May 06, 2025 Special School Board Study Session

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THE TIME IS NOW 6 P.M. AND I CALL THE MAY 6TH, 2025 MEETING OF THE EANES ISD BOARD OF TRUSTEES TO ORDER.

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CALL TO ORDER

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

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CLOSED SESSION

THANK YOU FOR COMING. SEE YOU IN A BIT. THE TIME IS NOW 7:05 P.M.

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RECONVENE INTO OPEN SESSION (Approximately 7:00 PM)

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

ON BEHALF OF THE WHOLE BOARD, WE WELCOME YOU TO TONIGHT'S MEETING.

THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. THE PURPOSE OF TONIGHT'S MEETING IS FOR THE BOARD TO DELIBERATE AND VOTE ON MATTERS LISTED ON THE AGENDA.

AS ALWAYS, WE'RE COMMITTED TO ENSURING A RESPECTFUL, CONSTRUCTIVE ENVIRONMENT.

AND WE ASK THE SAME COURTESY IN RETURN, PLEASE REFRAIN FROM OUTBURSTS OR DISRUPTIVE BEHAVIOR.

APPLAUSE IS ALWAYS WELCOME, ESPECIALLY DURING THE SUPERINTENDENT'S REPORT WHEN WE'RE RECOGNIZING STUDENTS FOR THEIR ACCOMPLISHMENTS.

THERE WILL BE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR PUBLIC COMMENT LATER IN THE MEETING, AND I WILL PROVIDE FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS WHEN WE REACH THAT POINT.

EVERYONE IS WELCOME TO STAY FOR THE ENTIRE OPEN MEETING, BUT IF YOU CHOOSE TO LEAVE EARLY, PLEASE DO SO QUIETLY. AND IF YOU NEED TO HAVE A SIDE CONVERSATION, PLEASE TAKE THAT OUTSIDE.

THANK YOU. AS ALWAYS, IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS OR FEEDBACK ABOUT ITEMS DISCUSSED TONIGHT, FEEL FREE TO EMAIL THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES AT TRUSTEES@EANES.NET.

OR CONSIDER REACHING OUT TO A TRUSTEE OR TRUSTEES DIRECTLY IF YOU'D LIKE TO MEET AND DISCUSS ITEMS FURTHER.

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

WE WILL NOW BEGIN OUR AGENDA WITH ARE WE SUPERINTENDENT'S REPORT FIRST, WE ARE SUPERINTENDENTS REPORT.

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SUPERINTENDENT'S REPORT

IT'S ALWAYS A PLEASURE TO BRING YOU GOOD NEWS TO START THIS EVENING'S MEETING.

AND WE'RE GOING TO RECOGNIZE A VERY IMPORTANT GROUP OF INDIVIDUALS TO BEGIN TONIGHT.

THIS IS THE SEASON WHERE THERE ARE A LOT OF RECOGNITIONS.

OUR EDUCATORS OF THE YEAR, OUR TEACHERS OF PROMISE, OUR RETIREES, THOSE WHO HAVE 25 YEARS OR MORE OF SERVICE.

BUT TONIGHT, FOR THE FIRST TIME, IT WAS SUGGESTED THAT WE SHOULD RECOGNIZE SOME OF OUR SUBSTITUTE TEACHERS BECAUSE EVERY DAY THEY PROVIDE SUPPORT WHEN A REGULAR CLASSROOM TEACHER IS NOT ABLE TO BE THERE, AND OUR SUB COORDINATORS ON THE CAMPUS REACH OUT TO THESE INDIVIDUALS AND THEY'RE ALWAYS AVAILABLE. AND SO WE WANTED TO ACKNOWLEDGE THEM THIS EVENING.

I WANT TO START BY ACKNOWLEDGING JACKIE NUNO, WHO IS WHERE IS JACKIE AT? JACKIE IS IN THE BACK. SHE IS OUR DISTRICT COORDINATOR.

THAT IS A BIG JOB. BECAUSE SHE IS UP VERY EARLY IN THE MORNING, SOMETIMES VERY LATE AT NIGHT, CHECKING TO SEE WHO NEEDS COVERAGE AND THEN COORDINATING WITH THE CAMPUSES.

SO, JACKIE, THANK YOU FOR YOUR DILIGENCE. BUT WE HAVE A SUBSTITUTE WHO IS REPRESENTING EACH ONE OF OUR CAMPUSES.

WHO IS HERE THIS EVENING? MR. SPRADLEY IS GOING TO HELP ME.

I'M GOING TO CALL OUT THE NAMES OF THE INDIVIDUAL WHO WAS NOMINATED FOR THIS RECOGNITION BY EVERY CAMPUS.

SOME ARE HERE TONIGHT. WE'RE GOING TO ASK YOU TO COME FORWARD. MR. SPRADLEY HAS SOMETHING FOR YOU. WE'RE GOING TO ASK YOU TO STAND HERE IN THE FRONT, AND THEN WE'RE GOING TO TAKE A PHOTOGRAPH WITH ALL OF THE TRUSTEES AFTER THEY'VE ALL BEEN RECOGNIZED.

SO I WANT TO START BY RECOGNIZING LIANA LOWRY FROM BARTON CREEK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.

HOWARD BUSHONG FROM WESTRIDGE MIDDLE SCHOOL. SO.

AND WE HAVE ANGELA MILLIMAN FROM FOREST TRAIL ELEMENTARY.

CHERYL MORAN FROM WESTLAKE HIGH SCHOOL. AND SHANNON SHAY ROSIER FROM HILL COUNTRY MIDDLE SCHOOL. BOTH OF OUR MIDDLE SCHOOLS REPRESENTED TONIGHT, AND AT BRIDGEPOINT ELEMENTARY WE HAVE LINDSEY TRAFF. LINDSEY IS HERE? YEAH. AND FROM VALLEY VIEW ELEMENTARY, CARISSA JOHNSON. ALL RIGHT. I THINK WE HAD THREE INDIVIDUALS WHO WERE NOT ABLE TO JOIN US TONIGHT.

PERHAPS THEY'RE SUBSTITUTING SOMEWHERE ELSE AT THIS TIME.

FROM CEDAR CREEK ELEMENTARY, KIERAN DASANI FROM EANES ELEMENTARY, KAT NICOLE AND FROM OUR ADULT TRANSITION SCHOOL, SCOTT TELLIS. SO, WE WANT TO RECOGNIZE THEM AS WELL.

WE HAVE CERTIFICATES FOR THEM LATER. I'M GOING TO ASK THE TRUSTEES, IF YOU DON'T MIND.

WE'RE GOING TO STEP UP AND TAKE A PICTURE OF OUR COLLEAGUES AND CONGRATULATE THEM ON THIS RECOGNITION.

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SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE TO OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT.

AND THEN ALSO WANTED TO RECOGNIZE OUR BOYS GOLF TEAM.

THEY ARE THE 2025 6A CHAMPIONS. AMAZINGLY THIS IS THEIR 14TH STATE TITLE, THE MOST IN ANY SPORT IN SIX-A HISTORY.

THE CHAPS LED THE FIELD BY EIGHT SHOTS, WITH TWO WESTLAKE PLAYERS TAKING SECOND AND THIRD INDIVIDUAL MEDALS.

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE TEAM TO COACH MICHAEL ROME AND COACH LANE GRIGGS.

SO VERY PROUD OF OUR STATE CHAMPS AND THAT'S QUITE AN ACCOMPLISHMENT.

AND THEN ON THE BASEBALL DIAMOND THE CHAPS ARE BI DISTRICT CHAMPS.

THE AREA CHAMPIONSHIP FEATURED BRANDEIS AND WESTLAKE.

THAT WILL BE THE SET COMING UP. THE CHAPS HEAD TO SAN ANTONIO FOR GAME ONE ON THURSDAY AT SIX.

THEN WESTLAKE HOST GAME TWO ON FRIDAY EVENING AT SIX.

AND IF NECESSARY, GAME THREE WILL BE SATURDAY AT 1:00 IN SAN MARCOS.

SO CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR BASEBALL CHAPS AS WELL.

MR. SPRADLEY, THAT CONCLUDES MY REPORT FOR THIS EVENING.

THANK YOU, DR. ARNETT. ANY QUESTIONS FROM THE BOARD? AS ALWAYS, AMAZING STUDENTS AND TEACHERS APPRECIATE THAT.

IS OUR OPEN FORUM IS NEXT. LET ME READ A COUPLE OF WORDS ABOUT OPEN FORUM.

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OPEN FORUM

PLEASE WATCH THE TIMER ON THE SCREEN WHEN YOUR TIME IS UP.

FINISH YOUR SENTENCE AND STOP. IF YOU FINISH, DON'T.

DO NOT FINISH YOUR PREPARED STATEMENTS. YOU ARE WELCOME TO EMAIL THE BOARD WITH YOUR FULL COMMENTS.

WHEN SPEAKING, DIRECT YOUR COMMENTS TO THE BOARD, NOT TO THE AUDIENCE OR OTHERS. TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 551 PROHIBITS DISRUPTION OF BOARD MEETINGS. SO, WE ASK THAT OUR REACTIONS REMAIN TO COMMENTS.

REMAIN BRIEF AND RESPECTFUL. IF YOU WISH TO NAME A DISTRICT EMPLOYEE IN A COMPLAINT, PLEASE NOTE THAT THE BOARD MUST HEAR SUCH COMPLAINTS IN A CLOSED SESSION, AS REQUIRED BY TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 551.

THE BOARD CANNOT DELIBERATE OR RESPOND TO COMMENTS ON TOPICS NOT LISTED ON THE AGENDA.

PER TEXAS LAW, THIS IS OUR TIME TO LISTEN, NOT TO REACT OR ENGAGE.

CLARIFYING INFORMATION MAY BE PROVIDED BY THE SUPERINTENDENT IF NECESSARY.

PLEASE ALSO NOTE THAT THIS PORTION OF THE MEETING IS BEING RECORDED AND WILL BE PUBLISHED ON THE DISTRICT WEBSITE WITHOUT ALTERATION.

BY SPEAKING, YOU CONSENT TO THIS PUBLICATION.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND FOR SHARING YOUR THOUGHTS. WE ARE READY TO BEGIN WITH OUR FIRST SPEAKER TONIGHT, WHICH IS JENNIFER CHAMPAGNE.

I NEED TO TURN ON THE MIC. THERE WE GO. THERE YOU GO.

HELLO, TRUSTEES AND DOCTOR ARNETT. MY NAME IS JENNIFER CHAMPAGNE.

I AM HERE TODAY TO SHARE MY GRATITUDE TO HEATHER SHEFFIELD FOR MANY YEARS OF DEDICATION TO EANES ISD.

SINCE THE DAY HEATHER AND HER FAMILY MOVED HERE, SHE'S BEEN AN ACTIVE PARTICIPANT IN OUR SCHOOLS.

SHE DIVED IN AND OFFERED HELP IN ANY WAY SHE COULD.

AS A FORMER EDUCATOR, SHE UNDERSTANDS THAT STRONG PARTNERSHIPS BETWEEN PARENTS, THE COMMUNITY AND SCHOOLS BUILD A BETTER FOUNDATION FOR EDUCATION.

WHEN SHE ULTIMATELY JOINED THE EANES ISD SCHOOL BOARD, SHE BROUGHT HER TEACHER PERSPECTIVE AND HER DEPTH OF EXPERIENCE IN PUBLIC EDUCATION POLICY. SHE'S BEEN A CHAMPION FOR SPECIAL EDUCATION AND AN ADVOCATE FOR PUBLIC SCHOOLS ACROSS THE STATE OF TEXAS.

DURING HEATHER'S TENURE ON THE BOARD, THERE WERE BIG, DIFFICULT DECISIONS TO BE MADE ON A WIDE RANGE OF ISSUES.

ONE OF HEATHER'S BEST ATTRIBUTES IS HER WILLINGNESS TO LISTEN TO OTHER'S CONCERNS.

THOSE OF US WHO'VE SAT ON THIS DAIS KNOW THAT CRITICISM COMES WITH THE JOB, BECAUSE WHEN YOU'RE FORCED TO CHOOSE BETWEEN TWO OR A FEW OPTIONS, SOMEONE WILL BE UNHAPPY WITH YOUR ULTIMATE DECISION.

THANK YOU FOR ALWAYS DOING YOUR HOMEWORK. THANK YOU FOR LISTENING TO THOSE PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY WHO HAD CONCERNS AND FOR ALWAYS,

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AND TO LOOK AT THE BIG PICTURE BEFORE YOU MADE A DECISION.

MOST IMPORTANTLY, THANK YOU FOR BEING WILLING TO MAKE THOSE HARD CHOICES.

TO SAY YOU LEAVE BIG SHOES TO FILL IS AN UNDERSTATEMENT.

YOUR IMPACT ON THE BOARD IS SIMPLY IRREPLACEABLE.

WE'RE FACED AT A TIME WHEN THE TEXAS LEGISLATURE CONTINUES TO MAKE CHOICES THAT NEGATIVELY IMPACT SCHOOL DISTRICTS AROUND THE STATE.

THEY ARE CONSIDERING BILLS THAT, IF ENACTED, WILL HARM PUBLIC SCHOOLS EVEN FURTHER.

WITH THAT IN MIND, HEATHER, I WANT TO THANK YOU IN ADVANCE FOR WHAT I KNOW YOU'LL CONTINUE TO DO.

ADVOCATE FOR EANES AND ALL PUBLIC SCHOOLS IN TEXAS.

YOUR PASSION IS UNMATCHED, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO EVERYTHING YOU DO NEXT.

THANK YOU, JENNIFER . NEXT, WE'LL HAVE JOHN HAVENSTRITE.

GOOD EVENING AND THANK YOU. I'LL TRY TO GET THROUGH THIS.

I WOULD LIKE TO OFFER SOME THOUGHTS ON YOUR TIME IN EANES AND OUR COLLABORATIONS.

DO YOU REMEMBER WHEN WE MET? IT WAS ABOUT A DECADE AGO.

YOU JUST INTRODUCED YOURSELF AT A BOARD MEETING IN AN OPEN FORUM.

NOT DISSIMILAR FROM THIS, SAYING THAT YOU WERE HERE FOR THE KIDS AND TEACHERS AND SCHOOLS READY TO DO THE WORK.

YOU WERE NEW TO EANES AND BOUNCING WITH EXCITEMENT. AND THAT NIGHT I FOLLOWED YOU OUT OF THE BUILDING AND INTO THE PARKING LOT. BUT NOT IN THE CREEPY WAY.

TO SEE IF YOU'D BE INTERESTED IN HELPING A GROUP OF MOMS AND ME PASS A BOND.

YOU AGREED, AND THAT BOND PASSED. THAT WAS THE FIRST TIME WE TEAMED.

BUT WE WOULD TEAM AGAIN. BONDS AND TAX RATE INITIATIVES AND CAMPAIGNS, POLICY THINGS, LOCAL, REGIONAL, STATE STUFF. SOME EASY, SOME HARD. AND THEN FOR REASONS THAT I WON'T PRETEND TO UNDERSTAND, A COLLABORATIVE LANGUAGE OF PUB ED CHANGED AND EVERY SINGLE THING WE DID GOT MORE DIFFICULT.

BUT YOU KEPT GOING. OUR STUDENTS THRIVED. AND EANES BECAME AND REMAINS THE FINEST COMMUNITY OF SCHOOLS IN TEXAS AND AMONG THE FINEST IN THE NATION.

BUT IF ANYBODY NEEDS ANOTHER METRIC, SOMETHING THAT SYMBOLIZES EANES SUCCESSES, THAT WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN.

BUT FOR YOU. I ENCOURAGE SOME REFLECTION ON THE PROGRAMS AND OPPORTUNITIES NOW AVAILABLE TO OUR SPECIAL KIDS.

AND SOME REFLECTIONS ON WHAT WAS AVAILABLE A DECADE AGO.

AND WHILE IT'S TRUE THAT THE TRANSFORMATION OF SPECIAL SERVICES PROGRAMS AND OUTCOMES WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN POSSIBLE WITHOUT THE COMMITMENTS OF THE BOARD AND THE ADMINISTRATION, AND YOU, MOLLY MAY, YOU WERE MORE INSISTENT, YOU WERE MORE KNOWLEDGEABLE, AND YOU WERE MORE ENGAGED.

AND THE REST OF US, YOU SIMPLY PUSHED HARDER.

AND I DON'T BELIEVE SPED WOULD BE WHERE IT IS IF YOU HAD NOT WALKED IN THAT BOARDROOM ALL THOSE YEARS AGO.

CIRCLING BACK TO THE PLEDGE FIRST MADE THAT FIRST NIGHT YOU PLEDGED TO WORK FOR STUDENTS AND TEACHERS AND SCHOOLS.

AND LET ME SAY ON BEHALF OF THE FAMILIES, OF THE VULNERABLE KIDS WHO BENEFITED FROM YOUR LABORS OF LOVE AS MINE DID.

THANK YOU. YOU MADE EANES BETTER. NOW, IN CLOSING GOT THIS FAR.

I'D LIKE TO INVITE YOU TO JOIN ME AND JEN AND THE OTHER FORMERS WHO ARE NOT HERE THIS EVENING.

WE GET TOGETHER EVERY OTHER TUESDAY EVENING AND WE DRINK WINE, AND WE GOSSIP ABOUT YOU AND WE LOOK FORWARD, BUT WE NEVER, EVER, EVER LOOK BACK. WELCOME TO OUR TROOP, HEATHER.

AND THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU. THANK YOU, JOHN.

CHRISTY SCHULTZ. I HAVE NOT PRACTICED THIS AT ALL. I HAVE NO IDEA HOW LONG IT IS, BUT I SAID, OH, MY GOSH, ALL OF YOU GUYS HAVE PREPARED SOMETHING AND I HAVEN'T, SO MAYBE I'LL JUST READ MY FACEBOOK POST. SO, I ABBREVIATED IT A LITTLE BIT.

THIS IS MY GRATITUDE FOR HEATHER AS WELL. JUST A QUICK STORY.

I FIRST MET HEATHER AT A PICNIC TABLE OUTSIDE OF WHAT USED TO BE THE THIRD GRADE PORTABLE BUILDINGS AT FOREST HILL ELEMENTARY SIX YEARS AGO.

THAT WAS ACTUALLY MORE LIKE NINE YEARS AGO. SHE WAS NEW TO AUSTIN, NEW TO EANES, AND NEW TO FOREST TRAIL.

WE HAD KIDS IN SOME IN THE SAME GRADES. SHE WORKED, VOLUNTEERED, LOVED DOGS.

SHE SEEMED LIKE MY KIND OF PEOPLE. SHE ADDED HER NAME TO AN INTEREST FORM LOOKING FOR VOLUNTEERS FOR THE ANNUAL AUCTION.

OUR SCHOOL'S BIGGEST FUNDRAISER. WE WERE BOOTED FROM THE INDOOR SPACES BY OTHER GROUPS.

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AS CO-PRESIDENT OF THE BOOSTER CLUB, WE WERE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR VOLUNTEERS. SHE WAS A FRESH FACE.

SHE SEEMED EXCITED ABOUT SOLICITATIONS. I WAS A LITTLE WORRIED ABOUT HER.

SAID THE POOR THING. DOESN'T KNOW HOW HARD A VOLUNTEER ROLE CAN BE HERE IN EANES.

LITTLE DID I KNOW ABOUT HEATHER IN THAT FIRST MEETING, SHE OFFERED A PLETHORA OF IDEAS.

HAVING COME FROM A WELL ORGANIZED PTO IN HOUSTON.

SHE OFFERED TO SHARE LOTS OF RESOURCES. I SAW SOME OF MYSELF IN HEATHER AND IDEALISTIC GREATER GOOD, FULL OF ENERGY. MOM, I'M READY TO POUR ENERGY INTO OUR SCHOOLS.

SHE SAID SHE HAD MOVED FOR HER HUSBAND'S WORK, BUT SHE WAS EQUALLY HAPPY NOW TO LIVE JUST DOWN THE STREET FROM THE CAPITOL.

WE TAKE SO MANY TRIPS UP HERE FROM HOUSTON ADVOCATING FOR KIDS AND PUBLIC SCHOOLS THAT IT'S ALL DREAMY TO BE IN THIS CLOSE NOW, SAID HEATHER. I LOOKED AT HER QUIZZICALLY. IN AN INSTANT, I WAS, OF COURSE, OVERCOME WITH MY EMBARRASSMENT THAT I HAD NEVER, AS A NATIVE AUSTINITE EVEN ONCE ADVOCATED FOR ANYONE'S CHILDREN'S AT THE CAPITOL.

NEEDLESS TO SAY, I SAW LESS OF MYSELF IN HEATHER.

SHE WAS LEAPS AND BOUNDS ABOVE AND AHEAD OF ALL OF US.

SENSING MY TIME DRAINING HERE. SO I'LL SKIP A LITTLE BIT OF THIS.

