Dec 14, 2023 Regular Board Meetings

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HAPPY THURSDAY. ALL RIGHT, LET'S GO.

[I. CALL TO ORDER]

GOOD EVENING. GOOD EVENING.

AND THANK YOU FOR JOINING US FOR THE DECEMBER MEETING OF THE RICHARDSON ISD BOARD OF TRUSTEES.

I AM REGINA HARRIS, PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD.

MS. RENTERÍA AND MISS PACHECO, UH, WILL NOT BE HERE TODAY.

HOWEVER, WE STILL HAVE A QUORUM PRESENT.

AND THIS MEETING IS CALLED TO ORDER AT 6:07 P.M..

DOCTOR HELLER, WOULD YOU PLEASE INTRODUCE OUR GUEST TO LEAD US IN THE PLEDGES OF ALLEGIANCE THIS EVENING? YES. THANK YOU, PRESIDENT HARRIS, I'M EXCITED TO INTRODUCE THIS EVENING STUDENTS FROM THE NATIONAL HONOR SOCIETY FROM LIBERTY JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL.

WE HAVE ZO MAY, SARAH OGBE, AND DOT TONG.

IF THEY COULD PLEASE STAND AND COME FORWARD.

THEY ARE GOING TO LEAD US IN OUR PLEDGES.

IF YOU ALL PLEASE RISE.

PLEASE JOIN US IN HONORING THE AMERICAN FLAG.

OF ALLEGIANCE] GREAT JOB STUDENTS.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

GREAT JOB. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US TONIGHT.

COLLEAGUES, IT IS NOW TIME FOR OUR RECOGNITION, DOCTOR HELLER.

YES. AS THE BOARD IS COMING FORWARD, I WOULD LIKE TO THANK ALL OF YOU FOR JOINING US THIS EVENING.

THE RICHARDSON ISD BOARD OF TRUSTEES UNDERSTANDS THE IMPORTANCE OF RECOGNIZING THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF STUDENTS, STAFF, SCHOOLS AND DEPARTMENTS.

OUR TRUSTEES ALSO RECOGNIZE THE IMPORTANT CONTRIBUTIONS OUR LOCAL BUSINESSES, COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS AND INDIVIDUALS MAKE TO THE DISTRICT.

AT EACH REGULAR MONTHLY BOARD MEETING, WE TAKE TIME TO CELEBRATE THESE ACHIEVEMENTS.

WE ASK THAT ALL GUESTS AND VISITORS HELP CELEBRATE THESE RECOGNITIONS BY STAYING TO ENJOY THE ENTIRE RECOGNITION PROCESS.

THIS ALLOWS EVERYONE TO SHOW THEIR APPRECIATION FOR EACH RECIPIENT.

THERE WILL BE A SHORT BREAK AT THE CONCLUSION OF THE RECOGNITIONS PORTION OF THE AGENDA.

ANY GUESTS WISHING TO LEAVE THE AUDITORIUM CAN DO SO AT THAT TIME.

SO WE ARE EXCITED AS WE COMPLETE WHAT HAS BEEN AN INCREDIBLE FIRST SEMESTER OF THE SCHOOL YEAR.

SEVERAL RECOGNITIONS THIS EVENING AND THE FIRST SPECIAL RECOGNITION AND APPRECIATION, WE WOULD LIKE TO INVITE UP SOME VERY SPECIAL GUESTS FROM LENNOX INTERNATIONAL WHO PARTNERED WITH OPERATION WARM, AND I KNOW WE HAVE A REPRESENTATIVE FROM OPERATION WARM AS WELL AS I WOULD LIKE TO INVITE UP ADMINISTRATION FROM GREENWOOD HILLS.

I THINK MISS MISTY LEHMAN AND CINDY MALLETTE ARE HERE THIS EVENING.

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO COME FORWARD, I WILL SHARE A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHY WE ARE, UM, RECOGNIZING OPERATION WARM.

THEY ARE A NATIONAL NONPROFIT THAT MANUFACTURES BRAND NEW, HIGH QUALITY COATS AND SHOES FOR CHILDREN IN NEED.

OPERATION WARM PARTNERS WITH COMPASSION INDIVIDUALS, COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS AND CORPORATIONS ACROSS NORTH AMERICA TO PROVIDE EMOTIONAL WARMTH, CONFIDENCE TO SOCIALIZE AND SUCCEED, AND HOPE OF A BRIGHTER FUTURE.

BY USING THE GIFT AS A CATALYST FOR COMMUNITY CONNECTION, WE WANT TO THANK OUR RICHARDSON BASED LENNOX INTERNATIONAL FOR PARTNERING WITH OPERATION WARM RECENTLY, AND THEY PROVIDED A NEW WINTER COAT TO EVERY STUDENT AT GREENWOOD HILLS ELEMENTARY.

YES. AS PRINCIPAL LEHMAN SAID, GIVING EACH STUDENT A NEW WINTER COAT IS JUST ONE WAY THE COMMUNITY SUPPORTS SCHOOLS WITH THE RESOURCES NEEDED TO ENSURE EVERY STUDENT THRIVES.

SO WE WOULD LIKE TO WELCOME AND THANK DOCTOR BRIE JIMENEZ WITH OPERATION WARM.

AND THEN WE HAVE MISTY LEHMAN, PRINCIPAL OF GREENWOOD HILLS, AND CINDY MALLETTE, COUNSELOR FROM GREENWOOD HILLS.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

I THINK WE'RE GOING TO TRY AND GRAB A PICTURE.

THANK

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WE ALSO HAVE A NEW TEAM MEMBER WHO RECENTLY JOINED THE RISD FAMILY.

I WOULD LIKE TO INTRODUCE TO THE COMMUNITY AND OUR BOARD OF TRUSTEES, ALLISON DAVENPORT, WHO WAS RECENTLY NAMED THE RICHARDSON ISD EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF FINANCE.

ALLISON COMES TO RISD FROM GARLAND ISD, WHERE SHE'S BEEN FOR THE LAST NINE YEARS, INCLUDING FIVE AS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF FINANCE.

ALLISON WAS A SENIOR AUDITOR WITH ERNST AND YOUNG BEFORE JOINING SCHOOL FINANCE.

SHE IS A CPA AND IS CERTIFIED BY THE TEXAS ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOL BUSINESS OFFICIALS.

SHE HOLDS A BACHELOR'S DEGREE FROM UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA, AS WELL AS A MASTER'S IN ACCOUNTING FROM TEXAS A&M.

WELCOME TO RICHARDSON ISD, ALLISON.

WE'RE GOING TO GRAB A PICTURE REAL QUICK ALLISON.

AS THEY'RE GRABBING THAT PICTURE, I WOULD LIKE TO INVITE, UM, BOTH THE, UH, STAFF FROM RICHARDSON HIGH SCHOOL AND JJ PEARCE TO COME FORWARD HERE BEING RECOGNIZED FOR COLLEGE BOARD AP SCHOOL HONOR ROLL.

IF YOU COULD COME FORWARD.

AND I WILL SHARE A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THIS AWESOME RECOGNITION FOR THESE TWO CAMPUSES.

AND I KNOW PRINCIPAL BREEDLOVE BROUGHT SOME OF HER STAFF TO SHARE IN THIS RECOGNITION THIS EVENING.

SO AS THEY'RE COMING FORWARD, I WOULD LIKE TO SHARE THAT THE NEW COLLEGE BOARD AP SCHOOL HONOR ROLL IS A PRESTIGIOUS ANNUAL RECOGNITION PROGRAM THAT CELEBRATES SCHOOLS WHOSE AP PROGRAMS HAVE DONE OUTSTANDING WORK TO WELCOME STUDENTS INTO AP COURSES AND SUPPORT THEM ON THE PATH TO COLLEGE SUCCESS.

SCHOOLS CAN EARN THIS RECOGNITION ANNUALLY BASED ON CRITERIA THAT REFLECTS A COMMITMENT TO INCREASING COLLEGE GOING CULTURE, PROVIDING OPPORTUNITIES FOR STUDENTS TO EARN COLLEGE CREDIT AND MAXIMIZING COLLEGE READINESS.

THE AP SCHOOL HONOR ROLL OFFERS FOUR LEVELS OF DISTINCTION, BRONZE, SILVER, GOLD, AND PLATINUM.

THERE ARE VARIOUS QUALIFYING CRITERIA, INCLUDING 40% OR MORE OF THE GRADUATING COHORT TAKING AT LEAST ONE AP EXAM DURING HIGH SCHOOL, AND AT LEAST 25% OR MORE OF THE GRADUATING COHORT SCORING A THREE OR HIGHER ON AT LEAST ONE AP EXAM DURING HIGH SCHOOL.

WE WANT TO CONGRATULATE UM RICHARDSON HIGH SCHOOL, WHO EARNED THE SILVER LEVEL ON THIS DISTINCTION FOR THE 22-23 SCHOOL YEAR, AS WELL AS J.J.

PEARCE HIGH SCHOOL FOR EARNING THE BRONZE AWARD.

AND WE HAVE SEVERAL IN ATTENDANCE FROM BOTH CAMPUSES THIS EVENING.

CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR TEAM AT RICHARDSON HIGH SCHOOL AND PIERCE HIGH SCHOOLS.

CONGRATULATIONS. THAT'S AWESOME.

GOOD. HOW ARE YOU? ALL RIGHT, I'M BRINGING IT.

UP. OKAY.

THAT WAS AWESOME. OKAY.

UM. AND THAT LAST SCHOOL YEAR.

AND OF COURSE, WE WANT TO GRAB A PHOTO.

CONGRATULATIONS TO BOTH THE STUDENTS AND STAFF AT RICHARDSON HIGH SCHOOL AND J.J.

PEARCE. OUR NEXT STAFF RECOGNITION IS FOR BOTH OUR RICHARDSON ISD HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT.

I DON'T KNOW IF DOCTOR GIBSON WANTS TO COME FORWARD, PLEASE.

AND SOME OF YOUR TEAM AS ONE, AS WELL AS ONE OF OUR APPRENTICE, UM, TEACHERS, AND THEY ARE BEING RECOGNIZED BY DALLAS COLLEGE.

RICHARDSON ISD RECENTLY WAS RECOGNIZED AS A WINNER FOR EXCELLENCE IN APPRENTICESHIP, AS WELL AS WE HAVE OUR VERY OWN ANAHI RUIZ, WHO WAS THE 2023 APPRENTICE OF THE YEAR.

SO LET ME SHARE A LITTLE I KNOW, CONGRATULATIONS.

I THINK THIS IS REALLY IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR OUR COMMUNITY TO UNDERSTAND HOW WE ARE BUILDING OUR OWN TEACHER PIPELINE THROUGH A VERY INNOVATIVE LOCAL PARTNERSHIP.

SO DALLAS COLLEGES SCHOOL OF EDUCATION IS MAKING A CONCERTED EFFORT WITH LOCAL SCHOOL DISTRICTS TO STRENGTHEN THE TEACHER PIPELINE BY MODELING A HANDS ON TRAINING PROGRAM SIMILAR TO WHAT HAS BEEN SUCCESSFULLY EMPLOYED IN OTHER PROFESSIONS, TO GIVE TRAINEES A CHANCE TO GAIN REAL WORLD EXPERIENCE AND EARN A SALARY WITH A PARTNER ORGANIZATION WHILE ALSO EARNING A DEGREE OR A CREDENTIAL.

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THESE STUDENTS WE HAD TEN INITIALLY IN RICHARDSON, SERVED AS RESIDENTS UM, THREE DAYS A WEEK AND THEN EITHER TUTORED OR SERVED AS A SUBSTITUTE ONE DAY A WEEK.

UH, THE DISTRICT ALSO HAS A COHORT OF PARAPROFESSIONALS EMBARKING ON THE INNOVATIVE PROGRAM WITH DALLAS COLLEGE TO COMPLETE COURSEWORK AND THE CERTIFICATION PROCESS TO BECOME A TEACHER RIGHT HERE IN RICHARDSON ISD.

SO CONGRATULATIONS AGAIN TO THE RICHARDSON HR UM TEAM, WHO RECENTLY ACCEPTED THE APPRENTICESHIP CHAMPION EXCELLENCE AWARD FROM DALLAS COLLEGE FOR THE SECOND CONSECUTIVE YEAR. WE'RE VERY PROUD OF THE WORK THAT THEY DO AND THEIR INNOVATIVENESS.

AND IN ATTENDANCE HERE TONIGHT FROM DALLAS COLLEGE, WE HAVE MISS ANITA BENFORD AND THEN ALSO AGAIN TO ANAHI RUIZ REESE.

EXCUSE ME, ANAHI REESE, WHO RECEIVED THE 2023 APPRENTICE TEACHER OF THE YEAR AWARD.

SHE IS CURRENTLY AN APPRENTICE TEACHER AT AIKEN ELEMENTARY.

CONGRATULATIONS. WE VALUE THIS PARTNERSHIP AND WE ARE SO PROUD OF ALL OF OUR APPRENTICE TEACHERS.

SO PLEASE COME FORWARD WITH YOUR AWARDS AND WE CAN GET A GROUP PICTURE.

CONGRATULATIONS. CONGRATULATIONS.

CONGRATULATIONS. CONGRATULATIONS.

CONGRATULATIONS. CONGRATULATIONS, JUST TRY AND GET A GRIP IF YOU CAN.

ALL RIGHT. AND OF COURSE, WE WOULD LOVE TO GRAB A PHOTO.

LET'S SEE IF HR CAN PASS THE PICTURE TEST.

CONGRATULATIONS AGAIN.

AND THANK YOU TO DALLAS COLLEGE.

WE HAVE ONE FINAL STAFF RECOGNITION THIS EVENING.

AND WE'RE SO EXCITED BECAUSE THIS WAS A REAL RECENT ONE.

UM, BUT WE WANT TO BE SURE AND, UH, CELEBRATE MISS KELSEY KARCHER, WHO'S A TEACHER AT CANYON CREEK ELEMENTARY.

AND SHE WAS RECENTLY, UM, RECOGNIZED AS A 2023 ADVOCATE OF THE GIFTED BY THE TEXAS ASSOCIATION OF THE GIFTED AND TALENTED.

YES. CONGRATULATIONS, KELSEY.

A LITTLE BACKGROUND ABOUT KELSEY AND THE AWARD.

WITH NEARLY 20 YEARS OF PUBLIC EDUCATION EXPERIENCE, KELSEY HAS FOUND HER PASSION IN ADVOCATING FOR GIFTED LEARNERS, THEIR TEACHERS, AND THEIR FAMILIES.

IN HER CLASSROOM, SHE CHAMPIONS GIFTED KIDS TO UNDERSTAND THEIR GIFTEDNESS AND GROW INTO THE FULLEST VERSIONS OF THEMSELVES.

SHE IS A PROPONENT FOR EQUITY AND IDENTIFICATION AND SERVICES AT THE CAMPUS AND DISTRICT LEVELS, AS WELL AS THE STATE LEVEL THROUGH THROUGH HER WORK WITH THE TAGT'S EQUITY RESOURCE COMMITTEE.

THERE IS A QUOTE HERE FROM OUR VERY OWN DIRECTOR OF ADVANCED LEARNING, MONICA SIMONS, WHO SAID KELSEY INVESTS SO MUCH OF HERSELF IN HER STUDENTS SO THEY CAN GROW INTO THEIR MOST SUCCESSFUL SELVES.

SHE SEES EACH STUDENT AS A UNIQUE LEARNER, AND SHE TAKES GREAT JOY IN JOINING ALONGSIDE THEM IN THEIR JOURNEY.

SHE IS A TEACHER LEADER WHO COLLABORATES AND TEACHES WITH TEACHERS SO THEY CAN SUPPORT ALL LEARNERS.

OUR ISD IS LUCKY TO HAVE HER.

CONGRATULATIONS, KELSEY.

AGAIN. CONGRATULATIONS, KELSEY.

AND NOW I'M EXCITED TO PRESENT TO YOU SEVERAL STUDENTS TO BE RECOGNIZED THIS EVENING.

WE ARE GOING TO START WITH OUR VERY OWN BERKNER MIGHTY RAM BAND.

AND YES, AND CELEBRATE THEIR RECENT UIL 6 A STATE CLASS MARCHING BAND CONTEST.

SO A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, UM, THEIR JOURNEY TO STATE.

THE BRUCKNER MIGHTY RAM MARCHING BAND HAD AN INCREDIBLY SUCCESSFUL FALL MARCHING SEASON.

THEY RECEIVED STRAIGHT FIRST DIVISION RATINGS AT THE REGION 20 UIL MARCHING CONTEST.

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THE MIGHTY RAM BAND WAS ONE OF THE TOP 43 6A MARCHING BANDS IN THE STATE AND HAD AN AMAZING FINAL PERFORMANCE IN THE ALAMODOME.

WHEN YOU THINK THERE'S OVER A THOUSAND DISTRICTS IN THE STATE OF TEXAS, TOP 43 IS AWESOME.

TONIGHT IS ALSO THE BERKNER WINTER BAND CONCERT.

SO MR. SCHAYOT AND THE DRUM MAJORS OF THE BERKNER MIGHTY RAM BAND WILL BE ACCEPTING TONIGHT'S RECOGNITION ON BEHALF OF THE ENTIRE MARCHING BAND.

AND I BELIEVE JASON HAS PICKED UP THE AWARDS TO GIVE OUT TO THE REST OF THE BAND STUDENTS WHEN THEY GET BACK ON CAMPUS.

SO I WOULD LIKE TO INTRODUCE AND CELEBRATE OUR DRUM MAJORS, ANDY DAVIES.

GAVIN FOR SHELDON.

AND QUINN ANN VO.

AND THEN THEIR DIRECTOR EXTRAORDINAIRE, MR. JASON SCHAYOT.

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE BERKNER RAMS. I WAS THERE. I WAS THERE YELLING.

SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

CONGRATULATIONS, BERKNER.

THIS EVENING WE ARE ALSO EXCITED TO RECOGNIZE OUR HOLIDAY CARD ART CONTEST WINNER.

AND THIS YEAR IT IS MR. TREVOR HENNIG WHO IS A NINTH GRADE STUDENT AT J.J.

PEARCE HIGH SCHOOL.

EACH YEAR, THE DISTRICT ART DEPARTMENT HOLDS A HOLIDAY CARD CONTEST AND SUBMISSIONS ARE REVIEWED BY THE SUPERINTENDENT'S OFFICE.

UM SUBMISSIONS COME FROM ACROSS THE DISTRICT FROM ALL CAMPUSES.

THIS YEAR'S WINNER IS TREVOR.

HE'S A FRESHMAN AT PEARCE.

HIS ARTWORK IS ON THE DISTRICT'S HOLIDAY CARD FOR THIS YEAR.

IN EACH OF OUR TRUSTEES HAS A SET OF THEM AT THEIR PLACE THIS EVENING.

CONGRATULATIONS AND GREAT JOB, TREVOR.

CONGRATULATIONS, TREVOR.

WE ALSO HAVE A VERY SPECIAL STUDENT RECOGNITION FROM LAKE HIGHLANDS HIGH SCHOOL.

UM, WE HAVE WITH US CADET CAPTAIN SHERILYN VILLARREAL, WHO IS WHO WAS RECENTLY AWARDED A FOUR YEAR ARMY ROTC SCHOLARSHIP TO ATTEND EITHER TEXAS A&M OR UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS.

I KNOW, BUT LET ME TELL YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE BACKGROUND ON HOW SHE GOT TO RECEIVE THIS.

IN OCTOBER, THE WILDCAT BATTALION FROM LAKE HIGHLANDS HIGH SCHOOL ATTENDED THE NORTH TEXAS ROTC SCHOLARSHIP AND JUNIOR MILITARY ACADEMY ONBOARDING EVENT.

SEVERAL COLLEGES WERE IN ATTENDANCE FROM ACROSS THE COUNTRY.

THIS EVENT IS ATTENDED BY OVER 450 STUDENTS, OVER 17 HIGH SCHOOLS REPRESENTING 12 DIFFERENT ISD'S, AND PROVIDES OPPORTUNITIES FOR STUDENTS TO NETWORK AND LEARN ABOUT OPPORTUNITIES AND BENEFITS ASSOCIATED WITH PURSUING A CAREER AS A US ARMY OFFICER THROUGH THE ROTC PROGRAMS. THE SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE BETWEEN AN AVERAGE COLLEGE FAIR IN THIS ONBOARDING EVENT IS THAT THE PARTICIPATING COLLEGIATE ROTC PROGRAMS OFFERED SCHOLARSHIPS AND HAD PROACTIVE ADMISSION REPRESENTATIVE REPRESENTATIVES PRESENT TO GRANT CONDITIONS BASED SCHOLARSHIPS, FULFILLING A CRITICAL GAP OF TALENT IDENTIFICATION AND MANAGEMENT TO SUPPORT UNDERGRADUATE PURSUITS.

ALL OF THAT SAID, ABOVE ALL, THE WILDCAT BATTALION'S OWN CADET CAPTAIN SHERILYN VILLARREAL, WAS AWARDED A $100,000, FOUR YEAR ARMY ROTC SCHOLARSHIP TO ATTEND EITHER TEXAS A&M OR UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS THIS COMING FALL IN THE FALL OF 2024.

OH, I WAS GOING TO ASK IF SHE'D MADE A DECISION YET.

AND IN ATTENDANCE WITH HER IS MASTER SERGEANT CALVIN WASHINGTON, THE JROTC ARMY INSTRUCTOR AT LAKE HIGHLANDS HIGH SCHOOL.

[00:20:02]

CONGRATULATIONS AND GOOD LUCK.

AND DID I HEAR YOU MADE A DECISION? WHICH SCHOOL? TEXAS A&M.

WELL, MR. POTEET IS GOING TO BE VERY EXCITED FOR YOU.

WELL, AS WELL AS SUPERINTENDENT BRANUM.

OKAY. I DIGRESS OKAY.

WE NEXT HAVE ANOTHER REALLY AWESOME STUDENT RECOGNITION THIS EVENING FOR MISS AVERY FERRELL, WHO'S IN THE 11TH GRADE AT RICHARDSON HIGH SCHOOL.

UM, SHE IS A STUDENT ATHLETE AT RICHARDSON HIGH AND SHE WAS RECENTLY RECOGNIZED.

SOME OF YOU MAY HAVE SEEN IT ON THE NEWS DURING THANKSGIVING BREAK AS IT AS PART OF NATIONAL GRATITUDE MONTH FOR THE WORK THAT SHE DOES WITH OTHERS.

SHE WAS HONORED FOR HER ACTS OF SERVICE, BOTH ON THE BASKETBALL COURT AND IN THE CLASSROOM AND IN HER COMMUNITY, AS A MAKING DIFFERENCE ON AND OFF THE FIELD AWARD RECIPIENT. THE MAKING A DIFFERENCE ON AND OFF THE FIELD CAMPAIGN RECOGNIZES STUDENT ATHLETES WHO ARE MAKING A POSITIVE DIFFERENCE IN THE LIVES OF OTHERS.

AVERY, WHO IS ALSO A MEMBER OF THE NATIONAL CHARITY LEAGUE, HAS RECENTLY GIVEN BACK NEARLY 100 HOURS OF SERVICE TO ORGANIZATIONS IN BOTH THE DALLAS AND RICHARDSON AREA.

SHE'S A THREE YEAR VARSITY PLAYER AND ONE OF THE TOP GIRLS BASKETBALL PLAYERS IN THE REGION.

OFF THE COURT, SHE'S A HIGH HONOR ROLL STUDENT WITH A 4.0 GPA.

AVERY SAYS HER FAVORITE THINGS TO DO IS TO HELP OTHER PEOPLE.

PART OF HER PRIZE FOR BEING A DO GOODER IS A PAIR OF TICKETS TO A DALLAS MAVERICKS GAME, AS WELL AS A $500 REWARD TO BLESS OTHERS.

SHE PLANS TO DONATE SOME OF THE MONEY TO AN ORGANIZATION THAT HELPS STARVING CHILDREN, AS AVERY HAS SHARED.

AND THIS IS SUCH AN IMPORTANT REMINDER FOR ALL OF US, IT'S A GOOD THING TO THINK ABOUT HOW MANY LIVES YOU'RE IMPACTING.

JUST ONE LITTLE SERVICE HOUR COULD HELP SO MANY PEOPLE.

EVERYBODY SHOULD TRY GIVING A COUPLE OF SERVICE HOURS, EVEN IF IT'S SOMETHING SIMPLE AND CLOSE TO HOME.

I COULDN'T AGREE MORE.

CONGRATULATIONS, AVERY.

SCANNER. THEY ARE OKAY, AS WE'RE RECOGNIZING.

AVERY, I WOULD LOVE TO INVITE UP OUR ACADEMIC ALL-STATE ATHLETES FOR CROSS COUNTRY AND VOLLEYBALL.

IF YOU'RE HERE, IF YOU CAN COME TO MY LEFT AND LINE UP ALONG THE WALL HERE, WE'RE GOING TO RECOGNIZE YOU NEXT.

CONGRATULATIONS, AVERY.

WE'RE REALLY PROUD OF YOU.

I CAN'T HELP BUT SAY GO, EAGLES! OKAY. ALL RIGHT.

AND OUR FINAL STUDENT RECOGNITION FOR THIS MORNING.

BEFORE WE GET INTO OUR BELIEVE AWARDS.

WE ARE AS AS WE ARE WRAPPING UP THE FALL SEMESTER AND OUR FALL OUR FALL SPORTS.

WE ARE EXCITED TO RECOGNIZE OUR CROSS COUNTRY AND VOLLEYBALL.

2023-24 ACADEMIC ALL STATE RECIPIENTS.

WE UNDERSTAND THAT STUDENTS PERFORMANCE IN THE CLASSROOM CAN SOMETIMES BE DIFFICULT TO MANAGE WHILE PARTICIPATING IN ATHLETICS, BUT THEIR HARD WORK HAS NOT GONE UNNOTICED.

THE ACADEMIC ALL STATE TEAMS RECOGNIZE HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETES WHO EXCEL IN THE FOLLOWING CATEGORIES THEIR GPA, THEIR CLASS RANK, AND THEIR ACE THEIR ACT SAT SCORES.

THESE STUDENTS ARE BEING RECOGNIZED AS A TEAM MEMBER BASED ON THEIR SCORES IN THESE CATEGORIES.

WE APPLAUD THEM FOR THEIR COMMITMENT AND DEDICATION TO PERFORM WITH THE HIGHEST OF EXCELLENCE, ACADEMICALLY AND ON AND OFF THE COURT.

WE DISTRICTWIDE HAVE 39 STUDENTS FOR BOTH OF THESE FALL SPORTS.

THERE ARE SEVERAL CAMPUS ACTIVITIES HAPPENING THIS EVENING.

UM, AND SO WE CELEBRATE ALL OF THEM, UM, AS SEVERAL WERE ACTUALLY ABLE TO BE HERE THIS EVENING.

SO WE WILL GET STARTED WITH OUR FIRST RECOGNITION.

AND THIS IS GOING TO BE FOR COOPER FOR IT FROM JJ PEARCE CROSS COUNTRY.

ALSO WITH CROSS COUNTRY FROM JJ PEARCE QUINCY COBB.

WE HAVE COLIN GREER WITH CROSS COUNTRY J.J.

PEARCE. HAYDEN WARNER, CROSS COUNTRY FROM J.J.

PEARCE. MARIAM KASSEM, RICHARDSON HIGH SCHOOL.

CROSS COUNTRY.

WE HAVE A FIFA AHMED RICHARDSON HIGH SCHOOL.

CROSS COUNTRY.

ABIGAIL FENDER FROM RICHARDSON HIGH SCHOOL.

VOLLEYBALL. WE HAVE MY MALE WOLF FROM RICHARDSON HIGH SCHOOL. VOLLEYBALL.

ANGIE ROJAS, RICHARDSON HIGH SCHOOL VOLLEYBALL.

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PEARCE VOLLEYBALL.

AND RYAN VICK FROM J.J.

PEARCE. VOLLEYBALL. CONGRATULATIONS TO THESE STUDENT ATHLETES.

LET'S GO AHEAD AND ORGANIZE YOU TO GET A GROUP PICTURE, PLEASE.

I'M GOING TO ASK SOME OF THE STUDENTS TO COME AROUND TO THIS SIDE.

WE'LL GET YOU ORGANIZED REAL QUICK.

CONGRATULATIONS, STUDENTS.

AND FINALLY, WE WILL WRAP UP OUR RECOGNITIONS AND APPRECIATIONS THIS EVENING WITH OUR BELIEVES AWARDS.

AND WE HAVE SEVERAL, A COUPLE STUDENTS THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO RECOGNIZE.

FIRST, I WOULD LIKE TO INVITE UP, UM, THE SEVENTH AND EIGHTH GRADERS FROM LAKE HIGHLANDS JUNIOR HIGH THAT ARE BEING RECOGNIZED.

IF YOU CAN, PLEASE COME FORWARD.

I HAVE. OKAY.

AND AS THEY ARE COMING UP, I'D LIKE TO SHARE WHY THEY HAVE BEEN NOMINATED FOR AN RISD BELIEVES AWARD.

THERE ARE A TOTAL OF SIX LAKE HIGHLANDS JUNIOR HIGH STUDENTS WHO HELPED COLLECT UNWANTED AND PACKAGED CAFETERIA FOOD ITEMS DURING BREAKFAST AND LUNCH AS PART OF THE NOURISH TO FLOURISH FOOD WASTE DIVERSION PROGRAM.

EACH DAY AT SCHOOL, THEY WALK AMONGST THE TABLES COLLECTING APPLES, ORANGES, CEREAL, MILK, AND OTHER ITEMS THAT THE STUDENTS DONATE.

THEY THEN COUNT THE NUMBER OF ITEMS AWAY EACH FOOD GROUP.

THIS FOOD IS THEN TAKEN TO THE COUNSELING OFFICE WHERE STUDENTS ON CAMPUS CAN ACCESS IF NEEDED.

BY THE END OF THIS WEEK, THESE STUDENT VOLUNTEERS WILL HAVE COLLECTED JUST OVER ONE TON OF FOOD AS PART OF THIS PROGRAM.

SO WE ARE RECOGNIZING THEM FOR THIS INCREDIBLE GIVING BACK OPPORTUNITY THAT THEY HAVE ON THEIR CAMPUS.

UM, OUR FIRST STUDENT IS LAYLA HERRERA.

WE HAVE AMINA SADAT.

AND WE HAVE MISS LAYLA NOORISTANI.

AND WE HAVE MISS NASIR SHINWARI.

CONGRATULATIONS, LADIES.

WE WANT TO BE SURE AND GRAB A GROUP PICTURE HERE.

WE'RE SO PROUD OF YOU.

CONGRATULATIONS TO THESE WILDCATS.

OUR NEXT RISD BELIEVES STUDENT AWARD IS FOR MISS ESTRELLA ORTIZ, WHO'S A SEVENTH GRADE STUDENT AT RICHARDSON NORTH JUNIOR HIGH.

ESTRELLA IS PART OF STUDENT COUNCIL, AND RECENTLY THE CAMPUS HOSTED THEIR NORTH NAVIGATION NIGHT, WHICH INVITES INCOMING SEVENTH GRADERS TO CAMPUS WITH A PEP RALLY AND TOURS AROUND THE BUILDING.

ESTRELLA WAS THERE REPRESENTING STUDENT COUNCIL AND AFTER THE EVENT HAD STARTED, A FAMILY ARRIVED BUT WAS IN NEED OF TRANSLATION SERVICES.

ESTRELLA VOLUNTARILY STEPPED IN TO ESCORT THEM ON A TOUR, AS WELL AS TO TRANSLATE FOR THEM IN THEIR HOME LANGUAGE.

THEY GOT TO SEE ALL OF THE DIFFERENT AREAS OF THE CAMPUS, AS WELL AS MEET AND GREET CAMPUS ADMINISTRATORS.

SHE TOOK THE INITIATIVE WITH THIS GESTURE AND WAS GRACIOUS WITH OFFERING HER BILINGUAL SKILLS.

WHEN SHE FINISHED THE TOUR, SHE HUGGED THE ENTIRE FAMILY AND THEY WERE SO HAPPY TO HAVE A PERSONAL TOUR BY ONE OF OUR OWN FANTASTIC STUDENTS.

SHE IS A LEADER ON CAMPUS AND HAS A STRONG, POSITIVE ATTITUDE AND AN OUTSTANDING OUTLOOK ON LIFE.

PLEASE JOIN ME IN CONGRATULATING ESTRELLA WITH THE ISD BELIEVES AWARD.

[00:30:01]

OUR FINAL STUDENT BELIEVES AWARD THIS EVENING IS FOR MR. MIGUEL PANIAGUA.

AND LAST MONTH, HE IS THE SEVENTH GRADE STUDENT, BY THE WAY, AT PARK HILL JUNIOR HIGH.

LAST MONTH, THERE WAS A SUBSTITUTE TEACHER AT PARK HILL.

AND SHE NOTICED THAT HER WEDDING RINGS WERE GONE.

SHE HAD NO IDEA IDEA WHERE, WHEN OR WHERE SHE HAD LOST THEM.

SHE PANICKED AND THINKING SHE HAD LOST THEM AS SHE HAS BEEN MARRIED FOR OVER 41 YEARS.

SO OBVIOUSLY THESE RINGS WERE QUITE SPECIAL TO HER.

AS SHE WAS SEARCHING FRANTICALLY THROUGH HER BAGS LOOKING FOR THE RINGS, SHE FELT A TAP ON HER SHOULDER AND TURNED TO SEE MIGUEL HOLDING THE RINGS IN HIS HAND.

WE CELEBRATE MIGUEL FOR FINDING AND RETURNING THE RINGS TO THIS TEACHER, WHO IS FOREVER GRATEFUL TO HAVE HAD THEM FOUND.

CONGRATULATIONS, MIGUEL.

WE'RE GOING TO GRAB THAT PHOTO.

CONGRATULATIONS, MIGUEL.

WE'RE PROUD OF YOU.

AND FINALLY, WE HAVE TWO OF OUR VERY OWN ISD STAFF THAT WE ARE GOING TO RECOGNIZE THIS EVENING AS PART OF OUR MONTHLY STAFF BELIEVES AWARD.

FIRST, WE HAVE MISS DINA DAVILA, AND MISS DINA SERVES AS THE EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT FOR OUR STUDENT INFORMATION AND REPORTING DEPARTMENT, AS WELL AS SUPPORTS OUR DISTRICT TRANSLATION, INTERPRETATION SERVICES AND SUPPORT.

RECENTLY, ONE OF OUR HOMEBOUND STUDENTS TRAGICALLY PASSED AWAY AND THEIR TEACHER WANTED TO ATTEND THE FUNERAL.

THE SERVICE WAS BEING CONDUCTED IN SPANISH AND IN AN INCREDIBLE GESTURE OF KINDNESS, MISS DINA ATTENDED THE SERVICE WITH THE TEACHER AND SAT BEHIND HER TO TRANSLATE THE ENTIRE MASS.

THANK YOU TO DINA FOR SHOWING SUCH COMPASSION TO SUPPORT THIS TEACHER WITH THE LOSS OF THEIR STUDENT.

WE ARE SO GRATEFUL FOR YOU.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

COME HERE. COME HERE.

CONGRATULATIONS. THANK YOU.

AND FINALLY, WE HAVE OUR FINAL STAFF RECOGNITION FOR THE RISD BELIEVES AWARD THIS EVENING FOR OUR VERY OWN MISS AMY HIMMLER, WHO IS ONE OF OUR ASSISTANT PRINCIPALS AT LIBERTY JUNIOR HIGH AND WHY SHE IS BEING CELEBRATED.

RECENTLY, THEY HAD A TEACHER OR A TEACHER NEEDED ASSISTANCE FOR A A STUDENT WHO SEEMED TO BE CHOKING MRS. HIMMLER, UM, HAPPENED TO BE NEARBY AND IMMEDIATELY BEGAN PERFORMING THE HEIMLICH MANEUVER ON THE STUDENT.

FORTUNATELY, SHE WAS ABLE TO DISLODGE THE OBJECT FROM THE STUDENT'S AIRWAY AND PREVENT A MORE SERIOUS SITUATION.

WE ARE SO GRATEFUL FOR HER LIFE SAVING ACTIONS.

THANK YOU SO MUCH, MISS HIMMLER.

I'M GOING TO DO SOME MORE. I'M GOING TO DO.

AND WE'RE GOING TO GRAB THAT LAST PHOTO.

OKAY. SO WE WOULD LIKE TO.

AND IN CLOSING WE WOULD JUST LIKE TO RECOGNIZE ALL OF THE FAMILY, FRIENDS AND STAFF THAT ARE HERE THIS EVENING TO SUPPORT THOSE THAT HAVE BEEN CELEBRATED.

WILL YOU PLEASE STAND SO WE CAN RECOGNIZE YOU AND ALL OF YOUR SUPPORT FOR THESE STUDENTS, STAFF AND PARTNERS? THANK YOU.

AND THIS CONCLUDES THE RECOGNITIONS PORTION OF OUR MEETING.

[00:35:30]

YEAH, THE RED ROCK.

ALL RIGHT. WE'RE GOING TO GO AHEAD AND GET STARTED.

I JUST WANT TO SAY ONE MORE TIME.

THANK YOU TO OUR AMAZING COMMUNITY, STUDENTS AND STAFF WHO WERE RECOGNIZED THIS EVENING.

