Apr 08, 2025 Special School Board Study Session

[1. CALL TO ORDER]

[00:00:12]

>> APRIL 8, 2025 MEETING OF THE EANES ISD BOARD OF TRUSTEES TO ORDER.

MADAM SECRETARY, DO WE HAVE A QUORUM?

>> YES.

[3. CLOSED SESSION]

>> THANK YOU. WE WILL NOW MOVE INTO CLOSED SESSION PURSUANT TO TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE SECTIONS 551071 AND 551074.

WE WILL RECONVENE AN OPEN SESSION AT 7:00 PM.

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

WE JUST FINISHED OUR CLOSED SESSION AND WE'RE GOING TO GET STARTED IN ABOUT 5-8 MINUTES. JUST GIVE US A MINUTE.

>> MR. SPRADLEY.

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

>> THE TIME IS NOW 7:32.

WE WILL RECONVENE IN OPEN SESSION. GOOD EVENING.

I'M JAMES BRADLEY, PRESIDENT OF THE EANES ISD BOARD OF TRUSTEES.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD AND ADMINISTRATION, WELCOME TO TONIGHT'S MEETING.

THE PURPOSE OF THIS MEETING IS FOR THE BOARD TO DELIBERATE AND VOTE ON MATTERS LISTED ON THE AGENDA.

AS ALWAYS, WE ARE COMMITTED TO ENSURING A RESPECTFUL AND CONSTRUCTIVE ENVIRONMENT.

WE JUST ASK THE SAME ON YOUR PART.

PLEASE REFRAIN FROM OUTBURSTS OR ANY DESTRUCTIVE BEHAVIOR.

APPLAUSE IS ALWAYS WELCOME, ESPECIALLY FOR THOSE BEING RECOGNIZED IN THE SUPERINTENDENT'S REPORT.

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

HOWEVER, NO ONE HAD SIGNED UP BY NOON YESTERDAY, SO WE DON'T HAVE ANY OPEN FORUM TONIGHT.

YOU ARE WELCOME TO STAY FOR THE ENTIRE MEETING AND LISTEN TO THE BUSINESS OF THE BOARD.

IF YOU DECIDE TO LAVE EARLY, WE JUST ASK THAT YOU PLEASE DO SO QUIETLY AND TAKE ANY CONVERSATIONS OUTSIDE SO THAT WE DON'T DISRUPT THE BOARD PRESENTATIONS.

AS ALWAYS, IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS OR FEEDBACK ABOUT THE ITEMS THAT WE'RE GOING TO DISCUSS TONIGHT, FEEL FREE TO E MAIL THE TRUSTEES AT TRUSTEES@EANESISD.NET, OR CONSIDER REACHING OUT TO A TRUSTEE OR TRUSTEES TO MEET AND FURTHER DISCUSS THINGS.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENCE HERE TONIGHT AND FOR YOUR CONTINUED INTEREST IN SUPPORTING OUR COMMUNITY AND OUR SCHOOLS.

[5. SUPERINTENDENT'S REPORT]

WE'LL BEGIN WITH THE SUPERINTENDENT'S REPORT, DR. ARNETT.

>> MR. SPRADLEY, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD.

THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE TONIGHT, THOSE IN THE AUDIENCE, AS WELL AS WATCHING AT HOME.

JUST WANTED TO BEGIN WITH SOME GOOD NEWS.

IT'S ALWAYS IMPORTANT TO BEGIN OUR MEETING WITH HIGHLIGHTS, AND WE HAVE A STUDENT THAT WE'RE HIGHLIGHTING TONIGHT.

CHASE RHODES IS HERE TONIGHT.

CHASE WON HIS SECOND CONSECUTIVE STATE CHAMPIONSHIP IN POWER LIFTING RECENTLY.

VERY PROUD OF HIM, AND I'M GOING TO INVITE CHASE AND HIS COACH, JOHN ROSH, TO COME TO THE PODIUM.

COACH ROSH, IF YOU'LL TELL US A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT CHASE'S ACCOMPLISHMENT, SO WE CAN RECOGNIZE HIM THIS EVENING.

>> GOOD EVENING, EVERYBODY. ME AND TECHNOLOGY DON'T GET ALONG VERY WELL, SO I APOLOGIZE. THIS IS CHASE RHODES.

HE'S A SENIOR AT WESTLAKE HIGH SCHOOL, AND HE IS A BACK TO BACK TWO TIME DEFENDING STATE CHAMPION IN POWER LIFTING.

LAST YEAR, HE WON STAYED IN THE 181-POUND WEIGHT CLASS, AND THIS YEAR HE DECIDED YOU NEED A LITTLE MORE OF A CHALLENGE.

HE MOVED UP TO THE 198-POUND WEIGHT CLASS.

THIS YEAR AT THE STATE POWER LIFTING MEET, CHASE SQUATTED A NEW STATE RECORD, 805 POUNDS.

HE BENCH PRESSED 500 POUNDS, AND HE DEAD LIFTED 700 POUNDS AND SET A NEW STATE RECORD WITH A TOTAL AMOUNT OF WEIGHT LIFTED AT 2005 POUNDS, ALL WHILE WEIGHING 192 POUNDS.

CHASE AND POWER LIFTING.

HE'S BEEN DOING IT FOR FOUR YEARS, AND REALLY HE'S THE REASON WE HAVE POWER LIFTING AT WESTLAKE HIGH SCHOOL.

HE'S BEEN THE LEADER OF ALL THIS AND ONE THAT GOT IT GOING.

WE HOPE TO KEEP IT GOING NOW THAT CHASE IS MOVING ON, BUT HE PLANS TO COMPETE IN COLLEGE.

THEY DO HAVE CLUB POWER LIFTING, EITHER AT TEXAS A&M OR COLORADO SCHOOL OF MINES.

JUST THE AMOUNT OF TIME THAT CHASE HAS PUT INTO THIS AND SWEAT EQUITY AND EFFORT, IT'S BEEN REALLY AMAZING.

A SATURDAY WORKOUT, A SQUAT DEADLIFT WORKOUT TAKES ABOUT SIX HOURS FOR HIM TO DO.

JUST ALL THAT WHILE MAINTAINING A REALLY HIGH GPA IN SCHOOL.

IT'S JUST BEEN REALLY AMAZING TO ME.

THIS IS MY FIRST YEAR AT WEST LAKE.

IT IS GOING TO BE A PART OF GETTING TO MEET CHASE AND SEEING ALL THE THINGS THAT HE DOES TO DO WHAT HE DOES IN POWER LIFTING, IT'S BEEN REALLY COOL FOR ME. CHASE RHODES, EVERYBODY.

>> CONGRATULATIONS.

>> CHASE, WE'RE GOING TO GET A PHOTO OF YOU WITH THE BOARD AFTER YOU LIFT PRESIDENT SPRADLEY OVER YOUR HEAD.

[00:06:33]

I APPRECIATE IT. WELL, LAST WEEKEND, THERE WAS A FUN EVENT AT WESTLAKE HIGH SCHOOL.

IT WAS A VERY CHILLY SUNDAY MORNING, BUT A LOT OF FUN TO BE OUT THERE AND TO SEE DOZENS OF REALLY INCREDIBLE CARS AND VEHICLES THAT WE CAME OUT FOR THE BECK'S BACKYARD CLASSIC CAR SHOW.

I THINK THE FIRST TIME THIS HAS EVER OCCURRED AT WESTLAKE HIGH SCHOOL.

MS. CLARK, I SAW YOU THERE WITH YOUR HUSBAND.

IT WAS FUN TO SEE THAT AND MANY OTHER TRUSTEES MIGHT HAVE BEEN THERE AS WELL, BUT A GREAT COMMUNITY EVENT AND A NICE WAY TO CAP THE WEEKEND.

ALSO WANTED TO MENTION AS WELL THAT IT'S TIME TO ENROLL KINDERGARTNERS.

WE MENTIONED AT OUR LAST BOARD MEETING A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO.

I THINK AT THAT POINT, WE WERE AT ABOUT 96% OF OUR CURRENT STUDENTS WHO HAVE COMPLETED THEIR ENROLLMENT OR REGISTERING FOR NEXT YEAR.

I THINK THAT'S UP NOW TO ABOUT 98, 99%.

WE'RE APPROACHING 100%, BUT WE'RE VERY INTERESTED IN KNOWING WHAT FAMILIES ARE OUT THERE, WHOSE CHILDREN ARE NOT YET IN SCHOOL.

LAST NIGHT, WE HELD OUR FIRST KINDER PLAY DATE.

IT TOOK THE PLACE OF THE PREVIOUS KINDER ROUND UP, AND IT WAS EXTREMELY WELL ATTENDED.

MANY OF US SPREAD OUT AND WE WERE ON THE VARIOUS ELEMENTARY CAMPUSES AND SAW A LOT OF FAMILIES WHO BROUGHT THEIR PROSPECTIVE KINDERGARTNERS OUT, AND THAT WAS A BEAUTIFUL EVENING.

FOR THAT AND A GREAT WAY TO MEET NEW FAMILIES AND NEW STUDENTS.

IF YOU HAVE NOT YET ENROLLED YOUR KINDERGARTNER FOR NEXT YEAR OR ANY STUDENT, FOR THAT MATTER, WE WOULD ENCOURAGE THOSE WATCHING IN THE COMMUNITY, PARENTS, PLEASE MAKE SURE THAT YOU GO AHEAD AND BEGIN YOUR REGISTRATION FOR THE UPCOMING '25, '26 SCHOOL YEAR.

THEN WANTED TO FINALLY MENTION THE LONG RANGE FACILITY PLANNING COMMITTEE WHICH FOR THE PAST SEVERAL MONTHS, HAS BEEN IN ITS SUBCOMMITTEE MODE.

THEY'VE BEEN WORKING AT THE ELEMENTARY, MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL LEVELS.

THEY'RE RECONVENING TOMORROW EVENING FOR THE FIRST TIME AS THE LARGE COMMITTEE IN A LONG TIME, AND THEY HAVE BEEN WORKING EXTENSIVELY FOR ABOUT THE LAST YEAR-AND-A-HALF, AND THEY'RE COMING BACK TOGETHER NOW TO SEE ALL OF THE CONCEPTS THAT ARE BEGINNING TO EMERGE.

I SAY THAT BECAUSE ON MAY THE 20TH, THE LONG RANGE FACILITY PLANNING COMMITTEE CO-CHAIRS WILL BE WITH THE BOARD AND WILL BE PRESENTING TO YOU AND SHARING THEIR WORK.

WE'RE EXCITED FOR THAT. IT'S VERY VISIONARY, AND I JUST WANTED TO MENTION THAT ALL OF THAT WORK HAS BEEN IN PROGRESS NOW, A LOT OF CONCEPTS AND SCHEMATICS THAT ARE BEGINNING TO EMERGE.

THEY'RE GOING TO FINE TUNE THAT AND THEY'LL BE WITH YOU ON MAY THE 20TH FOR THEIR PRESENTATION AND THEIR RECOMMENDATIONS.

THAT CONCLUDES MY REPORT FOR THIS EVENING.

>> THANK YOU, DR. ARNETT.

ANY QUESTIONS, COMMENTS FROM THE BOARD? WE'RE ALL GOING TO GO WORK OUT TOMORROW LIFT 800 POUNDS.

WE WILL MOVE INTO OUR DISCUSSION ACTION AGENDA.

[7.1 Teacher Incentive Allotment]

WE'LL HAVE A DISCUSSION OF THE TEACHER INCENTIVE ALLOTMENT.

THEN WE WILL REVIEW THE DISTRICT IMPROVEMENT PLAN, A REMINDER THAT THE BOARD PRIORITIES WERE SENT TO THE DISTRICT IMPROVEMENT PLANNING REVIEW TEAM, THE DLT.

THEN THEY ARE COMING BACK WITH THE DISTRICT IMPROVEMENT PLAN FOR US TO LOOK AT.

THEN WE HAVE A RESOLUTION AND AN APPROVAL OF PROCUREMENT FOR BOND CONSTRUCTION PROJECT.

I FEEL LIKE I'M HAVING DIFFICULTY TALKING TONIGHT.

NONETHELESS, WE WILL MOVE INTO OUR AGENDA.

WE'LL START WITH TEACHER INCENTIVE ALLOTMENT, AND TONIGHT WE ARE JOINED BY ABBY BRIDGES,

[00:10:01]

>> AS LAURIE AND TAMMY AND ABBY ARE COMING UP, I JUST WANT TO SAY, THIS HAS BEEN A CONVERSATION THAT WE HAVE HAD WITHIN THE DISTRICT NOW FOR THE LAST FEW WEEKS.

THE BOARD AND THE COMMUNITY AND OUR STAFF ARE WELL AWARE THAT ABOUT FIVE YEARS AGO, WE LOOKED AT APPLYING TO BE A PART OF THE TEACHER INCENTIVE ALLOTMENT AS A SCHOOL DISTRICT, AND OUR TEACHER COMMITTEE AT THAT TIME DETERMINED THAT IT WAS NOT A GOOD FIT FOR EANES ISD.

HOWEVER, A LOT HAS CHANGED IN THOSE FIVE YEARS, AND NOW WE'RE AWARE THAT IN ALL LIKELIHOOD, THERE ARE GOING TO BE DIFFERENT ASPECTS OF FUNDING FROM THE STATE CONNECTED TO TEACHER COMPENSATION THAT WE CANNOT PARTICIPATE IN OR AVAIL OURSELVES OF UNLESS WE ARE PARTICIPANTS IN THE TEACHER INCENTIVE ALLOTMENT PROGRAM.

WE WANT TO DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO BENEFIT OUR TEACHERS AND OUR STAFF TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY ARE FAIRLY AND APPROPRIATELY COMPENSATED.

THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE NO LONGER HAVE THE OPTION OF CONSIDERING.

WE SAID TO OUR STAFF IN A MEETING A FEW DAYS AGO THAT WHILE FIVE YEARS AGO, WE MAY HAVE DEFERRED TO THEM AND ALLOW THEM TO DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT THIS IS SOMETHING WE WOULD PARTICIPATE IN, WE NOW NO LONGER FEEL LIKE THAT'S AN OPTION.

FOR VARIOUS REASONS, BECAUSE WE DON'T WANT TO LEAVE ANY MONEY OUT THERE THAT WE CAN USE TO BENEFIT AND TO COMPENSATE OUR EMPLOYEES, THE TEACHER INCENTIVE ALLOTMENT IS SOMETHING THAT WE FEEL LIKE WE HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO FINALLY APPLY FOR.

TONIGHT, YOU'RE GOING TO HEAR VERY EXTENSIVE CONVERSATION.

THERE IS AN ACTION ITEM RELATED TO THIS, BUT I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER NOW TO TAMMY, TO LAURIE, AND ABBY TO WALK YOU THROUGH THE PRESENTATION.

>> GOOD EVENING. I'M TAMMY KREUZ. THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.

I'M THE CONSULTANT THAT THE DISTRICT BROUGHT IN TO HELP PUT TOGETHER A PLAN FOR TEACHER INCENTIVE ALLOTMENT.

JUST A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND ON MYSELF.

I'VE WORKED WITH TEACHER INCENTIVE PAY PROGRAMS IN TEXAS FOR ABOUT 20 YEARS, STATE PROGRAMS, FEDERAL PROGRAMS, AND THEN MOST RECENTLY, TEACHER INCENTIVE ALLOTMENT.

I'VE BEEN HELPING DISTRICTS WITH THIS INITIATIVE SINCE IT STARTED.

IF YOU DON'T KNOW, THIS WAS PASSED IN THE 2019 LEGISLATIVE SESSION.

IT WAS PART OF THE BIG HOUSE BILL 3.

AS PART OF THAT LEGISLATIVE SESSION, THE LEGISLATURE GAVE AN ACROSS THE BOARD PAY RAISE TO ALL TEACHERS, AND THEN THEY FUNDED TEACHER INCENTIVE ALLOTMENT ON TOP OF THAT.

THE GOAL FOR THIS INITIATIVE WAS TO PROVIDE A PATHWAY FOR TEXAS TEACHERS TO EARN COMPENSATION SIMILAR TO OTHER PROFESSIONS LIKE BUSINESS, ENGINEERING, COMPUTER SCIENCE AS A WAY FOR THE STATE TO RECRUIT AND RETAIN TOP TALENT IN THE TEACHING PROFESSION IN THE STATE.

THE LEGISLATURE WAS FAIRLY PRESCRIPTIVE WITH THIS LAW.

IT HAS A STATED GOAL OF DESIGNATING ABOUT THE TOP 33% OF TEACHERS ACROSS THE STATE OF TEXAS.

THE LEGISLATION, THERE ARE THREE DESIGNATION LEVELS, RECOGNIZED EXEMPLARY AND MASTER.

EVERY DISTRICT HAS THE OPTION AS TO WHETHER OR NOT THEY WOULD LIKE TO PUT TOGETHER A PLAN FOR THIS PARTICULAR INITIATIVE.

WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE LOCAL PLAN, WHAT WE MEAN IS THE DISTRICT'S PLAN FOR IDENTIFYING RECOGNIZED EXEMPLARY AND MASTER TEACHERS.

RECOGNIZED TEACHERS CURRENTLY HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO EARN ANYWHERE BETWEEN $3-9,000 IN ADDITIONAL COMPENSATION PER YEAR, EXEMPLARY TEACHERS ANYWHERE BETWEEN 6-18,000, AND MASTER TEACHERS ANYWHERE BETWEEN 12-32,000.

IN EANES, THE SPECIFIC DOLLAR AMOUNT CURRENTLY, THE MOST RECENT NUMBERS FOR A RECOGNIZED TEACHER ON AVERAGE IN THIS DISTRICT WOULD BE $3,062, FOR AN EXEMPLARY TEACHER, THE AVERAGE IS $6,123, AND FOR A MASTER TEACHER, THAT'S $12,205.

THESE AMOUNTS ARE PER YEAR.

ONCE A TEACHER IS DESIGNATED AT ONE OF THESE THREE LEVELS, THE DESIGNATION GETS ADDED TO THE TEACHER'S SBEC CERTIFICATE AND IT STAYS THERE FOR FIVE YEARS.

CAN'T BE REVOKED, CAN'T BE REDUCED.

IF YOU'RE A MASTER TEACHER HERE IN EANES MAKING AN EXTRA $12,205, THAT'S PER YEAR OVER A FIVE-YEAR PERIOD.

WE'RE TALKING AN ADDITIONAL $60,000 IN COMPENSATION FOR THAT TEACHER.

YOU'LL SEE THERE UNDER THE RECOGNIZED BLOCK ON THE STEP SCHEDULE.

THERE IS ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY FOR TEACHERS TO BE DESIGNATED THROUGH TEACHER INCENTIVE ALLOTMENT, A SEPARATE PATHWAY, AND THAT'S THROUGH NATIONAL BOARD CERTIFICATION.

[00:15:02]

>> TEA CALCULATES THE ALLOTMENT AMOUNTS ANNUALLY.

WHILE THE DESIGNATION IS GOOD FOR FIVE YEARS, THE SPECIFIC ALLOTMENT AMOUNT WILL CHANGE ANNUALLY BASED ON THE WINTER PMS CODING NUMBERS, AND IT IS BASED ON TWO FACTORS.

IT'S A CAMPUS-LEVEL ALLOTMENT AMOUNT, AND IT'S DETERMINED WHETHER OR NOT THE CAMPUS IS A RULE OR A NON-RURAL SCHOOL.

THEN THEY ALSO LOOK AT THE TIER OF ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED STUDENTS ON THAT CAMPUS.

AS WITH MOST INITIATIVES, THE HIGHER THE ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED NUMBERS, THE MORE MONEY THERE IS IN THIS INITIATIVE.

THERE'S ALSO MORE MONEY IN THIS INITIATIVE FOR RURAL SCHOOLS THAN THERE IS FOR NON-RURAL.

THE IDEA IS TO TRY TO PROVIDE THE HIGHEST ALLOTMENT AMOUNTS AT THE MOST HIGH NEED SCHOOLS.

THAT SHOWS YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHERE THE NUMBERS COME FROM.

TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA OF WHERE WE ARE IN THIS PROCESS AS A STATE.

THERE HAVE BEEN SEVEN COHORTS SO FAR THAT HAVE BEEN THROUGH THE PROCESS AND GOTTEN THEIR APPLICATION APPROVED.

I WILL TALK ABOUT IN JUST A MINUTE, THERE'S ACTUALLY A TWO-STEP PROCESS FOR THIS INITIATIVE.

THERE ARE ONLY SIX COHORTS THAT HAVE GONE THROUGH BOTH STEPS IN THE APPROVAL PROCESS AT THIS POINT.

THOSE ARE THE ONES WITH THE CHECK MARKS.

THE SOONEST THAT ANS COULD APPLY WOULD BE UNDER COHORT H. WE'LL TALK ABOUT THAT TIMELINE HERE IN JUST A MOMENT AS WELL.

ALL OF OUR LESSONS LEARNED COME FROM THE FIRST SIX COHORTS.

WHEN THE LEGISLATURE CREATED THIS INITIATIVE, THEY GAVE DISTRICTS A LOT OF FLEXIBILITY TO DETERMINE THEIR LOCAL SYSTEM AND HOW THEY WERE GOING TO IDENTIFY DESIGNATIONS.

BUT THEY SAID AT A MINIMUM, EVERY DISTRICT HAS TO INCLUDE TEACHER OBSERVATION AND STUDENT GROWTH DATA TO DETERMINE DESIGNATIONS.

YOU CAN ADD ADDITIONAL FACTORS IF YOU WANT TO, BUT THOSE WOULD BE CONSIDERED OPTIONAL.

THE VAST MAJORITY OF DISTRICTS IN THE STATE, I THINK, AT THIS POINT, ARE ONLY INCLUDING THE TWO REQUIRED MEASURES IN THEIR PLAN.

WHAT THAT MEANS FOR MOST DISTRICTS IN TEXAS WITH TEACHER OBSERVATION IS USING THE T-TEST RUBRIC, WHICH IS THE STATE-ADOPTED TEACHER OBSERVATION INSTRUMENT.

ON THE STUDENT PERFORMANCE SIDE, THAT IS A STUDENT GROWTH MEASURE, AND IT IS A CLASSROOM-LEVEL STUDENT GROWTH MEASURE.

THIS IS VERY DIFFERENT THAN WHAT WE'RE USED TO SEEING.

IN OUR STATE ACCOUNTABILITY SYSTEM, WE SEE DISTRICT-LEVEL GROWTH MEASURES, WE SEE CAMPUS-LEVEL GROWTH MEASURES.

BUT TEACHER INCENTIVE ALLOTMENT REQUIRES THE DISTRICT TO MEASURE GROWTH IN EVERY CLASSROOM IN A TEACHING ASSIGNMENT THAT'S INCLUDED IN THE LOCAL PLAN.

FOR THAT REASON, IF YOU'RE SITTING THERE THINKING, WELL, GOODNESS, I DON'T KNOW THAT WE MEASURE GROWTH IN EVERY SINGLE CLASSROOM IN EVERY SUBJECT AREA AND EVERY GRADE LEVEL IN OUR DISTRICT, DO NOT FEEL ALONE.

THE VAST MAJORITY OF SCHOOL DISTRICTS DO NOT CURRENTLY HAVE A WAY TO MEASURE GROWTH IN EVERY CLASSROOM IN THEIR DISTRICT WHEN THEY START WITH TEACHER INCENTIVE ALLOTMENT.

FOR THAT REASON, WE SEE A LOT OF DISTRICTS PLANS IN YEAR 1, STARTING WITH JUST STAR-TESTED TEACHERS BECAUSE THERE IS A CLASSROOM-LEVEL GROWTH MEASURE THAT WE CAN GAIN THROUGH THE STAR TRANSITION TABLES THAT TEA CALCULATES.

THIS HAS BEEN A WORK-IN-PROGRESS INITIATIVE ACROSS THE STATE SINCE WE STARTED IN COHORT A. I THINK EVERY DISTRICT WANTS TO HAVE A LOCAL TEACHER INCENTIVE ALLOTMENT PLAN THAT INCLUDES ALL TEACHERS.

THEY'RE JUST NOT READY TO START THERE IN YEAR 1.

YOU'VE GOT TO GET IN AND START SOMEWHERE.

MOST OF THE DISTRICTS THAT I'VE WORKED WITH, GOING BACK TO COHORT A, ARE IN YEAR 5 OR YEAR 6 OF THEIR EXPANSION PLAN.

