Auxiliary of the Year (Custodians, maintenance, technology, cafeteria workers, security specialists, bus drivers)

• Elementary: Barbara Emerson, Custodian, Snyder Primary School

• District: Arthur Martin, Maintenance

Paraprofessional of the Year (Classroom paras, front office, library assistants, secretaries)

• Elementary: Madison Perry, Snyder Intermediate School

• Secondary: Lupe Chavez, Snyder Junior High School

Teacher of the Year (Classroom teachers who go above and beyond every day)

• Elementary: Brandi McMahand, Snyder Intermediate School 

• Secondary: Bailey Bailey, Snyder High School 

Professional of the Year (Principals, assistant principals, counselors, librarians, diagnosticians, nurses)

• Elementary: Cinthia Solis, Snyder Intermediate School Assistant Principal

• Secondary: Tommy Duncan, Snyder Junior High School Principal

On May 13th, Snyder ISD hosted a Teacher Incentive Allotment (TIA) Awards and Celebration event to recognize teachers who earned or maintained TIA designations for their impact on student growth and achievement. The event celebrated all designated teachers, including five new designees added this year, and highlighted the district’s continued commitment to rewarding instructional excellence. A total of $516,328 in TIA funding will be distributed to eligible teachers.

Snyder ISD’s Summer Learning Program will be held June 1-25 during morning hours at Snyder Primary School and Snyder High School.

The program supports accountability and follow-through on expected student learning while helping ensure students are prepared for success in the upcoming school year and beyond. Students will receive targeted academic support in the areas of intervention, credit recovery, attendance recovery, and STAAR/EOC preparation.

This year’s program will include 18 teachers serving approximately 185+ students. The program is designed to strengthen academic readiness, address learning gaps, and support long-term student success.

Summer with the Superintendent is a new family engagement initiative designed to keep students and families connected with Snyder ISD throughout the summer through literacy activities, book clubs, family events, and community partnerships. The initiative supports continued student engagement while strengthening relationships between families, students, and district staff. Parents or guardians are expected to remain with their children during events to encourage meaningful family participation.

The Board will consider changing regular board meeting dates from Thursdays to the second Monday of each month beginning in September 2026. The proposed adjustment is intended to better align with district and community calendars, as Thursdays frequently overlap with junior high and junior varsity events, homecoming activities, stock show events, and other districtwide or countywide commitments that often occur later in the week. Moving meetings to Mondays may also better support staff and board schedules following Friday hybrid schedules and weekend activities. This change will require an update to Board Policy BE (Local).

Administration is currently reviewing potential updates to Policy EIC (Local) regarding class rank calculations and timelines for determining graduation honors. Current policy states that honors are calculated using grades available at the end of the sixth six-week grading period of the senior year, along with final May dual credit grades. This discussion is intended as an informational update for the Board, with a proposed policy revision expected to be presented next month following review and guidance from TASB policy representatives.

Action Required

A 3-year copier lease and maintenance agreement will be considered to replace the current agreement. The RFP included two additional options: purchasing equipment instead of leasing if significant savings are possible, and a buyout of the current fleet to defray costs. After the proposal deadline of Friday, May 29, 2026, more information will be available for the June 9, 2026, board meeting.

Consider approval of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Star Tech Group, LLC (ACCESS Program) and Snyder ISD to support College, Career, and Military Readiness (CCMR) initiatives and strengthen postsecondary opportunities for students. The partnership will support career exploration, individualized pathway planning, advising systems, workforce connections, internships, and alignment between CTE programs, dual credit opportunities, and local workforce needs, while remaining compliant with FERPA and applicable laws.

The district will move forward with providing free breakfast and lunch for all students at Snyder Primary and Snyder Intermediate during the 2026-2027 school year. Junior High and High School students will continue receiving free breakfast, with free and reduced-price lunch available based on qualifying applications.

The district will prioritize communication, justification, and family participation in free and reduced meal applications to help maximize funding support and reduce the financial impact of expanding services at the secondary level in the following academic year.

TASB policy services recommends making revisions to CKE (Local), specifically dealing with the use of off-duty peace officers providing security services.

March 2026 check reg

Administration is seeking approval of a Memorandum of Understanding with Texas Tech University for the TechTeach Teacher Preparation Program. This partnership supports a district-based teacher residency model designed to place and support Texas Tech teacher residents in Snyder ISD, provide clinical coaching and co-teaching opportunities, and strengthen the district’s teacher pipeline in high-need areas. The agreement also outlines shared responsibilities related to host teachers, resident support, professional development, data-sharing, and compliance with applicable educator preparation and PREP Program Allotment requirements.