WE APPRECIATE YOU AND ARE SO PROUD OF ALL OF YOUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR REPRESENTING RICHARDSON ISD.

THE NEXT ITEM ON OUR AGENDA IS FOR PUBLIC COMMENTS.

[II. PUBLIC COMMENT SECTION]

THANK YOU. YOU'RE WELCOME.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD, I WELCOME OUR VISITORS.

DURING TODAY'S MEETING, SPEAKERS MAY COMMENT ON BOTH AGENDA AND NON AGENDA RELATED ITEMS. AS A REMINDER, SPEAKERS ARE REQUIRED TO FOLLOW THE PUBLIC COMMENTS PROTOCOL.

AS NOTED ON THE ISD WEBSITE.

SPEAKERS, PLEASE APPROACH THE PODIUM AT THE FRONT OF THE AUDITORIUM WHEN I CALL YOUR NAME.

OUR FIRST SPEAKER TONIGHT WILL BE MISS CHRISTINA NEREA.

EXCUSE ME.

PRESENT HERE IS SUPERINTENDENT BRANUM, MEMBER OF BOARD.

THANK YOU FOR, UM, GIVING ME THE CHANCE TO SPEAK TODAY.

MY NAME IS CHRISTINA NEREA.

UM, I WILL BE ALSO TALKING ON BEHALF OF LUCA.

UM, I, WE HAVE A CONCERNING ISSUE WITH ONE OF THE BOOKS THAT OUR CHILDREN HAS ACCESS THROUGH THE RICHARDSON ISD ONLINE CATALOG.

THIS BOOK HAS SEXUALLY EXPLICIT AND GRAPHIC DETAILS OF SEXUAL CONTENT.

THE BOOK IN QUESTION IS CALLED WELCOME TO SAINT HILL BY LEWIS HANCOCK.

AS I HANDED THREE PAGES TO EACH OF Y'ALL.

UM. I'M JUST GOING TO JUST READ.

UM, IS IN THIS.

IT WAS IN THE 2022 SCHOLASTIC BOOK.

IT SAYS HERE GLAMORIZING GENDER TRANSITION TO MIDDLE SCHOOLS.

AS YOU SEE, IT WAS CENSORED AS THE ORIGINAL CONTENT COULD BE A VIOLATION TO SOCIAL MEDIA POLICIES AGAINST ADULT MATERIAL. BUT IT IS IN OUR RISD PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

UM, THE SECOND PAGE, AS YOU SEE, IS A WOMAN'S BODY.

IT'S VERY OFFENSIVE FOR A MOTHER, FOR A WOMAN.

UM. LET'S REMOVE THESE CONTENT THAT CONTAINS THIS GRAPHIC SEXUAL PORNOGRAPHY MATERIAL FROM THE RICHARDSON ISD

[00:40:03]

THIS ISSUE IS NOT SOMETHING THAT CAN BE LEFT TO THE PROFESSIONALS.

YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE EDUCATION OF OUR CHILDREN, AND THAT RESPONSIBILITY COMES WITH A SACRED OBLIGATION THAT YOU MUST BE FULFILLED.

PLEASE DO WHAT'S NECESSARY TO REGAIN OUR TRUST.

DO WHAT'S BEST FOR OUR CHILDREN AND OUR COMMUNITY.

MAKE THE RIGHT CHOICE AND THANK YOU.

THANK YOU, MISS NERIA.

OUR NEXT SPEAKER TONIGHT IS MR. RANDY BLANKENSHIP.

IF THIS IS AN IF THIS IS AN AGENDA ITEM, I'VE REMOVED THAT.

I ONLY HAVE A NON AGENDA ITEM.

YOU WANT THAT? YEAH.

GO AHEAD, MR. BLANKENSHIP.

UH, MY NAME IS RANDY BLANKENSHIP, AND I WANT TO THANK THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK.

THE TOPIC IS, WHY IS THE DID DEDI STILL IN EXISTENCE? THE PROBLEM REMAINS.

BUT THE QUESTION IS WHY? I BEGAN BY INFORMING YOU OF THE EMOTIONAL PSYCHOLOGICAL HARM CAUSED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF EQUITY, DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION AND ITS HARMFUL EFFECTS ON YOUNG AND VULNERABLE ABSORBING MINDS. THEN MANY PARENTS CALLED IT CRITICAL RACE THEORY, AND THEY WERE QUICKLY REBUKED AND TOLD IT WAS NOT.

THE SIMPLE TRUTH, THE PARENTS WERE CORRECT.

IT JUST GOES BY A DIFFERENT NAME.

THEN THE DEPARTMENT LIMITED PARENTAL AND PUBLIC ACCESS TO RACIAL LITERACY PROGRAM.

WHILE ACTUAL TEACHING INSTRUCTIONS WERE NOT ACCESSIBLE.

TO TRYING TO QUIET THE DISCOVERY, THE DEPARTMENT CHANGED RACIAL LITERACY INITIATIVE TO CONNECTING CULTURES.

HOWEVER, THE MESSAGE REMAINED UNCHANGED.

I EVEN INFORMED YOU THAT THE DEPARTMENT WAS NO LONGER OPERATING ACCORDING TO BOARD POLICY AND ITS ORIGINAL INTENT.

THE DEPARTMENT HAD NO LONGER HAS A LEGITIMATE PURPOSE TO EXIST.

NOW LET US REVIEW THE BASIC USE OF THE WORDS.

DIVERSITY IN BASIC TERMS MEANS RECOGNIZING OTHERS BY RACE, NOT CHARACTER.

EQUITY MEANS NOT ACKNOWLEDGING OUTCOMES, BUT ATTEMPT TO LEVEL END RESULTS.

INCLUSION MEANS BRINGING EVERYONE IN AND REFUSING TO ACKNOWLEDGE RIGHT AND WRONG OR GOOD AND EVIL, BUT CONDONING AND EMBRACING ALL BIZARRE SOCIAL AND POLITICAL BELIEFS AND IDEAS, AND DISREGARDING THE REALITY AND TRUTH OF DISTURBING PERSONAL BELIEFS.

COLLECTIVELY, THE THREE TERMS ARE PART OF THE WOKE AND CANCEL CULTURE THAT IS INTENT ON REMAKING AMERICA INTO SOME UNATTAINABLE UTOPIA. THEREFORE, WHEN ANY PERSON, ESPECIALLY EDUCATORS, USE THE WORDS DIVERSITY, EQUITY, OR INCLUSION IN A SENTENCE, IT MUST BE ASKED IF THEY UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY ARE SAYING.

IF THE TERMS ARE USED TO CLAIM ACADEMICS OR SOME STRATEGIC PLANNING, LET IT BE KNOWN IN PERSONS LACKING UNDERSTANDING OF ITS TRUE MEANING, WHICH IS IN THE POLICY.

WHEN WILL THE BOARD CLOSE THE DEPARTMENT THAT HAS NO LEGITIMATE CAUSE OR BOARD POLICY TO EXIST, A WASTE OF TAXPAYER MONEY AND THE CORRUPTION OF OUR YOUTH? IN THE FUTURE, AS I SPOKE THREE YEARS AGO, WHEN YOUR GRANDCHILDREN FIND OUT THAT YOU HAD THE DUTY AND RESPONSIBILITY TO CLOSE THE DEPARTMENT AND FAILED, THEY WILL BE FOUND SPITTING ON YOUR GRAVE.

YOU CANNOT AVOID DAMAGING YOUR REPUTATION IF THIS DELAY PERSISTS.

WHO IS PREVENTING YOU FROM DOING YOUR DUTY? WHO IS PREVENTING YOU FROM DOING YOUR DUTY? THANKS. THANK YOU, MR. BLANKENSHIP. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS MR. EWAN BLACKMAN.

GOOD EVENING BOARD, SUPERINTENDENT BRENNAN, PRESIDENT HARRIS, AND ESTEEMED EMPLOYEES.

I JUST GOT USED TO WRITING 2023, AND NOW WE'RE GOING TO GO TO 24.

TIME IS FLYING.

AND PART OF THAT FLYING TIME WAS THIS BUDGET PROCESS THAT WE'VE DONE FOR THE LAST SIX MONTHS.

AND, UM, THANK YOU, UH, SUPERINTENDENT BRANUM, FOR HAVING A DIVERSITY OF THOUGHT IN THE ROOM.

IT WAS INTERESTING TO WATCH THE FIRST TIME.

I THINK A LONG TIME WE SEE PEOPLE DISAGREEING WITH OTHERS, NOT AGREEING ON THE DATA, NOT AGREEING WHAT IT SHOWS THAT SAYS, I THINK ONE OF THE, UM, TO QUOTE ONE OF MY COMMITTEE MEMBERS, UH, LOOKING AT THE NUMBERS, THEY SAID, YOU KNOW, THERE WERE A PROFESSIONAL IN THIS AREA AND THEY SAID, I LOOK AT THE NUMBERS, I SEE THE CUTS WE NEED TO MAKE, AND I HEAR

[00:45:04]

AND THAT'S A LEGITIMATE THING.

THAT'S WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN FOR SURE, BECAUSE IT HAS TO.

AND I THINK IF I WAS TO GIVE MY $0.02 ON, ON JUST A COUPLE OF POINTS THERE.

UM. I KNOW YOU'LL HEAR A PRESENTATION LATER IN FAR MORE DETAIL, BUT THE THOUSAND POUND GORILLA IN THE ROOM IS THE NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES WHO'VE GROWN OVER THE LAST FIVE, SIX YEARS.

UM, THERE IS SOME CONTEXT TO THAT, BUT IT'S 1000 NEW EMPLOYEES AND ONLY 1500 LESS STUDENTS.

SO TOUGH CHOICES HAVE TO BE MADE THERE.

AND THAT THAT IS THE BIGGEST BULK OF OF WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT.

AND I DON'T ENVY YOUR POSITION, BY THE WAY, NUMBER TWO, UH, SCHOOL CONSOLIDATION, UH, SHOULD NOT EQUAL SCHOOL CLOSURE.

I BELIEVE SCHOOL CONSOLIDATION, UH, COULD BE DONE THROUGH MOTHBALLING OF CLASSROOMS, THE REDUCTION OF THE SIZE OF THE FOOTPRINT OF THE SCHOOL.

UH, YOU'D FIND SAVINGS THERE WITH LESS JANITORS, LESS CAFETERIA STAFF, LESS TEACHERS NEEDED, BECAUSE NOW YOU HAVE LESS STUDENTS, LOWER AC BILLS, ETC.

CLOSING SCHOOLS HAS A DEVASTATING EFFECT ON COMMUNITIES.

SO LET'S NOT CONSOLIDATE BUT COMPRESS THE CAPACITY.

AND IF WE THOUGHT ABOUT HOW MUCH THAT MIDDLE SCHOOL TRANSITION WILL, UH, EXACERBATE THAT ISSUE OF HAVING LOWER NUMBERS AT THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, I'M NOT SURE THAT THAT PRE-K NUMBERS ARE SHOWING THAT THEY WILL BACKFILL THAT, UH, RELIABLY AND ON THE VADER, UM, AS I LIKE TO REFER TO IT AS THE DARTH VADER, UH, 5.7 MILLION WITH A 3% TAX RAISE. UH, I'M NOT SURE IT'S WORTH THE TYPE OF ANGST AND COMMUNITY UPHEAVAL THAT WILL COME FOR SUCH A SMALL, UH, BENEFIT.

UH, ON THE GRAND SCHEME OF IT, I REFER YOU TO WHAT HAPPENED WITH THE BUDGET THIS YEAR WHERE WE THOUGHT WE WERE GOING TO BE IN A DEFICIT.

BUT IT TURNS OUT SOME THINGS HAPPEN TO MAKE US IN A IN A POSITIVE, UM, BUDGET THIS YEAR.

SO BEAR THOSE IN MIND WHEN THINKING OF THOSE, IF YOU WOULD PLEASE.

UM, AND TO, TO, UH, SHOUT OUT GREAT TIME I HAD AT BERKNER HIGH SCHOOL, BY THE WAY, HANDING OUT JACKETS AND SHOES TO A LOT OF OUR REFUGEE PROGRAMS. I THINK, AGAIN, I SPOKE LAST TIME ABOUT MISS HAQUE AND HER, UH, JOB IN THAT REGARD.

FANTASTIC. SHE DOES AN AMAZING JOB.

HER BOSS, A LITTLE SUS, BUT BUT SHE DOES A GREAT JOB.

UH, DOVER ELEMENTARY, I JUST.

DOVER ELEMENTARY GIVING OUT SHOES TO KIDS THAT ACTUALLY FIT, I THINK IS A FANTASTIC THING.

I WAS THERE, UH, THE OTHER DAY, LABELING BOXES FOR THE ENTIRE SCHOOL, UH, WITH SOME PARENT VOLUNTEERS.

AND I THINK THAT'S AN AMAZING THING THEY'RE DOING.

SO WE'VE GOT A LOT OF FOLKS OUT THERE DOING SOME AMAZING THINGS TO MAKE THINGS HAPPEN FOR OUR STUDENTS, FOR OUR COMMUNITIES, AND I'M APPRECIATIVE OF THAT.

SO SHOUT OUT TO THOSE FOLKS WHO ARE DOING AN AMAZING JOB.

AND, UH, I HOPE YOU GUYS HAVE A GREAT HOLIDAY BREAK.

CHEERS! I'LL BE ON A CRUISE IN ABOUT 24 HOURS, SO ENJOY! THANK YOU, MR. BLACKMAN.

MISS HARRIS, THAT CONCLUDES OUR PUBLIC SPEAKERS TONIGHT.

THANK YOU, MR. POTEET.

THANK YOU TO THE SPEAKERS THAT CAME OUT TONIGHT.

WE APPRECIATE YOU.

OUR NEXT ACTION ITEM IS THE CONSENT AGENDA.

[III. CONSENT / CONFIRMATION AGENDA ITEMS]

IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA? SO MOVED. THANK YOU, MR. POTEET. IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND? THANK YOU, MISS TIMMY.

THERE IS A MOTION BY MR. POTEET. A SECOND BY MISS TIMMY.

ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? ALL RIGHT. HEARING NONE.

ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HANDS HIGH.

MOTION PASSES FIVE ZERO.

OUR NEXT ACTION ITEM IS TO CONSIDER GIFTS.

[IV.A. Consider Gifts]

AS. THANK YOU.

MS. HARRIS. WE GOT NEW TECHNOLOGY BACK HERE.

UM. THANK YOU. I WANT TO JUST, UH, JUST REALLY SEND OUR APPRECIATION TO OUR COMMUNITY WHO CONTINUES TO GIVE AND TO POUR INTO, UM, JUST OUR CAMPUSES AND TO OUR STUDENTS, REALLY OUT OF NO OTHER, UM, EFFORT OTHER THAN JUST TO SUPPORT AND SHOW HOW MUCH THEY BELIEVE IN OUR KIDS.

AND SO JUST WANT TO THANK EVERYONE WHO'S LISTED.

MR. PATE, WILL YOU PROVIDE AN OVERVIEW TO OUR COMMUNITY AND TO THE BOARD OF OUR GIFTS OVER 5000 THIS MONTH? YES. MR. BRANUM, I'M HAPPY TO PRESENT GIFTS RECEIVED THIS MONTH.

WE HAVE ONE GIFT OVER $5,000 SUBMITTED FOR BOARD APPROVAL FROM THE WHITE ROCK ELEMENTARY PTA FOR $6,328 TO WHITE ROCK ELEMENTARY, AND WE HAVE 12 GIFTS, LESS THAN $5,000 FROM A VARIETY OF SOURCES TO CAMPUSES ACROSS THE DISTRICT, TOTALING $18,795.64, WHICH ARE SUBMITTED FOR THE BOARD'S INFORMATION.

TOTAL GIFTS THIS MONTH EQUAL $25,123.64.

SO AGAIN, I WANT TO THANK OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS, OUR PTAS, SEVERAL DIFFERENT FOUNDATIONS AND LOCAL COMMUNITY GROUPS FOR THEIR SUPPORT OF RISD.

AND WITH THAT, I DO RECOMMEND THAT THE BOARD ACCEPT THE GIFTS OF $5,000 OR MORE AS PRESENTED.

ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU, MISS BRANUM.

THANK YOU, MR. PATE. IS THERE A MOTION? SO MOVE. THANK YOU MR. EAGER. IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND? THANK YOU, MISS MCGOWAN.

THERE IS A MOTION BY MR. IGER. A SECOND BY MISS MCGOWAN.

ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS.

I HEAR NONE. ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HANDS HIGH.

[00:50:04]

OUR NEXT ITEM IS AN ACTION ITEM REGARDING THE APPROVAL OF THE 2024 PUBLIC INFORMATION ACT.

[IV.B. Approval of 2024 Public Information Act Designated Non-Business Days Calendar]

MISS BRANUM. THANK YOU, PRESIDENT HARRIS.

UM, THIS IS AN ITEM THAT YOU PREVIOUSLY APPROVED FOR THE ACTUAL JANUARY TO DECEMBER CALENDAR OF 2023.

AND NOW OUR GENERAL COUNSEL IS BRINGING FORWARD THE CALENDAR FOR 2024 AS A RESULT OF A CHANGE THAT WAS MADE IN THE LAST LEGISLATION, UM, WHICH LIMITED THE NUMBER OF DAYS THAT THE DISTRICT, UM, CAN DESIGNATE AS CLOSURES AND NOT PROCESSING OPEN RECORDS.

AND SO I'LL ALLOW MISS MCGOWAN TO FIND TO PRESENT ANY OTHER ADDITIONAL DETAILS.

YES. THAT BILL WAS HOUSE BILL 3033, WHICH ADDED GOVERNMENT CODE 552.031.

AND, BRIAN, IF YOU CAN PULL UP THE CALENDAR, PLEASE, SO EVERYONE CAN SEE.

UH, GOVERNMENTAL BODIES HAVE THE RIGHT TO DESIGNATE UP TO TEN DAYS THAT ARE GOING TO BE DESIGNATED AS NON-BUSINESS DAYS FOR PURPOSES OF THE PUBLIC INFORMATION ACT.

WHAT DOES NOT COUNT AS A BUSINESS DAY ALREADY ARE STATE AND NATIONAL HOLIDAYS, AND SATURDAYS AND SUNDAYS AND ANY OTHER DAYS WHERE A HOLIDAY MAY FALL ON A SATURDAY AND SUNDAY, BUT IT'S OBSERVED ALL YEAR .

THAT MONDAY OR FRIDAY, THOSE ARE ALSO ALREADY NOT CONSIDERED, UH, BUSINESS DAYS.

AND SO YOU WILL SEE ON THAT CALENDAR UP THERE WHAT IS BEING PROPOSED OR TEN DAYS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, UH, TO COVER SOME OF THE CLOSURES FOR THE DISTRICT.

YOU WILL ALSO NOTICE THAT THERE ARE STILL SOME DAYS THAT THE DISTRICT WILL BE CLOSED, THAT OBVIOUSLY ARE GOING TO BE MORE THAN THE TEN DAYS WE ARE ALLOWED TO DESIGNATE. SO THIS IS ONE OF THE THINGS WE'VE TALKED ABOUT, KIND OF UNFUNDED MANDATES FOR THE DISTRICT, BECAUSE WE STILL HAVE AN EMPLOYEE THAT MAY HAVE TO WORK SOME ADDITIONAL TIME TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE IS COVERAGE, BUT WE ARE ASKING THAT THE BOARD DESIGNATE THESE TEN PARTICULAR DAYS AS NON-BUSINESS DAYS, ONCE APPROVED BY THE BOARD, AND THESE DAYS, OF COURSE, WILL BE POSTED ON OUR WEBSITE SO THAT THE COMMUNITY AND ANYONE WISHING TO SUBMIT ANY KIND OF OPEN RECORDS REQUESTS WOULD BE AWARE OF ANY DESIGNATED CLOSURES.

AND SO WITH THAT, I DO RECOMMEND THAT THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES, UM, APPROVE THE 2024 PUBLIC INFORMATION ACT, DESIGNATED THE NON-BUSINESS DAYS CALENDAR AS PRESENTED.

THANK YOU, MISS BRANUM. THANK YOU, MISS MCGOWAN.

IS THERE A MOTION? SO MOVED. THANK YOU, MISS TIMMY.

IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND.

THANK YOU, MISS MCGOWAN.

THERE IS A MOTION BY MISS TIMMY.

A SECOND BY MISS MCGOWAN.

ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FROM THE BOARD? MR. POTEET.

YEAH, REAL QUICK, JUST FOR CONTEXT.

UM, FOR MAYBE THOSE LISTENING.

BUT REALLY, THE IMPACT ON THIS IS WE'VE GOT A TURNAROUND OF PUBLIC INFORMATION REQUESTS WITHIN X NUMBER OF DAYS LEGALLY.

YES, SIR. AND SO THIS WILL IMPACT THAT ON THE CALENDAR.

SO IT'S HOW WE COUNT THOSE DAYS RIGHT.

SO THAT'S JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WAS CLEAR.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR QUESTION, MR. POTEET. IS THAT IT? ALL RIGHT. ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS, COMMENTS? HEARING NONE, ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.

ALL RIGHT. MOTION PASSES FIVE ZERO.

OUR NEXT ITEM IS AN ACTION ITEM TO CONSIDER A VOTE FOR THE BOARD OF DIRECTOR FOR DALLAS COUNTY APPRAISAL DISTRICT.

[IV.C. Consider Vote for Board Of Director of DCAD]

I'M GOING TO TURN THIS OVER TO MR. PATE. THANK YOU, MRS. BRANUM. UH, YES.

IT'S THAT TIME OF YEAR AGAIN WHEN, UH, THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS IN THE DALLAS, UH, IN DALLAS COUNTY HAVE TO ELECT THEIR REPRESENTATIVE TO THE DALLAS CENTRAL APPRAISAL DISTRICT BOARD AND BOARD OF DIRECTORS.

UH, MISS PHILLIPS IS THE ONLY CANDIDATE RUNNING TO REPRESENT, UH, THE ISD'S.

AND THE DCAD NEEDS A THEIR BYLAWS REQUIRE A CERTAIN NUMBER OF SCHOOL DISTRICTS TO EVEN CAST A VOTE.

SO WE ASK THAT YOU CAST A VOTE FOR MISS PHILLIPS SO THAT THE PROCESS CAN CONTINUE.

AND THEY DO NOT HAVE TO HAVE A SEPARATE A A SECOND ELECTION FOR THIS PROCESS.

THANK YOU, MR. PATE.

AND WITH THAT, I RECOMMEND THAT THE BOARD CAST ITS VOTE FOR CASSANDRA PHILLIPS TO REPRESENT THE DISTRICT ON THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE DALLAS CENTRAL APPRAISAL DISTRICT.

THANK YOU, MISS BRANUM AND, MR. PATE, IS THERE A MOTION? AND SO MOVED. THANK YOU, MR. POTEET. IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND. THANK YOU MR. EAGER. THERE IS A MOTION BY MR.

[00:55:02]

ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HANDS.

ALL RIGHT. MOTION PASSES FIVE ZERO.

OUR NEXT ITEM IS AN ACTION ITEM TO CONSIDER THE UPDATED INSURANCE POLICY.

[IV.D. Consider Updated Insurance Policy ]

AND AS WE ARE HAVING TO HAVE DIFFICULT CONVERSATIONS AROUND OUR BUDGET, UM, THIS IS AN ITEM THAT NORMALLY WE DON'T ALWAYS NECESSARILY DO A FULL PRESENTATION, BUT BECAUSE OF WHAT WE ARE SEEING IN TERMS OF UNPRECEDENTED COST INCREASES TO THE DISTRICT, WE FELT LIKE IT WAS REALLY IMPORTANT TO PROVIDE A HOLISTIC PRESENTATION FOR THE BOARD AND FOR OUR COMMUNITY TO UNDERSTAND HOW WE APPROACH OUR PROPERTY INSURANCE COVERAGE, THE WORK THAT GOES BEHIND THE SCENES.

KIM AND HER TEAM ARE PHENOMENAL AND ARE ADVOCATES FOR THE DISTRICT, BUT ALSO ENSURING THAT WE HAVE THE RIGHT COVERAGE IN PLACE SHOULD OR WHEN AND IF WE EVER NEED THAT. SO I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO MR. PATE, DOCTOR GIBSON AND KIM TO LEAD US IN THE PRESENTATION.

HELLO, EVERYBODY.

HELLO. GLAD TO BE HERE.

THANK YOU FOR GIVING ME A LITTLE BIT OF TIME TO TALK ABOUT OUR PROPERTY COVERAGE.

UM, MY NAME IS KIM ECKER, AND I'M THE DIRECTOR OF RISK MANAGEMENT, SO WE'LL MOVE FORWARD.

UM, JUST TO GIVE A LITTLE BACKGROUND, UM, WE RECENTLY, UM, PUT OUT A REQUEST FOR SEALED PROPOSAL FOR PROPERTY INSURANCE, UM, TO THE GLOBAL MARKETPLACE INSURANCE MARKETPLACE.

ALL THE PROPOSALS HAVE BEEN REVIEWED BY THE DISTRICT RISK MANAGEMENT OFFICE.

UM, AND SO THE PROPOSALS INCLUDED ONE, UH, PROPERTY INSURANCE PROPOSAL WITH A 20 CARRIER LAYERED PROGRAM THAT'S LED BY AMWINS, UH, ONE IS A TERRORISM AND ACTIVE ASSAILANT PROPOSAL WITH INDIAN HARBOR INSURANCE.

AND THEN WE RECEIVED TWO, UM, PROPOSALS FOR BOILER AND MACHINERY BREAKDOWN FROM LIBERTY MUTUAL INSURANCE AND TRAVELERS INSURANCE.

EXCUSE ME.

OKAY, SO BEFORE WE GET STARTED WITH, UH, WHAT THE RENEWAL PROPOSALS ARE, UM, I WANTED TO GIVE YOU GUYS A LITTLE BIT OF HISTORY ABOUT OUR PREMIUMS AND HOW THEY'VE KIND OF GONE UP OVER THE YEARS.

UM, SO WE STARTED WITH 2019.

UM, AS YOU CAN SEE, WE HAD QUITE A JUMP FROM 2019 TO 2020.

UM, KIND OF CONTINUED TO GO UP A LITTLE BIT.

AND THEN WE HAD ANOTHER BIG JUMP, UM, FROM 22 TO 23.

AND THEN THIS YEAR WE'VE GONE UP AGAIN.

UM, I'D LIKE TO MOVE TO THE NEXT SLIDE TO KIND OF EXPLAIN SOME OF THOSE BIG JUMPS AND, AND ALL THE OTHER, YOU KNOW, INCREASES, WHAT EFFECTS OUR INCREASES.

SO, UM, SO FIRST OF ALL, FOR THE 2020 YEAR, UH, PRIOR TO 2020, WE HAD A, UM, THREE YEAR RATE GUARANTEE WITH ONE CARRIER THAT WAS AIG.

UM, AT THE END OF 2019, THAT GUARANTEED RATE, UM, ENDED.

SO IN 2020, YOU KNOW, THE INSURANCE COMPANIES KIND OF CAUGHT UP WITH US.

UM, AND WE HAD QUITE AN INCREASE.

WE WENT TO A LAYERED PROGRAM RATHER THAN A SINGLE CARRIER.

UM, AND ALSO WE HAD TWO BIG STORMS IN DALLAS COUNTY IN 2019.

UM, ONE OF THOSE WAS THE HAILSTORM, WHICH RICHARDSON ISD ACTUALLY HAD A LOSS FROM THAT HAILSTORM.

UM, AND THEN THERE WAS ALSO A LARGE TORNADO THAT WENT THROUGH DALLAS COUNTY IN 2019.

SO THOSE THINGS REALLY AFFECTED, UM, OUR PREMIUM THAT YEAR, ALONG WITH ALL THE USUAL THINGS THAT AFFECT OUR PREMIUMS, WHICH ARE, YOU KNOW, INCREASED PROPERTY VALUES, UM, WHICH SINCE THEN EVERYTHING HAS GONE INSANE WITH PROPERTY VALUES, ESPECIALLY IN OUR AREA.

UM, WE'VE HAD, UM, SOME INCREASED SQUARE FOOTAGE, UM, AND THEN THE STORMS HAVE AFFECTED OUR PREMIUMS QUITE A BIT.

UM. SO MOVING ON TO THE 2023 YEAR, THE REASONS WE SAW INCREASES THERE WERE UM, WE HAD, UM, WINTER STORM URI.

EVERYBODY CALLED THAT, UH, SNOWMAGEDDON.

WE ALL REMEMBER THAT THAT WAS A HUGE LOSS TO THE INDUSTRY.

RICHARDSON ISD HAD A $1.3 MILLION LOSS.

UM, WE'VE RECOVERED 1.2 MILLION OF THAT FROM OUR INSURANCE CARRIERS.

UM, ALSO, UM, IN 2022, WE HAD HURRICANE IAN.

THAT WAS THE SECOND LARGEST LOSS FOR THE INDUSTRY, UM, ON RECORD AFTER HURRICANE KATRINA, EVEN THOUGH THAT HAPPENED IN FLORIDA.

THAT AFFECTS OUR PREMIUMS AS WELL.

AND THEN, UH, IN DECEMBER 2022, WE HAD THAT SECOND WINTER STORM, WHICH THAT'S STILL A CLAIM THAT'S OPEN.

AND WE'RE TRYING TO CLOSE THAT OUT.

THAT WAS AROUND RIGHT BEFORE THE, UM, CHRISTMAS HOLIDAYS.

[01:00:05]

SO THAT AFFECTED OUR PREMIUMS. UM, THE WINTER STORM FROM 2021 OCCURRED AFTER OUR RENEWAL FOR THE 2022 SCHOOL YEAR.

SO THAT AFFECTED OUR 2023 PREMIUM.

UM, AND THEN WE HAD A TOTAL INSURER, UH, INSURED VALUE INCREASE OF 29%.

UM, SOME OTHER THINGS THAT AFFECT OUR PREMIUMS ARE, LIKE I SAID BEFORE, PROPERTY VALUE INCREASES, UH, CONSTRUCTION COST INCREASES.

WE INCREASE SOME SQUARE FOOTAGE AT SOME OF OUR CAMPUSES OVER THE YEARS.

UM, SO THAT BROUGHT ALL OF OUR TOTAL INSURED VALUES UP.

SO THIS IS JUST KIND OF A LITTLE VISUAL OF WHAT HAPPENS WITH THE WEATHER.

UM, THIS IS $1 BILLION WEATHER AND CLIMATE DISASTER COSTS FROM 2017 THROUGH 2023.

UM, AND AS YOU CAN SEE, CALIFORNIA, TEXAS AND FLORIDA ARE THE DARKEST RED, WHICH MEANS THAT WE HAVE A LOT OF LOSSES.

UM, ALSO, TEXAS HAS THE HONOR OF BEING THE NUMBER ONE IN MAJOR HAIL EVENTS BY THE INSURANCE INFORMATION INSTITUTE.

NOT REALLY SOMETHING WE WANT TO WIN, BUT WE WIN.

OKAY. SO I'M GOING TO GO THROUGH OUR QUOTE COMPARISONS REAL QUICK.

UM, THERE'S THREE PARTS TO OUR PROPERTY INSURANCE RENEWAL.

UM, THIS IS THE PROPERTY PORTION, ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE SCREEN IS OUR, UM, CURRENT EXPIRING POLICY.

ON THE RIGHT SIDE IS THE RENEWAL OPTION.

UM, REALLY, EVERYTHING IS VERY SIMILAR.

THERE'S JUST A COUPLE OF CHANGES, UM, ON THE WATER FREEZE AND WINTER STORM DEDUCTIBLE THAT WENT UP FROM $100,000 PER OCCURRENCE TO $250,000 PER OCCURRENCE.

AND THAT'S, UM, YOU KNOW, KIND OF BECAUSE WE'VE HAD A COUPLE OF CLAIMS IN THAT AREA.

UM, AND THEN WE HAD A $2.5 MILLION DEDUCTIBLE CAP ON OUR WIND AND HAIL LOSSES.

UM, AND THEY REMOVE THAT MAXIMUM DEDUCTIBLE CAP.

UM, SO OUR PREMIUM THIS YEAR FOR THIS HAS INCREASED BY 24%.

UH, 12% OF THAT IS DUE TO A RATE INCREASE, AND 12% OF THAT IS DUE TO OUR TOTAL INSURED VALUE INCREASING.

OUR, THE AVERAGE MARKET INCREASE RIGHT NOW IS AROUND 15 TO 35%.

SO, YOU KNOW, WE'RE KIND OF RIGHT AROUND WHERE WE SHOULD BE.

I WOULD SAY, UM, AND LIKE I SAID, THAT'S INCREASED CONSTRUCTION COSTS, INCREASED PROPERTY VALUES.

UM, OUR TOTAL INSURED VALUES, THAT DRIVES EVERYTHING UP.

UM, THE TERRORISM COVERAGE IS THE SECOND PIECE, AND OUR ASPIRING POLICY IS WITH INDIAN HARBOR INSURANCE COMPANY.

UM, THE RENEWAL OPTION IS WITH INDIAN HARBOR INSURANCE COMPANY, AND PRETTY MUCH EVERYTHING IS THE SAME EXCEPT FOR THE PREMIUM INCREASE BECAUSE OF OUR 12% INCREASE IN TOTAL INSURED VALUES.

AND THEN BOILER AND MACHINERY EQUIPMENT BREAKDOWN COVERAGE.

UM, EXPIRING IS WITH LIBERTY MUTUAL.

UH, THE ONE WE'RE GOING TO GO WITH IS THE RENEWAL OPTION FROM LIBERTY MUTUAL.

UM, IT'S THE SAME COVERAGES.

THERE'S A 17% INCREASE.

5% OF THAT IS A RATE INCREASE, 12%.

IS THAT INCREASE IN TOTAL INSURED VALUES? UH, THE TRAVELERS OPTION IS JUST A MUCH HIGHER INCREASE IN PREMIUM AND IT'S LOWER COVERAGE.

SO THE RECOMMENDATION FROM RISK MANAGEMENT MANAGEMENT IS TO GO WITH THE PROPERTY COVERAGE, THE LAYERED PROGRAM WITH 20 CARRIERS WITH AM WINDS AS THE LEAD UNDERWRITER FOR $4,500,030, THE TERRORISM AND ACTIVE AND ASSAILANT COVERAGE FROM INDIAN HARBOR INSURANCE FOR 61,381. BOILER AND MACHINERY EQUIPMENT BREAKDOWN COVERAGE WITH LIBERTY MUTUAL INSURANCE FOR 32,463, AND THE COMBINED TOTAL IS $4,593,874, WHICH IS AN INCREASE OF $915,804. THANK YOU SO MUCH, KIM.

AND I KNOW THIS IS NOT GREAT NEWS, BUT I SO APPRECIATE YOUR EFFORT.

AND REALLY, I BRING THIS FORWARD TO JUST FIRST OF ALL, PUBLICLY JUST SHARE, UM, THIS IS THE DAILY REALITY THAT WE ARE BATTLING WHEN WE LOOK AT INFLATION.

THIS IS A COST INCREASE THAT IS OUT OF THE CONTROL OF THE DISTRICT.

UM, AS YOU KNOW, LAST YEAR WE SAW, I BELIEVE IT WAS A 38% INCREASE.

UM, AND IT WAS RIGHT AT ABOUT $1 MILLION THIS YEAR.

WE'RE SEEING, UH, YOU KNOW, THIS $915,000 INCREASE.

I ALWAYS LOOK AT THAT IN TERMS OF TEACHER ALLOCATIONS.

AND THAT IS JUST OVER 13 TEACHER ALLOCATIONS.

UM, THAT AND WHEN WE THINK ABOUT HOW DO WE PRESERVE THE SUPPORTS AND THE RESOURCES THAT ARE CLOSEST TO THE KIDS IN TERMS OF TEACHING AND THOSE RESOURCES, THAT

[01:05:04]

AND SO AGAIN, I JUST WANTED TO BRING THAT FORWARD FOR OUR COMMUNITY AWARENESS.

UM, ALSO NOTING THAT AUSTIN, OUR LEGISLATORS DID NOT PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL FUNDING.

AND I KNOW YOU'RE PROBABLY GOING TO HEAR ME SAY THAT MULTIPLE TIMES IN OUR NEXT COUPLE OF PRESENTATIONS, BUT I WANT TO SAY IT AGAIN, UM, AUSTIN HAS NOT PROVIDED PUBLIC EDUCATION, A COMPREHENSIVE INCREASE IN OUR BASIC ALLOTMENT SINCE 2018, 2019.

AND THIS IN AND OF ITSELF, YOU KNOW, $1 MILLION LAST YEAR, $900,000 THIS YEAR.

THAT JUST DEMONSTRATES THAT NEED THAT WE HAD TO SEE, UM, YOU KNOW, ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR RICHARDSON ISD AND FOR ALL OF PUBLIC EDUCATION.

BUT WITH THAT, I DO RECOMMEND THAT THE BOARD APPROVE, UM, THE INSURANCE, UM, LAYERED PROGRAMS, UM, AS PRESENTED.

THANK YOU, MISS BRANUM. THANK YOU, MISS EDGAR, FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.

WE REALLY APPRECIATE IT.

THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU.

