STUDENTS OF THE OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE THE LANGUAGE OF THEIR CHOOSING. NO MATTER HOW FEW OF THEM CHOOSE LATIN, I STILL FEEL THEY DESERVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE THAT CHOICE. WHILE LATIN MAY STILL BE AVAILABLE FOR HIGH SCHOOLERS, EXPECTING FRESHMEN TO CHOOSE A LANGUAGE THEY MAY SEE AS ESPECIALLY CHALLENGING, ALONGSIDE OF THE OTHER DEMANDING COURSES THEY MAY BE TAKING IS SIMPLY UNREALISTIC. IT IS LIKELY THAT AFTER A COUPLE OF YEARS, PARTICIPATION WILL DROP ENOUGH IN THE HIGH SCHOOL, WE WILL BE HAVING THE SAME CONVERSATION AGAIN AND EVENTUALLY, [01:05:02] THE LATIN PROGRAM WILL COMPLETELY DIE OUT AMONGST IN SCHOOLS. I HOPE YOU RECONSIDER THIS DECISION FOR THE SAKE OF ANY FUTURE STUDENTS WHO ONLY WANT TO FURTHER THEIR KNOWLEDGE IN THE LANGUAGE THEY FIND INTERESTING. THANK YOU. >> HI. MY NAME IS MABEL LEVY. I'M AN EIGHTH GRADER AT HILL COUNTRY MIDDLE SCHOOL, AND I WENT TO ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AT CEDAR CREEK. MY FAMILY LIES WITHIN EANES AND HAS FLOURISHED STUDENT PROGRAMS SUCH AS LANGUAGES AND THE FINE ARTS. MY SISTER AND I HAVE ATTENDED EANES SCHOOLS FOR THE PAST DECADE. MY MOM HAS WORKED WITHIN THE DISTRICT FOR THE PAST SIX YEARS. AS A FAMILY, WE'VE BEEN LUCKY ENOUGH TO BE INCLUDED IN BASICALLY EVERYTHING. WE HAVE LATIN, FRENCH, CROSS COUNTRY, ATHLETICS, THEATER, ORCHESTRA BAND, ROBOTICS, ALL OF IT, AND WE'VE JUST SEEN SUCH AN INCREDIBLE DIFFERENCE THAT THESE CLASSES CAN MAKE. I'M HERE TO TALK ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF KEEPING THE FINE ARTS AND LANGUAGE CLASSES, ESPECIALLY LATIN ALIVE WITHIN OUR DISTRICT. I TRULY BELIEVE I'VE NEVER LEARNED MORE IN A CLASS THAN I HAVE IN LATIN. NOT ONLY DO WE GET TO LEARN A LANGUAGE, BUT WE GET A BASE FOR 17 OTHER COMMON LANGUAGES. THIS CAN IMPROVE OUR COMMUNICATION WITH OTHERS, WITH OURSELVES, WITH EVERYTHING. WE LEARN HISTORY AND PHILOSOPHY, IMPORTANT FIGURES FROM THE TIME PERIOD. WE GET TO STUDY ART AND CULTURE, AND ALL OF THIS WHILE IMPROVING OUR ENGLISH SKILLS. IT REALLY IS SUCH A MULTIFACETED CLASS. I'VE ALWAYS WANTED TO PURSUE A MEDICAL CAREER AND LATIN CAN HAVE A GREAT IMPACT ON LEARNING MEDICAL LANGUAGE AND GETTING ROOT WORDS AND THIS IS LIKE THE FIRST STEP TO THE WHOLE CAREER PATH DOWN IN WEST LAKE. I KNOW THAT IN EANES WE VALUE CHOOSING OUR CAREER PATH AS YOUNG AND FOCUSING ON THEM AND TRYING OUT ALL SORTS OF DIFFERENT ELECTIVES TO REALLY BE WELL ROUNDED STUDENTS. OVERALL, LATIN CAN HELP WITH SO MANY DIFFERENT CAREERS AND FUTURES. FRANKLY, IT'S BEEN STATISTICALLY PROVEN THAT STUDENTS WHO TAKE LATIN SCORE HIGHER THAN THEIR NON LATIN TAKING COUNTERPARTS ON STATE STANDARDIZED TESTS LIKE PSAT, SAT, ACT, ALL OF THAT. IT'S JUST SUCH A GREAT CLASS AND IT WOULD BE A SHAME TO LET IT GO. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME, AND I HOPE YOU CONSIDER MY IDEAS REGARDING EANES. THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU. [APPLAUSE] >> THANK [INAUDIBLE] >> THANK YOU, ZOE, AND THANK YOU, MABEL. APPRECIATE THAT. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS VIVIAN SUN. VIVIAN IS GOING TO SPEAK ON KEEPING DIVERSITY AND LANGUAGE OFFERINGS. >> HI, EVERYBODY. GOOD EVENING. ESTEEM BOARD, DR. ARNETT AND EVERYONE HERE IN THE AUDIENCE. MY NAME IS VIVIAN, AND I AM HERE TALKING ABOUT LATIN. I HAVE A NINTH GRADER LATIN STUDENT AND THREE YOUNGER ONES WHO HAVE YET TO CHOOSE A LANGUAGE. I JUST WANT TO HIGHLIGHT, WE GENERATED A PETITION, AND OVER THE LAST WEEK, WE HAD MORE THAN 400 SIGNATURES TO KEEP LATIN PROGRAM IN THE MIDDLE SCHOOL. BASED ON THAT RESPONSE, I THINK WE CAN SAFELY SAY THE COMMUNITY IS REALLY INTERESTED IN THE LANGUAGE, AND WE ARE VERY CONCERNED ABOUT TAKING IT AWAY IN THE MIDDLE SCHOOL. THERE'S SOME MISCONCEPTION THAT HAS BEEN ADDRESSED ELOQUENTLY BY THE STUDENTS. A LOT OF PEOPLE LOOK AT LATIN WILL SAY, THIS IS SOMETHING JUST FOR ACADEMICS, IMPROVING YOUR SAT VOCABULARY. BUT THIS IS DEFINITELY MORE THAN THAT. I'VE BEEN A LATIN PARENT, SO I'VE SEEN MY KID JOIN THE LATIN COMPETITION, DOING THEATER PERFORMANCES, COMPETING IN SPORTS, BUILDING CATAPULT TO FIGURING OUT HOW TO HAVE THE LONGEST RANGE. ALL THAT IS FOSTERING THE SENSE OF COMMUNITY AND A SENSE OF BELONGING. THIS PROGRAM IS DEFINITELY MORE THAN ACADEMICS, AND I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING WE NEED TO CLARIFY FOR A LOT OF THE NEW PARENTS WHO MIGHT BE FACING THE DECISION. I WANT TO SAY, LATIN IS PROBABLY THE BEST ROI PROGRAM YOU CAN RETURN ON INVESTMENT PROGRAM YOU CAN INVEST IN. WITH ONE MIDDLE SCHOOL TEACHER, THERE'S NO EQUIPMENT, NO FACILITY, NO TRANSPORTATION. WE HAVE THE AWARD WINNING PROGRAM. WE ARE NUMBER 1 IN THE NATION, US NUMBER 1 IN THE MIDDLE SCHOOL LAST YEAR AND THIS YEAR, WEST LAKE PLAYS NUMBER 2 IN THE STATE, ALL WITH ONE INVESTMENT ON THE TEACHER. THESE ARE HUGE BRAGGING RIGHTS FOR EANES. WE HAVE AWARD WINNING PROGRAMS, AND WE ARE BEATING MUCH BETTER FUNDED SCHOOLS LIKE ST. STEPHEN, ST. ANDREW, LASSA. WE ARE BEATING THEM IN COMPETITIONS. IF WE CANCEL MIDDLE SCHOOL, I CAN SAFELY SAY HIGH SCHOOL, WE WILL NOT ENJOY THOSE GLORY AND BRAGGING RIGHTS. IT'S JUST A GIVEN. THE BIGGEST PROBLEM FOR US IS LACK OF COMMUNICATION. THE DISTRICT KNOWS ABOUT THE ENROLLMENT NUMBER. WE WINNING THE LATIN