Sep 24, 2024 School Board Regular Meeting

[1. CALL TO ORDER]

[00:00:04]

5:30 AND I CALL THESE SEPTEMBER 24TH, 2024 MEETING OF THE EANES ISD BOARD OF TRUSTEES TO ORDER.

MADAM SECRETARY, DO WE HAVE A QUORUM?

[2. ESTABLISH A QUORUM]

THANK YOU. WE WILL NOW MOVE INTO CLOSED SESSION PURSUANT TO TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE SECTIONS FIVE, 551.071 AND 551.074.

[3. CLOSED SESSION]

THANK YOU FOR COMING AND WE WILL SEE YOU IN A BIT.

MATTERS. YOU WANT ME TO START OVER? YES, PLEASE. OKAY.

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

GOOD EVENING. I AM JAMES SPRADLEY, PRESIDENT OF THE EANES ISD BOARD OF TRUSTEES.

ON BEHALF OF THE WHOLE BOARD, WELCOME TO OUR MEETING, AND THANK YOU FOR ATTENDING.

AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR INTEREST IN PUBLIC EDUCATION.

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 OUTBURSTS OR ANY OTHER DISRUPTIVE BEHAVIOR.

AND THAT'S AT MY SCRIPT BECAUSE OF PAST EXPERIENCES HERE AT THE BOARD.

BUT I DON'T THINK WE'RE GOING TO LOOK AT THAT.

EXPECT THAT TONIGHT. BUT I DO WANT TO SAY REAL QUICK THAT AS WE GO THROUGH OUR AGENDA, IF YOUR ITEM COMES UP AND YOUR ITEM IS DONE AND YOU WANT TO LEAVE OUR MEETING, THAT'S PERFECTLY FINE AND JUST ASK THAT YOU DO IT QUIETLY.

THERE WILL BE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR PUBLIC COMMENT LATER IN OUR MEETING.

TWO PEOPLE HAVE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK, ALTHOUGH I'M NOT.

I DON'T THINK THEY'RE HERE YET.

EACH WILL HAVE THREE MINUTES TO SPEAK.

THANK YOU FOR JOINING US AND FOR YOUR INTEREST IN OUR COMMUNITY AND OUR SCHOOLS.

WE WILL NOW BEGIN OUR AGENDA.

DOCTOR ARNETT.

OH, WE'RE GOING TO GO THROUGH OUR THIS IS A REGULAR MEETING.

OUR MISSION STATEMENT.

[5. EANES ISD MISSION STATEMENT]

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.

TONIGHT, OUR PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE WILL BE LED BY ERIC WIPRUD, A JUNIOR AT WESTLAKE HIGH SCHOOL.

ERIC IS A MEMBER OF TROOP 30.

HE'S A LIFE SCOUT WORKING ON HIS EAGLE PROJECT VERY SOON.

HE HAS BEEN IN THE EANES ISD SCHOOL DISTRICT, STARTING AT BRIDGEPOINT ELEMENTARY THROUGH HILL COUNTRY, AND WILL NOW GRADUATE FROM WESTLAKE HIGH SCHOOL NEXT YEAR.

PLEASE RISE AND PREPARE YOURSELVES.

I'LL PUSH THE RIGHT BUTTON THIS TIME.

THANK YOU, ERIC, FOR THAT.

AND WE WILL NOW MOVE INTO THE SUPERINTENDENT'S REPORT.

[7. SUPERINTENDENT'S REPORT]

THANK YOU, MR. SPRADLEY. MEMBERS OF THE BOARD.

ONE OF THE PRIVILEGES AND PLEASURES THAT I HAVE DURING THE SUPERINTENDENT'S REPORT IS TO OCCASIONALLY RECOGNIZE AND THANK INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE HAD A LONG STANDING IMPACT AND A POSITIVE INFLUENCE ON OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT.

AND THERE'S PROBABLY NONE MORE DESERVING OF THAT THAN CHRISTY ROME.

I'M GOING TO ASK CHRISTY TO JOIN US AT THE TABLE, AS WELL AS HER SUCCESSOR, MISSY BENDER, WHO IS ALSO HERE THIS EVENING TO BE INTRODUCED.

BUT CHRISTIE IS HERE TONIGHT BECAUSE SHE IS ENDING HER 12 YEAR RUN AS THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE TEXAS SCHOOL COALITION.

THERE HAS BEEN NO BETTER FRIEND PARTNER, COLLEAGUE RESOURCE TO NOT ONLY OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT, BUT TO HUNDREDS OF SCHOOL DISTRICTS THROUGHOUT THE STATE OF TEXAS WHO ARE IN A SIMILAR FINANCIAL AND ECONOMIC POSITION THAT WE ARE IN, CHALLENGED BY STATE FUNDING.

AND THERE'S BEEN CHRISTIE THERE ALONGSIDE OF US ALL OF THESE YEARS TO HELP US, GUIDE US, DIRECT US, ESPECIALLY THROUGH THE VARIOUS LEGISLATIVE SESSIONS THAT YOU HAVE BEEN A PART OF. SO, CHRISTIE, WE WANT TO THANK YOU, THE TRUSTEES, AND WE WANT TO RECOGNIZE YOU TONIGHT, BUT TO GIVE YOU AN OPPORTUNITY TO REFLECT ON YOUR 12 YEARS, MAYBE TO PREDICT WHAT'S AHEAD FOR YOURSELF AND US, PERHAPS, BUT THEN TO INTRODUCE YOUR SUCCESSOR, MISSY, THIS EVENING AS WELL.

SO, CHRISTIE. RIGHT.

OKAY. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING ME.

IT HAS BEEN AN HONOR AND A PRIVILEGE TO SERVE IN THIS ROLE, AND I HAVE.

[00:05:03]

BUT IT'S ALSO BEEN MY PROFESSIONAL HOME FOR THE LAST 12 YEARS.

YOU'VE GIVEN US THE OFFICE SPACE, AND YOU'RE CONTINUING TO GIVE US THE OFFICE SPACE.

AND WE GREATLY APPRECIATE THAT.

IT HAS BEEN SUCH A WONDERFUL ARRANGEMENT FOR ME TO BE IN A SCHOOL DISTRICT DOING THE WORK THAT I DO, AND IT IS BEEN A JOY TO REPRESENT THIS DISTRICT.

I'M SO PROUD TO BE AN EANES RESIDENT, AND I WILL CONTINUE TO BE AN EANES RESIDENT, SO I WILL CONTINUE TO HOPEFULLY BE A CONTRIBUTING MEMBER OF THIS COMMUNITY.

AND I'M ALREADY ON ONE COMMITTEE.

SO BUT IN ADDITION TO THAT, I'M GOING TO TAKE A BREAK PROFESSIONALLY FOR A LITTLE WHILE AND DO SOME TRAVELING AND JUST SEE THE WORLD AND NOT WAIT.

I DECIDED I'M NOT GOING TO BE ANY YOUNGER THAN I AM RIGHT NOW, SO I'M GOING TO GO AND TAKE THAT OPPORTUNITY AND THEN DECIDE WHAT I WANT TO BE WHEN I GROW UP, BUT JUST CANNOT EMPHASIZE ENOUGH HOW GRATEFUL I AM TO EACH OF YOU FOR SERVING IN THIS CAPACITY, FOR LISTENING TO ME OVER THE YEARS WITH THE RAIN CLOUD OVER MY HEAD BRING YOU BAD AND WORSE NEWS. I HOPE THAT MY SUCCESSOR HERE WILL BE ABLE TO BRING YOU GOOD NEWS ONE DAY, BUT I THINK SHE'S GOING TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO AND WHAT WE'RE PERHAPS DREADING ABOUT THE UPCOMING 89TH LEGISLATIVE SESSION.

BUT I'M SO PLEASED TO BE ABLE TO INTRODUCE TO YOU MISSY BENDER.

SHE IS FROM THIS ORGANIZATION BECAUSE SHE, LIKE YOU, WAS A SCHOOL BOARD TRUSTEE IN ONE OF OUR MEMBER DISTRICTS.

AND I'LL LET HER TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THAT.

BUT SHE KNOWS THE TEXAS SCHOOL COALITION.

WELL, SHE KNOWS THIS WORK WELL.

SHE KNOWS WHAT IT'S LIKE TO SIT IN THE SEATS THAT YOU'RE IN RIGHT NOW AND GET PAID ALL THE MONEY THAT YOU'RE BEING PAID.

AND SO I THINK THAT SHE'S JUST SHE HAS WORKED TO TRAIN BOARDS IN ADVOCACY AND IS GOING TO TAKE THAT AND JUST TAKE THE TEXAS SCHOOL COALITION LEAPS AND BOUNDS AHEAD IN THE FUTURE, AS I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO HER NOW TO TALK ABOUT.

SO THANK YOU AGAIN.

THANK YOU CHRISTY. AND THANK YOU, CHRISTY.

I HAD THE PLEASURE OF WORKING WITH CHRISTY FOR A VERY LONG TIME WHEN I WAS ELECTED, AND I LOOKED BACK AT HOW MANY SESSIONS THAT WAS, AND I SERVED FOR 13 YEARS ON THE SCHOOL BOARD.

AND THEN I'VE WORKED AT RAISE YOUR HAND FOR THE LAST FIVE.

SO NINE SESSIONS.

THAT'S HOW MUCH TIME I'VE SPENT AT THE CAPITOL.

SO THAT'S LIKE 17 YEARS OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

AND I LEARNED A LOT FROM CHRISTY DURING THAT TIME, TESTIFYING ON BEHALF OF I WAS WITH PLANO ISD AND THEN ON BEHALF OF ALL SCHOOL DISTRICTS IN TEXAS. AND SO I KNOW SOME OF YOU FROM THAT ADVOCACY WORK AT THE CAPITOL, AND I'LL SHARE WITH YOU THAT BEFORE I GOT INTO A LIFE OF CIVIC ENGAGEMENT, THAT WAS LIKE A CHAPTER IN MY LIFE THAT I'M STILL IN.

PREVIOUS TO THAT, I HAD A CORPORATE LIFE AND I WORKED AS A MANAGEMENT CONSULTANT.

SO I BRING THAT LENS ALONG WITH MY CIVIC ENGAGEMENT HAT, TO THIS WORK, AND I'M GOING TO BRING THAT TO WHAT WE'RE THE STRATEGY THAT WE'RE GOING TO USE THIS SESSION.

IT WILL BE MAYBE A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT.

WHEN I THOUGHT BACK THIS AFTERNOON ABOUT WHEN OVER THOSE 17 YEARS, HAVE WE EXPERIENCED SOME LIKE, REALLY GOOD NEWS THAT WE FELT IN THE PUBLIC EDITOR COMMUNITY OVER THOSE NINE SESSIONS IN 17 YEARS? THERE WERE TWO MOMENTS IN TIME OUT OF ALL OF THAT TIME, CHRISTY REMINDED ME THAT ONE OF THOSE WAS IN 2006, AND THAT WAS THE YEAR I GOT ELECTED, BY THE WAY, AND THAT WAS A RESULT OF LEGAL ACTION WHERE THE LEGISLATURE WAS REQUIRED TO DO SOMETHING. IT TOOK THEM A MINUTE TO GET TO THAT POINT, BUT THAT WAS THE MOTIVATION.

THE SECOND TIME WAS AN ELECTORAL OUTCOME IN 2019 LED TO HOUSE BILL THREE.

SO THERE WERE SOME SEATS THAT WERE THREATENED AND SOME PEOPLE THAT DIDN'T GET REELECTED IN 2000, IN THE PREVIOUS YEAR.

AND SO THAT WAS THE SECOND MOMENT IN TIME THAT THAT WAS, YOU KNOW, FORCED INTO THAT SITUATION, BUT NOT BY LEGAL ACTION. SO I GUESS WHAT I WANTED TO SHARE WITH YOU IS THAT THIS IS A LONG GAME.

AND I UNDERSTAND AS A FORMER BOARD MEMBER HOW HARD IT IS AND HOW WHERE YOUR HEART IS AND WANTING TO MEET THE NEEDS OF YOUR COMMUNITY AND MEET THEIR EXPECTATIONS.

AND RIGHT NOW, AS YOU KNOW, MORE THAN HALF OF ALL SCHOOL DISTRICTS IN TEXAS HAVE ADOPTED DEFICIT BUDGETS.

AND WHAT ARE YOUR WHAT ARE THE TOOLS IN OUR TOOLBOX? CUTS. VADER'S DEFICIT

[00:10:09]

SO I WANTED TO SHARE WITH YOU THAT WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO AT THE COALITION AND KIND OF GIVE YOU AN IDEA OF WHAT I THINK IS AHEAD.