IS THERE A MOTION? SO MOVED.

THANK YOU MR. POTEET.

IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND. THANK YOU MR. EAGER. THERE IS A MOTION BY MR. POTEET. A SECOND BY MR. EAGER. ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FROM THE BOARD? ALL RIGHT. HEARING NONE.

ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HANDS REAL HIGH.

ALL RIGHT. MOTION PASSES FIVE ZERO.

THANK YOU SO MUCH, EVERYONE.

OUR NEXT ITEM IS AN INFORMATION ITEM TO RECEIVE RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE COMMUNITY BUDGET STEERING COMMITTEE.

[IV.E. Receive Recommendations for Community Budget Steering Committee]

UM, I WANT TO JUST START THIS PRESENTATION, IF YOU WILL ALL PLEASE STAND AND JUST BE RECOGNIZED IF YOU SERVED ON THE COMMUNITY BUDGET STEERING COMMITTEE.

UM, THESE INDIVIDUALS, UM, IF YOU THINK ABOUT THESE INDIVIDUALS, RESPONDED TO A COMMUNICATION FROM THE DISTRICT IN WHICH YOU ALL PASSED A RESOLUTION ASKING FOR OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS OR STAFF MEMBERS TO GET INVOLVED, THEY RESPONDED TO THAT CALL WITHOUT REALLY KNOWING WHAT THEY WERE GETTING THEMSELVES INTO.

UM, AND LITTLE DID THEY KNOW, WE STARTED MEETING IN JULY AND SIX MONTHS LATER, WE ARE WHERE WE ARE TONIGHT AND WE WOULD NOT BE WHERE WE ARE TONIGHT WITHOUT THE GIFTS, THE TALENTS, THE HEART, THE COMPASSION, UM, THE COMMITMENT OF THESE INDIVIDUALS.

AND I JUST THANK THEM.

I ALSO WANT TO CELEBRATE OUR CABINET TEAM, WHO DID A PHENOMENAL JOB IN LEADING SUBCOMMITTEES AND FACILITATING THE HARD CONVERSATIONS, THE DIFFICULT CONVERSATIONS, UM, ANSWERING THE RIGHT QUESTIONS, ASKING THE RIGHT QUESTIONS TO BRING US WHERE WE ARE TODAY.

AND THEN, OF COURSE, OF COURSE, MR. PATE'S LEADERSHIP, AS HE HELPED CREATE AND PROVIDE A LOT OF THE RESOURCES THAT WERE NEEDED BY THE COMMITTEE TO BRING US TONIGHT.

I ALSO ESPECIALLY WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE WE HAVE A STUDENT, UM, THAT IS AN INCREDIBLE, INCREDIBLE YOUNG MAN, A PART OF THE RHS FAMILY.

AND AGAIN, THIS STUDENT HERE IS A SENIOR.

HE'S A SCHOLAR.

HE HAS ALMOST A FULL TIME JOB.

HE HELPS SUPPORT HIS FAMILY AND HIS SIBLINGS, AND HE SHOWED UP EVERY THIRD.

HE DIDN'T MISS A MEETING.

SHOWED UP EVERY THURSDAY NIGHT.

WAS THERE, UH, TUESDAY NIGHT? SORRY. WAS THERE WAS THERE FOR HOURS AND CONTRIBUTED SIGNIFICANTLY.

AND IN THE END, I THINK HE WAS AN INCREDIBLE REMINDER TO EVERY ONE OF THE ADULTS, UM, ABOUT OUR WHY AND HE WAS JUST THAT PHYSICAL REMINDER TO ALL OF US OF WHY WE WERE IN THIS ROOM AND WHY WHY ALL OF THESE CONVERSATIONS WE'RE HAVING IN THE END AFFECT ADULTS AND ARE GOING TO BE DISRUPTIVE TO THE ADULTS.

IT'S ABOUT ENSURING THAT WE'RE TAKING CARE OF THE KIDS.

AND HE WAS OUR REMINDER.

SO I JUST WANT TO CELEBRATE HIM AND THANK HIM.

AMAZING, AMAZING.

UM, SO QUICKLY TONIGHT JUST TO KIND OF SHARE WITH YOU OUR AGENDA.

WE ARE GOING TO, UM, I HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE BRIEFLY WITH OUR INTRODUCTIONS.

UM, WE WERE I AM GOING TO ANCHOR US A LITTLE BIT IN OUR WHY AND WHAT LAUNCHED THIS WORK.

WE'RE GOING TO SHARE A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE COMMITTEE'S PURPOSE AND THEIR CHARGE.

AND THEN WE'RE ACTUALLY GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO THE COMMITTEE AND ALLOW THEM, UM, AND THEY WERE VERY EXCITED ABOUT THIS OPPORTUNITY.

WE'RE GOING TO ALLOW THEM TO BE THE VOICES IN BRINGING FORWARD THE RECOMMENDATIONS, BECAUSE IT REALLY IS IMPORTANT THAT YOU HEAR FROM THEM BECAUSE, UM, IT REALLY IS THEIR RECOMMENDATIONS. AND, UM, THEY DID A PHENOMENAL JOB, AND I CANNOT WAIT FOR YOU TO HEAR FROM THEM.

UM, SO I PROVIDED THE INTRODUCTIONS.

[01:10:02]

HERE IS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING THAT I HOPE EVERYONE LISTENING TO THIS PRESENTATION, EVERYONE THAT WILL WATCH THIS PRESENTATION, NOT JUST, YOU KNOW, MAYBE IF YOU'RE LIVE STREAMING AT HOME OR IF YOU WATCH THE RECORDING.

UM, I HOPE THAT THAT EVERYONE WILL HEAR THAT WE ARE NOT APPROACHING IT.

AND THE COMMITTEE DID NOT APPROACH THIS SIX MONTH CONVERSATION AROUND THIS NOTION THAT THE SKY IS FALLING.

UM, WE VERY MUCH APPROACHED IT WITH, WE HAVE A PROBLEM TO SOLVE.

AND IT JUST REQUIRES A GROUP OF COMMITTED PEOPLE GETTING INTO THE ROOM TOGETHER TO LOOK AT THE PROBLEM AND TO IDENTIFY WHAT STRATEGIES, WHAT THINGS CAN WE PUT IN PLACE TO HELP SOLVE THE PROBLEM.

UM, AND WE KNOW WHAT THE PROBLEM IS.

WE KNOW WHERE WE ARE WITH FUNDING.

WE KNOW THAT WE EXPERIENCED A PANDEMIC.

WE KNOW THAT WE HAVE AN ACTION IN AUSTIN, UM, THAT HAS LED US TO A PLACE WE'VE NOT SEEN AN INCREASE IN FUNDING, AND WE KNOW TWO THINGS TO BE MOST TRUE, AND THAT IS ONE, WE ARE ABOUT OUR NORTH STAR GOAL.

AND OUR NORTH STAR GOAL IS TO ENSURE THAT EVERY STUDENT, EVERY TEACHER LEADER, WILL MEET OR EXCEED THEIR ACADEMIC GROWTH GOALS.

WHAT THIS COMMITTEE WANTED TO DO, WHAT WE WANTED TO DO WITH THIS WORK, IS TO ENSURE WE HAVE THE CAPACITY AND THE BUDGET TO DEDICATE AND COMMIT THE RESOURCES NECESSARY TO MEET THIS GOAL.

IF WE HAVE BARRIERS IN PLACE, IF WE NEED ADDITIONAL SUPPORTS THAT ARE PREVENTING US FROM REACHING THIS GOAL, WE WANTED TO HAVE CAPACITY AVAILABLE IN THE BUDGET TO HELP PROVIDE THOSE THOSE SUPPORTS.

THAT'S WHAT THIS WORK IS ABOUT.

UM, IN ADDITION, THIS WORK IS ABOUT ENSURING THAT WE HAVE THE RIGHT TEACHERS IN THE CLASSROOMS, THAT WE HAVE THE RIGHT PARAPROFESSIONALS SUPPORTING OUR CLASSROOM, SUPPORTING OUR FRONT OFFICES, THAT WE HAVE, UM, AN ADEQUATE COMPENSATION SYSTEM TO ENSURE OUR CUSTODIANS CAN ENSURE A BEAUTIFUL LEARNING ENVIRONMENT FOR OUR STUDENTS WHERE THIS GRADUATE PROFILE CAN BE MET AND DO THAT WITH A LIVING WAGE.

UM, AND OUR COMMITTEE WAS ABSOLUTELY, UM, WE HELD FIRM THAT WE WANTED WHILE IN SOME AREAS WE WANT TO BE TOWARDS THE BOTTOM OF THE LIST.

THIS IS ONE AREA WHERE WE WANTED TO BE AT OR ABOVE BENCHMARK TO COMPENSATE.

SO WE CAN HAVE THE VERY BEST OF THE BEST AVAILABLE TO OUR STUDENTS SO THAT THAT'S THE PROBLEM.

THE PROBLEM WAS WE HAVE A BUDGET RIGHT NOW WHERE WE COULD EITHER CHOOSE TO LOOK AT IT OF WE HAVE LIMITED RESOURCES, OR HOW DO WE REPRIORITIZE HOW WE'RE SPENDING THOSE FUNDS SO THAT WE CAN DEDICATE THE RESOURCES NECESSARY TO OUR STUDENTS AND TO OUR STAFF IN TERMS OF COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS? THIS WAS A PART OF THE STRATEGIC PLAN.

WE KNEW AND HAVE HAD CONVERSATIONS, I REALLY BELIEVE, FOR ALMOST 18 MONTHS, UM, LAST YEAR, REALLY BEGINNING IN JANUARY, WHEN WE STARTED TALKING ABOUT AND LOOKING FORWARD TO ADOPTING THE 23-24 BUDGET, WE KNEW WE WERE GOING TO BE ADOPTING A DEFICIT BUDGET.

WE KNEW, UM, THAT FOR MANY FACTORS, UM, WE WERE WE WERE GOING TO HAVE TO SPEND FUND BALANCE IN ORDER TO KEEP THE PRIORITIES THAT WE HAD IN PLACE FOR THE DISTRICT.

AND AS A RESULT OF THAT, THE STRATEGIC PLAN AND THEN THE BOARD YOU ADOPTED, UM, A SET OF GOALS THAT WILL ALLOW US TO REALLY KIND OF RETHINK HOW WE SERVE THE BUDGET.

UM, AND SO, UM, THAT'S REALLY HOW WE ARE HERE TONIGHT.

YOU ALL PASSED A RESOLUTION IN JUNE, AND THAT RESOLUTION, UM, REALLY JUST CHARGED THE COMMITTEE WITH UNDERSTANDING THE DATA.

WHERE ARE WE? HOW DO WE NAVIGATE MOVING FORWARD? WHAT RECOMMENDATIONS DO YOU HAVE THAT ALLOW US TO SERVE THOSE TWO PRIORITIES THAT WE HAVE OF THE NORTH STAR GOAL AND WITH COMPENSATION? UM, AND SO BETWEEN JULY AND DECEMBER, THE COMMITTEE REALLY FOCUSED ON THESE FOUR AREAS, UM, REALLY BASED AND INSPIRED BY THE STRATEGIC PLAN.

ONE WAS, WE KNOW AND AGAIN, THIS CONVERSATION IS MEANT TO BE A VERY TRANSPARENT, OPEN, UH, CONVERSATION THAT WE WANT TO HAVE BOTH WITH THE BOARD AND WITH THE COMMUNITY. WE KNOW OFTEN THERE ARE QUESTIONS ABOUT CENTRAL OFFICE ADMINISTRATION.

AND DO WE HAVE TOO MANY HEADCOUNT IN CENTRAL OFFICE? ARE THE SUPPORTS IN THE RIGHT PLACES, IN THE RIGHT DEPARTMENTS ENSURING THAT GREATNESS IS HAPPENING ON THE CAMPUS? AND SO WE PUT A COMMITTEE TOGETHER TO JUST FOCUS ON CENTRAL ADMINISTRATION, STAFFING AND SUPPORT.

UM, WE ALSO KNOW, UM, THAT A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF OUR BUDGET IS DEDICATED TO FACILITIES.

I THINK YOU EVEN HEARD FROM KIM TONIGHT, FACILITIES WE OFTEN THINK ABOUT IN TERMS OF THE OVERHEAD OF WHAT IT TAKES TO MAINTAIN A FACILITY, BUT IT ALSO EVEN IMPACTS THE COST OF

[01:15:01]

SO WE HAD A FACILITY UTILIZATION COMMITTEE, UM, THAT IDENTIFIED HOW DOES OUR FACILITY USAGE COMPARE TO OUR BENCHMARK DISTRICTS, AND ARE THERE ANY RECOMMENDATIONS THAT THEY HAVE IN THAT AREA? UM, WE ALSO DID NOT WANT TO ALWAYS APPROACH THIS THROUGH A LENS OF WHAT WERE WE GOING TO HAVE TO CUT OR WHAT WERE WE GOING TO HAVE TO, UM, MAYBE ELIMINATE OR REDUCE IN OUR BUDGET VERSUS ALSO HOW DO WE GENERATE ADDITIONAL DOLLARS? AND THERE ARE OPPORTUNITIES THAT WE HAVE TO BRING ADDITIONAL REVENUE INTO THE DISTRICT TO HELP SUPPORT THOSE PRIORITY AREAS.

AND WE HAD A COMMITTEE THAT FOCUSED ON JUST THAT.

AND THEN, OF COURSE, WE HAD A COMMITTEE THAT LOOKED AT STAFFING AND COMPENSATION.

UM, AND AGAIN, IF WE THINK ABOUT WHERE THE MAJORITY OF OUR BUDGET IS SPENT, YOU KNOW, ALMOST 88% IS SPENT ON PERSONNEL.

SO IF WE WERE GOING TO MAKE, UM, SOME SIGNIFICANT, UH, MOVEMENT IN OUR BUDGET, WE KNEW STAFFING AND COMPENSATION BOTH.

HOW ARE WE GOING TO MAINTAIN AND RECRUIT THE BEST OF THE BEST? BUT THEN ALSO, HOW DO WE FIND OPPORTUNITIES WITHIN OUR STAFFING MODELS TO CREATE CAPACITY TO CONTINUE TO DO THAT? UM, SO AGAIN, THESE WERE THE FOUR AREAS THAT OUR SUBCOMMITTEE SPENT THE MAJORITY OF THEIR WORK, UM, IN THE LAST SIX MONTHS REALLY DIVING IN, THEY REALLY BECAME KIND OF CONTENT EXPERTS, UM, DIVING IN, LOOKING AT THE DATA, ASKING THE HARD QUESTIONS.

I LOVED WHAT WE HAD IN OUR PUBLIC COMMENT.

THEY WERE NOT AFRAID TO CHALLENGE ONE ANOTHER'S THINKING.

THEY WERE NOT AFRAID TO CHALLENGE OUR THINKING.

UM, I THINK SEVERAL OF THE PRESENTERS MAY SHARE, UM, THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY CAME INTO THE ROOM, UM, KIND OF THINKING THAT THEY WERE GOING TO, TO BE REALLY SPEARHEADING ONE CONVERSATION AND ADVOCATING FOR A STRATEGY THAT MAYBE, YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY WOULD OR WOULD NOT SUPPORT.

AND THEY LEFT REALIZING THAT, WAIT A MINUTE.

YOU KNOW WHAT? IN THE END, THIS IS A RECOMMENDATION THAT HAS TO MOVE FORWARD.

SO I COULD NOT BE MORE PROUD OF, OF WHERE THIS COMMITTEE WENT ON THIS JOURNEY AND WHAT WHERE WE ARE WITH THESE RECOMMENDATIONS, BECAUSE WE WERE NOT AFRAID TO ASK THE HARD QUESTIONS.

WE WERE NOT AFRAID TO DISAGREE.

WE WERE NOT AFRAID.

WE WERE NOT AFRAID TO BE VULNERABLE AND SHARE, LIKE, HEY, HERE'S WHERE WE DO HAVE SOME OPPORTUNITIES, AND HERE'S MAYBE WHERE WE HAVE ALLOCATED RESOURCES IN A IN A WAY THAT DOES HAVE US OVER OUR BENCHMARK DISTRICTS.

AND SO THAT ALLOWED FOR SOME REALLY OPEN AND HONEST CONVERSATIONS.

UM, OKAY. WITH THIS, UM, I'M GOING TO DAVID AND I ARE ACTUALLY GOING TO SHARE THIS SLIDE, BUT I REALLY WANT TO WANTED TO TO JUST REMIND OUR COMMUNITY AND REMIND OUR STAFF AS WELL. UM, BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT AS WE MAKE THESE RECOMMENDATIONS AND AS THE BOARD, UM, GIVES US FEEDBACK AND DIRECTION ON HOW WE MOVE FORWARD, BUT ALL OF THESE ARE GOING TO BE SOMEWHAT DISRUPTIVE, ALL OF THESE THINGS ARE GOING TO HAVE AN IMPACT.

AND SO WE JUST WANTED TO REALLY MAKE SURE THAT WE MESSAGE TO EVERYONE THE WHY.

UM, BECAUSE AGAIN, WE WOULD NOT BE BRINGING FORWARD AND WE WOULD NOT HAVE ASKED THESE BRILLIANT MINDS IN THE AUDIENCE TO SPEND SIX MONTHS IF THERE WAS NOT SOME LEVEL OF URGENCY. AND, UM, SO JUST A REMINDER, WE KNOW THAT THERE IS A DECLINING ENROLLMENT IN RICHARDSON ISD AFTER THE PANDEMIC.

UM, WE LOST IN THE COURSE OF ABOUT TWO SCHOOL YEARS, ABOUT 1,800 STUDENTS.

UM, FOR A VARIETY OF REASONS, UM, BOTH IN MULTIFAMILY HOUSING AS WELL AS IN SOME OF OUR NEIGHBORHOODS.

UM, WE ARE SEEING AN ALL TIME INCREASE IN PROPERTY VALUES.

AND SO NEIGHBORHOODS THAT WE THOUGHT AT ONE TIME WERE GOING TO REGENERATE FASTER ARE REGENERATING AT A MUCH SLOWER LEVEL, BECAUSE WITH MORTGAGE RATES, THE WAY THEY ARE WITH THE COST OF HOUSING, PEOPLE ARE NOT LEAVING THEIR CURRENT HOUSES BECAUSE THEY CAN'T NECESSARILY AFFORD TO MOVE SOMEWHERE ELSE AND MOVING IT INTO AN AREA THAT THEY WOULD WANT TO BE IN.

UM, JUST WHERE THE CURRENT, YOU KNOW, ECONOMY IS, BIRTH RATES.

UM, I DON'T THINK YOU CAN, YOU KNOW, PICK UP A PAPER NEWSPAPER RIGHT NOW, LOOK AT THE NEWS WHERE WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT HOW BIRTH RATES ARE LOWER.

UM, AND AS FAMILIES ARE MOVING INTO RISD, WE'RE FINDING THAT THEY'RE MOVING IN WITH STUDENTS THAT ARE A LITTLE BIT OLDER BECAUSE OF THE COST OF LIVING AS WELL.

UM, MR. PATE, WOULD YOU WANT TO ADD ANYTHING IN THERE AROUND DECLINING ENROLLMENT? JUST A COUPLE OF THINGS.

UM, TO YOUR POINT ABOUT NEIGHBORHOODS NOT TURNING OVER AND HOUSING COSTS ALSO JUST WOULD ADD THAT, YOU KNOW, FOR THE SECOND YEAR IN A ROW, 28% OF OUR PROPERTIES THAT ARE ELIGIBLE TO BE A HOMESTEAD, UH, HAVE AN OVER 65 LEVY FREEZE ON THEM.

SO OUR FAMILIES ARE, UH, STAYING HERE.

THEY WANT TO BE HERE.

UM, AND AS YOU SAID, THERE'S ALSO SOME CHALLENGES FOR PEOPLE THAT ARE WANTING TO, YOU KNOW, EITHER DOWNSIZE OR MOVE OUT OF THE AREA BECAUSE OF, UH, BOTH MORTGAGE COSTS AND JUST

[01:20:04]

UM, AND I WOULD ADD TOO THAT JUST THIS IS NOT ONLY A PROBLEM.

YOU KNOW, DECLINING ENROLLMENT IS NOT JUST A PROBLEM FOR RICHARDSON ISD.

UM, NATIONALLY, K-12 ENROLLMENT, UM, FROM 2022 THROUGH 2030 IS PREDICTED TO DECLINE 4.4%.

UM, TEXAS IS FOR THAT SAME PERIOD IS EXPECTED TO DECLINE 2.2%.

THERE ARE ONLY SEVEN STATES AND THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA THAT ARE ACTUALLY EXPECTED TO HAVE AN INCREASE IN ENROLLMENT BETWEEN NOW AND 2030, IN THEIR, UH, K-12 AREA.

SO IT'S DEFINITELY A NATIONWIDE ISSUE.

UM, AND THEN, OF COURSE, JUST, UH, I WILL TRY NOT TO BELABOR THIS POINT, BUT I THINK WE COULD WE WOULD BE REMISS IF WE DIDN'T AGAIN, MESSAGE THAT THE LACK OF LEGISLATIVE FUNDING.

UM, WE HAD A TREMENDOUS PRESENCE IN AUSTIN IN THE LAST LEGISLATIVE SESSION.

I WANT TO THANK OUR COMMUNITY WHO WHO JUST ADVOCATED AND CALLED OUR LOCAL LEGISLATORS, CALLED DOWN TO AUSTIN, MADE SURE OUR VOICE WAS HEARD.

UM, AROUND FUNDING PUBLIC ED, THERE'S $3.9 BILLION SITTING UM, IN UM, IN APPROPRIATIONS FOR PUBLIC ED.

UM, HOWEVER, BECAUSE THERE WAS NOT A BILL THAT WAS PASSED, UM, APPROPRIATING THOSE, UH, THOSE DOLLARS, THEY ARE JUST SITTING THERE.

UM, AND AGAIN, THE STATE HAD AN ALL TIME SURPLUS BUDGET.

UM, AND I THINK YOU HEARD A GENERAL CONSENSUS BY COMMUNITY AND BY AUSTIN THAT WE WANTED TO FUND PUBLIC EDUCATION, BUT BECAUSE OF DYNAMICS THERE RELATED TO VOUCHERS AND ESAS, UM, FUNDING WAS NOT PROVIDED, WHILE ALSO SIGNIFICANT, UNDERFUNDED OR UNFUNDED MANDATES CAME THROUGH, SUCH AS THE REQUIREMENT TO HAVE AN ARMED SECURITY OFFICER AT EVERY ELEMENTARY CAMPUS.

UM, SO AGAIN, I JUST WANT TO POINT OUT, UM, THAT THAT HAS CONTRIBUTED TO WHERE WE ARE, UM, IN OUR BUDGET CURRENTLY . RECORD INFLATION.

UM, AGAIN, SINCE IF YOU JUST EVEN LOOK AT FROM MARCH OF 2020, WE'VE HAD AN 18% INCREASE IN THE CONSUMER PRICE INDEX.

AND AGAIN, I THINK THE WHAT WE JUST SAW WITH OUR PROPERTY INSURANCE IS JUST ONE ILLUSTRATION.

IF WE THINK ABOUT WHAT WE'VE SEEN IN AN INCREASE OF ALL ASPECTS OF WHAT IT TAKES TO RUN A DISTRICT, AND I THINK PEOPLE SOMETIMES UNDERESTIMATE WE ARE A FULL SERVICE INDUSTRY.

WE TRANSPORT STUDENTS, WE FEED STUDENTS, WE TAKE CARE OF THEM AFTER SCHOOL.

WE PROVIDE IN SCHOOL SUPPORTS AND RESOURCES ALONG WITH WHAT IT MEANS TO EDUCATE OUR STUDENTS.

UM, WE PROVIDE STAFF DEVELOPMENT.

THERE'S SO MUCH THAT GOES IN TO EDUCATING OUR 37,000 STUDENTS, AND ALMOST ALL OF THAT HAS SEEN AN INCREASE IN WHAT IT COSTS TO PROVIDE THOSE SERVICES AND SUPPORTS FOR OUR STUDENTS.

SO RECORD INFLATION, UM, PRESSURE TO INCREASE WAGES.

AGAIN, THE BOARD HAS MADE A COMMITMENT.

OUR DAYCARES, OUR EMPLOYEE HEALTH CLINICS, OUR WELLNESS CLINICS THAT WE HAVE PROVIDED FOR OUR EMPLOYEES TO RECRUIT.

AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, THE BOARD HAS MADE A COMMITMENT TO RETAIN THE BEST OF THE BEST.

IN ORDER TO DO THAT AND TO COMPETE WITH OUR BENCHMARK DISTRICTS, NOT JUST ACROSS THE STATE, BUT AROUND US IN THE REGION.

UM, WE HAVE HAD TO BE COMPETITIVE AND WHAT THIS COMMITTEE DID NOT WANT TO DO, AND WHAT I KNOW YOU ALL DID NOT WANT TO DO, IS MOVE TO A PLACE WHERE WE WERE GOING TO HAVE TO FREEZE WAGES AGAIN AND FALL FURTHER BEHIND OUR BENCHMARK DISTRICTS.

AND SO AGAIN, THAT WAS VERY MUCH A DRIVER OF THE CONVERSATION THAT WE HAD THE LAST SIX MONTHS.

UM, THE PIPELINE.

AND I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE NOTE THAT WE ARE NOT JUST COMPETING FOR TEACHERS, WE ARE COMPETING FOR OUR HVAC TECHNICIANS, WE ARE COMPETING FOR OUR PLUMBERS.

WE ARE COMPETING FOR CUSTODIANS.

WE ARE COMPETING FOR BUS DRIVERS, NOT JUST IN EDUCATION BUT ALSO IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR.

AND SO ENSURING WE HAVE A COMPETITIVE NOT SAYING WE WANT TO BE NUMBER ONE, BUT MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE A COMPETITIVE, UM, COMPENSATION PROGRAM TO RECRUIT THAT TALENT, UM, THAT THAT HAS CONTINUED TO SEE AN ESCALATION IN OUR COST AS WELL.

UM, AND THEN WE ALSO KNOW THAT WE'VE HAD SOME INEFFICIENCIES.

AND AS A TEAM, I WANT TO THANK OUR LEADERSHIP TEAM, BECAUSE WE'VE ALREADY BEEN ON A TWO YEAR JOURNEY TO BEGIN TO RIGHT SIZE OUR BUDGET AND IDENTIFY EFFICIENCIES AND MAKE THOSE DIFFICULT DECISIONS.

UM, BUT WE KNEW WE WERE AT A PLACE WHERE WE WERE GOING TO NEED COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO TELL US AND TO HELP PRIORITIZE HOW WE MOVE FORWARD.

BUT WE STILL HAVE SOME OPPORTUNITIES TO RIGHT SIZE.

WE HAVE SOME OPPORTUNITIES TO BECOME MORE EFFICIENT WITHOUT IMPACTING THE TWO PRIORITIES THAT I STARTED WITH.

SO THOSE ARE SOME OF THE FINANCIAL CHALLENGES WE FACED.

UM, BUT AGAIN, IT'S JUST A PROBLEM TO SOLVE.

I'M GOING TO KEEP COMING BACK TO IT'S A PROBLEM TO SOLVE.

IT MAY BE A BIG PROBLEM TO SOLVE.

UM, BUT IT IS ONE THAT I KNOW TOGETHER AS A TEAM, WE CAN PUT THE RIGHT STRATEGIES IN PLACE TO MOVE US FORWARD IN A REALLY POSITIVE WAY.

[01:25:07]

THANK YOU, MRS. BRANUM.

JUST A LOOK HERE AT OUR HISTORIC ENROLLMENT AND ATTENDANCE.

UM, AND THE REASON WE'RE LOOKING AT BOTH, UH, ENROLLMENT AND ATTENDANCE, WE HAVE TO STAFF ON ENROLLMENT.

WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE IS A TEACHER IN EVERY CLASSROOM FOR EVERY KID THAT, UH, WE HAVE CUSTODIAL STAFF, BUS DRIVERS, ALL OF THAT TO TAKE CARE OF THOSE STUDENTS. AND BUT WE GET PAID ON ATTENDANCE, UM, IN THE CURRENT STATE FUNDING MODEL.

SO, UM, WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE PAYING ATTENTION TO BOTH NUMBERS.

OUR YOU CAN SEE WE HIT OUR PEAK, UH, BOTH IN ENROLLMENT AND ATTENDANCE IN 2020.

UH, FOR 2023, UH, WE WERE AT 37,258.

AND OUR DEMOGRAPHERS ARE PREDICTING THAT WE WILL DECLINE BY ABOUT 4,500 STUDENTS TO 32,720 BY 2028.

SO FIVE YEARS OUT FROM THIS MODEL, UM, SO THAT, YOU KNOW, THOSE DECLINING BIRTH RATES, AGAIN, AS WE MENTIONED EARLIER, ARE CONTINUING TO IMPACT US. AND JUST LIKE WE SAID BEFORE, THIS IS HAPPENING AROUND THE STATE.

IT'S HAPPENING IN THE AREA.

YOU CAN SEE OUR PEER DISTRICTS ARE, UM, GENERALLY HAVING EITHER DECLINING ENROLLMENT OR IN SOME CASES, SLOWING GROWTH IN ENROLLMENT.

UH, LIKE A FRISCO ISD AND ROCKWALL ISD, THEY'RE STARTING TO SEE, UM, A DECLINE IN THE GROWTH.

AND I WAS SPEAKING WITH SOME FOLKS IN FRISCO THE OTHER DAY, AND THIS YEAR THEY ARE BASICALLY FLAT, NO GROWTH.

AND THAT IS A HUGE, SIGNIFICANT CHANGE FOR THAT DISTRICT.

AND YOU CAN SEE THERE ARE OTHERS HERE THERE.

UM, HAVE EXPERIENCED MORE SIGNIFICANT DECLINES THAN WE HAVE, BUT WE ARE IN THE SAME BOAT AS ALL OF OUR NEIGHBORS.

AND THEN JUST SOME STEPS ALREADY TAKEN AS MISS BRANUM MENTIONED EARLIER, THAT WE'VE ALREADY STARTED DOWN THIS ROAD.

UH, LOOKING AT SOME PROGRAM REDESIGN RELATED TO OUR BILINGUAL PROGRAM AND, UM, HOW WE DISTRIBUTE OUR CAMPUS TECHNOLOGY ASSISTANT, UM, RESOURCES. UH, NOT REPLACING POSITIONS AS THEY BECOME VACANT.

UH, JUST SIGNIFICANTLY SCRUTINIZING EACH ONE OF THOSE, UH, THOSE POSTING REQUESTS COME ACROSS MY DESK, AND, UH, MISS BRANUM AND I AND THE CABINET DISCUSS THOSE, UH, FREQUENTLY. SO WE LOOK CAREFULLY AT EVERY VACANCY AND THEN, UH, REALLY TRYING TO LOOK AT UNFILLED, LONG TERM, UNFILLED POSITIONS AND NOT BUDGETING AT 100% OCCUPANCY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE REALLY LOOKING AT WHAT OUR COSTS ARE GOING TO BE.

SO BACK IN JULY, WHEN THE COMMUNITY BUDGET STEERING COMMITTEE PROCESS STARTED, WE SET UP A WEBSITE.

THAT WEBSITE IS STILL OUT THERE ON THE DISTRICT'S UM, HOMEPAGE.

THE ADDRESS IS THERE ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE OF THIS SLIDE, AND IF YOU GO THERE, YOU CAN SEE ALL OF THE PRESENTATIONS, THE MATERIALS THAT WERE HANDED OUT, UH, MINUTES TO THE MEETINGS, SOME MEETING SUMMARIES, UH, ORGANIZED BY, UM, ALL ALL OF OUR MEETINGS GOING ALL THE MATERIALS ARE ORGANIZED BY MEETING A LIST OF THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS INCLUDED THERE, AS WELL AS THE CHARGE THE BOARD ADOPTED BACK IN JUNE.

UH, THAT REALLY STARTED THIS PROCESS.

AND, UH, THERE IS A LINK ON THAT WEBSITE FOR, UH, COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO SUBMIT QUESTIONS.

UH, THOSE COME TO MY EMAIL BOX.

AND I WILL BE GLAD TO ADDRESS THOSE AS THEY COME IN.

AND, UH, AGAIN, I JUST WANT TO SAY I APPRECIATE THE SUPPORT OF THE COMMITTEE AND THE WORK THEY PUT IN IN THIS PROCESS.

AND NOW WE WILL TURN IT OVER TO HEAR FROM OUR SUBCOMMITTEES.

AND OUR FIRST SUBCOMMITTEE UP IS CENTRAL ADMINISTRATION AND SUPPORT.

AND I BELIEVE THAT'S MR. GIBBONS. DOCTOR GIBBONS, EXCUSE ME, WILL, UM, START ADDRESSING THAT ONE? YES. THANK YOU, MR. PATE.

GOOD EVENING. BOARD. I THINK MR. MONROE WILL BE MAKING HIS WAY UP HERE IN JUST A SECOND TO TALK.

UH, AS FAR AS OUR RECOMMENDATIONS GO.

BUT, YES, OUR, UM, IF YOU'LL IF YOU WOULDN'T MIND GOING BACK JUST ONE REAL QUICK.

THANK YOU. SO, OUR MAIN, UM, OUR MAIN GOAL HERE, AND WE REVISITED IT EVERY MEETING WAS TO EVALUATE STAFFING AND EXPENDITURES AND MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS RELATED TO REDUCING DEPARTMENTAL COSTS. WE KNEW THAT THAT WAS OUR OUR KIND OF OUR OUR NORTH STAR GOAL AS WE WENT THROUGH THIS TO KEEP US FOCUSED.

SO YES. NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.

THANK YOU. SO ONE OF THE CONTEXTS THAT WE SHARED QUITE A BIT, UM, WITHIN OUR GROUP WAS CENTRAL ADMINISTRATION AND SUPPORT IS DEFINED BY ANY EMPLOYEE NOT ASSIGNED TO

[01:30:04]

AND THEN LASTLY, UM, AND, YOU KNOW, IT WAS GOOD NEWS.

WE LOOKED AT WE WERE AT THE BOTTOM QUARTILE OF OUR PEER SCHOOL DISTRICTS IN REGARD TO THE PERCENTAGE OF OUR BUDGET THAT'S SPENT ON CENTRAL ADMINISTRATION.

SO THAT REALLY, I THINK, HELPED CLARIFY SOME OF OUR CONVERSATION AROUND THAT.

AND THE NEXT SLIDE, I BELIEVE WE'LL SHOW YOU THESE ARE OUR CENTRAL, UM, ADMINISTRATION AND SUPPORT COSTS BY OUR PEER DISTRICTS.

AND YOU CAN SEE WHERE WE FALL, RIGHT AT 15.5% AND WHERE WE FALL IN REGARD TO THE OTHER, OTHER DISTRICTS WITHIN, UM, WITHIN OUR, WITHIN OUR AREA.

SO WITH THAT, I'LL PASS IT OVER TO MR. MONROE. HE CAN SHARE WHAT OUR RECOMMENDATIONS AND FINDINGS WERE.

SURE. AND BEFORE I LAUNCH INTO THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS, I'M GOING TO TAKE A MOMENT TO SPEAK FOR ALL THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS.

UM, YOU WERE CORRECT. WE DID NOT KNOW WHAT WE WERE SIGNING UP FOR.

UM, WE DIDN'T KNOW THE MAGNITUDE OF THE TASK THAT WAS GOING TO BE IN FRONT OF US.

UH, I THINK IT WAS ABOUT THE THIRD MEETING WHERE SOMEBODY ACTUALLY CHIMED IN AND SAID, WOW, THIS IS GOING TO BE HARD AND HARD.

IT WILL BE, UM, IT WAS HARD FOR US TO PROCESS.

IT'S GOING TO BE HARDER FOR YOU ALL TO ACTUALLY DO.

SO GOOD LUCK WITH ALL THAT.

UM, OVER THE PAST SIX MONTHS, THE COMMITTEE OF OF 60 PEOPLE HAVE SPENT MORE THAN 750 HOURS KIND OF GOING THROUGH ALL THIS STUFF TO TRY TO COME UP WITH SOME WAY THAT Y'ALL CAN TAKE OUR INPUT AND DO SOMETHING TO FILL THIS BUDGET HOLE.

UM, SO FOR THE CENTRAL ADMIN FOLKS, WE WERE PLEASED TO SEE THAT, YES, WE WE DON'T APPEAR TO BE A HEAVY, CENTRAL ADMIN BURDENED, OVERSTAFFED AT THE OUTSIDE THE SCHOOLS DISTRICT.

THAT WAS I THINK EVERYBODY WAS PLEASANTLY SURPRISED WITH THAT BECAUSE THERE IS THIS IDEA OUT THERE THAT WE ARE.

UM, SO THE THIRD BULLET DOWN REMAINED IN THE BOTTOM QUARTILE THAT THAT IS IMPORTANT TO STAY DOWN THERE.

NOW, YOU MAY NOT BE ABLE TO STAY AT THE BOTTOM BECAUSE AS THINGS SHIFT, BUT SHOULD STAY DOWN THERE IN THE LEADERS OF THE PACK, UH, IN TERMS OF EFFICIENCY AND NOT HAVING A LOT OF THINGS AT THE CENTRAL OFFICE THAT AREN'T OUT THERE IN THE SCHOOLS CLOSEST TO THE STUDENT.