COMMUNITY WE DIDN'T KNOW. WE THOUGHT THE PROGRAM IS GOING SO WELL, SO HEALTHY. THIS CANCELLATION CAME AS A TOTAL SHOCK. WE SAW THE HUGE RESPONSE IN THE PETITION, AND WE CAN SAFELY SAY IF WE CAN PROMOTE THE PROGRAM, EDUCATE THE AUDIENCE, WE WILL HAVE MORE PEOPLE INTERESTED IN LATIN IN THE FUTURE. MY QUESTION HERE AT THIS JUNCTURE RIGHT NOW IS, ARE YOU READY TO KILL THIS PROGRAM AT THIS POINT? THEN WITHOUT LATIN MIDDLE SCHOOL, WE ARE NOT GOING TO ENJOY ANY OF THE LATIN PROGRAM AND GLORY THAT EANES CURRENTLY ENJOY. OR ARE YOU WITH US? [01:10:01] I THINK IT'S WORTHWHILE TO FUND THE LATIN TEACHER FOR ONE MORE YEAR. LET THE COMMUNITY KNOW AND DO THE OUTREACH, BE ABLE TO GENERATE MORE ENROLLMENT, AND WE BELIEVE WE CAN, AND THIS WILL BE THE BEST INVESTMENT I THINK EANES CAN MAKE FOR THE SCHOOL DISTRICT AND THE STUDENTS. THANK YOU. [APPLAUSE] >> THANK YOU, MS. SUN. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS JULIE LASS SPEAKING ON LATIN AND I DIDN'T FOLLOW MY OWN INSTRUCTIONS, WHICH THE FOLLOWING SPEAKER WILL BE JEFF SIMPLER, SPEAKING ON THE DIRECTOR OF FINE ARTS. THANK YOU, JULIE. >> YES. THANK YOU FOR GIVING ME THIS OPPORTUNITY. FIRST, I'M GOING TO READ A STATEMENT FROM MY DAUGHTER JOCELYN LASS CLASS OF 2022, AND CURRENTLY A CLASSICS MINOR IN COLLEGE. THE LATIN PROGRAM AT WEST RIDGE AND THEN WEST LAKE GAVE ME A PASSION TO PURSUE IN COLLEGE, ASIDE FROM MY MAJOR. IT'S A COURSE WHICH COMBINES LANGUAGE WITH HISTORY AND AN INCREDIBLY HELPFUL FOUNDATION TO UNDERSTAND MODERN LANGUAGES. KNOWLEDGE OF LATIN ALLOWED ME TO BETTER GUESS IT ADVANCED IN UNCOMMON WORDS DURING READING COMPREHENSION IN MY TEXTBOOKS, AS WELL AS WHEN I TOOK MY SATS AND PUT ME WAY AHEAD OF THE GAME IN NINTH GRADE BIOLOGY, AP PSYCHOLOGY, AND MY COLLEGE LEGAL STUDIES COURSES. ON TOP OF THIS, THE WEST RIDGE AND WEST LAKE LATIN CLUBS CONSISTENTLY DOMINATE IN THE JUNIOR CLASSICAL LEAGUE COMPETITIONS, AND I DO BELIEVE THIS IS A DIRECT CAUSE OF THE PIPELINE OF PASSIONATE SCHOLARS COMING UP FROM MIDDLE SCHOOL. IF LATIN IS NOT OFFERED AS A LANGUAGE, MANY MIDDLE SCHOOLERS WHO WOULD HAVE CHOSEN LATIN WILL BE FORCED TO PURSUE ANOTHER LANGUAGE AND ARE LESS LIKELY TO SWITCH OVER TO LATIN IN HIGH SCHOOL, INEVITABLY DAMAGING OUR SCHOOLS RECORDS OF SUCCESS AND DETERIORATING THE STRONG COMMUNITY MANY STUDENTS FIND WITHIN THE CLUB. NOW, AS A PARENT AND A TEACHER, I'M DISAPPOINTED THAT THE DISTRICT KNEW THAT THIS PROGRAM WAS AT RISK AND DID NOT CONVEY THAT RISK TO STAKEHOLDERS IN THE LATIN COMMUNITY. DR. ARNETT HAS INDICATED IN A MEETING WITH PARENTS THAT THIS DECISION WAS NOT FINANCIAL. IF WE HAD ONE YEAR FOR OUTREACH ABOUT THIS AWARD WINNING AND VALUABLE ACADEMIC AND SOCIAL PROGRAM, I KNOW THAT WE COULD GROW IT TO A SUSTAINABLE SIZE. PLEASE PARTNER WITH THIS COMMUNITY. [APPLAUSE] >> THANK YOU, JULIE. OUR NEXT SPEAKER WILL BE JEFF SIMPLER SPEAKING ON THE DIRECTOR OF FINE ART, FOLLOWED BY LUKE JACKSON SPEAKING ON LATIN. >> GOOD EVENING, TRUSTEES, ADMINISTRATION AND FELLOW EANES CONSTITUENTS. THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY TO ADDRESS YOU TONIGHT. I HAVE JUST A FEW BRIEF COMMENTS, AND AS MANY OF YOU KNOW, BREVITY IS NOT SOMETHING THAT I AM USUALLY ASSOCIATED WITH WHEN I'M PRESENTED WITH A MIC. MY NAME IS JEFF SIMPLER, AND I'M THE PROUD PARENT OF TWO EANES PRODUCTS. BOTH MY SONS PARTICIPATED IN MUSIC PROGRAMS THROUGHOUT MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL, IN ADDITION TO A VARIETY OF OTHER STANDOUT ACADEMIC AND ATHLETIC ENDEAVORS, INCLUDING LATIN, FIVE AND SIX YEARS. ONE HAS SINCE SUCCESSFULLY LAUNCHED INTO A HIGH TECH CAREER, WHILE THE OTHER IS GRADUATING FROM WEST LAKE IN A FEW SHORT WEEKS AND IS THEN ON TO PURSUE A BACHELOR'S DEGREE IN JAZZ STUDIES AT THE BUTLER SCHOOL OF MUSIC IN THE COLLEGE OF FINE ARTS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN. I THINK IT'S TUESDAY. WE'LL SEE IF IS CHANGES. AS A FORMER WEST LAKE BAND PARENT BOOSTER CLUB PRESIDENT, I HAVE SEEN THE POSITIVE IMPACT THAT BAND SPECIFICALLY AND FINE ARTS GENERALLY IMPARTS ON OUR CHILDREN. I DOUBT THERE'S ANYONE IN THIS ROOM WHO WOULD DISAGREE WITH THAT. WE'VE ALL HEARD, AND YOU WILL CONTINUE TO HEAR INPUT FROM OUR COMMUNITY ABOUT THE POTENTIAL IMPACT OF LOSING A DIRECTOR OF FINE ARTS, WHAT IT MAY POSE TO EANES. MANY PARENTS AND STUDENTS ARE RIGHTFULLY CONCERNED WHAT THIS MEANS FOR OUR PROGRAMS. MY ASK IS SIMPLE, TO DEFINE AND ALIGN THE VISION, MISSION, GOALS, AND OBJECTIVES THAT A DISTRICT OF OUR NATIONAL REPUTE SHOULD EMBODY FOR OUR FINE ARTS PROGRAM WITH THOSE RESPONSIBLE FOR ITS FULFILLMENT. I BELIEVE IT IS INCUMBENT FOR OUR COMMUNITY AND ADMINISTRATION TO SHARE IN THESE CONCERNS AND OPPORTUNITIES TO RESOLVE. WHETHER SOLUTIONS AND STRATEGIES CAN BE REALIZED TO PERHAPS WHAT MAY SEEM UNSOLVABLE IN THIS CLIMATE OF COMICALLY UNDERFUNDED FINANCING DUE TO A LACK OF STATE LEADERSHIP, TAX COMPRESSION, RECAPTURE, AND AN OVERALL ASSAULT ON THE PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM, IT'S IMPOSSIBLE TO KNOW. AS SUCH, THE DISTRICT FACES AN UNWELCOME BUDGET REALITY AS WE HAVE HEARD JUST A FEW MOMENTS AGO IN A VERY DIRECT MANNER. REALIZING THAT TOUGH CHOICES WILL NEED TO BE MADE ACROSS EANES AND CAN CONCEIVABLY TOUCH ALL DEPARTMENTS. I KNOW MANY PARENTS HERE WILL OFFER THEIR SUPPORT AND GUIDANCE IN A HOPEFULLY CONSTRUCTIVE AND ACHIEVABLE MANNER. FINE ARTS IS NOT AN EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITY, BUT IS RATHER A FOUNDATIONAL KEYSTONE TO SO MANY POSITIVE DEVELOPMENTAL QUALITIES. IN FACT, THE VERY FIRST BULLET POINT ON THE DISTRICT'S WEB PAGE, [01:15:04] UNDER THE GRADUATE PROFILE FOR WHAT CONSTITUTES A WELL ROUNDED PERSON STATES, THIS PERSON IS, APPRECIATE AND PARTICIPATES IN THE ARTS AND HUMANITIES. THANK YOU. [APPLAUSE] >> THANK YOU, JEFF. OUR NEXT SPEAKER WILL BE LUKE JACKSON SPEAKING ON LATIN, FOLLOWED BY ANDREA GENDER SPEAKING ON LATIN. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, LUKE. WELCOME. >> GOOD EVENING. THANK YOU TO THE BOARD FOR LETTING ME SPEAK TODAY. I'M LUKE JACKSON, A LATIN STUDENT AT HILL COUNTRY MIDDLE SCHOOL. AS YOU MAY KNOW, THE SCHOOL DISTRICT IS TRYING TO TAKE AWAY THE GREAT PRIVILEGE OF LATIN FROM OUR TWO MIDDLE SCHOOLS IN THE DISTRICT. I THINK THAT LATIN SHOULD BE KEPT AS THE MIDDLE SCHOOL ELECTIVE BECAUSE IT TEACHES CONSTRUCTIVE MATERIAL AND IS A SUCCESSFUL CLUB. FIRSTLY, I BELIEVE THAT WE SHOULD KEEP LATIN IN THE MIDDLE SCHOOLS BECAUSE IT TEACHES CONSTRUCTIVE MATERIAL. NOT ONLY DO WE LEARN THE LATIN LANGUAGE, BUT WE ALSO LEARN ABOUT THE HISTORY, CULTURE, AND LIFE OF PAST PEOPLES THAT HISTORY CLASS DOESN'T COVER. LATIN IS ALSO THE ROOT LANGUAGES OF MANY LANGUAGES LIKE SPANISH AND ENGLISH. THIS CLASS CAN HELP US TO LEARN OTHER LANGUAGES IN THE FUTURE IF WE WANT TO. IT BUILDS THAT GREAT FOUNDATION FOR SUCCESS IN LEARNING MORE LANGUAGES IN THE FUTURE. SECONDLY, I THINK THAT LATIN SHOULD BE KEPT IN THE MIDDLE SCHOOL PROGRAM BECAUSE OF ITS SUCCESS. I'VE COMPETED FOR THE HCMS KIRTAN TEAM THIS YEAR. WE HAVE BEEN TO COMPETITIONS AT RICE, UT AREA F, AND MORE. WE HAVE HAD SUCCESS AND ENDED UP PLACING SECOND AT AREA F, WHICH IS THE FINAL TOURNAMENT BEFORE STATE COMPETITIONS. THAT MEANS THAT WE ARE ONE OF THE MOST SUCCESSFUL LATIN CLUBS IN THE STATE OF TEXAS AND THIS BEAUTIFUL ORGANIZATION IS BEING TAKEN AWAY FROM US. ALTHOUGH SOME PEOPLE SAY THE REASON THE SCHOOL DISTRICT IS TAKING AWAY LATIN IS LOW RECRUITING, I THINK THIS PROBLEM COULD BE FIXED EASILY. IF WE WOULD HAVE BEEN GIVEN NOTICE EARLIER TO A YEAR THAT HAS A SMALLER CLASS SIZE THAN NORMAL, I'M SURE THAT WE WOULD HAVE PLENTY OF PARENTS AND STUDENTS READY TO ANSWER THE CALL. LOOK AT HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE SIGNED OUR PETITION TO KEEP THIS PROGRAM, THAT'S HOW MANY PEOPLE WANT IT. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND CONSIDERATION OF MY WORDS AND SIGN THE PETITION IF YOU STILL CAN. THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU, LUKE. OUR NEXT SPEAKER WILL BE ANDREA GENDER FOLLOWED BY OLIVIA BOTH SPEAKING ON LATIN. >> I AM SPEAKING ON LATIN BECAUSE I'M LUCKY ENOUGH TO HAVE A DAUGHTER WHO BENEFITS FROM LATIN, BUT I'M REALLY HERE BECAUSE YOU SAID A BIG FOUR LETTER WORD FOR ME, AND THAT IS THE ARTS. I UNDERSTAND THAT, AND I WROTE THIS BEFORE YOU SPOKE, DR. ARNETT. I KNOW WE'RE NOT LOSING OUR PROGRAMS, AND I KNOW BECAUSE OF BUDGET CONSIDERATIONS, WE ARE NOT RENEWING THE POSITION OF THE FINE ARTS DIRECTOR, BUT WHENEVER THINGS GET INCHED OUT THAT WAY TO ARTS PEOPLE, WE KNOW WHAT IT'S ABOUT, AND WE'RE SUPER SENSITIVE TO THAT. LITTLE BY LITTLE, THINGS START GETTING TAKEN AWAY FROM US. WE KNOW THE DATA, READING AND MATH ARE BETTER BECAUSE OF THE ARTS AND LANGUAGES ARE ALSO A BIG PART OF THAT. BUT ARTS MARRY THE MIND AND THE SOUL AND INSTRUCTION TEACHES DISCIPLINE, IT BUILDS CONFIDENCE AND SELF ESTEEM AND GIVES A VOICE QUITE LITERALLY TO STUDENTS THAT MIGHT NOT HAVE HAD THAT. SCHOOLS ARE IN THE BUSINESS OF EDUCATION, ARTS AND LANGUAGES ARE EDUCATION, AND I UNDERSTAND THE PRECARIOUS FINANCIAL POSITION OF THE SCHOOLS BECAUSE OF OUR STATE GOVERNMENT. BUT A FINE ARTS DIRECTOR IS ESSENTIAL FOR THE COORDINATION AND FOR THE CONTINUED ADVOCACY OF MANY PROGRAMS THAT AT LEAST 50% OF OUR STUDENTS BENEFIT FROM. WHEN YOU DISCONTINUE THE ONE DIRECTOR OF FINE ARTS, WHILE RETAINING SEVERAL OTHERS AND OTHER PROGRAMS, YOU ARE SAYING THAT THESE STUDENTS AND THEIR PASSIONS ARE LESS IMPORTANT, AND THAT IS UNACCEPTABLE IN A DISTRICT THAT STRIVES FOR INNOVATION AND EXCELLENCE FOR ALL IN ALL AREAS OF EDUCATION. THANKFULLY, WE FOUND THE AMAZING EVE COLOR GUARD PROGRAM THIS YEAR. THIS WEEK, MY DAUGHTER SAID TO ME, MOM, I FEEL BETTER BEING IN FRONT OF PEOPLE BECAUSE OF COLOR GUARD. I ASK THAT WE RETAIN THE POSITION OF A FINE ARTS DIRECTOR BECAUSE WE NEED THAT COORDINATION, AND WE NEED THE ADVOCACY, AND WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO OFFER LATIN IN MIDDLE SCHOOL. SOMETHING ABOUT THAT, TOO, I HAD A FRIEND REMIND ME THEIR DAUGHTER COULDN'T TAKE LATIN BECAUSE OF SCHEDULE CONSTRAINTS BECAUSE SHE WANTED TO TAKE IT DURING SECOND PERIOD AT [01:20:02] WEST RIDGE AND SHE HAD SAINT ORCHESTRA, SO SHE COULDN'T. ENROLLMENT WAS VERY DIFFICULT FOR HER. IF THERE'S A REDUCTION IN THAT, IT COULD BE DUE TO THAT TOO, THE SCHEDULE NOT ALLOWING. THAT'S WHAT I ASK. THESE ARE TWO VERY IMPORTANT PROGRAMS. I LOVE THAT IT SEEMS LIKE SYMBIOTIC. IT'S A GREAT RELATIONSHIP, GREAT PEOPLE BUT ANYWAY, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. >> THANK YOU, ANDREA. OLIVIA GENDER. I'M SORRY. THE NEXT FOLLOWING YOUR