January 22, 2024 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 representing Smithville Elementary will lead the group in the Pledge of Allegiance.  Those students are:

1st Grade:  Logan Altman, Edilberto Olalde, Keaton Lawhon

2nd Grade:  Julian Juarez, Jael Albiter Govea, Reese Bitzkie

3rd Grade:  Preston Behrens, Bailey Goertz, Beau Hudspeth

4th Grade:  Cameron Gaither, Zander Nance, Joseelyn Perez Jaimes

5th Grade: Mavis Guillory-Whitehead, Daje Lewis, Lyla Loera

Description:  Student guest speakers will be present at each board meeting to read a short essay on the Character Trait of the Month. 
This month the Board will hear from Zyvannah Reed, a fourth grader in Ms. Cox's class, and Zelda Perez, a second grader in Ms. Hunsucker's class, about the character trait "Confidence".

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.

Emily Stark and Jackson Bryant have been chosen as outstanding students for the second nine-weeks from Smithville Junior High.  Emily is in 8th grade and is the daughter of Shayne Strange and Johnny Stark, Jr.  Jackson is a 6th grader and is the son Becky Bryant and Jason Bryant. 
Outstanding students chosen from Smithville High School are Emorie Jones and Nathan Zoch.  Emorie is a 9th grader and the daughter of Jace and Julie Jones.  Nathan is a 10th grader and the son of Ricky and Angela Zoch.
Congratulations to these students for their outstanding achievement!

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 - Ashley Cooper (Teacher)
Smithville Elementary - Becky Bryant (Paraprofessional)
Smithville Junior High - Jennifer Peterson (Librarian)
Smithville High School - Brenda Ricketts (Assistant Principal)
ISD - Denis McGinness (Technology)

Description: 
The district staff has prepared and published the 2022-2023 Texas Academic Performance Report, and it will be reported in the public hearing.  A copy of the report has been provided to each board member, and copies of the report will be placed in libraries in the district, the city library, the chamber of commerce and the city hall.  The report will also be placed on the district website.

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 December 11, 2023 regular board meeting and the January 8, 2024 special board 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:  First National Bank and LoneStar Investment Pool, depositories for Smithville ISD, require that the Board pass a resolution each time we wire transfer our bond payment.

Attached is a resolution for the Board’s 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.
 

• January is Board Appreciation Month.  We would like to express our gratitude for the Smithville ISD Board of Trustees for the selfless gift of their time and service to the students and staff of Smithville ISD.

• Enrollment numbers as of Friday, January 19, 2024 are 1821 students.

• Administrative and campus staff are currently working to present the 2024-2025 school calendar at the regular board meeting in February.

                        * The calendar survey has been issued

                        * The campus site-based committees are meeting

                        * The district site-based committee will meet on February 5th to                             review and decide on a draft to submit to the Board
                         * Submission to the Board for approval

• Today we had Fox 7 News filming an "Educational Feature" on our Computer Science and Robotics programs.  Thanks to Mary Alice Castello for all her work with those students.  It will be airing later this week.  We will share when we know a firm date/time.

• January 16, 2024 - Bad Weather Make-up - Due to the bad weather day on January 16, 2024, students and staff will need to attend work/school on March 8, 2024.  The day was previously set up to be a staff development day/bad weather make-up day.  The staff will also need to attend on May 31, 2024 to make-up for staff development (March 8, 2024).  The 23-24 school calendar was not designed with enough minutes in the year to cover a full day off for bad weather.

• The Athletic Director position for the 2024-2025 school year has been posted. As of 4:00 p.m.we have received more than 35 applications. 

• We are continuing to review applicants for the Chief Financial Officer position.

• There was a water main break at Brown Primary today.  All students and staff were accommodated with water and restroom facilities.  It has now been repaired.

• The new Brown Primary sign and marquee will be installed on February 9th.
• Thank you notes to our staff will be posted tomorrow.

• Please refer to the Smithville ISD website for the latest news and resources.

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.