WE'RE GOING TO BE ENGAGING MORE BUSINESS VOICES.

I THINK THEY'VE BEEN MISSING, AND I THINK WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO ENGAGE THEM IN A NEW WAY TO TALK ABOUT SCHOOL FUNDING.

OKAY. WE'RE GOING TO FOCUS ON THE THINGS THAT WE CAN AGREE ON.

AND I THINK WE CAN AGREE ON SCHOOL FUNDING ISSUES AT THE CAPITOL.

THEY KNOW THAT THEIR WORKFORCE NEEDS ARE LARGELY MET BY THE STUDENTS THAT ARE IN PUBLIC EDUCATION.

SO WE'RE GOING TO REMIND THEM OF THAT AND SHOW THEM HOW THEY CAN USE THEIR VOICE TO HELP US, BECAUSE IT CANNOT JUST BE US ENGAGING IN THE CAPITAL.

IT MUST BE MORE THAN JUST US.

SO AS YOU CONSIDER THE DECISIONS THAT ARE BEFORE YOU LOOKING AT YOUR BUDGET AND YOUR PLANS, I WANTED TO GIVE YOU SORT OF A PRAGMATIC ASSESSMENT OF WHAT I THINK MIGHT BE AHEAD OF US.

THIS IS THE LANDSCAPE.

IT CAN BE INFLUENCED BY THE VOICES FROM HOME.

BUT THIS IS KIND OF WHERE I THINK WE ARE RIGHT NOW.

SO I'M GOING TO GO THROUGH THE LIKELIHOOD OF IMMEDIATE RELIEF IN THIS LEGISLATIVE SESSION.

ENROLLMENT BASED FUNDING.

PROBABLY NOT WITH THIS COMMISSIONER.

FUNDING FOR TEACHER PAY LIKELY, BUT NOT IN THE FORM OF A VERY FLEXIBLE BASIC ALLOTMENT INCREASE.

IT COULD BE A TARGETED ELEMENT OF A BASIC ALLOTMENT INCREASE, BUT SET ASIDE FOR THAT PURPOSE.

A DISCOUNT FOR AN EARLY RECAPTURE PAYMENT THAT WOULD HELP DISTRICTS LIKE YOURS.

YOU KNOW THAT PAY RECAPTURE.

I THINK THAT'S A POSSIBILITY.

PENNIES WITHOUT AN ELECTION.

NO ADDITIONAL GOLDEN PENNIES.

THOSE ARE TOO EXPENSIVE AND SEEN AS AN INCENTIVE FOR DISTRICTS TO INCREASE THE TAX RATE.

AND THAT'S NOT THE CLIMATE THAT WE'RE IN RIGHT NOW.

WHAT ABOUT AN INFLATION ADJUSTMENT IN IN THE FORMULA.

THAT'S A HARD SELL.

BUT WE'RE GOING TO WE'RE GOING TO WORK ON IT.

BUT IT'S A IT'S A LONG GAME.

AND I THINK THE INFLATION ARGUMENT YOU KNOW WE ALL ARE IN THE SAME BOAT MAKING THAT.

SO WE'RE GOING TO WORK TOWARD THAT.

AN ALLOTMENT INCREASE I THINK THIS IS POSSIBLE IN THE FORM OF VERY TARGETED INITIATIVES THAT ARE ALIGNED WITH LEADERSHIP PRIORITIES, LEADERSHIP BEING THE BIG THREE.

VOUCHERS, IN ESSENCE, THERE'S GOING TO BE A LOT OF PRESSURE ON THE AT LEAST 32 NEW HOUSE MEMBERS TO DELIVER ON THIS, SOMEWHERE BETWEEN UNIVERSAL VOUCHERS AND A VERY TARGETED VOUCHER PROGRAM FOR CERTAIN POPULATIONS.

IT'S GOING TO BE, YOU KNOW, IT'S ALWAYS A TOUGH SESSION.

AND YOU KNOW, I JUST WANT TO BE VERY PRAGMATIC THAT WE NEED MORE VOICES AT THE CAPITOL TALKING ABOUT PUBLIC EDUCATION FUNDING, AND WE'RE GOING TO BRING THEM.

LET'S SEE.

WE LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU IN THESE EFFORTS.

AND WE'RE GOING TO MISS WORKING WITH CHRISTIE.

AND I KNOW THAT MANY OF YOU SITTING HERE AT THE TABLE HAVE WORKED WITH CHRISTIE FOR MOST, IF NOT ALL OF OR MORE THAN HER YEARS IN HER CURRENT POSITION.

I'M GUESSING THAT AT LEAST 1 OR 2 OF YOU PROBABLY HAVE SOMETHING THAT YOU'D LIKE TO SAY TO HER AS WE ACKNOWLEDGE HER CONTRIBUTIONS TO OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT AND SO MANY OTHERS.

SO BEFORE WE ASK YOU TO COME UP, CHRISTIE, AND WE TAKE A PHOTOGRAPH OF YOU WITH THE GROUP, IF THERE'S ANY TRUSTEES WHO WOULD LIKE TO SHARE SOMETHING WITH CHRISTIE BEFORE SHE DEPARTS. HEATHER.

FIRST OF ALL, I DO WANT TO SAY WELCOME TO THE COALITION.

AND WE'RE HAPPY TO HAVE YOU, MISSY.

AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU.

AND KELLY AND DOCTOR ARNETT AND I ALL SERVE ON THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE BOARD, SO IF WE CAN BE HELPFUL, WE WOULD LOVE TO HAVE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THAT.

BUT NOW, CHRISTIE, YOU ARE GOING TO BE SO MISSED, NOT JUST HERE IN OUR PARKING LOT, BUT ALSO AT THE CAPITOL.

I MEAN, YOU'VE DONE SUCH A PHENOMENAL JOB, AND, YOU KNOW, EVERYONE THERE AND EVERYTHING BETTER THAN THEY DO.

SO THE WAY THAT YOU PURPOSEFULLY WAITED TO SIGN UP TO TESTIFY SO THAT YOU COULD BACK CLEAN UP WAS IMPRESSIVE, AND YOU SET EVERYBODY STRAIGHT AT THE END OF EVERY NIGHT.

AND THAT WAS JUST SOMETHING THAT NOT A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE WILLING TO DO.

AND YOU DID SUCH A PHENOMENAL JOB OF MAKING SURE THAT THE FACTS WERE WELL KNOWN.

AND, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, SCHOOL FINANCE BETTER THAN ANYONE I KNOW.

AND YOU HAVE TAUGHT ME SO MUCH.

AND I REALLY JUST APPRECIATE THE WORK THAT YOU HAVE DONE, NOT JUST FOR RECAPTURE DISTRICTS, BUT FOR ALL OF THE DISTRICTS IN THE STATE AND FOR ALL OF THE PEOPLE THAT YOU HAVE HELPED GROW AND LEARN.

AND YOU'VE JUST BEEN A TREMENDOUS ASSET TO THE SCHOOL CHILDREN IN THE STATE OF TEXAS.

[00:15:03]

SO THANK YOU.

AND YOU DESERVE THESE TRIPS BECAUSE WORKING AT THE LEGISLATURE IS TERRIBLE.

SO I WISH YOU THE BEST AND YOU WILL BE MISSED.

SO THANK YOU, HEATHER ELLEN, THANK YOU SO MUCH, KRISTI, FOR YOUR MANY, MANY YEARS AND ALL OF THE WORK THAT YOU'VE PUT INTO THE TEXAS SCHOOL COALITION. I CAN REMEMBER SITTING AROUND THIS TABLE WHEN THIS WAS A CONCEPT AND IT WAS LIKE, WHAT? WHAT IS THIS ANIMAL? WE THINK IT WILL.

WE THINK IT WILL BE BENEFICIAL, BUT WE AREN'T SURE HOW.

AND WE AREN'T SURE HOW WE CAN BE EFFECTIVE.

AND YOU BUILD THE TEXAS SCHOOL COALITION.

YOU MADE IT WORK.

YOU GOT EVERYBODY ON THE SAME PAGE.

YOU BROUGHT IN THE PARTNERSHIPS AND YOU MADE IT WORK.

AND NOT ONLY DID YOU MAKE IT WORK IN TERMS OF THE ADVOCACY AT THE CAPITOL, BUT ANYTHING THE COALITION DID WAS DONE TOP NOTCH. ANYTIME I SAW A TRAINING OR AN UPDATE THAT HAD THE COALITION'S NAME ON IT, I WAS GOING TO THAT BECAUSE I KNEW IT WOULD BE SUCH A GOOD USE OF MY TIME AND FUNNY AND FUN, AND THAT IS SUCH AN INVALUABLE GIFT TO ALL OF THE TRUSTEES IN CENTRAL TEXAS AND THE COALITION IN GENERAL.

YOU HAVE THIS AMAZING ABILITY TO TAKE SOMETHING SO INCREDIBLY COMPLEX AND COME UP WITH A STRAIGHTFORWARD SOLUTION THAT MAKES SENSE.

AND THAT'S SUCH A GIFT.

AND THAT'S WHAT WE ALL ASPIRE TO.

AND WE ALL LEARNED IT AT YOUR FEET.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

THANK YOU, ELLEN.

LAURA. I WISH I'D GONE BEFORE ELLEN, INSTEAD OF AFTER HER, AS ALWAYS.

CHRISTY, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR EVERYTHING THAT YOU'VE DONE.

YOU HAVE BEEN SO ACCESSIBLE TO US AND SUCH A SUPPORT FOR US.

I REMEMBER THE FIRST TIME I REGISTERED ON A BILL AND NOT YOU NOTICED.

AND I WAS LIKE, SHE KNOWS ME, SHE KNOWS ME.

AND SHE NOTICED THAT I DID SOMETHING, WHICH WAS IT WAS IMPRESSIVE TO ME.

AND MAN, I REALLY ASPIRE TO BE ABLE TO SPEAK TO ANYTHING AS CONFIDENTLY AND CONCISELY AND CLEARLY AS YOU DO ABOUT PUBLIC EDUCATION FINANCE.

IT'S JUST MIND BLOWING TO ME.

SO THANK YOU AND MISSY, I'M EXCITED TO HAVE YOU ON BOARD.

YOU ARE AN EDUCATOR AT HEART.

I LOVE THE, YOUR WILLINGNESS AND YOUR ABILITY AND EAGERNESS TO TRAIN TRUSTEES AND BRINGING THAT TRUSTEE LENS TO THE POSITION I THINK IS VERY, VERY EXCITING.

SO I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO YOU.

I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'RE GOING TO BE IN OUR PARKING LOT ALSO, BUT YEAH.

SO YES.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU, LAURA.

DIANE, I DON'T HAVE NEARLY AS MUCH TO SAY BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW YOU QUITE AS WELL AS THE OTHERS, BUT IT'S JUST REMARKABLE AT HOW YOU KEEP SMILING THROUGH ALL OF THESE CHALLENGES.

AND I SO APPRECIATE THAT.

AND, MISSY, I SEE YOU SMILING TOO.

SO HOPEFULLY, YOU KNOW, THAT WILL CONTINUE.

I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU.

BUT CHRISTY, ENJOY YOUR TRAVELS AND REALLY LOOK FORWARD TO HAVING YOU BACK ON THE COMMITTEES AND ENGAGING WITH THE DISTRICT, BECAUSE WE DON'T WANT TO LOSE THAT WEALTH OF KNOWLEDGE THAT YOU HAVE.

SO HAPPY TO HEAR THAT YOU'RE NOT LEAVING FOR GOOD.

THANK YOU. ANY OTHER? THANK YOU BOTH VERY MUCH.

WELCOME MISSY, APPRECIATE IT AND CHRISTIE.

ALL THE BEST TO YOU.

WE WILL MISS YOU. AND WE HAVE A PARTING GIFT FOR CHRISTIE.

I'M GOING TO ASK HER TO JOIN US HERE AT THE FRONT SO THAT WE CAN GET A PHOTOGRAPH OF HER AND MISSY, YOU AS WELL, BECAUSE WE WANT TO SIGNIFY THIS TRANSITION, WHICH WE'RE ALL VERY EXCITED ABOUT.

I

[00:21:24]

THE UNFORTUNATE THREATS RELATED TO INCIDENTS OF POTENTIAL SCHOOL VIOLENCE HAVE BEEN PUBLICIZED IN THE MEDIA, AND I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE A COUPLE OF OUR STAFF MEMBERS, AS WELL AS OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT, WHO HAVE ALL COLLABORATED ON A VERY CREATIVE CAMPAIGN CALLED IT'S NO JOKE.