PRESENTATION, WE HAVE STUDENTS, WILLOW BROWN AND CHASE DAMMERT. >> MY NAME IS OLIVIA GENDER. I AM A SEVENTH GRADE STUDENT AT WEST RIDGE MIDDLE SCHOOL. I'VE COME HERE TODAY TO SPEAK ABOUT LATIN. EVER SINCE I WAS SIX YEARS OLD, I'VE WANTED TO BE A VETERINARIAN. WHEN I LEARNED THAT LATIN WAS A BIG ROLE IN THIS CAREER, I WANTED TO TAKE UP THE LANGUAGE. YOU CAN IMAGINE HOW EXCITED I WAS TO GO INTO MIDDLE SCHOOL AND LEARN LATIN. BUT HEARING THAT THIS PROGRAM IS SHUTTING DOWN REALLY BREAKS MY HEART FOR ANY YOUNGER KIDS THAT WANT TO TAKE UP MEDICAL CAREERS. HERE ARE SOME OF THE REASONS I ALSO THINK LATIN SHOULD STAY. LATIN IS REALLY IMPORTANT TO 17 DIFFERENT LANGUAGES AND IS THE ROOT FOR ENGLISH. I KNOW THAT IT'S HELPED ME ON SOME TESTS THIS YEAR BECAUSE IT'S PROVIDED ME ROOTS FOR THINGS. ALSO THE HISTORIC ASPECTS. I DID NOT KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT POMPEII OR ANYTHING IN THAT TIME REGION, BUT WITH LATIN, I THINK I HAVE LEARNED A LOT ABOUT THAT TIME PERIOD AND ABOUT THE CULTURE. OVERALL, I'VE REALLY ENJOYED LATIN THIS YEAR, AND I REALLY THINK THAT WE SHOULD KEEP THIS PROGRAM BECAUSE IT'S SO HELPFUL FOR THE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS IN LATIN TO AT LEAST GET A STARTING ON LATIN AND FOR THE KIDS THAT MAYBE WANT TO TAKE UP MEDICAL CAREERS, AND ALSO, FOR KIDS THAT CAN'T HAVE A LOT OF SCHEDULED TIME. THAT'S REALLY IT. GOODBYE. >> THANK YOU, OLIVIA. I APPRECIATE THAT. NEXT, WE HAVE WILLOW AND CHASE. >> HI. MY NAME IS WILLOW BROWN. >> I'M CHASE DAMMERT. >> I'M AN EIGHTH GRADER, HCMS, AND I'M HERE TO TALK ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF THE FINE ARTS PROGRAM. FINE ARTS ENCOMPASSES MANY DIFFERENT CLASSES SUCH AS THEATER, VISUAL ENSEMBLE, ART, BAND, CHOIR, AND MORE. I FIND IT BAFFLING THAT THERE ARE THREE FULL TIME ATHLETIC DIRECTORS AND ONLY ONE PART TIME FINE ARTS DIRECTOR. EANES IS ALWAYS FAVORITE SPORTS. MORE SPECIFICALLY, FOOTBALL, AND IT COMES FROM BIG STADIUMS AND ITS OWN BROADCASTING AND CAMERA CREW. I UNDERSTAND THE FUNDING FOR ATHLETICS AND FINE ARTS COMES FROM THE SAME PLACE, BUT WHY IS FINE ARTS THE ONE BEING AFFECTED? HERE ARE SOME FACTS. ART TRAINING PERFORMANCE ARE DIRECTLY RELATED TO HIGHER ACADEMIC SUCCESS AND MEASURABLE COGNITIVE BENEFITS AND NUMEROUS SCIENTIFIC STUDIES. EIGHTY-NINE PERCENT OF ALL SCHOOL DISTRICTS IN TEXAS HAVE AT LEAST ONE DIRECTOR OF FINE ARTS. ELIMINATING THIS POSITION WOULD PLACE IST IN THE BOTTOM 4% OF SCHOOL DISTRICTS WITH NO FINE ARTS DIRECTOR. VOTING TO ELIMINATE THE DIRECTOR OF THE FINE ARTS POSITION IN EANES WOULD HAVE MANY RISKS THAT COULD TRULY AFFECT THE DISTRICT AND THE STUDENTS IN IT. SO JUST MAKING IT HARDER TO FUND AND SUPPORT THE PROGRAMS, MAKING IT MORE DIFFICULT TO RECRUIT FINE ART TEACHERS, WHICH WOULD AFFECT EANES REPUTATION AND RANKING AS A TOP SCHOOL DISTRICT. LASTLY, IT WOULD AFFECT THE STUDENT'S EDUCATION AND CREATIVITY. I'VE PARTICIPATED IN MANY FINE ARTS PROGRAMS THROUGHOUT MIDDLE SCHOOL. I'M IN THE HILL COUNTRY PLAYERS AT HCMS, WHICH PUTS ON PLAYS FOR THE MIDDLE SCHOOL, AND I LOVE DOING THEATER. IT HELPS ME GAIN CONFIDENCE TO PERFORM IN FRONT OF AUDIENCE AND OTHER THINGS. I'VE ALSO BEEN DOING EVE SINCE SIXTH GRADE, AND NOW IT'S IN EIGHTH GRADE. IT'S A CLASS. EVE TAUGHT ME SO MANY LIFE LESSONS, SUCH AS RESPECT, PATIENCE, PERSEVERANCE, AND DEDICATION. OUR COACH AND DIRECTOR OF THE EVE PROGRAM, [01:25:01] COACH CASEY THOMPSON, IS AN AMAZING COACH WHO ALWAYS WORKS HER HARDEST TO CREATE AMAZING SHOWS. ALL IN ALL, FINE ARTS IS AN EXTREMELY IMPORTANT. [INAUDIBLE] FINE ARTS WOULD AFFECT THE DISTRICT IN MANY NEGATIVE WAYS. IT IS AN INTEGRAL COMPONENT OF ANY STUDENT'S EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE. IT SHOULD BE SEEN JUST AS EQUALLY AS ATHLETICS OR CORE CLASSES. THANK YOU. [APPLAUSE] >> I'D LIKE TO SPEAK ON HOW MUCH COLOR GUARD AND EVE HAS AFFECTED ME BECAUSE IT HAS BEEN A VERY ENJOYABLE CLASS, I JUST STARTED THIS YEAR, AND IT'S THE FIRST YEAR THAT EVE IS A CLASS AT HILL COUNTRY MIDDLE SCHOOL. IT'S BEEN A VERY ENJOYABLE CLASS, AND I'VE LEARNED MANY THINGS ALONG WITH MADE MANY FRIENDS. I KNOW MANY PEOPLE WHO REALLY WANT TO JOIN EVE NEXT YEAR AND ARE ALSO IN OTHER THINGS THAT MIGHT BE AFFECTED BY THIS. I DON'T WANT THAT STUFF TO BE AFFECTED. SORRY. THANK YOU. [APPLAUSE] >> THANK YOU, WILLOW, AND THANK YOU, CHASE. OUR NEXT SPEAKER WILL BE ANSLEY PETERSEN, FOLLOWED BY WILL MORGAN. NEITHER OF THEM. ANSLEY PETERSEN IS NOT JOINING RIGHT NOW AND WILL MORGAN. OUR NEXT SPEAKER WILL BE LANDON DOWNTON. [APPLAUSE] LANDON WILL SPEAK ON THE DIRECTOR OF FINE ARTS. FOLLOWING LANDON WILL BE MOLLY O'NEAL. >> GOOD EVENING. I'M LANDON DOWNTON, AN EIGHT EIGHTH GRADE STUDENT AT HILL COUNTRY MIDDLE AND A MEMBER OF THE HILL COUNTRY PLAYERS, WHICH IS OUR DRAMA CLASS AT HILL COUNTRY. I'M JUST HERE TO SPEAK ON THE DIRECTOR OF FINE ARTS AND HOW LOSING THAT POSITION COULD BE A HUGE DETRIMENT TO THE QUALITY OF FINE ARTS PROGRAMS AT OUR SCHOOL. FIRST, WE AS A DISTRICT EANES HAVE VERY STRONG FINE ARTS PROGRAMS, AND THAT IS A POINT OF PRIDE FOR US. I BELIEVE THAT LOSING THE DIRECTOR OF FINE ARTS COULD CAUSE THE QUALITY TO SLIP. WE WOULD NOT LIKE THAT. WE ARE A VERY STRONG DISTRICT. WE WANT TO BE WELL-ROUNDED AND EXCEPTIONAL IN ALL AREAS. THE FINE ARTS PROGRAMS, IF