THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE LAMAR CONSOLIDATED INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT IS CALLED TO ORDER AT 6:30 P.M..
THIS IS A REGULAR BOARD. REGULAR MONTHLY BOARD MEETING BEING HELD ON DECEMBER 17TH, 2024. WE HAVE A QUORUM WITH FIVE MEMBERS PRESENT. WE HAVE TWO MEMBERS ABSENT. WE HAVE TRUSTEE HUBINEK ABSENT. WE HAVE VICE PRESIDENT HADSELL. PLEASE JOIN ME IN A MOMENT OF SILENCE TO OBSERVE AS YOU FEEL APPROPRIATE. THANK YOU. PLEASE STAND AND JOIN ME FOR THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE AND THE PLEDGE TO THE TEXAS FLAG, LED BY SIXTH GRADER COLE WONG FROM ROBERTS MIDDLE SCHOOL. HERE. I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL. HONOR THE TEXAS FLAG. I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THEE. TEXAS. ONE STATE UNDER GOD, ONE INDIVISIBLE. GREAT JOB. THANK YOU. YOU MAY BE SEATED. ALL RIGHT. NEXT WE WILL HAVE AGENDA. OUR RECOGNITIONS AND AWARDS. DOCTOR NIVENS. YES, SIR. WE DO HAVE SOME. WE'LL HAVE MISS COLE-HAMILTON COME TO THE FRONT. GOOD EVENING. BOARD PRESIDENT, TRUSTEES, DOCTOR NIVENS AND THE LAMAR CISD COMMUNITY AND THOSE WHO HAVE JOINED US IN PERSON OR VIRTUALLY. TONIGHT, WE'VE CONTINUED AN EXCITING AND SUCCESSFUL FALL SEMESTER ACROSS BOTH ACADEMICS AND ATHLETICS. AND TONIGHT WE HAVE A GROUP WITH US CELEBRATING A STATE ACHIEVEMENT. A STAFF MEMBER WHOSE ADVOCACY AT THE STATEWIDE LEVEL WILL BRING POSITIVE IMPACTS TO OUR STUDENTS AND SCHOOLS, AND A DISTINGUISHED GRADUATE HERE ONCE AGAIN TO SHARE HER ARTISTIC TALENTS WITH OUR COMMUNITY. BUT FIRST UP, THIS EVENING WE ARE PROUD TO RECOGNIZE THE EXCEPTIONAL CONTRIBUTIONS OF OUR DIRECTOR OF TALENT DEVELOPMENT, MISS JAMIE VINCENT. JAMIE, COME ON UP. STAND RIGHT HERE, JAMIE, WHILE I BRAG ON YOU. HER DEDICATION AND INNOVATIVE LEADERSHIP HAVE CREATED TRANSFORMATIVE OPPORTUNITIES FOR ASPIRING TEACHERS IN OUR COMMUNITY. IN FEBRUARY 2023, LAMAR CCSD LAUNCHED ITS FIRST EVER TEACHER CERTIFICATION COHORT. AS APPLICATIONS WERE REVIEWED, IT BECAME APPARENT THAT MANY INDIVIDUALS FROM OUR DIVERSE COMMUNITY FACE SIGNIFICANT CHALLENGES IN PASSING THE TEST OF ENGLISH AS A FOREIGN LANGUAGE, OR TOEFL, WHICH IS A REQUIREMENT FOR ENTRY INTO TEXAS TEACHER CERTIFICATION PROGRAMS. RECOGNIZING THIS BARRIER, MISS VINCENT, IN COLLABORATION WITH THE WORLD WITH OUR WORLD LANGUAGE DEPARTMENTS, INTRODUCED A TOEFL PREP COURSE OVER A FOUR MONTH PERIOD. 18 OF OUR STAFF MEMBERS ENROLLED IN THE COURSE AND SIX SUCCESSFULLY PASSED THE TEST. BUT FURTHER RESEARCH REVEALED THAT ONLY 39% OF REPORTED TOEFL SCORES BETWEEN JANUARY AND MARCH 23RD MET THE CURRENT PASSING THRESHOLD. ADDITIONALLY, THE SCORE REQUIREMENTS FOR THIS CERTIFICATION, THE CERTIFICATION PROGRAMS WERE FOUND TO BE TEN POINTS HIGHER THAN THOSE FOR ADMISSION INTO ANY TEXAS PUBLIC UNIVERSITY, AND THIS INEQUITY POSED A SIGNIFICANT HURDLE FOR ASPIRING EDUCATORS. SO IN RESPONSE, VINCENT TOOK DECISIVE ACTION, AND IN FEBRUARY 2024, SHE SUBMITTED A GROUNDBREAKING RECOMMENDATION TO THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION EDUCATOR CERTIFICATION, WHICH IS SBEC, TO RECONSIDER THE PASSING STANDARD FOR ASPIRING TEACHERS TO THE HIGH INTERMEDIATE LEVEL. HER PROPOSAL GAINED MOMENTUM, RECEIVING SBEC APPROVAL IN SEPTEMBER 2024 AND PROCEEDING TO THE TEXAS STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION FOR REVIEW. AND JUST LAST MONTH, THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION UNANIMOUSLY APPROVED THE RECOMMENDATION IN A70 VOTE, AND THIS CHANGE WILL OFFICIALLY TAKE PLACE AND TAKE EFFECT IN THE TEXAS ADMINISTRATIVE CODE, CHAPTER 230 ON JANUARY 7TH, 2025. THROUGHOUT THIS RIGOROUS PROCESS, VINCENT STOOD AS A STEADFAST ADVOCATE, PROVIDING TESTIMONY AND ANSWERING CRITICAL QUESTIONS TO SUPPORT THE PROPOSAL, AND HER UNWAVERING DEDICATION HAS PAVED THE WAY FOR MORE BILINGUAL, CERTIFIED TEACHERS TO JOIN OUR CLASSROOM. HER EFFORTS EXEMPLIFY THE CORE VALUES IN LAMAR ISD, AND WE ARE DEFINITELY APPRECIATIVE FOR STATEWIDE ADVOCACY. CONGRATULATIONS, MISS JAMIE VINCENT. SO HERE WE GO. RIGHT HERE. ALL RIGHT, SO, MISS VINCENT WE'RE GOING TO PRESENT TO YOU THE PASSION FOR PEOPLE AWARD. SO YOUR EFFORTS WILL HAVE A LASTING IMPACT ON THE LAMAR STUDENTS, STAFF AND COMMUNITY. FROM THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES AND DOCTOR NIVENS NOT ONLY LAMAR CIC, BUT THE WHOLE STATE WILL BENEFIT FROM YOUR ADVOCACY WORK AND ALL THAT. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SEEING PEOPLE AND DOING WHAT YOU NEED TO DO TO MAKE SURE THEY BE SEEN AND THAT THEY'RE EMPOWERED TO TEACH. SO THANK YOU.
OKAY. AND THIS EVENING, WE'RE ALSO EXCITED TO RECOGNIZE THE FULCHER CHARGERS VOLLEYBALL TEAM, WHO MADE AN INCREDIBLE RUN TO THE UIL SIX A DIVISION ONE STATE FINALS JUST BEFORE THANKSGIVING BREAK, FINISHING AS STATE RUNNER UP. THIS ACHIEVEMENT MARKS A REMARKABLE MILESTONE FOR THE PROGRAM, WHICH BEGAN ONLY IN 2018 FOLLOWING THE SCHOOL'S OPENING IN 2017. AND OVER THE PAST SIX YEARS, FULCHER HAS COMPETED AT THE STATE LEVEL IN FOUR A, FIVE A AND NOW SIX A. SENIORS, BAILEY WARREN AND ALEXIS JAMES, WERE NAMED TO THE PRESTIGIOUS UIL STATE TOURNAMENT TEAM, SHOWCASING THEIR STELLAR PERFORMANCES. COACH ZIMMERMAN'S LEADERSHIP HAS BEEN KEY IN DEVELOPING A WINNING PROGRAM, AND WE ARE EXTREMELY PROUD OF THE SUCCESS THIS TEAM HAS DISPLAYED. TEAM MEMBERS INCLUDE YOUR SOUL ADELAKUN. SHE'S A SENIOR, GRADUATING THIS YEAR. ACADEMIC ALL-DISTRICT FIRST TEAM ALL DISTRICT SYDNI BLACK. SENIOR ACADEMIC ALL-DISTRICT, FIRST TEAM, ALL DISTRICT, DISTRICT DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR AND NHSCA ALL-STATE CARLY CARAWAY SENIOR ACADEMIC, ALL DISTRICT, DISTRICT HONORABLE MENTION. KENNEDI CARTER, SENIOR ACADEMIC, ALL DISTRICT. EMILY CROSS, JUNIOR ACADEMIC, ALL DISTRICT CAMERON BUZZETTA, SENIOR ACADEMIC, ALL DISTRICT. SHANIA HARRIS, JUNIOR ACADEMIC, ALL DISTRICT ALEXIS JAMES SENIOR ACADEMIC ALL-DISTRICT FIRST TEAM. ALL DISTRICT. DISTRICT SETTER OF THE YEAR. STATE ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM HSCA ALL-STATE. NOELLE KOSINSKI SENIOR ACADEMIC ALL DISTRICT ADDISON LEDNICKY SENIOR ACADEMIC ALL-DISTRICT AND FIRST TEAM ALL DISTRICT KAYLA. KIANA LOPEZ JUNIOR ACADEMIC ALL-DISTRICT, SECOND TEAM ALL DISTRICT KYLIE MITCHEL SENIOR ACADEMIC, ALL-DISTRICT DISTRICT. HONORABLE MENTION. AVERY PREWITT. SENIOR. ACADEMIC ALL-DISTRICT FIRST TEAM. ALL DISTRICT. JADA SKINNER. FRESHMAN. ACADEMIC ALL-DISTRICT SECOND TEAM. ALL DISTRICT. DAISY VOSKUIL JUNIOR ACADEMIC. ALL DISTRICT. SECOND TEAM. ALL DISTRICT. SHANE VOSKUIL SOPHOMORE. ACADEMIC ALL-DISTRICT. FIRST TEAM. ALL DISTRICT. BAILEY WARREN SENIOR ACADEMIC ALL-DISTRICT. FIRST TEAM. ALL DISTRICT. DISTRICT MVP. STATE ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM AND ALL-STATE. HCA. ARIA. ARIA WATSON. SOPHOMORE ACADEMIC ALL-DISTRICT. FIRST TEAM ALL DISTRICT AND DISTRICT BLOCKER OF THE YEAR. AND LAUREN WITTY SENIOR ACADEMIC ALL-DISTRICT FIRST TEAM ALL DISTRICT. WE APPLAUD OUR GIRLS VOLLEYBALL TEAM FOR THEIR INCREDIBLE PERFORMANCES, COMMITMENT AND SPORTSMANSHIP. THEY EMBODY THE SPIRIT OF EXCELLENCE AND TEAMWORK THAT WE VALUE IN ATHLETIC PROGRAMS. WE CELEBRATE THEIR ACHIEVEMENTS. GOOD JOB LADIES. AND FINALLY THIS EVENING WE HAVE A SPECIAL PRESENTATION OF A BRAND NEW ARTWORK CREATED FOR THE DISTRICT BY ONE OF OUR DISTINGUISHED GRADUATES OF THE CLASS OF 2023, ACCLAIMED ARTIST AND FOSTER HIGH SCHOOL ALUM MIA HOCHMAN'S WORK WAS ALREADY MAKING WAVES LONG BEFORE GRADUATION. AS A JUNIOR, SHE WON THE RESERVE GRAND CHAMPION SPOT IN THE HOUSTON LIVESTOCK SHOW AND RODEO ART AUCTION, AND HER SUBMISSION THAT YEAR, TITLED PARTNERS IN TIME, SOLD AT AUCTION FOR AN EXTRAORDINARY $265,000, SETTING A RECORD FOR THE SCHOOL ART AUCTION, A RECORD THAT LASTED EXACTLY ONE WHOLE YEAR UNTIL MIA RETURNED WITH HER SENIOR YEAR AND BROKE THAT RECORD. HER SENIOR ARTWORK SUBMISSION, OUR LAST ROUNDUP, TOOK THE TOP GRAND CHAMPION PRIZE AND WENT FOR A STUNNING $275,000 AT THAT YEAR'S AUCTION, SETTING YET ANOTHER RECORD. AFTER GRADUATING, MIA HAS BEEN BUSY STUDYING AT THE SAVANNAH COLLEGE OF ART AND DESIGN, BUT WE ARE LUCKY ENOUGH TO HAVE HER WITH US THIS EVENING HERE TONIGHT, AND ESPECIALLY EXCITED TO ANNOUNCE THE COMPLETION OF HER LATEST PROJECT, A SPECIAL COMMISSION WORK DEPICTING OUR SIX CURRENT COME ON UP MIA LAMAR HIGH SCHOOL MASCOTS, WHICH WILL PROUDLY BE DISPLAYED HERE AT THE BRAZOS COSTING ADMIN BUILDING. SERVING AS AN ONGOING SHOWCASE OF MIA'S OUTSTANDING WORK AND AMAZING TALENT. THERE'S NO DOUBT THAT MIA AND HER ART ARE GOING PLACES, AND IT'S WITH GREAT PRIDE THAT WE WELCOME HER HERE THIS EVENING TO PRESENT THIS COMMISSION PIECE TO OUR BOARD OF TRUSTEES. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH, MAYOR. WE APPRECIATE IT. DOCTOR. THAT'S ALL THE RECOGNITIONS AT THIS TIME.