HEATHER LITERALLY TOOK OFF FROM THERE. NOT ONLY DID SHE CONTRIBUTE TANGIBLY TO THE IDEAS AND THE VALUES OF OUR SWEET ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, BUT SHE STARTED VOLUNTEERING MEANINGFULLY AT EVERY LEVEL OF ALL OF OUR SCHOOLS.

YOU NAME IT. ELEMENTARY MIDDLE SCHOOL. BOOSTER CLUBS.

EANES EDUCATION FOUNDATION. CAMPUS LEADERSHIP EANES LEADERSHIP TEAM.

INNUMERABLE SPECIAL PROJECTS FOR DYSLEXIA, SPECIAL EDUCATION AND BEYOND.

SHE DID IT ALL. SHE MADE SIGNS PROCTORED STAAR TESTING.

ATTENDED SCHOOL BOARD MEETINGS AND SHARED WHAT WAS HAPPENING WITH THE DISTRICT WITH US.

WHILE WE JUST PASSIVELY TOOK IN HER INFORMATION THAT SHE WOULD FEED TO US, WHICH WAS LOVELY.

WE DID NOT HAVE TO SHOW UP AT MEETINGS WITHIN A YEAR.

HEATHER HAD AS MANY CONTACTS AS I HAD HAD BEING HERE MUCH LONGER THAN SHE HAD.

IT WAS CLEAR THAT HEATHER WAS A HELPER. IT SAID THAT FRED ROGERS SAID, LOOK FOR THE HELPERS.

NEEDLESS TO SAY, HEATHER HAS ALWAYS BEEN A HELPER.

AS ADVERTISED, SHE WENT TO THE CAPITOL. SHE ADVOCATED FOR OUR KIDS.

SHE WAS CONSTANTLY INVOLVED WITH OUR LOCAL SCHOOLS AND VOLUNTEER WORK, AND WE WERE ALL BLOWN AWAY BY ALL SHE DID, ALL SHE KNEW AND HOW EFFECTIVELY SHE SPENT HER TIME BETTERING HER COMMUNITY.

I REMEMBER SAYING TO HER AT A SCHOOL EVENT ONE TIME, YOU KNOW, SO MUCH YOU SHOULD REALLY RUN FOR SCHOOL BOARD, SHE REPLIED WITH TYPICAL HEATHER HUMILITY. WELL, I STILL HAVE A LOT TO LEARN.

MAYBE. THANK YOU, KRISTI. THANK YOU, HEATHER .

SHE'S BEEN AROUND FOR A LONG TIME AND WE REALLY, REALLY, REALLY, REALLY DEEPLY APPRECIATE HER.

THANK YOU, KIMBERLY ALLEN.

GOOD EVENING, TRUSTEES AND MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY.

I TOO AM HERE TO THANK HEATHER SHEFFIELD. HEATHER AND I HAVE SERVED ON MULTIPLE BOND ELECTIONS.

THAT IS HOW I FIRST MET YOU AS WELL. AND ON VARIOUS COMMITTEES, INCLUDING MOST RECENTLY, THE LONG RANGE PLANNING COMMITTEE.

SO, I'D LIKE TO TAKE A MOMENT TO THANK YOU, HEATHER, FOR YOUR YEARS OF SELFLESS AND DEDICATED SERVICE TO OUR DISTRICT.

YOU HAVE BEEN A STEADY, PASSIONATE ADVOCATE AND VERY KNOWLEDGEABLE FOR OUR STUDENTS, OUR TEACHERS, AND OUR COMMUNITY. HEATHER, I WILL REMEMBER YOU FOR MANY THINGS, ONE OF WHICH IS YOUR UNWAVERING COMMITMENT TO RAISING AWARENESS AROUND THE NEEDS OF SPECIAL ED, ESPECIALLY WITH STUDENTS WITH DYSLEXIA.

IT IMPACTED MY FAMILY AS WELL. I'LL REMEMBER YOU FOR YOUR DEEP ENGAGEMENT IN SCHOOL FINANCE AND EDUCATION POLICY AND ADVOCATING FOR US AT THE TEXAS CAPITOL AND THE THOUSANDS OF HOURS, LITERALLY, THAT YOU'VE SPENT AT BOARD MEETINGS, AT EVERY COMMUNITY MEETING THAT I GO TO.

YOU'RE ALWAYS THERE, ALWAYS LISTENING, AND ALWAYS AVAILABLE FOR YOUR CONSTITUENTS.

YOU CHAMPIONED SCHOOL BONDS THAT LED TO MEANINGFUL IMPROVEMENTS ACROSS THE DISTRICT, INCLUDING A NEW WRESTLING CENTER, EXPANDED ROBOT FACILITIES, A NEW POOL AT THE WESTLAKE HIGH SCHOOL, ENHANCED FINE ART SPACES AT MIDDLE SCHOOL,

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BUT MOST OF ALL, I WILL REMEMBER YOU, HEATHER, BECAUSE YOU ALWAYS SHOWED UP.

YOU WERE PRESENT AT EVERY BOARD MEETING, CAMPUS EVENT, EVERY COMMUNITY COMMITTEE THAT YOU VOLUNTEERED FOR.

YOU WERE THERE. YOU WERE FULLY ENGAGED. YOU WERE FULLY COMMITTED TO THE WELL-BEING OF THE DISTRICT.

THANK YOU, HEATHER, FOR ALL YOU'VE DONE, FOR YOUR INTEGRITY, FOR YOUR HEART, AND FOR YOUR TRUE PUBLIC SERVICE.

THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS RACHEL JACKSON.

I'M NOT SURE IF SHE'S HERE, THOUGH. OKAY. THAT CONCLUDES OPEN FORUM TONIGHT.

WE WILL NOW MOVE INTO OUR REPORTS. WE'LL START WITH A BLEND UPDATE AND THEN WE'LL HAVE A SECURITY UPDATE.

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REPORTS

GARCIA AND MISS SMOLAN ARE COMING FORWARD, I WANT TO SHOW YOU SOMETHING.

LAST SATURDAY, BARTON CREEK WAS OPEN TO WELCOME NEW VALLEY VIEW FAMILIES AND THEIR STUDENTS, AND IT WAS SO FUN TO BE THERE AND TO SEE THE FOURTH GRADERS AT BARTON CREEK, WHO WERE PROVIDING TOURS AND WELCOMING THE NEW FAMILIES AND NEW STUDENTS.

AND OF COURSE, MISS SMOLAN WAS THERE WITH MANY OF THE STAFF WHO WILL BE SERVING AT BARTON CREEK NEXT YEAR.

SO, I WANTED YOU TO SEE THESE PICTURES. IT WAS REALLY A DELIGHTFUL AFTERNOON.

BUT WHAT I ALSO WANT YOU TO SEE IS WHAT'S BEHIND THE PICTURES.

BECAUSE IF YOU CAN SEE THERE IS A VERY DETAILED SPREADSHEET OF ALL OF THE DIFFERENT THINGS THAT NEED TO BE DONE TO GET READY FOR NEXT YEAR.

MR. SPRADLEY IS A PROJECT MANAGER. YOU WILL APPRECIATE THIS.

AND THAT'S WHAT DOCTOR GARCIA AND MISS SMOLAN ARE HERE TONIGHT TO SPEAK ABOUT, TO PROVIDE THE REGULAR UPDATE THAT WE PROMISED ON ALL OF THE THINGS, THE WORK THAT'S BEING DONE TO GET READY FOR NEXT YEAR. SO I'LL TURN IT OVER TO BOTH OF YOU.

SURE. SO GOOD EVENING, EVERYONE. SO JUST SOME QUICK UPDATES ON THE 22ND OF APRIL, MYSELF, MISS SMOLIN, BARTON CREEK ELEMENTARY POLICE OFFICER, TRANSPORTATION, AND SOME STAFF WALKED THE BARTON CREEK ELEMENTARY SITE.

THE DROP OFF AND PICKUP SITE. JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR TRAFFIC STUDY RECOMMENDATIONS ARE IMPLEMENTED PROPERLY AND ANSWER QUESTIONS THAT WE MIGHT HAVE HAD AND GET CLARIFICATION ON WHAT WAS EXPECTED FOR THE UPCOMING SCHOOL YEAR.

ALSO, THE LEARNING STUDIO PLACEMENT CONTINUES TO BE THE SAME AS COMMUNICATED PRIOR.

WE WILL HAVE A LEARNING STUDIO AT THE END OF THE 103 HUNDRED HALLWAY.

AND THEN ON THE NORTH SIDE OF THE CAMPUS WE HAVE ALSO COORDINATED WEEKLY MEETINGS MYSELF STAFF WITH PRINCIPAL SMOLIN. AND ONE TIME A WEEK AND THEN WE ALSO MEET REGULARLY WITH OUR CDC COORDINATOR ON A WEEKLY BASIS.

FIRST OFF, THANK YOU FOR SHOWING THOSE PICTURES. I'VE BEEN WAITING ON SOCIAL MEDIA TO SEE THIS DR. ARNETT.

WE HAVE ALSO BEEN WORKING ON TRADITIONS AND EVENTS THROUGH OUR FUTURE FORWARD COMMUNITY GROUP THAT WE HAVE GOING ON RIGHT NOW WITH OUR COMMITTEE.

ELLEN JOINED US LAST TIME THAT WE MET LAST WEEK, AND WE FINALIZED A LIST OF EVENTS AND PRESENTED THOSE TO THE BOOSTER CLUB.

SO I SENT THOSE NOTES OUT TO THE GROUP, AND THEN BOOSTER CLUB IS GOING TO BE GOING OFF OF THAT AND WORKING ON THEIR BUDGET NEXT.

AND THEN WE ALSO HAD A LIST OF ITEMS THAT OUR COMMUNITY PARENTS REALLY ENJOYED, AND WE'RE GIVING THAT TO THE STAFF BECAUSE OTHER STAFF LED EVENTS.

AND THEN THEY'RE GOING TO BE TALKING ABOUT THAT ACTUALLY TOMORROW WE HAVE A CAMPUS RETREAT.

WE'LL CALL IT OVER AT THE DOCK, ACTUALLY SO THAT WE CAN DISCUSS THOSE THINGS FOR NEXT YEAR AND BEGIN PLANNING THERE, TOO. AND THEN A SURVEY HAS GONE OUT TO STAFF TO TO GET THEIR FEEDBACK ON WHAT WE NEED TO WORK ON AND LOOK FORWARD TO AND REVIEW AS WELL.

AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE LET'S SEE. OH, LAST WEEK I ALSO WALKED THE CAMPUS WITH SPED DIRECTOR AND CSS DIRECTOR AND MOLLY MAY AND JOINED US AS WELL, JUST TO WALK THE CAMPUS AND LOOK AT THE SPACES THAT WE HAVE AND FINALIZE THE MAP IF WE CAN.

WE'RE STILL WORKING ON IT A LITTLE BIT, BUT WE'VE GOT IT PRETTY CLOSE TO FINISHED NOW.

I THINK I'LL JUMP BACK IN HERE AND THEN. SO, TRANSITION PLAN THAT IS IN PLACE FOR BOTH VALLEY VIEW CAMPUS AND OUR BARTON CREEK ELEMENTARY CDC. SO, BOXES HAVE BEEN DELIVERED.

THE MOVERS HAVE BEEN PROCURED. WE HAVE SETTLED ON DATES.

SO THAT IS ALSO THAT'S ALSO BEEN CONFIRMED. AND THEN WE ALSO WERE ABLE TO SEND OUT THE LIST FOR THE

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AND SO, WE HAVE THAT LIST COMPLETED, AND WE'VE MADE SURE THAT EVERYBODY KNOWS WHAT CAMPUS THEY'LL BE ON. IF THEY'RE JOINING US ON BARTON CREEK'S CAMPUS FOR NEXT YEAR TO A FEW OPEN SPOTS, BUT MATT AND EMILY ARE WORKING ON THAT FOR US.

ONE OTHER THING WE'LL POINT OUT, TOO, I BELIEVE THAT YOUR ENROLLMENT RIGHT NOW IS TRACKING TO BE SOMEWHERE PROBABLY BETWEEN 625 AND 650 OR AROUND 615.

IS THAT CORRECT? AT THE PRESENT MOMENT, MOLLY? SO SOMEWHERE AROUND THAT NUMBER. SO, IT LOOKS LIKE WE OKAY.

SO, I HAVE BEEN LOOKING AT IT. BUT UNFORTUNATELY, I HAVEN'T LOOKED AT IT RECENTLY.

I WILL SAY I BELIEVE IT WAS A LITTLE BIT LOWER THAN THAT. CLOSER TO 600.

YOUR NUMBERS ARE PRETTY ACCURATE UP THERE BETWEEN 625 AND 650.

THANK YOU, MOLLY , THANK YOU BOTH. QUESTIONS FROM THE TRUSTEES.

ELLEN. I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU. I KNOW THIS THIS IS A PROCESS THAT'S NOT EASY.

IT'S EMOTIONAL. AND THERE'S JUST A LOT OF WORK TO BE DONE.

SO I APPRECIATE THE WAY THAT THE STAFF, YOU, BOTH OF YOU, AS WELL AS YOUR STAFFS AS WELL AS OTHERS IN THE DISTRICT HAVE JUST LEANED IN AND I WAS ESPECIALLY DELIGHTED TO BE ABLE TO BE A FLY ON THE WALL AND LISTEN TO ALL THE DISCUSSION ABOUT TRADITIONS AND WHAT NEEDED TO CHANGE AND WHAT OPPORTUNITIES WERE AVAILABLE TO REALLY MAKE EVERY STUDENT FEEL AT HOME ON THE BARTON CREEK CAMPUS NEXT YEAR.

AND SO I'M VERY EXCITED ABOUT HOW THIS TRANSITION IS GOING AND ABOUT WHAT A A GREAT CAMPUS YOU ARE PREPARING FOR NEXT FALL.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU. LAURA. YEAH. I JUST WANT TO ECHO ELLEN, AS FAR AS THE.

THANKS IT WAS CRITICAL FOR THE BOARD TO HAVE THESE UPDATES FROM Y'ALL.

THIS WAS REALLY THE BIGGEST THING THAT WE'VE EVER HAD TO DO IN MY TENURE IN MY FIVE YEARS ON THE BOARD.

SO, WE NEEDED Y'ALL HERE. I KNOW IT MAKES FOR LONG WORKDAYS FOR Y'ALL.

BUT THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR STAYING LATE ON THESE TUESDAY NIGHTS.

I'M JUST WONDERING IF THERE'S ANY, ANY KIND OF PINCH POINTS OR ANY KIND OF LITTLE AREAS WHERE YOU MIGHT NEED ADDITIONAL SUPPORT OR WHERE YOU WERE SURPRISED.

JUST CURIOUS IF THERE'S ANYTHING YOU ADDITIONAL THAT YOU MIGHT NEED.

I THINK I THINK WE'RE GETTING A LOT OF SUPPORT FROM THE DISTRICT RIGHT NOW TO JUST ALL THE CHECK INS.

MIGUEL COMING OVER, BRIAN BULLOCK'S AT THE TOUCH OF A BUTTON, YOU KNOW, HELPING WITH BOXES AND THINGS LIKE THAT THAT WE NEED.

THE NICE THING ABOUT IT, MOLLY MAY'S JUST RIGHT UPSTAIRS AT VALLEY VIEW RIGHT NOW, SO, YOU KNOW, IT'S TOO LONG UP THERE, YOU KNOW? YES. SO I THINK THAT THAT IS, YOU KNOW, REALLY NICE TO.

BUT WE HAVE LOTS OF CHECK INS GOING ON. I FEEL LIKE EVERYBODY'S REALLY THERE TO HELP AND MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE THAT PIECE.

I'M GOING OVER TO BARTON CREEK AS OFTEN AS I CAN.

I, YOU KNOW, I'M GETTING THERE NEXT WEEK, ACTUALLY.

SO I'M TRYING TO MAKE MYSELF AS OPEN TO SEEING THOSE FOLKS THERE TO THE STAFF MEMBERS, WHEN I ASKED FOR VOLUNTEERS FOR THE FOURTH GRADERS TO COME OVER AND ACTUALLY GREET STUDENTS AND GIVE TOURS, THE FOURTH GRADE TEACHERS OVER AT BARTON CREEK, YOU KNOW, EMBRACE THAT WITH OPEN ARMS AND WORKED WITH THEIR STUDENTS.

SO, I FEEL LIKE WE'VE GOT LOTS OF SUPPORT THERE TO A LOT OF PARENTS ARE COMING OUT AND ASKING, WHAT CAN WE DO? WHAT CAN WE DO? YOU KNOW WE'VE GOT A SPREADSHEET STARTED NOW, YOU KNOW, SO THAT THEY CAN COME OVER AND HELP.

SO I FEEL LIKE WE'VE GOT A LOT OF SUPPORT IN THE COMMUNITY, REALLY IS RALLYING AROUND BOTH SCHOOLS AND BOTH GROUPS TO HELP OUT WITH ALL OF THIS TRANSITION. SO IT FEELS REALLY GREAT. AND JUST TODAY WE HAD OUR VOLUNTEER BREAKFAST OVER AT VALLEY VIEW.

AND JUST TO SEE ALL THE PRECIOUS FACES THAT WERE THERE AND JOINING WITH US AND KNOWING THAT THEY'RE THERE TO SUPPORT US, IT REALLY DOES HELP US OUT.

SO YEAH, WE'RE DOING OKAY. FANTASTIC. THANK YOU AGAIN FOR BEING HERE.

THANK YOU. LAURA. WE'LL GO TO KIM. I'LL ADD MY THANKS TO THIS REPORT AND ALL OF THE REPORTS THAT WE'VE RECEIVED.

IT'S HEARTWARMING TO HEAR OF ALL THE PLANS AND ESPECIALLY THE COMMUNITY SUPPORT AS AS WE MOVE FORWARD.

I'VE GOT A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS. BRANDIS, YOU SAID THAT THAT YOU THOUGHT THE STAFFING WAS COMPLETE EXCEPT FOR A COUPLE OF SPOTS UP. SO IS THAT 2 OR 5 OR. AND IS THERE A PLAN? AND I'M NOT GOING TO I'M NOT GOING TO HOLD YOU TO IT.

BUT IS THERE A PLAN THAT YOU HAVE IN PLACE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE STAFFING COMPLETE? WELL, THAT'S THE LOVELY THING ABOUT IT TOO, IS LORI LEE IS RIGHT UPSTAIRS AS WELL, ON OUR CAMPUS.

[00:30:05]

SHE AND I ARE CLOSE TO EACH OTHER SO WE CAN TALK ABOUT THAT.

AND ABBY IS THERE AS WELL. RIGHT NOW, I THINK THAT THOSE POSITIONS ARE FROM GROWTH.

AND SOME FOLKS RETIRING POSSIBLY THAT ARE THERE IN THE SPECIAL EDUCATION DEPARTMENT.

AND MATT AND EMILY REALLY DO TAKE CARE OF THAT PIECE FOR US.

IT'S REALLY, REALLY NICE THAT WE GET TO COLLABORATE WITH THEM.

SO I KNOW THAT THEY'RE WORKING ON THAT PIECE. AND THEN I BELIEVE THAT WE MIGHT HAVE ONE OPENING POSSIBLY COMING UP IN CSS, AND ALLISON KEY TAKES CARE OF THAT FOR US AS WELL.

SO FOR RIGHT NOW, THOSE PIECES AND PARTS AREN'T ON MY SHOULDERS.

AND I HAVE THE SUPPORT OF OUR DISTRICT ADMIN TO HELP ME WITH THAT.

OKAY. SO WHAT I HEAR FROM YOU IS THAT YOU'RE NOT ANTICIPATING THEIR TO BE ANY STAFFING CONCERNS.

NOT RIGHT. NOT RIGHT NOW. GOOD, GOOD, GOOD, GOOD.

YEAH. AND THEN AND THIS MAY BE A CABINET QUESTION.

WE'RE LOOKING AT 625 AND 650. AS ENROLLMENT RIGHT NOW, WHAT DO WE ANTICIPATE ON SUMMER GROWTH OR SUMMER ENROLLMENT? WOULD THERE BE, YOU KNOW, DO WE ANTICIPATE IT TO BE A COUPLE OF STUDENTS? 50 SOMEWHERE IN BETWEEN? YEAH. I'LL TEE IT UP.

MOLLY. YOU CAN FILL IN IF YOU'D LIKE, BUT I THINK THE LATEST NUMBERS I SAW, WE WERE RIGHT AROUND 615.

SO THAT PROJECTION OF 625 TO 650 SHOULD MORE THAN ACCOMMODATE ANY NEW STUDENTS THAT WE SEE MOVE IN OVER THE SUMMER.