THEY WERE TO GO DOWNHILL, NOT ONLY WOULD IT MAKE OUR SCHOOL POTENTIALLY LOOK WORSE THAN THE EXCEPTIONAL BEACON OF AMAZINGNESS IT IS. IT WOULD ALSO HAVE A NEGATIVE IMPACT ON THE STUDENT BODY IN ALL OF OUR SCHOOLS. I HAVE SEEN IN HILL COUNTRY PLAYERS, PEOPLE GO FROM SHY AND PERHAPS NOT BEING AS OPEN AS THEY COULD BE TO BEING VERY EXPRESSIVE, VERY HAPPY, VERY OPEN PEOPLE. I HAVE ALSO SEEN THE RELATIONSHIPS THAT HAD BEEN FORMED BETWEEN DIFFERENT PEOPLE IN OUR SCHOOLS, WHO, IF IT WASN'T FOR THE FINE ARTS PROGRAMS AND THE FACT THAT THEY DREW THESE PEOPLE TOGETHER, WOULD PROBABLY HAVE NEVER MET. I HAVE MET MANY PEOPLE WHO I WOULD NOT HAVE MET IF IT WASN'T FOR THE FINE ARTS PROGRAMS. I ALSO LIKE TO TOUCH ON THE FACT THAT WITHOUT A DIRECTOR OF FINE ARTS, WE WILL BE IN THE BOTTOM 4% OF SCHOOLS. AS YOU HAVE SAID, A LOT OF THE SCHOOLS WITH THE DIRECTOR OF FINE ARTS ARE VERY BIG DISTRICTS, BIGGER THAN OURS ARE. BUT WITH THE QUALITY OF OUR PROGRAMS AND THE AMOUNT OF PROGRAMS WE HAVE, I STILL BELIEVE THAT IT IS A VERY VALUABLE POSITION. LASTLY, I'VE HEARD PEOPLE TALK ABOUT HOW WE HAVE THREE ATHLETIC DIRECTORS, WHICH I BELIEVE I SEE THE IMPORTANCE OF IT AS AN ATHLETE MYSELF. THE QUALITY OF OUR ATHLETICS NEEDS TO BE KEPT HIGH WITH DIRECTORS. BUT IF WE HAVE THE MONEY FOR ATHLETICS, WE SHOULD ALSO BE ABLE TO PUT SOME OF THE MONEY INTO OUR ARTS. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. [APPLAUSE] >> THANK YOU, LANDON. THANKS FOR SPEAKING. WE NEXT WE HAVE MOLLY O'NEAL, WHO IS SPEAKING ON LATIN, FOLLOWED BY KELLY MARWILL SPEAKING ON FINE ARTS DIRECTOR AND THE LATIN PROGRAM. THANK YOU, MOLLY. GO AHEAD. >> HI. MY NAME'S MOLLY O'NEAL. I'M A PARENT OF AN EIGHTH GRADER AND A SIXTH GRADER AT HILL COUNTRY MIDDLE SCHOOL, AS WELL AS A FIRST GRADER AT CEDAR CREEK. MY EIGHTH GRADE LATIN STUDENT, [01:30:01] WILLIAM IS OVER SCHEDULED AND COULD NOT BE HERE, BUT HE ASKED ME TO TELL YOU SOME THINGS ABOUT THE LATIN PROGRAM, WHICH IF YOU KNOW HIM, IS REALLY REMARKABLE BECAUSE PULLING ANY INFORMATION OUT OF HIM AT ALL IS INCREDIBLY IMPOSSIBLE, AND I ACTUALLY MANAGED TO GET HIM TO TELL ME THINGS ABOUT LATIN. HE WOULD LIKE YOU TO KNOW. "WITHOUT LATIN, I DON'T THINK I'D BE AS CONNECTED TO THE FRIENDS I HAVE IF WE HADN'T DONE LATIN TOGETHER. LATIN INCLUDES SO MUCH STUFF TO DO OUTSIDE OF CLASS, LIKE TRAVEL NEW PLACES AND MEET NEW PEOPLE, AND I'VE LEARNED A LOT OF SOCIAL BELONGING FROM BEING A PART OF THAT GROUP. I HANG OUT WITH LATIN KIDS, AND I LOVE THAT WE'RE ALL NERDS WHO LIKE LEARNING HARD THINGS. LATIN TEACHES US ABOUT HISTORY, ABOUT POLITICS, AND THE COMPETITIONS COVER THINGS LIKE SPORTS AND CATAPULT BUILDING, NOT JUST HISTORY AND LANGUAGE. THIS WILL HELP ME IN MY OTHER CLASSES TOO. MR. FINKELSTEIN IS A REALLY GOOD TEACHER, AND HE DOES SO MUCH WORK FOR LATIN GOING TO COMPETITIONS AND CHAPERONING ALL OF THE KIDS. BECAUSE OF LATIN, I ALREADY KNOW HIGH SCHOOLERS, WHICH WILL HELP ME NEXT YEAR. I KNOW PEOPLE WHO WANT TO TAKE LATIN NEXT YEAR, AND IF YOU CANCEL IT, YOU'LL BE TAKING AWAY OPPORTUNITIES FROM THEM. I HAVE A TON OF GREAT MEMORIES OF LATIN, AND IT MAKES ME REALLY ANNOYED AND SAD THAT MY LITTLE SISTER WILL MISS OUT ON THOSE." I THINK THAT HIS WORDS REALLY GET TO THE BELONGING PART OF THE EANES MISSION STATEMENT AND SO I WANTED TO DRAW Y'ALL'S ATTENTION TO THAT. THERE ARE SO MANY DIFFERENT KIDS AND SO MUCH DIVERSITY IN THIS DISTRICT, AND IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT EVERYBODY FIND A CROWD THEY BELONG IN, AND I THINK LATIN IS REALLY A VEHICLE FOR THAT, AND THAT IT'S NOT JUST ENROLLMENT NUMBERS ON A SHEET OF PAPER, IT'S THAT VEHICLE FOR BELONGING. I ALSO WANTED TO SAY REALLY BRIEFLY THAT AS A PARENT, I COMPLETELY UNDERSTAND THE REALLY SOBERING BUDGET CONSTRAINTS THAT DISTRICT IS FACING LIKE THAT PRESENTATION IS VERY GUTTING AND SOBERING. I HEAR THE STATEMENT FROM THE DISTRICT THAT WE'RE NOT CUTTING THIS AT THE HIGH SCHOOL. WE'RE NOT CUTTING OTHER THINGS, BUT I THINK ALL OF US WE'RE SITTING HERE THINKING, WELL, NOT YET, BUT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO IF WE DON'T GET HELP. I THINK WE ALL KNOW THAT. I'M REALLY FRUSTRATED BY WHAT I PERCEIVE AS THE DISTRICT ANNOUNCING THESE DECISIONS WITHOUT INVOLVING THE COMMUNITY. THESE CUTS ARE GOING TO KEEP HAPPENING UNLESS WE GET BIGGER HELP. I FEEL THAT PARENTS WERE NOT INCLUDED IN THIS DISCUSSION, AND WE WERE NOT GIVEN A CHANCE AS A COMMUNITY TO COME TOGETHER, BUILD ENROLLMENT, TRY TO SAVE THE PROGRAM, AND I FEEL A LITTLE BIT LIKE I'M BEING TREATED LIKE A HAPLESS CONSUMER OF A PRODUCT RATHER THAN A STAKEHOLDER IN MY CHILD'S EDUCATION WITH THE WAY THESE DECISIONS WERE ANNOUNCED AFTER THEY WERE ALREADY MADE. I THINK THAT THAT IS JUST GOING TO BE REALLY PROBLEMATIC GOING FORWARD AS WE GO THROUGH THIS REALLY HARD THING TOGETHER. IF THERE'S ANY CHANCE THAT LATIN CAN BE GIVEN A REPRIEVE AS A GESTURE OF GOOD FAITH TO THE COMMUNITY THAT WE ARE GOING TO START MAKING DECISIONS TOGETHER AS STAKEHOLDERS, I THINK THAT THAT WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL. [MUSIC] [APPLAUSE] >> [APPLAUSE] THANK YOU, MOLLY. WE NEXT HAVE KELLY MARWILL SPEAKING ON THE FINE ARTS DIRECTOR IN LATIN PROGRAM, FOLLOWED BY KATHLEEN HUFF, SPEAKING ON LATIN AND EISD. >> THANK YOU VERY MUCH. HI. MY NAME IS KELLY