October 18, 2021 at 6:00 PM - Regular Meeting

Description:  The Board President or his/her designee will call the meeting to order.

Description:  The Board President or his/her designee will call the roll of members.

Description:  Students who are currently top point earners from the House of Loyalty at Smithville Elementary will lead the group in the Pledge of Allegiance.  They are:
Jase Geigenmiller, Avery Hayden, Jeremiah Williams, Bryze Wofford, Raphael Diaz, Natalie Resendez-Hernandez, Jordan Chatham, Evelin Navarro Arcos, Mukti Patel, Zayden Byrd, James Rogers, Colbi Davis, Brandon Jones, Maverick Burnham and Jacob Vinklarek.

Description:  Student guest speakers will be present at each board meeting to read a short essay on the Character Trait of the Month.  For the October Board meeting, the Board will hear from Mia McNeil, a second grader in Ms. Parks' class, and Justin Ngim, a fourth grader in Ms. Vinklarek's class, on the character trait "Compassion".
 

Description:  Each nine-weeks the middle school and high school faculties select an outstanding student from their respective campus.  Students are rated on a scale of 1 to 10 on such criteria as grades, honesty, enthusiasm, cooperation with teachers and their peers, class participation and leadership.

Lyla Vinklarek, a seventh grader, and Devon Utecht, an eighth grader, have been selected as the outstanding students for the first nine-weeks from Smithville Junior High. Lyla is the daughter of Kevin and Crystal Vinklarek, and Devon is the son of Scott and Jamie Utecht.  Two students have been selected as outstanding students from Smithville High School for the first nine-weeks.  They are Hadlee Ladewig and Gabriel Maldonado.  Hadlee is a senior, and is the daughter of Josh and Ashley Ladewig.  Gabriel is also a senior, and is the son of  Rene and Angela Maldonado.
Our congratulations to all of these students!
 

Description:  Tiger Award recipients are nominated by peers.  Each campus and department will nominate a representative.  Final nominations will be voted on by a select committee.  Each campus and department will have an award winner that will be recognized at the board meeting every 9-weeks. 

Tiger Award winners:
Brown Primary - Jaimie Kadlecek
Smithville Elementary - Kristi Sandoval
Smithville Junior High - Cyndee Johnson
Smithville High School - Brad Bass
ISD - Sheila Wilson

Description:  Citizens wishing to address the Board of Trustees have so indicated by listing their name on the Communications from the Public sign-in sheet located on the table at the entrance to the boardroom if the meeting is done in person, or at the link provided on the published board agenda if conducted remotely. Those signing have given a brief indication of the topics to be addressed.
Comments to the Board of Trustees under this provision will be limited to three minutes.
The members of the Board of Trustees will listen to citizen presentations during this portion of a regularly scheduled meeting, but they will not comment or participate in a discussion of the topic. 

Description:  Board members routinely approve items on the consent agenda as a group.  These are routine agenda items.  Board members have the option to ask questions regarding any of the items listed under "consent agenda".

Description:  State law requires that a record be kept in the form of official minutes on each meeting held by a governmental body and that these minutes be approved at the next regular meeting.

Description:  Monthly reporting of financial position in relation to the budget.  The Board is provided monthly financial statements.

Description:  Meet legal reporting requirements for investments.
In order the meet legal reporting requirements for investments, the Board receives quarterly reports on District investments.

Description:  The Board has requested a monthly status report of earned state aid in relation to the budget.

Description:  The Board has requested a monthly status report of earned state aid in relation to the budget.

Description:  Attached is the Tax Assessor-Collector's Report.

Description:  To bring the functions in line with required expenditures, budget amendments are vital to properly appropriate funds for the necessary expenditures of the District.  Budget Amendments on the function level require Board approval.

Description:  The Chief Financial Officer, Jean Ann McCarthy, will review the financial disbursements for the previous month with the Board of Trustees.  No action is required.