AND IT'S MEANT TO EMPHASIZE THE POTENTIAL CONSEQUENCES OF MAKING THREATS, EVEN IF THEY ARE MADE IN A JOKING MANNER.

AND SO THIS IS A MESSAGE THAT WE ARE NOW SENDING TO OUR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS, OUR MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS.

THIS IS GOING TO BE SHARED WITH ELEMENTARY PARENTS AS WELL.

I WAS AT BOTH WESTRIDGE AND HILL COUNTRY MIDDLE SCHOOLS TODAY AND WATCHED THE PRESENTATION BEING MADE TO STUDENTS, AND IT WAS SO IMPRESSED WITH HOW SERIOUSLY THE STUDENTS ARE TAKING THIS, AS WELL AS OUR STAFF WHO ARE DELIVERING THE MESSAGE.

BUT I WANT TO THANK MOLLY MAE AND CLAUDIA MCWHORTER AND OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT FOR COLLABORATING ON THIS.

WE WON'T TAKE TIME TO SHOW THE VIDEO HERE, BUT IF YOU HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO VIEW IT, IT IS EXTREMELY WELL DONE.

I THINK IT DOES UNDERSCORE THE GRAVITY OF THIS AND HOW SERIOUSLY ALL SCHOOL DISTRICTS ARE TAKING THIS.

AND SO I JUST WANTED TO SAY THANK TO YOU.

THANK YOU TO A NUMBER OF OUR STAFF WHO HAVE COLLABORATED ON THIS CAMPAIGN, BECAUSE WE BELIEVE THAT IT WILL BE EFFECTIVE IN SENDING A VERY CLEAR MESSAGE TO OUR STUDENTS.

SO, MOLLY, ANYTHING ELSE OR CLAUDIA, CHIEF GREER ANYTHING ELSE THAT ANYBODY WANTS TO ADD TO THAT? OKAY. WELL, AGAIN, THANK YOU.

IT'S VERY WELL DONE.

EARLIER TODAY, I PARTICIPATED IN OUR QUARTERLY MEETING OF MUNICIPAL LEADERS AND ADMINISTRATORS FROM NOT ONLY THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, BUT THE FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT, THE CITY OF WESTLAKE HILLS, ROLLINGWOOD, THE WATER DISTRICT, AS WELL, THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

SO WE ALL MEET ON A REGULAR BASIS JUST TO TALK ABOUT MATTERS THAT ARE OF MUTUAL CONCERN AND INTEREST TO OUR ENTITIES.

AND THIS IS THE RENDERING OF THE NEW WEST LAKE HILLS MUNICIPAL COMPLEX THAT IS UNDER CONSTRUCTION DIRECTLY ACROSS THE STREET FROM EANES ELEMENTARY, AND A NUMBER OF THE TOPICS PERTAIN TO THAT, INCLUDING TRAFFIC AROUND THAT INTERSECTION AND HOW DIFFERENT ROADWAYS AND CROSSWALKS WILL BE CLOSING INTERMITTENTLY AS THEY PREPARE FOR THE OPENING OF THIS OVER THE NEXT FEW MONTHS.

THAT'S INFORMATION, AS WELL, THAT WE NEED TO COMMUNICATE WITH, PARTICULARLY THE EANES ELEMENTARY COMMUNITY, BECAUSE IT WILL AFFECT HOW THEIR STUDENTS AND FAMILIES WALK TO SCHOOL IN SOME CASES, OR PARK SO THAT THEY CAN GET TO SCHOOL.

SO WE'LL BE SHARING THAT INFORMATION.

ALSO, A TOPIC OF INTEREST WAS THE CLOSING AND THE RECONSTRUCTION OF CAMP CRAFT ROAD, WHICH IS GOING TO BEGIN IN FEBRUARY AND WILL GO THROUGH JULY.

SO THAT'S A SIX MONTH PROJECT, AND WE ARE GOING TO BE CO-HOSTING A TOWN HALL MEETING WITH THE CITY OF WESTLAKE HILLS IN JANUARY SO THAT OUR STAFF, PARENTS, STUDENTS ALL UNDERSTAND WHAT THE IMPLICATIONS OF THIS WILL BE BECAUSE IT WILL SIGNIFICANTLY AFFECT TRAFFIC AROUND THE HIGH SCHOOL, AND WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE COMMUNICATING THAT INFORMATION TO OUR COMMUNITY AS WELL.

SO THESE ARE VERY INFORMATIVE MEETINGS AND ALWAYS COME AWAY LEARNING A LOT.

AND WE APPRECIATE THE PARTNERSHIP AND THE COLLABORATION THAT WE HAVE WITH ALL OF THE MUNICIPALITIES AND THE DIFFERENT DISTRICTS AND AGENCIES.

AND THEN I WANTED TO ALSO SHARE THAT TOMORROW MORNING, VERY EARLY, MOLLY MAE AND I LEAVE FOR THE TWICE ANNUAL MEETING OF THE CONSORTIUM OF HIGH PERFORMING SCHOOLS.

AND YOU CAN SEE THOSE SCHOOL DISTRICTS REPRESENTED HERE.

[00:25:03]

SO WE'LL BE AWAY FROM THE DISTRICT WEDNESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY OF THIS WEEK.

BUT LOOKING FORWARD AGAIN TO MEETING WITH ALL OF OUR PARTNERS AND VERY CLOSE FRIENDS AND COLLEAGUES THAT WE HAVE DEVELOPED OVER THE YEARS, INCLUDING HIGHLAND PARK HERE IN TEXAS, DISTRICTS THAT ARE REPRESENTED IN THE CONSORTIUM.

AND SO WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT TRIP AS WELL IN OMAHA, NEBRASKA.

SO OKAY, AND THAT CONCLUDES MY REPORT FOR THIS EVENING.

THANK YOU, DOCTOR ARNETT.

ANY. LET'S SEE.

LET'S MOVE ON TO OPEN FORUM.

WE HAVE TWO SPEAKERS SIGNED UP THIS EVENING.

AND 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.

ONCE YOU ARE NOTIFIED THAT YOUR TIME IS UP, PLEASE FINISH YOUR SENTENCE AND THEN STOP.

AS A GENERAL RULE, TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE SECTIONS 551 PROHIBITS DISRUPTION OF BOARD MEETINGS BY THE PUBLIC.

THE SECTION ALLOWS FOR ANY PUBLIC COMPLAINT OF A SPECIFIC EMPLOYEE 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 THE COMPLAINT IN CLOSED SESSION.

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.

BE AWARE THAT THE AUDIO OF 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 TIME AND MAKING THE EFFORT TO SHARE YOUR COMMENTS.

WE ARE READY FOR OUR FIRST SPEAKER, AND OUR FIRST SPEAKER SIGNED UP TONIGHT IS JIM DREES.

IS JIM HERE? OKAY. WE WILL MOVE ON TO OUR SECOND SPEAKER.

SIGNED UP TONIGHT IS KATE IVERS.

IS KATE HERE? OKAY.

THIS CONCLUDES THE OPEN FORUM PORTION OF OUR AGENDA.

WE WILL NOW MOVE ON WITH OUR REPORTS.

[9.1 Monthly financial report and budget amendment(s) for the period Ending August 31]

GOOD EVENING.

SO I HAVE I HAVE A COUPLE ITEMS THAT I WANT TO POINT OUT FOR AUGUST, AND THEN I'M GOING TO GO BACK AND GIVE AN UPDATE ON YEAR END FINANCIALS.

SO FIRST FOR AUGUST, OF COURSE, THE BIG ITEM THAT HAPPENS IN AUGUST THAT WE ALWAYS HAVE TO TALK ABOUT IS WE MADE A RECAPTURE PAYMENT.

AND SO THAT RECAPTURE PAYMENT WAS $93 MILLION.

AND THEN AS FAR AS BUDGET REVISIONS THAT WE HAVE FOR THE MONTH, WE HAD ONLY BUDGET REVISIONS FOR THE GENERAL FUND.

AND THOSE WERE, AGAIN TRANSFERS AND REVISIONS THAT WERE MADE AT THE CAMPUS AND DEPARTMENT LEVEL.

AND THAT EFFECT ON THE FUND BALANCE IS ZERO FOR THOSE.

THERE WAS NOT ANY BUDGET REVISIONS SUBMITTED FOR DEBT SERVICE FUND OR CHILD NUTRITION FUND AT THIS POINT.

AND THEN SO THAT'S WHAT I HAVE FOR AUGUST AND THEN FOR YEAR END STATEMENTS, I WANTED TO UPDATE YOU ON THE NEAR-FINAL AMOUNTS.

SO WHEN WE CAME IN AUGUST FOR AND PRESENTED THOSE NEAR FINALS, WE WERE PROJECTING A BUDGET DEFICIT OF 300,000.

AND SINCE THEN THERE HAS BEEN A RECALCULATION OF HOLD HARMLESS AMOUNTS.

AND SO OUR STATE REVENUE CAME IN A LOT LOWER THAN WHAT WE HAD ANTICIPATED.

AND SO THAT'S A SWING OF A MILLION AND A HALF DOLLARS IN THE STATE REVENUE.

AND SO BECAUSE OF THAT, THE BUDGET DEFICIT BUDGETED, THE BUDGET DEFICIT FOR THAT YEAR IS AT $1.86 MILLION.

AND SO AND UNFORTUNATELY, UNLESS THERE'S ANY LEGISLATIVE CHANGES, THAT RECALCULATION IS GOING TO IMPACT FUTURE YEARS AS WELL.

WE WILL IN OCTOBER COME IN WITH OUR PRESENT AND PRESENT, OUR AUDITED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS.

BUT THAT'S ESSENTIALLY WHAT WE ANTICIPATE IT ENDING UP FOR THE YEAR.

AND I THINK THAT'S ALL.

DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? QUESTIONS FOR MARIA.

HEATHER. MARIA, CAN YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE HOLD HARMLESS AND HOW THAT HAPPENED? BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY THAT WAS NOT SOMETHING THAT WE HAD DISCUSSED IN OUR BUDGET MEETING AND NOT SOMETHING THAT WE HAD ANTICIPATED.

SO CAN YOU TALK OR CHRIS PASS IT TO CHRIS? SURE. NO PROBLEM. THANK YOU.

SO WHEN WE PRESENTED IN JUNE THE BUDGET, OUR EXPECTED PERFORMANCE FOR 2324, AS WELL AS THE BUDGET THAT YOU ADOPTED FOR 2425.

THE MOST RECENT OR THE MOST CURRENT TEMPLATE AT THAT POINT, BASED ON TEA GUIDANCE CALCULATED MAKE THAT MADE THAT

[00:30:08]

I BELIEVE IT WAS IN AUGUST.

AND SO THAT'S WHAT THIS IS BASED ON.

I HAVE TALKED TO OMAR GARCIA, WHO CREATES THE TEMPLATE AND IN HOPES THAT THE OLD ONE WAS RIGHT AND THE NEW ONE IS WRONG.

BUT ALAS, NO, HE SAYS HIS CURRENT UNDERSTANDING IS THE WAY IT'S BEING CALCULATED NOW IS THE CORRECT WAY.

AND THAT'S JUST WHERE IT IS.

SO I APPRECIATE THAT.

AND I WAS ACTUALLY IN A HEARING TODAY AT THE CAPITOL IN REGARDS TO [INAUDIBLE] AND YOU KNOW, IT WAS BROUGHT UP BY A COUPLE OF REPRESENTATIVES THAT THESE THINGS HAPPENING MIDSTREAM, WHILE WE'VE ALREADY APPROVED OUR BUDGET, ARE REALLY NOT OKAY.

AND THAT, YOU KNOW, THESE ARE THINGS BEING THROWN AT US AND THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE SHOULD BE SOME SORT OF APPROPRIATIONS AT THE STATE LEVEL TO MAKE IT BETTER, BUT THIS ONE FEELS A LITTLE BIT MORE HARMFUL BECAUSE THE SHAH'S WAS A FEDERAL DISCUSSION, ALTHOUGH I LEARNED TODAY THAT THAT WAS OVER 13 YEARS.

BUT THE IMPACT HERE IS FROM THE TEXAS EDUCATION AGENCY.

AND SO I FEEL A LOT OF HEARTBURN AROUND THAT.

AND I KNOW THAT SEVERAL OTHER DISTRICTS HAVE FACED MAINLY ALL OF THE OTHER DISTRICTS ARE ALSO FACING SIMILAR ISSUES.