ALL RIGHT. GOOD EVENING. TRUSTEES. NEXT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE INTRODUCTIONS OF NEW EMPLOYEES TO LCISD. PRESIDENT LAMBERT AND BOARD OF TRUSTEES. TONIGHT, I AM PROUD TO INTRODUCE THE NEW AREA SUPERINTENDENT FOR THE GOLD TRACK. DOCTOR, RHONDA MASON. DOCTOR MASON WAS BORN AND RAISED IN COLD SPRING, TEXAS. SHE'S A PROUD GRADUATE OF SAM HOUSTON STATE UNIVERSITY, WHERE SHE RECEIVED HER BACHELOR'S DEGREE. THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT ARLINGTON, WHERE SHE RECEIVED HER MASTER'S DEGREE, AND AGAIN FROM SAM HOUSTON STATE. FROM SAM HOUSTON STATE UNIVERSITY, WHERE SHE EARNED HER DOCTORAL, HER DOCTORATE IN EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP. DOCTOR MASON COMES TO US FROM FORT BEND ISD, WHERE SHE RECENTLY SERVED AS ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS. RONDA HAS A TOTAL OF 23 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE IN THE FIELD OF EDUCATION IN VARIOUS DISTRICTS, SERVING IN NUMEROUS ROLES SUCH AS A CAMPUS TEACHER, CAMPUS ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL, CAMPUS PRINCIPAL. ALSO AS A PROGRAM SPECIALIST. PROGRAM MANAGER AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR. DOCTOR. MASON HAS ALSO SERVED AS A NATIONAL CONSULTANT FOR THE HIGH SCHOOL REFORM PROJECT. ATTENDING WITH DOCTOR MASON TONIGHT IS HER HUSBAND, RYAN MASON, AND SONS TRISTAN AND ELLIS. MASON. LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, PLEASE WELCOME THE NEWEST AREA SUPERINTENDENT TO LCISD. DOCTOR, RHONDA MASON. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK. YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT WE WILL HAVE INTRODUCTIONS OF OUR LCISD POLICE OFFICERS. OH. THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING, DOCTOR NIVENS, BOARD OF TRUSTEES, MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY. I HAVE THE HONOR AND PRIVILEGE TONIGHT TO INTRODUCE YOU TO OUR TWO NEW LIEUTENANTS FOR LAMAR CISD POLICE DEPARTMENT. FIRST, I GET THE OPPORTUNITY TO INTRODUCE YOU TO LIEUTENANT CHRISTIAN NICHOLS. HE WAS BORN NEAR WASHINGTON, D.C., AND RAISED OUTSIDE OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN. AT THE AGE OF 24, HE MOVED TO TEXAS IN 2009 TO BEGIN HIS LAW ENFORCEMENT CAREER WITH THE HARRIS COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE AS A JAILER. IN 2010, HE JOINED THE ROSENBERG POLICE DEPARTMENT AS A PATROL OFFICER, AND IN 2014 HE WAS ASSIGNED TO THE SRO DIVISION OF ROSENBERG TO SERVE HERE AT LAMAR CISD. HE IS A 15 YEAR LAW ENFORCEMENT VETERAN MASTERPIECE OFFICER WHO HAS BEEN WITH THE LAMAR ISD POLICE DEPARTMENT SINCE THE DEPARTMENT STARTED IN 2021. HE HAS HELD THE RANK OF SERGEANT WITH THE LAMAR PD UNTIL HIS RECENT PROMOTION TO LIEUTENANT. HE HOLDS A BACHELOR'S DEGREE FROM COLUMBIA SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY IN BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION, ALONG WITH HIS ASSOCIATE'S DEGREE IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE. HE IS JOINED HERE TONIGHT WITH HIS WIFE, MELISSA, AND HIS DAUGHTER, MAGGIE. LIEUTENANT NICHOLS. LAST BUT NOT CERTAINLY LEAST, I'D LIKE TO PRESENT LIEUTENANT LESLIE VAUGHT. LIEUTENANT VAUGHT IS A LONG TIME FORT BEND COUNTY RESIDENT AND 2323 YEAR VETERAN OF LAW ENFORCEMENT. SHE GRADUATED FROM HERE TERRY HIGH SCHOOL IN 2000, AND AFTER THAT, SHE JOINED THE FORT BEND COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE AT 19 YEARS OF AGE AS A JAILER. SHE BECAME A CERTIFIED PEACE OFFICER AND JOINED THE FORT BEND ISD POLICE DEPARTMENT IN 2005, WHERE SHE WAS ASSIGNED AS THE CAMPUS OFFICER FOR ELKINS HIGH SCHOOL. IN 2012, SHE REJOINED THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE AT THE RANK OF DETECTIVE AND WAS ASSIGNED TO THE SPECIAL CRIMES DIVISION, WHERE SHE WAS LATER PROMOTED INTO THE RANK OF SERGEANT AND SERVED THERE UNTIL UNTIL RECENTLY. SHE HAS JOINED HERE TONIGHT WITH HER HUSBAND, WHO IS A SERGEANT WITH THE FORT BEND COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE. EDDIE VAUGHN, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, LIEUTENANT VAUGHT. THANK YOU. OKAY. OKAY. THANK YOU. NO.
THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. PRESIDENT LAMBERT, THAT CONCLUDES OUR INTRODUCTIONS THIS EVENING. WE WILL NOW HAVE BOARD MEMBER REPORTS AND SHOUT OUTS. TRUSTEE. PLEASE KEEP YOUR COMMENTS TO 1 OR 2 MINUTES. JOHN TRUSTEE. SINCE WE LAST GATHERED, I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO RUN AROUND WITH THE LEAF EXPRESS. THIS WAS MY FIRST TIME TO DO THIS AND I WENT TO THE GOLD TRACK SCHOOLS. AND I WANT TO MENTION TWO OF THE FOLKS ON THE BUS. IT WAS A FUN BUS RIDE. WE WENT TO SEVEN DIFFERENT SCHOOLS. BEVERLY RICHARD, WHO IS THE PRESIDENT OF THE LEAF BOARD, WAS ON BOARD, BUT ALSO OUR VERY OWN SONIA COLE-HAMILTON. SHE WAS THERE AND SHE HELPED ORGANIZE US GOING INTO EACH BUILDING AND AND REALLY MAKING A GREAT PRESENTATION FOR ALL THE TEACHERS THAT WE HANDED OUT FREE MONEY TO. AS FAR AS THESE ARE TEACHERS WHO APPLY FOR GRANTS, AND THIS IS ONE OF OUR NONPROFITS THAT RAISES MONEY FOR THESE TEACHERS, FOR THESE, FOR CLASSROOM PROJECTS. SO IT WAS IT WAS A REALLY FUN AFTERNOON. FUN MORNING AND AFTERNOON. I JUST WANTED TO GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO MISS SMITH AT JACKSON IN ELEMENTARY AND I DON'T KNOW THE MUSIC TEACHER'S NAME, BUT THEY DID A PROGRAM THE OTHER NIGHT AND IT WAS SO GOOD. IT WAS IT WAS VERY GOOD, TALENTED KIDS AND JUST WANTED TO LET THEM KNOW HOW GOOD IT WAS. MISS DANZINGER. OKAY, YOU KNOW ME. I DON'T FOLLOW ALL THE RULES, BUT IT'S JUST BEEN SUCH A BUSY TIME SINCE WE LAST MET. AND I DO HAVE ABOUT THREE BIG SHOUT OUTS. ONE OF THEM AUSTIN ELEMENTARY, DID THEIR FIRST NATIONAL ELEMENTARY HONOR SOCIETY CEREMONY A FEW WEEKS AGO ON DECEMBER 3RD, AND I SAID THE SCHOOL'S ALMOST 35 YEARS OLD, SO YOU CAN TEACH AN OLD DOG NEW TRICKS. IT WAS A BEAUTIFUL CEREMONY, AND IT WAS A PORTION OF IT THAT I HAD NOT SEEN BEFORE, WHERE THE KIDS CAME BACK AFTER THEY GOT THEIR PINS AND ONE PARENT WAS BROUGHT DOWN TO PIN THEIR CHILD, AND THERE WERE TEARS IN DADDY'S EYES, SO I WAS I WAS KIND OF EMOTIONAL. I THOUGHT, THIS REALLY HITS HOME OF WHAT WE'RE DOING WITH OUR KIDS AND MAKING THEM FEEL PROUD, AND THEIR PARENTS FEEL PROUD. SO THANK YOU TO AUSTIN ELEMENTARY FOR SUCH A BEAUTIFUL CEREMONY. AND THEN THE NEXT DAY THE RETIRED TEACHERS, FORT BEND RETIRED TEACHERS WE HAD I HAD TO STOP EARLY THE GRANT PATROL BECAUSE I HAD TO RUN OVER TO RANDALL HIGH SCHOOL. THE CULINARY DEPARTMENT DID OUR HOLIDAY LUNCH THIS YEAR, AND IT WAS WONDERFUL. THE STUDENTS WERE SO PROUD OF THEMSELVES. THEY KEPT SAYING, WE CUT OUT THOSE COOKIES, OR I MADE THAT PIE. AND AND THEY WERE SO EXCITED. THEY BROUGHT US IN. THEY SERVED US. THEY CONVERSED WITH US, WHICH A LOT OF TIMES HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS AREN'T REAL COMFORTABLE WITH THAT. AND I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT. AND THEN THE CHEERLEADERS WERE GUIDING THEM AROUND. THE CHOIR CAME AND SANG. THE TEACHERS ROSIE COOPER AND CASEY WRIGHT. THEY ARE EXTREMELY GREAT WITH THE CULINARY TEACHERS, GREAT WITH THESE KIDS AND I. WE ALL APPRECIATED. AND I HAD SEVERAL OF OUR MEMBERS CALLING ME SAYING THANK YOU. WHAT ARE WE DOING NEXT YEAR? SO I AM VERY PROUD OF OUR CULINARY KIDS. AND ACTUALLY, THE NEXT DAY, LAMAR CULINARY DEPARTMENT WAS DOING THE CANDLELIGHT AT THE FORT BEND MUSEUM. THEY CATERED IT, AND THEY WERE OUT THERE SERVING AND AND DOING ALL THE APPETIZERS. AND IT WAS WONDERFUL TO SEE THEM AGAIN, TOO. AND FINALLY, TODAY WAS THE SPIRIT OF CHRISTMAS MARKET, HOSTED BY FRIENDS EVENTS AT PINK ELEMENTARY. SO MANY STUDENTS HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO SHOP FOR THEIR FAMILIES. AND WHAT I LOVE IS THAT WE HAD SO MANY WONDERFUL VOLUNTEERS FROM RETIRED TEACHERS TO THE PEOPLE FROM DEL WEBB AND THE COMMUNITY. AND I JUST WANT TO THANK ALL THOSE AREAS, THOSE PEOPLE THAT SUPPORT OUR SCHOOLS AND COME IN AND MAKE OUR KIDS HAPPY THIS TIME OF YEAR. FOR MINE, I WOULD LIKE TO I WAS INVITED TO GO OUT TO WRIGHT JUNIOR HIGH BY THE CAMPUS COORDINATOR, MR. DUSTIN BLACK, AND MISS CHERYL ANTHONY, THE CAMPUS PRINCIPAL. AND THEY PUT ON A A PRINCIPAL'S BREAKFAST. AND IT WAS GREAT. THE TEACHERS WILL NOMINATE STUDENTS TO ATTEND THE PRINCIPAL'S BREAKFAST, AND IT'S DIFFERENT EVERY TIME THEY DO IT,
BUT THEY GO OVER THE CHARACTER TRAITS OF PRIDE THAT THE SILVER TRACK HAS. AND SO I WAS INVITED TO ATTEND AND SPEAK ON RESPECT. AND SO THE STUDENTS THAT WERE NOMINATED BY, BY THEIR TEACHERS ALL EXEMPLIFIED RESPECT. AND THEY WERE THEY WERE CHOSEN BY THEIR TEACHERS AND VOTED ON AND ALL THAT. SO A GREAT GROUP OF STUDENTS THERE. BUT THE EXCUSE ME WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE INITIATIVE THAT MR. BLACK AND MISS ANTHONY ARE TAKING WITH THEIR STUDENTS TO SPEAK ABOUT THE POSITIVITY AND TO LEAD THAT AND TO ENCOURAGE THE CAMPUS TEACHERS AND CAMPUS STAFF TO SEE THOSE QUALITIES IN THEIR STUDENTS. SO THANK YOU, MR. BLACK AND MISS ANTHONY, FOR INVITING ME TO THAT AND DOING A GREAT JOB. SO WE WILL NOW HAVE BOARD COMMITTEE REPORTS. TRUSTEES, ARE THERE ANY COMMITTEE REPORTS THAT NEED TO BE. NO. WE WILL BE INTRODUCING IN THE NEW YEAR. WE TALKED BRIEFLY ABOUT IT, BUT WE'LL BE INTRODUCING IN THE NEW YEAR A NEW COMMITTEE THAT THE TRUSTEES WILL SIT ON. THREE TRUSTEES WILL SIT ON WITH THE DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION. IT'S GOING TO BE CALLED THE HYPER GROWTH OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE. SO WE KNOW THAT OUR DISTRICT IS A HYPER GROWTH DISTRICT. SO AS TRUSTEES, WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO BE MAKE SURE WE'RE WELL VERSED AND SPEAKING INTO THAT. SO THAT WILL BE A NEW COMMITTEE THAT WE'LL BE STARTING IN JANUARY. SO TRUSTEES, IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN BEING A PART OF THAT COMMITTEE, LET'S TALK AND MAKE MAKE SURE WE CAN GET ASSIGNMENTS MADE AND ALL THAT. SO DOCTOR EVANS, IS THERE A SUPERINTENDENT REPORT? YES, SIR. REALLY BRIEFLY, I WANT TO GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO MISS MIA HUFFMAN. THE YOUNG LADY WHO COMMISSIONED THE ARTWORK FOR US TONIGHT. THE YOUNG LADY IS EXTREMELY TALENTED. I'VE NEVER SEEN A TALENT LIKE THAT BEFORE. ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO VISUAL ARTS. AND WHEN SHE. WHEN SHE WAS LEAVING LAMAR CISD TO GO TO COLLEGE. WE SENT WORD TO HER AND SAID, YOU KNOW, WE WOULD LOVE FOR YOU TO COMMISSION SOMETHING FOR LAMAR BECAUSE EVENTUALLY YOU'RE GOING TO BE VERY FAMOUS, VERY FAMOUS. AND SO AND SHE DID THAT TONIGHT. AND SO SHE DIDN'T FORGET ABOUT US. AND SHE DID THAT TONIGHT AND ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC WORK. AND IT JUST REMINDED ME OF, YOU KNOW, HOW PROUD HER PARENTS COULD BE. AND SO, YOU KNOW, MY KIDS ARE HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS AND WE'VE ALL BEEN RUNNING AROUND, YOU KNOW, GETTING READY FOR THE HOLIDAYS, AND WE REALLY HADN'T HAD THE TIME TO SIT DOWN AND ENJOY EACH OTHER. AND SO I JUST WANT TO REMIND EVERYBODY THAT LET'S NOT LET'S NOT GET TOO BUSY DOING LIFE, THAT WE FORGET TO LIVE LIFE. AND SO THAT'S, THAT'S BEEN THE CONVERSATION WITH ME AND THE KIDS AND THE WIFE IS THAT LET'S SIT DOWN AND ENJOY EACH OTHER. I KNOW THERE'S A LOT WE HAVE TO DO. BUT IN THE GRAND SCHEME OF THINGS, YOU KNOW, BEING WITH EACH OTHER AND ENJOYING THAT TIME IS WHY WE'RE HERE. AND SO I JUST WANT TO SEND THAT OUT DURING THIS HOLIDAY SEASON. DON'T GET SO BUSY DOING LIFE THAT YOU FORGET TO LIVE LIFE BECAUSE IT'S NOT GUARANTEED. AND IT IS FRAGILE AS WE SAW YESTERDAY. AND SO THERE ARE SOME PARENTS WHO CAN'T HUG THEIR BABIES. THERE ARE SOME PARENTS WHO ARE VISITING THEIR BABIES IN THE HOSPITAL. AND SO LET'S LET'S REMEMBER TO KEEP THE MAIN THING, THE MAIN THING, AND ENJOY EACH OTHER AND ENJOY OUR FAMILIES. AND WHILE WE'RE HERE, WE GIVE THE BEST WE CAN. BUT LET'S REMEMBER TO LIVE LIFE. THANK YOU. MRS. JOHNSON, ARE THERE ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS? ALL RIGHT. HEARING NO PUBLIC COMMENTS WE REMOVE INTO OUR PUBLIC HEARING. AT THIS TIME, WE WILL OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING ON THE ANNUAL FINANCIAL ACCOUNTABILITY MANAGEMENT REPORT REGARDING THE FINANCIAL INTEGRITY RATING SYSTEM. SCHOOLS FIRST AT 6:54 P.M.. IF YOU REMEMBER, LAST MONTH WE BRIEFLY TALKED ABOUT AND INTRODUCED THIS. SO WE'LL TURN IT OVER TO MISS LUDWIG. THANK YOU. THE COMMUNITY OF LAMAR CISD. THIS EVENING, I WILL PROVIDE INFORMATION ON THE FINANCIAL ACCOUNTABILITY MANAGEMENT REPORT FOR LAMAR CISD. IT'S UNDER THE FIRST SYSTEM. FIRST IS AN ACRONYM FOR FINANCIAL INTEGRITY RATING SYSTEM OF TEXAS. THERE ARE THREE PRIMARY GOALS OF THIS SYSTEM. FIRST, TO ACHIEVE QUALITY PERFORMANCE IN THE MANAGEMENT OF SCHOOL DISTRICTS. FINANCIAL RESOURCES. NUMBER TWO, TO MEASURE A DISTRICT'S PERFORMANCE ON THE UNIFORM INDICATORS UNDER THE SYSTEM AND THEN THIRD TO IMPROVE FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT AND TRANSPARENCY. THIS REPORT IS THE 2324 FIRST RATING. IT'S BASED ON FISCAL YEAR 2223 AND IT HAS 21 INDICATORS. THERE ARE FOUR DIFFERENT AREAS CRITICAL SOLVENCY AND FINANCIAL COMPETENCE. INDICATOR NUMBER FIVE IS BEING SCORED THIS YEAR AFTER NOT BEING EVALUATED SINCE 20 1718. AND THAT WAS BASED ON THE 20 1617 DATA. INDICATORS TEN AND 15 OF THE 21 ARE NOT BEING SCORED THIS YEAR. THIS SYSTEM IS BASED ON A WORKSHEET, AND DISTRICTS ARE SCORED AND AWARDED A RATING OF A THROUGH F.
