[0:05] Good evening, everyone. It's 732.

[0:13] Announcement has been made, and a quorum is present, and the

[0:17] meeting has been duly called, and that notice of the meeting has been posted in accordance

[0:22] with the Texas Open Meeting Act, Texas government code chapter 551.

[0:32] And as we always do, we always

[0:34] start off with an invocation so this one is personal to me and this happens to be my

[0:44] pastor so I want to tell you a little bit about him. Pastor Ben Bailey serves as the

[0:50] lead pastor of Awakened Church which is a multi-location church in the DFW Metroplex

[0:58] committed to awakening hearts to the beauty of the gospel.

[1:02] Known for his creative communications style and

[1:06] non-conventional approach to ministry, Pastor Ben leads one of the most culturally diverse

[1:12] congregations in the nation.

[1:15] At the core of his ministry is a simple conviction.

[1:19] When people see Jesus clearly, everything changes.

[1:22] Pastor Ben's relatable voice, gospel center teaching in general love for people to create

[1:28] an environment where lives are transformed from the inside out.

[1:35] Pastor Ben is the author of the books, Collide, Limonless, Captured by Grace, and Enough.

[1:43] Books that reflect how his passion for helping people break free from fear, performance and

[1:50] religious scribe, and so they can fully experience the life God intended.

[1:55] Pastor Ben leads gospel circles of churches and ministries, which is GCCM,

[2:02] a growing relational network designed to connect pastors, churches,

[2:09] and leaders around the message of gospel.

[2:12] He also oversees gospel institute, a new covenant online learning,

[2:17] environment, equipped in believers to understand and share the gospel with clarity and confidence.

[2:27] Pastor Van and his wife, Kim, have been married for 32 wonderful years.

[2:35] Together, they are building a generational legacy rooted in grace.

[2:40] They have four children, Kala, Marcy, Kade, and Jada, all of whom Jorfer Lee serve at Awakened.

[2:51] And this is just as important.

[2:53] He is also called G-Pop to his only grandchild, Juniper Grace, who runs his grandparents with

[3:02] one giggle and zero effort.

[3:05] And I have witnessed that myself.

[3:07] If you look at his phone, the first thing you're going to see is a picture of Juniper.

[3:13] So at this time, I welcome you, Pastor Ben Daly, to the podium.

[3:22] Thank you so very much for that introduction, and before I pray tonight, I just want to

[3:29] take just a moment to say thank you for the past several months, Irving ISD has done

[3:37] something for us that I want to say we will not forget. Our new building isn't finished yet,

[3:46] and rather than leave us scrambling, this amazing district opened its doors and made some room

[3:52] for us. And I want to say publicly that that kind of generosity doesn't happen by accident.

[3:59] And I understand that it happens because people choose it. And I want to thank

[4:04] board president to 80 Jenkins every member of this incredible board of trustees and honestly

[4:13] I would say everyone across this district the teachers the staff the people whose names

[4:21] that you know we may never know thank you for for welcoming us for a short season and

[4:28] And we've had the honor of really serving alongside Irving ISD for many years and in many

[4:36] ways as a church.

[4:37] And that is something that we hope continues for many more.

[4:42] And I just want to say if there is anything we can do to come alongside and help serve

[4:47] our city, we will be there.

[4:51] But what you've done for us these past months means more than I think we can fully put into

[4:58] words so simply and sincerely I just want to say thank you. I know I'm here to

[5:04] pray but I've got to say thank you. You've got to be careful giving a preacher

[5:07] a microphone. He may take a little longer but please let's pray over this

[5:13] meeting. Heavenly Father we come before you tonight with grateful hearts, grateful

[5:18] for this school district. I know I am for the students who fill its classrooms

[5:24] for the teachers and staff who give themselves to this work day after day, month after month,

[5:33] many year after year and for the men and women on this board who give their time and their

[5:38] wisdom to lead well. I'm grateful. We ask for your guidance tonight. Give clear minds. I ask that

[5:49] you give discerning hearts as decisions are made.

[5:51] Decisions that are going to shape the lives

[5:55] of children for years to come.

[5:57] Where there's difficulty and there can be,

[6:01] give patients where there may be disagreement.

[6:04] I thank you for unity of purpose

[6:06] and where there may be some uncertainty.

[6:09] Would you give courage and clarity?

[6:13] We ask your protection over every student in this district,

[6:16] every teacher standing before a classroom, every staff member working behind the scenes and every family that this district serves.

[6:28] I thank you for this community and for the chance to be a part of it.

[6:32] And we just ask this in your name tonight, amen.

[6:38] Thank you again so much, Pastor.

[6:41] So, now we have the pledge of allegiance to the American flag and the Texas flag and trust

[6:47] the high with leaders.

[6:51] Thank you, President Jenkins.

[6:52] It is my pleasure to introduce four absolutely very mature students from townally elementary

[7:01] and as I call you, you can come up, the old fifth graders, Grayson Chifonda.

[7:07] So I asked these students, you know, they just taught it in townly, what is it, what you really like about the school and the answers will blow you away. It did me.

[7:16] So Grayson said, get this, no drama in the school.

[7:25] Next, Graham Lawson, he loves that the fact that all his friends are there and he loves his teachers.

[7:34] So shout out to his teachers.

[7:38] Layla Martinez, she said, I like the way everybody treats everyone, nobody has put me down yet.

