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

Students from Smithville Elementary who have received the most Tiger Tokens for the month will lead the group in the pledge. Those students are:

• 1st Grade:  Ashley Benitez Soto, Edrick Arce Vences, Kerri Grace Addleman, Knox Bledsoe 
• 2nd Grade: Rainey Bitzkie, Camila Aguilar Castillo, Renata Andrade Soto, Zoe Arellano Hernandez
• 3rd Grade:  Rylan Blackwell, Pierre Blackmon, Za'kyah Foate, Blayne Bennett
• 4th Grade: Reese Bitzkie, Olivia Abreo, Allison Benitez Soto, Austin Andrus
• 5th Grade:  Liberty Alloy Bailey, Keatyn Becker, Tessa Barragan, Julius Allison

Each nine-weeks the middle school and high school faculties select an outstanding student from their respective campus.  Students are rated on criteria including grades, honesty, enthusiasm, cooperation with teachers and their peers, class participation and leadership.

The students for the second nine-weeks from SJHS are Addison Wendel and Yaiden Ariza.  Addison is a sixth grader and the daughter of Ashley Wendel and Cory Abshier.  Yaiden is a 6th grader and the son of Rosalba and Juan Ariza.

Outstanding students from the high school are Callie Ruyle and Michael Davis.  Both Callie and Michael are seniors.  Callie is the daughter of Jeremy and Daphne Ruyle.  Michael is the son of Mike Davis and Debra Hlavaty.

Smithville Elementary School is excited to celebrate outstanding students with the "Tiger of the Month" recognition.  Elementary staff nominate students who exhibit characteristics such as kindness, strong character, and helpfulness.  Each month, one exceptional student is honored by the campus, recognized at the school board meeting, and receives a special yard sign to proudly display at home.  

The Tiger of the Month for January 2026 is James Litton is a 4th grader in Mrs. Covey’s class.

Students who have attained the Austin Community College Level 1 Certificate in welding received acknowledgement for this outstanding accomplishment at the December ACC Graduation.  We are pleased to recognize these students this evening:

Ace Ahlbrandt, Trace Namken, Cooper Stockdale, Landon Peacock, and Cooper Peacock

The TIGER award is a quarterly recognition program for staff who go above and beyond and demonstrate service to others.  Tiger Award Recipients for this quarter include:

• Brown Primary — Lindsey Grimm, Para Educator
• Smithville Elementary — Marcie Maloney, Para Educator
• Smithville Junior High — Misty Lopez, Para Educator
• Smithville High School — Kevin Mahoney, Special Education Teacher
• Transportation — Cynthia Winn, Bus Monitor

Each January, we honor the dedicated individuals who tirelessly serve their communities as volunteers — school board members. School boards oversee the operation of local public schools and work to ensure that students are getting a high-quality education. School Board Recognition Month is an opportunity to show trustees how much we appreciate their work, leadership, and commitment to improving our schools.  

Smithville ISD is grateful for the outstanding leadership of our seven Trustees and applauds their ongoing commitment to excellence.

The district staff has prepared and published the 2024-2025 Texas Academic Performance Report, and it will be reported in the public hearing.  The report will  be placed on the district website in accordance with state guidelines and paper copies will be available upon request.

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. 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, unless an interpreter is required. The members of the Board of Trustees will listen to citizen comments during this portion of a regularly scheduled meeting, but they will not respond or participate in a discussion of the topic in accordance with Board Operating Procedures.
 

Board members routinely approve items on the consent agenda as a group as specified in Board Operating Procedures.

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.

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.

The business manager, Stacy Tiner, will review the financial disbursements for the previous month with the Board of Trustees.  No action is required.

First National Bank and LoneStar Investment Pool, depositories for Smithville ISD, require that the Board pass a resolution each time we wire transfer our bond payment.

Attached is a resolution for the Board’s approval to wire payment for the interest due on our bonds by 2/15/2026.
 

The Superintendent will update the Board on important issues pertaining to the District.

