[1. CALL TO ORDER]
[00:00:03]
MADAM SECRETARY, DO WE HAVE A QUORUM?
[2. ESTABLISH A QUORUM]
YES WE DO.[4. CLOSED SESSION]
WE WILL RECONVENE IN OPEN SESSION AT APPROXIMATELY 7 P.M..THANK YOU FOR COMING AND SEE YOU IN A BIT.
OKAY. WE'RE GOING TO RECONVENE AND OPEN JUST A SECOND.
[5. RECONVENE INTO OPEN SESSION]
WE WILL NOW RECONVENE IN OPEN SESSION.WE WILL START THE MEETING WITH A SPECIAL VOTE.
[6. DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION ON PARENT GRIEVANCE]
DO I HAVE A MOTION ON THE ITEM? KIM. I MAKE A MOTION THAT THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES UPHOLD THE LEVEL TWO DECISION PRESENTED IN WRITTEN FORM.IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION SAY AYE.
AYE. ANY OPPOSED? THE MOTION CARRIES SEVEN ZERO.
OKAY. WELL, WE NOW MOVE FORWARD WITH OUR MEETING.
I'M THE PRESIDENT OF THE EANES ISD BOARD OF TRUSTEES.
ON BEHALF OF ALL OF THE TRUSTEES AND THE ADMINISTRATION, WELCOME TO TONIGHT'S MEETING.
THE PURPOSE OF TONIGHT'S MEETING IS FOR THE BOARD TO DELIBERATE AND VOTE ON MATTERS ON ITS AGENDA.
THE DISTRICT IS COMMITTED TO TREATING EVERYONE HERE WITH RESPECT, AND WE EXPECT THE SAME IN RETURN.
PLEASE REFRAIN FROM OUTBURSTS OR ANY OTHER FORM OF DISRUPTIVE BEHAVIOR.
THERE WILL BE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR PUBLIC COMMENT LATER IN THE MEETING.
THE NUMBER IS KIND OF MOVING AROUND.
I WILL HAVE ADDITIONAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE SPEAKERS WHEN WE GET TO THAT SEGMENT OF THE MEETING.
YOU ARE WELCOME TO STAY FOR THE ENTIRE OPEN MEETING AND LISTEN TO ALL OF THE BUSINESS.
THE BOARD WILL BE CONSIDERING TONIGHT IF YOU DECIDE TO LEAVE THE MEETING BEFORE WE ADJOURN.
THE FIRE MARSHAL DICTATES HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE ALLOWED IN THIS ROOM AT ONE TIME.
WE WILL CYCLE PEOPLE IN FROM THE LOBBY AS PEOPLE VACATE SEATS IN THE BOARDROOM.
WE WILL BE MOVING TO A NEW, LARGER BOARDROOM LATER IN 2025.
FUNDS TO PAY FOR THAT CAME FROM THE BOND YOU, THE VOTERS, APPROVED IN 2023.
UNFORTUNATELY, BOND FUNDS CANNOT BE USED TO PAY TEACHERS OR OFFSET THE CURRENT BUDGET CHALLENGES.
THIS BUILDING WILL BE CONVERTED INTO HIGH SCHOOL LEARNING SPACES, AND WILL HOUSE STUDENTS WHO CHOOSE TO PARTICIPATE IN THE TLC PROGRAM, AND THEY ARE VERY EXCITED TO HAVE THE NEW CLASSROOM SPACE.
ONE OTHER NOTE ABOUT TONIGHT'S AGENDA.
WE WERE SCHEDULED TO HEAR AN UPDATE FROM THE DEI ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
THANK YOU FOR JOINING US AND FOR YOUR INTEREST IN OUR COMMUNITY AND OUR SCHOOLS.
[7. EANES ISD MISSION STATEMENT (Approximately 7:00 p.m.) ]
WE WILL NOW BEGIN OUR AGENDA WITH OUR MISSION STATEMENT.UNITE, EMPOWER, INSPIRE EVERY PERSON, EVERY DAY.
WE UNITE OUR COMMUNITY THROUGH RESPECTFUL RELATIONSHIPS, CREATING A SENSE OF BELONGING FOR ALL.
WE INSPIRE EACH OTHER TO LEAD PURPOSEFUL LIVES OF EMPATHY, GRATITUDE, AND COMPASSION.
WE WILL NOW HAVE OUR PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.
OUR PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE TONIGHT WILL BE LED BY JACKSON RAE.
JACKSON IS A MEMBER OF BOY SCOUTS, WELL, SCOUT TROOP 30.
HE IS A STAR RANK SCOUT, SOON TO BE LIFE RANK.
JACKSON. ALL PLEASE RISE IF YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY.
PLEASE PLACE YOUR RIGHT HAND OVER YOUR HEART AND JOIN ME IN THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.
[00:05:02]
OKAY, AND WITH THAT, WE WILL MOVE INTO THE SUPERINTENDENT'S REPORT.[9. SUPERINTENDENT'S REPORT ]
DOCTOR ARNETT MR. SPRADLEY. MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, EVERYBODY IN THE AUDIENCE TONIGHT, BOTH IN PERSON AND WATCHING ONLINE.THANK YOU FOR JOINING US THIS EVENING.
I ALSO WANTED TO BRING SPECIAL ATTENTION.
IT WAS GREAT TO SEE SO MANY STUDENTS AND STAFF ENJOYING PERFECT WEATHER FOR BOTH OF THESE ACTIVITIES, AND TO SEE THEM REALLY ENJOYING THEMSELVES, AND I THINK THIS HAS ACCOMPLISHED A NUMBER OF THE GOALS THAT THE BOARD HAS SET OVER THE YEARS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE PRIORITIZE THE INCLUSION OF OUR CHILDREN AND OUR STUDENTS WITH SPECIAL ABILITIES IN ALL OF THESE ACTIVITIES, AND IT WAS A LOT OF FUN TO BE A PART OF THOSE.
I ALSO WANTED TO ACKNOWLEDGE OUR CAMPUSES WHO ALL CELEBRATED VETERANS DAY.
WE ARE IN SCHOOL ON VETERANS DAY FOR THE VERY REASON TO HONOR THIS TRADITION OF MAKING SURE THAT ALL OF OUR VETERANS, OUR RELATIVES OF OUR STUDENTS AND OUR STAFF HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE ACKNOWLEDGED FOR THEIR SERVICE TO OUR COUNTRY.
HAD THE OCCASION TO ATTEND A NUMBER OF THESE EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES.
ALL OF OUR SCHOOLS DO A WONDERFUL JOB AND WANTED TO CALL THAT OUT HERE THIS EVENING.
SUSANNA MCDONNELL'S CLASSES AND HER STUDENTS ALL GOT TOGETHER, AND WE HAD A PANEL OF SOME VERY DISTINGUISHED INDIVIDUALS LIKE YOURSELVES WHO TALKED ABOUT THE CHALLENGES THAT WE ARE FACING AND A NUMBER OF SCHOOL DISTRICTS ACROSS THE STATE ARE AS WELL, IN TERMS OF THE ECONOMY AND FINANCE AND FUNDING SHORTFALLS AND TO HAVE THESE VERY INTELLIGENT STUDENTS PARTICIPATE IN THAT CONVERSATION AND BE A PART OF THAT DIALOG, PERHAPS EVEN SPURRING US TO THINK OF SOME THINGS THAT WE HADN'T BEFORE, OR HELPING US SEE THINGS FROM A NEW VANTAGE POINT, AND ONCE AGAIN GAVE US THE OPPORTUNITY TO INTERACT WITH OUR VERY TALENTED STUDENTS, AND I'M SURE MANY OF YOU ENJOYED THAT AS I DID, AND SPEAKING OF ECONOMICS AND FUNDING, I ALSO WANTED TO JUST PROVIDE THIS AS A PRELUDE TO OTHER THINGS THAT WILL BE DISCUSSED NOT ONLY TONIGHT, BUT ALSO IN THE FUTURE.
IN FACT, WHEN YOU CAME IN THIS EVENING, THOSE IN THE AUDIENCE, YOU HAD THE OPPORTUNITY, IF YOU WERE INTERESTED, TO TAKE A PRINTED COPY OF A NEW DOCUMENT THAT'S BEEN PRODUCED THAT ANSWERS A LOT OF QUESTIONS WE KNOW ARE OUT THERE REGARDING THE POTENTIAL BLENDING OF TWO ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS AND SOME OF THE RELATED ASPECTS OF THAT, AND NOT ONLY THIS EVENING, BUT ALSO FUTURE BOARD OF TRUSTEE MEETINGS.
WE HAVE A SERIES OF COMMUNITY MEETINGS THAT ARE PLANNED TO IMMEDIATELY AFTER WE GET BACK FROM THE THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY ON DECEMBER THE 3RD, IN THE MORNING, AGAIN IN THE MORNING ON DECEMBER THE 9TH, AND THEN AN EVENING EVENT FOR THOSE WHO WORK DURING THE DAY WHERE, IF YOU'D LIKE TO GET TOGETHER AND SEE AN EXPANDED VERSION OF SOME INFORMATION THAT YOU MAY BE PRESENTED, OR YOU'LL HEAR THIS EVENING, AS WELL AS INFORMATION THAT'S IN THE FAQ DOCUMENT, WE'LL HAVE THESE EVENTS THAT ARE AVAILABLE TO THE COMMUNITY AS WELL.
SO THAT CONCLUDES MY VERY BRIEF REPORT.
I KNOW WE'VE GOT A NUMBER OF OTHER THINGS THAT WE WANT TO MOVE ON TO THIS EVENING.
SO, MR. SPRADLEY, I'LL GIVE IT BACK TO YOU.
THANK YOU, DOCTOR ARNETT, THANK YOU FOR THE UPDATES.
OUR FIRST REPORT TONIGHT WILL BE THE 2024-25 ENROLLMENT REPORT PEIMS SNAPSHOT.
[11.4 2024-25 enrollment report a. PEIMS snapshot b. Proposed elementary blend]
I'LL CALL MOLLY AND CHAD FORWARD FOR THAT.GOOD EVENING. THANKS FOR HAVING US TONIGHT.
THERE HAVE BEEN A FEW SLIDES THAT WE'VE UPDATED OR CHANGED, SO WE'LL MAKE REFERENCE TO THAT, BUT IF YOU'RE AT HOME OR IN THE AUDIENCE AND FOLLOWING ALONG, THERE'S BEEN JUST A FEW UPDATES TO THE SLIDES.
SO JUST TO START AN OVERVIEW OF WHERE WE ARE.
SO THERE'S OBVIOUSLY THE ENROLLMENT SNAPSHOT.
SO THIS IS LOOKING AT OUR FUNDED STUDENTS, AND THAT INCLUDES OUR K THROUGH 12 STUDENTS.
OUR STUDENTS WHO ATTEND ATS AND THEN OUR ENROLLED STUDENTS WHO RECEIVE SPECIAL EDUCATION STUDENTS THROUGH OUR EARLY CHILDHOOD SPECIAL EDUCATION PROGRAM AND OUR ENROLLMENT THIS YEAR WAS 7598, AND THAT'S WHAT THE STATE CALLS YOUR SNAPSHOT NUMBER, AND SO THAT'S REFERRED TO MANY TIMES WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT FUNDING, WHEN THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT JUST DIFFERENT THINGS THROUGH TEA AND LOOKING AT THIS PARTICULAR DATE, WHICH IS THE LAST, THE LAST FRIDAY IN OCTOBER, AND SO LOOKING AT THAT DATE, AND THAT'S WHERE THEY KIND OF CAPTURE THAT NUMBER AND THEN USE IT FOR VARIOUS FUNDING FORMULAS.
[00:10:07]
PROGRAM, WE DO HAVE PEER MODELS.SO THOSE ARE STUDENTS WHO COME AND WORK WITH THEIR TYPICALLY DEVELOPING STUDENTS WHO COME AND WORK WITH OUR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES AS PEER PARTNERS AND DEVELOP LIFELONG FRIENDSHIPS THAT YOU ACTUALLY SEE THROUGH HIGH SCHOOL.
SOME OF THESE KIDS THAT STARTED TOGETHER WHEN THEY WERE THREE, AND THEN WE HAVE OUR CHILD DEVELOPMENT CENTER, WHERE WE SERVE 148 OF OUR STUDENTS, AND THOSE ARE TYPICALLY STUDENTS WHO OR CHILDREN THAT BELONG TO OUR FACULTY OR OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
THIS NEXT SLIDE IS SIMPLY JUST AN OVERVIEW OF OUR ENROLLMENT SINCE 1998-99 SCHOOL YEAR, AND YOU CAN SEE WHERE WE'VE HAD VARIOUS FLUCTUATIONS AND BEEN AS HIGH AS NUMBERS, YOU KNOW, INTO AROUND 8100 STUDENTS, AND THEN WHERE WE ARE TODAY.
THIS NEXT SLIDE, WHICH IS PRETTY FAMILIAR, I THINK TO EVERYONE, IS OUR ELEMENTARY ENROLLMENT.
OUR TOTAL ENROLLMENT AT THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS IS 2982, AND THIS SLIDE JUST BASICALLY CAPTURES EACH PARTICULAR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, AND IT'S SECTIONED OUT, AND SO YOU CAN SEE BY THE COLOR CODING THAT YOU HAVE THE BLOCKS THAT ARE HIGHLIGHTED IN RED ARE YOUR SPANISH IMMERSION SECTIONS. OUR SECTIONS THAT ARE IN ORANGE ARE SECTIONS THAT EXCEED THE 22 TO 1 CAPACITY, ALTHOUGH WE DO HAVE A WAIVER, AND SO WE CAN HAVE CLASSES OVER THAT, ALTHOUGH WE TRY TO KEEP THOSE NUMBERS AS LOW AS POSSIBLE.
SO THOSE ARE THE ORANGE, AND THEN OUR GREEN SECTIONS ARE OUR SECTIONS THAT ARE COLLABORATIVE, AND FOR PEOPLE WHO DON'T KNOW THAT, THOSE COLLABORATIVE SECTIONS ARE SECTIONS WHERE YOU HAVE EITHER AN ADDITIONAL SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHER OR A SPECIAL EDUCATION AIDE WHO ARE ASSISTING IN THAT CLASS, BECAUSE THERE IS A CERTAIN PERCENTAGE OF STUDENTS IN THERE WHO RECEIVE SPECIAL EDUCATION SERVICES, AND THEN JUST TO NOTE THE FIFTH GRADE, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THIS, IT OFTEN LOOKS A LITTLE BIT MORE LIKE MIDDLE SCHOOL, AND WHEN YOU SEE THE MIDDLE SCHOOL NUMBERS, YOU'LL SEE THAT WE DON'T DIVIDE IT OUT BY SECTIONS BECAUSE OF SPANISH IMMERSION, AND ALSO FIVE SIX MATH.
YOU END UP WITH SECTIONS THROUGHOUT THE DAY THAT FLUCTUATE AND SO THIS IS USUALLY WHEN WE GET THESE NUMBERS.
THIS IS KIND OF HOMEROOM NUMBERS OR WHERE THE STUDENTS START, BUT THAT COULD LOOK VERY DIFFERENT.
SO WE DON'T WANT IT TO BE MISLEADING.
IF SOMEBODY WALKS INTO A CLASSROOM, THEY MAY SEE EITHER HIGHER OR LOWER NUMBERS, BUT THAT'S BECAUSE, AGAIN, IT LOOKS VERY MUCH LIKE A MIDDLE SCHOOL SCHEDULE WHERE YOUR CLASS SIZE IS GOING TO VARY DEPENDING ON THE CLASS PERIOD.
OVER TIME. BOTH OF THEM WENT DOWN SLIGHTLY THIS YEAR.
THE HIGH SCHOOL ACTUALLY WENT UP THIS YEAR FROM 2813 TO 2853, AND THEN OUR ADULT TRANSITION SERVICES PROGRAM IS VERY STABLE. ON THE NEXT SLIDE, WE'VE BEEN ASKED OFTEN OVER THE YEARS, AND WE'VE BEEN DOING A MUCH BETTER JOB TRACKING.
PROBABLY THE LAST FIVE YEARS OF WHEN OUR STUDENTS LEAVE.
WHERE DO THEY GO? SO WHEN A STUDENT WITHDRAWS, WE ARE REQUIRED BY THE STATE TO ASK WHERE THEY ARE GOING, AND SO THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO LET US FAMILIES ARE SUPPOSED TO LET US KNOW AND WE CAN PUT IN A LEAVER CODE.
SO YOU'LL SEE THE LAST FOUR YEARS OF DATA AND WHERE OUR STUDENTS GO EITHER OUT OF THE COUNTRY AND OUT OF STATE TO OTHER TEXAS PUBLIC SCHOOLS BEING HOMESCHOOLED OR INTO PRIVATE SCHOOLS.
ONE THING ON THE TEXAS PUBLIC SCHOOLS THAT TYPICALLY IS STUDENTS THAT ARE MOVING TO MAYBE HOUSTON OR DALLAS, IT'S NOT TYPICALLY JUST GOING TO LIKE MAYBE AISD OR LIKE TRAVIS, UNLESS OBVIOUSLY THEY'VE MOVED INTO THAT SCHOOL DISTRICT.
YOU WILL NOTE ON THIS THAT THERE HAS BEEN A LITTLE BIT OF AN INCREASE FROM LAST OVER LAST YEAR WHERE YOU LOOK AT THE HOMESCHOOLED STUDENTS AND THE LOCAL PRIVATE SCHOOL STUDENTS THAT THERE WAS A BIT OF AN INCREASE FROM THAT PREVIOUS YEAR, AND THEN OBVIOUSLY THE NUMBERS THIS YEAR ARE LOWER BECAUSE WE ONLY HAVE DATA AUGUST THROUGH OCTOBER, AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO COLLECT THAT DATA THROUGHOUT THE YEAR AS OUR STUDENTS LEAVE.
[00:15:01]
PRIVATE SCHOOL, AND SO OBVIOUSLY, WHEN A STUDENT ENTERS INTO EANES ISD, WE'RE REQUIRED TO HAVE THEIR RECORDS, AND SO WE KNOW IF A STUDENT IS COMING TO US FROM A PRIVATE SCHOOL AND WE TRACK THAT ALSO.SO YOU CAN SEE OVER AGAIN THE LAST FOUR YEARS OF HOW MANY OF OUR STUDENTS HAVE LEFT TO GO TO PRIVATE SCHOOL, AND HOW MANY OF THOSE STUDENTS ARE THEN ENTERING INTO EANES FROM PRIVATE SCHOOLS, AND OBVIOUSLY THE NUMBER THERE SHOWING THAT THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS LEAVING AND THEN THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS ENTERING IN, AND THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS ENTERING IS OBVIOUSLY MUCH HIGHER THAN THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS LEAVING.
THE NEXT SLIDE JUST SHOWS OUR OUT-OF-DISTRICT TRANSFER STUDENTS, AND THIS IS SPECIFICALLY NON-EMPLOYEE STUDENTS, AND SO YOU CAN SEE OVER THE LAST FOUR YEARS WHERE WE ARE IN TERMS OF BOTH NUMBER OF STUDENTS AND PERCENTAGE AT EACH GRADE LEVEL, AND SO CURRENTLY WE ARE AT 482 OUT-OF-DISTRICT TRANSFERS, WHICH MAKES UP ABOUT 6.3% OF THE TOTAL ENROLLMENT, AND EACH YEAR, YOU'LL SEE WE'VE GROWN A LITTLE BIT IN OUR OUT-OF-DISTRICT TRANSFERS OVER TIME.
THE NEXT SLIDE IS OUR EMPLOYEE TRANSFER STUDENTS, AND WE DO TEND TO THIS IS ALWAYS A LITTLE CONFUSING WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT EMPLOYEE TRANSFERS, BECAUSE WE DO TYPICALLY TREAT THOSE STUDENTS AS OUR STUDENTS, BUT IT IS NICE TO KNOW WHEN WE HIRE, WHEN WE HIRE STAFF, HOW MANY OF THEM ARE BRINGING THEIR STUDENTS, AND WE DO LIKE TO TRACK THIS ALSO, AND SO YOU'LL SEE ALSO A LITTLE BIT OF AN INCLINE OR INCREASE OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS TRACKING OUR EMPLOYEE TRANSFER STUDENTS, AND THAT POPULATION THIS YEAR MAKES UP 3.6% OF OUR OF OUR POPULATION.
SO IN THE PAST WE'VE BEEN ASKED TO KIND OF WHERE ARE THE AREAS OF TRANSFERS OUT-OF-DISTR ICT TRANSFERS WHERE ARE STUDENTS? SO WHAT WE'VE DONE THIS YEAR IS DECIDED TO GEO PLOT EVERY STUDENT'S HOUSE AND SO WHAT YOU HAVE HERE IS A DOT FOR EVERY HOME THAT HAS AT LEAST ONE WESTLAKE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT THAT RESIDES WITHIN THAT HOME, AND THAT ADDRESS IS PROVIDED TO US FROM THE FAMILY. YOUR BLACK OUTLINE, KIND OF DOTTED OUTLINE, THAT IS OUR RESIDENTIAL LINES, AND WE THOUGHT THIS WAS IMPORTANT JUST TO KIND OF SEE WHERE STUDENTS ARE COMING TO US FROM, ESPECIALLY WITH HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL.
YOUR NEXT ONE IS BLUE DOTS, AND THOSE ARE FOR EVERY MIDDLE SCHOOLER, AND JUST FOR YOUR REFERENCE, THE HOUSE COULD BE PLOTTED TWICE IF THEY HAVE A MIDDLE AND A HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT.
SO THESE ARE NOT DISCREET HOMES, AND EVERY TIME.
SO THIS REPRESENTS EVERY HOME THAT CURRENTLY HAS A WEST RIDGE OR A HILL COUNTRY STUDENT THAT RESIDES IN THEM, AND THEN YOUR FINAL CHART IS FOR ALL OF OUR ELEMENTARIES COMBINED, AND SO THESE ARE THE GEO PLOTS FOR EVERY ELEMENTARY HOME OR A HOME THAT CONTAINS AN ELEMENTARY STUDENT ACROSS ALL OF OUR CURRENT ELEMENTARIES. IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE HERE.
I THINK IT WAS KIND OF VERY FASCINATING DOING THIS PROCESS.
WE ACTUALLY HAVE STUDENTS COMING TO US ALL THE WAY FROM BURNET.
SEGUIN, SCHERTZ, AND WE JUST COULDN'T GET A BIG ENOUGH MAP TO WHERE YOU COULD SEE DISCREET DOTS TO BE ABLE TO SHOW THE ACTUAL AREA OF OUR ENROLLMENT, BUT PARTICULARLY IN HIGH SCHOOL.
WE'VE GOT TWO HOUSES IN SEGUIN THAT HAS TWO OF OUR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS.
SO WE DO HAVE AN IMPACT GEOGRAPHICALLY.
WE THOUGHT THIS WAS A VALUABLE KIND OF VISUAL TO SEE, YOU KNOW, SOUTH AUSTIN, YOU GOT YOUR LAKE TRAVIS, WHERE PREDOMINANTLY MOST OF OUR OUT-OF-DISTRICT TRANSFERS SEEM TO BE COMING TO US FROM.
SO THIS REALLY HELPS US ALSO LOOK AT.
YOU KNOW, WHERE ARE THOSE AREAS WHERE WE KNOW FOR SURE THAT MOST OF OUR TRANSFERS ARE COMING FROM? HOW FAR DO WE THINK WE CAN GO OUT WITH THE WITH THE OUTREACH TO GET THOSE TRANSFERS? BECAUSE, OBVIOUSLY, YOU KNOW, THE COMMUNICATION, THE PUBLICITY, ALL OF THAT DOES COST MONEY, AND SO WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE USING OUR FUNDS EFFICIENTLY AND EFFECTIVELY TO KNOW, LIKE HOW FAR OUT YOU'RE REALLY GETTING, KIND OF THAT BANG FOR YOUR BUCK.
SO BY GEO-PLOTTING, ALL OF OUR STUDENTS, WE REALLY KNOW WHERE WE SHOULD BE TARGETING MAYBE DIFFERENT AREAS, OTHER COMMUNITIES THAT WE CAN LET STUDENTS OR LET THAT AREA KNOW ABOUT OUR TRANSFER POLICY AND THEN THE LAST SLIDE, JUST IN THE GENERAL ENROLLMENT SECTION OF THE PRESENTATION THIS EVENING IS OUR SPANISH IMMERSION PROGRAM.
WE'RE OFTEN ASKED ABOUT THAT INFORMATION.
SO WE WANTED TO INCLUDE IT THIS EVENING SO THAT EVERYONE CAN SEE EACH SCHOOL INDIVIDUALLY.
[00:20:05]
YOU CAN SEE THE RESIDENTS OUT-OF-DISTRICT TRANSFERS.SPANISH IMMERSION IS A PROGRAM WHERE YOU'LL SEE THAT THERE ARE A LOT OF IN-DISTRICT TRANSFERS.
SO WE HAVE A LOT OF STUDENTS WHO ARE GOING TO DIFFERENT SCHOOLS THAN THEIR HOME, THAN THEIR HOME CAMPUS, ESPECIALLY AT BARTON CREEK AND EANES ELEMENTARY, AND THEN WE HAVE A TOTAL POPULATION OF SPANISH IMMERSION STUDENTS AT 776 CURRENTLY THIS SCHOOL YEAR.
COULD WE PAUSE BEFORE WE GO TO BLEND? YES. TAKE TRUSTEE QUESTIONS ON ENROLLMENT REAL QUICK.
KIM, MAYBE I WAS THE ONLY ONE THAT HAD A QUESTION.
I WANTED TO ASK ON THE SLIDE WHERE WE TALK ABOUT WHERE WE TALK ABOUT STUDENTS COMING IN AND OUT OF PRIVATE SCHOOL.
YOU KNOW, I LOOK AT LAST YEAR AND THAT'S 48 THAT WENT TO PRIVATE SCHOOL.
DOES THAT INCLUDE STUDENTS THAT I KNOW JUMPING FROM ELEMENTARY TO MIDDLE AND THEN MIDDLE TO HIGH SCHOOL? SOMETIMES THERE ARE PEOPLE THAT PLAN TO GO ONE WAY OR THE OTHER.
SO DOES THAT INCLUDE THOSE SUMMERTIME TRANSFERS OR ARE WE.
YES. YES? YES. OKAY, THERE'S SOMETIMES A BIG GROUP THAT GOES AFTER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
THEY'LL GO TO MIDDLE AND MAYBE THEY'LL COME BACK.
YES, THERE'S SOME CERTAIN TIMES THAT WE NOTICE OUR STUDENTS LEAVING FOR PUBLIC OR PRIVATE SCHOOL.
SOMETIMES IT IS AFTER THAT FIFTH GRADE YEAR BEFORE THEY ENTER MIDDLE SCHOOL.
WE SEE ACTUALLY AN INCREASE FOR THE HIGH SCHOOL IN NINTH GRADE, BUT WE ALSO SEE AN INCREASE IN SECOND SEMESTER OF EIGHTH GRADE, AND WE THINK SOMETIMES IT'S COMING BACK JUST TO HAVE THAT, THAT TRANSITION SO THAT YOU CAN BE AT YOUR MIDDLE SCHOOL, MAYBE GET TO KNOW THE STUDENTS THAT ONE SEMESTER AND THEN MOVE INTO THE HIGH SCHOOL, BUT WE BUT WE ALSO DEFINITELY SEE AN INCREASE THEN IN NINTH GRADE, WITH STUDENTS WANTING TO COME BACK AND GRADUATE FROM WESTLAKE HIGH SCHOOL, AND IT ALSO DEPENDS ON SOME OF THE PRIVATE SCHOOLS THAT ONLY HAVE GRADE, YOU KNOW, CERTAIN GRADE LEVELS.
GOOD, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, IT'S OBVIOUS HERE ON THE SLIDES IF YOU DO THE MATH, THE TRANSFERS THAT WE ARE TALKING ABOUT NOW ON TRANSFERS, WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT OUT-OF-DISTRICT TRANSFERS AND TEACHER STUDENTS OR CHILDREN, I MEAN, WE'RE UP AT ABOUT 10% OF OUR POPULATION.
YES, AND THAT IS PART OF SOMEWHAT CALCULATED STRATEGY TO BRING THOSE STUDENTS IN, TO FILL THE CLASSROOMS WHERE WE MAY HAVE SOME INEFFICIENCIES. YES.
CORRECT. GREAT, AND THEN MY LAST QUESTION IS A SIMPLE ONE.
I LOOK AT THE "SCATTEGORIES" OR WHATEVER WE'RE CALLING THESE PLOTS, AND SO YOU LOOK AT THE, THE DISTRICT BOUNDARIES AND THERE'S LOTS OF DOTS INSIDE THE BOUNDARIES, BUT THESE ARE CALLED OUT-OF-DISTRICT TRANSFERS.
SO I WOULD HAVE THOUGHT THAT ALL THE DOTS ARE OUTSIDE.
WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT A TRANSFER'S GOT TWO DOTS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THERE'S 7598 DOTS OR BROKEN UP BY HIGH SCHOOL, MIDDLE AND ELEMENTARY.
YES, SO PERHAPS THE TITLE OF THE OF THE SLIDE IS A LITTLE MISLEADING.
I KNEW THERE WOULD BE AN ANSWER FOR THAT.
DIDN'T GET IT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
THANK YOU, KIM. WE'LL GO TO DIANE.
THEY LOOK QUITE LOW, AND I GUESS THAT'S TO BE EXPECTED.
ARE WE, WHEN DO YOU USUALLY SEE THAT NUMBER COME UP TO THE, YOU KNOW, THE FINAL NUMBER? I GUESS, DOES IT COUNT ALL THE WAY THROUGH AUGUST TO THAT POINT OF THE SUMMERTIME? ARE WE COUNTING IT ALL THE WAY? I GUESS UNTIL THE NEXT SCHOOL YEAR STARTS? AND THEN IS THERE ANY WAY OF KNOWING IF OR IS IT JUST IMPOSSIBLE TO KNOW WHERE WE'RE GOING TO BE RELATED TO LAST YEAR AT THIS POINT IN TIME? I THINK IT'S A LITTLE DIFFICULT TO PROJECT.
OBVIOUSLY, WE HAVE THIS FOUR YEAR HISTORICAL TREND.
WE DID NOT TRACK THIS DATA AS, YOU KNOW, AS ACCURATELY IN YEARS PAST.
SO THIS IS KIND OF GOING BACK AS FAR AS WE COULD.
[00:25:01]
SO IT WOULD INCLUDE IT WOULD INCLUDE STUDENTS WHO THEN DON'T RETURN FOR WELL SORRY, THE STUDENTS THAT IF THEY DON'T RETURN FOR NEXT YEAR THEY WOULD BE COUNTED ON NEXT YEAR'S.SO WE ARE INCLUDING THE STUDENTS FOR THIS YEAR.
OKAY, SO THE BLUE BARS REALLY IT'S HARD TO DRAW ANY CONCLUSIONS.
IT IS AT THIS POINT UNTIL THE SUMMERTIME.
MY OTHER QUESTION WAS, AND YOU'VE SPOKEN TO THIS A LITTLE BIT ABOUT A LOT OF MOVEMENT IN BETWEEN THE MIDDLE SCHOOL AND HIGH SCHOOL LEVELS AND GOING INTO MIDDLE SCHOOL, BUT DO WE SEE MUCH FLUX AT ALL WITHIN THAT ELEMENTARY LEVEL OF STUDENTS MOVING IN AND OUT OF THE DISTRICT, OR IS THAT WE SEE SOME TO GO TO PRIVATE SCHOOL? YEAH, WE DO SEE SOME.
I THINK IT TENDS TO BE BIGGER AT THOSE BREAK PERIODS AT THE LEVELS, BUT THERE'S DEFINITELY SOME MOVEMENT OF FAMILIES INTO PRIVATE SCHOOL DURING DURING THEIR ELEMENTARY YEARS.
OKAY, AND THEN I DON'T THINK YOU WOULD HAVE AN ANSWER TO THIS, BUT I'M JUST CURIOUS.
WE HAVE SOME STUDENTS WHO TRAVEL SO FAR, AS YOU NOTED TO COME, AND THEY'RE COMMITTED CLEARLY TO GETTING AN EANES EDUCATION. I MEAN, I'D BE REALLY IMPRESSED, AND PERHAPS BECAUSE THEY'RE SO COMMITTED, THEIR ATTENDANCE COMING TO SCHOOL IS QUITE GOOD, BUT I'M JUST FLOORED AT HOW FAR SOME PEOPLE COME, AND YOU SAID THAT A LOT OF THEM ARE STAFF STUDENTS.
YEAH. HERE AT THE CRACK OF DAWN.
YEAH. YEAH. COMING IN WITH THEIR PARENTS TO WORK.
YEAH. SO WE APPRECIATE THAT DEDICATION FOR SURE.
THANK YOU, DIANE. WE'LL GO TO HEATHER AND THEN ELLEN.
THANK YOU FOR MAKING THAT DRIVE FOR OUR STUDENTS AND JUST TO BE A PART OF EANES.
SO IT'S REALLY NICE THAT THEY SACRIFICED THAT, BUT THEN I DID HAVE A QUESTION.
SO ON THE PEIMS ENROLLMENT SNAPSHOT, THE K THROUGH FIVE SECTIONS AND CLASS SIZES.
I NOTICED THAT WHEN WE ARE NOTATING THE NUMBER OF FULL TIME WELL, THE TEACHERS, FTES THAT IT ONLY SAYS HOW MANY SECTIONS, BUT IN THE COLLABORATIVE MODELS WE USUALLY HAVE ANOTHER TEACHER AND OR A TA.
IS THAT JUST NOTATED ELSEWHERE? THAT IS YEAH, THAT'S A GREAT POINT.
YES. IT'S NOT COUNTED IN THAT TOTAL FTE COUNT.
THOSE WOULD BE JUST THE GENERAL EDUCATION TEACHER IN THOSE SECTIONS.
THANK YOU HEATHER. WE'LL GO TO ELLEN.
HI. A QUICK QUESTION ON THE SPANISH IMMERSION PAGE.
IT WOULD BE GREAT--I DOUBT YOU HAVE THIS INFORMATION WITH YOU--IF YOU COULD GIVE US A LITTLE BIT MORE INFORMATION AS TO PARTICULARLY WITH THE IN-DISTRICT TRANSFERS IN BARTON CREEK AND EANES ELEMENTARY.
WHAT CATCHMENT AREAS DO THOSE STUDENTS LIVE IN? WHERE ARE THEY COMING TO OR COMING FROM TO TRANSFER INTO OUR DISTRICT? I CAN TELL YOU BARTON CREEK, BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY LOOKING AT A LOT OF NUMBERS THAT WE'RE ABOUT TO KIND OF PRESENT ON, THAT WAS PREDOMINANTLY FOREST TRAIL, AND SO.
FOREST TRAIL AND NOT VALLEY VIEW? WELL, YES. VALLEY VIEW AND BEFORE AND FOREST TRAIL COMING TO THERE.
WE HAVE ALL OF THAT AND CAN DEFINITELY GET THAT TO YOU.
I JUST DON'T HAVE IT OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD.
ANYTHING ELSE, ELLEN? NO, THANK YOU, SIR.
I WOULD EXPECT YOU DO SEE A PREDOMINANCE OF FOREST TRAIL STUDENTS IN-DISTRICT INDUSTRY TRANSFERS BECAUSE THEY'RE TRYING TO STAY WITHIN THE WEST RIDGE FEEDER PATTERN AS WELL. SO THANK YOU.
WE CAN CERTAINLY DO THAT ANALYSIS.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ON ENROLLMENT? WE'LL JUST CONTINUE TO ENCOURAGE LAURIE TO HIRE EMPLOYEES WITH LOTS OF CHILDREN, LOTS TO FILL UP THE SCHOOL.
THANK YOU. YOU WANT TO GO ON WITH THE BLEND THEN? OKAY. NOW WE'RE GOING TO DIVE INTO SOME JUST SOME MODELING THAT HAS BEEN DONE FOR THE POTENTIAL BLEND OF VALLEY VIEW, BARTON CREEK.
[00:30:03]
POTENTIALLY BLENDING TWO ELEMENTARIES TOGETHER.SO WHAT I'M GOING TO FIRST TALK ABOUT IS.
PROJECTED 2526 ENROLLMENT NUMBERS.
SO I'M GOING TO TAKE SOME TIME.
TO KIND OF EXPLAIN HOW EVERYTHING WAS COME UP WITH WHERE THE NUMBERS COME FROM.
HOW WE GOT GOT TO SOME OF THESE CALCULATIONS.
WHEN WE STARTED THIS, THE FIRST THING WE KIND OF TALKED ABOUT INTERNALLY.
WAS WE NEEDED TO FIGURE OUT A WAY TO PROJECT THE HIGHEST POSSIBLE NUMBER THAT COULD POSSIBLY HAPPEN OR POTENTIALLY HAPPEN BASED OFF OF GOOD KIND OF PROJECTIONS THAT WE HAVE, AND TO DO THAT, THE FIRST STEP IS TO DETERMINE WHERE DO WE HAVE CONTROL, WHERE DO WE NOT HAVE CONTROL AND WHAT I MEAN BY THAT IS THINGS LIKE OUT-OF-DISTRICT TRANSFERS.
SO WE COULD POTENTIALLY SAY WE'LL HOLD OUR OUT-OF-DISTRICT TRANSFERS AND NOT ALLOW ANY NEW ONES IN, AND SO FROM THERE, THE FIRST STEP IN THIS MODEL WAS TO SAY ALL OF OUR EMPLOYEES OUT-OF-DISTRICT AND IN-DISTRICT TRANSFERS.
WE'RE JUST GOING TO HOLD FOR RIGHT NOW FOR THIS MODELING AND MOVE UP TO THE GRADE LEVEL.
THE REASON WE DID THAT WAS WE AS A DISTRICT HAVE CONTROL IN SAYING, WELL, WE WANT MORE OUT-OF-DISTRICT IN OR WE DON'T WE WANT TO HOLD WHERE WE'RE AT, AND THEN THE NEXT ITEM IS TO SAY THE SAME THING WITHIN SPANISH IMMERSION.
WE HAVE CONTROL WHETHER WE CAN ALLOW WE ALLOW MORE IN WHETHER WE WANT TO GO TO HIGHER NUMBERS.
WITHIN SPANISH IMMERSION FOR KINDER, WE SAID WE'LL HOLD ON THE TRANSFERS FOR NOW JUST TO SEE WHAT THAT MODEL LOOKS LIKE, AND THEN WE FOUND HOW MANY RESIDENTIAL KIDS ARE CURRENTLY IN KINDER SI AT VALLEY VIEW AND BARTON CREEK COMBINED.
SO WE FELT LIKE STICKING WITH A GOOD 22 NUMBER THERE.
WE COULD FILL A SECTION OF SI WITH A BLEND OF BOTH CAMPUSES NEXT LOOKING AT KINDER AS A WHOLE, AND DETERMINING WHAT KINDER PROJECTIONS WE USE. OUR DEMOGRAPHIC STUDIES THAT WE'VE USED IN THE PAST HAVE BEEN CONSISTENTLY PRETTY FAR OFF.
SO 72 RESIDENTIAL COMBINED AND JUST SAY, LET'S SAY THAT HAPPENS AGAIN.
WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE? NEXT WE TOOK ALL OF YOUR TRADITIONAL RESIDENTIAL STUDENTS.
SO THAT COLUMN THAT SAYS RESIDENTIAL.
BUMP THEM UP TO THE NEXT GRADE.
SO YOUR FIFTH GOES OFF AND GOES TO WEST RIDGE.
KINDER GOES TO FIRST, AND THEN WE APPLIED A 13 YEAR STUDY INTO GROWTH FROM COHORT LEVEL.
SO AN EXAMPLE WOULD BE KINDER TO FIRST IS TO DIANE, YOUR POINT ONE OF OUR BIG JUMP YEARS, IT'S ABOUT A 6.56% GROWTH FROM KINDER TO FIRST ACROSS THE DISTRICT.
WE FELT THAT WAS A GOOD NUMBER TO KIND OF APPLY AND PUT IN AS ANYTHING, WHEN YOU'RE DEALING WITH DECIMALS, YOUR YOUR PRODUCT USUALLY HAS DECIMALS INSIDE OF IT. SO WHEN THAT WAS THE CASE, WE WENT AHEAD AND ROUNDED UP AND SO SOME OF THOSE NUMBERS ARE A LITTLE BIT INFLATED ON TOP OF THAT GROWTH.
JUST KIND OF KEEP IN MIND HERE, GROWTH IS BAKED IN.
THAT WAS JUST USED TO MAKE A MODEL TO SEE WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE.
FROM THIS WE CAN THEN HAVE CONVERSATIONS WHERE WE WHERE DO WE WANT SOME MORE VARIABILITY? WHERE ARE WE OKAY WITH ADDING SOME IN WHERE WE MIGHT WANT TO LOOK AT OTHER OPTIONS, BUT WE WANTED TO GET JUST A GOOD STARTING POINT TO KIND OF THINK ABOUT A COUPLE OF THINGS.
FIRST, WE NEED TO GET TO A POINT OF SECTIONING.
JUST LIKE WITH THE SLIDE EARLIER WITH ENROLLMENT, YOU KIND OF NEED TO KNOW HOW MANY CLASSROOMS YOU'RE GOING TO NEED AND THEREFORE HOW MANY TEACHERS YOU NEED, AND THEN YOUR CAPACITY OF YOUR BUILDING.
SO THAT GAVE US A ROUGHLY START.
A GOOD STARTING POINT OF 751, AS WE THINK IS A DECENT RIGHT NOW PROJECTION.
GRANTED, THERE'S A LOT THAT CAN CHANGE HERE.
FAMILIES CAN COME IN, FAMILIES CAN DECIDE TO LEAVE.
WHAT IT GOES TO IS ONCE YOU HAVE YOUR NUMBERS AND YOUR PROJECTED ENROLLMENT, JUST AS WE DO WITH EVERY ELEMENTARY DURING THE SPRINGTIME, WE DO PROJECTED SECTIONING.
WHEN YOU'RE DOING PROJECTED SECTIONING, THERE'S KIND OF TWO THINGS.
YOU KIND OF THE RULES YOU KIND OF GO BY.
[00:35:05]
NEXT AND WHEN YOU'RE DOING SECTIONING IS YOU HAVE TO SECTION YOUR MOST RESTRICTIVE SECTION FIRST, AND THAT IS OUR SI CLASSROOMS, AND WHAT I MEAN BY MOST RESTRICTIVE IS THOSE 30 OR 43 STUDENTS IN FIRST GRADE CANNOT GO ANYWHERE BUT THE SI SECTIONS.YOUR REMAINDER IS THEN DIVIDED EVENLY AMONGST OR TRY TO GET AS EVENLY AS YOU CAN AMONGST THE REMAINING SECTIONS, HOLDING TO CLOSE TO AS HIGH AS WE CAN, THE 22 NUMBER, AND THEN KIND OF MOVING AROUND THERE.
SO YOU'LL SEE IN THIRD GRADE WE HAVE FOUR SECTIONS THAT ARE ABOVE THE 22.
WE HAVE HISTORICALLY WE DO HAVE SECTIONS ABOVE 22, BUT WE JUST USE THIS AS JUST A GENERAL MODEL OF WHERE WE COULD BE, WHAT THAT MIGHT POTENTIALLY LOOK LIKE FOR THAT 751.
IF YOU LOOK AT THE BOTTOM THERE, THERE'S JUST KIND OF SOME OF THOSE CONSIDERATIONS I TALKED ABOUT EARLIER THAT'S KIND OF BAKED INTO THAT OVERALL NUMBER, AND JUST AS MOLLY HAD TALKED ABOUT WITH FIFTH GRADE, SI IS NOT REPRESENTED.
THIS IS JUST A SNAPSHOT OF WHAT A HOMEROOM CLASSROOM KIND OF START OF THE DAY WOULD LOOK LIKE.
YOUR SECTIONS ARE DIFFERENT BECAUSE WE HAVE SCIENCE AND SPANISH FOR SI STUDENTS.
THAT JUST KIND OF THROWS A LOT OF LITTLE KINKS IN THERE.
THAT MAKES THESE NUMBERS A LITTLE DIFFERENT AT ANY POINT THROUGHOUT THE DAY.
SO ONCE YOU HAVE YOUR SECTIONING, YOU CAN THEN GO INTO AND START CONSIDERING CAPACITY.
CAPACITY OF A BUILDING, HOW MANY STUDENTS COULD BE IN THE BUILDING, WHAT DO THE CLASS SIZES LOOK LIKE? I WANT TO KIND OF START HERE BY SAYING THIS.
THERE'S A LOT OF MISCONCEPTION WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT INSTRUCTIONAL CAPACITY.
SO YOUR FIRST PICTURE HERE IS BARTON CREEK, AND THE FIRST STEP WE TOOK WAS GO THROUGH AND DETERMINE EVERY ROOM THAT IS FITTED OR BUILT TO BE A CLASSROOM.
SO ALL THE ONES THAT HAVE BEEN NOTED IN HERE WITH A COLORED NUMBER THESE ARE THESE ARE CLASSROOMS. THEY'RE BUILT THROUGH CONSTRUCTION AND THROUGH THE PLANNING TO BE CLASSROOMS. THEN WE WENT THROUGH AND DECIDED, OKAY, WHICH ONES DO WE THINK WOULD BE REASONABLE FOR OUR 22 TO 1 MODEL? AS WE CURRENTLY HAVE, THAT TELLS US HOW MANY SECTIONS WE CAN GET IN THE BUILDING BY DOING THAT.
SO ALL YOUR TEAL COLORS ARE YOUR, WHAT WE'RE CALLING LARGER CLASSROOMS. THEY ALLOW FOR THAT 22 TO 1 MODEL THEY ACTUALLY ALLOW FOR, AND WE DO HAVE IN SOME SECTIONS AT BARTON CREEK UP TO 25-26 STUDENTS PLUS ADULTS.
SO THIS IS ALL BASED ON STUDENTS.
NEXT WE HAVE WHAT ARE CALLED SMALLER CLASSROOMS. IF YOU'VE BEEN IN BARTON CREEK, IT'S THAT 200 HALL.
THEY ARE SQUARE FOOTAGE, SMALLER THAN THE 103 HUNDRED HALL.
AFTER WALKING THROUGH, DOING SOME MEASUREMENTS, TALKING WITH THEIR MAINTENANCE OPERATIONS AND TALKING TO SOME PEOPLE, WE FELT LIKE A GOOD NUMBER FOR THESE ROOMS IS SAYING 15 KIDS AND A TEACHER OR TWO COULD FIT IN THERE AT A TIME, AND THAT'S WHERE WE SET THAT THRESHOLD AT 15 FOR THOSE CLASSROOMS. THEN WE HAVE ONE ROOM THAT IS JUST TO THE ON THIS IT WOULD BE SOUTH, BUT IT'S NOT TECHNICALLY SOUTH, I GUESS IT'S EAST AT BARTON CREEK OF WHAT IS CURRENTLY THE ART ROOM, OR 437 THAT HAS BEEN HISTORICALLY USED IN SOME YEARS AS A CLASSROOM.
THIS YEAR IT IS ROLLOVER SPACE FOR ART AND ART.
IT'S A LITTLE BIT BIGGER THAN THE SMALL ONES.
IT'S A LITTLE BIT SMALLER THAN THE LARGE ONES.
SO WE FELT GOOD SAYING THAT CAPACITY OF THAT ROOM WOULD BE 16 STUDENTS INSIDE THERE.
ADDING ALL THAT UP GETS YOU TO THE 819.
NOW WHAT THAT SAYS, ALL THAT SAYS IS IF EVERY ROOM THAT IS BUILT AS A CLASSROOM WAS FILLED TO OUR CAPACITY OF 22 TO 1 OR LESS BECAUSE OF THE SIZE, HOW MANY CLASSROOMS AND STUDENTS WOULD YOU HAVE IN THAT BUILDING? WE'D HAVE 819.
THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT'S WHAT SHOULD BE DONE.
THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT'S WHAT'S GOING TO BE DONE.
THAT JUST GIVES US A STARTING POINT OF OUR CAPACITY NUMBERS.
SO IF WE GO BACK I THINK I CAN GO BACK ON THIS.
IF I CAN'T, HOW DO I GO BACK? I'M CLICKING THE OTHER WAY.
SO IF WE LOOK HERE IN THE BOTTOM RIGHT ON YOUR TOTALS, WE HAVE IN THIS MODEL YOU HAVE 36 SECTIONS.
[00:40:09]
WE CURRENTLY HAVE 29 THAT WE'VE DESIGNATED AS THAT SIZE.SO WHAT THAT TELLS US IS WE NEED ADDITIONAL CAPACITY FOR THE SECTIONING MODEL THAT WAS DONE EARLIER, AND THE CAPACITY WE NEED IS ROOMS THAT HOLD 22 STUDENTS, WHICH GETS US TO THEN WHAT COULD BE AN OPTION, AND WHAT WE'RE KIND OF THINKING THROUGH TO MEET THAT CAPACITY NEEDS WOULD BE THE ADDITION OF SIX LEARNING STUDIOS OR PORTABLES. THOSE PORTABLES ARE DIVIDED IN HALF.
SO YOU'RE GOING TO GAIN 12 ADDITIONAL CLASSROOMS THAT TECHNICALLY WITH THE SPECS WE'RE LOOKING AT, ARE ABOUT THE SAME SIZE AS THE TILL, MAYBE A LITTLE BIT LARGER, AND THAT WOULD INCREASE OUR OVERALL CAPACITY TO JUST OVER 1000 FOR STUDENTS.
THAT DOES NOT MEAN WE'RE SHOOTING TO PUT OVER A THOUSAND KIDS IN A BUILDING AT A TIME.
WHAT THAT TELLS US IS NOW WE HAVE MORE CAPACITY FOR CLASSROOMS. WE HAVE MORE CAPACITY FOR SPACE.
ON OUR ON THE 751 MODEL, JUST TO GIVE YOU A COUPLE OTHER NUMBERS TO KIND OF KEEP IN YOUR HEADS THAT IF WE HAVEN'T ALREADY GIVEN YOU ENOUGH IS SO WE NEED 36 CLASSROOMS. WE NEED SIX SMALLER CLASSROOMS FOR CDC, AND WE ROUGHLY NEED ABOUT TEN FOR OUR SPECIAL ED INTERVENTION GT PROGRAMS, AND THAT WITHOUT COUNTING ART, WITHOUT COUNTING THE MUSIC CLASSROOMS IS ACHIEVABLE THROUGH THE ADDITION OF THE CAPACITY WITH WITH THE PORTABLES.
SO THAT MEANS TWO ART ROOMS. TWO MUSIC ROOMS. YOU CAN SEAT ALL 36 OF YOUR GRADE LEVEL SECTIONS.
YOU HAVE SIX ROOMS FOR ALL OF YOUR CDC, AND YOU HAVE TEN ROOMS THAT CAN BE USED FOR ANY OTHER KIND OF SMALL BREAKOUT, WHETHER IT'S SPECIAL ED INTERVENTION, GT, THE LOCATION OF WHERE THINGS GO THAT WE BELIEVE IS A LEADERSHIP JOB, AND KIND OF FIGURING OUT WHERE KIDS ARE AT BASED ON NEEDS.
SO WE WANTED TO SHOW YOU A REALISTIC MODEL.
SO WE'RE THINKING NOW THE BEST LOCATION IF POSSIBLE THROUGH ZONING AND A COUPLE OTHER HURDLES WE HAVE TO GET THROUGH WOULD BE THREE AT THE END OF HALL 100, TWO AT THE END OF HALL 300, AND THEN YOUR ADDITIONAL PORTABLE WOULD ACTUALLY BE OUTSIDE THE FENCE ON THE SOUTH END OF THE PLAYFIELD.
THAT DOES NOT TOUCH PLAYFIELDS DOES NOT TOUCH ANY OF THE PLAYGROUNDS, EXCEPT FOR YOUR CDC LARGE PLAYGROUND THAT IS CURRENTLY UNDER TWO AND THREE. YEAH.
YEAH. PLEASE TAKE YOUR CONVERSATIONS OUTSIDE.
WE'RE TRYING TO LISTEN TO THE MEETING.
YEAH. SO THIS IS KIND OF WHAT WE'RE CURRENTLY THINKING.
WHERE IF WE NEEDED TO EXPAND INTO THOSE PORTABLES WHERE THEY COULD BE LOCATED.
WHAT IS PROMISING ABOUT THIS IS THAT ALSO ALLOWS US THE OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE A SECURITY FENCE THAT RUNS OUT AND THEN DOWN EMMA AVE AND THEN LOOPS BACK UP, WHICH THOSE PORTABLES ONE, TWO, THREE, FOUR AND FIVE WOULD BE IN THAT SECURITY FENCE.
THAT IS EXACTLY THE WAY CDC PORTABLES ARE.
THAT WOULD BE THE WAY THE EANES PORTABLES ARE.
THEY'RE ALL SECURITY FENCED IN.
IT WOULD BE THE SAME MODEL THAT WE USE AT A COUPLE OF OUR OTHER CAMPUSES.
WE WOULD ALSO SECURITY FENCE THE ADDITIONAL ONE OUT BY THE PLAYFIELD, JUST KIND OF DEPENDING WHERE IT'S AT, IT PROBABLY WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO BE CONNECTED BECAUSE OF THE BUS DROP LANE. WE DON'T WANT TO TAKE THAT AWAY OR THE DRIVE-THRU THERE.
WE ALSO DON'T WANT WE'RE TRYING TO AVOID TAKING ANY OF THE PLAY FIELD AREA OR ANY OF THE PARKING SPACES WE KNOW ARE, ARE NEEDED, AND SO THIS IS OUR CURRENT THINKING THIS IS WHAT WE'RE KIND OF THINKING WITH GETTING THOSE IN.
THIS WOULD BE THE LAYOUT OF CLASSROOMS WHERE THINGS CAN GO.
I KNOW RIGHT NOW IN BARTON CREEK, YOU HAVE A LOT OF THOSE SERVICES IN THAT 200 HALL.
THAT'S JUST OPTIONS FOR EVERYBODY.
GRADE LEVELS CAN BE IN THE TEAL ROOMS. THEY CAN BE IN YOUR STUDIOS.
THERE'S JUST A LOT OF DIFFERENT OPTIONS THAT ARE HERE NOW THAT WE IF WE COULD POTENTIALLY ADD THAT CAPACITY, AND THEN I'M GOING TO LET MOLLY TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT CDC AND SOME OF THOSE NUMBERS.
RIGHT NOW IS THAT AT BARTON CREEK AND VALLEY VIEW, THE CDC WILL REMAIN ON THOSE CAMPUSES AS THEY ARE NOW, AS CHAD MENTIONED, WHERE THE CDC AT BARTON CREEK WOULD BE LOCATED WOULD BE THE DETERMINATION OF THE CAMPUS ADMINISTRATION.
VALLEY VIEW CHILDREN WILL REMAIN IN THEIR CURRENT LOCATION.
[00:45:02]
THEN WE HAVE LOOKED AGAIN AT ROLLING STUDENTS UP AND WHAT OUR APPROXIMATE ENROLLMENT WOULD LOOK LIKE, AND SO IT LOOKS LIKE WE HAVE 50 STUDENTS PROJECTED FOR THE CDC AT BARTON CREEK, AND THEN, AS CHAD HAS MENTIONED, WE HAVE LOOKED AT THESE ADDITIONAL STUDENTS IN CLASSROOMS WHEN WE ARE LOOKING AT THE BLEND.THERE ARE APPROXIMATELY 100 STUDENTS PROJECTED FOR AFTER SCHOOL CARE AT BARTON CREEK.
IF YOU BLEND THE CURRENT POPULATIONS OF AFTER SCHOOL STUDENTS AT BARTON CREEK AND VALLEY VIEW, AND THOSE 100 STUDENTS COULD BE DEFINITELY EASILY ACCOMMODATED FOR, YOU CAN USE LARGE SPACES SUCH AS THE GYM AND THE CAFETERIA, AND YOU COULD EVEN SPLIT THE PROGRAMS INTO K-2 AND THREE FIVE, AND THOSE STAFF MEMBERS WHO ARE SERVING THE STUDENTS CURRENTLY, YOU KNOW, AT VALLEY VIEW CAN COME OVER AND THEY CAN WORK OVER AT BARTON CREEK OR AT THE BLEND CAMPUS.
SO WE FEEL LIKE WE'VE ALSO TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION ALL OF OUR EASY CARE PROGRAMS, OUR EANES CARE PROGRAMS, TO MAKE SURE THOSE STUDENTS ARE ARE WELL SERVED AS THEY ARE NOW ON BOTH OF THEIR CAMPUSES.
BOARD, QUESTIONS? THEY ARE THINKING.
WE'LL GO HEATHER AND THEN KIM.
SO AGAIN, I'M JUST GONNA ASK BECAUSE I JUST ASKED BEFORE ON THE SNAPSHOT DATA THAT ON THE BLEND, WE ARE STILL NOT COUNTING COLLABORATIVE TEACHERS IN THE NUMBER OF FTES NEEDED, AND THAT DOES NOT MEAN THAT WE WOULD NOT HAVE MORE FTES FOR SPECIAL EDUCATION INTERVENTION, GT YOU NAME IT.
CORRECT. YES, THIS IS JUST A SECTIONING MODEL AND NOT A STAFFING MODEL.