RATINGS ON EACH CRITICAL INDICATOR HAVE YES OR NO ANSWERS. A NO ANSWER ON ANY OF THOSE CRITICAL INDICATORS RESULTS IN AN F RATING. SOME RATINGS HAVE CEILING PARAMETERS, AND RATINGS ON THE REMAINING NON-CRITICAL INDICATORS INCLUDE POINT SCORES WITH A MAXIMUM OF EITHER FIVE POINTS OR TEN POINTS APIECE. THE MAXIMUM SCORE AVAILABLE IS 100 POINTS. AS YOU'LL SEE ON THE TOP OF THE OF THE SLIDE, THOSE ARE THE ACHIEVEMENT RANKINGS THAT DISTRICTS CAN RECEIVE. LAMAR ISD'S 2324 RATING AGAIN, WHICH IS BASED ON 20 2223 FISCAL YEAR DATA. THE DISTRICT RECEIVED A SCORE OF 89 POINTS. AND THIS AND AT THAT SCORE WAS CAPPED AT 89 POINTS DUE TO INDICATOR NUMBER FIVE, WHICH HAD A CEILING PARAMETER. THE DISTRICT ACTUALLY SCORED 92 OUT OF THE 100 POINTS. AND THE DISTRICT HAS RECEIVED A SUPERIOR OR A RATING EVERY YEAR PRIOR TO THIS YEAR, SINCE THE INCEPTION OF THE PROGRAM IN 2001. AT THIS TIME, I'LL GO THROUGH THE 21 INDICATORS. I WON'T TOUCH ON EVERY SINGLE ONE, BUT I DO NEED TO PROVIDE INFORMATION ON THE DISTRICT'S PERFORMANCE ON THE INDICATORS. FIRST OF ALL, AS I MENTIONED, THE CRITICAL INDICATORS ARE INDICATORS ONE THROUGH FOUR AND A DISTRICT NEEDS TO RECEIVE A YES ANSWER ON THOSE. AND LAMAR SEE, ISD DID HAVE YES ANSWERS ON ALL FOUR OF THOSE. FIRST OF ALL, WHETHER OR NOT WE SUBMITTED OUR ANNUAL FINANCIAL REPORT BY THE DEADLINE TO THE T, WHICH WE DID, WE DID HAVE AN UNMODIFIED OR CLEAN OPINION ON THE AUDIT FOR THAT YEAR. INDICATOR THREE HAS TO DO WITH WHETHER WE'RE IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE PAYMENT TERMS OF ALL DEBT AGREEMENTS, WHICH WE ARE, AND THAT THE DISTRICT MADE TIMELY PAYMENTS TO THE TRS, THE WORKFORCE COMMISSION, THE IRS AND OTHER GOVERNMENT AGENCIES, WHICH WE'VE MADE ALL THOSE COMMITMENTS ON TIME. INDICATOR FIVE IS THE ONE THAT IS A LONG, DRAWN OUT INDICATOR WHEN YOU READ IT. THERE ARE TWO DIFFERENT CONDITIONS THAT CAN BE MET IN ORDER TO PASS THE INDICATOR, AND THIS ONE IS ONE OF THE ONES WITH A CEILING. SO CONDITION ONE IS WHETHER THE TOTAL NET POSITION IS GREATER THAN ZERO. AFTER ADJUSTMENTS, THE DISTRICT DID NOT HAVE A NET POSITION GREATER THAN ZERO, SO WE DIDN'T MEET THAT ONE, BUT WE DID MEET CONDITION TWO. CONDITION TWO GIVES LATITUDE TO DISTRICTS WITH HIGH GROWTH, OR AT LEAST GROWTH OVER FIVE YEARS OF 7% OR MORE IN ENROLLMENT. THIS IS THE ONE THAT DOES HAVE A CEILING PARAMETER. SO EVEN IF YOU DO HAVE A YES ANSWER ON THIS ONE AND MEET THIS CONDITION. THE MAXIMUM NUMBER OF POINTS A DISTRICT CAN RECEIVE IS 89. LAMAR ISD'S STUDENT GROWTH OVER THE FIVE YEAR PERIOD WAS OVER 9000 STUDENTS AT 9017 STUDENTS, AND A GROWTH RATE OF 27.04%. YOU'LL SEE INDICATORS SIX THROUGH NINE ON THIS SLIDE. WE DID HAVE YES ANSWERS AND TEN OUT OF TEN MAXIMUM POINTS FOR INDICATORS SEVEN AND EIGHT. I'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT INDICATOR NUMBER EIGHT. THIS IS THE RATIO OF CURRENT ASSETS TO CURRENT LIABILITIES. THE DISTRICT DID HAVE A RATIO OF 13.056 WHEN TI'S TARGET IS 3.0. SO WE DID VERY WELL ON THAT. INDICATORS TEN AND 11 ARE ON THIS SLIDE. NUMBER TEN IS ONE OF THE ONES THAT T IS NOT EVALUATING THIS YEAR. A NUMBER 11 IS THE RATIO OF LONG TERM LIABILITIES TO TOTAL ASSETS. THERE'S A POSSIBLE TEN POINTS. WE DID GET ALL TEN POINTS OF THAT ONE. IT MEASURES FINANCIAL LEVERAGE OF THE DISTRICT. THE VALUE SHOULD BE LESS THAN 1.0 WHEN WE ARE AT 0.9632 FOR THAT FISCAL YEAR. AND THERE'S ALSO A FAST GROWTH EXCEPTION WHICH WE MET AS WELL, AS WE WERE OVER 7% OVER THE FIVE YEARS. INDICATOR 12 IS THE CORRELATION BETWEEN FUTURE DEBT REQUIREMENTS AND ASSESSED PROPERTY VALUE. THERE ARE TEN AVAILABLE POINTS THERE AND WE RECEIVE TWO. AND AGAIN THE RATIO FOR LAMAR IS 11.6811. AND THIS INDICATOR DOES NOT FACTOR IN THE RATE OF PROPERTY VALUE
GROWTH DEMONSTRATED BY THE NUMBER OF HOUSING STARTS AND COMMERCIAL GROWTH IN THE DISTRICT. NOR DOES IT CONSIDER THE AMOUNT OF UNDERDEVELOPED LAND WITHIN THE DISTRICT'S BOUNDARIES. INDICATORS 13 AND 14. WE RECEIVED TEN POINTS FOR EACH OF THOSE. INDICATOR 15 IS NOT BEING EVALUATED. AND INDICATOR 16 HAS TO DO WITH THE QUALITY OF THE DATA THAT THE DISTRICT PRESENTS TO THE T. THIS IS THE COMPARISON OF OUR ANNUAL FINANCIAL REPORT WITH OUR TEAMS DATA. THE T ALLOWS A 3% VARIATION IN HOURS WAS WELL BELOW 3%. IT WAS NEGLIGIBLE AT 0.0000731%. AND WE DID PASS NONE INDICATOR. NUMBER 17. OUR REPORT WAS FREE OF ANY INSTANCES OF INSTANCES OF MATERIAL WEAKNESS IN INTERNAL CONTROLS. INDICATOR 17 IS A MAX, 18 IS A MAXIMUM OF TEN PLUS TEN POINTS AS WELL, WHICH WE'VE RECEIVED ALL TEN POINTS AS WE HAD NO INSTANCES OF MATERIAL NONCOMPLIANCE FOR GRANTS, CONTRACTS OR LAWS. INDICATOR 19. WE RECEIVED FIVE OUT OF FIVE POINTS AND PAST INDICATORS 20 AND 21. THE MANAGEMENT REPORT EACH YEAR HAS TO CONTAIN CERTAIN COMPONENTS, WHICH ARE, AS YOU'LL SEE ON THE SCREEN. AND WE DO POST THIS REPORT ON THE DISTRICT'S WEBSITE. AND WITH THAT, I CAN ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE. FOR THOSE WHO ARE NOT PAYING ATTENTION TO ALL OF OUR MEETINGS, WHICH TO US IS IMPOSSIBLE THAT THEY'RE NOT. BUT BUT THEY THEY DO NOT ALWAYS FOLLOW WHAT WE SAID LAST MONTH TO THIS MONTH. SO I WAS WANTING YOU TO PUT IN COMMON PARLANCE WHY WE HAD A CEILING OF 89 AND WHY WE DID NOT GET THE A AS WE HAVE GOTTEN FOR THE LAST NUMBER OF YEARS. OKAY. THE DISTRICT DID SCORE 92 OUT OF 100 POINTS, BUT DUE TO INDICATOR FIVE THERE WERE TWO CONDITIONS THAT A DISTRICT COULD MEET IN ORDER TO PASS THE INDICATOR. WE DID PASS THE ONE WHERE WE HAD HIGH ENROLLMENT GROWTH. WE DID NOT PASS THE ONE THAT REQUIRES NET POSITION, WHICH IS BASED ON ALL OF OUR FUNDS OF THE DISTRICT. WE DID NOT PASS IT BECAUSE WE DID NOT HAVE POSITIVE NET POSITION. WHEN DISTRICTS ARE FAST GROWTH, YOU DO ISSUE DEBT IN ORDER TO ACCOMMODATE YOUR NEW CONSTRUCTION. BUT YOU DON'T, AND YOU DON'T HAVE ALL THE ASSETS RECORDED ON YOUR BOOKS AT THAT TIME. SO YOU'RE YOU'RE IN A NEGATIVE EQUITY TYPE POSITION. SO AND LIKE SECRETARY WELCH MENTIONED, IF THEY DON'T FOLLOW THE PREVIOUS ONE, WE DID TALK ABOUT IT HEAVILY LAST MONTH, AND I PRESENTED A STATEMENT ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD EXPRESSING OUR GRATITUDE FOR OUR OUR TEAM THAT IS MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE DOING EVERYTHING ABOVE APPROACH. SO IN LAYMAN'S TERMS, IT'S WE ARE TAKING OUT LOANS TO BUILD HOUSES, BUT WE DON'T EVEN OWN THE LAND ON THOSE HOUSES WHERE THEY'RE GOING TO BE BUILT YET. SO WE'RE BEING JUDGED. MY SAY, I DID THAT PERSONALLY. I WOULD HAVE A NEGATIVE CREDIT SCORE BECAUSE I DON'T HAVE THE ASSETS OR THE HOUSES TO SHOW FOR IT. SO FOR THE COMMUNITY'S SAKE, WE ARE GROWING FASTER THAN ANYONE HAS ANTICIPATED. FORT BEND COUNTY'S LAND ITSELF IS 51% DEVELOPED, SO THERE'S 49% OF GRASS IN FORT BEND COUNTY THAT DOESN'T HAVE ANYTHING ON IT. SO IT LOOKED LIKE ON ONE OF THE INDICATORS THAT THAT IS SEEN AS A NEGATIVE MARK ON US BECAUSE WE HAVE SO MUCH LAND TO BE DEVELOPED. AND SO A QUESTION, DO WE GET A HEAD A HEADS UP AHEAD OF TIME, WHICH INDICATOR THEY WILL ASSESS, AND IS IT COMMON PRACTICE FOR THEM TO SWITCH INDICATORS FROM YEAR TO YEAR? THEY ARE THE COMMISSIONER CAN SWITCH INDICATORS FROM YEAR TO YEAR, AND IT DOES HAPPEN MOST YEARS. THERE IS AT LEAST SOME SORT OF TWEAK OR SOME SOME DIFFERENCE. AND AS YOU SAW, THERE WERE TWO INDICATORS THIS YEAR THAT WEREN'T SCORED AND INDICATOR FIVE WASN'T SCORED FOR, YOU KNOW, A LONG TIME SINCE THE 20 1718 YEARS. SO YES, THERE ARE CHANGES FROM YEAR TO YEAR. OKAY.
