[00:00:08]
>> GOOD EVENING, AND WELCOME TO
[I. CALL TO ORDER]
THE DECEMBER MEETING OF THE RICHARDSON ISD BOARD OF TRUSTEES.I'M CHRIS PATE, BOARD PRESIDENT.
MS. RACHEL MCGOWAN AND MS. VANESSA PACHECO WILL NOT BE JOINING US TONIGHT.
HOWEVER, WE DO HAVE A QUORUM PRESENT, AND THIS MEETING IS CALLED TO ORDER AT 6:05 PM.
DR. HELLER, WILL YOU PLEASE INTRODUCE OUR GUESTS TO LEAD US IN THE PLEDGES OF ALLEGIANCE THIS EVENING?
>> YES, PRESIDENT PATE, I'M SO EXCITED.
WE HAVE MEMBERS OF THE YALE ELEMENTARY STUDENT COUNCIL WITH US HERE THIS EVENING.
I'M EXCITED TO INTRODUCE TO YOU HARPER BENAVIDES, ABBY CAMPOS, DYLAN HUGHES, AND BRINLEY MULLER.
IF YOU COULD PLEASE COME FORWARD, AND PIPER FRIZWELL.
THANK YOU SO MUCH. WE HAVE HARPER, ABBY, PIPER, AND DYLAN.
IF YOU COULD PLEASE COME FORWARD AND LEAD US IN OUR PLEDGES THIS EVENING.
>> WILL YOU PLEASE JOIN ME IN THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE?
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH, AND LET'S GIVE IT UP FOR THE YALE ELEMENTARY STUDENT COUNCIL. GREAT JOB, STUDENTS.
>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR LEADING US THROUGH THOSE, AND WE APPRECIATE YOU COMING TONIGHT REPRESENTING YALE.
AUDIENCE, IF YOU'D PLEASE JOIN US IN A MOMENT OF SILENCE THIS TIME.
THANK YOU. COLLEAGUES, IT IS NOW TIME FOR OUR RECOGNITION. DR. HELLER.
>> YES. PRESIDENT PATE, SUPERINTENDENT BRANUM, BOARD OF TRUSTEES, I INVITE YOU TO PLEASE COME FORWARD.
AS THEY ARE COMING FORWARD, WE WOULD LIKE TO WELCOME ALL OF YOU FOR JOINING US TONIGHT.
THE RISD 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.
WE HAVE TWO PARTNER RECOGNITIONS TO BRING BEFORE YOU, SUPERINTENDENT BRANUM, AND BOARD OF TRUSTEES.
THE FIRST IS AN INCREDIBLE PARTNERSHIP WE HAVE WITH METRO CARE.
I'M GOING TO INVITE OUR GUESTS IN ATTENDANCE THIS EVENING, TANYA FORTENBERRY, REGINA WALKER, AND KENNEDY NEUBANKS.
IF YOU CAN PLEASE COME FORWARD.
WE ARE RECOGNIZING THEM THIS EVENING BECAUSE RICHARDSON ISD AND METRO CARE HAVE RECENTLY LAUNCHED A COLLABORATION PROVIDING ADDITIONAL EMPOWER PROGRAM SOCIAL WORKERS FROM METRO CARE IN EACH LEARNING COMMUNITY.
RISD WILL HAVE SEVEN ADDITIONAL SOCIAL WORKERS ASSISTING STUDENTS AND FAMILIES WITH ADDITIONAL SUPPORTS AND RESOURCES.
WE CURRENTLY HAVE THE PROGRAM IN BOTH THE LAKE HIGHLANDS AND BERKNER LEARNING COMMUNITIES AND ARE CONTINUING THE EXPANSION TO THE PIERCE AND RICHARDSON LEARNING COMMUNITIES.
THERE WILL ALSO BE A METRO CARE HUB AT THE THURGOOD MARSHALL STUDENT SUCCESS ACADEMY THAT WILL BE OPEN IN THE EVENINGS.
WE ARE THANKFUL FOR THEIR SUPPORT OF OUR STUDENTS AND THEIR CONTINUED COLLABORATION.
THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH, METRO CARE.
OUR SECOND PARTNER RECOGNITION THIS EVENING IS WITH OUR FRIENDS AT TEXAS HEALTH RESOURCES, AND I'M GOING TO ASK THEM TO PLEASE COME FORWARD AT THIS TIME.
I BELIEVE IS TUANI CRUZ AND NASHA DAVIS, IF YOU COULD PLEASE COME FORWARD.
I'M GOING TO SHARE A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHY WE ARE RECOGNIZING OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH TEXAS HEALTH RESOURCES.
THEY HAVE PROVIDED FUNDING FOR ADDITIONAL SOCIAL WORKERS TO ASSIST STUDENTS AT OUR THURGOOD MARSHALL STUDENTS SUCCESS ACADEMY.
[00:05:03]
THROUGH THESE ADDITIONAL POSITIONS, WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO WORK WITH ALL STUDENTS ON THEIR EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING AND DECISION-MAKING WHILE AT SCHOOL.THIS WORK ALSO PROVIDES STUDENTS WITH AN EXTRA PERSON AND SUPPORT AND ADDITIONAL RESOURCES TO HELP THEM BE SUCCESSFUL AT SCHOOL AND BEYOND.
THANK YOU SO MUCH TO OUR FRIENDS AT TEXAS HEALTH RESOURCES.
AGAIN, WE ARE GRATEFUL FOR THE MANY PARTNERSHIPS THAT WE HAVE THROUGHOUT THE RISD COMMUNITIES, SO THANK YOU.
AT THIS TIME, WE'RE GOING TO TRANSITION INTO OUR SCHOOL RECOGNITIONS AND WE HAVE A VERY SPECIAL RECOGNITION THIS EVENING FOR YALE ELEMENTARY.
YALE ELEMENTARY HAS BEEN NAMED A 2024 SOLUTION TREE PROMISING PRACTICES SCHOOL.
THIS IS AN INCREDIBLE HONOR AND WE ARE BEYOND PROUD OF THE HARD WORK THE STAFF PUTS IN EVERY DAY TO SUPPORT THE GROWTH AND SUCCESS OF EACH AND EVERY STUDENT.
AT THIS TIME, I WOULD LIKE TO INTRODUCE AND WELCOME TO THE PODIUM, JENNIFER IVY, WHO IS FROM SOLUTION TREE, WHO'S GOING TO SHARE A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THE AWARD THIS EVENING.
>> SUPERINTENDENT BRANUM, PRESIDENT PATE, AND TRUSTEES, I'M HONORED TO BE WITH YOU THIS EVENING TO RECOGNIZE YALE ELEMENTARY AS ONE OF OUR NEWEST PROMISING PRACTICES CAMPUS AND THE ONLY PROMISING PRACTICE CAMPUS IN RICHARDSON ISD.
>> MORE TO COME. OUR PROMISING PRACTICES DESIGNATION IS AN INITIAL STEP TOWARD BECOMING A MODEL PLC AT WORK SCHOOL.
PROMISING PRACTICES SCHOOLS HAVE STRONG EVIDENCE OF THE SOLID FOUNDATION, REQUIRE TO BECOME A MODEL PLC AT WORK, AND SHARE AT LEAST ONE YEAR OF DATA THAT SHOWS STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT GROWTH.
SOLUTION TREE IS PROUD TO PARTNER WITH RICHARDSON ISD AND CELEBRATE THE GROWTH OF YOUR EDUCATIONAL COMMUNITY, TEACHERS, AND MOST OF ALL, YOUR STUDENTS.
THE VERY FOUNDATION OF PROFESSIONAL LEARNING COMMUNITIES AT WORK IS TO BUILD A LASTING CULTURE OF LEARNING WITH A DAILY FOCUS ON STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT.
MS. GREER AND HER STAFF HAVE DONE JUST THAT.
BECAUSE OF THEIR FOCUS ON COLLABORATION AND COMMUNICATION WITHIN THEIR COLLABORATIVE TEAMS, THEY'VE INCREASED CAPACITY IN BOTH THEIR TEACHERS AND STUDENTS.
THESE EDUCATORS HAVE A SENSE OF OWNERSHIP AND COLLECTIVE RESPONSIBILITY WITHIN THEIR COLLABORATIVE TEAM AND A COMMON SCHOOL-WIDE MISSION TO EDUCATE AND INSPIRE AND EMPOWER ALL STUDENTS.
CONGRATULATIONS YALE. [APPLAUSE]
>> WE ARE SO GRATEFUL FOR OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH SOLUTION TREE, AND CONGRATULATIONS TO CARRIE GREER, PRINCIPAL YALE ELEMENTARY.
WE HAVE HOLLY GORDON, ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL.
I KNOW THESE ARE MEMBERS OF THEIR GUIDING COALITION LEADERSHIP TEAM.
WE HAVE CAROLYN WHITE, LAURA SPRADLEY, MEGHAN FRINGPONG, VICTORIA DAVIS, SHELLY HOPKINS, CANDY PATACH, AND ANDREA MASON.
CONGRATULATIONS, YALE ELEMENTARY.
[APPLAUSE] WE'RE PROBABLY GOING TO HAVE SOME OF YOU COME OVER TO THIS SIDE AND WE CAN PUT THE BANNER IN THE MIDDLE AND WE'LL GRAB A GREAT PHOTO TO PUT ON YOUR CAMPUS WEBSITE.
WE WANT SOLUTION TREE TO KNOW THAT GET SOME MORE OF THOSE BANNERS PRINTED BECAUSE WE'RE GOING TO NEED MORE FOR OUR CAMPUSES HERE IN RISD.
AGAIN, CONGRATULATIONS TO THE STAFF AT YALE ELEMENTARY.
WE ARE NOW GOING TO RECOGNIZE ONE OF OUR AWESOME STAFF MEMBERS FROM PIERCE HIGH SCHOOL.
MS. CAITLIN ZANCANA IS HERE THIS EVENING, AND SHE IS BEING RECOGNIZED AS THE TEXAS ASSOCIATION OF FUTURE EDUCATORS, REGION 11 TEACHER SPONSOR OF THE YEAR.
[APPLAUSE] ALSO, KNOWN AS TAFE, THE TEXAS ASSOCIATION OF FUTURE EDUCATORS IS A STUDENT ORGANIZATION CREATED TO ALLOW YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN AN OPPORTUNITY TO EXPLORE THE TEACHING PROFESSION.
THE ORGANIZATION WAS CREATED IN 1984 TO PROVIDE THE BEST AND BRIGHTEST HIGH SCHOOL MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS IN TEXAS WITH THE NECESSARY KNOWLEDGE TO MAKE INFORMED DECISIONS ABOUT PURSUING CAREERS IN
[00:10:03]
EDUCATION AND TO COME BACK HERE TO RICHARDSON ISD AND TEACH.CONGRATULATIONS, CAITLIN. DID WE GET A PICTURE, CAITLIN? WELL, WE GOT IT.
FROM PIERCE HIGH SCHOOL FOR BEING NAMED THE TAFE REGION 11, TEACHER SPONSOR OF THE YEAR, WE'RE VERY PROUD OF YOU.
THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU DO. WE HAVE SEVERAL STUDENT RECOGNITIONS THIS EVENING.
WE WOULD LIKE TO RECOGNIZE TWO STUDENTS FROM PIERCE HIGH SCHOOL.
I WOULD LIKE TO INVITE CHARLOTTE DUBROC AND EMMA REID TO PLEASE COME FORWARD, PLEASE.
WE HAVE CHARLOTTE, WHO IS A FRESHMAN AT PIERCE HIGH SCHOOL, AND EMMA REID, A SOPHOMORE AT PIERCE HIGH SCHOOL.
EACH YEAR, THE DISTRICT ART DEPARTMENT HOLDS A HOLIDAY CARD CONTEST AND SUBMISSIONS FROM ACROSS THE DISTRICT ARE REVIEWED BY THE SUPERINTENDENT'S OFFICE.
THIS YEAR'S WINNERS INCLUDE BOTH OF THESE YOUNG TALENTED ARTISTS FROM PIERCE HIGH SCHOOL, CHARLOTTE DUBROC AND EMMA REID.
THEIR ARTWORK IS ON OUR DISTRICT'S HOLIDAY CARD FOR THIS YEAR AND EACH OF OUR TRUSTEES, AS WELL AS THEIR FAMILIES, ARE RECEIVING A PRINTED SET OF THE CARDS THIS EVENING.
[APPLAUSE] I THINK A FEW OF US WANT TO KNOW WHERE WE CAN GET THOSE HIGH SCHOOL SWEATERS ON SALE.
IS THAT NOT HERE? THANK YOU SO MUCH, LADIES, FOR SHARING YOUR TALENT AND YOUR ARTWORK WITH US.
OUR NEXT STUDENT RECOGNITION IS FOR AUDREY CHENG AND JOEY LANSCH FOR THE TEXAS ALL-STATE ORCHESTRA, IF YOU COULD PLEASE COME DOWN.
JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE IF AUDREY WAS ABLE TO MAKE IT THIS EVENING.
WELL, I GOT TO MEET JOEY BEFORE THE MEETING.
CONGRATULATIONS TO BOTH AUDREY, WHO'S IN NINTH GRADE AND PLAYS THE CELLO, AND FOR JOEY LANSCH, HE'S IN 12TH GRADE, PLAYS THE VIOLA, AND THEY HAVE QUALIFIED FOR THE TEXAS ALL-STATE ORCHESTRAS FROM JJ PIERCE HIGH SCHOOL.
BOTH AUDREY AND JOEY WILL REPRESENT RISD ORCHESTRA STUDENTS IN FEBRUARY AT THE TEXAS MUSIC EDUCATORS ASSOCIATION ANNUAL CLINIC AND CONVENTION IN SAN ANTONIO.
GREAT JOB AND CONGRATULATIONS.
[APPLAUSE] I'M TELLING YOU WE HAVE SOME INCREDIBLY TALENTED STUDENTS BOTH IN AND OUT OF THE CLASSROOM.
NEXT, WE ARE GOING TO RECOGNIZE OUR STUDENT ATHLETES.
I'M GOING TO ASK ANY OF OUR STUDENT-ATHLETES THAT ARE HERE THIS EVENING TO BE RECOGNIZED FOR CROSS COUNTRY AND VOLLEYBALL, IF YOU COULD, PLEASE COME FORWARD AND LINE UP AGAINST THE WALL HERE.
AS YOU'RE COMING FORWARD, I'M GOING TO SHARE A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHY WE ARE RECOGNIZING YOU THIS EVENING.
AS THE FALL SPORTS SEASON WRAPS UP, WE ARE EXCITED TO RECOGNIZE OUR CROSS COUNTRY AND VOLLEYBALL 2024/2025 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, CLASS RANK, AS WELL AS THEIR ACT AND 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 AT THE HIGHEST OF EXCELLENCE, ACADEMICALLY AND ON THE FIELD OR COURT.
WE HAVE HAD 38 STUDENTS DISTRICT-WIDE THAT HAVE BEEN RECOGNIZED IN THESE TWO SPORTS FOR THIS PAST FALL, AND WE ARE EXCITED TO CELEBRATE THEM ALL.
SEVERAL WERE ABLE TO BE HERE THIS EVENING.
AT THIS TIME, WE ARE GOING TO INTRODUCE THEM TO YOU.
WE ARE GOING TO START WITH MS. WINNIE GOODSON, VOLLEYBALL, RICHARDSON HIGH SCHOOL.
ZACHARY STALLINGS, PIERCE HIGH SCHOOL FOR CROSS COUNTRY.
GRACE HALL, PIERCE HIGH SCHOOL, CROSS COUNTRY.
[APPLAUSE] LILY MEMAN, LAKE HIGHLANDS HIGH SCHOOL, CROSS COUNTRY.
DYLAN MCCOY, LAKE HIGHLANDS HIGH SCHOOL, CROSS COUNTRY.
BRADY HARRISON, LAKE HIGHLANDS, CROSS COUNTRY.
ELLIS MARTIN, LAKE HIGHLANDS HIGH SCHOOL, CROSS COUNTRY.
SARAH MANNING, RICHARDSON HIGH SCHOOL VOLLEYBALL.
LOLA POTTER, LAKE HIGHLANDS HIGH SCHOOL, VOLLEYBALL.
KENNEDY CALABRES LAKE HIGHLANDS HIGH SCHOOL, VOLLEYBALL.
STELLA LEE, LAKE HIGHLANDS HIGH SCHOOL, VOLLEYBALL.
[00:15:05]
EMERSON BALDERAC, LAKE HIGHLANDS HIGH SCHOOL, VOLLEYBALL.CHRISTINA NOON, BERKNER HIGH SCHOOL, CROSS COUNTRY.
BRADY SHUTZSWORTH, BERKNER HIGH SCHOOL, CROSS COUNTRY.
GREAT JOB TO ALL OF THESE STUDENT ATHLETES.
LET'S TRY AND GET YOU ORGANIZED AROUND THE PODIUM HERE IN THE HORSESHOE TO GRAB A PHOTO, PLEASE.
WE ARE GOING TO CONCLUDE THIS EVENING AS WE DO EVERY MONTH WITH OUR BE THE ONE AWARD, AND WE HAVE A COUPLE DIFFERENT STUDENTS AND STAFF TO RECOGNIZE.
I WANT TO MAKE SURE DID JACKSON ROBERTSON SNEAKED IN AFTER WE GOT THE MEETING STARTED FROM RICHARDSON HIGH SCHOOL.
WE ARE EXCITED TO CELEBRATE YOU THIS EVENING, JACKSON, AND I WANT TO SHARE WHAT WAS SUBMITTED AND WHY YOU ARE HERE THIS EVENING.
FIRST OFF, WE WANT TO RECOGNIZE AND GIVE A SHOUT-OUT TO OUR FRIENDS AT NOTHING BUNDT CAKES, RICHARDSON.
THEY SUPPORT THIS RECOGNITION EVERY MONTH AND EACH OF OUR RECIPIENTS ARE GOING TO GET A LITTLE DESSERT TO TAKE HOME WITH THEM.
JACKSON HAS A SERVING HEART AND IS ALWAYS WILLING TO HELP HIS PEERS AND FACULTY.
HE HEARD A STUDENT SAY SHE WAS FAILING, AND HE SAID, IF YOU GET A PASSING GRADE, I'LL BUY YOU LUNCH.
JACKSON ALSO CHECKS THE STUDENT'S GRADES AND ENCOURAGES THE STUDENT TO DO THEIR ASSIGNMENTS.
HE DID NOT GIVE UP ON THE STUDENT WHEN THEY WERE FAILING, AND HE JUST KEPT ENCOURAGING THEM.
SOMETHING AMAZING CAME FROM THE OTHER STUDENT AND THAT THE STUDENT CAME AND ASKED JACKSON FOR TUTORING IN MATH.
HE IS A NATURAL HELPER, AND HE REALLY IS AN EXAMPLE OF BEING THE ONE HERE IN RISD.
HE DIDN'T EVEN KNOW THE STUDENT, AND NOW HE IS THE TUTOR AND CHECKS GRADES WITH THEM WEEKLY.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, JACKSON, FOR SUPPORTING YOUR CLASSMATES LIKE THAT.
>> WE'RE GOING TO GRAB A PHOTO, JACKSON.
JACKSON IS A SENIOR AT RICHARDSON HIGH SCHOOL. GO EAGLES.
CONGRATS. WE ALSO HAVE A FOURTH GRADE STUDENT FROM MERRIMAN PARK ELEMENTARY.
I WOULD LIKE TO INVITE DOWN MICHELLE OJUDALE.
IF YOU CAN PLEASE COME FORWARD, MICHELLE.
WE'RE SO EXCITED THAT YOU'RE HERE THIS EVENING.
AS SHE'S COMING DOWN, I'D LIKE TO SHARE A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHY WE ARE RECOGNIZING MICHELLE.
MICHELLE EARNS THE ONE AWARD FOR SHOWING SERVANT LEADERSHIP AMONG HER PEERS.
SHE HAS A CHEERFUL ENTHUSIASTIC DISPOSITION AND IS QUICK TO TAKE INITIATIVE TO OFFER HELP TO TEACHERS AND PEERS ALIKE.
FOR EXAMPLE, WHEN A NEW STUDENT CAME TO HER CLASS, AFTER THE SCHOOL YEAR ALREADY STARTED, MICHELLE OPENED HER HEART AND MADE A CONNECTION WITH HER IMMEDIATELY.
SHE HELPED HER TO FIT IN AND TO FIND HER WAY TO MAKING OTHER FRIENDSHIPS AS WELL.
TO THIS DAY, THEY ARE BEST FRIENDS.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, MICHELLE, FOR BEING THE ONE FOR THAT NEW STUDENT AND FOR ALL OF YOUR CLASSMATES AT MERRIMAN PARK ELEMENTARY.
WE HAVE ONE STAFF AWARD THIS EVENING.
I WOULD LIKE TO INVITE DOWN MISS KRISTIANE BENAVIDES.
IF SHE COULD PLEASE COME DOWN.
MISS BENAVIDES IS ONE OF OUR LIGHTS AT LAKE HIGHLANDS MIDDLE SCHOOL, AND THIS RECOGNITION IS PERSONAL FOR US HERE IN STRATEGY AND ENGAGEMENT.
WE HOSTED OUR NOVEMBER SESSION OF OUR COMMUNITY AMBASSADORS PROGRAM AT LAKE HIGHLANDS MIDDLE SCHOOL THIS PAST MONTH.
WE WERE EXPERIENCING SOME CHALLENGES WITH THE NEW TECHNOLOGY IN THEIR NEW CAMPUS, AND WERE HAVING A HARD TIME GETTING THE TECHNOLOGY UP AND RUNNING.
[00:20:02]
WHO HAD ALREADY LEFT FOR THE DAY, SHE GRACIOUSLY RETURNED TO CAMPUS TO ENSURE THAT TECHNOLOGY WAS WORKING AND READY FOR OUR EVENING PRESENTATION.WE ARE SO APPRECIATIVE OF YOU GOING ABOVE AND BEYOND TO SUPPORT OUR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT SESSION. THANK YOU.
WE'RE GOING TO GRAB A PHOTO SO WE CAN CELEBRATE.
THAT CONCLUDES OUR RECOGNITIONS FOR THIS EVENING.
YES. THANK YOU, SUPERINTENDENT BRANUM.
ONE MORE ROUND OF APPLAUSE TO OUR PARENTS AND STAFF WHO ARE HERE SUPPORTING ALL OF OUR GREAT STUDENTS AND STAFF BEING RECOGNIZED.
>> LET'S GET STARTED. AT THIS TIME,
[II. PUBLIC COMMENT SECTION]
WE WILL HAVE THE PUBLIC COMMENT SESSION.MISS RENTERIA, DO WE HAVE PERSONS WHO HAVE REGISTERED TO ADDRESS THE BOARD TODAY?
>> PLEASE EXPLAIN HOW PERSONS WISHING TO ADDRESS THE BOARD SHOULD PROCEED.