THANK YOU. I JUST WANTED TO BE VERY CLEAR ON THAT.
I APPRECIATE ALL OF THIS INFORMATION.
THIS WAS A LOT OF WORK FOR YOU ALL AND I KNOW, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE HEARD A LOT FROM THE COMMUNITY ABOUT CONCERNS, AND SO I APPRECIATE THAT YOU HAVE HAVE DONE ALL THIS.
I KNOW A LOT OF PEOPLE WERE REALLY CONCERNED WITH HAVING PORTABLES ON THE FIELD AND LOSING THE FIELD, SO, AND OR PARKING, AND THIS SEEMS TO HAVE ALLEVIATED THOSE CONCERNS, WE THINK.
PLEASE. THAT IS OUR PLAN RIGHT NOW.
I THINK THAT'S ALL I HAVE FOR RIGHT NOW.
THANK YOU, HEATHER. WE'LL GO TO KIM.
THANKS. I HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS.
SO WHEN WE LOOK AT GOING UP TO ONE OF THE FIRST BLEND SLIDES, WHEN WE LOOK AT THIS PROJECTION OF 751. I KNOW THAT THERE'S, YOU KNOW, AN ART AND A SCIENCE THAT GO INTO YOU'RE LOOKING AT A CRYSTAL BALL OF WHAT COULD HAPPEN. WHO WHO ARE THE PEOPLE THAT ADMINISTRATION GOES OUT AND ASK WHEN WE GET TO THAT PROJECTION NUMBER, MAYBE, YOU KNOW, I GUESS WHAT IT WOULD BE.
RIGHT. WHO ARE THE PEOPLE THAT HELP YOU MAKE THAT DECISION? ARE THEY PRINCIPALS OR ARE THEY TEACHERS? ARE THEY, YOU KNOW, I KNOW WE'VE GOT A CALCULATION, BUT HOW DO WE GET TO THAT NUMBER? THAT'S MY QUESTION TO THE ENROLLMENT NUMBER OR TO OUR SECTION NUMBER? THE 751.
THROUGH THE ENROLLMENT PROCESS, BUT ONE OF THE THINGS WE'RE THINKING ABOUT WITH THE BLEND IS VALLEY VIEW FAMILIES POLLING THEM TO SEE IF THEY WOULD LIKE TO GO SOMEWHERE ELSE. IF SO, WE CAN START KIND OF THAT WE CAN START THAT EARLY, BUT USUALLY THROUGH OUR TRADITIONAL KIND OF ANNUAL ENROLLMENT, YOU START WHO HAS INTENT TO COME BACK, YOU START KIND OF GETTING THOSE NUMBERS AND GO THROUGH THERE.
THIS MODEL WAS JUST PURELY AN ATTEMPT TO SAY, IF EVERYBODY CAME BACK AND THERE'S GROWTH IN THERE, WHAT WOULD THAT LOOK LIKE? TO YOUR POINT, THAT'S AS FAR AS OUR VARIABILITY IS RIGHT NOW AND MORE COULD MOVE IN.
SO THE FIRST ATTEMPT WAS JUST TO KIND OF SEE, AS I SAID, LIKE, WHAT'S A DECENT SHOT AT WHAT COULD BE IF WE PUT THEM TOGETHER RIGHT NOW, ROLLED UP AND PUT SOME SOME GROWTH IN THERE.
OKAY, AND THEN I DIDN'T ASK THE QUESTION ALL THAT CLEAR, BUT WE'VE GOT WE I'M ASSUMING THAT WE'RE GETTING TO THIS LOOKING BACKWARD AT A COUPLE OF YEARS THAT HAVE BEEN PRETTY STEADY.
[00:50:05]
YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT PROJECTIONS AND THE PROJECTIONS HAVE BEEN OFF, AND THAT'S PART OF WHY WE'RE SITTING HERE IN A FINANCIAL WITH FINANCIAL PROBLEMS, BUT THERE HAVEN'T BEEN REAL, REAL HICCUPS LIKE THE COVID YEAR.SO WHAT I HEAR FROM THE COMMUNITY IS, YOU KNOW, THERE'S DIFFERENT OPINIONS AND THERE'S STRONG OPINIONS, AND THIS MAY NOT BE THE TYPICAL YEAR WITH JUST A LITTLE BIT OF ENROLLMENT PROJECTION.
THEY MAY BE WANTING TO TRANSFER, YOU KNOW, WITHIN-DISTRICT OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
HAS THAT BEEN PART OF THE CONSIDERATION OR IS THE 751 BASED ON WHAT WE'VE SEEN IN THE LAST 3 OR 4 YEARS? YEAH.
SO OVER A LONG PERIOD OF TIME, WHICH WE'VE DONE MODELING BACK FOR 13 YEARS, BUT WHEN WE STARTED DOING POST-COVID WHAT WE NOTICED WAS THE GROWTH RATE WAS SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER, ACTUALLY, AND FROM GRADE TO GRADE.
SO IN THIS, OUR ATTEMPT IS TO SAY WHAT IS OUR HISTORICALLY LARGEST GROWTH RATE WE'VE HAD AND USE THAT AS A PROJECTION SO THAT WE FEEL MORE COMFORTABLE THE NUMBER IS GOING TO GO DOWN THAN THE NUMBER WOULD GO UP, AND THAT'S AGAIN, AT THIS POINT IN TIME, THAT IS JUST AN EDUCATED GUESS, BUT AT THIS POINT, WE'RE TRYING TO GET OUR POTENTIALLY HIGHEST BEST GUESS, AND THEN THINKING ABOUT FROM THERE TO YOUR POINT, FIRST GRADE FAMILY MOVES OR DECIDES TO GO SOMEWHERE ELSE OR GIVEN OPTIONS, GO SOMEWHERE ELSE.
SO OUR FIRST STEP WAS JUST TO SEE IF EVERYTHING STAYED KIND OF EVEN WITH SOME GROWTH, WHAT WOULD WE NEED TO DO AT BARTON CREEK TO EDUCATE AT OUR CURRENT LEVEL, THOSE STUDENTS, AND THEN I MIXED UP TWO QUESTIONS THEN.
YOU KNOW, SO WE LOOK AT 751 AND MAYBE THAT'S WHERE WE END UP.
WE'VE GOT 751, AND BY THE PLANNING AND BY THE ASSUMPTIONS, I GET THAT ADMINISTRATION BELIEVES THAT 751 CAN FIT INTO THIS RECONFIGURED BUILDING AND WE CAN GET, YOU KNOW, ENOUGH SPACE AND ALL OF THAT. WHO ARE THOSE IN ADDITION TO THIS GROUP HERE ARE THOSE ALSO TEACHERS AND PRINCIPALS.
WHO ELSE HAS A VOICE IN IS THIS BUILDING A GOOD BUILDING? IS THIS A GOOD SETUP TO EDUCATE CHILDREN? IS THAT I MEAN, I KNOW WE'VE GOT A COMMITTEE AND WE'VE GOT TEACHERS AND WE'VE GOT PRINCIPALS, AND THOSE ARE PEOPLE THAT DEAL WITH THIS DAY TO DAY.
THIS IS MERELY AND WHERE I THINK SOME PEOPLE MISCONCEPTION IS LIKE IT'S MERELY TO ASK A QUESTION.
IF IT CAN HAPPEN, WHAT DOES IT NEED TO LOOK LIKE? THIS IS WHAT WE MODELED OUT WAS IF IT COULD HAPPEN, WE NEEDED A GOOD NUMBER AT 751 TO KIND OF START MODELING, AND IF THAT'S YOUR NUMBER, WHAT DOES IT NEED TO LOOK LIKE TO EDUCATE 751 STUDENTS WITH OUR CURRENT NEEDS, OUR CURRENT SERVICES? SO WE DID GET SPECIAL ED.
WE TALKED TO CDC, HOW MUCH SPACE WITH THE TWO CAPACITIES BUILD TOGETHER.
DO YOU NEED? AND THEN LOOKING AT THIS WITH 36, LIKE WE SECTIONED OUT, NORMALLY IT WOULD BE 36 CLASSROOMS. YOU ALSO CAN RUN WE ALSO KNOW WITH THESE NUMBERS AT EACH GRADE LEVEL YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO RUN TWO ART, TWO MUSIC, TWO GYMS AND THROUGH THOSE ROTATIONS TO ENSURE THE ROTATIONS ARE STILL AT THE SAME LEVEL THEY ARE RIGHT NOW, AND THAT'S WHY ON THE OTHER PLAN 41 DOESN'T BECOME A CLASSROOM, BUT I'M JUST GIVING A NUMBER.
IT'S THE ONE THAT'S BELOW THE ART CLASSROOM RIGHT NOW.
THAT BECOMES ANOTHER ART CLASSROOM FOR THE CAPACITY TO DO THAT.
WE DIDN'T WANT TO TOUCH LIBRARY.
WE DIDN'T WANT TO TOUCH OFFICE SPACE.
WE'RE TRYING TO JUST SEE IF WE GET TO 751 HOW WOULD WE AND WHAT WOULD WE NEED TO EDUCATE THEM AT OUR CURRENT LEVEL AND LEVEL OF SERVICES? AND THEN I GUESS, YOU KNOW, WHERE I'M GOING IS THE PEOPLE THAT EDUCATE DAILY.
THE TWO OF YOU, DOCTOR ARNETT THEY'RE LOOKING AT THIS AND SAYING THAT THIS IS DOABLE, THAT THIS IS NOT THAT IN THIS BUILDING THERE IS THE CAPACITY AND WE CAN FIT IT WITH TEACHERS AND WE CAN MAKE THIS WORK.
[00:55:05]
I MEAN, THE PEOPLE WE HAVE SPOKEN TO HAVE COMMUNICATED HOW MUCH SPACE THEY NEED, WHAT THAT WOULD LOOK LIKE, AND SO WE HAVE ACCOMMODATED THAT, YOU KNOW, IS THERE SOME CONCERN OF STAFF? YES, BECAUSE THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE.THEY HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO WALK IN AND SEE THE SPACE AND SAY, THIS IS EXACTLY WHERE I'D BE TEACHING MY GROUP OF STUDENTS THAT HAVE DYSLEXIA, YOU KNOW? BUT AS FAR AS WHAT THE SPACE NEEDS TO LOOK LIKE TO BE EQUITABLE IN WHAT WE ARE CURRENTLY DOING IN ALL OF OUR ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS.
OKAY, AND THEN I WOULD ASSUME AS WE CONTINUE ON WITH ANY KIND OF PLAN, YES OR NO, THERE'S A LOT MORE THAT GOES INTO IT.
I MEAN, THIS IS JUST THE FIRST STEP IN IN A NUMBER OF CONVERSATIONS.
YES, I WOULD SAY THAT THIS HAS BEEN TESTED FROM A VARIETY OF VANTAGE POINTS, AND IT WILL CONTINUE TO BE, AND NOT TO BE DISRESPECTFUL OF THE CONCERNS, AS MOLLY SAID, THERE ARE CERTAINLY RESERVATIONS BECAUSE THIS IS NEW, IT'S DIFFERENT BUT IF WE DID NOT HAVE A HIGH DEGREE OF CONFIDENCE BASED UPON THE INFORMATION THAT WE HAVE SO FAR, WE WOULD NOT BE BRINGING THIS FORWARD TO YOU FOR CONSIDERATION, BECAUSE THE GREATEST PRIORITY THAT WE HAVE IS TO ONE, MAKE SURE THAT THE STUDENTS AND THE STAFF ARE SAFE, AND TWO, THAT WE'RE MAINTAINING THE INTEGRITY OF THE INSTRUCTIONAL ENVIRONMENT AND BEING CONSISTENT WITH THE QUALITY AND THE STANDARDS THAT EANES ISD IS KNOWN FOR.
OKAY. COULD YOU THEN KIND OF JUMPING TO ANOTHER TOPIC, WHICH IS THE PORTABLES.
SO THEY HAVE THEIR OWN AIR CONDITIONING.
THEY WOULD HAVE THEIR OWN BATHROOMS. THAT'S WHY THEY'RE CALLED LEARNING STUDIOS OVER JUST A PORTABLE A TRADITIONAL PORTABLE SOMETIMES CONNOTATES YOU THINK OF LIKE THAT, THE OLDER KIND OF VERSION OF IT, BUT YES, THESE WOULD BE BRAND NEW PORTABLES IS WHAT WE'RE CURRENTLY.
THEY HAVE RESTROOMS. 100%. YES. YEAH.
ALL RIGHT, AND THEN THE LAST QUESTION THAT I HAVE RIGHT NOW, THERE'S FROM A CDC STANDPOINT, ARE THE ARE THE CHILDREN IN CDC THAT ARE ATTACHED TO VALLEY VIEW TEACHERS? ARE THEY STAYING AT VALLEY VIEW.
OR IF A TEACHER WAS AT VALLEY VIEW AND THEN MOVED TO BARTON CREEK, LET'S SAY.
WOULD THAT--WE WOULD WORK TO ACCOMMODATE.
YOU WOULD WORK TO ACCOMMODATE THEM.
THAT TEACHER WOULDN'T HAVE TO DROP OFF THEIR KIDS, AND THEN--WE WOULD WORK TO ACCOMMODATE.
SO IT'S THE TEACHERS, IS THAT.
THANK YOU. THAT'S WHAT I HAVE.
RIGHT? THAT'S WHAT I NEED RIGHT NOW.
THANK YOU. KIM, WE'LL GO TO ELLEN.
I'D LIKE TO HEAR A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THE CAPACITY NUMBERS THAT WE'RE CURRENTLY USING FOR ALL OF OUR ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS. THIS RELATES MORE TO THE 819 CAPACITY NUMBER, THESE WOULD BE THE MASTER PLAN NUMBER, GRANTED FROM A DECADE AGO, BUT IT STRIKES ME AS AND I KNOW THIS IS IN THE Q AND A AND I READ THE Q AND A, BUT I STILL DIDN'T UNDERSTAND IT.
SO THAT'S WHY I'M ASKING THE QUESTION.
BARTON CREEK SEEMS TO HAVE A LOT MORE CAPACITY THAN WE TRADITIONALLY HAVE THOUGHT IT DID, AND THE OTHER SCHOOLS, IN MY RECOLLECTION, SEEM TO BE ON THE SMALLISH SIDE BECAUSE WE HAVE HAD MORE KIDS IN ALL OF THOSE ON ALL OF THOSE CAMPUSES.
SO HOW HOW WERE THESE NUMBERS GENERATED? THESE COME FROM THE LONG RANGE PLANNING COMMITTEE NUMBERS.
SO THE 819 COMES FROM WHAT WAS PRESENTED TO THE LONG RANGE PLANNING COMMITTEE IN AUGUST, I THINK WAS WHEN THOSE CAPACITY NUMBERS WERE YEAH, THOSE NUMBERS ARE DEVELOPED BY THE ARCHITECT AND COULD THE REST OF THE BOARD GET I KNOW A COUPLE OF MEMBERS ARE ON THAT COMMITTEE.
COULD THE REST OF THE BOARD GET THOSE NUMBERS.
OKAY. OKAY, AND IS THAT BASED ON CLASS? I MEAN, IS THE NEW ANALYSIS PRIMARILY BASED ON CLASSROOMS AND A CALCULATION OUT AS OPPOSED TO PROGRAM CAPACITY?
[01:00:01]
I MEAN, IT'S ALWAYS, ALWAYS THE ARGUMENT BETWEEN ACTUAL SQUARE FOOTAGE VERSUS PROGRAM CAPACITY.YEAH. SO THE NEW NUMBERS USED IS BASED ON CLASSROOMS AND THEN SETTING A THRESHOLD OF 22 TO 1.
I THINK THOUGH AND PLEASE CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG.
I THINK YOU MIGHT BE REFERRING TO 2013.
THERE WAS A BIG FACILITIES, A MASTER PLANNING.
SO THE 540 THAT WAS IN THAT REPORT WAS BASED OFF THE WAY THE BUILDING WAS CURRENTLY BEING USED, AND A 20 TO 1 RATIO IN THOSE CLASSROOMS, AND SO IF YOU LOOK IN THROUGH THERE, I THINK IT WAS 27 CLASSROOMS WAS DESIGNATED AS A CLASSROOM.
THE REST WERE DESIGNATED AS SPECIAL ED OTHER PLACES.
SO WHAT HAPPENED WAS THEY WENT IN, THEY SAID, HOW'S THE BUILDING CURRENTLY USED? IF WE PUT 20 KIDS IN EVERY BUILDING THAT IS CURRENTLY A CLASSROOM, YOUR CAPACITY IS 540.
THEN THE REPORT GOES ON TO INCREASE IT TO 606.
THAT WAS DONE THROUGH REMODELING OF THE 200 HALL TO EXPAND THOSE CLASSROOMS, AND THEN YOU ACTUALLY THE PLAN WAS TO KNOCK OUT 3 OR 4 OF THE CLASSROOMS IN THE 100 AND THE 300 HALL TO MAKE FOR LIKE LEARNING SPACES, I THINK IS WHAT THEY CALLED OR COLLABORATIVE SPACES, BUT THAT WAS THE PLAN TO KNOCK IT OUT.
SO 606 WAS NEVER THAT WAS THE PLAN OR THE RECOMMENDED PLAN CAPACITY.
THE FIVE, THE 540 WAS WHAT THEY SAID AT THE MOMENT IN 2013.
HOW IS THE BUILDING BEING USED? WHAT ARE YOUR CLASSROOMS? AND THEY SAID IF WE WENT TO 20 TO 20 TO ONE RATIO, THIS IS HOW MANY KIDS YOU COULD GET IN THERE.
JUST TO BE CLEAR, THE 751 DOES NOT INCLUDE THE 50 STUDENTS PROJECTED FOR CDC, CORRECT? CORRECT. AND HAS THE COMMITTEE OR THE TEAM OR WHATEVER YOU ARE AT THIS POINT CONSIDERED LOCATING THE CDC, FOR EXAMPLE, AT WEST RIDGE, JUST TO ALLEVIATE SOME OF THE PRESSURE ON THE K-5? NO.
SO WHERE WE'RE AT RIGHT NOW IS WHAT WE'RE PRESENTING TO YOU IS KIND OF THE DIRECTION WE'VE BEEN GIVEN IS IF WE COMBINE WHAT'S A GOOD ENROLLMENT, AND THEN WHAT WOULD IT TAKE TO GET THAT ENROLLMENT AT THAT CAMPUS.
SO WE HAVE NOT HAD CONVERSATIONS ABOUT MOVING CDC TO WEST RIDGE, AND IF I COULD ELABORATE ON THAT, ONE OF THE CONSTRAINTS, AND I THINK THE REASON WHY WE HAVE SETTLED ON MAINTAINING THE CDC AT BARTON CREEK IS THAT WEST RIDGE CURRENTLY DOES NOT HAVE CLASSROOMS WHERE THERE WOULD BE RESTROOMS WITHIN THE CLASSROOM THAT ARE NECESSARY FOR SERVING CHILDREN OF THAT AGE, INFANTS IN PARTICULAR, AND TODDLERS.
NOR DOES IT HAVE PLAYGROUNDS FOR AN EARLY CHILDHOOD FACILITY.
WE'LL GO TO HEATHER. I THINK YOU ALREADY COVERED SOME OF WHAT I WAS GOING TO ASK.
SO THANK YOU, BUT YEAH, I WAS JUST THINKING ABOUT WHEN MY SON WAS IN THIRD GRADE AT FOREST TRAIL.
HE WAS IN THE PORTABLES, WHAT THEY CALLED IT THE CABINS, AND THEY WERE VERY RUN DOWN AND HAD NO BATHROOMS. SO I AM GLAD THAT THESE ARE NOT THAT.
SO WE'VE GOTTEN BETTER, BUT I AND I THINK YOU ALREADY SAID THAT WE WILL BE SURVEYING FAMILIES IF THEY DO WANT TO BECOME INTER-DISTRICT TRANSFERS, IF THEY WANT TO GO TO A DIFFERENT CAMPUS.
DID YOU SAY THAT? WHAT'S THE WORD? SURVEYING? YES, SOMEHOW ASK FAMILIES.
YEAH. WE'LL ASK. I MEAN, IT'S ALWAYS GOING TO BE CAPACITY ISSUES.
SURE. SO, LIKE, CEDAR CREEK DOESN'T HAVE A WHOLE LOT OF SEATS RIGHT NOW, SO THAT WILL LIMIT IT, BUT THE THOUGHT RIGHT NOW IS DEFINITELY SURVEYING FAMILIES AND SEE IF THEY WOULD LIKE AN OPTION INSTEAD OF JOINING THE BLEND.
OKAY, AND THEN I THINK YOU COVERED THIS A LITTLE BIT ALSO THAT THERE HAS BEEN MODELING ALREADY FOR COLLABORATIVE AND THE LEVELS OF SERVICE, AND TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN ACCOMMODATE FOR ALL OF THOSE KIDDOS.
YES, SPECIAL ED HAS BEEN INVOLVED IN ALL OF THESE DISCUSSIONS.
PERFECT. THEN YES, YOU COVERED IT ALL.
THANK YOU. ANY OTHER TRUSTEE QUESTIONS? I'LL GO A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS.
CAN WE GO TO THIS SLIDE? SO 751 I BELIEVE THAT WOULD PUT THE BUILDING.
NOW, BY THE WAY, THE THIS IS MATH.
NUMBER OF SPACES TIMES NUMBER OF CAPACITY EQUALS A NUMBER.
[01:05:03]
SO 819 I BELIEVE.IF WITHOUT ANY LEARNING STUDIOS OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
I THINK THAT'S WHAT I BELIEVE CEDAR CREEK IS.
I CAN'T I KNOW IT'S IN THE 90S, BUT I CAN'T OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD.
SO 92% FULL SOUNDS PRETTY FULL, BUT I THINK WE'VE EVEN OPERATED FOREST TRAIL UP TO 9899 OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS. I MEAN, CEDAR CREEK AS WELL, RIGHT? OKAY, AND THOSE BY THE WAY, THOSE PERCENTAGES ARE BASED OFF THE NEW ARCHITECTURE CAPACITY NUMBERS.
IT'S NOT IT'S NOT THAT IT'S NOT DOABLE.
WE HAVE THE SAME NUMBER OF GYMS AND CAFETERIAS AND EVERYTHING.
SO IT GOES TO 36, AND I'M NOT PASSING JUDGMENT.
I'M JUST SHOWING OBSERVATION HERE.
IN THAT THIRD GRADE THE AVERAGE IS 21.5, BUT IT'S GOT 23 BECAUSE OF THESE INEFFICIENCIES THAT WE TALK ABOUT WITH SI CLASS SIZES AND TRADITIONAL CLASS SIZES.
RIGHT. SO WITHOUT THE SI IN THAT IT'S A 21.
LIKE MOLLY SAID THEY MOVE AROUND THROUGH THE DAY.
THE SECOND ONE OF THE YEAH QUESTION THOUGH IN LOOKING AT YOUR SHOWING SECTIONS OF 23, AND WE EVEN HAVE TWO SECTIONS AT BARTON CREEK RIGHT NOW AT KINDERGARTEN AND FIRST GRADE OBVIOUSLY WE RUN MORE THAN 22.
ARE WE OVERCROWDING THESE 22 ROOMS OR ARE THEY REALLY WE CAN FLEX UP TO 24? WHAT'S THE COMFORT LEVEL OF 24 AND A 22 ROOM? YEAH. SO CURRENTLY, YES, WE CAN GET UP TO 25, 26 COMFORTABLY IN THERE.
THE REASON 22 IS THE CAPACITY IS WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO IS, IS SHOW A MODEL OUT.
IF WE IF WE STUCK FIRMLY TO THE 22 TO 1, WHICH IS OUR DISTRICT POLICY, THAT'S WHAT IT WOULD COME.
THAT'S HOW MANY SECTIONS OR CLASSROOMS YOU WOULD NEED.
THERE'S FLEXIBILITY IN THERE, AND SO YOU'VE GOT YOU'RE RIGHT.
I THINK THERE'S TWO AT BARTON CREEK.
THERE'S ACTUALLY THREE SECTIONS AT VALLEY VIEW OVER THE 22 TWO.
IT'S NOT, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING WE LIKE TO DO THAT MUCH, BUT IT IS SOMETHING THAT CAN BE DONE.
SO TO JUST AND THIS IS WHERE I THINK MAYBE HOPEFULLY CAN ALLEVIATE SOME, SOME QUESTIONS.
CAPACITY MODELING IS DIFFERENT THAN ACTUAL WHO'S GOING TO SIT IN THE ROOM, AND SO CAPACITY MODELING IS NUMBER OF CLASSROOMS, AND IF YOU SAID YOUR THRESHOLD WAS 22 WHAT IS YOUR CAPACITY FROM THERE, AND YOU KNOW LIKE THE 30, THE 31 THAT PINK KIND OF THAT HOT PINK NUMBER.
THEY'RE LARGE. THEY'RE NOT LARGE.
I SHOULDN'T SAY LARGE, BUT THEY'RE SMALLER.
SO REALLY THIS MODEL WAS DEVELOPED TO LIKE IT WAS TO KIND OF GO ON THE LOW END, AND THEN THE ENROLLMENT WAS ON THE HIGH END OF KIND OF WHAT ARE WE AT AND SO IF WE COULD CAPACITY SHOOT LOW, ENROLLMENT, SHOOT HIGH, AND THEN IF WE COULD MERGE THE TWO, THAT TELLS US WE FEEL PRETTY GOOD ABOUT THE ABILITY TO DO IT.
YEAH, I LIKE THAT YOU'RE BEING A BIT MORE CONSERVATIVE THAT NUMBER 819 COULD FLEX UP TO 850, BECAUSE YOU'VE GOT 41 CLASSROOMS THAT YOU COULD ADD ONE MORE STUDENT TO. SO YOU COULD THAT'S EVEN 860.
I FEEL LIKE AND YOU POINTED THIS OUT, BUT I FEEL LIKE FULLY JUDGING THIS PLAN, THIS LIKE KIM SAID, THIS IS STEP ONE, AND I THINK ANYONE SITTING HERE SAYING, LOOKING AT THE INGREDIENTS AND SAYING THAT THE CAKE TASTES REALLY BAD.
IT'S JUST WAY, WAY AHEAD OF WHERE THEY NEED TO BE AT THIS POINT.
WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE? LET ME ASK YOU THIS WILL WE MAKE IT SAFE? OH, 100%.
WILL WE MAKE IT WORK? YES. OKAY.
WE DO HARD THINGS AND WE WILL MAKE THIS WORK.
THANK YOU, AND THEN MY SONS, MY LITTLE BOYS WHO ARE IN COLLEGE AND GRADUATED NOW, BOTH WENT TO THIRD GRADE CLASSROOMS IN PORTABLES AT FOREST TRAIL AND HEATHER GAVE IT A GOOD DESCRIPTION
[01:10:04]
BUT I'M WONDERING, I DON'T KNOW, I COULD BE OR HIS OR HIS SON OR SOMETHING.KELLY, DO YOU HAVE ANY PERSPECTIVE ON THE LEARNING STUDIOS? BECAUSE WE'RE DESCRIBING THE OLD STYLE.
WE GET TO GO TO OUR OWN PLACE.
CAN YOU DESCRIBE A LITTLE BIT OF THAT? YEAH. SO AT CEDAR CREEK ORIGINALLY, WE HAD THE PORTABLES THAT DIDN'T HAVE THE RESTROOMS, AND THEN WE ALSO DIDN'T HAVE AN ENTRANCE TO THE SCHOOL THAT WAS OFFICIAL FOR THE KIDS TO USE THE BATHROOM.
SO THEY WERE CUTTING THROUGH A CLASS, AND WHEN WE BROUGHT THAT TO THE BOARD'S ATTENTION, THEY IMMEDIATELY CAME AND CHECKED OUT OUR CAMPUS, AND WE GOT THE LEARNING STUDIOS. SO WE ENDED UP POSITIONING THEM RIGHT NEXT TO THE BUILDING.
SO THERE IS A SAFE AND EASY ACCESS IN AND OUT, AND IF YOU DRIVE PAST CEDAR CREEK, YOU CAN SEE THEM THERE ON THE CORNER, AND THEN THE BOOSTER CLUB JUMPED IN AND WE PROVIDED THE ASTROTURF, AND THE DISTRICT DID A COVER OUT THERE.
SO NOW THOSE STUDENTS ARE THE FIFTH GRADERS, AND THEY GET SO EXCITED TO GET TO COMPLETE THEIR TIME AT CEDAR CREEK BY BEING IN THE LEARNING STUDIOS, BUT THEY ALSO LOVE IT BECAUSE THEY CAN BE INSIDE AND OUTSIDE FOR CLASS.
SO BUT THE KIDS REALLY LIKE IT AND IT IS VERY EXCITING.
