The Board President or his/her designee will call the roll of members.

Students representing the House System at Smithville Elementary will lead the group in the Pledge of Allegiance.  Those students are: Korbin Conforti, Gentry Evans, Nolan Ault, Sadie Finley, Norah Meuth, Kimberly Woods,  Camree Oertli, Alice Schwanke, Kayla Coreno, James Rogers, Bryze Wofford, Damien Harrison, Alistar Hollingshead, Ean Thompson, and Ariana Praditbatuga.

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.

Kaitlyn Berryann, 12th grade daughter of Doug and Ana Berryann, was chosen as an outstanding student from Smithville High School.  Kaitlyn was unable to attend the board meeting to receive recognition in January, so she will be recognized this evening.
 

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. 

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".

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 January 23, 2023 board meeting.

Monthly reporting of financial position in relation to the budget.  The Board is provided monthly financial statements.

Meet legal reporting requirements for investments.
In order the meet legal reporting requirements for investments, the Board receives quarterly reports on District investments.

The Board has requested a monthly status report of earned state aid in relation to the budget.

The Board has requested a monthly status report of earned state aid in relation to the budget.

Attached is the Tax Assessor-Collector's Report.

Smithville ISD has been approached by the family of Martha Ann Vacek.  The family is generously establishing a scholarship for Smithville High School graduates upon admission to a nursing program. The amount of the scholarship is yet to be decided.
Tony Meneghetti and Zoe Meneghetti will be present to be recognized for this generous donation.

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.

The Superintendent will update the Board on important issues pertaining to the District, including:

• Smithville HS has been granted a STEM grant in the amount of $10,000 from Lockheed Martin.  There were 79 Lockheed Martin grants awarded across the nation - and only 4 in Texas! The grant will allow students to participate in an Engineering Pathway. The grant will fund staff training and supplies. Our first course offering will be Engineering Essentials.

• Smithville Elementary has been granted a STEM grant from Project Lead the Way in the amount of $6,950. This grant will allow us to bring STEM to the lower grades through 10 hour modules that support hands-on, experiential learning in the areas of Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics. The modules will support the science TEKS directly. The grant will fund staff training and supplies.

• The Child Nutrition Department will be highlighted at an open house sponsored by the No Kid Hungry Program for the innovative work that the director and the district have been involved in with school gardens and cooking demonstrations on a community and state level.

• Mrs. Burns and Mr. Magden attended the "Day at the Capitol" hosted by TAMS/TARS.

• Smithville ISD students participated in the "I Voted" and "Future Voter" sticker design contest sponsored by Bastrop County Elections.  Winners were recognized at Commissioner’s Court in Bastrop on Feb 27, 2023 and one of our Juniors (Sophia Royster) took first place.

• Next Friday, March 10th, is a student holiday and staff workday.  We do not have to use this Bad Weather Day for students, so they will start Spring Break a day early. 

• Playground construction continues.

• Spring sports are in full swing.  Please come out and support your Tigers and Lady Tigers!

• The Tiger Insider is at your seats.

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

Attached is the student discipline data to include 2017 through 2022.

Administrators from the high school review and edit the course catalog on an annual basis for the upcoming school year.  A report will be given to the Board of Trustees and updates or changes will be noted.  Most changes are typically due to legislative mandate and the course catalog provides information for students and parents to select required courses as well as elective courses.  The information is also used to determine staff and budget.

The Board has expressed the need to begin discussion about possibly adding facilities due to impending growth in the district.  The superintendent visited with Karen O'Grady, Services Manager of the Texas Association of School Boards, about a contract for Scope of Work and Proposal for Facility Planning Membership.

Tentative items to be included on the March agenda are:

a.  Recognition of Students - "I Voted" and "Future Voter" sticker design         contest winners
b.  Financial Report  
c.  Superintendent’s Report  
d.  Safety and Security Update
e.  Resignations and Employment of Certified Personnel
f.  Consider and Take Action Regarding Certified Staff Contract Renewal
 

At the regular board meeting in January 2018, Smithville ISD began the process to become a District of Innovation.  The district was granted approval, effective April 2018, and has been a DOI since that time.  The process must be renewed every five years, and it has been determined by district administrators and the District Site-Based Committee that it would be in Smithville ISD's best interest to apply to continue the District of Innovation status. The plan was reviewed and no changes were deemed necessary.  Posting requirements were met, as the intent to renew the plan was posted on the district website in November 2022.  The District Site-Based Committee voted for its approval on February 6, 2023 and the Commissioner of Education was notified on February 10, 2023 of the District's intent to renew the plan.  The next step is to have the Board of Trustees vote on the final plan before its submission to TEA. Upon board approval, the District of Innovation plan will be presented to the Commissioner of Education for renewal.