UM, BUT REDUCE THE CENTRAL EXPENDITURE BECAUSE EVERYTHING'S GOT TO REDUCE THAT 5 TO 7% OVER THE NEXT TWO YEARS.

PHASE IT IN UM, FIGURE THAT OUT.

IT'S BUT BUT HOW DO YOU DO THAT.

AND THAT'S WHERE NUMBER TWO COMES IN.

IT'S TO CREATE THE STANDARD RUBRIC LOOKING AT THE KEY POINTS OF WHAT IMPACTS TEACHING, WHAT IMPACTS INSTRUCTIONAL PROGRAMING.

KEEP THOSE THINGS.

IF THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE STARTING TO MESS WITH, YOU'RE GOING TO START GETTING OFF COURSE.

WE'RE GOING TO START MISSING THE GOALS.

THE DISTRICT'S NOT GOING TO BE REACHING WHAT IT'S TRYING TO DO.

UM, WITH THE COMMITTEE.

THE SUBCOMMITTEE PROVIDED STAFF WITH, UH, SOME RUBRIC IDEAS.

SO HERE'S HOW YOU DO THAT SORT OF THING.

UM, BUT IT IS GOT TO COME UP WITH SOMETHING THAT YOU CAN SAY AS WE'RE ANALYZING THIS STUFF AND WE'RE QUANTIFYING WHAT IS WHAT ARE THE MERITS OF THESE THINGS.

YES, THIS IS AN AREA THAT WE HAVE TO MAINTAIN.

THIS IS AN AREA WHERE MAYBE WE DON'T NEED TO MAINTAIN TO THIS LEVEL.

UM, AND ONE OF THE QUESTIONS THAT I THINK WHEN YOU'RE DOING THAT SORT OF THING HAS TO BE IF WE MAKE THIS CHANGE, IF WE CHANGE THAT, WHAT BREAKS? AND THEN THINK ABOUT WHAT WHAT'S GOING TO BREAK IF WE TAKE THAT AWAY OR IF WE REDUCE THAT AND THEN CONSIDER, OKAY, WE KNOW WHAT THAT IS.

IS THAT SOMETHING WE'RE WILLING TO BREAK? THAT'S IT FOR US.

SO BACK TO YOU.

BACK TO YOU. THANK YOU.

MR. MONROE. I REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR TIME [APPLAUSE].

AND, UM, REPRESENTING OUR GROUP.

AND YOU'LL SEE, WE DEFINITELY WANTED TO QUANTIFY FOR THE BOARD JUST WHAT THAT MIGHT LOOK LIKE FROM A MONEY STANDPOINT, FINANCIAL STANDPOINT.

SO YOU'LL SEE ON THIS NEXT SLIDE IS THIS WOULD BE OUR GOALS FOR EACH YEAR.

UM AS FAR AS REDUCTIONS WOULD LOOK UM, FROM A FINANCIAL STANDPOINT.

SO NOW WE WILL MOVE TO FACILITY UTILIZATION.

ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU, MR. PATE.

UM, MRS. HAYES IS NOT WITH US TODAY, AND I, UH, HAD THE PLEASURE OF LEADING THE FACILITY UTILIZATION SUBCOMMITTEE.

UH, THIS WAS A GROUP OF 13 FOLKS, UH, GIVE OR TAKE EACH MEETING THAT AS WE STARTED, TOGETHER, ONE OF THE FIRST MEETING NORMS THAT WE PUT IN PLACE WAS THIS IS A SAFE SPACE. WE WANTED EVERYONE'S INPUT.

AND LET ME ASSURE EVERYONE THAT'S LISTENING OR EVERYONE IN THE AUDIENCE, WE FELT VERY SAFE VERY QUICKLY BECAUSE WE HAD SOME VERY CANDID CONVERSATIONS, WHICH WAS REALLY THE STRENGTH OF THIS, UH, SUBCOMMITTEE.

AND SO I WANT TO RECOGNIZE THOSE EFFORTS.

UH, WE REMAIN FOCUSED ON, UM, NOT ONLY HAVING THESE CANDID CONVERSATIONS, BUT REMAINING FOCUSED ON MAKING THE BEST, THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT ARE IN THE BEST INTEREST OF THE DISTRICT. SO WITH THAT BEING SAID, UH, WE CAN SEE ON THIS SLIDE, LOOKING AT THE COLUMN TO THE LEFT, THE AVERAGE ELEMENTARY ENROLLMENT FOR RISD ELEMENTARY SITS AT 521 STUDENTS.

[01:35:03]

SO YOU SEE THE DISPARITY THERE BETWEEN THOSE NUMBERS MOVING TO THE RIGHT AT THE TOP BULLET POINT, YOU SEE THAT CURRENTLY 9000 UNUSED ELEMENTARY SEATS ARE OUR REALITY.

WE'RE PROJECTED TO HAVE 12,000 UNUSED ELEMENTARY SEATS AS THE DISTRICT WIDE, UH, MIDDLE SCHOOL TRANSITION IS COMPLETE.

LOOKING AT OUR PEER GROUPS, WHICH HAVE BEEN REFERRED TO PREVIOUSLY BY THE THE PREVIOUS SUBCOMMITTEE, RISD HAS THE SMALLEST AVERAGE ELEMENTARY CAMPUS ENROLLMENT AMONG OUR PEER SCHOOL DISTRICTS.

AND THEN FINALLY, UH, IN COMPARISON TO ELEMENTARY, OUR SECONDARY MODEL SEEMS TO BE OPERATING RELATIVELY EFFICIENTLY.

SO DIG IN A LITTLE FURTHER.

WE SEE THE TABLE IN FRONT OF US.

THE FIRST ROW ELEMENTARY.

YOU SEE, GOING ACROSS THE TOTAL CAPACITY, WE HAVE 30,210.

THE CURRENT ENROLLMENT IS 20,856.

AND LIKE WE REFERENCED IN THE PREVIOUS SLIDE, WE'RE JUST OVER 9,000 EMPTY SEATS, 9,000, UH, OR EXCESS CAPACITY, RATHER 9,354. WE WILL POINT YOUR ATTENTION TO THE BOTTOM OF THE SLIDE.

AND THIS THIS IS CAPACITY BASED ON CLASSROOMS USED AS REGULAR CLASSROOMS. WE KNOW THAT WE'VE GOT SOME SPECIALIZED PROGRAMS, UH, AT OUR CAMPUSES THAT AREN'T USED IN THAT MANNER.

AND SO THOSE, STUDENT TO TEACHER RATIOS WOULD BE A LITTLE DIFFERENT IN THOSE CIRCUMSTANCES AND THEN WE CERTAINLY WON'T READ ALL OF THESE TO YOU, I APOLOGIZE I HAVE A LOZENGE IN MY MOUTH, BUT IT'S EITHER THAT OR MY MY VOICE IS NOT GOING TO MAKE IT THROUGH THIS.

SO IF YOU'LL BEAR WITH ME, WE GO ON TO TAKE A LOOK THAT WE LIST THE JUNIOR HIGH NUMBERS.

THE EXCESS CAPACITY IS 2,931 FOR HIGH SCHOOL.

IF YOU READ ACROSS ALL THE WAY FOR EXCESS CAPACITY, WE'RE AT THREE JUST OVER 3,000 3,093 ADOBE PRE K 329 AND MCAULIFFE LEARNING CENTER 110.

SO WITH THAT BEING SAID, WE WILL CALL OUR REPRESENTATIVE, MR. MITCHELL, UP TO THE PODIUM AND HE WILL WALK US THROUGH THE SUBCOMMITTEE RECOMMENDATIONS.

WELL, LET ME JUST TELL THE BOARD THAT WE, UM, WHEN YOU MENTIONED THE LOWER BIRTH RATE, THE MITCHELL FAMILY DID OUR SHARE WITH TWINS AND TRIPLETS.

WE HAVE FIVE KIDS IN RISD.

SO THERE YOU GO.

WELL, ANYWAY, UH, PRESIDENT HARRIS, UH, TRUSTEES, SUPERINTENDENT BRANUM AND STAFF, I'M REALLY HONORED TO BE HERE AND SERVE IN THIS CAPACITY.

UM, YOU KNOW, I WAS REALLY TRYING TO THINK ABOUT WHAT I WANTED TO SAY IN MY OPENING BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, AS A FORMER ELECTED OFFICIAL IN THE CITY OF RICHARDSON, IT'S LIKE YOU NEVER WANT TO GIVE ME A MIC BECAUSE I'M GOING TO TALK.

SO JUST GET YOUR HOOK OUT AND PULL ME OFF WHEN I NEED TO.

BUT, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I REALLY APPRECIATED ABOUT THIS PROCESS IS I HEARD THE WORDS TRANSPARENT AND OPEN, AND THAT'S REALLY WHAT YOU SAW. AND, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES WHEN YOU HEAR THAT, THERE'S NO DISCUSSION GOING ON AND IT'S UNANIMOUS VOTES AND THAT KIND OF THING, REGARDLESS OF WHAT YOU'RE INVOLVED WITH, I CAN DEFINITELY TELL YOU THAT WE HAD VERY VIGOROUS DISCUSSIONS AMONG OUR 13 PEOPLE.

AND, UH, AS, UM, MISS BRANUM SAID AND ALLUDED TO, I ACTUALLY AND I WILL TELL YOU, I WAS ONE OF THE PEOPLE THAT KIND OF CAME IN THINKING THAT I WAS GOING TO GO IN ONE DIRECTION, AND I ENDED UP GOING IN ANOTHER, BECAUSE AT THE END OF THE DAY, NUMBERS DON'T LIE.

AND, UM, BEING SOMEONE THAT ACTUALLY GREW UP IN RICHARDSON AND ATTENDED RICHARDSON SCHOOLS, UM, THERE'S GOING TO HAVE TO BE HARD CHOICES, UM, FOR THE TRUSTEES AND FOR THE STAFF.

SO, UM, ALL WE CAN DO IS TAKE THAT INFORMATION, DISCUSS IT, AND TRY TO COME UP WITH A SOLID RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE STAFF TO TAKE TO THE BOARD TO MAKE THOSE KIND OF DECISIONS.

BUT BEFORE I GO FURTHER, I WANTED TO THANK, UH, SANDRA HAYES, DAVID PATE, OF COURSE, OUR FACILITATOR, MICHAEL [INAUDIBLE] I WOULD HE ACTUALLY WAS THE REFEREE SOMETIMES, SO DID A FINE JOB.

AND, UH, OF COURSE, I WANT TO THANK THE TEAM WE REALLY HAD.

AS I SAID, WE HAD A VERY VIGOROUS TEAM.

EVERYBODY FELT COMFORTABLE IN SHARING WHERE THEY WERE AT, HOW THEY FELT.

AND AT THE END OF THE DAY, YOU KNOW, WE WERE ABLE TO COME TOGETHER AND, UH, PUT FORTH TWO RECOMMENDATIONS.

UH, THE FIRST RECOMMENDATION IS CONSOLIDATE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS.

NOW, WITH THAT, UM, ALSO, I WILL TELL YOU THAT I LEARNED TWO THINGS.

WELL, I LEARNED A LOT OF THINGS IN THIS PROCESS.

BUT THE FIRST THING WAS WHAT THE TRUE DEFINITION OF A LEARNING COMMUNITY, THE ATTENDANCE ZONES FOR THE HIGH SCHOOLS, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, WHAT A RUBRIC WAS.

I DON'T EVEN KNOW IF I SAID THAT RIGHT.

[01:40:01]

SO, YOU KNOW, IT GOES TO SHOW YOU THAT YOU CONTINUE TO LEARN NO MATTER WHERE YOU'RE AT.

BUT, UH.

YES. THERE YOU GO.

YES. SO, YOU KNOW, CONSOLIDATE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS.

THE CONSIDERATIONS AND I WOULD SAY WE REALLY HAVE A RUBRIC THAT WE WOULD BE USING OR NOT WE BUT YOU AS THE BOARD BUT WE ARE RECOMMENDING UM, IS REALLY AGE AND CONDITION OF THE FACILITY.

AS MANY OF YOU KNOW, UH, MODERN TIMES IN RICHARDSON PUBLIC SCHOOLS STARTED IN 1955 WITH THE OPENING OF RICHARDSON HEIGHTS ELEMENTARY AND CONTINUED ON THROUGH THE EARLY 2000 WITH, UH, I THINK CAROLYN BOOKER WAS THE LAST BUILDING THAT WAS BUILT OVER BY WHERE I LIVE.

UM, ALSO TWO WE HAVE 4 TO 5 DIFFERENT ARCHITECTURAL STYLES, YOU KNOW, WHERE YOU IN THE RICHARDSON HEIGHTS MODEL OR THE, YOU KNOW, THE, UH, ARAPAHOE MODEL OR, UH, SPRING CREEK, UH, SO, YOU KNOW, IT'S, UH, WE HAVE A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT KINDS OF BUILDINGS, UM, THAT HAVE TO BE LOOKED AT.

AND ARE THEY STILL RELEVANT FOR TODAY? UH, ANOTHER ASPECT IS LOCATION.

AND, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT CONSOLIDATIONS, YOU HAVE TO LOOK AT WOULD ONE LOCATION BE MORE CENTRAL TO ANOTHER LOCATION.

UM, IS IT EASILY ACCESSIBLE BY THE ROADS? AND ARE THERE MAJOR ROADS THAT KIDS WOULD HAVE TO CROSS? BECAUSE WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR LITTLES ARE GOING TO BE SAFE.

UM, AND WE DON'T WANT TO HAVE TO ENGAGE IN AN ADDITIONAL TRANSPORTATION AND THAT KIND OF THING.

UH, I THINK ANOTHER POINT THAT'S IMPORTANT HERE, PART OF THIS RUBRIC IS EQUITY ACROSS LEARNING COMMUNITIES.

AND WHEN WE SAY THAT, WHAT WE MEAN IS REALLY ACROSS ALL LEARNING COMMUNITIES WE WILL LOOK AT THAT WE WOULD ENCOURAGE ALL ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS TO BE LOOKED AT USING THE SAME KIND OF RUBRIC, SO THE SAME CRITERIA WOULD BE LOOKED AT FOR ALL THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS TO ARRIVE AT WHAT THE BEST DECISION MIGHT BE FOR THE BOARD.

ATTENDANCE BOUNDARIES.

I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S IMPORTANT TOO, BECAUSE CLEARLY IF YOU HAVE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL CONSOLIDATIONS, UH, ATTENDANCE AREA ATTENDANCE BOUNDARIES WOULD ACTUALLY BE IMPACTED.

AND SO OUR THOUGHT WOULD BE IS THAT IF YOU HAVE THAT KIND OF IMPACT, YOU WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE BOUNDARIES THAT EXIST, THAT YOU MIGHT PUT TOGETHER THE SCHOOLS YOU MIGHT CONSOLIDATE, THEY WOULD BE ADJACENT TO ONE ANOTHER.

THAT WOULD JUST MAKE SENSE, UH, BECAUSE THOSE COMMUNITIES WOULD BE, UH, UH, ALREADY HAVE THINGS IN COMMON.

THEY WOULD BE CLOSE.

AND WE DON'T WANT TO CREATE ANY MORE ANXIETY THAN WHAT MAY ALREADY EXIST IF YOU DO HAVE THOSE CONSOLIDATIONS, UM, ENROLLMENT PROJECTIONS.

YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S INTERESTING ABOUT THIS IS THAT, YOU KNOW, NEIGHBORHOODS CONTINUE TO CHANGE.

AND NEIGHBORHOODS 20 YEARS AGO THAT HAD, YOU KNOW, EMPTY NESTERS, MANY OF THEM HAVE KIDS RUNNING AROUND.

I KNOW IN MY OWN NEIGHBORHOOD, WE HAVE LOTS OF KIDS.

UH, BUT I CAN TELL YOU, WHEN WE MOVED IN, WE DIDN'T HAVE ANY KIDS 20 YEARS AGO, AND NOW WE DO.

SO, UM, AND I WAS INTERESTING FACT THAT MR. PATE BROUGHT UP ABOUT, UH, YOU KNOW, IN THE CITY OF RICHARDSON, UH, ACTUALLY, THEY ANTICIPATE THAT THE OVER 65 EXEMPTION IS GOING TO GO UP, UH, EVERY YEAR, UH, FOR THE NEXT FEW YEARS UNTIL IT STARTS COMING DOWN AND UNTIL THAT STARTS COMING DOWN, YOU'RE NOT GOING TO HAVE AS MUCH REGENERATION AS YOU'D HOPE FOR.

BUT AGAIN, SO MANY FACTORS COME INTO NEIGHBORHOODS TURNING OVER.

AND I THINK MISS BRANUM WENT THROUGH THAT.

SO, UM, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO JUST MONITOR, UH, WITH YOUR DEMOGRAPHERS.

AND I THINK YOU'VE BEEN DOING A GREAT JOB WITH THAT.

UM, THE LAST THING IS CAPACITY, YOU KNOW, SOME SOME BUILDINGS.

AND WHEN WE LOOKED AT THIS, UH, ESPECIALLY AT THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL LEVEL, SOME BUILDINGS ARE JUST SIMPLY UNDERUTILIZED.

AND, UM, YOU KNOW, IF TWO SCHOOLS ARE CONSOLIDATED, THEN, YOU KNOW, YOU WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU CAN BRING THOSE, THOSE, UH, TWO SCHOOLS TOGETHER IN A, IN A ONE FACILITY THAT WOULD BE ABLE TO HANDLE THAT.

BUT CAPACITY IS SOMETHING THAT YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO DEFINITELY LOOK AT AS YOU DETERMINE, UH, HOW OR IF YOU'RE GOING TO CONSOLIDATE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS.

YOU KNOW, ONE EXAMPLE THAT THAT MISS BRANUM OR I'M NOT SURE, MAYBE IT WAS YOU THAT GAVE THE EXAMPLE ABOUT LEWISVILLE ISD.

LEWISVILLE ISD IS IS A DISTRICT THAT'S TWICE THE SIZE OF RISD.

UH, A LOT OF IT IS OLD.

IT'S A VERY OLD DISTRICT, BUT A LOT OF IT IS BRAND NEW.

IT TAKES IN A NUMBER OF CITIES.

AND THAT DISTRICT, AGAIN, IS TWICE THE SIZE.

BUT THEY HAVE THE SAME NUMBER OF ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS, WHICH I THINK THAT'S WHEN I TURNED THE CORNER AS I JUST WENT, WOW.

NOW I REALIZE EVERY CITY IS DIFFERENT.

AND AGAIN, YOU KNOW, MY NATURAL INCLINATION BASED ON MY PAST SERVICE WAS THAT, UM, I DIDN'T WANT TO REALLY SEE

[01:45:08]

BUT AGAIN, WE HAVE THE SHORTFALLS THAT HAVE TO BE ADDRESSED.

SO I THOUGHT THAT WAS AN INTERESTING BIT OF INFORMATION.

UM, YOU KNOW, THE NEXT ITEM IS RENOVATION OF FUNDS.

EXCUSE ME. RENOVATION FUNDS WILL NEED TO BE INVESTED IN ORDER TO ACCOMMODATE CONSOLIDATIONS.

I'VE REALLY KIND OF SEPARATED THAT OUT BETWEEN, UH, BASICALLY THE LAYOUT AND DESIGN OF THE SCHOOLS, THE INTERIOR AND THE EXTERIOR, THE LAYOUT AND DESIGN OF THE SCHOOLS, AS WE'VE, YOU KNOW, MENTIONED WE SOME OF WE STARTED IN 1955 WITH SOME OF THESE SCHOOLS AND PROGRESSED THROUGH, UH, THROUGH THE YEARS.

AND DEPENDING ON THE TYPE OF SCHOOL, THE TYPE OF BUILDING, IT MAY BE MORE CONDUCIVE TO 21ST CENTURY LEARNING.

IT JUST DEPENDS DEPENDS ON WHAT KIND OF ALTERATIONS OR CHANGES THAT HAVE BEEN MADE IN IT.

BUT THOSE ARE SOME THINGS THAT HAVE TO BE LOOKED AT AS FAR AS THE LAYOUTS, AS FAR AS COLLABORATION SPACES, MAKER SPACES, DESIGN SPACES, YOU KNOW, DIFFERENT POD TYPE SPACES ARE IMPORTANT.

AND SO THAT'S ONE FACTOR AS FAR AS LAYOUT.

YOU KNOW, THE INTERIOR, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT NEW LIGHTS, UH, MODULAR FURNITURE, FLOORS, THAT KIND OF THING THAT WE TYPICALLY TYPICALLY MIGHT HAVE BEEN DONE IN SITUATIONS WITH BONDS AND JUST GENERAL MAINTENANCE.

BUT OBVIOUSLY WHEN YOU'RE GOING TO BRING TWO SCHOOLS TOGETHER, UH, THERE'S GOING TO HAVE TO BE SOME MODIFICATIONS.

AND THEN THE EXTERIOR I KNOW THIS SOUNDS MIGHT NOT SOUND IMPORTANT, BUT IT IS.

WE WANT GREAT DRIVE UP APPEAL, AND I THINK WE HAVE THAT.

BUT I THINK THAT WHEN YOU JUST TALK ABOUT EXTERIOR FINISHES, UH, MORE LANDSCAPING, MAKE IT MORE INVITING.

UM, I THINK IT'S SOMETHING THAT CAN BE DONE AND DONE RELATIVELY CHEAPLY, UH, COMPARATIVELY SPEAKING.

UH, SO I THINK THAT THAT, THAT THOSE THREE THINGS ARE IMPORTANT.

UM, THE NEXT ITEM IS SCHOOLS NO LONGER IN USE COULD BE REPURPOSED FOR OTHER DISTRICT USES.

THIS WAS A TOPIC THAT WE TALKED QUITE A BIT ABOUT.

UM, YOU KNOW, KIND OF ELABORATING ON THAT IS, YOU KNOW, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT USE A PORTION OF THE BUILDING FOR OTHER USES.

IF YOU LOOK AROUND, YOU ACTUALLY SEE THAT IN MANY CASES, UH, IN RISD ALREADY, YOU KNOW, ONE OPTION THAT CAME UP WAS, UH, THE FACT THAT YOU MIGHT MOVE SOME ADMIN OR NON, UH, NONACADEMIC TYPE PROGRAMS OR SUCH FROM UH, OTHER BUILDINGS THAT ARE NOT SCHOOLS INTO SOME OF THESE BUILDINGS.

AND PERHAPS IF THAT, UH, NON SCHOOL BUILDING WAS IN A LOCATION THAT MIGHT, UH, PROMPT A SALE, YOU COULD PERHAPS DO THAT AND THEN YOU'D BE ABLE TO UTILIZE THAT BUILDING.

UM, AND IF YOU LOOK AT, UH, WHAT THEY DID WITH MST, WHEN THEY ACTUALLY MOVED THAT OVER TO RICHARDSON JUNIOR HIGH, THEY WERE ABLE TO DO THAT, REPURPOSE RICHARDSON JUNIOR HIGH AND THEY WERE ABLE TO SELL THE ARAPAHO PROPERTY, PROBABLY AT A PROFIT, I HOPE.

BUT EITHER WAY, IT IT PUT THAT BUILDING BACK ON THE TAX ROLLS.

AND, UH, I THINK LEGACY BANK IS THERE TODAY OR PROSPERITY.

UM, SO THAT THAT'S, THAT'S AN EXAMPLE THERE.

UM, YOU KNOW, REGARDLESS, THE BUILDINGS WOULD BE MAINTAINED SO THAT THEY COULD POSSIBLY BE REACTIVATED AS SCHOOLS IN THE FUTURE.

AND I THINK THAT IS VERY IMPORTANT, UH, WITH YOU AS A BOARD, WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT HOW ARE WE HOW IF WE'RE GOING TO DO THIS, HOW ARE WE GOING TO DO THIS? WHAT IS THE MESSAGING? YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT GOING TO BE BUILDINGS THAT ARE GOING TO BE BOARDED UP.

IT'S GOING TO BE BUILDINGS THAT WOULD BE MAINTAINED.

THEY WOULD STILL BE LOOKING GOOD.

THEY MAY HAVE A PORTION OF IT THAT'S BEING USED FOR SOMETHING ELSE.

BUT THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IS THAT IT WILL BE TAKEN CARE OF FOR FUTURE USE AND POSSIBLE, UH, REPURPOSING THAT BUILDING OR REACTIVATING IT DOWN THE ROAD.

AND I THINK REALLY, HONESTLY, A GOOD EXAMPLE OF THAT IS IN THE DISD, DALLAS INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT.

THEY HAVE DONE THIS MANY TIMES, AND THEY IF YOU LOOK AT THEIR SCHOOLS, THEY HAVE MAINTAINED THOSE SCHOOLS THAT THEY HAVE CONSOLIDATED AND THEY HAVE KEPT THEM UP.

AND THEN WHEN THE POPULATION, THE SCHOOL POPULATION CHANGED IN THAT AREA, THEY WERE ABLE TO REACTIVATE THEM AND THEY HAD KIDS GO BACK TO THEM.

SO JUST BECAUSE I THINK, UH, WELL, LET ME BACK UP.

JUST BECAUSE A SCHOOL MIGHT BE CONSOLIDATED DOESN'T MEAN THAT IT'LL BE THAT WAY FOREVER.

IT JUST DEPENDS ON WHAT THE NEIGHBORHOODS DO AND THE TURNOVER AND THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS THAT COME IN.

SO I THINK THOSE ARE IMPORTANT ASPECTS.

THE SECOND RECOMMENDATION THAT WE HAD IS EXPAND INTER-DISTRICT TRANSFER OPTIONS.

YOU KNOW, ONE THING WE WOULD RECOMMEND IS CHANGE THE DISTRICT POLICY TO PERMIT ENROLLMENT OF FAMILIES RESIDING OUTSIDE OF RISD BOUNDARIES.

WE THINK THAT MIGHT BE A GOOD OPPORTUNITY TO BRING, UH, ADDITIONAL KIDS INTO THE DISTRICT.

[01:50:06]

UH, WE THINK THAT THE REAL OPPORTUNITY WITH THIS COMES ALONG OUR BORDERS BECAUSE, AS YOU KNOW, WE ARE BORDERED BY THREE DISTRICTS THE GARLAND ISD, DALLAS ISD TO THE SOUTH, AND THEN TO PLANO IN THE NORTH.

AND IN MANY CASES, PARTICULARLY IN THE NORTH, THOSE BOUNDARY LINES RUN CONCURRENT WITH THE COUNTY LINE, WHICH MEANS THEY GO RIGHT THROUGH NEIGHBORHOODS.

THEY SEPARATE NEXT DOOR NEIGHBORS AND AND SUCH.

SO I'M NOT NECESSARILY SAYING THAT ONE DISTRICT IS BETTER THAN THE OTHER, ALTHOUGH I'M, YOU KNOW, PARTIAL TO RISD.

BUT THAT BEING SAID, THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE ALONG THE PERIPHERY THAT MAY WANT TO COME TO R ISD BECAUSE IT IS JUST SIMPLY MORE CONVENIENT TO COME HERE. UM, THAT'S ONE THING THAT WE REALLY THINK THAT THERE'S SOME GREAT OPPORTUNITIES HERE.

UM, ALSO, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE WOULD ASK, OKAY, WELL, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN AS FAR AS, UM, YOU KNOW OTHER STUDENTS WANTING TO COME IN, THEY WOULD NOT HAVE PRIORITY OVER OUR CURRENT STUDENTS.

THAT'S AN IMPORTANT FACTOR AND IT WOULD BE BASED ON IS THERE ROOM.

AND SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WHEN, WHEN, UH, IF AND WHEN THIS OCCURS, YOU WOULD WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT IT IS IN YOUR MESSAGING.

YOU KNOW ANOTHER THING TOO IS JUST PHASE IN.

UM, AT THE BEGINNING OF THE SCHOOL YEAR AFTER THE INITIAL CAMPUS CONSOLIDATIONS OCCUR.

SO IN OTHER WORDS, YOU WOULD YOU WOULD ONLY DO THIS AFTER IT HAS OCCURRED, AND YOU REALLY HAVE A BETTER IDEA OF WHAT KIND OF THE LAY OF THE LAND.

HOW IS THIS GOING TO WORK OUT? UM, YOU KNOW, HAVING BEEN HERE IN THE, IN THE DISTRICT AND OBSERVED, YOU KNOW, WE'VE ONLY CONSOLIDATED SCHOOLS A COUPLE OF TIMES, AND BOTH TIMES IT WAS SUCCESSFUL.

UH, SUCCESS STORIES.

MY KIDS WENT TO ACM, AND THAT WAS A CONSOLIDATION, AND IT WORKED OUT VERY WELL.

SO, YOU KNOW, REALLY ALL THIS TO SAY IS THAT IT'S A REAL HONOR TO BE ABLE TO PRESENT THESE OPTIONS TO YOU.

I KNOW YOU HAVE SOME HARD CHOICES, BUT I WILL TELL YOU THAT THAT AS FAR AS OUR COMMITTEE GOES AND I THINK THIS THIS BOARD AS A WHOLE.

UH, OUR COMMITTEE AS A WHOLE, UH, WERE VERY SUPPORTIVE.

AND I KIND OF SEE OURSELVES AS AMBASSADORS SUPPORTING WHAT YOU AS A BOARD AND STAFF DO.

SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH [APPLAUSE].

ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU, MR. MITCHELL.

AND SO, TO CLOSE OUT OUR SUBCOMMITTEE, YOU CAN SEE THE SLIDE IN FRONT OF YOU FOR PHASE ONE, WHICH RELATES TO THE CONSOLIDATION, POTENTIAL CONSOLIDATION OF ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS.

THE ESTIMATED VALUE OF THAT IS APPROXIMATELY $1.82 MILLION PER CAMPUS THAT COULD POTENTIALLY BE CONSOLIDATED.

AND THEN FOR PHASE TWO, WHICH BASICALLY RELATES TO THE EXPANSION OF INTER-DISTRICT TRANSFER OPTIONS, UH, WE WILL HEAR A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT FROM ONE OF THE OTHER SUBCOMMITTEES, THE REVENUE GENERATION SUBCOMMITTEE THAT'S GOING TO SPEAK TO US HERE SHORTLY.

AND WITH THAT, I WILL TURN IT OVER TO THE REVENUE GENERATION SUBCOMMITTEE.

THANK YOU, MR. PATE.

YES, I WAS, UM, ABLE TO CO-FACILITATE THIS INCREDIBLE TEAM WITH MR. HENRY HALL AND OUR TRUE NORTH AND OUR FOCUS, UNLIKE WHAT HAS PREVIOUSLY BEEN MENTIONED IN TERMS OF MAKING RECOMMENDATIONS FOR CUTS, WE REALLY DUG INTO OPPORTUNITIES TO GENERATE ADDITIONAL REVENUE FOR THE DISTRICT.

AND SO OUR, OUR NORM WAS EVALUATING THOSE OPPORTUNITIES FOR INCREASING REVENUE AND TO MAKE THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS AND TO BRING THEM FORWARD. UH, THEY DUG INTO A LOT OF DATA AND LOTS OF DIFFERENT INFORMATION.

UM, BUT THREE BIG KEY CONTEXTS AND FINDINGS THAT WE BRING FORWARD THIS EVENING AS PART OF THIS REPORT.

ONE IS THAT EACH ADDITIONAL ENROLLED STUDENT IN RISD GENERATES, AT A MINIMUM, $6,160 IN REVENUE PER STUDENT.

UM, YOU KNOW, THIS IS WHAT IS ALSO CALLED THE BASIC ALLOTMENT.

AND AS A REMINDER, THIS HASN'T CHANGED SINCE 2019.

UM, BUT, UH, EACH ADDITIONAL STUDENT WOULD GENERATE THIS DOLLAR AMOUNT.

UM, WE HAVE SHARED AND DISCUSSED PREVIOUSLY IN MEETINGS, BUT IT'S IMPORTANT TO POINT OUT THAT THE INCREASES IN PROPERTY TAX REVENUE DUE TO RISING HOME VALUES DOES NOT GENERATE ADDITIONAL OPERATING REVENUE FOR THE DISTRICT.

AND THEN FINALLY, UM, REMINDING THE COMMUNITY AND, YOU KNOW, ANOTHER BIG CONTEXT FINDING WAS OUR OPERATING TAX RATE IS CURRENTLY AT ITS LOWEST LEVEL IN 39 YEARS.

AND SO WHEN WE REALLY DUG INTO THAT AND LOOKED AT, UM, OUR GROUP, IN ADDITION TO THE FACILITY UTILIZATION, LOOKING AT THE OPPORTUNITY TO EXPAND

[01:55:08]

AND THAT'S WHAT THIS SLIDE DOES.

AND THIS GRAPH SHOWS, YOU KNOW, WITH ONE STUDENT AT $6,160, YOU KNOW, AT 250 STUDENTS, THE MATH AT A MINIMUM IS $1.5 MILLION.

AND THEN YOU CAN CONTINUE TO MULTIPLY THAT OUT.

UM, WHILE WE TRY TO INCREASE THE STUDENT ENROLLMENT.

AND SO AT THIS TIME, I WOULD LIKE TO INVITE TWO OF OUR REPRESENTATIVES.

WE HAVE MR. CHARLES [INAUDIBLE], UM, AS WELL AS OUR STUDENT REPRESENTATIVE ON THE COMMITTEE, MR. BRYSON GRAVES, WHO'S A SENIOR AT RHS, WHO ARE GOING TO DIG IN AND SHARE WITH YOU THE RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE REVENUE GENERATION SUBCOMMITTEE.

THANK YOU TAYLOR.

UM, GOOD EVENING.

AND, UH, ON BEHALF OF OUR COMMITTEE, THE FIRST THING I WOULD LIKE TO DO IS JUST TO THANK YOU ALL FOR ALLOWING US THE OPPORTUNITY TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS, THIS SEVEN MONTH PROCESS.

UH, ANYTHING THAT WE CAN DO IN A SMALL WAY TO TO HELP THIS GREAT DISTRICT, UH, IS IT WAS WAS OUR CHARGE, OF COURSE.

UM, AS [INAUDIBLE] MENTIONED, WE HAVE FOUR RECOMMENDATIONS, UM, AS WELL AS THERE'S ONE MORE THAT WE'RE GOING TO MENTION BRIEFLY.

UM, OUR OUR NUMBER ONE RECOMMENDATION IS TO ASK YOU FOR CONSIDERATION TO PLACE A VOTER APPROVED TAX RATE ELECTION.

UM, TO RISD VOTERS.

UM, TO INCREASE THE MAINTENANCE AND OPERATIONS OF THE DISTRICT BY 3.17%.

UH, SINCE NOW SECONDLY, UH, THE EXPLORER PROGRAM.

UM, STUDENTS AND PARENTS TODAY, PARTICULARLY THE FAMILIES, ARE IN GREAT NEED FOR A CARE BEFORE SCHOOL AND AFTER SCHOOL. AND WE THINK THAT IT PRESENTS A VERY, VERY STRONG WAY TO, UM, TO TO BRING IN REVENUE TO THE, TO THE DISTRICT.

THE DEMAND IS THERE WITH, WITH THE CITY GROWING AND THE TRAFFIC THAT WE ALL EXPERIENCE NOW, THEIR PARENTS ARE HAVING TROUBLE PICKING UP CHILDREN.

SO WHAT WE'D LIKE TO SEE IS TO BUILD ON THE STRUCTURE, UM, AND HIRE THOSE PEOPLE THAT ARE NEEDED TO MAKE THAT PROGRAM GO.

AND AT THIS POINT, UM, I'M PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE THAT WE HAVE BRYSON GRAVES HERE WITH US, WHO IS A STUDENT AT RICHARDSON HIGH SCHOOL, AND HE'S GOING TO PRESENT THE LAST TWO FOR US.

ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT.

THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT, SO OUR THIRD, UM, RECOMMENDATION WAS EXPANDING INTER-DISTRICT TRANSFER OPTIONS.

I KNOW THAT WAS A RECOMMENDATION THAT, UM, WHERE DID IT GO? UM, THAT'S ALREADY BEEN, UM, ADDRESSED.

UM, YOU KNOW, I FEEL LIKE.

WELL AROUND, LIKE THE DISTRICT AND EVERYTHING.

UM, WE HAVE PEOPLE THAT MOVE OUTSIDE THE DISTRICT FOR A VARIETY OF REASONS.

UM, YOU KNOW, I KNOW WITHIN RISD, UM, YOU KNOW, RISING HOUSING PRICES, RENTING PRICES PUSHING PEOPLE OUT OF THE DISTRICT, PUSHING PEOPLE MORE TOWARDS OTHER NEIGHBORING DISTRICTS LIKE GARLAND, PLANO, EVEN DALLAS, AND PEOPLE THAT WOULD OTHERWISE HAVE.

NOT FOR THE FACT THAT THEY'RE NOT IN THE DISTRICT, NOT WOULD WANT TO BE INSIDE OF RISD BECAUSE THEY LOVE OUR SCHOOLS, THEY LOVE WHAT WE HAVE TO OFFER.