AND I THINK I'VE SEEN THAT SEVERAL DISTRICTS HAVE SIGNED A LETTER TO THE COMMISSIONER ASKING HIM TO LOOK INTO THIS OR TO CHANGE.

IS THAT CORRECT? BUT THAT WOULD IF THERE IS A LETTER AND, YOU KNOW, IF WE COULD REVIEW IT AHEAD OF TIME, I THINK THAT MIGHT BE WORTH SIGNING ON TO AS A DISTRICT.

OKAY. THANK YOU FOR THAT.

YEAH. BECAUSE IT'S JUST, YOU KNOW, A DISSERVICE TO OUR CHILDREN AND OUR TAXPAYERS TO CHANGE THINGS LIKE THAT.

SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR REPORTING ON THAT.

THANK YOU. HEATHER. LAURA.

CHRIS, I KNOW THIS FORMULA IS INCREDIBLY COMPLEX.

DO WE HAVE ANY IDEA OF WHERE THAT ADJUSTMENT OR CHANGE HAPPENED? YES. BUT I'M NOT SURE THAT I CAN EXPLAIN IT TO YOU RIGHT NOW.

I WOULD PROBABLY HAVE TO HAVE ANOTHER CONVERSATION WITH OMAR BEFORE I COULD DO THAT.

IT. I'M NOT SURE IT WOULD MEAN MUCH TO YOU IF I EXPLAINED IT.

IT GOT PRETTY TECHNICAL ABOUT WHAT? HOW THEY WERE FIRST COUNTING IT AND THEN HOW THEY WERE COUNTING IT AT A LATER TIME.

I CAN CERTAINLY GET THAT INFORMATION FOR YOU AND MAYBE JUST WRITE YOU A SHORT, BRIEF ON IT.

YEAH, THAT WOULD BE GREAT.

I FEEL LIKE WE HAVE TO STAY ON TOP OF EVERY LITTLE THING THERE.

THERE SEEM TO BE SO MANY UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES OF EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENS AT THE STATE.

AND UNFORTUNATELY, WE HAVE TO WE HAVE TO JUST KEEP PUSHING THEM ON THESE, THESE.

I MEAN, IT SEEMS LIKE LITTLE, LITTLE BITS AND PIECES TO THEM, BUT THAT'S A LOT FOR US.

THANK YOU. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, TRUSTEES? YES, KIM. I GUESS I HAVE A NOT SO MUCH A QUESTION, BUT AS I LOOK AT THE FINANCIAL REPORT AND WE'VE LOOKED AT THEM OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS, THE INVESTMENT INCOME, YOU KNOW, HAS HAS HELPED US.

IS THERE AS WE ARE MOVING FORWARD.

I THINK THAT'S WE ALL ASSUME THAT THAT'S GOING TO DECREASE.

I'M JUST WONDERING IF IT'S HELPFUL FOR US TO HAVE SOME KIND OF MODELING AS WE ARE LOOKING OUT IN THE YEARS IN THE NEXT NINE MONTHS AS TO HOW THAT MIGHT AFFECT US, AND KIND OF THE DOWNSTREAM OF THAT, WE DO HAVE A MODEL.

SO IN IN 23-24 SCHOOL YEAR OVERALL, WE COLLECTED ABOUT $5.4 MILLION IN INVESTMENT INCOME ON IN THE GENERAL FUND.

WHEN YOU ADOPTED THE BUDGET IN JUNE, MY MODEL WAS PROJECTING $4.4 MILLION.

AND THAT WAS BASED ON THERE'S A WEBSITE CALLED FED WATCH THAT BASICALLY PREDICTS WHAT THE FEDERAL RESERVE WILL DO, ITS FUTURE DECISION MEETINGS.

AND SO THAT'S WHERE THE 4.4 MILLION CAME FROM.

OBVIOUSLY THAT UPDATES AS CONDITIONS CHANGE.

AND I'VE SINCE UPDATED IT AFTER WHAT HAPPENED, YOU KNOW, A WEEK OR SO AGO WITH THE WITH THE 50 BASIS POINT MOVE.

MY NEW MODEL IS SUGGESTING SAYING THAT WILL MAKE ABOUT $3.7 MILLION THIS YEAR.

[00:35:05]

AND SO THAT'S OBVIOUSLY GOING TO IMPACT THIS YEAR.

BUT THAT'S GOING TO IMPACT EVEN MORE THE YEAR AFTER THAT.

ANY OTHER QUESTIONS TRUSTEES.

I WILL MENTION TWO THAT AT YOUR NEXT MEETING ON OCTOBER THE 8TH, CHRIS IS GOING TO OVERVIEW WHAT NOW SOME OF THE IMPLICATIONS ARE FROM THESE NEW REALITIES THAT WE HAVE LEARNED IN THE LAST FEW WEEKS.

SO YOU'LL HAVE A MORE COMPLETE PICTURE OF THE CURRENT BUDGET GOING FORWARD, BASED UPON SOME OF THE INFORMATION THAT MARIA AND CHRIS HAVE SHARED HERE TONIGHT.

THANK YOU, DOCTOR ARNETT, I WAS GOING TO SAY REAL QUICK THAT MARIA, I THINK YOU SAID OUR RECAPTURE PAYMENT WAS $92 MILLION.

93 OR 92? 93. $93 MILLION.

I THINK I HAD A CONVERSATION WITH SOME TRUSTEES IN OTHER DISTRICTS AROUND THE STATE.

AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT FIRST OF ALL, THAT NUMBER IS MUCH BIGGER THAN OUR OWN BUDGET, ANNUAL BUDGET.

SO WE'RE GIVING MORE AND NOT GIVING.

WE ARE REQUIRED BY THE STATE TO PAY THEM THESE FUNDS AND MAKE THESE FUNDS AVAILABLE FOR PUBLIC EDUCATION IN TEXAS.

AND IT'S NOT I DON'T THINK ANY OF US SIT HERE AND SAY, WE DON'T WANT TO FUND PUBLIC EDUCATION IN TEXAS, AND WE UNDERSTAND THAT FORMULA.

BUT I THINK THAT WE CONTINUE TO CALL OUT THAT THE STATE IS NOT MAKING THAT MONEY AVAILABLE FOR PUBLIC EDUCATION TO ITS FULLEST EXTENT, AND WE CONTINUE TO CALL ON THE STATE TO FUND PUBLIC EDUCATION WITH THE DOLLARS THAT ARE COLLECTED AND SET ASIDE FOR THAT PURPOSE OR SHOULD BE SET ASIDE FOR THAT PURPOSE.

AND THAT'S OUR CALL OUT HERE.

SO MY LITTLE POLITICAL STATEMENT THERE REAL QUICK.

SO THANK YOU, MARIA, FOR YOUR TIME TONIGHT I APPRECIATE IT.

THANK YOU, CHRIS, FOR YOUR COMMENTS AS WELL.

OUR NEXT AGENDA ITEM IS A STRATEGIC PRIORITY UPDATE ON COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.

[9.2 Strategic priority update: Community engagement]

THANK YOU, CLAUDIA. AND AS SHE DOES, I JUST WANT TO SET THIS UP.

THIS IS THE FIRST IN A SERIES OF STRATEGIC BOARD PRIORITY UPDATES THAT WE HAD DISCUSSED LAST YEAR.

AND YOU KNOW WHAT THOSE MAJOR AREAS ARE.

IN FACT, THEY'RE REPRESENTED NOW BY ICONS THROUGHOUT OUR BOARD PRESENTATIONS.

BUT ONCE THOSE PRIORITIES ARE ADOPTED, THE LEADERSHIP TEAM IMMEDIATELY BEGINS TO WORK ON THOSE AND STARTS TO PUT A NUMBER OF TACTICS AND STRATEGIES IN PLACE FOR THE UPCOMING SCHOOL YEAR.

SO WE WANTED TO BEGIN TONIGHT WITH CLAUDIA AND TO TALK ABOUT COMMUNICATIONS AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.

I THINK WHAT'S ESPECIALLY IMPRESSIVE HERE IS THAT IN JUST SEVEN WEEKS INTO THE NEW SCHOOL YEAR, YOU'RE ALREADY GOING TO SEE A LOT OF MOVEMENT AND THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN ACCOMPLISHED THAT ALIGN WITH YOUR PRIORITY.

SO I WANTED CLAUDIA TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE THAT WITH YOU TONIGHT.

AND AGAIN, THERE WILL BE OTHER PRESENTATIONS LIKE THIS COMING UP IN THE NEXT FEW MONTHS.

SO, CLAUDIA.

WOW, NO PRESSURE ON THAT INTRO.

YES. THANK YOU.

HELLO. NICE TO SEE YOU ALL.

AND I AM PRIVILEGED TO LEAD US OFF.

HERE WE GO WITH A NEW TEMPLATE AND EVERYTHING.

SO AS A REMINDER, HERE ARE THE PRIORITIES AND OBJECTIVES FOR 2024 TO 28.

AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT IS NUMBER THREE.

BUT NUMBER ONE IN YOUR HEARTS.

SO AS DOCTOR ARNETT MENTIONED WE'VE HAD A LOT OF MOVEMENT THIS YEAR IN COMMUNICATIONS.

WE STARTED A BUNCH OF NEW INITIATIVES AND PLATFORMS AND IT'S BEEN A WHIRLWIND, BUT IT'S BEEN A LOT OF FUN, AND IT'S COOL TO SEE YOU KNOW, AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT THE IT'S NO JOKE CAMPAIGN, BUT JUST SOMETHING LIKE THAT WHERE SOMEONE COMES WITH AN IDEA. AND NOW I ACTUALLY HAVE A TEAM.

I HAVE SOMEONE WHO CAN DO VIDEO AND GET THAT VIDEO DONE.

I HAVE SOMEONE WHO CAN HELP WITH, YOU KNOW, PUTTING IT ON THE WEB AND GETTING GRAPHICS FOR IT AND POSTERS BEING MADE.

SO IT'S VERY EXCITING.

MY TEAM OF CHERYL AND PAM, I HAVE TO GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO THEM.

SO WE'LL START OFF WITH PARENTSQUARE.

AND I COULD JUST LET HEATHER LEAD THIS, BUT I WON'T.

YOU CAN JUMP IN WHENEVER YOU WANT.

SO THIS IS A NEW COMMUNICATION TOOL THAT WE LAUNCHED THIS YEAR.

IT REPLACED A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT TOOLS THAT WE WERE USING THAT WERE JUST NOT UPDATING, JUST NOT DOING WHAT WE WANTED THEM TO DO.

AND THEY DIDN'T HAVE THE FUNCTIONALITY THAT WE WANTED.

SO. I SAW PARENTSQUARE IN A NEARBY DISTRICT AND WAS JUST AMAZED AT.

[00:40:05]

SO WE LAUNCHED THAT PRETTY QUICK TO BE.

ABLE TO SEND MESSAGES TO PARENTS.

IT ALSO HAS A WAY OF TEACHERS SENDING MESSAGES TO.

STUDENTS FOR COACHES TO SEND MESSAGES TO TEAMS. THE BAND HAS BEEN ON FIRE WITH THIS TOOL.

IT'S JUST CRAZY HOW MANY GROUPS THAT THEY FORM.

THEY HAVE THE TUBAS, THEY HAVE THE TROMBONES, THEY HAVE THE CLARINETS, AND ALL THOSE BAND TEACHERS ARE SENDING OUT THESE INDIVIDUAL MESSAGES TO THOSE KIDS TELLING THEM WHERE TO MEET, WHERE TO.

WHAT TO BRING, WHAT TO WEAR, HOW TO WEAR THEIR HAIR, YOU KNOW, THINGS LIKE THAT.

SO IT'S PRETTY COOL TO SEE WE ARE STILL ROLLING IT OUT.

SO WHEN YOU HEAR ME SAY THAT A CERTAIN GROUP IS USING IT, SOME ARE, SOME ARE GETTING THERE.

SO BECAUSE WE LAUNCHED THIS SO QUICKLY RIGHT BEFORE THE SCHOOL YEAR, IT JUST DIDN'T SEEM FAIR TO FORCE IT ON TEACHERS AND COACHES.

SO SOME EARLY ADOPTERS ARE READY AND GETTING GETTING ON IN THERE.

BUT OTHERS WE NEED A LITTLE BIT OF TIME.

THE COOL THING ABOUT PARENTSQUARE IS IT HAS SO MANY LANGUAGES THAT SOMEONE CAN SELECT THEIR MESSAGES TO BE RECEIVED IN, SO WE DON'T HAVE TO TRANSLATE ANYMORE.