HOW FAR IN ADVANCE ARE YOU GIVEN THAT INFORMATION? WE GET A PRELIMINARY LOOK AT WHAT THE RATING SYSTEM IS GOING TO BE FOR THE NEXT FALL IN THE SPRING. SO BECAUSE RIGHT NOW THIS THIS IS 22, 23, I MEAN, 2324 IS ALREADY DONE. SO. RIGHT. AND ACTUALLY AT THIS POINT IN TIME, WE LOOK AT THE CURRENT INDICATORS AND OUR ALREADY ARE STARTING TO JUDGE WHERE WE'LL BE NEXT YEAR. AND THAT'S THAT'S WHAT WE'VE ALWAYS DONE ACTUALLY IS. SO THEY COULD COME ALONG AND SAY, OH, WE'RE NOT GOING TO NOT GOING TO DO THIS ONE, OR WE'RE GOING TO TWEAK THIS ONE. AND, AND, YOU KNOW, MAYBE CHANGE THE RATIO THAT'S REQUIRED, THE TARGET OR, YOU KNOW, IT COULD BE IS THERE ANY PURPOSE TO DOING THIS? IT WAS IT WAS JUST A LEGISLATIVE REQUIREMENT BACK IN 2000. AND FOR THE COMMUNITY'S SAKE AND OUR TEAM AND OUR EMPLOYEES SAKE AGAIN, WE DID SCORE IN 92 OUT OF 100, BUT DUE TO THAT ONE INDICATOR, IT DROPPED US DOWN TO AN 89. AND THAT IS THE MAXIMUM SCORE WE CAN GET. AND DOCTOR NIVENS HAS BEEN IN COMMUNICATION WITH COMMISSIONER MCGRATH HIMSELF. AND SO THERE HAS BEEN DIALOG BETWEEN OUR DISTRICT AND THE HEAD OF OUR EDUCATION IN TEXAS ABOUT HOW THIS IS IMPACTING US AS A FAST GROWTH, FAST GROWTH, FAST GROWTH DISTRICT. I APOLOGIZE. SO WE ARE DOING WHAT WE CAN TO PUT A SPOTLIGHT ON OUR TEAM, SAYING THAT WE EVEN THOUGH WE ARE A FAST GROWING DISTRICT, THEY ARE DOING EVERYTHING THAT THEY SHOULD BE DOING AND MORE. SO YEAH, JUST TO GIVE SOME MORE CONTEXT TO THAT, WE ARE THE ONLY SCHOOL SYSTEM IN THE STATE THAT IS GOING THROUGH WHAT WE'RE GOING THROUGH, AND THAT'S EXPERIENCING HYPER GROWTH. AND SO WHEN I HAD A CALL WITH COMMISSIONER MORATH HE UNDERSTOOD THAT. AND SO WHAT HE ASKED US TO DO IS PUT TOGETHER SOME DOCUMENTATION, SEND IT TO HIM SO HIS TEAM, HE AND HIS TEAM CAN GO BACK AND EVALUATE THIS INDICATOR FOR SCHOOLS THAT ARE CONSIDERED HYPER GROWTH. AND SO IT'S JUST ONE OF THOSE UNIQUE SITUATIONS, KIND OF A PERFECT STORM TO HIT US. BUT HE IS HE'S HE'S COMMITTED TO DOING THAT AND LOOKING AT IT. HE DIDN'T MAKE ANY PROMISES ABOUT THIS YEAR OF COURSE. BUT HE SAID IN THE FUTURE, YOU KNOW, HE AND HIS TEAM WANT TO LOOK AT THAT AND REEVALUATE TO MAKE SURE THAT SCHOOLS ARE HYPER GROWTH, DON'T AREN'T PUNISHED. AND SO HE IS COMMITTED TO DOING THAT. AND HE SAID, MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY KNOWS THAT HE'S COMMITTED TO DOING THAT FOR US. THANK YOU. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS OUT OF WHAT THEY DO? YES. GREAT JOB. THIS IS THE TIME IN THE PUBLIC HEARING WHERE THE PUBLIC HAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO COMMENT. IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN COMMENTING ON THE ANNUAL FINANCIAL ACCOUNTABILITY MANAGEMENT REPORT, PLEASE COME TO THE STAND BY MRS. JOHNSON. EACH SPEAKER WILL BE GIVEN FIVE MINUTES FOR COMMENTS. PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME BEFORE YOU BEGIN. THANK YOU, MR. LUDWIG. OKAY. HEARING NONE WE WILL CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING AT 7:08 P.M.. ALL RIGHT. IT IS 7:08 P.M.. WE ARE ADJOURNING TO CLOSED SESSION PURSUANT TO TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE SECTIONS 551.071551.072551.074 AND 551.082 OF THE OPEN MEETINGS ACT TO DISCUSS PERSONNEL LAND ACQUISITION OR CONSULTATION WITH OUR ATTORNEY. WE ARE NOW BACK IN OPEN SESSION. IT IS 8:16 P.M.. WE HAVE A QUORUM. AT THIS TIME, WE WILL TAKE ACTION ON THE CONSENT AGENDA. ARE THERE ANY ITEMS THAT THE BOARD WOULD LIKE TO PULL? HEARING NONE, I WILL NOW. MAY I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE CURRENT CONSENT AGENDA? I'LL MAKE THE MOTION. TRUSTEE DANZINGER MAKES A MOTION. DO WE HAVE A SECOND? SECRETARY WELCH MAKES A SECOND. IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE. I WILL NOW CALL FOR THE VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR, SAY AYE. AYE. ANY OPPOSED? NONE OPPOSED. MOTION CARRIES. ALL RIGHT. WE WILL NOW HAVE REPORTS AND PRESENTATIONS ON THE FUTURE ACTION ITEMS. ALL RIGHT. TRUSTEES, WE HAVE MR. GREG BUCHANAN AT THE PODIUM. GOOD EVENING, BOARD OF TRUSTEES AND DOCTOR NEWMAN. TONIGHT WE WILL BRING FORTH A DISCUSSION ABOUT THE CONCEPTUAL DESIGN FOR JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL. NUMBER EIGHT. TO REMIND THE PUBLIC AND THE BOARD THAT JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL NUMBER EIGHT IS LOCATED ON FM 359, NORTH OF DOWNTOWN FULSHEAR AT THE FORT BEND COUNTY LINE WILL SIT ADJACENT TO HIGH SCHOOL NUMBER EIGHT. THESE WERE OUR DESIGN COMMITTEE MEMBERS. THESE ARE THE
ADJACENCIES. THESE ARE NOT A FLOOR PLAN. THESE ARE JUST THE ADJACENCIES OF THE DIFFERENT AREAS THAT WE WILL HAVE LOCATED WITHIN THE JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL AND WHERE THEY'LL BE LOCATED NEXT TO EACH OTHER. SO THIS DESIGN WILL ALLOW US TO HAVE THREE DIFFERENT CAPACITIES FOR THIS DESIGN FOR CLASSROOMS RANGING BETWEEN 1500 AND 50, 1300 OR 950, DEPENDING ON WHERE IT IS LOCATED WITHIN THE DISTRICT AND THE GROWTH THAT'S HAPPENING IN THAT AREA. WE WILL ALSO BE BRINGING BACK OUR MASTER PLAN PRINCIPLES FOR DISCUSSIONS IN THE SPRING TO DISCUSS WHAT THESE WILL LOOK LIKE. ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS OR DISCUSSIONS? THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT, TRUSTEES, WE HAVE MISS MATHIS COMING UP TO SPEAK ABOUT ITEM 13 A. THIS IS SOMETHING THAT TRUSTEE WELCH PULLED FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA LAST MONTH TO HAVE A DEEPER DISCUSSION ABOUT. SO, MISS MATHIS. ALL RIGHT. GOOD EVENING. BOARD OF TRUSTEES AND DOCTOR NIVENS. I'M HERE TO GIVE AN OVERVIEW OF THE SHARED SERVICE ARRANGEMENT FOR INNOVATIVE SERVICES FOR STUDENTS WITH AUTISM. GRANT CYCLE TO THE INNOVATION. I GOT TO REMEMBER THAT ONE. SORRY. THE INNOVATIVE SERVICES FOR STUDENTS WITH AUTISM GRANT AWARD PROGRAM WAS CREATED TO ASSIST THE GROWING NUMBERS OF STUDENTS AGES 3 TO 21, ATTENDING PUBLIC AND CHARTER SCHOOLS ACROSS THE STATE. THIS GRANT PROMOTES AN INCLUSIVE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT BY OFFERING RESOURCES FOR CREATIVE TEACHING STRATEGIES, ADAPTIVE TECHNOLOGY, AND INDIVIDUALIZED SUPPORT. LAMAR CISD AND COLUMBIA-BRAZORIA ISD WERE AMONG THE TEN RECIPIENTS OF THIS GRANT. THIS GRANT ALLOWS LAMAR CISD TEACHERS AND PARAPROFESSIONALS TO GAIN ACCESS TO ENHANCED ACADEMIC AND BEHAVIORAL TRAINING THROUGH AN ONLINE CURRICULUM, COMPLEMENTED BY CLASSROOM COACHING, OBSERVATIONS, AND FEEDBACK FROM BEHAVIOR ANALYSTS. THIS INITIATIVE AIMS TO DEEPEN STAFF KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF AUTISM, ENABLING THEM TO EFFECTIVELY USE INSTRUCTIONAL AND BEHAVIORAL DATA TO IMPROVE PLANNING AND STUDENT OUTCOMES WHILE FOSTERING POSITIVE BEHAVIORS THROUGH HIGHLY STRUCTURED CLASSROOMS. ADDITIONALLY, A SERIES OF PARENT TRAINING SESSIONS WILL BE OFFERED TO ENSURE CONSISTENCY ACROSS DIFFERENT SETTINGS. THE TOTAL GRANT AWARDED IS $808,955, WITH $274,878, DESIGNATED TO SUPPORT LCISD STAFF. 15 LCISD CAMPUSES, INCLUDING ALL SPECIAL EDUCATION COMPLIANCE PROGRAMS, WILL RECEIVE DIRECT BENEFITS, WHILE ALL OTHER CAMPUSES WILL GAIN INDIRECT SUPPORT THROUGH ACADEMIC AND BEHAVIORAL TRAINING AS WELL AS DIGITAL RESOURCES. COLUMBIA-BRAZORIA ISD WILL SERVE AS THE FISCAL AGENT, MANAGING GRANT FUNDS, ENSURING COMPLIANCE, AND OVERSEEING PROGRESS REPORTING TO T.E.A.. TEACHERS AND PARAPROFESSIONALS CAN ATTEND TRAINING IN BOTH LAMAR CISD AND COLUMBIA-BRAZORIA ISD. ADDITIONALLY, REGULAR COLLABORATIVE MEETINGS WILL BE HELD TO EVALUATE PROGRESS, EXCHANGE IDEAS, AND REFINE INNOVATIVE PRACTICES FOR PROVIDING SERVICES AND SUPPORTS TO STUDENTS WITH AUTISM. ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS? I HAVE A QUESTION. ONE OF THE THE TWO SLIDES BACK. IT SAID THAT 15 CAMPUSES, I GUESS 15 CAMPUSES ARE GOING TO BE RECIPIENTS OF THIS. YES. THERE WE GO. AND THEN IT SAYS INCLUDES ALL COMPLIANCE PROGRAMS. SO WHAT DOES THAT SPECIFICALLY MEAN? WE HAVE PROGRAMS FOR OUR STRUCTURED LEARNING CLASSROOM AS WELL AS OUR ACADEMIC PROGRAMS WHERE WE HAVE STUDENTS WHO REQUIRE ADDITIONAL BEHAVIOR SUPPORTS. IS THAT LIKE CSC CLASSROOM? IS THAT WHAT YOU MEAN? NO. NO. OKAY. IT'S A PART OF OUR STRUCTURED LEARNING CLASSROOM, SO. SLCC. OKAY. TYPICALLY IS THE ACRONYM YOU WOULD HEAR, BUT WE DO HAVE COMPLIANCE PROGRAMS FOR THAT PARTICULAR PROGRAM. AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE THEM FOR OUR EARLY CHILDHOOD SPECIAL EDUCATION PROGRAM AS WELL. OKAY. SO YOU ONLY HAVE THOSE AT 15 CAMPUSES OR YOU'RE SAYING NO, THEY'RE ACTUALLY NOT AT 15 CAMPUSES. THEY'RE INCLUDED WITHIN THAT. THE 15 CAMPUSES. YES. I JUST ASKED FOR A REPORT JUST TO HIGHLIGHT IT, JUST BECAUSE OUR SPED DEPARTMENT WAS AUDITED A YEAR LONG AUDIT RECENTLY, AND I JUST WANTED TO WE SEEM TO THIS IN SOCIETY. THERE'S A LOT OF STUDENTS. THERE'S MORE STUDENTS NOW WITH AUTISM THAN THERE WAS IN THE PAST. SO I JUST WANTED TO BRING SOME HIGHLIGHTS TO IT. SO THANK YOU FOR THE INFORMATION. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT.
WE WILL NOW TAKE ACTION ON THIS. MAY I HAVE A MOTION FOR THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES TO APPROVE THE MEMBER DISTRICTS PARTNERSHIP SHARED SERVICES ARRANGEMENT FOR THE 2024 2025 INNOVATIVE SERVICES FOR STUDENTS WITH AUTISM CYCLE TO GRANT. SECRETARY WELCH MAKES THE MOTION. DO I HAVE A SECOND? TRUSTEE BOX MAKES THE SECOND. I WILL NOW CALL. CALL FOR THE VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR, SAY AYE. AYE. MOTION CARRIES. ALL RIGHT, DOCTOR EVANS, I TRUST THESE. WE HAVE. DOCTOR. DOCTOR. ALMOST. DOCTOR. BEN HERNANDEZ AT THE PODIUM TO DISCUSS OUR STUDENT CODE OF CONDUCT REVISIONS. GOOD EVENING, PRESIDENT LAMBERT. TRUSTEES AND DOCTOR NIVENS. I AM HERE TO DISCUSS SOME POTENTIAL REVISIONS TO THE STUDENT CODE OF CONDUCT. WE WOULD LIKE FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION ON THESE REVISIONS. HAVE TO DO WITH THE THE USE OF CELL PHONES WITH STUDENTS AND MORE SPECIFICALLY, TELECOMMUNICATIONS DEVICES. SO BUT BEFORE WE GET THERE, I DO WANT TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS AND GIVE YOU AN IDEA OF WHAT THE MAKEUP WAS OF THE COMMITTEE. WE HAD THREE TRUSTEES, OUR SUPERINTENDENT, SIX PRINCIPALS ON THE COMMITTEE. ALSO JOINING US, THE DIRECTOR OF STUDENT DISCIPLINE, THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATION OF TECHNOLOGY, AND MYSELF. AND SO WE MET IN NOVEMBER AND DECEMBER. AND THESE ARE THE ITEMS THAT WERE ACTUALLY ON THE AGENDA THAT WE MET TO DISCUSS. SO WE REVIEWED THE CURRENT LCISD CODE OF CONDUCT AROUND, AROUND THE STUDENT USE OF CELL PHONES. WE DISCUSSED CAMPUS LEVEL PRACTICES. PRINCIPALS HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE HOW THEY ENSURE THE EXPECTATIONS OF THE STUDENT CODE OF CONDUCT ARE IMPLEMENTED. WE ALSO HAD PRESENTATION ON THE STUDENT INFRACTION DATA FROM FROM MR. NAVA. AND THEN WE TALKED ABOUT THE IMPACT OF ON STUDENT LEARNING AND STUDENT CULTURE. AND THEN FINALLY THE LAST ITEM THAT WE DISCUSSED WAS WE WERE GOING TO DETERMINE WHETHER THERE WAS GOING TO BE A NEED FOR ADJUSTING THE STUDENT CODE OF CONDUCT. SO NOW LET'S GET INTO THE RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE COMMITTEE. SO YOU'VE SEEN THIS BEFORE? THE RED FONT IS WHAT'S CURRENTLY THERE. AND IT'S BEEN STRIKETHROUGH. AND THE BLUE FONT IS WHAT WE'RE LOOKING TO ADD. SO ANYWHERE YOU SEE CELL PHONES WE REPLACE THAT WITH TELECOMMUNICATION DEVICE. AND THIS IS THE THE GRADUATED LIST OF OFFENSES FOR A STUDENT HAVING A CELL PHONE WHEN THEY SHOULDN'T. AND AGAIN, EVERYWHERE, YOU SEE PHONE REPLACED WITH TELECOMMUNICATION DEVICE. BUT ALSO, IF I HAVE YOU LOOK DOWN TO THE FIFTH OFFENSE, WE FELT THAT THE SIXTH OFFENSE WAS WAS REDUNDANT. SO WE SAID FIFTH OFFENSE AND BEYOND AND AND HAVE OR LOOKING TO ELIMINATE THE SIXTH OFFENSE ALTOGETHER. AND THEN ALSO ON PAGE 16 IN THE STUDENT CODE OF CONDUCT, WE ADDED THE BLUE LETTERS OR THE BLUE WORDS. AND FOR THE FIRST SENTENCE, THE USE OF MOBILE PHONES OR ANY DEVICE DURING TESTS THAT ARE IDENTIFIED AS A MAJOR GRADE IS STRONGLY PROHIBITED. WE WANTED TO BE EXPLICIT AROUND WHAT KIND OF TESTS, AND ALSO THE SECOND SENTENCE TO BE A LITTLE MORE CLEAR. A TEST IS CONSIDERED A MAJOR GRADE WHEN IT IS ENTERED IN THE GRADE BOOK IN THE MAJOR GRADE CATEGORY. AGAIN, TO BE VERY CLEAR WITH WITH WHAT THAT MEANS, AND THEN MOVING DOWN TOWARDS THE MIDDLE OF THE PARAGRAPH. IF AN INDIVIDUAL USES A PHONE WE ADDED OR ANY DEVICE TO VIDEO INDIVIDUALS IN A PRIVATE SETTING, BATHROOM, LOCKER ROOM OR COMPROMISING SITUATION, THEN IT WILL BE CODED WITH REMOVING A STATE JAIL FELONY, AND WE'RE ADDING WILL BE CODED AS INVASIVE VIDEOING OR INVASIVE AND IS A MANDATORY DAP PLACEMENT IN SCHOOLS ALREADY KNOW THIS. WE'RE ALSO ADDING FROM THE STUDENT CODE OF CONDUCT OR A DISCRETIONARY EXPULSION. AND LASTLY, WE FELT IMPORTANT TO UPDATE THE GLOSSARY WITH THE TERM CONTRABAND. AND SO ANY ITEM THAT'S CONSIDERED ILLEGAL OR ILLICIT AND OR MATERIALS THAT ARE PROHIBITED IS WHERE YOU'RE CONSIDERING CONTRABAND. AND A NOTE ON HOW THIS APPLIES TO TELECOM TELECOMMUNICATION DEVICES. THE MANNER IN WHICH A TELECOMMUNICATIONS DEVICE IS USED DETERMINES ITS STATUS. IF USED IN A PROHIBITED MANNER, THEN A TELECOMMUNICATIONS DEVICE IS CONSIDERED CONTRABAND. SO WE ADDED THAT TO THE GLOSSARY. AND FINALLY, IF APPROVED TONIGHT, ALL THESE CHANGES. IF APPROVED BY YOU, ALL THESE CHANGES WILL WILL BE INCLUDED IN THE STUDENT CODE OF CONDUCT IMMEDIATELY. ANY QUESTIONS? I JUST WANTED TO MAKE A COMMENT ON THAT. VIDEOING AND RESTROOMS OR LOCKER ROOMS ARE NOT GOING TO BE CODED AS STATE JAIL FELONY BECAUSE WHEN WE CODE THEM, IT'S INVASIVE VIDEOING, BUT IT ACTUALLY IS INDEED WITH WITHIN THE LAW A STATE JAIL FELONY. ABSOLUTELY. YES. SO SO THAT KIND OF CODE THEN TRIGGERS A INVOLVEMENT OF THE POLICE.