YEAH. THANKS, KELLY, FOR THAT PERSPECTIVE.
CAN I ADD ONE THING? YES, SIR.
YEAH. I THINK IT'S ALSO IMPORTANT TO NOTE AND JUST ALL THE LEARNING STUDIOS WILL BE ADA COMPLIANT.
SO IT LOOKS LIKE IT WOULD FIT WITH THE EXCEPTION OF CDC AND HOW THAT GETS WORKED OUT.
IT LOOKS LIKE IT WOULD FIT AT A 92% CAPACITY IN THE BRICK AND MORTAR AT THIS POINT, WITH SOME ABILITY TO FLEX INTO LEARNING STUDIOS IF WE CHOOSE TO GO THAT ROUTE AND THEY WOULD BE THE MODERN, MUCH NICER LEARNING STUDIOS, BETTER LIGHTING, BETTER NATURAL LIGHT, MUCH CLEANER, NEWER BUILDINGS.
THANKS. DID YOU WANT TO ADD? I WAS JUST GOING TO SAY WHEN YOU THINK OF THE LEARNING STUDIOS AT CEDAR CREEK, THESE MAY NOT LOOK IDENTICAL TO THOSE, BUT THEY WILL BE BRAND NEW.
THEY WILL HAVE RESTROOM FACILITIES.
THEY WILL HAVE AIR CONDITIONING.
SO THESE WILL BE NEW MODERN LEARNING STUDIOS THAT WE PLACE THERE.
THEY MAY NOT LOOK EXACTLY LIKE THE ONES AT CEDAR CREEK, BUT THEY WILL CERTAINLY BE ACCEPTABLE.
THANK YOU, DOCTOR ARNETT. HEATHER, DID YOU HAVE ANOTHER? YEAH. ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT PEOPLE HAVE ASKED ME QUITE A BIT AND SO I THOUGHT WE SHOULD ADDRESS IS, YOU KNOW, HOW DO WE PAY FOR THE PORTABLES IF WE ARE IN A BUDGET CRUNCH? AND THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT BLENDING CAMPUSES, AND SO I JUST WANTED TO BRING THAT UP AND DISCUSS THAT A LITTLE BIT, YOU KNOW, ABOUT HOW OUR MAINTENANCE AND OPERATION BUDGET IS WHAT WE PAY STAFF WITH, AND OUR EANES BUDGET IS WHAT WE DO THINGS LIKE FACILITIES WITH, AND SO DO YOU WANT TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT? SURE. SO THE COST OF PURCHASING THE PORTABLES TO PROVIDE THEM AT BARTON CREEK OR ANY OTHER CAMPUS, AS YOU SAID, IS NOT PAID OUT OF THE SAME BUDGET THAT WE'RE CURRENTLY EXPERIENCING THE SHORTFALL IN.
THAT IS OUR MAINTENANCE AND OPERATIONS BUDGET.
THESE WOULD, ON THE OTHER HAND, BE PAID OUT OF OUR EANES OR OUR DEBT SERVICE FUND, AND FRANKLY, WE HAD ALREADY BEEN LOOKING TO THE FUTURE ANYWAY IN THINKING ABOUT THE EVENTUAL HOPEFUL RECONSTRUCTION OF SOME OF OUR CAMPUSES AND NEEDING PORTABLES OR LEARNING STUDIOS IN THAT CASE AS WELL.
SO WE'RE SIMPLY ACCELERATING THAT TIMELINE AND PREPARING FOR THE FUTURE.
IT'S JUST THAT THESE WOULD PROVIDE A MORE IMMEDIATE NEED, BUT THESE ARE NOT PAID OUT OF THE SAME FUNDS THAT WE'RE CURRENTLY DISCUSSING WITH REGARD TO THE DEFICIT. THESE ARE PAID OUT OF A COMPLETELY SEPARATE FUND THAT CAN ONLY BE USED FOR CAPITAL EXPENSES.
THANK YOU, DOCTOR ARNETT ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FROM THE BOARD? YES, KELLY. SO WOULD THE LEARNING STUDIOS ALSO BE ABLE TO MOVE AROUND THEN AS WELL TO LIKE ANOTHER CAMPUS? YEAH, THAT'S WHY THEY'RE AFFECTIONATELY KNOWN AS PORTABLES, BECAUSE THEY CAN BE RELOCATED IF NECESSARY, BUT THIS IS WHERE WE WOULD DESIGNATE THEM, AT LEAST FOR THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE. OKAY.
[01:15:01]
ALL RIGHT. NO MORE QUESTIONS.THANK YOU. MOLLY AND CHAD VERY MUCH.
WE'RE GOING TO MOVE INTO OPEN FORUM, AND I NEED TO READ A LITTLE BIT BEFORE WE GET STARTED.
[10. OPEN FORUM]
WE HAVE, I BELIEVE, 56 SPEAKERS SIGNED UP, AND THE THING OBVIOUSLY IT EBBS AND FLOWS BECAUSE SOME PEOPLE DIDN'T SHOW UP TONIGHT, BUT IF YOU'VE GOT A NUMBER, YOU'RE SPEAKING TONIGHT.EACH SPEAKER WILL BE AFFORDED ONE MINUTE TO ADDRESS THE BOARD.
WE HAVE TO DO OUR BOARD BUSINESS, TOO, TONIGHT. I'LL CALL YOU.
WELL, I'LL CALL YOU FORWARD WHEN IT'S YOUR TIME, BUT I'LL TALK ABOUT THAT IN A SECOND.
WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A TIMER RUNNING.
FINISH YOUR SENTENCE AND STOP.
IF YOU HAVE NOT FINISHED YOUR PREPARED COMMENTS, PLEASE CONSIDER SENDING THE COMPLETE TEXT VIA EMAIL TO THE TRUSTEES AND YOU CAN REACH US AT TRUSTEES@EANESISD.NET; THAT GOES TO EVERYONE SITTING UP HERE.
PLEASE KEEP YOUR REACTIONS BRIEF, RESPECTFUL, AND DIRECTED AT THE BOARD, NOT THE SPEAKER.
TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 551 ALSO ALLOWS FOR ANY PUBLIC COMPLAINT OF A SPECIFIC EMPLOYEE TO BE HEARD BY THE BOARD IN CLOSED SESSION IF ANY SPEAKER TONIGHT WISHES TO NAME A DISTRICT EMPLOYEE IN A COMPLAINT, THE BOARD WILL HEAR YOUR COMPLAINT IN CLOSED.
SPECIFIC FACTUAL INFORMATION AND RECITATION OF EXISTING POLICY MAY BE FURNISHED IN RESPONSE TO INQUIRIES, BUT THE BOARD CANNOT DELIBERATE REGARDING ANY SUBJECT THAT'S NOT ON ITS AGENDA.
THIS IS OUR TIME TO LISTEN TO THE COMMUNITY, NOT TO REACT OR RESPOND.
OKAY. PLEASE BE AWARE THAT THE AUDIO AND VIDEO 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.
THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME AND MAKING THE EFFORT TO SHARE YOUR COMMENTS.
WE ARE READY FOR OUR FIRST SPEAKER.
SO ARE WE GOING TO ASK LIKE ONE THROUGH FIVE TO LINE UP AND.
WE'LL JUST HAVE TO CALL BY NUMBERS.
WE WON'T USE UP YOUR TIME FOR YOUR NAME, BUT I WOULD DO A PRETTY BAD JOB OF TRYING TO PRONOUNCE EVERYONE'S NAME, BUT I WILL SAY JENNY ANNE, WHICH I'VE MESSED UP BEFORE, BUT JENNY ANNE IS GOING TO START US OFF.
THANK YOU. HI, I'M JENNY ANNE. I HAVEN'T SEEN YOU AT STARBUCKS.
THE $600,000 COST THAT YOU THINK WE WILL SAVE ANNUALLY FROM CUTTING SI IS NOT A REALISTIC AMOUNT.
THE PROGRAM IS NOT ONLY A BENEFIT TO ALL STUDENTS THAT HAVE IT AT THEIR CAMPUSES, BUT ALSO THE ONE AND ONLY PROGRAM AVAILABLE TO ELEMENTARY AGED KIDS IN THIS DISTRICT THAT ANYONE CAN SIGN UP FOR.
I BELIEVE IT RAISES THE QUALITY OF STUDENT IN THIS DISTRICT ACROSS ALL SCHOOLS.
THE PROGRAM HAS ALSO SEEN SIGNIFICANT CHANGES YEAR AFTER YEAR.
NOT ALWAYS BEST CASE SCENARIOS FOR STUDENTS, FAMILIES AND TEACHERS.
I'M HEARING INCREDIBLE THINGS ABOUT THE 9010 MODEL.
WHY CUT WHEN WE JUST STARTED THIS? DIDN'T WE JUST BUY A NEW CURRICULUM? WE ARE WILLING TO DO ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING TO SUPPORT THIS PROGRAM.
IT'S NOT SAFE. IT'S NOT EQUITABLE.
IT IS NOT GOOD FOR OUR ENTIRE COMMUNITY AS A SCHOOL DISTRICT.
I REALLY THINK THE ELEMENTARY COMMUNITIES SHOULD SUPPORT EACH OTHER.
AFTER ALL, WE WILL ALL BE TOGETHER IN HIGH SCHOOL.
I HAVE TWO KIDS IN KINDERGARTEN AND A THIRD ONE THAT WILL BE ENTERING IN TWO YEARS.
I AM SO TIRED THAT SPANISH IS CONSTANTLY BEING ON THE CHOPPING BLOCK.
WE HAVE FINALLY GOTTEN THE 9010 MODEL AND I'VE HEARD WONDERFUL THINGS.
[01:20:05]
ESPECIALLY KIDS WITH LEARNING CHALLENGES, THEY WILL HAVE THE BASIC UNDERSTANDING OF LANGUAGE, WHICH WILL HELP THEM IMMENSELY WHEN THEY GO INTO MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL.MAYBE YOU SHOULD LOOK AT REPRESENTING A DISTRICT ELSEWHERE.
THE BOARD ASKED ABOUT TEACHER RETENTION WITHIN THE PROGRAM.
MOLLY CAME TO YOU WITH SAVINGS FROM ELIMINATING THIS PROGRAM.
WITH THE DELUSION THAT ALL OUT-OF-DISTRICT PARENTS WOULD STAY IF I LEFT, AND THAT'S NOT THE CASE, AND YOU DIDN'T EVEN CONSIDER THE DISTRICT PARENTS WHO--IN-DISTRICT PARENTS WHO MIGHT LEAVE.
YOU'VE CONSTANTLY BEEN USING THIS PROGRAM TO SOLVE OTHER DISTRICT ISSUES.
YOU TELL US THAT IT'S FUNDING, YET YOU GIVE US NO OPPORTUNITY TO FUND THE PROGRAM.
REMOVING THIS PROGRAM WILL REDUCE YOUR ELEMENTARY ENROLLMENT AND HURT THE DISTRICT.
MAYBE NOT RIGHT NOW, BUT IN THE LONG RUN YOU'LL SEE A NEGATIVE IMPACT.
ASHLEY. HELLO, I'M ELIZABETH, A PARENT OF AN SI AND A TRADITIONAL STUDENT AT BARTON CREEK.
MERGING WHOLESALE IS NOT EQUITABLE OR PRACTICAL.
TO SAY THE KIDS WILL ALL FIT IS DISINGENUOUS.
264 STUDENTS, EQUIVALENT TO VIRTUALLY THE ENTIRE POPULATION OF VALLEY VIEW, WILL BE IN PORTABLE CLASSROOMS, WHICH WILL LIKELY BLOCK PLAYFIELDS, LEAVING TOO LITTLE SPACE FOR SAFE RECREATION AND SCHOOL EVENTS.
THIS COMPARISON IS MISLEADING.
IN 2013, EANES HIRED A DEMOGRAPHER WHO SAID BCE'S CAPACITY WAS 540 AND BRIDGE POINTS WAS 766.
WHEN THIS PLAN WAS PROPOSED, WE THOUGHT THAT THERE WOULD BE REZONING TO MAKE ROOM AT BCE.
THIS SEEMS TO HAVE BEEN ABANDONED WITHOUT MEANINGFUL EXPLANATION.
THE BOARD SHOULD EITHER DELAY THIS DECISION AND WAIT TO SEE WHAT FUNDING FROM THE STATE LOOKS LIKE, OR TAKE IMMEDIATE STEPS TO REDUCE THE NUMBER OF KIDS WHO WILL BE AT BC AFTER THE MERGER VIA MEASURES LIKE REZONING, MOVING [INAUDIBLE] OR TEMPORARILY LIMITING TRANSFERS.
ALONG WITH MANY OTHERS, I AM STRONGLY OPPOSED TO THE CURRENT BLEND PROPOSAL AS IT STANDS NEAR.
NOT JUST OUR CLASSROOMS. THE IMPACT WILL JEOPARDIZE THE QUALITY OF EDUCATION THAT EANES IS RENOWNED FOR, STRAIN OUR DEDICATED TEACHERS AND COMPROMISE THE SAFETY.
IT WILL ONLY WORK IF BLENDED ENROLLMENT DECREASES SIGNIFICANTLY.
WE HAVE OVER 570 MEMBERS ON FACEBOOK.
HI THERE. MY NAME IS SWASTI APTE AND I HAVE TWO DAUGHTERS AT BARTON CREEK ELEMENTARY.
THE $6.3 MILLION ANTICIPATED DEFICIT IS A DISTRICT WIDE PROBLEM, PUTTING THE ONUS OF FIXING THE SOLUTION ON JUST VALLEY VIEW AND BARTON CREEK IS UNFAIR, UNSAFE AND IRRESPONSIBLE.
I DO NOT SUPPORT THE CURRENT BLEND PLAN OF 751 STUDENTS AT BCE.
BCE AND VVE DO NOT WANT TO STICK TOGETHER IF IT MEANS AN UNSAFE AND OVERCROWDED SCHOOL.
THIS ALSO, YOU ALL KNOW, ISN'T A ONE AND DONE SITUATION.
TWO MORE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS WILL BLEND IN THE FUTURE.
WE NEED DATA DRIVEN REDISTRICTING NOW AND QUICKLY.
INSTEAD OF PANDERING TO WHICH GROUP OF PARENTS IS THE LOUDEST.
LASTLY, TO OFFSET THE DEFICIT, WE SHOULD BE LOOKING MORE AT DIRECTLY DONATING TO EEF.
MIC DROP. [CHUCKLING] WOULD'VE BEEN A GREAT MIC DROP.
[01:25:02]
I HAVE A SON IN SEVENTH GRADE AT WEST RIDGE AND A FOURTH GRADER AT VALLEY VIEW.I'M ASKING THE BOARD TO RECONSIDER THE PROPOSED BLENDING OF VALLEY VIEW AND BARTON CREEK FOR THE 2025-26 SCHOOL YEAR, AND REZONE THE SCHOOL DISTRICT IN A MANNER THAT IS EQUITABLE TO ALL WHO LIVE HERE.
I UNDERSTAND THAT THE DISTRICT IS FACING BUDGET DEFICITS LIKE EVERY OTHER SCHOOL DISTRICT IN TEXAS.
CLOSING VALLEY VIEW DOES NOT SOLVE THAT PROBLEM.
THE $2 MILLION IN SAVINGS PRESENTED ARE BASED ON 30 STAFF REDUCTIONS AND ELIMINATING REDUNDANCIES.
IF THE SAVINGS IS TIED TO REDUCING STAFF, THEN YOU CAN'T SAY THAT YOU ARE GOING TO REALLOCATE STAFF TO OTHER CAMPUSES BASED ON THEIR DESIRE WHEN YOU HAVE NOT EVEN SURVEYED THEM.
THANK YOU. UH OH, THAT MIC KEEPS FALLING.
AT PRESENT, FIVE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS HAVE A VERY SIMILAR ENROLLMENT NUMBER.
THE MOST LOGICAL SOLUTION SHOULD BE REZONING ALL ELEMENTARIES BASED ON THEIR GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION.
PROPOSING BLENDING BARTON CREEK AND VALLEY VIEW SHOULD NOT BE EVEN ON THE TABLE, AS DOING THAT WOULD CREATE A PERCEPTION THAT THE DISTRICT IS FAVORING ONE SEGMENT OF THE POPULATION OVER ANOTHER.
AN ELECTED SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER IS A RESPONSIBILITY TO ENSURE EVERY SINGLE CHILD OF THE DISTRICT IS TREATED FAIRLY, AND CONSOLIDATING ONLY TWO CAMPUSES DOES NOT ACHIEVE THAT GOAL. INSTEAD, IT MUST ADOPT A SOLUTION THAT REFLECTS FAIRNESS AND EQUITY ACROSS THE ENTIRE DISTRICT.
COULD YOU INTRODUCE YOURSELF REAL QUICK? YOU DIDN'T INTRODUCE YOURSELF AT THE BEGINNING.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO DO THAT REAL QUICK? SORRY. YOUR NAME? REAL QUICK.
NO, NO, WE'RE NOT CHARGING YOU ON YOUR ONE MINUTE.
YOU GET YOUR YOU GET YOUR NAME FOR FREE.
MY NAME IS [INAUDIBLE] AND I STAND WITH ALL ELEMENTARY FAMILIES.
I HAVE THREE ASKS RELATED TO THE FINANCIAL CHALLENGES THAT OUR DISTRICT FACES.
NUMBER ONE, AVOID A DOWNWARD SPIRAL.
THIS IS NOT AN UNREALISTIC OUTCOME AND WE MUST ACTIVELY MANAGE IT.
DO NOT CUT EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS. THREE. CREATE A DETAILED PLAN WITH PARENT INPUT ON SCHOOL CONSOLIDATION FOR THE PUBLIC TO REVIEW AT THE NEXT BOARD MEETING.
THIS SHOULD CONSIDER ALL SCHOOLS ADDRESSING SAFETY COSTS, TRANSFERS, PROGRAMS, SPECIAL ED, TRANSPORTATION ENROLLMENT, AND EXPECTED ATTRITION. I STAND WITH ALL ELEMENTARY FAMILIES.
I'VE SEEN FIRSTHAND WITH ONE CHILD IN SPANISH IMMERSION AND ONE IN NOT AND ONE NOT THAT SI IS A SPECIAL ACADEMIC PROGRAM THAT ENRICHES ELEMENTARY STUDENT LEARNING AND SETS OUR DISTRICT'S ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS APART.
NEARLY HALF OF ALL THE DISTRICT'S K THROUGH FIVE OUT-OF-DISTRICT NON-EMPLOYEE TRANSFERS ARE IN SI.
YOU DIDN'T PROPERLY ACCOUNT FOR SI STUDENT ATTRITION AND SI TEACHER ATTRITION.
YOUR COST SAVING PROPOSALS DON'T EVEN SCRATCH THE SURFACE OF SPENDING ON WESTLAKE HIGH SCHOOL.
[01:30:06]
AND MOST OF THE PROPOSALS EXCEPT BLENDING WOULD BE TEMPORARY TO BALANCE THE BUDGET.ELIMINATING SI AFTER THE SPRING WOULD BE IRREVERSIBLE.
THANK YOU. WHEN YOUR TIME IS UP, PLEASE FINISH YOUR SENTENCE.
YOU'RE WELCOME TO EMAIL US THE REMAINDER OF YOUR COMMENTS.
WE HAVE A FIRST GRADER IN SI AND SOON TO BE KINDERGARTEN AT BARTON CREEK ELEMENTARY.
AS STATED BY THE BOARD, THIS DEFICIT IS A DISTRICT WIDE COMMUNITY PROBLEM.
HOWEVER, THIS MERGER PROPOSAL ONLY TWO SCHOOLS CARRY THAT BURDEN.
HOWEVER, THIS DOES NOT APPEAR EQUITABLE.
ANOTHER SOLUTION IS TO TEMPORARILY STOP FUTURE NEW FAMILY TRANSFERS TO BCE.
IF THE BUILDING WILL JUST BARELY FIT THE STUDENTS AND TEACHERS.
WE WELCOME YOU TO COME TO CULTURE FEST THURSDAY AND SEE.
WE URGE YOU TO BE TRANSPARENT IN THIS PROCESS.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND EFFORTS.
I HAVE FOND MEMORIES OF BARTON CREEK, AND I WANT THE SAME, IF NOT BETTER, FOR MY CHILDREN.
THE PROPOSED MERGER OF BARTON CREEK AND VALLEY VIEW.
WE ARE CONCERNED THAT IT WILL LOWER THE QUALITY OF EDUCATION, REDUCE PLAYGROUND TIME AND ACCESS TO GREEN SPACES, OVERBURDEN OUR TEACHERS AND STAFF AND CREATE DAY TO DAY TRAFFIC ISSUES WITH IMPOSSIBLE SPECIAL EVENT PARKING.
MY DAUGHTER'S CLASSROOM IS ALREADY OVER CAPACITY WITH 23 STUDENTS IN HER CLASS.
SHE IS ALREADY EATING LUNCH AT 10:15 IN THE MORNING.
IN ORDER TO MAKE SURE ALL OF THE CHILDREN GET THROUGH THE LUNCHROOM SAFELY.
A DISTRICT WIDE PROBLEM IS GOING TO REQUIRE A DISTRICT WIDE SOLUTION.
THANK YOU. THIS IS CLOSE ENOUGH.
I WENT TO BARTON CREEK AS WELL.
IT'S KIND OF COOL TO SEE A LOT OF OLD PEOPLE COMING BACK TO EANES.
MY KIDS GO TO BARTON CREEK RIGHT NOW.
I HAVE A DAUGHTER THAT'S IN SECOND GRADE, AND I HAVE A SON THAT WILL BE IN KINDERGARTEN NEXT YEAR.
I'D LIKE TO KNOW WHY REBALANCING IS NOT THE TOP OPTION, AS MANY OF US AGREE.
IN MY OPINION, THE CLAIM THAT REDRAWING BOUNDARIES DOES NOT ADDRESS IMMEDIATE ISSUES IS MISLEADING.
HOW CAN SENDING ALL STUDENTS FROM VALLEY VIEW TO BARTON CREEK AND OVERWHELM THE CAMPUS IN ENTIRETY MAKE MORE SENSE THAN BALANCING STUDENTS BETWEEN FOREST TRAIL AND BARTON CREEK, SO THAT BOTH CAMPUSES ARE EQUALLY MANAGEABLE.
IN REFERENCE TO THE DISTRICT FACILITY MEETING THAT WAS REFERENCED EARLIER, BACK IN 2013, FOREST TRAIL HAD AN ENROLLMENT OF 608 STUDENTS WITH A CAPACITY OF 628, WHICH IS 127 MORE STUDENTS THAT ARE ATTENDING RIGHT NOW.
TO BE CLEAR, I'M NOT SAYING THAT THE WHOLE DISTRICT NEEDS TO BE REZONED.
I BELIEVE THAT ONLY THE COMMUNITIES FEEDING WEST RIDGE CAN BE BALANCED TO A POINT WHERE WE HAVE SIMILAR CLASS SIZES AND MINIMIZES THE NEED FOR PORTABLES, WHILE ALSO REDUCING THE STRESS ON THE ENTIRE CAMPUS.
THANK YOU. HI, I'M JESSICA MARLOW.
I HAVE A KID IN KINDER AT BCE, AND I HAVE TWO MORE ENTERING THE SYSTEM IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS.
WE MOVED HERE SPECIFICALLY FOR THE QUALITY AND COMMUNITY OF BCE.
I KNOW THE DISTRICT IS FACING SOME TOUGH DECISIONS, AND I DO NOT ENVY YOUR POSITION.
I'D LIKE TO START BY SUPPORTING THE IDEA OF NAMING RIGHTS.
[01:35:01]
IF DONE RIGHT, THIS CAN BE AN EASY WAY TO GENERATE ONGOING REVENUE.SECOND, I WELCOME VALLEY VIEW FAMILIES AT BCE NEXT YEAR, NEXT YEAR, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO THE LAUGHTER AND THE EXCITEMENT THAT MORE FACES CAN BRING, BUT I DO NOT WANT TO SEE BCE OVERCROWDED THROUGH THE USE OF PORTABLES.
I'M CONCERNED ABOUT THE MORALE ISSUE THAT COMES WITH TOO MANY PEOPLE FIGHTING FOR TOO FEW RESOURCES.
BCE HAS A SMALL CAMPUS, AND ADDING PORTABLES WOULD HURT THE COMMUNITY FEEL THAT MAKES IT SO SPECIAL.
START THE CONSTRUCTION AND THEN MOVE THE KIDS.
PLEASE DO NOT USE THE KIDS AS POLITICAL PAWNS.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE ON THE BOARD.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU, JESSICA.
HI. I'M MARCELLE AND I HAVE A FIRST GRADER AT BCE.
I HAVE A HARD TIME UNDERSTANDING HOW THESE NUMBERS WON'T INCREASE, AND SPECIFICALLY, I HAVE A LOT OF QUESTIONS ABOUT THE COLLABORATIVE CLASSES AND HOW THEY'RE GOING TO BE AFFECTED. I REALLY WANT TO KNOW IF THERE'S GOING TO END UP BEING TWO COLLABORATIVE CLASSES PER GRADE FOR THOSE YOUNGER GRADES.
IN ADDITION, I ALSO JUST WANT TO EXPRESS HOW FRUSTRATING IT IS TO HEAR THE COMMENT THAT BCE COMMUNITY WANTS TO STAY TOGETHER AT ALL COSTS AFTER EXTENSIVE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AS A BC PARENT, THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I'M HEARING OF THIS, LIKE TWO WEEKS AGO, AND I PERSONALLY WOULD LIKE TO BE GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO TRANSFER.
JUST LIKE THE VALLEY VIEW PARENTS ARE.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MARCELLE.
I HAVE A FORMER BLUE JAY WHO IS NOW A SEVENTH GRADER AT WEST RIDGE AND A FIFTH GRADER, BLUE JAY.
THE PROPOSED BLENDING OF BCE AND VALLEY VIEW IS DEEPLY CONCERNING.
FIRST, THERE'S A LACK OF TRANSPARENCY AND COMMUNICATION.
SECOND, THE FEBRUARY 2024 DEMOGRAPHIC REPORT PROJECTS AN INCREASE IN BCE AND VALLEY VIEW ENROLLMENT.
SO WHY IS THERE A SUDDEN RUSH TO CONSOLIDATE BOTH SCHOOLS NOW WITHOUT PREPARING BCE FOR THE INCREASED STUDENTS, AND WITHOUT ENSURING THAT THE EANES EXCELLENCE STANDARDS WILL BE MAINTAINED? THIRD, THIS IS A DISTRICT WIDE ISSUE THAT DOES REQUIRE DISTRICT WIDE SOLUTION.
WE NEED FINANCIAL TRANSPARENCY AS TO FISCAL NOTES AND ANALYSIS DONE AT VALLEY VIEW, AND HOW VALLEY VIEW CAN REMAIN OPERATIONAL ON A DAILY BASIS AS A DISTRICT FACILITY WITHOUT BUDGETS.
BASICALLY, WE NEED MORE TRANSPARENCY ABOUT THIS WHOLE PROCESS, AND THANK YOU FOR LISTENING.
HI. MY NAME IS TRAVIS SHEFFIELD.
THE DECISION TO ASSIGN STUDENTS TO BCE OVER FOREST TRAIL OR DISTRICT WIDE PLAN LACKS TRANSPARENCY, ESPECIALLY SINCE ALL OTHER CAMPUSES OFFER MORE OUTDOOR SPACE AND BETTER ROAD INFRASTRUCTURE.
WITH NO BOARD FAMILIARITY WITH LIFE AT BCE, THE CHOICE FEELS MISGUIDED.
THIS SEVERELY LIMITS STUDENTS ABILITY TO PLAY FREELY AT RECESS.
ACCESS TO BCE IS A SINGLE LANE ROAD WITH BLIND CORNERS, NO SIDEWALKS, AND NO BIKE LANES.
EANES IS RENOWNED FOR ITS SCHOOLS, YET THIS PLAN IS PROMPTING FAMILIES TO CONSIDER ALTERNATIVES.
THE DISTRICT RISKS NOT PROPERLY SERVING ITS STUDENTS, WORSENING BUDGET SHORTFALLS AND THREATENING THREATENING EANES REPUTATION AS THE STATE'S BEST DISTRICT. THANK YOU, TRAVIS.
I'M A CUERNAVACA RESIDENT AND A MOM OF THREE.
MY OLDEST IS IN KINDERGARTEN AT VALLEY VIEW, AND I HOPE TO BE IN EANES PARENT FOR THE NEXT 16 YEARS.
I CHOSE EANES FOR TWO REASONS.
[01:40:03]
MY HUSBAND I WANT AN EXCELLENT EDUCATION FOR OUR KIDS, AND SECONDLY, WE WANT TO INVEST IN OUR COMMUNITY.THERE ARE THREE MAIN PROBLEMS WITH THE CURRENT BLEND PLAN.