>> ABSOLUTELY. THANK YOU, MR. POTEET.
ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD, I WELCOME OUR VISITORS.
DURING TODAY'S MEETING, SPEAKERS MAY COMMENT ON BOTH AGENDA AND NON-AGENDA ITEMS. AS A REMINDER, SPEAKERS ARE REQUIRED TO FOLLOW THE PUBLIC COMMENT PROTOCOL AS NOTED ON THE RISD WEBSITE.
SPEAKERS, PLEASE APPROACH THE PODIUM AT THE FRONT OF THE AUDITORIUM WHEN I CALL YOUR NAME.
[00:25:02]
OUR FIRST SPEAKER FOR THIS EVENING IS MR. EWEN BLACKMAN.>> PRESIDENT POTEET, SUPERINTENDENT BRANUM, ESTEEMED EMPLOYEES.
ALLOW MYSELF TO REINTRODUCE MYSELF BECAUSE I THINK I HEAR FROM FOLKS A LOT OF TIMES THAT THEY SEE ME AS THE GUY THAT JUST SPEAKS AT THE PODIUM.
I THINK IT'S ALWAYS GOOD IN THESE OCCASIONS TO REMIND PEOPLE THAT THAT'S NOT THE ONLY FUNCTION OF SOMEONE SUCH AS MYSELF.
TWENTY YEARS IN RICHARDSON, I GRADUATED FROM UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT DALLAS, SUMMA CUM LAUDE AND I SPENT FIVE YEARS WORKING IN RISD SOME 15 YEARS AGO.
I WORK ON MANY COMMITTEES IN THIS DISTRICT, COMMITTEES SUCH AS LIVE WELL, FORM THE DISCIPLINE COMMITTEE, SHACK COMMITTEE, THE SUBCOMMITTEE, EQUITY COUNCIL, VARIOUS INITIATIVES LIKE TEACHER PAY, ACADEMIC INFRASTRUCTURE.
I HAVEN'T MISSED A SINGLE MEETING OF ANY OF THOSE COMMITTEES OVER THE LAST FOUR YEARS.
PRIOR TO THAT WHEN I WAS ON COMMITTEE, I DIDN'T MEET ANY OF THOSE MISSING MEETINGS EITHER, AND YOU ALL KNOW FROM SITTING HERE THAT YOU SEE ME IN EVERY MEETING IN THIS AUDITORIUM.
ON THAT NOTE, WHEN I MEET WITH SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS, AND THERE ARE THREE OF YOU ALL HERE TODAY THAT MEET WITH ME FAIRLY REGULARLY TO HEAR MY OPINIONS AND HEAR ME BLOVI SOMETIMES PERHAPS AND MAYBE OTHER THINGS AT OTHER TIMES.
I THINK IN THIS TIME OF CHRISTMAS AND SEASONS TIDINGS, ETC.
WE SHOULD LOOK BACK AND SAY, THANK YOU FOR THAT.
SUPERINTENDENT BRANUM GETS MY FULL-THROATED SUPPORT ON THE INITIAL SHE DOES BECAUSE IT'S NOT THAT WE AGREE ON EVERYTHING AND IT'S NOT THAT WE EVEN HAVE EASY CONVERSATIONS BECAUSE WE DON'T.
THE DIFFICULT CONVERSATIONS WE TALK ABOUT QUITE OFTEN HAPPEN AT THAT LEVEL.
I WANT TO SAY, THANK YOU FOR THOSE AND TO REMIND FOLKS THAT THERE ARE MORE DIFFICULT DECISIONS TO COME.
WE HAVE THIS SECOND HALF OF THE PROJECT RIGHT SIZE.
I'VE SPOKEN OUT AND ABOUT AND IN SUPPORT OF SOME OF THOSE THINGS AND SO TONIGHT, YOU'LL HEAR FROM SOME OF THE FOLKS THAT SERVED ON THE BUDGETING COMMITTEE, WHICH I WAS ALSO A MEMBER OF.
I ATTENDED ALL OF THOSE SESSIONS.
WE HAD SOME GREAT ORGANIC AND AUTHENTIC CONVERSATIONS.
SOME OF THAT STUFF IS MOVING DOWN THE ROAD, HOPEFULLY, AND WE'LL TAKE SOME SERIOUS LOOKS.
I WOULD JUST CAUTION ON A COUPLE OF THINGS FROM MY PERSONAL SIDE, AND I'VE SPOKEN TO SOME OF YOU, SO YOU'RE HEARING IT AGAIN, MY APOLOGIES.
BUT TRES CAUSED A LOT OF DISRUPTION IN OUR COMMUNITY.
I'M WELL KNOWN FOR SPEAKING OUT AGAINST THE LAST ONE WE DID BACK IN 2017, I BELIEVE IT WAS.
THE THINGS THAT WE BRING ABOUT BY HAVING OUR COMMUNITY EXTRACT MORE MONEY IN THE FORM OF TAXES MAKES IT DIFFICULT FOR SOME PEOPLE TO MAKE THEIR ENDS MEET.
IN THE TIME WHEN WE'RE GOING TO DISCUSS TONIGHT OF INFLATION, 18% IN THE LAST FOUR YEARS, THAT MAKES IT RATHER DIFFICULT FOR OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
IF YOU LOOK AT THINGS LIKE OUR UNDERSERVED POPULATIONS, THOSE NUMBERS ARE DECREASING IN RICHARDSON BECAUSE PEOPLE CAN'T AFFORD TO LIVE HERE MUCH ANYMORE, BECAUSE THE TAXES ARE HIGHER.
I NOW PAY ALMOST MORE MONEY TO THE CITY OF RICHARDSON THAN DUE TO EDUCATION, AND THAT'S NOT A GOOD POSITION TO BE IN.
I'LL STAND WITH YOU AND FIGHT THIS YEAR ON THE TEXAS LEGISLATURE.
THEY NEED TO FULLY FUND OUR SCHOOLS.
WE NEED TO GET EVERY CENT THAT WE HAVE COMING FOR EDUCATION TO HAVE GREAT OUTCOMES FOR OUR STUDENTS, AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE AS BOARD MEMBERS, TRUSTEES.
THANK YOU FOR DOING THAT. FEEL APPRECIATED AND HAVE A GREAT CHRISTMAS.
MR. POTEET, THAT CONCLUDES YOUR PUBLIC COMMENTS FOR THIS EVENING.
OUR NEXT AGENDA ITEM IS THE CONSENT AGENDA.
[III. CONSENT / CONFIRMATION AGENDA ITEMS]
THIS IS AN ACTION ITEM FOR THE CONSENT AGENDA.AT THIS TIME, DOES ANYONE WISH TO PULL ANY CONSENT AGENDA ITEMS FOR SEPARATE CONSIDERATION? SEEING NONE. IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA?
>> THANK YOU, MISS TIMME. IS THERE A SECOND?
>> THANK YOU, MR. EAGER. ARE THERE ANY COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS AT THIS TIME? HEARING NONE, ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.
THANK YOU. OUR NEXT ACTION ITEM IS TO CONSIDER GIFTS, MISS BRANUM.
[IV.A. Consider Gifts]
>> THANK YOU, PRESIDENT POTEET.
MR. PATE IS NOT HERE THIS EVENING.
HE IS IN COLORADO CELEBRATING HIS DAUGHTER'S GRADUATION WITH HER MASTER'S DEGREE.
WE THOUGHT WE'D GIVE HIM AN EXCUSE TO NOT BE HERE TONIGHT.
WITH THAT, I HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO PRESENT THE GIFTS THAT WE RECEIVED THIS MONTH OVER 5,000.
AS I ALWAYS DO, AND I KNOW ON BEHALF OF OUR ENTIRE BOARD AND OUR ENTIRE ADMINISTRATIVE TEAM,
[00:30:03]
HOW MUCH WE APPRECIATE ALL OF OUR PARTNERS.YOU HEARD TWO AMAZING PARTNERS THIS MORNING, WHO AS A RESULT OF GIVING TO OUR DISTRICT AND BELIEVING IN OUR KIDS OR PROVIDING VITAL ADDITIONAL SOCIAL EMOTIONAL SUPPORTS IN TERMS OF THOSE SOCIAL WORKERS FOR OUR STUDENTS.
THEN WE HAVE COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND PARENTS WHO JUST, AGAIN, GIVE OF THEIR RESOURCES AND THEIR TIMES TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE FOR OUR KIDS.
I JUST THANK THEM ON THIS THANKFUL THURSDAY, SENDING MUCH GRATITUDE.
WITH THAT, WE DO HAVE MOSS HAVEN ELEMENTARY GAVE $10,000 FROM THEIR PTA TO THE CAMPUS.
WE ALSO HAD WISH FOR WHEELS DONATED $15,000 FOR NORTHRIDGE ELEMENTARY.
IT WAS AN INCREDIBLE PROJECT WHERE SO MANY KIDS WHO DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO BIKES RECEIVED A BRAND NEW BIKE. IT'S A SPECIAL DAY.
THEN PRESTON WOOD ELEMENTARY ALSO GAVE $7,900 TO PRESTON WOOD ELEMENTARY.
WE ALSO HAVE 11 GIFTS LESS THAN 5,000 FROM A VARIETY OF SOURCES TO CAMPUSES ACROSS THE DISTRICT, TOTALING $18,955.38.
WE CARE ABOUT EVERY CENT, WHICH ARE SUBMITTED FOR THE BOARD'S INFORMATION.
TOTAL GIFTS THIS MONTH ARE $51,855.38.
WITH THAT, BOARD, I DO ASK THAT YOU APPROVE THE GIFTS AS PRESENTED.
>> THANK YOU, SUPERINTENDENT BRANUM.
IS THERE A MOTION AT THIS TIME TO APPROVE THESE GIFTS?
>> THANK YOU. IS THERE A SECOND?
ARE THERE ANY COMMENTS OR QUESTION ON THE MOTION? HEARING NONE, ALL IN FAVOR.
THIS MOTION PASSES 5:0. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
OUR NEXT ACTION ITEM IS TO CONSIDER
[IV.B. Consider Approval of 2025 Public Information Act Designated Non-Business Days Calendar]
THE 2025 PUBLIC INFORMATION ACT DESIGNATED NON-BUSINESS DAYS CALENDAR. MISS BRANUM.>> THANK YOU. AS YOU KNOW, THIS IS AN ANNUAL ACTION ITEM THAT WE NEED TO BRING FORWARD FOR THE BOARD'S APPROVAL BASED ON LEGISLATION THAT WAS PASSED IN OUR LAST SESSION, AND I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO THE PHENOMENAL GENERAL LEGAL COUNSEL, LETICIA MCGOWAN, TO PROVIDE SOME INFORMATION FOR THE BOARD.
SUPERINTENDENT BRANUM WAS JUST GOING TO HANDLE IT.
YES. THIS IS PART OF THE LEGISLATION THAT WAS PASSED IN 2023 THAT CHANGED THE WAY THAT BUSINESS DAYS ARE CALCULATED FOR THE PURPOSE OF THE PUBLIC INFORMATION ACT AND SO PART OF THE CHARGE OF THE BOARD IS TO DESIGNATE UP TO 10 DAYS THAT WE CONSIDER NON-BUSINESS DAYS.
THOSE DESIGNATIONS ARE FOR DAYS WHERE THE DISTRICT IS CLOSED BUT IT'S NOT GOING TO FALL UNDER THE DEFINITION OF NON-BUSINESS DAYS.
JUST SO THE PUBLIC KNOWS, FOR PURPOSES OF THE PUBLIC INFORMATION ACT, NON-BUSINESS DAYS ARE THOSE DAYS THAT FALL UNDER A STATE OR FEDERAL HOLIDAY.
SOMETIMES THERE'S AN EXTRA, FOR EXAMPLE, THE FRIDAY AFTER THANKSGIVING IS ALSO CONSIDERED A STATE HOLIDAY AND PEOPLE MAY NOT THINK OF THAT DAY.
FOR NON-BUSINESS DAYS, THOSE ARE NOT CALCULATED IN THE TIME FRAME THAT PUBLIC INFORMATION REQUESTS HAVE TO BE RESPONDED TO.
THAT'S WHY WE WANT TO MAKE SURE WE'RE CLEAR ABOUT WHAT'S GOING TO BE CONSIDERED A NON-BUSINESS DAYS.
THE BOARD HAS A CALENDAR AND IT'S ALSO POSTED IN OUR ONLINE DOCUMENT AS WELL THAT INDICATES THE DAYS THAT WE ARE ASKING THE BOARD TO DESIGNATE AS NON-BUSINESS DAYS FOR 2025.
>> MISS MCGOWAN, I ASSUME THAT THIS INFORMATION IS ALSO AVAILABLE ON OUR WEBSITE.
>> THANK YOU. WITH THAT, I DO RECOMMEND THAT THE BOARD APPROVE THE 2025 PUBLIC INFORMATION ACT DESIGNATED NON-BUSINESS DAYS CALENDAR AS PRESENTED.
>> THANK YOU FOR THE RECOMMENDATION.
IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE 2025 PUBLIC INFORMATION ACT DESIGNATED NON-BUSINESS DAY CALENDAR?
>> THANK YOU, MISS RENTERIA. IS THERE A SECOND?
>> THANK YOU, MR. EAGER. ARE THERE ANY COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS FROM THE BOARD AT THIS POINT? NO.
>> WITH THAT, ALL IN FAVOR OF THIS MOTION, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.
THE MOTION PASSES FIVE TO ZERO.
OUR NEXT ITEM IS AN INFORMATION ITEM ONLY TO RECEIVE
[IV.C. Advanced Academics Student Outcomes Update]
AN UPDATE ON THE ADVANCED ACADEMIC STUDENT OUTCOMES, MS. BRANUM.>> THANK YOU, PRESIDENT POTEET.
SHE KNOWS THAT I COULD NOT LET HER LEAVE.
AS MANY OF YOU ARE AWARE, ELIZABETH SWANER IS RETIRING, AND SHE HAS SIX MORE SCHOOL MORNINGS,
[00:35:03]
AND I'M TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERY ONE OF THESE COUNTS, EVERY LEADER EVERY DAY.THAT'S WHAT WE DO AROUND HERE.
BUT IT HAS BEEN AN HONOR AND A PRIVILEGE TO WORK RIGHT ALONGSIDE ELIZABETH SWANER FOR MY 11 YEARS OF BEING A PART OF THIS DISTRICT.
I DON'T KNOW OF ANYONE WHO IS MORE PASSIONATE AND SHE'S SO SMART AND HAS A VISION AND A BELIEF.
SHE CAN TAKE A VISION AND ALSO PUT IT INTO ACTION.
ONE OF THE THINGS WE WANTED TO BRING FORWARD BECAUSE I REALLY DO THINK A LOT OF WHAT WE'RE GOING TO SHARE TONIGHT AS A RESULT OF HER WORK AND THE INVESTMENT AND THE WAY THAT SHE'S ALSO EMPOWERED OUR CAMPUS LEADERS AND OUR CAMPUS COUNSELORS TO ALSO POUR INTO OUR KIDS.
I ASKED HER TO BRING FORWARD A COLLEGE READY UP DATE.
I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT AS I FRAME THIS FOR THE BOARD, WE ARE NOT DOING A PROGRAM UPDATE.
WE'VE ALREADY DONE OUR COLLEGE AND CAREER MILITARY READINESS PROGRAM UPDATE, WHERE WE SPOKE ABOUT STRATEGIES, HOW WE'RE WORKING TO IMPROVE ON THE METRICS THAT YOU'RE GOING TO SEE TONIGHT, WE ALSO HAVE ALL OF THIS DOCUMENTED IN OUR DISTRICT IMPROVEMENT PLAN AND IN OUR CAMPUS IMPROVEMENT PLAN.
THIS IS SIMPLY NOW THAT WE HAVE RECONCILED STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT AND STUDENT OUTCOMES FROM THE '23-'24 SCHOOL YEAR.
WE NOW ACTUALLY HAVE THE SPECIFIC METRICS FOR AP, ONRAMPS AND DUAL CREDIT.
WE JUST WANTED TO BRING THAT FORWARD FOR THE BOARD AND FOR THE COMMUNITY, SO THAT YOU'RE AWARE OF HOW DID WE GET TO THAT 94% OF OUR GRADUATES HITTING THAT CCMR INDICATOR? MUCH OF WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO HEAR TONIGHT ARE THE METRICS THAT LEAD UP TO THAT.
WITH THAT, I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO THE ONE AND THE ONLY SWANER, WHO WILL SHARE OUR COLLEGE READY UPDATE OUTCOMES FOR THIS EVENING.
>> CAN YOU ALL HEAR ME? FIRST OFF, THANK YOU, TABITHA FOR THE KIND WORDS.
GOOD EVENING TO SUPERINTENDENT BRANUM AND TO THE BOARD AND THANK YOU ALL FOR LETTING US COME TONIGHT.
WE ARE REALLY EXCITED TO SHARE WITH YOU OUR CONCLUDING DATA POINTS FROM WHERE WE ENDED OUT IN '23-'24.
WE'RE ALSO GOING TO BE GOING BACK A FEW YEARS TO DO SOME COMPARISONS TO SHOW YOU OUR GROWTH AND TO SHOW YOU WHAT'S BEEN TAKING PLACE IN OUR COLLEGE READY PROGRAMS. AS WE START THIS, WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT SOME INTRODUCTIONS BECAUSE EVEN THOUGH SUPERINTENDENT BRANUM SAID THIS, IT IS NOT JUST ME, IT IS A TEAM, AND THERE'S MANY OTHER PEOPLE BEHIND THE SCENES THAT YOU ALL DON'T GET TO SEE THAT HELP SUPPORT THIS WORK.
WITH THE INTRODUCTIONS, I'D LIKE TO START WITH OUR ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT, WHO IS OVER TEACHING, LEARNING, DR. LEEPER.
I AM CURRENTLY THE ADVANCED LEARNING EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR LIKE SHE SAID SIX MORE DAYS.
THEN DR. LUKE HURST IS COMING IN, AND HE WILL BE THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR ADVANCED LEARNING.
FOR MANY OF YOU, THIS MAY COME AS A SURPRISE WHEN YOU PUT THE NAME AND FACE TOGETHER.
BUT KIMBERLY HAS GOTTEN MARRIED AND SHE IS NOW WILLIAMS, AND SHE IS OUR DIRECTOR OF CCMR, AND WE'RE VERY HAPPY TO HAVE HER ON STAFF NOW, BECAUSE HER VIEW OF THINGS COMING IN FROM A CAMPUS HAS REALLY HELPED US BE ABLE TO HONE IN ON SOME THINGS THAT WE NEEDED TO LOOK AT.
AS WE ARE GETTING STARTED, YOU ALL KNOW IT'S EVERY TEACHER, EVERY LEADER, EVERY CAMPUS EVERY SINGLE DAY, TO BE ABLE TO SUPPORT OUR WORK SPECIFICALLY WITH THE COLLEGE READINESS PROGRAMS SO THAT WE'RE TAKING CARE OF OUR STUDENTS EVERY DAY.
COLLEGE CREDIT WORK FALLS RIGHT INTO THE NORTH STAR GOAL, WHERE EVERY STUDENT, TEACHER, AND LEADER IS GOING TO BE MEETING AND EXCEEDING THEIR ACADEMIC GROWTH GOALS.
AS WE GO THROUGH THIS, YOU'RE GOING TO SEE THAT OUR WORK WITH CCMR DIRECTLY SUPPORTS THAT NORTH STAR GOAL, AND THAT THE ACADEMICS THAT OUR STUDENTS ARE WORKING ON ARE NOT ONLY HELPING THEM FOR HIGH SCHOOL, BUT IT'S HELPING THEM FOR LIFE AFTER.
AS SUPERINTENDENT BRANUM WAS TALKING ABOUT LAST APRIL, WE HAD COME FORTH AND DONE A PROGRAM EVALUATION, SO TONIGHT REALLY IS JUST A DATA UPDATE.
LAST APRIL, WE SPENT A LOT OF TIME TALKING ABOUT THE CAREER AND COLLEGE SIDE OF THIS, AND THEN THIS FALL, YOU ALL HAD GOTTEN AN UPDATE ON THE MILITARY SIDE WITH THE [INAUDIBLE].
TONIGHT, WHAT WE'RE REALLY HONING IN ON IS IF YOU LOOK UP THERE WHERE IT SAYS COLLEGE AND IN THAT BLUE BOX, WE'RE LOOKING AT REALLY WHAT'S ON THE RIGHT SIDE, WHERE IT SAYS OPPORTUNITY TO EARN COLLEGE CREDIT HOURS.
THOSE ARE THE PIECES THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE PROVIDING THE UPDATES FOR.
WE GO INTO OUR COLLEGE GROWING GROWTH.
WE HAVE THREE PRIMARY PARTNERS THAT WE'RE WORKING WITH.
WE HAVE DALLAS COLLEGE WHO RUNS OUR DUAL CREDIT.
WE HAVE THE UT AUSTIN ONRAMPS PROGRAM THAT IS DUAL ENROLLMENT, AND WE HAVE COLLEGE BOARD THAT HELPS PROVIDE FOR THE AP EXAMS. BEFORE I GO ANY FURTHER, I HAVE TO SAY THAT THESE PROGRAMS ARE ONLY AS SUCCESSFUL AS WHAT OUR CAMPUSES AND TEACHERS ARE.
IF WE DID NOT HAVE THE TEACHERS THAT WE HAVE THAT ARE SUPPORTING THESE PROGRAMS, WE WOULD NOT SEE THE SUCCESS THAT WE HAVE IN OUR STUDENTS.
I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE A MOMENT AND SAY THANK YOU TO THEM BECAUSE THEY DO A LOT OF WORK WITH ALL OF THESE DIFFERENT PARTNERS TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR STUDENTS ARE BEING SUCCESSFUL.
I WANT TO START WITH DALLAS COLLEGE,
[00:40:01]
WHICH HAS DUAL CREDIT.JUST TO GIVE YOU GUYS A QUICK REMINDER ABOUT SOME THINGS WITH DALLAS COLLEGE.
REMEMBER THAT THESE COURSES ARE NOT NECESSARILY OPEN ENROLLMENT BECAUSE THERE ARE TESTING REQUIREMENTS THAT OUR STUDENTS HAVE TO HAVE TO BE ABLE TO GET INTO THE CLASSES.
THESE ARE THE COURSES WHERE THE STUDENTS ARE TAKING THEM FOR HIGH SCHOOL AND COLLEGE, BUT THEY ARE ON ONE GRADE.
THAT ONE GRADE IS THEN PLACED ONTO A HIGH SCHOOL AND A COLLEGE TRANSCRIPT.
BUT WE DO PROVIDE THESE COURSES AT ALL FOUR OF OUR HIGH SCHOOLS, AND WE ALSO HAVE THEM OVER AT THE RICHARDSON HEALTHCARE CENTER OVER WITH THE METHODIST HOSPITAL, AND WE DO PROVIDE COURSES ALSO AT RICHLAND COLLEGE.