EVERY SINGLE YEAR, THE DISTRICT HAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO EXPAND THEIR PLAN AND ADD ADDITIONAL TEACHERS TO THEIR LOCAL SYSTEM.

AS FAR AS THE COMPENSATION GOES, AT LEAST 90% OF THE TIA FUNDS HAVE TO GO TOWARDS TEACHER COMPENSATION ON THE CAMPUS WHERE THE DESIGNATED TEACHER WORKS.

THE DISTRICT CAN HOLD 10% OF THOSE FUNDS TO HELP WITH THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE TIA PLAN AT THE DISTRICT LEVEL.

MOST DISTRICTS ARE RETAINING THAT 10% TO BE ABLE TO HELP WITH ADMINISTRATIVE COST ASSOCIATED WITH THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THEIR SYSTEM.

I THINK THE VAST MAJORITY OF DISTRICTS IN THE STATE HAVE WHAT WE CALL A 90/10 SPENDING PLAN, WHERE 90% OF THE MONEY GOES TOWARDS THE TEACHERS THAT EARN THE DESIGNATIONS, AND THEN 10% CAN BE HELD AT THE DISTRICT LEVEL.

THE TWO-STEP APPROVAL PROCESS THAT I MENTIONED EARLIER IS VERY UNIQUE WITH THIS PARTICULAR INCENTIVE PAY PROGRAM.

THE TWO-STEP PROCESS IS IN PLACE FOR SOME CHECKS AND BALANCES.

[00:20:03]

THIS IS WHERE THE DISTRICT SUBMITS AN APPLICATION, EXPLAINS WHICH TEACHING ASSIGNMENTS ARE ELIGIBLE IN A GIVEN YEAR, WHAT THE DISTRICT IS USING AS THE STUDENT GROWTH MEASURE FOR EACH OF THE ELIGIBLE TEACHING ASSIGNMENTS, WHAT THE DISTRICT IS USING AS THE TEACHER OBSERVATION SYSTEM, AND A LOT OF QUESTIONS AROUND PROCESS AND PROCEDURE TO ENSURE THAT THE DATA COLLECTED THROUGH THAT PROCESS IS VALID AND RELIABLE.

ONCE A DISTRICT GETS THEIR APPLICATION APPROVED, THEY GO THROUGH WHAT WE CALL THE FIRST DATA CAPTURE YEAR.

WHAT THAT ESSENTIALLY MEANS IS THAT'S THE YEAR THAT THE DATA COUNTS.

THE YEAR THAT THE TEACHER OBSERVATION DATA COUNTS, THE YEAR THE STUDENT GROWTH DATA COUNTS, THE DISTRICT WILL THEN CALCULATE DESIGNATIONS ACCORDING TO THE LOCAL PLAN.

THEN THE DISTRICT HAS TO GO THROUGH STEP 2, WHICH IS CALLED DATA REVIEW, OR MORE COMMONLY NOW PROBABLY KNOWN AS A DATA VALIDATION PROCESS.

THIS IS ALL DONE THROUGH TEXAS TECH UNIVERSITY.

AS PART OF THIS PROCESS, THE DISTRICT HAS TO SUBMIT TEACHER OBSERVATION AND STUDENT GROWTH DATA FOR ALL TEACHERS THAT WERE ELIGIBLE FOR A DESIGNATION IN THAT GIVEN YEAR OF THE PLAN.

AT THAT TIME, THE DISTRICT WILL ALSO RECOMMEND INDIVIDUAL TEACHERS FOR DESIGNATIONS ACCORDING TO WHAT THE LOCAL PLAN HOWEVER, IT'S DESIGNED.

WE DID NOT KNOW BACK WHEN THE FIRST COUPLE COHORTS WERE PUTTING TOGETHER THEIR LOCAL DESIGNATION SYSTEM, WHAT THE PROCESS WAS GOING TO BE FOR DATA VALIDATION.

HOW MANY DISTRICTS ARE GOING TO GET APPROVED, HOW MANY WOULD NOT BE APPROVED? WE DIDN'T KNOW WHAT THE RIGOR WAS GOING TO BE THROUGH THAT PROCESS.

AS IT TURNS OUT, IT IS A VERY RIGOROUS PROCESS TO GO THROUGH DATA VALIDATION.

THEY ARE LOOKING FOR CONSISTENCY IN THE DATA SETS, THAT THERE ARE SOME CHECKS AND BALANCES IN PLACE TO ENSURE THAT THE TEACHERS THAT ARE BEING RECOMMENDED FOR DESIGNATIONS ARE, IN FACT, THE BEST AND BRIGHTEST TEACHERS ACROSS THE STATE OF TEXAS.

CURRENTLY, THIS INITIATIVE HAS A STATED GOAL OF TRYING TO DESIGNATE ABOUT THE TOP 33% OF TEACHERS ACROSS THE STATE OF TEXAS.

IN A REALLY HIGH-PERFORMING DISTRICT, YOU MAY HAVE WELL OVER 33% OF YOUR TEACHERS BEING DESIGNATED.

IN A VERY LOW-PERFORMING DISTRICT, YOU MAY HAVE FIVE OR 10% OF YOUR TEACHERS BEING DESIGNATED.

IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO BEGIN WITH THE END IN MIND.

THIS IS A HUGE LESSON LEARNED FROM THIS INITIATIVE THROUGH MULTIPLE COHORTS THAT IF YOU BEGIN WITH THE END IN MIND AND YOU THINK ABOUT THE DATA-SET THAT YOUR DISTRICT IS GOING TO HAVE TO SUBMIT THROUGH STEP THE DATA VALIDATION PROCESS IN STEP 2, YOU'RE GIVING YOUR DISTRICT THE BEST CHANCE OF ACTUALLY GETTING APPROVED AND GETTING SOME TEACHERS DESIGNATED.

ENSURING THAT VALIDITY AND RELIABILITY OF THE DATA IS ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL.

THE TIMELINE FOR A COHORT H APPLICATION THIS YEAR HAS BEEN A PLANNING YEAR.

THE APPLICATION WAS ACTUALLY POSTED IN NOVEMBER.

IT IS DUE TO TEA ON APRIL 15, THIS YEAR.

THE DISTRICT WOULD FIND OUT IF THE APPLICATION IS APPROVED BY AUGUST OF '25.

THEN, AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, YOUR FIRST DATA CAPTURE YEAR WOULD BE THE '25-'26 SCHOOL YEAR.

EVERY SCHOOL YEAR AFTER THAT ESSENTIALLY BECOMES A DATA CAPTURE YEAR BECAUSE EVERY SINGLE YEAR, THE DISTRICT WILL HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO CALCULATE DESIGNATIONS AND MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE STATE FOR DESIGNATED TEACHERS.

ONCE THE DISTRICT CALCULATES THE DESIGNATIONS, THE DISTRICT WILL SUBMIT DATA TO TEXAS TECH BY OCTOBER OF '26.

TEXAS TECH WILL DO A VERY INTENSIVE STATISTICAL ANALYSIS ON THAT DATA SET.

THEY WILL PRODUCE A DATA VALIDATION REPORT WITH A BUNCH OF SCORES.

THAT REPORT WILL GO BACK TO TEA.

TEA WILL LOOK AT YOUR DISTRICT'S INITIAL APPLICATION.

THEY'LL LOOK AT YOUR DATA VALIDATION REPORT AND MAKE A FINAL DECISION ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT YOUR DESIGNATIONS ARE APPROVED.

IF YOUR DISTRICT PASSES DATA VALIDATION, THEN ALL OF THE TEACHERS THAT YOUR DISTRICT RECOMMENDS FOR DESIGNATIONS ARE APPROVED, IF YOU FAIL, THEN NO ONE GETS APPROVED.

IT'S AN ALL-OR-NOTHING THING.

THEY'RE HIGH STAKES WITH THE STEP 2 PROCESS.

THE DISTRICT WOULD FIND OUT FROM TEA IN FEBRUARY OF '27 IF THE DISTRICT PASSES OR FAILS DATA VALIDATION.

TEA WOULD NOTIFY THE DISTRICT OF THE FINAL ALLOTMENT AMOUNTS BY MAY BECAUSE, AGAIN, THEY'LL USE THAT WINTER PMS DATA TO CALCULATE THE ALLOTMENT AMOUNTS.

PAYOUTS TO TEACHERS WOULD HAPPEN IN SUMMER OF 27, AND THEN THOSE FUNDS HAVE TO BE PAID OUT BY AUGUST 31ST OF EVERY YEAR.

THE DISTRICT WILL THEN GO THROUGH A SETTLE UP PROCESS WITH TEA BEGINNING IN SEPTEMBER, AND THAT SETTLE UP PROCESS HAPPENS THROUGH FSP.

[00:25:07]

>> THANK YOU, TAMMY. AS YOU CAN SEE, BEFORE WE CAME HERE TONIGHT, WE HAD A SMALL ARMY THAT GOT TOGETHER AND HAD A CONVERSATION BECAUSE THERE'S GOING TO BE A LOT INVOLVED IN THIS.

WITH THE HELP OF CURRICULUM, WITH THE HELP OF MOLLY AND CHAD, HEATHER, AND KATHERINE, WE ALL JUST DELVE INTO THIS.

WE SPOKE TO TAMMY, AND WE GOT OUR PRINCIPALS TOGETHER, AND THAT WAS OUR FIRST MEETING.

TAMMY CAME TO OUR PRINCIPAL'S MEETING, AND I THINK THAT WAS ABOUT A THREE-HOUR MEETING.

WE JUST PUT EVERYTHING OUT THERE.

WE KNEW THAT WITH TIA THAT WE WERE GOING TO HAVE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT T-TESTS.

ABBY, WILL TALK ABOUT THAT IN A LITTLE BIT, AND WE HAD A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THE ROOM WHO HAD BEEN INVOLVED IN T-TESTS BEFORE IN OTHER DISTRICTS, AND WE KNEW THAT WITH WHAT WE WERE USING WITH T-GAP, WE WOULD NEED TO MAKE SOME CHANGES AS FAR AS T-GAP WAS CONCERNED.

WE REALLY LOOKED AT WHAT WE WANTED TO DO.

WOULD WE STAY WITH T-GAP, WOULD WE GO TO T-TEST? WE HAD ABOUT A THREE-HOUR CONVERSATION, LIKE I SAID, AND THEN WE MET AGAIN, ABBY AND I DID WITH ASSISTANT PRINCIPALS.

AGAIN, WE HAD PROBABLY AN HOUR CONVERSATION WITH ASSISTANT PRINCIPALS ABOUT TIA.

WHAT OBVIOUSLY IS EXPECTED FROM OUR PRINCIPALS AND OUR ASSISTANT PRINCIPALS IS THEY START THIS DIFFERENT EVALUATION PROCESS, AND WE ALL START LOOKING AT THESE GROWTH MEASURES.

WE REALLY WANTED EVERYBODY TO UNDERSTAND AND BE ON BOARD AS WE MOVED FORWARD.

THEN LAST THURSDAY, HAD WE HAD OUR TEACHERS' STAKEHOLDER MEETING WHERE WE HAD ABOUT 20 TEACHERS THAT OUR PRINCIPALS HAD GATHERED AND GIVEN US NAMES, AND WE ALL GOT TOGETHER WITH TAMMY ON A ZOOM LAST THURSDAY, AND WE JUST TALKED THROUGH THIS ENTIRE PROCESS WITH OUR TEACHERS.

WE WANTED EVERYONE FROM INDIVIDUALS WHO WOULD BE INVOLVED IN THE VERY FIRST PART OF TIA, TO THOSE WHO MIGHT BE IN A CT PROGRAM, WHO WE DON'T HAVE A MET GROWTH MEASURE AT THIS TIME.

WE WANTED EVERYBODY'S INPUT IN THIS.

WE FELT LIKE WHEN WE CAME OUT OF THAT CONVERSATION, IT WAS A REALLY GOOD MEETING, HAD SOME GREAT FEEDBACK FROM THOSE TEACHERS THROUGH EMAILS.

I THINK EVERYBODY UNDERSTOOD THAT THIS WAS THE DIRECTION THAT WE NEEDED TO MOVE AS A DISTRICT.

>> KEY DECISIONS THAT A DISTRICT HAS TO CONSIDER WHEN THEY'RE PUTTING TOGETHER A LOCAL PLAN.

I THINK THE BIG QUESTION IS, WILL THE TIA PLAN INCLUDE ALL TEACHERS IN THE DISTRICT, OR WILL THE DISTRICT NEED TO START WITH THE SUBSET OF TEACHERS? AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, A LOT OF DISTRICTS ARE STARTING THEIR PLAN WITH JUST THE STAR-TESTED TEACHERS, WHERE THE STATE CALCULATES GROWTH.

THAT'S FOURTH THROUGH EIGHTH GRADE READING AND MATH, ALGEBRA 1, AND THEN ENGLISH 1 AND 2.

THIS IS WHAT WE TALKED ABOUT WITH ALL OF THE STAKEHOLDERS IN THE DISTRICT.

SECOND IS, WHAT IS YOUR SPENDING PLAN GOING TO LOOK LIKE? DOES THE MONEY STAY WITH THE TEACHER THAT EARN THE DESIGNATION? WILL YOU USE SOME OF THE FUNDS TO BOOST COMPENSATION AMONGST OTHER TEACHERS AS WELL? WE HAD CONSENSUS THAT 90% WOULD STAY WITH THE TEACHER THAT EARNS THE DESIGNATION.

THEN THE LAST THING IS JUST, WHAT IS THE OVERALL SYSTEM GOING TO LOOK LIKE FOR DETERMINING DESIGNATIONS? THERE WAS CONSENSUS WITH THE STAKEHOLDERS THAT THE FOCUS REALLY SHOULD BE A LITTLE BIT MORE HEAVILY WEIGHTED ON THE STUDENT GROWTH SIDE, FOCUSING MORE 70% ON CLASSROOM STUDENT GROWTH AND THEN 30% ON THE TEACHER OBSERVATION SCORE.

>> TONIGHT, YOU'LL BE ASKED TO VOTE ON A SPENDING PLAN, AND YOU'LL SEE THAT THAT'S AN AMENDED SPENDING PLAN.

BACK IN 2020, WE HAD ADOPTED A SPENDING PLAN OF 100%.

THE REASON WE DID THAT AT THAT TIME IS WE TRULY ONLY HAD NATIONAL BOARD-CERTIFIED TEACHERS.

WE PROBABLY HAD TWO OR THREE AT THE TIME, AND NOW WE HAVE MAYBE ONE.

WE WERE GOING TO GIVE 100% TO THOSE TEACHERS, AND WE WOULD LOVE TO GIVE 100% OF OUR SPENDING PLAN.

BUT AS WE GROW THIS PLAN, I THINK IT'S REALISTIC TO THINK THAT TO KEEP 10% OF THOSE FUNDS WOULD HELP THE DISTRICT IN THE OFFSET OF THE TRS THAT WE PAY ON BEHALF OF THAT TEACHER.

REMEMBER, WHEN A TEACHER HAS A TRS ANNUITY, THEY'RE PAYING OUT OF THEIR PAYCHECK TOWARDS TRS.

THEN THE DISTRICT ALSO MUST PAY ON BEHALF OF THAT TEACHER.

THAT HELPS OFFSET SOME OF THOSE MONIES THAT WILL BE COMING IN ON TIA.

THEN, OF COURSE, AS WE'RE GOING THROUGH AND WE'RE DEVELOPING T-TESTS AND WE ADD OTHER TEACHERS,

[00:30:01]

>> LET'S CLARIFY T-TEST BECAUSE THAT HAS BEEN MENTIONED A FEW TIMES.

T-TEST IS THE STATE-APPROVED EVALUATION SYSTEM.

IT'S THE TEACHER EVALUATION SYSTEM THAT TEXAS PROVIDES SCHOOL DISTRICTS TO USE.

THEY PROVIDE RESOURCES FOR THAT.

ADMINISTRATORS HAVE TO BE TRAINED, T-TEST TRAINED IN ORDER TO EVALUATE UNDER THAT SYSTEM.

WE CURRENTLY HAVE ADOPTED OUR OWN LOCAL EVALUATION SYSTEM, WHAT WE CALL T-GAP.

WITH TIA, IF A SCHOOL DISTRICT IS UTILIZING THE T-TEST EVALUATION SYSTEM, THE EVALUATION APPROVAL PORTION OF THIS PROCESS, T-TEST IS AUTOMATICALLY APPROVED.

IF WE MOVE FORWARD WITH TIA USING T-GAP, WE DO KNOW WE WOULD HAVE TO ADMIT T-GAP A BIT.

WE DON'T HAVE ALL THE RESOURCES.

I THINK WHAT WE DECIDED THROUGH OUR STAKEHOLDER GROUP, SPECIFICALLY WITH THE ADMINISTRATORS, IS T-TESTS, WE BELIEVE WILL BRING US MUCH MORE CONSISTENCY.

WE'RE ABLE TO CALIBRATE OUR ADMINISTRATORS A LITTLE BIT MORE PRECISELY.

THE PLAN IS WITH OUR TIA APPLICATION, IS FOR THE DISTRICT TO MOVE TO THE T-TEST EVALUATION SYSTEM, WHERE WE WOULD HAVE ALL OF OUR ADMINISTRATORS TRAINED OVER THE SUMMER, DO THAT CALIBRATION PIECE TOGETHER SO THAT WE CAN HAVE THAT CONSISTENCY AS WE MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS PROGRAM.

>> I THINK WE'RE READY FOR ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE AT THIS TIME?

>> THANK YOU. TRUSTEES, QUESTIONS? HEATHER.

>> I HAVE A BUNCH. IF SOMEBODY ELSE WANTS TO GO FIRST, THAT'S FINE.

WELL. FIRST OF ALL, I FEEL LIKE THIS IS A TOTAL REMOVAL OF LOCAL CONTROL AND IT REALLY ANGERS ME TO BE HONEST.

BUT HERE WE ARE AND I BLAME THE STATE, NOT YOU THREE.

LET ME BE VERY CLEAR ABOUT THAT.

I REALLY WANT TO KNOW WHAT THE TEACHER FEEDBACK WAS.

NOT THAT THEY UNDERSTOOD, BUT HOW DID THEY FEEL ABOUT THIS? BECAUSE WE DID THIS EXERCISE A FEW YEARS AGO, AND WE DECIDED NOT TO DO IT BECAUSE IT'S A CULTURE KILLER.

I STILL AM VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THAT.

HOW ARE TEACHERS FEELING ABOUT THIS NOW, HONESTLY? THAT'S JUST THE FIRST QUESTION.

>> I THINK WHEN WE ARE TALKING ABOUT THE FINANCIAL STATE OF JUST WHAT ALL SCHOOL DISTRICTS ARE FACING AND WHEN WE SPOKE ABOUT HOW WE ANTICIPATE TEACHER RAISES BEING TIED TO THIS PROGRAM, THE TEACHERS UNDERSTOOD THAT.

WE WANT TO GIVE TEACHERS AS MUCH MONEY AS WE POSSIBLY CAN, AND WE EXPRESSED THAT WE FEEL LIKE THIS IS THE WAY THAT THAT MONEY IS GOING TO BE ROUTED AND WE WOULDN'T WANT TO MISS OUT ON THAT OPPORTUNITY.

I THINK THEY HEARD THAT AND SAW THAT.

>> THEY UNDERSTAND THAT THERE'S STILL ONLY GOING TO BE A FEW TEACHERS GETTING THIS MONEY, NOT EVEN A SIGNIFICANT PERCENTAGE?

>> YES. WE DID SPEAK ABOUT THAT.

THERE WERE SPECIFIC QUESTIONS ABOUT SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHERS, HOW THEY'RE INVOLVED IN THIS, AND THEY CAN BE INVOLVED IN THIS.

EVEN INITIALLY, AS LONG AS WE PUT THAT INTO OUR PLAN, YES.

AS LONG AS THEY'RE IN THE CATEGORY THAT WAS UP ON THE SCREEN ON THOSE SAR-TESTED GRADES.

WE ALSO SPOKE ABOUT SOME EXAMPLES.

RECENT EXAMPLE THAT WE HAVE LOOKED AT THROUGH CIA AS FRISCO ISD IS AT THE POINT UNDER TIA WHERE THEY ARE NOW EXPLORING HOW TO SHOW THE GROWTH MEASURE FOR THE CTE TEACHERS.

HOPEFULLY FOR US BECAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF DISTRICTS ALREADY INVOLVED IN THIS, WE CAN LOOK AT NEIGHBORING DISTRICTS, SEE HOW THEY'VE MASTERED THAT GROWTH MEASURE PIECE AND APPLY THAT.

WE REALLY WANT TO LOOK TO THOSE EXAMPLES SO THAT WE CAN GET AS MANY STAFF AS POSSIBLE AS SOON AS IT'S APPROPRIATELY POSSIBLE.

>> WHEN WOULD THAT BE? BECAUSE I KNOW WE SAW THE '25, '26, WE WOULD GET APPROVAL FROM TEA IN 2027 POTENTIALLY, BUT I KNOW THAT THEY'RE TURNING DOWN A LOT OF DISTRICTS ALSO.

WHEN WOULD THAT POTENTIALLY BE THAT WE COULD EVEN GET A COUPLE OF MORE PEOPLE IN?

>> EVERY YEAR, AROUND THE MIDDLE OF APRIL, AROUND APRIL 15, EVERY YEAR THE DISTRICT HAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO SUBMIT A MODIFICATION OR EXPANSION APPLICATION, AND ALMOST EVERY YEAR, EVERY DISTRICT IS ADDING GROUPS OF TEACHERS.

WHAT MOST DISTRICTS ARE DOING IS PILOTING SOMETHING FROM THE GROWTH MEASURE SIDE, MAKING SURE IT WORKS, MAKING SURE THEY'RE GETTING VALID AND RELIABLE DATA FROM THAT PROCESS, AND THEN THE NEXT YEAR, THOSE TEACHERS GET ADDED, THEN THEY START PILOTING ANOTHER GROUP.

IT'S A CONSTANT WORK IN PROGRESS WHERE EVERY YEAR,

[00:35:03]

>> TO ADD TO THAT, CHAD VERDE HAS BEEN IN THESE CONVERSATIONS.

HE ALREADY HAS IDEAS ABOUT US EXPANDING USING OUR MAPS ASSESSMENT.

WE HAVE RESOURCES THAT WE'RE ALREADY USING THAT WE THINK WITH SOME TWEAKING WE CAN PROBABLY GET MORE TEACHERS QUICKLY TO QUALIFY UNDER TIA.

WE NEED TO WORK WITH THIS INITIAL GROUP TO GET INTO THE PROGRAM, AND THEN WE CAN EXPAND.

>> I HAVE SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT HOW POSSIBLE LEGISLATION THAT'S BEING DISCUSSED AT THE CAPITOL NOW WILL IMPACT THIS BECAUSE, AND I KNOW WE HAVE TO OPERATE ON THE SYSTEM TODAY, BUT THERE ARE HOUSE BILLS AND SENATE BILLS THAT SAY THAT THEY'RE GOING TO GET RID OF STAR, BUT THEN THEY'RE ALSO PUTTING MORE MONEY INTO TIA.

I THINK I WOULD FEEL BETTER IF WE USED OUR MAP PROGRAM, THAT'S JUST ME, JUST BECAUSE WE KNOW WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE, AND OUR TEACHERS KNOW WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE, AND IT'S NOT A CONSTANTLY CHANGING AND EVOLVING SITUATION LIKE THE STAR IS.

DO YOU HAVE A POINT TO THAT?

>> LITTLE BIT. I WAS GOING TO ADDRESS, JUST GO BACKWARDS A LITTLE BIT IF THAT'S OKAY, ABOUT THE COMPETITION PIECE BECAUSE I THINK IN 20 YEARS OF WORKING WITH INCENTIVE PAY PROGRAMS, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT COMES UP.

THE WAY MOST INCENTIVE PAY PROGRAMS WORK IS IT'S AN ANNUAL THING AND SOMETIMES SOME YEARS TEACHERS GET THE MONEY AND SOME YEARS THEY DON'T.

I THINK WHAT MAKES TEACHER INCENTIVE ALLOTMENT UNIQUE HERE IS THAT THE DESIGNATIONS ARE GOOD FOR FIVE YEARS.

CANDIDLY, THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF CONCERN ACROSS THE STATE THAT THIS IS GOING TO CREATE COMPETITION, THAT TEACHERS ARE GOING TO NOT WORK TOGETHER AND BE COLLABORATIVE ANYMORE.