FIRST, ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IS THE MOST FORMATIVE TIME IN A CHILD'S LIFE AT THIS AGE.
THEY'RE BUILDING THE FOUNDATION FOR THEIR EDUCATION.
THEY NEED CLOSE ATTENTION, UNIQUE RESOURCES, AND A TIGHT KNIT COMMUNITY THAT SUPPORTS THEM.
THIS PLAN COMPLETELY LOSES SIGHT OF THAT.
LARGER SCHOOLS DO NOT INCENTIVIZE ENROLLMENT.
SIMPLY PUT, THIS MAKES IT LESS DESIRABLE TO ENROLL HERE.
THIS IS NOT EQUITABLE TO A SIX.
SCHOOLS ARE DEALING WITH THIS PROBLEM.
ALL THE SCHOOLS IN THE DISTRICT SHOULD BE PART OF THIS CHANGE.
I PLAN TO SEND YOU ALL SPECIFIC SOLUTIONS IN THE FUTURE.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU, WHITNEY.
I'M HARI. MY OLDEST IS IN KINDERGARTEN AND MY YOUNGEST WILL BE JOINING IN TWO YEARS.
YET THE BURDEN OF THIS SEEMS TO FALL ON ONE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
WHY IS BCE THE ONLY OPTION? WHY IS REZONING THE ENTIRE DISTRICT NOT AN OPTION? THESE DECISIONS AFFECT FAMILIES LIKE OURS WHO ARE PAYING A PREMIUM TO LIVE HERE.
HOW WILL YOU ENSURE MY KIDS ARE SAFE WHILE MAINTAINING THE SAME STANDARD OF EDUCATION? WHAT ARE THE METRICS YOU'RE PLANNING TO USE TO MEASURE THIS? HAVE YOU CONSIDERED FUNDRAISING? HOW ARE OUT-OF-DISTRICT AND IN-DISTRICT FAMILIES SUPPORTING THIS DEFICIT? YOU COULD PROPOSE A MANDATORY DONATION THAT IS REQUIRED TO FACILITATE EANES EDUCATION, WHICH THE DISTRICT DOES NOT COVER.
WE REQUEST TRANSPARENCY, WHICH IT JUST SHOWS.
WE JUST GOT TO KNOW ABOUT THIS ONE WEEK AGO.
PROBABLY THIS HAS BEEN IN PLANS FROM SEVERAL WEEKS.
HEY THERE. MY NAME IS ERIC OSWALD.
LAST WEEK, THE ADMINISTRATION IDENTIFIED A POTENTIAL $600,000 SAVINGS FROM CUTTING THE SI PROGRAM, BUT THEN ADMITTED THAT SAVINGS IS BASED ON ASSUMING 0% OF THE ENROLLED STUDENTS WOULD LEAVE IF THE PROGRAM IS CUT.
SO THE FAMILIES TOOK IT UPON OURSELVES TO DO YOUR SURVEY FOR YOU.
IF A VOUCHER BILL IS PASSED THIS SESSION, THAT'S OVER 500 STUDENTS.
SO THE SEA PROGRAM, WHICH IS CURRENTLY HELPING YOUR ENROLLMENT PROBLEM AND IS ACCORDING TO YOUR OWN MATH REVENUE NEUTRAL, IS BEING TARGETED FOR ELIMINATION BASED ON A FLIMSY FINANCIAL ANALYSIS AND A COMPLETE DISREGARD FOR THE ENROLLMENT IMPLICATIONS.
HI, MY NAME IS ARCI ARAVINDAN.
THE DISTRICT'S DEFICIT IS NOT JUST THE PROBLEM OF VALLEY VIEW AND BCE COMMUNITIES.
I UNDERSTAND THAT WE HAVE TO CLOSE VALLEY VIEW.
HOWEVER. IN ADDITION, WE SHOULD REZONE THE STUDENTS.
EVERY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IN THE DISTRICT SHOULD BEAR EQUAL RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE BUDGET SHORTFALL.
AS A BCE PARENT, IT'S A FRUSTRATING TIME.
THE VALLEY VIEW COMMUNITY DID RECEIVE A SURVEY, BUT WITH NO PLAN A YEAR AGO NOW, AFTER LOOKING AT THE PROPOSED PLAN, STAYING TOGETHER HAS BEEN DEPRIORITIZED AND REZONING HAS BECOME MORE APPEALING TO THEM TO PLEASE LISTEN TO ALL OUR VOICES.
[01:45:01]
HI, I'M DIYA SARAVANAN.I'M A FOURTH GRADER AT BARTON CREEK ELEMENTARY.
I MADE A DRAWING OF HOW WE USE IT.
WE USE THE BIG FIELD FOR SOCCER, TAG AND FOOTBALL.
THE PLAYGROUND IS USED FOR TAG MORE FOOTBALL, AND WE STILL LOVE PRETEND PLAY.
THE SWING SET IS MOSTLY USED FOR TAKING BREAKS AND SWING COMPETITIONS.
THE WHOLE GRADE LOOKS FORWARD TO RECESS.
EVERY SINGLE AREA IS USED FOR A DIFFERENT TYPE OF GAME.
WE USE ALL THESE AREAS EVERY DAY.
PLEASE DO NOT TAKE THE SPACE AWAY FROM US OR MOVE IT.
HI EVERYONE. MY NAME IS AMAN SETHI.
I HAVE A FIRST GRADER AT BCE AND ANOTHER ONE HOPEFULLY JOINING IN A COUPLE OF YEARS.
I DON'T ENVY YOUR TASK, BUT I DO THINK THAT THE WAY THIS IS BEING MANAGED IS NOT EQUITABLE.
IF YOU LOOK AT THE FIRST CHART.
WHAT YOU WOULD SEE IS THERE IS A BLENDED SCHOOL AVERAGE, WHICH COMES OUT TO BE ABOUT 26.4, BASED ON THE INFORMATION THAT WAS SHARED OF ABOUT 30 TEACHERS BETWEEN VALLEY VIEW AND BCE.
THAT WOULD BE COMING IN THE BLENDED SCHOOL.
POINT NUMBER TWO, I THINK THIS WAS MENTIONED BEFORE.
THE LAST THING WE WANT TO DO IS CLOSE A SCHOOL WHERE WE ARE GOING TO SEE THE FASTEST GROWTH, ALONG WITH ANOTHER SCHOOL WHICH IS SEEING GROWTH, WHEREAS EANES FOREST TRAIL AND OTHER SCHOOLS ARE SEEING A DECLINE.
SO I THINK THERE NEEDS TO BE A VIEW OF THE LONG TERM DEMOGRAPHIC TREND BEFORE WE MAKE THAT CALL AND LASTLY, MAKE SURE THAT WE TAKE TEACHERS' POINT OF VIEW; THAT HAS NOT BEEN INCORPORATED AT ALL.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU. HI, MY NAME IS NESRIN ZOGHEB AND I HAVE TWO KIDS AT BARTON CREEK ELEMENTARY.
SO I WANT TO SAY THAT THIS IS A DISTRICT WIDE PROBLEM AND THEREFORE THERE SHOULD BE A DISTRICT WIDE SOLUTION, NOT JUST TWO SCHOOLS THAT ARE SIGNIFICANTLY BEARING ALL THE BURDEN OF THE SOLUTION, AND IT'S A BIG BURDEN AND BIG IMPACT.
NOW, IF FOR SOME REASON THIS IS REALLY NOT POSSIBLE TO REZONE, WHICH WOULD BE THE DISTRICT WIDE SOLUTION, I DON'T SEE WHY YOU'RE ONLY LOOKING AT BARTON CREEK ELEMENTARY WHEN FOREST TRAIL IS RIGHT NEXT TO VALLEY VIEW.
SO THERE WOULD NOT BE ANY TRAFFIC PROBLEM, AND THEY HAVE BIGGER FIELDS, BIGGER SPACE.
SO I WOULD AT LEAST LIKE TO SEE AN ANALYSIS SIMILAR TO THE ONE DONE ON BARTON CREEK ELEMENTARY THAT SHOWS WHY IS BARTON CREEK ELEMENTARY A BETTER OPTION THAN FOREST TRAIL ELEMENTARY? THANK YOU. THANK YOU.
REALLY APPRECIATE THAT, BUT ONE THING THAT I WOULD LIKE TO RESPECTFULLY ASK THE HONORABLE BOARD TODAY IS TO ALIGN WHATEVER ACTIONS THAT WE ARE GOING TO TAKE WITH THE EANES MISSION AND PRESERVE ITS BRAND VALUE.
THAT'S THE TRANSPARENCY WE WOULD LIKE TO HAVE, AND WHAT WERE THE PROS AND CONS OF THOSE OPTIONS AND WHY WERE THEY RULED OUT? WE DON'T KNOW THAT EITHER, AND HOW DOES THE CURRENT OPTION ALIGN WITH ALIGN WITH EANES MISSION OF UNITING COMMUNITIES AND EMPOWERING CHILDREN THROUGH EXEMPLARY EDUCATION? THAT'S ON THE EANES WEBSITE, WHICH I THINK IS CONTRADICTORY, CONTRADICTING TO WHAT I'M HEARING THROUGHOUT THIS THING.
MY TWINS ARE ASKING, WHY US? THANK YOU, [INAUDIBLE].
I HAVE A FOURTH GRADER AND A SECOND GRADER AT VALLEY VIEW.
SO I SPOKE AT THE LAST MEETING TO ADVOCATE FOR THE VALLEY VIEW COMMUNITY.
[01:50:02]
NOW, IT'S APPARENT THAT ADVOCACY IS BEING USED AS AN EXCUSE TO PUSH THROUGH THIS BLEND PLAN THAT DOESN'T SERVE THE NEEDS OF OUR STUDENTS.ALTERNATIVE SOLUTIONS HAVE BEEN PRESENTED TO THIS BOARD THAT RESPECT ALL THE VARIOUS COMMUNITIES AND PROGRAMS WITHIN EANES, AND PROVIDE THAT EQUITY AMONG ALL ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS.
AS WE'VE HEARD REITERATED TIME AND AGAIN, CHANGE IS HARD, BUT NECESSARY AND THAT SHOULD BE TRUE.
DISTRICT WIDE, THE ONUS SHOULD NOT BE ON JUST VALLEY VIEW AND BARTON CREEK.
PLEASE RESPECT THESE STUDENTS.
RESPECT THE TEACHERS AND THE STAFF AT VALLEY VIEW AND BARTON CREEK.
THEY ARE BEGGING YOU TO LOOK AT THE REALITY OF WHAT YOU'RE PROPOSING.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU, LINDSEY.
FAMILIES DESERVE CLEAR AND HONEST COMMUNICATION ABOUT THE DECISIONS AFFECTING OUR SCHOOLS, AND WE WANT TO KNOW WHAT OTHER OPTIONS HAVE NOT BEEN PUT ON THE TABLE WITH REGARDS TO THE COST CUTS.
REMEMBER THAT FAMILIES ON THE WEST SIDE OF OUR COMMUNITY ARE CRITICAL VOTERS.
OVERCROWDING JEOPARDIZES BOTH SAFETY AND EDUCATIONAL QUALITY FOR STUDENTS AND STAFF PLAN TO BLEND VALLEY VIEW AND BARTON CREEK WOULD RESULT IN ONE CAMPUS THAT IS 40 TO 60 TIMES LARGER.
40% 40 TO 60% LARGER THAN THE OTHER FOUR ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS.
THIS IS UNFAIR, UNEQUITABLE AND UNSUSTAINABLE.
REZONING WEST RIDGE BOUND FAMILIES ACROSS BARTON CREEK AND FOREST TRAIL COULD BALANCE ENROLLMENT WHILE MINIMIZING THE DEPENDANCE ON THE PORTABLE CLASSROOMS. I HOPE YOU WILL SEE THAT THE ELEMENTARY FAMILIES DO MATTER.
CUTTING PROGRAMS FOR ELEMENTARY STUDENTS LIKE SPANISH IMMERSION IS UNACCEPTABLE.
EANES MUST BE A DESTINATION DISTRICT FOR ALL AGES.
I'M A MOM AT WEST RIDGE BARTON CREEK, AND I HAVE A KINDER NEXT YEAR.
WE ARE ALSO A SPANISH IMMERSION FAMILY.
WHEN WE TALK CAPACITY, PLEASE REMEMBER YOU JUST UPDATED THE BARTON CREEK CAPACITY, AND I DON'T THINK THAT YOU CAN FAIRLY COMPARE NUMBERS THAT WOULD POTENTIALLY BE UNDER THIS NEW UPDATED CAPACITY WITH OLD CAPACITY NUMBERS AT OTHER CAMPUSES, UNLESS YOU'VE GONE THROUGH THAT SAME EXERCISE AT THOSE CAMPUSES.
THIS IS EANES EXCELLENCE IS NOT NEGOTIABLE.
EVERY DAY, EVERY STUDENT, EVERY CAMPUS.
I'VE LIVED IN CUERNAVACA FOR 11 YEARS, BUT MY FAMILY HAS GONE TO BARTON CREEK FOR SEVEN YEARS.
I LOVE SO MUCH ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY TO BLEND THESE TWO AMAZING COMMUNITIES, AND I REALLY WANT TO DO IT, AND I REALLY WANT TO DO IT WELL, AND I'M EXCITED, BUT THIS PLAN IS NOT IT.
IS IT DOABLE? MAYBE. IS IT ADEQUATE? BARELY. PLEASE COME TO CULTURE FEST ON THURSDAY AT BARTON CREEK, TRY TO FIND A PLACE TO PARK AND THEN TRY TO WALK THROUGH THE BUILDING.
I'M SORRY. THIS PLAN REMINDS ME OF WHEN I GREW UP IN AN INNER CITY SCHOOL ON THE EAST COAST.
THIS. I'M NOT HERE FOR ADEQUATE.
I'M HERE FOR EANES EXCELLENCE.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU, ASHLEY. HI THERE.
OBVIOUSLY, I STRONGLY OBJECT TO THE PLANNED MERGER OF BARTON CREEK AND VALLEY VIEW.
CREATING A MEGA CAMPUS IS A SHORT SIGHTED SOLUTION TO A LONG TERM PROBLEM THAT WILL NEGATIVELY IMPACT OUR STUDENTS DAILY LIVES AND HASTEN THE FLIGHT AWAY FROM OUR ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS. LESS DISRUPTIVE OPTIONS ARE AVAILABLE TO PLUG THE SHORT TERM FUNDING GAP, WHILE THE STATE GETS THEIR ACT TOGETHER AND PASSES LEGISLATION.
THE BLEND PROPOSAL PUTS NEARLY THE ENTIRE DISTRICT'S BUDGET BURDEN ON ONE SCHOOL, AND NEGATIVELY IMPACTS THE DAILY LIVES OF 751 ELEMENTARY SCHOOL STUDENTS. IT'S NOT FAIR OR EQUITABLE THAT 10% OF THE DISTRICT HAS TO BEAR THE BRUNT OF ALL THE BUDGET CUTBACKS.
IT'S TIME TO RETHINK AND REBALANCE OUR ELEMENTARY CAMPUSES AS A WHOLE.
INSTEAD OF CREATING A MEGA CAMPUS THAT WILL DRIVE EVEN MORE FAMILIES INTO PRIVATE SCHOOLS.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU, TRISTAN.
I HAVE A SON WHO'S A KINDERGARTNER IN SPANISH IMMERSION AT VALLEY VIEW.
SHOVING VALLEY VIEW INTO BARTON CREEK IS NOT AN ACCEPTABLE OPTION.
FIRST, SAFETY I THINK, HAS TO BE THE PRIMARY CONCERN.
IT'S I HAVE NOT SEEN AN ADEQUATE STUDY OF THE TRAFFIC PATTERNS TO AND FROM THE SCHOOL.
[01:55:01]
THAT ONE LANE ROAD DOES NOT SEEM LIKE IT WOULD BE ADEQUATE AND THEN, GOD FORBID, THE KIDS WHO HAD WHO ARE THERE NOW, 751 OF THEM, ACCORDING TO THE PROJECTIONS.GOD FORBID, THEY NEEDED TO MAKE A QUICK EXIT FROM THE SCHOOL.
HOW DO WE PLAN FOR THAT WITH THE FACT BEING THAT IT'S ALREADY YOU KNOW, A TIGHT SPACE? I THINK IT ALSO UNACCEPTABLY DEGRADES THE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT THAT WE CAN, WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO EXPECT FROM EANES.
HAVING A SCHOOL WITH THE SMALLEST PLAY YARD ALSO HAVE THE LARGEST CAPACITY IS NOT A GOOD PLAN.
REZONING NEEDS TO BE ON THE TABLE.
I'M A RESIDENT, OBVIOUSLY, I'D LIKE TO BE A PART OF MY COMMUNITY, BUT WE NEED TO BALANCE THE BURDEN AND GET THE TYPE OF EDUCATION THAT MADE US MOVE TO THIS DISTRICT IN THE FIRST PLACE, AND NEED TO SPREAD THE COST OF THIS BURDEN TO OTHER SCHOOLS, NOT JUST VALLEY VIEW AND BARTON CREEK.
THANK YOU BRIAN. GOOD EVENING, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD.
DOCTOR ARNETT, NICE TO SEE YOU TWICE IN ONE DAY.
SO I SIMPLY WANT TO IMPLORE THE BOARD TO REALLY TAKE THE TIME AND TALK WITH TEACHERS, CERTAINLY AT VALLEY VIEW, MAYBE ESPECIALLY AT BARTON CREEK, JUST BECAUSE THEY'RE USING THE PHYSICAL SPACE RIGHT NOW.
REALLY SPEND THE TIME KNOWING HOW THEY WOULD USE IT AND WHAT THEY THINK OF THE PLAN.
AS IT TURNS OUT, IN OUR PARENT TEACHER CONFERENCE WITH ONE OF MY KIDDOS TEACHERS THIS FALL, I SAID TO HER, WOW, YOU KNOW, ONLY 18 KIDS IN YOUR CLASS. THAT'S AMAZING. IT'S REALLY DIFFERENT FROM LAKE TRAVIS WHERE WE CAME FROM, AND SHE SAID, YOU KNOW, 18 KIDS, 17, 18, 18 KIDS IS REALLY THE PERFECT NUMBER IN THIS CLASSROOM.
IT ALLOWS ME TO DO WHAT I NEED TO DO.
WE HAVE THE SPACE WE NEED TO MOVE AROUND AND REALLY ATTEND TO THE KIDS NEEDS, AND THAT SAME PARENT TEACHER CONFERENCE, AS IT TURNS OUT, MY HUSBAND ASKED HER, DO YOU THINK THE DISTRICT WOULD EVER COMBINE VALLEY VIEW AND BARTON CREEK? I DON'T KNOW WHY HE ASKED THAT, BUT SHE LAUGHED AND SAID, NO WAY, THAT WOULD BE A BAD IDEA.
AS SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS, YOU MUST ENSURE ALL CHILDREN IN THE DISTRICT HAVE AN EQUITABLE FOUNDATION.
I'M BEGGING YOU TO LISTEN TO THOSE WHO ARE CLOSER TO THE GROUND.
IN AN EFFORT TO BRING SOLUTIONS, I ASK THAT THE BOARD CONSIDER REZONING THE VALLEY VIEW AND BARTON CREEK ATTENDANCE AREAS, PAUSE TRANSFERS TO BARTON CREEK AND EXPLORE ANY OTHER OPTIONS THAT MAY REDUCE THE NUMBER OF CHILDREN ON THAT BLENDED CAMPUS.
THERE IS NO EASY ANSWER HERE, BUT WE MUST DO WHAT IS RIGHT EVEN WHEN IT IS HARD.
IT IS HOW WE CREATE A WORLD THAT IS JUST FAIR AND COMPASSIONATE, THE KIND OF WORLD OUR CHILDREN DESERVE TO GROW UP IN, AND THE KIND OF EXAMPLE YOU ALL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SET. THANK YOU.
THANK YOU, LAUREN. HI, MY NAME IS ERIN AMJADI.
I HAVE A BARTON CREEK ELEMENTARY STUDENT AND I'M ALSO A RESIDENT OF PATTERSON ROAD.
LEARNING ABOUT THESE PROPOSED CHANGES OF THE BLENDING OF CAMPUSES.
HAS MYSELF AND MY NEIGHBORS CONCERNED ABOUT SAFETY ISSUES IN REGARDS AND IN ADDITION TO ALL THE OTHER THINGS WE'VE ALREADY HEARD THIS EVENING, THERE'S ALSO NEW CONSTRUCTION OF A LARGE OFFICE BUILDING THAT'S ON THE CORNER OF PATTERSON AND BK ROAD.
THAT'S GOING TO INCREASE TRAFFIC IMPACT AS WELL.
SO WE'D LIKE TO REALLY BE CONCERNED ABOUT THE SINGLE ACCESS POINT THAT GOES INTO THAT, INTO PATTERSON ROAD, ABOUT COMPLICATING EMERGENCY VEHICLE ACCESS, ESPECIALLY DURING PEAK SCHOOL DROP OFF AND DISMISSAL TIMES.
WIDENING THAT ROAD OR ADDING A DEDICATED TURN LANE COULD BE OPTIONS, BUT THE ADDITIONAL LACK OF PARKING AND INSUFFICIENT SPACE FOR GROWTH AT THE BCE CAMPUS ALSO IS A SAFETY CONCERN.
CURRENTLY, DURING ALL SCHOOL FUNCTIONS SUCH AS CARNIVAL OR CULTURE DAY, PEOPLE PARK ALONG BOTH SIDES OF PATTERSON ROAD, AND THERE'S ALMOST NO VISIBILITY OF PARENTS AND STUDENTS WALKING ALONG THAT SCHOOL.
THANK YOU, ERIN. HI, I'M AMY PHILIP, I'M A BCE PARENT OF A CURRENT FIRST GRADER AND WILL HOPEFULLY HAVE ANOTHER JOINING NEXT YEAR AS AN INCOMING KINDERGARTNER.
[02:00:07]
YOU'VE HEARD OVER AND OVER FROM PARENTS ALL NIGHT SAYING, WE'RE OPEN TO REZONING.800 STUDENTS IN THIS CAMPUS SOUNDS AWFUL.
THERE'S GOING TO BE A NUMBER OF PROPOSALS THAT HAVE BEEN SUBMITTED TO YOU GUYS.
THEY'RE ALL PAINFUL, BUT SOMEBODY'S GOING TO HAVE TO MAKE THE CHOICES AT SOME POINT.
BECAUSE THAT MAY CHANGE SIGNIFICANTLY AS OURS CHANGE SIGNIFICANTLY, AND A TINY THING WOULD BE THAT IN THEIR PROPOSAL, THEY FOR NEXT YEAR, WE'RE ACCOUNTING FOR ZERO EMPLOYEE KINDER INCOMING STUDENTS, AND I THINK THAT THEY SHOULD CONSIDER TEACHERS MORE CAREFULLY, AND THAT'S KIND OF A CRUMMY WAY TO TREAT TEACHERS, AND THEY SHOULD LET TEACHERS KNOW THAT THEIR KIDS ARE WELCOME TO COME TO SCHOOL THERE.
I'M A BCE PARENT OF A FOURTH GRADER AND A FIRST GRADER, WITH ONE FUTURE STUDENT ON THE WAY.
I USED TO WORK FOR THE TEXAS PERMANENT SCHOOL FUND, SO I UNDERSTAND THE STATE SITUATION.
OF THE 30 FTES WERE CUTTING, WE NEED TO KNOW HOW MANY TEACHERS WE'RE LOSING.
AISD USES STATE EXEMPTIONS ALL THE TIME.
BCE NEEDS TO SHOULDER 100% OF THE BLEND AS I PRIORITIZE EDUCATION OVER COMMUNITY.
PLEASE DO NOT PUT PORTABLES ON THE SOCCER FIELD.
WHEN I SEE DELAY QUOTE THAT SAYS DELAY CRITICAL COST SAVINGS.
FINANCIAL PLANNING MUST BE IMPROVED GOING FORWARD IN THE FUTURE.
LASTLY, THE QA STATES BRIDGEPOINT OPERATED AT A SIMILAR ENROLLMENT RATE.
BACK TO MY EARLIER POINT, AND FOREST TRAIL IS NEXT DOOR.
THOMAS. HI, MY NAME IS [INAUDIBLE].
I HAVE A SEVENTH GRADER IN WEST RIDGE AND A FOURTH GRADER IN VALLEY VIEW.
IT'S SPRUCED UP. IT HAS A HUGE PLAY AREA.
IT HAS THREE PLAYGROUNDS, A FIELD, A GREEN TOP.
WHY WOULD YOU PUSH US INTO A SMALLER SCHOOL AREA? IF YOU HAVE TO BLEND, BLEND INTO A SCHOOL WHICH HAS A BIGGER AREA FOOTPRINT AND YOU HAVE SCHOOLS THAT ARE FALLING APART, THAT'S LIKE CEDAR CREEK, EANES ELEMENTARY.
WHY DON'T YOU SHUT THOSE SCHOOLS DOWN AND BLEND THOSE KIDS WITH VALLEY VIEW? AND WHEN IT GOES, WHEN IT'S TIME TO GO FOR THE MIDDLE SCHOOL, THEY GO TO THEIR RESPECTIVE MIDDLE SCHOOLS.
WHY WOULD IT'S A BRAND, IT'S AN AWESOME SCHOOL.
WHY WOULD YOU LEAVE IT EMPTY AND SHOVE US INTO PORTABLES? THERE ARE SCHOOLS THAT ARE FALLING APART.
PLEASE USE. PLEASE DO SOMETHING ABOUT THOSE KIDS.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU, [INAUDIBLE].
HEY, Y'ALL, I'M BONNIE PALMER.
MY DAUGHTER IS THRIVING IN THIS PROGRAM AND I HOPE MY SON WILL TOO.
MY FAMILY IS DEEPLY DEVOTED THROUGH VOLUNTEERING AND FINANCIAL SUPPORT.
HOWEVER, I DO NOT FEEL THAT EANES IS EQUALLY COMMITTED TO US.
STABILITY IS ESSENTIAL FOR OUR CHILDREN.
THEY DESERVE A PROGRAM THEY CAN RELY ON, NOT ONE THAT'S AT RISK OF BEING TAKEN AWAY YEAR AFTER YEAR.
THIS PROGRAM IS MORE THAN AN EXPERIMENT.
HI, MY NAME IS MARGARITA AND I HAVE TWO YOUNG BOYS WHO ARE HOPEFULLY FUTURE BCE STUDENTS.
UNITE, EMPOWER, INSPIRE, EVERY PERSON, EVERY DAY.
THIS IS OUR DISTRICT MOTTO AND EQUITY IS AT ITS CORE.
HOW ARE THE OTHER ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS ACCOMMODATING TO CHANGE? THEY ARE NOT.
[02:05:02]
WHY AREN'T THEY PART OF THE PROPOSED BLENDING? AS AN ARCHITECT, I CAN TELL YOU THAT THE CAPACITY NUMBERS THAT THE COMMITTEE HAS PRESENTED ARE FRANKLY MEANINGLESS IF YOU'RE NOT CONSIDERING THE CAMPUS SHARED SPACES, OUTDOOR PLAY AREAS, THE GYM, THE CAFETERIA, THE LIBRARY.A SCHOOL IS SO MUCH MORE THAN HOW MANY KIDS CAN YOU FIT IN FOUR WALLS.
ALL SCHOOLS SHOULD BE ANALYZED AND REVIEWED IN THIS MATTER.
NOW IS THE TIME TO FUTURE PROOF OUR SCHOOLS.
A DISTRICT WIDE SOLUTION PROMOTES EQUITY AND SOLIDARITY.
WE EANES ISD CAN DO THIS TOGETHER.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MARGUERITA.
MY MY MAIN CONCERNS ON THIS MERGER FIVE.
PARKING AND TRAFFIC CHALLENGES ARE ADD ON TEACHER WORKLOAD.
SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION IN GREEN SPACE WHICH IS ESSENTIAL FOR STUDENTS PHYSICAL AND MENTAL WELLBEING.
INSUFFICIENT OUTDOOR SPACE AND PLAYGROUND AREAS.
SAFETY CONCERN I AM CONCERNED ABOUT THE SAFETY OF MY CHILDREN IN A SCHOOL WITH OVER 800 STUDENTS, PARTICULARLY IN TERMS OF EMERGENCY EVACUATION PROCEDURES, TRANSPARENCY, THE NEED FOR MORE TRANSPARENCY WITH STUDENTS AND PARENTS, AND COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT IN THE DECISION MAKING PROCESSES.
IT TOOK ME THREE YEARS TO CONVINCE MY SISTER TO MOVE FROM SEATTLE SAMMAMISH, A VERY HIGHLY RATED SCHOOL DISTRICT, AND I'M AFRAID THAT ONE EMAIL AND PAST ONE WEEK HAS CONVINCED HER TO GO BACK THERE.