AND SO ALLOWING THE OPPORTUNITY TO AT LEAST, UM, HAVE THAT OPTION FOR THEM TO, IF THEY LIVE CLOSE TO THE DISTRICT, TO COME BACK WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT WOULD DEFINITELY RAISE REVENUE, BECAUSE AGAIN, UM, EACH STUDENT BRINGS IN AT A MINIMUM $6,000, $6,000. UM, IN REVENUE.

SO BRINGING THOSE STUDENTS BACK THAT ALREADY LEFT AND POTENTIALLY ATTRACTING MORE OF THAT WOULD WANT TO BE IN THE DISTRICT BUT ARE IN NEIGHBORING NEIGHBORHOODS AND EVERYTHING.

THAT WOULD DEFINITELY, UM, BE SOMETHING THAT COULD RAISE REVENUE AND SO FORTH.

THE FOURTH RECOMMENDATION IS CHOICE PROGRAMING.

UM, YOU KNOW, WE IN OUR HIGH SCHOOLS, AT LEAST IN OUR HIGH SCHOOLS AND OUR MIDDLE SCHOOLS, WE OFFER A LOT OF PROGRAMS. UM, FOR EXAMPLE, UM, RICHARDSON, WE HAVE OUR MAGNET PROGRAMS. UH, BERKNER. UM, THEY HAVE THEIR STEM FOR ALL PROGRAMS. UM, AT JJ PEARCE AND LAKE HIGHLANDS, THEIR, UM, P-TECH PROGRAMS. AND I FEEL LIKE AS THOSE ARE REALLY GOOD PROGRAMS AND I FEEL LIKE WE HAVE TO DO MORE TO BRING THE WORD OUT TO THEM THAT, HEY, WE HAVE THIS TO OFFER.

IF YOU COME TO RISD, WE HAVE THIS.

AND SO, UM, I GUESS, WELL, GOING BACK TO NUMBER ONE, THE, UM, THE TAX RATE ELECTION, UM, BY INCREASING THAT REVENUE, WE'RE ABLE TO LIKE, EXPAND ON THOSE PROGRAMS, WE'RE ABLE TO EXPAND AND MAKE THOSE BETTER, WHICH WOULD ALLOW US TO OFFER MORE OF WHAT WE ALREADY HAVE TO OFFER, WHICH WILL DRIVE PEOPLE INTO COMING TO OUR DISTRICT.

[02:00:01]

UM, RIGHT.

ONE THING THAT OUR COMMITTEE LEARNED QUICKLY WAS NO NUMBER OF BAKE SALES AND PTA FUNDRAISERS ARE GOING TO SOLVE THIS PROBLEM, A PROBLEM THAT SOMEWHAT THAT WE DIDN'T WE DIDN'T, WE DIDN'T BRING UP ON OURSELVES.

IT WAS BROUGHT TO US.

UM, SO WE DID SPEND QUITE A BIT OF TIME ALSO, UH, REVIEWING THE THE RICHARDSON EDUCATION FOUNDATION.

AND WE'RE STRONGLY ENCOURAGING AS WELL.

AND THIS IS NOT ON THE SLIDE, BUT TO ENCOURAGE PURSUING MORE CORPORATE SPONSORSHIPS RICHARDSON IS BLESSED TO HAVE A NUMBER OF LARGE CORPORATIONS AND HOPEFULLY PUT A PLAN TOGETHER AND A TARGET TO GET THOSE CORPORATIONS TO SPONSOR SOME OF THE CHOICE PROGRAMS AND SOME OF THE OTHER PARTS OF OUR DISTRICT.

SO THAT'S THAT'S ANOTHER ONE THAT'S NOT ON THE BOARD THAT WE ACTUALLY JUST CONSIDERED.

AND LASTLY, JUST TO THANK MR. HALL AND DOCTOR HELLER FOR THEIR GREAT LEADERSHIP IN HELPING OUR COMMITTEE.

OKAY. THANK YOU.

OKAY [APPLAUSE]. THANK YOU CHARLES.

THANK YOU BRYSON.

UH, SO IN SUMMARY, UH, OUR SUBCOMMITTEE, WE ESTIMATE THE VOTER APPROVED TAX INCREASE TO GENERATE APPROXIMATELY $5.7 MILLION IN ADDITIONAL REVENUE.

THE INCREASE IN EXPLORER PARTICIPATION BY 250 TO 750 STUDENTS COULD GENERATE UP TO $2.28 MILLION IN REVENUE, AND INCREASING OUR STUDENT POPULATION BY 250 TO 750 STUDENTS COULD GENERATE UP TO $4.6 MILLION IN ADDITIONAL REVENUE.

IN TOTAL, OUR SUBCOMMITTEE RECOMMENDATIONS COULD GENERATE UP FROM $8 MILLION TO $12.6 MILLION IN ADDITIONAL REVENUE FOR THE DISTRICT.

IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THOSE ARE ANNUAL CORRECT.

THANK YOU. AND I WILL NOW TURN IT OVER TO DOCTOR GOODSON AND THE STAFFING AND COMPENSATION COMMITTEE.

THANK YOU, MR. PATE. GOOD EVENING BOARD.

I'M HAPPY TO SHARE INFORMATION REGARDING AN AMAZING COMMITTEE THAT DOCTOR LEEPER AND I HAD THE PLEASURE OF WORKING WITH FOR A WHILE.

UH, WE REALLY APPRECIATED THEIR INTENSITY.

WE APPRECIATED THEIR FOCUS AND THEIR PASSION FOR REALLY LOOKING OUT FOR THE EMPLOYEES OF RISD, IN ADDITION TO THE STUDENTS OF RISD.

SO OUR CHARGE WAS TO EVALUATE CURRENT CAMPUS AND CENTRAL STAFFING RATIOS AND COMPENSATION SCHEDULES AND MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS RELATED TO APPROPRIATE STAFFING AND COMPENSATION LEVELS. AND SO OUR COMMITTEE, LIKE OTHERS, WE WE HAD A LOT OF CONVERSATION.

WE COMBED THROUGH QUITE A LOT OF DATA, AND WE TRIED TO ANSWER AND ANSWER QUESTIONS, EDUCATE.

WE REALLY TRIED TO BE SURE THAT WE WERE ALL TOGETHER AS WE STARTED TO PICK APART THE DATA.

AS WE WERE ABLE TO DO THAT, YOU'LL SEE THESE WERE THE MAJOR FINDINGS AND THE CONTEXT BEHIND THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT YOU'LL SEE HERE IN JUST A SECOND.

THE FIRST MAJOR FINDING WAS THAT RISD HAS FEWER STUDENTS PER STAFF MEMBERS THAN PEER DISTRICT.

WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE TOTAL NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES AND THE TOTAL NUMBER OF STUDENTS, OUR RATIOS ARE LOWER.

WHEN YOU WE WANTED TO DIG A LITTLE BIT DEEPER.

WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE TOTAL NUMBER OF TEACHERS COMPARED TO THE TOTAL NUMBER OF STUDENTS, RISD HAS FEWER, UM, FOR THAT RATIO AS WELL COMPARED TO SOME OF OUR PEER DISTRICTS. THAT LED US TO A CONVERSATION REGARDING A POTENTIAL IMBALANCE OF WORKLOADS AMONG SIMILAR POSITIONS BETWEEN DIFFERENT SCHOOLS.

SO THE EASIEST WAY TO EXPLAIN THAT IS A TEACHER WITH 14 STUDENTS AT ONE SCHOOL AND AT ANOTHER SCHOOL WITH THE SAME GRADE LEVEL, SAME CONTENT AREA, 22 OR 24.

UM, JUST MAKE PAYING ATTENTION TO HOW THAT IMPACTS NOT ONLY INSTRUCTION, BUT ALSO RETENTION AND RECRUITING.

AND THEN THE FINAL FINDING WAS THAT FILLING AND RETAINING HIGH NEED POSITIONS IN A PRIMARY IS A PRIMARY DRIVER, EXCUSE ME, IN DISTRICT RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION EFFORTS, COMPENSATION IS STILL EXTREMELY IMPORTANT.

WE HAVE TO STAY COMPETITIVE.

AS MISS BRANUM MENTIONED EARLY ON WITH THE THE THE CHALLENGES THAT WE'RE FACING.

AND THIS GROUP WAS REALLY FOCUSED ON MAKING SURE THAT ANY CHANGES OR IMPROVEMENTS TO THAT THAT WE VALUE, AS YOU ALWAYS HAVE, OUR CURRENT EMPLOYEES, OUR SEASONED EMPLOYEES, JUST AS MUCH AS OUR NEWER EMPLOYEES AS WELL.

AND SO WITH THAT, I'D LIKE TO INVITE MISS [INAUDIBLE] OUR FRIEND, TO COME UP AND SHARE.

OH, I'M SORRY I MESSED UP.

I'VE GOT A COUPLE MORE SLIDES.

MY APOLOGIES.

UM, THE NEXT FEW SLIDES, IT'S REALLY JUST A GRAPHIC REPRESENTATION OF SOME OF THE THINGS I SHARED.

I'M SO SORRY.

UM, THE FIRST SLIDE GOES BACK TO THE STUDENTS PER STAFF, AND YOU CAN SEE THAT STARTING BACK IN 2017, UH, THE RED LINE IS RICHARDSON ISD.

AND THEN YOU'VE GOT THE MAXIMUM, THE AVERAGE AND THE MINIMUM.

WE WERE A LITTLE BIT ABOVE THE MINIMUM.

AND OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS, WE ARE BASICALLY AT THE MINIMUM WHEN IT COMES TO THE RATIO FOR STUDENTS PER STAFF.

NEXT SLIDE IS STUDENTS PER TEACHER.

SAME SITUATION. WE WERE ACTUALLY CLOSER TO THE AVERAGE BACK IN 2017.

[02:05:04]

AND I THINK YOU HEARD ONE OF OUR OUR COMMITTEE MEMBERS REFERENCED THAT OVER TIME POSITIONS HAVE BEEN ADDED.

BUT WITH ENROLLMENT PLATEAUING, YOU CAN SEE THAT THE RATIOS ARE GOING TO BE AFFECTED BY THAT.

NEXT SLIDE ARE THE RECOMMENDATIONS.

AND SO NOW OUR FRIEND MISS [INAUDIBLE] WILL COME UP AND SHARE THOSE.

THANK YOU DOCTOR GOODSON AND DOCTOR LIEBER AND CAN YOU HEAR ME OKAY.

UM. YOU KNOW, COMING TO THAT COMMITTEE, WE UNDERSTOOD ALL OF US AS COMMITTEE MEMBERS, THAT WE HAVE A HEAVY RESPONSIBILITY, UM, TO, TO ADVOCATE, TO SPEAK FOR THE DISTRICT AND FOR THE STUDENTS AND PARENTS IN THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE.

UM, BUT ESPECIALLY IN OUR SUBCOMMITTEE, WE ARE DEALING WITH PEOPLE WITH LIVES, WITH JOBS, WITH STAFF AND STUDENTS.

AND, UM, I DO APPRECIATE THE LEADERSHIP THAT GUIDED US TO CENTER THE STUDENTS AND THE STAFF THROUGHOUT ALL THE DISCUSSIONS THAT WE HAD. AND, UM, YOU KNOW, WITNESSING TONIGHT THE RECOGNITIONS OF THE STAFF AND THE STUDENTS.

UH, IT WAS A TESTAMENT TO THE DEDICATION OF THIS LEADERSHIP, OF HOW THE VALUE AND CENTER THE TEACHERS AND THEIR STAFF AND THEIR STUDENTS.

IT MADE ME EMOTIONAL AT SOME POINT TOO, BUT I DO, UM, THANK YOU FOR GIVING US THIS OPPORTUNITY.

AND WE HAD FRUITFUL DISCUSSION.

WE HAD A TOUGH TIME DISCUSSION.

AND, UH, WITH THAT, WE UNDERSTAND THE HEAVY RESPONSIBILITY OF THIS SUBCOMMITTEE IN PARTICULAR.

UM, AND THAT REFLECTED IN OUR RECOMMENDATIONS.

SO THE FIRST ONE WAS, TO IMPLEMENT A STANDARD STAFFING MODEL.

AND SO FAR OUR UNDERSTANDING IS THAT WE WERE, UM, YOU KNOW, STAFFING.

WE DIDN'T HAVE A ONE STAFFING MODEL.

WE STAFFED ACCORDING TO NEED.

UM, SO BY CREATING A STAFFING FRAMEWORK THAT MAXIMIZES THE EFFICIENCY BASED ON ENROLLMENT BENCHMARKS WHILE ALLOWING FLEXIBILITY TO ACCOMMODATE STUDENT NEEDS, AND IN THAT WE WE WANTED TO.

WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THE STUDENT POPULATION, INCLUDING ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED, EMERGING BILINGUAL OR SPECIAL PROGRAMING INCLUDING PRE-K, SPECIAL ED, ADVANCED LEARNING THAT THEY ARE CONSIDERED IN THAT STAFFING MODEL.

THE SECOND ONE WAS ENSURING EFFICIENT UTILIZATION OF EXISTING STAFF THROUGH CONSISTENT WORKLOADS AND SCHEDULES.

AND THAT'S PART OF WHAT DOCTOR GOODSON WAS TALKING ABOUT.

UM, IS, YOU KNOW, TO MONITORING THE WORKLOAD, CONSIDERATION AND STAFFING SO THAT THERE ARE CONSISTENT EXPECTATIONS OF A JOB, NO MATTER WHAT SCHOOL OR DEPARTMENT IT IS IN.

UM, AND THAT DEFINITELY WILL HELP WITH THE RETENTION AND THE FAIRNESS AND THE LESS OF BURNOUT OF STAFF THAT CARRY MORE LOAD THAN THE SAME POSITION IN ANOTHER PLACE.

THE SECOND RECOMMENDATION THAT WE HAD WAS THE STRATEGIC COMPENSATION PLAN.

AND IN THAT WE WOULD IMPLEMENT A STRATEGIC COMPENSATION PLAN THAT PLACES RAISED AT OR ABOVE MARKET AVERAGES FOR COMPENSATION WITH A FOCUS ON HIGH NEED AREAS.

AND WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THAT IS THAT WE'RE WE WANT THE DISTRICT TO BE MORE AGGRESSIVE IN THE HARD TO FILL POSITIONS WHILE ADHERING TO A MORE FIRM STAFFING MODEL.

SO WE LOOK AT THAT EXPERIENCED TEACHER PAY, THE DIAGNOSTICIANS, THE PARAPROFESSIONAL PAY.

THOSE ARE FEW EXAMPLES THAT WE THAT THOSE SOME OF THESE ARE HARD TO FILL POSITIONS.

UM, AND VERY COMPETITIVE.

THE OTHER AREAS, WE MAY KEEP THEM CLOSER TO AVERAGE BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT HARD TO FILL AS THOSE ONES.

SO THOSE WERE OUR RECOMMENDATIONS.

AND, YOU KNOW, THANK YOU FOR GIVING US THE OPPORTUNITIES.

AND HOPEFULLY YOU WILL.

YOU KNOW, THIS WILL HELP YOU GUIDE IN THE PROCESS OF MAKING THOSE HARD DECISIONS.

THANK YOU AGAIN [APPLAUSE]. THANK YOU SO MUCH, MISS [INAUDIBLE].

UH, FOR THE, UM, ESTIMATING THE VALUE.

THIS ONE IS GOING TO BE A LITTLE DIFFERENT BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY IT IT'S MORE OF A SYSTEMIC CHANGE AS IT RELATES TO THE STAFFING MODEL, UH, CONSISTENT STAFFING MODEL AND COMPENSATION. AND SO WHAT WE ANTICIPATE, OBVIOUSLY, IS THAT OVER TIME, AS THESE SYSTEMS HAVE TIGHTENED UP IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS AND THE REST OF THE OVERALL PLAN, YOU'LL START TO SEE THAT WE HAVE MORE EFFICIENCY AS IT RELATES TO STAFFING.

AND SO WITH THAT EFFICIENCY BEING TIGHTER, THAT'S WHEN THE ACTUAL COST WILL BE RECOGNIZED.

SO WE DON'T HAVE A SPECIFIC DOLLAR AMOUNT FOR YOU WITH THAT.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU, DOCTOR GOODSON.

[02:10:01]

UM, JUST, SOMEWHAT QUICKLY, A RECOMMENDATION TO REDUCE CENTRAL ADMINISTRATION, UH, EXPENDITURES IN THE RANGE OF 5 TO 7%.

UH, USING A STANDARD STANDARDIZED RUBRIC TO EVALUATE, THOSE REDUCTION DECISIONS TO GET TO THAT 5 TO 7% REDUCTION.

UH, A CONSOLIDATION OF ELEMENTARIES.

AGAIN, UH, ALL OF THE EXPENDITURE RELATED REDUCTIONS CAME WITH A RECOMMENDATION FOR THE DISTRICT TO IMPLEMENT A RUBRIC TO, UM, GIVE THOUGHTFUL CONSIDERATION TO, UH, ANY REDUCTIONS.

UH, EXPANDING INTER-DISTRICT TRANSFER OPTIONS.

UH, TAKING A VATRE TO THE VOTERS, EXPLAINING OPPORTUNITIES FOR TO INCREASE, EXPLORE ENROLLMENT.

UH, OFFER SOME CHOICE PROGRAMING, UH, TO ATTRACT PEOPLE THAT HAVE FAMILIES THAT HAVE LEFT RISD BACK TO THE DISTRICT.

UH, IMPLEMENT A STANDARDIZED STAFFING MODEL AND THEN CREATION OF A STRATEGIC COMPENSATION PLAN.

AT THIS POINT, OUR TARGET IS TO REPLACE THE $26 MILLION OF ESSER SUPPLANTING THAT IS IN THE 2324 BUDGET.

THIS IS THE LAST YEAR FOR ESSER FUNDING.

AND, UM, EXPECTATIONS AT THIS POINT ARE CLOSER TO BEING ABLE TO ACHIEVE A $15 MILLION, UH, REDUCTION IN THE FIRST YEAR OF IMPLEMENTATION. EXCUSE ME OF THESE RECOMMENDATIONS.

AND WITH THAT, I WILL TURN IT OVER TO MISS BRANUM.

THANK YOU. AND THANK YOU TO OUR COMMITTEE.

THANK YOU TO LEADERSHIP STAFF MEMBERS THAT WERE ON THE COMMITTEE AS WELL.

UM, REALLY FROM HERE, UM, WE ARE GOING TO OF COURSE, WE WOULD LOVE YOUR FEEDBACK.

ANY DIRECTION YOU WOULD LIKE TO PROVIDE TO LEADERSHIP AS WELL AS ADDRESS.

ANY QUESTIONS? UM, BASED UPON YOUR FEEDBACK, UM, WE WOULD BE BRINGING FORWARD A TIMELINE IN JANUARY FOR THE BOARD'S CONSIDERATION AROUND THE PHASE IN OF ALL OF THESE RECOMMENDATIONS, WHAT DO WE SEE THEM LOOKING LIKE, BOTH IN THE NEAR SHORT TERM, AS WELL AS HOW MIGHT THEY BE PHASED IN OVER THE NEXT TWO YEARS.

UM, I ALSO WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR COMMUNITY KNOWS WE WANT YOUR FEEDBACK.

UM, WE KNOW THAT THIS IS A PRETTY COMPREHENSIVE SET OF RECOMMENDATIONS THAT HAVE A LOT OF IMPLICATIONS.

AND SO WE DO, OF COURSE, HAVE OUR LET'S TALK CHANNEL THAT WILL BE, UM, FACILITATED BY MR. PATE AND CABINET.

UM, THAT INFORMATION WILL BE AGGREGATED AS WELL AND SHARED WITH THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES.

UM, SO THAT YOU WOULD HAVE ACCESS TO THAT FEEDBACK AS WELL.

AND THEN BASED UPON THE PHASE IN RECOMMENDATIONS, THE TIMELINE, RECOMMENDATIONS, DIRECTION FROM THE BOARD, OF COURSE, WE WOULD BE HOLDING MULTIPLE OPPORTUNITIES FOR LARGER COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS BASED UPON HOW WE MOVE FORWARD AFTER JANUARY.

I ALSO WANT TO STATE THAT I THINK WHAT THE COMMITTEE DID WITH THEIR RECOMMENDATIONS WAS MAKING SURE WE CREATED CAPACITY IN THE BUDGET TO MAINTAIN AND PRESERVE THE PROGRAMS THAT WE KNOW HAVE THE LARGEST IMPACT ON OUR STUDENTS, FROM FINE ARTS TO ATHLETICS TO AVID.

UM, HOW DO WE MAKE SURE WE HAVE THOSE, THE BUDGET AND RESOURCES NECESSARY TO MAINTAIN THOSE, ALSO ENSURING THAT WE REMAIN INCREDIBLY COMPETITIVE WITH OUR COMPENSATION AND OUR BENEFITS? I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT IN 2025, DESPITE THESE EFFORTS THAT WE'RE MAKING TO PREVENT THOSE TWO THINGS, IF IN 2025, AT SOME POINT THERE IS NOT ADDITIONAL FUNDING PROVIDED BY AUSTIN, WE WILL BE HAVING TO HAVE THIS CONVERSATION AGAIN.

AND WHILE I KNOW WE RIGHT NOW WE HAVE TO ADDRESS WHAT WE'RE FACING NOW, I WANT TO KEEP THAT ON EVERYONE'S HORIZON, BECAUSE RIGHT NOW, WE MAY NOT KNOW IF THERE'S A FIFTH SPECIAL SESSION BEING CALLED.

UM, AND WE MIGHT BE IN A IN A MOMENT OF INACTION.

WE HAVE TO KEEP THE URGENCY OF MAKING SURE OUR LEGISLATORS HEAR FROM US, FROM EVERY CONSTITUENT THAT THEY NEED TO FUND PUBLIC EDUCATION, AND THEY NEED TO PROVIDE FUNDING TO RICHARDSON ISD.

SO WITH THAT, UH, WE WOULD LOVE TO HEAR THE BOARD'S FEEDBACK AND ADDRESS ANY QUESTIONS FROM THE BOARD.

AND AGAIN, THANK YOU. COMMITTEE AND THANK YOU, FACILITATORS.

THANK YOU, MISS BRANUM.

THANK YOU COMMITTEE. THANK YOU FOR THE HARD WORK.

WE REALLY APPRECIATE YOU.

THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE TONIGHT AND YOUR AWESOME PRESENTATIONS.

WE REALLY APPRECIATE IT.

SO NOW WE'RE GOING TO OPEN IT UP FOR QUESTIONS FROM THE BOARD.

NOT ALL AT ONCE.

MR. POTEET.

ALL RIGHT. APPRECIATE IT.

UH. THANKS AGAIN. LIKE LIKE, UH, MISS HARRIS SAID.

[02:15:01]

I KNOW THESE LAST SIX MONTHS, UM, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT OF COMMITTEES THAT THE DISTRICT PUTS TOGETHER.

I THINK THIS ONE WAS A LITTLE BIT PROBABLY A LOT DIFFERENT, UM, A LOT MORE WORK, PROBABLY THE MAKEUP WAS A LOT DIFFERENT THAN WE USUALLY HAVE ON A LOT OF COMMITTEES.

UM, AND IT WAS VERY COMPREHENSIVE FOR A LOT OF COMMITTEES ARE VERY SPECIFIC TO WHAT THEY'RE BEING CHARGED WITH.

YOU GUYS WERE LOOKING AT FROM A TO Z WITHIN THE DISTRICT, AS WE SHOULD.

SO I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU FOR THE TIME YOU PUT INTO THAT, BECAUSE THAT'S TIME YOU'RE NOT, UH, HOME WITH YOUR FAMILIES, AS WE KNOW.

SO, UM, THE VALUE, YOU KNOW, AND I WANTED TO START BY TALKING ABOUT THE PROCESS AND THE COMMITTEE REAL QUICK.

UM, BUT I KNOW THAT THE RECOMMENDATIONS IS KIND OF WHAT COMES OUT AT THE BACK END, RIGHT? IS, YOU KNOW, YOU WORK, WORK, WORK, YOU COME UP WITH YOUR RECOMMENDATIONS AND WE WE GO FORWARD WITH THAT.

AND THE ADMINISTRATION STARTS PUTTING PEN TO PAPER ON THOSE.

I ALSO SEE THAT THERE IS A LOT OF VALUE IN THE PROCESS ITSELF.

I THINK THE DISCUSSIONS YOU ALL HAD, THERE WAS VALUE THERE.

UM, I THINK THE, UM, THE EDUCATION THAT YOU ALL RECEIVED, THERE'S VALUE THERE.

UM, THE ADVOCACY THAT WE HOPE WILL CARRY FORWARD IN EDUCATING PEOPLE, EACH OF YOU HAS A SPHERE OF INFLUENCE IN YOUR COMMUNITY AND YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD AT YOUR SCHOOL. UM, THIS IS THAT IMPORTANT THAT IT JUST CAN'T BE THE EIGHT OF US TRYING TO GET THE WORD OUT IN THE DISTRICT.

WE'VE GOT 200 AND WHAT, 40,000 PEOPLE IN THE DISTRICT, I BELIEVE.

AND WE NEED ALL OF YOU TO HELP EXPLAIN KIND OF THE SITUATION AS WE GO FORWARD.

AND WE'LL OBVIOUSLY HAVE A COMMUNICATION PLAN AND DIFFERENT MODES AND STUFF AS WELL.

BUT I REALLY I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF VALUE.

YOU CAN FIND LOTS OF DIFFERENT WAYS TO FIND VALUE IN THIS COMMITTEE.

AND SO I APPRECIATE THAT.

UM, ALSO, THE, UH, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE COMMITTEE, I KNOW THAT THE NUTS AND BOLTS WILL COME FROM THE ADMINISTRATION, BUT I APPRECIATE THE WAY I LOOKED AT IT WAS THE GUARDRAILS. YOU ALL WERE KIND OF PUTTING TOGETHER THE GUARDRAILS.

WHAT'S PALATABLE TO THE COMMUNITY? YOU KNOW, WE CAN WE CAN COME UP WITH SOME OF THESE SAME RECOMMENDATIONS.

STAFF COULD PUT SOME OF THESE RECOMMENDATIONS TOGETHER.

BUT I THINK WE WERE RELYING ON YOU ALL WHO ARE THE PARENTS, THE CONSTITUENTS, THE VOTERS, THE TAXPAYERS.

YOU'VE KIND OF GOT TO TELL US WHAT YOU'RE COMFORTABLE WITH.

AND I THINK THAT THAT'S PART OF THE VALUE THAT CAME OUT OF THIS COMMITTEE.

SO I APPRECIATE THAT AS WELL.

UM, TO ECHO WHAT MISS BRANUM SAID, KIND OF WHEN SHE LED OFF, YOU KNOW, THIS IS WE'RE FINDING OURSELVES NOT BY CHOICE ENTIRELY.

IN FACT, MOST, IN FACT, MOSTLY, UM, NOT BY CHOICE IN A AUSTERITY KIND OF ECONOMIC SITUATION.

SO WE WE HAVE FINANCIAL STRESSES THAT WE'RE ALL AWARE OF NOW GOING FORWARD.

UM, AND FOR US TO MAINTAIN, FOR US TO GET THE OUTCOMES TO THE ACADEMIC OUTCOMES OF OUR STUDENTS THAT WE WANT TO.

AND WE'VE CHARGED THE SUPERINTENDENT AND STAFF AND TEACHERS TO GET TO WE NEED THIS FLEXIBILITY FINANCIALLY.

WE NEED TO FOCUS THE LIMITED RESOURCES.

THE MORE AND MORE LIMITED RESOURCES THAT WE HAVE TIME, MONEY, STAFF, EFFORT.

WE NEED TO FOCUS ON ACHIEVING THOSE GOALS AND THE STATUS QUO IS NOT GOING TO DO IT.

WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO GIVE IF WE STAY AND DON'T DO ANYTHING AND STAY WITH THE STATUS QUO, WE'RE GOING TO BE LEFT WITH BAD DECISIONS, AND THEY'RE NOT GOING TO HELP WITH THE OUTCOMES OF OUR STUDENTS.

AND I ALSO THINK THAT WHAT'S ALMOST AS EQUAL WITH THE OUTCOME OF THE STUDENTS IS THE EXPERIENCE OF OUR STAFF.

THOSE THINGS ARE TIED TOGETHER AND CAN'T BE DECOUPLED.

UM, SO WE HAVE TO BE LASER FOCUSED ON THAT.

AND THE ONLY THING THAT'S GOING TO GIVE US THAT FLEXIBILITY IS, UM, SOME OF THESE HARD CHOICES THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO MAKE.

SO I JUST THINK THAT'S THE BIGGEST PICTURE THAT WE NEED TO ENTER INTO THESE CONVERSATIONS ON.

UM, ON THE FACILITY SIDE.

AND I KNOW, STEVE, YOU HAD MENTIONED THIS.

I MEAN, WE'RE YOU LOOK AT NUMBERS AND WE'VE GOT FACILITIES BASICALLY FOR 52,000 STUDENTS, AND WE'VE GOT 37,000 STUDENTS ROUGHLY.

SO, I MEAN, THERE'S SOME REAL BIG PICTURE NUMBERS THAT JUST SHOW UP AND YOU'RE LIKE, YEAH, WE GOT SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO ADDRESS.

I THINK I LOOKED AT DEMOGRAPHERS REPORTS AND SOME OF OUR ENROLLMENT NUMBERS, AND WE'RE ROUGHLY 70% UTILIZED ACROSS THE DISTRICT.

AND SOME CAMPUSES THAT WAS MENTIONED ARE 50 LOW 50% UTILIZED.

SO WE HAVE VERY FEW THAT ARE IN THE UPPER 80S TO 90, UM, PERCENT UTILIZED.

SO BUT ON AVERAGE, I THINK AS A DISTRICT, WE'RE ABOUT 70% UTILIZED.

SO THERE'S GOT TO BE SOME RIGHT SIZING JUST FROM THAT ASPECT AS WELL.

AND THAT'S NOT SPEAKING TO STAFF, THAT'S SPEAKING PRIMARILY TO, UH, SEATS FACILITIES.

SO UM.

YOU KNOW, I WROTE DOWN GROWTH A COUPLE OF TIMES, AND I KNOW THAT'S OUR FOCUS AS A DISTRICT IS REALLY ON GROWTH RATHER THAN THE OUTCOMES.

UM, THE OUTCOMES WILL GET THERE IF WE'RE ACHIEVING THE GROWTH THAT WE'RE TRYING TO.

[02:20:01]

UM, WE CAN'T LOSE SIGHT OF THAT.

WE CAN'T DERAIL THAT THROUGH SOME OF THESE DECISIONS.

UM, ONE THING SOMEBODY BROUGHT UP, YOU KNOW, COST BENEFIT.

EVERY DECISION WE HAVE, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO GO THROUGH A COST BENEFIT ANALYSIS.

AND I THINK I FORGET WHO WAS SPEAKING UP HERE AT THE PODIUM.

UM, BUT THERE'S MORE THAN DOLLARS IN THAT COST BENEFIT ANALYSIS.

THERE'S CULTURAL IMPACTS TO THE CULTURE OF RISD.

WE PRIDE OURSELVES IN NEIGHBORHOOD SCHOOLS.

WELL, THAT COMES AT A COST THAT COMES AT A DOLLAR COST.

SO WHEN WE MAKE DECISIONS LIKE THIS, WE WILL OBVIOUSLY LOOK AT THE DOLLAR COSTS AND BENEFITS, BUT WE NEED TO LOOK AT OTHER FACTORS AND IMPACTS OUTSIDE OF THAT. AND SO I THINK THAT'S THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S GOING TO BE ALMOST AS IMPORTANT AS THE DOLLARS IS THE IMPACTS OUTSIDE OF JUST MONEY.

UM, I'M ALMOST DONE HERE.

A COUPLE OF THINGS. UM, ELEMENTARY NON EFFICIENCY.

I FORGET WHO BROUGHT THAT UP.

BUT BASICALLY THE SLIDE SAID WE'RE PRETTY EFFICIENT IN THE SECONDARY LEVEL.

UM, MY MY WORRY IS THAT IT'S ALMOST LIKE A WAVE.

AND SO IF WE'VE GOT ISSUES OF INEFFICIENCIES AT THE ELEMENTARY, AS THOSE KIDS GROW, ARE WE GOING TO SEE THAT WAVE PROGRESS INTO THE SECONDARY? SO THAT'S SOMETHING I KNOW AS WE STUDY THE DEMOGRAPHERS REPORT AND GET AN UPDATED ONE EACH.

UH, I GUESS WE GET IT IN FEBRUARY OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

UM, IT'LL BE INTERESTING TO SEE THOSE NUMBERS AND SEE WHAT THE WHAT THE PROGRESSION IS, SINCE WE HAVE OUR NEW DEMOGRAPHER ON BOARD AND HAVE HAD ONE REPORT FROM THEM.

UM, AND THE LAST THING I WROTE DOWN WAS THE EXPLORER PROGRAM, AND I KNOW THAT WAS BROUGHT UP AS A RECOMMENDATION.

UM, DO WE WHAT? AND THIS ISN'T TO BE ANSWERED TONIGHT, BUT WHAT ARE THE BARRIERS? I THINK YOU HAD MENTIONED MAYBE STAFFING, WHICH, YOU KNOW, THAT'S A COST.

SO WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO INCREASE THE COST TO REALIZE A GREATER BENEFIT.

SO THERE'S WE'RE KIND OF FOCUSED ON THE NET THERE.

BUT UM, BUT I TOTALLY AGREE.

AND THAT BEING A VERY SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATION, THERE'S OPPORTUNITY THERE.

AND AND LOOKING AT WHAT'S KEEPING US FROM GETTING THERE TODAY.

UM, YOU KNOW, ANOTHER ONE THAT WE'VE SPOKEN TO BEFORE, I THINK A COUPLE OF MEETINGS AGO WAS THE AVID PROGRAM.

WE SEE A LOT OF GREAT BENEFIT FROM THE AVID PROGRAM, BUT IT COMES AT A GREAT COST AS WELL.

SO IF WE'RE TRYING TO GET OUTCOMES WITH STUDENTS, AVID IS HELPING US GET TO THOSE, BUT AT A VERY SIGNIFICANT DOLLAR COST.

SO WE'VE GOT TO KIND OF FIGURE OUT HOW CAN WE GO DOWN THAT PATH, HOW CAN WE EXPAND SOME OF THESE OPPORTUNITIES, LIKE EXPLORE AVID THAT ARE GOING TO GET US WHERE WE'VE CHARGED OURSELVES AND GOING, BUT ALSO BALANCE IT OUT WITH SOME OF THE, UH, SOME OF THE SOME OF THE I DON'T WANT TO JUST CUTBACKS, BUT SOME OF THE OTHER PART OF THAT EQUATION. SO ANYWAY, AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR ALL THAT.

THOSE WERE JUST SOME OF THE THINGS I HAD WRITTEN DOWN.

AND UM, AND AGAIN, LAST THING AND MISS BRANDON MENTIONED THIS, YOU KNOW, I THINK WHEN I ADDED UP ROUGH NUMBERS AND ALL THESE POTENTIAL, UM, WHAT DID YOU SAY? WE'RE AIMING FOR $26 MILLION OR SOMETHING, POTENTIALLY 15 THE FIRST YEAR? YES, SIR. TRYING TO REPLACE THE ESSER, UH, SUPPLANTING IN THIS YEAR'S BUDGET OF $26 MILLION 15. YEP.

AND IF YOU LOOK AND TO MISS BRANUM'S POINT, IF YOU LOOK AT THE MODELING OF WHERE WE'RE GOING FORWARD, I MEAN, WE'RE SHOWING FUND BALANCE, UH, DECREASES OF $44 MILLION, $77 MILLION, $90 SOMETHING MILLION.

SO, I MEAN, TO HER POINT, UNTIL WE GET HELP ON THE FUNDING FORMULA DOWN IN AUSTIN, WE CAN'T SOLVE THE PROBLEM OURSELVES.

BUT I'M NOT WILLING TO GO TO AUSTIN AND BEG FOR HELP WITHOUT SAYING THAT WE'RE DOING WHAT WE NEED TO DO ON OUR END AND WHAT WE CAN CONTROL.

SO I THINK THAT'S A REALLY IMPORTANT PIECE TO UNDERSTAND HERE, UM, AS WE GO FORWARD.

SO THAT'S ALL I HAD.

ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU, MR. POTEET. MISS TIMME.

YES. THANK YOU.

UM, FIRST OFF, I WANT TO THANK THE SUBCOMMITTEES AND YOU GUYS FOR PRESENTING AND ALL THE FOLKS THAT YOU WORKED WITH ON THAT.

THAT IS A LOT OF WORK, AND IT'S A LOT OF GREAT DISCUSSION AND TRULY, UM, INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT TO THE THINGS THAT WE'LL HAVE TO DO.

I THINK, I THINK SEVERAL OF YOU GUYS SAID, LIKE, THERE ARE NO FUN DECISIONS TO BE MADE.

UM, AND THAT'S TRUE.

UM, THAT BEING SAID, IT MAKES IT A LOT EASIER TO MAKE SOME OF THOSE TOUGH DECISIONS WHEN WE HAVE REALLY GOOD FEEDBACK THAT REALLY ADDRESSES THE THINGS THAT NEED TO BE ADDRESSED WITH, UM, THINGS THAT LIKE USING RUBRICS AND OTHER THINGS THAT MAYBE WE HADN'T MAYBE WE WOULDN'T HAVE PUT TOGETHER IN THAT WAY.