AND THEN THEN THEY'RE THE ONES THAT HANDLE THE FELONY PART. OKAY. JUST WANT EVERYBODY WHO'S LISTENING. TO BE CLEAR, WE'RE NOT CHANGING ANYTHING. THANK YOU. FOR THE COMMUNITY AND PUBLIC SAKE, CAN WE TRUSTEE BOX, IF YOU MIND SHARING WHY, AS THE CHAIR OF THE COMMITTEE, SHARING WHY WE SWITCHED FROM CELL PHONE TO TELECOMMUNICATIONS DEVICE. JUST EXPAND ON WHY THAT. WELL, I THINK BECAUSE YOU CAN USE YOUR IPAD AS A PHONE DEVICE. YOU CAN USE ANY OF THEM THEY RECORD THEY CAN ACCESS THE INTERNET. AND SO WE JUST WANTED TO HAVE NOT REALLY A SPECIFIC DISTINCTION OF JUST CELL PHONES. SO IF YOU HAVE YOUR IPAD, YOU HAVE YOUR, YOUR APPLE WATCH, ALL THE DIFFERENT THINGS THAT YOU CAN USE NOWADAYS TO DO RECORDING, VIDEOING, WHATEVER IT IS. YEAH. ACCESSING THE INTERNET. YEAH. SO FOR THE PUBLIC'S SAKE YOU IT'S ANY SORT OF YOUR WATCH, YOUR IPAD, ANYTHING. THERE'S NO BEATING AROUND THE BUSH OR TRYING TO GET AWAY. WELL IT WASN'T A CELL PHONE. IT DOESN'T SAY THAT. YOU KNOW, IF THERE'S ANYTHING THAT'S GOING TO BE USED INAPPROPRIATELY FOR THIS, POTENTIALLY GOING TO HARM SOMEONE OR EVEN IN A SITUATION WHERE IT SHOULDN'T BE USED, THEN THAT'S WHY THAT. SO ANY OTHER QUESTIONS DISCUSSION. ALL RIGHT. WE WILL NOW TAKE ACTION. SO MAY I HAVE A MOTION FOR THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES TO APPROVE THE RECOMMENDED CHANGES TO THE LAMAR SICK STUDENT CODE OF CONDUCT. ALL RIGHT. TRUSTEE BOX MAKES THEM MOTION. DO I HAVE A SECOND? ALL RIGHT. TRUSTEE BRUNZELL MAKES THE SECOND. ANY DISCUSSION. ALL RIGHT. HEARING NO DISCUSSION, WE WILL NOW CALL. CALL FOR THE VOTES. ALL IN FAVOR, SAY AYE. AYE. NONE OPPOSED. MOTION CARRIES. WE WILL NOW HAVE REPORTS AND PRESENTATIONS ON THE INFORMATIONAL ITEMS, DOCTOR EVANS. ALL RIGHT, TRUSTEES, WE HAVE MISS LOBO, OUR CFO, COMING BACK TO THE PODIUM TO DISCUSS RESULTS AND OUR REFUNDING FOR A BOND SALE. GOOD EVENING, BOARD OF TRUSTEES AND DOCTOR NIVENS. THIS EVENING, I WILL DISCUSS THE RESULTS OF OUR RECENT REFUNDING BOND SALE. ON NOVEMBER 12TH, 2024, THERE WAS A TEAM OF FIVE UNDERWRITERS LED BY RBC CAPITAL MARKETS THAT PARTICIPATED IN A NEGOTIATED SALE, WHICH ALLOWED THE UNDERWRITERS TO PLACE THE BONDS WITH BUYERS AT VARYING TERMS MATURITIES, INTEREST RATES, THINGS LIKE THAT. WE'VE USED A NEGOTIATED SALE METHOD SINCE AND THREE THERE WAS. THE ORIGINAL PRICING DATE WAS SCHEDULED FOR OCTOBER 23RD. HOWEVER, DUE TO HIGH VOLATILITY IN THE MARKET AND EXCESSIVE SUPPLY, THIS WOULD HAVE IMPACTED INTEREST RATES AND BASICALLY COST THE DISTRICT MORE MONEY. SO OUR FINANCIAL ADVISORS AND UNDERWRITER UNDERWRITERS ADVISED US TO POSTPONE. SO AFTER ABOUT THREE WEEKS OR SO, THE MARKET LOOKED BETTER. SO WE ENTERED THE MARKET AND LAMAR RSD'S GOALS WERE ACHIEVED. THERE WAS LESS VOLATILITY IN THE MARKET AND THERE WAS A HIGH DEMAND FOR OUR BONDS. THE PROCEEDS OF THIS SALE WILL BE USED TO REFINANCE A PORTION OF THE 2015 AND SERIES 2016 A BONDS FOR DEBT SERVICE SAVINGS, AND IT WILL ALSO PAY THE COSTS OF ISSUANCE. THE MARKET YIELDED STRONG INVESTOR PARTICIPATION. THERE WERE 20 ACCOUNTS THAT SUBMITTED ORDERS THAT WERE IN EXCESS OF THE PAR AMOUNT. ALMOST ALL MATURITIES WERE EITHER FULLY SUBSCRIBED OR OVERSUBSCRIBED, AND WHICH MEANT THAT WE HAD MORE PEOPLE WANTING TO BUY THE BONDS THAN WE HAD BONDS TO SELL. THE PAR AMOUNT OF THESE BONDS, WHICH IS THE FACE VALUE OR THE AMOUNT THAT WILL ACTUALLY REPAY, WAS $195.385 MILLION, AND THE BONDS WERE SOLD AT A PREMIUM. OUR TRUE INTEREST COST, OR TIC, WAS 3.569%, AND THE DISTRICT WILL REFUND OR REFINANCE BONDS WITH A PAR AMOUNT OF 211.8585 MILLION. THE SAVINGS AND INTEREST COST TO THE TAXPAYERS OVER THE NEXT 19 YEARS WILL BE 21.337 MILLION IN CASH, AND THAT ALSO TRANSLATES TO A LITTLE BIT OVER 15 MILLION IN PRESENT VALUE. SO YOU'VE SEEN THIS TABLE BEFORE? I LIKE TO UPDATE IT EACH TIME WE HAVE A BOND SALE, SO THE TICK OF 3.7% IS VERY FAVORABLE, FAVORABLE AND VERY COMPARABLE TO WHAT WE'VE HAD IN THE PAST. WITH THAT, I CAN ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS. THANK YOU, MR. LUDWIG. THANK YOU, DOCTOR EVANS. ALL RIGHT, TRUSTEES, NEXT WE HAVE MISS JAMIE VINCENT COMING TO THE PODIUM. GOOD EVENING. I WANT TO SHARE WITH YOU A LITTLE BIT TONIGHT ABOUT OUR ADVOCACY WITH THE TEXAS STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION AND ENGLISH PROFICIENCY FOR OUR ASPIRING TEACHER STAFF.
A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND ON HOW THIS BEGAN. IN FEBRUARY OF 2023, WE LAUNCHED OUR FIRST TEACHER CERTIFICATION COHORT. WE HAD 31 APPLICANTS TO THAT COHORT, AND 16 WERE NOT ELIGIBLE TO EVEN APPLY BASED ON THE STANDARD. BECAUSE OF THE TOEFL REQUIREMENT OF THE 16, WE DUG A LITTLE DEEPER AND FOUND THAT 14 OF THEM HAD SPENT AN AVERAGE OF $800 ON TESTING AND PREPARATION, AND STILL COULDN'T MEET THE THRESHOLD OF ELIGIBILITY TO APPLY. SO WE DID A LITTLE RESEARCH LOOKING INTO WHAT EXACTLY THE TOEFL WAS AND WHY IS IT SUCH A BARRIER FOR OUR DIVERSE COMMUNITY? WE ALSO AT THE SAME TIME, WE PARTNERED WITH THE WORLD LANGUAGE DEPARTMENT AND LAUNCHED A SIX WEEK ACADEMY WHERE SIX OF THOSE CANDIDATES WERE ACTUALLY ABLE TO THEN PASS THE TEST BASED ON ON THAT THAT WORK. SO IN IDENTIFYING WHAT EXACTLY THE TOEFL WAS, IT'S THE TEST OF ENGLISH AS A FOREIGN LANGUAGE INTERNET BASED TEST, AND IT IS REQUIRED FOR ANY TEXAS TEACHER CANDIDATE WHO IS SEEKING CERTIFICATION WITH AN INTERNATIONAL DEGREE. IF THEIR DEGREE IS FROM A NON-ENGLISH DOMINANT COUNTRY, THEY ARE REQUIRED TO PASS THIS PROFICIENCY EXAM. IT ORIGINALLY STARTED IN 2006 BY THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION, AND THE REQUIREMENT FOR THIS EXAM WAS INCREASED IN 2017. AN ANALYSIS OF THE TOEFL SCORES REPORTED THAT REPORTS TO ASPECTS. SO. SO THIS TEST IS REQUIRED FOR FOR MANY DIFFERENT INDUSTRIES. BUT THE SPECIFIC TEACHER SCORES REPORTED TO SPEAK BETWEEN JANUARY AND MARCH OF 2023 SHOWED THAT 343 SCORES WERE REPORTED AND ONLY 135 OF THOSE WERE 39% PASSED THE TEST. IT WAS NOT SERVING OUR ASPIRING TEACHERS. ALSO, I WAS ABLE TO DO SOME RESEARCH AND FOUND THAT THE TIA STANDARD WAS TEN POINTS HIGHER THAN ANY TEXAS UNIVERSITY. SO YOU COULD BECOME A PHD STUDENT AT THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS WITH A TEN POINT LOWER SCORE THAN A FIRST GRADE TEACHER IN LAMAR ISD. AND THAT'S A PROBLEM. WE NEED TEACHERS, AND WE NEED WE NEED GOOD TEACHERS IN OUR SCHOOL. SO AFTER DOING SOME RESEARCH, TALKING WITH THE TEST CREATORS THEMSELVES, ETS, THE RECOMMENDATION IS HIGH PROFICIENCY OF A PROFESSIONAL LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY THAT ALIGNS WITH ALL OF OUR TEXAS PUBLIC UNIVERSITIES, AND BASED ON THE 343 SCORES THAT WE EVALUATED, 114 OF THOSE MET THE HIGH INTERMEDIATE STANDARD THAT WE WERE PROPOSING IN THE ADJUSTMENT, MEANING THAT INSTEAD OF 39%, 72.5% OF THOSE CANDIDATES WOULD HAVE THEN PASSED THE TEST. I ALSO WANT TO CLARIFY, THOUGH, THAT THE TEST JUST ENABLES YOU TO APPLY TO TEACHER CERTIFICATION. THESE CANDIDATES STILL HAVE TO TAKE THE COURSEWORK IN ENGLISH, AND THEY STILL HAVE TO PASS OUR TEXAS BASED ASSESSMENTS IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE. SO WE MADE A RECOMMENDATION FOR A POLICY REVIEW TO THE TEXAS STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION. IT WAS AN INFORMATION ITEM IN AUSTIN IN FEBRUARY OF 2024. IT WENT TO DISCUSSION IN APRIL 2024, AND IT PASSED IN SEPTEMBER OF 2024 TO THEN GO TO THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION THIS PAST NOVEMBER, THE WEEK BEFORE THANKSGIVING. WE WENT TO COMMITTEE ON NOVEMBER 21ST, WHERE IT PASSED THREE TWO AND PASSED UNANIMOUSLY ON THE 22ND AND IT WILL BE IN EFFECT JANUARY 7TH, 2025. I ALSO WANTED TO SHARE WITH YOU THE IMPACT THIS HAS HERE IN OUR COMMUNITY ON THE MARCY ISD. IN 2024, WE HAD TWO HAVE TAKEN IN PASSED AND 17 WILL AUTOMATICALLY QUALIFY BECAUSE WHEN THE POLICY GOES INTO EFFECT IN THE TEXAS ADMINISTRATIVE CODE, IT WILL BE RETROACTIVE. SO ANYONE WHO HAS TAKEN THE TEST PREVIOUSLY WILL NOW QUALIFY UNDER THE NEW STANDARDS. AND OUR OUR CURRENT OUR COHORT THAT JUST FINISHED. OR IN OUR HOME LANGUAGE SURVEY, WE HAVE 14,415 STUDENTS THAT SPEAK 114 DIFFERENT LANGUAGES AND 33 DIFFERENT LANGUAGES AT LEAST, ARE SPOKEN BY OUR STAFF. AND THAT JUST HELPED ME TO REITERATE HOW IMPORTANT IT IS THAT WE INCLUDE THESE, THESE UNIQUE LANGUAGES AND THESE DIVERSE COMMUNITIES IN OUR TEACHING STAFF, BECAUSE THAT REPRESENTS WHO WE ARE AS A DISTRICT AND WHAT OUR COMMUNITY LOOKS LIKE. WE ALSO HAVE OUR 2025 COHORT THAT WE ACTUALLY ANNOUNCED TODAY. WE HAVE 30 CANDIDATES THAT ARE LAMAR ISD DEGREED STAFF MEMBERS, PARAPROFESSIONALS, AUXILIARY STAFF AND SUBSTITUTES. WHO WE HAD 92, ACTUALLY. ACTUALLY WE HAD WE HAD ONE MORE THAT PASSED THE THRESHOLD TODAY. SO WE HAD 93 APPLICANTS. WE WERE ABLE TO ACCEPT 30. 11 OF THEM HAVE TOEFL SCORES THAT WILL NOW MAKE THEM ELIGIBLE TO ENTER THE CERTIFICATION. WE WERE ABLE TO ACCEPT THEM CONDITIONALLY PENDING THE THE POLICY CHANGE IN JANUARY. SO THEY THEY WILL MEET THE THE STANDARD IN JANUARY WHEN IT PASSES. ANY QUESTIONS. THANK GOODNESS YOU DID. SO I WANT TO MAKE SURE I UNDERSTAND. AND I DID TALK TO DOCTOR NIVEN AND I DO UNDERSTAND THIS, BUT I JUST WANT TO PUT THIS OUT THERE PUBLICLY.