SO I DON'T THINK THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE IN EXCESS OF THAT NUMBER IF WE IF WE GET SOMETHING THAT'S A LITTLE BIT MORE THAT SURPRISES US, WE'RE STILL SORT OF WITHIN THAT SWEET SPOT THAT WE HAD PROMISED TO THE COMMUNITY WHEN WE WERE TALKING ABOUT WHAT WE THOUGHT WOULD BE THE OPTIMAL CAPACITY GIVEN THE BLEND.

MOLLY, ANYTHING ELSE YOU WANT TO ADD TO THAT? WELL, TECHNICALLY, AS OF TODAY, WE'RE AT 629, SO THAT'S THE OFFICIAL NUMBER. BUT THE GOOD THING IS WE HAVE SEATS IN EVERY SINGLE GRADE THAT WE CAN STILL FILL THAT DOESN'T ADD A SECTION.

SO, WE HAVE PLENTY OF CAPACITY. SO EVEN IF WE GET ADDITIONAL STUDENTS, WHICH I DO NOT THINK THAT WE'RE GOING TO GET ABOVE 650, BUT WE'RE NOT LOOKING AT ADDING SECTIONS OR NEEDING ADDITIONAL CLASSROOMS BECAUSE WE HAVE PLENTY OF CAPACITY TO GET THAT LAST SECTION, WHICHEVER IT IS UP TO 22. OKAY, THEN, MOLLY, AS A FOLLOW UP TO THAT, JUST TO CLARIFY, IT LOOKS LIKE CLASSES ARE UNDER THE 22 ALL OVER THE SCHOOL OR AT LEAST UP TO FOURTH GRADE.

YES. RIGHT NOW. YES. RIGHT NOW WE ARE 22 OR BELOW IN EVERY.

WELL, ACTUALLY WE'RE BELOW 22 IN EVERY CLASS RIGHT NOW.

PERFECT. THANK YOU. WELL, THANK YOU AGAIN FOR WORKING THROUGH THIS PROCESS.

IT'S BEEN A CHALLENGE I KNOW FOR EVERYONE AND I.

I HOPE THAT IT COMES TOGETHER AND WE'RE PLEASANTLY SURPRISED.

AND WE SAIL THROUGH. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. KIM.

WE'LL GO TO HEATHER. I JUST WANT TO SAY, I KNOW THAT CHANGE IS HARD AND IT'S OFTEN UPSETTING.

BUT I THINK THAT YOU ALL HAVE HANDLED THIS BEAUTIFULLY, AND I AM VERY CONFIDENT THAT IT IS GOING TO BE AN AMAZING EXPERIENCE FOR THE STAFF AND THE STUDENTS AT BARTON CREEK NEXT YEAR. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL THAT YOU GUYS ARE DOING.

AND THAT GOES TO ALL OF YOU WHO HAVE BEEN WORKING SO HARD ON THIS.

THANK YOU. HEATHER. KELLY. ANYTHING? OKAY, ELLEN, THIS MIGHT BE MORE OF A QUESTION FOR DOCTOR ARNETT, BUT I'LL TOSS IT OUT. IN EARLIER DISCUSSIONS WHEN ALL OF THE TRANSFER STUDENTS WERE MOVED OUT OF BARTON CREEK, AS WELL AS THE ROB ROY ON THE LAKE, THERE WAS SOME DISCUSSION THAT DEPENDING ON HOW ENROLLMENT LEVELED OUT BY THIS POINT OR BY SUMMER.

ANYWAY, THAT THERE MIGHT BE SOME A LOTTERY FOR A COUPLE OF SLOTS OR GRANDFATHERING OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

HOW'S? WHAT'S THE STATUS ON THAT? SURE. MOLLY SIGNALING ME FROM THE SIDE.

SHE'S VERY CLOSELY RELATED TO THIS, SO I'LL LET HER ANSWER THE QUESTION.

SO WE REACHED OUT TO ALL OF THE REZONED FAMILIES AND OFFERED THEM SEATS BACK AT BARTON CREEK BECAUSE WE HAD WELL, WE HAD SPACE IN THE UPPER GRADES, AND WE DID WE DID MOVE, I THINK TWO STUDENTS BACK.

THE MAJORITY OF THE FAMILIES WEREN'T INTERESTED. SOME OF THE AT THE LOWER LEVELS, WE DIDN'T.

WE WERE LOOKING WANTED TO KEEP SOME OF THAT CAPACITY.

WE HAD VERY FEW FAMILIES TAKE US UP ON THAT OFFER.

WE HAVE NOT AT THIS POINT INVITED OUR OUT OF DISTRICT FAMILIES TO COME BACK BECAUSE WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE THAT, THAT CUSHION FOR ANY GROWTH THAT WE WOULD GET.

AND WHERE DID MOST OF THE OUT OF DISTRICT TRANSFERS END UP? DID THEY TAKE US UP ON ANOTHER CAMPUS OR MOST OF THEM ENDED UP AT EANES ELEMENTARY?

[00:35:08]

YOU ANNOUNCED IT AT THE LAST MEETING, BUT I DON'T THINK WE'VE HAD A MEETING SINCE THEN.

IT REALLY WAS EXTRAORDINARY. I MEAN, THERE WERE PROBABLY 45 STAFF MEMBERS, ALL FOUR PRINCIPALS A LOT OF STUDENTS FROM A WIDE VARIETY OF, OF YEARS. IT WAS REALLY PRETTY EXTRAORDINARY.

AND SO I APPRECIATE ALL THE WORK THAT WAS PUT IN TO GIVE THE COMMUNITY THAT OPPORTUNITY TO APPRECIATE AND REMEMBER.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU. I DID WANT TO MENTION REAL QUICK, I KEEP I'VE GOT A NOTE, AND I KEEP FORGETTING TO SAY IT.

DIANE HEARN IS NOT HERE TONIGHT. SHE HAD A COMMITMENT WITH HER SON.

WHO? SHE'S AT THAT COMMITMENT, WHICH IS GREAT FOR TRUSTEES.

WHO WHO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE OPPORTUNITY TO GO TO THEIR STUDENTS EVENTS.

I DID HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS. CAN YOU REMIND US OF THE MEMBERS OR THE MAKEUP OF THE FUTURE FORWARD COMMITTEE? IS THAT TEACHERS, PARENTS, ETC. KIND OF NOT NAMES, BUT GENERALLY WHO'S INVOLVED AND HOW MANY? WE HAVE PARENTS FROM BOTH BARTON CREEK AND VALLEY VIEW INCLUDING THE BOOSTER CLUB PRESIDENTS AND FUTURE PRESIDENTS.

AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE THE STAFF MEMBERS FROM BOTH AND PARENTS FROM BOTH.

AND THEN, OF COURSE, THE LEADERSHIP THAT ALL BE ON CAMPUS. SO, MISS WEBB AND MISS BARNES AND MYSELF ARE PART OF IT AS WELL.

YEAH. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. AND THEN I BELIEVE WE'LL GET A, WE GET AN ANNUAL LOOK AT CLASS SIZES.

IS THAT IN AUGUST? OR WHERE WE GET THE CHART FOR ALL OF THE SCHOOLS? YOU'LL SEE THE PRELIMINARY ENROLLMENT PROJECTIONS IN JUNE.

JUNE. SO YEAH OKAY. SO WE'LL GET WE'LL GET A CHART WITH ALL THE CLASS SIZES.

THAT'LL BE GREAT. AND THEN MY QUESTION KIND OF GOES, I THINK ONE OF THE TRUSTEES ASKED THIS IN A DIFFERENT WAY.

WHAT KEEPS YOU UP AT NIGHT ABOUT THIS? IS THERE ANYTHING WHEN YOU WAKE UP AT 3:00, LIKE I DO, AND THAT YOUR BRAIN STARTS WORKING? AND IS THERE ANYTHING THAT'S ON YOUR MIND ABOUT THIS? I THINK THAT IT'S JUST THE WEIGHT, THE WEIGHT OF MAKING SURE THAT IN MY MIND, IT'S PERFECT FOR EVERY PERSON WHO STEPS INTO THE BUILDING NEXT YEAR. AND THAT'S DIFFICULT. I THINK THAT YOU MENTIONED THAT, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU MAKE A DECISION, SOMETIMES YOU CAN'T MAKE EVERYBODY HAPPY WITH THOSE DECISIONS. AND SO JUST WANTING TO MAKE IT PERFECT FOR EVERY SINGLE PERSON THAT SETS FOOT INTO THE BUILDING AND THAT'S DIFFICULT TO DO. AND SO THOSE KIND OF THINGS AND THOSE DECISIONS THAT I KNOW ARE GOING TO COME UP KEEP ME AWAKE AT NIGHT BECAUSE I WANT EVERYONE TO EXPERIENCE WHAT A WONDERFUL PLACE THAT CAMPUS IS GOING TO BE, AND FEEL THAT COMMUNITY PIECE, AND MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE BRINGING THAT OVER FROM VALLEY VIEW AND MIXING IT WITH THE BARTON CREEK THAT ALREADY HAS THAT FEELING, TOO. I THINK IT'S THAT COMMUNITY CULTURE THAT COMES UP A LOT, EVEN ON THE STAFF SURVEY THAT I SENT OUT. IT'S HOW DO WE KEEP THOSE BEAUTIFUL, WARM, WELCOMING COMMUNITY CULTURES TOGETHER.

AND I THINK THAT BOTH CAMPUSES HAVE THAT. SO, I LOOK FORWARD TO THAT PIECE.

I LOVE THAT ANSWER. I'M GOING BACK TO MY BUSINESS SCHOOL DAYS AND THINKING ABOUT THE I THINK THE DAY DISNEYLAND OPENED, IT WAS JUST A FIASCO. AND I'M NOT SAYING THAT IT WILL BE, NOR AM I SAYING THAT BARTON CREEK IS AN AMUSEMENT PARK, BUT THE IDEA THAT I THINK THAT I KEEP TAKING AWAY THAT IF THERE'S A HICCUP ON DAY ONE OR DAY TWO OR WHATEVER THAT IS, YOU'VE GOT A WHOLE TEAM OF PEOPLE JUST READY TO HOP IN AND AND HELP.

AND I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER. THAT MAY NOT BE PERFECT THE FIRST DAY, BUT THERE'S A WHOLE TEAM THAT'S GOING TO MAKE SURE THAT IT GETS FIXED AND GETS ON TRACK.

AND YOU'RE DOING A GREAT JOB FINDING ALL THE THINGS IN ADVANCE.

AND I HOPE EVERYTHING'S IDENTIFIED. BUT I THINK WE NEED TO REMIND OURSELVES THAT THERE MAY BE A HICCUP THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO ADDRESS, TOO, AND WE'LL FIND IT AND TAKE CARE OF IT. RIGHT.

WE DID YOU ON IT? YEAH. I THINK JUST TO KIND OF WHAT KEEPS ME UP AT NIGHT, MAKING SURE THAT THAT FIRST DAY GOES, GOES PERFECT FOR MISS MOLLY AND HER STAFF, THE KIDS AND THE COMMUNITY.

RIGHT? I MEAN, JUST HAVING, BEING A PARENT OF KIDS MYSELF, DROPPING YOUR STUDENT OFF THAT FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL IS A SPECIAL TIME.

SO JUST THINKING OF THAT AND THINKING OF OUR KIDS AND THINKING OF MISS MOLLY AND HER STAFF AND MAKING SURE THAT SHE'S STARTS OFF THE SCHOOL YEAR ON A VERY POSITIVE NOTE. THAT'S WHAT KEEPS ME UP AT NIGHT.

SO THAT TRAFFIC STUDY, THAT TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHICH WAY YOU GO IN AND WHICH WAY YOU GO OUT AND EVERYTHING LIKE THAT, IT HELPED WALKING THE CAMPUS AND THE TRAFFIC PATTERN THAT THAT'S THERE TOO.

BUT YEAH. YEAH, WE'LL FIT RIGHT. ALL THE CARS ARE GOING TO, IT'S GOING TO HAPPEN.

YEAH. WELL, I DON'T WANT ANYTHING TO KEEP YOU UP AT NIGHT, BUT I'M GLAD TO KNOW THAT THIS IS ON YOUR MIND, AND YOU'RE CHURNING THROUGH IT. I THINK WE ALL FEEL BETTER FOR THAT, SO THANK YOU.

THANK YOU BOTH VERY MUCH. AND THE WHOLE TEAM THAT'S BEHIND THIS.

THANK YOU. OUR NEXT REPORT IS A SECURITY UPDATE, AND WE ARE

[00:40:07]

HELLO. I'M HERE TO TALK ABOUT A RECENT SECURITY AUDIT CONDUCTED BY THE TEA.

I'M GOING TO READ OFF A SCRIPT SO THAT I DON'T FORGET SOMETHING I'M SUPPOSED TO SAY OR SAY.

SOMETHING I'M NOT SUPPOSED TO SAY. SO, HERE IT GOES.

THE TOP PRIORITY OF EANES ISD IS KEEPING STUDENTS AND STAFF SAFE EVERY DAY.

THE TEXAS EDUCATION AGENCY RECENTLY CONDUCTED AN INTRUDER DETECTION AUDIT AT ONE OR MORE OF OUR CAMPUSES.

THE AUDIT TESTS WHETHER A CAMPUS IS ACCESSIBLE TO AN UNAUTHORIZED INDIVIDUAL.

THE AUDIT SEEKS TO HELP DISTRICTS IDENTIFY HOW CAMPUSES CAN IMPROVE SAFETY FOR STUDENTS, SUCH AS ENSURING EXTERIOR DOORS ARE LOCKED.

THE AUDIT PROVIDES US WITH AN OPPORTUNITY TO CREATE A SAFER LEARNING ENVIRONMENT FOR OUR STUDENTS AND STAFF.

THERE HAVE BEEN NINE AUDITS SO FAR ON OUR CAMPUSES THIS YEAR AND EIGHT OF WHICH HAVE PRODUCED ZERO FINDINGS.

WE DID HAVE ONE FINDING AT ONE OF OUR CAMPUSES RECENTLY, AND THAT HAS ALREADY BEEN ADDRESSED THROUGH TRAINING OF OUR STAFF MEMBERS, INCLUDING OUR MAINTENANCE AND OPERATIONS STAFF, ON HOW TO COMMUNICATE WITH STAFF MEMBERS AT THAT PARTICULAR SCHOOL ABOUT A MALFUNCTIONING EQUIPMENT. WE'RE WORKING WITH OUR SCHOOL SAFETY AND SECURITY COMMITTEE TO ENSURE THAT WE'RE TRAINING ALL EVERYBODY, ALL OUR STAFF MEMBERS, NOT ONLY AT THAT CAMPUS, BUT ALL THE TIME ABOUT DOOR SAFETY.

WE ACKNOWLEDGE THAT PARENTS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS ARE LIKELY VERY INTERESTED IN THE DETAILS OF THE AUDIT RESULTS.

HOWEVER, IT'S IN THE BEST INTEREST OF STUDENTS THAT WE DO NOT SHARE THIS INFORMATION TO THE BROADER PUBLIC AS IT COULD LEAD TO COMPROMISING IMPORTANT CAMPUS SAFETY INFORMATION. I WILL SAY THAT THIS SPECIFIC FINDING WAS RELATED TO A MALFUNCTIONING PIECE OF EQUIPMENT, AND NOT TO HUMAN ERROR. SPECIFIC DETAILS OF THE INTRUDER DETECTION AUDIT WILL BE DISCUSSED IN AN EXECUTIVE SESSION AND WITH THE SAFETY AND SECURITY COMMITTEE, WHICH THEY'VE ALREADY BEEN DISCUSSED.

WE'RE COMMITTED TO PROVIDING A SAFE AND SECURE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT FOR OUR STUDENTS AND STAFF.

DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS SINCE THIS WILL BE DISCUSSED IN CLOSED, I DON'T THINK I'D RATHER WE DID NOT HAVE QUESTIONS.

BUT TRUSTEES, IF YOU IF YOU DO. HEATHER, I'M JUST GOING TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO SAY THANK YOU TO YOU AND THE WHOLE POLICE DEPARTMENT FOR THE WORK THAT YOU DO TO KEEP OUR STAFF AND OUR STUDENTS SAFE. THANK YOU, HEATHER, FOR YOUR SUPPORT OF OUR DEPARTMENT THROUGHOUT THIS TIME AND HELPING US CREATE OUR DEPARTMENT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, CHIEF GREER.

THANK YOU ALL. OKAY, WE WILL MOVE INTO OUR DISCUSSION AND ACTION SECTION.

[8.1 2025-26 Property Value Review, Staff Compensation, and Budget Update]

AND CHRIS AND LAURIE ARE COMING UP TO PRESENT TO US.

GOOD EVENING, TRUSTEES. TONIGHT, WE'VE GOT A MULTI-PART PRESENTATION, AS YOU CAN SEE AS A PART OF STATE LAW.

THERE'S A REQUIREMENT THAT EVERY YEAR WE PRESENT TO YOU THE IMPACT OF PROPERTY VALUES ON SCHOOL FINANCE.

AND WE TYPICALLY WILL ALIGN THAT WITH THE RELEASE OF THE PRELIMINARY ESTIMATE OF CERTIFIED VALUES, WHICH COME OUT IN APRIL. SO, WE'VE GOTTEN THOSE FOR THIS YEAR.

AND THAT WILL BE A PART OF WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE TONIGHT.

SO, HERE'S OUR BUDGET CALENDAR THAT WE'RE WORKING THROUGH.

AND SO THOSE THINGS HAPPENED IN APRIL. WE RECEIVED THE PRELIMINARY ESTIMATE.

WE'RE GOING TO DISCUSS OR LAURIE'S GOING TO DISCUSS EMPLOYEE COMPENSATION OPTIONS.

AND THEN AT THE SECOND MEETING IN MAY SHE'LL COME BACK TO YOU AND ASK YOU TO APPROVE A COMPENSATION PLAN.

AND I'LL JUST SAY THAT AT THIS POINT, MY BEST GUESS IS THAT WHATEVER YOU APPROVE WILL PROBABLY HAVE TO AMEND IT IN THE FALL. BECAUSE THERE ARE SEVERAL COMPETING VERSIONS OF, OF SCHOOL FINANCE REFORM IN THE HOUSE AND THE SENATE, AND THEY'VE GOT DIFFERENT IDEAS ABOUT HOW TO APPROACH STAFF PAY.

AND SO, WHATEVER MANAGES TO WORK THROUGH THE SYSTEM, WE'LL NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR COMPENSATION PLAN FITS WITH THAT.

[00:45:05]

SO WE'LL START OFF TALKING A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE PROPERTY VALUE REVIEW.

AND SO, THE ONE OF THE THINGS THAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE, YOU KNOW, THE HOW THE TAXABLE VALUE FLUCTUATES, IT GOES UP AND DOWN. AND HOW DOES THAT IMPACT OUR FINANCES FOR THE BIGGEST PART OF THE TAX BASE.

THAT DOESN'T IMPACT IT AT ALL. AND SO FOR EXAMPLE, THIS YEAR OUR TOTAL TAX RATE IS 88.5 $0.05.

SO FOR EVERY $100 OF VALUATION TAXABLE VALUE, WE GET 88.5 $0.05 IN TAXES.

HOWEVER, THE FIRST 68.5 $0.05 OF THAT IS WHAT'S KNOWN AS TIER ONE.

AND THAT'S PART OF THE MATH. AND ON THAT PART THE TOTAL VALUE OF WHAT OUR TAXES ARE IS UNIMPORTANT.

AND SO , IF THE VALUE OF OUR TAX BASE GOES DOWN, THAT MEANS THAT OUR RECAPTURE WILL GO DOWN THAT YEAR.

IF THE VALUE GOES UP, THAT MEANS OUR RECAPTURE WILL GO UP.

BUT THERE ARE $0.20 THAT DO MATTER FOR US AND THEY FLUCTUATE WITH THE TAX BASE.

AND THAT IS OUR EIGHT GOLDEN PENNIES WHICH THIS YEAR ARE WORTH APPROXIMATELY $17 MILLION.

AND SO, YOU KNOW, THE WAY THAT WOULD WORK. IT'S A DIRECT CORRELATION.

AND SO, IF YOUR TAX BASE WENT UP 10%, THEN THAT $17 MILLION WOULD BE $18.7 MILLION THE NEXT YEAR. BY THE SAME TOKEN, IF IT GOES DOWN, IT'S GOING DOWN $1.7 MILLION.

AND THE SAME THING HAPPENS ON THE INS SIDE WHERE WE PAY OUR DEBT SERVICE.

SO, AS THE TAX BASE GROWS, THEN OUR CAPACITY GROWS WITH IT.

IF IT GOES DOWN, THEN OUR CAPACITY DECREASES AS WELL.

AND SO, THE $0.12 ON OUR INS SIDE, THIS YEAR WE'RE COLLECTING THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF $25 MILLION.

AND JUST PREVIEW. WE'RE LOOKING AT A DECLINE IN TAXABLE VALUE THIS YEAR.

AND SO, THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT WE'LL COLLECT TO SERVICE OUR DEBT NEXT YEAR WILL PROBABLY BE LOWER THAN IT IS THIS YEAR.