HI, LAURA. MY NAME IS LAURA AND I HAVE THREE BARTON CREEK STUDENTS.
I'M ALSO AGAINST THE PROPOSED MEGA SCHOOL.
HOWEVER, WE'RE A STRONG, TIGHT KNIT COMMUNITY.
GIVE US A CHANCE TO SUPPORT EACH OTHER AND COME UP WITH A MORE EQUITABLE SOLUTION.
THANK YOU. LAURA. WELCOME, DANE.
I HAVE THREE KIDS AT BARTON CREEK AND ONE AT WEST RIDGE.
FOR THOSE OF YOU GUYS THAT KNOW THE MCNICHOLAS FAMILY CLAN ARE INCREDIBLE MUSICAL INSTRUCTORS.
THEY DO A PHENOMENAL JOB OF PUTTING ON CHOIR PERFORMANCES AT BCE.
THERE IS BOTH K THROUGH TWO AND THIRD THROUGH FIFTH THAT DO THEIR OWN PERFORMANCES.
THE MCNICHOLAS PUT IN THEIR SWEAT, THEIR BLOOD, THEIR TEARS.
THEY PUT IN SO MANY HOURS AND THOSE PROGRAMS ARE COMPLETELY FULL.
THE GYM IS FULL ON PERFORMANCE NIGHT.
THERE IS NO WAY YOU CAN ADD 50% TO THAT PROGRAM WITHOUT DEGRADING IT.
I DON'T SAY THIS TO SAY THAT THE CHOIR IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IN YOUR DECISION.
IT'S JUST SIMPLY ONE MICROCOSM OF THINGS THAT PROBABLY AREN'T CONSIDERED WHEN YOU TAKE A SCHOOL THAT'S A CERTAIN SIZE AND BUILT FOR A CERTAIN SIZE AND TRY TO ADD 50% TO IT, SO I WOULD LIKE IT TO BE RECONSIDERED.
LIKE MANY OTHERS HAVE SAID, THANK YOU.
THE DOCUMENTS I'VE SEEN STATE THAT WE'LL SAVE 2.2 MILLION BY CLOSING VVE.
AS I LOOK INTO THIS MORE, THE MATH AIN'T MATHING.
THERE ARE NO PLANS TO SELL THE VVE CAMPUS.
INSTEAD, IT'S RUMORED TO BE A TEMPORARY LOCATION FOR WHEN EANES ELEMENTARY IS UP FOR REMODEL.
THERE WILL BE NO PROCEEDS FROM THE SALE TO HELP OUT WITH THE BUDGET SHORTFALL.
THEN WE HAVE TO THINK ABOUT THE COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH INSTALLING THE PORTABLES AT $150,000 EACH, PLUS THE COST TO WIRE FOR ELECTRICITY, PLUMBING, AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, A NEW PERIMETER SECURITY FENCE.
WHERE ARE WE GENERATING THE SAVINGS? I THINK WE DESERVE MORE TRANSPARENCY AND WHERE THESE COST SAVINGS WILL COME FROM, WHICH YOU PROVIDED TONIGHT.
SO THANK YOU FOR THAT. SECONDLY, AN ISSUE THAT IS PARAMOUNT TO ME IS THE SECURITY OF OUR CHILDREN.
WE'VE INVESTED A LOT OF DOLLARS IN HARDENING OUR CAMPUSES AND TRAINING OUR KIDS.
[02:10:03]
OUR KIDS SAY BLUE JAYS DON'T LEAVE DOORS OPEN.NOW WE WILL HAVE KIDS FREELY ENTERING AND EXITING THE BUILDING THROUGHOUT THE DAY.
THE UVALDE SHOOTER JUMPED OVER A CHAIN LINK FENCE BEFORE ENTERING ROBB ELEMENTARY.
DO WE REALLY THINK A CHAIN LINK FENCE AND THE WALLS OF TEMPORARY PORTABLES WILL KEEP OUR CHILDREN SAFE FROM AN ACTIVE SHOOTER? THANK YOU MA'AM. GOOD EVENING.
BOARD. MEMBERS OF THE ADMINISTRATION.
I AM A K-12 PRODUCT OF THE EANES ELEMENTARY.
OR, I'M SORRY, OF THE EANES INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT, AS MY HUSBAND IS ALSO FROM FIFTH ON.
THEY HAVE BEEN THERE SINCE THEY WERE INFANTS.
I'M ALSO A 16 YEAR VETERAN OF PUBLIC EDUCATION IN TEXAS.
IT IS COMPLEX AND IT IS DIFFICULT.
IT CONTRADICTS YOUR DESIRE FOR EXCELLENCE AND YOUR RECENTLY ADOPTED BOARD PRIORITIES.
MY ASK OF THE BOARD IS THAT YOU TAKE THIS PLAN OFF OF THE TABLE FOR CONSIDERATION.
THE EANES COMMUNITY IS FULL OF INDIVIDUALS, MYSELF INCLUDED, WHO ARE MORE THAN WILLING TO ENGAGE WITH YOU ALL TO DEVELOP A VIABLE, EQUITABLE, AND SUSTAINABLE SOLUTION GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY. THANK YOU.
THANK YOU, ABBY. GOOD EVENING.
IF A BLEND IS APPROVED, THEN I WOULD STRONGLY RECOMMEND THAT YOU CONSIDER ALTERNATIVES THAT REDUCE THE OVERALL IMPACT TO THE BARTON CREEK COMMUNITY BY FIRST REZONING SOME OF THE OUTLYING NEIGHBORHOODS TO BRIDGEPOINT OR OTHER SCHOOLS, AND TRANSFERRING THE SPANISH IMMERSION STUDENTS FROM BCE TO THE THREE REMAINING SI CAMPUSES.
THIS DOES THE MOST TO ALLEVIATE THE SIGNIFICANT OVERCROWDING AND DISPROPORTIONATE IMPACT TO BCE BY RECLAIMING THOSE 11 CLASSROOMS FOR TRADITIONAL LEARNING SECTIONS, THIS ALSO HELPS INCREASE THE EFFICIENCY AND LOWER THE COST OF THE SI PROGRAM AT THOSE OTHER THREE CAMPUSES, TAKING A NEIGHBORHOOD SCHOOL LIKE BCE OFF A SINGLE LANE ROAD THAT HAS HISTORICALLY SERVED AROUND 500 STUDENTS, AND INCREASING THAT TO AROUND €800 YEAR OVER YEAR IS NOT EQUITABLE AND FRANKLY, NOT FEASIBLE.
IT SIMPLY DOESN'T WORK. THE PARKING PLANS THAT WERE PROMOTED ON THE LAST PAGE OF THE SECTION THAT YOU PROVIDED WERE TRIED AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS YEAR, AND FAILED SPECTACULARLY WITH 300 LESS STUDENTS.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU, CATHERINE.
JOHN TROY. BARTON CREEK DAD, WHO LIVES IN CUERNAVACA.
YOU STARTED BY SAYING YOU WANTED TO KEEP CUTS AS FAR AWAY FROM STUDENTS AND FAMILIES AS POSSIBLE.
THE SI PROGRAM NOW SERVES ALMOST HALF OF ELEMENTARY STUDENTS, 10% OF TOTAL EANES STUDENTS.
WE SHOULDN'T PERMANENTLY CUT THE ONLY ELEMENTARY ENRICHMENT PROGRAM, ESPECIALLY NOT AFTER THE BOARD JUST MADE CHANGES THIS YEAR THAT HAVE BARELY BEEN IMPLEMENTED, BUT ARE ALREADY GOING REALLY WELL TO ENSURE THAT SI WORKS BETTER FOR THOSE BOTH IN THE PROGRAM AND NOT IN THE PROGRAM.
WE ALSO DON'T BELIEVE THE FINANCIAL SAVINGS THAT HAVE BEEN PROJECTED ARE TRULY ACTUALLY THERE.
NUMBER TWO, PLEASE ASK THE ADMINISTRATION FOR OPTIONS BELOW 500,000.
THERE COULD BE SIGNIFICANT SAVINGS THAT WE'RE MISSING THAT WE SHOULD BE CONSIDERING.
HOWEVER, I'VE LIVED IN THE COMMUNITY LONG ENOUGH TO SEE A BOND NOT PASS.
THAT'S WHY VALLEY VIEW DOESN'T HAVE A CLOSE BY SCHOOL RIGHT NOW, AND SO WHAT IS THE WHAT'S THE BOARD'S PLAN IF THE BOND DOESN'T PASS? THANK YOU JOHN. THANK YOU.
HELLO, MY NAME IS MOLLY PARKES.
I AM A PARENT OF A SEVENTH GRADER AT WEST RIDGE AND TWO GIRLS IN FIRST GRADE AT VALLEY VIEW.
I'M ALSO A DISTRICT FAMILY TRANSFER AND PLANS TO MOVE TO [INAUDIBLE] AT SOME POINT, BUT NOT YET.
[02:15:04]
I WOULD LIKE THE BOARD TO RECONSIDER THE CURRENT PLAN.I DON'T THINK THAT OVERCROWDING BARTON CREEK ELEMENTARY IS THE RIGHT WAY TO GO.
IN YOUR OWN WORDS, IN YOUR LAST PRESENTATION YOU HAVE SAID TO THE EXTENT POSSIBLE, PRIORITY WILL BE GIVEN TO PROPOSALS THAT LEAST IMPACT STUDENT LEARNING AND STAFF RETENTION AND OVERCROWDING WILL DIRECTLY IMPACT BOTH OF THOSE.
FURTHERMORE, I WANT TO SPEAK ON BEHALF OF OUR EDUCATORS.
THEY ARE ALL FREAKING OUT AND I AM TOO FOR THEM.
THEY'RE SCARED TO SPEAK, AND THEY NEED ANONYMITY NOW.
I HAVE A KINDERGARTNER WITH 23 KIDS IN HER CLASS IN BCE AND SEVENTH GRADER AT WEST RIDGE.
I SUGGEST REZONING AND STOPPING TRANSFERS.
I'M A RESIDENT OF PETERSON ROAD, WHICH IS A NARROW, CURVY ROAD WITH SEVERAL BLIND SPOTS.
IT IS ONLY 1.6 MILES WITH JUST ONE TURN LEADING TO THE TENNIS COURTS IN WEST RIDGE.
IT'S OFTEN BLOCKED BY CARS TRYING TO MAKE U-TURNS OR NAVIGATE TO THE DEAD END CUL DE SAC.
I NEVER LET MY KIDS WALK TO SCHOOL SINCE IT'S UNSAFE WITH NO SIDEWALK.
WORTH MENTIONING SOME RESIDENTS HAVE LARGE TRAILERS BOATS.
IT IS A POPULAR ROUTE FOR BICYCLISTS AND HAVE OFFICES BEING CONSTRUCTED ON THE CORNER.
IN LAST MEETING, IT WAS MENTIONED THAT TRANSPORTATION CAN MAKE IT HAPPEN AND IT CAN BE INTEGRATED INTO THE EXISTING BUS LANE WITH 300 ADDITIONAL KIDS, WOULDN'T THE BUS TRAFFIC INCREASE? WE LEARNED ABOUT THE TRAFFIC SURVEY BEING CONDUCTED TODAY THROUGH THURSDAY.
I DROVE BY IT SEVERAL TIMES TODAY BUT DIDN'T SEE ANYONE.
WILL THE SURVEY CONSIDER BAD WEATHER STRANDED VEHICLES? WILL RESIDENTS BE SURVEYED? IS THE COUNTY ON BOARD? WHAT ABOUT SPECIAL EVENTS? PRIVATE EVENTS? MY KINDERGARTNER'S CLASS AGAIN HAS 23 KIDS.
IT WAS STATED IN THE LAST MEETING AGAIN THAT FOOD SERVICES COULD MAKE IT HAPPEN.
EANES WAS A DISTRICT OF STANDARDS.
WHY ARE WE TRYING TO MAKE THINGS HAPPEN? WHY ARE WE STRETCHING THINGS TO MAKE THEM HAPPEN? THANK YOU. THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING, MEMBERS.
[INAUDIBLE] KUMAR. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE HERE.
I HAVE A SIX YEAR OLD IN FIRST GRADE AT BCE, AND I BELIEVE I'M THE LAST SPEAKER.
UNFORTUNATELY, WE STAND BEFORE YOU TODAY FROM BCE, AND I BELIEVE FROM FEELING DIVIDED, EMPOWERED STUDENTS WITH EXEMPLARY EDUCATION, WE FEEL THE CURRENT CONSIDERATION OF BLENDING BCE AND VVE IS INEQUITABLE AND WOULD COMPROMISE THE EDUCATION QUALITY.
SINCE THE PROPOSAL SEEMS OVERLY RUSHED, FINALLY INSPIRE EACH OTHER.
WE CAN TAKE A LONG TERM APPROACH BY CONDUCTING A THOROUGH STUDY FOR A DISTRICT WIDE REZONING.
NOW, INSTEAD OF TAKING AN ABRUPT, SHORT SIGHTED APPROACH OF TARGETING AND BURDENING TWO SCHOOLS AS PARENTS, WE CAN DONATE MORE TO EEF AND ALSO WORK WITH OUR LOCAL DELEGATION AT THE LEGISLATURE IN 2025 TO SECURE MORE FUNDING FOR OUR DISTRICT.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
THANK YOU ALL FOR COMING, AND THANK YOU FOR SPEAKING TONIGHT.
BOARD. DO YOU WANT TO TEN MINUTE BREAK.
WE'RE GOING TO DO A TEN MINUTE RECESS OF THE BOARD.
OKAY. WE'RE GOING TO GET STARTED AGAIN.
I'VE GOT A COUPLE OF TRUSTEES WHO'VE STEPPED OUT, BUT THEY'LL GET BACK.
I DON'T WANT THEM TO MISS MARIA'S REPORT.
THANKS, EVERYONE, FOR HANGING OUT.
[02:20:14]
OKAY. WE WILL NOW RECONVENE AND OPEN SESSION.OUR NEXT REPORT IS BEREA'S FINANCIAL REPORT.
WELCOME, MARIA. THANK YOU FOR WAITING.
[11.1 Monthly Financial Report and Budget Amendment(s) for the Period Ending October 31 ]
SORRY FOR DELAYING YOU TONIGHT.SO WE HAVE OUR FINANCIAL REPORT FOR THE MONTH ENDING OCTOBER 31ST.
YOU MAY HAVE NOTICED THAT FOR TAXES, THERE WERE TAXES THAT WERE COLLECTED DURING THE MONTH.
THOSE WERE ALL RELATED TO DELINQUENT TAXES.
SO OCTOBER IS THE START OF THE NEW TAX YEAR, AND BECAUSE THERE WERE ITEMS ON THE BALLOT THAT STILL NEEDED TO BE DECIDED, THE TAX BILLS DID NOT GO OUT IN OCTOBER.
SO WE RECEIVED THE TAX LEVY LAST WEEK, AND THE BILLS HAVE GONE OUT SINCE THEN, BUT BECAUSE OF THAT REASON, THERE WAS NO COLLECTIONS IN OCTOBER, AND THEN OF COURSE, JUST A NOTE AGAIN, SIMILAR TO LAST MONTH WHEN I WAS HERE, THE FUND BALANCE THAT YOU'RE SEEING ON OUR FINANCIAL STATEMENTS IS NEGATIVE, AND THIS IS WHERE WE EXPECT FOR IT TO BE, BECAUSE THOSE COLLECTIONS HAVE NOT STARTED COMING IN FOR TAXES.
YOU WILL HAVE NOTICED THAT THERE WAS A BIG INCREASE ON THE ASSET SIDE AND THE DEFERRED REVENUE SIDE, AND THAT'S AGAIN BECAUSE OF THE TAX LEVY THAT'S BEEN RECORDED ON THE BOOKS AS FAR AS THE RECEIVABLE AND THE DEFERRED REVENUE AND THEN BUDGET AMENDMENTS.
BUDGET AMENDMENTS THAT WERE SUBMITTED FOR THE GENERAL FUND.
THESE ARE ITEMS THAT CAME IN FROM CAMPUSES AND DEPARTMENTS.
DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? BOARD, ANY QUESTIONS? YOU'RE SO THOROUGH.
THERE'S NO QUESTIONS. THANK YOU, MARIA, VERY MUCH.
WE WILL, WE WERE SCHEDULED TO HAVE OUR DEI ADVISORY COMMITTEE UPDATE.
AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, WE'VE MOVED THAT TO DECEMBER.
[11.2 DEI Advisory Committee update]
SO NOW WE WILL GET AN UPDATE ON THE BOARD'S STRATEGIC PRIORITY AROUND SAFE AND INCLUSIVE COMMUNITIES.[11.3 Board Strategic Priority: Safe and Inclusive Communities update]
I THINK IT'S PART TWO. RIGHT.YEAH. AWESOME. PART TWO IN DECEMBER, IT'S LIKE A PREQUEL.
SO WE ARE HERE TO PRESENT ON OUR STRATEGIC BOARD PRIORITY AROUND SAFE AND INCLUSIVE SCHOOL COMMUNITIES, AND WE'LL FOCUS A LOT THIS EVENING ON WHAT OUR COUNSELORS ARE DOING.
OBVIOUSLY, OUR TEACHERS AND ALL STAFF ARE INTEGRAL TO THIS, BUT THIS IS A LOT OF WORK OF OUR COUNSELING DEPARTMENT, AND I JUST WANT TO GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO THEM BECAUSE THEY WORK VERY HARD, AND WE HAVE A LOT OF STUDENTS WITH VARIOUS NEEDS, AND OUR COUNSELORS ARE AMAZING, AND THEY REALLY, DEFINITELY MAKE AN IMPACT ON THE LIVES OF OUR STUDENTS AND ON THEIR FAMILIES, AND SO YOU'LL SEE SOME OF THEIR GREAT WORK IN THIS REPORT THIS EVENING, AND HEIDI IS GOING TO DO THE MAJORITY OF THE SPEAKING.
ALL RIGHT. SO AS WE BEGIN TALKING ABOUT THIS PARTICULAR BOARD OBJECTIVE AND THE ADMINISTRATIVE ACTIONS WITHIN IT, I DID WANT TO REFLECT FOR A MOMENT THAT MY FIRST PRESENTATION TO THIS BOARD WAS IN 2015, AND IN THE YEARS SINCE, SOMETHING THAT HAS REMAINED STAUNCH EVEN THOUGH THE FACES HAVE CHANGED.
SO THANK YOU FOR THAT SUPPORT OVER THESE YEARS.
SO THE BOARD OBJECTIVE THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TONIGHT HAS THREE SPECIFIC ADMINISTRATIVE ACTIONS RELATED TO INCORPORATING STUDENT VOICE TEACHING STUDENTS ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH AND WELLNESS, INCLUDING SUICIDE PREVENTION, AND THEN ALSO PROVIDING TIER TWO SUPPORT THROUGH GROUP COUNSELING.
WE ASSESS THIS THROUGH AN ANNUAL NEEDS ASSESSMENT THAT HAPPENS EVERY YEAR.
IT HAPPENS ACROSS ALL OF OUR CAMPUSES, AND THERE'S A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT QUESTIONS THAT ARE ASKED.
SOME OF THEM ACROSS THE CAMPUSES INVOLVE ASSESSING STUDENTS FEELINGS ABOUT HOW THEY'RE CONNECTED TO SCHOOL, WHETHER OR NOT THEY CAN IDENTIFY A TRUSTED ADULT AT HOME, AT SCHOOL, WHAT TOPICS OF INTEREST THEY HAVE, WHAT DO THEY WANT TO LEARN FROM THE COUNSELORS, AND WHAT DO THEY WANT COUNSELORS TO KNOW ABOUT THEM? AND THE RESPONSES TO THAT NEEDS ASSESSMENT IS WHAT GUIDES THE OUTREACH AND INTERVENTION THAT OUR COUNSELING TEAM DOES WITH STUDENTS.
SO LET'S LOOK FIRST AT STUDENT VOICE FROM WESTLAKE.
WELL, IT'S ALWAYS IN SEPTEMBER.
WESTLAKE STUDENTS WERE PROMPTED WITH THE QUESTION, "I WISH MY TEACHERS KNEW?" 366 STUDENTS RESPONDED AND WHAT'S ON THE SCREEN ARE A SUMMARY OF THOSE RESPONSES.
[02:25:08]
THAT WAS DEFINITELY ONE OF THE MOST PROMINENT FEELINGS THAT OUR STUDENTS EXPRESSED WAS THAT INCREDIBLE SENSE OF OVERWHELM.THEY WANTED THEIR TEACHERS TO KNOW THAT THEY ARE TRYING THEIR BEST, EVEN IF THEIR GRADES AREN'T SHOWING IT, THAT THEY APPRECIATE THEIR TEACHERS, THEY WANT MORE FLEXIBILITY AND THEY WANT SOME AWARENESS OF INDIVIDUAL.
WHEN WE GO TO THE MIDDLE SCHOOLS, THE MIDDLE SCHOOLS DO HAVE A SERIES OF QUESTIONS THAT THEY ASK, BUT I WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT THEY THEIR QUESTION ON WHAT THEY WISH THEIR COUNSELORS KNEW ABOUT THEM, AND HERE YOU HAVE A SUMMARY AGAIN WHERE THEY ARE ANXIOUS ABOUT THE INCREASED ACADEMIC DEMANDS AS THEY'RE TRANSITIONING INTO MIDDLE SCHOOL.
AS YOU WOULD EXPECT AMONGST THIS GROUP.
THEY DON'T WANT TO BE DEFINED BY THEIR CHALLENGES.
THERE'S A LOT OF REALLY FUN COMMENTS TO READ IN THESE ASSESSMENTS.
SO NOW I WANT TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT GROUP COUNSELING.
THOSE ARE THE FOUR TOPICS THAT ARE PLANNED NOT, BUT BOTH SCHOOLS AREN'T NECESSARILY DOING ALL FOUR OF THOSE GROUPS RIGHT NOW, BUT THOSE ARE THE ONES THAT THEY TOLD ME THEY'RE WORKING ON, AND THEN AT WESTLAKE, THEY'RE RUNNING A GRIEF AND LOSS GROUP AND TLC.
ROBERT ROWLAND IS THE SOCIAL WORKER THERE, AND HE DOES PROCESSING GROUPS REGULARLY WITH THE STUDENTS THERE, AND IN THOSE GROUPS, BASICALLY, KIDS CAN RAISE UP ANY ISSUES THAT THEY HAVE, AND AT CERTAIN TIMES HE WILL INITIATE A CONVERSATION OR A TOPIC OF DISCUSSION BASED ON ANY ISSUES THAT ARE IMPACTING THEIR SCHOOL COMMUNITY.
THE SECOND LEVEL IS TAUGHT AT SEVENTH GRADE AND THAT'S THE DEPRESSION AWARENESS UNIT, AND THEN IN EIGHTH GRADE THEY DO DEPRESSION EDUCATION AS WELL AS SUICIDE AWARENESS, AND THEN AT WESTLAKE THEY HAVE SUICIDE PREVENTION AWARENESS WEEK, WHICH IS THE BE KIND TO YOUR MIND WEEK THAT THEY'VE BEEN DOING FOR TWO YEARS.
THEY ALSO ASKED THE QUESTION, WHAT DO YOU WISH YOUR COUNSELORS KNEW? AND THERE'S A BUNCH OF THINGS THAT THOSE STUDENTS HAD TO SAY.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT STRUCK ME WHEN I WAS REVIEWING THIS RESPONSE, THESE RESPONSES, IS THAT THEY'RE REALLY STRESSED ABOUT ACADEMICS AND MATH IN PARTICULAR, WHICH IS SOMEONE WHO HAS SPENT A CAREER IN HIGH SCHOOL SETTING.
IT'S BEEN REALLY INTERESTING JUST TO SEE HOW THAT FOLLOWS THEM ALL THE WAY UP TO HIGH SCHOOL WITH THAT SENSE OF PRESSURE AROUND ACADEMICS AND MATH IN PARTICULAR, AND COMPARING THEMSELVES TO OTHERS.
THIS IS SOME DATA ABOUT SOME OF THE OTHER QUESTIONS THAT WERE ASKED AT STUDENT OF STUDENT VOICE.
ALL OF OUR ELEMENTARIES ASK THESE QUESTIONS.
THEY ASSESS. THEY ASK KIDS IF THEY FEEL SAFE AT SCHOOL, WHETHER THEY FEEL LIKE THEY HAVE FRIENDS AT SCHOOL, WHETHER THEY ENJOY SCHOOL, AND WHETHER THEY HAVE A TRUSTED ADULT AT SCHOOL, AND YOU CAN SEE THE PERCENTAGES THERE IN GREEN ARE KIDS WHO ARE RESPONDING YES, IN YELLOW THEY'RE SAYING SOMETIMES AND IN RED THEY'RE SAYING NO, AND WHAT HAPPENS IN THE BACKGROUND WITH ALL OF THESE SURVEYS THAT ALL OF THE LEVELS IS WHEN YOU HAVE AN ANSWER IN THE RED, THERE IS NO THOSE ARE GOING TO BE KIDS THAT OUR COUNSELORS ARE GOING TO REACH OUT TO SEPARATELY. WE'RE GOING TO FIND OUT WHAT'S GOING ON WHEN THEY ASK THAT KIND OF QUESTION, AND WITH THE FREE RESPONSE ANSWERS, THE COUNSELORS ARE FILTERING THROUGH THOSE LOOKING FOR CONCERNING STATEMENTS, AND THEN THEY'RE CALLING IN THOSE STUDENTS AND ALSO GIVING THEM OPPORTUNITIES TO SPECIFICALLY REQUEST AN OPPORTUNITY TO MEET WITH THE COUNSELOR. AT THE ELEMENTARIES, THERE'S A LOT OF GROUP COUNSELING GOING ON.
GROUP COUNSELING CAN BE DONE BY A SCHOOL COUNSELOR OR A SCHOOL BASED THERAPIST.
MOST OF THEM RIGHT NOW ARE BEING DONE BY SCHOOL.
SCHOOL BASED THERAPISTS, AND THESE ARE ALL THE DIFFERENT TOPICS THAT THEY HAVE PLANNED SO FAR IN THIS YEAR, AND AGAIN, NOT EVERY ELEMENTARY IS NECESSARILY DOING EVERY ONE OF THESE GROUPS PRETTY CONSISTENT ACROSS ALL THE GRADE LEVELS, IS A SOCIAL SKILLS GROUP RIGHT NOW, AND THE INITIAL FOCUS FOR THE ELEMENTARY GROUPS WERE ON KINDERGARTEN AND ON NEW STUDENTS.
THEY STARTED SOME KINDER CONNECTIONS AT SOME OF THE CAMPUSES THIS YEAR, AND I'LL LET MOLLY TAKE IT.
[02:30:06]
TYPICALLY USED IN OUR MORNING MEETINGS WORKING ON OUR SOCIAL EMOTIONAL LEARNING SKILLS, BUILDING COMMUNITY AND THE TOPICS AROUND GROWTH MINDSET AND GOAL SETTING, EMOTIONAL MANAGEMENT, EMPATHY AND KINDNESS, AND THEN PROBLEM SOLVING, AND THEN ALSO AT THE ELEMENTARY LEVEL USING A PROGRAM, MINDYETI, WHICH JUST IS SOME VIDEOS TO REALLY HELP OUR STUDENTS.IT ENGAGES THEM, HELPS THEM WITH RELAXATION, FOCUS, BEING CALM, BEING PRESENT.
VERY SHORT VIDEOS THAT OUR TEACHERS SHOW, AND WE'VE SEEN A LOT OF GREAT RESULTS FROM OUR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL KIDS WHO WHO ENJOY USING MIND YETI, AND THEN AT OUR SECONDARY LEVEL, IN TERMS OF MENTAL HEALTH AND WELLNESS, WE'VE MENTIONED THIS SEVERAL TIMES THAT HEALTH IS A REQUIREMENT, A GRADUATION REQUIREMENT.
IT IS NOT REQUIRED BY THE STATE, BUT THE EANES ISD BOARD HAS MADE THAT A PRIORITY IN OUR DISTRICT, AND SO WE DO TEACH HEALTH TO ALL OF OUR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS, AND YOU'LL SEE THERE THE TEKS THAT ARE ADDRESSED.
SO THERE IS THE FOCUSING ON MENTAL HEALTH, ON MANAGING STRESS, BUILDING HEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS AND BEING ABLE TO ASK FOR HELP, AND THEN AT THE ELEMENTARY LEVEL, WE'VE ADOPTED A CURRICULUM THROUGH QUAVERED.
IT'S A HEALTH AND PE COMBINATION AND YOU SEE THE DIFFERENT TOPICS THERE, TOO.
HEALTHY PRACTICES, SOCIAL BEHAVIOR, MENTAL HEALTH, NUTRITION AND SAFETY.