SO WE HAD FOLKS IN OUR WORK FOR THE SCHOOL DISTRICT WHO MIGHT BE ONE OF OUR FOOD SERVICE WORKERS, WHO MIGHT HAVE A MASTER'S OR PHD FROM THEIR HOME COUNTRY, BUT BECAUSE THEIR ENGLISH PROFICIENCY WAS LOWER THAN THE STANDARD OF THE TEA. THEY COULD NOT BECOME A CERTIFIED TEACHER IN LAMAR OR ANYWHERE IN THE STATE OF TEXAS. IS THAT ACCURATE? THAT IS CORRECT. SO CAN YOU SPEAK A LITTLE BIT TO THE FACT THAT THEIR ENGLISH LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY DIDN'T MEET THAT STANDARD? SO WHAT WOULD THAT MEAN FOR A PARENT WHO'S THINKING, I DON'T WANT MY KIDS SITTING IN THAT CLASS BECAUSE THAT TEACHER DOESN'T KNOW ENGLISH VERY WELL. CAN YOU BREAK DOWN THAT THAT THAT BARRIER THAT SOME PARENTS MIGHT HAVE? SURE. ABSOLUTELY. THE THE SCORES AS THEY WERE, WERE IN THE ADVANCED LEVEL, THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF ACHIEVEMENT FOR THE BASED ON THE ETS REGULATIONS, THAT IS AN ACADEMIC LANGUAGE. THE NEW PROPOSAL IS THE HIGH INTERMEDIATE RANGE, WHICH IS A PROFESSIONAL LANGUAGE. AND THIS IS JUST AN ASSESSMENT TO GET INTO CERTIFICATION. THESE CANDIDATES, ONCE THEY APPLY TO TO THE TO THE EP OR WHICHEVER PROGRAM THEY CHOOSE TO GET INTO, THEY STILL HAVE TO MEET THE SAME REQUIREMENTS OF EVERY OTHER TEACHER AND EVERY ONE OF OUR CLASSES. THEY STILL HAVE TO TAKE THE SCIENCE TEST IF THEY WANT TO BE A SCIENCE TEACHER AT THE RIGOR OF THAT CURRICULUM. THIS WAS JUST A BARRIER TO ADMISSION TO EVEN BE ELIGIBLE TO TRY FOR THOSE TESTS. SO OBVIOUSLY IT WAS A NEED BECAUSE YOU YOU CONVINCED THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION TO GO ALONG WITH THIS. AND THIS IS GOING TO HELP NOT ONLY LAMAR BUT ALL DISTRICTS ACROSS THE STATE. SO CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR ON YOUR ADVOCACY. THANK YOU. SO WITH THIS AND SAY THESE TEACHERS DO MAKE IT ON TO THAT NEXT LEVEL AFTER THE TEST. AND THEY PASS THE CERTIFICATIONS AND ALL THAT. SO YOU TALK ABOUT WE HAVE HOW MANY LANGUAGES NATIVE LANGUAGES SPOKEN IN OUR DISTRICT. 114 NATIVE LANGUAGES. SO THESE TEACHERS WILL THESE POTENTIAL TEACHERS CAN GO AND SERVE THOSE SPECIFIC STUDENTS GIVEN THAT'S PLACEMENT THAT THEY HAVE BEEN PLACED IN PAST THOSE. ABSOLUTELY. THE OF THE ONES THAT THE 11 THAT I REFERRED TO HERE, MOST OF THEM ARE NOT ALL OF THEM. I CAN GET YOU EXACT NUMBERS IF YOU'RE INTERESTED, BUT MOST ARE INTERESTED IN CERTIFYING IN EITHER SPECIAL EDUCATION OR BILINGUAL BECAUSE MANY OF THEM ARE ALREADY WORKING AS PARAPROFESSIONALS IN THOSE AREAS ALREADY. THAT'S GREAT. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? DISCUSSION. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL YOUR WORK IN THAT. ALL RIGHT. TRUSTEES, WE JUST HAD OUR WE JUST HAVE OUR BENCHMARKS. RESULTS COME IN. AND SO AS WE COMMITTED TO YOU IS EVERY TIME WE HAVE SOME NEW INSTRUCTIONAL INFORMATION, WE WILL BRING IT TO THE BOARD AS INSTRUCTIONAL UPDATE. SO I HAVE MISS MISS COTTINGHAM, OUR CHIEF LEARNING OFFICER AT THE PODIUM. GOOD EVENING BOARD. GOOD EVENING, DOCTOR NIVENS. SO AS YOU SAID TONIGHT, I'M GOING TO GIVE YOU AN INSTRUCTIONAL UPDATE. SO BENCHMARK ASSESSMENTS ARE GIVEN TWICE A YEAR, ONCE IN THE FALL AND ONCE AGAIN IN THE SPRING TO ALL STAR TESTED AREAS AS PROGRESS MONITORING. THE RESULTS OF THESE ASSESSMENTS ARE ANALYZED AND USED TO DETERMINE NECESSARY UNNECESSARY INTERVENTIONS FOR STUDENTS. FALL BENCHMARKS ARE COMPOSED OF RELEASED QUESTIONS, RELEASED STAR QUESTIONS THAT COVER THE CURRICULUM UP TO THE POINT OF TESTING, SO ALL MATERIAL ON THE TEST SHOULD HAVE BEEN COVERED. SO HERE ARE THE DISTRICT RESULTS FOR THE BENCHMARKS THAT WERE TAKEN BEFORE THANKSGIVING. COMPARING APPLES TO APPLES SHADED AREAS. GREEN SHADED AREAS ARE GAINS FROM THE FALL BENCHMARK LAST YEAR TO THE FALL BENCHMARK THIS YEAR. THE PURPLE SHADED AREAS ARE DOUBLE DIGIT GAINS, AND AREAS THAT ARE WHITE STAYED THE SAME, AND THE ORANGE OR TAN COLORED AREAS ARE DECREASES FROM LAST YEAR'S TEST SCORES. AS YOU CAN SEE, THERE ARE MANY MORE GREEN AND PURPLE AREAS, SO THAT SHOWS THAT WE ARE MAKING IMPROVEMENTS. SOME ACTIONS CONTRIBUTING TO THE GAINS. ARE THE TEACHERS HAVING MORE TIME TO PLAN A FOCUS ON PLCS, AND TRAINING AND IMPLEMENTATION OF HOW TO USE DATA TO GUIDE INSTRUCTION. AND SO AS YOU CAN SEE, WE HAVE INCREASE IN APPROACHES, MEETS AND MASTERS IN 16 DIFFERENT ASSESSMENTS AND WE INCREASED BY DOUBLE DIGITS IN 12 ASSESSMENTS. SO ACTIONS WE ARE TAKING TO ADDRESS THE DATA ARE OF COURSE, WE'RE CELEBRATING THOSE GAINS THAT WE DID MAKE. AND WE'RE CONDUCTING CAMPUS PERFORMANCE REVIEWS, MEETINGS WITH THE HIGH PRIORITY CAMPUSES. WE'RE DOING LESSON PLAN AUDITS TO CHECK FOR ALIGNMENT WITH THE TEKS. WE'LL BE VISITING PLCS TO PROVIDE FEEDBACK AT THE DISTRICT LEVEL. TEAM HAS ALREADY DONE AN ITEM ANALYSIS OF THE THIRD AND FOURTH GRADE READING ASSESSMENTS, THIRD GRADE MATH, AND EIGHTH GRADE SOCIAL STUDIES TO DETERMINE ANY AREAS THAT NEED FURTHER SUPPORT OR TRAINING, WE'LL PROVIDE TRAININGS THROUGH THE INSTRUCTIONAL COACH MEETINGS AND PRINCIPAL MEETINGS, AND THE AREA SUPERINTENDENTS AND THE TEACHING AND LEARNING TEAM WILL ALSO BE WORKING CLOSELY TO CALIBRATE ON PLC AND LESSON PLAN EXPECTATIONS.
ANY QUESTIONS? GO AHEAD. HI. HOW COULD YOU GO BACK TO THE CHART FOR A MINUTE, PLEASE? I WANT TO MAKE SURE I UNDERSTOOD. SO WHEN YOU SAY APPLES TO APPLES, LET'S SAY WE GO THIRD GRADE WHERE IT SAYS 65%, THAT'S GOING TO BE A DECREASE BY THOSE SAME STUDENTS OR THAT GRADE LEVEL, THAT GRADE LEVEL. SO YOU'RE REALLY NOT COMPARING THIS IS A COHORT. YEAH. WE DIDN'T THIS DOESN'T COMPARE THIRD GRADE LAST YEAR AND HOW THEY'RE DOING IN FOURTH GRADE THIS YEAR OKAY. SO THAT THAT'S WHAT I WANT TO MAKE CLEAR THAT THIS IS HOW THEY CAME TO THEM. AND NOW THEY HAVE TO GET THEM UP TO THE NEXT PART. OKAY. WELL THEN WE'RE SEEING THAT KIDS ARE STAYING ON TRACK. YES, MA'AM. I HAVE A QUESTION. SO WHEN Y'ALL GO AROUND AND YOU SAID YOU WERE ON THE NEXT SLIDE IT SAYS YOU'LL DO LESSON PLAN AUDITS WHEN TEACHERS WRITE THEIR LESSON PLANS. DON'T PRINCIPALS AUDIT AND APPROVE THOSE PLANS BEFORE TO MAKE SURE THEY MEET TIQUES. ET CETERA. BEFORE THAT THEY'RE TAUGHT THEY DO SOME, THEY DON'T DO ALL. AND SO WHAT WE'LL BE DOING IS WE'LL BE GOING THROUGH AND WE'LL BE LOOKING AT THE STANDARD, AND THEN WE'LL PULL THOSE LESSONS, LESSON PLANS, ESPECIALLY ON THE LOW STANDARDS WHERE WE SCORED LOW. AND SO WE'LL LOOK AT THOSE TO SEE DOES THAT LESSON PLAN MEET THE RIGOR. AND THEN WE CAN GO BACK AND WE CAN TALK TO THE TEACHERS ABOUT WHAT DO YOU NEED TO DO NOW TO GET THAT UP TO WHERE IT NEEDS TO BE. DIDN'T YOU SPEAK TO US ABOUT SOME OF THIS LAST YEAR THAT YOU WERE GOING AROUND TO THE PLCS TO, BECAUSE YOU SAID, THAT'S A VERY GOOD LESSON PLAN, BUT HOW IS THAT MEETING WHAT YOUR CHILDREN NEED? YES, MA'AM. AND IT GETS TO BE A LOT OF IT IS THE VERB IN THE STANDARD. TEACHERS HAVE HIGHER LEVEL VERBS, MORE LIKE ANALYZE, COMPARE, CONTRAST, THOSE KINDS OF THINGS. AND A LOT OF TIMES WHEN WE TEACH IT, WE MAY TEACH IT AT THE IDENTIFY LEVEL. AND SO IT'S JUST LITTLE TWEAKS LIKE THAT SOMETIMES JUST TO GET IT UP TO THE RIGOR OF THE STANDARD. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS CONCERNS. NO COMMENTS. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. NEXT BOARD WE HAVE DOCTOR KEVIN PHILLIPS WHO'S GOING TO TALK ABOUT SENATE BILL 1882 AND TEXAS PARTNERSHIPS. PHILLIPS. ALL RIGHT. GOOD EVENING, PRESIDENT LAMBERT. BOARD MEMBERS. DOCTOR EVANS. IT'S A PLEASURE TO BE BEFORE YOU THIS EVENING, SHARING A LITTLE BIT OF INFORMATION WITH YOU AROUND SENATE BILL 1882. TEXAS PARTNERSHIP OPPORTUNITY. AND WHAT WE WANT TO DO IS SHARE WITH YOU AND GET YOUR INPUT AND YOUR FEEDBACK ON THIS OPPORTUNITY THAT WE HAVE TO OFFER. INNOVATIVE SCHOOLS OF CHOICE IN LCISD. WE WANT TO GET YOUR INPUT AS WE CONTINUE TO PLAN AND PREPARE TO SHARE THIS WITH THE COMMUNITY. AS WE ARE CONTINUING TO WORK WITH OUR STRATEGIC PLAN, WE'LL PARTNER WITH THEM AND PUSH THIS OUT TO THE COMMUNITY. THE REASON WE'RE HAVING THIS CONVERSATION IS BECAUSE WE WANT TO BE THE ONE. WE WANT TO BE THE ONE IN THIS COMPETITIVE ERA OF EDUCATION THAT IS COMPASSIONATE AND SHOWING OUR PASSION FOR THE PEOPLE OF OUR COMMUNITY. WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO COMMUNICATE, PLAN FOR SUCCESS, AS WELL AS EXPLORE INNOVATIVE EDUCATIONAL MODELS AND APPROACH THINGS WITH A GROWTH MINDSET. THESE PICTURES HERE TELL A STORY. THEY TELL A STORY OF CUSTOMER CHOICE, INNOVATION, AND A WILLINGNESS TO CHALLENGE THE STATUS QUO. AND IN EDUCATION TODAY, WE HAVE TO DO JUST THAT. CHALLENGE THE STATUS QUO. BE WILLING TO BE INNOVATIVE IN OUR PRACTICES AND OFFER CHOICE TO OUR CUSTOMERS. SO WE HAVE TO ASK OURSELVES THE WHY BEHIND THIS IN TERMS OF SCHOOL CHOICE? THE EXPECTATIONS ARE CHANGING FAMILIES. SOME FAMILIES NEED FLEXIBILITY WHEN IT COMES TO HOW THEIR CHILD IS EDUCATED. WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO PERSONALIZE THE EDUCATIONAL OPTIONS THAT OUR FAMILIES HAVE. WE KNOW THAT THERE'S A DRIVING RISE IN HOMESCHOOLING, AND I'LL SHOW YOU SOME DATA ON THAT. PRIVATE SCHOOLS AS WELL AS CHARTERS. WE WANT TO ALSO BE ABLE TO LOOK AT OUR STUDENTS AND THEIR LEARNING NEEDS, AND HAVE PROGRAMS AND OPPORTUNITIES THAT MEET THE DIFFERENT NEEDS OF OUR STUDENTS. AND AS A HYPER GROWTH DISTRICT, BEING A HYPER GROWTH DISTRICT, WE UNDERSTAND THAT INNOVATIVE MODELS, THEY HELP US. THEY CAN HELP US TO MANAGE THE CAPACITY AT OUR BUILDINGS WHILE ALSO MEETING THE NEEDS OF OUR FAMILIES. EDUCATION IS NOT A ONE SIZE FITS ALL, AND IT IS OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO PROVIDE A PATHWAY FOR EVERY CHILD TO BE SUCCESSFUL. SO HERE'S SOME DATA FOR US TO LOOK AT WHEN IT COMES TO HOMESCHOOLING. AND SINCE 2020, FAMILIES WHO ARE OPTING TO GO WITH THE HOMESCHOOL ROUTE HAS INCREASED BY 10,000