MARWILL. I AM HERE SPEAKING AS THE LEAD PARENT FOR THE HCMS BAND, AND HAVING JUST ATTENDED THE UL COMPETITION FOR THE FULL ORCHESTRA WITH LOTS OF OTHER PARENTS, WE REALLY ARE UNDERSTANDING THIS IMPACT OF NOT HAVING A FINE ART DIRECTOR AND WHAT THAT COULD CAUSE THIS PROGRAM. PARENTS HAVE BEEN REACHING OUT TO ME AND ASKING ME TO TALK TO THE BOARD ABOUT MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE LOOKED INTO HOW WE ARE GOING TO REPLACE THE DUTIES AND THE ROLES THAT HAVE BEEN PREVIOUSLY ASSUMED BY OUR FINE ARTS DIRECTOR. SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WERE BROUGHT TO OUR ATTENTION WERE THAT THE SCHEDULING OF THESE DIFFERENT EVENTS ARE DONE. THERE IS SCHEDULING OF JOINT VENTURES ON THE CAMPUSES. THERE IS SCHEDULING OF PRIVATE TUTORS FOR THE STUDENTS AND CURRICULUM AND THEN THERE'S ALSO THE OVERARCHING EFFECT OF HAVING SOMEONE BRING THE FINE ARTS TOGETHER AND HAVE THAT CONTINUOUS PROCESS FROM KINDER ALL THE WAY UP. SO WHAT THE PARENTS WERE ASKING IS THAT INSTEAD OF MAKING THIS DECISION, THAT YOU TAKE TIME TO REALLY EVALUATE THE ROLES AND MAKE SURE THAT YOU KNOW EXACTLY WHAT YOU'RE CUTTING BEFORE YOU DO THAT SO THAT WE CAN TELL OUR STUDENTS THAT WE ARE GOING TO SUPPORT THEM AND THAT EVERYTHING THAT'S THAT'S BEEN DONE FOR THEM IN THE PAST AND ALL OF THESE SPECIAL PROGRAMS WILL STILL BE PRESENT FOR THEM AND THAT YOU'VE LOOKED DEEPLY INTO IT AND YOU [01:35:02] KNOW EXACTLY WHERE THOSE ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES ARE GOING TO LIE. THANK YOU. [APPLAUSE] >> THANK YOU, KELLY. WE NOW HAVE KATHLEEN HUFF SPEAKING ON LATIN, FOLLOWED BY KATHERINE WALKER, INTRODUCING HERSELF AS A TRUSTEE CANDIDATE. THANK YOU, KATHLEEN. >> HI, GOOD EVENING. THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME THIS EVENING. I AM HERE REPRESENTING LATIN. I AM A LATIN PARENT TIMES 3, AND I JUST WENT TO STANFORD TO VISIT MY TWO BOYS. THIS PAST WEEKEND, AND THEY WERE BOTH LATIN. LOVE LATIN AND TO THE POINT WHERE MY OLDEST SON IS A COMPUTER SCIENCE MAJOR AND A CLASSICS MAJOR. DOUBLE MAJORING. THE IMPACT LATIN HAS HAD ON MY CHILDREN IS AMAZING. JUST THE RANKING, EVERYTHING YOU SEE AT WEST LAKE, WE'RE ALL ABOUT IT. THEY WERE BOTH NATIONAL MERIT FINALISTS. YOU WON'T BE SEEING THAT AGAIN. I THINK THE TERMINOLOGY, THE VOCABULARY YOU LEARN IN LATIN THAT THEY LEARNED GAVE THEM THE SCORES THEY GOT THEM THERE. MY DAUGHTER JUST FOUND OUT THE JUNIOR, JUST FOUND OUT SHE GOT A 36 ON HER ACT ENGLISH TODAY, A LATIN STUDENT. IT ALL IMPACTS. IT'S GOING TO BE A TRICKLE DOWN EFFECT. WE NEED TO KEEP LATIN AROUND. IF YOU LOOK AT THE STATS THAT YOU'RE JUST CUTTING MIDDLE SCHOOL, LOOK AT THAT. MIDDLE SCHOOL, THE THE STUDENTS ARE GOING TO PICK ANOTHER LANGUAGE. THEY'RE NOT GOING TO WAIT TILL HIGH SCHOOL TO TAKE IT. WHEN THEY TAKE THEIR AP LATIN, THEY WILL BE SENIORS. YOU'RE IMPACTING THEIR GPA. YOU ARE IMPACTING EVERYTHING. STUDENTS WILL NOT BE TAKING LATIN. WHEN YOU LOOK AT IT AS A DEAD LANGUAGE, IT WILL BE DEAD IN EANES. IT'S JUST NOT CUTTING MIDDLE SCHOOL, BUT LOOK AHEAD. LATIN 1, LATIN 2, LATIN 3, AP LATIN IS SENIOR YEAR. THE KIDS WILL NOT BE TAKING IT. THEY CAN'T AFFORD TO SCORE IT THEIR GPA. ANYBODY TAKING LATIN WILL NOT GET INTO UT BASICS. LOOK AHEAD. I JUST CAN'T SAY ENOUGH ABOUT IT. YOU JUST SAY MIDDLE SCHOOL, BUT IT'S NOT. IT IS A DEAD LANGUAGE. IT'S INTERESTING. I HAD A MEETING THIS MORNING AND THE PARENT HAS A STUDENT AT ANDERSON HIGH SCHOOL. THEY HAVE A LATIN PROGRAM. WHAT HE SAID TO ME WAS, WOW, WE FINALLY BEAT WEST LAKE AT SOMETHING, AND I'M, YES, YOU HAVE. THEY WILL HAVE A LATIN PROGRAM NEXT YEAR. THEY'RE CONTINUING ON. WE ARE NOT. I WAS FLYING BACK FROM SEEING THE BOYS ON SUNDAY NIGHT, AND I'M JUST SO HAPPEN TO TALK TO THE WOMAN NEXT TO ME. SHE HAS A INCOMING WEST LAKE HIGH, EIGHTH GRADER NEXT YEAR. HER DAUGHTER PLANNED ON TAKING LATIN NEXT YEAR, BUT CAN'T. IT'S NOT AVAILABLE. PLEASE RECONSIDER. WE HAVE THREE AMAZING EDUCATORS, MR. FINKELSTEIN, MR. ABBEY, MISS CANNON. MISS CANNON HAS WRITTEN 50 PROBABLY REC LETTERS FOR MY THREE CHILDREN. AMAZING WHAT THEY PUT INTO IT HEART AND SOUL, BUT YOU ARE KILLING THE PROGRAM. DO NOT MAKE IT A DEAD LANGUAGE. THANK YOU. [APPLAUSE] >> THANK YOU, KATHLEEN. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS KATHERINE WALKER, AND SHE'S FOLLOWED BY TIM MARWLL SPEAKING ON THE FINE ARTS DIRECTOR. >> GOOD EVENING, TRUSTEES. VICE PRESIDENT MACMATH, DR. ARNETT, FELLOW EANES FAMILIES. MY NAME IS KATHERINE WALKER. I AM RUNNING FOR EANES TRUSTEE PLACE 5. I KNOW FIRSTHAND THE JOYS AND THE CHALLENGES OF RAISING CHILDREN WITHIN OUR DISTRICT, ESPECIALLY THOSE WITH SPECIAL LEARNING NEEDS. BECAUSE OF THAT, I AM CHAMPIONING THE CAUSE OF INCLUSION FOR ALL FAMILIES AND OUR CHILDREN. PROFESSIONALLY, I AM A CFO AND UNDERSTAND THE INTRICATE BALANCE OF FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY AND EDUCATIONAL EXCELLENCE AND THE CONSTRAINTS THAT RECAPTURE PUTS ON OUR DISTRICT. I WANT TO TAKE A MOMENT AND THANK OUR CFO, CHRIS SCOTT, HE AND ARE BOTH MEMBERS OF THE GOVERNMENT, FINANCIAL OFFICERS ASSOCIATION. I KNOW THE GUTS THAT IT TAKES TO STAND UP HERE AND TALK ABOUT THESE VERY SERIOUS ISSUES IN THE FACE OF 40 PLUS COMMUNITY MEMBERS. I ALSO WANT TO THANK LAURIE LEE BECAUSE I KNOW THAT DECISIONS AROUND OUR TEACHERS MERIT