THE PLATFORM DOES IT AUTOMATICALLY, WHICH IS AMAZING.

IT ALSO LETS THE USER PICK WHAT TIME THEY WANT THEIR MESSAGES.

SO IF THEY WANT EVERY SINGLE MESSAGE FROM JENNIFER DUSICK TO COME, RIGHT, THEN WHEN JENNIFER SENDS IT, THEN THEY GET IT IF THEY WANT TO WAIT UNTIL THEY GET ALL OF THE MESSAGES FROM ALL OF THOSE SCHOOLS OR WHICHEVER SCHOOLS AT 615, THEN THEY CAN SET IT FOR DIGEST AND THEN THEY GET IT THAT WAY.

SO IT'S VERY USEFUL IN THAT WAY AS WELL, ESPECIALLY WITH THE PUSH NOTIFICATIONS, BECAUSE YOU DON'T NECESSARILY HAVE TO READ THAT 8,000TH EMAIL.

YOU HAVE A PUSH NOTIFICATION, COME ON YOUR PHONE, GO, OH, OKAY, I'M SUPPOSED TO BRING POPCORN TOMORROW AND THEN THAT'S IT.

SO THAT IS ONE PART OF PARENTSQUARE.

I WANTED TO INCLUDE THESE SCREENSHOTS JUST TO SHOW, AGAIN THE FUNCTIONALITY THAT WE HAVE WITH PARENTSQUARE AND THAT MIDDLE ONE AGAIN, WE'RE ROLLING THIS OUT. WE ARE HOPING TO GET THE ELEMENTARY PARENT TEACHER CONFERENCES ON THIS APP WHERE THE TEACHERS CAN SCHEDULE IT THROUGH THE PARENTS.

THE PARENTS CAN JUST GO ONLINE AND PICK A TIME.

AND SOME OF THEM, I THINK SOME SCHOOLS ARE READY TO GET THAT GOING FOR THIS OCTOBER.

OTHERS, WE MAY NEED A LITTLE MORE TIME, BUT THAT IN ITSELF WILL BE A WONDERFUL FUNCTION FOR US TO USE.

OKAY, SO NEXT IS THOUGHT EXCHANGE AND I HAVE THIS AS A NEW INITIATIVE.

EVEN THOUGH WE LAUNCHED IT LAST YEAR, WE REALLY DIDN'T USE IT TO ITS FULL EXTENT.

WE ONLY USED IT A COUPLE OF TIMES LAST YEAR.

SO THOUGHT EXCHANGE, AS YOU WILL REMEMBER, IS A TOOL THAT WE'RE USING TO BE ABLE TO DO QUICK SURVEYS, IF YOU WILL.

IT HAS A REALLY ROBUST REPORTING SYSTEM SO THAT YOU CAN ASK A QUESTION AND PEOPLE RATE THE THOUGHTS THAT THEY THINK HOW THEY FEEL ABOUT WHATEVER THE QUESTION IS THIS THIS QUESTION WAS THE ONE WE JUST LAUNCHED.

WE CLOSED IT ON FRIDAY, AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT DOCTOR ARNETT ALLUDED TO IN CONVOCATION, IN THAT WE REALLY WANT TO FIND OUT THESE THINGS FOR THIS YEAR TO TRY AND HELP US GUIDE OUR WAY THROUGH THIS YEAR AND BEYOND.

SO WE THOUGHT, WELL, WE'LL JUST THROW IT OUT THERE TO THOUGHT EXCHANGE.

AND AS YOU CAN SEE, WE HAD A LOT OF PARTICIPATION THERE.

I MEAN, 28,000 RATINGS IS A SIGNIFICANTLY HIGH NUMBER OF RATINGS.

SO WE CLOSED THAT FRIDAY AND WE'LL WORK ON A WAY TO REPORT THAT OUT SOON. PART OF WHAT WE'RE DOING WITH THIS PARTICULAR DATA IS WE'RE GOING TO SEE WHAT COMES OUT OF IT IN TERMS OF BY CAMPUS.

AND THEN WHEN WE GO TO THE CAMPUS MEETINGS, THE STAFF AND THE PARENT MEETINGS WILL KIND OF THREAD SOME OF THAT IN THERE AS WELL. WE ALSO WANT TO USE THIS DURING THE LONG-RANGE FACILITY PLANNING PROCESS.

WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE I DON'T KNOW YET, BUT IT'S A REALLY GOOD TOOL AND IT CAN GET US, LIKE I SAID, REALLY GOOD REPORTING AND REALLY GOOD DATA.

[00:45:01]

IT WOULD. WE'D BE FOOLISH IF WE DIDN'T.

AND THEN THE THIRD ONE IS THE BEHIND THE SCENES.

THIS WAS PREVIOUSLY CALLED THE CAFE SERIES.

WE KIND OF JUST REBRANDED IT THIS YEAR.

SO BEHIND THE SCENES AND I, THE GRAPHICS I HAVE ON THERE ARE THE MEETINGS THAT WE'RE HAVING AT THE CAMPUSES. IF YOU'LL REMEMBER, WE GO TWICE TO EACH CAMPUS.

ONE FOR THE STAFF AND ONE FOR THE PARENTS, USUALLY WITH THE BOOSTER CLUB.

AND SO WE HAVE ALL OF THOSE SCHEDULED, AND WE DO HAVE AN EVENING ONE AT VALLEY VIEW FOR PEOPLE WHO CANNOT MAKE IT TO THE CAMPUS DURING THE DAY. BUT WE DO HAVE THAT OPTION FOR VALLEY VIEW.

AND THEN THE OTHER GRAPHIC IS THE VIDEO.

THESE ARE SHORT VIDEOS THAT THAT JEFF IS FEATURING.

JUST DIFFERENT TOPICS.

THEY'RE REALLY SHORT.

WE DON'T WANT THEM TO BE LONG.

WE WANT PEOPLE TO WATCH THEM AND JUST KIND OF GIVE PEOPLE A GLIMPSE OF ALMOST LIKE BEHIND THE CURTAIN, LIKE THINGS THAT YOU WON'T NECESSARILY SEE.

BUT WE'RE WE'RE GIVING YOU THAT LITTLE INSIDER TRACK FOR IT WITH BEHIND THE SCENES.

WE ALSO HAVE A SIGNIFICANT SOCIAL MEDIA COMPONENT, AND I JUST INCLUDED A COUPLE OF PICTURES ON HERE RELATED TO, AGAIN, BEHIND THE SCENES. YOU KNOW, YOU THE ONE TO THE LEFT, TOP LEFT THAT'S IN OUR COMMAND POST, WHICH IS AT FOOTBALL GAMES JUST SHOWING YOU ALL THE THINGS THAT HAPPENED TO KEEP OUR VISITORS SAFE AT FOOTBALL GAMES.

THAT'S WHEN ONE COMPONENT OF IT, THE ONE UNDER THAT WAS A FUN PARTNERSHIP WE DID WITH TRAVIS COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE BEFORE SCHOOL STARTED, AND THAT WAS JUST A REINFORCING FOR PEOPLE TO NOT SPEED IN THE SCHOOL ZONES.

AND UNFORTUNATELY, QUESO GOT CAUGHT SPEEDING.

SO BUT THAT WAS FUN.

THE LITTLE PARTNERSHIP THING WE DID WITH THEM.

AND THEN THIS YEAR WE'VE REALLY FOCUSED WITH HR AND LORI AND HER TEAM TO BE ABLE TO REALLY BEEF UP OUR LINKEDIN PRESENCE.

WE HAD A LINKEDIN PAGE, BUT IT WAS JUST KIND OF THERE.

AND DURING COVID, I THINK MAYBE WE POSTED A COUPLE THINGS, BUT WE MADE IT A SIGNIFICANT EFFORT TO BE ABLE TO BEEF THAT UP THIS YEAR. AND THEY'VE DONE A GREAT JOB WITH THAT.

POSTING OPENINGS THAT WE HAVE ON THERE, AS YOU SEE THE MATH INTERVENTION TEACHER.

IS THAT STILL OPEN LORI? DO WE NEED TO? OH.

NEVER MIND. IGNORE THAT.

I'M SURE WE HAVE AN OPENING SOMEWHERE, THOUGH.

AND THEN WE HAVE THE PICTURE OF THE HR STAFF WHO WERE RECRUITING FOR SUBSTITUTES AT I BELIEVE THAT WAS BARTON CREEK, RIGHT? YEAH. AND BARTON CREEK ELEMENTARY, SO JUST ANOTHER WAY TO GET THE WORD OUT THERE.

AND THEN OUR FOURTH ONE WE HAVE ALWAYS ON THIS IS I'M SO GEEKING OUT ABOUT THIS.

IT'S REALLY COOL.

THIS IS OUR WEBSITE CHATBOT.

AND WHAT I PUT ON HERE WERE OUR AUGUST HIGHLIGHTS, WHICH YOU CAN SEE THAT THE NUMBERS ARE PRETTY HIGH.

WE HAVE A LOT OF ENGAGEMENT OF PEOPLE GOING TO OUR WEBSITE AND LOOKING FOR THINGS.

THE COOL THING ABOUT THIS CHAT BOT IS NOT ONLY CAN IT GET INFORMATION TO PEOPLE QUICKLY IF THE ANSWER IS RIGHT.

BUT IF THE ANSWER IS WRONG, WE'RE TOLD THAT.

SO WE GET TO SEE THE HOLES IN OUR WEBSITE, THE PLACES WHERE PEOPLE AREN'T FINDING INFORMATION, AND THEN WE CAN RESPOND.

AND SO IT'S AWESOME THAT WE CAN EASILY DO THAT.

SO FOR EXAMPLE, BEFORE SCHOOL STARTED, WE WERE SEEING A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF QUESTIONS ASKING ABOUT SCHOOL SUPPLIES.

AND SO WE WERE LIKE, WELL, WHY DON'T WE JUST PUT ALL THE LISTS ON ONE PAGE? AND THEN ANYBODY WHO SEARCHES FOR SCHOOL SUPPLIES, THEY CAN GO TO THAT PAGE AND FIND THEIR SCHOOL, DONE.

SO IT JUST WE NEVER WOULD HAVE KNOWN THAT IF WE HADN'T HAD THIS CHATBOT TO BE ABLE TO GUIDE US THROUGH THAT.

SO RIGHT NOW WE HAVE THE CHATBOT ON OUR EANES ISD WEBSITE, AND WE HAVE IT ON WESTLAKE HIGH SCHOOL.

AND THAT'S WHAT THIS GRAPH IS SHOWING.

AND IF YOU CAN'T READ THOSE NUMBERS IT SAYS, SINCE WE STARTED TO LAUNCH THIS IN APRIL WE'VE HAD 3052 ENGAGEMENTS AND WE'VE HAD OVER 4200 QUESTIONS, WHICH THAT'S PRETTY GOOD.

THE OUR VENDOR IS VERY IMPRESSED WITH THE ENGAGEMENT WE'VE HAD.

WE'RE AVERAGING ABOUT 850 QUESTIONS A MONTH, AND IN SEPTEMBER WE HAD 1000.

[00:50:06]

SO, IT'S A REALLY FUN TOOL TO LOOK AT ALL THE LIKE, LIKE I SAID, THE HOLES THAT WE, WE DON'T HAVE ANSWERS TO.

SO THAT'S GOOD. WE HAVE IT ON TWO WEBSITES RIGHT NOW, LIKE I SAID, BUT BREAKING NEWS JUST HAD A MEETING WITH THEM TODAY AND WE'RE GOING TO GET IT ON ALL OF OUR WEBSITES.

AND SO THEN WE CAN REALLY DIG DOWN INTO WHAT IS THAT BRIDGEPOINT PARENT LOOKING FOR? ON THE BRIDGEPOINT WEBSITE.

WHAT IS THAT CEDAR CREEK PARENT LOOKING AND REALLY TAILOR AND UPDATE THE WEBSITES TO BE ABLE TO MATCH THAT.

SO THAT'S GOING TO BE REALLY GOOD.

SO I ALSO WANTED TO INCLUDE IN HERE THE PARTNERSHIP PART OF MY AREA AND HAVE TO GIVE A LITTLE SHOUT OUT TO OUR ROTARY FRIENDS AND THE FUN VISITS THAT WE'RE HAVING TO CAMPUSES AND GETTING PICTURES WITH THEIR TEACHERS OF THE MONTH.

IT'S BEEN REALLY COOL.

WE ALSO HAVE JUST STARTED A PARTNERSHIP.