Description:  A format has been designed for an end of the year status report, which allows the Board to monitor the implementation of the District and Campus Improvement Plan. District and campus site-based committees have reviewed the progress of the implementation of each plan and staff members have prepared the status reports for the respective improvement plans. The principal, staff, and site base committee are responsible for evaluating each improvement plan. Dr. Bethany Logan, Director of Curriculum, will review the status of the District Improvement Plan and each campus principal will review the Campus Improvement Plan status.

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

Tentative items to be included on the February agenda are:

a.  Financial Report
b.  Superintendent’s Report     
c.  Curriculum Highlight     
d.  School Safety and Security Report
e.   Review and Approve 2024-2025 District Calendar
f.  Personnel
g.   Administrative Contract Review/Renewal

Description:  In accordance with Texas Education Agency requirements and law the district is required to have an annual financial audit performed.  In 2021, the Board of Trustees voted to approve the firm of Armstrong, Vaughan & Associates, PC.  The Board voted to renew the contract in January 2023, and the recommendation is approval once again for the 2023-2024 school year.

Description:  Senate Bill 763, enacted in September 2023, allows school officials to hire unlicensed chaplains, either as staff members or volunteers.  
As per
Board Policy DP (Legal), a district may employ or accept as a volunteer a chaplain to provide support, services, and programs for students as assigned by the board. A chaplain employed or volunteering is not required to be certified by SBEC.

A district that employs or accepts as a volunteer a chaplain shall ensure that the chaplain complies with the applicable requirements under Education Code Chapter 22, Subchapter C, before the chaplain begins employment or volunteering at the district.

A district may not employ or accept as a volunteer a chaplain who has been convicted of or placed on deferred adjudication community supervision for an offense for which a defendant is required to register as a sex offender under Code of Criminal Procedure Chapter 62.

Description:  The Region 10 Multi-Region Purchasing Cooperative organizes and administers the child nutrition cooperative purchasing and commodity processing program for RA's located in the state of Texas.  Authority for such service is granted by Section 8.053 of the Texas Education Code, Chapter 791 of the Texas Government Code, and Chapter 271, Subchapter F, of the Texas Local Government Code.  The goal of the cooperative is to obtain substantial savings on food service items through volume purchasing.  There is no fee to join.

Description:  State statute requires that annually each governing body call for an election to be held in accordance with existing election law.  The Smithville Independent School District Board of Trustees, being a governing body and electing representatives by place, must call for the election.
The Smithville Independent School District Board of Trustees has established the first Saturday in May as its regular election date.  This year, the election falls on Saturday, May 4, 2024.   Two places are up for election.  They are:
                            Place 3 - Nancy Towry
                        Place 4 - Alan Hemphill
                     
An election calendar is attached for member information, as well the actual Order of Election.
 

Description:  As of January 2006, Smithville ISD has been contracting election services with the County of Bastrop.  Since that time, the Bastrop County Elections Administrator has overseen all elections ordered by the school district for a 10% administrative fee.  The total cost of the May election for Smithville ISD including supplies, polling place personnel, administrative fee, etc. is estimated at $9,146.07.  The district would like to continue to contract elections services from Bastrop County. 

Description:  As of January 2006, Smithville ISD has been contracting election services with the County of Bastrop.  Since that time, the Bastrop County Elections Administrator has overseen all elections ordered by the school district and will continue to do so for voters who reside within the county.  However, Bastrop County Elections has taken action to approve a county-wide polling program, which means that any voter of any jurisdiction located in Bastrop County is allowed to cast a vote in any polling place in that county.
Currently, Smithville ISD has 169 voters who reside in Fayette County.  Fayette County Elections has kindly agreed to contract services for SISD constituents who reside in Fayette County for an estimated $750 plus cost of election officials.  The proposed contract is included in the board packet for approval. 

Description:  Board Policy BJCD [Local] requires an annual evaluation of the superintendent.  The Board received a self-evaluation of the superintendent at the December meeting.  Board operating procedures call for the Board to complete the evaluation document and deliver the evaluation to the superintendent in closed session.
 

Description:  The superintendent is currently in the first year of a three-year contract continuing through June 30, 2026.  According to state law, the Board employs a superintendent by contract to serve the school district for a term not to exceed five years.  The superintendent’s current annual salary is $151,430.  Board members will discuss the contract in closed session but official action may only take place in open session of the board meeting

Description: