July 21, 2025 at 6:00 PM - Regular Meeting
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A. Call to Order
Description:
The Board President or his/her designee will call the meeting to order.
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B. Pledge of Allegiance
Description:
The group will recite the Pledge of Allegiance.
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C. Roll Call
Description:
The Board President or his/her designee will call the roll of members.
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D. Public Communications
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. |
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E. Consent Agenda
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".
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E.1. Minutes
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.
Minutes from the June 16, 2025 regular meeting and the July 7, 2025 special meeting are included in the board packet for approval.
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E.2. Financial Statements
Description:
Monthly reporting of financial position in relation to the budget. The Board is provided monthly financial statements.
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E.3. Investment Report
Description:
Meet legal reporting requirements for investments.
In order to meet legal reporting requirements for investments, the Board receives quarterly reports on District investments.
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E.4. State Aid Comparison - Budgeted vs. Earned
Description:
The Board has requested a monthly status report of earned state aid in relation to the budget.
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E.5. Earned vs. TEA Payments
Description:
The Board has requested a monthly status report of earned state aid in relation to the budget.
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E.6. Tax Collection Report
Description:
Attached is the Tax Assessor-Collector's Report.
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E.7. Financial Report
Description:
The business manager, Stacy Tiner, will review the financial disbursements for the previous month with the Board of Trustees. No action is required.
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E.8. Bond Repayment Resolution
Description:
First National Bank and Lone Star Investment Pool, depositories for Smithville ISD, require that the Board pass a resolution each time a bond payment is made via wire transfer. Attached is a resolution for the Board’s approval.
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E.9. Consider Approval of 2025-2026 T-TESS Appraisers and Appraisal Calendar
Description:
The Board must approve the district appraisal calendar and the list of administrators trained to evaluate teachers. Teachers must be evaluated annually by trained and board-approved appraisers. For the 2025-2026 school year, the District plans to continue to use the state-adopted appraisal system, Texas Teacher Evaluation and Support System (T-TESS). All appraisers will be trained before they conduct classroom observations. Teachers are evaluated on performance in the classroom, staff development activities, and performance of students on the campus. A list of appraisers and the appraisal calendar is included in the board packet.
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F. Information Items
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F.1. Superintendent's Report
Description:
The Superintendent will update the Board on important issues pertaining to the District. Upcoming Dates
Board Calendar
2025-26 Staffing Update Legislative Updates
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F.2. Receive an Update from the District’s Financial Advisor Regarding Debt Service Payments and Defeasance of Debt
Description:
Chris Allen, Smithville ISD’s Financial Advisor with Royal Bank of Canada (RBC), will provide an update on current and projected debt service management, including defeasance of debt previously authorized for Fiscal Year 2025.
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F.3. Review of TASB Facilities Assessment
Description:
Gary Marek with the Texas Association of School Boards (TASB) will provide an overview of a facilities audit conducted in spring 2025, including the audit process, findings, and recommendations related to SISD campuses and ancillary facilities.
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F.4. 2025-2026 Budget Development Update
Description:
The school district staff is currently in the process of developing the proposed budget for the 2025-26 school year. The process began in March with budget planning at the campus level. The Board must adopt the final budget on or before August 31, 2025 in accordance with legal requirements. Budget hearings were conducted with each campus principal and each department director. Stacy Tiner, Business Manager, will present updates on the budget development process for 2025-26.
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F.5. Tentative August Agenda Items
Description:
Tentative items to be included on the August agenda are:
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G. Action Items
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G.1. Discussion and consideration of a change in collateral for the Depository Contract with First National Bank of Bastrop, including possible delegation of authority to the Superintendent to negotiate and execute the necessary forms to effectuate the change.
Description:
It is recommended that the Board approve the change in collateral for District funds pursuant to the Depository Contract with First National Bank of Bastrop, to change from investment securities to a federal home loan bank letter of credit, and authorize the Superintendent to execute any necessary documents and legal forms to effectuate the change.