AND I CAN'T TELL YOU HOW VALUABLE THAT IS.

UM, I WANT TO THANK MISS BERRYMAN.

I WANT TO THANK YOU AND YOUR TEAM, UM, FOR REALLY INVESTING AND ENCOURAGING A GROUP OF FOLKS WHO HAVE A DIVERSITY OF THOUGHT.

I THINK IN THE PAST, WE HAVEN'T NECESSARILY HAD THAT WHERE WE ENCOURAGED SOME OF THAT, UM, DISCUSSION THAT CHALLENGES US AND REALLY LETS US KNOW, UM, POSSIBLE OTHER WAYS.

AND REALLY, THE BEST, THE BEST OUTCOMES COME FROM THROWING ALL THE IDEAS ON THE TABLE, REALLY HAVING THOSE HARD DISCUSSIONS AND DETERMINING, UM, WHAT OUR COMMUNITY CAN TOLERATE

[02:25:07]

SO I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT.

UM, A LITTLE BIT OF AN ECHO OF WHAT CHRIS SAID.

BUT, UM, TO ADD TO THAT, I THINK THAT THERE'S A COMPELLING WHY FOR THIS WHOLE THING AND WHY WE WANT TO LOOK AT THIS.

AND I THINK THAT'S BECAUSE WE REALLY WANT THE BEST OUTCOMES FOR OUR STUDENTS.

AND THAT REALLY STARTS WITH HAVING THE OPPORTUNITY TO GIVE THEM GREAT ACADEMIC OUTCOMES.

UM, AND IN ORDER TO DO THAT, YOU HAVE TO HAVE THE RESOURCES TO INVEST IN THE THINGS THAT THE DISTRICT NEEDS IN ORDER TO HAVE THAT.

AND IN ORDER TO DO THAT, AT THIS POINT IN TIME, GIVEN THE ENROLLMENT AND WHERE WE'RE AT, THAT DOES COME FROM MAKING THESE TOUGH DECISIONS, BUT ALWAYS THINKING ABOUT HAVING THE BEST ACADEMIC OUTCOMES FOR OUR KIDS SO THEY HAVE THE MOST CHOICES WHEN THEY LEAVE RICHARDSON ISD, SO THAT WE ARE HAVING THE BEST TEACHERS IN THAT CLASSROOM, BECAUSE IF WE HAVE THE BEST TEACHERS IN THAT CLASSROOM, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE THE BEST OUTCOMES FOR OUR KIDS, BUT WE NEED THE ABILITY TO INVEST IN THAT.

UM, AND THAT THAT COMES WITH, YOU HAVE TO PAY YOUR PEOPLE TO BE HERE.

WE WANT THE MOST ROBUST POOL SO WE CAN PICK FROM THE BEST SO THAT THAT'S THE THAT'S WHAT OUR, OUR, UM, OUR STUDENTS HAVE.

SO I SAY ALL OF THAT TO SAY THAT WORK THAT YOU GUYS HAVE DONE WILL ALLOW US TO HOPEFULLY FOCUS ON THOSE THINGS AND ENSURE THAT THOSE THINGS ARE COMING FORWARD.

UM, SO I DID JUST WANT TO HAVE I DO HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS.

I'M GOING TO DIRECT THEM TO YOU, MISS BRANUM, AND THEN I'M GOING TO LET YOU DIRECT THEM WHERE YOU WANT TO, BECAUSE I DON'T PUT ANYBODY ON THE SPOT.

IT'S A LITTLE BIT AND I WANT TO BE WHEELS OFF.

OH, LET ME JUST ASK WHOEVER.

SO I'M GOING TO DIRECT HIM TO YOU.

SO, UM, FIRST OFF, WE HAD I KNOW THAT, UM, THERE WERE A LOT OF RECOMMENDATIONS.

AND YOU GUYS, I HEARD YOU SAY YOU'RE GOING TO MODEL OUT ALL OF THEM, AND THEN WE'RE GOING.

BUT THAT IS NOT AN ASSUMPTION THAT ALL OF THEM WILL BE DONE AND DONE IN THE FIRST YEAR OR HOW THEY'LL BE DONE.

YOU GUYS ARE GOING TO MODEL THEM OUT FOR CONSIDERATION WITH ALL THE DATA POINTS FOR US TO PRESENT, GET FEEDBACK AND THEN MAKE THE DETERMINATIONS GOING FORWARD.

CORRECT, MA'AM? YES, ABSOLUTELY.

OKAY. AND THERE MAY BE OF THESE RECOMMENDATIONS.

THERE MAY BE A RECOMMENDATION THAT THE BOARD SAYS THAT DOES NOT ALIGN WITH THE WORK AND THE VISION THAT WE HAVE AS, AS, AS A BOARD AS WELL.

UM, SO THESE ARE THE COMMITTEE'S SIX MONTHS OF WORK THAT THEY'RE BRINGING FORWARD.

WE'RE GOING TO MODEL IT OUT AND THEN ASK FOR YOUR FEEDBACK IN TERMS OF THAT TIMELINE AND IMPLEMENTATION.

AWESOME. VERY GOOD.

UM, AND THEN JUST A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS AROUND THE PRESENTATIONS THEMSELVES I SAW IN THERE THE, UH, WELL, FIRST OFF, WHEN YOU GUYS WERE TALKING ABOUT CENTRAL OFFICE AND YOU SAID ANYBODY WHO'S LIKE, NOT ATTACHED TO A BUILDING, CAN YOU GIVE US A LITTLE BIT OF A LIKE THE THE SPECTRUM OF WHO ALL THAT INCLUDES AND WHO WE'RE TALKING ABOUT BECAUSE I THINK CENTRAL OFFICE CAN MEAN LOTS OF DIFFERENT THINGS TO LOTS OF DIFFERENT PEOPLE.

I THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT CLARIFICATION.

I THINK, YOU KNOW, IT INCLUDES EVERYTHING FROM OUR CHILD NUTRITION STAFF, OUR, UM, TRANSPORTATION STAFF, OUR MAINTENANCE AND OPERATION.

WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT OUR PLUMBING AND OUR HVAC TEAM, THEN YOU ALSO HAVE TEACHING AND LEARNING.

YOU HAVE WHAT IT TAKES FOR, YOU KNOW, FROM ATHLETICS TO COUNSELING SUPPORT SERVICES.

SO I MEAN, IT IS A BREADTH OF SUPPORTS THAT WE HAVE TO, UH, HAVE IN PLACE TO MAKE SCHOOL HAPPEN EVERY SINGLE DAY.

OKAY, GREAT. AND THEN I SAW WHEN YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT THAT A REDUCTION IN EXPENSE FROM 5 TO 7%.

AND I THINK THAT I THINK IN SOME OF THAT WE WERE TALKING STAFF, BUT WE ARE NOT TALKING ABOUT REDUCING STAFF PER SE.

WE ARE TALKING ABOUT REDUCING 5 TO 7% OF EXPENSE.

IS THAT CORRECT? YES, MA'AM.

THAT PERCENT COULD BE FROM IT MIGHT BE THAT WE TAKE AN OPERATION BUDGET AND WE MAKE A DECISION THAT, FOR EXAMPLE, WE ARE NOT GOING TO FUND X SOFTWARE SOLUTION ANY LONGER BECAUSE WE'RE NOT SEEING THE BENEFIT.

AND THAT'S GOING TO SAVE THE DISTRICT A SIGNIFICANT.

SO IT'S NOT ALWAYS AN ALLOCATION.

UM, THE OTHER IMPORTANT PART IS THAT YOU HEARD FROM YOU DID NOT HEAR FROM THE COMMITTEE, UM, NOR FROM LEADERSHIP, THAT THIS WOULD ENTAIL A REDUCTION IN FORCE OR A FORMAL RIFT.

UM, IF THERE IS ANY ATTRITION IN.

STAFF ALLOCATIONS.

WE'RE GOING TO DO IT THROUGH ATTRITION.

WE'RE NOT GOING TO DO IT BECAUSE WE'RE CUTTING ANY ONE PARTICULAR POSITION OR STAFF MEMBER.

OKAY. EXCELLENT. I KNOW THAT IN A COUPLE OF PAST PRESENTATIONS, WE TALKED ABOUT AN INCREASE IN STAFF IN CENTRAL ADMINISTRATION.

CAN YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHY OVER TIME THAT HAS HAPPENED? YEAH. SO A COUPLE OF IMPORTANT THINGS TO NOTE IN THE IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS OF THE DISTRICT.

ONE FOR EXAMPLE, IS UH, PRIOR UM TO 2018-2019, WE HAD ACTUALLY OUTSOURCED TRANSPORTATION WITH DALLAS COUNTY SCHOOLS.

AND UM, AS WE ARE AWARE, THAT UNDERWENT SOME SCRUTINY.

AND, UM, THERE WAS SOME, SOME THINGS THAT OCCURRED THERE THAT WE BROUGHT TRANSPORTATION IN-HOUSE.

SO, AGAIN, WE ARE NOW RUNNING OUR OWN TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM.

SO EVERYTHING FROM HIRING AND TRAINING AND PROVIDING THE CDL LICENSES TO OVERSIGHT TO MAINTAINING OF THE VEHICLES, THAT IS NOW ALL DONE IN-HOUSE AND REQUIRED A SIGNIFICANT TEAM TO LEAD AND SUPPORT THAT, UM, SAFETY AND SECURITY.

UM, AGAIN, I JOINED THE DISTRICT NINE AND A HALF YEARS AGO AND, UM, YOU KNOW, DEBBIE AND AND LUTHER, THEY WERE OUR SECURITY FOR THE ENTIRE DISTRICT.

[02:30:05]

UM, BUT THE LANDSCAPE OF WHAT IT MEANS TO ENSURE A SAFE AND SECURE ENVIRONMENT HAS CHANGED DRASTICALLY.

UM, AND AGAIN, EVEN IN THE LAST YEAR, WE'VE HAD TO RETHINK THE LEADERSHIP TEAM.

WHEN YOU ARE HIRING SECURITY OFFICERS FOR EVERY ONE OF YOUR CAMPUSES, HOW, AGAIN, YOU HAVE TO HIRE, PROVIDE TRAINING, PROVIDE OVERSIGHT TO MAKE SURE THAT THOSE INDIVIDUALS ARE MEETING THE EXPECTATION THAT YOU'VE OUTLINED IN THEIR JOB DESCRIPTION.

SO THOSE ARE JUST TWO EXAMPLES OF SOME CHANGES WE'VE HAD TO MAKE IN CENTRAL OFFICE THAT MAY LOOK LIKE WE ARE WE ARE BLOATING THAT SUPPORT, BUT IN FACT IT IS IT IS SOME NATURAL REQUIREMENTS.

FANTASTIC. OKAY. THANK YOU. THAT IS A GREAT CLARIFICATION.

UM, ALSO, UM, I KNOW THAT IT WAS MENTIONED IN THE PRESENTATION AND IT WAS BROUGHT UP OF THE MIDDLE SCHOOL TRANSFORMATION AND BRINGING UP OUR SIXTH GRADE INTO A MIDDLE SCHOOL FORMAT, WHICH OBVIOUSLY DECREASES THE ENROLLMENT IN OUR ELEMENTARIES.

UM, SO WHILE I KNOW THAT THAT I KNOW THAT THERE WILL BE A LITTLE BIT OF CONSTERNATION AROUND THAT DOESN'T SEEM, YOU KNOW, THOSE TWO THINGS DON'T SEEM TO MIX.

CAN YOU CLARIFY WHY WE WOULD GO AHEAD AND GO FORWARD WITH THE MIDDLE SCHOOL TRANSFORMATION IF WE'RE CONCERNED ABOUT OUR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL ENROLLMENT? THANK YOU FOR THAT QUESTION.

AND I DO THINK THAT THERE WERE SEVERAL MOMENTS WHEN THE COMMITTEE HAD THIS CONVERSATION AROUND THE MIDDLE SCHOOL TRANSFORMATION, AND WE RE-ANCHORED THEM BACK TO THE CONVERSATION THAT A SIMILAR COMMITTEE SPENT A YEAR STUDYING THE OUTCOMES AND THE BENEFITS OF THE MIDDLE SCHOOL MODEL EVERYTHING FROM CURRICULUM, THE WAY OUR CURRICULUM IS OUTLINED.

IT'S OUTLINED K-5, SIX EIGHT AND 912 ARE THE WAY OUR CURRICULUM RESOURCES BY THE TEXAS EDUCATION AGENCY ARE BUNDLED ARE IN THAT SAME. SO RIGHT NOW, OUR SIXTH GRADE MATH TEACHERS AND LANGUAGE ARTS TEACHERS, FOR EXAMPLE, ARE USING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT CURRICULUM NEED SUPPORT, PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT THAT IS COMPLETELY DIFFERENT THAN K-5.

UM, THE EXTRA CURRICULAR FINE ARTS WE HEARD LOUD AND CLEAR FROM FINE ARTS AND ATHLETICS THE CURRENT CHALLENGES THAT EXIST IN OUR MIDDLE SCHOOL MODEL, IN OUR JUNIOR HIGH MODEL, AND THE NEED TO MOVE AND TRANSITION TO A SIX THROUGH EIGHT.

SO AGAIN, WE RECOGNIZE THAT WHEN THOSE SIXTH GRADERS MOVE THAT, THAT DOES EXACERBATE SOME OF THE OPENINGS AND THE VACANCY THAT WE HAVE IN ELEMENTARY.

AND TWO THINGS THAT I THINK WAS IMPORTANT IS THAT AS PART OF WHERE THE EMPHASIS WAS, HOW DO WE CREATE SOME INNOVATIVE CHOICE PROGRAMING, NOT JUST IN ONE LEARNING COMMUNITY, BUT HOW DO WE AGAIN PROVIDE EQUITY ACROSS ALL FOUR? UM, HOPEFULLY AGAIN, IF WE HAVE SOME REALLY ROBUST CHOICES THAT MAYBE WE WILL BE ABLE TO RECRUIT SOME FAMILIES BACK FROM CHARTER SCHOOLS AND ALSO FROM SOME SURROUNDING DISTRICTS. AND THEN ALSO IT'S GOING TO ALLOW US, IF WE KNOW THAT WE'RE GOING TO SEE THIS DECLINING ENROLLMENT AS WE PLAN FOR THE MIDDLE SCHOOL MODEL AND THE OTHER THREE LEARNING COMMUNITIES, UM, THE EXTENSIVE NATURE OF THE RENOVATION AT THE OTHER SIX, WELL, WE KNOW WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO RENOVATE AND ADD FINE ARTS AND OTHER AREAS.

WE MAY NOT HAVE TO HAVE SUCH A WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO SCALE SOME OF THAT BACK AS WELL.

SO WE'RE TRYING TO APPROACH THAT HOLISTICALLY SO THAT WE DON'T FURTHER EXACERBATE THE NUMBER OF SEATS.

SO RENOVATE THE BUILDING, UPDATE THEM.

BUT WE MAY NOT HAVE TO ADD AS MANY CLASSROOMS AS ORIGINALLY ANTICIPATED.

AND PART OF THAT IS BECAUSE WE'RE MORE EFFICIENT IN OUR MIDDLE SCHOOL MODEL.

WE ARE IN AN ELEMENTARY STAFFING MODEL.

YES, MA'AM. SO THEN INSTRUCTIONALLY IT MAKES SENSE.

YES, MA'AM. CLEARLY OUR OUTCOMES NEED TO BE OUR FOCUS IF THAT'S WHAT WE'RE DOING.

AND THEN ALSO BECAUSE OUR MIDDLE SCHOOL MODEL SCALES BETTER.

YES, MA'AM. UM, AND AN EFFICIENCY.

OKAY, GREAT. UM, JUST A COUPLE MORE.

WELL, A STATEMENT ON THIS ONE.

SO ON THE INTERDISTRICT AND CHOICE PROGRAMING.

UM, JUST JUST A STATEMENT AND I THINK WE'RE ALL I THINK WE ALL ARE IN AGREEMENT FOR THIS BECAUSE ACADEMICS ARE OUTCOMES ARE, YOU KNOW, ARE PARAMOUNT.

BUT IF WE'RE GOING TO WANT PEOPLE TO COME TO OUR ISD, WE HAVE TO BE REALLY GREAT IN OUR ACADEMICS.

PEOPLE ARE I MEAN, THEY'RE HERE FOR AN EDUCATION THEY WANT.

THAT'S WHAT THEY WANT FOR THEIR KIDS.

AND SO WE HAVE TO REALLY MAKE SURE THAT IN OUR EDUCATION THAT WE HAVE NOW, THAT WE'RE REALLY FOCUSING ON THAT, WHILE WE WOULD ALSO PUT IN POTENTIAL CHOICE PROGRAMING, THAT THOSE THINGS HAVE TO GO HAND IN HAND AND WE CAN'T FOCUS ON ONE AND NOT THE OTHER WITH THAT.

SO THAT WAS JUST MY STATEMENT THERE BECAUSE I THINK IT'S REALLY GREAT.

AND THEN MY LAST QUESTION REALLY IS AROUND THAT HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION.

UM. MR.. I HEARD YOU SPEAK ABOUT THIS.

I'M GOING TO ADDRESS MY QUESTION HERE, AND YOU CAN DECIDE WHERE IT GOES.

UM, SO YOU SAID I THINK YOU SAID 23% ARE ON THAT 65 OR OLDER FREEZE ON THE HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION.

UM, CAN YOU TALK TO ME A LITTLE BIT ABOUT I THINK THERE'S TWO WAYS THAT IT COSTS US MONEY.

ONE IN PROPERTY TAX VALUE, BUT ALSO TWO IN THE.

AND THEN THAT BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT LEAVING THE AREA BECAUSE THEY LOVE IT.

AND I AM GLAD THEY ARE HERE, BUT BECAUSE MY PARENTS WOULD BE INCLUDED IN THAT ACTUALLY.

AND THEN BUT WE ALSO LOSE THE AMOUNT IN ENROLLMENT POTENTIALLY FROM A NEW FAMILY MOVING IN.

SO DOES IT COST US MONEY TWO WAYS? IS THAT CORRECT? ABSOLUTELY.

AND AGAIN, TO YOUR POINT, WE I, I ABSOLUTELY LOVE WE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO RECENTLY MEET WITH OUR SILVER PLATINUM, UH, COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO ARE HAVE BEEN

[02:35:05]

THEY LOVE THIS DISTRICT.

BUT IN THE END AS WHEN THEY HOLD ON TO THOSE HOUSES LONGER AND LONGER, THAT THAT SLOWS THE REGENERATION OF OF A COMMUNITY MEMBER.

UM, AND SO INSTEAD OF A FAMILY THAT MIGHT COME IN AND EITHER MIGHT BE A VERY YOUNG FAMILY WHO'S ABOUT TO HAVE KIDS OR A FAMILY WHO HAS YOUNG KIDS, BECAUSE, AGAIN, AND I LOVE OUR OLDER FAMILIES.

AND BUT WHEN THEY HOLD ON TO THOSE HOUSES, THEN THAT PREVENTS A YOUNGER FAMILY FROM BUYING THAT HOUSE THAT MAY HAVE 2 OR 3 YOUNGER KIDS.

UM, AND THEN AGAIN, WITH MORTGAGE RATES AND THOSE OTHER THINGS THAT WE'RE SEEING RIGHT NOW, I THINK THAT'S EVEN MORE INCENTIVE WHY PEOPLE ARE HOLDING ON TO THEIR HOUSES.

ABSOLUTELY. OKAY, GREAT. I JUST WANTED TO BE SURE AND JUST ADD THAT.

OKAY. AND THEN LASTLY, I JUST WANTED TO ADDRESS THE COMMITTEES JUST ONE LAST TIME AS I WRAP IT UP.

UM, I HOPE THAT THIS ISN'T VIEWED AS LIKE AN END OF YOU GUYS GIVING US FEEDBACK.

UM, WE'RE SO APPRECIATIVE OF THAT.

BUT AS WE MODEL THESE THINGS OUT, YOU GUYS HAVE SUCH A DEEP UNDERSTANDING.

I HOPE THAT YOU WILL SHARE WITH THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS THAT YOU WORKED WITH, THAT WE WOULD CONTINUE TO WANT TO HEAR YOUR INPUT AND YOUR FEEDBACK AS YOU SEE THESE THINGS MODELED OUT.

I DON'T KNOW ABOUT Y'ALL, BUT SOMETIMES I HAVE IN MY MIND WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE, AND THEN IT GETS MODELED OUT AND I'M LIKE, OH, THAT'S NOT EXACTLY WHAT WE MEANT, OR THAT'S NOT EXACTLY HOW I SAW THAT HAPPENING.

AND THAT FEEDBACK FOR US, CONTINUAL IS GOING TO BE EXTREMELY HELPFUL AS WE LOOK AT THESE MODELS.

AND AS YOU GUYS ARE TALKING TO OTHER PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY.

SO I HOPE YOU GUYS SEE THIS AS WE'VE DONE THIS WORK FOR SIX MONTHS.

AND HERE WE'RE GIVING THIS AND WE HOPEFULLY LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUE TO GIVING US FEEDBACK AS YOU SEE THESE THINGS STARTING TO COME ALIVE IN AN ACTUAL MODEL.

BECAUSE I HAVE TO TELL YOU SOME OF THE BEST FEEDBACK I'VE HEARD FROM THE COMMUNITY, AND WE REALLY APPRECIATE IT.

MISS TAMMY. AND TO YOUR POINT, UM, BELIEVE IT OR NOT, THE COMMITTEE ASKED TO HAVE FOLLOW UP MEETINGS.

UM, THE FIRST THING THAT WE HAVE DONE IS, UM, AGAIN, DOCTOR HELLER AND MISTER CLARK, THEY HAVE PROVIDED THE TEAM WITH TALKING POINTS BECAUSE, UM, TO YOUR POINT, MISTER POTEET AS WELL, THEY ASKED TO BE ADVOCATES.

THEY THEY WANTED TO HAVE A CONSISTENT SET OF TALKING POINTS THAT WHEN THEY'RE ASKED A QUESTION, UM, THAT THEY KNOW THAT THEY ARE SPEAKING IN UNITY ON BEHALF OF THE COMMITTEE AS WELL AS ON BEHALF OF THE DISTRICT.

AND SO I COULD NOT APPLAUD THEM MORE FOR THAT.

BUT THEN TO YOUR POINT, THEY THEY SAID, LET'S COME BACK TOGETHER.

AND AS THIS ROLLS OUT AND WE TALK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT COULD A PROCESS LOOK LIKE AROUND SCHOOL CONSOLIDATION? CAN WE COME TO THE TABLE AND GIVE YOU FEEDBACK AND HELP BE THOUGHT PARTNERS AROUND THAT SO THEY KNOW THAT THIS COMMITTEE IS IS NOT DISILLUSIONED.

IT IS NOT DECOMMISSIONED.

IN FACT, IT IS A WORKING COMMITTEE.

UM, BUT WE ARE GOING TO GIVE THEM LIKE A MONTH OFF.

FANTASTIC. THANK YOU GUYS SO MUCH.

VERY WELL STATED. MISS TAMMY, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR QUESTION.

ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS FROM THE BOARD? COMMENTS. MR. EAGER. UM, YEAH.

I'LL JUST REPEAT WHAT EVERYBODY ELSE SAYS.

THANK YOU FOR THE TIME.

UH, IT'S IT'S TIME AWAY FROM YOUR FAMILY.

UM, AND I LOVE THE THE IDEA OF NOT WOE IS ME, SKY IS FALLING.

IT'S A COMMUNITY MEMBERS PROBLEM SOLVE.

OKAY, THIS IS, YOU KNOW, APOLLO 13.

THIS IS THE PIECES WE'VE GOT.

LET'S FIGURE IT OUT, YOU KNOW? BUT WE'RE GOING TO GET OUR KIDS EDUCATED.

GREAT OUTCOMES, YOU KNOW, NOT ON OUR WATCH.

YOU KNOW WE'RE GOING TO GET THIS AND PUT THIS TOGETHER.

SO THANK YOU FOR TAKING THAT TYPE OF APPROACH IN THERE BECAUSE WE'RE ALL IN IT TO HELP OUR KIDS.

UM, AND I DO LIKE THE FACT OF I APPRECIATE THE DEFERRED THE DIFFERENT OPINIONS.

AGAIN, I JUST KEEP SAYING THAT.

BUT THAT'S THE BEST THING.

THAT'S HOW THE BEST OUTCOMES.

AND I JUST LIKE THAT THE FACT THAT WE'RE BRINGING IT'S OKAY TO DISAGREE.

WE'RE GETTING BACK TO IT'S OKAY TO HAVE DIFFERENT OPINIONS.

WE ALL HAVE THE SAME OUTCOME IN MIND.

AND THAT IS I APPRECIATE THAT.

UM, BECAUSE I KNOW JUST IN MY OWN LIFE, JUST THE MORE YOU TALK, THE MORE YOU DEEPER UNDERSTAND WITH THE SAME HEART MINE.

THAT'S HOW THE BEST OUTCOMES GET THERE.

UM, SO THANK YOU.

UM, I'M NOT GOING TO GO THROUGH ALL THE DETAILS.

THE ONE THING I WOULD ASK ON THE, ON THE MODELING IS THAT MISTER PATE SAID THAT, HEY, WE GOT TO GET 15 MILLION.

WHAT I'M ALSO TRYING TO DO IS FORWARD, LOOK AHEAD BECAUSE WE NEED TO COMPENSATE OUR TEACHERS.

WE'RE GOING TO NEED TO COMPENSATE OUR STAFF.

AND EVERY ONE OF THOSE RAISES, AS YOU KNOW, IT ADDS MILLIONS OF DOLLARS TO THAT BUDGET.

SO I'M SURE YOU'RE GOING TO MODEL IT, AND WHICH IS GOING TO KIND OF LEAD ME TO MY NEXT JUST KIND OF COMMENTARY BECAUSE, UM, YOU KNOW, MISTER MARTY WAS MORE POLITE ABOUT IT.

BUT I GOT TO TELL YOU, WE WERE DOWN IN AUSTIN AND WE WERE DOING WHAT WE COULD AND TO HAVE JUST IN THE I'M GOING TO GET ON MY SOAPBOX A LITTLE BIT HERE, BUT JUST FOR SOMEBODY THAT'S OPERATING IN THIS COMMUNITY FOR SO LONG TO

[02:40:01]

AND TO NOT HAVE A SINGLE DOLLAR GO TO EDUCATION.

IT'S A LITTLE BIT OF SHAME ON THEM.

OKAY, BECAUSE THAT IS, I UNDERSTAND SOME OF THE THINGS, BUT SEPARATE THAT BECAUSE IT'S ONLY GOING TO HURT A GENERATION OF KIDS.

AND RIGHT NOW WE'RE LOOKING AND OPERATING AT, YOU KNOW, THERE'S $4 BILLION.

THAT'S THE OTHER THING. THERE'S $4 BILLION.

IS THERE WHATEVER.

WE'RE TRYING TO SETTLE DIFFERENCES DOWN THERE.

THE CHALLENGE IS IF $4 BILLION THAT WAS NOT ALLOCATED TO HELP OUR KIDS, SO IT MAY BE TWO YEARS DOWN THE ROAD BEFORE THEY EVEN BRING IT.

AND THERE'S NO GUARANTEE OF THAT.

I LOOK TODAY THEY'RE PROJECTING $18 BILLION SURPLUS IN 24.

SO THE MONEY IS IS BEGINNING THERE.

AND I UNDERSTAND COST DIFFERENCES.

AND BELIEVE ME, I UNDERSTAND THAT WE CANNOT OPERATE AND LOOK THEM IN THE EYE.

AND BECAUSE THE FIRST THING I DO IS GOING TO SAY, HEY, YOU'RE OPERATING AT TOO MUCH CAPACITY, SO WE'RE GOING TO DO OUR PART.

BUT WHAT I WOULD ASK FOR THE PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY, BECAUSE THE PEOPLE ARE IN THIS COMMUNITY, YOU'RE ENGAGED, YOU'RE PAYING ATTENTION BECAUSE YOU KNOW IT'S GOING TO LAND ON. IT'S MORE THE PEOPLE I'M CONCERNED ABOUT ARE THE PEOPLE THAT ARE NOT AS ENGAGED.

AND THAT'S UNDERSTANDABLE BECAUSE WE ALL GOT LIVES AND RUN AROUND THERE.

BUT WHEN WE ARE TALKING DOWN IN AUSTIN AND, AND LOTS OF PEOPLE, LOTS OF EMAILS WENT DOWN THERE.

BUT THE FRUSTRATING THING ABOUT THAT, IT WAS NO MATTER WHAT WE HEARD, NO MATTER WHAT PROMISES WERE SOLD, IT WAS IT WAS KIND OF, WE'RE GOING TO VOTE THE WAY WE VOTE. AND THEY'RE NOT REALLY LISTENING IN MY OPINION.

THERE. THEY'RE JUST KIND OF BEING AND THEY JUST HAVE DIFFERENT OBJECTIVES.

AND I WOULD ASK FOR THE PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT AS INVOLVED, HELP EDUCATE OTHER PEOPLE, HELP, HELP MAKE SURE THAT THEY UNDERSTAND.

BECAUSE WE CAN'T KEEP OPERATING THIS WAY.

WE ARE PUTTING PATCHES AND WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO DO WHAT WE CAN, BUT WE CAN'T KEEP OPERATING.

WE CANNOT, BECAUSE IN ORDER TO PROVIDE TEACHER RAISES, 1% IS LITERALLY MILLIONS, ALMOST.

IT'S ALMOST $4 MILLION TO GIVE TEACHERS WHO DESERVE IT.

AND ALL OUR OTHER TEAM.

ONE. SO WE'RE GOING TO DO ALL THIS.

SO WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ALL THIS STUFF $15 MILLION.

OKAY. AND THEN WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN.

WE'RE GOING TO RIGHTFULLY SO TRY TO COMPENSATE FAIRLY OUR TEACHERS 3%.

WE JUST SAID THAT'S $12 MILLION, $12 MILLION TO DO WHAT'S RIGHT.

AND AND SO I JUST ASK THAT FOR THOSE WHO ARE ENGAGED.

THANK YOU. BUT IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE EDUCATE OTHER PEOPLE WHO DO NOT KNOW, BECAUSE I, EVEN I AM OUT THERE TALKING ALL THE TIME AND A LOT OF PEOPLE JUST DON'T KNOW. AND THEY DON'T UNDERSTAND THE IMPACT THIS IS GOING TO HAVE.

UM, YOU KNOW, SHORT TIME WE CAN GET THROUGH THIS AND WE'RE GOING TO DO BETTER AND WE'RE GOING TO DO EVERYTHING WE CAN.

BUT WE GOT TO THINK LONG TERME ON THIS, AND WE'VE JUST GOT TO SAY, HEY, WHATEVER THE DIFFERENCES ARE, AT LEAST FUND OUR PUBLIC EDUCATION SYSTEM BECAUSE WE CAN'T KEEP OPERATING THIS WAY.

AND IT'S NOT FAIR TO OUR KIDS BECAUSE THE ONE THAT'S PAYING THE PRICE FOR ALL THIS IS THAT IF THERE'S FUNDS AVAILABLE THAT WE COULD PROVIDE GREAT TEACHERS, GREAT CONTENT, GET THE GREAT STUDENT OUTCOMES THAT WE'RE WANTING.

IT'S STILL IN THE DAY.

IT TAKES FUNDS, IT TAKES MONEY, AND WE CAN ONLY CUT SO FAR AND MAKE SO MANY ADJUSTMENTS.

AND THERE'S ONLY SO MANY EFFICIENCIES THAT WE CAN DRIVE OUT.

SO THAT WOULD BE MY ASK TO DO WHAT YOU CAN TO TELL OTHER PEOPLE THAT MAY NOT OTHERWISE.

AND I MEAN IN OTHER DISTRICTS, I MEAN JUST HELP SHARE THE NEWS BECAUSE OUR KIDS DESERVE IT.

AND, UM, YOU KNOW, SO WITH THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, I'LL REITERATE, THANK YOU FOR FOR THE TEAM, IT TAKES SIX MONTHS AND IT'S HELPING US WITH THOSE UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT WE'RE DOING.

ONE ONE QUESTION I DID WAS GOING TO ASK IS THAT IN THE ADDITIONAL REVENUE PERSPECTIVE, WAS THERE ANY CONSIDERATION UM, FOR TO, YOU KNOW, TEACHER INCENTIVE ALLOTMENTS, WAS THERE ANY CALCULATION ON THAT? WELL, THE I THINK THAT BECAUSE WE ARE ALREADY A TEACHER INCENTIVE ALLOTMENT DISTRICT, IT WAS JUST CONTINUED TO MAINTAIN THAT AND EXPAND THAT.

SO WE'VE EXPANDED ADDITIONAL CAMPUSES THIS YEAR.

WE'VE ALREADY TALKED TO OTHER CAMPUSES ABOUT EXPANDING NEXT YEAR.

UM, AND SO AGAIN, THAT IS A SOLUTION THAT HELPS PROVIDE EXTRA INCENTIVE AND EXTRA COMPENSATION FOR TEACHERS WHO MEET THAT CRITERIA.

BUT IT'S NOT A DISTRICT WIDE.

YEAH, OKAY.

BUT YES, THAT THEY KNOW THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE SHARED, THAT IS A PART OF ALREADY OUR COMPENSATION MODEL AND SOMETHING THAT WE ARE TRYING TO EXPAND.

[02:45:02]

YEAH. SO OKAY, I DON'T WANT TO KEEP REPEATING MY UH, WITH MY COLLEAGUE SAID JUST DITTO TO WHAT THEY'RE SAYING.

THANK YOU.

UM, WE'LL SOLVE THIS PROBLEM.

I KNOW WE WILL. ABSOLUTELY.

THANK YOU. MR. EAGER.

MISS MCGOWAN, DID YOU HAVE SOMETHING YOU WANT TO.

YES. WE'RE JUST AROUND THE CIRCLE HERE AGAIN.

THANK YOU ALL FOR PARTICIPATING.

THAT'S A LOT OF WORK.

WE APPRECIATE IT.

UM, AND WE ARE ENCOURAGED WITH YOU BEING ON THIS JOURNEY WITH US.

IT'S GOING TO BE A LONG ONE.

UM, JUST A COUPLE OF THINGS I HEARD.

UM, OUR STUDENT, MR. BRYSON, MENTIONED THE EXPLORER PROGRAM OR, UM, NOT EXPLORER.

I THINK IT WAS THE INTER DISTRICT, UM, TRANSFER OPTIONS.

AND, UM, YOU BROUGHT UP A SUBJECT MATTER THAT I'M VERY FAMILIAR WITH, AND IT'S KIDDOS THAT HAVE TO LEAVE OUR DISTRICT BECAUSE THEY CANNOT AFFORD TO LEAVE TO LIVE HERE. RIGHT. AND THEIR PARENTS WANT TO BE ABLE TO HAVE HOMES TO LIVE IN AND RAISE THEIR KIDS IN, AND THEY HAVE TO LEAVE OUR DISTRICT BECAUSE OF AFFORDABILITY.

UM, I PERSONALLY KNOW OF A KID THAT WANTS TO COME BACK TO OUR DISTRICT RIGHT NOW, BUT THEY LIVE TOO FAR OUT OF THE DISTRICT, RIGHT? AND SO THERE'S NO OPPORTUNITY THERE.

UM, AND THAT IS A REALITY OF A LOT OF OUR FAMILIES.

SO I, UM, I APPRECIATE YOU BRINGING THAT UP.

UM, YOU KNOW, I THOUGHT ABOUT WE ARE NOT ONLY COMPETING FOR THE BEST TEACHERS.

WE ARE GOING TO BE COMPETING FOR THE BEST STUDENTS.

AND THIS IS GOING TO BE AN ONGOING CHALLENGE FOR US AND DISTRICTS FOREVER, RIGHT? UM, AND LIKE YOU MENTIONED, THE CHOICE PROGRAMING.

I THINK IT IS A CRITICAL TIME IN THAT PIECE THAT WE ARE GOING TO HAVE TO TO DO IT AND DO IT REALLY WELL.

AND UM, I SITTING HERE THINKING, WHAT I GREW UP HERE.

RIGHT. AND I WENT TO RISD SCHOOLS TOO.

AND BECAUSE THEY'RE THE BEST, WE WERE THE BEST DISTRICT.

AND SO WHEN I'M THINKING, I'M LIKE, WHAT WILL WE DO TO CLAIM THAT WE ARE THE BEST DISTRICT OR THAT WE DO SOMETHING GREATLY, WE DO IT BETTER THAN THE REST, AND WE HAVE TO BRAND OURSELVES IN SOMETHING.

WHAT WILL THAT SOMETHING BE? SO I'M REALLY, UM, INTERESTED IN HEARING MORE ABOUT THAT, BECAUSE I HAVE A FIVE YEAR OLD IN THIS DISTRICT NOW, RIGHT.

AND IT'S LIKE STARTING OVER FOR HER.

AND I, YOU KNOW, GRADUATED ONE, ONE ONE IS A SOPHOMORE AND WE'RE ALMOST DONE.

RIGHT. SO BUT NOW IT'S LIKE YOU'RE FIVE AND WE'VE GOT TO FIGURE OUT IF THIS IS GOING TO BE SOMETHING WE'RE ABLE TO GET THROUGH TOGETHER.