WE'VE ACTUALLY SEEN THE OPPOSITE HAPPEN ANECDOTALLY, LIKE THE DISTRICTS THAT I'VE WORKED WITH, BECAUSE THE TEACHERS HAVE THE DESIGNATIONS FOR FIVE YEARS, ONCE SOMEONE'S DESIGNATED, THE TEACHERS THAT WERE NOT DESIGNATED ARE GOING AND SEEKING OUT THE TEACHERS THAT GOT A DESIGNATION.

THEY'RE LIKE, HEY, CAN I COME OBSERVE WHAT YOU'RE DOING IN YOUR CLASSROOM? THAT'S REALLY GOOD. CAN WE MAYBE PLAN TOGETHER? CAN WE TEAM TEACH? THE DESIGNATED TEACHERS DON'T FEEL THREATENED BECAUSE THEY KNOW THAT THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE THEIR DESIGNATION FOR THAT ENTIRE FIVE-YEAR PERIOD.

IT'S ACTUALLY CREATED A LITTLE BIT MORE OF A COLLABORATIVE ENVIRONMENT THAN I THINK WHAT ANYONE REALLY ANTICIPATED.

>> THAT'S NOT REALLY WHAT I'M WORRIED ABOUT.

WHAT I'M REALLY WORRIED ABOUT IS, A, WHO'S GOING TO SET THE PERCENTAGE FOR THE GROWTH? IS THAT GOING TO BE A PRINCIPAL THING? ARE WE GOING TO BE DOING TRAINING FOR THE PRINCIPALS ON THAT? BECAUSE I HAVE HEARD HORROR STORIES ABOUT TEACHERS WHO HAVE MORE STUDENTS WHO REQUIRE SPECIAL EDUCATION SERVICES IN THEIR CLASSES, AND THEY HAVE A HIGHER PERCENTAGE ON THEIR T-TEST.

THEN THEIR FELLOW TEACHER WHO MAYBE HAS A DIFFERENT STUDENT POPULATION IN THEIR CLASSROOM AND THEIR PERCENTAGE IS A DIFFERENT LEVEL.

THEN THE PERSON WHO GETS THEIR KIDS FURTHER BUT HAD A DIFFERENT PERCENTAGE ON THEIR EVALUATION GETS THE MONEY VERSUS THE PERSON WHO SHOWED MORE GROWTH.

>> IT'S A GREAT QUESTION.

THIS IS THE QUESTION EVERYONE WAS ASKING WHEN THIS FIRST ROLLED OUT, AND TEA PUT TOGETHER WHAT WE CALL STATEWIDE PERFORMANCE STANDARDS FOR TEACHER INCENTIVE ALLOTMENT.

LOOKING AT THE TOP 33% OF TEACHERS ACROSS THE STATE, THEY PUT TOGETHER A PROFILE OF PERFORMANCE LEVELS OF WHAT A MASTER TEACHER LOOKS LIKE IN TERMS OF T-TESTS AND STUDENT GROWTH, EXEMPLARY TEACHERS, RECOGNIZED TEACHERS.

YOUR DISTRICT WILL NEED TO FOLLOW THOSE STATEWIDE PERFORMANCE STANDARDS IN TERMS OF MAKING DESIGNATIONS.

THOSE PERFORMANCE STANDARDS HAVE REALLY BEEN SET BY THE STATE ALREADY.

>> THAT REQUIRES TRAINING FOR THE PRINCIPALS?

>> NO.

>> NO. IT'S JUST THAT HERE'S A HANDBOOK?

>> YES. THESE ARE NOT CAMPUS-LEVEL DECISIONS.

THE DATA WILL BE PULLED TOGETHER AT THE DISTRICT LEVEL, AND SO WE'LL PULL TEACHER OBSERVATION SCORES, WE'LL PULL THE GROWTH DATA, THE STAR TRANSITION TABLE DATA, AND THEN WE'LL COMPUTE FOR EACH TEACHER, THE PERCENT OF STUDENTS THAT MET OR EXCEEDED EXPECTED GROWTH.

THEN WE'LL BE LOOKING AT THOSE STATEWIDE PERFORMANCE STANDARDS THAT TEA SET TO DETERMINE WHO WOULD BE RECOMMENDED TO THE STATE AS A MASTER TEACHER, EXEMPLARY TEACHER, OR RECOGNIZED TEACHER.

IT'S REALLY LAID OUT BY THE STATE BECAUSE OF THE FOCUS OF TRYING TO GET TO THE TOP 33% ACROSS THE STATE OF TEXAS, THERE HAS TO BE SOME KIND OF STANDARDS, SO THAT'S WHY TEA CAME UP WITH THOSE STANDARDS.

THAT'S WHAT I WOULD RECOMMEND THAT THE DISTRICT FOLLOW IS THOSE

[00:40:02]

THAT'S WHAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT.

>> FOR CLARIFICATION AGAIN, OUR TEACHERS WHO TEACH AP CLASSES WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO GET IT?

>> IN THE FIRST YEAR, NO.

IN THE FIRST YEAR, IT WOULD JUST BE LOOKING AT STAR-TESTED TEACHERS WHERE THE STATE CALCULATES GROWTH.

>> THAT WAS THE ONLY FOURTH THROUGH EIGHTH GRADE READING AND MATH TEACHERS, ALGEBRA 1 AND ENGLISH 1 AND 2 TEACHERS?

>> CORRECT.

>> THAT'S NOT A LOT. ALSO, I KNOW THAT THERE'S LEGISLATION OUT THERE THAT SAYS THAT IF WE TAKE TIA MONEY, THAT WE ARE NOT ALLOWED TO GIVE ACROSS THE BOARD PAY RAISE FOR OTHER STAFF.

DO YOU HAVE ANY CRYSTAL BALL ON THAT?

>> NO CRYSTAL BALL ON THAT.

I THINK THERE'S A LOT GOING ON IN SESSION RIGHT NOW, AND SO WE'LL HAVE TO WAIT AND SEE WHAT THE LEGISLATURE DECIDES.

THE PROPOSED LEGISLATION FOR TIA IS ACTUALLY EXPANDING THIS TO THE TOP 50% OF TEACHERS ACROSS THE STATE, ADDING A FOURTH DESIGNATION LEVEL, ADDING MORE MONEY FOR ALL THREE OF THE EXISTING DESIGNATION LEVELS.

ALL INDICATIONS ARE THAT THERE'S MOMENTUM FOR THIS TO CONTINUE TO GROW.

THERE'S DISCUSSION ABOUT A PRINCIPAL INCENTIVE ALLOTMENT, CAMPUS AND DISTRICT LEVEL DESIGNATION.

THERE'S A LOT OUT THERE ON THE TABLE THAT WILL HAVE TO BE DEBATED WITH THE LEGISLATURE.

WHAT I PRESENTED TO YOU TODAY IS WHAT IS CURRENTLY IN LAW, AND UNTIL SOMETHING ELSE PASSES, THEN I THINK WE HAVE TO GO BASED ON THAT.

>> I UNDERSTAND WHY WE HAVE TO THINK ABOUT THIS BECAUSE IT'S REALLY OUR ONLY OPTION OF GETTING INTO IT.

BUT WHAT IS THE DEADLINE TO APPLY IF WE ARE WANTING TO GET THAT REVIEW OR THAT GO FROM TEA IN 2027? BECAUSE HERE'S WHAT I'M WONDERING.

I DON'T WANT TO SHOOT OURSELVES IN THE FOOT BY SAYING WE'RE GOING TO DO THIS, AND THEN THEY CHANGE AND LEGISLATION COMES OUT IN 54 DAYS, AND THEN WE ARE STUCK BECAUSE WE VOTED ALREADY.

I'M WONDERING IF IT WOULD MAKE MORE SENSE FOR US TO SEE WHAT THEY DO AT THE CAPITOL BEFORE WE MAKE THIS DECISION.

BUT JUST PUTTING IT OUT THERE BECAUSE THERE ARE SO MANY-

>> THAT'S A SPECIFIC QUESTION.

IF WE WAIT 54 DAYS BEFORE VOTING ON THIS, IS THERE AN IMPACT TO THE TIMELINE?

>> WELL, YOU WOULD THEN FALL UNDER COHORT I.

THE APPLICATIONS ARE DUE EVERY YEAR, APRIL 15.

THE COHORT H APPLICATION IS DUE NEXT TUESDAY.

IF YOU DON'T MEET THAT DEADLINE, YOU'LL HAVE TO WAIT ANOTHER ENTIRE YEAR BEFORE YOU APPLY.

IF THERE'S LEGISLATION THAT'S PASSED THAT TIES ANY TEACHER PAY RAISES TO WHETHER OR NOT A DISTRICT HAS A LOCAL PLAN, THEN THERE COULD BE RAMIFICATIONS FOR THAT.

>> HOW MANY TEACHERS ARE WE TALKING ABOUT FOR THE FIRST YEAR?

>> I DON'T THINK I HAVE THE EXACT NUMBER TONIGHT, BUT I CAN GET THAT FOR YOU.

>> WELL, IS IT LIKE 10 OR IS IT 30 APPROXIMATELY? BECAUSE I'M JUST THINKING IF IT'S FOUR OR THREE. IT'S PROBABLY MORE THAN THAT.

>> IT'S DEFINITELY MORE THAN THAT.

>> BECAUSE IT'S ALL 4TH-8TH AND [OVERLAPPING]

>> CORRECT. YES.

>> I'M JUST WONDERING AGAIN, AND MAYBE IT IS WORTH IT TO WAIT AND THEN WE CAN LEARN FROM OTHER DISTRICTS EVEN MORE IN ORDER TO FIGURE THAT OUT AND KNOW WHAT THEY'RE GOING TO DO THROUGH THIS NEXT BIENNIUM.

I ALSO WONDER, BECAUSE WE'VE HAD THIS HAPPEN BEFORE AT THE STATE WHERE THEY HAVE A PET PROJECT AND THEN THEY STOP APPROPRIATING IT LATER ON.

I JUST DON'T WANT TO TIE OUR HANDS TO SAY, WE CAN'T GIVE RAISES IF WE ACCEPT THIS PROGRAM.

I'LL STOP NOW AND LET OTHER PEOPLE ASK QUESTIONS.

>> THANK YOU, HEATHER. WE'LL GO TO KELLY AND THEN KIM.

>> HI. MY FIRST QUESTION WAS AROUND THE STATEMENT OF THE BEST AND BRIGHTEST.

I KNOW YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT DESIGNATING THE TOP 33% IN THE STATE.

I WAS JUST WONDERING HOW THAT FELL ACROSS THE TEACHING COMMUNITY FOR WANTING TO DELINEATE THE BEST AND THE BRIGHTEST FROM EVERYONE ELSE.

NOT SUPER EXCITED ABOUT THAT, BUT I LIKE COMPETITION, AND I THINK IT'S GOOD TO BE REALLY GOOD AT WHAT YOU DO, AND I THINK IT'S GOOD TO BE AWARDED FOR THAT.

BUT I JUST GET A LITTLE CONCERNED ABOUT IDENTIFYING PEOPLE AS THE BEST AND THE BRIGHTEST.

I DIDN'T KNOW IF THE TEACHERS SEEM TO NOT THINK THAT WAS A BIG DEAL, ESPECIALLY AMONG A TEACHING TEAM.

>> IN OUR TEACHER MEETING, THAT CONCERN DID NOT STAND OUT TO ME.

[00:45:04]

BUT I DO THINK THAT TAMMY HAS ENCOURAGED US BEING A HIGH PERFORMING DISTRICT, THERE'S A GOOD CHANCE THAT OVER TIME, THE MAJORITY OF OUR TEACHERS WILL FALL UNDER THIS.

I DON'T KNOW KELLY HOW THAT WILL LOOK OVER TIME, BUT THAT'S OUR HOPE, IS THAT WE WILL HAVE A LOT MORE THAN 33% EVENTUALLY PARTICIPATE IN THIS.

>> THERE'S NO CAP.

>> THERE'S NOT. THAT IS ONE THING THAT TAMMY DID MENTION IS THERE ARE DISTRICTS WHERE ALL OF THEIR TEACHERS ARE DESIGNATED.

THAT WOULD DEFINITELY BE OUR GOAL BECAUSE WE DO HAVE THE BEST AND THE BRIGHTEST.

>> IT'S NOT 33% HERE, IT'S 33% IN THE STATE OF TEXAS, BUT WE MIGHT HAVE OUR WHOLE CAMPUS CONSIDERED THE BEST AND THE BRIGHTEST, OR THE DISTRICT? AFTER THE FIVE YEARS, THEN WHAT? DO THEY HAVE TO REAPPLY? DO THEY THEN GO BACK TO THEIR ORIGINAL SALARY WITHOUT THE STIPEND OR?

>> THEY HAVE TO RE-QUALIFY IN YEAR 6.

I DIDN'T TALK SPECIFICALLY ABOUT THIS.

BUT ONCE A TEACHER IS DESIGNATED, AND THEY'RE ON THE LOWER END OF THE SPECTRUM.

I'M GOING TO GO BACK. I HOPE THIS IS OKAY.

IF THEY'RE DESIGNATED AS A RECOGNIZED OR EXEMPLARY TEACHER, WITHIN THAT FIVE-YEAR PERIOD, IF THEY QUALIFY FOR A HIGHER-LEVEL DESIGNATION, THE STATE APPROVES THAT DESIGNATION THROUGH THE DATA VALIDATION PROCESS, THEIR FIVE-YEAR CLOCK RESTARTS FOR THEM BECAUSE IT'S A BRAND-NEW DESIGNATION.

ONCE YOU HIT A MASTER TEACHER LEVEL, YOU'LL KEEP IT FOR FIVE YEARS, THEN YOU'D HAVE TO RE QUALIFY IN YEAR 6.

IN YEAR 6, IF YOU ONLY QUALIFY AS AN EXEMPLARY TEACHER, THEN YOU'D GO DOWN TO THE EXEMPLARY LEVEL.

BUT FOR FIVE YEARS, YOU CAN'T GO DOWN AND IT CAN'T BE REVOKED.

>> THEY HAVE IT FOR THE FIVE YEARS, AND THEN THEY HAVE TO BE RE-EVALUATED.

I KNOW YOU TALKED ABOUT SOME BENEFITS YOU SAW ACROSS THE STATE WHERE THE TEACHERS PLAN TOGETHER AND TEAM AND TEACH.

WE CURRENTLY DO THAT HERE.

WE HAVE A PLC THAT THE TEACHERS PARTICIPATE IN, AND THEY ALREADY DO THAT, AND THAT'S, IN MY OPINION, THE STRENGTH OF OUR DISTRICT.

>> HOW DOES THIS WORK ON A TEACHING TEAM? LET'S SAY WE HAVE SINCE WE CAN TALK ABOUT FOURTH GRADE, FOURTH GRADE IS SEPARATED.

THAT IS WHERE YOU START TO DIVIDE FOURTH GRADE AND HALF.

YOU HAVE HALF AS MANY TEACHERS IN THERE FOR A SPECIFIC SUBJECT LIKE MATH.

IF THOSE TEACHERS ARE ON A TEAM PLANNING AND TEACHING TOGETHER, THEY ALL GOING TO BE APPLYING TOGETHER AND THEN WHAT IF ONE TEACHER HAS A COLLABORATIVE CLASSROOM OR SOMETHING AND HER STUDENTS HAVE A DIFFERENT EXPERIENCE OR JUST DEPENDS ON THE BREAKUP OF THE CLASSROOM, HOW DO WE GO FORWARD? HAVE WE THOUGHT IT THROUGH AS TO WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO ABOUT IF TWO OUT OF THREE TEACHERS GET DESIGNATED? WHAT ABOUT THE THIRD TEACHER? I KNOW THIS IS COMPETITION AND I KNOW WE WANT OUR TEACHERS TO DO WELL AND WE WANT TO SHOW HOW WELL THEY DO AND I HAVE A LOT OF FAITH IN THEM ALL QUALIFYING.

BUT AT THE SAME TIME, IF ONE OUT OF THREE ON A TEAM, HAVE WE THOUGHT THROUGH WHAT THAT'S GOING TO LOOK LIKE.

>> JUST LIKE WITH THE COMPETITION PIECE, THEY'RE NOT COMPETING AGAINST EACH OTHER.

THERE'S THE STATE STANDARDS PERFORMANCE LEVEL SO THEY'RE TRYING TO HIT THOSE STATE PERFORMANCE STANDARDS.

WHAT WE HAVE SEEN IN OTHER DISTRICTS IS THOSE TWO TEACHERS THAT WERE DESIGNATED, WILL BE TRYING TO REALLY HELP THAT THIRD TEACHER THAT MAYBE HASN'T GOTTEN A DESIGNATION IMPROVE THEIR PRACTICE TO BE ABLE TO HAVE THE RESULTS TO BE ABLE TO HIT THOSE STANDARDS FOR A DESIGNATION.

>> THIS WOULD BE BASED ON STAR TEST RESULTS.

WELL, STAR TEST RESULTS ARE PART OF IT, BUT 70 PERCENT OF IT'S THE STUDENTS IN THE CLASSROOM OR THERE WAS LIKE A 30, 70 BREAK.

>> YEAH, 70 PERCENT WOULD BE BASED ON THE STUDENT'S PERFORMANCE ON STAR WITH STAR GROWTH WITH THE TRANSITION TABLES AND THEN 30% WOULD BE BASED ON THE TEACHER OBSERVATION SCORE.

>> THE TEACHER OBSERVATION.

IS THERE A COST FOR THAT EVALUATION SYSTEM OR IS THAT JUST LIKE WE HAVE TO DO ON A CERTAIN FORM OR HAVE TO BUY SOMETHING TO DO THAT,

[00:50:03]

>> THERE IS A COST TO TRAIN OUR ADMINISTRATORS TO BE T TEST APPRAISERS, BUT THE STATE PROVIDES ALL THE DOCUMENTS AND RESOURCES THAT OUR ADMINISTRATORS WILL NEED TO GO THROUGH THE T TEST CYCLE WITH TEACHERS.

>> THEN WE PAY THEM TO TRAIN THEM YOU SAID?

>> YES. WE WILL NEED TO WORK WITH REGION THEN, OUR LOCAL SERVICE CENTER TO SEND OUR ADMINISTRATORS TO GET TRAINED.

OUR PLAN IS ACTUALLY TO INVITE REGION 13 HERE AND WE DO A TRAINING WITH OUR TEAM HERE ON OUR CAMPUS SO THAT WE CAN DO THAT CALIBRATION PIECE AND REALLY HAVE THAT CONSISTENCY.

>> THAT WAS PART OF THE 10% THAT WE WERE TALKING ABOUT 90, 10 SPLIT.

WE WOULD USE THAT 10% TO COVER SOME OF THESE EXPENSES.

>> THAT'S CORRECT, YES.

I ALSO JUST WANTED TO MENTION, YOU HAVE TO ALSO THINK THAT OUR SCHOOL DISTRICTS ALL AROUND US ARE STARTING THE SAME PROCESS AS WE ARE BECAUSE THEY UNDERSTAND WHERE THEY ALSO ARE IN FUNDING.

WE WILL NOT BE ABLE TO RECRUIT AWAY FROM A DISTRICT WHO IS PARTICIPATING IN TIA IF THEIR TEACHERS ARE DESIGNATED BECAUSE WE WILL RECEIVE THEIR FUNDS FOR FIVE YEARS IF THEY CAME OVER AS A DESIGNATED TEACHER.

BUT ONCE THOSE FIVE YEARS ARE UP, THEY WOULD HAVE NO WAY OF ACTUALLY GAINING THOSE FUNDS BACK.

I WORRY ABOUT ALSO LOSING TEACHERS TO DISTRICTS THAT MIGHT START THIS PROGRAM BECAUSE THEY KNOW THEY COULD GO TO ANOTHER DISTRICT AND EASILY EARN MORE THAN THE 3, 09, AND 12 THAT WE WOULD BE PROVIDING FROM THE STATE.

WE ALSO HAVE TO THINK ABOUT THAT RETENTION AND RECRUITMENT PIECE TOO.

>> WHEN WE TALKED ABOUT THE GROWTH FOR THE CLASSROOM STUDENT GROWTH.

IF WE HAVE KIDS THAT ARE TESTING WELL ABOVE THE STATE AVERAGE ALREADY, WHAT'S THE GROWTH MEASUREMENT? I'M JUST GOING TO GIVE AN EXAMPLE STARTING 100%.

IF OUR KIDS ARE USUALLY 90% ON THE STAR TEST OR WHATEVER AND THIS TIME AROUND, THEY GET A 91 OR 92.

WHAT IS THAT ENOUGH GROWTH, ARE WE STILL GOING TO BE COMPARED TO THE AVERAGE OF KIDS GETTING A 50% IN THE STATE AND WE'RE AT 90, OR ARE WE GOING TO BE HELD TO WE ONLY WENT UP 1% BECAUSE WE'RE ALREADY AT 90.

DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? WE ALREADY THE HIGH LEVEL OF PERFORMANCE, SO DO WE HAVE TO GO HIGHER OR ARE WE BEING COMPARED TO THE STATE AVERAGE?

>> WITH THE STAR TRANSITION TABLES, THE WEIGHT IS CALCULATED RIGHT NOW, THOSE KIDS THAT ARE AT THE HIGHER LEVEL SCORING MEETS AND MASTERS ON STAR, THEY'RE JUST EXPECTED TO MAINTAIN.

IF THEY WERE MEETS ONE YEAR, THEY'VE GOT TO BE MEETS THE NEXT YEAR IN ORDER TO MEET GROWTH.

IF THEY'RE MASTERS, THEN THEY HAVE TO MAINTAIN THE MASTERS THE NEXT YEAR AS MEETING GROWTH.

>> JUST STAYING AT YOUR LEVEL OR GROWING IN YOUR LEVEL?

>> CORRECT.

>> THAT'S ALL. THANK YOU.

>> THANK YOU. WE'LL GO TO KIM AND THEN LAURIE.

>> THANKS FOR THIS INFORMATION.

I'VE GOT A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS REALLY ABOUT THE PROCESS AND THEN I ALSO HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT CULTURE AND SUBJECTIVITY.

BUT STARTING OUT, TAMMY, I THINK YOU SAID THE GOAL RIGHT NOW IS 33% STATEWIDE.

IS THAT GOAL BEING MET AT THIS TIME IN YEAR SEVEN OF THIS PROGRAM?

>> THAT 33% OF THE TEACHERS ACROSS THE STATE OF TEXAS ARE BEING DESIGNATED, NO.

BECAUSE IN ORDER TO MEET THAT GOAL, EVERY DISTRICT IN THE STATE WOULD HAVE TO HAVE A PLAN THAT INCLUDES ALL TEACHERS AND WE'RE NOT THERE YET.

NO, WE'RE NOT THERE.

>> IS IT SIGNIFICANTLY BELOW THAT AS OPPOSED TO A GOAL.

>> YEAH. I THINK THAT'S THE GOAL WHEN IT'S FULLY IMPLEMENTED IN EVERY DISTRICT ACROSS THE STATE, BUT WE'RE NOT THERE YET.

I DON'T ACTUALLY KNOW WHAT THE NUMBERS ARE OF TEACHERS THAT HAVE BEEN DESIGNATED.

THERE IS A WEBSITE FOR THIS INITIATIVE.

I FELL ARE INTERESTED, IT'S TIA.TEXAS.ORG, CAN'T REMEMBER TIATEXAS.ORG I THINK IS WHAT IT IS.

I SAY IT EVERY DAY A COUPLE OF TIMES.

WHEN YOU GO TO THE HOME PAGE, THERE HAS BEEN INFORMATION ON THERE OR THE NUMBER OF TEACHERS, THE NUMBER OF MONEY, BUT WE HAVEN'T REALLY FULLY TAPPED INTO WHAT THIS COULD MEAN FOR THE STATE JUST YET.

[00:55:01]

>> THEN ARE THE NUMBER OF DISTRICTS APPLYING COHORTS STARTING AT A AND NOW GOING THROUGH F, ARE THEY GROWING EVERY YEAR? THEN I GUESS WHAT PERCENTAGE OF DISTRICTS AROUND THE STATE ARE PARTICIPATING IN IT?

>> I THINK WE CURRENTLY HAVE ABOUT 600, 650 DISTRICTS IN THE STATE THAT HAVE APPROVED LOCAL TIA PLANS.

THEN THERE'S OBVIOUSLY ANOTHER BATCH OF THOSE DISTRICTS THAT ARE GOING TO SUBMIT APPLICATIONS NEXT TUESDAY, BUT I HAVE NOT HEARD HOW MANY DISTRICTS ARE GOING FORWARD IN COHORT EACH.