I THINK I MAY BE MENTIONED THIS RECENTLY THAT WE'VE STARTED THIS PARTNERSHIP WITH WE GO PUBLIC, AND IT'S WORKING ON THE CELEBRATE TEXAS PUBLIC SCHOOLS CAMPAIGN, AND IT'S A STATEWIDE EFFORT, BUT WE'RE PARTICULARLY LOOKING AT A REGIONAL EFFORT, AND WHAT WE DO IS WE KIND OF POOL OUR RESOURCES SO THAT WE CAN FURTHER ADVERTISING, WE CAN FURTHER GRAPHIC DESIGN, WE CAN FURTHER REACH.

IT'S JUST A WAY OF SEVERAL DISTRICTS AROUND OUR AREA COMING TOGETHER, POOLING RESOURCES TO BE ABLE TO EXPAND OUR REACH, TO TALK ABOUT ALL THE GOOD THINGS IN TEXAS PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

WE HAVE SO FAR PUT OUT TWO.

WAIT, WHAT'S TODAY? NO, WE'VE PUT OUT ONE POST RELATED TO THE CAMPAIGN.

WE DID IT ON THE 18TH AND IT WAS FOCUSING ON FINE ARTS.

AND TOMORROW WE HAVE ANOTHER ONE FOCUSING ON VOLUNTEERS.

SO IT'S I MEAN, WE GO PUBLIC MAKES IT SO EASY.

THEY GIVE US THE GRAPHICS WE PUT IN OUR PICTURES, THEY GIVE US THE CONTENT THAT GAVE US THE TEXT.

THEY GIVE US A CALENDAR.

I MEAN, IT'S AND THE COOL THING IS THAT WE'RE DOING IT LIKE TRAVIS IS DOING IT, LEANDER, GEORGETOWN AND SO IT JUST HAS A BIGGER REACH. SO IT'S EXCITING TO BE ABLE TO GET INTO THAT.

OKAY. AND THEN FINALLY, WITHIN TARGETED MESSAGING, I TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT IT'S NO JOKE CAMPAIGN THAT I THINK THAT WILL BE ONE OF THOSE THINGS WHERE IF WE'RE THE MAIN PART OF THAT MESSAGING WE WANT IN THE CLASSROOMS, WE WANT THE KIDS TO GET THAT MESSAGE.

YES, PARENTS WILL GET IT AS WELL.

BUT REALLY, THE KIDS ARE OUR FOCUS FOR THAT.

SO YOU WON'T NECESSARILY SEE IT ON OUR SOCIAL MEDIA CHANNELS BECAUSE WE'RE REALLY TRYING TO TARGET THAT.

BUT OTHER TARGETED MESSAGING THAT WE HAVE LAST WEEK YOU PROBABLY SAW WESTLAKE HAVE THEIR BE KIND TO YOUR MIND INITIATIVE.

THEY HAVE THEIR SPEAKER SERIES SCHEDULE LAID OUT FOR THE YEAR.

THOSE ARE JUST DIFFERENT KIND OF TOPICS THAT HAVE, YOU KNOW, GO TO DIFFERENT AUDIENCES.

AND JUST ANOTHER WAY TO, TO HELP WITH COMMUNITY EDUCATION, REALLY.

AND THEN I ALSO PUT ON THERE THE DYSLEXIA FLIER, THE DYSLEXIA AWARENESS NIGHT.

THAT'S LAST YEAR'S FLIER.

WE DON'T HAVE THIS YEAR'S YET, BUT IT IS IN OCTOBER.

BUT JUST ANOTHER WAY THAT WE KIND OF REACH OUT AND TARGET DIFFERENT GROUPS.

AND I BELIEVE THAT'S IT.

THANK YOU. CLAUDIA.

QUESTIONS FROM THE TRUSTEES, DIANE.

AND THEN ELLEN, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING BRAVE TO GO FIRST.

YOU DID A GREAT JOB.

I'M VERY EXCITED ABOUT SO MANY THINGS THAT YOU MENTIONED HERE.

THE LINKEDIN FOCUS.

THAT'S EXCELLENT.

THE AI CHAT BOT LOVE THAT.

YEAH. YOU HAD A CONVERSATION WITH A COMMUNITY MEMBER MONTHS AGO WHO WAS SUGGESTING THIS.

SO YOU GUYS WERE ALREADY DOING IT.

FANTASTIC. THE IT'S NO JOKE CAMPAIGN.

I LOVE THAT WE HAVE OUR LITTLE WESTLAKE WATCH IN THERE, TOO.

JUST THAT LOGO.

I THAT WAS DEVELOPED BY THE STUDENTS.

I STILL LOVE THAT ONE AND I HAVE I DO HAVE A QUESTION.

A THOUGHT EXCHANGE HAS BEEN SOMETHING THAT, YOU KNOW, I'VE BEEN EXCITED ABOUT FROM THE START.

[00:55:03]

IS THERE A POTENTIAL FOR USING THAT FOR CLIMATE SURVEYS OR, YOU KNOW, MAYBE JUST MORE BASIC, WHAT IS OUR PLAN? WHEN WILL WE BE SEEING MORE CLIMATE SURVEYS HAPPENING NEXT? ARE THEY STILL PART OF THIS? SO WITH THOUGHT EXCHANGE, THEIR SURVEY TOOL IS PRETTY LIMITED.

AND THE WHOLE POINT OF THOUGHT EXCHANGE IS THE WAY WE'RE USING IT RIGHT NOW IN TERMS OF PEOPLE CAN PUT THOUGHTS AND THEN YOU RATE THEM.

THAT'S NOT REALLY CONDUCIVE TO A CLIMATE SURVEY.

SO WE'RE LOOKING INTO MAYBE BEING ABLE TO, TO ADAPT IT TO MORE OF A SURVEY TYPE TOOL.

BUT IF NOT, THEN WE HAVE OUR SURVEY MONKEY ACCOUNT STILL.

SO I DON'T THINK WE'VE SET A TIMELINE ON WHEN THAT CLIMATE SURVEY WOULD BE.

WE DID ONE FOR STAFF AT THE END OF LAST YEAR.

BUT WE'LL, WE WILL DO ONE FOR PARENTS AND STUDENTS AGAIN.

BUT I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT TIMELINE IS YET.

OKAY. AND THEN ARE THE RESULTS OF THOSE POSTED ON THE WEBSITE, THE CLIMATE SURVEYS.

SO THE MOST RECENT STAFF, ONE WOULD BE OUT THERE AS WELL.

THE STAFF ONE. NO, THAT'S THAT'S BEEN I THINK THAT'S AN INTERNAL DOCUMENT WE HAVE ON OUR INTRANET.

OKAY. I THINK THAT WAS THE PREVIOUS CLIMATE SURVEYS.

I THINK WE DID A PARENT AND A STUDENT ONE 2022 OR WAS IT 2023 RECENTLY? THOSE ARE ONLINE ON OUR WEBSITE.

OKAY. I KNOW THAT HISTORICALLY WE'VE DONE THEM EVERY THREE YEARS.

I DO CONTINUE TO HEAR THAT BEST PRACTICES ARE EVERY YEAR, AND I'LL CONTINUE TO.

I KNOW THERE IS SUCH A THING AS SURVEY FATIGUE.

SO RECOGNIZING THAT, THOUGH, I STILL THINK WE DO HAVE MORE TOOLS, YOU KNOW, SO CLIMATE SURVEYS MAYBE WERE OUR PRIMARY TOOL BEFORE.

SO PERHAPS ONCE A YEAR IS A DISCUSSION TO HAVE.

BUT YOU KNOW, I, I'M ALWAYS INTERESTED IN HEARING WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE COMMUNITY.

I'M VERY HAPPY TO SEE THE THOUGHT EXCHANGE BEING USED.

THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU, ELLEN.

THANK YOU, CLAUDIA.

THIS IS EXCITING STUFF, THAT IT'S THE FOUR TOOLS THAT YOU TALKED ABOUT CERTAINLY SEEM TO IMPROVE EFFICIENCY OF STAFF TIME. THE WAY THAT YOU SUGGESTED LAST SPRING WAS IT WHEN WE WERE IN THE PLANNING PROCESS.

BUT IT ALSO SEEMS LIKE THESE ARE VERY, VERY EFFECTIVE AND THAT WILL BE EXCITING TO SEE AND I FIGURE IF I CAN FIGURE OUT HOW TO USE THESE FOUR THINGS, ANYBODY CAN FIGURE OUT HOW TO USE THESE FOUR THINGS.

SO AND I MASTERED A COUPLE OF THEM SO.

AWESOME. THAT THERE MIGHT BE HOPE.

BUT SPEAKING OF HOPE FOR PEOPLE LIKE ME I'M CONTINUE TO BE SURPRISED OR TO BE SURPRISED AT THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WE HAVE IN OUR COMMUNITY WHO DON'T HAVE KIDS IN SCHOOL.

OKAY. AND I KNOW THAT THESE TOOLS ARE NOW AVAILABLE BECAUSE I'M ON THE BOARD, BUT HOW DO WE COMMUNICATE AND HOW DO WE USE TOOLS LIKE THIS TO ENGAGE THAT BROADER COMMUNITY IN ALL THE GREAT THINGS WE'RE DOING, AS WELL AS ALL THE QUESTIONS WE HAVE FOR THEM.

AND WE'D LIKE FOR THEM TO BE ENGAGED IN THE CONVERSATION.

YEAH, THAT MAGIC TOOL HAS NOT BEEN INVENTED YET THAT I'M AWARE OF, BUT WE HAVE DIFFERENT STRATEGIES THAT WE USE.

ONE I HAVE, I HAVE A WONDERFUL COMMUNICATIONS COMMITTEE.

A COUPLE OF THEM ARE EMPTY NESTERS.

AND SO I DO GET SOME VALUABLE INPUT FROM THEM.

BUT WE ALSO WE USE SOCIAL MEDIA, WE USE NEXTDOOR.

WE HAVE OUR GOLD CARD PROGRAM, WHICH INVITES THEM, THEY GET ONE FREE TICKET TO A LOT OF DIFFERENT EVENTS.

AND ACTUALLY, THE WEST BANK LIBRARY HAS BEEN PUTTING THAT IN THEIR NEWSLETTER CONSTANTLY.

AND IT'S SO FUNNY.

I CAN ALWAYS TELL WHEN THEY PUT IT IN THERE, BECAUSE THEN THE NEXT DAY IT'S LIKE, DING, DING, DING, I'M JUST GETTING.

YEAH, I MEAN, I THINK, I THINK OUR GOLD CARD MEMBERSHIP HAS PROBABLY QUADRUPLED SINCE THEY STARTED PUTTING THAT IN THEIR NEWSLETTER.

IT'S BEEN AMAZING.

SO THAT'S ANOTHER WAY.

AND THAT'S TRYING TO, TO GET OUR GOLD CARD MEMBERS OUT TO THE EVENTS, BUT ALSO TO SEE THAT WE HAVE COMMUNITY EDUCATION CLASSES.

IT DOESN'T JUST HAVE TO BE FOOTBALL.

THEY COULD GO TO, YOU KNOW, AN ORCHESTRA CONCERT OR A BAND CONCERT.

[01:00:02]

AND YOU CAN HELP ME TOO.

I HAVE A HEATHER AND THEN KELLY.

GREAT WORK. I KNOW THAT THIS HAS BEEN A LOT, AND LIKE DOCTOR ARNETT SAID IN A SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME.

SO I'M REALLY IMPRESSED WITH ALL OF THESE THINGS.

I'M GUESSING THAT AI CHAT AT THE HIGH SCHOOL, HAS COME UP WITH A COUPLE OF DINGS ON PROM AND GRADUATION.

OR MAYBE IT'S JUST BECAUSE I'M A SENIOR PARENT AND I GET THOSE QUESTIONS MYSELF ALSO.

BUT I KNOW THAT THOSE DATES HAVEN'T BEEN PUT OUT THERE, BUT I'M GUESSING THAT THAT COMES UP.

YEAH. BUT IT'S BEEN THAT'S A REALLY COOL FEATURE THAT PEOPLE CAN JUST USE BECAUSE SOMETIMES DIGGING THROUGH WEBSITES, YOU DON'T KNOW WHERE TO DIG, SO THAT'S GREAT.

WELL, AND I MEAN, I DO IT MYSELF.

I JUST I COULD DIG AROUND AND START CLICKING ON THINGS.

BUT IF I HAVE THAT CHATBOT THERE, I'M JUST GOING TO TYPE IN WHAT I WANT.

