June 23, 2025 at 6:00 PM - Regular Meeting

Description:  A consent agenda is an item listed on the regular agenda that groups routine items under one agenda heading.  This allows the Board to take a unified motion and action on all routine items listed under the consent agenda instead of taking separate votes on each item.

Description:  Audience participation at a Board meeting is limited to the portion
of the meeting designated to receive public comment in accordance
with this policy. At all other times during a Board meeting, the
audience shall not enter into discussion or debate on matters being
considered by the Board, unless requested by the presiding officer.

At regular Board meetings, the Board shall permit public comment,
regardless of whether the topic is an item on the agenda posted
with notice of the meeting.

Individuals who wish to participate during the portion of the meeting
designated for public comment shall sign up with the presiding
officer or designee before the meeting begins as specified in the
Board’s procedures on public comment and shall indicate the
agenda item or topic on which they wish to address the Board.
Public comment shall occur at the beginning of the meeting.
Except as permitted by this policy and the Board’s procedures on
public comment, an individual’s comments to the Board shall not
exceed two(2) minutes per meeting.

Specific factual information or recitation of existing policy may be
furnished in response to inquiries, but the Board shall not deliberate
or decide regarding any subject that is not included on the
agenda posted with notice of the meeting.

 

Description:  FIRST indicator 20 requires a discussion regarding any changes/impact to state/local funding at least 120 days before the budget is adopted.  We have had these discussions all spring, so this will be a high-level summary of what the adopted finance bills will mean to our district.

Description:  In accordance with the Texas Education Code, the Board of Trustees must select a depository by soliciting proposals when the contract term plus extensions have expired.  City National Bank and State Bank provided proposals and although the proposals were very comparable, CNB provided the best interest structure, as well as having the most experience with our district.  The evaluation matrix is attached.

Description:  TASB Legal Services confirmed that we can increase the contribution for the lowest paid groups who do not meet the affordability test without giving an increase to all staff. Since our contribution is already higher than a lot of neighboring districts and we just increased it last year, we are recommending an increase of $56/month for the Food Service hourly employees and the Paraprofessionals.  This will ensure we are in compliance but cost the district approximately 15K vs. 60K.
The average yearly increase in insurance premiums is $1875.

Description:  In accordance with CCG Legal and the Texas Property Tax Code, the Board of Trustees must designate an individual who will calculate the truth-in-taxation requirements.

Description:  As budgeted, it is recommended that the Board approve a $1,000 retention bonus to all returning employees and a $250 recruitment bonus to all new employees.

Description:  The legislative bills that were passed for compensation increases explicitly restrict the use of the new compensation funding for administrators.  Most local districts have chosen to fund these increases with local funding, which is allowed.  Without an increase, the gap between our campus leadership and teachers is very small.  The increase will cost the district approximately $50K.  The funding structure is still being determined by TEA so in the event any exempt employee receives the new Teacher Retention Allotment, they will not be eligible for this increase. The schedule of increases is attached.

Description:  It is recommended that the Board approve a 3% increase for hourly non-scale employees for 2025-2026 which will cost the district approximately $17K.  The schedule is attached.

Description:  HB2 has mandated an increase of $4,000 for classroom teachers with 3-4 years of experience and $8,000 for classroom teachers with 5 or more years of experience.  The option to provide the same increase to ALL employees with compensation tied to the teacher scale is a local decision.  We have approximately 6 positions with increases that would be funded locally.

 

Description:  Description: The OER Transition Plan for Bluebonnet Learning Instructional Materials is designed to support local educational agencies (LEAs) in the planning, execution, monitoring, and evaluation of the adoption and implementation of State Board of Education (SBOE)-approved, state-developed OER instructional materials known as Bluebonnet Learning. The OER Transition Plan for Bluebonnet Learning Instructional Materials complies with Texas Administrative Code (TAC) §67.1315 for access to the funding entitlement in Texas Education Code (TEC), §48.308.

Description:  School District Option
The bill contains the following language related to an ISD’s option:
"(c-2)  Not later than the date specified under league rule, the board of trustees of a school district or the governing body of an open-enrollment charter school may adopt a policy declining to grant non-enrolled students the opportunity to participate in league activities."
This means a school is required to allow homeschool participation unless the school board adopts a policy to opt out of allowing it.
In the 2024-25 school year, UIL required schools to opt in to allow homeschool participation by August 1^st for those homeschool students to be eligible for varsity participation. Under this new law, homeschool students are eligible to participate at your ISD unless your school board opts out.
To accommodate this new law, UIL is setting the date for opting out as September 1, 2025. In subsequent years, that date will be August 1^st for any change in status a school board votes to take. For example, if your school does not opt out for this coming school year, and wishes later to do so for 2026-2027, that change must be made by August 1, 2026.
To review, ISDs must opt out of allowing homeschool participation by September 1, 2025 or homeschool students are able to participate in UIL activities, as written in law.
 
Options for Homeschool Students
This bill also provides additional opportunities for homeschool students to participate in UIL activities. If the school where the student resides adopts a policy that does not allow participation, the student may participate at the school closest to the student’s home address that does allow homeschool participation:
"(e-1)  If the school that a non-enrolled student would be eligible to attend under Subsection (e) is subject to a policy adopted under Subsection (c-2), the student may participate in a league activity for the closest school, based on geographic proximity to the student's residential address, that is not subject to a policy adopted under Subsection (c-2)."
Schools that allow homeschool participation are not required to allow homeschool students from outside of their school district to participate in UIL activities for their schools. The law allows it, but does not require it.
The bill also contains language that indicates schools should "provide a non-enrolled student, who otherwise meets league eligibility standards to represent that school in a league activity, with the opportunity to participate in the activity on behalf of the school in the same manner that the school provides the opportunity to participate to students enrolled in the school."
UIL staff is continuing to develop rules for implementing this section regarding the "in the same manner" as enrolled students language included in the law. We will share information about this as soon as it is available.
Summary
Additional rules and information for implementing this law will be shared as soon as they are available. It is important for schools to note the change in law from an opt in to an opt out. Under this new law, schools must provide opportunities for homeschool students to participate in UIL activities UNLESS the school district board of trustees adopts a policy declining to grant non-enrolled students this opportunity. School districts must adopt such a policy by September 1, 2025 to opt out.
Until, and if, a school board adopts a policy to opt out of allowing homeschool student participation, this new law states homeschool students are eligible to participate in UIL activities for that school. UIL activities for the 2025-2026 school year start prior to September 1^, 2025. However, the deadline for adopting this policy is September 1, 2025 to give schools time to contemplate and make a decision.
 

Description:  (LEGAL) policies: Although (LEGAL) policies are not adopted by the board, TASB recommends that the board review them. Since review of the (LEGAL) policies may result in discussion, the agenda should, at a minimum, reference "(LEGAL) policies." If board members plan on discussing specific (LEGAL) policy changes, the relevant policy codes, titles, and subtitles should be listed on the agenda.

(LOCAL) policies: Board action on the (LOCAL) policies included in the update must occur within a properly posted, open meeting of the board.
The (LOCAL) policy changes — each addition, deletion, or replacement — should be listed in alphabetical order by policy code, title, and subtitle. The list on the following page is our compilation of that information, which may be copied and pasted into your meeting notice, staff communications of board action, and board meeting minutes.

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