IT WAS A LITTLE BIT OF A SLOW START HONESTLY WITH COHORTS A, B, AND C BECAUSE THOSE COHORTS WERE PUTTING THEIR PLANS TOGETHER RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE COVID LOCK-DOWN.

THEN EVERY COHORT AFTER THAT HAS BEEN ABOUT 175 OR SO DISTRICTS THAT HAVE APPLIED.

I WOULD EXPECT MAYBE COHORT H TO BE SIMILAR TO THAT.

WE'RE NOW ABOVE 50% OF DISTRICTS ACROSS THE STATE THAT HAVE APPLIED.

>> ABOUT 50%.

>> I'M SORRY.

>> ABOUT 50%.

>> ABOUT 50%. THEN WHAT IS THE APPROVAL RATE AND IT MAY DIFFER, BUT WHAT IS THE AVERAGE OF THE APPROVAL RATE MAYBE IN THE LAST COUPLE OF COHORTS AS WE'VE LEARNED OR AS DISTRICTS HAVE LEARNED AND THEY KNOW HOW TO PRESENT THEMSELVES.

>> THROUGH THE DATA VALIDATION PROCESS, IT'S BEEN ABOUT A 70% APPROVAL RATING EVERY YEAR SINCE THEY'VE STARTED.

I HAVE NOT HEARD THIS LAST GROUP COHORT F THAT JUST FOUND OUT.

I HAVE NOT SEEN ANY NUMBERS PUBLISHED BY TEA THAT SAYS WHAT THE APPROVAL RATE WAS FOR COHORT F, BUT IT'S BEEN ABOUT A 70% APPROVAL RATING ON AVERAGE FOR COHORTS A THROUGH E.

>> SEVENTY PERCENT, AND HAVE THEY GONE UP EVERY COHORT?

>> SAY ON AVERAGE, IT'S BEEN ABOUT 70% OF DISTRICTS GET APPROVED.

A LOT OF TIMES THE DISTRICTS THAT HAVE BEEN FAILING ARE DISTRICTS THAT TRIED TO GO REALLY BIG REALLY FAST AND INCLUDED A WHOLE BUNCH OF TEACHERS THAT THEY REALLY DIDN'T HAVE A VALID AND A RELIABLE WAY OF MEASURING GROWTH.

THEY TRIED TO THROW SOMETHING TOGETHER AND THEY DIDN'T HAVE A GOOD DATA SET AS A RESULT.

IF YOU LOOK ACROSS THE STATE WITH THE DISTRICTS THAT ARE BEING SUCCESSFUL, MOST OF THEM ARE STARTING WITH A SMALL SUBSET OF TEACHERS USING SOMETHING LIKE STAR WHERE WE KNOW, AT LEAST TEA FEELS LIKE THAT DATA IS VALID AND RELIABLE.

THE ONLY THING THAT COULD KEEP A DISTRICT FROM GETTING APPROVED IS IF THE TEACHER OBSERVATION SCORES ARE NOT ALIGNING WITH WHAT THE GROWTH DATA SHOWS BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE GOING TO BE EXPECTING TO SEE WITH TEXAS TECH WHEN THEY DO THE ANALYSIS OF YOUR DISTRICT'S DATA SETS.

THE TEACHERS WITH THE HIGHEST TEACHER OBSERVATION SCORES SHOULD BE THE TEACHERS WITH THE HIGHEST PERCENTAGES OF STUDENTS THAT ARE MEETING GROWTH.

>> THANK YOU. THEN THAT SEGUES INTO MAYBE THE CULTURE AND SUBJECTIVITY OF THIS PROGRAM.

THIS IS MORE FOR LAURIE AND ABBY.

IF WE ARE LOOKING AT BASED ON YEARS OF BEST PRACTICES AND HOW TO MOVE INTO THIS PROGRAM, IF WE'RE NOT GOING TO GO BIG BECAUSE THAT HAS A FAILURE RATE.

BUT IF WE'RE LOOKING AT THOSE I'M LOOKING AT YOUR SLOT THE KEY DECISIONS.

IF THE PLAN IS TO ONLY LOOK AT I DON'T KNOW.

I WOULD THINK 100 TEACHERS AT MOST.

HOW DO WE ADDRESS THE CULTURE OF I'M DOING A GREAT JOB, BUT I TEACH THIRD GRADE READING OR MATH, WHERE MY FRIEND WHO IS DOING A GREAT JOB IS TEACHING SOMETHING IN THIS CATEGORY AND THERE'S GOING TO BE A $12,000 POTENTIALLY DIFFERENCE IN PAY.

I UNDERSTAND THE GOALS AND I WANT EVERY SINGLE PENNY FOR TEACHERS.

BUT I DON'T UNDERSTAND THE MECHANISMS OR THE HOOPS THAT WE HAVE TO JUMP THROUGH TO GET INTO THIS PROGRAM WHERE THERE MAY BE MANY, MANY YEARS OF UNEQUAL PAY FOR VERY GOOD TEACHERS.

THAT HAS TO HAVE BEEN ADDRESSED IN OTHER DISTRICTS, BUT HOW WOULD WE ADDRESS IT HERE IN OUR DISTRICT?

[01:00:02]

>> WELL, I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT AND WE FEEL THAT TOO, BUT I DO THINK THAT YOU HAVE TO START SOMEWHERE.

I DO THINK THAT OUR TEACHERS MOVE GRADE LEVELS AT TIMES EVERY YEAR, SO THAT GIVES OTHER OPPORTUNITIES.

WE'LL BE ADDING EVERY YEAR.

WE WILL APPROACH THIS AS QUICKLY AS WE CAN.

I UNDERSTAND WHERE THAT FEELING IS GOING TO COME FROM.

BUT I ALSO JUST REALLY FEEL THAT IF OUR FUNDING IS TIED TO THIS, THEN WE CAN'T HELP OTHER TEACHERS IN OTHER WAYS ACROSS THE BOARD TO GET ANY TYPE OF INCREASE.

I DO THINK THAT THAT'S GOING TO BE A DEFINITE CONVERSATION AT THE CAMPUS THAT WE WILL HAVE WITH STAFF, BUT I THINK THAT WE WILL HAVE SOME FEELINGS, WE KNOW THAT.

WE'RE NOT DENYING THAT, BUT I DON'T KNOW ANY OTHER WAY BUT TO START SLOW AND KEEP ADDING EVERY YEAR.

>> THIS IS NOT A CRITICISM OF DECISIONS THAT HAVE BEEN MADE.

IT IS THE REALITY.

>> WE KNOWLEDGE IT.

>> DIFFERENCES, INEQUITIES IN PAY AND THE CULTURE CHALLENGES THAT THAT MIGHT CREATE.

>> KIM, CAN I SAY SOMETHING AND MAYBE TO ECHO LAURIE'S POINT? I THINK WHEN WE LOOK AT THIS, THE MOTIVATION REALLY THE CONCERN IS THAT IF WE'RE NOT PARTICIPATING IN THE PROGRAM, THEN WE LEAVE OURSELVES VULNERABLE IN TWO WAYS.

IT'S NOT JUST THOSE TEACHERS WHO EARN THE DESIGNATION, WHO QUALIFY FOR THESE MONIES, BUT IT'S ALSO THE VERY REAL POSSIBILITY BASED UPON WHAT WE'RE HEARING THAT ANY FUTURE FUNDING FROM THE STATE FOR ACROSS THE BOARD, STAFF INCREASES COULD POTENTIALLY BE TIED OR COULD BE CONTINGENT ON OR CONDITIONAL ON THOSE SCHOOL DISTRICTS THAT ARE ALREADY APPROVED MEMBERS OF THE TIA PROGRAM.

WHILE WE HAVE DESIGNATED TEACHERS WHO MIGHT BE ELIGIBLE FOR THESE MONIES, WE DON'T WANT TO DENY ALL OF OUR STAFF THE POSSIBILITY OF GIVING THEM ANY INCREASES IN STATE FUNDING FOR COMPENSATION BECAUSE WE'RE NOT PARTICIPANTS IN THE TIA PROGRAM GENERALLY.

I THINK TO LAURIE'S EARLIER POINT TOO, WE NOW HAVE TO COMPETE WITH OTHER DISTRICTS WHO ARE INCREASINGLY BEING A PART OR A MEMBER OF THE TIA PROGRAM AND IF WE'RE NOT AND OTHER DISTRICTS ARE, THEN THAT PUTS US AT A DISADVANTAGE.

>> THANK YOU. I APPRECIATE YOU ADDING THAT.

MY QUESTIONS ARE NOT TO DRIVE OUT THE NEGATIVE OR TO HIGHLIGHT THE NEGATIVE OF THESE PROGRAMS. I THINK IT'S WHILE SHOULD WE PARTICIPATE IN THIS PROGRAM AS WE IMPLEMENT IT AND RAMP UP UNTIL WE COULD GET TO 100 PERCENT AND THAT WOULD BE THE GOAL OF ALL OF OUR TEACHERS BEING ABLE TO PARTICIPATE, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE SOME CHALLENGES I THINK.

CHALLENGES ONE WAY OR THE OTHER, BUT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE SOME CHALLENGES BECAUSE WE COULD HAVE TWO GREAT TEACHERS WITH A REAL DIFFERENCE IN PAY.

I THINK THAT'S A REALITY.

THAT'S A HARD THING TO HAVE TO SELL.

I KNOW THERE ARE OTHER QUESTIONS.

I HAVE ONE MORE, AND THAT'S JUST WHEN WE LOOK AT THIS 70, 30 BREAKDOWN.

>> IT SEEMS TO ME THAT THERE'S THE TEST DATA AND THAT'S OBJECTIVE.

BUT THEN THERE'S A LOT OF SUBJECTIVITY.

AGAIN, IT GOES TO THE CULTURE CHALLENGES OF IMPLEMENTING THIS PROGRAM AS WE IMPLEMENT IT UNTIL WE GET TO OUR INTERNAL GOAL.

BUT HOW DO WE SET UP SOMETHING THAT ISN'T PURELY SUBJECTIVE? I KNOW WE'RE GOING TO DEPEND ON CONSULTANTS, AND WE'RE GOING TO DO THE BEST THAT WE CAN DO FOR OUR TEACHERS.

BUT IT JUST SEEMS LIKE OBSERVATIONS.

THE TEACHER OBSERVATION PORTION OF IT ISN'T BLACK AND WHITE.

MAYBE I'M READING IT WRONG. UNDERSTAND THAT.

>> YES, TRUE. I DO THINK MOVING TO T-TEST WILL HELP BACK TO THAT CALIBRATION AND CONSISTENCY PIECE FOR ADMINISTRATORS.

T-TEST PROVIDES DISTRICTS IN ABUNDANCE OF RESOURCES.

THEY REALLY DELINEATE THE SCORING SCALE ON THE EVALUATIONS, GIVE REALLY SPECIFIC INDICATORS TO LOOK FOR.

[01:05:02]

I BELIEVE THAT THOSE EXTRA RESOURCES THAT WE'RE GOING TO GET BY MOVING TO THE T-TEST PROGRAM WILL HELP US HAVE MORE CONCRETE.

WE CAN EVEN GIVE THOSE INDICATORS TO OUR STAFF.

THERE'S TEACHER'S LOOK FORS THAT WE CAN PROVIDE TO OUR STAFF THAT WILL HELP THEM KNOW WHAT THE ADMINISTRATORS ARE CLEARLY LOOKING FOR.

I THINK THAT A MORE REFINED SYSTEM IS GOING TO BE A PIECE, SO IT'S NOT AS SUBJECTIVE.

>> COULD THERE BE SOME VARIATION?

>> YES. I DON'T KNOW THAT WE CAN 100% GET AWAY FROM THAT, BUT I DO THINK T-TEST IS GOING TO HELP.

>> THANK YOU. I DO HAVE ONE OTHER QUESTION FOR TAMMY.

IN THIS PLAN, IF WE'RE STARTING WITH A SMALL SUBSECTION OF TEACHERS IN YOUR OTHER ENGAGEMENTS WITH OTHER DISTRICTS, WHEN YOU'RE DESIGNATING JUST A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF TEACHERS, DO WE DRIVE TEACHERS TO WANT TO FIT INTO THAT CATEGORY? I'M A THIRD-GRADE TEACHER, BUT I CAN TEACH THIRD AND FOURTH GRADE, SO I'M GOING TO RAISE MY HAND FOR FOURTH GRADE INSTEAD OF STAYING IN THIRD GRADE.

>> DEFINITELY. I THINK SOME DISTRICTS HAVE CHOSEN TO WRITE THEIR PLAN INITIALLY AROUND STAR-TESTED GRADES AND SUBJECTS TO TRY TO ATTRACT MORE TEACHERS TO GO AND TEACH IN THOSE GRADES AND SUBJECTS.

YES, WE DO SEE TEACHERS LOOKING FOR WHERE THE OPPORTUNITIES ARE TO GO AND TEACH.

I THINK ACROSS THE STATE, WE'RE SEEING MORE READING AND MATH TEACHERS BEING INCLUDED IN THE PLANS EARLY ON.

WE'RE SEEING MORE TEACHERS APPLYING FOR THOSE POSITIONS IN ELIGIBLE TIA ASSIGNMENTS.

>> THANK YOU.

>> THANK YOU FOR ALL OF IT.

>> TO LAURA AND THEN DIANE.

>> THANK YOU. I DON'T KNOW.

ONCE TOO MANY.

THANK YOU ALL FOR EVERYBODY'S TIME, AND AS WE WORK THIS OPPORTUNITY.

I'M SURE LISTENING CAN TELL THAT THIS IS A REAL SHIFT FOR US AS A BOARD, AND I KNOW IT'S ALSO A REAL SHIFT FOR THE DISTRICT AS WELL.

SOMETIMES THOSE THINGS CAN TAKE A LITTLE BIT OF TIME.

THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR PATIENCE IN ADVANCE.

I HAVE A BUNCH OF QUESTIONS, BUT I'M GOING TO TRY TO GROUP THEM, AND WE'LL COME BACK.

CAN YOU ALL TALK TO ME JUST A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE REASON FOR LOOKING AT THIS FROM THAT 30/70 PERSPECTIVE AS FAR AS THE EVALUATION? THE 30% IS ON TEACHER OBSERVATION, 70% IS ON STUDENT.

>> I THINK LISTENING TO THE TEACHERS TALK ABOUT THE PROCESS AND WHERE THEY WOULD WANT TO HAVE MORE WEIGHT PUT ON.

I THINK THERE'S A FEELING THAT THERE'S MAYBE A LITTLE BIT MORE OBJECTIVITY ON THE STUDENT GROWTH SIDE THAN THERE IS ON THE TEACHER OBSERVATION SIDE.

I THINK THAT WOULD BE ONE THING.

THEN I THINK JUST TALKING WITH THE ADMINISTRATORS, JUST THE GOAL IS ABOUT STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT, STUDENT GROWTH.

PUTTING A LITTLE MORE EMPHASIS ON THE GROWTH SIDE WILL BE MORE WIDELY ACCEPTED BY THE ADMINISTRATIVE TEAM AS WELL.

>> THANK YOU. THAT ABSOLUTELY MAKES SENSE.

ACTUALLY, THAT LEADS ME TO MY SECOND QUESTION.

I THINK YOU'VE HEARD THIS QUESTION AT LEAST TWO TIMES ALREADY IN DIFFERENT WAYS.

HOW ARE YOU ACCOUNTING FOR THE VARIABILITY IN STUDENT POPULATIONS? DOES THAT MAKE SENSE?

>> IT'S ON A PER-STUDENT BASIS, AND SO THE STUDENT'S HISTORY COMES WITH THE STUDENT. IT'S RELATIVE.

>> I THINK ARTHUR, YOU ASKED THIS WAS OUR TEACHERS THAT MAY HAVE MAYBE IN A CLINICAL CLASS.

[01:10:02]

ON THE FLIP SIDE, WE HAVE TEACHERS THAT ARE WORKING WITH KIDS THAT ARE EASIER TO EDUCATE, AND SO THEY'RE NOT GOING TO SHOW THAT GROWTH.

FOR WHATEVER REASON, STUDENTS MAY NOT BE SHOWING THE GROWTH EVEN THOUGH YOU HAVE AN EXCEPTIONAL TEACHER IN THE CLASSROOM WITH THEM.

>> I'LL JUST SPEAK TO THE IDEA OF STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT VERSUS GROWTH.

SOME OF THE PREVIOUS INCENTIVE PAY PROGRAMS IN OUR STATE HAVE FOCUSED MORE ON ACHIEVEMENT, BUT IN THIS PARTICULAR MODEL WITH TIA, THAT I THINK IS WHY THE STATE IS FOCUSING ON A GROWTH MEASURE BECAUSE IT'S LOOKING AT WHERE STUDENTS STARTED AND THEN WHERE THEY END.

WITH THE START TRANSITION TABLES, THE WAY IT STANDS CURRENTLY, IF THERE'S A STUDENT THAT IS APPROACHING, THEY'RE ACTUALLY DIVIDED INTO TWO CATEGORIES NOW, LOW APPROACHES AND HIGH APPROACHES.

FOR THEM TO MEET GROWTH, THEY'VE GOT TO GO FROM LOW APPROACHES TO HIGH APPROACHES.

EVERY STUDENT HAS TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION WHAT THEIR STARTING POINT WAS IN ORDER TO GROW.

>> BUT STAR DOESN'T MEASURE THAT.

LET ME ASK ANOTHER QUESTION, SO YOU SAID THE T-TEST WAS AUTOMATIC APPROVAL.

IF WE USE THAT VERSUS THE T-GAP.

IS STAR THE SAME WAY? IS THAT AUTOMATIC APPROVAL, OR CAN WE MOVE STRAIGHT INTO USING MAPS RATHER THAN STAR?

>> WHEN YOU GO BACK TO THE TWO-STEP APPROVAL PROCESS, GETTING AN APPLICATION APPROVED, YOU CAN WRITE ALL KINDS OF THINGS IN THE APPLICATION.

BUT IF YOU CAN'T GET PAST DATA VALIDATION, THEN NONE OF YOUR TEACHERS ARE GOING TO BE DESIGNATED.

I THINK BECAUSE THE STATE CALCULATES THE GROWTH WITH STAR, I THINK THEY FEEL REALLY GREAT ABOUT THAT DATA.

IT'S GOT TO BE CONSIDERED VALID AND RELIABLE, AND WE KNOW THAT TIA FEELS GREAT ABOUT THAT SINCE THEY CALCULATED IT.

THERE ARE VENDOR-BASED ASSESSMENTS THAT MEASURE GROWTH AS WELL THAT HAVE NATIONALLY NORMED TARGETS.

I THINK THOSE ARE ALL VIABLE OPTIONS.

IN TALKING WITH THE STAKEHOLDER COMMITTEE AND THE DISTRICT, THE VARIOUS GROUPS, THERE WAS A CONSENSUS AROUND MAYBE JUST STARTING SMALL WITH THE STAR-TESTED TEACHERS AND WORKING TOWARDS EXPANSION FROM THAT GROUP.

>> IT REALLY WAS AN ADMINISTRATIVE CONVERSATION.

REALLY OUR PRINCIPALS, OUR CURRICULUM DEPARTMENT, LIKE I SAID, WE REALLY FLESH THIS OUT FOR THREE HOURS AND WENT BACK AND FORTH ON WHAT WE FELT WAS BEST.

EACH MAP AND STAR, I THINK EACH HAVE THEIR OWN PROS AND CONS.

I THINK THAT IS WHERE WE JUST THEY JUST TOOK IT PIECE BY PIECE, AND THIS IS WHERE THEY ADMINISTRATIVELY DECIDED TO LAND.

>> ON START OTHER THAN MAPS?

>> YES. DEFINITELY GROWING LATER WITH MAPS, BUT THEY WANTED TO START WITH STAR.

>> JUST TO SHIFT GEARS JUST A LITTLE BIT.

THE FUNDING OF THIS.

I KNOW THAT THE COST OF IMPLEMENTING THIS PROGRAM.

I KNOW WE PULL THAT 10% OFF.

DOES THAT COVER ALL OF THE TRAINING, ALL OF THE REPORTING, THE DATABASE SYSTEMS, WHATEVER IS NEEDED FOR THIS PROGRAM?

>> KEEP IN MIND, TOO, THAT 10% WE ONLY RECEIVE IF INDIVIDUAL TEACHERS RECEIVE THE DESIGNATION.

>> I THINK THAT'S A VARIABLE AMOUNT.

I THINK IT WOULD COVER OUR TRS EXPENSES, BUT WE FEEL THAT MOVING TO T-TEST IS A GOOD THING, WHETHER WE WENT TO TEA OR NOT.

I THINK EVERYONE WAS RECOMMENDED THAT WE MOVE TO T-TEST.

I THINK THAT'S A GOOD PIECE FOR THE DISTRICT, NO MATTER WHAT.

>> CAN YOU CLARIFY FOR ME THOSE THREE LEVELS OF DESIGNATIONS? WE'VE GOT AN EXEMPLARY MASTER.

THE THREE LITTLE STEPS RECOGNIZED.

THIS ONE. WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THOSE?

[01:15:03]

>> I THINK THAT GOES BACK TO THE STATEWIDE PERFORMANCE STANDARDS I WAS TALKING ABOUT EARLIER THAT TEA PUT IN PLACE TO IDENTIFY THE PROFILE OF A MASTER TEACHER, EXEMPLARY TEACHER, AND A RECOGNIZED TEACHER USING STUDENT GROWTH DATA AND THEN USING T-TEST DATA, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT TEA HAS ACCESS TO ACROSS THE STATE.

THOSE STATEWIDE PERFORMANCE STANDARDS IS REALLY WHAT DRIVES THE NUMBER OF TEACHERS THAT ARE MASTER EXEMPLARY AND RECOGNIZED ACROSS THE STATE.

>> WHAT DOES THE TEACHER NEED TO DO TO REACH MASTER LEVEL VERSUS RECOGNIZED LEVEL?

>> WITH THE T-TEST RUBRIC, MASTER TEACHERS GOT TO HIT A 4.5 OUT OF FIVE ON T-TEST.

THEY'VE GOT TO HAVE AT LEAST 70% OF THEIR STUDENTS MEETING OR EXCEEDING EXPECTED GROWTH.

EXEMPLARY TEACHERS HAVE TO HIT AT LEAST A 3.9 ON T-TESTS AND HAVE AT LEAST 60% OF STUDENTS MEETING OR EXCEEDING GROWTH, AND RECOGNIZED TEACHERS HAVE TO HAVE A T-TEST SCORE OF AT LEAST A 3.7 AND AT LEAST 55% OF STUDENTS MEETING OR EXCEEDING EXPECTED GROWTH.

>> ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE OFTEN GET HIT WITH IS, AND I UNDERSTAND THAT GROWTH VERSUS ACHIEVEMENT.

I THINK THAT'S AN INTERESTING POINT.

YOU DID SAY THAT IT IS THIS RIGHT THAT IF A STUDENT MEETS HER MASTERS ON THE STAR, THAT AS LONG AS THEY HOLD IN THAT AREA, THAT'S CONSIDERED GROWTH.

IS THAT WHAT I'M UNDERSTANDING? THIS IS FASCINATING.

THERE ARE TIMES WHEN WE GET DINGED ON GROWTH MEASUREMENTS AS A DISTRICT BECAUSE IT'S VERY HARD FOR US TO GROW OUR GRADUATION RATE.

THIS DOES CONCERN ME BECAUSE I'M NOT QUITE SEEING EXACTLY, MAYBE I'M MISUNDERSTANDING WHAT GROWTH REALLY LOOKS LIKE.

I KNOW WHAT GROWTH THAT I CONSIDER TO BE STUDENT GROWTH, BUT MAINTAINING MY STAR SCORE TO ME ISN'T GROWTH.

AGAIN, ALL, THIS IS DIFFICULT FOR US.

WE'RE JUST TRYING TO WORK THROUGH THE MODEL.

>> MAYBE I'M NOT EXPLAINING THIS, AND MAYBE TAMMY MAY NEED TO ADD.

BUT MAINTAINING THAT, YOU WOULD STILL HAVE A YEAR'S WORTH OF GROWTH IN THERE.

YOU'RE MAINTAINING YOUR GROWTH, YOU'RE MOVING FROM ONE GRADE TO A LEVEL.

YOU'RE STILL GROWING BECAUSE YOU'RE MOVING UP.

THAT'S MAINTAINING THAT MOMENTUM.

>> BECAUSE YOU'RE BEING TESTED ON NEW GRADE LEVEL CONTENT.