INCREASES ARE A VERY IMPORTANT ONE AND NOT ONE THAT SHE'S TAKING LIGHTLY WHEN SHE MAKES A RECOMMENDATION TO THE TRUSTEE BOARD. I WANT TO ENSURE AS A TRUSTEE THAT EVERY DOLLAR INVESTED IN OUR SCHOOLS, WHETHER IT IS FOR THE FINE ARTS PROGRAM, FOR SPORTS, FOR STEM PROGRAMS THAT THEY YIELD THE MAXIMUM BENEFIT FOR OUR STUDENTS. I WANT TO TAKE A MOMENT AND ALSO ADDRESS THE VERY BRAVE MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS WHO ARE HERE TO TALK ABOUT THEIR LATIN PROGRAM. I ALSO TOOK LATIN IN HIGH SCHOOL, AS WELL AS SPANISH. [01:40:02] I'M A BIT ENVIOUS BECAUSE I THINK YOUR TEACHER WAS WAY COOLER THAN MINE. BUT THAT FOUNDATIONAL TRAINING IN LATIN AND SPANISH, I ACHIEVED A BACHELOR OF ARTS IN SPANISH IN COLLEGE, AND THEN I WENT ON TO ALSO STUDY ITALIAN, FRENCH, AND PORTUGUESE. LET ME TELL YOU, I UNDERSTAND NOW AS A CFO BEING ABLE TO ACHIEVE THE LEVEL OF MY CAREER, IT WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN POSSIBLE WITHOUT MY LANGUAGE TRAINING. SPEAKING OF LANGUAGES, I ALSO WANT TO TALK ABOUT OUR FUTURO PROGRAM. THIS IS OUR SPANISH IMMERSION PROGRAM, AND ALL THREE OF MY CHILDREN AT ONE POINT HAVE BEEN IN THE FUTURO PROGRAM. I WOULD LOVE TO SEE THIS PROGRAM BE A SUCCESS, BUT WE HAVE TO MAKE SOME HARD DECISIONS ABOUT IT, NOT ONLY TAKING IT FROM A 50/50 PROGRAM TO 90/10 PROGRAM, BUT ALSO LOOKING AT THE 25% CUT AND HOW WE DEVELOP THE PROGRAM FOR THE FUTURE, SO IT BECOMES A GEM THAT IT TRULY CAN BE. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALLOWING ME TO TALK TO Y'ALL TONIGHT. [APPLAUSE] >> THANK YOU, KATHERINE. WE NEXT HAVE TIM MARWLL FOLLOWED BY ZOE LYNCH. ZOE, WILL BE SPEAKING ON LATIN. >> FIRST, I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU GUYS DO FOR THIS COMMUNITY. IT'S A TOUGH JOB. I KNOW IT IS AND IT'S A THANKLESS JOB. THANK YOU. MY NAME IS TIM MARWLL. KELLY MARWILL'S HUSBAND, OF COURSE. I'M FATHER OF A BAND STUDENT AND SUPPORTER OF FINE ARTS THEATER AND CHOIR. I WANT TO OFFER A DIFFERENT VIEWPOINT THAN MAYBE WHAT'S BEEN PRESENTED HERE TONIGHT. I BELIEVE THE RESERVE OR THE RIGHTY DAY FUND IT'S HERE TO PROVIDE CONTINUITY IN THE SHORT RUN AS WE WORK THROUGH SOLUTIONS. THE BUDGET DEFICIT IS POTENTIALLY A SHORT TERM PROBLEM. WHAT I MEAN BY THAT IS EVENTUALLY THE STATE WILL DECIDE TO FUND TEACHERS. THEY HAVE THE MONEY. EVENTUALLY, THEY WILL DO IT. OR ALTERNATIVELY, MAYBE OUR COMMUNITY WILL PULL TOGETHER AND HELP FIX THIS PROBLEM AS WELL. WE HAVE THE RESOURCES, BUT WE NEED TIME. BY THE WAY, OVER THE LAST FOUR YEARS, THERE'S BEEN A PROJECTED DEFICIT, AND EVERY YEAR, WE'VE COME IN WITH A SURPLUS. I JUST WANT TO PAP THE BRAKES ON A KNEE JERK REACTION ON NOT FUNDING CERTAIN THINGS LIKE THE FINE ARTS DIRECTOR. THE FINE ARTS PROGRAM SERVES A LARGE PERCENTAGE OF STUDENTS. IT'S NOT A PROGRAM THAT LACKS SUPPORT. CUTTING THE FINE ARTS PROGRAM DIRECTOR WEAKENS THE PROGRAM. TEACHERS THEY WON'T FEEL SUPPORTED AND THEY MAY GO TO OTHER DISTRICTS WHERE THEY FEEL SUPPORTED. FUNDING THE FINE ARTS DIRECTOR POSITION TELLS TEACHERS AND STUDENTS THAT THE FINE ARTS PROGRAM IS IMPORTANT. FUNDING THE FINE ARTS DIRECTOR POSITION ALLOWS TIME FOR THE STATE TO ADEQUATELY START FUNDING PUBLIC EDUCATION AND FUNDING THE FINE ARTS DIRECTOR POSITION ALLOWS OUR COMMUNITY TIME TO PULL TOGETHER TO HELP WITH SOLUTIONS. Y'ALL HAVE THE POWER AND THE INFLUENCE TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN. APPRECIATE YOUR TIME. THANK YOU. [APPLAUSE] >> THANK YOU, TIM. OUR LAST SPEAKER WILL BE ZOE LYNCH, SPEAKING ON LATIN AND MIDDLE SCHOOL. THANK YOU, ZOE AND WELCOME. >> GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS ZOE LYNCH. I'M A JUNIOR AT WEST LAKE HIGH SCHOOL, AND I'M ALSO AN OFFICER IN WEST LAKE LATIN CLUB. I'M HERE TODAY TO IMPLORE YOU TO KEEP LATIN IN OUR DISTRICT'S MIDDLE SCHOOLS. LATIN MIGHT NOT BE THE MOST POPULAR LANGUAGE THAT'S OFFERED IN THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, BUT TAKING IT AS AN INCREDIBLY VALUABLE OPPORTUNITY FOR THOSE WHO ARE WILLING TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF IT. STARTING LATIN IN MIDDLE SCHOOL GAVE ME A STRONG FOUNDATION IN THE LANGUAGE, AND IT ULTIMATELY HELPED ME SUCCEED IN ENGLISH CLASS AND ON THE PSAT AND SAT. IT ALSO ALLOWED ME TO TAKE AP LATIN AS A JUNIOR, WHICH I HOPE WILL BE BENEFICIAL IN MY COLLEGE APPLICATIONS. MOST OF ALL, IT LEFT ME WITH A LASTING INTEREST IN ANCIENT ROME AND A GREATER KNOWLEDGE REGARDING THE HISTORY OF DEMOCRACY, LITERATURE, AND ART. MOST IMPORTANTLY, TAKING LATIN HAS ALLOWED ME TO JOIN A GREAT COMMUNITY OF MY FELLOW LATIN STUDENTS. ULTIMATELY, I'M INCREDIBLY GRATEFUL THAT I GET TO TAKE LATIN AT ALL, SINCE I KNOW IT'S NOT AN OPPORTUNITY THAT'S AVAILABLE TO A LOT OF PUBLIC SCHOOLS. HOWEVER, WE NEED MORE ACCESS TO LATIN SCHOOLS, NOT LESS. GIVE LATIN A CHANCE SO THAT WE CAN GET THE WORD OUT AND SO THAT MORE STUDENTS CAN BENEFIT FROM TAKING LATIN. I KNOW THAT THE BUDGET IS TIGHT AND THAT CERTAIN SACRIFICES WILL NEED TO BE MADE. BUT THIS JUST IN A PLACE TO DO IT. KEEPING LATIN IS A GREAT INVESTMENT, NOT ONLY IN THE FUTURES OF INDIVIDUAL STUDENTS, BUT IN THE FUTURE OF THE DISTRICT AS A WHOLE. THANK YOU. [APPLAUSE] >> THANK YOU, ZOE AND THIS CONCLUDES OUR PUBLIC FORUM PORTION OF THIS MEETING. WE'LL NOW MOVE IN AND I GUESS I'LL STOP. I DO THANK