As per Texas Education Code, Chapter 28, at least annually, the local school health advisory council (SHAC) shall submit a report to the board of trustees.  The board packet includes a report of activities from the 2022-2023 school year, as well as a recommendation on a sexual health and safety awareness presentation.

The District is required to bid for depository services every two years.  However, if the district is eligible and elects to extend the current contract, Board action is required. The Board approved First National Bank as its depository in May 2021.  The District has received outstanding service from them and it is our recommendation for the Board of Trustees to extend the depository contract with First National Bank of Bastrop for the period September 1, 2023 to August 31, 2025.

Sec. 2.052. Certification of unopposed status 
 

1. The authority responsible for having the official ballot prepared shall certify in writing that a candidate is unopposed for election to an office (in other words, the outcome is already known due to the lack of opposition).
2. The certification shall be delivered to the governing body of the political subdivision as soon as possible after the filing deadlines for placement on the ballot and on the list of write-in candidates.

The write-in deadline was Tuesday, February 21, 2023.

The regular board election is scheduled for May 6, 2023.  Positions up for election are Place 1, currently held by Chris Hinnant, and Place 2, currently held by Grant Gutierrez.  Both incumbents have refiled.  The deadline to file for a place on the ballot was Friday, February 17, 2023 at 5:00 p.m. Section 2.051-2.053 of the Texas Election Code states that an election may be cancelled for one of the following three reasons; 1) Each candidate (for full or un-expired terms) whose name is to appear on the ballot is unopposed; 2) The election is one in which a declaration of write-in candidacy is required; and 3) No proposition is on the ballot.  Due to the fact that Board of Trustee Place 1, Chris Hinnant and Place 2, Grant Gutierrez are unopposed candidates, we are within Election Code requirements to request cancellation of our regular May election.

The Superintendent would like to inform the Board of the resignations of:
Tammy Mayberry - Assistant Principal at Smithville Junior High
Goldie Sunshine - Teacher at Smithville Elementary
Teresa Ellis - Teacher at Smithville Elementary, and Jennifer Ferrell, librarian at Smithville Elementary, who will both retire at the end of the school year.
Rachel Tannreuther - Math Interventionist at Smithville Elementary, resignation effective 3/10/2023.
No action is required.

According to Board Policy DC [Local], the Superintendent has the authority to make recommendations to the Board regarding the selection of all personnel.

No employment has been recommended.

The following administrators are currently on a two-year term contract and are in the first year of that contract.  The Superintendent recommends the following administrators for a one-year extension of their existing contract which will, in effect, give them a new two-year contract to expire June 30, 2025:
Stephanie Foster - Smithville Elementary Principal
Jean Ann McCarthy - Chief Financial Officer
Michael Caudill - Assistant Superintendent 

The following administrator is currently on a one-year probationary contract and is being recommended for a two-year term contract to expire in June 2025:
Bethany Logan - Director of Curriculum

The following administrators are currently on a one-year term contract and are being recommended for a two-year term contract to expire on June 30, 2025:
Tucker Copeland - High School Principal

The following individual is currently on a one-year term contract and is being recommended for a one-year probationary contract, due to a change in position, to expire on June 30, 2024 in a new administrative position:
Sarah Vinklarek - Brown Primary Principal

The following administrators are currently on a one-year term contract, and are being recommended for a one-year term contract to expire June 30, 2024:
Amanda Gommert - Junior High Principal
Holly Brockman - Elementary Assistant Principal
Erin O’Rourke - Elementary Assistant Principal
Whitney Brown - Special Programs Coordinator
Misty Vasquez - 504 Facilitator

The following administrator is currently on a one-year probationary contract and is being recommended for a one-year term contract to expire June 30, 2024:
Lee Hartsell - High School Assistant Principal