>> SHE IS PROBABLY GOING TO ADD [OVERLAPPING]

>> FIFTH GRADE TAKE. THAT'S WHERE YOU'RE MAINTAINING OR CONTINUING THAT GROWTH.

>> THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT I WAS SAYING.

>> THE MAP IS SUCH A GREAT, IT SHOWS GROWTH SO MUCH BETTER THAN STAR.

I'LL GET AWAY FROM THE NITTY GRITTY.

>> HOW DOES THIS FIT? HOW DOES THIS HELP US RETAIN, HOW DOES THIS HELP WITH TEACHER RECRUITMENT, DEVELOPMENT, RETENTION, THOSE TYPES OF THINGS, AND HOW WILL WE MEASURE THOSE?

>> I THINK AS LAURIE HAD SAID, SURROUNDING DISTRICTS ARE PARTICIPATING IN THIS PROGRAM ALREADY.

TEACHERS, THEY CAN SHOP AROUND.

IF YOU GO TO THE TIA WEBSITE, THERE'S ACTUALLY A FUNDING MAP AND YOU CAN CLICK AROUND AND CLICK ON THE DIFFERENT SCHOOL DISTRICTS TO SEE WHAT THEIR PAYOUTS ARE FOR THE DIFFERENT DESIGNATIONS, AND IT'S REALLY FASCINATING TO SEE THE DIFFERENCES.

CANDIDATES CAN BE LOOKING AT THAT, IF THAT'S IMPORTANT TO THEM, IF THEY HAVE THAT TIA DESIGNATION, THEY CAN LOOK AROUND.

NOW, WE KNOW THAT WE WON'T BE IN A TOP TIER OF THE FUNDS THAT ARE GOING TO BE GRANTED TO DISTRICTS BECAUSE WE HAVE A VERY MINOR,

[01:20:01]

IF A TEACHER COMES TO US FROM A DISTRICT, AS LAURIE HAD SAID, WE WILL PAY OUT THAT TIA FOR THE FIVE YEARS.

ONCE IF WE ARE PARTICIPATING IN TIA, THEN THEY CAN, RE-DESIGNATE IS NOT THE RIGHT WORD, IS IT? WHATEVER THAT LINGO LOOKS LIKE, I'M LEARNING ALL OF THIS AS WE GO RIGHT NOW.

YES, WE'RE ALL IN THIS LEARNING PHASE, SO THAT THEY CAN CONTINUE THAT DESIGNATION.

IF WE ARE NOT IN TIA, THEN THAT MONEY WOULD END AT THAT FIVE-YEAR MARK.

ANOTHER THING, TAMMY NOTED SOMETHING ABOUT NATIONAL BOARD CERTIFICATION.

NATIONAL BOARD CERTIFICATION IS ANOTHER PATH TO EARNING FUNDS.

I FORGOT, TAMMY, HOW MANY DESIGNATED CERTIFICATION AREAS ARE IN NATIONAL BOARD, I THINK IT'S 25 DIFFERENT CONTENT AREAS THAT QUALIFY FOR THAT NATIONAL BOARD CERTIFICATION, SO THAT IS ANOTHER, ANOTHER PATH THAT THOSE WHO ARE NOT IN THIS STAR CATEGORY THAT WE'RE IDENTIFYING COULD PURSUE NATIONAL BOARD AS AN ALTERNATIVE IN ORDER TO START, THEY WOULD LAND AT THAT RECOGNIZED LEVEL AND AT LEAST START AT THE $3,000 MARK.

>> I THINK THAT'S IT. AGAIN, THIS IS NOT EASY.

WE UNDERSTAND WHY YOU'RE BRINGING THIS TO US.

I UNDERSTAND WHY YOU'RE BRINGING THIS TO US. THANK Y'ALL.

>> DIANE AND THEN ELLEN.

>> THANK YOU. A LOT OF MY QUESTIONS HAVE ALREADY BEEN ANSWERED.

I WAS REALLY HAPPY TO HEAR YOU SAY THAT WHETHER OR NOT WE WENT FORWARD WITH TIA, YOU ALL THOUGHT THAT MOVING TO TTS IS A GOOD MOVE, SO THANK YOU FOR MAKING THAT CLEAR.

THAT WAS A QUESTION FOR ME.

I'M CURIOUS.

YOU JUST MENTIONED THIS MAP AND BEING ABLE TO LOOK AT WHAT DIFFERENT DISTRICTS ARE ABLE TO OFFER.

AS MORE DISTRICTS ARE INVOLVED, I DEFINITELY BELIEVE WE NEED TO BE INVOLVED IN THIS.

I JUST WONDER IF WE'RE GOING TO BE LOSING TEACHERS TO DISTRICTS WHERE THE GAP IS SO LARGE, $3,000-$9,000, YOU HAVE IT UP HERE RIGHT NOW, $12,000-32,000, I SEE THAT AS BEING A CHALLENGE FOR US.

OBVIOUSLY, WE DO A LOT TO TRY TO SHOW APPRECIATION FOR OUR TEACHERS AND OUR TEACHERS, I THINK FOR THE MOST PART, LOVE BEING HERE, BUT I'M CONCERNED ABOUT THAT, AND I SEE YOU NODDING, SO IT LOOKS LIKE SOMETHING THAT YOU MIGHT BE A LITTLE CONCERNED ABOUT AS WELL.

DID YOU WANT TO COMMENT ON THAT OR JUST SAY?

>> I THINK THAT COULD HAPPEN, BUT I HOPE OUR CULTURE AND ALL THE THINGS THAT WE OFFER AND THAT SUPPORT THAT WE SHOWS TO TEACHERS WILL KEEP OUR STAFF HERE.

THEN I THINK IF WE'RE JOINING THIS ENDEAVOR, I THINK THAT'S JUST ANOTHER REASON THAT THEY MIGHT STAY.

>> THANK YOU. MY NEXT POINT WAS ABOUT THIS WHOLE CONCEPT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT ALREADY OF STARTING WITH A SMALL SUBSET, EXPANDING IT AS QUICKLY AS WE REASONABLY CAN.

I WOULD HOPE THAT GIVEN THAT WE ARE COHORT H, POTENTIALLY, WE CAN DO THAT IN A MUCH MORE ACCELERATED FASHION THAN OTHER DISTRICTS HAVE.

SOMEONE ASKED THIS, BUT I DON'T KNOW THAT I ACTUALLY HEARD, HOW QUICKLY DO YOU REASONABLY THINK WE COULD GET TO HAVING ALL OF OUR TEACHERS INCLUDED IN THIS?

>> THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.

GENERALLY SPEAKING, I WOULD SAY THE LARGER THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, THE SLOWER THE PROCESS.

IT'S EASIER FOR SMALLER DISTRICTS TO GET THERE MORE QUICKLY.

I THINK IT JUST DEPENDS UPON THOSE GRADES AND SUBJECTS OR MAYBE THERE IS NO MAP TEST OR THERE IS NO STAR TEST.

THE DISTRICT START LOOKING AT SOMETHING LIKE A DISTRICT CREATED PRE, POST-TEST TO MEASURE GROWTH OR A STUDENT PORTFOLIO PROCESS, ALL OF THOSE THINGS HAVE TO BE DEVELOPED AND THAT TAKES TIME.

A LOT OF IT, I THINK WILL JUST DEPEND ON HOW QUICKLY THE DISTRICT WANTS TO ADVANCE THIS INITIATIVE TO GET THERE.

>> THANK YOU. I WOULD ASSUME THERE'S NOTHING THAT WOULD KEEP US IF WE HAD THE FUNDING TO BE ABLE TO OFFER OUTSIDE OF THE TIA STRUCTURE, MONEY TO THE TEACHERS WHO AREN'T OPERATING WITHIN IT, IS THERE ANYTHING THAT PRECLUDES US FROM DOING THAT?

[01:25:03]

IT MIGHT BE WE GOT TO FIGURE THAT OUT.

>> WE DO HAVE, CORRECT. IF WE WANTED TO DO SOME TYPE OF LOCAL INCENTIVE, WE COULD DEFINITELY WORK ON THAT TOO.

>> WE JUST NEED THE MONEY.

>> WE NEED THE MONEY, YES.

>> THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS FOR DOING THIS, OF COURSE.

THANK YOU FOR POINTING OUT THAT ANY NATIONALLY BOARD CERTIFIED TEACHER CAN GET THAT RECOGNIZED LEVEL OF THE 3,000 OR WHATEVER IT'S GOING TO BE BECAUSE I THINK THIS IS GOING TO BE EVEN MORE POTENTIALLY AFTER THE LEGISLATURE FINISHES UP.

THEN YOU MENTIONED THIS IN MY LAST QUESTION, I HAVE TWO MORE.

IF A TEACHER GETS ACCREDITED OR RECOGNIZED AND THEY'RE IN FOURTH GRADE, AND THEN THEY MOVE TO TEACH SECOND GRADE, DO THEY STILL RECEIVE IT?

>> THEY DO. AS LONG AS THEY'RE STILL TEACHING AND IN 087 TEACHING POSITION IN THE DISTRICT, EVEN IF THEY MOVE TO A GREATER SUBJECT THAT'S NOT CURRENTLY INCLUDED IN THE PLAN, THEY WILL STILL GENERATE THOSE ALLOTMENT FUNDS.

THAT IS THE CRITERIA FOR TEACHERS TO BE ELIGIBLE.

THEY HAVE TO BE CODED AS 087 IN PEIMS, THE CLASSROOM TEACHER CODE.

THEY'VE GOT TO BE TEACHING STUDENTS AT LEAST 50% OF THE TIME.

>> THANK YOU. THEN MY LAST QUESTION IS YOU MENTIONED PRINCIPAL EVALUATIONS AND HOW THIS MIGHT ALSO COME ON BOARD AS PART OF TIA, I GUESS.

I NOTICE THERE IS SOMETHING ALREADY CALLED TPES, THE TEXAS PRINCIPAL EVALUATION SUPPORTING.

>> THERE IS A PRINCIPAL ADMINISTRATOR VERSION OF T TESTS, I THINK IT'S P TEST, AND WE DEFINITELY HAVE HOPES TO USE THAT AS OUR PRINCIPAL EVALUATIONS MOVING FORWARD, WHICH TO US IS ANOTHER GREAT BENEFIT.

BECAUSE AGAIN, IT'S ALIGNED, IT'S VERY CONSISTENT, LOTS OF RESOURCES THAT GO WITH THAT, AND SO WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT THAT COMPONENT AS WELL.

>> WONDERFUL. IS THERE A REASON WHY WE WOULDN'T DO THAT RIGHT FROM THE GET GO? IS IT TOO MUCH TO TAKE ON, OR WHEN WOULD YOU SEE THAT MAYBE COMING INTO THE PICTURE?

>> OUR HOPE IS THAT WE'RE GOING TO ROLL THAT OUT AS WELL.

OUR MAIN FOCUS WAS FOCUSING ON T TESTS BECAUSE THAT'S THE MAJORITY OF OUR STAFF, MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE TRAINING SCHEDULED FOR OUR CURRENT ADMINISTRATORS FOR THAT PIECE, BUT WE'RE DEFINITELY GOING TO INCLUDE P TESTS AS PART OF THIS.

IT JUST AFFECTS A MUCH SMALLER GROUP OF INDIVIDUALS.

>> WELL, THAT'S IT FOR ME. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

>> THANK YOU, DIANE. WE'LL GO TO ELLEN AND THEN HEATHER.

>> THANK YOU FOR THE INFORMATION AND THANK YOU FOR A VERY THOUGHTFUL PROCESS.

I KNOW YOU HAVEN'T HAD A WHOLE LOT OF TIME TO GET THIS TOGETHER.

BUT I'M SURE THE CONVERSATIONS WERE DIFFICULT AS WELL AS LONG.

THANK YOU FOR LEADING THAT VERY THOUGHTFUL PROCESS AND GETTING THE APPROPRIATE INPUT.

I ALSO WAS VERY GLAD TO HEAR THE ROBUST EXPLANATION OF TGAP VERSUS T TESTS.

I'M REALLY EXCITED IF T TEST GIVES US MORE CONSISTENCY.

THAT'S THE HOLY GRAIL WE'VE BEEN AFTER FOR A VERY LONG TIME.

IF THIS GETS US CLOSER TO THAT, I THINK THAT'S A HUGE SIDE BENEFIT OF ALL OF THIS.

PERHAPS A RAY OF SUNSHINE IN THIS PROCESS.

>> I THINK LIKE TIA, T TEST HAS GONE THROUGH METAMORPHOSIS ITSELF, AND IT'S CHANGED OVER THE YEARS.

SO I BELIEVE THAT WHEN WE SPOKE WITH OUR ADMINISTRATORS, THEY WERE VERY INTERESTED AND EXCITED ABOUT IT.

>> THAT'S VERY ENCOURAGING, AND I THINK CONSISTENCY WILL HELP THE PROCESS ALL THE WAY AROUND.

I JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY AND I THINK YOU'VE EXPLAINED THIS, SO I'M SORRY IF I'M REPEATING, BUT IF A TEACHER GETS NATIONALLY BOARD CERTIFIED, ARE THEY AUTOMATICALLY IN THE RECOGNITION BUCKET, IF A DISTRICT IS PARTICIPATING IN TIA? YES. THERE'S NO FIVE-YEAR CAP ON THE NATIONAL BOARD CERTIFIED TEACHER, SO AS LONG AS THEY KEEP THEIR NATIONAL BOARD CERTIFICATION ACTIVE, THEY KEEP THEIR DESIGNATION, SO THERE'S NO FIVE-YEAR CAP FOR THEM.

>> EVEN BETTER. WHAT IS THE TIMELINE FOR THAT? DO THEY HAVE TO BE BOARD CERTIFIED BY THE BEGINNING OF THE SCHOOL YEAR OR AT WHAT POINT DO THEY GET PUT IN A COHORT CATEGORY?

>> I'M A LITTLE HESITANT TO ANSWER THAT BECAUSE IT'S CHANGED SLIGHTLY WHAT THE PROCESS IS EVERY YEAR

[01:30:04]

HISTORICALLY, IT'S BEEN THAT THE TEACHERS HAVE THEIR FULL CERTIFICATION WITH NATIONAL BOARD BY JANUARY BECAUSE THE PROCESS TO DESIGNATE TEACHERS IS BASED ON WHAT THAT TEAMS DATA LOOKS LIKE IF THOSE TEACHERS ARE TEACHING.

I DON'T KNOW WITH 100% CERTAINTY THAT THAT'S STILL THE DATE, BUT HISTORICALLY THAT'S BEEN THE GOAL FOR TEACHERS IS TO HAVE IT DONE BY THE CHRISTMAS BREAK.

>> WE TRACK THAT IN OUR HUMAN RESOURCES OFFICE, BUT WE ACTUALLY ARE GIVEN INFORMATION EVERY FEBRUARY FROM TIA, AND EVEN THOUGH WE'RE NOT A PARTICIPATING DISTRICT, IF WE HAVE SOMEBODY WHO'S NATIONAL BOARD CERTIFIED, WE WILL GET A REPORT THAT WE HAVE TO VERIFY.

PROBABLY SINCE 2020, WE'VE HAD A PERSON POP UP ONCE THAT WE ARE, OH, I DIDN'T REALIZE.

AT SOME POINT IN THERE, THEY BECAME CERTIFIED, THEY DIDN'T TALK TO US, AND SO THEN WE WERE ABLE TO SEE THAT.

THEY ARE FEEDING TO EACH OTHER AND GETTING THAT INFORMATION.

WE WOULD DEFINITELY BE ABLE TO TRACK THAT.

>> THIS MAY ENCOURAGE MORE PARTICIPATION IN THAT.

AS WE GET THAT INFORMATION, IT WOULD BE GOOD TO INCLUDE IT.

>> CORRECT. WE ACTUALLY EVEN HAD A STAFF MEMBER WHO WHEN WE WERE IN OUR STAKEHOLDER GROUP MENTIONED MAYBE GETTING A COHORT TOGETHER FOR NATIONAL BOARD CERTIFICATION, AND WE TOLD HER WE WOULD APPOINT HER TO TAKE THAT ON.

WE DEFINITELY WOULD LIKE TO DO THAT FOR OUR STAFF.

>> GREAT. THANK YOU.

>> THANK YOU, ELLEN. HEATHER.

>> I WENT TO THE WEBSITE THAT YOU TALKED ABOUT AND IT SAID 597 DISTRICTS ARE EITHER ALREADY APPROVED OR IN THE PROCESS, AND $290 MILLION WAS AWARDED TO 25,000 TEACHERS, AND THERE ARE OVER 370,000 TEACHERS IN TEXAS AS OF LAST YEAR.

THAT'S NOT A LOT. IT'S LESS THAN HALF OF THE DISTRICTS IN TEXAS THAT ARE EITHER IN THE PROCESS OR APPROVED.

A, CAN YOU TELL ME HOW MUCH A COST FOR THE NATIONAL BOARD CERTIFICATION?

>> IT'S ABOUT $2,000 IN FEE.

THERE'S FOUR TESTS AND I THINK THEY'RE SLIGHTLY LESS THAN $500 PER TEST.

A TEACHER HAS TO PASS ALL FOUR OF THE CERTIFICATION EXAMS IN ORDER TO BECOME FULLY NATIONAL BOARD CERTIFIED.

I DIDN'T MENTION THIS EARLIER EITHER, BUT ONE OF THE COOL THINGS ABOUT THE CURRENT LAW IS THAT IF A TEACHER GOES THROUGH THE PROCESS AND BECOMES NATIONAL BOARD CERTIFIED, NOT ONLY WILL THEY BE GIVEN THE DESIGNATION OF RECOGNIZED, BUT THE STATE WILL ALSO REIMBURSE THAT TEACHER THE $2,000 IN FEES THAT IT TOOK FOR THEM TO GO GET NATIONALLY BOARD CERTIFIED.

>> THAT'S INTERESTING.

I HOPE THAT LAW STICKS BECAUSE THERE'S OTHER LAWS THAT THEY'RE SAYING THAT THEY'RE GOING TO REMOVE THE NATIONAL BOARD CERTIFICATION.

I WOULD HATE TO ASK OUR TEACHERS, PLEASE GO SPEND THIS MONEY AND THEN THEY DON'T GET THE RECOGNIZED EVEN AMOUNT.

THAT WOULD BE HORRIFIC.

>> YEAH. WE SAW THAT AS WELL AND WE WANT TO MONITOR THAT BACK TO THE IDEA OF STARTING A NATIONAL BOARD COHORT FOR OUR STAFF TO PARTICIPATE IN.

WE HAD INITIAL CONVERSATIONS AND WE'RE EXCITED MAYBE THIS IS ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY FOR A STAFF.

HOWEVER, WE WANT TO WATCH BECAUSE WE DON'T WANT TO START SOMETHING AND THEN THEY REMOVE NATIONAL BOARD.

MOST OF OUR STAKEHOLDERS WITH TAMMY'S GUIDANCE, WE BELIEVE IT'S NATIONAL BOARD WILL REMAIN, BUT LET'S WAIT AND SEE WHAT HAPPENS AND THEN DEFINITELY LOOK AT SOME OPTIONS TO SUPPORT OUR STAFF.

>> THAT AGAIN GOES BACK TO WHY I'M A LITTLE NERVOUS DOING THIS BEFORE THE NEXT 54 DAYS.

I KNOW WE'VE TALKED ABOUT IT A LITTLE BIT, BUT HOW DO WE GIVE RAISES? BECAUSE AGAIN, THERE'S ALSO LEGISLATION OUT THERE THAT SAYS THAT IF WE DO TIA, AND IF WE ACCEPT THAT TIA MONEY, THAT WE CANNOT GIVE ACROSS THE BOARD PAY RAISES FOR TEACHERS.

I DON'T KNOW. HOW DO WE GIVE RAISES? IF IT'S NOT THROUGH TIA, WE CAN'T, I THINK.

IF THERE'S NO ACROSS THE BOARD RAISES, WE CANNOT GIVE ANYONE ELSE MONEY IF THEY AREN'T IN TIA, RIGHT?

>> I HAVEN'T HEARD THAT, THERE COULD BE PROPOSED LEGISLATION.

I HAVEN'T SEEN THAT.

>> I CAN PULL IT UP.

>> BUT IT'S VERY POSSIBLE, THERE'S ALL KINDS OF BILLS THAT HAVE BEEN FILED.

>> WELL, I GUESS WE'LL SEE ON THAT ONE.

BUT THEN WHAT ABOUT OUR CUSTODIANS, OUR BUS DRIVERS, OUR NURSES, OUR LIBRARIANS, ALL OF THE OTHER PEOPLE THAT DON'T GET TIA.

[01:35:03]

BUT I'M JUST CONCERNED, ALSO, ARE THEY IN THAT ACROSS THE BOARD SITUATION ALSO.

THAT'S REALLY CONCERNING TO ME.

>> THE PROHIBITION.

>> CORRECT. IF THAT COMES INTO PLAY, AND WE'VE SIGNED UP FOR THIS BEFORE THE BILLS HAVE BEEN FINALIZED, HOW DOES THAT IMPACT?

>> YOU THINK THE STATE WOULD TAKE AWAY SCHOOL DISTRICT'S ABILITY TO GIVE CUSTODIANS AND CAFETERIA WORKERS AND BUS DRIVERS RAISES FOR THE REST OF ETERNITY.

>> I HOPE NOT.

>> I THINK THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE TO FIX THAT.

>> I WOULD HOPE SO. BUT I AM CONCERNED ABOUT THE ACROSS THE BOARD LANGUAGE.

THEN THE OTHER THING I AM WORRIED ABOUT.

SENATE BILL 26 IS OUT THERE AND IT ALLOWS TEA TO HELP US GO THROUGH THIS SYSTEM.

AGAIN, IF WE WAITED, WE MAY BE ABLE TO GET MORE FINANCIAL INCENTIVE TO GO THROUGH WITH THIS.

THEN T TEST, IT'S ALIGNED WITH STAAR ONLY, CORRECT? IT DOESN'T TAKE ANYTHING ELSE INTO ACCOUNT LIKE MAP.

>> MOLLY, DO YOU KNOW FOR SURE THAT ANSWER? SORRY, TO POINT OVER AT YOU.

>> WELL, T TEST IT'S JUST AN EVALUATION INSTRUMENT.

THERE'S DIFFERENT CATEGORIES, YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE PROFESSIONALISM, YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE CLASSROOM OBSERVATIONS, SPECIFICALLY AROUND THE DATA.

I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT SPECIFIC PART LOOKS LIKE.

>> THE TEA SAYS THAT THE T TEST IS ALIGNED WITH THE STATE OF TEXAS ASSESSMENTS AND ACADEMIC READINESS, WHICH IS STAAR.

AGAIN, I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ABLE TO USE T TESTS WHEN WE ROLL IT OUT, IF WE WANT TO EXPAND THE PROGRAM TO MORE EDUCATORS THAT AREN'T IN STAAR, THAT THAT'S NOT GOING TO BE AN ISSUE DOWN THE ROAD.

>> THIS EVALUATION SYSTEM IS MADE FOR K 12 TEACHERS ACROSS THE BOARD SO THERE SHOULD BE FLEXIBILITY WITH THAT.

THEY DON'T HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT ANYONE NOT QUALIFYING FOR T TEST.

>> BECAUSE AGAIN, IT DOES MAKE ME A LITTLE NERVOUS ALIGNING JUST TO THE STAAR BECAUSE THE STAAR IS CONSTANTLY CHANGING, AND, THERE WAS A BIG LAWSUIT ABOUT THE STAAR AND THE VALIDITY OF THE ASSESSMENT SO I JUST WANT TO BE REALLY CAREFUL ALIGNING OUR ENTIRE SYSTEM TO SOMETHING THAT MAY BE CHANGING AGAIN.

>> ACTUALLY, PART OF WHEN WE MET WITH PRINCIPALS SOME OF OUR PRINCIPALS HAVE USED T TESTS AT OTHER DISTRICTS OR WE'RE TRAINED IN T TESTS THROUGH THEIR PRINCIPAL CERTIFICATION PROGRAM AND THEY HAD GREAT FEEDBACK TO OFFER AND ENCOURAGE THE OTHER PRINCIPALS.

REALLY THE FEEDBACK I WALKED AWAY HEARING WAS THAT T TESTS AND T GAP HAVE A LOT OF SIMILARITIES.

BUT AGAIN, IT KEPT GOING BACK TO SOME OF THOSE RESOURCES THAT T TEST IS GOING TO OFFER, OUR ADMINISTRATIVE TEAM THAT THEY WERE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT AND THOUGHT THAT COULD SUPPORT OUR TEAM EVEN BETTER.