OBVIOUSLY I MENTIONED EARLIER WITH THE COUNSELORS, BUT WE'RE ALSO MAKING SURE THAT THIS INFORMATION IS IN OUR CURRICULUM AND THAT OUR STUDENTS ARE RECEIVING DIRECT INSTRUCTION ON SOME OF THESE DIFFERENT TOPICS, AND THEN ALONG THAT WITH MENTAL HEALTH AND WELLNESS, WE DID OFFER LAST WEEK A PARENT SERIES.
THAT WAS WHAT NIGHT WAS THAT? THURSDAY, WEDNESDAY.
THURSDAY. GO AHEAD. YOU CAN TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE.
YEAH, IT WAS THURSDAY NIGHT. WE HAD A WEBINAR THAT WAS A LOCAL PARENT WHO OWNS A BUSINESS, A CONSULTING BUSINESS, AND SHE DID A PRESENTATION ON MENTAL HEALTH FOR PRETEENS AND TEENS AND TRYING TO GIVE SOME GUIDANCE FOR PARENTS ON WHAT TO LOOK FOR AND THAT VIDEO HAS JUST BEEN POSTED ON THE COUNSELING WEBSITE, DISTRICT COUNSELING WEBSITE, AND ALSO THE HEALTHY SHOPS SPEAKER SERIES WEBSITE, AND IF ANYONE CAN'T FIND IT THERE, THEY CAN EMAIL ME AND I'M HAPPY TO SHARE THAT OUT.
IN THAT EVENT IS ALSO ALIGNED WITH OUR OBJECTIVES AND OUR STRATEGIC ACTIONS AS FAR AS COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE ALSO DOING OUTREACH TO OUR FAMILIES AND PROVIDING INFORMATION TO THEM.
SO ANY QUESTIONS? THANK YOU BOTH.
LET'S SEE. QUESTIONS, HEATHER.
SO I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT YOU GUYS ARE DOING THIS, AND IT'S SO IMPORTANT THAT WE ARE, YOU KNOW, MAKING SURE THAT WE DO HAVE SAFE AND INCLUSIVE SCHOOLS, AND SHOUT OUT TO HEIDI, I SAW YOU AT THE CHRISTI CENTER LUNCHEON, AND I'M REALLY GLAD THAT WE HAVE THAT AS A RESOURCE FOR OUR FAMILIES.
ALSO MAKES ME SAD EVERY YEAR THAT I GO TO THAT EVENT.
WELL, IT'S BITTERSWEET, I SUPPOSE, BUT IT MAKES ME SAD BECAUSE WE DO HAVE SO MANY FAMILIES THAT HAVE A USE FOR THE CHRISTI CENTER BECAUSE THEY ARE DEALING WITH GRIEF FROM EITHER THE LOSS OF A PARENT OR A SIBLING, OR A CHILD.
IN THE CASE OF OUR PARENTS, AND SO I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT WE HAVE PARTNERED WITH THEM A BIT MORE AND TO SEE YOU THERE, AND I'M GLAD THAT WE DID HAVE SO MANY STUDENTS AT THE HIGH SCHOOL, ALTHOUGH I STILL WANT MORE, AND IT WAS REALLY INTERESTING TO ME TO SEE THE BETWEEN THE WEST LAKE AND THEN THE MIDDLE SCHOOLS, HOW THE HIGH SCHOOL KIDDOS WANT AWARENESS OF INDIVIDUAL LEARNING AND PERSONAL CHALLENGES, BUT THEN THE MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS ARE SAYING THEY DON'T WANT TO BE DEFINED BY THOSE CHALLENGES.
SO I'M LIKE, OKAY, IS THAT A MATURITY THING? I DON'T I GUESS IN MIDDLE SCHOOL YOU DON'T WANT TO LOOK DIFFERENT, AND IN HIGH SCHOOL, MAYBE YOU DON'T MIND AS MUCH.
I DON'T KNOW, MAYBE YOU GUYS HAVE MORE INSIGHT ON THAT, AND THEN THE THING ABOUT THE MATH AND THE BEING STRESSED ABOUT ACADEMICS IN MATH I ATTENDED THE WESTLAKE HIGH SCHOOL.
COLLEGE ADMISSIONS PRESENTATION THAT WE GOT AS A BOARD A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO, BUT IT WAS THE SHOW'S PRESENTATION OF THAT TODAY, AND MR. RAMSEY MADE A REALLY GOOD POINT THAT I THOUGHT KIND OF CORRELATED WITH THIS IS THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'VE ALWAYS TALKED ABOUT HOW COMPETITIVE WESTLAKE IS, AND, YOU KNOW, WE'RE COMPETITIVE WITH OTHER HIGH SCHOOLS.
OUR KIDS ARE COMPETITIVE AGAINST EACH OTHER, BUT REALLY, WE NEED TO REFOCUS AND THINK OF BEING AMBITIOUS AND LIKE WE'RE AMBITIOUS AS INDIVIDUALS AND NOT COMPETITIVE, AND I DON'T KNOW, THAT KIND OF MADE ME THINK ABOUT THE MATH THING AND HOW DO WE, LIKE, DE-STRESS SOME OF THIS? AND DO WE THINK THAT'S 5 OR 6 MATH AT THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL? WHAT DO YOU GUYS THINK? I KNOW THAT'S A LOADED QUESTION.
YOU KNOW, THE ONLY PLACE YOU CAN ADVANCE IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IS AT THAT FIVE SIX MATH LEVEL.
[02:35:03]
SO I THINK PARENTS, YOU KNOW, ARE SOME OF THEM, YOU KNOW, THAT'S A FOCUS, AND SO I THINK WE JUST NEED TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE NOW UNDER CHAD.SO I THINK, AGAIN, IT GOES TO FINDING THAT INDIVIDUAL NEED FOR THAT INDIVIDUAL STUDENT AND SEEING WHEN MAYBE THE APPROPRIATE TIME IS AND MAYBE IT'S NOT FIVE SIX MATH AND MAYBE IT'S DOWN THE ROAD, BUT WE DO HAVE MORE OPPORTUNITIES NOW SO YOU CAN ADVANCE, AND SO MAYBE, YOU KNOW, JUST LOOKING AT THAT FOR THE INDIVIDUAL STUDENTS, BUT I THINK THERE'S DEFINITELY SOME PRESSURE IN EANES TO ADVANCE IN MATH.
I WOULD ECHO WHAT MOLLY SAID WITH THAT.
I THINK CHAD HAS DONE A REALLY GOOD JOB TRYING TO MAKE CLEAR PATHWAYS FOR OUR FAMILIES, AND AS SOMEONE WHO'S TALKED TO FAMILIES IN THIS DISTRICT FOR MANY YEARS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, COLLEGE AND THINGS LIKE THAT, I THINK SOMETHING THAT GETS LOST IS A LITTLE BIT OF MISINFORMATION AROUND THE FACT THAT THE ONLY THING YOU NEED TO DO TO ACCELERATE IS TO TAKE ALGEBRA ONE IN EIGHTH GRADE, OR TO ACCELERATE SOMEWHERE ELSE ALONG THE WAY.
ONE YEAR IS ALL YOU NEED TO DO TO GET TO CALCULUS, WHICH CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE FOR STUDENTS WHO WANT STEM OR BUSINESS IN PARTICULAR AS A MAJOR, AND SO I THINK THE MORE THAT OUR FAMILIES CAN, YOU KNOW, THINK ABOUT THE INDIVIDUAL KID WHO THEIR OWN KID IS AND REALLY REFLECT ON THAT AND MAYBE HOLD OFF ON ACCELERATION. THAT HELPS.
I APPRECIATE THAT. I KIND OF WISH THAT--I KNOW WE COULD NEVER DO THIS; THIS IS WAY TOO MUCH WORK, BUT LIKE IN THE COLLEGE ADMISSIONS REPORT, WE COULD, YOU KNOW, PUT IF THOSE KIDDOS EVER TOOK, YOU KNOW, ANY AP CLASSES OR IF THEY DID ALGEBRA IN EIGHTH GRADE, YOU KNOW, LIKE THAT WOULD BE AN INTERESTING THING TO SEE, AND IT'S KIND OF BEEN A FUN EXPERIMENT TO JUST WATCH WITH MY OWN SENIOR AND HER FRIENDS TO SEE WHO'S GOING WHERE AND DOING WHAT AND WHAT THEY TOOK IN HIGH SCHOOL, BECAUSE I DON'T THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, I KNOW THAT THERE'S PRESSURE AND WE SEE THE 106 GPA, BUT HOWEVER WE CAN MODEL BEING YOU KNOW, HEALTHY IN ALL ASPECTS.
HEATHER. WE'LL GO TO DIANE AND THEN ELLEN.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR MANY YEARS OF WORKING ON THIS AND FOR, YOU KNOW, I GUESS RECOGNIZING THAT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE ALL CARE DEEPLY ABOUT. SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK, AND I HAVE I'LL TRY TO MAKE SOME LOGIC OUT OF SOME OF MY NOTES AND QUESTIONS HERE.
YOU MENTIONED EARLY ON THAT FROM THE SURVEYING THAT YOU DID, THAT SOME TOPICS WERE MORE PROMINENT.
YOU SHARED WITH THOSE WERE IT HOW DO YOU DID EVERY STUDENT DO THE SURVEY? IF YOU YOU SAID A LOT AND I APOLOGIZE IF MAYBE I'M GOING TO ASK QUESTIONS YOU SAID, BUT I DIDN'T PICK UP ON THAT.
IT DEPENDS ON THE GRADE LEVEL AND BASICALLY, NO, NOT EVERY STUDENT DID IT.
SO AT WESTLAKE, OBVIOUSLY WITH 366 STUDENTS, RESPONDED, THAT WASN'T EVERY STUDENT.
ALL STUDENTS HAD OPPORTUNITY TO RESPOND AT THE MIDDLE SCHOOLS AND ELEMENTARIES.
I JUST PULLED OUT THE JUST THIS ONE QUESTION FOR THE HIGH SCHOOL.
THEY'RE DONE THROUGH A CLASS, BUT WE DO NOT REQUIRE A STUDENT TO FILL THAT OUT.
OKAY. SO IS THAT LIKE IN WILDCAT TIME OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT OR ENGLISH? IT DEPENDS ON WHEREVER.
IT'S DIFFERENT FOR EVERY EVERY GROUP.
IT DEPENDS ON WHERE THEY GO IN TO THE CLASS.
HOW LONG DOES THE SURVEY TAKE? THEY'RE VERY SHORT.
I WOULD SAY NONE OF THEM ARE MORE THAN TEN QUESTIONS.
MOST ARE PROBABLY CLOSER TO 6 OR 7.
I KNOW THERE'S STUFF LIKE THAT OUT THERE, BUT I'M NOT UNAWARE THAT WE HAVE ANY.
AS A MATTER OF FACT, I HAD IT ON A SLIDE, WHICH I GUESS I MUST SOMEHOW THAT DIDN'T GET THERE.
ALL OF THOSE RESPONSES THAT WERE THE FREE RESPONSES, I RAN THEM ALL THROUGH CHATGPT REQUESTING A SUMMARY AND, YOU KNOW, SOME BULLET POINTS FOR WHAT WAS COMMON THEMES.
BECAUSE IT WAS TOO MANY. IT WAS TOO MANY RESPONSES FOR ME TO BE ABLE TO READ.
YOU DID MENTION THAT THERE ARE A LOT OF REALLY FUN COMMENTS TO READ.
VERY ENTERTAINING, ESPECIALLY AT THE YOUNGER GRADE LEVELS.
SOME OF THEM WOULD SAY THINGS LIKE, I LIKE ORANGES, I HATE MY BROTHER, I GOT A CAT.
IT WAS VERY FUN AT ELEMENTARY LEVEL.
THEN WHAT ARE WE? WHAT GRADES ARE WE? I SHOULD HAVE SAID THAT IT WAS ON A SLIDE, BUT I DIDN'T HIGHLIGHT IT.
[02:40:02]
IT IS GRADES THREE THROUGH FIVE THAT ARE THREE THROUGH FIVE.OKAY, SO IS THIS ON AN IPAD, AND THEY TYPE IN THEIR ANSWERS OR I ASSUME IT'S ON THE IPAD.
IT IS A GOOGLE FORM. ALL OF THEM ARE GOOGLE FORMS. YEAH. OKAY.
IS THERE ANYTHING THAT WE ARE? YOU MENTIONED A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS THAT WE'RE DOING.
MINDYETI SOUNDED REALLY INTERESTING.
SECOND STEP, I'VE HEARD THAT MENTIONED BEFORE.
I'M FAMILIAR WITH QUAVER FROM MY TIME ON THE SHACK.
I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANYTHING NEW THIS YEAR.
THE SECOND STEP THAT IS IN USE LAST YEAR WAS A NEW VERSION, A DIGITAL VERSION WHERE PREVIOUSLY WE HAD PHYSICAL KITS, AND SO I'M WE'RE STARTING TO SEE WE'VE BEEN RUNNING SOME DATA ON USAGE AND WE'RE SEEING INCREASED USAGE OF THE SECOND STEP CURRICULUM AT THE ELEMENTARY LEVEL FOR THAT, BUT YEAH, NONE OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT WE TALKED ABOUT TODAY ARE NEW THIS YEAR.
OKAY, AND LIKE MINDYETI IS THAT IT'S EMBEDDED IN THE SECOND STEP CURRICULUM, AND IT IS JUST A CUTE LITTLE PROGRAM THAT IS I MEAN, IT'S REALLY FOR ANYBODY THE WAY IT MANIFESTS IS CLEARLY FOR CHILDREN, BUT IT WALKS THROUGH DIFFERENT MINDFULNESS PRACTICES AND TRIES TO TEACH KIDS REGULATION. SO IT'S SOMETHING THAT A STUDENT WOULD DO.
IT COULD BE IN THE TEACHING IN THE CLASSROOM.
MOST LIKELY TEACHERS ARE GOING TO USE THIS AS LITERAL INSTRUCTION, LIKE MAYBE USING IT BETWEEN ACTIVITIES OR AT THE END OF A OF THE DAY, OR AT THE END OF THE CLASS PERIOD OR A TRANSITION ACTIVITY.
SO IT'S GOING TO JUST DEPEND ON THE SITUATION, BUT IT IS EMBEDDED IN THE SECOND STEP CURRICULUM, WHICH IS USED BY TEACHERS, AND ARE YOU HEARING JUST POSITIVE FEEDBACK FROM TEACHERS ABOUT THESE TOOLS? WHAT WE HAVE BEEN HEARING POSITIVE FEEDBACK.
AS WITH ANYTHING, ANYWHERE, THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO REALLY LIKE IT AND PEOPLE WHO REALLY DON'T.
WE ALSO SEE GREATER UPTAKE OF THIS IN K THROUGH THREE FOR SECOND STEP.
OKAY. SO TO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT HEATHER BROUGHT UP, THE STRESS AT THE ELEMENTARY LEVEL THAT I'M SURE ALL OF US HEARD THAT AND GO, OH, I HATE TO HEAR THAT.
YOU KNOW, MATH. I LOVE MATH, BUT IT'S VERY STRESSFUL FOR SOME PEOPLE, AND IT'S BEEN LIKE THIS FOR A WHILE.
WE KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT OF PRESSURE AT WESTLAKE ACADEMICALLY, BUT IS THIS ELEMENTARY STRESS SOMETHING THAT'S GROWING, OR DO YOU FEEL LIKE IT'S JUST SOMETHING THAT'S ALWAYS BEEN THERE, OR CAN YOU SPEAK A LITTLE BIT TO THAT.
I DON'T HAVE A WAY TO ASSESS THAT IT'S GROWING OR NOT GROWING.
I THINK THAT CULTURALLY IT HAS BECOME MORE ACCEPTABLE TO TALK ABOUT THESE THINGS, AND WITH THE INVESTMENT IN OUR COUNSELING STAFF, SCHOOL COUNSELORS, SCHOOL BASED THERAPISTS, WE HAVE A LOT OF GROUPS.
WE HAVE A LOT OF PUSH INTO THE CLASSROOM.
WE HAVE A LOT OF EFFORT BY THE COUNSELORS, SCHOOL COUNSELORS AND SCHOOL BASED THERAPISTS TO GO INTO CLASSROOMS TO MAKE SURE EVERYBODY ON THE CAMPUS KNOWS WHO THEY ARE AND HOW THEY CAN HELP, AND I WOULD LIKE TO THINK THAT ACCESS TO SERVICES INCREASES STUDENTS VOICING HOW THEY FEEL.
RIGHT. YEAH. YOU JUST ARE IDENTIFYING IT MORE.
IT WAS ALWAYS THERE, BUT THAT'S A POSSIBILITY.
YES. RIGHT, AND THEN I THINK THE LAST OF MY SCRIBBLE NOTES HERE IS, IS WHEN YOU MENTIONED THE PARENTS AND HOW LAST WEEK YOU HAD THE PARENT SERIES WHERE A LOCAL PARENT GAVE A PRESENTATION.
DO WE KNOW AND KEEP TRACK OF HOW MANY PARENTS ARE ATTENDING THESE THINGS OR LISTENING? CAN WE TELL HOW MANY TIMES IT'S BEEN WATCHED ONLINE? I'M ASSUMING WE CAN. WE LITERALLY JUST PUBLISHED IT LIKE TODAY, SO I DON'T KNOW RIGHT NOW.
THERE WERE THAT PARTICULAR ON THURSDAY.
THE HIGHEST COUNT OF ATTENDANCE WAS 23 PARENTS, 14 OF WHICH STAYED FOR THE DURATION OF IT.
I DON'T REMEMBER I SAT IN ON A NUMBER OF THEM, AND I WOULD SAY OF THE SESSIONS THAT I SAT IN ON, ATTENDANCE RANGED ANYWHERE FROM 10 TO 40, KIND OF DEPENDING, AND AS YOU KNOW, PEOPLE KIND OF POP IN AND OUT BASED ON THEIR SCHEDULE.
[02:45:02]
THE THURSDAY NIGHT PRESENTATION WAS A FULL HOUR.OKAY, AND DO YOU FEEL LIKE KIDS AT THE HIGH SCHOOL OR STUDENTS AT THE HIGH SCHOOL ARE SEEKING HELP FROM COUNSELORS MORE? DO WE HAVE ANY WAY OF KNOWING WHAT THE DEMAND IS ON OUR COUNSELING STAFF? I DON'T KNOW THAT I CAN SAY MORE.
I WOULD BE ABLE TO GO BACK OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS AND LOOK AT SOME OF THAT.
WE DO TRACK STUDENT VISITS TO SEE COUNSELORS AND SCHOOL BASED THERAPISTS.
SO I HAVE THAT GOING BACK A COUPLE OF YEARS.
I HAVE NEVER LOOKED AT THAT TO SEE LIKE NUMBERS OR TRAJECTORY FOR THAT, AND THAT DOESN'T INCLUDE, YOU KNOW, THE, THE TIER ONE SORT OF GOING INTO THE CLASSROOM KIND OF STUFF. THAT'S JUST WHEN A COUNSELOR IS EITHER SEEING A STUDENT INDIVIDUALLY OR IN A GROUP, OR EVEN SERVING A STUDENT INDIRECTLY BY MEETING WITH STAFF OR WITH PARENTS OR WITH OUTSIDE PROVIDERS AROUND THAT.
I HAVE THAT DATA. I JUST DON'T HAVE IT THAT WAY.
I'D BE INTERESTED IN LEARNING MORE ABOUT THAT.
THAT I THINK IS ALL THAT I HAVE.
THANK YOU. WE'LL GO TO ELLEN AND THEN KIM.
THANK YOU, AND THANK YOU TO BOTH OF YOU FOR LEADING THIS IMPORTANT WORK.
YOU DO IT VERY, VERY WELL AND HAVE BOTH BEEN IN THE TRENCHES FOR A LONG TIME.
I AM SO STRUCK BY THE 99% OF KIDS FROM THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL VOICE WHO SAY THAT THEY DO OR SOMETIMES, ANYWAY, HAVE A TRUSTED ADULT AT SCHOOL, AND I THINK THAT'S A TESTAMENT TO THE LEADERSHIP THAT YOU HAVE GIVEN TO THE IMPORTANCE OF MENTAL HEALTH TO ALL OF OUR STAFF AND HAVE MADE THEM AWARE THAT STUDENT CENTERED EDUCATION IS NOT ONLY ABOUT ACADEMICS, BUT ALSO IS ABOUT THE MENTAL HEALTH AND WELLBEING OF EVERY CHILD.
SO THAT JUST I MEAN, ESPECIALLY THINKING ABOUT ALL THE ASSET BASED WORK AND HOW KIDS NEED MORE THAN JUST THEIR PARENTS WHO WHO KNOW AND CARE ABOUT THEM, AND THIS TO ME IS PRETTY EXTRAORDINARY.
YOU'RE WELCOME, BUT ALONG THOSE LINES OF FAMILY, FAMILY SUPPORT, DO WE HAVE ANY SPECIFIC PARENTING CLASSES? I KNOW WE HAVE THE SPEAKER SERIES, BUT PERSONALLY, ONE OF THE BEST THINGS I EVER DID WAS TAKE A PARENTING CLASS, AN OLD FASHIONED PARENTING CLASS WHEN MY OLDEST WAS IN SECOND GRADE. DO WE HAVE THAT OR HAVE A COMMUNITY PARTNERS WE CAN REFER FAMILIES TO? WHAT KIND OF FAMILY SYSTEM WORK DO WE DO? THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION. WE DON'T OFFER LIKE A DISTRICT DRIVEN PARENTING CLASS.
WE DO HAVE OUR ELEMENTARIES IN PARTICULAR.
THEY HAVE BROUGHT IN THIRD PARTIES TO TALK ABOUT DIFFERENT INDIVIDUAL TOPICS.
I WOULDN'T CALL THEM PARENTING CLASSES.
HOWEVER, OUR LIST OF REFERRALS THAT WE HAVE DOES IDENTIFY SEVERAL PARENT COACHING COMPANIES, BUSINESSES AGENCIES, WHATEVER THE RIGHT WORD IS FOR THAT, I'M LOSING THEM ALL RIGHT NOW, BUT YES, WE ARE ABLE TO REFER STUDENTS TO AGENCIES THAT ARE SPECIFICALLY FOCUSING ON PARENT SKILLS.
THANK YOU. YEAH. THANK YOU, ELLEN.
I WILL FOR FOR PEOPLE WATCHING THIS ONLINE AND IN THE ROOM, THE HEALTHY CHAPS SERIES, WHICH YOU MENTIONED, WHICH HAVE BEEN MENTIONED BY TRUSTEES, IS IS GREAT SERIES.
SO THOSE OF YOU WHO AREN'T AWARE OF IT IT IS SOMETHING THAT EVERYONE BENEFITS FROM.
HEIDI ON COUNSELING, AND AT ALL LEVELS.
I KNOW THAT IN YEARS PAST YOU'VE TALKED ABOUT, OR AT LEAST I'VE HEARD, MAYBE NOT THROUGH THIS PRESENTATION, BUT THAT, YOU KNOW, BACK 4 OR 5 YEARS AGO WHEN THERE WAS REMOTE LEARNING, THERE WERE A LOT OF CONSEQUENCES OF THAT IN TERMS OF CHILDREN, AT WHATEVER LEVEL THEY WERE.
THEY WERE ATTENDING REMOTE SCHOOL.
THEY JUST DIDN'T GET THE INTERACTION, AND SO THERE ARE CONSEQUENCES OF THAT.
DO YOU DO WE SEE ANY OF THAT HAS HAVE WE CAUGHT UP IN ANY TRACKING FROM REMOTE LEARNING, AND DO WE STILL HEAR OR DO WE GET FEEDBACK THAT THERE ARE GAPS IN THAT EMOTIONAL LEARNING FROM REMOTE? YES. I DON'T HAVE DATA TO TALK ABOUT WHAT IT WAS LIKE DURING REMOTE LEARNING TO NOW, BUT ANECDOTALLY, JUST BASED ON WHAT MY COUNSELORS ARE TELLING ME, THE HIGH NEED FOR SOCIAL SKILLS GROUPS AND FRIENDSHIP GROUPS SUGGEST THAT THERE'S STILL SOME GAPS.
[02:50:01]
WE'RE AWAY FROM COVID FOR A LONG TIME NOW.I THINK, YOU KNOW, THERE'S WAYS THAT IMPACTED US ALL SOCIALLY, AND THERE ARE DEFINITELY GAPS WITH OUR YOUTH FOR THAT STILL AND A LOT OF WORK BEING DONE TO FIX THAT, BUT IT'S DEFINITELY THINGS THAT WE CAN'T ASSUME.
WE CAN'T ASSUME THAT KIDS ARE COMING WITH THESE SKILLS TO KNOW HOW TO, YOU KNOW, DISAGREE WITH THEIR PEERS OR HOW TO NOT BE RUDE IN THE HALLWAYS OR WHATEVER.
LIKE THERE'S A LOT OF TEACHING THAT STILL HAS TO HAPPEN FOR JUST HOW TO BEHAVE IN A GROUP SETTING.
SO, SO IS THAT SOMETHING THAT'S DONE CONSCIOUSLY BECAUSE YOU DO SEE THESE GAPS? I MEAN, ARE THERE PROGRAMS OR DIRECTIVES? YES AND I SHOULD HAVE SAID THAT DURING THE PRESENTATION.
SO WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE GROUPS, THOSE ARE DEVELOPED IN A COUPLE OF WAYS.
ONE COULD BE THROUGH NEEDS ASSESSMENT.
THE MAJORITY OF OUR GROUPS COME FROM PARENT AND TEACHER REFERRALS.
OR WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT MIDDLE SCHOOLS AND ELEMENTARIES, THEIR LEADERSHIP TEAMS THAT ARE MEETING ON SUCH A REGULAR BASIS, THEY'RE HAVING CONVERSATIONS ABOUT KIDS AND IDENTIFYING KIDS WHERE THEY'RE SEEING THESE GAPS, AND THAT'S WHAT'S SORT OF GENERATING SOME OF THESE TOPICS SO THAT WE CAN TRY TO SERVE AS MANY KIDS AS POSSIBLE AND SEE THAT GROWTH, AND I DO WANT TO CIRCLE BACK.
YOU HAD MENTIONED HEALTHY SHOPS, AND I WANT TO GIVE CREDIT TO KATIE BRYANT AND BROOKE ANDERSON, WHO PUT THAT TOGETHER, AND ALSO TO ELLEN'S EARLIER POINT, THAT THOSE EFFORTS REPRESENT OUR PARTNERSHIPS IN THE COMMUNITY WITH DIFFERENT THERAPEUTIC AGENCIES.
MANY PEOPLE GIVE THEIR TIME FREELY TO US TO OFFER SUPPORT TO OUR FAMILIES.
NO. THAT'S GREAT, AND I APPLAUD THAT PROGRAM.
MY LAST QUESTION IS WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE MENTAL HEALTH OF ALL OF OUR STUDENTS, I KNOW IN THE PAST AND I DON'T REMEMBER IF IT'S ONE ON ONE OR IF IT'S BEEN IN A PRESENTATION.
WE'VE LOOKED AT CHALLENGES AND, YOU KNOW, THERE'S STIGMA AROUND IT.
THERE'S CHALLENGES OF OF PEOPLE NOT REALIZING PEOPLE, STUDENTS NOT REALIZING WHAT RESOURCES ARE THERE, ESPECIALLY AT THE HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL WHERE YOU DON'T HAVE IDENTIFICATION OF CERTAIN GAPS OR CERTAIN MENTAL HEALTH NEEDS.
DO YOU STILL SEE THOSE STIGMAS OR SORRY, DO YOU STILL SEE THOSE CHALLENGES OR WHAT ARE YOUR CHALLENGES CURRENTLY? I THINK IT'S GOTTEN BETTER IN TERMS OF STUDENT AWARENESS OF RESOURCES OUT THERE.
OUR CHALLENGES RIGHT NOW, I WOULD SAY ONE CHALLENGE THAT IS A PRODUCT OF A VERY GOOD THING, AND THAT IS THE INCREASED ACCESS TO OUR SCHOOL BASED THERAPISTS, WHICH ARE ALL THE SOCIAL WORKERS AND LPCS THAT WE HAVE ON CAMPUS THAT ARE NOW ON EVERY CAMPUS, AND ONE OF THE UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES THAT HAS BECOME A CHALLENGE IS A MISUNDERSTANDING OF THEIR ROLE ON CAMPUS IN TERMS OF THE TITLE OF SCHOOL BASED THERAPIST.
THEY ARE NOT REPLACING ANY THERAPY THAT MIGHT BE NEEDED OUTSIDE OF SCHOOL.
YOU KNOW, THE WORK THAT THEY DO IS GOAL DIRECTED, TIME LIMITED.