FAMILIES. AND THIS IS ACCORDING TO TEXAS INSIDER, SOME DATA THAT THEY'VE POOLED. AND AS WE LOOK AT CHARTER SCHOOLS, WE UNDERSTAND THAT CHARTER SCHOOLS HAVE SIGNIFICANT GROWTH SINCE 2019, ACTUALLY, 34% GROWTH IN ENROLLMENT IN CHARTER SCHOOLS SINCE 2019. SO IN ORDER FOR US TO UNDERSTAND THAT DATA AND BE COMPETITIVE WITH THAT, THAT'S PART OF THE REASON WHY WE'RE HAVING THIS CONVERSATION AROUND SCHOOLS OF CHOICE. GOING BACK TO THAT CONVERSATION AROUND MEETING THE NEEDS OF OUR FAMILIES AND EDUCATIONAL OPTIONS FOR THEM. THAT DATA SAYS THAT THEY'RE LOOKING FOR ALTERNATIVE EDUCATIONAL OPTIONS. SO OFFERING CHOICE SCHOOLS WITHIN LCISD CAN DIRECTLY COMPETE WITH THE OTHER OPTIONS THAT FAMILIES ARE SAYING THAT THEY WANT WHILE ALLOWING US TO CONTINUE TO PROVIDE HIGH QUALITY LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS THAT ARE TAILORED TO STUDENTS NEEDS. AND THEN AGAIN, RESPONDING TO THE DIFFERENT LEARNING STYLES OF STUDENTS, EVERY STUDENT LEARNS DIFFERENTLY. AND AS WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THIS, WE STARTED TO USE THE TERM MICRO SCHOOLS AND THEMED ACADEMIES. THESE WILL ALLOW US TO HAVE CUSTOMIZED TEACHING APPROACHES, IN SOME CASES SMALLER CLASSES, AND IN OTHER CASES, INNOVATIVE CURRICULUMS THAT ARE ABLE TO BE PRESENTED TO OUR STUDENTS. THESE MODELS WILL SUPPORT DIFFERENT LEARNING STYLES, DIFFERENT INTERESTS, AND OFFER OTHER OPPORTUNITIES FOR US TO ENGAGE STUDENTS OF ALL TYPES OF LEARNERS. THE OTHER PIECE OF WHY WE WANT TO DO THIS. WE UNDERSTAND THAT WITH LCISD ADDING 2000 STUDENTS ANNUALLY, ANNUALLY, SCHOOL CHOICE CAN HELP US BALANCE THAT GROWTH BY OFFERING SPECIALIZED PROGRAMS THAT APPEAL TO FAMILIES WHO ARE MOVING INTO THE DISTRICT, AS WELL AS OUR FAMILIES WHO ARE CURRENTLY HERE. THESE OPTIONS WILL SHOW FAMILIES THAT WERE INNOVATIVE IN OUR THOUGHT PROCESS AS IT COMES TO EDUCATING STUDENTS, AS WELL AS HAVING MANY OFFERINGS FOR OUR FAMILIES THAT ARE IN THE DISTRICT. AND ONE OF THE ONES THAT I REALLY THINK IS BENEFICIAL FOR US IS BEING ABLE TO STRENGTHEN OUR COMMUNITY AND OUR ECONOMIC TIES. OUR PARTNERSHIPS WITH OUR COMMUNITY ARE CRITICAL, AND PARTNERING WITH LOCAL BUSINESSES, INDUSTRIES, HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS WILL ALLOW US TO OFFER MORE ENHANCED LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES FOR OUR STUDENTS. WE KNOW THAT WE HAVE GREAT RELATIONSHIPS WITH PARTNERS WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY RIGHT NOW, BUT HAVING CHOICE SCHOOLS WILL ALLOW US TO STRENGTHEN THOSE RELATIONSHIPS. THESE PARTNERSHIPS CAN SUPPORT STUDENT SUCCESS, ATTRACT FAMILIES TO THE AREA, AND THEN ALLOWED THE ECONOMIC IMPACT TO BE THERE AS WELL. WE HAD TO DO SCHOOL DIFFERENTLY. WE HAVE TO DO SCHOOL DIFFERENTLY. AND THE GOAL IS BY 2627 SCHOOL YEAR FOR US TO HAVE CHOICE FOR OUR FAMILIES TO EXPERIENCE SCHOOL DIFFERENTLY. AND THE AVENUE THAT WE'LL TAKE FOR THIS IS SENATE BILL 1882. THE STATE HAS GIVEN US THIS OPPORTUNITY TO DO SCHOOL DIFFERENTLY. AND WHAT THIS LOOKS LIKE IS US BEING ABLE TO CREATE AN IN-DISTRICT CHARTER THAT CAN BE MORE FLEXIBLE IN THE SCHOOL OPERATIONS. WHEN WE TALK ABOUT WHAT THAT FLEXIBILITY LOOKS LIKE, IT CAN BE THE LENGTH OF THE SCHOOL DAY, THE NUMBER OF DAYS OF THE WEEK, THE CURRICULUM, THE CALENDAR FOR THE STUDENTS, AS WELL AS THE STUDENT EXPERIENCE. THE VISION IS THAT WE HAVE MORE CLASSES THAT LOOK LIKE THIS RIGHT HERE, WHERE STUDENTS ARE UP AND THEY'RE AUTHENTICALLY ENGAGED IN THE LEARNING. HANDS ARE UP. THERE'S AUTHENTIC LEARNING POSTED ALL AROUND THE CLASSROOM. THE TEACHER IS THE FACILITATOR OF THE LEARNING, MORE SO THAN THE DISTRIBUTOR OF INFORMATION. SO LET'S DIG INTO THIS A LITTLE BIT. WHAT IS SENATE BILL 1882? SENATE BILL 1882 WAS PASSED IN 2017 BY THE TEXAS LEGISLATORS, AND IT ALLOWS SCHOOL DISTRICTS TO FORM PARTNERSHIPS WITH NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS, HIGHER ED INSTITUTIONS, OR OTHER ELIGIBLE ENTITIES TO OPERATE DISTRICT CAMPUSES AS IN DISTRICT CHARTERS. THE GOAL OF 1882 IS TO IMPROVE STUDENT OUTCOMES THROUGH INNOVATIVE EDUCATIONAL MODELS, AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR. AND THEN TO INCREASE SCHOOL CHOICE FOR FAMILIES. EXPAND PD OPPORTUNITIES, PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR OUR EDUCATORS, AND TO PROVIDE THE DISTRICT WITH ADDITIONAL FUNDING INCENTIVES FROM THE STATE TO SUPPORT THE SUCCESS OF THESE PARTNERSHIPS. SO AS WE BEGIN TO TALK ABOUT SCHOOLS OF CHOICE IN LCISD, I WANT TO BE REAL CLEAR ABOUT WHAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT SO FAR AND GET YOUR FEEDBACK AND INPUT HERE.
WE'VE TALKED ABOUT TWO MODELS. ONE MODEL IS WHAT WE CALL THE MICRO SCHOOLS. IT'S A DISTRICT CREATED CHARTER UNDER SENATE BILL 1882. THE OTHER MODEL IS THEMED ACADEMIES, AND THOSE TWO STAND SEPARATELY. LET'S TALK ABOUT THE MICRO SCHOOLS AND THE OPPORTUNITY THAT WE HAVE THERE. WITH THE 1882 PARTNERSHIP. A MICRO SCHOOL CAN BE A SCHOOL THAT IS 100 TO 200 STUDENTS PER SITE. WITH THAT FLEXIBLE SCHEDULE THAT WE TALKED ABOUT STANDARDS BASED CURRICULUM, MEANING THAT THE TEXTS ARE STILL TAUGHT IN A MICRO SCHOOL. WE STILL HAVE TO UPHOLD THE STATE STANDARDS, BUT WE CAN ALSO ADD VALUES BASED CURRICULUM INSIDE OF THE MICRO SCHOOL, BECAUSE WE HAVE FLEXIBILITY THERE, AND THEN INCREASING OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS TO HELP DEVELOP AND ENHANCE THAT LEARNING EXPERIENCE FOR OUR STUDENTS. AND THEN WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE MICRO SCHOOL AND OUR APPROACH TO THAT STARTS WITH US LAUNCHING AN RFQ WHERE WE WILL LOOK FOR POTENTIAL PARTNERS. AND ONE OF THOSE PARTNERS, AS WE STATED, CAN BE A NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION. WE STARTED TALKING ABOUT A DISTRICT INITIATED NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION, POSSIBLY LAMAR LEGACY PARTNERS, OTHER ELIGIBLE NONPROFIT EDUCATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS. WE WOULD INVITE THEM TO SUBMIT A REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS AS WELL AS HIGHER ED PARTNERS, POTENTIAL PARTNERS. AND THE THING THAT I REALLY WANT TO EMPHASIZE HERE IS THAT THERE'S A CONTRACT THAT WOULD BE APPROVED BY LCISD BOARD OF TRUSTEES AND THE PARTNER. AND THAT WILL BE THE GOVERNING AGREEMENT THAT'S MANAGED BY LCISD LEADERSHIP TEAM SO THAT THE BOARD MAINTAINS SOME OVERSIGHT WHILE THE DISTRICT LEADERS CONTINUE TO MONITOR AND ENSURE THAT THE GOALS OF THE MICRO SCHOOLS ARE PRESENT ON THE CAMPUS. SO THE MICRO SCHOOLS ARE STANDING THERE AND NOW THE THEMED ACADEMIES. WELL, I ALSO WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT I CLARIFY FOR OUR MICRO SCHOOLS, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT SERVING STUDENTS FROM KINDER TO EIGHTH GRADE IN THOSE MICRO SCHOOLS. AND THEN THE THEMED ACADEMIES IS SOMETHING DIFFERENT. THE KEY COMPONENTS OF THE THEMED ACADEMIES IS THAT IT COULD OR COULD NOT BE A PART OF THE 1882 PARTNERSHIP JUST DEPENDS ON HOW WE FINALIZE THOSE PLANS AND THEN IT WILL BE MANAGED BY DISTRICT LEADERS, COULD BE ON OUR EXISTING CAMPUSES AND EMPHASIZE THROUGH SPECIALS, ROTATIONS OR ELECTIVE CLASSES MODELED FROM OUR INNOVATIVE SCHOOL DAY, WHICH WE'VE HEARD GREAT THINGS ABOUT, AND TO ALSO DEVELOP TO INCREASE COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS AS WELL AS WE FINALIZE THE THEME OF A CERTAIN CAMPUS, WE WOULD BE LOOKING FOR PARTNERS TO PARTNER WITH THAT CAMPUS TO BRING THAT LEARNING ALIVE. THEMED ACADEMIES OFFER SPECIALIZED ACADEMIC PROGRAMS THAT ARE TAILORED TO STUDENTS INTERESTS, THEIR NEEDS, AND THEIR TALENTS. SOME OF THOSE THEMES COULD BE SOMETHING LIKE ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE OR STEM, WHICH IS SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING AND MATH AND THE FINE ARTS, A WORLD LANGUAGE OR EVEN A GLOBAL LEADERSHIP ACADEMY. AND FOR THE THE THEMED ACADEMIES, WE'RE LOOKING AT GRADES KINDER THROUGH FIVE TO START AT OUR ELEMENTARY CAMPUSES. SO NOW WHEN WE TALK ABOUT SCHOOLS OF CHOICE, WE TALK ABOUT OUR MICRO SCHOOLS AND OUR THEMED ACADEMIES AND OUR STEPS THAT WE HAVE TO BE SURE THAT WE TAKE AS WE WORK TOWARDS DECIDING WHICH WAY TO GO WITH THAT IS WE'LL CONDUCT THE NEEDS ASSESSMENT WHERE WE SURVEY FAMILIES, WE ANALYZE THAT DATA, AND WE'RE ABLE TO IDENTIFY WHERE THE DEMAND IS FOR THOSE SPECIALIZED PROGRAMS. WE WANT TO GET STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT. WE WANT TO INVOLVE PARENTS, STUDENTS AND STAFF IN THE PLANNING PROCESS. THEN WE WILL SELECT CAMPUSES AND THEN POSSIBLY SOME RENOVATIONS THAT NEED TO HAPPEN ON THOSE CAMPUSES. AS WE TALK ABOUT THE MICRO SCHOOL OR THE THEMED ACADEMY, IF THERE'S SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO DO ON THE CAMPUS TO MAKE THAT COME ALIVE. THEN WE'LL HAVE THAT AS PART OF OUR PLANNING CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT, WHERE WE CREATE SPECIALIZED CURRICULUM UNITS ALIGNED WITH THE SCHOOL THEMES. AND THEN WE'LL TALK ABOUT STAFFING AND LOOKING AT THE STAFFING AND THE TRAINING THAT THE STAFF MAY NEED TO BE ON A CAMPUS THAT HAS A CERTAIN FOCUS
