February 9, 2026 at 5:45 PM - Board Meeting

Description:  Westwood Making a Difference Award Recipients

• Erin Reifel
• McKenna Giamfortone

Description:  Celebration of Excellence

1. Resolution to make February Career and Technical Education Month
2. Rodeo Art- Display Winners
3. Ava Stone- Texas Farm Bureau AgVentures
4. HOSA- State Advancements 

Description: 

 During each meeting of the Board of Trustees, time is set-aside for those who desire to address the Board. Persons who wish to participate in this portion of the meeting shall sign up using the audience participation form and shall indicate the topic about which they wish to speak. No presentation shall exceed three minutes. Delegations of more than five persons may be asked to limit their presentations to allow for each person to represent their views.  The Board shall not deliberate on any item not included on the agenda during this portion of the meeting. The Board will listen to your comments and may ask clarifying questions. Should there be a speaker who has registered to speak to multiple topics, the Board President shall direct the speaker to consolidate his or her comments for which he or she has registered and the speaker shall be given a total of three minutes to make his or her consolidated comments.  The president may interrupt or terminate an individual’s statement when it is too lengthy, repetitive, or obscene.  Please sign up by presenting the form to the Secretary, Superintendent, or Board President prior to the audience participation portion of the meeting.

Description: 

Dr. Stacy Guzzetta will present the FISD 2024-25 Texas Academic Performance Report to the Board and for public review. The Texas Education Agency has provided performance and demographic data to school districts across Texas by releasing the Texas Academic Performance Report (TAPR) for each individual district and campus. A hearing for public discussion must be held within 90 days of receipt of the TAPR.

This system was created by the State Board of Education to produce uniform data for all Texas Public school systems. The report includes the following information: District and campus data, District and campus performance objectives, financial data, a report of violent or criminal incidents, and information from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. 

A copy of the full report is posted on the district website at the link below. Hard copies are available by request from the district office.

https://www.myfisd.com/parents-and-students/curriculum/district-reports-and-accountability/tapr

Description:  Consider and take possible action to approve an agreement with Galveston County for the provision of election services for the District’s May 2, 2026 election. The agreement authorizes the County to administer and conduct election-related services on behalf of the District in accordance with state election law, including polling locations, staffing, equipment, and vote processing.

Description:  The Superintendent will discuss the attached resolution to compensate FISD employees for work days missed on January 26, 2026, due to Winter Storm Fern.  The resolution also allows for employees who were required to report to work to be compensated in accordance with DEA local.

Description:  February 2026, has been designated Career and Technical Education (CTE) month by the National Association for Career and Technical Education.

Nationally, CTE encompasses 12.5 million secondary students. CTE programs in every community are ensuring students are adequately equipped with the skills to successfully enter their post-secondary path. 

Across our secondary campuses, Friendswood ISD offers a variety of CTE programs representing 13 of the Texas Career Cluster, more than 75 CTE course offerings, and more than 2,500 students enrolled.

Description:  The Agricultural Barn currently sits on the property that is part of a usage agreement with the Galveston County Consolidated Drainage District (GCCDD).  This agreement provides FISD with the right of first refusal for the purchase of the 5.487 acres should the GCCDD wish to sell this property.  Legal counsel of both entities have reviewed the document.

Description:  The 89th Legislature adjusted grievance procedures for parent/student, employees, and the public to allow for a board committee to hear a grievance and make a decision as a committee on the grievance.  Board Policy BDB outlines the creation of those committees.  The board approves multiple committees each fall prior to the start of school.  This would be an additional committee created upon approval of the board of the committee at this meeting.  This committee would have three members with two alternates, would post meetings in accordance with the open meetings act, and would have decision-making authority on Level 3 grievances granted by the board of trustees.  Minutes of the board grievance committee meetings would be taken and retained at the District office by the School Board Secretary.   

Description: 

Recent legislative changes enacted through House Bill 2 (HB 2) limit a school district’s ability to exempt certain teacher certification requirements through a District of Innovation (DOI) plan. Specifically, HB 2 added Texas Education Code (TEC) 21.0032, which requires districts to ensure teachers of record in foundation curriculum areas are appropriately certified, while allowing districts to submit an application and phase-out plan to the Texas Education Agency (TEA to delay implementation pending commissioner approval.

Friendswood ISD currently employs a limited number of uncertified teachers serving as teachers of record in foundation curriculum areas, including English Language Arts and Reading (ELAR), Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies. These teachers are actively enrolled in, or required to enroll in, approved Educator Preparation Programs (EPPs) and are supported through district monitoring, instructional coaching, and administrative oversight.

In alignment with the legislative intent of HB 2 and TEC 21.0032, Friendswood ISD has developed a comprehensive Delay of Teacher Certification Requirements plan outlining a structured, year-over-year reduction in the number of uncertified teachers assigned to foundation curriculum courses. The plan establishes annual reduction benchmarks beginning in the 2025-2026 school year and culminating in full compliance with certification requirements by the start of the 2029-2030 school year.

The plan further details district partnerships with approved Educator Preparation Programs, certification monitoring procedures, mentoring and instructional supports, and accountability measures designed to ensure instructional continuity while building a sustainable, fully certified teacher workforce.