[7:48] I mean that it just touched my heart. And last but not the least is the future AI CEO of some company,

[7:57] a Tana Moreno and she says she loves the fact that she uses ECR. I didn't know what that was. I

[8:06] said what is that? She said extended constructive response writing on the computer. So we definitely

[8:16] or ring has the next CEO that they're producing out there of AI that's taking over the world. So thank you so

[8:25] much for being here and leading us. So if we can all stand up.

[9:21] No drama now.

[9:38] Trust

[9:46] me, hi, I love the way you present those students. That's that's that's that's amazing.

[9:52] Okay, at this time, we will recognize the teacher of the month and we have

[9:58] asked Trustee Snap to do the honors.

[10:05] So this month's teacher of the month is Wendy Cruz.

[10:09] She's a second grade teacher at Brandenburg Elementary.

[10:23] Here's what Miss Cruz's people said about her.

[10:26] It is our pleasure to select Miss Wendy Cruz as teacher of the month.

[10:31] Miss Cruz has dedicated 18 years to education, and all 18 of those years have been right here in Irving ISD at Brandenburg Elementary.

[10:41] Throughout her career, she has taught first, second, and third grade, and is currently a self-contained second-grade teacher.

[10:48] Wherever she is needed, her response has always been yes.

[10:52] Ms. Cruz is a teacher who believes deeply in the potential of every student.

[10:57] She establishes clear expectations from the very beginning and provides the structure,

[11:02] consistency, and accountability students need to be successful.

[11:06] She is unwavering in her belief that her students are capable of achieving at high levels.

[11:12] She truly lives the Brannonburg mission of doing whatever it takes to help every child succeed.

[11:18] She knows her students, monitors their progress, responds to their individual needs and does not lower expectations.

[11:27] Year after year, her students demonstrate significant academic progress and growth because of the intentionality,

[11:33] dedication and high expectations she brings to her classroom each day.

[11:39] Congratulations, Ms. Cruz, on behalf of Irina ISD.

[12:54] Okay.

[13:01] Good evening, everyone. First, I would like to thank our superintendent, Dr.

[13:05] Galindo, and our district administration, President Jenkins, and our board of trustees,

[13:10] and everyone who makes the decision and a priority to recognize and celebrate the work happening in our classrooms every single day.

[13:20] I am truly honored and incredibly grateful to be recognized as the teacher of the month of September.

[13:26] I also want to give a special thank you to my principal, Claudia Ruiz, for nominating me.

[13:32] Ms. Ruiz, thank you for seeing the work that I do.

[13:35] And believing in me and taking the time to recognize it, it means more than you know, and I'm sure you do.

[13:45] This year, as our Board Snap mentioned, it is my 18th year, all of them are Brian and Bergerle Mentry.

[13:54] 18 years, y'all. 18 years. When I say that out loud, I'm not entirely sure whether I should feel proud

[14:03] or just really really really tired but the truth is I am proud. For 18 years I

[14:11] have walked through the doors of the same school. I have watched students grow.

[14:16] Worked alongside incredible educators and built lifelong friendships and

[14:21] collected enough classroom stories to keep everyone entertained for a while but I

[14:30] years, I can generally say, I love what I do. Of course, loving what you do doesn't mean

[14:36] every day goes according to plan. And if you've ever been for five minutes in an elementary

[14:41] classroom, you know that I don't lie.

[14:45] But then there are the moments that remind us why

[14:48] we do this. The student who finally understands a concept, they previously did not understand.

[14:54] or the child who discovers confidence in themselves

[14:58] or the former student.

[15:00] And so comes back to me and says, do you remember me as if I could ever forgive them, forget them.

[15:06] Those are the moments that had kept me at Brennenberg for 18 years. So more along the way, Brennenberg

[15:12] stopped being simply where I went to work. You became home. It certainly didn't, I didn't

[15:18] make this journey alone. To my colleagues and team members, thank you for the friendships,

[15:23] the laughter encouragement and support you make the hard days easier and the

[15:29] good days so much better to my husband Eric and my children Brandon and

[15:36] Sophia thank you for sharing me with hundreds of children over the years for

[15:41] listening to all my stories celebrating the victories and supporting me

[15:46] through every season I couldn't have continued doing something I love for this

[15:50] long without you beside me. So thank you. Muchas gracias. I want to say thank you to my parents

[15:56] for always encouraging me to work hard, believing myself and follow my dreams, especially my dad,

[16:05] my puppy, who I know would be incredibly proud, sorry, to see me standing here tonight.

[16:13] Poppy was my rock. He believed in me. He encouraged me to go after my dreams and reminded me to keep going when things got hard.

[16:23] Although he isn't here physically to celebrate with me, I carry his love, encouragement and his faith in me wherever I go.

[16:32] tonight, I carry him with me too. To the rest of my family and friends, especially

[16:39] those who are here tonight, thank you for your love and always cheering me on.

[16:45] 18 years later, I still believe in this work. I still believe in our kids and I

[16:52] still feel incredibly fortunate that I get to walk into a school that feels like

[16:58] home and I get to do something that I truly love. This recognition may say

[17:04] teacher of the month but to me it represents 18 years of hard work. It represents

[17:11] 18 years of students, families, friendships, memories, and a career that has

[17:18] given me so much. For all of that my heart is very full. Thank you.

[17:38] I am honored to be here as one of our teachers is recognized tonight as you heard, you know,

[17:46] she is an amazing teacher. She challenged our students. She makes them feel seen, valued,

[17:54] respected, and they know that they will be challenged. And so, Cruz, thank you for all the

[18:00] hard work, your commitment, your dedication, we are truly proud of you, and we love you

[18:04] very much.

[18:05] She's very deserving of this honor.

[18:07] Thank you.

[18:20] Okay, Ms. Cruz, you let us know, you used 18 years, right?

[18:27] But I want to tell you, it does matter whether it's 18 days or 18 weeks or 18 months, we can

[18:33] tell you're very, very passionate.

[18:36] Keep challenging our students.

[18:39] Thank you again.

[18:40] But

[18:47] our next recognition is the employee of the month.

[18:51] And trusty-reshotay we do to honors.

[18:55] Thank you, President Jenkins.

[18:57] Our recognition of the employee of the month, Nora Barera, from Stripes Elementary.

[19:04] Thank you for coming in front.

[19:06] Cafe Manager Nora Barera is an invaluable member of the Stripes Elementary community.

[19:12] Each day she goes above and beyond to ensure students

[19:15] to receive nutritious meals while creating a welcoming

[19:19] environment where every child feels seen cared for and valued.

[19:24] On a campus serving more than 680 students,

[19:28] her exceptional leadership, organization, flexibility,

[19:32] and positive attitude, helping sure that one of the most

[19:35] important parts of the school day runs seamlessly.

[19:39] What truly sets Ms. Varera apart is the heart she brings

[19:42] to her work.

[19:43] She understands that the campus is more than a place to eat.

[19:48] It's a space where relationships are built, connections are fostered, and students experience

[19:54] a sense of belonging.

[19:56] She consistently supports students and staff with kindness, compassion, and a willingness

[20:02] to help whatever needed.

[20:05] Her dedication to serving others creates a positive impact that extends far beyond the

[20:11] cafeteria. Campus administration is incredibly grateful for the pride Ms.

[20:18] Barrera takes in serving the stifes community and for the meaningful

[20:21] difference that she makes in the lives of students every day. Her commitment,

[20:26] care, and serving leadership makes her truly deserving of this recognition.

[20:31] Congratulations, Felicitades Senora, but Nora Barrera.

[21:42] Good evening everybody, everyone, superintendor Dr. Galindo, President Jenkins and other members

[21:50] of the board.

[21:52] Thank you for this recognition and I'm very honored and grateful to have been selected

[21:57] as employee of the month.

[21:59] Receiving this recognition means so much for me and I sincerely appreciate it.

[22:04] To my administrators and supervisors, Olga Rosenberg and Salvador Paredes, thank you

[22:13] for believing in me for recognizing my work and for giving me the opportunity to be part

[22:18] of something so meaningful.

[22:20] I appreciate the support, encouragement and trust that I receive every day.

[22:26] To my family and friends, thank you for being here on this very special day and for all the

[22:33] support I always receive from you.

[22:35] I love you so much.

[22:42] As a cafeteria manager, working in a school, nutrition school

[22:46] is more than just serving meals.

[22:48] It's an opportunity to continue to well-being of our students

[22:52] and to create a welcoming and positive environment for them

[22:55] each day.

[22:56] I am proud to be part of a team that works hard for hard

[23:01] and provide students with nutrition meals and great service.

[23:04] I would especially like to thank Ms. Rothi,

[23:08] Principal Sustypes Elementary, Ms. Williams, and Ms. Murillo.

[23:14] And all the wonderful staff from Stypes

[23:18] for always supporting me.

[23:20] To my cafeteria team, thank you.

[23:23] This recognition is not just about me.

[23:26] It's also about the wonderful people

[23:28] I have the privilege of working with every day.

[23:31] Their dedication, hard work, teamwork,

[23:34] and commitment are what makes our cafeteria successful.

[23:38] I am truly grateful for each one of them.

[23:41] This recognition motivates me to continue learning,

[23:45] improving, and giving my best every day.

[23:47] Thank you again for this meaningful recognition.

[23:51] It's an honor that I always appreciate.

[23:54] Thank you so much.

[23:56] Thank you so much, thank you.

[24:07] Good evening, super-intended Dr. Galindo,

[24:10] President Adi Jenkins and members of the board.

[24:12] I just like to add to what has already been said tonight and say how truly honored and privileged I am to be here

[24:18] It is be standing along Ms. Nauravarara

[24:21] And all our hard work and dedication she has shown us at stifes. We are so grateful that she has chosen to be part of our stifes family

[24:29] Her commitment to our school and our students truly makes a difference

[24:33] Congratulations Ms. Bharara. We're so blessed to have you with us. Thank you for everything that you do and we wish you continued success

[24:40] As congratulations again.

[25:10] nuestra escuela y por nuestros estudiantes.

[25:12] Muchas felicidades y que sigan con los exitos.

[25:15] Gracias.

[25:19] Gracias a todos.

[25:21] Yes, Ms. Laura, can you come forward, please?

[25:24] Trustee High have some comments.

[25:31] Thank you, President Jenkins.

[25:32] I really have a shoulder to the entire cafeteria

[25:38] organization of Orving ISD.

[25:40] And I have a testimony here from Ms. Rosenberger.

[25:44] The day we went to the campus to recognize her, the day before the health inspectors had

[25:52] come, and done the inspection of all the cafeteria on all our campuses.