The Strategic Plan continues to progress on schedule, with work ongoing across all identified goals and action steps. Based on current implementation progress, the district is projected to reach 100% completion of Year 1 action items by the end of June 2026.

Moving forward, the district is developing an internal progress monitoring tool to support successful implementation of Year 2 metrics and continued improvements in student growth and outcomes. Project leads and owners have been identified, with work aligned to campus improvement plans to ensure the Strategic Plan remains the district’s roadmap for priorities, systems, and time allocation.

Administration will provide an overview of preliminary 2025-2026 STAAR End-of-Course (EOC) assessment results, including overall performance trends, areas of growth, areas needing improvement, and comparisons to prior years where available. The presentation will also include discussion regarding instructional implications, intervention planning, accountability considerations, and next steps to support continued student achievement and readiness.

At the March board meeting, the administration discussed exploring weapon detection systems. Since then, we have completed two school visits and consulted with several districts regarding implementation.

We recommend moving forward with weapon detection for all students at secondary campuses and for adults entering buildings at elementary campuses. These systems will be purchased with grant funds, but they exceed the $100,000 pricing threshold. 

At the March board meeting, the administration discussed exploring a student Crime Stoppers program. Since then, the administration and police department have visited Crime Stoppers programs in Abilene and Midland.

We recommend moving forward with establishing a student Crime Stoppers organization. The program would allow tipsters to submit information to help solve crimes, with small payments for verified tips. We are currently exploring fundraising activities to launch the program for the 2026-27 school year.

Update for the Board on recent hires, current vacancies, and ongoing recruitment efforts for the 2026-2027 school year.

Tiger Connect is a proposed virtual learning option for Snyder ISD students in grades 9-12. The program is designed to provide families with a flexible learning opportunity while keeping students connected to Snyder ISD, including participation in district programs and UIL activities. Tiger Connect would support students who may benefit from a non-traditional schedule while maintaining academic expectations, accountability, and student support through a district-managed online program.

For the 2026-2027 school year, the key legal point is that Texas districts are now automatically participating with homeschool participation unless they formally opt out. Under SB 401, Snyder ISD will need board action if we want to prohibit homeschool participation in UIL extracurricular activities for this school year.  

Last month, the Board discussed proposed compensation increases for non-teacher pay scale employees. Administration would like to clarify that the proposed 2.5% increase would also include hourly employees. In addition, as is customary, the district is recommending and proposing step increases for teachers based on years of experience.

The Board will consider approval of proposed 2026-2027 compensation increases for Snyder ISD employees. The total projected budget impact of the proposal is approximately $360,495. These proposed increases reflect the district’s continued commitment to supporting and retaining high-quality staff while balancing long-term financial sustainability.

Electricity outages at Snyder Junior High, combined with freezing weather conditions, resulted in low student attendance on January 23, 2026. Administration is requesting Board approval to submit a low attendance waiver to TEA for consideration. Due to this being a recurring issue, the district is also exploring backup options to reduce future disruptions and protect instructional minutes, particularly considering the Junior High’s academic standing.

TEA link: https://tea.texas.gov/texas-schools/waivers/state-waivers/state-waiver-types-attendance

The district experienced school closures on January 26, 27, and 28, 2026, due to severe weather conditions, as well as on May 14, 2026, due to a water outage. Administration is requesting Board approval to submit missed school day waivers to TEA for consideration.

TEA Link: https://tea.texas.gov/texas-schools/waivers/state-waivers/state-waiver-types-attendance

The Board will consider approval of TASB Policy Update 127, which includes recommended revisions affecting local district policies in response to changes in state and federal law, administrative guidance, and district governance practices. Administration and legal counsel have reviewed the recommended updates and are presenting them for Board consideration.

The Board will consider approval of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Snyder ISD and Cogdell Memorial Hospital. This partnership establishes a cooperative framework to support student health services, athletic safety and performance, mental and behavioral health resources, and healthcare workforce development opportunities for students.

Through this partnership, Snyder ISD students may benefit from healthcare career exploration, internships, job-shadowing opportunities, athletic physicals, team physician support, and enhanced access to health-related services and resources. The agreement also supports collaboration between Snyder ISD, Cogdell Memorial Hospital, and community partners to strengthen healthcare career pathways for students.

There is no cost to Snyder ISD associated with this agreement.