AND IF YOU LOOK AT THESE NUMBERS THAT I PUT UP HERE SHOW THAT THE APPRAISED VALUES OF HOMESTEADS INCREASED BY 8.4%.

THE TAXABLE VALUE, WHICH IS NOT THE SAME AS THE APPRAISED VALUE BECAUSE OF COURSE, THEIR HOMESTEAD EXEMPTIONS THAT ARE THAT ARE APPLIED AND THERE ARE LIMITATIONS ON HOW MUCH YOU CAN INCREASE IN ANY GIVEN YEAR. AND SOMETIMES THAT COMES INTO PLAY AS WELL.

BUT THE TAXABLE VALUE ALSO WENT UP BY BY AN EVEN HIGHER AMOUNT 9.1%.

BUT THEN IF YOU LOOK DOWN AT THE BOTTOM LINE, YOU SEE THAT THE NET RESULT OF THAT IS WE'RE PROJECTING A NET DECREASE IN THE TOTAL FREEZE ADJUSTED TAXABLE VALUE. AND WE'LL EXPLAIN THAT A LITTLE BIT ON THE NEXT SLIDE.

AND JUST AGAIN FOR YOUR REFERENCE, WHEN THE VALUES THAT WE GET IN APRIL ARE AS OF THE LAST DAY OF THE LAST CALENDAR YEAR. AND SO THAT'S AS OF DECEMBER 31ST, 2024 IS WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT.

SO HERE'S KIND OF WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT. IF YOU LOOK AT THE TOP LINE ON THAT PRELIMINARY NET TAXABLE VALUE.

THAT'S THE KIND OF THE TOP LINE THAT WE GET. WITH THE WITH THE APRIL ESTIMATE OF CERTIFIED VALUE.

SO THAT'S WHAT THE THE APPRAISAL BOARD COMES IN WITH AND SAYS THIS IS WHAT WE BELIEVE THE VALUE OF ALL THE PROPERTY IN THE DISTRICT IS THE TAXABLE VALUE OF THE PROPERTY. BUT NOW WE'RE IN THE SEASON WHERE EVERYBODY IS APPEALING THEIR, THEIR TAX RATES. AND SO, THEY KNOW THAT IT'S NOT GOING TO STAY AT THAT LEVEL.

IT'S GOING TO COME DOWN. AND THAT'S WHY WE KNOW THAT EVEN THOUGH WE'RE SHOWING AN INCREASE IN IN THE APPRAISED VALUES OF HOMES IN THE IN AN INCREASE IN THE TAXABLE VALUE OF, OF HOMES, THAT THOSE ARE PROBABLY GOING TO END UP AT, OR, YOU KNOW, SOMEWHERE IN THE, IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD, MAYBE EVEN A LITTLE BIT LOWER THAN WHAT THEY WERE LAST YEAR.

AND SO IF YOU LOOK OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS, YOU CAN SEE THAT IN BACK IN 2021 WE SAW FROM THAT TOP LINE VALUE FROM APRIL A DECLINE OF 2.5%. AND THEN. BUT OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS, WE'VE SEEN AN INCREASE IN THE AMOUNT THAT WE'VE LOST OFF OF THAT AMOUNT.

SO 5% IN 22. 7.2% IN 23 AND THEN 7.7% LAST YEAR AND THIS YEAR.

WITH THE ESTIMATE, THE APPRAISAL TRAVIS CENTRAL APPRAISAL DISTRICT IS ESTIMATING THAT WE COULD SEE A LOSS OF UP TO 11%.

THEY MIGHT BE CONSERVATIVE IN THIS. AND, YOU KNOW, THERE'S NOT WANTING TO PROJECT BECAUSE OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS,

[00:50:01]

AND SO, I THINK THEY THEY'VE GOTTEN A LITTLE SPOOKED AND THEY WANTED TO GO A LITTLE BIT HIGHER THIS YEAR. BUT THIS IS THE NUMBER THAT THEY'RE PROJECTING.

AND THE TREND HAS BEEN THAT THE APPRAISAL REVIEW BOARD HAS BEEN DECREASING VALUES AT A HIGHER RATE THAN THEY HAD IN PAST YEARS.

AND SO WE'RE USING THE NUMBER THAT THEY'VE ESTIMATED, WHICH AGAIN IS AN 11% DECLINE.

AND SO IF THAT 11% AND THE. ON THAT LAST COLUMN, 2025, YOU CAN SEE I'VE GOT STARS ON A COUPLE OF OTHER PLACES AND THOSE ARE ESTIMATES. AND SO, IN THE 11% IS THE ESTIMATE FROM APPRAISAL REVIEW BOARD.

AND THAT WOULD CORRESPOND TO A JULY CERTIFIED TAXABLE VALUE OF SOMEWHERE AROUND $18.3 BILLION.

WHICH IF WE LOOK AT WHERE WE WERE LAST YEAR, CORRELATES TO A DECLINE OF ABOUT 3.8% IN OUR TAXABLE VALUE FROM WHERE WE WERE OR WHERE WE ARE THIS YEAR. SO THAT'S WHAT WE'RE PROJECTING.

AND IF YOU REMEMBER, IN OUR LAST BUDGET PROJECTION, WE USED MINUS FIVE.

AND SO THIS IS SLIGHTLY BETTER THAN WHAT WE USED IN OUR LAST PROJECTION TO THE TUNE OF MAYBE 2 TO $300,000.

IT'S, IT'S I MEAN, IT'S REAL MONEY, BUT IT'S NOT IT'S NOT GOING TO MAKE A HUGE DIFFERENCE IN THE OVERALL BUDGET.

AND WITH THAT, I'LL PASS IT ON TO LAURIE. THANK YOU CHRIS.

SO EVERY YEAR ABOUT THIS TIME, WE NORMALLY BRING YOU WHAT OUR DISTRICTS AROUND US ARE COMPARISON DISTRICTS ARE DOING.

AND AS CHRIS MENTIONED, I THINK JUST WHERE WE ARE WITH THE STATE OF THE LEGISLATION, EVERYONE IS REALLY QUIET.

THEY'RE NOT SURE WHAT THEY'RE DOING FOR THE SCHOOL YEAR. SO, EVERYONE WE HAVE LISTED ON THERE FOR 25, 26, WE'RE JUST SAYING TO BE DETERMINED BECAUSE I THINK EVERYONE IS STILL IN THAT PLACE RIGHT THERE DOING WHAT WE'RE DOING.

THEY'RE LOOKING AT THEIR BUDGET AND THEN THEY'RE KIND OF WAITING TO SEE WHAT PANS OUT.

BUT I JUST WANTED TO BRING KIND OF TO YOUR ATTENTION THE, THE THREE YEARS THAT WE GAVE RAISES, IF YOU LOOK AT ACROSS THE BOARD, EVERYONE BASICALLY ADDS UP TO ABOUT 11 OR 12% WHERE WE GET IN THOSE THREE YEARS.

SO, I THINK, YOU KNOW, WE SAT REALLY WELL WITH WHAT WE HAVE BEEN DOING, AND I WANT TO THANK THE BOARD FOR THAT, BECAUSE I KNOW THAT'S ALWAYS ONE OF YOUR VERY FIRST PRIORITIES IS TO TAKE CARE OF OUR TEACHERS AND STAFF.

AND SO, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT JUST REALLY SHOWS.

TRUE. I THINK THERE IS SOME YEARS THAT DISTRICTS REALLY GAVE A LOT, AND I THINK WE WERE JUST KIND OF PRETTY STEADY AS WE GO.

AND YOU KNOW, I HOPE WE CAN CONTINUE THAT. I KNOW THAT IN CHRIS'S NUMBERS, HE'LL TALK ABOUT HE STILL HAS BUDGETED IN A 2% FOR OUR TEACHERS AND STAFF.

AND SO WE'LL JUST SEE HOW THINGS PLAY OUT. I WANTED TO BRING TO YOU I KNOW WE HAVE IN THE PAST ALWAYS KIND OF LOOKED AT WHERE WE SAT AS A DISTRICT. AND, YOU KNOW, WE USED TO REALLY ASPIRE TO BE IN THAT TOP QUARTILE OF OUR DISTRICTS.

AND, YOU KNOW, THINGS HAVE CHANGED AND WE HAVE DEFINITELY SLIPPED IN SOME AREAS.

BUT THIS KIND OF SHOWS YOU THAT ZERO YEAR WHERE WE ARE, WHERE WE HOLD, YOU KNOW, PRETTY STRONG IN FIFTH PLACE.

AND TO KNOW THAT MANY TIMES WHEN YOU LOOK AT THESE, THESE NUMBERS ARE THEY VARY SO VERY LITTLE BETWEEN OUR SCHOOL DISTRICTS.

NOW, THEY DO VARY WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT FIRST PLACE VERSUS 12TH PLACE.

BUT SOME OF THOSE STEPS ARE REALLY SMALL. SO YOU CAN TELL, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES YOU LOOK AT THEM AND THEY'RE, YOU KNOW, A FEW DOLLARS OR $50 BUT EVERY LITTLE BIT COUNTS.

AND WE ALWAYS WANT TO BE YOU KNOW, IF WE COULD, THE HIGHEST PAID DISTRICT AROUND.

BUT DEFINITELY WE ARE DOING WHAT WE CAN. YOU'LL SEE THE TEN AND 15 AS WE, YOU KNOW, GROW YOU.

I MEAN, AS WE GET HIGHER ON THAT SALARY SCHEDULE WHERE WE REALLY VALUE THOSE TEACHERS WITH EXPERIENCE, WE HAVE DROPPED PRETTY LOW IN THAT GROUP. AND THEN THE LAST WAS OUR 20 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE WHERE WE EDGED UP JUST A SLIGHT BIT.

BUT WE KNOW LAST YEAR WE GAVE 2% ACTUALLY ON THE SALARY.

AND I DO THINK THAT DOES HELP US GROW IN THOSE LATER YEARS AS PEOPLE WITH MORE TENURE, WITH MORE EXPERIENCE.

SO WE MAY START TO SEE THIS SHIFT IF WE CONTINUE THAT TREND.

I WANTED TO JUST TALK AGAIN. WE ALWAYS KIND OF GO OVER OUR HEALTH INSURANCE BENEFITS.

EANES PAYS $473 TO THE COST OF THE TEACHER RETIREMENT SYSTEM HEALTH INSURANCE PLAN, WHICH IS REALLY ROBUST, IF YOU REMEMBER TRS REQUIRES US TO PAY AND IT'S $225 TO THE COST OF THE HEALTH INSURANCE.

IT'S $75 FROM THE STATE, $150 FROM THE DISTRICT.

AND SO YOU KNOW, WE REALLY SIT VERY NICELY THERE.

MANY DISTRICTS AROUND US REALLY ONLY PAY THAT MINIMUM WHO ARE ON TRS, BUT WE'VE ALWAYS REALLY STRIVED TO,

[00:55:04]

WE HAVEN'T REALLY TOUCHED THAT. I KNOW THAT WE REALLY TRY TO GIVE WHATEVER MONEY WE CAN INTO COMPENSATION INSTEAD OF THE ACTUAL BENEFIT.

I DO WANT TO BRING TO YOUR ATTENTION THIS YEAR.

TRS ESTIMATES THEY ARE ASKING OUR LEGISLATION, LEGISLATORS, FOR $450 MILLION IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO HOLD PREMIUMS FOR THE NEXT BIENNIUM, THE NEXT TWO YEARS, WITH ONLY EIGHT, WITH A 10%, I SAY ONLY WITH A 10% INCREASE TO OUR PREMIUMS BOTH YEARS.

AND SO, IF THEY DO NOT RECEIVE THAT $450 MILLION, OBVIOUSLY WE ARE GOING TO SEE HEALTH INSURANCE REALLY BALLOON.

AND SO, I THINK THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO JUST KEEP IN MIND FOR OUR STAFF.

AND THEN I KIND OF WANTED TO ADDRESS THE TEACHER ATTRITION RATES.

I KNOW THAT THIS IS INFORMATION THAT WE RECEIVED DIRECTLY FROM TAPER.

IT COMES FROM OUR TEAMS. AND IF YOU EVER LOOK ON TAPER, IT'S ACTUALLY CALLED RETENTION RATES.

I'M NOT QUITE SURE WHY IT'S CALLED RETENTION, BUT IT'S ACTUALLY, YOU KNOW, YOUR ATTRITION RATES.

AND SO, I WANTED TO SHOW YOU WHERE EANES FALLS KIND OF WITH THOSE AREA DISTRICTS.

I TOOK OUR AREA DISTRICTS AND BASICALLY LOOKED AT THEIR RATES ALSO AND JUST DID A, YOU KNOW AN AVERAGE FOR EVERYBODY.

SO, YOU COULD SEE WHERE WE KIND OF FALL WITH OUR AREA COMPARISON DISTRICTS AND THE STATE OF TEXAS.

SO, I THINK THAT'S ALWAYS REALLY IMPORTANT. AND I WAS KIND OF LOOKING AT THAT DATA.

AND, YOU KNOW, IN THE LAST FEW YEARS REALLY HAVE SEEN OUR LARGEST PERCENTAGE OF PEOPLE WHO LEFT US WERE STAYING HOME WITH THEIR FAMILY. AND SO, I THINK THAT THAT REALLY SAYS A LOT.

I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY, YOU KNOW, TEACHING IS THE PROFESSION IS MOSTLY FEMALE.

AND THEY'RE, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE STARTING THEIR FAMILIES. AND SO, AND THEY DO COME BACK TO US.

SO WE'RE ALWAYS REALLY HAPPY ABOUT THAT. YOU KNOW, PROBABLY NEXT IN LINE WAS THOSE WHO WERE GETTING OUT OF THE PROFESSION.

SO I FIND THAT TO BE VERY SAD. AND THEN THIRD, DID YOU KNOW INDIVIDUALS MOVING TO ANOTHER DISTRICT? AND I THINK WE WILL PROBABLY SEE A LITTLE BIT HIGHER RATE OF THAT THIS YEAR.

AND I THINK THAT WILL BE DUE TO SOME OF SOME OF OUR BILINGUAL IMMERSION TEACHERS.

YOU KNOW, THEY WILL BE LEAVING US TO GO TO DISTRICTS BECAUSE THAT STIPEND WILL NOT BE AVAILABLE TO THEM NEXT YEAR.

AND SO, FOR THOSE WHO HAVE ALREADY RESIGNED, YOU KNOW HAVE REACHED OUT AND SAID, WHAT AN AMAZING EXPERIENCE IT WAS TO BE HERE. BUT REALLY, THEY HAVE TO GO FOR THAT PIECE OF THE STIPEND.

THAT INCOME IS IT CAN BE HEFTY IN SOME DISTRICTS WHEN YOU'RE MOVING TO ANOTHER BILINGUAL DISTRICT.

I THINK WE MOVED BACK TO CHRIS. ALL RIGHT. SINCE THE LAST TIME I PRESENTED TO YOU THERE HAVE BEEN A COUPLE OF CHANGES IN IN AND THE PROJECTIONS THAT WE'RE USING, ONE OF THEM IS ONE I'VE ALREADY TALKED ABOUT THE REMOVING FROM A 5% DECLINE IN TAV GROWTH TO A 3.8% DECLINE. THE BIG ONE HERE IS DECREASE PROJECTED ENROLLMENT.

IN IN JANUARY, WE WERE USING 7,454 AND NOW WE'RE GOING TO ESTIMATE 7,250 FOR 25-26.

AND THAT'S BASED ON THE NUMBERS THAT WE'VE GOTTEN UP TO THIS POINT.

NOW, YOU KNOW, AS YOU WELL KNOW, WE SEE WE TYPICALLY DO SEE A BURST DURING THE SUMMER.

BUT WE BUT WE'RE WITH THE SMALLER INCOMING KINDERGARTEN CLASS, EVEN SMALLER THAN WHAT WE ANTICIPATED AS A SMALL CLASS.

WE THINK IT'S PRUDENT TO, TO START LOOKING AT WHAT HAPPENS IF WE DON'T GET TO THAT 7,454 NUMBER.

AND THAT'S A FAIRLY SIGNIFICANT IMPACT OF ABOUT $1.3 MILLION.

DOLLARS. AND THEN FINALLY BASED ON THE MOST RECENT FED WATCH PROJECTIONS I'VE DECREASED MY ESTIMATE OF WHAT I ANTICIPATE WILL MAKE ON OUR INVESTMENTS NEXT YEAR FROM ABOUT $3.6 MILLION TO ABOUT $2.9 MILLION.

AND AS YOU MIGHT GUESS, THOSE HAVE BEEN BOUNCING ALL OVER THE PLACE RECENTLY.

AND SO, THE NEXT TIME I PRESENT TO YOU IT MAY HAVE CHANGED AGAIN.

SO HERE, HERE WAS THE JANUARY PROJECTION. AND YOU CAN SEE THAT WE USED A 5% GROWTH.

WE WERE LOOKING AT ENROLLMENT OF 7454. AND OF COURSE, THAT INCLUDED THAT HIGHER INVESTMENT EARNING.

AND SO THAT SHOWED US WITH A BUDGETED DEFICIT OF ABOUT $7 MILLION AND A PROJECTED DEFICIT OF ABOUT $6 MILLION.

[01:00:03]

AND OUR BUDGET, AND I BELIEVE WE HAVE ABOUT 13 FUNCTIONS IN THE GENERAL FUND.

WE BUDGET HIGH ENOUGH THAT WE KNOW THAT WE'RE GOING TO OVER PERFORM OUR BUDGET.

AND SO THAT'S A PREDICTABLE AMOUNT, WHICH IS WHY WE TYPICALLY SHOW YOU BUDGETED AND PROJECTED.

BUT WITH THAT, WE WERE WE WERE SHOWING THAT WE WERE GOING TO END NEXT YEAR BELOW 25% FUND BALANCE OF ABOUT 21.2% AND JUST OVER $20 MILLION PROJECTED FUND BALANCE.

AND OF COURSE, THIS IS BASED ON CURRENT LAW. AND THE NEXT SLIDES I'M GOING TO SHOW YOU ARE ALSO GOING TO BE BASED ON CURRENT LAW.

SO IN NOW WE'RE LOOKING AT INSTEAD OF A TAX BASED DECLINE OF 5%, 3.8%, THE LOWER ENROLLMENT, AND OF COURSE THE LOWER INVESTMENT AND THE NET IMPACT OF THAT IS ABOUT $1.8 MILLION WORTH.

SO WORSE. SO IT'S ABOUT ROUGHLY 1.3 MILLION NEGATIVE ON ON THE ENROLLMENT, ABOUT $700,000 ON THE INVESTMENT, AND THEN PLUS ABOUT $200,000 ON THE TAX BASE CHANGE.

BUT WHERE THAT PUTS US IS STILL OBVIOUSLY AND BELOW 25% AT ABOUT 19.6% FUND BALANCE AND A TOTAL FUND BALANCE OF ABOUT 18.6 MILLION.

AND AT THE END OF JUNE 2026 HOWEVER THERE THE LEGISLATURE IS IN SESSION AND THERE ARE THINGS MOVING AND WE DON'T EXPECT THAT CURRENT LAW WILL PREVAIL.

AFTER THIS ONE HB TWO AGAIN, IT WAS PASSED BY THE HOUSE.

IT'S BEING CONSIDERED IN THE SENATE. THEY HAD THE SENATE HAS A SEPARATE BILL.

THAT DIDN'T MATCH VERY ACCURATELY TO HB 2. AND MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT WHATEVER COMES OUT WILL PROBABLY BE NAMED AFTER HB TWO RATHER THAN THE SENATE VERSION, WHICH TENDS TO MAKE YOU TEND TO THINK THAT IT'S GOING TO BE CLOSER TO THE HB TWO.

BUT OF COURSE, THERE ARE GOING TO BE CHANGES, AND WE DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THOSE ARE YET.

BUT SOME OF THE THINGS THAT THAT INCLUDED WERE A $395 INCREASE TO THE BASIC ALLOTMENT IT ADDS A FINE ARTS ALLOTMENT, WHICH IS NOT A LOT OF MONEY, BUT IT'S AN INTERESTING ADD THERE.

IT UPDATES SPECIAL EDUCATION FUNDING. A LITTLE BIT.

AND IT REQUIRES THAT 40% OF THE ADA GAINS BE DEDICATED TO SALARY INCREASES AND 75% OF THAT 40% TO GO TO TEACHERS, LIBRARIANS, NURSES AND COUNSELORS. AND IF WE WORK ALL THOSE NUMBERS OUT, THAT WORKS OUT TO BE ABOUT A 2% INCREASE.

AND SO, WE'RE FOR RIGHT NOW. WE'RE STILL SHOWING THAT THAT 2% INCREASE.

BUT LIKE I SAID, THE SENATE VERSION THAT THEY WERE LOOKING AT IS SIGNIFICANTLY DIFFERENT ON HOW THEY WERE ALLOCATING THIS MONEY.