[25:57] And out of the 35 campuses, 34 of them got A or A plus.

[26:05] And 20 of them got the highest A.

[26:08] And the health department said that our results orving ISD cafeteria inspection results

[26:19] rival or exceed those of the best local restaurants.

[26:28] But here's the special part that hugs at your heart.

[26:35] So I was talking to Ms. Rosenberger and she said, you know, Mrs. Hi, we have so many special dietary needs students.

[26:41] We get the doctors, not from them, we get the folders and on a daily basis they prepare

[26:48] special meals for those students.

[26:51] But something even better than that, she said those students are sitting having a special

[26:56] meal but they can look at their friends, plate and it looks different.

[27:01] And so for them to feel included they plan the menu to be as close to the real menu as possible.

[27:08] So, if that's not hard in Orving I's, I don't know what is.

[27:13] Let's give it up for the entire party.

[27:24] That's really awesome.

[27:25] So now we will recognize the guest, educate of the month, and trustee Randall will do

[27:31] to honors.

[27:32] Yeah, thank you, Mr. President.

[27:34] So Mr. Arrow, if you'd step up, I'll find out Mr. Arrow will his guest educator Nimitz also

[27:41] So lives right around the corner from Nimitz, if not right across the street.

[27:46] So he's down there from my neck of the woods, so I'm honored to introduce him tonight.

[27:52] So Mr. Larry Arnold with someone the Nimitz Administration can always count on to step in and

[27:56] support wherever he's needed, whether he's working with life students or assisting students in classrooms.

[28:02] He consistently demonstrates a willingness to help and do whatever is necessary to ensure student success.

[28:08] Yes, Mr. Arnold comes to campus each day with a positive attitude and a readiness to work with all students and all situations.

[28:16] It is evident that he generally cares about the NIMIT students and is committed to helping them have a successful and productive day.

[28:24] In addition to his dedication to students, Mr. Arnold has earned the respect and appreciation of the campus staff, his dependable, positive and collaborative and his presence has a meaningful impact on the NIMIT's campus culture.

[28:37] Rather than simply fulfilling expectations, he takes the time to build strong relationships

[28:43] with students and actively contributes as a value member of the Nimitz team.

[28:48] Campus administration is grateful for Mr. Arnold's flexibility, commitment, and consistent

[28:53] willingness to serve wherever needed.

[28:56] His positive attitude and dedication make him a tremendous asset to the Nimitz campus community.

[29:02] Congratulations, Mr. Arnold, for ISD's September guest educator of the month.

[30:20] Well, I guess first thing I need to do is thank everybody that's here and for this great honor that I received tonight. I was blown away, actually, when I was given to me last week. I was really surprised, but I know I deserved it. But anyway, that's my side.

[30:39] I was thinking, I don't know of any subject in the past six years that I haven't covered. I mean, from the elementary schools to the middle schools, to Nimitz,

[30:51] It seems like every time I turn around, it's a different class, especially as my favorite.

[30:58] I was certified special ed, and when I retired, I was at home one day and my wife decided

[31:05] I needed a job, so I was okay, so came up here to fill out the applications, and for too

[31:11] long I was subbing.

[31:13] And it's been an honor, it's been fun, I just watched those kids grow, I still see them

[31:18] in the neighborhood, I see him restaurants and streets and I always say hi to him, they

[31:23] always remember my name. So it's just quite an honor to be able to say, I knew you, I

[31:30] taught you, do you remember me? So it, I just don't know what to say other than it's been

[31:39] an honor. I can say it is a lot of fun. It gives me something to do. And I think I do do

[31:47] my best to teach those kids something. I don't like to just sit there. I like to be

[31:52] moving with them, doing stuff with them, doing the computer work with them, just so

[31:58] I can say yes, I understand that. And if I don't, I'll find somebody that'll do it for

[32:02] me. The time when I was at the good elementary and doing COVID and I got to teach online,

[32:12] I was doing a long term online and I always knew if I needed an answer, I asked one of those

[32:17] kids. You know, you know, if I didn't know what I said, okay, you know, what did you

[32:21] tell us? You know what it is. But that was, that was a good year when I, when I got to

[32:26] do that. So anyway, I just want to say thanks again and I hope I have a few more years left

[32:32] in me to keep doing this. So thank you.

[32:43] Board on behalf of Nimitz High School, thank you for recognizing Mr. Arnold. It's been said

[32:49] He is incredibly flexible and very dependable.

[32:53] He is an asset to our community,

[32:55] and we are very grateful that you choose to serve Nimitz.

[32:57] Thank you.

[32:58] Thank you.

[33:05] OK, we're going to pause for five seconds

[33:08] and allow the kiddos from town, the elementary

[33:12] to get to the house.

[33:13] I'm sure they have lots of homework, right?

[33:17] Or bedtime, that's right.

[33:31] No, sir.

[33:33] OK, we have a special recognition

[33:36] of the Elevate Graduates, so I would turn it over to Ms. Gomez.

[33:45] Thank you, President Jenkins, Dr. Gilinno, and members of the Board at this time,

[33:49] I'd invite Dr. Christina Felner, our Director of Professional Learning to the podium.

[33:56] Good afternoon. Good evening, President Jenkins, Superintendent Gilinno, members of the Board.

[34:02] I'm so excited to be back here in front of you.