AS WE START OFF FROM THIS, WE'RE GOING TO FOCUS FIRST ON OUR FALL 2021 TO SPRING 2024, OUR COLLEGE ENROLLMENT, AND OUR COLLEGE CREDIT ELIGIBILITY.
WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO SEE SINCE THE FALL OF 2021, WE'VE HAD OVER 10,300 SEATS THAT HAVE BEEN OCCUPIED BY RISD STUDENTS IN THESE COLLEGE COURSES.
OF THOSE, WE HAD 9,700 SEATS WHERE THE STUDENTS WERE ELIGIBLE TO TAKE THE CLASS TO TRY AND EARN THE COLLEGE CREDIT.
WHEN WE ARE LOOKING AT OUR SUBGROUPS, YOU'RE GOING TO SEE THAT THREE OF OUR GROUPS HAVE INCREASED, AND WE HAVE HAD TWO THAT HAVE HAD SLIGHT DECREASES, AND I'M GOING TO SAY THAT PART OF THAT IS BECAUSE OF SOME CHANGES THAT WERE MADE WITH THE TESTING REQUIREMENTS WITH THE COVID.
AFTER COVID IT HAPPENED, THE TEXAS HIGHER EDUCATION COORDINATING BOARD HAD REDUCED SOME OF THE TESTING REQUIREMENTS AND WE HAD A LOT OF KIDS IN DUAL CREDIT, AND THEN WE WERE SEEING THAT AS THE TESTING REQUIREMENTS CAME BACK TO WHAT THEY WERE BEFORE, WE HAD HAD A DECREASE.
BUT LIKE SUPERINTENDENT BRANUM SAID, WE HAVE PUT INTO THE DIP WHAT OUR PLANS ARE TO BE ABLE TO GET OUR SCORES UP SO THAT WE CAN GET MORE STUDENTS INTO THESE PROGRAMS. THEN WE WERE TALKING ABOUT ACTUAL GRADES AND COLLEGE CREDIT HOURS THAT WERE EARNED.
YOU'RE GOING TO SEE THAT OVER 8,800 SEATS HAD STUDENTS EARN AN A THROUGH A C, WHICH IN RETURN MEANS THAT OVER THREE YEARS, WE'VE HAD OVER 23,000 COLLEGE CREDIT HOURS EARNED, WHICH HELP SAVE OUR FAMILIES OVER $1.7 MILLION IN TUITION COST.
AS SUPERINTENDENT BRANUM WAS TALKING ABOUT, WHEN WE MET WITH YOU ALL IN APRIL, WE WERE STILL SIX WEEKS AWAY FROM ALL OF OUR PROGRAM SHUTTING DOWN, SO WE DIDN'T HAVE FINAL NUMBERS FOR YOU.
I WOULD LIKE TO GIVE A FEW CELEBRATIONS FROM LAST YEAR FROM '23-'24.
WE HAD 487 JUNIORS AND SENIORS WHO AUTOMATICALLY EARNED THEIR CCMR INDICATOR BECAUSE THEY TOOK A THREE HOUR ENGLISH CLASS, AND THEY GOT A GRADE OF A THROUGH C. SAME THING WAS HAPPENING WITH MATH.
WE HAD 183 11TH AND 12TH GRADERS WHO MADE THAT A THROUGH C, GOT THEIR THREE HOURS, AUTOMATICALLY GOT A CCMR INDICATOR.
FOR THE PERCENTAGE OF SEATS THAT HAD EARNED A D THROUGH AN F LAST YEAR, WAS AT 8%, AND THAT WAS A 2% DECREASE FROM '22-'23.
JUST LAST YEAR ALONE, WE HAD OVER 7,500 COLLEGE CREDIT HOURS EARNED JUST THROUGH DALLAS COLLEGE.
THE NEXT PROVIDER THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE TALKING ABOUT IS WITH OUR UT AUSTIN ONRAMPS PROGRAM.
THESE ARE OPEN ENROLLMENT SEATS.
STUDENTS CAN TAKE THESE COURSES.
THERE ARE NO TESTING REQUIREMENTS FOR THEM TO BEGIN TO TAKE THOSE.
THESE STUDENTS ARE DUAL ENROLLMENT, THAT THEY ARE TAKING IT FOR HIGH SCHOOL AND COLLEGE.
BUT THE DIFFERENCES WITH DALLAS COLLEGE, THEY'RE EARNING TWO SEPARATE GRADES.
THEY'RE EARNING ONE GRADE FOR HIGH SCHOOL, ONE GRADE FOR COLLEGE.
IF YOU ALL REMEMBER, AT THE END OF ONRAMPS COURSES, THEY HAVE THE ABILITY TO LOOK AT THEIR COLLEGE GRADE AND MAKE THE DECISION, WHETHER THEY WANT TO ACCEPT THE GRADE ONTO A UT TRANSCRIPT OR DENY IT.
WE DON'T HAVE THAT CAPABILITY WITH DALLAS COLLEGE, THE GRADE THAT THEY EARN GOES IN BOTH TRANSCRIPTS.
WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT THESE SEATS AND WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ENROLLMENT AND THE OPPORTUNITY FOR CREDIT HOURS, WE'VE HAD OVER 8,600 STUDENTS OCCUPY THESE SEATS AND OF THOSE, 06,800 OF THEM WERE ELIGIBLE TO BE IN THE COURSE TO EARN THEIR CREDIT.
WHEN WE LOOK AT OUR SUBGROUPS FOR THIS, YOU'RE GOING TO SEE THAT WE DID HAVE THREE GROUPS INCREASE AND THE OTHER TWO GROUPS HAD VERY SMALL DECREASES.
WHEN WE ARE TALKING ABOUT GRADES, WE'VE HAD OVER 5,400 SEATS EARN AN A THROUGH A C IN A UT LEVEL COURSE, AND OF THAT, THAT MEANS THAT NOW OUR STUDENTS HAVE EARNED OVER 13,500 COLLEGE CREDIT HOURS FROM UT AUSTIN.
THIS LED TO A $4.5 MILLION TUITION SAVINGS FOR OUR FAMILIES.
CELEBRATIONS FROM LAST YEAR WITH UT ONRAMPS, WE HAD 104 ADDITIONAL SEATS FROM WHAT WE HAD HAD IN '22-'23.
FOR THIS ONE, I'M VERY PROUD OF THIS.
I'M GOING TO TELL YOU OUR COLLEGE ALGEBRA TEACHERS WHO ARE ALGEBRA 2 TEACHERS WORK
[00:45:01]
VERY HARD IN GETTING OUR 9TH GRADERS TO PASS IN 9TH GRADE, PASSING COLLEGE LEVEL COLLEGE ALGEBRA.THESE STUDENTS HAVE EARNED AN AUTOMATIC CCMR INDICATOR BECAUSE THEY WERE ELIGIBLE FOR THEIR COLLEGE CREDIT.
LAST YEAR, ALSO, WE HAD BERKNER HIGH SCHOOL WHO WAS PILOTING A NEW UPPER LEVEL CHEMISTRY CLASS FOR US, AND THEY HAD 100% OF THEIR STUDENTS PASS THE COURSE, BE ELIGIBLE FOR THE CREDIT, AND THEY GOT THEIR CCMR INDICATOR.
LAST YEAR ALONE, WE HAD OVER 1,900 TOTAL SEATS EARN A CCMR INDICATOR THROUGH ONRAMPS, AND THAT WAS OVER 4,900 COLLEGE CREDIT HOURS THAT WERE ELIGIBLE TO BE EARNED.
THE NEXT PROGRAM WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT IS COLLEGE BOARD.
THIS IS PROBABLY THE ONE THAT MORE OF OUR PARENTS ARE FAMILIAR WITH.
THIS PROGRAM IS THE ONE THAT SUPPORTS OUR ADVANCED PLACEMENT COURSES OR AP COURSES.
THESE COURSES ARE OPEN ENROLLMENT.
THEY DO NOT REQUIRE ANY TESTING FOR OUR STUDENTS TO GET INTO THEM.
THE DIFFERENCE WITH THIS COURSE VERSUS THE OTHERS IS THAT THESE COURSES HAVE NO GRADES GOING ONTO A COLLEGE TRANSCRIPT.
WHEN STUDENTS TAKE THEIR EXAMS, THAT IS THE ONLY THING THAT IS LOOKED AT BY THE COLLEGE TO HAVE THE POSSIBILITY OF EARNING COLLEGE CREDIT HOURS, AND THAT IS ALSO THE ONLY THING THE STATE LOOKS AT TO BE ABLE TO GET YOUR CCMR INDICATOR.
THEY DON'T CARE WHAT YOU MADE ON YOUR REPORT CARD GRADES.
THEY ONLY WANT TO SEE THE AP EXAM GRADES.
WONDERFUL NEWS WITH THIS THOUGH.
AFTER COVID, OUR AP HAS REALLY PICKED BACK UP.
WHEN COVID HAPPENED, WE DID SEE A DECREASE IN THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS WHO WERE SITTING FOR EXAMS. BUT NOW THAT THAT IS OVER, YOU CAN CLEARLY SEE WHAT IS HAPPENING WITH EXAMS. WE HAD A 26% INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS TAKING EXAMS JUST SINCE 2022 AND A 14% INCREASE FROM 2023.
WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT OUR SUBGROUPS ON THIS, THOUGH, I WANT YOU TO TAKE A LONG LOOK AT THIS ONE BECAUSE OUR SUBGROUPS NOT ONLY INCREASED IN EVERY GROUP, BUT THEY INCREASED BY DOUBLE DIGITS.
THIS IS WHY I WAS SAYING THAT OUR STUDENTS ARE FEELING MORE COMFORTABLE ABOUT WHAT THEY'RE DOING IN THE AP PROGRAMS AND THEY'RE FEELING MORE COMFORTABLE TO BE ABLE TO SIT DOWN AND TAKE THEIR EXAMS. WHEN WE'RE TALKING PASSING OF EXAMS, YOU'RE GOING TO SEE THAT FROM '22-'24, WE HAD A 2% INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS PASSING.
IF YOU REMEMBER, SCORES COME OUT OF AP ON A 1-5, SO THEY HAVE TO MAKE A THREE OR HIGHER, AND WE HAD A 3% INCREASE FROM '23 UP TO '24.
THIS WAS A $2.89 MILLION TUITION SAVINGS FOR OUR FAMILIES WHEN THEY PUT THOSE FOUR FOR THE COLLEGES TO REVIEW.
GUYS, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU KNOW THIS, THE 9TH GRADE, THAT IS A BIG NUMBER.
FOUR HUNDRED AND TWENTY NINE 9TH GRADERS EARNED A THREE OR HIGHER ON THEIR AP EXAMS LAST YEAR.
OF THOSE 356 OF THEM WERE TAKING AP HUMAN GEOGRAPHY.
THOSE KIDS AUTOMATICALLY ALREADY HAVE CCMR INDICATORS AT THE END OF THEIR 9TH GRADE YEAR.
WE HAD CLOSE TO 3,000 EXAMS THAT WERE ELIGIBLE FOR A CCMR INDICATOR.
WE HAD 91% OF OUR STUDENTS WHO WERE TAKING A CLASS ACTUALLY SIT AND TAKE THEIR EXAM IN MAY, AND THAT WAS A 6.5 INCREASE FROM WHAT WE HAD IN SPRING OF 2023.
WE HAD SIX SUBJECTS THAT HAD A PASSING PERCENTAGE THAT WAS GREATER THAN THE TESTING THAT WAS IN THE STATE.
THEN WE HAD 12 SUBJECTS THAT HAD PERCENTAGES THAT WERE GREATER THAN THE STATE OF TEXAS AND THE GLOBAL SCORES.
COLLEGE BOARD LIKES TO PUT OUT ADDITIONAL HONORS TO SUPPORT STUDENTS AND CAMPUSES TO SHOW HOW THEY'RE DOING WITH THEIR WORK.
BEGINNING IN THE SPRING OF 2023, THEY CAME UP WITH AN HONOR FOR THE SCHOOL LEVEL, WHICH IS CALLED A SCHOOL HONOR ROLL.
FOR CAMPUSES TO BE ABLE TO MEET THIS, THERE'S THREE DIFFERENT CRITERIA.
YOU'LL SEE THAT FOR THE COLLEGE GOING CULTURE, THE MINIMUM IS THAT 40% OF YOUR GRADUATING SENIOR CLASS HAS TAKEN AT LEAST ONE AP EXAM WHILE THEY WERE IN HIGH SCHOOL.
THE COLLEGE CREDIT IS THAT 25% OR MORE OF THAT GRADUATING COHORT HAS SCORED A THREE OR HIGHER ON AT LEAST ONE EXAM WHILE THEY WERE IN HIGH SCHOOL.
THEN FOR THE COLLEGE OPTIMIZING IS THAT 2% OF THEM OR MORE HAVE TAKEN FIVE OR MORE AP EXAMS, AND THE KICKER TO IT IS, THEY HAD TO HAVE TAKEN AT LEAST ONE WHEN THEY WERE IN 9TH AND 10TH GRADE.
IN '23, WHEN THE VERY FIRST SET OF AWARDS WERE PRESENTED, PIERCE HIGH SCHOOL HAD RECEIVED A BRONZE AND RICHARDSON HIGH SCHOOL HAD RECEIVED A SILVER.
AFTER THIS LAST YEAR'S EXAMS, LAKE HIGHLANDS HAS EARNED A BRONZE.
RICHARDSON WAS STILL AT A SILVER, AND BERKNER HIGH SCHOOL MISSED IT BY ONE LITTLE CATEGORY.
THEY WERE ACTUALLY SITTING AT A BRONZE LEVEL FOR COLLEGE CULTURE.
[00:50:02]
THEY WERE SITTING AT A SILVER FOR THE COLLEGE CREDIT.THEY MISSED IT BY THE COLLEGE OPTIMIZATION, AND THEY WERE VERY CLOSE.
THEY WILL BE ON THE LIST NEXT YEAR.
AS WE GO ON, WE START LOOKING AT STUDENT RECOGNITIONS.
THERE IS AN AWARD THAT'S PROVIDED TO STUDENTS CALLED AP SCHOLARS, AND YOU'RE GOING TO SEE THAT FROM '22-'24, WE HAD A 33% INCREASE IN STUDENTS EARNING THESE.
THE AP SCHOLAR AWARD IS THAT YOU HAVE SCORED A 3 OR HIGHER ON THREE OR MORE EXAMS WHILE YOU WERE IN HIGH SCHOOL.
TO BE A SCHOLAR HONOR IS THAT YOU HAD AN AVERAGE SCORE OF A 3.25 AND YOU HAD TO HAVE HAD A 3 OR HIGHER ON FOUR OR MORE EXAMS. THEN FOR THE DISTINCTION, IT'S AN AVERAGE SCORE OF A 3.5, AND YOU HAD TO HAVE SCORED A 3 OR HIGHER ON FIVE OR MORE EXAMS. YOU CAN SEE THAT EACH YEAR, THOSE SCHOLARS AND THOSE HONORS AND DISTINCTION AWARDS HAVE BEEN INCREASING.
>> WE ALSO HAVE ANOTHER HONOR THAT COLLEGE BOARD PUTS OUT, AND THEY PROVIDE IT TO STUDENTS WHO THEY CONSIDER TO BE UNDER REPRESENTING.
WE'RE LOOKING AT STUDENTS WHO ARE RURAL AREA, SMALL TOWN, AFRICAN AMERICAN/BLACK, HISPANIC AMERICAN/LATINO, INDIGENOUS/NATIVE AMERICAN, OR FIRST-GENERATION COLLEGE STUDENTS.
THESE STUDENTS, THEY ARE LOOKING AT THEIR GPAS, SO DO THEY HAVE A B PLUS OR HIGHER GPA? THEN THEY'RE LOOKING AT EITHER THEIR AP OR PSAT SCORES.
DO THEY HAVE PSAT SCORES, OR THEY'RE WITHIN THE TOP 10% OF THE ASSESSMENT TAKERS WITHIN THAT STATE, OR DO THEY HAVE A SCORE OF THREE OR HIGHER ON TWO OR MORE EXAMS BY THE END OF 10TH GRADE? WE HAD 90 STUDENTS WHO ARE CURRENT 10TH TO 12TH GRADERS HERE IN RICHARDSON WHO ARE RECOGNIZED WITH THESE HONORS THIS FALL.
AS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT PSAT, I WANTED TO TALK ABOUT THAT REAL QUICK, NOT THAT IT HAS ANYTHING TO DO WITH COLLEGE-READY IN REGARDS TO EARNING COLLEGE CREDIT HOURS, BUT WHAT IT DOES DO IS IT GIVES US A REALLY GREAT INDICATOR OF HOW OUR STUDENTS ARE DOING ON-TEST PREPARATION AND STUFF TO BE ABLE TO GET INTO COLLEGE.
I WANTED TO GIVE YOU JUST A BRIEF BREAKDOWN OF THIS BECAUSE SOME THINGS HAVE CHANGED WITH PSAT.
FIRST, I THINK YOU ALL KNOW THAT A STUDENT'S ONLY ALLOWED TO TAKE THE TEST ONE TIME A YEAR.
THAT IS IT. THE ONLY SCORES THAT ARE REVIEWED FOR NATIONAL MERIT HONORS ARE THOSE THAT ARE TAKEN IN 11TH GRADE.
BECAUSE THIS IS A PRE-SAT TEST, YOU'LL SEE THAT THE HIGHEST SCORE IS AT 1,520 WHERE AN SAT IS AT 1,600, AND HERE'S WHERE THE CHANGES CAME IN.
BEGINNING LAST FALL IN 2023, THE ENTIRE TEST WENT DIGITAL, SO THEY CHANGED THE TIME OF THE TEST AT TWO HOURS AND 14 MINUTES.
THE BIGGER THING ON HERE IS I WANT YOU TO LOOK AT THE AMOUNT OF TIME THEY REALLY HAVE PER QUESTION TO TRY AND ANSWER.
WHEN YOU'RE TAKING THE READING AND WRITING SECTION, THERE ARE 54 QUESTIONS AND THEY HAVE ABOUT A MINUTE AND 11 SECONDS TO ANSWER EACH QUESTION, AND THEN FOR THE MATH, IT'S ABOUT A MINUTE 35.
WHEN THESE STUDENTS TAKE THESE TESTS AND THEY ARE IN 11TH GRADE AND THEIR SCORES LOOKED AT FOR NATIONAL MERIT, THEY ARE IN COMPARISON WITH OTHER STUDENTS JUST HERE IN THE STATE OF TEXAS.
THEY ARE NOT COMPARED TO ANYONE OUTSIDE OF OUR STATE.
LAST YEAR FOR THE CLASS OF 2024, IN THE ENTIRE STATE OF TEXAS, THERE WAS ONLY 1,714 SEMI-FINALISTS THAT WERE EVEN RECOGNIZED.
WHEN YOU COMPARE RICHARDSON TO WHERE WE WERE WITH OTHER HIGH-ACHIEVING CAMPUSES LOCALLY AROUND US, WE HAD 10 SEMI-FINALISTS, JOHN PAUL II HAD ONE, JESUIT HAD THREE, HIGHLAND PARK HAD 13, AND THE DALLAS TAGT SCHOOL IS THE GIFTED AND TALENTED SCHOOL AND THEY HAD 13.
WHEN WE BREAK DOWN OUR SCORES, AND WE'RE TALKING ABOUT NINTH GRADERS, THESE ARE NINTH GRADERS NOT TAKING A PSAT 9, THEY ARE TAKING THE REAL NATIONAL MERIT TEST, AND WE WANT THEM TO DO THAT BECAUSE THEY ONLY GET TO SEE IT ONCE A YEAR, SO IF WE CAN GET THEM TO TAKE IT IN NINTH AND 10TH GRADE, THEY'RE GETTING TWO PRACTICE ROUNDS BEFORE THEY TAKE IT FOR REAL IN 11TH GRADE.
THESE STUDENTS ARE TWO YEARS BEHIND ON CURRICULUM BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT UP TO JUNIOR LEVEL YET, SO THEY'RE TWO YEARS OFF OF THE CURRICULUM, WHERE THEY NEED TO BE IF THEY WERE JUNIORS TAKING THIS, BUT AS YOU LOOK AT RICHARDSON COMPARED TO THE STATE AND COMPARED TO THE NATION, WE HAVE SURPASSED ON OUR OVERALL MEAN SCORES ALL THREE YEARS.
WHEN YOU LOOK AT THIS, RICHARDSON ON AVERAGE IS 54 POINTS ABOVE THE STATE, AND WE ARE 74 ABOVE THE NATION.
WHEN WE LOOK AT OUR SOPHOMORES, THEY'RE ONE YEAR OFF A CURRICULUM BECAUSE THEY'RE ONE YEAR BEHIND.
YOU'RE GOING TO SEE THAT AGAIN, WE HAVE EXCEEDED THE STATE AND THE NATION WITH OUR MEAN SCORES.
WE'RE 131 POINTS THIS TIME ABOVE THE STATE, AND WE'RE 100 POINTS ABOVE THE NATION.
[00:55:01]
WHICH ARE THE ONES WHERE THEY REALLY COUNT, YOU'RE GOING TO SEE THAT ONCE AGAIN, WE ARE EXCEEDING WHAT THE STATE AND THE NATION HAVE.WE ARE 89 POINTS ABOVE THE STATE AND WE'RE 38 POINTS ABOVE THE NATION.
AS WE CONTINUE INTO TALKING ABOUT OUR COLLEGE READINESS PROGRAMS, THE STATE OF TEXAS REALIZES THAT THESE THINGS ARE NOT CHEAP, AND A LOT OF SCHOOL DISTRICTS ARE NOT AS FORTUNATE AS WE ARE IN TWO WAYS.
ONE, BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE BOARDS LIKE YOU ALL THAT HELP SUPPORT AND PROVIDE THE FUNDING FOR OUR STUDENTS TO TAKE THESE COURSES, AND THEY ALSO DON'T HAVE COMMUNITY COLLEGE OR COLLEGE PARTNERS LIKE WHAT WE HAVE WITH DALLAS COLLEGE, THAT WE'VE HAD AN AGREEMENT WITH THEM FOR MANY YEARS THAT WE ARE NOT HAVING TO CHARGE TUITION COSTS TO OUR STUDENTS.
YOU JUST GO UP THE ROAD TO COLLIN COLLEGE, THEY'RE CHARGING TUITION COST.
BECAUSE OF THESE COSTS, STARTING LAST YEAR, THE STATE PUT IN SOME FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE CALLED THE FAST PROGRAM.
THE FAST PROGRAM ACTUALLY STANDS FOR FINANCIAL AID FOR SWIFT TRANSFER.