>> WAS T TEST AROUND WHEN WE CHOSE TO GO WITH T GAP?

>> YES [OVERLAPPING]

>> WE WE DID PTOS, AND THEN WE HAD T GAP AND I WASN'T HERE THEN.

>> I DO BELIEVE, LIKE I SAID, T TEST HAS CHANGED OVER THE YEARS, AND I THINK WHEN IT WAS INITIALLY BROUGHT OUT, I THINK IT WAS A LITTLE MORE CUMBERSOME THAN IT IS NOW.

I DO THINK OVER THE YEARS, THEY HAVE REALLY CHANGED AND MODIFIED THAT PROCESS, AND I THINK THAT WAS WHERE NOW THEY'RE SEEING SOME SIMILARITIES BETWEEN T TEST AND T GAP.

BUT WHEN IT ORIGINALLY CAME OUT, I THINK IT WAS VERY OVERWHELMING FOR ADMINISTRATORS.

>> THANK YOU.

>> WE'LL GO TO LAURIE.

>> LAURIE, COULD YOU USE THIS STRATEGICALLY TO STAFF SOME OF THOSE HARDER TO FILL POSITIONS.

GOING FORWARD, NOT INITIALLY.

I UNDERSTAND INITIALLY, WE NEED TO KEEP IT TO THOSE GRADES AND THOSE TEACHING LEVELS THAT ARE STAAR AND I UNDERSTAND THAT.

BUT GOING FORWARD COULD YOU USE IT STRATEGICALLY?

>> YES. BECAUSE I DO BELIEVE THAT IF WE START HIRING FROM INDIVIDUALS AROUND US OR EVEN IN THE METROPLEX.

PEOPLE WHO ARE PARTICIPATING IN THE TIA, IF WE ARE NOT, WE WILL JUST WE WON'T LOOK AS INTERESTING TO THOSE INDIVIDUALS.

I DO THINK IT IS GOING TO BE A PROCESS IN WHICH WE WILL BE ABLE TO BRING IN MORE INDIVIDUALS IF WE BELONG TO THE PROGRAM.

>> WHAT I'M THINKING IS IF WE HAVE CERTAIN POSITIONS THAT ARE DIFFICULT FOR US TO FILL, I'M NOT SAYING THIS, I'M JUST THROWING OUT THIS.

THEY'RE LIKE AN AP SCIENCE TEACHER.

COULD WE GO THROUGH THE PROCESS AND GET THE T TEST AND EVERYTHING ELSE SET UP

[01:40:02]

>> YES.

>> BY SETTING UP OUR I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT IT'S CALLED.

>> IT'S THE LONG TERM PLAN FOR THIS FOR TIA OVER TIME.

>> CORRECT.

>> YES. WE LOOK AT THAT WE DEFINITELY THINK THAT THAT'LL BE A PIECE WE CAN CONSIDER.

IT MIGHT ALSO BE WHAT ASSESSMENTS DO WE USE TO DETERMINE THAT GROWTH FACTOR.

>> YOU GET THOSE IN PLACE AND THEN YOU COULD BRING PEOPLE IN?

>> YOU COULD POTENTIALLY, YES.

I WILL SAY RECENTLY, I JUST WENT TO A&M.

WE WERE AT BAYLOR, WE WERE AT TEXAS STATE RECRUITING, EVEN GRADUATING SENIORS ASKED ME, DO YOU PARTICIPATE IN TIA?

>> THANK YOU ALL.

>> ANY OTHER TRUSTEE QUESTIONS ALLEN'S FINGER IS ALMOST UP. GO AHEAD.

>> THIS IS PROBABLY GETTING WAY AHEAD, BUT SPEAKING OF STRATEGIC HIRING.

DO WE THINK THAT WE EVENTUALLY WILL LOOK AT TIA QUALIFIED TEACHERS FROM OTHER DISTRICTS WHEN THEY APPLY TO US OR WHEN A TEACHER FROM ANOTHER DISTRICT THAT PARTICIPATES IN TIA LIKE AISD.

I'M SURE WE GET A HANDFUL ANYWAY OF APPLICATIONS FROM AISD.

WILL WE BEGIN TO LOOK AT WHETHER OR NOT THEY ARE QUALIFIED AT ONE OF THESE LEVELS AS PART OF OUR HIRING CRITERIA?

>> I THINK IT'S A PIECE, BUT WE STILL WANT THE BEST PERSON FOR THAT ROLE, WHETHER THEY'RE IN TIA OR NOT.

ALSO, IT'S NOT FAIR IF SOMEONE'S NOT PARTICIPATING IN TIA, WE DON'T WANT TO MOVE THEM TO THE SIDE BECAUSE THE DISTRICT THEY DIDN'T HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT THEY'RE NOT A HIGHLY QUALIFIED TEACHER.

YOU THINK THAT CAN BE A PIECE OF DATA THAT WE LOOK AT AND MAYBE WE'LL STAND OUT ON A RESUME OR SOMEONE'S CERTIFICATE.

IT WOULD AT LEAST TELL OUR PRINCIPALS IF IT SAYS MASTER TEACHER, THAT TELLS THEM SOMETHING ABOUT THE QUALITY OF TEACHER THEY ARE, BUT I THINK THAT'S JUST A PIECE.

I DON'T THINK THAT THAT'S NECESSARILY THE END ALL BE ALL IN THAT.

>> THANK YOU.

>> HEATHER.

>> I WANT TO MAKE IT ABUNDANTLY CLEAR THAT I AM IN FAVOR OF DOING WHATEVER WE NEED TO DO TO GET OUR TEACHERS MORE MONEY.

I DON'T LIKE THE TEACHER INCENTIVE ALLOTMENT AT ALL.

I DON'T THINK THAT IT'S A GOOD PROGRAM IN TERMS OF GETTING WHAT WE NEED FOR OUR EDUCATORS AND FOR ALL OF OUR EDUCATORS THAT WORK SO HARD EVERY DAY FOR OUR TEACHERS AND NOT EVEN JUST FOR OUR EDUCATORS.

IT BOTHERS ME THAT WE ARE AT THIS POINT, BUT HERE WE ARE.

AGAIN, I WANT TO MAKE IT VERY CLEAR THAT I WANT TO DO WHAT IS BEST FOR ALL OF OUR EDUCATORS AND TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE ATTRACTING AND RETAINING THE BEST STAFF POSSIBLE.

IT MAKES ME SAD THAT THIS IS WHAT WE HAVE TO DO APPARENTLY.

AGAIN, I WANT TO MAKE THAT REALLY CLEAR THAT I VALUE ALL OF OUR EDUCATORS AND NOT JUST THE ONES THAT TEACH STAAR.

>> THANK YOU, BOARD FOR YOUR COMMENTS ON THIS.

I HAVE ALL THE INFORMATION I NEED IN ORDER TO VOTE, AND A LOT OF THAT HAS COME OUT THROUGH THESE QUESTIONS.

A COUPLE OF COMMENTS REAL QUICK.

THE 2023 2024 REPORT IS THE ONE THAT SAYS THAT 49% OF DISTRICTS ARE PARTICIPATING THAT'S BEEN GROWING ABOUT 10% PER YEAR, SO IT COULD BE THAT THIS YEAR IT'S 59%.

THIS REPORT SPECIFICALLY CALLS OUT REGION 13 IN THAT YEAR 23/24 AS HAVING 59% PARTICIPATION RATE FOR REGION 13, WHICH ARE A LOT OF THE DISTRICTS THAT WE COMPETE WITH TO HIRE TEACHERS SO IT'S WORTH NOTING THAT COULD BE PUSHING 69, 70% RIGHT NOW.

I THINK THAT'S A VERY VALID POINT THAT WE ARE COMPETING TO BE ABLE TO ATTRACT WITH THESE OTHER DISTRICTS.

ON THE NUMBERS ON OUR MAXIMUM IS 12,000.

LAURIE, DOES THAT PUT OUR AVERAGE TEACHER IN THE $100,000 RANGE? THERE'S BEEN THIS PERCEPTION IN THE COMMUNITY THAT IF WE DID TIA, OUR TEACHERS WOULD MAKE $100,000. I JUST WANT TO GET CLARIFICATION.

>> NO, UNFORTUNATELY, IT DOES NOT.

>> I WISH IT WOULD, BUT THAT'S NOT WHAT PEOPLE THINK IT IS.

BUT IT'S STILL GREAT 12,000 IS A GREAT AMOUNT.

>> ABSOLUTELY.

>> I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT RIGHT NOW IT'S IN THE 30 PERCENTAGE AREA TARGET FOR THE STATE MOVING POSSIBLY UP TO 50%.

I THINK THAT 100% OF OUR TEACHERS WOULD QUALIFY FOR THAT.

I THINK WE'VE GOT GREAT TEACHERS.

I THINK ABBY, WHAT YOU SAID,

[01:45:03]

I ALSO THINK THOUGH THAT OUR CULTURE MATTERS, AND I THINK CREATING A CULTURE WHERE PEOPLE WANT TO WORK IS THE SPECIAL SAUCE THAT HELPS US RETAIN GREAT TALENT.

100% WANT TO GO AFTER ALL THE MONEY WE CAN AND WHAT WE NEED TO DO IN ORDER TO DO THAT.

I ALSO WANT TO CONTINUE TO HAVE A GREAT CULTURE HERE.

I KNOW THERE'S SOME CHALLENGES THAT HAVE BEEN NOTED THAT YOU MIGHT CREATE A COMPETITIVE ENVIRONMENT, BUT HOPEFULLY IF WE CAN ALL REACH OR ALL THE TEACHERS CAN REACH THE HIGHER BAR, THAT'S WHAT WE WANT.

I THINK UNLESS THERE'S SOMETHING ELSE TO ADD AT THIS POINT, I NEED A MOTION FROM THE BOARD.

DO I HAVE A MOTION?

>> I MOVE THAT WE APPROVE THE SPENDING PLAN FOR PARTICIPATION FOR AN APPLICATION TO TIA.

>> MOTION BY ALLEN SECOND BY DIANE.

DO WE HAVE ANY DISCUSSION? WE'VE HAD A LOT.

WE'VE HAD HOUR AND A HALF OF DISCUSSION.

NO, NOT THAT. WITH THAT, ONE MORE QUESTION.

>> IS THERE A WAY TO GET OUT OF THE TIA PROGRAM IF WE DECIDE THAT IT DOESN'T WORK FOR US?

>> I'VE NEVER HAD THAT QUESTION BEFORE, BUT I WOULD ASSUME SO.

I WOULD ASSUME THAT THE DISTRICT COULD SEND TEA AN E MAIL AND SAY WE NO LONGER WISH TO PARTICIPATE AND WE'D LIKE TO WITHDRAW OUR APPLICATION.

I WOULD ASSUME THAT THAT WOULD BE GRANTED.

>> WITH THAT. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION, SAY AYE.

>> AYE.

>> ANY OPPOSED, THE MOTION CARRIES 7-0.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME THIS EVENING. APPRECIATE THE HELP.

TRUSTEES, I THOUGHT I MIGHT BE THE ONLY ONE WHO DIDN'T GET I REMEMBER THE OLD PACKET WHERE WE WOULD GET THE FULL BLOWN PACKET WITH ALL THE MOTION SHEETS.

I THOUGHT MAYBE I WAS THE ONLY ONE WHO DIDN'T HAVE THAT HANDY.

YOU CAN USE THE PACKET THAT PATTY SENT AND THERE IS A LINK TO THE MOTION SHEETS.

OH, YOU COULDN'T GET THE LINK TO OPEN. THAT'S FINE.

>> MAYBE IN THE AGENDA.

>> I SEE WHAT YOU'RE SAYING. OUR NEXT AGENDA ITEM

[7.2 Review the District Improvement Plan]

I THINK WE SHOULD START WITH A MOTION AND THEN HAVE A DISCUSSION.

WE MISSED THAT STEP IN THE LAST ONE.

DO I HAVE A MOTION ON THE DISTRICT IMPROVEMENT PLAN? WE WILL HAVE MOLLY PRESENT AND A DISCUSSION, AND THEN WE'LL DO A VOTE.

>> WE'RE ACTUALLY NOT VOTING.

THIS IS JUST THE FIRST READING [OVERLAPPING].

>> THIS IS IN OUR ACTION SECTION, SO I THOUGHT WE WERE.

FOR DISCUSSION ONLY. THANK YOU, MOLLY.

>> THERE WE GO. WE'RE GOING TO REVIEW FIRST REVIEW OF THE DRAFT OF THE DISTRICT IMPROVEMENT PLAN.

THIS WILL GO TO DLT NEXT MONDAY, AND THEY WILL ALSO HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO REVIEW AND MAKE COMMENTS, AND THEN WE WILL BRING IT BACK FOR A VOTE ON APRIL 22ND MEETING.

JUST QUICKLY FOR THE DIP.

LAST YEAR, WHEN WE DID OUR STRATEGIC PLANNING WITH THE BOARD AND YOU HAD YOUR PRIORITIES, WE MADE THOSE FOR SEVERAL YEARS.

WE ARE ALSO ALIGNING OUR DIP AND THE DIP PROCESS WITH THAT, WHERE WE ARE NOT GOING THROUGH IN WHOLESALE CHANGING THE DIP EVERY YEAR BECAUSE IT ALSO TAKES US A WHILE TO IMPLEMENT GOALS AND OBJECTIVES.

I'M GOING TO GO OVER THIS THIS EVENING, BUT YOU'LL SEE THAT A LOT OF IT IS MORE SOME BOARD SMITING, SOME UPDATING.

THERE'S A COUPLE OF PLACES THAT WE HAVE ADDED, ONE PLACE WHERE WE'VE TAKEN A GOAL AWAY BECAUSE WE'VE MASTERED THAT.

BUT YOU'RE NOT GOING TO SEE SIGNIFICANT CHANGES FROM THE DIP FROM LAST YEAR, BUT I WILL GO THROUGH AND REVIEW THE HIGHLIGHTS OF WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT.

WHEN WE'RE STARTING WITH THE PRIORITY, THE BOARD PRIORITY OF SUCCESS FOR ALL STUDENTS, ONE PLACE THAT YOU WILL NOTICE A CHANGE, AND THIS IS THE FIRST TIME WE'RE INTRODUCING THIS IN OUR DEPARTMENT.

EVERYWHERE WHERE IT SAYS CIA, WHICH IS CURRICULUM INSTRUCTION AND ASSESSMENT.

WE HAVE CHANGED THAT TO TEACHING AND LEARNING.

[01:50:02]

IT DOESN'T REALLY HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH THE DIP, BUT I'M ANNOUNCING IT THIS EVENING JUST BECAUSE WE'RE EXCITED.

IT'S MUCH MORE ALIGNED WITH WHAT YOU'RE HEARING.

JUST AN EDUCATION THESE DAYS, TALKING MORE ABOUT THAT TEACHING AND LEARNING IN THAT PROCESS.

WE'RE EXCITED.

WE'VE BEEN CIA FOR A LONG TIME AND IT'S TIME TO MOVE ON.

ANYWAY, THAT'S THE FIRST CHANGE, YOU'LL SEE IN THE DIP.

LOOKING AT GOAL 1A, IT'S AROUND THE STRATEGIC IMPLEMENTATION GUIDE AROUND OUR PLCS.

THE ONLY THING THAT'S REALLY CHANGED ON THERE IS LAST YEAR, WE HAD A PERCENTAGE OF 50%, AND FOR NEXT YEAR, WE'RE MOVING THAT UP TO 60% BECAUSE WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE CONTINUING TO GROW AND MAKE SURE THAT THAT MEASUREMENT VALUE CHANGES.

THE NEXT GOAL THAT YOU'LL SEE THAT THERE'S BEEN ANY SIGNIFICANT CHANGES, THAT'S ACTUALLY 1C, AND THAT'S A NEW GOAL THIS YEAR, AND THAT'S AROUND T TEST.

THAT IS JUST IN LINE WITH THE DISCUSSION THAT WE HAD AND WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE A GOAL.

AS ABBY AND LAURIE MENTIONED, WE'LL BE DOING A LOT OF TRAINING ALL THROUGH THE SUMMER ON T TEST.

ON GOAL 2B, THE CHANGE IS JUST THAT WE ADDED CAREER AND TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION.

WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT CAREER COLLEGE AND MILITARY READINESS AND [INAUDIBLE] THERE'S FUNDING ASSOCIATED WITH ALL OF THAT.

OBVIOUSLY, WE WANT OUR STUDENTS TO BE DOING WELL.

WE WANT OUR PERCENTAGES IN THOSE AREAS TO BE HIGH, BUT WE ALSO NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR SYSTEMS AND OUR MONITORING ARE ACCURATE AND THAT WE ARE REPORTING THOSE CORRECTLY BECAUSE THAT IS DOLLARS.

ALONG WITH GROWING THOSE PROGRAMS, WE'RE GOING TO ALSO BE PUTTING A LITTLE BIT MORE EMPHASIS ON THE TRACKING AND ACCOUNTABILITY FOR THAT.

>> LET ME SEE WHERE WE ARE IN THIS.

GOAL 2C IS ALSO NEW AND THAT IS JUST EXPANDING ACCESS AND LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES AT THE LEARNING CENTER.

AS TLC EXPANDS, WE JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE WAS A GOAL IN THERE, THAT AGAIN, WE ARE HOLDING EVERYONE ACCOUNTABLE FOR THE FACT THAT WE ARE BRINGING THAT PROGRAM INTO A BUILDING THAT'S GOING TO BE RENOVATED, AND WE HAVE EXPECTATIONS THAT THAT PROGRAM WILL GROW AND THE OPPORTUNITIES WILL GROW.

3A. THIS IS NOT IN YOUR CURRENT VERSION BECAUSE I JUST FOUND OUT ABOUT THIS THIS AFTERNOON WHEN I WAS LEAVING.

WE ARE STILL ON AN SA EQUITY PLAN, BUT THE TERMINOLOGY IS NOW CHANGING, AND IT WILL NO LONGER BE A SA EQUITY PLAN AND IT WILL BE A SA EDUCATOR TALENT PLAN, AND THAT CAME FROM THE REGION SERVICE CENTER TODAY.

WE WILL BE UPDATING THAT LANGUAGE.

THERE'S REALLY NOT ANY SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN THE NEXT FEW GOALS.

WE DID DELETE OUT, AND SO IN THE DRAFT, YOU WON'T SEE IT, BUT WE REMOVE THE GOAL AROUND DEVELOPING ALIGNING PROCEDURES, SUPPORTING INCLUSIVE OPPORTUNITIES, AND GROWTH IN THE AREAS OF UNIFIED CHAMPION AND EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES.

THAT IS WONDERFUL BECAUSE WE HAVE MASTERED THAT GOAL.

WE PROBABLY HAVE MORE UNIFIED ACTIVITIES AND EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES FOR OUR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES THAN WE HAVE STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES.

THEY ARE ACTUALLY TELLING US AT TIMES THAT I CAN'T MAKE IT TO SOFTBALL AND ROBOTICS AND CHEER AND DO ALL OF THAT.

THAT GOAL IT IS NOT STOPPING, BUT WE HAVE MET OUR GOAL, AND SO WE ARE ACTUALLY PRETTY THRILLED TO BE ABLE TO SAY THAT THAT IS MASTERED.

WE REMOVED THAT.

WE DID ADD ANOTHER GOAL IN THE AREA AROUND SPECIAL EDUCATION.

I SAY SPECIAL EDUCATION, THIS IS ACTUALLY REALLY JUST ALL EDUCATION.

BUT LOOKING AT OUR DEVELOPING AND ALIGNING PROCEDURES AND STRATEGIES FOR TIERED SYSTEMS OF BEHAVIOR SUPPORT.

WE'VE TALKED IN THE PAST THAT WE'RE SEEING A LOT OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF BEHAVIORS, MORE SIGNIFICANT BEHAVIORS AT YOUNGER AGES.

THE MORE INTERVENTION WE CAN DO IN THE GENERAL EDUCATION SETTING, HOPEFULLY, WE CAN KEEP THOSE STUDENTS FROM NEEDING TO HAVE MORE SIGNIFICANT INTERVENTIONS.

IF THEY NEED THEM OBVIOUSLY, WE'LL PROVIDE THEM.

THAT WAS A GOAL THAT WE ADDED IN REALLY SUPPORTING BEHAVIOR ACROSS ALL GRADE LEVELS.

THOSE ARE THE MAIN UPDATES ON THE SUCCESS FOR ALL STUDENTS.

THEN MOVING TO THE SAFE AND INCLUSIVE SCHOOLS AND COMMUNITIES, ON GOAL 1A,

[01:55:01]

THE UDL GUIDELINES HAVE BEEN UPDATED AND NOW WE'RE AT UDL 3.0.

WE JUST TOOK THE LANGUAGE SPECIFICALLY AROUND THERE AND IT SAYS, UDL PRACTICES DESIGNED TO REDUCE BARRIERS IN LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS AND EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCES.

THAT'S ALIGNED WITH THE LANGUAGE, SO WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAD KEPT THAT LANGUAGE SPECIFIC.

THE OTHER GOALS IN THIS AREA REALLY WERE ONLY UPDATED JUST SOME WORDING AND A COUPLE EDITS AROUND PEOPLE'S TITLES THAT HAD CHANGED.

NOTHING ELSE SIGNIFICANT IN THE AREA OF SAFE AND INCLUSIVE SCHOOLS AND COMMUNITIES.

THAT IS THE UPDATE ON THE DIP THAT WE ARE PROPOSING AND I WILL TAKE ANY QUESTIONS.

>> THANK YOU, MOLLY. QUESTIONS FROM TRUSTEES. HEATHER.

>> IT'S NOT A QUESTION. IT'S BRAVO.

I KNOW THAT YOU HAVE WORKED REALLY, REALLY HARD AT GETTING OUR INCLUSIVE EXTRACURRICULARS AND ALL OF THAT OFF THE GROUND.

I WAS JUST HAVING A CONVERSATION ABOUT THAT WITH A PARENT THE OTHER DAY BECAUSE SOME OF THE PARENTS WITH KIDDOS IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL HAVE NO IDEA THAT THAT DOESN'T ALWAYS EXIST.

I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO YOU AND THE TEAM FOR MAKING THAT A REALITY AND SOMETHING THAT IS SO VALUED IN OUR COMMUNITY, AND I KNOW THAT WE'RE GOING TO KEEP THAT UP.

I SEE THAT AND THANK YOU FOR THAT.

THEN ALSO ON THE THE CAREER IN TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION.

THAT PIECE IS REALLY IMPORTANT, AND SO I APPRECIATE THAT YOU ADDED THAT AND ALSO THE BEHAVIOR STUFF.

I THINK THAT THESE ARE GREAT CHANGES AND I APPRECIATE YOU GUYS BRINGING THEM TO US. THANK YOU.

>> THANK YOU, HEATHER. DIANE.

>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH. EXACTLY WHAT HEATHER SAID.

IT'S GREAT TO SEE SOME THINGS COME OFF BECAUSE WE'RE DOING SO WELL.

I APPRECIATED THE BEHAVIOR SUPPORT ADDITION ON THERE.

AS YOU SAID, WE'VE BEEN HEARING ABOUT IT AND I THINK IT'S EXTREMELY IMPORTANT.

IN INTEREST OF TIME, I FEEL LIKE I'M THE ONE WHO ALWAYS LIKES TO TALK ABOUT METRICS.

WOULD YOU BE OPEN TO MAYBE SOME SUGGESTIONS ON WORDING CHANGES SO THAT THIS RIGHT-HAND COLUMN MAYBE READS A LITTLE BIT MORE AS TECHNIQUES FOR MEASURING.

I GUESS THAT'S MY QUESTION IS A FEW WORD EDIT SUGGESTIONS TO SEND TO YOU AND SEE WHAT YOU THINK ABOUT THEM.

>> THAT WOULD BE GREAT.

>> OKAY.

>> YES, VERY OKAY FOR THAT.

I'M ALSO OPEN TO THREE HOURS OF DISCUSSION ON THE DIP, IF YOU ALL ARE INTERESTED.

>> WON'T HAPPEN.

>> I WAS THINKING ABOUT THAT.

[LAUGHTER]

>> WITH THAT, THANK YOU, MOLLY.

[LAUGHTER]

>> I'M OUT.

>> THANK YOU, MOLLY. I BELIEVE KIM HAS A MOTION FOR US.