[34:05] sharing 14 new Elevate graduates, each of these graduates has completed their

[34:13] bachelor's degree at Indiana Wesleyan University between May and September.

[34:19] And we're so excited to recognize them. Due to sickness, we do have about half of

[34:23] them that are not here tonight, so I'll still read their names because we

[34:26] definitely want to recognize them. All right, Mackenzie Davis,

[34:34] Elaine Melina,

[34:39] Christopher Moore, Melissa Rabelay, Jessica Setliffe,

[34:45] Tuscano, Guadalupe Tuscano, Maria Salvador Turcio,

[34:51] Noami Vidalas, and Juanita Marufo,

[34:53] we're not able to be with us tonight.

[34:56] Our next one, starting with our September graduates, was Stacey Bailey,

[35:03] Nelly Espinoza,

[35:10] Natalia Ortiz,

[35:14] Joan Robinson,

[35:17] and Genesis Romero.

[35:18] We

[36:18] now have a special recognition of the Texas Way District of Distinction, Dr. Smith.

[36:26] Yes, thank you, President Jenkins.

[36:28] President Jenkins, Superintendent Dr. Galindo, Board of Trustees.

[36:33] I now have the honor of introducing our Executive Director of Athletics, Mr. Mike Luttrell.

[36:39] My Director of Athletics, Ms. Natasha Stewart, they're going to come up into a special presentation for us.

[36:56] Good evening, President Jenkins, trustees, Superintendent Glendo, and Dr. Smith, our immediate

[37:03] supervisor, it's an honor to be here tonight.

[37:06] Our Athletic Department participated in the Texas Way Sportsmanship Initiative, established

[37:11] by the UIL and THSADA, Texas High School Athletic Directors Association.

[37:17] I'm an interject here, Coach Stewart, initiated this, and Ram Roddett, and has done the line

[37:22] share of the work, done a fantastic job on a fantastic program.

[37:25] So, thank you, coach.

[37:28] Every high school in the state of Texas has what the following goes, improve the level

[37:34] of sportsmanship at UIL sporting events, decrease the number of ejections at UIL sporting

[37:41] events, strengthening communities and relationships between the coaches, athletes, officials, and

[37:47] fans.

[37:48] The Texas way pillars emphasize the importance of demonstrating respect because it is who

[37:55] we are and is not determined by what the opponent does. Control of self. No matter

[38:00] the circumstances around us, we may not be in control of events and situations that

[38:05] occur, but we are in control of our responses. Third pillar is understanding that the spirit

[38:11] of competition has nothing to do with the scoreboard, and we vow to display good sportsmanship

[38:17] under all circumstances.

[38:20] So how do you become a district of distinction?

[38:24] Every athletic department student and adult participant were required to commit to the

[38:29] Texas way first.

[38:31] Data had to reflect a decrease in the number of ejections from 2425 to 2526.

[38:39] There needed to be a building of community bonds through community service as evident

[38:45] in the work that we've done, and then coaches were required to engage student athletes in a

[38:50] character development curriculum. Our department co-labored and did the work to surpass the established

[38:56] criteria to earn the recognition of being a district of distinction by the following. One hundred

[39:02] percent of our team members, adults and students, committed to the Texas way. We decreased the number

[39:08] of ejections at athletic events in our middle school and high schools combined by 50 percent. That's

[39:14] after decreasing ejections by 65% the previous year.

[39:19] Officials were celebrated by middle and high school teams

[39:21] throughout the year in various ways

[39:24] and 100% of our student athletes engaged in the two words,

[39:28] character development curriculum that's led by a coach

[39:31] one time a week, every week in season and out of season.

[39:37] In addition, the majority of our high school

[39:39] in some middle schools participated in community service

[39:43] with their teams. All three of our high school athletic programs joined forces to participate

[39:49] in the Irving Marathon to work water stations and to drape medals over the runners when

[39:55] they crossed the finish line. That became our district-wide community service event.

[40:01] Our student athletes and coaches gave up a Saturday and a Sunday on March 28th and 29th.

[40:07] We had 250 department participants show up at that event on a Saturday and a Sunday.

[40:15] It did not require practice, it was just committing to giving up their time.

[40:19] We are proud of our department for being intentional about becoming one team to collectively

[40:25] coach, play and serve our community the Texas way.

[40:29] We have established great partnerships with Irving ISDM elementary schools when our big

[40:35] football players and other student athletes as well go to the elementary and

[40:39] greet our student athletes or our students as are coming in the doors when you've got

[40:42] giant offensive lineman and defensive lineman greeting our kids our coaches our kids the kids

[40:50] at the elementary and the principals all say that it's a great day.

[40:53] It's a great bucket filler a great way to start their day.

[40:57] We also have partnerships with Irving Schools Foundation.

[41:02] We have student athletes and coaches who build bags regularly to feed some of our own students in this district.

[41:08] We partner with the Nelson, where many of our tennis kids go out and provide workouts for the tennis participants over at the Nelson.

[41:16] And we often have to remind them that they are not student athletes who are competing today that we are just trying to build a bond and connection,

[41:22] had to back them off a little bit, as well as the Irving Cares and the Rotary just to name a few organizations during this commitment initiative.

[41:32] Today is a competition night for many of our middle school people.

[41:36] We do have some folks tonight that we would like to invite to come up to the stage, our high school and middle school leadership at their campuses to join us to be recognized for the work that they have done to allow our district to be a district of distinction for the Texas way.