WHAT THEY'RE TRYING TO DO IS GET MORE STUDENTS IN HIGH SCHOOL TO GET COLLEGE CREDITS AND NOT BE BURDENED WITH COST, AND THEY'RE TRYING TO GET THEM WITH MORE HOURS SO THAT THEY CAN CONTINUE ON TO COLLEGE.
WHAT IS HAPPENING IS THAT THESE ARE ONLY AVAILABLE TO PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS WHO PROVIDE DUAL CREDIT AND DUAL ENROLLMENT.
EACH YEAR, THESE SCHOOLS HAVE TO APPLY TO BE APPROVED TO DO ANYTHING WITH FAST, TO GET THIS FINANCIAL SUPPORT TO BE ABLE TO THEN PROVIDE BACK TO THE ISDS.
ONRAMPS AND DALLAS COLLEGE BOTH HAVE BEEN APPROVED AS FAST CAMPUSES.
COLLEGE BOARD IS NOT PROVIDING DUAL CREDIT OR DUAL ENROLLMENT, SO THEY ARE NOT ELIGIBLE FOR ANY SORT OF FAST REDUCTIONS.
WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT WHAT IT HAS DONE FOR US AS A DISTRICT FINANCIALLY, LAST YEAR, ONRAMPS BEGAN THEIR FAST PIECES AND THEY WERE GIVING REDUCED TUITION AND LEARNING MATERIAL COST.
IT SAVED US ALMOST $100,000 IN COST BECAUSE THEY WERE ABLE TO DO THIS.
DALLAS COLLEGE IS REALLY FOCUSING ON LEARNING MATERIALS.
WE JUST RECEIVED OUR FIRST INVOICE FOR THIS YEAR FOR LEARNING MATERIALS, AND THEY HAVE SAVED US $15,000 ALMOST $16,000.
WE WILL RECEIVE TWO MORE INVOICES THIS YEAR.
WE'LL RECEIVE ONE IN THE SPRING AND WE'LL RECEIVE ONE AT THE END OF THE SUMMER SCHOOL SESSIONS, SO BY THE END OF THE YEAR, THIS WILL INCREASE.
AS WE GO INTO OUR SUMMARY, WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT WHAT THESE THREE PROGRAMS HAVE DONE TOGETHER FOR OUR STUDENTS AND FAMILIES.
JUST FROM LAST YEAR, LOOKING AT JUST '23-'24, WE ADD OVER 8,500 SEATS THAT HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO EARN CREDIT THROUGH THE THREE PROGRAMS. THIS WAS 1,200 MORE SEATS EARNING COLLEGE CREDIT THAN WHAT WE HAD IN '21-'22.
YOU'RE GOING TO SEE THAT JUST FROM LAST YEAR ALONE, WE WERE ABLE TO SAVE OUR FAMILIES $4.53 MILLION IN TUITION AND LEARNING MATERIAL COST.
WHEN YOU ARE LOOKING AT WHAT WE'VE ALREADY GOT IN PLACE FOR THIS YEAR, WE JUST FINISHED OUR BIG ROUND OF ENROLLMENT FOR AP EXAMS IN MAY, AND YOU'RE GOING TO SEE THAT WE ALREADY HAVE A 15% INCREASE FROM WHERE WE WERE LAST SPRING WHEN WE TOOK EXAMS. YOU'RE GOING TO SEE THAT OUR ONRAMPS ENROLLMENT IS AT 3,300, THAT'S 190 SEAT HIGHER.
WITH DALLAS COLLEGE, WE'VE HAD ASSOCIATE DEGREE PATHWAYS THAT WE WERE GETTING STARTED, AND WE'VE GOT OUR FIRST STUDENTS IN OUR EDUCATION ASSOCIATES DEGREE PATHWAY AND OUR PATIENT CARE TECH PATHWAYS.
WHEN YOU LOOK AT THIS FROM A CCMR STANDPOINT, FROM THE CLASS OF '24 LAST YEAR WHEN THEY GRADUATED, WE HAD 20% OF OUR SENIORS WHO WERE ABLE TO EARN A POINT THROUGH DALLAS COLLEGE BY EITHER DOING THAT ENGLISH OR MATH CLASS THAT WAS JUST THREE HOURS, OR YOU HAVE TO COMBINE EVERYTHING ELSE TOGETHER FOR NINE.
WE HAD 26% OF OUR SENIORS EARN AN AP EXAM OR THREE OR HIGHER, AND WE HAD 26% OF OUR SENIORS GRADUATE WITH ONRAMPS COURSE ELIGIBILITY.
WHEN YOU LOOK AT WHERE WE ARE CURRENTLY SITTING RIGHT NOW WITH OUR CLASS OF '25, WE ARE ONLY TWO PERCENTAGE POINTS BEHIND IN DALLAS COLLEGE, WHERE WE WERE AT THE END OF LAST YEAR, AND IT'S ONLY DECEMBER.
WE HAVEN'T EVEN GOTTEN OUR GRADE JET FOR THIS FALL, WHICH WILL HELP INCREASE THOSE NUMBERS.
YOU WILL SEE THAT OUR AP IS ALREADY SITTING AT THE SAME POINT WHERE IT WAS AT THE END OF LAST YEAR AT 26%; THEY DON'T TAKE EXAMS UNTIL MAY.
THEN FOR ONRAMPS, WE'RE ONLY ONE PERCENTAGE POINT BEHIND WHERE WE WERE AT THE END OF LAST YEAR, AND WE'LL GET THAT INFORMATION IN MAY FOR ALL OF OUR STUDENTS.
AS WE ARE TALKING ABOUT KEY TAKEAWAYS, ONE OF THE THINGS WE KNOW IS THAT A STUDENT WHO EARNS AT LEAST ONE COLLEGE CREDIT HOUR WHILE THEY'RE IN HIGH SCHOOL, THERE ARE 72% MORE LIKELY TO GRADUATE FROM HIGH SCHOOL.
THOSE SAME STUDENTS ARE 26% MORE LIKELY TO CONTINUE ON TO COLLEGE
[01:00:01]
AND THEY ARE 20% MORE LIKELY TO HAVE A DEGREE COMPLETED WITHIN SIX YEARS.WE HAVE MORE STUDENTS THAT ARE TAKING OUR COLLEGE CREDIT PROGRAMS, AND THE GREAT THING ABOUT IT IS, THEY'RE DOING IT BASED UPON THEIR OWN INDIVIDUAL NEEDS.
WE'RE NOT ASKING STUDENTS TO ONLY SIT IN ONE PROGRAM.
WE'VE GOT STUDENTS WHO TAKE A MIXTURE OF EVERYTHING.
THEY'RE FINDING THE PROGRAM BEST FOR THEM AND FOR THEIR FAMILIES AND WHAT THEIR FUTURE NEEDS ARE GOING TO BE.
THE BIG NUMBER ON HERE IS IN THREE YEARS USING ALL OF THESE PROGRAMS, OUR FAMILIES HAVE SAVED $9.5 MILLION IN COST TO THEM IN TUITION AND IN LEARNING MATERIALS.
WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT OPPORTUNITIES, WE KNOW THAT WE'VE SEEN SOME DECREASES IN SOME ENROLLMENT GAPS WITH OUR HISPANIC AND AFRICAN AMERICAN STUDENTS, BUT THE GREAT THING IS WHAT WE'RE SEEING IS THAT OUR STUDENTS WHO RAN ARE BEING VERY SUCCESSFUL.
IF WE CAN GET THEM IN, WE'RE FINDING SUCCESS WITH THAT.
WE'VE ALREADY ADDRESSED SOME OF THE NEEDS THAT WE HAVE IN THE DIP THAT YOU ALL HAVE ALREADY LOOKED AT ON HOW WE'RE GOING TO BE WORKING TO INCREASE THESE ENROLLMENT SEATS.
ONE OF THE THING THAT REALLY HELPS US THOUGH, IS GETTING OUR STUDENTS STARTED IN OUR ADVANCED LEVEL COURSES WHEN THEY COME INTO JUNIOR HIGH OR MIDDLE SCHOOL, BECAUSE THOSE ARE OUR PRE-COLLEGE COURSES, THEY ARE PREPARING STUDENTS FOR THE RIGOR OF TAKING ANY OF THESE PROGRAMS ONCE THEY GET UP TO HIGH SCHOOL.
THEN THE OTHER OPPORTUNITY WE HAVE IS WHAT WE WERE SPEAKING ABOUT EARLIER IS GETTING ALL FOUR OF OUR HIGH SCHOOLS UP TO THE POINT OF BEING RECOGNIZED BY COLLEGE BOARD AS BEING AP BEING ON THE AP SCHOOL ON A ROLL.
WITH THAT, I WOULD LIKE TO SAY, THANK YOU ALL FOR LETTING US COME DO THIS DATE OF PRESENTATION AND PUTTING A PRETTY BOW IN LAST YEAR AND GETTING SOME THINGS STARTED FROM THIS YEAR.
ONCE AGAIN, I DO WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO OUR STAFF AND TO OUR STUDENTS FOR TAKING THE RISK OF TAKING THESE COURSES AND THEY'RE BEING VERY SUCCESSFUL. THANK YOU, GUYS.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH, SWANER, AND AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THAT DATA FORWARD.
ALSO, I THINK JUST AN ANECDOTAL STORY, KARIS, IS A FRESHMAN AT [INAUDIBLE], BUT SHE'S ACTUALLY A SOPHOMORE.
BECAUSE OF THE BREADTH OF PROGRAMMING AVAILABLE AT PIERCE HIGH SCHOOL, SHE GRADUATED WITH 35 HOURS OF COLLEGE CREDIT. GUESS WHAT? SHE GRADUATED WITH COLLEGE CREDIT FROM DALLAS COLLEGE, FROM ONRAMPS, AND FROM AP.
WHAT I SO APPRECIATE ABOUT THIS BOARD IS THAT DESPITE HAVING TO MAKE DIFFICULT DECISIONS ABOUT WHERE WE'RE GOING TO INVEST OUR RESOURCES, YOU HAVE NOT ALLOWED BARRIERS TO BE PLACED IN FRONT OF STUDENTS ACCESSING THESE COURSES, WHETHER IT'S INVESTMENTS TO REDUCE THE COST OF TAKING THE AP EXAMS, WHETHER IT'S YOU INVESTING AND GIVING US AS RESOURCES TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE THOSE COLLEGE TEXTBOOKS SO A STUDENT DOESN'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT HOW ARE THEY GOING TO FUND THAT.
YOU ALL HAVE RESOURCED THAT SO THAT THESE COURSES ARE AVAILABLE TO OUR STUDENTS.
I JUST WANT TO SHOW APPRECIATION FOR OUR BOARD FOR SEEING THE VALUE AND WHAT IT MEANS FOR OUR STUDENTS FOR ACCESSING AND SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETING THIS NUMBER OF COLLEGE HOURS.
WITH THAT BOARD, WE'RE HAPPY TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS.
AGAIN, WE HAVE BEEN IN FULL-BOARD ACTIVATION OF OUR DISTRICT IMPROVEMENT PLAN AND THE PLANS THAT WE SHARED WITH YOU BOTH IN THE SPRING AND IN THE SUMMER AROUND HOW UNTIL WE'RE EXCEEDING OUR BOARD EXPECTATIONS AT EVERY LEVEL WERE NOT COMPLETE.
WE KNOW WE HAVE A LOT OF WORK TO DO.
WE WANT TO CELEBRATE THE WORK THAT'S BEEN DONE, BUT WE KNOW WE STILL HAVE WORK AHEAD AND WE STAY COMMITTED TO THAT WORK.
WE'RE HAPPY TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THE DATA AT THIS TIME.
BEFORE WE GET TO QUESTIONS, JUST THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE TO THE DISTRICT FOR ALL THESE YEARS AS WELL.
I KNOW YOU'RE LEAVING IT IN GOOD HANDS.
NO PRESSURE, BUT WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING ALL THE WORK THAT YOU'VE PUT INTO THIS AND THE PLANS GOING FORWARD REALIZED AFTER YOU LEAVE AS WELL.
THANK YOU FOR ALL THAT EFFORT.
WITH THAT, I'LL OPEN IT UP TO MY COLLEAGUES ON THE BOARD FOR ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS AROUND THE HORSESHOE.
WHO'D LIKE TO GO FIRST? ANYONE? YES, MS. TIMME, PLEASE.
>> I ALWAYS HAVE QUESTIONS ON THE ACADEMIC THINGS, SO I WAS TRYING TO GIVE OTHER PEOPLE A LITTLE CHANCE BEFORE ME.
I DON'T KNOW THAT I HAVE MAYBE A QUESTION OR TWO, BUT REALLY MORE COMMENTS.
ONE APPRECIATION FOR HOW YOU GUYS HAVE REALLY INVESTED IN THESE PROGRAMS AND REALLY FOCUSED ON THAT.
WHEN I FIRST GOT ON THE BOARD, I FELT LIKE THAT THERE WERE TIMES WE WERE FOCUSING ON PASSING ONLY, WHICH WAS LIKE SOME MINIMUM STANDARDS AND OUR NUMBERS INTERNATIONAL MERITS, WHICH HAD BEEN ROBUST, TOOK A DIP, AND THEN HAVE COME BACK UP SIGNIFICANTLY FROM THEN TO NOW.
I THINK WE'VE SEEN THAT IN OUR RECOGNITIONS AND OUR NUMBERS, AND I'M SUPER PROUD OF YOU GUYS FOR DOING THAT BECAUSE I THINK IT'S BEEN SAID MANY TIMES THAT WE WANT ALL STUDENTS TO GROW.
THEY ALL DESERVE TO GROW WHEREVER THEY START, AND I FEEL LIKE THAT INVESTMENT
[01:05:02]
FROM YOUR WORDS AND ACTIONS FROM YOU AND YOUR STAFF HAS MADE THAT HAPPEN, SO I'M VERY THANKFUL FOR THAT.ALSO, I REALLY JUST WANTED TO ADD A COMMENT THAT SEEING THESE PROGRAMS THAT HAVE TANGIBLE OUTCOMES BEFORE WE EVEN GET INTO THEM, AND BEING ABLE TO SEE THAT AND ALSO IMPLEMENT THEM AND SO THAT WE'RE SEEING THOSE PIECES AS WELL.
I'M NOT SAYING YOU ALL, BUT IN GENERAL IN EDUCATION, SOMETIMES THERE'S A SCATTER SHEET WITH THAT THING, BUT LOOKING AT THOSE, REALLY FINDING THOSE PROGRAMS THAT MAKE A DIFFERENCE, IMPLEMENTING THEM, AND I THINK WE SEE THOSE IN OUR NUMBERS.
THE ONE QUESTION I DID HAVE, WHEN YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT THE NUMBERS AND THE PERCENTAGES, AND I'M GOING TO ADDRESS THIS TO YOU AND YOU CAN DECIDE THIS ONE IS THE RIGHT PERSON.
I'M GOING TO BE GOOD ABOUT THAT.
I'M THINKING ABOUT IT FROM A PERSPECTIVE THAT AS WE HAVE A DECREASE IN POPULATION, ARE THOSE NUMBERS OF THE ELIGIBLE TEST TAKERS, ARE THOSE PERCENTS JUST BASED ON PASSING OF THE STRAIGHT NUMBERS? I GUESS WHAT I'M GETTING AT IS I WANT TO BE SURE WHEN WE MEASURE, IS IT A TRUE DECREASE IN THE NUMBER OF KIDS WE HAVE AND THE NUMBER WE'RE TAKING, OR DO WE HAVE FEWER KIDS? I JUST WANT TO BE SURE THAT WHEN WE MEASURE THAT, WE'RE UNDERSTANDING WHAT THAT REALLY MEANS.
>> THANK YOU FOR SAYING THAT. THAT'S ACTUALLY SOMETHING THAT AS A TEAM WE'VE NOT DISCUSSED.
WE REALLY ARE LOOKING AT IT AS YEAR-OVER-YEAR ENROLLMENT OR YEAR-OVER-YEAR SUCCESS.
WE'RE NOT TAKING INTO ACCOUNT THE PERCENTAGE.
WE ACTUALLY HAVE LESS STUDENTS THAT WE'RE SERVING IN OUR HIGH SCHOOLS, AND THAT SOME OF THOSE SEAT DECLINES MIGHT BE THAT WE HAVE LESS STUDENTS.
WE'VE NOT LOOKED AT OR PRESENTED THE DATA FROM THAT PERSPECTIVE, AND THAT'S SOMETHING WE PROBABLY NEED TO LOOK AT AS WELL.
>> THE ONLY REASON WHY I SAY THAT IS IS BECAUSE IF YOU'RE GOING TO PUT ATTENTION TO IT, I JUST WANT TO BE SURE IT'S BECAUSE IT'S IN THE RIGHT PLACE FOR THE RIGHT REASON ATTACHED TO THE ROOT CAUSE VERSUS SOMETHING THAT WE MAY NOT BE ABLE TO CONTROL IN SOME WAYS.
>> BUT I AM EXCITED TO SEE THESE PROGRAMS. I'M EXCITED FOR THE OPTIONS.
I THINK OPTIONS ARE IMPORTANT.
I DON'T THINK EVERY PROGRAM IS RIGHT FOR EVERY KID.
I'M NOT SURE I WOULD WANT KENDALL GOING INTO COLLEGE BEING A SOPHOMORE.
I WOULD WANT HER MAYBE IN WITH FRESHMAN TO MAKE FRESHMAN PRINTS, BUT I THINK OTHER KIDS, I THINK REALLY LIKE THAT CHALLENGE, WANT THAT AND WANT TO GO IN AS A SOPHOMORE IN FINISHING AND GETTING ONTO THEIR MASTERS OR WHATEVER FASTER, BUT I THINK THOSE OPTIONS AND CHOICES THAT MATTER TO THEM, I THINK MAKE A HUGE DIFFERENCE.
I KNOW THAT MEANS MORE WORK FOR YOU GUYS AND FOR YOUR ENTIRE DEPARTMENT AND FOR ALL OF OUR TEACHERS, BUT I ABSOLUTELY DO APPRECIATE THAT. THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU FOR THAT. I ALSO WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ALSO HIGHLIGHT THAT AS YOU REMEMBER WHEN WE PRESENTED THE SPRING, EARLY SUMMER, WE REALLY HIGHLIGHTED THE WORK OF OUR CTE DEPARTMENT, AND THAT WE HAVE A LOT OF OUR STUDENTS WHO RECOGNIZE THEY KNOW THE PATH THAT THEY WANT TO TAKE, THEY KNOW WHERE THEY'RE GOING, AND THAT A LOT OF THEIR CCMR WORK IS IN A CTE PATHWAY.
THE WORK AND THE IMPROVEMENT AND THE DATA AND THE METRICS THAT ARE ON THAT SIDE ARE NOT REPRESENTED TONIGHT, BUT I DON'T WANT US TO LOSE SIGHT OF THE FACT THAT WE HAVE A TREMENDOUS ENROLLMENT AND AN INCREASED ENROLLMENT IN THOSE PROGRAMMINGS THAT ARE HELPING OUR STUDENTS TO BE CCMR THROUGH A DIFFERENT PATHWAY.
TO YOUR POINT, WE WANT TO BREADTH THE PATHWAYS FOR OUR STUDENTS.
WE DON'T WANT THAT RICHARDSON ID.
>> THANK YOU, MS. TIMME. YES, MS. HARRIS.
>> MY QUESTION WAS REALLY GARNERED AROUND WHAT TRUSTEE TIMME STATED IN REFERENCE TO THE DECREASE.
I'M NOT GOING TO ASK IT AGAIN, BUT I ALSO JUST WANTED TO STATE THAT AS A PARENT OF A STUDENT WHO GRADUATED FROM RICHARDSON ISD, THIS PROGRAM HAS ALLOWED HIM TO BE ABLE TO GRADUATE FROM OSU.
HE COULD ACTUALLY GRADUATE THIS SEMESTER, BUT HE CHOOSE TO DO SOME OTHER WORK, AND SO HE'S JUST GOING TO GO AHEAD AND GRADUATE ON TIME.
I GUESS IT SAVED ME SOME MONEY.
[LAUGHTER] THAT'S ALWAYS QUESTIONABLE.
BUT I'M SURE THAT IT HAS, BUT IT REALLY ACTUALLY DID HELP HIM.
WE REALLY APPRECIATE THE PROGRAM.
HE ENJOYED IT WHILE HE WAS IN IT AS WELL.
BUT MY QUESTION ALSO WAS IN REFERENCE TO THE DECREASE.
DO WE KNOW WHY? WHAT'S THE REASON? WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO TO MAKE SURE THAT DECREASE TURNS INTO AN INCREASE?
>> YOU ARE CORRECT. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WAS SURPRISING IN LOOKING AT THIS IS THAT WE'RE ALL COMPETING IN THE SAME REALM OF COLLEGE CREDIT.
AS WE'RE SEEING DECREASES IN SOME AREAS, WE'RE SEEING OTHERS.
WE SAW A DECREASE IN DALLAS COLLEGE, AND REALLY A LOT OF THAT DID HAVE TO DO WITH THE TESTING WHEN THE RULES CHANGED OVER BECAUSE THE OTHER STUDENTS WHO GRADUATED OUT, THE OTHER STUDENTS THAT WERE IN ON THE NEW PLANS HAD TO GO BACK TO THE TRADITIONAL WAYS.
HOWEVER, IT MAY BE DECREASING IN DUAL CREDIT, BUT WHEN YOU LOOK AT OUR AP NUMBERS, IT COULD BE THOSE KIDS ARE JUST SHIFTING OVER BECAUSE THAT HAS INCREASED SO MUCH ON THE OTHER SIDE.
WE ARE LOOKING TO TRY AND SEE WHY DO WE
[01:10:03]
HAVE SOME DECREASES GOING ON WITH OUR STUDENTS IN THOSE.>> AGAIN, WE'VE WORKED REALLY HARD TO SHARE AND BE VERY OVERT WITH OUR PLANS.
I JUST WANT TO AGAIN MAKE SURE THAT EVERYONE HEARS THAT IT CAN'T START IN HIGH SCHOOL.
IT'S REALLY NOT A HIGH SCHOOL CHALLENGE TO BE SOLVED.
YES, THEY PLAY AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN IT, BUT IT REALLY STARTS IN ELEMENTARY, AND IT REALLY STARTS WITH WHAT HAPPENS IN OUR FIFTH AND SIXTH GRADES.
WE'VE BEEN TALKING A LOT ABOUT THE POWER OF VOCABULARY AND WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR OUR STUDENTS TO HAVE THAT EXPOSURE TO VOCABULARY? WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THEY HAVE ACQUISITION, THAT MILLION WORDS AND HOW THAT EMPOWERS THEM TO HAVE CONFIDENCE TO FEEL LIKE THEY CAN TAKE THOSE HIGHER LEVEL OF COURSES.
WHAT DOES A RICH VOCABULARY PROGRAM LOOK LIKE AT THE ELEMENTARY LEVEL? HOW DO WE GET COUNSELORS? WHAT PARKHILL DID WITH SPOT THEM AND GUIDE THEM AND WHAT THEY CONTINUE TO DO WHERE WE'RE LOOKING AT EVERY STUDENT.
WE'RE TALKING WITH EVERY PARENT, WE'RE HELPING TO MAKE SURE PARENTS KNOW THIS IS WHAT IT MEANS, AND THIS IS, YES, YOUR CHILD CAN DO THIS.
THAT COURSE IS FOR YOUR CHILD TOO.
THERE'S A SEAT FOR YOUR CHILD.
IT REALLY IS A HOLISTIC APPROACH THAT WE HAVE TO TAKE FROM ELEMENTARY, ALL THE WAY TO HIGH SCHOOL, PARENT EDUCATION, COUNSELORS, ASSISTANT PRINCIPALS THAT REALLY ARE TEACHERS, TEACHERS ARE OUR BEST RECRUITERS.
IT'S HARD FOR OUR KIDS TO SAY NO TO OUR TEACHERS WHEN THEY LOOK AT THEM AND SAY, YES, YOU CAN, YOU CAN DO THIS.
ALL OF THAT IS A PART OF THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING TO MAKE SURE NOT ONLY DO WE INCREASE THAT ENROLLMENT, BUT WE MAKE SURE THAT WE MAINTAIN A HIGH LEVEL OF SUCCESS.
WHAT WE DON'T WANT IS JUST A WHOLE BUNCH OF KIDS TO INCREASE ENROLLMENT.
BUT THEN THAT'LL BE SUCCESSFUL BECAUSE THAT CAN DO MORE HARM THAN IT DOES ACTUALLY.
IT MIGHT LOOK GOOD AND INCREASE IN NUMBERS, BUT IF THEY'RE NOT SUCCESSFUL, THAT'S NOT THE RIGHT THING FOR THE KIDS.
SO JUST SUPER PROUD OF THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING, BUT WE KNOW WE'RE NOT THERE YET.
I ALSO LIKE TO SAY THAT I ALSO RECOGNIZE AND APPRECIATE THAT THIS IS JUST ONE OPTION.
I DO TOTALLY UNDERSTAND IT AND APPRECIATE IT AS WELL.
>> THANK YOU, MS. HARRIS. MS. RENTERIA.
>> I JUST ALSO WANTED TO SAY, THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE AND JUST FOR EVERYTHING THAT YOU'VE DONE.
ALSO, I THINK ON WHAT MS. TIMME AND MS. HARRIS ALSO SAID.
I THINK FOR ME I LOVE THE OPPORTUNITY.
I JUST THINK OPPORTUNITY IS SO BIG AND WE TALK ABOUT THAT ALL THE TIME.
I MEAN, IT'S THE SAME AS OPTION.
BUT I THINK IT'S SO IMPORTANT WHEN WE HAVE THESE DIFFERENT AND I LOVE THAT YOU'VE WENT INTO EACH ONE AND EXACTLY WHAT IT IS AND WHAT IT MEANT.
BECAUSE WHEN WE TALK ABOUT WHAT THE STUDENT WANTS, I THINK FOR MY STUDENTS, IT'S ALSO WHAT THEY DON'T WANT, AND THEY'RE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT, WELL, THIS MAY NOT BE A FIT FOR ME OR I DON'T KNOW THAT I CAN DO THIS.
BUT TO HAVE THOSE OPTIONS, AND I THINK ALSO THE PARENT EDUCATION OF THAT PART IS SO IMPORTANT, ESPECIALLY IN HIGH SCHOOL.
I THINK FOR MANY PARENTS, WE GO INTO HIGH SCHOOL, AND IT'S OVERWHELMING FOR US TO.
THERE'S SO MUCH TO CATCH UP ON AND UNDERSTAND.
TO BE SIDE BY SIDE WITH OUR STUDENTS, TO ALSO GIVE THEM BECAUSE YOU WANT THEM TO HAVE THAT SUCCESS.
I THINK SOMETIMES I'VE HEARD IN THE PAST WHERE PARENTS WANT THEIR KIDS TO TAKE ALL THE APS YOU CAN AND DO ALL OF THIS.
BUT THE KIDS ARE LIKE, WELL, THAT'S A HEAVY LOAD, CAN I HANDLE THAT? WE SAW TODAY WITH OUR ATHLETES AND WHAT THEY ALSO CARRY, TRYING TO ACADEMICALLY STAY ON TASK AND EXCEED THAT, BUT ALSO WANT TO DO ALL THE EXTRACURRICULAR AND EVERYTHING.
I THINK SOMEONE HERE SAID NO BARRIERS, AND I LOVE THAT IT'S NO BARRIERS AND ALL OPPORTUNITY TO ACTUALLY DO ALL OF THIS.
I DO SEE WHERE IT'S DEFINITELY A LOT MORE WORK.
BUT I DO APPRECIATE THAT EVERYTHING THAT YOU'VE DONE TO MAKE IT VERY CLEAR ON ALL THE DIFFERENT OPTIONS.
ONE OF THE QUESTIONS THAT I DID HAVE AND YOU MAY HAVE COVERED THIS, SO I APOLOGIZE IF I DIDN'T CATCH IT.
BUT I KNOW WHEN YOU SAID THAT EVERY STUDENT, I THINK IT'S FRESHMAN AND SOPHOMORE YEAR, THEY GET TO TAKE THE PSAT AND IT STANDS AS A PRACTICE.
I REMEMBER THAT MY KIDS GOT TO DO THAT.
IS THAT SOMETHING THAT IS REQUIRED FOR EVERY STUDENT OR IS THAT SOMETHING THAT IS AN OPTION FOR OUR FRESHMAN AND SOPHOMORES, OR HOW WAS THAT DETERMINED?
>> THAT IS AN OPTION FOR OUR FRESHMAN AND SOPHOMORE.
IF THEY WOULD LIKE TO TAKE IT, THEY CAN SIGN UP AND TAKE IT.
THE NICE THING IS, COLLEGE BOARD HAS COME BACK WITH SOME REDUCTIONS ON THOSE TEST PRICES ALSO, AND THEY'RE ONLY 12 - $15 NOW.
IT'S VERY REASONABLE FOR OUR FAMILIES TO BE ABLE TO SIGN UP IF THEY'D LIKE TO SIGN UP AND DO THAT.
THEN WE DO HAVE SOME OPPORTUNITIES TO PROVIDE SOME ADDITIONAL FUNDING IF WE NEED TO WITH STUDENTS THAT JUST FINANCIALLY CAN'T EVEN AFFORD
[01:15:01]
THE CHEAPER PRICES AND WHAT WE'VE GOT WITH THE AP EXAMS AND STUFF.>> AGAIN, I'M REALLY GRATEFUL FOR THAT BECAUSE AGAIN, THERE'S OPPORTUNITY NOT ONLY TO BE ABLE TO TAKE THESE EXAMS OR TO PRACTICE AND TO BE ENROLLED IN THEM, BUT FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SAY, HEY, IF THERE'S A FAMILY WHO CAN'T AFFORD IT, THEN WE FIND A WAY.
AGAIN, WE'RE ALL ABOUT OPPORTUNITY.
AGAIN, FOR ALL YOU DO, I'M SO GRATEFUL AND THANK YOU FOR THIS WONDERFUL UPDATE AND PRESENTATION.
>> I REALLY DON'T HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS FROM MY COLLEAGUES, BUT AGAIN, I WANT TO SAY, THANK YOU.
WE APPRECIATE ALL THE WORK THAT'S GONE IN AND YOUR YEARS OF SERVICE TO OUR KIDS IN THE DISTRICT BECAUSE YOU'RE DEFINITELY LEAVING SOME PRETTY HIGH STANDARDS.
THANK YOU FOR ALL THAT WORK, AND WE'RE GOING TO MISS YOU.
>> THANK YOU, MR. EAGER. LAST THING I'LL LEAVE WITH, IT'S JUST SOMETHING THAT JUMPED OUT TO ME WAS STRATEGIC INVESTMENT, AND WE TALKED ABOUT THE COST THAT COMES WITH A LOT OF THESE EFFORTS, THAT IS, BUT THAT'S AN INVESTMENT WE'VE DECIDED IS WORTHWHILE.
I PAIR THE STRATEGIC INVESTMENT WITH A STRATEGIC RETURN.
WE'RE AIMING FOR THAT RETURN NOT ONLY WITH THE STUDENTS, BUT TO MS. HARRIS' POINT, THE COMMUNITY AND THE FAMILIES, THERE'S A COST SAVINGS THAT YOU HIGHLIGHTED IN HERE AS WELL.
THAT'S PART OF THAT STRATEGIC RETURN THAT COMES FROM THE INVESTMENT WE'RE MAKING ON THE FRONT END.
ALSO, ALONG WITH ALL THE PROGRAMMING WE DO, I LOVE THAT WE ARE NOT SCARED TO STILL LOOK FOR DEFICIENCIES IN HOW WE DO IT BECAUSE WE KNOW WE CAN ALWAYS DO BETTER.
FROM THE THEME OF CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT, THAT APPLIES EVERYWHERE WE TALK ABOUT AND YOU'VE BROUGHT IT UP AND HIGHLIGHTED IT HERE TOO, AND WE KNOW THERE'S ALWAYS BETTER.
WE NEVER WANT TO SAY WE'VE REACHED WHERE WE'RE TRYING TO HIT.
IF WE DO THAT, WE NEED TO RAISE THE TARGET AND KEEP TRYING MORE.
I LOVE THAT WE LIVE, BREATHE, AND ACT UNDER THAT THEME.
THANK YOU AGAIN FOR THE PRESENTATION.
THANKS FOR THE QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS. YES.
>> I'M SORRY. YOU SAID SOMETHING AND IT MADE ME WANT TO ASK A QUESTION.
A WHILE BACK, MAYBE A YEAR, YEAR-AND-A-HALF AGO OR WHATEVER, I BELIEVE THAT MS. SMOCK, WHO'S NOW THE PRINCIPAL AT BERKNER HIGH SCHOOL DID A PROGRAM AT PARKHILL WHEN SHE WAS THERE WHERE SHE WOULD LOOK AT SIXTH GRADE SCORES WHEN THEY WOULD COME IN AND PUT THEM IN THE ACCELERATED MATH.
I BELIEVE THAT WAS FOR THEM TO COME UP AND HAVE THAT OPPORTUNITY.
IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE SPEAKING OF WHEN YOU'RE SAYING IT REALLY STARTS?
>> YES, MA'AM. THE OPERATION SPOT THEM AND GUIDE THEM?
>> YES, MA'AM. YEAH AT PARKHILL JUNIOR HIGH, MS. SMOCK AND HER COUNSELORS, THEY INVESTED A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF TIME, FOR EXAMPLE, AT RST ACADEMY, AND THEY WOULD MEET ONE ON ONE WITH STUDENTS, THEY WOULD MEET ONE ON ONE WITH PARENTS TO HELP EDUCATE THEM AND INSPIRE THEM ABOUT, WE SEE YOU CAN BE IN THIS PRE-AP CLASS IN JUNIOR HIGH AND THEN THEY GROUPED THEM ONCE THEY TRANSITIONED TO PARKHILL, THEN THEY GROUPED THEM IN ADVISORY WITH, FOR EXAMPLE, THAT MATH TEACHER.
THERE WAS THAT BUILT IN TUTORING AND SUPPORT TIME THAT WAS INVESTED AS WELL.
WE'RE STARTING TO SEE THAT FIRST GENERATION OF SPOT THEM AND GUIDE THEM STUDENTS THAT ARE MATRICULATING THROUGH PEERS.
WE'RE STARTING TO SEE THE FRUITS OF THAT EFFORT.
>> THAT'S WHAT I WAS GOING TO ASK.
WAS, LIKE, DO WE SEE IF THAT'S MAKING A DIFFERENCE AS FAR AS OUR NUMBERS AND IS THAT SOMETHING THAT WE'RE CONTINUING TO LOOK TO REPLICATE IN OTHER WAYS? I THOUGHT IT WAS SUCH AN INNOVATIVE THING THAT MS. SMOCK CAME UP WITH AND HER TEAM WORKED WITH.
I KNOW SHE'S AT BERKNER NOW, BUT I THOUGHT IT WAS, A, GREAT THAT SHE DID IT, B, THAT SHE HAD THE LATITUDE TO DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT AND TO IMPLEMENT IT AND THAT IF WE'RE SEEING THE FRUITS OF THAT.
>> THANK YOU. ANY OTHERS? WE'RE GOOD. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
>> GOOD LUCK. [APPLAUSE] OUR NEXT ITEM
[IV.D. Receive Recommendations for Community Budget Steering Committee]
IS AN INFORMATION ITEM TO RECEIVE RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE COMMUNITY BUDGET STEERING COMMITTEE, MS. BRANHAM.>> THANK YOU, PRESIDENT POTEET.
THIS IS GOING TO BE A SHARED PRESENTATION TONIGHT, BOTH BY MEMBERS OF STAFF, AND I ALSO HAVE AMAZING COMMUNITY MEMBERS THAT ARE GOING TO BE THE VOICE AND REPRESENTATION OF OVER 60 INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE GIVEN NOT JUST ONE YEAR, BUT NOW TWO YEARS OF THEIR TIME AND ENERGY AND INVESTMENT TO HELP US AS WE NAVIGATE THESE DIFFICULT FINANCIAL TIMES.
I'M NOT SURE WHO HAS THE CLICKER.
>> PERFECT. I'LL LET YOU ALL KEEP IT DOWN THERE, BUT I'M JUST GOING TO RUN THROUGH THE BEGINNING OF THESE SLIDES.
AS YOU KNOW, ALL OF THIS IS IN THE EFFORT OF OUR NORTH STAR GOAL, WHICH IS AROUND ENSURING EVERY STUDENT TEACHER AND LEADER WILL MEET OR EXCEED THEIR ACADEMIC GROWTH GOALS.
I THINK OUR PRESENTATION THAT WE JUST HAD IS AN EXAMPLE OF,
[01:20:04]
IF WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO HAVE THOSE STRATEGIC INVESTMENTS AND STUDENT OUTCOMES, THEN WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE RESOURCING THEM IN A WAY THAT'S GOING TO ALLOW US TO CONTINUE TO SEE THAT GROWTH.BUT WE KNOW WE ARE FACING FINANCIAL CHALLENGES.
HOW DO WE CONTINUE TO IDENTIFY THE EFFICIENCIES SO THAT WE CAN STRATEGICALLY INVEST IN THOSE PROGRAMS THAT WE KNOW ARE MAKING A DIFFERENCE FOR STUDENTS? YOU ALL HAVE SEEN OUR GRADUATE PROFILE AND THAT WE CONTINUE TO WANT TO ENSURE THAT WE HAVE A LEARNING ENVIRONMENT WHERE OUR KIDS ARE NOT ONLY GRADUATING WITH THE STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT OUTCOMES, BUT ALSO THAT THEY HAVE THESE SKILLS THAT WHEN THEY WALK ACROSS THAT STAGE, WE KNOW THEY'RE GOING TO BE LIFE READY.
AS WE LOOK AT GOAL NUMBER FIVE, THE STRATEGIC PLAN COMMITTEE AND THE BOARD REALLY CHARGED WITH US IN, HOW DO WE INCREASE OUR EFFICIENCY AND EFFECTIVENESS IN OUR OPERATIONS AND PERSONNEL SO THAT WE CAN SEEK ADDITIONAL FISCAL RESOURCES TO ACCOMPLISH THE CALL TO ACTION? REALLY THE CALL TO ACTION IS TO ENSURE THAT WE REACH OUR NORTH STAR GOAL.
HOW ARE WE MAKING SURE THAT EVERY STUDENT LEAVES AT THE END OF THE DAY BETTER THAN WHEN THEY WALKED IN? HOW ARE WE MAKING SURE EVERY STUDENT MEETS OR EXCEEDS HER ACADEMIC GROWTH GOAL? I KNOW YOU ALL KNOW THIS, YOU ALL COULD PROBABLY CITE THIS YOURSELF.
BUT IN CASE THERE'S A COMMUNITY MEMBER OUT THERE THAT MAY NOT BE AWARE, I JUST WANT TO REITERATE THE WHY. WHY ARE WE HERE? WHY ARE WE IN DECEMBER OF 2024 HAVING THE SAME CONVERSATION THAT WE HAD IN DECEMBER OF 2023 AND DECEMBER OF 2022 AND DECEMBER OF 2021, AND THAT CAN KEEP GOING? WE ARE FACING TRULY UNPRECEDENTED FINANCIAL CHALLENGES.
AGAIN, YOU CAN TURN ON THE NEWS IN THE EVENING OR IN THE MORNING OR IN THE AFTERNOON AND NOT HEAR OF SIMILAR DISTRICTS THAT ARE HAVING TO MAKE THESE DIFFICULT DECISIONS, WHETHER IT'S LOUISVILLE ISD, COPPELL, REGARDLESS OF GEOGRAPHICS.
IF YOU'RE IN THE NORTHERN PART OF TEXAS, THE SOUTHERN PART OF TEXAS, WE ARE ALL FACING THESE CHALLENGES.
SOME OF THOSE ARE DUE TO OUR DECLINING ENROLLMENT, BOTH DUE TO DECLINING BIRTH RATES, AS WELL AS THERE'S OTHER FACTORS.
WE KNOW FAMILIES ARE MAKING CHOICES, AND THERE ARE MORE CHOICES NOW THAN THERE EVER HAVE BEEN.
WE KNOW WHAT IT MEANS TO LIVE AND TO WORK IN THIS AREA.
I THINK WE HAD SOMEONE IN PUBLIC COMMENTS ADDRESS THAT EARLIER TODAY.
IT COSTS A LOT TO LIVE IN THIS AREA.
WE KNOW THAT THE LEGISLATURE HAS NOT INVESTED IN PUBLIC EDUCATION AND THEY HAVE NOT INCREASED THE BASIC ALLOTMENTS SINCE 2019.
AGAIN, I JUST WANT ANY OF OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO IMAGINE IF YOU HAD TO RUN YOUR HOUSEHOLD ON THE SAME INCOME TODAY THAT YOU HAD IN 2019, WHEN THE COST OF EVERYTHING THAT WE DO HAS INCREASED.
EVERYTHING, FROM PROPERTY INSURANCE TO THE COST OF ELECTRICITY, TO THE COST OF A BASIC PLUMBING ISSUE THAT WE HAVE.
NOW IT COSTS MORE TO REPAIR THAT THAN IT DID IN 2019.
ONE OF THE TREMENDOUS DEMANDS THAT WE HAVE SEEN ON OUR BUDGET, AND REALLY IT WAS ESCALATED ON THE HEELS OF THE PANDEMIC, WAS THE SHORTAGE THAT WE ARE SEEING TO ENSURE HIGH QUALITY STAFF IN ALL OF OUR POSITIONS, NOT JUST FOR TEACHERS, BUT WHETHER THAT BE FOR OUR CUSTODIANS, OUR HVAC TECHS, OUR PARAPROFESSIONALS, OUR AMAZING TEACHERS.
YOU ALL CONTINUE TO ENSURE THAT WE PUT FORWARD COMPETITIVE COMPENSATION AND BENEFIT PACKAGES SO THAT WE CAN ATTRACT AND MOST IMPORTANTLY KEEP THE BEST OF THE BEST.
BUT EVEN WITH THAT, WE'RE STILL FACED WITH CHALLENGES.
WE'RE STILL FACED WITH CHALLENGES.
WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CONTINUE TO FIND EVERY OPPORTUNITY THAT WE CAN TO BE EFFICIENT.
WE CONTINUE TO WORK REALLY HARD TO ENSURE THAT THE EFFICIENCIES THAT WE FIND ARE AS FAR AWAY FROM THE CLASSROOM AS POSSIBLE.
BUT AT SOME POINT, AND SOME OF THE CONVERSATION WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TODAY, SOME OF THE POTENTIAL EFFICIENCIES THAT WE'RE GOING TO FIND ARE THINGS THAT MIGHT AFFECT WHAT IS HAPPENING DOWN AT THE BUILDING AT THE CLASSROOM LEVEL.
I THINK THIS SLIDE RIGHT HERE IS SUPER POWERFUL BECAUSE PEOPLE MAY WONDER, WHY DO WE HAVE THIS FUNDING GAP? WHAT IS IT? WHY DO WE HAVE A $27 MILLION DEFICIT BUDGET? JUST TO HIGHLIGHT A FEW KEY AREAS OF WHAT IS CONTRIBUTING TO THAT FUNDING GAP.
IF YOU LOOK AT SPECIAL EDUCATION, THIS IS NOT A LINE ITEM THAT WE FEEL LIKE WE WANT TO DO THIS.
WE OWE IT AND WE ARE REQUIRED TO
[01:25:03]
ENSURE THAT WE HAVE THE BEST PROGRAMMING POSSIBLE FOR SPECIAL EDUCATION STUDENTS.WE CURRENTLY SPEND ALMOST $49 MILLION AND CURRENTLY WE'RE FUNDED AT $40 MILLION.
IF YOU LOOK AT SAFETY AND SECURITY, YOU KNOW THE REQUIREMENTS THAT HAPPENED IN THE LAST LEGISLATIVE SESSION WHERE WE SAW AN INCREASE OF $0.12 AND THEN A $15,000 PER CAMPUS ALLOTMENT.
>> THAT HAS LED US TO AN ALMOST SIX-MILLION DOLLARS FUNDING GAP.
PRE-K. OUR PRE-K NUMBERS CONTINUE TO CLIMB.
THANK YOU TO OUR PRE-K TEAM, KATIE FINNEY, AND THE INCREDIBLE WORK THAT THEY'RE DOING.
DESPITE A COMMITMENT IN HOUSE BILL 3 TO FULLY FUND PRE-K, WE ARE NOT BEING FULLY FUNDED FOR PRE-K.
WE STILL HAVE A FUNDING GAP OF ALMOST FOUR-MILLION DOLLARS.
TRANSPORTATION, A FUNDING GAP OF ALMOST EIGHT-MILLION DOLLARS.
OUR GIFTED AND TALENTED SERVICES, WHAT WE DO TO ENSURE THAT ALL STUDENTS ARE GROWING AND AT LEAST HAVE A YEAR'S WORTH OF GROWTH.
WE'RE SEEING THAT OVER TWO-MILLION DOLLAR GAP.
OUR DYSLEXIA REQUIREMENTS ALONE, WHAT WE ARE REQUIRED TO DO.
AGAIN, WE DO THIS NOT JUST BECAUSE WE HAVE TO, IT'S WHAT WE WANT TO DO BECAUSE OUR KIDS DESERVE NOTHING LESS, BUT IT IS VERY RESOURCE INTENSIVE TO HAVE A HIGHLY SKILLED STAFF MEMBER THAT IS GOING TO PROVIDE A 1:05, A 1:10 RATIO OF THOSE DYSLEXIC SERVICE GROUPS THAT COMES OUT AT ALMOST TWO-MILLION DOLLAR FUNDING GAP.