EVERYONE, AND I APPRECIATE YOUR PATIENCE IN WAITING AND LISTENING TO THE BUDGET PRESENTATION AND THE AGENDA CHANGE THAT WE HAD. [01:45:02] WE'RE NOW GOING TO MOVE INTO THE DISCUSSION AND ACTION PORTION OF OUR MEETING TONIGHT. OUR FIRST AGENDA ITEM IS A REQUEST TO APPROVE THE BOARD PRIORITIES. [10.1 Request to Approve Board Priorities] DO I HAVE A MOTION? HEATHER? >> I MOVE THAT THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES APPROVE THE 2024 THROUGH 2028 BOARD PRIORITIES AS PRESENTED. >> DO I HAVE A SECOND? WE HAVE A MOTION BY HEATHER AND A SECOND BY ELLEN. WE HAVE ANY DISCUSSION. >> LAURA CAN GO FIRST. >> WE'RE COOPERATIVE. FIRST, WE'LL HAVE LAURA. >> WE WANT TO WAIT FOR EVERYONE AND LET EVERYONE. >> I WASN'T ABLE TO PARTICIPATE IN THE LAST MEETING WHERE WE REVIEWED THE STRATEGIC BOARD PRIORITIES AND OBJECTIVES, BUT I LISTENED, AND I WENT BACK AND LOOKED AT MY NOTES FROM THE MEETING BEFORE THAT WHEN WE REVIEWED THEM AND I THINK CLAUDIA, YOU HAD MADE SOME ADJUSTMENTS AND MOLLY AS WELL. I APPRECIATE THAT. Y'ALL CLEANED UP WITH THE CONCERNS THAT I HAD. THANK Y'ALL VERY MUCH. >> HEATHER. >> I JUST WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ADDRESSING THE CONCERNS THAT I ALSO HAD SO DITTO TO LAURA. BUT I KNOW THAT THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT YOU GUYS HAVE TO DO AS THE STAFF, AND SO WE WERE WADING INTO THE WEEDS A LITTLE BIT, BUT THANK YOU FOR TAKING OUR COMMENTS AND DOING GOOD THINGS WITH THEM. >> ELLEN. >> I'D JUST LIKE TO REITERATE HOW MUCH I LIKED THIS NEW PROCESS. WELL, I WAS EXCITED ABOUT WHAT I SAW AT A LEADERSHIP SLI. LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE LAST SUMMER. BUT I KNOW BEFORE WE ACTUALLY STARTED INTO THIS PROCESS, WE ALL WERE, WELL, WE GET SOMETHING THAT'S REALLY UNIQUE AND REALLY REFLECTS US, AND I THINK IT HAS. I'M EXCITED TO SEE HOW THIS THEN EVOLVES INTO THE DLT AND THE CLT. I THINK THERE WILL BE A LOT OF ENERGY CREATED FROM IT. REALLY AM GLAD WE MOVED TO THIS NEW PROCESS. THANK YOU. >> DIANE. >> THANK YOU. YES, AND ECHO EVERYTHING YOU'VE SAID AND JUST TO ADD TO IT, I LOOK FORWARD TO MOVING ON TO THE METRICS SO THAT WE CAN FINISH OUT THIS PROCESS. I THINK IT'S BEEN A VERY ENLIGHTENING PROCESS AND A GOOD EXERCISE. THANK YOU FOR ALL THE REVISIONS THAT WE'VE ASKED FOR. I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO THE NEXT YEAR. >> I TO AGREE THAT IT'S A GOOD PROCESS. IT'LL BE INTERESTING TO WATCH IT PLAY OUT. ELLEN, AS YOU SAID IN THE DLT AND BEYOND AND TO WATCH IT AND BE ABLE TO MEASURE IT AND SEE IT SUCCESS. >> I THINK I SAID DLT AND CLT. IT SHOULD BE DIP AND SIP. SORRY. YES. DISTRICT IMPROVEMENT PLAN [OVERLAPPING] IMPROVEMENT PLAN. >> I REPEATED IT. THANK YOU. >> WE HAVE A MOTION. WE HAVE A SECOND. WE HAVE A VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR. DO WE HAVE ANY NOS? WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND AND A VOTE OF FIVE TO ZERO. MOTION PASSES. OUR NEXT DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEM IS A REQUEST TO AWARD THE REQUEST FOR [10.2 Award Requests for Proposal for Solar PV Array Installation - 2023 Bond] PROPOSALS FOR THE SOLAR PV ARRAY INSTALLATIONS OF THE 2023 BOND, AND WE HAVE JEREMY TRIMBLE. DO I HAVE A MOTION? A MOTION BY ELLEN, OF A SECOND. A SECOND BY DIANE. WE HAVE ANY DISCUSSION? >> DO I NEED TO READ THE MOTION? >> YES. THANK YOU. >> I MOVE THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES AWARD THE SOLAR PV ARRAY INSTALLATION REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL TO ACCESS SOLAR, LLC, AND DELEGATE AUTHORITY TO THE SUPERINTENDENT OR DESIGNEE TO NEGOTIATE AND EXECUTE THE FINAL CONTRACT AND PURCHASE ORDER. >> DIANE, SECOND, AND DO WE HAVE ANY DISCUSSION OR QUESTION? >> REMIND US HOW COOL THIS IS GOING TO BE. >> THIS IS AN EXCITING OPPORTUNITY THAT WE DO HAVE. I'M GLAD THAT WE'RE TO THIS POINT BECAUSE OF OTHER CONVERSATION YOU HAD EARLIER TODAY. I AM VERY EXCITED. WE HAD GOOD RESPONSE TO THE RFP THAT WAS OUT THERE, BUT EXCITED TO PARTNER, HOPEFULLY WITH ACCESS SOLAR MOVING FORWARD. [01:50:03] I KNOW WE HAVE GRAHAM WALKER BEHIND ME IN THE AUDIENCE AS WELL, SO I APPRECIATE HIS TEAM'S EFFORT IN PUTTING HIS PROPOSAL TOGETHER. >> THANK YOU. OTHER? >> I WOULD JUST LIKE TO THANK THE VOTERS WHO VOTED TO APPROVE THE 2023 BOND BECAUSE THEY MADE A DIFFERENCE IN MAKING OUR BUDGET SO MUCH BETTER THAN IT WOULD HAVE BEEN. THANK YOU. >> ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS? I'LL ADD MINE, AND THAT IS ALSO THANK YOU TO THE COMMUNITY AND THE BOND. I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE THIS INSTALLED. WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? ANY OPPOSED? WE HAVE A MOTION A VOTE OF FIVE TO ZERO. MOTION PASSES. OUR NEXT ACTION IS A CONSENT AGREEMENT. [11. ACTION - CONSENT AGENDA] DO I HAVE A MOTION? A MOTION BY LAURA? >> A MOVE THAT THE BOARD ADOPT THE CONSENT AGENDA AS POSTED. >> WE HAVE A MOTION BY LAURA AND A SECOND BY ELLEN. ANY DISCUSSION? WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND. WE HAVE TWO MEETINGS COMING. [12. UPCOMING MEETINGS] ON MAY 7, WE HAVE A STUDY SESSION AND ON MAY 21, WE HAVE A REGULAR MEETING AND WITH THIS AT 8:55, WE ARE ADJOURNED. THANK YOU, EVERYONE. * This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.