AND SO IF, IF WHAT COMES OUT MORE CLOSELY MATCHES THE SENATE VERSION, WE'RE DEFINITELY GOING TO HAVE TO COME TO YOU AND MAKE SOME CHANGES.

SO BASED ON HB TWO AGAIN, WITH THOSE SAME INPUTS WE SEE THAT NOW WE'RE LOOKING AT A DEFICIT OF ABOUT $5.3 MILLION BUDGETED, $4.3 MILLION PROJECTED. AND WE'RE STILL BELOW 25%, WHICH IS NOT GREAT.

BUT WE'RE MUCH CLOSER TO 25% AT 23.4%. SO THAT BUYS US A LITTLE BIT MORE TIME TO, TO START LOOKING AT OTHER WAYS THAT WE CAN REDUCE THE, THE DEFICIT.

THE FOLLOWING YEAR. AND IN ADDITION TO WHAT'S IN HB2? I DIDN'T INCLUDE SOME OF THESE OTHER THINGS THAT ARE BEING TALKED ABOUT FAIRLY SERIOUSLY, INCLUDING CHANGES TO THE SAFETY AND SECURITY ALLOTMENT, WHICH THEY, THE HOUSE AND THE SENATE VERSIONS DIFFER IN HOW THEY DISTRIBUTE THE MONEY.

BUT THE BUT THE AMOUNT OF MONEY IS ABOUT THE SAME.

SO THAT WOULD PROBABLY WORK OUT TO BE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF ABOUT $260,000.

I FEEL FAIRLY CONFIDENT THAT THAT WILL PASS. HB 500 WAS SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATIONS.

AND ONE OF THE THINGS IN THAT WAS THAT IT WOULD RESTORE SOME OF THE [INAUDIBLE] LOSSES WE'VE SEEN OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS.

I PROJECTED THAT WOULD BE ROUGHLY $620,000 A YEAR IF THAT GOES THROUGH.

SENATE BILL 568 WOULD CHANGE SPECIAL EDUCATION FUNDING TO AN INTENSITY OF SERVICES MODEL.

THE MODEL HAS NOT BEEN DETERMINED. IT'S BASICALLY STATES IN THERE THAT THE COMMISSIONER OF EDUCATION WILL DEVELOP A MODEL.

BUT THERE IS MONEY ATTACHED TO IT AND THE MONEY IS NOT INSIGNIFICANT.

IT DOES. IT DOESN'T OBVIOUSLY PAY FOR EVERYTHING THAT FOR ALL OF OUR SPECIAL ED FUNDINGS, BUT IT WOULD HELP A LOT.

[01:05:08]

AND SO I HAVE HOPE THAT IT WOULD HELP US MAYBE MORE THAN MAYBE SOME OTHER DISTRICTS.

WE'LL SEE WHAT HAPPENS THERE. AND THERE'S BEEN SOME TALK ABOUT BILLS THAT WOULD PROVIDE AN EARLY PAYMENT DISCOUNT TO, TO DISTRICTS THAT PAY RECAPTURE IT LOOKS LIKELY THE LAST I CHECKED TO, TO PASS OUT OF THE HOUSE.

HOWEVER, THERE'S NOT CURRENTLY A COMPANION BILL IN THE SENATE, AND I'M NOT, I THINK I THINK THE LIKELIHOOD OF IT PASSING THE SENATE ARE PROBABLY PRETTY LOW. BUT I WANTED TO GIVE YOU AN INDICATION OF WHAT THAT WOULD DO FOR US IF IT WERE TO PASS.

AND SO, WHAT I DID WAS I WENT IN, OBVIOUSLY, I JUST LOOKED AT WHAT IS THE 4% THAT WE WOULD SAVE THAT WE WOULDN'T HAVE TO PAY IN RECAPTURE. BUT THEN ALSO HAD TO SUBTRACT OFF THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT WE WOULD PROBABLY MAKE ON INVESTMENTS DURING THAT TIME.

AND SO THAT'S WHY THAT 1.5 MILLION THAT I WOULD PROJECT, THAT WE WOULD GET FROM THAT IS LESS THAN WHAT, 4% OF OUR NEXT YEAR'S PROJECTED RECAPTURE WOULD BE.

HERE'S SOME OTHER CONSIDERATIONS. AND, JEFF, DID YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT THAT? SURE. I'LL JUMP IN. WHEN WE BEGAN THIS CONVERSATION AND CHRIS STARTED PROVIDING THESE UPDATES TO YOU LAST FALL, SEVERAL MONTHS AGO, WE SAID THAT THERE ARE OTHER THINGS THAT WE WOULD DO OR WE COULD DO, AND SOME OF THESE ARE BEYOND OUR CONTROL.

LIKE CHRIS HAS SAID, THERE IS PENDING LEGISLATION THAT MIGHT YIELD A LITTLE BIT MORE MONEY FOR THE SCHOOL DISTRICT.

THE SESSION ENDS LATER THIS MONTH. WE DON'T YET KNOW WHAT THOSE AMOUNTS MAY BE.

HE HAS SHOWN YOU DIFFERENT SCENARIOS, BUT THAT'S BEYOND OUR CONTROL.

BUT THERE ARE SOME OTHER THINGS THAT WE'RE DOING THAT WE DID DISCUSS WITH YOU.

ONE WOULD BE HIRING FREEZE ON SELECTED POSITIONS PARTICULARLY THOSE THAT DON'T AFFECT INSTRUCTIONAL FTE.

SO WHEN WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SCALE BACK AND REDUCE OUR FTE, WE'RE TRYING TO FIND AS MANY EFFICIENCIES AS WE POSSIBLY CAN AND NOT FILL SOME OF THOSE POSITIONS THAT DON'T DIRECTLY IMPACT THE CLASSROOM THAT'S CURRENTLY BEING IMPLEMENTED, WHERE WE FEEL THAT IT IS FEASIBLE.

SO WE WANTED THE BOARD AND THE COMMUNITY TO KNOW THAT WE'RE TRYING TO BE RESPONSIVE AND TO BE RESPONSIBLE IN THAT REGARD AND TRYING TO MANAGE OUR STAFFING.

WE HAD SAID EARLIER IN THE YEAR THAT WE WOULD CONSIDER HOLDING ALL SALARIES AT THIS CURRENT YEAR'S LEVELS.

WE DON'T WANT TO DO THAT. WE KNOW THAT COMPENSATION INCREASES ARE VERY IMPORTANT TO OUR COLLEAGUES.

WE HAVE TO MAKE THAT DECISION VERY SOON IF WE WERE GOING TO DO THAT.

HOWEVER, AS CHRIS AND LORI HAVE SHOWN YOU, WE HAVE BUILT IN A 2% INCREASE FOR ALL OF OUR STAFF INTO THESE PROJECTIONS BECAUSE WE FEEL LIKE THAT'S AT LEAST FAIR AND WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO CONSIDER THAT. AND THAT IS ACTUALLY WHAT WE'RE PROPOSING FOR YOU TO APPROVE AT YOUR NEXT MEETING.

AND WE ALSO SAID EARLIER IN THE YEAR THAT YOU COULD CONSIDER ADOPTING NINE COPPER PENNIES AND CALLING FOR A VOTER APPROVED TAX RATIFICATION ELECTION.

WE'VE HEARD YOU MANY TIMES SAY THAT IS NOT WHAT YOU WANT TO DO, AND WE RESPECT THAT.

IT'S NOT WHAT WE'RE RECOMMENDING. BUT AGAIN, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE PUT ON THE TABLE LAST FALL.

AND WE SAID THAT WE WANTED TO WAIT AND SEE WHAT HAPPENS IN THE LEGISLATURE.

IF WE WERE GOING TO DO THAT, WE HAVE TO MAKE THAT DECISION BY JUNE SO THAT WE COULD HAVE THAT ELECTION NEXT NOVEMBER.

BUT ONCE MORE, WE'RE NOT RECOMMENDING THAT. WE KNOW THAT THAT'S NOT WHAT THE BOARD WANTS TO DO, BUT BECAUSE WE HAD THAT ON THE ORIGINAL LIST GOING BACK TO LAST FALL, WE WANTED TO SHOW YOU THAT IT'S STILL THERE FOR YOU TO CONSIDER.

BUT WE ALSO UNDERSTAND THAT THAT'S NOT WHAT YOUR PREFERENCE IS AT ALL.

SO, THESE ARE SOME OF THE OTHER CONSIDERATIONS THAT ARE BEING WRAPPED INTO THE PROJECTIONS.

WE WANTED YOU TO KNOW SOME THINGS THAT WE ARE DOING, SOME INFORMATION THAT WE'RE STILL WAITING ON.

AND NOW, CHRIS, I THINK CHRIS AND LAURIE, THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE TRUSTEES TO ASK ANY QUESTIONS THAT THEY MAY HAVE.

THANK YOU BOTH. QUESTIONS. HEATHER. NOT NECESSARILY QUESTIONS.

KIND OF SOME BAD NEWS. SO UNFORTUNATELY, I WAS HOPEFUL THAT THE SENATE EDUCATION COMMITTEE WOULD POST THEIR AGENDA AND THAT HOUSE BILL TWO WOULD BE ON IT FOR THEIR THURSDAY MEETING. AND THEY POSTED IT RIGHT BEFORE WE STARTED.

AND IT IS NOT ON THEIR AGENDA. SO AND THERE ARE A LOT OF OTHER HOUSE BILLS AND THAT JUST MAKES ME A LITTLE BIT NERVOUS BECAUSE I'VE BEEN HEARING THAT IT IS BEING GUTTED. AND UNFORTUNATELY, THE FISCAL NOTE THAT GOES WITH HOUSE BILL TWO IS JUST NOT IN THE SENATE BILL.

THE SENATE BUDGET BILL, SB ONE. AND SO, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE CONFEREES WORKING ON SENATE, THE SENATE BUDGET BILL, BUT I DON'T KNOW THAT THEY'LL BE ABLE TO PUT THAT AMOUNT IN BECAUSE THE SENATE DID NOT HAVE AN APPETITE AT ALL FOR RAISING THE BASIC ALLOTMENT.

SO IT DOES MAKE ME EXTREMELY NERVOUS THAT THAT'S NOT GOING TO PASS.

AND IF IT DOES, I HAVE A FEELING IT'LL BE MORE FOR RURAL SCHOOLS AND OTHER OTHER SCHOOLS.

THAT WON'T BE EANES, BUT WE'LL SEE. AND BUT GOOD NEWS THAT $450 MILLION TO THE TRS DOES SEEM TO BE IN THE

[01:10:10]

AND THEN ON THE SB 260, I THINK THAT THAT ONE MIGHT BE LIKELY TO PASS ALSO BECAUSE THERE ARE CONFEREES ALREADY ASSIGNED TO THAT.

BUT THEN HOUSE BILL 500, IT WAS REFERRED TO SENATE FINANCE AND NOT HEARD.

SO WE HAVE UNTIL THE 28TH OF THIS MONTH TO HEAR ABOUT THAT SAME THING, KIND OF WITH SB 568, IT WAS REFERRED TO THE HOUSE PUBLIC EDUCATION COMMITTEE, BUT ALSO NOT HEARD.

AND THAT WAS ONLY $450 MILLION ALLOCATED BY THE SENATE FOR THAT.

AND THERE'S LIKE A $1.7 BILLION DEFICIT IN SPECIAL EDUCATION ACROSS THE STATE.

AND SO THAT $450 MILLION IS A DROP IN THE BUCKET.

BUT ANY WOULD BE APPRECIATED, I'M SURE. AND THEN SAME THING WITH HOUSE BILL 1939.

IT WAS PASSED OUT OF COMMITTEE, BUT IT HASN'T BEEN CALENDARED YET. SO SADLY, I'M NOT SUPER HOPEFUL.

AND I HATE TO BE THE DEBBIE DOWNER ON THAT, BUT THE HOUSE HAS TILL MAY 15TH FOR THE LAST DAY FOR SECOND READINGS AND THEN MAY 16TH FOR THIRD READINGS.

AND THEN THE SENATE BILLS HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF A LONGER RUNWAY TO THE 27TH UNTIL BILLS DIE.

SO, FINGERS CROSSED THINGS START TO MOVE QUICKLY IF, IF THEY DO.

BUT I REALLY APPRECIATE YOU GUYS GOING THROUGH ALL THESE AND ALWAYS PRIORITIZING OUR STAFF, BECAUSE I FIRMLY BELIEVE IT'S KIND OF LIKE HAPPY WIFE, HAPPY LIFE, HAPPY TEACHER, HAPPY STUDENT.

AND SO, I JUST REALLY APPRECIATE THAT ALL THE HARD WORK THAT GOES INTO DOING WHAT'S, WHAT'S BEST FOR OUR STAFF SO THAT THEY CAN TAKE CARE OF OUR STUDENTS.

SO HOPEFULLY WE'LL GET SOMETHING. THANK YOU. HEATHER.

WE'LL GO TO LAURA AND THEN ELLEN. THERE'S A LOT IN THIS.

THANK YOU ALL FOR BRINGING THIS TO US. I'M NOT GOING TO SIT HERE AND TALK THROUGH ALL OF MY THOUGHT PROCESS. Y'ALL DON'T NEED TO HEAR THAT. THAT DOESN'T NEED TO BE OUT LOUD RIGHT NOW. BUT I DO HAVE QUESTIONS.

JUST A COUPLE. COULD Y'ALL TELL ME HOW MANY DISTRICTS IN THE AREA PARTICIPATE IN TIA? WELL, I THINK THAT'S GROWING. JUST LIKE WE ENTERED THE COHORT.

FROM WHAT I'M UNDERSTANDING, MOST DISTRICTS AROUND US DID AISD, OBVIOUSLY.

HAS THEY HAVE BEEN APPROVED, BUT FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND, LIKE LEANDER, GEORGETOWN BROWN ROCK HAVE ALL STARTED THE PROCESS AND HAVE ARE GETTING IN TIA ALSO THE ONLY ONES I THINK THAT I HAVE NOT HEARD ARE NOT WOULD BE LAKE TRAVIS AT THIS TIME AND DRIPPING OKAY. LAKE TRAVIS AND DRIPPING.

WHAT ABOUT HAYS? BECAUSE THEY DEFINITELY OUTPACE US IN DEL VALLEY.

I WOULD NEED TO CHECK, BUT I BELIEVE THEY ARE.

I WOULD NEED TO CHECK, THOUGH. I'M SORRY. OKAY, NO. THAT'S FINE. AND SO WE I THINK LAST MEETING OR THE MEETING BEFORE WE VOTED TO PURSUE TEA. RIGHT. AND BUT WE HAVE A YEAR OF WHERE WE APPLY FOR IT, AND THEN WE SEE IF WE'RE APPROVED FOR IT, AND THEN IT WOULD BE THE FOLLOWING YEAR, CORRECT. THAT OUR EDUCATORS WOULD BE QUALIFIED FOR IT.

CORRECT. SO, WE DID WE PUT WE DID PUT OUR APPLICATION IN.

AND SO, WE ARE WAITING FOR ACCEPTANCE OF THAT APPLICATION.

WE'VE HEARD THAT IT CAN BE ANYWHERE FROM MAY TO AUGUST FOR US TO KNOW.

AND THEN ONCE WE ARE ACCEPTED WE HAVE A YEAR OF PROVIDING DATA.

AND SO THAT INFORMATION, ONCE THAT DATA IS PROVIDED TO THEM, THEY WOULD LET US KNOW IN BASICALLY BY FEBRUARY IF WE HAD BEEN ACCEPTED IN THAT DATA WAS ACCEPTED. OKAY. OKAY. SO THAT DOESN'T GIVE US I MEAN, THAT'S A POTENTIAL FOR SOME OF OUR STAFF AND TEACHERS, A VERY SMALL PERCENTAGE, BUT IT'S SOMETHING IS BETTER THAN NOTHING.

BUT IT'S STILL A COUPLE OF YEARS OUT. SO CHRIS, LET ME JUST ASK YOU.

AND SO, WE HAVE OUR APPRAISED VALUES, SO WE'VE GOT THE TCAD.

RIGHT? RIGHT. AND THEN DOESN'T THE STATE COMPTROLLER'S OFFICE ALSO DO AN APPRAISAL.

SET AN APPRAISED VALUE FOR OUR PROPERTIES. YES.

BUT THEY SAID WHAT ARE KNOWN AS THE T VALUES.

SO THOSE ARE THE COMPTROLLER VALUES. AND BECAUSE WE ARE A RECAPTURE DISTRICT, THE T VALUES DON'T REALLY IMPACT OUR

[01:15:02]

OKAY. SO IF OUR IF THOSE VALUES AND OUR T VALUES ARE OFF BY LIKE 11%, THAT WE THERE'S NO PENALTY FOR THAT. THAT'S JUST CHAPTER 48.

YES. SO YOU'RE RIGHT. SO IF YOUR VALUES THAT IF THE COMPTROLLER VALUES DON'T MATCH WHAT ARE KNOWN AS YOUR LOCAL VALUES, IF THEY'RE, IF THEY VARY BY MORE THAN 5%. PERCENT.

EITHER UP OR DOWN, BUT IT'S ALWAYS DOWN, RIGHT? THEN YOU. WELL, IT'S A PROCESS. SO THE FIRST YEAR YOU ARE BASICALLY PUT ON PROBATION BUT YOU AND THEN THEY CHECK YOUR NEXT YEAR TO SEE IF YOU FALL IN. AND THEN IF YOU MEET THE CRITERIA THEN YOU DROP OUT.

BUT IF THAT CONTINUES AND YOU CONTINUE TO NOT YOUR VALUES CONTINUE TO NOT MATCH THEN EVENTUALLY YOU ARE ASSIGNED WHAT'S KNOWN AS STATE VALUE. SO TYPICALLY YOU'RE ASSIGNED LOCAL VALUES, WHICH MEANS YOU'RE COLLECTING ON LOCAL VALUES.

AND YOUR YOUR PAYMENTS ARE BASED ON THAT. BUT FOR CHAPTER 48, DISTRICT IF YOU ARE EVENTUALLY ASSIGNED STATE VALUES THEN THEY. YOUR, YOUR, YOUR STATE AID IS PREMISED ON THE FACT THAT YOU SHOULD HAVE COLLECTED THIS MUCH IN TAXES, BUT YOU DIDN'T.

AND SO WE'RE ONLY GOING TO GIVE YOU THIS MUCH IN AID.

AND SO THAT'S WHERE IT HITS THEM. IT DOESN'T HIT CHAPTER 49 DISTRICTS BECAUSE THERE'S, THERE'S A PROVISION THAT SAYS THAT YOUR RECAPTURE CAN'T BE MORE THAN YOUR TIER ONE ALLOTMENT MINUS HOW MUCH YOU COLLECTED.

AND SO THAT THAT ESSENTIALLY MEANS THAT THAT DOESN'T HIT US.

BUT OTHER THAN ONCE A FEW YEARS AGO, WE'VE WE'VE ALWAYS MET AND BEEN ASSIGNED LOCAL VALUES.

OKAY. OKAY. I THINK THAT'S IT FOR NOW. I MIGHT HAVE SOME LATER.

THANK YOU. WE'LL GO TO ELLEN. THANK YOU. DO WE HAVE ANY IDEA HOW MUCH IT WOULD COST US TO READJUST OUR SALARY SCHEDULE BY 500 TO 1500 PER STEP.

AND THE REASON I ASK THAT IS RIGHT NOW WE ARE.

I AGREE WITH YOU THAT BETWEEN 12TH AND 11TH, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES IT'S A SMALL AMOUNT OF MONEY, BUT BETWEEN 12TH AND FIFTH IT'S GENERALLY 500 TO 1500.

IT'S PRETTY SUBSTANTIAL. AND I MEAN, I KNOW HOW WE GOT HERE.

WE DIDN'T HAVE ESSER FUNDS. AND SO WE LOST A LITTLE BIT OVER ALL OF THOSE YEARS WHERE OTHER DISTRICTS DID HAVE THOSE AVAILABLE TO THEM.

BUT TO ME, WE'RE THE MOST COMPETITIVE AT I DON'T WANT TO CALL IT THE LEAST DESIRABLE LEVEL, BUT THE LEAST DESIRABLE LEVEL OF EXPERIENCE, THE AREAS WHERE TEACHERS ARE REALLY GETTING TO THAT SWEET SPOT.

FIVE YEARS, TEN YEARS, 15 YEARS WE ARE WOEFULLY UNCOMPETITIVE.

SO I'M CURIOUS HOW MUCH IT WOULD COST US TO READJUST OUR SALARY SCHEDULE TO GET TO A LEVEL THAT'S MORE COMPETITIVE SO THAT OVER TIME, AS WE GIVE RAISES ESPECIALLY IF WE ARE ABLE TO MATCH WHAT OTHER DISTRICTS ARE DOING, WE CAN KEEP UP AND WE WON'T BE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE LIST BECAUSE IT'S REAL MONEY.