Description: 

The district of innovation concept was passed into law in 2015 when the 84th Texas Legislature created Texas Education Code chapter 12A, Districts of Innovation.  The law allows traditional independent school districts to access most of the flexibilities available to Texas' open enrollment charter schools.  To access the flexibilities, a school district must adopt an innovation plan, as set forth in Chapter 12A and Texas Education Agency rules.  

 

Friendswood ISD became a District of Innovation with the approved Innovation Plan in 2017 and a renewal in 2021.  Plans remain in effect for five years; FISD administration proposes to take steps to renew and amend the plan at this time.  The intention is to renew a majority of the areas that were previously in the plan, with the removal of Student Discipline - Designation of Campus Behavior Coordinator and Group Health Benefits for School Employees. We would like to consider the addition of the following:

• Uniform School Start Date
• Student/Teacher Ratios and Class Size
• Minimum Attendance for Class Credit or Final Grade
• Teacher Appraisal System
• Teacher Certification
• District-Level Planning and Decision-Making

The District Advisory Committee (DAC) will also consider voting to initiate the renewal process.  If both the Board of Trustees and the DAC approve beginning the process to renew the plan, the DAC will serve as the group to review the changes proposed by the administration.  The proposed renewal plan will be posted for a 30-day public review period and will be discussed at a public meeting prior to the DAC considering approval and submitting it to the Board of Trustees for consideration.   

Description: 

Under the authority of the Texas Interlocal Cooperation Act, Texas Government Code, Chapter 791, FISD participates in the Property Casualty Alliance of Texas (PCAT) school risk program.  PCAT is a cooperative that provides property and casualty coverage for over 100 Texas ISDs and Colleges comprising nearly 15% of the total Texas ISD population. They are a large school risk program devoted exclusively to property and casualty exposures and are backed by reissuance partners, Lloyds of London and Munich Re. Because PCAT is a non-profit, in years when claims activity is low, funds not required to maintain a fiscally sound fund balance are distributed back as cash dividends. As a non-profit, the Property Casualty Alliance of Texas (PCAT) strives to shield its Members from the severe swings in market volatility by eliminating term losses for underwriting purposes and utilizing fund balance to minimize the impact of the raw cost of program coverage cost.  The District will be purchasing directly from the PCAT Program Administrator, Insurica (previously known as North American Solutions).  As a PCAT member, the District will also receive: Driver Loss Prevention Training, 1-866-SAFEBUS Program Membership, and PCAT University Membership.

Insurica provided the opportunity for Friendswood ISD to become a Member of the Property Casualty Alliance of Texas (PCAT) in 2013. PCAT provides our General Liability, Employee Benefits Liability, Educators Legal Liability, Cyber Suite Liability, Auto Liability, Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist, and Auto Physical Damage coverage. PCAT has provided coverage and rate stability by offering multi-year agreements. It is important to note that recent historic global CAT losses have largely been paid via carrier reinsurance (stop loss). Reinsurance is the largest expense for all coverage providers. As also mentioned above, PCAT leverages fund balance to mitigate the impact of reinsurance cost on annual Member contribution. Overall, we are presenting a renewal increase of $1,715 (1.32%). Over 80% of all Governmental Entities purchase their insurance via risk programs like PCAT because they provide rate and coverage stability in an otherwise extremely volatile insurance market.  This is the second year of a 3-year rate guarantee.

Attached is the PCAT Contribution and Coverage Summary which includes a 20% cancellation penalty for early termination. The current premium for March 1, 2026 - March 1, 2027 is $131,963.  Since Friendswood ISD is part of the PCAT Interlocal, the district continues to meet state bid requirements with the interlocal addendum.

Description:  The FISD Finance Committee has met with the District's Financial Advisor, Terrell Palmer to discuss a possible refunding of the Series 2016 refunding bonds and 2024 maintenance tax notes.  Mr. Palmer explained the advantages of having a pre-approved bond order in place should market conditions make it favorable to refund these bonds and the District wishes to move forward quickly.  The purpose of a refunding is to refinance currently outstanding bonds and notes to lower interest rates saving the District several million dollars in interest payments or extending debt payments to lower the annual costs.  Tom Sage, the District's bond counsel with the firm Hunton, has prepared the attached orders.  These orders give the Superintendent and/or the Chief Financial Officer the ability to approve the issuance of FISD Unlimited Tax Refunding Bonds, Series 2026, and FISD Refunding Maintenance Tax Notes, Series 2026, within certain parameters, should the market conditions make it favorable to do so.  This bond order would remain in effect for 12 months. 
 

Description:  The Board will consider action on a bond referendum for a May 2, 2026, election date. The anticipated projects include improvements to critical infrastructure such as HVAC, plumbing, electrical, roofing, safety and security updates, conversion of existing spaces at Windsong Elementary and Bales Intermediate to create science labs, the construction of a replacement Westwood Elementary campus, renovation and expansion of the Career and Agricultural Science Center to support welding, agricultural science, and career exploration, and the acquisition and update of technology equipment throughout the District.

Description:  SB 11 authorizes, but does not require a school district's Board of Trustees to adopt a local policy establishing a daily period of prayer and reading of the Bible or other religious texts on each campus.  District administration affirms the students' existing legal rights under state and federal law as well as current practices on campuses for the exercise of these rights to engage in voluntary, student-initiated religious expression in the current environment.