Description:  The Superintendent will update the Board on important issues pertaining to the District.

Description:  The intervention plan addresses the requirements under Texas Education Code  (TEC) 39.  Intervention requirements and resources are provided through the Texas Education Agency framework of the Targeted Improvement Plan (TIP), which includes the continuous improvement process of data analysis, needs assessment, improvement planning, and implementation and monitoring of a targeted improvement plan.  
Attached are the Targeted Improvement Plans for Smithville Junior High School and Smithville Elementary School.

Description:  Zack Harris, Director of Maintenance, will be available to discuss concerns about air quality at the high school campus and corrective measures being taken to address any issues.

Description:  Candy Biehle, Child Nutrition Director, will be present at the meeting to report to the Board on numerous activities that she and her staff are involved in throughout the year.  The Child Nutrition department is responsible for the meals programs for breakfast, lunch, the After School Program, and Summer Feeding.  They also offer catering services for school activities on a fee basis.  This department is funded through federal dollars and regularly operates in the black paying for all expenses including salaries and benefits of its employees.
This information report is presented in an effort to keep the Board informed of various programs and activities within the Child Nutrition Department.
 

Description:  Tentative items to be included on the November agenda are:

a.  FIRST Ratings Public Hearing
b.  Financial Report
c.  Superintendent’s Report          
d.  Covid-19 Report
e.  Review and Approve District and Campus Improvement Plans and                   Performance Objectives
f.   Voting for Bastrop Central Appraisal District Board of Directors
g.  Personnel

Description:  The strategic object, goal or need addressed by this agenda item is to authorize an amendment to the employee salary schedules to include a retention stipend to address morale and retention.  Due to continued shortages of staff in multiple areas, SISD would like to offer a retention stipend to staff that complete their workday calendar for the 2021-2022 school year.

The funding source for the stipend will be the ESSER III funds and the estimated total cost of the stipend amendment will be $280,000. The public purpose served by this stipend is to address employee retention and morale.  This stipend is an allowable expenditure for ESSER III funds based on the criteria "activities that are necessary to continue to employ existing staff of the LEA". This is a one-time stipend  and will be paid on July 1st to all employees who complete their workday calendar for the 21-22 school year.  This stipend will be prorated for employees who are hired after the initial start date and complete their work day calendar. We recognize that education procedures and duties have changed since the pandemic. By authorizing this one-time stipend to our employees, we hope to increase employee morale and retention.

Description:  Strategic object, goal or need addressed: To authorize the presented revisions to the 2021-2022 Salary Schedules, due to critical shortage area needs that must be addressed.

Fiscal effect/cost:  The funding source for the HS Science (critical need) stipends would be generated from the general operating fund.  All supplemental pay associated with intervention is being funded through the ESSER III funds.

Description:  Section 123.035 of the Texas Election Code requires that use of new voting equipment must be approved by the Elections Division of the office of the Texas Secretary of State.  The Bastrop County Elections Department, the entity that conducts all elections for the Smithville ISD Board of Trustees, has received approval from the State of Texas to purchase a new voting system, the EVS 6110 voting system, that is certified for use in Texas.  The Bastrop County Elections Department plans to use the system for elections in 2022 and all subsequent elections.  Smithville ISD is required to adopt by resolution the voting system that the county will use in its elections.  The resolution is included in the board packet.

Description:  Mrs. Burns and Mrs. McCarthy are requesting that the board meet in a special workshop to discuss options in regard to the designated fund balance.

Possible workshop dates are: Monday, November 8th, and Monday, December 6th.  A calendar is attached to the board packet for your resource.

Description:  The Superintendent would like to inform the Board of the resignations of Linda Neville and Derek Crunk, teachers at Smithville High School.

No action is required.

Description:  According to Board Policy DC [Local], the Superintendent has the authority to make recommendations to the Board regarding the selection of all personnel.

There are no recommendations for hire at this time.