RIGHT. AND SO I AM HERE WITH YOU IN THAT PIECE ALL THE WAY.

YOU HAVE MY ATTENTION, MY UNDIVIDED ATTENTION, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO WHAT ARE WE GOING TO BRAND OURSELVES IN BEING GREAT AT? WHAT DO WE DO BETTER THAN THE REST? UM, CAN YOU REMIND THE PUBLIC AS WELL, CAN YOU BRING LIKE, JUST KIND OF SPEAK TO IF WE DO ALL THESE THINGS? I DON'T KNOW IF WE'VE DONE THAT TONIGHT YET, BUT IF WE DO ALL THESE THINGS, ALL THESE RECOMMENDATIONS, DOES THAT FIX OUR PROBLEM? NO. WE CAN IMPLEMENT.

WE COULD IMPLEMENT ALL OF THESE THINGS.

AND IT DOES NOT NECESSARILY, UM, GET US TO A PLACE WHERE WE HAVE EXCESS CAPACITY IN THE BUDGET, WHERE WE'RE NOT ADOPTING A DEFICIT BUDGET AND STILL BEING ABLE TO PROVIDE A ROBUST COMPENSATION PLAN AND INVEST IN MORE PROGRAMING.

UM, THIS GETS US CLOSER TO A BALANCED BUDGET SO THAT THE, THE DEFICIT BUDGET THAT MR. POTEET SPOKE TO IT, THAT LESSENS, UM, AGAIN, WE'VE HAD TREMENDOUS LEADERSHIP THAT HAS SAT AROUND THIS HORSESHOE HORSESHOE FROM PREVIOUS BOARDS WHO HAVE, UM, MADE SURE THAT WE FOR THIS VERY PURPOSE, WHEN THERE'S A PLACE IN A TIME WHEN AUSTIN IS NOT FUNDING PUBLIC ED THAT WE HAVE A SIGNIFICANT RAINY DAY FUND OR A SAVINGS OR, YOU KNOW, OUR FUND BALANCE THAT IS SITTING THERE TO HELP US GET THROUGH THIS TIME.

SO THESE CUTS, WE HAVE TO RIGHT SIZE OUR BUDGET TO BE ABLE TO NOT CUT PROGRAMS AND SUPPORTS FOR STUDENTS TO GET OUTCOMES AND TO COMPENSATE OUR STAFF.

UM, BUT IT DOES NOT FIX IT.

ALL RIGHT. UM, AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT, AS WE'VE ALREADY STATED, THAT OUR COMMUNITY REALIZES THAT THIS IS NOT THE FIX.

IT'S GOING TO TAKE MORE ADVOCACY WORK FROM EVERYONE, FROM OUR TEACHERS AND OUR STAFF TO REALLY, UM, TO ADVOCATE FOR ALL KIDS.

UM, LET'S SEE, IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE? I THINK THAT'S IT. NO.

ONE MORE QUESTION. AS FAR AS THE INSURANCE IN THE INCREASE IN OUR INSURANCE.

AND I KNOW, LIKE FOR THE TEACHERS, LIKE THE HEALTH INSURANCE, THERE'S TRS RIGHT WHERE YOU GO IN ALL THE DISTRICTS GO IN TO THIS POOL AND GET BETTER RATES.

IS THERE NOTHING LIKE THAT FOR.

ARE. OKAY.

NOT TO THE SAME DEGREE.

THERE'S NOT A STATE MANAGED POOL FOR PROPERTY INSURANCE LIKE, UM, LIKE THE HEALTH INSURANCES AND OUR

[02:50:10]

THERE ARE SOME RISK POOLS, BUT THEY DON'T WORK WITH THE THE SAME WAY, WITH THE SAME BUYING POWER THAT THE TRS HEALTH INSURANCE PLAN WORKS WITH.

UM, THEY'RE, UH, THEY'RE JUST PROPERTY INSURANCE IS JUST REALLY EXPENSIVE RIGHT NOW, AND WE CERTAINLY CONTINUE TO LOOK FOR WAYS TO REDUCE THAT. BUT, YOU KNOW, THERE EVEN IN THE HOMEOWNERS INSURANCE SPACE, THERE ARE COMPANIES THAT ARE NO LONGER UNDERWRITING POLICIES IN TEXAS.

SO IT IS JUST A TREMENDOUS CHALLENGE, UNFORTUNATELY.

OKAY. THANK YOU FOR THAT.

UM, ONE OF THE THING, TABITHA OR MISS BRANUM.

I'M SORRY. UM, WHEN YOU DO DEVELOP THE RUBRIC FOR ALL OF THE DECISIONS, HOW WILL YOU ALL DO THAT? IS THERE A, LIKE, A STAFF, LIKE, PROFESSIONAL STAFFING COMPANY OR PROFESSIONAL COMPANY THAT DOES THIS OR CREATES THIS KIND OF RUBRIC JUST SO THAT COMMUNITY KNOWS, LIKE WE CREATED THIS RUBRIC.

IT'S FAIR, YOU KNOW, AND WE'RE VERY TRANSPARENT ABOUT THAT PROCESS.

WELL, AGAIN, I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR COMMITTEE IS, UM, ACKNOWLEDGED BECAUSE THEY WERE THE ONES THAT REALLY, FROM A STAKEHOLDERS POINT OF VIEW, WHETHER I AM A CURRENT COMMUNITY MEMBER THAT HAS A STUDENT IN THE DISTRICT OR I, UM, AND I HAD GRADUATES THAT CAME THROUGH AND I AM INVESTED IN, I WANT TO SEE RICHARDSON ISD BE THE BEST.

THEY ALL PROVIDED US FEEDBACK ON THAT, THAT RUBRIC.

AND SO IT IS NOW ADMINISTRATIVE, UM, RESPONSIBILITY TO TAKE THAT FEEDBACK, TAKE THAT INPUT, DRAFT THE RECOMMENDATION OF THE TIMELINES, THE IMPLEMENTATION SCHEDULE, UM, AND THEN ULTIMATELY BASED UPON WHAT DECISIONS ARE MADE, IF IT'S IT'S A RECOMMENDATION TO CLOSE ECS SCHOOLS OR TO CONSOLIDATE ECS SCHOOLS.

UM, WE WOULD DEMONSTRATE THAT THROUGH USING THAT RUBRIC THAT HAS BEEN GENERATED AND INPUT HAS BEEN PROVIDED BY THE COMMUNITY.

UH, BUT ALL OF THAT WILL BE DONE WITH THE ABILITY FOR THE BOARD TO GIVE FEEDBACK AND FOR THE COMMUNITY TO GIVE FEEDBACK AS WE GO THROUGH THE PROCESS.

SO AGAIN, I HOPE, I HOPE, UM, AND THIS HAS BEEN A REALLY STRONG OVERT.

INTENT FROM OUR TEAM FROM THE BEGINNING IS TO HAVE AN OPEN AND TRANSPARENT PROCESS.

AFTER EVERY MEETING.

MINUTES HAVE BEEN ON THE WEBSITE, THE PRESENTATION HAS BEEN ON THE WEBSITE, EVERY SLIDE HAS BEEN ON THE WEBSITE.

WE ARE NOT TRYING TO HIDE ANYTHING.

WE ARE NOT. THERE IS NO HIDDEN AGENDA ON THIS OTHER THAN HERE ARE THE NUMBERS.

HERE'S THE PROBLEM.

PLEASE COME TO THE TABLE AND HELP US SOLVE THE PROBLEM.

AND THIS IS ONE OF THE FEW COMMITTEES IN MY 20S, ALMOST 27 YEARS OF EDUCATION WHERE WE DIDN'T SEE COMMITTEE ATTRITION. YEAH, PRETTY MUCH THE SIZE OF THE COMMITTEE WAS THERE IN JULY, AND IT WAS THERE IN OUR VERY LAST MEETING A WEEK AGO.

AND I THINK THAT JUST SPEAKS TO THE COMMITMENT THAT EVERYONE HAD TO THIS TOPIC.

UM, BUT EVERYTHING THAT WE DO ALONG THE WAY WILL BE SHARED OPENLY AND PUBLICLY AND POSTED FOR, FOR INDIVIDUALS TO GIVE FEEDBACK AT THIS TIME, UNLESS THE BOARD DIRECTS US DIFFERENTLY, OR THE ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF AS WE GO THROUGH THE PROCESS, IF WE BELIEVE THAT WE NEED TO HIRE SOME KIND OF EXTERNAL, UM, TEAM TO HELP DO THAT, WE WOULD DO IT AT THAT TIME. BUT AT THIS POINT, WE FEEL LIKE WE REALLY HAVE THE INPUT FROM THE COMMITTEE.

WE HAVE THE INTERNAL DATA AND THE KNOWLEDGE TO KNOW HOW DO WE NAVIGATE THIS MOVING FORWARD.

THANK YOU. AND AGAIN, THANK YOU, COMMUNITY FOR YOUR SUPPORT.

ANY ADDITIONAL COMMENTS, QUESTIONS, BOARD.

ALL RIGHT. YOU GUYS HAVE DONE A FABULOUS JOB.

AND TO REITERATE WHAT SUPERINTENDENT BRANUM STATED JUST A SECOND AGO ABOUT COMMITTEE ATTRITION, I CAN TESTIFY THAT FOR MY SEVERAL YEARS THAT I'VE BEEN IN THE DISTRICT, I HAVE BEEN ON MANY COMMITTEES IN THIS DISTRICT AND NOT ONE COMMITTEE HAVE I EVER BEEN ON THAT, THAT FIRST DAY WHERE IT WAS A PACKED HOUSE, IT STAYED THAT WAY THROUGHOUT.

SO I APPRECIATE YOU ALL HANGING IN THERE WITH US AND STAYING ALL DAYS, ALL SIX MONTHS DOING THE HARD WORK. AND WHAT MY ASK OF YOU IS TO GO OUT THERE AND SPEAK ON OUR BEHALF AND LET PEOPLE KNOW

[02:55:09]

BECAUSE AS TRUSTEE POTEET HAS SO ELOQUENTLY STATED BEFORE, YOU ALL HAVE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO PEEK IN THE BACK AND SEE HOW THE SAUSAGE IS MADE AND A LOT OF PEOPLE JUST DON'T KNOW THAT.

AND I THINK I HEARD EARLIER THAT SOME PEOPLE JUST DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY DON'T KNOW UNTIL YOU GET IN THERE AND DO THE WORK.

SO WE ARE DEPENDING ON YOU TO SPEAK ON OUR BEHALF.

I APPRECIATE THAT YOU ALL HAVE ASKED FOR SOME NOTES SO THAT YOU CAN ALL BE SPEAKING ON THE SAME BREATH, ON THE SAME TERMS, BECAUSE THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT WE TRY TO DO HERE AT THE HORSESHOE.

SO WE APPRECIATE YOU.

WE APPRECIATE YOUR TIME.

WE APPRECIATE YOUR EFFORT BECAUSE THIS IS GOING TO BE TOUGH FOR ALL OF US BECAUSE AS WE KNOW, THE LACK OF SUPPORT IN AUSTIN IS HUGE.

AND SO WE REALLY NEED YOU TO CONTINUE TO SUPPORT US.

AND PLEASE, PLEASE STICK AROUND, CONTINUE TO ASK US QUESTIONS AND STAY ALERT BECAUSE WE ARE HERE FOR YOU AND I KNOW THAT YOU ARE THERE FOR US. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH.

WE GREATLY APPRECIATE YOU.

YEAH, I DIDN'T HAVE TO STICK AROUND, BUT YOU DON'T HAVE TO STICK AROUND ALL NIGHT TONIGHT.

AS A MATTER OF FACT.

BOARD, I THINK YOU ALL WOULD LIKE TO TAKE A BREAK AT THIS MOMENT.

LET'S GO TAKE A BREAK BEFORE WE MOVE ON TO OUR NEXT ACTION ITEM.

THANK YOU COMMITTEE.

INFORMATION ITEM.

WE DID. WE DID GOOD FOR THE FIRST THREE HOURS, YOU'RE RIGHT.

IS RETURNING, IS RETURNING.

WE'RE GOING TO SHIFT A FEW THINGS JUST A LITTLE BIT.

BOARD. WE ARE GOING TO MOVE ON TO OUR NEXT ITEM, WHICH IS AN INFORMATION ITEM REGARDING AN UPDATE TO THE MIDDLE SCHOOL

[IV.G. Middle School Transition Update]

UH, THANK YOU, MISS HARRIS.

MR. ROSSO AND THE TEAM IS GOING TO REALLY LEAD AND SPEARHEAD MUCH OF TONIGHT'S PRESENTATION.

I DO WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT JENNY BATES AND SUSAN BURKE AND NICK RUSTIN ARE IN THE AUDIENCE.

AND AGAIN, THEY JUST STILL IN THE AUDIENCE.

AND, UM, AND THEY HAVE TO BE AT WORK EARLY IN THE AM TO GREET THE CHILDREN AND TEACH THE CHILDREN AND LOVE THE CHILDREN.

SO THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE.

UM, BUT THEY HAVE DONE A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF WORK, UH, TO BE HERE AND TO BE IN THIS PLACE TONIGHT.

I WANT TO REITERATE ONE THING FOR OUR COMMUNITY AND FOR OUR STAFF.

AND TONIGHT YOU'RE GOING TO HEAR SOME ADDITIONAL AS WE CONTINUE TO WORK ON THE DESIGN PHASE.

UM, MORE DECISIONS AND INFORMATION THAT WE'RE BRINGING FORWARD TO SAY THIS IS WHAT THIS MIDDLE SCHOOL MODEL IS GOING TO LOOK LIKE.

BUT I ALSO WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE COMMUNITY AND THE STAFF HEARS THAT AS WE SHARE INFORMATION, WE GENUINELY WHEN WE RECEIVE FEEDBACK, WE MAKE ADJUSTMENTS. AND YOU ARE GOING TO HEAR TONIGHT, UM, A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT ADJUSTMENTS THAT WE MADE FROM OUR PREVIOUS PRESENTATION BECAUSE WE LISTENED, UM, WHEN STAFF SAID, WAIT A MINUTE, WE HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT THIS.

UM, OR WHEN A COMMUNITY MEMBER AND A PARENT SAID, WE'RE NOT SURE ABOUT THIS, COULD WE LOOK AT THIS ANY DIFFERENTLY? OUR TEAM TOOK THAT FEEDBACK AND WE MADE ADJUSTMENTS.

AND SO I THINK THAT REALLY EXEMPLIFIES AND MODELS, UM, AS A DISTRICT, THE PHILOSOPHY THAT WE ARE TRYING, UM, TO IMPLEMENT ACROSS THE BOARD.

UM, AGAIN, THESE ARE NOT OUR SCHOOLS.

THESE ARE THE COMMUNITY SCHOOLS, AND THEY HAVE ELECTED THE SEVEN OF YOU, AND YOU HAVE ENTRUSTED US TO IMPLEMENT THAT VISION, AND THAT IS AT THE HEART OF WHAT WE DO. SO WITH THAT, I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO MR. ROSSO, AND HE'S GOING TO, UH, EFFICIENTLY, UM, LEAD US THROUGH, UM, THE INFORMATION THAT WE HAVE FOR YOU TONIGHT.

THANK YOU, MRS. BRANUM.

UH, BOARD. GOOD EVENING AGAIN.

UH, WE'RE EXCITED TO BE, UH, BEFORE YOU TO BRING YOU THE UPDATE AS MRS. BRANUM JUST, UH, SPOKE TO YOU ABOUT, UH, THE FIRST THING THAT I WOULD CALL YOUR ATTENTION TO IS JUST THE MONIKER ON THE ACTUAL, UM, SLIDE.

UH, THE LAST TIME WE WERE TOGETHER, IT READ DIGGING INTO TRANSFORMATION.

AND SO WE'RE AT THE POINT NOW WHERE WE'VE DECIDED LITERALLY TO START USING THE WORD TRANSITION, BECAUSE USING OUR FRIENDS FROM FOREST MEADOW, WHOSE BUILDING IS ALMOST READY TO, TO GO INTO, THEY'RE IN THE TRANSITION, NEARING THE TRANSITION PHASE.

AND SO WE VIEW OUR WORK MUCH IN THE SAME WAY.

AND SO WE WANT TO CALL THAT TO YOUR ATTENTION TONIGHT, UM, WE WILL BRING YOU ACADEMIC PROGRAMING UPDATES FROM DOCTOR LIEBER AND HER TEAM.

UH, OUR HUMAN SERVICES, OUR HUMAN RESOURCES TEAM, UH, WILL SPEAK TO US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT STAFFING IMPLICATIONS AND PROCESSES, ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES.

WE'LL TALK TO US ABOUT STUDENT AND PARENT CHOICE RELATED TO THE TRANSFER PROCESS.

[03:00:03]

SO JUST VERY QUICKLY, WE ACTUALLY, UH, SPOKE TO THIS DURING THE PREVIOUS PRESENTATION, BUT I'LL CALL YOUR ATTENTION TO THE TIMELINE ON JANUARY 2021.

THAT'S WHEN THE BOARD ADOPTED THE MIDDLE SCHOOL TRANSFORMATION, UH, RESOLUTION.

AND SO WE ARE CONTINUING IN THAT CHARGE THAT WAS PUT BEFORE US.

WE KNOW THAT MAY 2021, THE BOND PACKAGE, UH, WHICH IS DOING THE RESPONSIBLE FOR DOING THE WORK AT FOREST MEADOW AND LAKE HIGHLANDS, UH, MIDDLE SCHOOL, SOON TO BE MIDDLE SCHOOLS, UH, WAS PASSED.

AND THEN THAT FATEFUL DAY IN AUGUST OF 2024 WHEN THEY COME ONLINE AS THE FIRST TWO MIDDLE SCHOOLS, JUST A VERY QUICK TRIP DOWN MEMORY LANE.

SO ON TO THE IMPORTANT UPDATES.

UM, DOCTOR LEEPER AND HER TEAM ARE GOING TO TALK TO US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT ACADEMIC PROGRAMING.

UH, THANK YOU, MR. HALSELL.

GOOD EVENING. BOARD.

UM, YES, AS WE HAVE REFERENCED BEFORE, UM, AND WE'LL KIND OF REITERATE AND EXPLAIN EVEN MORE, UH, A LITTLE BIT TONIGHT, THE SIXTH GRADE CORE, UH, CONTENT CONTINUUM OF COURSES WILL LOOK AT REALLY, UM, DOUBLE BLOCKING FOR SIXTH THROUGH EIGHTH GRADE.

UM, OUR ENGLISH AND OUR MATH COURSES, PARTICULARLY IN THE SIXTH GRADE.

AND ONE OF THE MAIN REASONS THAT WE'RE DOING THIS AND RECOMMENDING THIS FOR OUR MIDDLE SCHOOLS IS TO REALLY STAY CONSISTENT WITH THOSE MINUTES THAT THEY ARE ALREADY HAVING IN SIXTH GRADE RIGHT NOW. SO EVERY SIXTH GRADER IN RICHARDSON RIGHT NOW HAS A 90 MINUTES OF RLA AND 90 MINUTES OF MATH EVERY DAY.

AND SO WE REALLY WANT TO STAY CONSISTENT WITH THAT PROGRAMING AS THEY MOVE INTO MIDDLE SCHOOL.

SO WE'LL BE RECOMMENDING THAT THEY HAVE, UH, READING LANGUAGE ARTS.

THEY'LL HAVE ADVANCED READING LANGUAGE ARTS AND A GT READING LANGUAGE ARTS OPTION.

THEY'LL ALSO HAVE, UM, A MATH, UH, ADVANCED MATH AND A GT MATH, AS WELL AS AN ACCELERATED MATH IN SIXTH GRADE AND REALLY OFFERING THAT EXTRA MATH SUPPORT, AS I MENTIONED TO THEM, AS THEY TRANSITION INTO, UM, HEADING INTO THOSE MORE RIGOROUS CLASSES IN THE SIXTH GRADE THIS YEAR.

UM, WE ALSO WANT TO STAY FOCUSED, TOO, ON OUR MISSION AND VISION OF THE BOARD FOR ALGEBRA ONE FOR ALL, AND REALLY MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE HONORING THOSE SIXTH GRADE TEKS IS REALLY WHERE THEY INTRODUCE THAT, UM, REALLY THE DEPTH AND COMPLEXITY HEADING INTO THOSE ALGEBRA TEKS IN THE SIXTH GRADE, THE SIX THROUGH EIGHT ALIGNMENT.

SO REALLY MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE, UM, GIVING THEM THE TIME THAT THEY NEED FOR THAT, WE WILL LOOK AT OUR SCIENCE COURSE.

SO THERE'LL BE A REGULAR SCIENCE COURSE, ADVANCED SCIENCE AND A GT, UM, OPTION FOR SIXTH GRADE SCIENCE AS WELL.

AND THEN ALSO AS WELL AS SOCIAL STUDIES, THEY'LL BE REGULAR SOCIAL STUDIES, ADVANCED SOCIAL STUDIES, UM, FOR SIXTH GRADERS, AND THEN GT ADVANCED FOR THOSE SIXTH GRADERS, TOO.

AND IF YOU MOVE. TO THE NEXT SLIDE WE MENTIONED IN THE PAST, WHAT DOES GT PROGRAMING LOOK LIKE? AND OTHER CAMPUSES ACROSS THE SCHOOLS.

AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE ARE VERY BLESSED TO BE ABLE TO DO HERE IN RICHARDSON IS CONTINUE OUR FOCUS ON, WITH THE SUPPORT OF THE BOARD, ON THE ACADEMIC RIGOR FOR OUR ADVANCED AND GT STUDENTS AS WELL.

AND SO ALL SIXTH GRADERS ARE TESTED IN RICHARDSON ISD THEIR SIXTH GRADE YEAR.

UM, TO QUALIFY FOR UM, THOSE GT COURSES IN THE SECONDARY SCHOOLS.

SO WHAT WE'VE DONE THIS YEAR IS WE WILL TEST THE FIFTH AND SIXTH GRADE STUDENTS, BOTH GRADES, BECAUSE BOTH GRADES WILL BE TRANSITIONING NEXT YEAR.

UM, SO WE WILL TEST THOSE.

UM, AND THEN WE WILL DETERMINE, UM, FROM THOSE TEST SCORES, WHO WILL QUALIFY FOR THOSE GT COURSES.

AND AS YOU CAN SEE FROM THE CHART HERE, WE JUST HAVE THAT FOUR YEAR REFERENCE IN RICHARDSON.

WE DO OFFER ALL OF THOSE GT COURSES IN ALL OF OUR CORE CLASSES AT THE SECONDARY LEVEL.

SO THOSE QUALIFYING STUDENTS WOULD BE PLACED IN THOSE COURSES IF THEY CHOOSE TO DO SO HEADING INTO THE SECONDARY LEVEL.

AND NEXT WE'RE GOING TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT ELECTIVE CHOICES THAT SIXTH GRADE STUDENTS MIGHT HAVE.

AND I'LL TURN THAT OVER TO DOCTOR GIBBONS.

THANK YOU, DOCTOR LIEBER.

AND JUST QUICKLY, AS MISS BRANUM MENTIONED AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS PRESENTATION, THIS IS AN ADJUSTMENT THAT WE'VE MADE, AND I WANT TO OFFER MY THANK YOU AND APPRECIATION TO COMMUNITY, OUR STAFF, MR. BRADFORD, YOU KNOW, ALL THOSE GUYS IN THAT GROUP THAT WERE ABLE TO GIVE US SOME FEEDBACK AND WHAT WE'RE ABLE TO MAKE THIS ADJUSTMENT AND FEEL CONFIDENT IN THIS.

SO WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT RIGHT NOW.

AND YOU CAN SEE AT THE TOP OF THE SLIDE, THOSE ARE THE PE AND FINE ART REQUIREMENTS THAT WE HAVE FOR OUR SIXTH THROUGH EIGHTH GRADERS.

AND WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT DOING FOR OUR SIXTH GRADERS SPECIFICALLY, IS THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE THE REQUIRED CHOICE OF EITHER PHYSICAL EDUCATION OR PRE ATHLETICS, AS WELL AS A CHOICE ELECTIVE FOR FINE ARTS.

SO THAT COULD BE BAND, CHOIR, ORCHESTRA AND ART.

AND AS YOU CAN SEE THERE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE SLIDE, THESE ARE SOME OF THE REASONS WHY WE LOOKED AT WHAT WE DID.

WE DEFINITELY WANT TO HAVE SOME EFFICIENCY AND LESSENING THE VARIABLES FOR SIXTH GRADE, ESPECIALLY AS WE'RE STARTING THIS PROCESS AT OUR VERY FIRST TWO MIDDLE SCHOOLS.

WE WANT TO, OF COURSE, ALL OF OUR STUDENTS TO HAVE OPPORTUNITIES AROUND FINE ARTS AND PE OR PRE ATHLETICS, UM, THE CONTINUITY OF MIDDLE SCHOOLS.

WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THIS IS A MODEL THAT WE CAN ESTABLISH AND CONTINUE ON THROUGHOUT, UH, BUILDING OUR OTHER MIDDLE SCHOOLS.

[03:05:05]

SO IF YOU COULD GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE..

AND DOCTOR GIBBONS, IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT THAT REQUIREMENT FOR FINE ARTS AND PE THAT IS NOT A LOCAL RICHARDSON ISD, UH, REQUIREMENT, THAT IS A STATE REQUIREMENT.

SO AGAIN, EVERY SIXTH THROUGH EIGHTH GRADER WOULD HAVE TO TAKE A PE OR A PRE ATHLETIC COURSE OR IF AND A FINE ARTS COURSE SOMETIME BETWEEN THAT SIXTH AND EIGHTH GRADE YEAR.

UM, AND SO WE HAVE MADE THE DECISION WE ARE GOING TO KIND OF SYSTEMATIZE THAT AT SIXTH GRADE, MAKE SURE THAT WE LOCK THAT IN FOR OUR STUDENTS, AND THEN IT UNLOCKS MULTIPLE OPTIONS AND PATHWAYS FOR STUDENTS THEN IN SEVENTH AND EIGHTH GRADE, WHEN THEY NOW HAVE THREE ELECTIVES IN SEVENTH GRADE AND THREE ELECTIVES IN EIGHTH GRADE.

YES, MA'AM. THANK YOU FOR, UM, EXPANDING ON THAT, BECAUSE SOME OF THE CHOICE OPTIONS THAT WE HAD EARLIER, UM, IN OUR EARLIER PRESENTATION, THOSE ARE GOING TO BE OPTIONS THAT HOPEFULLY WE CAN CONSIDER FOR OUR SEVENTH AND EIGHTH GRADE STUDENTS AS WE WIDEN OUT THEIR ELECTIVE OPTIONS.

AND THIS OTHER SLIDE HERE, IT, UM, KIND OF PIGGYBACKS ON WHAT DOCTOR LEEPER WAS TALKING ABOUT.

SO THIS IS OUR COURSE SELECTION WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT SIXTH GRADE.

SO YOU CAN SEE THE CORE CHOICES ARE LA DOUBLE BLOCKED MATH DOUBLE BLOCKED WITH ARE TWO PERIODS.

BUT IT'S ONE COURSE.

YOU HAVE SCIENCE SOCIAL STUDIES.

AND THEN THE ELECTED CHOICES WHICH ARE ONE PERIOD ONE COURSE.

WE HAVE A PROCESS THERE THAT SHOWS ABOUT OUR JUNIOR AND ELEMENTARY, JUNIOR HIGH AND ELEMENTARY COUNSELORS.

AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT DOCTOR MARTIN HAS TAKEN ON OUR DIRECTOR OF COUNSELING SERVICES.

AND THEN, UM, TIMELINES.

I KNOW, UM, I WAS IN THE ROOM WHEN MISS BRANUM SAW THE NEW COURSE CARDS THAT WERE BEING DEVELOPED FOR A LOT OF THESE, UM, MOVES MOVING FORWARD.

SO WE'RE GOING TO HAVE SOME NEW TIME, UH, NEW COURSE CARDS THAT ARE GOING TO BE DELIVERED, UM, ON FRIDAY THE SECOND AND THEN DUE BACK TO ELEMENTARY COUNSELORS ON THE NINTH REGARDING OUR SIXTH GRADE AND THE CHOICES THAT WE NEED TO HAVE THEM MAKE ON A TIMELY BASIS.

SO. GOOD EVENING BOARD AGAIN.

I'LL GO AHEAD AND SHARE A LITTLE BIT OF INFORMATION REGARDING THE HUMAN RESOURCES IMPACT REGARDING, UH, SPECIFICALLY STAFFING IMPLICATIONS AND PROCESSES.

AS WE'VE GONE THROUGHOUT THE PROCESS OF SUPPORTING THE CONVERSATIONS ALONG THE WAY, OBVIOUSLY, WE HAVE TO PAY SPECIAL ATTENTION TO THE EMPLOYEES WHO ARE WHO ARE GOING TO BE AFFECTED BY THIS, UH, TRANSITION.

AND SO, UM, I'M HAPPY TO SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO SUPPORT THE PROCESS, BE, UH, A PART OF THE CONVERSATION ALONG THE WAY.

ONE THING THAT WE WANTED TO START WITH, THERE ARE FOUR MAIN ITEMS, BUT THE FIRST ONE IS JUST TO REMIND EVERYBODY THAT ENROLLMENT DRIVES ALLOCATIONS.

UM, WE DON'T HAVE AN AUTOMATIC NUMBER OF WHAT WHAT HOW MANY TEACHERS WILL GO WHERE JUST YET.

UM, IT ALL DEPENDS ON ENROLLMENT.

WE'VE DONE PROJECTIONS, BUT THE IMPORTANT PART IN TERMS OF THE NEXT STEPS IS TO REALLY, HONESTLY PIGGYBACK OFF OF THE GUIDANCE FROM THE BUDGET STEERING COMMITTEE THAT WE JUST HEARD TONIGHT TO REALLY MAKE SURE THAT IF WE HAVE THIS OPPORTUNITY, LET'S DEVELOP A TIGHT STAFFING MODEL FOR MIDDLE SCHOOL, BECAUSE RIGHT NOW WE DON'T HAVE THAT.

AND SO WHAT WE'RE PLANNING ON DOING IS BY NEXT MONTH, WE'LL BE ABLE TO HAVE, UH, PRODUCED A STAFFING MODEL SPECIFICALLY FOR MIDDLE SCHOOL.

WE ALSO UNDERSTAND THAT THERE WILL BE STAFFING IMPLICATIONS AT THE ELEMENTARY LEVEL, UH, BECAUSE WITH THE SHIFTING POPULATION GOING FROM ELEMENTARY TO THE MIDDLE SCHOOL MODEL THAT COULD THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO REVIEW THAT AS WELL, DECIDE IF THERE NEED TO BE CHANGES, WHETHER IT'S SPECIAL AREA OR OTHER TEACHING POSITIONS JUST BASED ON ENROLLMENT.

AGAIN. UM, SO THEN THE NEXT PART IS REALLY THE COMMUNICATION EMPHASIS THAT WE HAD.

WE MET WITH OUR OUR ESTEEMED PRINCIPALS.

WE HAD LOTS OF CONVERSATIONS WITH THE OVERALL COMMITTEE, UH, GOT A LOT OF REALLY GOOD FEEDBACK AND A LOT OF GOOD QUESTIONS FROM THEM.

UM, THEY WERE, OF COURSE, FANTASTIC ABOUT CONNECTING WITH THEIR TEAMS TO GET SOME INITIAL QUESTIONS FROM THEM.

WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF DEVELOPING AN FAQ PAGE THAT I'LL TALK ABOUT IN A MINUTE, BUT IN ADDITION TO MEETING WITH THE PRINCIPALS, WE ALSO CONDUCTED A MEETING WITH ALL LAKE HIGHLANDS LEARNING COMMUNITIES SIXTH GRADE TEACHERS TO JUST REMIND, UH, INFORM THEM OF KIND OF WHERE WE WERE WITH THE TRANSITION PROCESS.

BUT OF COURSE, WHAT'S MOST IMPORTANT TO THEM IS WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN TO ME.

SO WE WANTED TO ASSURE THEM, PARTICULARLY THIS NEXT BULLET, THAT THERE IS A CHOICE.

WE'RE NOT FORCING ANYBODY INTO MIDDLE SCHOOL.

WE'RE NOT FORCING ANYBODY REALLY TO DO ANYTHING.

WE ARE GIVING THEM OPTIONS.

WE WANT TO BE SURE THAT WE'RE LISTENING AGAIN, TAKING THE GUIDANCE FROM THE PRINCIPALS ESPECIALLY, AND THEIR, UH, ELEMENTARY PRINCIPALS TO.

SO WE HAD EVERYONE ON ON THE CALL.

WE TALKED ABOUT THE FACT THAT EVERYBODY WILL HAVE A TEACHING POSITION AS LONG AS THEY CONTINUE TO MEET PERFORMANCE EXPECTATIONS.

AND IF THEY CHOOSE TO STAY, WE OBVIOUSLY DON'T WANT ANYBODY TO LEAVE, BUT IF THEY CHOOSE TO STAY AND MEET THE CRITERIA, THEN THEY WILL BE ELIGIBLE FOR A TEACHING POSITION SOMEWHERE. UM, WHAT WE DID IS WE HAD WE ALREADY HAD A LIST OF ALL THE SIXTH GRADE TEACHERS AND THEIR CERTIFICATIONS, BUT WE ALSO WANTED TO IMPLEMENT MORE CHOICE.

AND WE HAD ALL OF THOSE TEACHERS COMPLETE A PREFERENCE SURVEY THAT ALLOWS THEM TO TELL US, OKAY, DO I WANT TO BE CONSIDERED FOR MIDDLE SCHOOL OR AM I I'M JUST FINE

[03:10:07]

SO WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF COLLECTING ALL OF THAT DATA RIGHT NOW.

WE ALSO INCLUDED ONE QUESTION ON THE SURVEY THAT JUST SAID WHAT OTHER QUESTIONS DO YOU HAVE? SO WE ARE CONTINUING TO POPULATE AND EXPAND ON AN FAQ DOCUMENT AND MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE RESPONSIVE TO THAT, BECAUSE WE ALSO WANT PEOPLE TO BE ABLE TO MAKE A DECISION TO MAKE A CHOICE THAT'S INFORMED, UH, THERE'S LOTS OF HESITATION.

AND SO OUR DILIGENCE IS TO MAKE SURE WE ANSWER THOSE QUESTIONS AND THEN HELP THEM MAKE A CHOICE AND THEN SUPPORT THE PROCESS.

UH, AGAIN, IF THEY CHOOSE TO GO TO THE MIDDLE, IF THEY WANT TO BE CONSIDERED FOR THE MIDDLE SCHOOL, WE WILL SUPPORT THEM.

AND MY NEXT SLIDE, I'LL SHOW YOU KIND OF WHAT THAT WILL LOOK LIKE IF THEY CHOOSE TO STAY IN ELEMENTARY.

WE ARE GOING TO SUPPORT THE PLACEMENT OF THOSE TEACHERS.

UH, ALMOST LIKE A KIND OF LIKE A GUARANTEED TRANSFER PROCESS.

UH, WE KNOW THAT THEY ARE GOING TO HAVE A POSITION SOMEWHERE AS OPENINGS OCCUR.

WE'RE GOING TO BE WORKING WITH THOSE CAMPUS PRINCIPALS AND THESE TEACHERS TO BE CONSIDERED FIRST.

AND THAT'S WHAT LEADS US TO THIS LAST BULLET.

CAMPUS PRINCIPALS WILL NEED TO CONSIDER INTERNAL CANDIDATES BEFORE WE JUST OPEN THE DOOR TO ALL OTHER HIRING, BECAUSE THESE TEACHERS ARE EXPERIENCING THIS TRANSITION JUST LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE, AND WE OWE IT TO THEM, JUST LIKE WE ALWAYS DO WITH MODEL, UH, PROGRAM CHANGES LIKE THIS.

WE'RE GOING TO SUPPORT THE EMPLOYEE AND MAKE SURE THAT THEY THAT THEY HAVE A GUARANTEED SPOT.

SO THE NEXT STEP FOR US, JUST IN TERMS OF IMPLICATIONS, IS JUST ANOTHER KIND OF SAMPLE TIMELINE.

AGAIN, WE HAD THE INFORMATION MEETING WITH ALL THE TEACHERS.

WE REVIEWED THE PROCESSES AND ANSWER WHATEVER QUESTIONS THEY HAD.

WE'RE STILL BUILDING THAT FAQ PAGE.

AND WE THEY'RE ACTUALLY ANSWERING THAT SURVEY FOR US RIGHT NOW.

UH, STARTING IN JANUARY, AS I MENTIONED, WE'LL FINALIZE A MIDDLE SCHOOL STAFFING MODEL.

UH, JUST TO BE SURE THAT THE MIDDLE SCHOOL PRINCIPALS HAVE A BETTER IDEA OF WHAT POTENTIAL OPENINGS THEY MAY HAVE.

AS WE GO FURTHER THROUGHOUT THE SPRING, WE'LL GET BETTER IDEAS OF WHAT ENROLLMENT AND REGISTRATION WILL LOOK LIKE, AND THAT'LL HELP US AS WE, UH, PROJECT ALLOCATIONS AND POTENTIALLY EVEN LOOKING AT MASTER SCHEDULES AND THINGS LIKE THAT.