I MEAN, I THINK $1,500 IS CAN BEGIN TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN, IN HOW PEOPLE MAKE A DECISION.

I DON'T KNOW THE TOTAL AMOUNT, BUT THAT'S SOMETHING WE DEFINITELY CAN FIGURE BASED ON THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO ARE AT THOSE PLACEMENT STEPS.

AND WE CAN LOOK INTO THAT AND I CAN GET THAT INFORMATION TO YOU.

WELL, AS A THAT I WON'T I WON'T BE HERE. BUT I WOULD SUGGEST THAT WE LOOK AT THAT BECAUSE WE WILL REMAIN UNCOMPETITIVE ALWAYS IF WE DON'T GO TO MARKET RATE IF YOU WILL.

AT SOME POINT I'D LOVE FOR US TO GET IN THE TOP THREE, BUT IF WE GET IN THE TOP FIVE, IT'S BETTER THAN BEING 12TH.

SO, I REALLY THINK IT'S SOMETHING TO LOOK AT, PARTICULARLY AS THE STATE IS DOING, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THE STATE'S GOING TO DO, BUT IT MAY BE THAT WE CAN TAKE OUR MONEY AND DO SOME OF THIS AND THEIR MONEY IF WE WANT TO GIVE 2%.

I CURSE AND WORRY. EVERY 1% IS ROUGHLY EQUIVALENT TO 1%, ABOUT SIX $700,000.

[01:20:01]

BUT I REALLY THINK STRATEGICALLY WE'VE GOT TO FIGURE OUT A WAY TO NOT GET FURTHER AND FURTHER BEHIND FROM A COMPETITIVE STANDPOINT.

MY SECOND QUESTION IS DO WE HAVE A PLAN TO TARGET TRANSFERS FOR WHERE OUR EMPTY SEATS ARE IN CERTAIN CAMPUSES? YES. IN FACT, WHEN THE ENROLLMENT UPDATE IS PRESENTED IN JUNE, WHICH I'M SORRY THAT YOU WON'T BE HERE.

I LOVE THE ENROLLMENT UPDATES, BUT YOU'LL HEAR SOME OF THE EFFORTS THAT HAVE BEEN MADE THIS YEAR BY CLAUDIA MCWHORTER AND COMMUNICATIONS AND MOLLY MAY, WHO'S NOW OVER ENROLLMENT TO TRY TO TARGET TRANSFERS, ESPECIALLY FOR THOSE SEATS IN THOSE CLASSROOMS AND THOSE GRADE LEVELS AND CAMPUSES WHERE WE HAVE SPACE. OKAY, GREAT. THAT HAS THAT HAS ALWAYS WELL, NOT ALWAYS, BUT WE'VE HAD THE POLICY FOR ABOUT 22 YEARS NOW AND MANY YEARS IT HAS BEEN WHAT HAS ALLOWED US TO KEEP OUR PROGRAMING EQUAL, OR OUR PROGRAMING EVEN AND NOT HAVE TO CUT PROGRAMS WHEN PARTICULARLY IN THE, IN THE DOWN YEARS.

I APPRECIATE YOU SHARING WITH US THE OTHER BUDGET REDUCTION STRATEGIES THAT ARE BEING CONSIDERED.

WILL THOSE ADD UP TO ENOUGH TO GET US BACK ABOVE 25% IN OUR FUND BALANCE, OR WILL THERE BE ADDITIONAL RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WE SHOULD EXPECT TO COME FORWARD? I THINK THE BIGGEST INDICATOR OF WHETHER WE GET THERE OR NOT WILL BE WHAT HAPPENS AT THE LEGISLATIVE LEVEL.

SO IF I SHOWED YOU WHAT HB 2 AS IT PASSED OUT OF THE HOUSE DID, AND WE GOT CLOSE ENOUGH THAT I THINK IT'S IT MIGHT BE POSSIBLE. YEAH, TO GET TO 25% WITH SOME FURTHER BELT TIGHTENING.

BUT IT COULD ALSO GO THE OTHER WAY DEPENDING ON WHAT, WHAT HAPPENS IN THE SENATE AND WHAT THEY AGREE TO.

YOU KNOW, IT MIGHT NOT BE AS GOOD AS WHAT HB TWO WAS WHEN IT CAME OUT.

THE HOUSE. SO IT, I THINK IT LIKE I SAID, I THINK THE BIGGEST FACTOR IS GOING TO BE WHAT DOES THE LEGISLATURE DO? THANK YOU. AND IN TERMS OF WHAT WE CAN CONTROL, WITH ROUGHLY 90% OF OUR BUDGET BEING DEVOTED TO STAFF COMPENSATION, THE BIGGEST EFFECT ON THAT WILL BE OUR EFFORTS TO TRY TO SCALE BACK OR STREAMLINE OUR FTE.

AND WE'RE HAVING THOSE CONVERSATIONS WITH PRINCIPALS.

NOW, WHEN YOU HAVE A POSITION OR THEY HAVE A POSITION THAT WE DON'T HAVE TO FILL, THEN WE'RE NOT FILLING THAT IN MOST CASES, OR IF NECESSARY, WE'RE FILLING IT FROM WITHIN.

SO WE'RE DOING EVERYTHING WE CAN TO TRY TO BE MORE EFFICIENT IN OUR STAFFING, TO TRY TO ACHIEVE SOME OF THOSE SAVINGS.

YEAH. AND WITH CONTRACTS BEING RENEWED AND THAT SORT OF THING, I KNOW THAT RUNWAY IS SHORTENING, SO THANK YOU FOR CONSIDERING IT AT THIS POINT.

THANK YOU. ALAN, WE'LL GO TO KELLY. HI, GUYS.

OKAY, SO I WAS THINKING IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT WHAT THE STATE'S GOING TO DO.

IT'S ALSO THE ELECTION WE JUST SAW WHERE DRIPPING APPROVED ANOTHER SCHOOL.

AND LAKE TRAVIS IS STILL KIND OF BALANCING BUILDING THAT SCHOOL, THAT ADDITIONAL HIGH SCHOOL.

SO, I KNOW IT'S GOING TO GET COMPETITIVE FOR EDUCATORS IN A COUPLE OF YEARS.

SO IT IS GOOD TO STAY RELEVANT NOW. AND FOR THAT, I WANTED TO THANK YOU FOR THE TEA APPLICATION.

I CAN SEE HOW VERY IMPORTANT THAT IS, AS THESE OTHER SCHOOLS ARE DEVELOPING THEIR PROGRAMS AND HAVE MORE STUDENTS.

AND I'M SO GLAD THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE COMPETITIVE IN THAT.

SO THANK YOU FOR HAVING THE FORESIGHT. I LOVED THE TEACHER OF PROMISE AWARD THIS YEAR.

I THOUGHT THAT WAS SUCH A COOL THING TO DO, TO REALLY RECOGNIZE THAT NEW TEACHERS MAKE AN AMAZING CONTRIBUTION.

AND I FEEL LIKE WHEN YOU'RE RECOGNIZED IN A ROLE, YOU ARE MORE LIKELY TO STAY IN IT.

SO THANK YOU FOR DOING THAT. AND I WATCH YOU PROMOTE FROM WITHIN REGULARLY, AND I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR THAT TOO.

I HAD THE SAME KIND OF CONCERN AROUND THE $500 DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE ZERO AND FIVE YEAR FROM THE CHANGE AFTER FIVE YEARS. AND I DID THINK WHEN I LOOKED AT THE OTHER DISTRICTS, THE AVERAGE WAS MORE AROUND, LIKE A GOOD AVERAGE WOULD BE ONE AND A HALF, YOU KNOW INSTEAD OF JUST THE 500.

BUT I DO THINK IT'S SOMETHING TO CONSIDER WHEN WE, I GUESS WHEN WE DO HAVE MORE FUNDING AND AS WE SEE THE MARKET GET MORE COMPETITIVE FOR

[01:25:01]

YOU KNOW, I THINK WE'RE REALLY FORTUNATE. WE STILL DO DRAW IN INDIVIDUALS WITH TEACHING EXPERIENCE.

SO, YOU KNOW, I WOULD THINK AROUND THAT, YOU KNOW, 5 TO 7 YEAR MARK.

I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY WE HAVE A LOT OF NEW PEOPLE BRAND NEW TO THE PROFESSION JUST BECAUSE OF WHERE WE SIT.

RIGHT. WE'RE IN AUSTIN, UT, TEXAS STATE, RIGHT DOWN THE ROAD.

WE HAVE GREAT RELATIONSHIPS WITH THEM, AND WE BRING IN THEIR STUDENT TEACHERS.

AND SO I THINK THAT WE DEFINITELY HIRE FROM THOSE STUDENT TEACHERS EVERY YEAR.

BUT I THINK THE INDIVIDUALS THAT COME IN ARE USUALLY YOU KNOW, HAVE BEEN TEACHING FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS, HAVE A LITTLE BIT UNDER THEIR BELT. AND, YOU KNOW, I THINK WE HIRED SOMEONE JUST THE OTHER DAY THAT HAD TEN YEARS OF EXPERIENCE.

SO I THINK, YOU KNOW, IT REALLY DOES VARY. AND PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, COME HERE BECAUSE THEY THEY WANT TO BE A PART OF THIS COMMUNITY.

THEY WANT TO BE A PART OF OUR SCHOOLS. THEY WANT TO BRING THEIR CHILDREN.

AND SO I THINK THAT LIKE YOU SAID, TO KEEP THAT HIGHER END OF THE MORE TENURED INDIVIDUALS KEEP THAT THAT COMPETITIVE IS REALLY IMPORTANT FOR US. YEAH. AND I THINK JUST BECAUSE YOU'RE, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE SEEING THE APPLICATIONS AND YOU'RE OUT THERE AND YOU'RE DOING THE EVENTS AND THE RECRUITING, YOU CAN KIND OF KNOW AND IDENTIFY FOR US AND HELP US KNOW WHERE THE WHERE THOSE WHERE THE BIGGEST POOL IS TO MAKE SURE WE'RE MOST COMPETITIVE IN THAT ONE, IF THERE WAS ONE THAT DIFFERED OR STOOD OUT.

YEAH. AND THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT COMPRESSION OF THAT HIGHER END HAS, YOU KNOW, IT DIDN'T HAPPEN OVERNIGHT.

IT'S BEEN WE'VE BEEN DOING THAT FOR MANY YEARS NOW.

AND SO WE WE REALIZE THAT WE'VE TALKED TO TASB ABOUT THAT.

YOU KNOW, WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO LOOK AT BEST WAYS TO KIND OF SPREAD THAT AS WE CAN.

BUT OBVIOUSLY IT MEANS, YOU KNOW, A FINANCIAL COMMITMENT TO IT.

AND THEN WHEN I WAS TOURING ON THE CAMPUSES AND STUFF, AND I'LL MEET TEACHERS AND EVEN A COUPLE TEACHERS THAT GOT AWARDED THIS YEAR FOR INSPIRATIONS. IT WAS THEIR SECOND CAREER. SO IF YOU HAVE BEEN DOING SOMETHING ELSE FOR 15 YEARS AND THEN YOU COME TO EANES TO TEACH. SO EVEN THOUGH YOU HAVE THAT 15 YEARS EXPERIENCE IN ANOTHER JOB, DOES THAT TRANSLATE IN ANY WAY OR DO YOU START AT ZERO? NO, IT DEPENDS. LIKE WITH A CTE POSITION, TEA DOES ALLOW US TO, YOU KNOW, TO TAKE SOME OF THOSE YEARS OF EXPERIENCE.

BUT REALLY IN THE TEACHING PROFESSION FOR T IT IS ONCE YOU START TEACHING, YOU COME IN AT ZERO YEARS OF EXPERIENCE.

OKAY. THAT'S INTERESTING. I JUST I HAD MET QUITE A FEW LIKE REALLY GREAT EDUCATORS AND REALIZED THIS WAS THEIR SECOND CAREER.

SO YES, ABSOLUTELY. WE HAVE QUITE A FEW OF THOSE.

THE OTHER I HAD ANOTHER QUESTION ABOUT THE. THE 7200 STUDENTS.

SO I KNOW WE HAD TALKED ABOUT SOME TRANSFERS IN BARTON CREEK THAT WE HAD LOCATED AT THE EANES CAMPUS.

SO IN THAT 7250, HAVE YOU ALREADY CALCULATED IN THE TRANSFERS THAT ARE ALREADY HERE, OR IS THAT DOES THAT COME LATER? THIS IS OUR BEST GUESS OF WHERE WE THINK WE MIGHT END UP AND LOOKING AT IT ON A SCALE, I WOULD SAY IT'S PROBABLY ON, ON THE LOWER END OF THAT SCALE. BUT IF YOU IF YOU LOOK AT THE NUMBER OF KIDS WHO HAVE COMMITTED AND THEN YOU JUST KIND OF LOOK AT OUR HISTORICAL TRENDS OF HOW KIDS GET ADDED FROM THIS POINT ON AND WE GET, WE DO GET A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO MOVE IN AND ENROLL IN THE SUMMER.

WE'RE JUST KIND OF WE'RE DOING OUR BEST TO PROJECT WHERE WE THINK WE'RE GOING TO BE.

AND SO IT'S IT'S KIDS WHO ARE COMMITTED NOW. PLUS, WHAT WE ANTICIPATE IS, IS LIKELY TO HAPPEN OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL MONTHS.

SO WHEN YOU SAY KIDS ARE COMMITTED, YOU MEAN OUR LOCAL RESIDENTS THAT FILLED OUT THE SIV? RIGHT. AND THEN ALSO THE TRANSFERS THAT HAVE RENEWED THEIR COMMITMENT TO BEING HERE NEXT YEAR.

CORRECT? YES. OKAY. AND THEN MY LAST QUESTION WAS BASED ON THE MAY PROJECTION BASED ON CURRENT LAW. YOU HAD THE FUND BALANCE AT 19.6%.

DOES HOW DOES THAT AFFECT OUR BOND CAPACITY WHEN WE GO TO 19.6? IT DOESN'T HAVE A DIRECT OR VERY DIRECT IMPACT ON OUR BOND CAPACITY.

[01:30:02]

AND AS YOU KNOW, RIGHT NOW, WE HAVE WITH ONE AGENCY, WE'VE GOT A AA, AND WITH ANOTHER AGENCY, WE'VE GOT A TRIPLE A AND SO WHICH ARE BOTH VERY HIGH RATINGS.

AND SO AS OUR FUND BALANCE DROPS, IT'S POSSIBLE THAT THAT UNDERLYING RATING COULD DROP AS WELL.

IN FACT, I WOULDN'T BE SHOCKED AT ALL IF IT DID IF WE IF WE MIGHT DROP DOWN SOME ON OUR UNDERLYING RATING.

HOWEVER, THE BONDS WILL GO OUT AND WE'LL APPLY FOR THE PERMANENT SCHOOL FUND GUARANTEE WHICH ALLOWS US TO GO OUT WITH A WITH THE CREDIT RATING OF THE PERMANENT SCHOOL FUND, WHICH IS A TRIPLE A, AND SO THE BONDS THAT ARE SOLD ARE TRIPLE A.

AND SO, THE UNDERLYING RATING IS CONSIDERED BY INVESTORS.

IT'S JUST A PART OF THEIR INVESTMENT DECISION.

BUT BECAUSE THE, THE OVERALL WRAPPER RAPPER IS A TRIPLE A RATED BOND.

THE UNDERLYING RATING DOESN'T HAVE A HUGE IMPACT ON THE RATES THAT WILL EVENTUALLY BE ABLE TO SELL THOSE BONDS FOR.

SO MAYBE A COUPLE OF BASIS POINTS. SO IT'S POSSIBLE THEY COULD IT COULD MAKE IT A LITTLE BIT MORE EXPENSIVE, BUT IT WON'T BE DRAMATIC. THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

KELLY. WE'LL GO TO KIM. THANK YOU ALL FOR THE QUESTIONS THAT HAVE BEEN RAISED AND THEN.

AND YOUR ANSWERS. THERE'S FROM THE QUESTIONS FROM THESE PRESENTATIONS OVER THE YEARS.

CHRIS, I KNOW YOU USED TO SAY IT. LORI AND CHRIS, YOU BOTH PROBABLY SAID IT, BUT, YOU KNOW, THERE'S VERY LITTLE THAT WE CAN CONTROL. THERE'S LOTS OF LEVERS.

AND, CHRIS, YOU USED TO USE THAT TERM THERE, THERE ARE LEVERS THAT WE CAN PULL.

BUT I THINK THAT THE QUESTIONS AND THE ANSWERS ARE VERIFY FOR US THAT.

I MEAN, WE'RE WALKING KIND OF A NARROW PATHWAY ON WHAT WE CAN CONTROL AND WHAT IS CONTROLLED FOR US BY OTHERS.

ONE OF THE AREAS IS THIS ENROLLMENT. SO I JUST WANT TO CLARIFY AND MAKE SURE I UNDERSTAND.

WE HAD A PROJECTION OF 7454, AND THE NEW PROJECTION OF 7250 IS THAT WITH OR WITHOUT TRANSFERS OR A PROJECTION OF TRANSFERS, THAT'S WITH PROJECTION OF TRANSFER.

THAT'S WITH A PROJECTION OF TRANSFERS. AND I'M, WE HAVE HAD DISCUSSIONS OVER THE YEARS ON HOW WE GO OUT AND WE GRAB THOSE TRANSFERS AND WE TRY TO ADVERTISE OURSELVES AND WE HONE IN ON TRANSFERS.

AND I KNOW THAT WE'VE DONE ALL OF THAT, BUT, YOU KNOW, SO WE'RE NOT REALLY PROJECTING OUTSIDE OF THE 7250 SIGNIFICANT GROWTH. WE'RE NOT PROJECTING 200 TRANSFERS COMING IN 200 ADDITIONAL TRANSFERS, 200 ADDITIONAL TRANSFERS.

WE'RE NOT TO MAKE UP THIS THIS DEFICIT FROM A PREVIOUS PROJECTION AND TO THE PROJECTION THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT NOW IN TERMS OF ENROLLMENT.

CAN YOU ALL TALK ABOUT THE I MEAN, SOMEBODY JUST SAID THERE WAS A SUMMER BURST, AND I KNOW WE HAD AN EARLIER DISCUSSION ON SUMMER ENROLLMENT AS IT APPLIED TO BARTON CREEK, BUT IT IS THE SUMMER BURST OR WHAT WE ANTICIPATE TO BE SUMMER ENROLLMENT AND NEW FAMILIES MOVING INTO OUR DISTRICT. IS THAT ALSO INCLUDED IN THE 7250? RIGHT. BUT OF COURSE, THAT'S AN ESTIMATE. WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THE NUMBER IS GOING TO BE.

AND WHICH IS WHY I SAY I THINK THE 7250 IS PROBABLY ON THE LOW END OF THE ESTIMATE.

IT COULD BE A LITTLE BIT HIGHER. WE PROBABLY WON'T GET TO THE 7450, THOUGH.

OKAY. WE PROBABLY NEVER HAD A SUMMER WHERE WE DIDN'T.

THERE WAS A SURPRISE OF 200 PLUS STUDENTS. NOT THAT I CAN RECALL.

NO. YEAH. SO. SO, A SUMMER BURST OR MAYBE BEING ON THE LOW SIDE, WOULD WE ANTICIPATE MAYBE ANOTHER 5050? MAYBE THAT WOULD BE GOOD. THAT WAS BETTER THAN I WAS EXPECTING.

YOU KNOW, THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE HYPOTHETICALLY CAN CONTROL, BUT WE IT'S REALLY OUT OF OUR CONTROL.

OUTSIDE OF PULLING IN THOSE TRANSFERS. THE OTHER THING THAT I SAW THAT MAYBE WAS IN OUR CONTROL WAS NOW, LAURIE, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT YOU HIGHLIGHTED, WHICH IS THE TRICK AND THE ABILITY TO PAY INTO OUR YOU KNOW, OR OUR PROJECTION OR OUR

[01:35:07]

YOU'RE SAYING THAT RIGHT NOW WE'VE GOT THE 473 THAT WE PAY, WHICH I'M ASSUMING IS A RETENTION TOOL FOR OUR EMPLOYEES? YES, DEFINITELY. OKAY. AND WERE YOU SAYING IN THAT SLIDE THAT COST IS GOING TO GO UP. SO IS THAT THEN THE DELTA THAT WE ARE NOT PAYING IS THAT DO WE ANTICIPATE THAT'S GOING TO COME OUT OF OUR EMPLOYEES POCKETS IF THAT'S 47 OR 50? 50. 47 CORRECT. THAT'S CORRECT.

SO THAT'S GOING TO BE MORE COST TO OUR EMPLOYEES.

RIGHT. ARE THERE ANY PLANS? AND I'M ANTICIPATING THE ANSWER IS NO.