[41:52] Hey,

[42:51] coaches, for you walk off, just hold up for one second here, coaches.

[42:58] I just want to say to coach Luttrell,

[43:03] coach Stewart, the athletic coordinators of the,

[43:08] some of the campuses, this is a big deal, I understand that.

[43:16] I'm on the other side as a basketball official.

[43:21] So I understand what it means to have good character leadership and sportsmanship.

[43:26] You can, when you walk on campuses, when you walk in the gym, and you walk just there,

[43:31] you can tell when schools put, and leadership put emphasis on that.

[43:37] And that's a big deal because that goes far beyond the school board.

[43:44] No one loves winning more than I do, but I tell you, when you know that student athletes

[43:48] police has been raised properly and taken care of on the campus.

[43:53] It shows up in life.

[43:55] So that's a big deal.

[43:56] And I was just, I just went over it.

[43:58] I was Googling it.

[44:00] And I don't think y'all did it justice.

[44:03] That distinction is one of 39 in the state.

[44:08] So I looked that up out of 1,200 and 7 districts.

[44:12] So that's a huge deal right there.

[44:16] And I think that should be reported.

[44:19] I know that this is, I think this is second, yeah, I've been hearing about this, but I just want to let each and every one of your coaches know that this is not just something you just come and present and just going about your business.

[44:32] This is big for us, this says a lot about our district, it says a lot about you raising up and help grow those students at least.

[44:41] So again, thank you and we want to share those sentiments with you.

[44:54] We're at announcements, so Dr. G, it's on you.

[44:58] That's me.

[45:00] So last week I had the opportunity to meet with our mayor, the mayor of Irving, to talk about something we both care very deeply about. It's the future of our community. We discussed opportunities to better align the work of Irving ISD and the city of Irving, including partnerships with our schools, higher education, local businesses, and community organizations. I left the conversation excited about what's possible when our city and our school district works together with

[45:29] the shared purpose. So Mayor Zapata, if you're watching tonight, just to shout out to you.

[45:35] Our students are not just a future of Irving. They are Irving. I look forward to strengthening

[45:41] our partnership and turning our conversations into meaningful opportunities for our students,

[45:46] staff, families, and community. I'm also very proud to share that. For the second consecutive

[45:55] of Year Irving ISD has earned a perfect score of 100 on the School Financial Integrity

[46:00] Rating System of Texas.

[46:02] I know President Taink instead deserves an applause.

[46:08] It's also called the first rating, so according to our preliminary results, this achievement

[46:14] builds on six consecutive years of superior ratings and reflects our district's long-standing

[46:19] commitment to responsible financial management.

[46:21] But I also want to take a little moment to recognize our finance team, central office

[46:27] departments and campus leaders for the care and discipline that they demonstrate a

[46:32] stewards of taxpayer dollars.

[46:34] This perfect score together with the recent adoption of our lower tax rate and balance

[46:39] budget reinforces our commitment to transparency and our responsible use of resources to support

[46:45] our students classrooms and essential services.

[46:50] Transitioning now to even more better news, urbanized these students continue to reach

[46:55] new heights on our advanced placement courses.

[46:58] Preliminary 2026 results show that 44% of nearly 5,000 AP exams taken across our district

[47:05] are in qualifying scores up from 41% last year and 34% in 2024.

[47:13] for our campuses achieved impressive gains, including

[47:17] Irving High School earning 683 qualifying scores,

[47:21] the highest total in district history

[47:24] for the third consecutive year.

[47:27] And MacArthur High School achieving the district's

[47:29] highest qualifying percentage among high schools at 53%.

[47:34] We are so excited to see the success beginning

[47:36] before high school, 68% of AP exams taken by eighth grade

[47:41] made dual language students at Travis Middle School earn qualifying scores.

[47:46] I think that deserves an applause before I close it.

[47:53] These results reflect the hard work of our students, our teachers, our staff, as well as our continued commitment to expanding across rigorous academic opportunities for our students.

[48:05] So congratulations to everyone who helped our students achieve this outstanding growth.

[48:11] That's all for me, Mr. Jenkins.

[48:13] Awesome. Okay. Board reports. We'll start with Trustee Rishartey.

[48:19] Thank you, President Jenkins. Bain that I retired and so I'm able to attend a lot of the events that go on in the city of Irving and

[48:29] very proud to be able to go to these events, especially right now in the beginning of the school year. So we attended the, it was some of us to the summer graduation.

[48:40] I've attended some of the football games.

[48:43] I also go to the Irving School Foundation Surprise Visits

[48:46] that they have throughout the district.

[48:50] And this past couple weeks ago,

[48:53] we did the Mass by Conference,

[48:55] at least, and I did that conference in San Antonio.

[48:59] And so, really a good conference to go to.

[49:02] I also attended the Cotton Bowl

[49:06] with the Irving School Foundation Surprise Visit

[49:09] And John Hayley had got recognition on that one from the Cotton Bowl Foundation over

[49:19] at AT&T.

[49:21] And then we had the college career night at Irving in Singley.

[49:27] So we saw a lot of students there very enthusiastic about it.

[49:31] We've met some families and even some students that have been together or had met each other

[49:36] since elementary.

[49:38] And so there was a couple of those really exciting kids going from elementary now in senior

[49:43] and so they're even thinking about going to the same college, maybe.

