December 13, 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 Compassion at Smithville Elementary will lead the group in the Pledge of Allegiance.
Those students are:

Bexley Berger, Lucero Gonzalez Pargas, Willy Thomas, Andrea Reveles, Julian Villalobos, Rebekah Prihoda, Ty Waters, Bentley Pye, Grant Fowler, Kenneth Freudensprung, Taylor Anderson Lovings, and Zoe Sandoval Nolasco.

Description:  As a mandate of the 77^th Legislative session, districts must hold a public hearing to report the rating received by the district based upon financial performance in relation to the FIRST rating standards.

Description:  The mission of the Smithville Education Foundation parentheses (SEF) is to support the Smithville independent school district by working together with our community to serve as a catalyst for generating and distributing resources to inspire students to excel. Applicants must be faculty in the Smithville Independent School District. Projects must support campus and/or district goals and must support the SEF mission. Most of the grants awarded will be between $500 and $900. 

Recipients of the grant are:

Ryan Fowler - BP/SES
Sara Curtis - SES
Raylynne Fillman - SES
Haley Nunn - SJHS
Lisa Prihoda - SJHS
Arlene Davenport - SJHS
Tessa Otten - SHS
Charles Hodge - SHS
Bethany Cooper Walker - SHS

The total amount of grant money issued is $5,977.  Congratulations to the recipients, and a grateful thank you to the SEF. 
 

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.

Attached are the minutes from the November 15, 2021 regular meeting and the December 6, 2021 board workshop.

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:  Budget amendments are necessary to properly appropriate funds for necessary expenditures of the District.  Budget amendments on the function level require Board approval.  The CFO routinely performs monitoring of District finance and reports to the Board any potential areas that require amendment and the reason the amendment is necessary.

Description:  As required by law, the investment policy and the investment strategy shall be reviewed not less than annually.  The Board shall adopt a written instrument stating that it has reviewed the investment policy and investment strategies and that the written instrument so adopted shall record any changes that were made.  CDA [Legal]

Description:  In accordance with Section 2256.008(a), Texas Government Code, local governing body must approve sources of training for the treasurer, chief financial officer and investment officer of the District, relating to investment responsibilities.  Officers must have training every two years and not less than 8 hours of training are required by law.

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 Board will be presented with curriculum and program area highlights on a regular basis.  The purpose of each presentation is to keep the Board informed of the academic progress within the district and on campuses.
The curriculum highlight for the December meeting will come from the SHS Math Department.

Description:  Smithville ISD administrators will present an update on COVID-19 as it pertains to instruction and mitigation plans for the district.

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

a.  Public Hearin - Texas Academic Performance Report
b.  Board Recognitions
c.  Financial Report
d.  Superintendent's Report
e.  COVID-19 Report
f.  Call for Regular School Board Election, May 7, 2022
g.  Consider Approval of Election Services Contract with Bastrop               County and Joint Election Contract with City of Smithville
h.  Consider Approval of Joint Election Agreement with the City of         Smithville
i.  Approval of Internet Services RFP's
j.  Personnel
k.  Superintendent’s Evaluation/Contract Renewal

Description:  As required by the Texas Education Agency, an annual audit of financial information is conducted to assure that all legal requirements are being met and sound fiscal responsibility is maintained.  The audit was conducted by Armstrong, Vaughn and Assoc, P.C.  Kim Roach, who is a Principal with Armstrong, will present the audit.   Included in the board packet is the Management's Discussion and Analysis, Exhibit C-2 and the Governance Letter for the Board's review. 

Description:  There are no resignations to report.

 

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 employment at this time.

Description:  Board Policy BJCD [Legal] requires the Board to annually evaluate the Superintendent.  One part of the appraisal process involves the superintendent completing and providing to Board members a self-evaluation.  After the superintendent completes her self-evaluation, and prior to the regular January meeting, Board members will individually complete an evaluation form on the Superintendent and submit it to the Board President who will compile a consensus evaluation of the Superintendent.  The formal evaluation of the Superintendent will be given to the Superintendent at the January board meeting in closed session.  The Board will then return to open session and act upon the contract of the Superintendent.

The Superintendent will deliver her self-evaluation to the Board of Trustees. Materials for evaluation of the Superintendent will be distributed to the Board and a deadline set for return of the completed form to the Board President.