• Enrollment Update
• CTE Showcase was held for 8th grade students on January 12 and 13, 2026
• 37th Annual Walk for Peace, Justice and Equality was held in Elgin on January 19, 2026
• Brown Primary Historical Marker Designation was held on January 20, 2026
• National Honor Society Induction on January 22, 2026 at 6 p.m.
• Career Tracks Ribbon Cutting January 22, 2026 at 4:30 p.m.
• Holocaust Remembrance Week January 26–30, 2026
• Upcoming Community Events
  • Friday, February 6, 2026 - Annual Chamber Banquet
  • Saturday, February 7, 2026 - Annual Lions' Club and Volunteer Fire Department Fish Fry
  • Thursday, February 26, 2026 - Smithville Education Foundation's Scramble FORE! Education Golf Tournament  

A report on the progress of Strategic Plan Priority 1: Student Success will be provided.

As a result of the 89th Legislative Session and beginning in the 2026-27 school year, revised requirements regarding teacher certification in certain subject areas and grade levels will be implemented. An overview of the new requirements and the District plan for implementation will be reviewed and discussed.

As a result of the 89th Legislative Session, school boards must consider a resolution related to a period of prayer and reading of religious texts each school day. An overview of SB 11, the resolution, and related state and federal laws will be provided and action will be recommended at the regular meeting in February.

• Recognitions

• Strategic Plan Update - Priority 2: Staff Satisfaction and Engagement

• Review of a report from the district’s demographer  

• Approval of contract for annual financial audit services

• Consideration and Action Regarding Administrator Employment Contract Renewals/Extensions

• Consider Approval of an Application to the Texas Education Agency for a Delay of Teacher Certification Requirements Application

• Hiring of New Certified Personnel

• Consider approval of an MOU with the City of Smithville regarding reciprocal facility usage

• Consider renewal of an MOU with the University of Texas System for continued student access to  T-CHATT (Texas Child Health Access Through Telemedicine) services 

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

Recommendations this month include:

• Athletic Director & Head Football Coach
• Stewart Burns, Science Teacher at SJHS

State statute requires that annually each governing body call for an election to be held in accordance with existing election law.  The Smithville Independent School District Board of Trustees, being a governing body and electing representatives by place, must call for the election.

The Smithville Independent School District Board of Trustees has established the first Saturday in May as its regular election date.  This year, the election falls on Saturday, May 2, 2026.  Two places are up for election, including:

• Place 1 - Chris Hinnant
• Place 2 - Grant Gutierrez

The Order of Election is attached.
 

Smithville ISD has been contracting election services with the County of Bastrop since January 2006.  Since that time, the Bastrop County Elections Administrator has overseen all elections ordered by the school district for an administrative fee.   

Athough the Bastrop County Elections Administrator oversees all elections ordered by the school district, Smithville ISD also has less than 200 voters who reside in Fayette County.  Fayette County Elections have agreed to contract services for SISD constituents who reside in Fayette County and the proposed contract is included in the board packet for approval.  

Following an extensive process of gathering input and feedback from staff, students, parents and community members, the proposed 2026-27 instructional calendar is designed to focus on instructional time, with opportunities for professional learning and embedded breaks for staff and students. 

Various provisions throughout the PIA require a governmental entity to act within a prescribed number of "business days." Under HB 3033, the only days that do not count as business days are the following: 

• Weekends - Saturday or Sunday; 
• National Holidays - New Year’s Day; Martin Luther King, Jr., Day; President’s Day; Memorial Day; Independence Day; Labor Day; Veterans Day; Thanksgiving Day; and Christmas Day; 
• State Holidays - Confederate Heroes Day; Texas Independence Day; San Jacinto Day; Emancipation Day; Lyndon B. Johnson Day;  
• Optional Holidays - Rosh Hashanah; Yom Kippur; and Good Friday (only if the governmental body observes the holiday); 
• The Friday before or the Monday after a holiday described above if the holiday occurs on a Saturday or Sunday and the governmental body observes the holiday on that Friday or Monday; and  
• Up to 10 additional days each calendar year when the district’s administrative offices are closed or operating with minimal staff. 

To take advantage of the 10 additional "non-business days" each calendar year, the board of trustees must officially designate these days. For 2026-27, it is recommended that these days include November 26-27, December 24, 28-31, January 4, and March 18-19.

Disclaimer - During the course of the meeting, the Board of Trustees may conduct a closed meeting in accordance with the Texas Open Meetings Act, Texas Government Code, Chapter 551, Subchapter D and E. Decisions may be made as a result of executive session.