THAT THAT WE WOULD INCREASE OUR CONTRIBUTION ABOVE 473.

NO, THERE WOULD NOT BE ANY PLAN AT THIS TIME.

ALL RIGHT. I THINK JUST THE VARYING IN THE PLANS AND WHAT INDIVIDUAL PEOPLE TAKE, YOU KNOW, I THINK IT'S BETTER TO KIND OF KEEP IT AT THE 473 AND APPLY THAT WHATEVER FUNDS WE HAVE TO RAISE, THEN IT KIND OF GIVES PEOPLE THE OPTION IF THEY'RE NOT ON OUR HEALTH INSURANCE PLAN, WHICH ABOUT 92, 93% OF OUR EMPLOYEES ARE ON OUR HEALTH INSURANCE PLAN, BUT THERE ARE SOME WHO ARE NOT.

AND SO YOU KNOW, THAT GIVES THEM THE OPPORTUNITY, YOU KNOW, TO ACTUALLY REAP THE BENEFITS OF THE RAISE, NOT THE ACTUAL INCREASE TO THE, TO THE HEALTH INSURANCE.

OKAY. AND WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THAT AMOUNT OR THAT, THAT PROGRAM, IS IT A ONE SIZE FITS ALL FOR A SINGLE TEACHER AND A FAMILY OF, YOU KNOW, X OR ARE THERE VARIABLES IN THE INSURANCE CATEGORIES? YES, THERE ARE VARIABLES. SO, THE PLANS, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE EMPLOYEE.

OH, IT'S A 473 ACROSS THE BOARD. YES. FOR, FOR ONE EMPLOYEE.

IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE ASKING? NO, I'M ASKING IF I'M A TEACHER AND I'M A SINGLE TEACHER THAT DOES NOT HAVE ANY DEPENDENTS.

IS THERE A CHANGE IN MY COST VERSUS A TEACHER THAT HAS A FAMILY THAT IS GOING TO.

YES. AND THERE ARE MULTIPLE PLANS IN TRS. SO KIND OF DEPENDING ON HOW RICH YOUR BENEFITS ARE WITHIN THAT PLAN, YOU ALSO PAY, YOU KNOW, A DIFFERENT AMOUNT. OKAY.

SO SO FOR THE SINGLE TEACHER GETTING A CONTRIBUTION OF 473 IS THAT GOING TO COVER MOST OF IT OR IS THAT PROBABLY THE LOWEST PLAN? IT WOULD COVER MOST OF IT, BUT NOT ANY OF THE OTHER PLANS AT THIS TIME.

THEY'RE ALL NOW, YOU KNOW, AT ONE POINT IN TIME, THE 473 COVERED THE ENTIRE AMOUNT.

AND SO NOW PEOPLE DO HAVE AN INSURANCE PREMIUM THAT COMES OUT OF THEIR CHECK.

OKAY. THANK YOU. AND THEN I DO THINK I KNOW THE ANSWER.

MAYBE THIS IS DIRECTED TO DOCTOR ARNETT, BUT, YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT SO MANY VARIABLES HERE AND THERE'S, THERE'S NO SILVER BULLET AND THERE'S NO FROM A LEGISLATIVE STANDPOINT WE'VE GOT THINGS THAT WE MAY ANTICIPATE, AND WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO RELY ON, BUT WE'RE NOT GOING TO KNOW UNTIL MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND.

SO CAN YOU REMIND US AGAIN WHY WE'RE, I MEAN, WHY THE MAY 20TH DEADLINE OR WHY WE HAVE ON THE AGENDA MAY 20TH TO VOTE ON COMPENSATION WHEN SOME OF THAT MONEY, A LITTLE BIT OF THAT MONEY COULD BE INCREASED OR COULD GO UP, COULD GO DOWN. I CAN ADDRESS THAT. GO AHEAD.

CHRIS. THANKS, CHRIS. SO IT'S REALLY A TIMING ISSUE.

SO YOU HAVE TO ADOPT THE BUDGET BEFORE THE END OF THE FISCAL YEAR WHICH IS SCHEDULED FOR YOUR JUNE 24TH MEETING.

BEFORE THAT, I HAVE TO PUBLISH A SUMMARY OF THE BUDGET IN THE NEWSPAPER TEN DAYS BEFORE THAT MEETING.

AND I'VE GOT TO GET THAT NOTICE TO THE NEWSPAPER FOUR DAYS BEFORE THAT.

SO SOMEWHERE AROUND JUNE 10TH, I HAVE TO HAVE IT TO THE TO THE NEWSPAPER.

AND IF YOU ADOPT A COMPENSATION PLAN ON MAY 20TH, THAT'LL GIVE MY TEAM ENOUGH TIME TO RUN THE NUMBERS.

AND WE CAN PUT THE WHOLE THING TOGETHER IF WE PUSH IT INTO THE FIRST MEETING IN JUNE.

WE JUST WOULDN'T. THE TIMING WOULDN'T WORK OUT.

AND I KNOW IN THE PAST, WE'VE AND I UNDERSTAND THAT.

AND I THINK I ANTICIPATED THAT THAT THERE WERE GOOD REASONS FOR VOTING ON MAY 20TH.

[01:40:01]

IT HADN'T GONE THAT WAY IN THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS. BUT BUT WE'VE HOPED, AND I KNOW THAT THERE HAVE BEEN COMMENTS WHERE SHOULD WE FIND ADDITIONAL MONEYS? WE'LL COME BACK AND WE'LL REVISIT IN NOT ENROLLMENT, SALARY COMPENSATION.

IT HADN'T HAPPENED IN MY TIME PERIOD, BUT. IF I, I'M NOT QUITE SURE WHERE I'M GOING WITH THAT.

WE'RE NOT GOING TO. I MEAN, IF. I GUESS WHAT IS THE? IF WE PUSH THIS OUT TO SEE EXACTLY WHAT THE LEGISLATIVE FINAL DECISIONS WOULD BE, AND IF WE PUSHED IT OUT TO THE 1ST OF JUNE. ARE YOU SAYING THAT THERE'S THESE THIS IS WEEKS WORTH OF WORK THAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN BEFORE A JUNE 10TH APPLICATION? IT'S. YES, IT'S A COUPLE OF WEEKS WORTH OF WORK.

ALSO, TYPICALLY THE, THE TEMPLATES USED TO CALCULATE WHENEVER THERE'S BEEN A SIGNIFICANT LEGISLATIVE CHANGE, THEY TAKE TIME TO WORK THE KINKS OUT OF THEM.

AND IF YOU REMEMBER THE LAST TIME IT HAPPENED IN FACT, LAST, LAST FISCAL YEAR WE GOT A CORRECTION, A SIGNIFICANT CORRECTION TO THE TEMPLATE AFTER YOU ADOPTED THE BUDGET.

AND SO, IT HAD GONE ALMOST LIKE SIX, EIGHT MONTHS BEFORE WE FINALLY GOT IT DOWN.

THE LIKELIHOOD THAT THE LEGISLATURE WILL CLOSE AND I'LL HAVE A GOOD TEMPLATE IN JUNE IS NOT LIKELY. BY AUGUST, I'LL PROBABLY HAVE A PRETTY DECENT ONE.

THANK YOU. WE'LL GO TO HEATHER. YOU'RE BEING KIND TO SAY A SIGNIFICANT CORRECTION TO THE TEMPLATE THAT WAS NOT EXACTLY. WELL, I'LL LEAVE IT AT THAT. SO, I WAS ACTUALLY AT A PANEL THIS MORNING.

THE TEXAS TRIBUNE DID A PANEL AT RAISE YOUR HAND, TEXAS, ON TEACHER RETENTION AND ATTRACTION.

AND IT WAS REALLY INTERESTING. AND I WAS THINKING ABOUT IT WHEN YOU GUYS WERE TALKING THAT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT YOU BROUGHT UP LORI TONIGHT, AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THEY BROUGHT UP ON THE PANEL, WAS THAT THE MAJORITY OF TEACHERS DO LEAVE AROUND 3 TO 5 YEARS, BECAUSE A LOT OF OUR NEW TEACHERS WHO COME IN, YOU KNOW, BRAND NEW, THEY START TO HAVE FAMILIES AND THEY WANT TO STAY HOME. AND THAT WAS EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED TO ME. I TAUGHT FIRST GRADE UNTIL I HAD MY SON, AND THEN IT WAS BASICALLY MY PAYCHECK TO PUT BOTH OF THEM IN, IN DAYCARE.

SO I, TO ELLEN'S POINT TO THIS KIND OF ALL MADE ME THINK ABOUT IT.

YOU KNOW, IF WE AND I WON'T GET TO MAKE A, YOU KNOW, MAKE THIS POINT, BUT I'M JUST GOING TO PUT IT OUT THERE, YOU KNOW, IF THERE IS A WAY TO MAKE A CORRECTION TO THAT 5-TO-10-YEAR GROUP, I THINK THAT WOULD BE REALLY GREAT.

AND EVEN MORE INCENTIVES, YOU KNOW, WITH CDC AND THAT KIND OF STUFF, BECAUSE THOSE ARE OUR YOUNGER TEACHERS.

AND IT'S BEEN PROVEN THAT IF TEACHERS STAY FOR FIVE YEARS, THEY WILL STAY FOR 20.

AND SO, IF THERE'S SOME WAY TO INCENTIVIZE THOSE PEOPLE TO STAY AT THE DISTRICT AND GIVE THEM ANYTHING TO MAKE IT EASIER FOR THEM TO REMAIN A WORKING PARENT, THAT WOULD BE AWESOME.

AND THEN ALSO I WOULD LIKE TO JUST, YOU KNOW, SUGGEST MAYBE A LITTLE BIT OF A SHIFT TO AWAY FROM MAYBE THE FIRST YEAR TEACHER TO THE 15 TO 20, REALLY THE 20 OR THE 15, I DON'T KNOW, WHATEVER.

JUST BECAUSE WITH MORE NEW TEACHERS, YOU NEED MORE MENTORS, AND THAT'S GOING TO BE MORE INCREASINGLY DIFFICULT.

AND SO THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE MORE WORK, AND ESPECIALLY IF WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO HAVE OTHER EFFICIENCIES, GIVING THOSE THOSE MASTER TEACHERS A LITTLE BIT OF A BOOST, I THINK WOULD BE SO HELPFUL TO EVERYBODY. SO JUST SOME THINGS TO THINK ABOUT.

AND I DO WANT TO GIVE YOU KUDOS, DISTRICT KUDOS FOR NOT HAVING MANY DISTRICT OF INNOVATION UNCERTIFIED TEACHERS.

I THINK THAT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE SHOULD BE VERY PROUD OF, BECAUSE THE REST OF THE STATE IS DEALING WITH 50% OF THE TEACHER WORKFORCE IS UNCERTIFIED.

AND SO I'M REALLY PROUD OF THE WORK THAT YOU GUYS HAVE DONE TO MAKE SURE THAT THE MAJORITY OF OUR TEACHERS ARE FULLY CERTIFIED AND ARE BECOMING MASTER TEACHERS, EVEN IF THEY'RE NEW. SO JUST KUDOS TO THAT.

TO YOU ALL FOR THAT. AND THEN I DO HAVE A QUESTION.

THAT STUPID NEWSPAPER AD AND, SORRY, NEWSPAPERS, BUT LIKE, WE DON'T EVEN HAVE A NEWSPAPER LOCALLY ANYMORE.

THAT WAS, LIKE, PICKY AND CLOSED DOWN. SO THIS ALWAYS MAKES ME UPSET THAT WE HAVE TO PAY A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF MONEY TO POST SOMETHING IN THE NEWSPAPER,

[01:45:05]

WHATEVER. DON'T GET ME WRONG, THEY HAVE GOOD LOBBYISTS. IS THERE A WAIVER? LIKE, I KNOW THAT SOME DISTRICTS ARE ABLE TO DO A WAIVER FOR LIKE SAFETY AND SECURITY IF THEY CAN'T AFFORD OR FIND A SECURITY OFFICER, IS THERE A WAIVER THAT WE CAN SAY, SORRY, WE JUST IT'S NOT IN OUR BUDGET THIS YEAR.

BECAUSE THAT DOESN'T FEEL IMPORTANT, BUT LIKE A TEACHER DOES. I DON'T BELIEVE THAT'S A POSSIBILITY.

NO, MAYBE WE SHOULD WORK ON THAT. ALTHOUGH WE COULD LOOK AND SEE IF IT MIGHT QUALIFY AS A DISTRICT OF INNOVATION EXEMPTIONS.

I LIKE THAT IDEA. I THINK ANYTHING, YOU KNOW, THAT WE CAN LOOK AT MAYBE TO PUSH BACK AND SAY, SORRY, WE CAN'T AFFORD THAT. THAT'S AN UNFUNDED MANDATE.

ANY OTHER TRUSTEE QUESTIONS? I HAVE A COUPLE.

COULD WE GO TO THIS SLIDE? ON THIS SLIDE, THE HEALTH INSURANCE CONTRIBUTION. IS THAT MONTHLY? YES, THAT IS MONTHLY.

SO, WE, ON AN ANNUAL TERM, WE'RE $936 BETTER THAN AVERAGE THERE.

AND SO, WHEN WE START TALKING ABOUT HOW WE COMPARE TO OTHER DISTRICTS, IT FEELS LIKE IF YOU WERE TO ADD THAT INTO THESE SALARY COMPARISONS, THAT IT WOULD ACTUALLY PROBABLY BUMP US UP A COUPLE OF SPOTS.

AND IT'D BE INTERESTING TO SEE THAT. BUT ONE OF THE TRUSTEES, I THINK, TALKED ABOUT COULD WE ADJUST THAT? AND IF WE DID END UP, IF WE WENT DOWN TO THE MEDIAN AND, AND THEN ADDED $936 TO EVERYONE'S SALARY.

IT WOULD CERTAINLY CHANGE THAT CHART AS WELL, IF THAT'S OUR ONLY GOAL, IS TO LOOK GOOD ON A CHART RANKING OF SALARIES.

THAT'S WHAT WE COULD DO. BUT I'VE ALWAYS SAID THAT THERE'S A LOT MORE BENEFIT TO WORKING IN EANES THAN SIMPLY MONEY.

I REALIZE MONEY PAYS THE BILLS AND PUTS BEANS ON THE TABLE.

I GET IT, AND THAT'S THE MOST IMPORTANT THING.

BUT IN COMPARING TO OTHER DISTRICTS, THERE'S A LOT MORE THINGS OUT THERE THAT MAKE US SPECIAL, AND I HESITATE TO FOCUS SOLELY ON SALARY. I DON'T LIKE US BEING 12TH, AND LIKE OTHER TRUSTEES HAVE POINTED OUT, IT IS A FACTOR OF SOME OF THE FUNDING THAT'S COME TO OUR DISTRICT UNEQUALLY AND OVER THE YEARS, BECAUSE THIS BOARD HAS ALWAYS BEEN COMMITTED TO GIVING AS MUCH MONEY AS WE POSSIBLY CAN TO SALARIES.

ON THIS SLIDE, THE BUDGET UPDATE, INFORMATION ON ENROLLMENT.

HOW DID ANY IDEA HOW THIS 7250. TRACKS TO OUR DEMOGRAPHER PROJECTION.

WELL, OUR DEMOGRAPHERS WERE HIGHER THAN THEY SHOULD HAVE BEEN.

I THINK WE'VE DISCOVERED THAT THROUGHOUT THE PROCESS.

SO, WE'VE TAKEN MUCH MORE CONTROL OVER OUR OWN DEMOGRAPHIC PROJECTIONS TO ALIGN THEM TO WHAT WE BELIEVE ARE NUMBERS THAT ARE MORE ACCURATE.

WE THINK THEIR NUMBERS WERE PROBABLY INFLATED.

AND WE'RE NOT THE ONLY SCHOOL DISTRICT THAT HAS DISCOVERED THAT MANY OTHERS HAVE AS WELL.

AND YOU LAYER IN LOWER BIRTH RATES. SO, WE'RE ALL FINDING NUMBERS THAT ARE LOWER THAN WHAT DEMOGRAPHERS HAD ORIGINALLY PROJECTED.

SO, WE'RE TAKING MORE RESPONSIBILITY FOR OUR DEMOGRAPHIC PROJECTIONS IN HOUSE.

AND I THINK THIS WILL PROBABLY COME UP IN WHEN WE GET THE LONG RANGE FACILITY PLANNING COMMITTEE REPORT IN A COUPLE OF WEEKS ABOUT THE CONSIDERATION OF DEMOGRAPHICS AND THE CHANGE AND HOW IT'S EVEN LOWER THAN OUR DEMOGRAPHER SAID.

AND IS THIS MANIFESTING ITSELF IN HIGH SCHOOL, MIDDLE SCHOOL? ELEMENTARY EVENLY, OR ARE WE? WHERE IS THIS? MOLLY, DO YOU WANT TO SPEAK TO THAT? IT'S DEFINITELY MOST PREVALENT IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.

YOU KNOW, YOU'RE JUST SEEING THESE REALLY TINY KINDERGARTEN CLASSES NOW STARTING WE STILL SEE A LOT OF FAMILIES THAT ARE ABLE TO MOVE INTO THE DISTRICT AFFORD THAT, YOU KNOW, PRICE POINT WHEN THEIR STUDENTS ARE IN MIDDLE SCHOOL AND HIGH SCHOOL.

SO, WE'RE STILL SEEING RIGHT NOW SOME PRETTY SOLID NUMBERS AT THOSE LEVELS.

HOWEVER, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU HAVE A WHOLE BUNCH OF VERY SMALL, YOU KNOW, ELEMENTARY CLASSES, EVENTUALLY THAT WILL IMPACT THE MIDDLE SCHOOL TO SOME POINT.

BUT WE STILL SEE THAT A JUMP AT THE MIDDLE SCHOOL AND THE HIGH SCHOOL WITH FAMILIES BEING ABLE TO AFFORD TO MOVE IN AT THAT POINT.

AND JUST AS WE'RE SEEING A DECLINE IN OUR RESIDENTIAL POPULATION IN THE PRIMARY GRADES, KINDERGARTEN FIRST AND SECOND, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT TRYING TO GO OUT AND ATTRACT MORE TRANSFER STUDENTS, THOSE LOWER BIRTH RATES ARE AFFECTING THE POPULATION OF TRANSFERS AS WELL, AND THERE ARE FEWER TRANSFER STUDENTS OUT THERE, PARTICULARLY IN THE GRADE LEVELS IN THE AGES THAT WE NEED WHO ARE AVAILABLE AND INTERESTED TO COME HERE. THAT'S A GREAT POINT ON THE REAL QUICK, AND I DON'T WANT TO DWELL ON IT TOO MUCH, BUT THE JANUARY PROJECTION NUMBERS, THOSE CAME IN AFTER THE BUDGET REDUCTIONS THAT WE MADE, ACTIONS THAT THE BOARD TOOK AT THAT POINT. THAT AND I THINK WHAT I GUESS WHERE I'M HEADED IS, AND YOU'VE TALKED ABOUT TONIGHT, THESE THINGS ARE SO FLUID BECAUSE THERE ARE SO MANY MOVING PARTS THAT ARE OUTSIDE OF OUR CONTROL.

[01:50:06]

AND THERE'S SO MANY THINGS, BUT THE NUMBERS THAT YOU SHOWED FOR JANUARY PROJECTION WERE AFTER THE REDUCTIONS.

BUT AFTER SOME BAD NEWS THAT WE ALSO GOT BACK IN JANUARY.

RIGHT. CORRECT. THE BIG IMPACT ON THAT JANUARY PROJECTION WAS AFTER WE RECEIVED THE PRELIMINARY NOTICE FROM TCAD THAT WE SHOULD ANTICIPATE THOSE LOWER GROWTH, ACTUALLY, THAT WE SHOULD EXPECT A DECLINE IN THE ASSESSED VALUE.

LIKE I SAID THEY'VE NEVER GIVEN ANY KIND OF NOTIFICATION OTHER THAN THE OFFICIAL NOTIFICATIONS IN APRIL.

AND SO WHEN, WHEN WE GOT THAT THAT LETTER LETTING US KNOW THAT AND THAT WAS PRETTY SIGNIFICANT.

AND THAT'S WHAT YOU THAT'S THE MAIN THING THAT YOU'RE SEEING REFLECTED THERE. BECAUSE, REMEMBER, WE WERE GOING WE WERE USING OUR LONG TERM AVERAGE OF 5.6%.

AND SO THAT WAS A 10.6% DROP. WHICH, YOU KNOW, AGAIN IF YOU JUST TALK ABOUT THIS YEAR WE'RE COLLECTING SOMEWHERE AROUND $17 MILLION ON OUR GOLDEN PENNIES, 10.6% DROP IS ABOUT $1.8 MILLION.

AND THAT'S WHERE WE ARE. THANK YOU CHRIS. AND WHEN WE DISCUSSED BUDGET REDUCTION ACTIONS LAST FALL AND VOTED ON THEM IN JANUARY, WE WERE VERY DETAILED ABOUT SPECIFIC THINGS WE COULD DO.

BUT THE BOARD COULD SIT HERE AND SAY, WE WANT YOU TO CUT 5% FROM THE BUDGET.

WE COULD WE COULD SAY WE WANT ADMIN TO CUT 5%.

AND BASED ON WHAT YOU SAID, DR. ARNETT EARLIER, WITH 90% OF OUR BUDGET, 86, 87% BEING SALARIES FOR THE BOARD TO TELL YOU CUT 5%, IT WOULD EFFECTIVELY BE CUT 5% FROM THE WORKFORCE.

AND WHAT AND I YOU KNOW, I SHOULD BE ASKING YOU, BUT I'M GOING TO PLAY IT THROUGH A 5% REDUCTION IN WORKFORCE WOULD BE AN INCREASE IN CLASS SIZES. THAT'S HOW IT WOULD MANIFEST ITSELF. ULTIMATELY, IT WOULD BE AN INCREASE IN CLASS SIZES.

SO, AT THE VERY LEAST IT WOULD GO FROM, SAY, A 22 STUDENT PER CLASS AVERAGE, UP TO A 23 PROBABLY, OR MAYBE A LITTLE HIGHER DEPENDING ON HOW THINGS GO.

AND IT WOULD ALSO MEAN FEWER CUSTODIANS, FEWER MAINTENANCE PEOPLE.

IT WOULD RIPPLE ALL THE WAY THROUGH. SO THIS IDEA THAT THAT WE COULD SIT THERE AND JUST SAY, CUT 5% GET US OR CUT 5 MILLION OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT WOULD EQUATE ITSELF TO MAKE OUR CLASSES BIGGER AT THIS POINT.

AND IS THAT FAIR? IS THAT A FAIR STATEMENT? I THINK IT IS.

AND THERE ARE A NUMBER OF DISTRICTS THAT HAVE RAISED THEIR CLASS SIZE GUIDELINES FOR THAT VERY REASON, BECAUSE THAT'S THE ONLY WAY THAT THEY CAN REALLY ACHIEVE SOME OF THE SAVINGS THAT THEY NEED TO DECREASE THEIR DEFICIT.

YEAH. AND I KNOW THAT CLASS SIZES HAVE ALWAYS BEEN SO IMPORTANT TO US, AND I WOULD REALLY HATE TO SEE THAT HAPPEN.

SO JUST SORT OF AS AN AWARENESS FOR OUR COMMUNITY TO UNDERSTAND THAT THESE REDUCTIONS START TALKING.

WE START TALKING ABOUT CLASS SIZES PRETTY QUICKLY.

OKAY. I THINK THAT'S ALL I HAVE, KELLY. SORRY.

I JUST THOUGHT OF ONE MORE THING. I'M BACK TO THAT 7250.

WHEN WE WERE TALKING ABOUT OUR BUDGET DEFICIT FOR THIS YEAR, ONE OF THE ONE OF THE DEFICITS THAT WE HAD WAS OUR ENROLLMENT, RIGHT? IT WAS BASED ON THE ENROLLMENT THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE.

SO, IS THIS 7250 CONSERVATIVE ENOUGH THAT WE WON'T HAVE THAT? OR HOW DO YOU PLAN FOR THAT? LIKE, HOW DOES YOUR HOW DO YOU DO THAT? BECAUSE THAT FASCINATES ME. IT'S SO DIFFICULT.

AS WE'VE TALKED ABOUT, A LOT OF THE THINGS THAT WE DO ARE BASED ON ESTIMATES.

AND SO, I CAN'T GO IN AND PUT A WORST CASE SCENARIO ON EVERY POSSIBLE VARIABLE BECAUSE THAT WOULD THEN COME IN AND SAY, EVERY YEAR WE'VE GOT TO CUT STAFF, WE'VE GOT TO CUT STAFF.

AND SO, WHAT I AIM TO DO IS TO, TO MAKE OUR, OUR BEST GUESS OF WHERE WE THINK IT'S, WE'RE LIKELY TO END UP UNDERSTANDING THAT WE'RE GOING TO MISS. SOME OF THEM ARE GOING TO MISS HIGH, SOME OF THEM ARE GOING TO MISS LOW.

AND THE HOPE IS THAT THE MISS IS HIGH, AND THE MISS IS LOW WILL BALANCE EACH OTHER OUT AND SO ON.

THE 7250 WE PUT WE PICK THAT NUMBER BECAUSE WE THINK THAT'S ABOUT RIGHT.

IT MIGHT BE A LITTLE BETTER. IT MIGHT BE A LITTLE BIT WORSE.

THE SAME THING WITH THAT THREE 3.8% DECLINE IN THE TAX BASE.

[01:55:01]

SO WE DON'T LOSE 11%, BUT WE LOSE A LITTLE OVER 7%.

IF THAT'S THE CASE, THEN THEN THAT'S ANOTHER 7 OR $800,000 THAT WILL COLLECT AND THAT WILL BE ABLE TO USE.

BUT THIS IS THE NUMBER THAT TCAD BELIEVES IS MOST REASONABLE.

SO THAT'S WHAT WE'RE GOING TO GO WITH. BUT UNDERSTANDING THAT THEY DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER TO THAT EITHER.

SO IT'S AT THIS POINT, IT, IT'S REALLY DEPENDENT UPON APPEALS AND WHAT THE APPRAISAL REVIEW BOARD DOES FOR THAT ONE ON, ON THE SNAPSHOT ENROLLMENT.

A LOT OF IT DEPENDS ON PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, WHO ARE LEAVING CALIFORNIA.

WHO'S LEAVING, I DON'T KNOW. BUT PEOPLE ARE GOING TO LEAVE, AND A LOT OF THEM ARE GOING TO MOVE TO OUR DISTRICT.

AND HOW MANY KIDS DO THEY HAVE? AGAIN, I DON'T KNOW.

SO, WE'RE TRYING WE'RE TRYING TO ESTIMATE BASED ON HISTORICAL PATTERNS WHERE WE THINK WE'RE LIKELY TO FALL UNDERSTANDING THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE WRONG. AND THAT'S WHY WE WILL ADJUST EVERYTHING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE YEAR TO WHAT'S ACTUALLY HAPPENED.

I HAVE A FOLLOW UP THAT, YOU KNOW, JUST THE ADDITIONAL COMPLICATION OF VOUCHERS, YOU KNOW.

I MEAN, IF SOMEBODY LIVES HERE, OF COURSE THEY ENROLLED BECAUSE THEY HAVE THE RIGHT TO, BUT THEY ALSO HAVE THE RIGHT TO NOT SHOW UP IF THEY GET ACCEPTED INTO A PRIVATE SCHOOL AND DECIDE TO USE UTILIZE A VOUCHER. AND THAT'S SOMETHING NEW THAT WE HAVEN'T HAD BEFORE.

SO I DIDN'T KNOW, YOU KNOW, IF IT'S, IF WE HAVE TO BE A LITTLE MORE CONSERVATIVE THIS YEAR BASED ON THE FACT THAT WE COULD LOSE A FEW STUDENTS AS WELL TO THAT PROCESS AND THAT VOUCHER OPPORTUNITY, I THINK IT'S PROBABLY LIKELY I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY.

AND I ALSO THINK IF I UNDERSTAND CORRECTLY, THE VOUCHER MONIES AREN'T GOING TO BE AVAILABLE FOR THE UPCOMING SCHOOL YEAR.

I THINK THEY MIGHT BE FOR THE YEAR AFTER THAT.

SO WE HAVE A YEAR TO PLAN AND PROBABLY BEGIN TO GET SOME SENSE OF JUST HOW MANY FAMILIES MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN THAT OPTION.

THANK YOU. ANY MORE QUESTIONS? THANK YOU BOTH VERY MUCH. OKAY. OUR NEXT ITEM IS A FIRST READING OF BOARD POLICY.

[8.2 First Reading of Board Policy GKD (Local)--Community Relations: Nonsch...]

AUDREY, ARE YOU GIVING US A LITTLE? THANK YOU.

HELLO. SO, THIS IS THESE ARE PROPOSED EDITS THAT THE POLICY COMMITTEE HAS TALKED THROUGH LARGELY BECAUSE OF FUTURE RENTAL SPACE.

SO GCD LOCAL GOVERNANCE. NON-SCHOOL USE OF OUR FACILITIES.

AND RIGHT NOW THERE IS A RESTRICTION TO ONE YEAR RENTAL OR ONE YEAR CONTRACTS WITH NONPROFIT ENTITIES.

AND SO, WE'RE WANTING TO ALLOW FOR CERTAIN EXCEPTIONS FOR THAT TO BE LONGER.

AND THIS WAS INCLUDED IN OUR PACKET. TRUSTEES ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS.

OKAY GREAT. SO WE WILL VOTE ON THIS AT THE NEXT MEETING.

CORRECT. YES. THIS FIRST READING THERE MAY BE NEW TRUSTEES WITH QUESTIONS BY THEN.

AND STAY SEATED. THE NEXT ITEM IS A DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION OF BOARD RATIFICATION ON SUPERINTENDENT DECISION REGARDING CONTRACTS.

[8.3 Discussion and Possible Action of Board Ratification on Superintendent...]

AND SO IT MIGHT BE CONFUSING TO UNDERSTAND, OR OUR POLICIES ALLOW FOR THE BOARD TO OR MANDATE THAT THE BOARD TAKE ACTION WHEN ENTERING INTO CONTRACTS.

BUT THAT'S BECAUSE YOU'RE SPENDING GOVERNMENT RESOURCES.

THAT'S NOT ALWAYS TRUE. THAT'S GENERALLY NOT TRUE WHEN YOU'RE TERMINATING A CONTRACT.

AND SO WE ANTICIPATED THIS LITIGATION. WE HAD CONVERSATIONS IN CLOSED SESSION TO CONSULT WITH THE BOARD AND SEEK FEEDBACK, BUT THERE WAS NEVER ANY ACTION TAKEN.

[02:00:02]

THE SUPERINTENDENT'S DECISION THAT WAS MADE TO TERMINATE THE WHACK AND WHACK CONTRACTS.

ANY QUESTIONS FROM THE BOARD? WE'LL GET A MOTION. OKAY. LET'S HAVE A MOTION. DO I HAVE A MOTION TO ON THIS ITEM? LAURA. I'M GOING TO WING IT. I MOVE THAT THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES APPROVED THE RESOLUTION TO RATIFY DR. JEFF ARNETT'S ACTIONS TO TERMINATE PRIVATE PUBLIC CONTRACTS.

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

ANY DISCUSSION? YEAH. LAURA. AUDREY, I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE REAL CLEAR ON THIS.

IS THAT OUR POLICY, BOTH LEGAL AND LOCAL POLICY ALLOW DR.

ARNETT TO ENTER INTO DISCUSSIONS OR TERMINATE CONTRACTS WITHOUT A BOARD VOTE.

IS THAT CORRECT? THAT IS CORRECT. OKAY. AND. OKAY.

THANK YOU. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, TRUSTEES? OKAY.

MOTION HAS BEEN MADE AND SECONDED. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE.

ANY OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES 6-0. LET'S SEE. WE'RE GOING TO DO OUR BOARD COMMITTEE REPORTS.

[9.

BOARD SUBCOMMITTEE REPORTS

AUDREY. REPORT UPDATE. AND THEN WE'LL DO OUR POLICY COMMITTEE UPDATE.

KELLY MORRELL AS OUR BOARD LIAISON TO THE EANES EDUCATION FOUNDATION.

CAN YOU GIVE US A QUICK UPDATE ON WHAT'S GOING ON? I WOULD LOVE TO.

EVERYONE KNOWS I LOVE THE EANES EDUCATION FOUNDATION.

TIM AND I HAVE BEEN A LEADERSHIP FAMILY SINCE WE JOINED THE DISTRICT AND CELEBRATED OUR 10TH YEAR.

SO ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT. THANK YOU. TO OUR GENEROUS COMMUNITY.

2025 HAS BEEN A YEAR OF INCREDIBLE IMPACT TO EEF.

TOGETHER, WE CONTINUED OUR MISSION TO FUND, SUPPORT AND CELEBRATE OUTSTANDING EDUCATORS THROUGH THE TEACHER FUND.

THE CORE MISSION REMAINS STRONG, SUSTAINING VITAL EDUCATOR POSITIONS ACROSS ALL NINE CAMPUSES IN EANES ESTATE, OUR KINDER CLUB AND GRANDPARENTS CLUB. GREW SIGNIFICANTLY THIS YEAR, SO WE'RE BUILDING A LEGACY OF GIVING FROM OUR YOUNGEST LEARNERS TO OUR MOST SEASONED SUPPORTERS. OUR LEADERSHIP SOCIETY, THE COMMUNITY OF MAJOR DONORS ALSO CONTINUED TO GROW, AND THAT CAN PROVIDE BIG SUPPORT FOR OUR EDUCATORS THAT ARE NOT FULLY FUNDED BY STATE CORPORATE PARTNERSHIPS.

WE HAVE LOCAL BUSINESSES THAT ARE CONTINUING TO STEP UP IN A BIG WAY THIS SCHOOL YEAR.

AND IF YOU HAVE A BUSINESS EANES WOULD LOVE TO PARTNER WITH YOU.

THE EEF GALA THIS YEAR WAS TAKING FLIGHT. IT HAD A BEAUTIFUL ATTENDANCE AND GENEROUS DONATIONS THAT HAVE CRITICAL FUNDS TO CONTINUE TO PROVIDE US WITH THOSE FTES TO KEEP OUR CLASSROOM SIZES SMALL.

WE HAD STUDENTS HIGHLIGHTED WITH PERFORMANCES, AND WE HAD PRINCIPALS THERE AND SEVERAL STUDENTS FROM THE ELEMENTARY, MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL. THE 3X3 BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT SUPER FUN.

I THINK THEY HAD THE BIGGEST PARTICIPATION THIS YEAR EVER.

RECORD ATTENDANCE AND THAT'S SOMETHING ELSE THAT GREATLY BENEFITS OUR FUNDRAISING.

HONOR, A TEACHER IS GOING ON RIGHT NOW. SO AS THE YEAR ENDS AND YOU CAN RECOGNIZE HOW AMAZING YOUR TEACHERS HAVE BEEN, PLEASE GO AHEAD AND GO ON THE EANES WEBSITE AND HONOR YOUR TEACHER AND THANK THEM.

AND THEN YOU'LL ALSO BE RECEIVING YOUR SPRING LETTER, AND THAT'S YOUR END OF YEAR GIFT.

SO IF YOU'VE HAD A GREAT YEAR HERE AND YOU REALLY WANT TO CONTINUE TO SEE US FINISH OUR YEAR STRONG WE'D REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR HELP. AND FROM DANA, SHE SAID WITH HEARTFELT APPRECIATION.

THANK YOU FOR BELIEVING IN THE POWER OF PUBLIC EDUCATION AND HELPING F MAKE A LASTING DIFFERENCE IN THE LIVES OF EDUCATORS WHO DO SO MUCH FOR OUR AMAZING STUDENTS.

[02:05:06]

TRUSTEE MCMATH DO YOU WANT TO TAKE THAT? YES I WILL.

I'LL BE QUITE SUCCINCT. THE POLICY COMMITTEE HAS MET, I THINK, TWICE SINCE WE STARTED GIVING REPORTS.

AS WE JUST SAW FROM OUR GENERAL COUNSEL, WE MADE SOME.

THERE WERE SOME CHANGES TO GKD LOCAL ON RENTALS.

THERE ARE A COUPLE OF OTHER POLICIES THAT WE WILL LIKELY SEE THERE IN THE PLANNING STAGES, AND I THINK THAT THEY WILL BE PRESENTED TO THE BOARD AND THE COMMUNITY IN THE UPCOMING MEETINGS.

THANK YOU. ANY QUESTIONS? YES. I HAVE A QUESTION FOR MYSELF.

NO, I'M JUST KIDDING. FOR THE POLICY COMMITTEE, WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THE NAMING RIGHTS.

WAS THAT ONE OF THE ONES THAT YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT? WE'LL GET AN UPDATE ON. WE WILL GET AN UPDATE ON PROBABLY IN THE NEXT.

WELL, BEFORE WE BREAK FOR THE SUMMER. YES. THANK YOU.

OKAY. THANK YOU EVERYONE. AND THAT BRINGS US TO A REMINDER FOR OUR UPCOMING.

[11.

UPCOMING MEETINGS

THIS IS A SPECIAL MEETING. THIS IS THE MEETING WHERE WE WILL SWEAR IN NEW TRUSTEES.

YES. SO I JUST WANTED TO TAKE A POINT OF PRIVILEGE JUST TO SAY THANK YOU SO MUCH TO EVERYONE.

IT'S BEEN ONE OF THE GREATEST HONORS OF MY LIFE TO SERVE IN THIS ROLE.

AND I AM SORRY TO BE STEPPING AWAY, BUT I KNOW THAT THE DISTRICT IS IN CAPABLE HANDS.

AND OUR DISTRICT IS AMAZING AND I'M SO JUST GRATEFUL FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY AND FOR, FOR THE YEARS THAT I'VE BEEN ABLE TO SERVE WITH YOU ALL.

SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH. HEATHER, DID ANY TRUSTEES WANT TO.

KIM, DID YOU WANT TO? YES, I WOULD NOT. ANTICIPATING THAT YOU WOULD MAKE THE STATEMENT.

BUT, HEATHER, IT'S BEEN AN HONOR TO SERVE WITH YOU.

I WAS NOT UP IN PUBLIC FORUM, BUT I CAN SAY THAT EVERYTHING THAT WAS POINTED OUT BY OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS WAS EXACTLY RIGHT. I ALSO MET YOU A DOZEN YEARS AGO OR A LITTLE OVER TEN YEARS AGO, AND HAVE WATCHED YOU WORK TIRELESSLY FOR THIS COMMUNITY.

AND I THINK THAT WE ARE ALL GRATEFUL YOU'VE MADE THIS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY.

AND YOU'VE. THIS DISTRICT HAS BENEFITED FROM YOUR ADVOCACY, YOUR HEART AND YOUR HARD WORK. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. HELLO.

I HOPE I GET THROUGH THIS. I JUST WANT TO SAY HOW MUCH I APPRECIATE THE ENERGY THAT YOU BRING TO THE BOARD AND TO THE WHOLE DISTRICT. THE PRESENCE THAT YOU BRING EVERYWHERE, ALL THE TIME.

EVERYWHERE. AND WHILE WE HAVEN'T ALWAYS AGREED ON LOTS OF TOPICS, I DO APPRECIATE THE PASSION THAT YOU BRING TO YOUR POSITIONS AND HOW HARD YOU WORK TO MAKE THOSE A REALITY.

I REALLY, REALLY APPRECIATE THE ADVOCACY AND THE LOVE THAT YOU HAVE FOR PUBLIC EDUCATION, WHICH IS UNDER ASSAULT FROM SO MANY FORCES AT THIS POINT, BUT SO, SO IMPORTANT TO THE BEDROCK OF DEMOCRACY IN THIS COUNTRY.

AND I JUST WANT TO SAY, I KNOW THAT YOU'RE NOT DONE WITH PUBMED AND YOU WILL DO IMPORTANT THINGS, AND I APPRECIATE THAT IN ADVANCE AND APPRECIATE THE WORK YOU'VE DONE HERE.

THANKS. LAURA. WELL, THIS DIDN'T QUITE GO THIS WAS I WASN'T READY FOR YOU TO LEAVE US. AND THIS IS IT'S NOT A STATEMENT ON THE ELECTION.

IT WAS JUST SOMETHING THAT I HADN'T THOUGHT THROUGH, TO BE VERY HONEST.

YOU HAVE BEEN A FORCE. YOU HAVE BEEN YOU'VE PUSHED US.

YOU'VE PUSHED US ALL HARD. YOU'VE PUSHED US VERY HARD.

WE ARE ALL BETTER TRUSTEES FOR HAVING SERVED WITH YOU.

AND OUR DISTRICT IS BETTER FOR HAVING YOU SERVED.

SO, THANK YOU. THANK YOU. HEATHER. WITH THAT, WE WILL.

OH, WE GOTTA RAISE YOUR HAND. KELLY MARWELL. HEATHER, YOU ARE THE MOST

[02:10:09]

THANK YOU. HEATHER. PLEASE MAKE NOTE OF UPCOMING MEETINGS.

MAY 13TH. A SPECIAL MEETING WHERE WE WILL SWEAR IN NEW TRUSTEES.

MAY 20TH IS A REGULAR MEETING. BOTH OF THOSE WILL BE HERE AT CEDAR CREEK ON MAY 20TH, WE WILL GET A REPORT FROM THE LONG RANGE FACILITY PLANNING COMMITTEE, AMONG OTHER THINGS.

AND AT THAT, WE ARE ADJOURNED AT 9:15.

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.