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G.2. Consider Approval of TASB Board Policy Update 125 and Edits or Additions to the Following Local Policies: BDAA, BDB, BDF, EI, FDE, FEC and FFAC
Description:
The District must update and maintain its policies with the most recent legislation and educational regulation changes. In your packet of information, you have been provided the Update 125 Local Policy Overview. The board should not adopt (LEGAL) policies, but TASB recommends that they be reviewed. Therefore, (LEGAL) policies are included for review in Update 125. The attachments provide you with information concerning the policy changes found in the update. The information included in the board packet is a summary of each of the policy changes. The update includes changes to the following local board policies: BDAA(LOCAL): OFFICERS AND OFFICIALS - DUTIES AND REQUIREMENTS OF BOARD OFFICERS BDB(LOCAL): BOARD INTERNAL ORGANIZATION - BOARD COMMITTEES BDF(LOCAL): BOARD INTERNAL ORGANIZATION - ADVISORY COMMITTEES EI(LOCAL): ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT FDE(LOCAL): ADMISSIONS - SCHOOL SAFETY TRANSFERS FEC(LOCAL): ATTENDANCE - ATTENDANCE FOR CREDIT FFAC(LOCAL): WELLNESS AND HEALTH SERVICES - MEDICAL TREATMENT
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G.3. Consideration, discussion, and possible action regarding Policy FNCE(LOCAL) update related to student cell phone use during the instructional day
Description:
As signed into law following the 89th Legislative session, HB 1481 requires school districts to prohibit student use of personal communication devices at school during the school day. Districts may choose not to allow possession on property or to establish processes for storage of such devices during the school day, with very limited exceptions allowable for the use of communication devices.
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G.4. Consideration, discussion, and possible action regarding Child Nutrition Services and meal pricing for 2025-26
Description:
Candy Biehle, Child Nutrition Director, will provide a report to the Board on numerous activities that she and her team support throughout the year. The Child Nutrition department is responsible for the meals programs for breakfast, lunch, the After School Program, and Summer Feeding. Proposed meal prices for students not eligible for free/reduced lunch in 2025-26 are as follows: Campus Breakfast Lunch Brown Primary $1.75 $2.75 Elementary $2.00 $3.00 Junior High $2.00 $3.25 High School $2.00 $3.50
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G.5. Approval of Expenditure in Excess of $50,000: Safety fencing at Smithville Junior High School using Safe Grant 1 funds
Description:
Continued efforts to enhance the physical safety and security across SISD campuses include the installation of fencing at Smithville Junior High. This fencing will be commensurate with that installed at Smithville High School, and include a 70 inch non-scalable slats, enclosing the southeast corner of the building, extending through the bus drop-off area by the cafeteria. This addition will improve student safety by directing foot traffic and preventing students from crossing into the side parking lot during arrival and dismissal. Following the solicitation of three quotes for this project, The Anchor Group was selected as the lowest bid. It is recommended that the Board of Trustees authorize SISD to engage with The Anchor Group for the construction of a safety fence at Smithville Junior High using SAFE Grant 1 funds in the amount of $57,106. |
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G.6. Approval of Expenditure in Excess of $50,000: Approve annual renewal of ESC Region 13 Contracted Services
Description:
ESC Region 13 provides a variety of services for the District annually including those listed below. Product/Service 25-26 Pricing Ascender Enterprise System $54,054 Cooperative Participation Behavior Specialist $4,500 Career & Technical Education* $2,800 Homeless Education** $1,500 School Finance $4,000 State Comp Ed $1,000 PEIMS $5,500 Human Resources $1,200 TEKS Resource System $11,005 TExGUIDE PK-12 $5,505 TXED Support Service $20,000 * Carl Perkins grant funds ** Title I-A grant funds |
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G.7. Call for Public Hearing on Proposed Budget and Tax Rate
Description:
The goal of the District is to adopt a budget and set the tax rate for the 2025-2026 school year. State Truth in Taxation laws require the school district to publish a public notice of public hearing to discuss the proposed budget and proposed tax rate for the new fiscal year. Legally the budget must be developed on or before August 20th, 2025 and adopted by August 31st, 2025. The school district will publish the notice of the public hearing in the local newspapers to comply with state laws and timelines for budget adoption and setting of the tax rate.
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H. Closed Session
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H.1. Consideration and discussion regarding the Superintendent’s Annual Evaluation
Description:
Board Policy BJCD [Legal] requires the Board to annually evaluate the Superintendent. In accordance with Section 551.074 of the Texas Government Code, the Board will meet in closed session to discuss Personnel Matters.
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