JUST AGAIN, I WANT TO HIGHLIGHT A LITTLE BIT OF THE WHY WE'RE HERE.
AGAIN, WE HAD PHENOMENAL COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO REALLY WORKED FOR SEVEN MONTHS LAST YEAR TO BRING FORWARD NINE RECOMMENDATIONS, AND YOU SEE THOSE ON THE SCREEN.
IN YEAR 1, IF YOU CAN GO BACK A SLIDE, THANK YOU.
THANK YOU FOR TRYING TO INTERPRET.
IN YEAR 1, WE REALLY WERE ABLE TO ADDRESS STRATEGIC COMPENSATION AND THE CONSOLIDATION OF ELEMENTARY THROUGH PROJECT RIGHT SIZE.
I WANT TO DRAW ATTENTION TO REDUCED CENTRAL EXPENDITURES BECAUSE IF YOU REMEMBER BOARD, THIS WAS NOT A ONE TIME COMMITMENT.
THIS WAS SOMETHING THAT WE COMMITTED TO DOING ANNUALLY.
AND WE KNOW WE HAVE ANOTHER TWO-MILLION DOLLARS OF CENTRAL CUTS THAT THE BOARD, AS PART OF THIS WORK HAS ASKED US TO BRING FORWARD FOR THE BUDGET FOR '25/'26.
WE'VE ALREADY REDUCED THE CENTRAL BUDGET BY OVER $14 MILLION, BUT WE KNOW THERE'S STILL MORE WORK TO DO.
WE WILL BE BRINGING FORWARD MORE OF THAT AS WE MOVE FURTHER INTO '25/'26.
BUT WE BROUGHT THE GROUP BACK AGAIN.
WE TOLD THEM IT WAS NOT GOING TO BE ONE AND DONE AND THEY WERE THERE FOR THE CHALLENGE, AND I COULD NOT THANK THEM ENOUGH.
THIS FALL, THEY HAVE BEEN WORKING TO REALLY DIG INTO THE NEXT AREAS THAT YOU SEE ON THE SCREEN, EXPANDING AND LOOKING AT HOW DO WE CONTINUE TO PROVIDE CHOICES THAT OUR PARENTS, MAYBE THOSE WHO CURRENTLY ARE IN HOME SCHOOLS OR CHARTER OR PRIVATE, WHAT MIGHT WE NEED TO DO TO BRING OUR FAMILIES BACK? HOW DO WE POTENTIALLY INCREASE MORE REVENUE, WHETHER THAT'S THROUGH OUT OF DISTRICT TRANSFERS OR LOOKING AT A POTENTIAL VATRE? AND THEN ALSO, HOW DO WE LOOK AT OUR SCHEDULING, FOR EXAMPLE, THAT WOULD ALLOW US MAYBE TO STAFF MORE EFFICIENTLY AND CAPTURE SOME SAVINGS AS WELL.
SO WITH THAT, I THINK NOW I HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE THE MICROPHONE HERE ARE THE AMAZING COMMUNITY BUDGET STEERING COMMITTEE MEMBERS, AND AGAIN, I JUST WANT TO CELEBRATE THE MANY OF THEM ARE OUT IN THE AUDIENCE TONIGHT.
THESE INDIVIDUALS REPRESENT OUR ENTIRE DISTRICT.
THEY'RE ALL FOR LEARNING COMMUNITIES.
THESE ARE PARENTS, COMMUNITY MEMBERS, STAFF MEMBERS, WHO THEY JUST SHOWED UP OVER AND OVER AGAIN.
FOR THE SIMPLE REASON BECAUSE THEY LOVE OUR KIDS AS MUCH AS WE DO, AND THEY ARE COMMITTED TO BEING PROBLEM SOLVERS WITH US AS WE FIGURE OUT HOW TO NAVIGATE THIS ROAD AHEAD.
AGAIN, I WANT TO REMIND THE COMMUNITY WE ARE GOING OUT AND WE HAVE ANOTHER LEGISLATIVE SESSION, AND WE ARE GOING TO BE ADVOCATING LOUDLY FOR FUNDING PUBLIC EDUCATION.
BUT AS WE HAVE LEARNED IN THE LAST THREE LEGISLATIVE SESSIONS, WE CAN'T JUST ASSUME THAT WE ARE GOING TO BE FUNDED AT THE LEVEL THAT WE REQUIRE.
WE HOPE AND WE HAVE THE HIGHEST OF HOPES FOR THAT.
WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE THE RIGHT PLANS IN PLACE TO CONTINUE TO FIND THOSE EFFICIENCIES SO WE CAN CONTINUE TO DO WHAT WE DO IN RICHARDSON, IT, WHICH IS TO ENSURE THE BEST STAFF SO THAT WE CAN HAVE THE BEST LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS FOR OUR KIDS.
WITH THAT, I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO OUR PHENOMENAL CABINET MEMBERS WHO LED THIS WORK ALL SEMESTER, AND THEY ARE GOING TO HELP INTRODUCE THEIR SUBCOMMITTEE AREAS AND THEN ALSO THEIR COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO WILL BE SHARING THE RECOMMENDATIONS.
>> THANK YOU, SUPERINTENDENT BRANHAM. GOOD EVENING BOARD.
I HAVE THE PRIVILEGE OF STARTING WITH THE FIRST SUBCOMMITTEE INTRODUCTIONS.
I'D LIKE TO INVITE MARK HOLMES TO THE MICROPHONE.
[01:30:02]
MARK REPRESENTS WHAT WAS OUR SUBCOMMITTEE TALKING REALLY ABOUT FINANCE AND THE POTENTIAL FOR SOME TAX RATIFICATION.I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO MARK TO EXPLAIN HOW IT WENT AND ALL THE WONDERFUL THINGS THAT HE CAN SHARE WITH YOU.
>> THANK YOU, MRS. ASH. GOOD MORNING.
BOARD, IT FEELS I'VE BEEN HERE ALL NIGHT, FOR SURE.
SORRY. LONG DAY. GOOD EVENING.
TO THE MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, SUPERINTENDENT BRANHAM, TO THE STAFF, MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY THAT ARE STILL HERE. APPRECIATE IT.
AGAIN, MY NAME IS MARK HOLMES, AND I HAVE BEEN APPOINTED VATRE, TOLD BY THE VOTER APPROVAL TAX RATE ELECTION AND BOND ELECTION.
NO, I'M HERE FOR MY OWN VOLITION.
SUBCOMMITTEE TO PRESENT OUR RECOMMENDATIONS FOR CONSIDERATION BY THIS BOARD.
JUST A COUPLE OF COMMENTS. AS WE GATHER HERE, WE ARE UNITED BY A SHARED COMMITMENT TO ENSURING THAT OUR SCHOOLS REMAIN EXCELLENT FOR ALL STUDENTS.
THESE RECOMMENDATIONS ARE NOT JUST ABOUT NUMBERS ON FINANCIAL STATEMENTS.
THEY ARE ABOUT INVESTING IN THE ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT, SAFETY, AND WELL BEING OF EVERY STUDENT WHO WALKS INTO OUR SCHOOLS.
I'D FIRST LIKE TO THANK MY FELLOW SUBCOMMITTEE MEMBERS AND OUR TEAM OF STAFF FACILITATORS, INCLUDING HENRY HALL, SANDRA HAYES, DR. MELISSA HELLER, DAVID PATE, AND JAMES WATSON, FOR THEIR TIME AND EFFORT EXERTED ON THIS PROJECT.
TO OUR PRIMARY FOCUS, THE PRIMARY FOCUS OF SUBCOMMITTEE WAS TWO MECHANISMS FOR SUSTAINING AND IMPROVING OUR SCHOOLS.
ONE BEING THE VOTER APPROVAL TAX RATE ELECTION, THE VATRE, AND THE BOND ELECTION.
OUR KEY CONSIDERATIONS WITHIN THE SUBCOMMITTEE FOR THE POTENTIAL VATRE, THE ELECTION TO ADJUST THE TAX RATE BY POTENTIALLY 3.17 IS LIMITED TO THE NOVEMBER GENERAL ELECTION DATE.
FOR A POTENTIAL BOND ELECTION, THE TIMING FLEXIBILITY ALLOWS EITHER FOR A MAY OR NOVEMBER ELECTION DATE.
WHAT WERE OUR KEY FINDINGS? WELL, AS TO THE VATRE, IN NOVEMBER 2018, VOTERS APPROVED A TAX RATE RATIFICATION ELECTION FOR 0.13.
SUBSEQUENT LEGISLATION BY OUR LEGISLATURE COMPRESSED THAT RATE BY THE 3.17 I REFERRED TO EARLIER.
VATRE FOCUSED ON RECOVERING THAT 3.17 COMPRESSION BY THE LEGISLATURE COULD GENERATE AN ADDITIONAL 7.4 MILLION IN NET REVENUE.
THE DISTRICT'S MAINTENANCE AND OPERATION, THE M&O TAX RATE NOW STANDS AT 75.52 MARKING ITS LOWEST POINT IN 40 YEARS.
OUR KEY FINDINGS AS TO THE BOND ELECTION.
SINCE 1996, RISD HAS SUCCESSFULLY HELD A BOND ELECTION EVERY FIVE YEARS WITH THE MOST RECENT OCCURRING IN MAY 2021.
THE DISTRICT HAS MAINTAINED A CONSISTENT INTEREST IN SINKING THE I&S TAX RATE OF 0.35 SINCE 2016/17.
ONCE AGAIN, DEMONSTRATING TO THE COMMUNITY AND ALL ITS STAKEHOLDERS FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY WHILE MEETING THE INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS.
TO SUPPORT THE DISTRICT'S MISSION AND FINANCIAL STABILITY, THE FOLLOWING ACTIONS ARE RECOMMENDED BY OUR SUBCOMMITTEE.
AS TO THE VATRE, PLAN AND EXECUTE A VATRE IN NOVEMBER 2025, AIMING TO RECOVER THE 3.17 RATE ADJUSTMENT.
AS TO THE BOND ELECTION, CALL A BOND ELECTION FOR EITHER NOVEMBER 2025 OR MAY 2026, DEPENDENT ON COMMUNITY INPUT.
TO THAT, ENGAGE THE COMMUNITY THROUGH SURVEYS TO DETERMINE THE MOST FAVORABLE TIMING FOR THIS ELECTION.
IN CONCLUSION, WITH THESE RECOMMENDATIONS, OUR SUBCOMMITTEE AIMS TO SUSTAIN AND ENHANCE THE EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCES OF EVERY CHILD, TEACHER, AND LEADER WITHIN OUR DISTRICT.
VOTER ENGAGEMENT AND COMMUNITY TRUST WILL BE CRITICAL TO OUR SUCCESS AS THESE MEASURES ENSURE THAT WE REMAIN EQUIPPED TO MEET CURRENT DEMANDS AND FUTURE CHALLENGES.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR ONGOING CONSIDERATION OF THESE RECOMMENDATIONS. MRS. HAYES.
>> THANK YOU, MR. HOLMES, FOR ALL THAT YOU DO FOR RISD.
I KNOW YOU'VE BEEN ON MULTIPLE COMMITTEES OVER THE YEARS AND WE APPRECIATE YOUR SUPPORT SO VERY MUCH.
THANK YOU FOR ELOQUENTLY SHARING THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF OUR COMMITTEE AND REPRESENTING ALL THAT PARTICIPATED IN THE OUTCOMES FROM THAT. THANK YOU.
[01:35:01]
>> TURN IT OVER NOW TO MY COLLEAGUE FOR THE NEXT SUBCOMMITTEE.
>> GOOD EVENING, BOARD. MATTHEW GIBBONS HERE WITH OUR SUBCOMMITTEE.
WE HAD SOME INFORMAL OBSERVATIONS DURING THE COMMITTEE MEETINGS AND IT WAS DETERMINED THAT OUR SUBCOMMITTEE WAS THE BEST.
I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE EVERYONE IS CLEAR ON THAT.
AS MRS. KING IS COMING UP TO HELP WITH THE PRESENTATION, I JUST WANTED TO SHARE WHAT OUR CONSIDERATIONS WERE AND WHAT OUR DRIVE WAS FOR OUR SUBCOMMITTEE.
WE WANTED TO LOOK AT A CONSIDERATION OF IMPROVING OUR CURRENT MAGNET PROGRAMMING AND JUST OUR SYSTEMS THAT WE HAVE GOING ON RIGHT NOW.
WE WANTED TO LOOK AT HOW AND WHAT IT WOULD LOOK LIKE TO HAVE INCREASED CHOICE PROGRAMMING.
PROBABLY SOMETHING THAT I'LL HAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE CONVERSATION AROUND IT AS WE MOVE FORWARD IS THE EXPANSION OF INNER DISTRICT TRANSFER OPTIONS.
WITH THAT, I'M GOING TO HAND IT OVER TO MRS. KING TO GO OVER SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE LOOKED AT AND THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WE HAD. MRS. KING?
JUST A REMINDER, I AM A PROUD GRADUATE OF RICHARDSON HIGH SCHOOL, AND A PARENT OF TWO RECENT GRADUATES FROM LAKE HIGHLANDS HIGH SCHOOL, AND I STILL LIVE IN THIS GREAT DISTRICT, SO IT'S A PLEASURE TO CONTINUE TO BE INVOLVED.
THAT SOUNDS BORING, BUT IT TRULY WAS INTERESTING TO BE INVOLVED IN THIS COMMITTEE TWO YEARS IN A ROW.
I WISH MORE PEOPLE WOULD COME AND ENGAGE.
WE HAD REALLY GOOD CONVERSATION LAST YEAR.
Y'ALL MADE SOME IMPORTANT DECISIONS, AND HERE WE ARE TONIGHT.
BIG THANKS TO YOU, DR. GIBBONS, DR. LIEBER, AND MR. MINIS CALCO.
THAT'S A GOOD LAST NAME FOR LEADING REALLY ROBUST CONVERSATION WITH OUR SUBCOMMITTEE THAT INCLUDED 12 OF US, WHICH WE HAD A 2024 GRADUATE OF RICHARDSON HIGH SCHOOL.
WE HAD FELLOW DISTRICT GRADUATES, AND WE HAD CURRENT OR FORMER PARENTS AND OR GRANDPARENTS OF DISTRICT STUDENTS AND ONE GREAT FORMER TRUSTEE WHO WAS ON OUR COMMITTEE.
WE FOCUSED ON MAGNET SCHOOLS, CHOICE PROGRAMMING, AND OPEN ENROLLMENT.
A NUMBER I WANT Y'ALL TO THINK ABOUT THAT WE TALKED ABOUT IN AT AN ADDITIONAL MEETING, SO WE DID GO TO ONE ADDITIONAL MEETING IS 2613.
THAT'S HOW MANY STUDENTS LEFT THE DISTRICT LAST YEAR.
THAT'S MORE THAN $18 MILLION IN VALUE.
WE ARE NOT PUTTING A DOLLAR FIGURE ON EACH KID THAT GOES TO, OUR SCHOOLS, BUT THE REALITY IS, THIS IS A BUDGET CONVERSATION.
KEEP IN MIND THAT EVERY KID THAT WE RETAIN IN OUR DISTRICT AND THAT WE MIGHT ATTRACT BACK TO OUR DISTRICT, APPARENTLY, 500 KIDS COME BACK TO THE DISTRICT EVERY YEAR.
BUT THAT'S A DEFICIT OF, I THINK 100 KIDS THAT STILL DON'T COME BACK TO THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, AT LEAST WITH LAST YEAR'S NUMBERS.
WE WANT TO REMAIN A CHOICE DISTRICT, A LEADING DISTRICT.
LET'S SEE. AS I SAID, WE HAD AN EXTRA MEETING BECAUSE WE WEREN'T SURE ABOUT EVERYTHING.
IT SEEMED OBVIOUS. OPEN ENROLLMENT SEEMS OBVIOUS TO ME, BUT IT WASN'T TO EVERYONE.
WE ALL AGREE CHOICE PROGRAMMING SOUNDS GREAT. WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? IB INTERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE, MORE LEADERSHIP ACADEMIES, MAYBE MONTESSORI FOR PRE-K. THEN FOR MAGNET SCHOOLS.
WE HAVE A GREAT NUMBER, BUT WE DON'T NECESSARILY HAVE THEM AT EVERY SCHOOL OR EVERY LEARNING COMMUNITY.
I GUESS THAT'S THE WAY WE SAY IT, AT LEAST AT ALL FOUR HIGH SCHOOLS.
WE WANT TO RETAIN OUR KIDS AND ATTRACT SOME AND OPEN ENROLLMENT MIGHT ATTRACT SOME NEW KIDS THAT WE WOULDN'T HAVE BEFORE.
WE HAVE THREE RECOMMENDATIONS.
THE FIRST IS ENHANCED MAGNET PROGRAMMING.
WE WANT TO HAVE DEFINED AND DISTINCT FOCUSES, FOCI FOR EACH CAMPUS, ENSURING THAT EACH OF THESE MAGNETS OFFER UNIQUE EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCES.
WE WANT THEM TO ADDRESS DIVERSE STUDENT INTERESTS AND LEARNING STYLES.
WE WANT TO BE A RIGOROUS SELECTION PROCESS THAT CONSIDERS EQUITABLE ACCESS AND PROPER PLACEMENT OF STUDENTS.
SO THAT'S IMPORTANT. NUMBER 2, CHOICE PROGRAMMING.
I GUESS, CHOICE AND MAGNET PROGRAMMING ARE THE SAME THING TWO SIDES OF A COIN.
WE WANT TO EXPAND THAT CHOICE PROGRAMMING AT ALL LEVELS TO ENSURE EQUITABLE DISTRIBUTION OF THESE PROGRAMS ACROSS THE DISTRICT.
MAYBE LAKE HIGHLANDS WOULD HAVE AN IB PROGRAM AND BERKNER WOULD HAVE MORE STEM PROGRAMMING AND PIERCE, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY WOULD DO, BUT SOMETHING AWESOME.
WE ALWAYS WANT TO MAKE DECISIONS BASED ON DATA THAT DETERMINE HOW THESE PROGRAMS ARE SELECTED, WHERE THE GREATEST NEEDS ARE AND THE MOST SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON STUDENT OUTCOMES.
SO WE WANT TO ENSURE THAT THESE CHOICE PROGRAMS ARE ACCESSIBLE AND BENEFICIAL TO ALL OF OUR STUDENTS.
THEN NUMBER THREE IS OPEN ENROLLMENT.
WHILE WE THINK OUR COMMITTEE THOUGHT THAT OPEN ENROLLMENT HAS POTENTIAL BENEFITS.
SOME OF MY COLLEAGUES SAW CONCERNS, AND SO WE TALKED ABOUT THEM, BUT WE WANT TO APPROACH THIS CAUTIOUSLY WITH A FOCUS ON FINANCIAL PRUDENCE,
[01:40:01]
EQUITABLE ACCESS, AND MAINTAINING COMMUNITY TRUST THROUGHOUT.NOT EVERYONE IS GOING TO WANT TO OPEN THE DISTRICT TO OTHER KIDS.
WHY WE SHOULD BE FOCUSING ON OURS? BUT I GO BACK TO THAT DOLLAR FIGURE PER KID.
IF WE'RE A DISTRICT OF CHOICE, AND I'M LIVING AN ADJACENT NEIGHBORHOOD, THIS IS A HUGE OPPORTUNITY FOR ME AND MY TAX DOLLARS TO GO TO RICHARDSON INSTEAD OF A DIFFERENT DISTRICT.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, AND HAVE A WONDERFUL HOLIDAY.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH. MRS. KING, WE APPRECIATE YOUR TIME ON THE BEST SUBCOMMITTEE.
>> GOOD EVENING BOARD. I HAD THE PLEASURE, MRS. MCGOWAN, DR. GOODSON, AND I HAD THE PLEASURE OF FACILITATING THE STANDARD STAFFING MODEL SUBCOMMITTEE.
WE HAVE BREAKING NEWS FROM ACROSS THE HORSESHOE THAT WE INSTITUTED A WRITE END CAMPAIGN FOR THE BEST SUBCOMMITTEE AND STAGES COUP D'ETAT, WE WIN.
[APPLAUSE] AS YOU CAN TELL, OUR SUBCOMMITTEE WAS COMPRISED OF 14 PASSIONATE PEOPLE WHO REALLY ENGAGED IN THE PROCESS.
WE HAVE ONE OF THE MIGHTY 14 WITH US TONIGHT.
WE'RE VERY FORTUNATE TO HAVE MICHELLE WALBERG, WHO'S GOING TO JOIN US HERE AT THE PODIUM AS OUR SPOKESPERSON, AND SO I WILL TURN IT OVER TO YOU.
I WOULD LIKE TO FIRST SAY, AGAIN, MICHELLE WALBERG, AND I WOULD LIKE TO BEGIN BY EXPRESSING MY GRATITUDE FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE ON THE COMMUNITY BUDGET STEERING COMMITTEE OVER THE PAST YEAR.
THIS EXPERIENCE HAS PROVIDED ME WITH A NEW PERSPECTIVE AND A DEEPER APPRECIATION FOR THE CHALLENGING DECISIONS THAT YOU GUYS FACE EVERY DAY.
AS A PARENT IN THE DISTRICT FOR THE PAST 15 YEARS, I'VE SOMETIMES FIND MYSELF AT ODDS WITH CERTAIN DECISIONS.
I ALSO RECOGNIZE THAT THE RECOMMENDATIONS OUR COMMITTEE HAS PRESENTED THIS PAST YEAR HAVE NOT BEEN UNIVERSALLY ACCEPTED.
IT'S CLEAR THAT IT'S IMPOSSIBLE TO PLEASE EVERYONE.
HOWEVER, MY TIME ON THIS COMMITTEE HAS GIVEN ME VALUABLE INSIGHT INTO THE COMPLEXITIES AND CONSIDERATIONS INVOLVED IN THESE DECISIONS.
I TOO HAVE SONS THAT RECENTLY GRADUATED FROM PIERCE.
I FOUND A NATURAL FIT IN THE STAFFING MODEL BECAUSE OF THIS.
ONE OF MY SONS EXPERIENCED MOST OF HIS SECONDARY EDUCATION ON A TRADITIONAL SCHEDULE, WHILE THE OTHER SON SPENT HIS HIGH SCHOOL YEARS ON A BLOCK SCHEDULE.
WHILE I'M A STRONG ADVOCATE FOR A BLOCK SCHEDULE.
PARTICIPATING IN THIS COMMITTEE ALLOWED ME TO HEAR DIVERSE PERSPECTIVES FROM BOTH OUR ADMINISTRATORS AND CENTRAL STAFF, WHICH HAS BROADENED MY UNDERSTANDING.
>> TONIGHT, I WOULD LIKE TO SHARE OUR KEY FINDINGS FROM OUR COMMITTEE DISCUSSIONS.