UH, SO WHAT, THE MIDDLE SCHOOL PRINCIPALS WILL GET A LIST OF ALL THE TEACHERS WHO EXPRESSED AN INTEREST.

HR WILL THEN CONTINUE TO WORK THROUGH THROUGHOUT THE NEXT COUPLE OF MONTHS, UH, TO WORK WITH THE PRINCIPALS, THE AREA SUPERINTENDENTS, TO TAKE A LOOK AT THE ACTUAL TEACHING VACANCIES THAT COULD BE OCCURRING.

UH, THE PRINCIPALS WILL HAVE A CHANCE TO INTERVIEW ANY OF THE CANDIDATES WHO HAVE EXPRESSED AN INTEREST IN GOING TO MIDDLE SCHOOL.

AND OF COURSE, WITH THIS DYNAMIC TEAM, THEY KNOW THAT THEY'RE GOING TO WORK TOGETHER.

THEY ACTUALLY SAID, HEY, WHY DON'T WE JUST KIND OF WORK TOGETHER OVER THE COURSE OF A COUPLE OF DAYS AND THEN WE CAN INTERVIEW EVERYBODY AND THEN REALLY KIND OF SEE WHERE THE BEST FIT WOULD BE. AND THAT ACTUALLY WORKS OUT BEST FOR THE TEACHERS AND FOR THE CAMPUSES, TOO.

AND AT THE SAME TIME, WE'LL STILL FINALIZE THE MIDDLE SCHOOL HIRING.

WE'LL STILL, UH, AS YOU KNOW, BE FLESHING OUT THE REST OF THE STAFFING MODELS THAT WE KNOW WE'RE GOING TO BE ADDRESSING THROUGHOUT THE REST OF THE SEMESTER.

I LEFT APRIL KIND OF OPEN WITH FINALIZED REMAINING PLACEMENTS, BECAUSE ON THE ELEMENTARY SIDE, THERE MAY NOT BE AS MUCH AS MANY VACANCIES.

YET WE STILL EXPECT TURNOVER.

UH, BEST CASE SCENARIO, WE DON'T HAVE AS MUCH.

BUT WE KNOW THAT AS WE PROGRESS THROUGH THE REST OF THE SEMESTER THAT THE NUMBERS COULD CHANGE.

AND SO MY TEAM WILL STILL BE WORKING WITH THOSE TEACHERS WHO ARE ON THE THE GUARANTEED TRANSFER LIST TO BE SURE THAT THERE'S A PLACEMENT.

IDEALLY, WE WANT TO TRY TO GET PLACEMENTS DONE IN MARCH, MAYBE ROLLING INTO APRIL, BUT OUR GOAL IS NO ONE IS GOING INTO THE SUMMER MONTHS NOT KNOWING WHAT THEIR ASSIGNMENT IS FOR THE FOLLOWING YEAR, THEY MAY CHOOSE TO PURSUE A TRANSFER.

LIKE IF WE MAKE A PLACEMENT AND THEN THEY SAY, WELL, I STILL WANT TO BE CONSIDERED FOR OTHER POSITIONS.

THEY CAN, BUT IF NOTHING ELSE, WE JUST WANT THEM TO KNOW YOUR YOUR ASSIGNMENT FOR 2425 WILL BE THIS.

AND SO THAT'S REALLY KIND OF HOW WE'VE, UH, CONNECTED WITH THE TEACHERS AND THE ADMINISTRATORS TRYING TO SUPPORT THE PROCESS.

THANK YOU, DOCTOR GOODSON.

UM, NOW, AT THIS POINT, WE'LL GO BACK, I THINK, TO DOCTOR GIBBONS, WHO'S GOING TO TALK TO US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT STUDENT AND PARENT CHOICE.

YES. THANK YOU, MR. ROSO.

JUST A QUICK REMINDER OF OUR, UM, WE HAVE TWO UH, WE HAVE TWO TRANSFER OPTIONS.

WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, INTER WHERE STUDENTS ARE COMING INTO THE DISTRICT AND THOSE ARE FOR OUR EMPLOYEES CURRENTLY.

AND WE'VE DISCUSSED THAT WITHIN OUR, UH, OUR BUDGET BASED COMMITTEES.

AND, BUT THE INTRA DISTRICT TRANSFER PROCESS IS THE TRANSFER PROCESS THAT HAPPENS WITHIN OUR, WITHIN OUR OWN DISTRICT AND OUR OWN CAMPUSES.

AND JUST AS A REMINDER, THERE'S NO GOING TO BE NO MAJOR CHANGES TO THIS PROCESS.

THIS IS NOT GOING TO BE SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE TO MAKE ANY MAJOR CHANGES.

WE WILL HAVE SOME POSSIBLE OUTLIERS THAT WE, AS WE'VE DISCUSSED IN OUR PREVIOUS MEETINGS AROUND CAMPUSES, FOR EXAMPLE, SUCH AS HAMILTON PARK, WHERE WE MAY HAVE, UM, SOME SIXTH GRADERS WHO CAN CHOOSE TO STAY ON THAT CAMPUS OR GO TO THE, TO THE MIDDLE SCHOOL.

AND WE'LL WE'LL EVALUATE THOSE OUTLIERS AS THEY COME UP AND AS WE, UM, MOVE FORWARD WITH THE PROCESS.

IF YOU'RE LOOKING FOR SOME READING ENTERTAINMENT, THERE'S, UH, THE TRANSFER GUIDELINES DOCUMENT THERE THAT WE'VE INCLUDED.

[03:15:01]

YOU'RE WELCOME TO REVIEW IT IF YOU'D LIKE, BUT THAT'S OUR DRAFT GUIDELINE OF HOW WE'RE WORKING THROUGH WHAT ALL THE DIFFERENT, UM, SCENARIOS MIGHT BE WHEN IT COMES TO THE TRANSFER PROCESS AS WE MOVE FORWARD WITH THE MIDDLE SCHOOL.

THANK YOU. SO MOVING ON.

WE REACHED THE POINT FOR OTHER CONSIDERATIONS AND NEXT STEPS.

AND SO YOU SEE IN FRONT OF YOU WE HAVE PLANNED, UH, LAKE HIGHLANDS LEARNING COMMUNITY EVENTS.

UH, THOSE WILL BE MARCH 5TH, 2024, AND THOSE WILL BE COMMUNITY OPEN HOUSES THAT WILL INVOLVE, UH, FOREST MEADOW MIDDLE SCHOOL, LAKE HIGHLANDS, UH, JUNIOR HIGH.

STILL, AT THAT POINT, BECAUSE THEY WON'T BE IN THEIR NEW BUILDING.

AND LAKE HIGHLANDS HIGH SCHOOL.

UH, THE POINT OF THAT, NUMBER ONE IS THAT'S DURING TEXAS PUBLIC SCHOOLS WEEK, AND IT'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE COMMUNITY TO BE IN THE BUILDINGS AND GET A FEEL AND SEE FOR THEMSELVES WHAT THEIR TAX DOLLARS AT WORK, UH, LOOK LIKE AND WHAT HOW, UH, THE OUTCOMES ARE FOR THOSE.

SO WE'RE VERY EXCITED ABOUT THAT.

YOU KNOW, THE FOREST MEADOW AND LAKE HIGHLANDS MIDDLE SCHOOL, UH, PROJECTS WERE PART OF BOND 2021 AND THEN FOR LAKE HIGHLANDS HIGH SCHOOL.

THAT WAS PART OF BOND 2016.

BUT WE CERTAINLY WANT TO GIVE THE COMMUNITY THE OPPORTUNITY TO COME IN, UH, GET A LOOK AND FEEL FOR THE BENEFITS OF THEIR TAX DOLLARS.

AND I JUST WANT TO ADD THAT, UH, THIS REALLY ALSO ESPECIALLY ADDING LAKE HIGHLANDS HIGH SCHOOL ACTUALLY CAME FROM A GROUP OF COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO HAD NOT HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO SEE THE LAKE HIGHLANDS RENOVATION THAT WAS COMPLETED REALLY KIND OF DURING AND RIGHT AFTER THE PANDEMIC, AND WE DIDN'T WEREN'T ABLE TO REALLY HAVE ANY OPEN HOUSES AND DO LOTS OF TOURS.

UM, AND SO THEY REALLY REQUESTED, COULD WE MAKE THIS KIND OF A, UM, AN EVENT ACROSS THE LAKE HIGHLANDS LEARNING COMMUNITY WHERE, YOU KNOW, IF MY FEEDER PATTERN IS FOREST MEADOW, I COULD GO TO FOREST MEADOW AND THEN GO TO SEE THE HIGH SCHOOL OR LAKE HIGHLANDS AND THEN ALSO GO UP TO THE HIGH SCHOOL.

SO WE'RE REALLY EXCITED TO MAKE THIS A COMMUNITY EVENT AND REALLY SOMETHING THAT UNITES THE WILDCAT FAMILY, UM, ACROSS THE ENTIRE AREA.

YES. SO WE'RE WE'RE SUPER PROUD OF THIS.

AWESOME. SO WITH THAT, I WILL INVITE MISS BATES UP TO THE PODIUM.

SHE'S GOING TO TALK TO US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE TRANSITION.

FURTHER TRANSITION.

YEP. GOOD EVENING BOARD.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY.

AND, UM, THIS IS KIND OF THE CONCLUSION.

SO WE KNOW THAT THE CLOCK IS TICKING AND IT'S TIME FOR US TO START TALKING ABOUT THE BUILDINGS ARE, ARE ARE BECOMING VISIBLE.

AND NOW IT'S TIME TO REALLY TALK ABOUT TRANSITIONING INTO THE MIDDLE SCHOOL MODEL.

SO I JUST WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW THAT, UM, I'M GOING TO BE CONTINUING WORKING WITH SUSAN AND NICK.

THEY'RE GOING TO BE HOSTING LOTS OF OPPORTUNITIES FOR OUR STUDENTS AND FAMILIES TO BECOME ACQUAINTED WITH THE COURSE OFFERINGS, BECAUSE I KNOW THAT'S ALSO BEEN SOMETHING NEW FOR OUR OUR RISING SIXTH GRADERS.

AND THEY'RE GOING TO BE HOSTING SOME INFORMATIONAL NIGHTS FOR PARENTS.

UM, I DO WANT TO CONTINUE TO NOTE THAT AGAIN, LAKE HIGHLANDS MIDDLE SCHOOL IS WON'T BE COMPLETED THE SAME TIME AS FOREST MEADOW MIDDLE SCHOOL AND STILL GETTING PRACTICING MIDDLE SCHOOL.

UM, SO THEY WILL STILL BE HOSTING AT THEIR OLD BUILDING.

BUT AS SOON AS THAT BUILDING IS AVAILABLE, THEY WILL BE HOSTING THOSE THAT THAT OPPORTUNITY FOR THEM TO GET ACQUAINTED WITH THE BUILDING.

BECAUSE I KNOW AS A FORMER JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL PRINCIPAL, THE BIGGEST FEAR IS JUST WALKING INTO A DIFFERENT BUILDING.

AND SO I, FOR ONE, KNOW HOW IMPORTANT IT IS FOR THAT TRANSITION TO GIVE THEM THAT TIME TO GET ACQUAINTED WITH NOT ONLY THEIR STAFF, THEIR TEACHERS AND THE BUILDING.

SO NICK AND SUSAN WILL BE DOING A GREAT JOB HOSTING VARIOUS EVENTS, BUT I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE IT'S GOING TO LOOK A LITTLE DIFFERENT BECAUSE OF THE THE BUILDING COMPLETION DATES. UM, SO THE OTHER THING IS ALL OF THIS INFORMATION WILL BE COMMUNICATED TO THE FAMILIES AND IT WILL BE TRANSLATED.

SO THERE'S UM, NO QUESTION OF WHEN THESE EVENTS WILL BE HOSTED.

MOST OF THEM WILL BE IN JANUARY BECAUSE AS YOU SAW, THE COURSE CARDS ARE GOING TO BE COMING OUT IN FEBRUARY.

SO WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE COMMUNITY AND THE PARENTS ARE AWARE OF WHAT THAT WILL LOOK LIKE.

SO NICK AND SUSAN ARE WORKING WITH THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS TO PLAN THOSE DATES TO BRING THE THE RISING SIXTH AND SEVENTH GRADERS, BECAUSE THIS IS THAT YEAR WHERE WE'RE BRINGING UP BOTH. SO THEY'RE HAVING TO COORDINATE WITH THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY CAN THEY CAN GET THEM OVER TO THE CURRENTLY JUNIOR HIGH'S NOW SOON TO BE MIDDLE SCHOOLS. UM, WE ALSO WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE ENCOURAGING FAMILIES TO VISIT OUR WEBSITE THAT WE HAVE LINKED UP THERE, BECAUSE WE ARE CONTINUING TO UPDATE IT WITH OUR FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS.

AND LIKE TABITHA STARTED AT THE BEGINNING, WE ARE CONTINUING TO TAKE FEEDBACK AND WE'RE CONTINUING TO HONE AND REFINE THIS TRANSITION PROCESS BECAUSE, UM,

[03:20:01]

AND WE KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF ANGST AND FEAR.

BUT ONE THING I DO KNOW IS THESE TWO PEOPLE RIGHT HERE, YOUR KIDS ARE IN GREAT HANDS.

AND SO THEY ARE GOING TO CONTINUE TO LOOK AT THINGS.

WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO MEET WITH PEOPLE.

WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO LOOK AT THINGS.

WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE OUR RESEARCH INTO SOME OTHER HIGH PERFORMING MIDDLE SCHOOLS, BECAUSE WE KNOW HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO KIND OF GET OUTSIDE OF OUR OWN HOUSE TO SEE WHAT OTHER PEOPLE ARE DOING, BECAUSE THAT'S WE'VE LEARNED WE'VE LEARNED A LOT FROM JUST VISITING NEIGHBORING SCHOOLS.

AND SO WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO DO THAT.

UM, BECAUSE AGAIN, WE KNOW THE IMPORTANT THAT HOW IMPORTANT THIS IS TO GET IT RIGHT AND THAT WE WANT EVERYBODY TO FEEL CONFIDENT AND COMFORTABLE TO WELCOME THEIR SIXTH GRADERS INTO A VERY LARGE BUILDING BECAUSE THEY ARE SOME BEAUTIFUL BUILDINGS GOING UP.

UM, AND SO WE ARE DEDICATED TO DO THIS TRANSITION PROCESS TO MAKE OUR COMMUNITY AND OUR DISTRICT PROUD.

SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MISS BATES.

THANK YOU, MR. RUSSO. THANKS TO THE ENTIRE TEAM.

UM, AGAIN, VERY TRANSPARENT.

LOTS OF INFORMATION ON THE WEBSITE.

WE ARE CONSTANTLY FEEDING CONTENT TO THE ELEMENTARY PRINCIPALS SO THAT THEY ARE POPULATING THEIR NEWSLETTERS.

BECAUSE IF I'M AN ELEMENTARY PARENT, THE NEWSLETTER THAT I'M PROBABLY READING THE MOST IS MY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL NEWSLETTER.

SO WE ARE TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE GIVING THEM LOTS OF INFORMATION TO HELP DISSEMINATE AND COMMUNICATE THAT ACROSS THE COMMUNITY.

SO I THANK YOU, STAFF BOARD, WE'RE HAPPY TO TAKE ANY FEEDBACK OR QUESTIONS.

BOARD. ANY QUESTIONS? I SEE MISS MCGOWAN'S HAND FINGER UP.

THANK YOU GUYS FOR ALL OF THAT.

THIS IS GOING TO BE AMAZING.

THE BUILDING IS AMAZING.

UM. SUPER EXCITED.

CAN YOU EXPLAIN? CHRIS AND I WERE JUST SITTING HERE TALKING.

HAMILTON PARK.

DOESN'T THAT FEED INTO FOREST MEADOW? SO HAMILTON PARK IS A UNIQUE, UH, IT'S A IT'S A UNIQUE CAMPUS BECAUSE IT HAS A BLEND OF OF STUDENTS WHO WOULD NATURALLY ATTENDED ZONE FEED INTO THE LAKE HIGHLANDS LEARNING COMMUNITY, BUT THEY ALSO HAVE A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF STUDENTS THAT ARE THERE BY CHOICE.

SO THEY REALLY ARE OUR STUDENTS AT HAMILTON PARK.

SOME OF THEM CHOOSE TO GO TO A MAGNET PROGRAM IN THE RICHARDSON LEARNING COMMUNITY.

SOME OF THEM RETURN BACK TO LAKE HIGHLANDS, AND THEN WE ACTUALLY HAVE SOME THAT CHOOSE THE STEM FOR ALL INITIATIVE THROUGH BERKNER AS WELL.

SO WE JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR FIFTH, UM, AND SIXTH GRADE PARENTS AT HAMILTON PARK KNOW THAT THEY, THEY DO HAVE SOME OPTIONS AVAILABLE TO THEM TO MOVE INTO TRANSITION INTO THE LAKE HIGHLANDS MIDDLE SCHOOL, FOREST MEADOW MIDDLE SCHOOL MODEL AS WELL.

SO THEY'RE JUST KIND OF A LITTLE BIT OF AN ANOMALY WITH THAT.

DID. AND THEY'RE THE ONLY SCHOOL THAT'S LIKE THAT IN THE DISTRICT.

RIGHT. THAT IN TERMS OF IMPACTING LIKE ACM IS A NEIGHBORHOOD SCHOOL AND ALSO A MAGNET, BUT IN TERMS OF THAT ARE ZONED CURRENTLY TO MULTIPLE LEARNING COMMUNITIES.

YES, MA'AM. RIGHT. OKAY.

SO WHICH LEADS ME TO THE NEXT QUESTION, BECAUSE I'VE HAD A PARENT ASK ME, SHE HAS A KIDDO, UM, AT STOLTZ, WHICH WHO WOULD BE MOVING INTO THE MIDDLE SCHOOL MODEL NEXT YEAR.

BUT SHE'S INTERESTED IN THE MAGNET PROGRAMING, SO SHE'S LIKE, DOES THAT MEAN HE STAYS? HE HAS TO GO BACK TO ELEMENTARY IF WE..

SO FAMILIES. YEAH, THAT THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.

AND WE DO WE DO HAVE THIS ON OUR FAQ AS WELL.

UM, AND I WISH THAT WE HAD THE PERFECT ANSWER OR SOLUTION TO THIS.

UM, BUT WHILE WE HAVE WHILE WE'RE STILL TRANSITIONING ACROSS THE WHOLE DISTRICT TO MIDDLE SCHOOLS, UM, WE CURRENTLY, IF I MAY, LET'S JUST SAY I'M A FIFTH GRADER AND I AM INTERESTED IN MAGNET PROGRAMING, UM, AT WEST OR WESTWOOD, BUT THEY DON'T TAKE STUDENTS UNTIL SEVENTH GRADE EITHER, I CAN STAY AT MY HOME CAMPUS FOR SIXTH GRADE AND THEN TRANSITION.

UM, BUT IF I'M AT SORRY, IF I'M AT IN LAKE HIGHLANDS, I CAN EITHER TRANSITION TO SIXTH GRADE IN THE MIDDLE SCHOOL AND THEN TRANSITION SEVENTH GRADE.

YEAH. YES.

OR I CAN OR I COULD IF WE HAD AN OPEN SEAT, I COULD REQUEST A TRANSFER OR A MAGNET APPLICATION TO ONE OF OUR MAGNET CAMPUSES FOR SIXTH GRADE THAT THEN WOULD FEED INTO WEST OR WESTWOOD.

SO THOSE ARE REALLY THE AND IT'S NOT A PERFECT SOLUTION.

AND I'VE HAD SOME INDIVIDUAL CONVERSATIONS WITH PARENTS AS WELL.

UM, BUT UNTIL WE ARE TRANSITIONED AS A MIDDLE SCHOOL MODEL, REALLY THOSE ARE THE TWO, UM, BEST OPTIONS FOR FAMILIES.

ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS FOR MISS TIMMY? I JUST HAVE A QUICK ONE, AND I THINK I KNOW THE ANSWER, BUT I JUST WANT TO ASK IT ANYWAY.

UM, AND THIS MAY BE A DOCTOR GOODSON QUESTION, BUT I'LL JUST HERE AND YOU CAN DECIDE ON.

UM, I KNOW THAT THAT CERTIFICATIONS OVER TIME HAVE CHANGED HOW THEY'RE CERTIFIED AND WHAT GRADE YOU'RE CERTIFIED TO, AND HOW THAT ALL LOOKS FOR DIFFERENT CONTENT AREAS.

[03:25:09]

ARE WE GETTING WORD OUT LIKE THAT IN ANY WAY, SHAPE OR FORM? I THINK THAT'S GOING TO BE AN IMPORTANT NEXT STEP BECAUSE, UM, WE ARE FORTUNATE TO BE PARTNERED WITH A LOT OF ALTERNATIVE CERTIFICATION PROGRAMS AND OTHER PROVIDERS WHO CAN HELP TEACHERS, UH, ADD ADDITIONAL CERTIFICATIONS.

SO I CAN SEE THAT THAT WOULD BE AN IMPORTANT NEXT STEP FOR US IS TO COMMUNICATE AND LET THEM KNOW, BECAUSE RIGHT NOW, WE'RE STILL LIMITED TO JUST WHATEVER THEY'RE CURRENTLY CERTIFIED. AND WE AREN'T, UM, WE'RE NOT LOOKING TO MAKE THEM A DISTRICT OF INNOVATION TEACHER BECAUSE THEY'RE CURRENTLY NOT ONE.

SO LIKE, WE WOULDN'T SHUFFLE IN THAT WAY EITHER BECAUSE THAT WOULD CHANGE OUR CONTRACT STATUS.

RIGHT. SO YEAH, I THINK THAT IS GOING TO BE A NEXT STEP FOR US THAT WE HAVE TO REALLY, UM, BE READY TO COMMUNICATE TO EVERYBODY.

OKAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU MISS TIMME.

ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS FOR MISS MCGOWAN? ALL RIGHT, ONE MORE JUST.

AND THIS MIGHT BE IN THE WEEDS A LITTLE BIT, BUT I'M GOING TO ASK IT ANYWAY.

SO OUR SIXTH GRADE TEACHERS ARE LEAVING OUR SCHOOLS, RIGHT, THAT ARE HAVING TO DO THIS TRANSITION.

SOME OF THEM HAVE BEEN THERE FOREVER, LIKE RIGHT.

AND SO I WAS JUST WONDERING LIKE, ARE WE ARE WE DOING ANY LIKE CELEBRATIONS OR ANYTHING FOR THESE TEACHERS? SO THE FIRST THING I WILL SAY THAT ALL OF OUR ELEMENTARY CAMPUSES HAVE SOME SPECIFIC CELEBRATORY EVENTS PLANNED BECAUSE ALSO FOR FIFTH GRADE, LIKE IF YOU THINK ABOUT THAT FIFTH GRADE END OF ELEMENTARY EXPERIENCE, FOR THEM, IT'S GOING TO COME A YEAR SOONER.

SO I FIRST FROM THE STUDENT EXPERIENCE YES.

AND I WOULD SAY SECOND FROM THE STAFF EXPERIENCE, I THINK ANY STAFF MEMBER WHO LEAVES A BUILDING, REGARDLESS IF IT'S RETIREMENT OR IF IT'S BECAUSE I'M EITHER MOVING TO THE MIDDLE SCHOOL MODEL OR, UM, I WANT TO GO TO ANOTHER CAMPUS AS AN OPENING, THAT THOSE PRINCIPALS ARE VERY THOUGHTFUL ABOUT HOW TO CELEBRATE THOSE INDIVIDUALS.

AND I WILL TELL YOU THAT THIS WAS NOT SOMETHING THAT SNUCK UP ON, UM, OUR TEACHERS.

THIS IS SOMETHING THAT I'VE HAD A LOT OF TIME PLANNING.

I CAN TELL YOU THAT I HAD LOTS OF CONVERSATIONS WITH SOME TEACHERS WHO KNEW THAT THEY WANTED TO STAY AT THEIR CAMPUS, AND IF THERE WAS AN OPENING IN ANOTHER GRADE LEVEL, LET'S SAY, LIKE A FIFTH GRADE OR A FOURTH GRADE THIS YEAR, THEY WENT AHEAD AND TRANSITIONED BECAUSE THEY KNEW THEY WANTED TO STAY AT THAT CAMPUS.

UM, SO I DO THINK AND I THINK PRINCIPALS REALLY HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS ALSO LIKE, WE WE NEED YOU TO STAY HERE.

AND SO, HEY, I HAVE THESE OPENINGS.

WOULD YOU WANT TO TO TRANSITION NOW WHILE WE KNOW THEY HAVE THESE OPENINGS.

SO THEY'VE BEEN VERY AWARE OF THAT.

BUT I ASSURE YOU THERE WILL BE LOTS OF CELEBRATIONS AND UM, SOME TEARS BUT ALSO SOME HAPPY TEARS BECAUSE IT'S ALL FOR LIKE REALLY GOOD REASONS.

GREAT QUESTION. THANK YOU, MISS MCGOWAN.

ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS? COMMENTS. THANK YOU TEAM.

GREAT PRESENTATION.

WE DID YOU HAVE ANYTHING ELSE? ALL RIGHTY. SO WE ARE GOING TO GO AHEAD AND MOVE ON TO OUR NEXT ITEM WHICH IS ALSO AN INFORMATION ITEM TO REVIEW THE BUDGET PLANNING

[IV.F. Review Budget Planning Calendar]

UM, IT'S JUST AN INFORMATION ITEM, AND, UH, I WILL BE GLAD TO ADDRESS ANY QUESTIONS, BUT THERE IS NOTHING UNUSUAL OR OUT OF THE ORDINARY ABOUT THIS CALENDAR TONIGHT.

AND JUST ONE NOTE.

THIS CALENDAR IN NO WAY REFLECTS ANY IMPLICATIONS FROM RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WE JUST HEARD FROM THE BUDGET STEERING COMMITTEE.

THIS IS SIMPLY IF NOTHING, NOTHING ELSE WAS TO EVER IMPACT OR INFLUENCE THE CALENDAR.

THIS WOULD BE A NORMAL BUDGET CALENDAR PROCESS.

THIS IS ONE THAT YOU'VE EXPERIENCED EVERY YEAR THAT YOU'VE BEEN ON THE BOARD.

YES, AND AS USUAL, IT WILL CHANGE AND WE WILL CERTAINLY BE UPDATING IT FOR ANY ADDITIONAL ACTIVITIES THAT NEED TO OCCUR RELATED TO THE RECOMMENDATIONS YOU HEARD TONIGHT. BUT NONE OF TONIGHT'S PRESENTATION HASN'T BEEN INCORPORATED OR REFLECTED IN THIS CALENDAR.

AND IT IS THE NORMAL WE ADOPT.

THE BOARD IS SCHEDULED TO ADOPT THE BUDGET AT THE FIRST MEETING IN JUNE AS USUAL.

IN. IS.

ARE YOU? IS THAT IT? THAT'S IT FOR ME. I'M SORRY.

I'M REALLY GLAD TO ADDRESS ANY QUESTIONS I APOLOGIZE.

NO, NO. NO PROBLEM, MR. BOAT. AND SO THAT THAT THAT IS A BACKSTOP THAT WILL REMAIN THERE IN JUNE 6TH I GUESS THAT BOARD MEETING.

SO WHATEVER CHANGES COME ABOUT BASED ON THE COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATIONS AND TASKS, THAT'S OUR BACKSTOP.

[03:30:05]

BUT THE LAST SCHEDULED BOARD MEETING REGULAR, THE LAST REGULAR BOARD MEETING FOR THE FISCAL YEAR IS ON JUNE 6TH.

OKAY. GREAT.

THANK YOU. IN THE ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS BOARD.

ALL RIGHT. PERFECT.

THANK YOU, MR. PATE. OUR LAST ITEM THIS EVENING IS A REPORT ON DISTRICT ACTIVITIES.

[IV.I. Discussion of Student / District Activities]

NO. YES.

YES I DID.

IT'S BEEN A WHILE SINCE WE HAVE BEEN IN THE HORSESHOE.

IT WAS, UH, IT WAS A WHILE BACK.

UH, NO, THAT WAS A GOOD.

I THINK THERE WAS SOME.

IT WAS INTERESTING.

THERE WAS SOME, UM, SOME INTERESTING TOPICS THAT WERE THAT WERE BROUGHT UP.

UM, I IT WAS ROUGHLY HALF A DAY, BUT IT INCLUDED SOME OF THE CABINET.

I THINK THAT WAS GOOD TO HEAR SOME OF THOSE PERSPECTIVES.

UM, SO IT WAS GOOD.

THERE WERE SOME OTHER I MEAN, IT WAS DIVERSE IN THE SIZE OF DISTRICTS THAT WERE REPRESENTED.

UM, AND THEN AGAIN, THERE WERE JUST SOME, SOME KIND OF NEW CONCEPTS THAT WERE BROUGHT UP THAT WERE GOOD FOR, FOR US TO CONSIDER, ESPECIALLY AS WE GO INTO SOME CHANGES IN THE DISTRICT GOING FORWARD.

SO I WAS GLAD TO BE ABLE TO REPRESENT.

ABSOLUTELY. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR REPRESENTING.

AND SPEAKING OF REPRESENTING, MISS MCGOWAN, YOU ACTUALLY ARE OUR BOARD REP FOR LIVE WISE, LIVE HEALTHY.

AND SO YOU HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO ATTEND YOUR FIRST MEETING.

YES, MA'AM, I DID.

LIVE WISE. LIVE HEALTHY.

SUCH GREAT TERMS TO FOLLOW, RIGHT? UM, I DID, IT WAS WELL PUT TOGETHER.

THERE'S A LOT OF WORK THAT THEY'RE GOING TO BE DOING OVER THE YEAR, I GUESS.

UM, AND IT'S BEEN A REALLY LONG TIME SINCE THAT MEETING HAPPENED AS WELL, SO I CAN'T REMEMBER.

I CAN'T REMEMBER ANYTHING ELSE.

GUYS. I'M SORRY.

THANK YOU. WELL, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

WE'LL MOVE ON TO MISS TIMME.

OKAY. SHE ACTUALLY STEPPED IN FOR MR. EAGER AT THE AMBASSADOR PROGRAM.

OKAY. ALL RIGHT.

I HAD, UM.

I DO REMEMBER THIS ONE.

YOU'RE WELCOME REGINA. UH, NO, IT WAS GREAT.

UM, THAT WE HAVE A GREAT.

WE HAD A REALLY GREAT ATTENDANCE AT THAT ONE.

UM, WHERE MISS THOMAS, WHO'S NOT HERE RIGHT NOW, BUT SHE, UH, HELPS TO LEAD THAT WHERE COMMUNITY MEMBERS COME TOGETHER.

AND THEY WERE LEARNING DIFFERENT THINGS ABOUT, UM, UH, THE DISTRICT.

I BELIEVE THE TOPIC MISTER GIBSON WAS, UH, OR DOCTOR GIBSON WAS HR RIGHT AT THE ONE AT BRENTFIELD.

YEAH. SO IT WAS, IT WAS A THERE WERE SOME AIR PIECES AND THINGS LIKE THAT.

ANYWAY, IT WAS A REALLY GOOD GROUP OF PEOPLE.

I WAS SHOCKED AT HOW MANY PEOPLE WERE THERE, HONESTLY, AND HOW ENGAGED THEY WERE.

AND I THINK THAT GOES TO THE QUALITY OF THE PROGRAM AND THE SETUP AND PREVIOUS SESSIONS, AND HOW MUCH VALUE THEY FOUND OUT OF THAT, THAT THEY'RE CONTINUING TO SHOW UP SESSION AFTER SESSION.

UM, FOR THAT, WHICH IS, BY THE WAY, JUST ANOTHER LITTLE PLUG.

IT'S SUCH A GREAT TREND.

I HEARD THE SAME THING WITH THE COMMITTEE THAT WE HEARD FROM TONIGHT.

UM, IN THE PAST, I THINK WE'VE HAD SOME WHERE THE COMMITTEE STARTS, AND THEN IT KIND OF DWINDLES OVER TIME, AND THERE'S NOT SO MUCH SO HAVING STRONG ATTENDANCE BECAUSE THE PROGRAMS ARE HAVING SUCH GREAT VALUE AND INPUT, I THINK IS, UH, SPEAKS TO EFFECTIVENESS.

SO I'M SUPER HAPPY ABOUT THAT.

THAT'S FANTASTIC BECAUSE I LOVED IT WHEN I WAS ON THAT COMMITTEE.

IT WAS NAMED SOMETHING ELSE, BUT I ACTUALLY ENJOYED IT.

UM, I THINK WE SHOULD ALL REMEMBER THIS ONE, BECAUSE IT WAS JUST A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO, UH, MYSELF, MISTER POTEET AND MISS MCGOWAN ACTUALLY WORKED THE LAKE HIGHLANDS WOMEN'S LEAGUE HOME TOUR.

SO, MR. POTEET. YOU PICKING ON ME? OF COURSE.

UM, NO, THAT WAS GREAT.

UH, IT'S UNIQUE TO THE LEARNING COMMUNITY OVER THERE IN LAKE HIGHLANDS, BUT IT'S, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT OF FRIENDLY FACES, A LOT OF ENGAGED, RISD PARENTS AND, UM, AND PARTNERS OVER THERE.

SO IT WAS GOOD TO TO TO SEE THEM THROUGHOUT THE PROCESS.

UM, WAS THERE WITH SOME OF THE CABINET.

WE HAD TO WE GOT TO DO LUNCH IN THE MIDDLE OF IT.

SO IT WAS A GOOD, GOOD EXPERIENCE KIND OF GET YOU IN THE HOLIDAY SEASON, BUT YOU ALSO HAVE A GOOD TOUCH POINTS WITH A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT YOU WORK WITH FROM ELEMENTARY THROUGH THE HIGH SCHOOL. SO YEAH.

SO THANK YOU TO THE WOMEN'S LEAGUE.

I ALWAYS ENJOYED THAT EVENT.

IT'S AMAZING.

WE HAVE A GREAT TIME AS A GROUP.

JUST KIND OF BONDING GOING TO THE DIFFERENT HOUSES.

SO WE APPRECIATE THEM ALLOWING US TO ACTUALLY COME OUT AND TOUR THEIR HOUSES.

SO AND I THINK THE FUNDS GO TO SCHOLARSHIPS.

SCHOLARSHIPS FOR.

YEAH IT'S RIGHT. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT.

YEAH, ABSOLUTELY.

[03:35:02]

CITY OF RICHARDSON CHRISTMAS PARADE.

UH MR. EAGER, YOU WERE ACTUALLY THERE? UM, YEAH, I WAS ACTUALLY THERE.

UM, YEAH.

UM. IT'S LATE.

IT'S LATE. HEY, LISTEN, IT WAS A GREAT TIME.

WE WERE ALL. YOU WERE THERE AS WELL, I WAS.

MISS BRANUM WAS THERE WAS THERE THERE WAS A WHOLE, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF US WERE THERE, BUT, UM, IT'S ALWAYS A GREAT TIME TO BE ON THE CHRISTMAS PARADE.

IT'S SO MUCH FUN TO SEE FAMILIES COME OUT.

IT IS, AND IT JUST REMINDS YOU SEEING THE LITTLE ONES OUT THERE AND JUST SEEING THE EXCITEMENT ON THEIR FACE.

AND I LOOK, I HONESTLY LOOK FORWARD TO THAT EVERY YEAR BECAUSE IT'S SUCH A GOOD TIME.

AND I JUST REMEMBER TAKING MY LITTLE BOYS WELL, THEY'RE NOT LITTLE ANYMORE, BUT I REMEMBER.

DID YOU REALLY? YEAH, I TOOK THEM OUT THERE AND THEY WERE, UH, MAN, THEY WERE ALWAYS REALLY NICE TO WHEN THEY WERE LITTLE TO GO SEE THE PARADE.

SO ANYHOW. OKAY.

OKAY. WELL, YOU AND I, MEGAN ACTUALLY, LAST NIGHT ATTENDED THE MAYOR'S CHRISTMAS PARTY AND TOY DRIVE.

AND I TELL YOU, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I WAS SUPER EXCITED ABOUT IS WHEN I WALKED THROUGH THE DOOR, THE BOXES FULL OF TOYS.

IT WAS AMAZING.

SO THERE'S GOING TO BE A LOT OF KIDS THAT ARE GOING TO GET A LOT OF TOYS.

SO THANK YOU ALL FOR PARTICIPATING IN THAT AND BRINGING A TOY.

AND SO I THINK IT IS PRETTY LATE.

WE'VE BEEN HERE FOR A LONG TIME TODAY AND I APPRECIATE YOU.

I APPRECIATE THE TEAM HERE STAYING LATE WITH US.

SO WE ARE GOING TO CALL IT A NIGHT.

I'D LIKE TO THANK THE STAFF, OUR VISITORS, MY COLLEAGUES FOR BEING HERE THIS EVENING.

WE WILL NOT HAVE A CLOSED MEETING TONIGHT.

YEAH. THEREFORE, THIS MEETING, MISS MCGOWAN AND MR. POTEET, THIS MEETING IS ADJOURNED AT 10:04 P.M..

THANK YOU ALL. GREAT MEETING.

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.