IT IS FOCUSED ON SUPPORTING STUDENTS HERE IN THE SCHOOL SETTING, HELPING THEM MANAGE THE ISSUES THAT THEY HAVE IN THE SCHOOL SETTING, AND THEN TO PARTNER WITH PARENTS AND WITH ANY OUTSIDE THERAPISTS TO SUPPORT THOSE EFFORTS WHILE THE STUDENT IS AT SCHOOL.
ADDITIONAL CHALLENGE THAT COMES TO MIND IS AN INCREASING NUMBER WE'RE SEEING THIS SEMESTER OF SOME STUDENTS WITH VERY SEVERE MENTAL HEALTH CONCERNS AND SOME RESISTANCE FROM A SMALL NUMBER OF PARENTS IN FOLLOWING THROUGH WITH SOME OF THE SUPPORT FOR THAT, AND THAT'S CAUSED, YOU KNOW, JUST SOME CONCERN FOR SAFETY AND WELL-BEING OF THE STUDENT. THANK YOU.
YOU'RE WELCOME. THANK YOU FOR ALL THE WORK.
KIM. WE'LL GO TO KELLY AND THEN LAURA.
SORRY. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL YOU GUYS ARE DOING.
SO I WANT TO CONTINUE TO ENCOURAGE BOOSTER CLUBS TO DO THAT.
I KNOW I HAD REALLY, REALLY GOOD ATTENDANCE AT THOSE WHEN I ADVERTISED IT.
WELL, AND I GOT A LOT OUT OF IT TOO.
LIKE YOU SAID, IT WAS REALLY HELPFUL.
SO THANK YOU FOR THE REMINDER ABOUT THAT.
SO HAVING BEEN A NURSE, I FELT LIKE I DID SOME MENTAL HEALTH CARE AS WELL.
[02:55:02]
HAVE A KID IN THE NURSE'S OFFICE FOR JUST A LITTLE BIT OF TIME AND GIVE THEM THAT MINUTE TO COLLECT THEMSELVES AND GO BACK TO CLASS, AND IT'S JUST A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO PROVIDE THOSE SERVICES.WHEN I TOURED THE CAMPUSES WITH DOCTOR ARNETT, I GOT TO SEE SOME OF THE STUDENTS DOING THAT GOAL SETTING FROM THE SECOND STEP, AND IT WAS MULTI-LAYERED, WHERE THEY WERE ACTUALLY WRITING, AND THEN THEY HAD TO CUT IT OUT AND THEY HAD TO COLOR IT, AND SO IT HAD ALL THE DIFFERENT ELEMENTS OF LIKE LEARNING AND SKILLS, BUT YET IT HAD THIS SOCIAL EMOTIONAL ELEMENT TO IT TOO.
THAT WAS REALLY GREAT, AND THEN THEY WERE SHARING WITH EACH OTHER, SO IT WAS VERY IMPRESSIVE.
I LOVED SEEING IT IN ACTION, AND THEN I LIKE THAT YOU'RE ALSO IMPLEMENTING MULTIPLE WAYS TO DO IT.
SO YOU HAVE THE VIDEOS TOO, BECAUSE I KNOW SOME KIDS AREN'T SUPER EXCITED ABOUT THE CUTTING AND THE WRITING AND STUFF, BUT THEY MIGHT REALLY BE ATTRACTED TO WATCHING THE VIDEO AND LISTENING.
SO I LOVE THAT YOU'RE REACHING ALL THE KIDS AT THESE DIFFERENT LEVELS AND TRYING EVERYTHING, BECAUSE NOT ONE SIZE FITS ALL, AND I KNOW THAT YOUR GROUP WORK IS WORKING REALLY GOOD.
I'VE SEEN IT. IT'S ACTUALLY HELPED ONE OF MY KIDDOS, BUT IT'S GREAT BECAUSE NOW THEY TALK TO EACH OTHER ABOUT THEIR MENTAL HEALTH, AND IT IS WHERE ACTUALLY, LIKE SOMEONE WILL SAY, AND EVEN OUR SECURITY OFFICERS CAN IDENTIFY, LIKE OUR POLICE HAS IDENTIFIED KIDS AS HAVING HAD A BAD DAY AND THAT THEY NEED A MINUTE OR CAN WE TAKE A WALK? BECAUSE MY DAUGHTERS TOLD ME STORIES AND I JUST I'M JUST REALLY APPRECIATIVE.
I FEEL LIKE EVERYONE IS LIKE, ALL HANDS ON DECK FOR MENTAL HEALTH RIGHT NOW, AND THEN I DO WANT TO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO WATCH THE HEALTHY SHOPS VIDEOS BECAUSE THEY ARE IN YOUR ARCHIVES AND THEY'RE SO EASY TO ACCESS.
SO I WANT PARENTS TO BE ENCOURAGED TO GO AHEAD AND LOOK THERE FOR HELP AS WELL.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU, AND KELLY, IF YOU DON'T MIND, JUST BECAUSE I OVERSEE THE NURSES, I DO WANT TO DEFINITELY GIVE THEM A SHOUT OUT, TOO, BECAUSE YOU'LL SEE A LOT OF STUDENTS THAT COME IN WITH PHYSICAL MANIFESTATIONS OF ISSUES THAT ARE MORE SOCIAL, EMOTIONAL IN NATURE, AND SO OUR NURSES PARTNER WITH OUR COUNSELORS IN A REALLY GREAT, POWERFUL WAY, AND WHEN YOU HAVE THOSE FREQUENT FLIERS THAT ARE COMING IN AND THEY HAVE A HEADACHE OR THEY HAVE A STOMACHACHE OR EVEN A KID THAT JUST COMES INTO THE NURSE'S OFFICE EVERY DAY JUST TO GET A HUG, AND THAT'S FINE, BUT THEN WHAT IS BEHIND THAT? SO WE DO SEE OUR NURSES ALSO AS A FRONTLINE AND THEY'LL COME BACK AND THEY'LL TALK TO THE COUNSELORS AND SAY, HEY, YOU KNOW, I'VE GOT THIS KIDDO COMING IN A LOT.
LET'S SEE WHAT ELSE IS GOING ON, BECAUSE SOMETIMES IT'S NOT JUST THE PHYSICAL PIECE.
YEAH. I MEAN, ALL THE NURSES ARE SO INCREDIBLE ABOUT THAT.
WHEN I WENT IN TO TRAIN, THEY WERE, THEY SAID LIKE 80% OF WHAT YOU'LL DO IN THIS OFFICE IS GOING TO BE MENTAL HEALTH, AND I WAS LIKE, WHAT? I DON'T KNOW IF I'M PREPARED FOR THAT.
I'M A TRAUMA NURSE, BUT THEY BUT THE WAY THEY MANAGE IT IS SO HELPFUL WHERE SOMETIMES WE CAN JUST HELP THEM IN THE OFFICE, OR SOMETIMES WE CAN JUST WALK THEM OVER TO THE COUNSELOR OR THE PRINCIPALS AND GET THEM THAT EXTRA SUPPORT SO THEY CAN, LIKE YOU SAID, IT'S TIME SENSITIVE.
LIKE WE GOT TO GET YOU BACK INTO CLASS AND BACK TO LEARNING.
SO HOW DO WE MAKE THIS BETTER? SO YES, I SEE IT.
I SAW IT HAPPENING ON THE CAMPUSES.
IT'S A THEY'RE DOING AN AMAZING JOB.
WE'LL GO TO LAURA AND THEN DIANE.
WE KNOW THAT OUR STUDENTS CAN'T LEARN IF THEY DON'T FEEL SAFE.
SO THE WORK THAT YOU ALL DO IS INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT.
THANK YOU ALL. WE THE BOARD HAS BEEN MAKING THIS A PRIORITY SINCE I'VE BEEN ON THE BOARD.
YOU'VE BEEN PRESENTING THIS TO US, BUT YOU KNOW, WE CAN WE CREATE THESE PRIORITIES AND COME UP WITH THESE GOALS, AND THAT'S ONE THING, BUT Y'ALL'S ABILITY TO TAKE IT AND RUN WITH IT AND COMMIT TO IT MAKES IT A REALITY.
SO THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR FOR PARTNERING WITH US AND MAKING SURE THAT OUR KIDS FEEL SAFE.
IT'S SOMEWHAT UNIQUE TO EANES AS A RESULT OF THE PRIORITY OF MAKING MENTAL HEALTH A PRIORITY FOR THE COMMUNITY, COULD YOU SORT OF CLARIFY THOSE DIFFERENT COUNSELORS SUPPORTS AND THEIR ROLES? SURE, I'D BE HAPPY TO, AND WE ALSO HAVE IT ON OUR DISTRICT WEBSITE TOO, IF ANYONE NEEDS THAT, AND THE SCHOOL COUNSELORS ARE MANDATED BY THE STATE, AND THEY ARE KIND OF JACKS OF ALL TRADE, THEY ARE THERE TO DO ALL THE THINGS THEY CAN SUPPORT STUDENTS ACADEMICALLY, THEY CAN SUPPORT SOCIAL EMOTIONAL, THEY CAN SUPPORT MENTAL HEALTH.
THEY CAN KIND OF DO ALL THE THINGS.
OBVIOUSLY, AS STUDENTS GET A LITTLE OLDER, THEY'RE VERY MUCH INVOLVED IN SCHEDULING, AND ONCE YOU GET TO HIGH SCHOOL, THE SCHOOL COUNSELORS ARE ALSO VERY MUCH INVOLVED IN THE COLLEGE CONVERSATION AND CAREER CONVERSATION FOR OUR SCHOOL BASED THERAPISTS.
THEY ARE ALL LICENSED IN OUR DISTRICT.
IT'S SOCIAL WORKERS OR LICENSED PROFESSIONAL COUNSELORS.
[03:00:04]
IF THEY'VE BEEN IF THEY WERE CERTIFIED IN THE STATE OF TEXAS, THEY WERE TEACHERS.IF THEY CAME FROM SOMEWHERE ELSE, THEY MAY NOT HAVE BEEN.
SO THE SCHOOL BASED THERAPISTS ARE LICENSED SO THEY HAVE A DIFFERENT TRACK IN THEIR EDUCATION, AND THEY SERVE OUR STUDENTS MOSTLY THROUGH TIER TWO TYPES OF SERVICES AND SUPPORT THE OVERALL COUNSELING MISSION.
SO THEY'RE THE ONES THAT ARE MORE SO DOING GROUPS.
THEY DO A LOT OF INDIVIDUAL COUNSELING WITH STUDENTS AS WELL.
THEY ARE A VALUED PART OF THE SCHOOL COMMUNITY.
SO IF THERE'S A SCHOOL ACTIVITY OR SOMETHING FUN GOING ON, THE SCHOOL BASED THERAPIST IS JUST AS MUCH A PART OF THAT AS ANY OTHER STAFF MEMBER MIGHT BE, AND A THIRD GROUP THAT I'LL TALK ABOUT, EVEN THOUGH THEY AREN'T DIRECTLY SOMEONE THAT I GROUP THAT I SERVE IS OUR SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGIST, AND THOSE ARE ALSO LICENSED PROFESSIONALS WHO ARE SPECIFICALLY SERVING SPECIAL EDUCATION STUDENTS, AND SO THEY'RE THE ONES WHO ARE DOING THE TESTING FOR SPECIAL EDUCATION.
ALL THREE OF THOSE MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS WORK TOGETHER.
I TAKE PHONE CALLS FROM ALL OF THEM, AND I HAVE WITNESSED THEM WORKING TOGETHER ON BEHALF OF SERVING AN INDIVIDUAL STUDENT AND THEIR PARENTS TO THE BEST OF OUR ABILITY AS A DISTRICT. THAT'S AMAZING.
THANK YOU. I THOUGHT OF ANOTHER QUESTION AS PEOPLE WERE TALKING, AND THE PEER COUNSELING CONCEPT I THINK IS SO POWERFUL AND I'D LOVE TO SEE ALL THIS GROUP YOU KNOW, COUNSELING THAT'S GOING ON, BUT IT REMINDED ME THAT WE HAVE GROUPS THAT ARE ACTUALLY INITIATING THIS CONCEPT OF PEER SUPPORT THEMSELVES.
LIKE MORGAN'S MESSAGE IS ONE THAT COMES TO MIND AT THE HIGH SCHOOL.
DO WE HAVE OTHER GROUPS THAT ARE STUDENT LED THAT ARE THEIR OWN INITIATIVES OR AND DO YOU? I'M JUST CURIOUS. I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S UP WITH MORGAN'S MESSAGE THIS YEAR.
ARE YOU VERY FAMILIAR WITH WHAT THEY'RE DOING? AND I'M NOT. OKAY.
I KNOW THEY'VE DONE REALLY IMPORTANT WORK ON THE CAMPUS.
I HAVE NOT CHECKED THE CLUBS LIST YET THIS YEAR TO SEE WHETHER OR NOT THEY'RE STILL THERE.
I THINK THEY ARE, AND THEY'RE BASED.
IT'S A NATIONAL MOVEMENT AND WE HAVE A CHAPTER HERE.
I GUESS MAYBE YOU WOULD CALL IT, AND IT'S FOCUSED ON SUPPORTING ATHLETES AND THEIR MENTAL HEALTH.
MY OTHER QUESTION WAS WESTLAKE, WHICH IS A TOOL THAT WE HAVE.
I THINK THAT IS JUST AN EXCELLENT ANONYMOUS OR NON ANONYMOUS WAY OF INDICATING THAT THERE MIGHT BE SOME TYPE OF SAFETY CONCERN IN THE COMMUNITY, MAYBE FOR SELF OR OTHERS, YOU KNOW, BUT DO WE TRACK, YOU KNOW, REGULARLY HOW MANY CALLS OR YOU KNOW, MESSAGES ARE COMING IN TO THAT AND OF WHAT NATURE THEY ARE? DO WE FOLLOW THAT TYPE OF DATA VERY CLOSELY, YOU KNOW? YEAH. I CAN LET MOLLY MAYBE SPEAK A LITTLE MORE SPECIFICALLY TO THAT.
YEAH. SO ALL OF OUR AND WE'RE GOING TO GET INTO THIS A LITTLE BIT MORE NEXT BOARD MEETING WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE ACT THE ASSESSMENT AND CARE TEAM, BUT ALL OF THAT DATA IS KEPT IN A PROGRAM CALLED CASEWARE, AND WE CAN AGGREGATE THAT DATA, AND WE HAVE WE DO THAT OFTEN AND LOOK AND SEE WHAT ARE THE TRENDS, WHAT KIND OF CALLS OR WHAT KIND OF TIPS ARE COMING IN AND HOW YOU CAN CATEGORIZE THAT, AND WE DO LOOK AT THAT, BUT IT'S ALL HOUSED IN ONE LOCATION SO THAT WE CAN SEE THAT. OKAY, AND ARE YOU GOING TO BE SPEAKING A LITTLE BIT TO THAT NEXT TIME OR IS THAT.
YES. THAT'S PART WHEN WE TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE ASSESSMENT AND CARE TEAM.
YEAH. GREAT. INTERESTING. MATT GREER WILL BE HERE TO TALK ABOUT THAT AS HE LEADS THAT TEAM.
THANK YOU BOTH. APPRECIATE YOUR TIME TONIGHT.
WE'LL NOW MOVE INTO THE DISCUSSION ACTION SECTION OF THE MEETING.
[12.1 Request to approve the Eanes ISD Board of Trustees Legislative Priorities ]
I'M LOOKING FOR A MOTION ON THE FIRST ITEM RELATED TO BOARD LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES.ELLEN, I MOVE THAT WE APPROVE THE LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES.
PERIOD. ANY DISCUSSION? LAURA. I'D LIKE TO MAKE ONE CHANGE.
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS FOR THE EARLY PAYMENT DISCOUNT.
[03:05:03]
WE HAVE IT LISTED HERE AT 3% FOR 1.2 MILLION.I PROPOSE THAT WE CHANGE IT TO 4% AND 4 MILLION.
IT'S ALSO WHAT THE BILLS ARE THAT HAVE BEEN FILED HAVE BEEN FILED AT 4% RATHER THAN 3%, AND THEN THE 4 MILLION IS AN UPDATED NUMBER FROM CHRIS. ELLEN.
IN RESPECT TO MY OTHER BOARD MEMBERS, ARE YOU UP FOR INPUT? WE'VE HAD A LOT OF INPUT TONIGHT.
SO I MEAN, THESE ARE EDITORIAL THINGS THAT IN PRINCIPLE, I THINK YOU'VE REALLY NAILED IT IN TERMS OF THE TOPICS THAT WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT, BUT AS SOMEONE WHO, YOU KNOW, READ IT COLD, IF YOU WILL.
THERE ARE A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT I WOULD SUGGEST FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION.
FIRST ONE IS AT THE END OF THE INTRODUCTORY PARAGRAPH.
SO THAT'S PROBABLY WHY IT'S WRITTEN THIS WAY, BUT BECAUSE WE'RE LEADING WITH BASIC ALLOTMENT, I WOULD PUT DOLLARS DIRECTLY INTO THE CLASSROOM FOR ALL STUDENTS AS THE FIRST THING, AS OPPOSED TO SAFETY BEING THE FIRST THING, BECAUSE WE TALK ABOUT SAFETY SEPARATELY LATER ON.
SO I WOULD RECOMMEND THAT OF THOSE THREE THINGS WE'RE HIGHLIGHTING AT THE END OF THAT PARAGRAPH, THAT WE START WITH PUTTING DOLLARS DIRECTLY INTO THE CLASSROOM. I GUESS YOU'D ALMOST HAVE TO PUT KEEP SCHOOLS SAFE AS THE SECOND ONE IF YOU WANTED TO BOLD BOOSTING THE SALARIES.
THE MAIN POINT I'M TRYING TO MAKE IS LEAD WITH PUTTING MORE DOLLARS INTO THE CLASSROOM.
THE DOWN IN THE INDEXING, THE BASIC ALLOTMENT TO INFLATION, WHERE WE TALK ABOUT A ONE TIME INVESTMENT AND THEY PROBABLY KNOW WHAT A ONE TIME INVESTMENT MEANS.
IT TOOK ME A WHILE TO REALIZE WE MEANT A CATCH UP INVESTMENT.
SO I WOULD SAY SOMETHING LIKE A CATCH UP INVESTMENT AS OPPOSED TO A ONE TIME, BECAUSE THAT KIND OF THREW ME IN TERMS OF FIGURING OUT WHAT WE WERE TRYING TO GET AT.
ON THE BACK PAGE, WE START THE PARAGRAPH UNDER SUPPORT FOR SAFE AND SECURE SCHOOLS WITH A VERB WHICH IS VERY DIFFERENT FROM THE SPEECH PATTERN OR THE WRITING PATTERN OF THE OTHER THINGS, AND THAT KEPT THROWING ME OFF.
THERE WERE A COUPLE OF WAYS YOU COULD ADJUST THAT, BUT IT MAY NOT BE A BIG DEAL FOR ANYBODY ELSE, AND UNDER FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS OF THE SAFE AND SECURE SCHOOLS, I WAS A LITTLE CONFUSED AT THE END WHERE WE SAY DOES NOT INCLUDE CAPITAL EXPENSES TO START UP THE POLICE DEPARTMENT OR HIRE NEW OFFICERS BECAUSE OFFICERS ARE NOT CAPITAL EXPENDITURES.
WHY WHY THE CAPITAL EXPENSES WEREN'T? WHY DON'T WE JUST PUT A PERIOD AFTER POLICE DEPARTMENT SINCE THE HIRING THE OFFICERS, IT MIGHT BE BEST IF YOU JUST WORD THESE AS I PROPOSE THAT WE DO THIS AND THEN WE COULD VOTE ON IT.
I MEAN, WE'VE GOT TO GET TO A DOCUMENT THAT WE CAN VOTE ON TONIGHT, AND YOU'RE MAYBE YOU COULD SAY, I PROPOSE THAT WE DO THIS OR I PROPOSE AN AMENDMENT TO DO THIS, OR HOW ARE WE GOING TO GET TO ARE WE GOING TO POSTPONE THE VOTE ON THIS? IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE. NO, NO, I'M NOT SUGGESTING THAT.
I'D LIKE TO APPROVE IT WITH MY EDITS AS OPPOSED TO SAYING, YOU KNOW, DO IT THIS WAY.
I'M JUST TRYING TO CAPTURE THE AMENDMENTS, AND I SUPPOSE JEFF'S DOING IT.
I'M MAKING NOTES. YEAH, AND, JAMES, ARE YOU SAYING THAT I MEAN, I'M LISTENING TO ELLEN'S PROPOSALS OR AMENDMENTS AND I'M FINE WITH THEM. SO ARE WE.
ARE YOU ALSO SAYING AS THINGS ARE COMING OUT, THERE ARE NO OBJECTIONS SO FAR TO TWEAKING THIS? AND SO WE WILL THEN VOTE ON THE AMENDED PROPOSAL OFFERED BY ELLEN.
IS THAT YOU'RE DOING IT RIGHT? I MEAN, I'M JUST SAYING THAT IT WOULD BE GOOD IF WE WERE CAPTURING THIS SO THAT WE COULD SAY I APPROVE, AS AMENDED.
OKAY. YEAH. I MEAN, YEAH, JEFF HAS HIS MAGIC FINGERS, AND I ASSUMED HE WAS GETTING THESE.
[03:10:02]
SORRY. OKAY, MAYBE I SHOULDN'T HAVE.NEVER MIND. IT'S LATER THAN I THINK.
OKAY. I SHOULD JUST STOP WHILE I'M AHEAD, SO I'M GOING TO STOP THERE.
PERIOD. SHE SAYS NO, NO, NO, THAT'S ALL RIGHT.
I ACTUALLY WOULD SAY START UP THE POLICE DEPARTMENT RATHER THAN START THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, BECAUSE THERE WERE A LOT OF IT JUST SOUNDS MORE LIKE WHEN YOU START UP A COMPANY, YOU HAVE A LOT OF CAPITAL EXPENDITURES.
SO SURE THAT YOUR HAND IS KIND OF UP THERE.
I DON'T HAVE A STRONG ISSUE OR AN ISSUE REALLY WITH THE WORD SMITHING PER SE.
I THINK JUST SOME OF THE, THE REASONING BEHIND WHAT WE PUT IN THERE.
LIKE WITH THE TIA AND YOU KNOW, KEEPING SCHOOLS SAFE.
I THINK SOME OF THE REASONS THAT THOSE WORDS WERE CHOSEN IN THAT WAY WAS BECAUSE WE CAN SEE THE WRITING ON THE WALL, AND WE KNOW WHAT IS GOING TO BE A PRIORITY AT THE CAPITOL, AND SAFE SCHOOLS WILL BE A PRIORITY.
PUTTING MONEY BACK INTO THE CLASSROOM IN THE BASIC ALLOTMENT WILL NOT BE SO.
IT'S HOW CAN WE BEST ADVOCATE FOR OUR DISTRICT TO GET FUNDING THAT WE DESPERATELY NEED? BUT I DON'T DISAGREE WITH YOU.
WE DEFINITELY NEED MONEY FOR THE CLASSROOMS. WE NEED TO RAISE THE BASIC ALLOTMENT.
WE NEED OUR PARENTS WHO PACKED OUR ROOM TONIGHT TO COME WITH US TO THE CAPITOL AND DEMAND THAT WE GET THAT, BUT THAT'S NOT THE POLITICAL WILL, IT SEEMS, AND I THINK IT IS IMPORTANT TO KNOW, BECAUSE WE ARE NOT A TEACHER INCENTIVE ALLOTMENT DISTRICT, AND SO WE ARE ADVOCATING FOR OUR TEACHERS, ALL OF OUR EDUCATORS, OUR BUS DRIVERS, OUR CUSTODIAL WORKERS, EVERYBODY TO GET A RAISE, AND THAT WOULD BE THROUGH THE BASIC ALLOTMENT FOR US, AND I HAVE HEARD THAT THEY WILL POSSIBLY DO A RAISE IN THE PERCENTAGE IF THEY DO GIVE US A RAISE TO THE BASIC ALLOTMENT, THAT THEY MAY INCREASE THAT PERCENTAGE.
THAT HAS TO BE TO CERTAIN TEACHERS OR CERTAIN GROUPS LIKE THEY DID IN HOUSE BILL 3 IN 2019.
SO WE'LL SEE WHAT HAPPENS. SO THAT'S JUST A LITTLE BIT OF CLARIFICATION ON THAT, AND THEN IN TERMS OF THE SAFETY AND HOW THAT WAS WORDED, AGAIN, I DON'T HAVE A STRONG FEELING ON THAT, BUT I DO WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT IT'S VERY CLEAR THAT WE ALREADY HAVE A POLICE DEPARTMENT AND THAT MONEY WAS ALREADY SPENT OUT OF BOND DOLLARS, AND YOU KNOW THAT WE NEED TO HAVE MORE ONGOING FOR STAFFING THAT POLICE DEPARTMENT, WHICH WE FEEL IS SO IMPORTANT TO KEEPING OUR SCHOOLS AND OUR STUDENTS AND STAFF SAFE.
SO AGAIN, JUST CLARIFICATION TO MAKE SURE THAT IT'S OBVIOUS TO OUR LEGISLATORS HOW WE'RE PAYING FOR THINGS, BECAUSE THAT'S IMPORTANT, AND THAT'S WHY I ASK, BECAUSE I ASSUME THAT YOU ALL HAD CERTAIN REASONS FOR DOING IT.
I'M READING IT AS A TRUSTEE, LOOKING AT IT AND AS A COMMUNITY MEMBER, AND I FIGURED IF I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND WHAT THE POINT WAS THAT MAYBE SOMEBODY ELSE DIDN'T.
ON THE SUPPORT FOR SAFE AND SECURE SCHOOLS, YOU COULD THAT FIRST SENTENCE COULD SAY INCREASED FUNDING OF THE SCHOOL SAFETY ALLOTMENT AND LOCAL FLEXIBILITY IS NEEDED TO ENSURE, AND THEN GRAMMATICALLY, IT'S SAME CONTEXT.
YEAH. ARE WE IN A GOOD PLACE HERE? WE'RE GOOD. DO WE NEED A MOTION FROM ELLEN TO ACCEPT THAT--I WILL ACCEPT A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT TO ACCEPT THESE CHANGES AS PROPOSED.
WHICH IS WHY I PUT A PERIOD ON THE END OF MY MOTION.
BECAUSE I KNEW I WAS GOING TO DO THIS.
SO, DOES SOMEBODY ELSE WANT TO FRIENDLY AMEND? OH, SHE'S LOOKING FOR A MOTION TO AMEND, AND SHE'LL ACCEPT.
I MOVE TO ACCEPT ELLEN'S AMENDMENTS TO THE LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES.
SO WE'LL VOTE ON ACCEPTING THE AMENDMENTS.
THEN WE'LL VOTE ON THE OTHER PIECE FIRST.
SO ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE AMENDMENTS AS NOTED, SAY AYE.
WE'LL GO BACK TO THE ORIGINAL MOTION, WHICH IS NOW.
YES, THE AMENDED ORIGINAL MOTION.
[03:15:03]
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE.AYE. ANY OPPOSED? THE MOTION CARRIES SEVEN ZERO.
NEXT ITEM IS OUR REQUEST TO APPROVE THE TRAVIS CENTRAL APPRAISAL DISTRICT RESOLUTION.
[12.2 Request to approve Travis Central Appraisal District (TCAD) resolution]
LOOKING FOR A MOTION.HEATHER. I RECOMMEND THAT THE BOARD CAST ITS ALLOTTED 175 VOTES TO BE REFLECTED IN A RESOLUTION FOR THE APPOINTMENT OF, AND I'M GOING TO NAME A NAME, JOHN HAVENSTRITE TO THE TEXAS CENTRAL APPRAISAL DISTRICT BOARD OF DIRECTORS.
MOTION BY HEATHER. SECOND BY KIM.
ANY DISCUSSION? WE DISCUSSED THIS A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO.
ALL RIGHT. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE.
AYE. ANY OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES SEVEN ZERO.
WE HAVE A CONSENT AGENDA, A MOTION.
[13. ACTION - CONSENT AGENDA]
LAURA. I MOVE THAT THE BOARD APPROVES THE CONSENT AGENDA AS POSTED.ANY QUESTIONS? DISCUSSION. OKAY.
AYE. ANY OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES SEVEN ZERO.
DECEMBER 10TH MEETING WILL BE A REGULAR MEETING.
[14. UPCOMING MEETINGS]
WE'LL HAVE A COUPLE OF REPORTS THERE, INCLUDING THE MAKE UP OF THE DEI REPORT.HOPE EVERYBODY GETS SAFE AND GETS HEALTHY SOON, AND THEN JANUARY 14TH, 2025 WILL BE A STUDY SESSION, AND WITH THAT, THE BOARD STANDS ADJOURNED AND MY WATCH WON'T WAKE UP AT 10:25.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.