WHY WASTE THE TIME? MAKE IT EASY. I LOVE IT.

I ALSO LOVE THE WE GO PUBLIC AND THAT WE ARE WORKING WITH THIS ORGANIZATION.

I KNOW CENTRAL TEXAS SCHOOL BOARD ASSOCIATION HAD BEEN TRYING TO FIGURE OUT A WAY TO GET TRUSTEES AND DISTRICTS TO KIND OF.

START ENGAGING IN THIS WORK.

AND SO I'M SO HAPPY THAT WE HAVE DONE THIS, BECAUSE IT'S AMAZING WHEN WE CAN ALL BAND TOGETHER AND, YOU KNOW, SHOW OUR COMMUNITIES WHAT WE'RE DOING.

IT'S, YOU KNOW, I LOVE TO PUMP OUT THE POSITIVE.

SO GREAT JOB ON THAT.

AND THEN ALSO ON BEHALF OF ROTARY, THANK YOU FOR ALL THE WORK THAT YOU DO TO HELP US TO SUPPORT AND CELEBRATE OUR EDUCATORS IN THIS DISTRICT BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, YES, THE ROTARY CLUB GETS TO PROVIDE A LITTLE CHECK TO THE EDUCATORS, WHICH, BY THE WAY, BUY A RAFFLE TICKET TO SUPPORT THAT.

BUT YOU KNOW, WE WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO DO IT WITHOUT THE DISTRICT SUPPORT AND YOUR SUPPORT.

SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR HELP WITH THAT.

AND THEN IN TERMS OF THE PARENTSQUARE NOTIFICATIONS, I LOVE THE PUSH NOTIFICATIONS.

AND LIKE YOU WERE SAYING, THE EMAILS, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE ARE GETTING SO MANY EMAILS NOW AND SPAM IS LIKE CRAZY.

AND SO IT'S SO NICE TO NOT HAVE TO THINK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, OH MY GOSH, DO I HAVE TO CHECK THE EMAIL TO SEE IF SOMETHING HAPPENED WITH MY KID? LIKE IF SOMETHING'S HAPPENING, IT'S JUST BOOM DING AND YOU'RE LIKE, OH LOOK AT THAT.

IT'S FROM THE SCHOOL. SO IT MAKES IT SO NICE AND JUST EASY.

AND YOU DON'T EVEN HAVE TO THINK ABOUT IT.

AND I DID SEE TODAY THAT I THINK THE BOOSTER CLUB AT THE HIGH SCHOOL IS USING IT.

SO IS THAT GOING TO BE SOMETHING THAT BOOSTER OR IS THERE SOMETHING ABOUT I THINK IT WAS OUR BOOSTER CLUB IS GOING TO BE USING THAT.

I DON'T KNOW.

OKAY. I'D HAVE TO LOOK INTO THAT BECAUSE IT IS USING STUDENT DATA TO AN EXTENT TO BE ABLE TO COMMUNICATE. OKAY.

SO MORE ON THAT TO COME.

THEY MOST OF THE BOOSTER CLUBS, IF NOT ALL HAVE THAT MEMBERSHIP TOOLKIT PLATFORM.

AND THAT'S WHAT THEY USE TO COMMUNICATE AND THEIR DATABASE.

AND THAT'S HAS A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS THAT IT CAN DO.

SO IT WAS PROBABLY IT WAS PROBABLY THE HIGH SCHOOL THAT SENT SOMETHING OUT AND THAT IT WAS JUST ON BEHALF.

I'M GUESSING IT WAS PROBABLY ON BEHALF, BECAUSE I DO KNOW THAT THAT THE HIGH SCHOOL DOES DO THAT FOR THAT MAKES SENSE THERE.

AND THEN IN TERMS OF THE BEHIND THE SCENES, I LOVE THE LITTLE VIDEOS.

YOU KNOW, THE ONE WITH QUESO WAS FUNNY.

BUT I AM WONDERING, SO A COUPLE PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY HAVE ASKED ME, YOU KNOW, WHEN ARE WE HAVING THE STATE OF THE DISTRICT? AND SO I THINK THERE MAYBE WAS SOME CONFUSION ABOUT, LIKE, IS THAT THE STATE OF THE DISTRICT OR IS THAT SOMETHING ELSE? AND SO YOU KNOW, BECAUSE I KNOW WE'VE HAD DIFFERENT ITERATIONS OF THE DISTRICT AND THE CAFE SERIES AND NOW THE BEHIND THE SCENES, AND I LOVE IT LIKE IT'S ALL GREAT.

BUT MAYBE THAT COULD WARRANT SOME FORMERLY.

YEAH, I DON'T KNOW. THAT'S NOT A FUN THAT DOESN'T GO WITH THE BEHIND THE SCENES SITUATION VERY WELL, BUT SOMETHING I DON'T KNOW.

WELL I HAVEN'T SENT OUT THE SCHEDULE OUT ON NEXT DOOR YET TO HIT OUR PARENTS.

PEOPLE WITHOUT CHILDREN IN OUR DISTRICT.

SO MAYBE WHEN I DO THAT, I CAN KIND OF FRAME IT MORE THAT THIS IS THE STATE OF THE DISTRICT THAT WAY.

YEAH. OR JUST WHAT? IT IS. JUST INFORMATION ABOUT IT.

YOU KNOW, WE'LL START NEXT WEEK, RIGHT? WE HAVE THE FIRST ONE ON OCTOBER THE 4TH.

THAT'S EXCITING.

BUT THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL YOUR WORK.

I KNOW THAT THIS HAS BEEN A HUGE UNDERTAKING AND YOU'VE GOTTEN IT ALL OFF THE GROUND REALLY RAPIDLY.

SO THANK YOU. THANKS, KELLY.

AND THEN DIANE. THANK YOU SO MUCH, CLAUDIA.

AND YOUR TEAM.

I WANTED TO TALK TO YOU ON BEHALF OF THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS THAT HAVE COME TO ME.

[01:05:04]

AND THEY DIDN'T. THEY LIKED IT BECAUSE THEY FELT INCLUDED.

BUT THEY ALSO REALLY APPRECIATED SEEING WHAT OTHER PARENTS WERE SAYING AND THEY JUST REALLY, REALLY ENJOYED IT.

SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT.

AND THEN THANK YOU FROM ALL OF THE PARENTS WHO HAVE KIDS ON MULTIPLE CAMPUSES, BECAUSE THE PARENTS SQUARE HAS CHANGED OUR LIVES AND EVERYTHING COMES IN ONE PLACE NOW.

AND SO YOU'VE REALLY REVOLUTIONIZED THAT.

SO THANK YOU SO MUCH.

THAT'S SO GOOD TO HEAR.

THAT'S THE GOAL.

SO GOOD. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU KELLY DIANE I REALIZED I FORGOT TO SAY SOMETHING AND TOUCH ON A TOPIC THAT ELLEN REMINDED ME OF THE IDEA OF ENGAGING COMMUNITY WITH WHO DO NOT HAVE CHILDREN IN THE DISTRICT BECAUSE, AS YOU MENTIONED, THE LONG RANGE FACILITIES PLANNING IS GOING ON, AND IT'S GOING TO BE SO CRITICAL TO GET THAT PART OF OUR COMMUNITY BEHIND A BOND.

SO I DID.

YOU SAID IF YOU HAVE IDEAS, THROW THEM OUT THERE.

AND I THINK MAYBE A WHILE AGO WE TOUCHED BASE BECAUSE I USED TO BE ON AN HOA BOARD.

HAVE WE DO WE REACH OUT THROUGH HOA'S AND COMMUNITY ASSOCIATIONS? HAVE YOU FOUND THAT TO BE SUCCESSFUL AT ALL? NO. MOST OF THEM CONSIDER IT POLITICAL AND THEY DON'T LET US MESS, SEND MESSAGING OUT THROUGH THEM, PUT SIGNS OUT WHERE I HAVE FOUND THAT IT KIND OF WORKS SOMETIMES IS IF SOMEONE WHO IS ON THE BOARD OF THAT HOA REALLY PUSHES IT, AND THEN WE COULD HAVE SOMEONE COME OUT AND SPEAK TO AN HOA MEETING.

BUT THAT'S BEEN VERY FEW AND FAR BETWEEN.

I THINK THAT'S HAPPENED TWICE IN 14 YEARS.

I GUESS THEY JUST CONSIDER IT TOO POLITICAL.

I, I CAN APPRECIATE THAT.

I'M WONDERING TO YOUR POINT OF TRYING TO MAKE PEOPLE AWARE OF THE OPPORTUNITIES OF GETTING INVOLVED IN COMMUNITY AND ATTENDING FINE ARTS PROGRAMING AND OTHER SPORTS EVENTS.

POTENTIALLY. THAT'S SOMETHING THEY MIGHT BE RECEPTIVE TO.

BUT YEAH, I'M TRYING TO THINK OF ANY WAY THAT WE CAN TOUCH THESE PEOPLE.

AND THEN ONCE THEY'RE REALIZING THE BENEFITS OF BEING ENGAGED WITH THE DISTRICT, MAYBE THEY'LL START TO PAY A LITTLE MORE ATTENTION OR APPRECIATE WHAT WE'RE OFFERING FOR THEM AS WELL. BUT YEAH.

THANK YOU AGAIN FOR EVERYTHING.

THIS IS AMAZING. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU. DIANE.

ANY OTHER. SO I WAS AT A MEETING WHERE CLAUDIA WAS PRESENTING TO, I THINK FIRST YEAR SUPERINTENDENTS.

AND SHE WAS TALKING TO THEM ABOUT THEIR, I THINK, THEIR SOCIAL MEDIA AND SUCH.

AND, AND SHE OFFERED TO HELP THROUGH AN ORGANIZATION WHERE SHE IS A VICE PRESIDENT.

I WONDER IF YOU MIGHT TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT AND THE WORK YOU DO THERE.

OKAY. YES.

I AM THE VICE PRESIDENT FOR THE CENTRAL AREA, FOR THE TEXAS SCHOOL PUBLIC RELATIONS ASSOCIATION BOARD.

SO YEAH, I'M ON MY THIRD YEAR.

AWESOME. AND YOU AND THAT ORGANIZATION HELPS SCHOOL DISTRICTS WITH PUBLIC RELATIONS.

IT'S THAT'S ONE OF OUR GOALS.

AND THAT'S WHY I WAS OFFERING IT THAT DAY TO THOSE SUPERINTENDENTS, BECAUSE THOSE WERE REALLY SMALL DISTRICTS THAT PROBABLY DON'T HAVE A COMMUNICATOR ON STAFF.

AND SO AS, AS A TEAM MEMBER, THAT'S KIND OF ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE CHARGED WITH IS HELPING OUT THOSE SMALL DISTRICTS, THOSE ONE MAN TEAMS, THOSE SUPERINTENDENTS WHO THEY ARE THE BUS DRIVER, THE SUPERINTENDENT, THE COMMUNICATOR, THE HR PERSON AND AND ACTUALLY ONE OF THE, ONE OF THE PEOPLE FROM ONE OF THOSE DISTRICTS REACHED OUT TO ME AND SAID, MY SUPERINTENDENT SAID THAT YOU HAD A REALLY GOOD PRESENTATION AND HOW CAN YOU HELP? SO I JUMPED ON A CALL WITH HER, GAVE HER SOME IDEAS, AND SHE LITERALLY IS THAT I MEAN, SHE'S HR, IT, COMMUNICATIONS ALL THREE OF THEM.

AND IN A REALLY SMALL DISTRICT UP IN NORTH TEXAS.

BUT YEAH, IT'S JUST IT'S PART OF PART OF OUR MISSION TO HELP BECAUSE WE WANT WE WANT THOSE SCHOOL DISTRICTS TO SUCCEED AND TELL THEIR STORIES TOO, BECAUSE THEY HAVE GREAT STORIES, TOO.

THAT'S AWESOME. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU. CLAUDIA, I THINK THAT'S IT.

WE APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO HEAR FROM YOU.

NUMBER ONE, NUMBER ONE, THE FIRST ONE.

ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU.

PRIMERO. THANKS, CLAUDIA.

OKAY. WE WILL MOVE INTO OUR DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEMS.

[10.1 Request to approve the agreement for the purchase of attendance credits (WADA)]

WADA, DO I HAVE A MOTION? HEATHER. NOBODY JUMPED TO THAT.

I, I MOVE THAT WE ADOPT THE FOLLOWING LANGUAGE.

GRANTING THE SUPERINTENDENT THE AUTHORITY TO ENTER INTO A CONTRACT FOR THE PURCHASE OF EXCESS LOCAL REVENUE.