FIRST OF ALL, TODAY, ALL OF OUR RISD SECONDARY CAMPUSES OPERATE ON THAT A/B BLOCK SCHEDULE.
SECONDLY, BLOCK SCHEDULING ALLOWS FOR 90 MINUTES EVERY OTHER DAY, ALLOWING TEACHERS A LONGER TIME WITH OUR STUDENTS AND LESS TRANSITION TIME IN THE HALLWAYS, WHICH WAS SOMETHING I DIDN'T KNOW, I DIDN'T NEVER THINK ABOUT.
TRADITIONAL SCHEDULING ALLOWS FOR TEACHERS TO SEE STUDENTS EVERY DAY, ALLOWING THE TEACHERS TO WORK ON SKILLS DAILY.
THIS IS IMPORTANT WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT MATH, LANGUAGE, SOME OF THE CLASSES LIKE THAT.
HOWEVER, THAT TRADITIONAL SCHEDULE IS ONLY 50 MINUTES, SO THERE'S LESS INSTRUCTION TIME DUE TO ATTENDANCE-TAKING AND OTHER HOUSEKEEPING ITEMS LIKE SIMPLY GETTING CHILDREN TO SIT IN THEIR SEATS.
ADDITIONALLY, THERE ARE MORE TRANSITIONS THROUGHOUT THE DAY WHICH DO REQUIRE MORE STAFF IN THE HALLWAYS.
NEXT THING I LEARNED ABOUT IS RISD BELIEVES IN THE PLC MODEL.
THIS IS VERY, VERY IMPORTANT BECAUSE OUR TEACHERS NEED TIME TO PLAN, THEY NEED TIME TO COLLABORATE, AND WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO BUILD THAT INTO THE SCHEDULE, AND WE DON'T WANT TO LOSE THIS BECAUSE IT'S A CRITICAL COMPONENT TO THEIR SUCCESS AND SAVE AT.
BLOCK SCHEDULING ALSO ALLOWS STUDENTS TO EARN EIGHT CREDITS YEARLY WHERE THAT TRADITIONAL SCHEDULE ONLY ALLOWS FOR SEVEN CREDITS.
TRADITIONAL SCHEDULING ALLOWS FOR EASIER DOUBLE-BLOCKING FOR CLASSES EARNING MULTIPLE CREDITS, SPECIFICALLY FOR OUR CTE.
WHILE A DOUBLE-BLOCK SCHEDULE CAN COST MORE, WE DID LEARN IN OUR SECOND SESSION THAT CTE DOES GENERATE ADDITIONAL FUNDING, WHICH I THOUGHT WAS A REALLY COOL THING.
I HAD NO IDEA. ONE OF MY SONS REALLY LOVED HIS CTE PROGRAM. I WAS LIKE, OH, GO.
BASED ON THESE KEY FINDINGS, IN OUR ADDITIONAL MEANINGFUL DIALOGUE DURING OUR SESSIONS, OUR RECOMMENDATIONS ARE THAT RISD SHOULD STUDY POSSIBLE CHANGES TO OUR SECONDARY SCHOOL BELL SCHEDULE, AND THAT RISD SHOULD INITIATE A COMMITTEE TO CONDUCT THE SCHEDULE POSSIBILITY STUDY THAT IS REPRESENTATIVE OF THE DISTRICT'S DEMOGRAPHICS, AS WELL AS REPRESENTATIVE OF PARENTS, TEACHERS, STUDENTS, CAMPUS ADMINISTRATION, AND DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION.
[01:45:01]
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME TONIGHT.DO YOU GUYS HAVE ANY QUESTIONS?
>> WE WILL GET TO QUESTIONS IN JUST A SECOND.
THANK YOU SO MUCH. THAT WAS AMAZING.
>> THANK YOU. ALL THREE OF YOU WERE THE BEST COMMITTEES EVER.
I OFFICIALLY ANOINT YOU THE BEST COMMITTEES EVER.
YES. I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT A TIMELINE AND WE WILL BE TAKING QUESTIONS IN JUST A MOMENT.
I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER THAT THESE ARE RECOMMENDATIONS.
BOARD, YOU COMMISSIONED THE COMMUNITY BUDGET STEERING COMMITTEE TO HELP EXPLORE WHAT WOULD BE SOME OPTIONS TO INCREASE REVENUE WHILE ALSO IDENTIFYING EFFICIENCIES SO THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO BE THE EXCELLENT DISTRICT THAT WE ALL WANT FOR OUR STUDENTS AND OUR STAFF.
THESE ARE JUST RECOMMENDATIONS.
WHAT WE HAVE BROUGHT FORWARD ON THIS SLIDE FOR YOU IS WHAT A TENTATIVE TIMELINE WOULD LOOK LIKE.
FOR EXAMPLE, WE WOULD BE WORKING CLOSELY WITH THE BOARD IN THE SPRING SEMESTER TO DO THE ANALYSIS OF WHETHER IT IS A [INAUDIBLE] SURVEY SO THAT WE UNDERSTAND FOR OUR COMMUNITY, WHAT THE TEMPERATURE IS FOR A POTENTIAL BOND, WHEN IT IS FOR A POTENTIAL VATRE.
WHAT IS THE TIMING OF THAT? AGAIN, WE DON'T WANT TO DO ANYTHING THAT ERODES THE TRUST OF OUR COMMUNITY.
MAKING SURE THAT WE WALK ALONGSIDE OUR COMMUNITY EVERY STEP OF THE WAY BEFORE WE WOULD CONSIDER BRINGING FORWARD A BOND OR A VATRE.
WE WOULD BE BRINGING TO YOU A LOT OF INFORMATION IN THE SPRING SEMESTER AROUND WHAT WOULD INVESTMENT IN OUR CURRENT MAGNET PROGRAMS. AGAIN, WE HAVE A LEGACY IN OUR MAGNET PROGRAMS OF EXCELLENCE, BUT HOW DO WE EVEN FURTHER INVEST AND DIFFERENTIATE THAT PROGRAMMING THAT IS HAPPENING THERE WHILE ALSO, AGAIN, EXPANDING OPTIONS FOR STUDENTS ACROSS THE ENTIRE DISTRICT? SAME THING WITH OPEN ENROLLMENT.
WE WOULD BRING INFORMATION FORWARD.
WE ALREADY HAVE A POLICY THAT ALLOWS FOR OPEN ENROLLMENT.
BUT IF YOU REMEMBER, THAT IS LIMITED TO EXAMPLE FOR EMPLOYEES, AS WELL AS FOR SENIORS WHO MAYBE THEIR FAMILY HAVE MOVED OUT, BUT WE WANT TO ALLOW A SENIOR TO STAY AND FINISH THEIR GRADUATION.
WE ALREADY HAVE A POLICY THAT ALLOWS FOR.
THIS WOULD REALLY BE A GUIDELINE CHANGE.
WE WOULD BE BRINGING THOSE FORWARD, AGAIN, IN THE SPRING FOR BOARD INPUT AND BOARD DIRECTIONAL APPROVAL FOR THAT.
THEN FINALLY, THIS ONE IS REALLY IMPORTANT BECAUSE I WANT TO MAKE SURE OUR STAFF HEARS THIS.
WE WOULD BE LOOKING, THIS SPRING, TO FORM A SCHEDULE COMMITTEE TO STUDY THIS ALL SPRING.
THIS WOULD NOT IMPACT THE '25-'26 SCHEDULE FOR THE NEXT SCHOOL YEAR.
BOARD, WE THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT IF THE COMMITTEE WERE TO RECOMMEND A SCHEDULE CHANGE, WE WOULD WANT TO GIVE TEACHERS AMPLE TIME TO MAKE ANY ADJUSTMENTS.
NOW, THE COMMITTEE MIGHT STUDY THIS AND SAY WHY WE MIGHT ACTUALIZE SOME COST SAVINGS.
WE BELIEVE THAT IT COMES AT A DIFFERENT COST, AND WE'RE NOT WILLING TO SACRIFICE ONE FOR THE OTHER, THAT THE SCHEDULE THAT WE HAVE RIGHT NOW IS THE RIGHT ONE, OR THEY MIGHT MAKE A CHANGE AND IT MIGHT BE A MIDDLE SCHOOL JUNIOR HIGH SCHEDULE THAT'S DIFFERENT FROM HIGH SCHOOL.
BUT WE WOULD NOT MAKE ANY CHANGES FOR THAT SCHEDULE UNTIL '26-'27.
AGAIN, WE WANT TO WALK ALONGSIDE OUR COMMUNITY WITH URGENCY BUT NOT DO SO IN ANY WAY THAT WOULD HURT THE AMAZING WORK THAT WE'RE DOING RIGHT NOW.
THAT WOULD BE A PROJECTED TIMELINE.
NOW, JUST TO REMIND EVERYONE BECAUSE WHILE I SAY THAT, WE DO HAVE URGENCY IN THAT, BELIEVE IT OR NOT, WHEN WE GET BACK IN JANUARY BOARD, YOU KNOW WHAT IT IS.
IT'S BUDGET TIME. WE HAVE BROUGHT FORWARD, AND I THINK ALISON, YOU'RE GOING TO ADDRESS A FEW HIGHLIGHTS FOR THE '25-'26 BUDGET CALENDAR.
THANK YOU FOR FILLING IN WHEN MR. PATE IS AWAY.
THE NEXT THREE SLIDES, YOU WILL FIND THE PROPOSED BUDGET CALENDAR.
BUT AS MS. BRANUM HAS SAID, THAT LEGISLATIVE SESSION THAT IS STARTING SO SOON COULD CHANGE, NOT EVERY DATE, BUT MANY OF THE DATES ON HERE.
WE WANT TO POINT OUT THAT YOU WILL BE HEARING REGULARLY, GETTING BUDGET UPDATES DURING THE SPRING.
THOSE KEY DATES THAT WE WANTED TO POINT OUT: FIRST DATE IS APRIL 30TH.
THAT IS THE LAST DAY FROM THE APPRAISAL DISTRICT WE HAVE TO RECEIVE OUR ESTIMATED CERTIFIED VALUES.
ON JUNE 5TH IS THE DAY WE HAVE SCHEDULED FOR OUR PUBLIC HEARING AND OUR BUDGET ADOPTION FOR THE '25-'26 BUDGET.
ON JULY 25TH, WE WILL GET OUR CERTIFIED VALUES FROM THE APPRAISAL DISTRICT, AND THEN ON AUGUST 5TH IS THE LAST DAY TEA HAS TO PROVIDE OUR TAX RATE, OUR MAXIMUM COMPRESSED RATE FOR NEXT YEAR.
THEN LASTLY, AUGUST 18TH, IF THE BOARD DOES DIRECT US TO PROCEED WITH A VATRE, THAT WOULD BE THE LAST DAY WE COULD TO CALL THAT ELECTION. THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH. AGAIN, BOARD, WITH THAT,
[01:50:02]
AGAIN, I WANT TO THANK OUR AMAZING COMMITTEE.I WANT TO ESPECIALLY THANK THOSE INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE HERE TONIGHT THAT INVESTED, AND I WANT TO REMIND EVERYONE THIS WAS NOT JUST A COMMITMENT FOR ONE YEAR.
A LOT OF OUR COMMITTEES, IT'S A SNAPSHOT IN TIME, IT'S A MOMENT IN TIME.
BUT THIS IS A GROUP OF INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE SO PASSIONATE THAT THEY SIGNED UP TO DO THIS LAST YEAR AND THEY CAME BACK THIS YEAR, THIS IS A VERY HEAVY TOPIC, AND THEY CAME EVERY TIME AND THEY SHOWED UP, AND THEY JUST CAME TRULY TO HELP SOLVE THE PROBLEM.
THANK YOU CABINET FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP IN THIS WORK.
WITH THAT, BOARD, WE'RE HAPPY TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS.
>> WE'LL OPEN IT UP. I'M GOING TO START ON THIS SIDE.
DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? ARE YOU READY TO GO?
>> WE'LL START ON THE RIGHT THIS TIME AROUND. YES, MS. HARRIS.
>> CAN WE GO BACK TO THE SLIDE THAT SHOWS ALL THE OPTIONS? I JUST WANT TO BE ABLE TO SEE JUST A SNAPSHOT.
THAT WAS OKAY. BUT IT WAS THE LAST ONE. YOU PASSED IT.
WE JUST HAS OUR OPTIONS LINED UP. SORRY ABOUT THAT.
I JUST LIKE TO LOOK AT A GOOD LITTLE SNAPSHOT.
I KNOW THAT MOST FOLKS THAT KNOW ME HAVE PROBABLY HEARD MY STORY ABOUT ATTENDING HAMILTON PARK AT THE TIME, HAMILTON PARK PACESETTER MAGNET.
NO, IT WASN'T A MAGNET WHEN I WAS THERE, THIS WAS YEARS AGO.
JUST THE ROBUST PROGRAM THAT I WAS PART OF WHEN I WAS IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, AND JUST THE THOUGHT OF JUST SEEING THAT AGAIN WITH THE CHOICE PROGRAMMING PIECE, NOT THAT THAT'S MY FAVORITE, [LAUGHTER] AND I'M PICKING A TEAM, BUT I'M SO EXCITED JUST TO SEE THE PRESENTATIONS AS WE WALK DOWN THIS AND TALK ABOUT WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT.
BECAUSE I TELL YOU, MY TIME IN HAMILTON PARK JUST TAKES ME DOWN A NOSTALGIA BECAUSE IT WAS SUCH A GREAT PROGRAM WHEN I WAS THERE.
WE HAD REALLY ROBUST PROGRAMS LIKE BALLET AND DRAMA, AND GYMNASTICS.
IT WAS REALLY TRUE PROGRAMMING THAT WAS ROBUST ENOUGH FOR ME TO REALLY THINK I COULD BE AN ACTOR ONE DAY.
BUT I'M JUST REALLY EXCITED JUST TO SEE WHAT YOU ALL ARE GOING TO BRING AND PRESENT TO US.
I THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR VERY HARD WORK.
WE TOTALLY UNDERSTAND WHAT IT MEANS TO BE VOLUNTEER TO DO SOMETHING, [LAUGHTER] SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR HARD WORK.
BUT I'M VERY, VERY INTERESTED TO SEE WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO BRING FORTH.
>> THANK YOU, MS. HARRIS. WHO'S NEXT, BOARD MEMBERS? I SAW SOME MOTION OVER THERE. MR. EAGER.
>> JUST FOR THOSE WATCHING, I GUESS THIS MAY BE JUST A DEFINITION.
CAN SOMEBODY EXPLAIN THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A MAGNET PROGRAM AND A CHOICE PROGRAM?
>> THAT WILL BE PART OF THE WORK THAT WE BRING FORWARD TO YOU IN JANUARY AND FEBRUARY.
BUT HIGH LEVEL REALLY IN RICHARDSON ISD, HOW WE'RE DEFINING IT, OUR MAGNET PROGRAMMING IS HIGHLY SPECIALIZED PROGRAMMING THAT ULTIMATELY IS AROUND STUDENT APPLICATION.
THERE'S SOME APPLICATION PROCESS, SOME LEVEL OF SKILL AND COMMITMENT REQUIREMENT THAT'S AROUND THAT MAGNET PROGRAMMING, WHERE CHOICE EXPANSION MIGHT BE WHERE IT IS AN APPLICATION PROCESS, BUT IT'S BASED ON A LOTTERY OR A FIRST COME FIRST SERVE.
AGAIN, WE'LL NEED LOTS OF INPUT FROM THE BOARD TO EVEN SEE IF THIS IS A DIRECTION THAT YOU WANT TO MOVE IN.
BUT TYPICALLY, IN MOST DISTRICTS THAT HAVE BOTH, THAT IS HOW IT'S DEFINED. THANK YOU.
>> I JUST HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS, AND THEY MAY NOT BE QUESTIONS THAT CAN BE ANSWERED TONIGHT. LET ME START WITH THAT.
AT SOME POINT, AND I KNOW THIS MAY BE DEPENDENT ON WHAT HAPPENS IN THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION.
WELL, WE HAVE AN IDEA OF WHAT OUR TARGET NUMBER MIGHT BE TOTAL BECAUSE I LOOK AT ALL OF THAT AND I KNOW IT'S A LOT, AND I ALSO KNOW THERE'S NO ONE SOLUTION THAT WILL PROBABLY GET US TO OUR TARGET NUMBER, MAYBE, DEPENDING ON IF MIRACLES HAPPEN.
BUT I'M JUST CURIOUS IF THAT WILL BE PART OF WHAT WE GET.
>> YES, MA'AM. ACTUALLY, THAT'LL BE A COLLABORATIVE CONVERSATION OF WHICH WE WILL ASK FOR SOME BOARD INPUT.
KNOWING THAT WE HOPE THAT WE HEAR EARLIER IN THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION IF THERE'S GOING TO BE ANY FINANCIAL RELIEF, BUT IF NOT, AND IF WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH SETTING A BUDGET WHERE THAT IS UNKNOWN,
[01:55:02]
WHAT IS A POTENTIAL NUMBER THAT THE BOARD WOULD SAY TO US THIS IS YOUR GOAL, HERE'S A RANGE OF YOUR GOAL? WE HAVE SOME IDEAS ABOUT THAT, AND WE WILL BE HAVING THAT CONVERSATION WITH YOU IN JANUARY AS WELL.>> GREAT. THEN AS PART OF THE INFORMATION THAT WE'RE GOING TO GET, I KNOW YOU TALKED ABOUT SOMETIMES THERE'S NOT MONETARY COSTS, BUT THERE ARE OTHER COSTS.
I WOULD SAY LIKE SAPPING, RECRUITING, AND RETENTION, AND THOSE SORTS OF THINGS.
YOU SAID YOU'RE GOING TO PUT A TEACHER SURVEY TOGETHER FOR PART OF THAT.
ARE WE GOING TO SEE THAT IN A LARGE SCALE? THE THINGS THAT THEY HOPE TO SEE OR THE THINGS THAT WOULD BE A DETERRENT.
LIKE IF THEY HAVE EXTRA PREP THAN THEY HAVE NOW.
WHATEVER THE DOWNSIDES MAYBE [OVERLAPPING].
>> RELATED TO THE SCHEDULE CHANGE.
>> I THINK THE SCHEDULE CHANGE, I THINK EVEN POTENTIAL, SOME OF THE PROGRAM, REALLY, SOME OF THE PROGRAM, ANYTHING THAT WOULD HAVE IMPACTED THE CLASSROOM LEVEL.
IN TERMS OF THE SCHOOL CHOICE, WE HAVEN'T GOTTEN THAT FAR YET, BUT THAT IS ABSOLUTELY SOMETHING THAT WE CAN CONSIDER GETTING THAT INPUT AS WELL.
BUT YES, ABSOLUTELY IN TERMS OF ANYTHING RELATED TO THE SCHEDULE, OF COURSE, WE WILL HAVE TEACHERS, SPECIAL EDUCATION, OUR LANGUAGE ACQUISITION TEACHERS, GIFTED AND TALENTED, WE WILL HAVE ALL OF THEM TO ENSURE THAT THEY HAVE SEATS AT THE TABLE, BUT WE WILL ALSO DO BROADER SCALE SURVEYS SO THAT WE'RE GETTING INPUT.
>> I THINK THAT WITH ANYTHING, THEY ARE UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES.
>> I THINK THEY WILL KNOW THOSE MAYBE MORE SO THAN WE DO AND POTENTIALLY UNDERSTAND GUARD RAILS OR THINGS THAT WE WON'T.
I THINK THAT INFORMATION WILL BE CRITICAL WHEN WE'RE LOOKING THAT.
ALSO, WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT OPEN ENROLLMENT OR OTHER PIECES, IT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO IF WE HAD SOME TARGET NUMBERS POTENTIALLY, WHAT THAT MIGHT LOOK LIKE, WHAT WE THINK WE WOULD GET.
THEN I JUST WANT TO ADD, I WANT TO THANK THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS WHO DID THIS.
THIS IS A BIG DEAL. IT IS A LOT OF WORK.
IT IS A LOT OF TOUGH DISCUSSION.
THE FACT THAT YOU GUYS ARE WILLING TO ENTER INTO SOME REAL DISCUSSION AND HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS AROUND THAT, THIS BOARD WILL BE BETTER FOR IT, AND SO WE'RE ALL COMMUNITY WHEN WE MAKE DECISIONS THAT MAYBE NONE OF US WANT TO MAKE BECAUSE NONE OF THEM ARE FUN WHEN WE KNOW WE'RE UPSETTING THE APPLE CART, BUT YOUR CONVERSATIONS AND YOUR FEEDBACK WILL PLAY AN INTEGRAL ROLE AND TRULY WILL HELP US MAKE THE BEST DECISION THAT WE CAN UNDER THE CIRCUMSTANCES, SO IT'S MUCH APPRECIATED.
>> THANK YOU, MS. TIMME. YES, MS. RENTERIA.
>> ALSO, JUST DITTO TO EVERYTHING THAT MY COLLEAGUES ALREADY SAID HERE.
I WANT TO THANK ALSO EVERYBODY WHO, AGAIN, EVERYBODY ALREADY EXPRESSED THIS, I'M VERY GRATEFUL FOR THE COMMITMENT.
I KNOW HOW HARD IT IS TO REALLY BE COMMITTED AND FOCUS AND INTENTIONAL ABOUT ALL OF THIS INFORMATION THAT YOU GATHER AND ARE SHARING WITH US.
I APPRECIATE THE RECOMMENDATIONS.
ONE OF THE ONLY COMMENTS I HAD, I THOUGHT IT WAS VERY INTERESTING, THE NUMBER THAT WAS GIVEN.
I THINK IT WAS 2,600 STUDENTS WHO HAVE LEFT THE DISTRICT.
I THINK THAT, FOR ME, WHAT STANDS OUT IS THE OPEN ENROLLMENT RECOMMENDATION, HOW IMPORTANT THAT IS TO ATTRACT STUDENTS, HOW COMPETITIVE ARE WE BEING? I THINK RIGHT NOW, AGAIN, WITH THE FINANCIAL STATUS THAT WE'RE IN STATEWIDE, AND ALL OF THE CHOICES, AS WE MENTIONED BEFORE, THERE ARE SO MANY CHOICES THAT I WOULD LOVE TO SEE WHERE PARENTS HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE THEIR CHOICE VERY CLEAR BY CHOOSING RISD.
I THINK WE ALREADY HAVE SOME WONDERFUL PROGRAMS, WE HAVE SOME WONDERFUL OPPORTUNITIES TO EXPAND A LOT OF THAT.
I THINK THAT IT'S JUST A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO REALLY, AGAIN, FILL THESE SEATS WITH SOME STUDENTS THAT, AGAIN, WITH THE STAFF THAT WE HAVE TO REALLY SHOWCASE WHAT RISD CAN DO.
WE ALREADY DO THAT. BUT I THINK WITH OPEN ENROLLMENT, THAT'S VERY EXCITING TO ME, THAT THERE'S A LOT OF GREAT OPPORTUNITY THERE.
