For the 2025-2026 school year, we delegated contractual authority to obligate the school district under Texas Education Code (TEC) §11.1511(c)(4) to the Superintendent, solely for the purpose of obligating the district under TEC, §48.257 and TEC, Chapter 49, Subchapters A and D, and the rules adopted by the Commissioner of Education as authorized under TEC, 49.006. This included approval of the Agreement for the Purchase of Attendance Credit or the Agreement for the Purchase of Attendance Credit (Netting Chapter 48 Funding)

Budget amendments have been reviewed and adjusted based on year-end expenditures.  These adjustments will close out the 2024-2025 budget in preparation for our financial audit. Final amendment amounts are presented for approval.

The Superintendent recommends approval of 2024-2025 Budget Amendments, as presented.

According to Texas Tax Code Section 26.05, "The governing body of each taxing unit shall adopt a tax rate for the current tax year and shall notify the assessor for the taxing unit of the rate adopted. The governing body must adopt a tax rate before the later of September 30 or the 60th day after the date the certified appraisal roll is received by the taxing unit."

The Superintendent recommends approval of the ordinance to set the Maintenance and Operations (M&O) Tax Rate at $.6822 and the Interest and Sinking (I&S) Tax Rate at $.0603 for the 2025-2026 year. 

Mr. Helms will present the budget.

The Superintendent recommends approval of the 2025-2026 Snyder ISD annual budget, as presented.

iCEV provides comprehensive Career and Technical Education (CTE) curriculum and utilizes pre-tests and post-tests to measure student growth, which is then determined by comparing performance between the two assessments. The platform also serves as a testing platform for industry certifications and offers iCEV Eduthings, a CTE data management tool to simplify reporting on certifications, work-based learning, and more. 
Curriculum and Resources

• Comprehensive Content:
  iCEV offers online CTE curriculum across various subject areas, including agricultural science, trade & industrial education, business & marketing, family & consumer science, health science, law enforcement, and STEM. 
• Interactive Learning:
  The curriculum includes lessons, projects, and interactive modules to reinforce student learning and build confidence in career-focused education, according to the iCEV website. 
• Industry Alignment:
  iCEV collaborates with industry experts and aligns its curriculum with industry standards to ensure students gain relevant knowledge and skills for the workforce. 

Growth Testing and Assessment 

• Pre-test/Post-test Design:
  iCEV utilizes a pre-test to establish a baseline of student knowledge at the start of a course. After instruction, students take a post-test with the same questions to measure learning and growth.
• State Standards and Certifications:
  The pre-tests and post-tests can be aligned with specific state standards or industry-weighted certification standards.
• Measuring Progress:
  Growth is measured by comparing pre-test and post-test results, with reports detailing student and/or class improvement.

The Superintendent recommends approval of up to $66,000 to purchase the iCEV curriculum.

Skyward is a widely-used Student Information System (SIS) and Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) provider for K-12 schools and municipalities. It offers a comprehensive suite of tools designed to streamline administrative tasks and enhance communication within the educational community. 
Key features of Skyward include

• Student Management: Handles student records, attendance tracking, scheduling, gradebooks, discipline management, and reporting.
• Family Engagement: Facilitates communication with parents through portals, allowing them to access grades, attendance records, assignments, and communicate with teachers.
• Classroom Management: Provides teachers with tools for managing classrooms, recording grades, tracking attendance, and facilitating online assignments.
• School ERP (Finance & HR): Automates human resources, fiscal management, payroll, and asset management operations for schools and districts. 

The Superintendent recommends approval of up to $87,000 for the purchase of the Skyward business system.

During the 88th Texas Legislative Session, House Bill 3 (TEC §37.0814) was adopted, requiring armed security officers to be present at each school district campus during regular school hours. A Board of Trustees may adopt a good cause exception if the district is unable to comply with state law. Lack of available funding and/or qualified personnel is an allowable good cause exception. (TEC §37.0814).

The Superintendent recommends approval of the Good Cause Exemption Resolution, as presented.

Work is in progress on finalizing the District Improvement Plan to be presented for approval at the September regular meeting.

House Bill 3033, effective September 1, 2023, limits which days school districts may classify as non-business days when responding to public information requests. While weekends, national holidays, and state holidays are automatically excluded, the Texas Government Code allows the Board to adopt up to ten additional non-business days each year.

The proposed dates will align with the Snyder ISD instructional calendar, ensure compliance with required response timelines, and have no impact on the academic calendar. A list of recommended dates will be presented for Board approval at the September meeting.

HB 1522 changes the posting requirement for an open meeting from 72 hours to 3 business days prior. HB 1522 takes effect on September 1, 2025. Current preliminary legal guidance suggests, out of an abundance of caution, not to count the day the agenda is posted nor the day of the meeting as part of the 3 business days. This will change our board meeting agenda preparation process beginning in September. We have posted the agenda on Monday prior to our regular board meetings and now the agenda will be posted on Friday prior. We have placed the agenda in board review on Thursday prior to our regular board meetings and now the agenda will be placed in board review on Tuesday prior to Friday posting. 

 

The Superintendent recommends approval to propose the mid-term termination, for good cause, of the probationary contract of Lori Garza.