[49:47] And then this last week we did the North Texas NCAA SBF, I forgot what it's said for.

[49:54] So that was that and then I also attended September personal business that we have throughout

[50:00] the every month.

[50:01] And of course, the first pepperally that peppered at Bending Bird to celebrate their success.

[50:07] And I want to do a shout out to our first desk receptionist that at every school then

[50:13] keeps smiling.

[50:14] Thank you.

[50:16] And I know Trusted Restart is being very modest.

[50:18] That's probably a fraction of the things that she goes to around the district.

[50:22] So that's very noticeable and we appreciate it.

[50:25] Trusted snap.

[50:26] So

[50:29] I got to attend the Cotton Bowl Foundation presentation to John Haley's three teachers

[50:39] that each received $1,000 and then they presented the principal with a $50,000 check to redo

[50:47] their library and she was ecstatic.

[50:50] It was just such an amazing presentation and we're just so thankful for foundations outside

[50:57] of Irving Schools Foundation because they already do so much for us, but we're also just thankful

[51:03] for the outside foundations that come in and donate to our schools and just really love

[51:09] on our teachers and kids in the principals.

[51:13] Thank you so much, Trustee Locke.

[51:17] Most of your school board trustees have been busy attending various conferences and workshops

[51:23] jobs for school board and governance training.

[51:27] The organization that Trustee Richarté mentioned is the North Texas Area Association of School

[51:33] Boards, and some of us got to go to that the other night at Denton High School.

[51:40] But some of the sessions that we attend are networking opportunities, where we can exchange

[51:47] information with trustees from other districts across the region and the state and learn

[51:52] best practices and governance, along with ideas for new or existing programs.

[51:58] Training is crucial for an effective trustee.

[52:01] On this board, we have three master trustees, along with some long-term trustees, with extensive experience in school board governance.

[52:12] The combined years of experience of our board exceeds 40.

[52:15] And our community is fortunate to have these wise, dedicated, and diligent elected volunteers

[52:22] serving and supporting the work of Irving ISD, and in a position to mentor our two newly elected

[52:31] trustees.

[52:32] We have high hopes that they too will become highly trained and experienced in school board

[52:37] governance and best practices, and will help move Irving ISD into the future with exciting

[52:43] improvements in outcomes and facilities.

[52:47] This Board majority will always act in the best interest of children.

[52:52] Our goal is to support the mission and vision of Irving ISD and to make decisions that support

[52:58] the board goals.

[53:00] By the way, you can find all the information concerning the bond election on the website

[53:08] and in multiple printed items around the district.

[53:10] You may also visit the district's Facebook page to find correct and factual information

[53:17] about the four bond propositions.

[53:20] If you are over 65 or disabled with homestead exemption, you cannot have any increase in

[53:27] property taxes over your approved tax seedling.

[53:31] The state requires we print a statement saying this is an increase in property taxes even

[53:37] Even when there may not be an increase.

[53:41] Early voting starts October 19th and Election Day is November 3rd.

[53:47] Your vote can impact the effectiveness of our school district.

[53:51] Please educate yourselves and remember public schools when you go to the polls.

[53:56] Every vote matters.

[53:59] It remains an honor to serve the 27,000 plus students of Irving Icedee and this community.

[54:06] Thank you.

[54:08] Thank you.

[54:09] Trustee High.

[54:14] All right.

[54:16] Trustee Schroop.

[54:17] I've had the pleasure of going to Freshman and JV football games and it was very hot

[54:26] outside and these kids were just running and I felt like I had to work out myself but

[54:32] But let me tell you something, shout out to MacArthur Freshman parents.

[54:37] Those stands are packed for those kids, it was just great to see.

[54:42] So go MacArthur.

[54:46] All right, Trustee Randall.

[54:49] Thank you, President Jenkins.

[54:51] Well, unlike Mary, I'm not retired and have to work.

[54:57] So I went to three events that she went to and the rest I didn't make.

[55:01] so she just reports back to me on what's going on so that's all right but I

[55:08] would just encourage everyone to get out to our Friday night Thursday Friday

[55:12] night football games support our teams it's not very expensive and it's a good

[55:17] entertainment for the family and see our student athletes compete and they're

[55:23] doing very well this year very competitive so it's fun to watch so I encourage

[55:27] I encourage you to come out and watch our guys play.

[55:31] Thanks again everyone for those reports.

[55:34] The night is far spent, I would forego my comments on activities, but we're going to jump right into the consent agenda.

[55:43] These are items that we've discussed in details in the work in session, so we won't entertain any more discussion on this and at this time I would like to call for a motion.

[55:57] As a consent agenda be approved.

[56:01] Okay, motion's been made by Trustee Randall and

[56:05] seconded by Trustee Schrupp.

[56:07] So this time, like the call for vote on us,

[56:19] and that passes 7-0.

[56:22] Item B, consider approval of first and final reading of revisions to CH local,

[56:28] DGBA local, FNG local, and GF local.

[56:33] Mr. Newt.

[56:34] My

[56:47] apologies, I'm looking for that.

[56:49] Mr. Newton, let me save you some time, I've been corrected by Dr. G.

[56:55] So is there any discussion amongst the board members on that?

[57:00] Because we don't just just, okay.

[57:02] All right, at this time like call for motion.

[57:14] I would like to second the motion.