[01:10:05]

WAIT, DO I HAVE TO READ THAT PART? NO. TAKE THAT BACK.

MOTION BY HEATHER.

HAVE A SECOND. SECOND BY LAURA.

ANY DISCUSSION? OKAY. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE.

ANY OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES SEVEN ZERO.

EASY. OUR NEXT ITEM.

I DON'T THINK WE HAVE A MOTION HERE.

[10.2 Request to consider nomination of representative for Board of Directors of Travis County Appraisal District (TCAD)]

SO THIS WILL BE A DISCUSSION ITEM AND SPECIFICALLY IS AROUND THE TRAVIS CENTRAL APPRAISAL DISTRICT AND AN UPCOMING OPPORTUNITY TO ELECT MEMBERS TO I SUPPOSE, REPRESENT AND, AND ADVOCATE ON OUR BEHALF.

MAYBE NOT ADVOCATE, BUT REPRESENT US IN IN THE APPRAISAL DISTRICT.

HEATHER, DO YOU WANT TO CAN YOU GIVE US A LITTLE INTRO THERE OR WHAT? YOU KNOW WHAT YOU HEAR? SURE. SO A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO, WE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO THE SAME THING, AND OUR FORMER BOARD PRESIDENT, JOHN HAVENSTRITE, WAS ACTUALLY INTERESTED IN THE ROLE.

HE WAS BEAT OUT BY JUST A COUPLE OF VOTES FROM THE LEANDER NOMINEE.

SO I DID REACH OUT TO SOME OTHER NEIGHBORING SCHOOL DISTRICTS IN TRAVIS COUNTY AND ASKED THEM IF THEY HAD ALREADY HAD THIS DISCUSSION.

IT DOES SEEM THAT ONLY ONE DISTRICT HAS A PROCESS TO GO THROUGH TO NOMINATE PEOPLE, AND THEY WILL BE DOING THAT AT THEIR NEXT BOARD MEETING.

BUT I WAS TOLD BY ALL BUT TWO OF THE TRAVIS COUNTY BOARDS THAT THEY WOULD CONSIDER SUPPORTING OUR NOMINEE IF WE HAD ONE, BECAUSE THEY HAD NOT DISCUSSED OR HAD ANY ONE COME TO OR MAKE THEMSELVES AVAILABLE FOR THIS. SO IT IS MY INTENTION TO NOMINATE JOHN HAVENSTRITE FOR THIS BOARD POSITION.

UNLESS, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE SOMEBODY ELSE THAT YOU GUYS WANT TO DISCUSS, I'M HAPPY TO DISCUSS ANY QUALIFIED PERSON TO SERVE IN THIS VOLUNTEER CAPACITY.

BUT AND HE DOES HAVE THE SUPPORT, IT SEEMS, FROM OTHER LOCAL BOARDS.

I THINK IT WOULD BE GREAT TO HAVE SOMEONE ON TCAD THAT DOES KNOW HOW THE DECISIONS THAT THEY'RE MAKING IMPACT OUR PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICTS. SO I THINK THAT THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL.

BUT AGAIN, YOU KNOW, IT'S OPEN FOR DISCUSSION.

AND I HAVE NOT MADE A NOMINATION TONIGHT.

OFFICIALLY. WHEN IS THE DEADLINE? DO WE HAVE. WE COULD DO THIS AT THE NEXT MEETING.

YES. THE NOMINATION HAS TO BE IN BY OCTOBER 14TH.

OKAY. AND THEN THERE WILL BE A BALLOT SENT OUT TO EACH TAXING ENTITY ON OR BY OCTOBER 30TH.

AND THEN THE VOTING ALLOTMENT BY RESOLUTION IS DUE BACK BY DECEMBER 14TH.

SO THIS IS A LITTLE BIT OF A LONG PROCESS.

AND JUST BY WAY OF A LITTLE BIT MORE INFORMATION, THE TAXING ENTITY GETS SORT OF A NUMBER OF VOTES BASED ON THEIR SIZE.

AND I DON'T HAVE THAT LIST HANDY, BUT WE HAVE 100 AND SOMETHING VOTES.

AND LIKE AISD HAS A HUGE CHUNK OF THEM.

I BELIEVE THAT EANES ISD HAS SOMEWHERE AROUND 3% OF THE TOTAL VOTES, AND THAT HAS GONE UP SLIGHTLY BASED UPON OUR ASSESSED VALUATION.

IS THAT RIGHT, CHRIS? BASED ON THE TAXABLE VALUE OF.

OF THE TAXING ENTITY.

AND SO THAT'S WHY WE'RE RELATIVELY HIGH.

WE'RE ONE OF THE, THE LARGER VOTERS.

SO WITH 3% OF THE VOTE, IT HELPS US TO LINE UP WITH SOME OTHER DISTRICTS OR TAXING ENTITIES.

AND IF WE COULD GET ALIGNED ON SOMEONE WHO UNDERSTANDS THE IMPORTANCE OF OF THE IMPACT ON PUBLIC EDUCATION, I THINK THAT WOULD BE HUGE.

YEAH. AND I THINK, I MEAN, IT'S WORTH NOTING THAT WE ARE ONE OF THE DISTRICTS THAT IS ONLY IN TRAVIS COUNTY.

A LOT OF OTHER SCHOOL DISTRICTS HAVE PARTS IN DIFFERENT AREAS.

AND SO, FOR INSTANCE, ROUND ROCK AND DRIPPING SPRINGS HAVE ALREADY VOTED AND THEY ONLY VOTED TO APPROVE WILLIAMSON COUNTY AND HAYS COUNTY.

THEY DID NOT HAVE ANYONE COME FORWARD TO OR EVEN HAVE A DISCUSSION, I'M TOLD, ON TRAVIS COUNTY.

SO THEY WILL NOT BE PUTTING FORTH ANY NOMINEES.

AND SO WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO PUT FORTH A NAME IF WE'D LIKE TO ELLEN AND THEN KIM.

[01:15:03]

SO IS THIS FOR A SEAT THAT IS SPECIFIED FOR A SCHOOL DISTRICT REPRESENTATIVE OR IT'S A OPEN SEAT ON THE TRAVIS CENTRAL APPRAISAL DISTRICT BOARD? AND HOW MANY MEMBERS ARE ON THAT BOARD? FIVE PLUS FIVE.

SO THE THREE THAT WE THAT WERE ON THE BALLOT IN THE LAST SPRING'S ELECTION ARE IT'S THE SAME BOARD.

THERE'S I THINK THERE'S FIVE THERE'S THAT.

RIGHT. THERE'S FIVE APPOINTED.

YES. THERE'S FIVE APPOINTED.

YES, THERE'S THREE ELECTED AND THEN FIVE APPOINTED AND THIS VOTING PROCESS THAT WE'RE GOING THROUGH ARE THE APPOINTMENTS.

SO, ALL FIVE THAT THERE'S A FIVE TIMES CHANCE THAT SOMEONE WE NOMINATED MIGHT BE IN THE TOP FIVE.

OKAY. THANK YOU FOR THAT CLARIFICATION.

THANK YOU, KIM.

HEATHER. JUST FOR THE COMMUNITY'S INFORMATION, CAN YOU HELP US UNDERSTAND WHAT THIS APPOINTED? IF ELECTED, OUR NOMINEE WOULD DO ON THE BOARD? THE APPOINTED MEMBERS AS WELL AS THE ELECTED MEMBERS.

AND I MEAN, ARE THEY SETTING POLICY OR IS IT AN UNDERSTANDING ROLE, OR IS IT TO BE DEVELOPED AS WE MOVE FORWARD? IF, YOU KNOW, I DON'T BELIEVE THIS IS NOT A NEW ROLE.

THIS IS SOMETHING THAT HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED.

AND LIKE I SAID, YOU KNOW, A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO WHEN JOHN WAS SERVING ON THE BOARD, HE DID GO OUT FOR THIS.

SO THIS ISN'T A NEW THING, BUT I THINK IT IS.

AND CHRIS, FEEL FREE TO JUMP IN IF YOU KNOW MORE THAN I DO ON THIS, BUT REALLY, IT'S JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY ARE CERTIFYING OUR APPRAISED VALUES ACCURATELY.

AND THAT HAS BEEN AN ISSUE IN OTHER AREAS OF THE STATE.

CONROE, FOR EXAMPLE, CONROE ISD IS IN A WORLD OF HURT BASED ON SOME APPRAISED VALUE ISSUES AND HAVE KIND OF GOTTEN INTO SOME WORDS WITH THEIR APPRAISAL DISTRICT.

CHRIS, DO YOU WANT TO ELABORATE? DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING ELSE? THAT'S ACCURATE? THERE ARE, SO STATE LAW REQUIRES THAT APPRAISAL BOARDS OR EXCUSE ME, APPRAISAL DISTRICTS APPRAISE ALL PROPERTY AT MARKET VALUE.

AND THEN OBVIOUSLY THERE ARE DEDUCTIONS THAT COME OFF OF THAT, PARTICULARLY FOR HOMESTEADS.

SOME APPRAISAL DISTRICTS HAVE BEEN MAYBE PROPERTY OWNER FRIENDLY AND HAVE APPRAISED LOWER THAN MARKET VALUE, AND THAT ENDS UP HURTING THE DISTRICTS.

THE TAXING DISTRICTS PARTICULARLY SCHOOL DISTRICTS, BECAUSE THE SCHOOL DISTRICT FUNDING SYSTEM ASSUMES THAT EVERYTHING IS AT MARKET VALUE AND THEY GO IN AND THEY ASSIGN THEIR OWN VALUES.

AND IF THERE'S A SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE LOCAL VALUES THAT ARE ASSIGNED VERSUS WHAT THE, THE, THE STATE ASSIGNED VALUES, THEN THE STATE OF STATE ASSIGNED VALUES EVENTUALLY WILL WIN AND YOU'LL LOSE FUNDING.

AND SO IT'S IMPORTANT.

THE BOARD, YOU KNOW, LIKE YOU DO FOR THE DISTRICT, THE BOARD FOR TCAD WILL PROVIDE OVERSIGHT TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE FULFILLING THEIR, YOU KNOW, STATE MANDATE.

AND LET ME BE VERY CLEAR, THOUGH, WHEN I SAY THAT WE ARE ALWAYS IN SUPPORT OF MAKING SURE THAT OUR TAXPAYERS ARE GETTING THE PROPER ASSESSED VALUE ON THEIR HOME, THAT IS A HUGE DEAL. I THINK WE ARE ALL TAXPAYERS IN OUR DISTRICT, SO THAT'S A BIG DEAL.

SO I'M NOT ADVOCATING FOR ANYTHING TO BE OUT OF LINE.

I'M SIMPLY ADVOCATING THAT WE HAVE A VOICE AT THE TABLE TO NOT ONLY LOOK OUT FOR OUR TAXPAYERS, BUT ALSO THAT IS INTIMATELY INVOLVED AND UNDERSTANDS OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT AND OTHER SCHOOL DISTRICTS.

AND JOHN FITS THAT FOR A COUPLE OF REASONS.

I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY, HE WAS OUR BOARD PRESIDENT FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS, BUT ALSO HE WAS ACTIVE IN THE CENTRAL TEXAS SCHOOL BOARD ASSOCIATION, AND HE HAS A GREAT RELATIONSHIP WITH OTHER TRUSTEES AND PEOPLE IN PUBLIC EDUCATION IN THE AREA.

SO I THINK THAT IT WORKS.

BUT AGAIN, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE LOTS OF PEOPLE THAT COULD BE NOMINATED OR LOTS OF SLOTS.

AND SO IF ANYONE ELSE IS INTERESTED.

GREAT. IF THAT'S OUR NOMINEE.

GREAT. SO OPEN FOR DISCUSSION.

WE'LL PUT AN ITEM ON THE NEXT MEETING.

WE'LL MAKE IT A SPECIAL MEETING AND HAVE A NOMINATION AND A VOTE.

OKAY. ANY OTHER THOUGHTS?

[01:20:03]

OUR NEXT ITEM IS THE CONSENT AGENDA.

[11. ACTION - CONSENT AGENDA]

MOTION BY ELLEN. DO I HAVE A SECOND? KELLY. SECOND.

ANY DISCUSSION? OKAY. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE.

ANY OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES SEVEN ZERO.

AND THAT CONCLUDES THE BUSINESS OF OUR MEETING.

PLEASE MAKE NOTE OF UPCOMING BOARD OF TRUSTEES MEETINGS.

[12. UPCOMING MEETINGS ]