THANK YOU ALL FOR THE GREAT WORK AND FOR THE COMMITMENT THAT YOU'VE PUT INTO THIS. I APPRECIATE IT.
>> [OVERLAPPING] I LOVE WHAT BOTH OF YOU ARE SAYING IN TERMS OF THAT IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE A ZERO-SUM GAME.
TO EXPAND CHOICE, WE'RE NOT GOING TO EXPAND CHOICE AT THE RISK OF HURTING OUR MAGNET PROGRAMMING.
IF THE BOARD WAS TO CONSIDER A DIRECTIONAL APPROVAL TO LOOK AT OPEN ENROLLMENT OR CHOICE PROGRAM, AND WE'RE NOT GOING TO DO THAT AT THE COST OF HURTING OUR NEIGHBORHOOD SCHOOLS.
WE VALUE AND LOVE OUR NEIGHBORHOOD SCHOOLS, AND WE WANT TO CONTINUE TO LIFT THOSE UP AS A CHOICE THAT MANY OF OUR FAMILIES WANT TO MAKE.
WE WANT TO HAVE, I KNOW IT'S A THEME, BUT I'M SERIOUS ABOUT BEING THE ONE, WE WANT TO BE THE ONE.
YOU ARE FAMILY THAT WANTS A NEIGHBORHOOD SCHOOL,
[02:00:02]
YOU BOUGHT YOUR HOUSE BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE YOU WANT TO BE, THEN WE WANT TO BE THAT ONE.IF YOU WANT AN INNOVATIVE PROGRAMMING BECAUSE YOU KNOW YOUR CHILD'S PASSIONATE ABOUT A PARTICULAR AREA, WE WANT TO BE THE ONE TO SERVE YOU AS WELL.
I DIDN'T MEAN TO INTERRUPT YOU, KEEP GOING. I APOLOGIZE.
>> NO, THAT WAS ALL. I'M SORRY.
I THINK IT WAS MS. KING, YOU RAISED YOUR HAND. MS. KING?
>> FOR THE RECORD, JUST PERSONALLY, I'VE HEARD THAT THE LEGISLATURE MAY BE CONSIDERING OPEN ENROLLMENT AS SOMETHING THEY MIGHT MANDATE, AND I WOULD RATHER YOU ALL DETERMINE HOW TO DO THAT THAN AUSTIN DETERMINE THAT AND HAVE GOOD PLANS THAT WORKED FOR THIS DISTRICT THAT YOU THEN WORKED WITH WHATEVER AUSTIN SAYS.
>> THANK YOU FOR CLARIFYING THAT.
AGAIN, I THINK JUST TO WHAT MISS BRANHAM SAID, I THINK WE'RE GIVING CHOICE.
AGAIN, I THINK IT'S ALL ABOUT OPPORTUNITY AND OPPORTUNITY FOR ALL. I'M REALLY GRATEFUL FOR THAT.
>> THANK YOU, MISS ANDREA. MISS TIMME, YOU HAD SOMETHING TO ADD.
>> I DID JUST WANT TO ADD ONE THING, SORRY, I KNOW I'VE WRITTEN IT DOWN, BUT MY NOTES ARE CHICKEN SCRATCH.
MY NEED THAT CURSIVE HANDWRITING CLASS AGAIN.
JUST THE ADD FOR US, I THINK TO KEEP IN PERSPECTIVE AS WE GO FORWARD, AND AS WE GET ALL THESE INFORMATION, I THINK THE BEST WAY TO ATTRACT ANYBODY, WHETHER THEY STAY, WHETHER WE OPEN BORDERS, WHATEVER IS TO BE THE BEST THAT WE CAN BE AT EDUCATING KIDS.
THAT MEANS THAT REALLY ENSURING THAT WE'RE GIVING THE BEST EDUCATION THAT WE CAN, USING THE BEST PRACTICES.
I THINK SOMETIMES WHEN YOU TAKE ON TOO MUCH, YOU DELUDE SOME OF THE OTHER PIECES.
I JUST WANT US TO BE VERY CAREFUL THAT WE ARE LOOKING AT QUALITY OVER QUANTITY TO ATTRACT AT THE RISK OF RETAINING, NOT RETAINING, BOTH TEACHERS AND STUDENTS.
I JUST THINK WE NEED TO KEEP THAT IN MIND.
>> THANK YOU, MISS TIMME. OTHER THOUGHTS, COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS.
I'LL FINISH UP A COUPLE OF THINGS.
YOU ALL HIT ON SOME GREAT POINTS HERE.
THE LEGISLATIVE SESSIONS A HUGE VARIABLE THAT WE HAVE NO CONTROL OVER, BUT I'LL BE INTERESTED TO SEE ON HOW THAT IMPACTS OUR TIMING OF DECISIONS, OR LOOKING AT OUR DIFFERENT OPTIONS AND HOW MANY OPTIONS WE NEED TO LOOK AT, NOT KNOWING WHAT THEY'RE GOING TO DO.
I KNOW MR. HOLMES HAD MENTIONED SOME OF THE COMPRESSION THAT'S TAKEN PLACE.
I'M INTERESTED TO SEE WHERE THOSE DISCUSSIONS GO IN THIS SESSION AS WELL AND WHAT IMPACT THEY MAY HAVE ON US AS WELL.
THERE'S A LOT TO BE THAT WE CAN'T WAIT TO GET THOSE ANSWERS.
WE'LL HAVE TO BE WORKING CONCURRENTLY AND HAVE PLAN A, B AND C, DEPENDING ON WHAT GOES ON DOWN IN AUSTIN.
I THINK MISS TIMME MENTIONED THIS, AND I'D WRITTEN DOWN, COSTS AND BENEFITS DOESN'T ONLY MEAN DOLLARS.
I THINK WE JUST NEED TO UNDERSTAND, I'M A BIG CULTURE PERSON.
THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I'M ALWAYS GOING TO WONDER, WHAT'S THE COST? WHAT'S THE BENEFIT TO THE CULTURE WE'RE TRYING TO BUILD AN RSD, WHETHER THAT'S FOR THE STAFF, THE STUDENTS, THE FAMILIES WITHIN EACH BUILDING.
ALL OF THAT, WE HAVE TO UNDERSTAND THOSE COSTS AND THOSE BENEFITS, NOT JUST DOLLARS.
THEN THE LAST THING I'LL SAY IS I HATE IT THAT I THINK SOMEBODY ONE OF THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS HAD MENTIONED THAT THIS IS A BUDGET DISCUSSION, MONEY DISCUSSION.
I HATE THAT IT IS THAT, BUT THAT'S A REALITY.
BUT WHAT I'M THINKING OF IS, I THINK FROM A PERSPECTIVE, WE NEED TO THINK ABOUT THE HEALTH AND VIABILITY, LONG TERM OF RISD.. WE NEED TO BE LOOKING 5, 10 YEARS OUT, AND MAKING DECISIONS THAT ARE GOING TO PROVIDE US WITH HEALTH AND VIABILITY.
NO MATTER WHAT HEADWINDS WE HAVE TO ENCOUNTER FROM ENROLLMENT NUMBERS TO WHAT THE STATE DECIDES AND PUSHES DOWN.
WE'VE GOT TO CREATE A RESILIENT DISTRICT IT'S GOING TO SELL, THAT'S GOING TO RETAIN OUR STUDENTS, OUR FAMILIES, BUILD OUR COMMUNITY.
I JUST WANT TO THINK OF IT AS THESE ARE DECISIONS THAT ARE GOING TO ADD TO THAT HEALTH AND VIABILITY LONG TERM.
I THINK SOMETIMES WE GET STUCK INTO THINKING NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET, NEXT YEAR, THIS, NEXT YEAR, THAT.
I THINK NOW WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY, EVEN THOUGH IT'S BEEN FORCED UPON US IN CERTAIN WAYS THAT WE CAN NOW LOOK FIVE YEARS, 10 YEARS OUT, AND MAKE DECISIONS THAT ARE GOING TO HELP OUR SD IN THE LONG TERM.
I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT EVEN THOUGH I KNOW THAT WE'VE GOT A BUDGET DISCUSSION AS WELL.
THAT'S ALL I HAVE. IS EVERYBODY ELSE? THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE WORK, COMMITTEE.
WE'VE GOT JUST A COUPLE OF MORE SHORT THINGS.
LET'S PUSH THROUGH IF YOU ALL DON'T MIND.
SHOULDN'T TAKE BUT A FEW MINUTES.
OUR NEXT ITEM IS AN INFORMATION ITEM TO RECEIVE
[IV.E. Intruder Detection Audit Report]
AN UPDATE ON THE INTRUDER DETECTION AUDIT REPORT, MISS BRANHAM?>> I'M GOING TO TURN THIS OVER TO MISS HAYES.
>> THANK YOU, SUPERINTENDENT BRANDON.
I'D LIKE TO REPORT OUT ON OUR INTRUDER AUDITS AS WE NEED TO DO.
WE ARE A LITTLE OVER 35% COMPLETE WITH OUR AUDITS ACROSS THE DISTRICT.
[02:05:02]
UNFORTUNATELY, WE DID HAVE THREE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS, EACH HAVING A SINGLE FINDING, ALL OF THEM RELATED TO AN EXTERIOR DOOR.MOHAWK HAD HARDWARE ISSUES AND A DOOR WOULDN'T LOCKED.
UNFORTUNATELY, ONE OF OUR MAINTENANCE FOLKS OPENED THE BOILER ROOM DOOR AND FORGOT TO LOCK IT AS HE LEFT AND THE AUDITOR WAS ON CAMPUS THAT DAY.
THEN AT SKYVIEW ELEMENTARY, THE CAFETERIA DOOR USED BY CAFETERIA CUSTODIANS, TAKING OUT TRASH, COMING IN AND OUT WAS LEFT IT WAS LOCKED, BUT THEY DIDN'T PULL IT TO.
IT WASN'T SECURE WHEN THE AUDITOR CAME.
I'D LIKE TO REPORT OUT ON THOSE.
ALL OF OUR OTHER CAMPUSES HAVE PASSED AND WE ARE MOVING FORWARD.
AGAIN, WE RETRAIN CAMPUSES WHEN WE FIND ERRORS THAT WERE MADE.
WE'RE RETRAINED OUR CAFETERIA STAFF AND OUR CUSTODIAN STAFF AND OUR MAINTENANCE STAFF AS WELL TO REMIND THEM THAT WE'RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER AND THAT IT'S ALL OF OUR RESPONSIBILITIES TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL DOORS ARE SECURE AND THAT OUR CAMPUSES REMAIN SAFE.
DO WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ON THAT REPORT FROM ANY BOARD MEMBERS, ANY COMMENTS? WE APPRECIATE THAT.
[IV.F. Discussion of Student / District Activities]
HERE'S WHERE I'LL LEAD THIS ONE OFF WITH AN APOLOGY BECAUSE I DIDN'T REACH OUT TO MY FELLOW BOARD MEMBERS, BUT WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT A COUPLE OF THE ACTIVITIES IN THE DISTRICT. DON'T WORRY.I'VE GOT A LIST HERE WITH YOUR NAME NEXT TO IT.
SINCE THE LAST MEETING, THESE ARE A SHORT REPORT ON SOME ACTIVITIES THAT WE ALL PARTICIPATE IN.
MISS TIMME MUSTANG FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS. YOUR EXPERIENCE.
>> I DID GO TO THAT. I LISTEN FIRST OFF, FOR ALL OF THE FALL SPORTS THAT WERE IN THE PLAYOFFS.
WE HAD A REALLY GOOD SHOWING. I WAS SO PROUD OF ALL OF OUR FOOTBALL TEAMS. I MEAN, WE WERE AS COMPETITIVE AS I CAN REMEMBER THAT WE'VE BEEN.
I WOULD SAY VOLLEYBALL WAS AMAZING AS WELL.
A LOT OF THOSE, BUT YEAH, I WENT TO MUSTANG PLAYOFF GAME AND IT WAS GREAT AND I WAS REALLY PROUD OF OUR COACHES.
I WAS REALLY PROUD OF OUR KIDS.
THERE WAS A LOT OF HARD WORK AND A LOT OF GREAT SPORTSMANSHIP.
>> YEAH, IN THE SECOND ROUND, AND WE HAD WHAT THREE OF OUR TEAMS. MAKE IT TO THE SECOND ROUND.
I DON'T REMEMBER THE LAST TIME THAT'S HAPPENED, BUT IF YOU THINK ABOUT A FOOTBALL GAME AND HOW MANY KIDS ACTUALLY PARTICIPATE, YOU HAVE THE FOOTBALL PLAYERS, BUT THEN YOU HAVE THE BAND, AND THEN YOU HAVE THE PACE YOU HAVE THE CHEERLEADERS.
YOU HAVE ALL OF THAT. IT'S JUST SUCH A GREAT COMMUNITY EVENT, AND I WAS EXCITED WE ALL GOT TO DO THAT.
>> EXCELLENT. THANK YOU, MISS TIMME.
MS. HARRIS, I'VE GOT YOU DOWN AS THE RHS CHILI COOK OFF.
>> I AM THE CHILI CONNOISSEUR. YES, I DID.
I PARTICIPATED FOR THE SECOND TIME, THE ANNUAL CHILI COOK OFF AT RICHARDSON HIGH SCHOOL.
I THINK SOME OF MY COLLEAGUES ALSO ATTENDED AS WELL.
THE STAFF, ACTUALLY, IT'S THE STAFF THAT COOKED THE CHILI.
YOU COME IN AND YOU GET YOUR LITTLE CUPS OF CHILI, YOU TASTE THEM, AND THERE'S SOME PRETTY ROBUST RUBRIC.
TO GRADE THIS CHILI, IT'S LIKE THE AROMA, THE HEAT.
I LOVE GOING BECAUSE, OF COURSE, GO EAGLES.
I LIKE TO WALK THE HALLS OF RICHARDSON HIGH SCHOOL TO REMEMBER MY DAYS THERE, ME AND MY SON.
I DON'T THINK WE'VE RECEIVED THE WINNERS YET, HAVE WE?
>> WE'LL GET IT NEXT WEEK'S UPDATE, I'M SURE.
>> YEAH, IT'S ALWAYS FANTASTIC. BUT CHILI WAS GREAT.
THEY DID AN AMAZING JOB, SO I'LL PROBABLY DO IT AGAIN NEXT YEAR.
>> EXCELLENT. THANK YOU, MS. HARRIS.
MISS RENSI THE O' HENRY MULTICULTURAL NIGHT.
>> YES, I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO ATTEND THE O' HENRY MULTICULTURAL NIGHT ALONG WITH MR. HASSLE.
I THINK MANY OF OUR CAMPUSES THAT HOLD THIS MULTICULTURAL NIGHT ALWAYS DO AN OUTSTANDING JOB.
BUT IT WAS SO GREAT TO BE THERE WITH THE O' HENRY STAFF WITH THE COMMUNITY, ALL THE STUDENTS.
IT WAS WONDERFUL TO SEE ALL THE MUSICAL PRESENTATIONS THAT THEY DID, ALL THE DIFFERENT FAMILIES THAT WERE REPRESENTED THERE.
IT'S JUST ALWAYS SO GREAT WHEN I GO TO THESE EVENTS IN PARTICULAR, WHEN YOU SEE THE PRIDE IN ALL OF THOSE STUDENTS.
THEY ARE SO PD WHEN THEY JUST WEAR THEIR AUTHENTIC CLOTHING, WHEN THEY'RE THERE TO SPEAK IN THEIR NATIVE LANGUAGE, WHEN THEY BRING THE FOODS THAT ARE PART OF THEIR CULTURE.
TO SEE BOTH THE STUDENTS AND THE FAMILIES COME WITH SO MUCH PRIDE TO SHARE AMONG THEIR PEERS.
IT WAS A GREAT COMMUNITY EVENT AND I WAS SO GREAT TO HAVE MR. HASSLE THERE WITH ME,
[02:10:05]
WHO ESCORTED ME EVERYWHERE.WONDERFUL SCHOOL, WONDERFUL LEADERSHIP, AND I HOPE TO DO IT AGAIN NEXT YEAR.
>> AWESOME. THANK YOU, MR. MREA.
THEN I'LL LAND THIS WITH THE FINE ARTS MUSIC RECOGNITION CONTEST.
I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE EMBARRASSED TWO DAYS IN A ROW.
WE HAD AND FOR THOSE NOT AWARE, FINE ARTS, THEY HAD SO WE HAD THE FIFTH GRADE HONORS BAND.
THIS IS ALL AT RHS, TWO DAYS IN A ROW, TWO LEARNING COMMUNITIES PER DAY.
WHAT IT IS IS BASICALLY LIKE A SPELLING BEE.
WHERE YOU HAVE FROM EACH ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, YOU HAVE FIFTH GRADERS ARE LINED UP WITH THEIR BACKS TO THE ORCHESTRA, AND THEY PLAY A SERIES OF INSTRUMENTS, AND THEY HAVE TO PICK WHAT INSTRUMENT THAT IS UNTIL YOU GET A WINNER.
AFTER THAT, EVERYBODY HAS FUN, AND THEN THE FUN STOPS, AND THEY ASK FOR THE VOLUNTEERED ADULTS TO COME UP AND DO IT, OF WHICH I WAS BOTH DAYS.
MR. BRADFORD TEARS IN THE NEXT HALF HOUR. BUT IT WAS GREAT.
IT WAS AWESOME TO SEE, I MEAN, THAT AUDITORIUM PROBABLY HAD ABOUT 505TH GRADERS BOTH DAYS.
THE ENERGY, BELIEVE IT OR NOT, WAS HIGH.
IT WAS IN THE MORNING, SO IT WAS EVEN HIGHER.
THE MUSIC AMAZING, THE CHOIR WAS AMAZING, WATCHING THE PRIDE OF EACH OF THESE KIDS, AND AS THEY GOT ONE RIGHT, THEIR SCHOOLMATES WERE ALL CHEERING THEM ON.
THE BOARD MEMBER TRYING TO FIGURE OUT AN OBOE FROM A BASSOON WAS NOT THE HIGHLIGHT, WHICH I'M STILL STUDYING UP ON THAT.
SO IT WAS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY.
I WAS GLAD TO BE A PART OF IT BOTH DAYS, AND I EVEN GOT AN ENDURANCE MEDAL.
>> BUT I WILL NOTE THAT WE DO HAVE A CHAMPION AROUND THE HORSESHOE AND THE FACT THAT DOCTOR GIBBONS DID WIN THE SECOND DAY.
VERY GOOD. THE INSTRUMENT CHALLENGE.
>> NOW, DR. GIBBONS AND YOURSELF CAN START A BAND, MR. POTIN.
>> YOU NEVER HIRE A DEAF MAN TO START A BAND. I'LL TELL YOU THAT.
WITH THAT, I WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE STAFF.
>> SORRY ABOUT THAT. I'LL MAKE IT QUICK.
I HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO ATTEND OUR RETIREES STOPPED BY AND REALLY JUST GOT A CHANCE TO SAY, THANK YOU FOR ALL THE YEARS OF SERVICE.
GOT A CHANCE TO SAY HELLO AND THANK YOU TO ALL THE WORK AND ALL THE YEARS OF SERVICE.
IT WAS A GOOD TIME BY ALL I KNOW.
ANY I'LL LET EVERYBODY GO SO WE CAN MOVE ON TO OUR NEXT.
>> NOW I HAVE TO REPEAT WHAT I JUST SAID.
>> YOU LANDED THE PLANE. YOU LANDED IT. CORD IT.
WE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO HONOR SWANER WHEN SHE DID HER PRESENTATION, BUT WE ALSO HAVE NANCY KINSEY, WHO WILL BE RETIRING IN DECEMBER, AND AGAIN, A LONG TIME TEACHER, ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL, PRINCIPAL, NOW CENTRAL OFFICE LEADER FOR A LONG TIME AND JUST SO HAPPY FOR HER AND WANT NOTHING BUT THE BEST FOR HER, AND WE'RE GOING TO MISS HER DEARLY.
THEN, AS YOU KNOW, KELLY SELLERS ALSO WILL BE RETIRING IN DECEMBER.
JUST LONG TIME PART OF RIC TEAM, PHENOMENAL.
I'VE NEVER EVER SEEN A BETTER PE.
THE PROFESSIONAL LEARNING THAT SHE DESIGNS AND WHAT SHE DOES FOR OUR TEACHERS IS JUST SECOND TO NONE.
I JUST WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE AND THEN, AS WE'LL HAVE OTHER RETIREES ACROSS THE DISTRICT THAT ARE RETIRING IN DECEMBER, AND SO WE JUST WANT TO THANK ALL OF THEM FOR THEIR SERVICE TO RST.
>> THANK YOU FOR BEING THE ONE TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THE LIVES OF THE KIDS IN RSD.
WE CELEBRATE THEM, AND I'VE TRIED EVERYTHING TO CONVINCE THEM TO STAY.
I'VE REMINDED THEM WE DO THIS WHOLE RETIREE REHIRE THING, SO I'M STILL HOPEFUL THAT THEY'LL TAKE ME UP ON THAT OFFER.
>> MR. POTIN, IF YOU DON'T MIND, ME JUST ADDING THAT SEVERAL OF US AROUND THE HORSESHOE HERE DID ATTEND THE MAYOR'S CHRISTMAS FUNCTION LAST NIGHT.
IT WAS GREAT. WE HAD A FANTASTIC TIME.
THE FOOD WAS ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS.
I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYONE KNEW THAT WE WERE IN ATTENDANCE THERE.
>> NO, AND THAT'S A GREAT TEAMING PARTNERSHIP THAT WE HAVE WITH THE CITY, SO I'M GLAD THAT WE WERE THERE TO BE A PART OF THAT.
THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THAT UP.
I WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE STAFF, OUR VISITORS, AND MY COLLEAGUES FOR BEING HERE THIS EVENING.
AT THIS TIME, THE BOARD WILL TAKE A BRIEF BREAK AND WE'LL RECONVENE UPSTAIRS IN
[V. CLOSED MEETING]
CLOSED SESSION IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE TEXAS OPEN MEETINGS ACT, TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO SECTION 551.071, CONSULTATION WITH AN ATTORNEY, SECTION 551.072 REAL PROPERTY, AND SECTION 551.074, PERSONNEL MATTERS AND DUTIES OF THE PUBLIC OFFICERS.IT IS NOW 8:20 P.M. WE ARE NOW GOING TO TRANSITION TO OUR CLOSED SESSION.
[02:15:04]
THANK YOU VERY MUCH. SORRY.>> THE BOARD IS RETURNING TO OPEN SESSION AT 10:07
[VI. RECONVENE]
P.M. HAVING TAKEN NO ACTION WHILE IN CLOSED SESSION.THIS MEETING IS ADJOURNED AT 10:07 P.M. ON 12 DECEMBER 2024.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.