[7.3 Request to approve resolution with the intent to nominate Dr. Jeff Arnett for Superintendent of the Year]

>> I WOULD MOVE TO ENTHUSIASTICALLY APPROVE THE RESOLUTION WITH THE INTENT TO NOMINATE DR. JEFF ARNETT FOR SUPERINTENDENT OF THE YEAR.

>> MOTION BY KIM, SECOND BY LAURA.

I'M GOING TO BOUNCE IT BACK TO YOU, KIM, FOR DISCUSSION.

>> I FEEL VERY HONORED TO BE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE IN NOMINATING DR. ARNETT FOR SUPERINTENDENT OF THE YEAR.

THIS IS SOMETHING THAT, AND THIS IS FOR DR. ARNETT BUT ALSO FOR THE COMMUNITY, AS TRUSTEES, WE HAVE BEEN FORTUNATE TO WORK WITH SUCH A SUPERINTENDENT OF DR. ARNETT'S CALIBER.

WE HAVE TALKED ABOUT THIS IN YEARS PAST, BUT I BELIEVE THAT THIS IS THE FIRST YEAR THAT WE WERE QUALIFIED BASED ON DR. ARNETT'S TENURE WITH US AT EANES TO BE ABLE TO NOMINATE DR. ARNETT FOR SUPERINTENDENT OF THE YEAR IN THE STATE OF TEXAS.

>> IF I MIGHT REAL QUICK.

THIS IS A BOARD ACTION, BUT YOU MET WITH THE CABINET.

WOULD YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT MAYBE SOME OF THAT?

>> THANK YOU. THANKS, JAMES.

YES. AS PART OF THIS PROCESS, WHEN I WAS ASKED TO WORK ALONG WITH LAURA, LAURA HAD A GREAT IDEA OF EXPANDING NOT ONLY THE TRUSTEES' INPUT BUT SITTING DOWN WITH MEMBERS OF DR. ARNETT'S CABINET.

I'LL PASS IT OVER TO LAURA, THE ENTHUSIASM THAT WE RECEIVED IN THIS DISCUSSION.

IT IS A REFLECTION OBVIOUSLY, ON DR. ARNETT, BUT IT IS ON HIS CABINET AS WELL.

[02:00:05]

I THOUGHT THAT I KNEW A LOT, BUT I LEARNED SO MUCH FROM THE VARIOUS DISCUSSIONS THAT I'VE HAD WITH STAKEHOLDERS HERE IN THE DISTRICT IN LOOKING AT WHAT WE HAVE DONE JUST IN A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME SINCE 2021, AND BUILDING CULTURE AND HELPING STUDENTS LEARN AND GIVING OPPORTUNITIES FOR STUDENTS AND GIVING OPPORTUNITIES FOR OUR TEACHERS AND STAFF.

I WAS VERY PRIVILEGED THAT LAURA AND I, I BELIEVE WE WERE VERY PRIVILEGED TO BE ABLE TO WORK AND HAVE THESE DISCUSSIONS AND LEARN EVEN MORE ABOUT WHAT WE'VE DONE HERE IN THE DISTRICT.

>> THANK YOU, KIM. LAURA, DID YOU WANT TO ADD ANY THOUGHTS SINCE THE TWO OF YOU SPEARHEADED THIS EFFORT? I WONDER IF YOU MIGHT WANT TO SHARE THOUGHT.

>> THIS HAS BEEN A REAL HONOR.

IT'S BEEN A PLEASURE TO LOOK BACK OVER THE WORK THAT YOU'VE DONE WITHIN OUR DISTRICT OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS BECAUSE IT'S BEEN BUMPY.

WE'VE HAD OUR BOMBS, AND YOU'VE ALWAYS HANDLED THEM SO GRACEFULLY.

YOU'RE SUCH A HUMBLE PERSON, AND WE KNEW THIS WAS GOING TO BE A HARD ONE TO BRING FORWARD.

WE MET WITH Y'ALL AND WE DID IT OVER ZOOM AND SEEING THESE LITTLE SMILEY SWEET FACES.

[LAUGHTER] THEY WERE SO EXCITED ABOUT THIS.

THAT WAS REALLY HOW WE SOLD IT ON DR. ARNETT, WAS JUST REMINDING HIM THAT THIS HONOR IS A REFLECTION OF THE WORK THAT HE HAS DONE ALONG WITH HIS CABINET OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS.

>> I WAS GOING TO JUMP IN REAL QUICK, DOCTOR, AND SAY THAT THIS HAS TO BE ONE OF THE MOST UNCOMFORTABLE THINGS FOR YOU.

I KNOW YOU AND I HAVE HAD SEVERAL COMMUNICATIONS ABOUT JAMES.

IS THERE ANOTHER WAY WE COULD GET THIS ON THE AGENDA? COULD WE SLIDE IT IN?

>> OR KEEP IT OFF THE AGENDA?

>> YEAH. I UNDERSTAND.

BUT I THINK THIS IS IMPORTANT TO THE BOARD.

I THINK THIS IS IMPORTANT TO CABINET.

I THINK THIS IS IMPORTANT TO ALL OF THE EMPLOYEES OF THE DISTRICT.

I THINK THIS IS IMPORTANT TO OUR COMMUNITY.

THANK YOU FOR INDULGING US A BIT, BUT PLEASE FEEL FREE TO SHARE SOME THOUGHTS.

>> WELL, [LAUGHTER] I JUST WANT TO SAY HOW HUMBLED I AM TO WORK WITH OUR CABINET AND EACH OF YOU.

THESE REALLY ARE TWO PHENOMENAL TEAMS THAT EQUATE TO ONE VERY COHESIVE AND VERY SUPPORTIVE TEAM OF EACH OTHER, AND IT TRULY IS AN HONOR.

NOT DESERVED, BUT CERTAINLY APPRECIATED.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH TO ALL OF YOU.

>> THANK YOU. MOTION HAS BEEN MADE AND DISCUSSED.

ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION SAY AYE. THANK YOU.

WE WON'T EVEN ASK FOR OPPOSED AT THIS POINT.

WE'RE GOING TO SAY THAT CARRIES 7-0.

YOU NEED TO SHOW THAT NEXT SLIDE THAT YOU'RE NOT SHOWING THERE.

[LAUGHTER] IT'S NOT WHAT I HAD IN MIND.

[7.4 Request to approve a method of procurement for 2023 Bond construction projects]

I DO NEED A MOTION ON THIS ONE.

THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN A CONSENT AGENDA WITH THE SUPERINTENDENT NOMINATION, I BELIEVE.

MOTION COMING. JUST CHIME ON WHEN YOU HAVE IT.

>> I MOVE THAT THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES APPROVE THE FOLLOWING METHODS OF PROCUREMENT FOR THE FOLLOWING 2023 BOND CONSTRUCTION PROJECT, JOB ORDER CONTRACTING, ATS, INTERIOR RENOVATION, AND KITCHEN EXPANSION.

FOR BCE, ADDITIONAL STAFF RESTROOMS. FOR BCE, PORTABLE CLASSROOM INFRASTRUCTURE AND FINISH OUT.

FOR FTE, RESTROOM ADDITION.

FOR THE YELLOW HOUSE FACILITY OR ROOF REPLACEMENT.

>> MOTION BY KIM, SECOND BY HEATHER. ANY DISCUSSION? NO LIFT PUMPS OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT THIS TIME, I'M SORRY, BUT I KNOW THAT I WAS TOURING FOREST TRAIL RECENTLY AND THEY WERE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT WHERE THOSE RESTROOMS ARE GOING TO GO.

>> I WOULD JUST LIKE TO SAY THANK YOU TO OUR VOTERS WHO HAVE APPROVED OUR BONDS.

WE ARE GRATEFUL.

>> ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION SAY, AYE.

[02:05:02]

NOW, OUR NEXT 2.5-HOUR DISCUSSION.

WE WILL WELCOME CHRIS UP FOR A BOND CAPACITY PRESENTATION. MR. CHRIS SCOTT.

[8.1 Bond Capacity presentation]

>> I DON'T KNOW ABOUT YOU, BUT I COULD REALLY FEEL THE EXCITEMENT BUILDING FROM MY PRESENTATION THROUGHOUT THE NIGHT. IT'S PALPABLE.

IT'S LIKE THERE'S ABOUT TO BE A NEW ALBUM RELEASED, AND PEOPLE JUST CAN'T WAIT TO HEAR IT.

LET'S GO. TYPICALLY, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE BUDGET, OF COURSE, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE GENERAL FUND, BUT WE ALL KNOW THAT SCHOOL DISTRICTS DON'T HAVE ONE BUDGET.

WE'VE GOT MANY DIFFERENT BUDGETS AND THEY ALL HAVE THEIR OWN FUNDING SOURCES.

THEY ALL HAVE THEIR OWN RESTRICTIONS ON HOW THAT MONEY CAN BE USED.

ANOTHER BIG ONE THAT WE TALK ABOUT, SECOND MOST WOULD BE THE DEBT SERVICE FUND.

SOME IMPORTANT THINGS TO REMEMBER ABOUT THE DEBT SERVICE FUND IS THAT THE MONEY THAT WE COLLECT IN INS TAXES, THAT'S THE PART THAT PAYS FOR OUR BONDED DEBT IS NOT RECAPTURABLE.

ALL THE MONEY THAT WE COLLECT WE GET TO KEEP AND SO THAT MAKES IT VERY IMPORTANT FOR US, AND WE'VE TALKED A LOT ABOUT THIS AND HOW WE USE THAT AS A PART OF OUR OVERALL BUDGETING STRATEGY TO TRY TO MOVE THE THINGS THAT WE CAN INTO THE DEBT SERVICE FUND.

BECAUSE EANES ISD HAS THIS LARGE TAX BASE, WE CAN HAVE A LOWER INS TAX RATE THAN MOST OF OUR NEIGHBORING DISTRICTS.

BECAUSE OF THE WAY TOTAL TAX RATES ARE PUT TOGETHER, WHICH IS THE M&O RATE PLUS THE INS RATE, THE M&O RATE BEING REALLY CONSTRAINED AND MOST PEOPLE TAXING AT A VERY SIMILAR LEVEL.

BUT THE INS IS DIFFERENT.

IF YOU TAKE A LOOK AT THIS CHART OF SOME OF OUR SURROUNDING DISTRICTS, THAT'S GOING FROM HIGHEST TO LOWEST.

YOU'LL NOTICE THAT THE DISTRICT WITH THE HIGHEST TOTAL TAX RATE HAS THE LOWEST M&O TAX RATE.

REALLY THE DRIVER ON WHO'S GOING TO END UP ON THE HIGH END AND THE LOW END IS WHAT THEY'RE TAXING ON THE INS SIDE.

YOU'LL SEE US DOWN THERE ON THE BOTTOM WITH THE LOWEST TAX RATE AMONG LOCAL DISTRICTS WITH A 12-CENT INS TAX RATE AND A TOTAL RATE OF LESS THAN $0.90.

AISD IS AT $0.95, BUT EVERYBODY ELSE IS ABOVE $1.

THERE'S A FAIRLY SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE BETWEEN US AND THE DIFFERENCE IS BECAUSE OF THAT INS TAX RATE.

AS WE LOOK AT OUR TAX RATES OVER THE LAST 10 YEARS, YOU CAN SEE THAT WE'VE STEADILY DECREASED THEM, BOTH BECAUSE WE'VE LOWERED THE INS TAX RATE, BUT ALSO BECAUSE THERE'S BEEN M&O TAX RATE COMPRESSION.

NOW, M&O TAX RATE COMPRESSION IS BECAUSE OF STATE LAW, AND EVERYBODY IS COMPRESSING FOLLOWING THE SAME FORMULAS.

BUT WHEN YOU COMBINE THOSE TWO THINGS TOGETHER, YOU SEE THAT OVER THE LAST 10 YEARS, WE HAVE DECREASED OUR TOTAL TAX RATE VERY SIGNIFICANTLY FROM $1.21-88.5 CENTS.

>> WHAT IS OUR DEBT CAPACITY? WE GET ASKED THIS QUESTION A LOT.

TYPICALLY WHEN I GET ASKED THIS QUESTION FROM YOU, I GIVE YOU A NUMBER BECAUSE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT SOMETHING DIFFERENT.

WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THESE MAINTENANCE AND EFFICIENCY BONDS WE BRING OUT EVERY FOUR OR FIVE YEARS, AND YOU ASKED ME, HOW MUCH CAN WE DO WITHOUT RAISING OUR TAX RATE, AND I GIVE YOU A NUMBER.

TONIGHT, I'M GOING TO TALK TO YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHERE THOSE NUMBERS COME FROM AND HOW YOU MIGHT WANT TO THINK ABOUT IT DIFFERENTLY AS THE LRFPC BRINGS YOU RECOMMENDATIONS HERE IN THE NEXT MONTH.

DEPENDING ON WHAT THEY DO, IT MIGHT CHANGE HOW YOU WANT TO LOOK AT WHAT CAPACITY IS.

ONE OF THE THINGS THAT YOU MIGHT CONSIDER IS, WHAT IS THE MAXIMUM LEGAL RATE THAT YOU CAN TAX ON THE I&S SIDE? YOU SAW THAT, FOR EXAMPLE, HAYES CISD HAS AN I&S TAX RATE OF 43 SOMETHING CENTS.

SO THE MAXIMUM THAT YOU CAN TAX IS $0.50.

THAT'S WHY WE HAVE A MUCH LOWER, AND THAT'S WHY MOST PEOPLE HAVE A HIGHER RATE BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE THE TAXING CAPACITY WE DO.

ONE THING YOU COULD DO IS SAY, WELL, WHAT IS OUR CAPACITY IF WE TAX AT THE MAXIMUM LEGAL RATE, I'M NOT GOING TO SHOW YOU SLIDES ON THIS, BUT IT'S BILLIONS.

[02:10:03]

THERE'S NO REASON FOR US TO LOOK AT THAT, BUT THAT'S THE LEGAL LIMIT ON WHERE YOU CAN GO WITH YOUR DEBT CAPACITY.

INSTEAD, I'M GOING TO LOOK AT THE WAY WE NORMALLY DO, WHICH IS WHAT IS OUR DEBT CAPACITY AT OUR CURRENT TAX RATE? THEN I'M GOING TO LOOK AT WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF WE LOOKED AT CHANGING THE TAX RATE WHILE STILL MAINTAINING A RELATIVELY LOW RATE.

THE WAY I THOUGHT ABOUT IT WOULD BE, WHAT IF WE INCREASED OUR I&S TAX RATE IN SUCH A WAY THAT OUR TOTAL TAX RATE CONTINUED TO GO DOWN WHILE INCREASING IT AND STILL KEEPING US AMONGST THE LOWEST IN THE AREA.

I'M JUST GOING TO SHOW YOU THOSE SCENARIOS.

HOWEVER, YOU LOOK AT IT, DEBT CAPACITY IS GOING TO BE A FUNCTION OF THESE THINGS.

WHAT IS YOUR CURRENT DEBT? WHAT ARE YOU ALREADY REQUIRED TO PAY FOR? WHAT IS THE DISTRICT'S TAXABLE ASSESSED VALUE, THE TAV THAT WE TALK ABOUT A LOT? HERE'S A VARIABLE THAT WE NEED TO LOOK AT AND CONSIDER AND SOMETHING THAT WE DON'T ALWAYS.

THAT IS, WHAT IS THE COST OF FINANCING.

AS YOU MIGHT NOT BE SURPRISED TO LEARN, THE MUNI BOND MARKET HAS BEEN GOING A LITTLE NUTS THE LAST COUPLE OF DAYS.

IN FACT, IT'S CHANGED QUITE A BIT.

I GIVE YOU A NUMBER IN HERE, WHICH IS PROBABLY NO LONGER ACCURATE BECAUSE I PUT IT TOGETHER LAST WEEK.

BUT JUST IN THE LAST COUPLE OF DAYS, WE'VE SEEN THE MUNI BOND MARKET ADD ABOUT 50-60 BASIS POINTS.

NOW, WHAT WILL IT BE THIS SUMMER? WHAT WILL IT BE NEXT SUMMER? I DON'T KNOW. BUT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE DO HAVE TO CONSIDER.

AT THE SAME TIME, WE NEED TO THINK ABOUT WHAT IS THE SCHEDULE OF BOND SALES.

JUST BECAUSE WHEN YOU PASS A BOND REFERENDUM, THE COMMUNITY IS GIVING YOU THE ABILITY TO SELL BONDS UP TO THAT VALUE, BUT IT DOESN'T REQUIRE YOU TO SELL THEM ALL AT THE SAME TIME.

FOR EXAMPLE, IN 2023, WE HAD AN AUTHORIZATION FOR $131.4 MILLION.2023, WE SOLD 75 MILLION OF THOSE.

WE STILL HAVE 56.4 MILLION OUTSTANDING THAT RIGHT NOW WE'RE PLANNING ON SELLING THIS SUMMER TO MAKE THE FULL AMOUNT.

IF WE WERE LOOKING AT SOMETHING LARGER THAN THAT THAT MIGHT BE RECOMMENDED BY THE LRFPC, THEN NECESSARILY, WE WOULDN'T GO OUT THERE AND SELL ALL THE BONDS IMMEDIATELY.

WE WOULD SELL THE BONDS AS NEEDED TO KEEP THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF DEBT SERVICE LOWER, AND ALLOWS US TO HAVE MORE CAPACITY IN THE LONG RUN IF WE DON'T SELL IT ALL AT THE SAME TIME.

WE'LL LOOK A LITTLE BIT AT WHAT SCHEDULING THOSE BOND SALES MIGHT LOOK LIKE.

THEN FINALLY, WHAT IS THE IMPACT OF THE I&S TAX RATE? CURRENT DEBT. THE SCALE THAT YOU SEE ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE IS HOW MUCH MONEY WE NEED TO PAY TO SERVICE OUR DEBT IN THAT YEAR.

2025 IS THE TALL ONE YOU SEE THERE, AND WE'RE SERVICING ABOUT $27 MILLION WORTH OF DEBT THIS YEAR.

THAT INCLUDES ABOUT, I THINK IT WAS $2.8 MILLION OR MAYBE ABOUT TWO MILLION DOLLARS OF 2015 A SERIES BONDS THAT WAS DUE TO MATURE IN 2031 THAT WE ARE DEFUSING EARLY, AND SO THAT'S INCLUDED THERE.

THAT WOULD HAVE SHOWN UP AND CREATED A HIGHER BAR IN THE YEAR 2031 IF WE HAD NOT DONE THAT.

YOU SEE THIS STAIR STEP LOOK ON OUR DEBT SERVICE, AND YOU SEE THAT FROM 2030-2031, WE'RE GOING TO SEE A DROP OFF, AND THAT'S BECAUSE THE LAST OF OUR 2015 AS, 2016 AND 2017 WILL BE RETIRED AT THAT TIME IF WE DON'T RETIRE THEM EARLIER THAN THAT.

THEN OUT IN 2035, THAT'S THE LAST OF OUR SERIES 2019 AS, AND THEN OUT THERE, THERE ARE OTHER SERIES.

THAT'S TYPICALLY THE WAY WE SET UP OUR BONDS WHERE WE'LL HAVE THIS STAIR STEP EFFECT, WHICH ALLOWS US TO PASS THOSE BONDS EVERY 4-5 YEARS THAT WE'VE DONE.

BUT LIKE I JUST MENTIONED, WE ACTUALLY HAVE SOME MORE BONDS THAT WE'RE INTENDING TO SELL FROM THAT 2023 AUTHORIZATION THIS SUMMER.

ON THIS, THIS IS WHAT I ANTICIPATE THAT'S GOING TO LOOK LIKE.

WHAT WE INTEND TO DO IS TO SELL MORE ONE YEAR BONDS RATHER THAN HAVE A LEVEL DEBT SERVICE.

WE'VE GOT CAPACITY IN 2026,

[02:15:01]

THE DISTRICT'S TAXABLE ASSESSED VALUE, THAT'S BEEN WEIRD LATELY.

WE'VE SEEN SOME DECLINES OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS, WHICH IS PRETTY ATYPICAL.

IF YOU LOOK AT THIS, YOU SEE THAT, WELL, YOU'VE BEEN AROUND, ALL OF YOU BEEN AROUND LONG ENOUGH TO KNOW THAT I HAVE NO ABILITY TO PROJECT WHAT THE TAV IS GOING TO BE THE FOLLOWING YEAR.

LET ME SHOW YOU WHY THAT IS.

IF WE LOOK AT THIS, AND THE CABINET POINTED OUT TO ME THAT THEY DIDN'T KNOW WHAT I WAS TALKING ABOUT ON THIS SLIDE, SO I'M GOING TO EXPLAIN IT BETTER TO YOU THAN I DID TO THEM.

IF YOU LOOK AT 2022, ONE WAY AT ONE POINT, I THOUGHT THIS MIGHT BE A GOOD WAY OF TRYING TO PROJECT WHAT THE TAV IS GOING TO BE FOR THE NEXT YEAR IS LOOK AT WHAT IS THE AVERAGE OF THE FIVE YEARS PREVIOUS TO THAT.

THERE ON '22, I LOOK AT THE YEARS FROM 2017-2021, AND WHAT WAS THE AVERAGE GROWTH IN TAV DURING THOSE YEARS? IT WAS 5.2%.

BUT WHAT WAS THE ACTUAL CHANGE? 19.5.

IN 2023, I DID THE SAME THING.

I LOOKED AT THE YEARS FROM 2018-2022, AND THE AVERAGE WAS 8.7%, AND OUR ACTUAL CHANGE WAS -1.4, AND YOU CAN SEE THAT ALL OF THOSE, THAT'S A TERRIBLE WAY OF PREDICTING WHAT THE NEXT YEAR'S TAV CHANGE IS GOING TO BE.

I DON'T HAVE A GOOD WAY OF PROJECTING WHAT NEXT YEAR'S TAV IS GOING TO BE.

BUT FOR THE MOST PART, THAT'S AN IMPORTANT PIECE OF INFORMATION WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT THE GENERAL FUND.

WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT, NOT THE GENERAL FUND, BUT THE DEBT SERVICE FUND, WHERE YOU'RE REALLY TALKING ABOUT, WHAT AM I GOING TO BE ABLE TO SERVICE FIVE YEARS FROM NOW, 10 YEARS FROM NOW, AND YOU LOOK AT THIS, YOU SEE THAT IF WE LOOK AT AN AVERAGE, THEN YOU GET A MUCH BETTER SENSE OF WHAT'S GOING ON THERE.

FOR US WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE DEBT SERVICE FUND, THEN LOOKING AT THAT LONG TERM AVERAGE IS PROBABLY A BETTER WAY OF LOOKING AT IT.

WHEN I DO THOSE CALCULATIONS, IF I LOOK AT 2007-2024, WE GET AN ANNUALIZED GROWTH RATE OF ABOUT 5.8%.

IF I FACTOR IN OUR ANTICIPATED DECLINE OF ABOUT 5% OF TAV FOR THE UPCOMING YEAR, AND JUST FYI, WE'RE HAVING OUR MEETING WITH TCAT TOMORROW, SO I'LL GET THOSE PRELIMINARY NUMBERS TOMORROW.

THEN WE GET A NUMBER OF ABOUT 5.2%.

SOMEWHERE IN THE 5-6% RANGE IS ABOUT WHAT WE AVERAGE ON THE LONG-TERM, BUT OF COURSE, THAT DOES NOT TELL US WHAT IT'S GOING TO HAPPEN THE FOLLOWING YEAR, THE YEAR AFTER, AS WE'RE LOOKING AT IT LONG TERM.

WHAT ABOUT THE COST OF FINANCING? WELL, AS YOU MIGHT GUESS, COST OF FINANCING HAS GONE UP OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS.

ONE WAY TO THINK ABOUT IT IS, WHENEVER WE GO OUT TO FINANCE, IT'S NOT LIKE A MORTGAGE WHERE YOU GET AN INTEREST RATE, WHICH IS APPLIED OVER YOUR MORTGAGE.

EACH ONE OF THE YEARS THAT WE SELL.

WE SELL ONE YEAR BONDS, AND THERE MIGHT BE CUSTOMERS WHO WANT TO GO OUT AND THEY NEED FOR THEIR PORTFOLIO.

THEY NEED SHORTER TERM DEBT, SAFE AAA BONDS, AND THEY'LL BUY ONE YEAR BONDS OR ONE YEAR TO FIVE YEAR BONDS.

THEY'LL BUY THOSE AND OTHER CUSTOMERS MIGHT WANT 5-10 YEAR BONDS.