[57:16] Okay, motion's been made by Trustee Hyde and seconded by Trustee Law.

[57:21] Any discussion on that item?

[57:25] I like call for vote.

[57:26] All right,

[57:36] and that's the 7-0 item C. We're considering the approval of the certificate of compliance with certain laws under Texas Education Code 39.008 as enacted by Senate Bill 12, which is the 89th Texas legislative session.

[57:56] So again, that's been talked about with Mr. Newt, so I want to ask for motion on that one.

[58:07] I would like to make a motion that we approve the certificate of compliance with certain laws under Texas Education Code 39.008 as enacted by Senate Bill 12 of the 89 Texas legislative session.

[58:27] I'll second that.

[58:28] Okay, motion has been made by Trustee Loeb and secondly, by Trustee Snap.

[58:32] Is there any discussion like to have on that item?

[58:36] See, there are none like the call for a vote,

[58:46] and that passes 7-0.

[58:48] And lastly, item D, when we are considering and

[58:52] taking possible action to authorize the administration to market and

[58:56] pursue the sale of district-owned real estate located at 4,200 Valley View Lane,

[59:02] and Irving, Texas, I'd like to call for a motion on that.

[59:14] Hi, Secondary.

[59:15] Okay, a motion's been made by Trustee Hyde.

[59:18] Secondary by Trustee Rishartey.

[59:20] Is there any discussion?

[59:22] Any other discussion on that?

[59:25] Being there is none.

[59:26] I'm like, a call for vote.

[1:00:01] Okay, that passes 7-0. All right, so I have one more line of business here. We have some comments, some public comments, and I'm going to apologize in advance. I'm trying to read this, but the first person I would like to call up is, I think that's corn.

[1:00:23] It's a corn, sure, on.

[1:00:27] I'm saying it's a wrong. You probably said, that's not my name.

[1:00:33] Look like,

[1:00:36] 6-0-4. I'm having trouble reading this.

[1:00:44] Okay.

[1:00:47] We're moving on, so I like to call Scarlett Lopez Bedillo.

[1:00:56] You come up, King, before you start speaking, you have three minutes. Can you just

[1:01:00] give your address and we're not going to start the time until you give your address

[1:01:06] and start speaking.

[1:01:08] 3208 La Sombra Street, Grand Prix, Texas 75050 Good evening, everyone.

[1:01:16] My name is Scarlett Lepasadillo. I am a founder of Beyond the Score. I'm here today with my friend Lam Chong.

[1:01:22] A few months ago, we started our sophomore year at Jackie Easing the Academy,

[1:01:26] excited for the new learning opportunities and to be able to see our fans again.

[1:01:30] But right away one thing kept coming over in our classrooms, testing.

[1:01:35] We were told that the district would require us to take a test in every single class, even

[1:01:42] electives and fine arts, which would disrupt our schedules for a whole week.

[1:01:46] Honestly, we got tired before it began.

[1:01:49] We felt the burnout setting in.

[1:01:51] We started asking ourselves that this is really what school supposed to feel like.

[1:01:55] We want to make one thing clear.

[1:01:57] We're not against the system, nor are we asking for easier classes, lower standards, or zero

[1:02:02] testing.

[1:02:03] We understand that assessments are part of our education, but we are here to look closely

[1:02:10] at the academic, physical, and mental toll it takes on us.

[1:02:15] And we're asking here a question.

[1:02:17] When do assessments stop being helpful and start getting in the way?

[1:02:20] When school strictly becomes about a test score, we lose the actual joy of learning.

[1:02:25] One says may not seem like much, but students simultaneously take various classes, have

[1:02:31] family responsibilities, extracurriculars, and all of the others of the come with being

[1:02:36] a student that's a teenager.

[1:02:39] It hits deeply close to home for me.

[1:02:42] I come from a Hispanic immigrant family, and in our culture, our parents sacrifice everything

[1:02:47] to give us a future.

[1:02:48] They tell us to learn and to study and to consume everything that's given to us in those

[1:02:53] classrooms.

[1:02:54] but during testing weeks that training feels buried under exhaustion.

[1:02:58] We find ourselves being tested too often on basic repetitive concepts,

[1:03:02] then deep and meaningful material.

[1:03:04] This has to change because of our goals.

[1:03:08] Right now, I'm in the law enforcement pathway,

[1:03:10] taking dual credit classes, working toward a real career.

[1:03:15] On the real world, especially in the law enforcement,

[1:03:17] you need to think critically, split second judgment,

[1:03:22] and hands-on skills, you need to know way more than how to bubble on a basic multiple-choice

[1:03:28] sheet.

[1:03:29] We are taught from a young age, then critically, and to ask big questions, so that's exactly

[1:03:34] what we're doing here today.

[1:03:35] By examining the system that we're part of, we're not asking you to take just a word for

[1:03:40] it.

[1:03:40] Listen to the educational research, listen to the teachers who have to alter their lesson

[1:03:45] plans, listen to the parents who watch to the children every single day come home exhausted.

[1:03:50] We are more than scores on the report.

[1:03:52] We are students being educated today and prepared for tomorrow.

[1:03:55] We are beyond score.

[1:03:56] Thank you for your time.

[1:03:59] Thank you for those comments, Scarlett.

[1:04:02] And with that being said, this meeting is a join.

Sep 21, 2026 Board of Trustees

Transcript