DIFFERENT CUSTOMERS WILL BUY DIFFERENT ONES, AND ALSO, AS YOU MIGHT GUESS, TYPICALLY, THE SHORTER THE BONDS, THE LOWER THE INTEREST RATE.

THAT'S ANOTHER GOOD REASON WHY WE WANT TO STACK UP OUR DEBT IN THE FIRST YEAR IF WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO DO THAT.

BUT WE DO LOOK AT WHAT'S KNOWN AS THE EFFECTIVE INTEREST RATE, WHICH IS BASICALLY, IF THIS HAD BEEN SOLD AS A TOTAL, WHAT WOULD BE THE AVERAGE OR THE EFFECTIVE INTEREST RATE THAT WE COULD HAVE APPLIED TO THE ENTIRE THING.

BACK IN 2019, WHEN WE SOLD HER 2019A BONDS, THE EFFECTIVE INTEREST RATE WAS ABOUT 2.23%.

THE WAY I TYPICALLY USE WHEN I'M MODELING IT OUT IS SAYING, AS I SAY, WHEN THE RATE IS RIGHT THERE, THEN THE COST PER MILLION DOLLAR OF BONDS THAT I'M SELLING IS ABOUT $59,000 A YEAR.

IN 2023, IT WAS MORE EXPENSIVE.

THE EFFECTIVE INTEREST RATE WAS ABOUT 3.82%, AND THE COST WAS ABOUT $69,000 PER MILLION DOLLAR THAT WE SOLD.

[02:20:05]

IT'S RIGHT AROUND 4.1%.

OF COURSE, EVERY DAY IS DIFFERENT BECAUSE YOU GO OUT AND THEY'RE NEGOTIATING PRICES ON WHO'S BUYING AT ANY TIME.

BUT YOU CAN GET AN IDEA OF WHAT IS GOING ON IN GENERAL.

AT 4.1%, IT'S ABOUT $75,000 FOR 20 YEAR BONDS, WHICH IS TYPICALLY WHAT WE SELL.

HOWEVER, WITH THE LRFPC RECOMMENDATIONS, WE MIGHT WANT TO CONSIDER 30 YEAR BONDS BECAUSE WE'RE ACTUALLY MIGHT BE LOOKING AT REPLACING ENTIRE BUILDINGS AND NOT JUST INFRASTRUCTURE.

OF COURSE, THAT MAKES IT A LITTLE CHEAPER.

AGAIN, I MENTIONED THIS EARLIER, BUT BOND SALE TIMING, WE PROBABLY WOULD NOT SELL ALL OF OUR BONDS AT THE SAME TIME.

WE WOULD SELL THEM AS NEEDED.

HERE, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE RECOMMENDATION IS GOING TO BE.

DON'T LOOK AT THIS AS THAT'S THE PLAN.

THIS IS JUST TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA OF HOW IT WILL WORK.

HERE'S SOME SCENARIOS. AGAIN, ON THOSE TIMES WHEN WE'VE COME TOGETHER AND WE'RE LOOKING AT A MAINTENANCE AND EFFICIENCY BOND, AND YOU SAY, HOW MUCH CAN WE AFFORD TO DO A 0.12? I WILL COME IN AND I'LL LOOK AT IT, AND I'LL SAY, IF WE DON'T SEE ANY GROWTH IN TAV, WHAT CAN WE AFFORD? HOW MUCH DEBT CAN WE AFFORD TO TAKE ON? THAT'S THE GAP BETWEEN OUR CURRENT DEBT AND HOW MUCH WE'RE COLLECTING.

THE RED LINES REPRESENTING HOW MUCH MONEY WE HAVE TO SERVICE OUR DEBT THE YELLOW AND BLUE LINE IS REPRESENTING THE AMOUNT OF DEBT THAT WE'RE ALREADY SERVICING, AND THEN THE GAP THAT YOU SEE THERE IS HOW MUCH ADDITIONAL WE COULD A TACK ON.

IN THAT CASE, IT WOULD BE ABOUT $100 MILLION AND THEN AGAIN, NOT ASSUMING ANY TAV GROWTH AT ALL IN 2031, WHEN OUR CURRENT DEBT DROPS DOWN, THEN WE COULD ADD SOME ADDITIONAL DEBT THERE AS WELL.

THAT'S WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE OF A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO, WE THOUGHT THAT WOULD BE HIGHER.

BUT THEN WE HAD NEGATIVE GROWTH TWO YEARS AGO.

WE HAD A LITTLE OVER 1% GROWTH LAST YEAR, AND THEN WE'RE EXPECTING NEGATIVE GROWTH AGAIN THIS YEAR.

IN ADDITION, THE LEGISLATURE LOOKS AT A COUPLE OF WAYS OF REDUCING OVERALL PROPERTY TAX RATES, ONE OF THE WAYS THEY DO IT IS BY COMPRESSION ON THE M&O TAX RATE, AS A DISTRICT, THAT'S OUR PREFERRED METHOD, IF THEY'RE GOING TO LOWER TAXES.

ANOTHER WAY THAT THEY SOMETIMES DO IT IS BY INCREASING THE HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION.

WHEN THEY DO IT BY COMPRESSING THE M&O TAX RATE, WE DON'T NECESSARILY TAKE A HIT ON THAT.

BUT WHENEVER THEY REDUCE THE TAXES BY INCREASING THE HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION.

NOW, THAT'S ACTUALLY LOWERING THE TAV, AND SO WE'RE COLLECTING LESS MONEY ON BOTH OUR GOLDEN PENNIES AND ON OUR I&S TAX COLLECTIONS.

AS FAR AS THAT GOES, THAT MAKES OUR I&S PENNIES LESS VALUABLE WHEN THE COMPRESSION HAPPENS THAT WAY.

>> CHRIS IF I MIGHT REAL QUICK.

IT'S LATE. I'LL MAKE SURE WE UNDERSTAND.

ON THAT PREVIOUS SLIDE.

THE WAY WE WOULD READ THIS IS IF THE VOTERS APPROVED A BOND PACKAGE.

WE COULD POTENTIALLY, IF THAT BOND PACKAGE WAS $195 MILLION BOND PACKAGE, WE COULD SELL 100 MILLION OF THAT STARTING IN 2027, IF WE CHOOSE TO AND NOT RAISE THE TAX RATE.

THEN SELL THE OTHER 95 MILLION OF THAT IN 2031 AND STILL NOT RAISE THE TAX RATE.

>> CORRECT.

>> DOES THAT NUMBER CHANGE IF IT'S A 30 YEAR BOND?

>> YES.

>> IT GOES BIGGER, RIGHT?

>> IT GOES BIGGER.

THERE'S SEVERAL CAVEATS HERE.

HERE, THAT'S ASSUMING A 2026 SALE.

IF WE SELL IN THE SUMMER OF 2026, WE START SERVICING THE DEBT IN 2027.

IF WE WOULD START SERVICING THAT DEBT IN 2031, WE WOULD ACTUALLY SELL THE BONDS IN 2030, HAVE THE MONEY AVAILABLE, AND WE WOULD START SERVICING IT IN 2031.

>> I'M GOING TO SHOW YOU SOME OTHER SCENARIOS HERE.

HERE, IF WE LOOKED AT A RELATIVELY MODEST GROWTH OF 3% TAV GROWTH, THEN WE START SEEING SOME OF THOSE COMPOUNDING EFFECTS.

[02:25:02]

THAT WOULD INCREASE CAPACITY TO JUST SHORT OF 300 MILLION.

FRANKLY, DEPENDING ON HOW WE'VE STRUCTURED THE DEBT, WE COULD DO 300 MILLION HERE.

AGAIN, I DON'T WANT YOU TO LOOK AT THESE AS PROPOSALS, IT'S JUST HOW WE LOOK AT WHAT OUR DEBT CAPACITY IS.

IF WE STRETCHED IT ON UP TO 5%, REMEMBER THAT OUR AVERAGE GROWTH OVER THE LAST 17, 18 YEARS HAS BEEN BETWEEN 5-6% PER YEAR, THEN THAT, OF COURSE, ALSO INCREASES THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT WILL BE AVAILABLE, AGAIN, AT THAT 12 CENT TAX RATE.

THERE'S ONE WAY OF LOOKING AT THIS.

IF THEY MAKE A RECOMMENDATION IN 2026, THE COMMUNITY VOTES ON IT IN 2026 AND ACCEPTS THAT WE WANT TO DO THAT, THIS IS NOT SHOVEL-READY.

WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO JUST START PLACING ORDERS.

THERE'S GOING TO BE A LOT OF WORK THAT HAS TO BE DONE, INCLUDING ARCHITECTURAL WORK BEFORE THIS HAPPENS, AND THAT'S GOING TO TAKE SOME TIME.

IT MIGHT BE THAT WE WOULDN'T ACTUALLY SELL THE BONDS IN 2026, WE MIGHT NOT SELL THEM UNTIL 2027.

IN WHICH CASE, WE WOULD HAVE A GAP THERE WHERE WE WOULD NEED TO LOOK AT.

WHAT I'VE SHOWN HERE IS SOME COLORABLE BONDS THAT ARE SITTING OUT THERE IN 2028-2030.

WE COULD TAKE THOSE, STACK THEM UP THERE TO FILL IN THAT GAP, AND THAT DOES TWO THINGS: ONE, IT MAKES SURE THAT WE HAVE ENOUGH DEBT TO SERVICE IN 2026, AND IT ALSO INCREASES OUR DEBT CAPACITY IN THOSE OUTER YEARS.

YOU CAN SEE WHAT HAPPENS THERE.

IT GIVES US A LITTLE BIT, AGAIN, MORE CAPACITY BY MOVING SOME OF THAT DEBT FROM THOSE EARLY YEARS AND DIFFUSING IT EARLIER.

FINALLY, WHAT IF WE LOOKED AT THE I&S TAX RATE? AGAIN, LOOKING AT OUR NEIGHBORING DISTRICTS, WE'VE GOT ONE OF THE LOWEST TAX RATES, AND WE COULD INCREASE OUR I&S TAX RATE WHILE STILL HAVING ONE OF THE LOWEST TAX RATES IN THE DISTRICT.

IF YOU WANTED TO CONSIDER DOING THAT, HERE'S A POTENTIAL SCENARIO OF HOW THAT MIGHT WORK.

THE WAY I CAME UP WITH WHAT THESE JUMPS WERE WAS JUST LOOKING AT, RIGHT NOW, WHAT I'M PROJECTING THE ACTUAL COMPRESSION WOULD BE IN THOSE YEARS AND TAKING A LITTLE BIT LESS THAN THAT, SO THAT YOU WOULD STILL SEE THE TOTAL TAX RATE DECLINE AND ADD OVER A COUPLE OF YEARS 10 CENTS TO THE I&S TAX RATE, AND WHEN YOU DO THAT, AND HERE I'VE ALSO COUPLED THAT WITH THE IDEA OF NOT SELLING THE BULK OF YOUR BONDS UNTIL 2027, THAT INCREASES YOUR CAPACITY UP INTO THE $800 MILLION RANGE.

I GUESS THE POINT OF THE PRESENTATION IS REALLY TO SAY, YOU DON'T HAVE A LOT OF LIMITATIONS ON WHAT YOU CAN LEGALLY DO.

REALLY THE LIMITATIONS ARE ON WHAT YOU FEEL COMFORTABLE DOING.

WHEN YOU HAVE A RECOMMENDATION, WE CAN START LOOKING AT WHAT THOSE SCENARIOS WOULD LOOK AT, WE COULD GAME OUT WHAT THOSE WOULD BE AND TRY TO FIND THE TYPE OF SCENARIO THAT YOU'RE MOST COMFORTABLE WITH BEFORE WE MOVE FORWARD.

ONE THING I DO WANT TO SAY, AND I KNOW YOU ALL KNOW THIS, BUT I WANT ANYBODY WHO MIGHT HAVE STAYED UP TO WATCH THIS OR WHO WILL WATCH IT LATER TO HEAR THAT THE TAX RATE THAT YOU SET ON THE I&S TAX RATE MUST BE SET IN ORDER TO PAY YOUR BONDED INDEBTEDNESS.

IN THAT CASE, IF YOU GO WITH ONE OF THESE SITUATIONS WHERE WE'RE GOING TO BE COUNTING ON GROWTH OR TO MAKE IT IF THE GROWTH DOESN'T COME, THEN THAT WOULD BE INCUMBENT ON YOU TO INCREASE THE TAX RATE TO COVER IT.

HOWEVER, THE INVERSE IS TRUE, IF THE GROWTH IS HIGHER THAN WHAT YOU THOUGHT, THEN YOU DON'T HAVE TO, AND YOU MIGHT EVEN, AT SOME POINT, LOWER YOUR TAX RATE.

I JUST WANT TO BE CLEAR IN THE FACT THAT WE CAN'T, PARTICULARLY IN THE ENVIRONMENT WE'RE IN NOW,

[02:30:01]

YOU CAN SAY, WE EXPECT THAT WE ARE GOING TO INCREASE THE TAX RATE, WE THINK IT WILL BE ABOUT THIS AMOUNT, BUT IT MIGHT BE A LITTLE MORE, IT MIGHT BE A LITTLE BIT LESS.

WITH THAT, I WILL TAKE ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU HAVE.

>> IF I MIGHT START REAL QUICK.

AS A LITTLE BIT OF AN INTRODUCTION OR CLARIFICATION HERE.

WE HAVE A LONG-RANGE FACILITY PLANNING COMMITTEE THAT'S OUT THERE LOOKING AT NEEDS IN THE DISTRICT AND OPPORTUNITIES TO PROVIDE OUR STUDENTS WITH MORE MODERN FACILITIES.

WE'VE NEVER PUT A BOUNDARY ON THAT GROUP.

WE'VE NEVER SAID GO BUILD US $100 MILLION BOND, A $200 MILLION BOND, WE'VE NEVER PUT SOLID LIMITS ON THEM.

NOW, AT THE SAME TIME, THEY'RE ARE NOT PROPOSING SPACESHIPS AND OCEAN LINERS, AND STUFF LIKE THAT, SO THERE'S A REASONABLE FRAMEWORK THAT THEY'RE WORKING IN.

WE'RE GOING TO GET A REPORT FROM A LONG-RANGE FACILITY PLANNING COMMITTEE ON MAY 20TH THAT WILL PROBABLY SHED SOME MORE LIGHT ON WHERE THEY'RE HEADED ON A NUMBER.

I THINK THAT AT THAT POINT, THAT'S WHEN WE WOULD START HAVING VERY ROBUST CONVERSATIONS.

MY POINT HERE IS, I DON'T THINK TONIGHT WE NEED TO POUND TOO HARD ON HOW MUCH DO WE NEED? HOW BIG IS THE BOND GOING TO BE? ULTIMATELY, AND WE ALLUDED TO THIS EARLIER, THIS REALLY ALL DEPENDS ON THE COMMUNITY VOTING AND PASSING A BOND.

THEN IT BEFALLS UPON US TO SET A TAX RATE IN ORDER TO SETTLE THE DEBT, JUST LIKE CHRIS WAS SAYING.

IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT HOW CHRIS GOT TO A NUMBER OR SOMETHING ON THESE SLIDES, I THINK THAT'S TOTALLY FAIR.

I THINK IF YOU WANT TO START TALKING ABOUT, WELL, WHEN ARE WE GOING TO REBUILD OR PUT A PARKING GARAGE AT WESTLAKE HIGH SCHOOL? I THINK THAT'S OUT OF SCOPE FOR TONIGHT, THAT'S NOT REALLY WHERE WE'RE HEADED.

THIS IS MAYBE GRUMPY JAMES AT 10 O'CLOCK SAYING THIS, BUT I DID WANT TO BRING THAT OUT.

I THINK THAT THERE'S ALSO A FAIR POINT THAT MEMBERS OF THE LONG-RANGE FACILITY PLANNING COMMITTEE ARE SAYING, IS THE CART BEFORE THE HORSE? WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL US A DOLLAR AMOUNT BEFORE WE STARTED? WELL, WE CONSCIOUSLY MADE A DECISION AS A BOARD NOT TO LIMIT THAT THINKING TOO MUCH.

WE REALLY DO WANT TO GET A FULL UNDERSTANDING OF WHERE THE NEEDS ARE RIGHT NOW, AND WHETHER OUR VOTERS DECIDE TO ADDRESS THOSE NEEDS OR NOT, THAT'S TO BE DETERMINED, BUT WE HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY.

I THINK WE HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO LOOK OUT TOWARD THE FUTURE AND TAKE THAT TO OUR VOTERS.

WITH THAT BEING SAID, ANY QUESTIONS OR THOUGHTS FROM THE BOARD? ANYBODY? [LAUGHTER] DIANE.

>> THANKS, JAMES. APPRECIATE THAT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, CHRIS.

THIS IS A GREAT BEGINNING FOR US TO UNDERSTAND HOW TO DIG IN WHEN WE FINALLY DO HEAR THE PRESENTATION, WHICH IS GOING TO BE COMING SOON FROM THE LONG-RANGE FACILITIES PLANNING COMMITTEE.

I, AT THAT TIME, WOULD LOVE TO SEE EVEN MORE VARIATIONS ON WHAT YOU'VE GIVEN US HERE.

THAT LAST CHART WHERE YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT SOME POTENTIAL INCREASES.

WHAT IF THAT HAD 3% GROWTH, IF THAT HAD 0% GROWTH, JUST SO THAT WE CAN THEN SAY, WHAT DO WE REALLY THINK IS GOING TO HAPPEN?

>> I THINK WE'RE DEFINITELY GOING TO HAVE TO DO THAT.

I DIDN'T WANT TO DO THAT TONIGHT BECAUSE NUMBER 1, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY'RE GOING TO RECOMMEND, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE TIME FRAME IS GOING TO BE, IF IT'LL BE OVER FIVE YEARS OR 10 YEARS AND HOW MUCH MONEY THEY'LL PROPOSE.

BUT ABSOLUTELY, I THINK THAT'S A PART OF THE DISCUSSION IS LOOKING AT HOW WE CAN DO THAT.

ONCE WE HAVE SOME IDEA OF WHAT THE RECOMMENDATIONS ARE.

>> IS THERE A RULE OF THUMB FOR WHAT A 30-YEAR BOND WOULD DO VERSUS A 20-YEAR BOND IN TERMS OF CAPACITY, OR IS IT A LITTLE DIFFERENT PER SE?

>> IT REALLY DEPENDS ON WHAT THE RATES ARE, AND RIGHT NOW, YOU CAN GET A LITTLE BIT EXTRA CAPACITY BECAUSE IF YOU SPREAD THEM OUT A LITTLE BIT LONGER.

I THINK IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO CONSIDER IF WE'RE LOOKING AT REALLY BUILDING ESSENTIALLY NEW FACILITIES.

AGAIN, I DON'T THINK IT'S APPROPRIATE WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT REPLACING ROOTS AND THAT SORT OF THING, BUT IT MIGHT BE IF YOU'RE BUILDING A NEW BUILDING.

>> I'VE BEEN IN THOSE MEETINGS,

[02:35:01]

>> I'M THINKING LIKE A 30-YEAR MORTGAGE ON A HOUSE, A 30-YEAR BOND ON A BIG SCHOOL BUILDING MAY BE THE WAY TO GO.

OTHER QUESTIONS, COMMENTS? A LONG WAY TO GO.

I THINK ALSO, ULTIMATELY, LOOKING AT THESE MODELS, THERE'S OBVIOUSLY COMPRESSION ON THE M&O SIDE, AND WORKING THAT WHOLE MODEL IS GOING TO BE VERY VALUABLE IN THE LONG RUN. YES, ELLEN.

>> THIS IS NOT SO MUCH A COMMENT ON BOND CAPACITY, AS IT'S JUST A COMMENT ON AS WE GO INTO THIS PLANNING PROCESS, OFTEN, WHEN WE LOOK AT THE BOND CAPACITY AND WE THINK ABOUT WHAT WE COULD DO, IT'S EASY TO GET VERY EXCITED ABOUT NEW AND EXCITING BUILDINGS.

I JUST WANT TO SAY, I THINK IT'S EQUALLY IMPORTANT FOR US TO BE VERY, VERY MINDFUL OF ADDITIONAL SQUARE FOOTAGE THAT AFFECTS OUR M&O BUDGET AND OUR ABILITY TO SUSTAIN THAT OVER THE LONG RUN.

THAT'S A PHILOSOPHICAL APPROACH COUPLED WITH THE FINANCIAL APPROACH OF WHERE THE POTENTIAL BONDS WOULD NEED TO END UP.

WHEN WE ARE DOING SOMETHING SO VISIONARY, I THINK WE HAVE TO KEEP THAT FRONT AND CENTER BECAUSE IT WILL BE EASY TO GET SWEPT AWAY, ESPECIALLY WITH THESE VERY LARGE NUMBERS.

THE VERY GREAT VISION THAT I'M SURE IS GOING TO BE SHARED.

THAT'S MY EDITORIAL [OVERLAPPING].

>> GREAT POINT. THANK YOU.

>> CAN I ASK YOU A QUESTION OF CHRIS?

>> YEAH.

>> THE BOARD IS VERY FAMILIAR WITH YOUR BUDGET CALCULATOR THAT WE OFTEN USE TO PLUG IN DIFFERENT VARIABLES.

COULD YOU CREATE SOMETHING SIMILAR TO THAT FOR THIS THAT WHERE YOU PLUG IN THE DIFFERENT VARIABLES THAT HAVE BEEN ASKED ABOUT TONIGHT?

>> I HAVE A CALCULATOR THAT I USE MYSELF, BUT I THINK IT WOULD BE VERY DIFFICULT TO MAKE IT GENERALIZABLE.

BUT LIKE I SAID, IF WE WANT TO DO WORKSHOPS AND PLAY WITH IT, WE CAN CERTAINLY DO THAT.

>> I LIKE THE WAY YOU JUST SAID THAT IT'S NOT IDIOT-PROOF. I APPRECIATE IT.

>> I DIDN'T SAY THAT. [LAUGHTER]

>> VERY TACTFUL WAY OF SAYING THAT. NOW, THANK YOU, CHRIS.

I THINK MAYBE ONCE WE START TO ZERO IN ON SOME BOUNDARIES AND STUFF, THEN MAYBE HAVING A TOOL THAT WE COULD USE WOULD BE HELPFUL. YES.

>> SORRY. JUST TO ADD TO YOUR COMMENT, JAMES, AND TO THE QUESTION AND THE DISCUSSION.

THIS IS FOR THE COMMUNITY'S SAKE.

THIS IS A DISCUSSION.

WE WILL CONTINUE TALKING ABOUT THIS, BUT WHEN WE ARE TALKING ABOUT A DECISION, WE'RE NOT MAKING A DECISION RIGHT AS THE LONG-RANGE PLANNING COMMITTEE IS MAKING RECOMMENDATIONS.

THERE IS GOING TO BE A PROCESS THAT WE WILL GO THROUGH IN LOOKING AT THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS, VETTING THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS THROUGH LIKELY ANOTHER COMMITTEE, AND THEN IT WILL COME BACK TO US.

FOR PURPOSES OF THE COMMUNITY, THIS IS GOING TO BE SOMETHING THAT IS METHODICAL AND CAREFULLY LOOKED AT, AND TO LOOK AT A POTENTIAL BOND, AND AS PART OF THAT, I REALLY APPRECIATE THIS PRESENTATION BECAUSE I KNOW IT WILL BE PART OF OUR DELIBERATIONS AS WE MOVE FORWARD.

>> YEAH, THAT'S A GREAT POINT, KIM.

I THINK THE FINER POINT ON THAT IS, BEFORE WE PRESENT A BOND IN THE COMMUNITY, WE WILL TELL THEM HOW MUCH IT'S GOING TO COST THEM.

WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT THE AVERAGE COST PER HOUSEHOLD, AND SO THIS WILL BE PART OF THAT PROCESS. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

WITH THAT, I THINK WE HAVE FINISHED OUR BUSINESS FOR TONIGHT.

[11. UPCOMING MEETINGS ]

WE HAVE A REGULAR MEETING ON APRIL 22ND, AND THEN A STUDY SESSION ON MAY 6TH.

BOTH OF THOSE WILL BE HERE AT CEDAR CREEK ELEMENTARY.

I BELIEVE WE ARE STILL ON TRACK FOR THE FIRST MEETING IN JUNE BEING IN OUR NEW BOARD ROOM, VOTER-APPROVED.

THANK YOU. WITH THAT, THE BOARD IS ADJOURNED AT, MY WATCH WON'T EVEN WORK THIS LATE, 10:11 PM. THANK YOU.

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.