AREA. AND THEN OUR ENROLLMENT CAMPAIGN WOULD BE THE CRITICAL STEP WHERE WE ARE REALLY MARKETING OUR CHOICE SCHOOLS TO THE COMMUNITY. THE BENEFITS TO US AS A DISTRICT, THERE'S THREE MAJOR GOALS WITH THIS. TO PROVIDE CHOICE FOR STUDENTS WITH DIFFERENT INTERESTS AND TALENTS. TO DEVELOP INNOVATIVE INSTRUCTIONAL PRACTICES, AND TO PROMOTE THAT COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT THROUGHOUT THE DISTRICT. SO THE NEXT FEW SLIDES WILL OUTLINE A TIMELINE FOR THE STRATEGIC VISION OF BRINGING MICRO SCHOOLS AND THEMED ACADEMIES TO LIFE WHILE FOSTERING A CULTURE OF CHOICE, EXCELLENCE AND OPPORTUNITY. BECAUSE WE KNOW THIS IS A SIGNIFICANT CHANGE IN HOW WE DO SCHOOL. THIS PROCESS WILL TAKE TIME. IT WILL TAKE PLANNING, COLLABORATION. SO WE'VE OUTLINED A TWO YEAR PROCESS FOR THIS. HERE'S A TIMELINE TO JUST KIND OF OUTLINES WHERE WE STARTED THIS CONVERSATION BACK IN AUGUST 2024. AND THEN ALONG THE WAY WE'VE HAD SEVERAL MEETINGS. AND TO THIS POINT TODAY WHERE WE ARE HAVING THIS CONVERSATION AS AN INFORMATION ITEM WITH YOU AS BOARD MEMBERS. SO THEN WE WILL CONTINUE THIS CONVERSATION ON THROUGH THIS TIME NEXT YEAR, WHERE IF THE BOARD APPROVES, WE'LL BE SUBMITTING OUR APPLICATION TO TO. AND THERE'S LOTS THAT GOES ON IN BETWEEN THERE, BETWEEN COMMUNITY MEETINGS AND SELECTING A PARTNER AND ESTABLISHING A CONTRACT. ALL THOSE THINGS WILL HAPPEN OVER THE NEXT TWO YEARS AS WE WORK TOWARDS THIS. CONTINUE WITH THAT TIMELINE. YOU'LL SEE WHERE WE'LL HAVE COMMITTEE MEETINGS. WE'LL HAVE MEETINGS WHERE OUR CURRICULUM TEAM WILL BEGIN TO WORK ON THAT CURRICULUM. WE'LL BE COLLABORATING ONCE WE ESTABLISH THOSE PARTNERS COLLABORATING, COLLABORATING WITH THOSE PARTNERS, AND THEN BEGIN RECRUITING TEACHERS AND DRAFTING THE ENROLLMENT PROCESS AND THE APPLICATION THAT STUDENTS WOULD USE TO SUBMIT THEIR APPLICATION TO A PARTICULAR SCHOOL. JANUARY 2026 WE'LL LAUNCH OUR RECRUITMENT EFFORTS, WORK OUR WAY ON THROUGH THE YEAR, SOLIDIFYING THE PARTNERS, DEVELOPING SCHOOL HANDBOOKS OUTLINING THE THEMATIC UNITS, AND THEN BY AUGUST 2026, OUR GOAL WOULD BE TO LAUNCH OUR SCHOOLS OF CHOICE IN LCISD. I KNOW THAT WAS A LOT. I'M OPEN TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS OR ELABORATE ON ANY DISCUSSION POINTS. WELL, I'LL JUST SAY THIS. I SERVING ON THE BOARD OF A PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT. I'M ALL FOR SCHOOL CHOICE, WHETHER THAT'S PRIVATE, WHETHER THAT'S CHARTER, WHETHER THAT'S PUBLIC. AND I'M ALSO FOR PUBLIC SCHOOL CHARTER SCHOOLS, WHICH IS WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE. ONE OF THE THINGS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT. SO I LIKE THE IDEA I KNOW WE'VE HAD DISCUSSIONS BEHIND THE SCENES ON ON THIS, AND I'M GLAD THAT WE'RE ROLLING IT OUT TO THE PUBLIC. I'M VERY CURIOUS OF OF THIS BEING BECAUSE OF OUR GROWTH AND ALL THE PEOPLE WE HAVE MOVING INTO THE FOOTPRINT OF LAMAR, THE 385MI², I THINK THE MORE OPPORTUNITIES WE CAN OFFER TO EDUCATE KIDS IN DIFFERENT WAYS IS JUST A WIN WIN. SO I'M ALL FOR IT. THANK YOU FOR THAT. AND THE STATE GIVES US THAT OPPORTUNITY. SO THE MICRO SCHOOLS YOU'RE SAYING K THROUGH EIGHT AND THE THEMED ACADEMIES. K THROUGH FIVE. YES, MA'AM. SO WHAT ARE WE WE JUST HOLDING OFF ON HIGH SCHOOL OR BECAUSE WE HAVE SO MANY OTHER AREAS ALREADY IN PLACE WITH THE HIGH SCHOOL THAT WOULD COME NEXT. AND OUR CTE PROGRAMS REALLY ENCOMPASS THE SAME TYPE OF LEARNING EXPERIENCE AT THE HIGH SCHOOL AND MIDDLE SCHOOL LEVELS. OKAY. AND THIS TO ME WOULD MEAN SOME OF THE THINGS WE'RE OFFERING WOULD GIVE THEM BETTER OPPORTUNITY TO DELVE INTO SOME OF THESE AREAS SO THEY HAVE MORE OF AN IDEA WHEN THEY GET TO HIGH SCHOOL, WHICH DIRECTION THEY WANT TO GO. YES, MA'AM. BECAUSE WE HEAR THAT QUESTION ALL THE TIME, HOW WOULD THEY KNOW WHAT THEY WANT TO DO? BUT THIS WAY WE'RE GIVING THEM A LITTLE TASTE OF THINGS BEFORE THEY HAVE TO MAKE THOSE DECISIONS. YES. OKAY. WELL, AND ALSO WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT DOING SCHOOL DIFFERENTLY AND HAVING CLASSROOMS THAT LOOK LIKE THAT, AND ARE THESE THINGS THAT WE WOULD LEARN DOING THESE SCHOOLS AND THEN POSSIBLY BRING THEM OVER
TO OUR THE SCHOOLS THAT EXIST CURRENTLY IN LCISD? I MEAN, DO YOU SEE WHAT I'M SAYING? LIKE, WHY CAN'T WE HAVE CLASSROOMS LIKE THAT IN LCISD RIGHT NOW? OR WHY CAN'T WE IF WE LEARN HOW TO DO THINGS DIFFERENTLY AND INNOVATIVELY THERE? AND THAT WAS ONE OF THE GOALS WAS INNOVATIVE INSTRUCTIONAL PRACTICES. I DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHAT ALL THAT ENCOMPASSES, BUT IF THERE'S THINGS THAT WE LEARN IN THESE SMALLER SCHOOLS, CAN WE TAKE THEM AND IMPLEMENT THEM TO SOME DEGREE IN OUR LARGER SCHOOLS? YES, MA'AM. BENEFIT STUDENTS? YEAH. AND I THINK WE ARE IN SOME CASES, I THINK THE DIFFERENCE WOULD BE LIKE IN A MICRO SCHOOL WHERE THE SETUP MIGHT BE DIFFERENT IN THE SENSE OF THE SCHOOL DAY AND HOW LONG KIDS ARE THERE. AND THAT EXPERIENCE, IN THE SENSE OF YOU MIGHT HAVE KINDER AND FIRST GRADE CLASSES TOGETHER AND SECOND AND THIRD GRADE STUDENTS TOGETHER BECAUSE IT IS A SMALLER SETTING. AND SO THAT WOULD BE A LITTLE UNIQUE AND DIFFERENT FROM WHAT WE'RE DOING NOW. BUT IN THE SENSE OF AN ENGAGING CLASSROOM, WE'RE DOING SOME OF THAT NOW. THE DIFFERENCE WOULD BE LIKE IN A THEMED ACADEMY WHERE IF IT IS A FINE ARTS FOCUSED, THEN IT'S TRULY A FINE ARTS FOCUS WHERE KIDS ARE SINGING AND DANCING AND THEATER AND EVEN THE BEHIND THE SCENES. FOR SOME KIDS THAT DON'T WANT TO BE ON THE STAGE BUT WANT TO BE BEHIND THE SCENES, LEARNING HOW TO BE A PRODUCTION MANAGER OF SOME SORT WHEN IT COMES TO PRODUCING. SO THOSE KINDS OF SKILLS ARE WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, WHEN THAT MIGHT BE DIFFERENT IN THAT LEARNING EXPERIENCE. I APPRECIATE THE EFFORT AND THE THOUGHT THAT'S GOING INTO THIS, BECAUSE WE'RE IN AN INDUSTRY WHERE WE'RE TRYING TO TEACH STUDENTS HOW TO THINK CREATIVELY AND THINK CRITICALLY. AND SO AS WE'RE LOOKING AT OUR SYSTEM AS LEADERS, I APPRECIATE THE LEADERSHIP STEPPING UP AND SAYING, OKAY, NOT ONLY ARE WE TRYING TO TEACH OUR STUDENTS TO DO THIS, WE'RE DOING IT OURSELVES. AND LOOKING AT AN INDUSTRY THAT HAS BEEN THE SAME FOR HOW MANY YEARS AND HAS NOT CHANGED OR GROWN OR ADAPTED TO THE CHANGE AND THE GROWTH AND ADAPTATION THAT OUR SOCIETY IS TAKING. SO EVERY OTHER INDUSTRY, YOU LOOK AT IT DRASTICALLY DIFFERENT THAN IT WAS 50 YEARS AGO. SO I APPRECIATE THAT. AND LIKE SECRETARY WELCH SAID EVERY PARENT, I AGREE WITH THAT ONE. IT'S EVERY PARENT GETS TO DECIDE WHAT IS BEST FOR THEIR STUDENTS. AND SO AS A SYSTEM, WE'RE NOT SAYING WE'RE TRYING TO PUT OUR NOSE IN THESE OTHER AREAS, BUT WE KNOW THAT THERE ARE FAMILIES WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY THAT DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO SOME OF THOSE OTHER SYSTEMS. AND SO WE WANT TO SAY, OKAY, YOU KNOW WHAT? WE'RE GOING TO WORK ON MAYBE CREATE THIS SMALL ONE RIGHT NOW TO CREATE THAT OPPORTUNITY SO THAT THIS ONE STUDENT THAT COULD REALLY BENEFIT FROM A SMALLER CLASS SIZE, A SMALLER, MORE ONE ON ONE INSTRUCTION, WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO HELP, NOT ONLY SEE THE NEED, BUT ALSO MEET THE NEED OF THAT INDIVIDUAL STUDENT AS WELL. SO KUDOS TO THE ADMIN AND LEADERSHIP OF SAYING, OKAY, YOU KNOW WHAT? WE'RE GOING TO THINK DIFFERENTLY ABOUT THIS AND TRY TO MEET NEEDS. YES, SIR. DOCTOR EVANS, ANYTHING ELSE? YES, SIR. SO I JUST WANT TO BE BE CLEAR TO THE COMMUNITY AND EVERYONE ELSE IS THAT WE KNOW THIS IS THIS WILL BE A THIS WILL BE A HEAVY CHANGE. THIS WILL BE A SIGNIFICANT CHANGE FOR OUR COMMUNITY. AND THINKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, DISTRICT IN DISTRICT CHARTER. AND SO THAT'S WHY WE HAVE A TIMELINE THAT WE HAVE. SO WE WANT TO MAKE SURE WE GET AS MUCH INPUT. WE'RE VERY THOUGHTFUL ABOUT THIS AND THAT WE CAN MOVE FORWARD VERY STRATEGICALLY. AND SO, YOU KNOW, IT'S A SAYING, YOU KNOW, TO MOVE FAST YOU HAVE TO GO SLOW. AND SO WE WANT TO GO VERY SLOW WITH THIS AND HAVE A LOT OF INTENTIONAL CONVERSATIONS. AND SO AS WE START TO ROLL OUT SURVEYS AND HAVE CONVERSATIONS AS WE'RE DOING WITH THE STRATEGIC PLANNING PROCESS, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE EVERYBODY HAS HAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE INPUT. BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, WHAT I WANT EVERYONE TO NOTICE IS EVERYTHING THAT WE'RE DOING IN OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM. THE COMMON THEME WITH EVERYTHING WITH INNOVATIVE SCHOOL DAY AND NOW MICRO SCHOOLS AND THEMED ACADEMIES AND OTHER THINGS WE'RE DOING IN OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM, IS WE WANT TO GIVE STUDENTS CHOICES AND OPPORTUNITIES. WE WANT STUDENTS TO BE ABLE TO GO LIVE LIFE RIGHT WHEN THEY LEAVE US. AND SO, YOU KNOW, WE'RE THINKING ABOUT A BIGGER PICTURE IS THAT WHEN OUR YOUNG PEOPLE LEAVE US, HOW ARE THEY GOING TO BE YOUNG, RESPONSIBLE, PRODUCTIVE CITIZENS THAT CONTRIBUTE TO SOCIETY? AND AND WE KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, WE SAY DOING SCHOOL DIFFERENTLY. WE KNOW THAT ALL OF OUR STUDENTS DON'T THRIVE IN THE SCHOOL THAT WE CAME UP IN. RIGHT. WE HAVE A LOT MORE STUDENTS NOW THAT NEED A FLEXIBLE ENVIRONMENT. THEY MAY NEED SOME DIFFERENT, DIFFERENT TYPES OF LEARNING. NOT EVERY STUDENT WILL THRIVE IN A TRADITIONAL CLASSROOM SETTING. AND SO WE WANT TO DO IS GIVE ALL OF OUR STUDENTS SOME KIND OF OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE A UNIQUE EXPERIENCE. SO WHEN THEY LEAVE US, THEY CAN HAVE SOME FOUNDATION TO STAND ON, RIGHT? IT'S OUR JOB TO HELP OUR SOCIETY, RIGHT? SO THEY HAVE SOME FOUNDATION TO STAND ON. AND SO I APPRECIATE THIS BOARD'S SUPPORT. I'M GOING TO APPRECIATE THE COMMUNITY SUPPORT. AGAIN, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GOING TO ROLL THIS OUT SLOWLY, METHODICALLY AND INTENTIONALLY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE DOING THIS THE RIGHT WAY.
AND TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, MISS DANZIG HIGH SCHOOL IS NOT OFF THE TABLE, YOU KNOW, BUT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GOING TO START RIGHT NOW HERE. AND THEN AS WE MOVE FORWARD, WE MAY SEE A NEED FOR IT. WE MAY NOT SEE A NEED FOR IT, BUT RIGHT NOW WE DO. WE DO KNOW THAT WE HAVE STUDENTS THAT NEED A DIFFERENT ENVIRONMENT. AND SO WE WANT TO MAKE SURE WE MEET THE NEEDS OF ALL OF OUR STUDENTS, BECAUSE OUR STUDENTS DON'T HAVE A CHOICE TO BE HERE. RIGHT? PARENTS HAVE A CHOICE, BUT STUDENTS DON'T HAVE A CHOICE. AND SO WHEN THAT PARENT SENDS THAT CHILD TO SCHOOL, IT'S OUR JOB TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT CHILD IS IN AN ENVIRONMENT THAT'S GOING TO HELP THEM GROW ACADEMICALLY, SOCIALLY AND EMOTIONALLY AS WELL. SO I APPRECIATE THE WORK OF THE TEAM AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO KEEP MOVING. MOVING. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. TRUSTEES ARE THERE ANY ITEMS ON THE FUTURE CONSENT AGENDA THAT TRUSTEES WOULD LIKE TO PULL FOR DISCUSSION IN OUR JANUARY BOARD MEETING? ALL RIGHT, THAT IS NONE. WE'RE GOING TO MOVE TO CLOSED SESSION. IT IS 9:08 P.M.. WE ARE ADJOURNING TO CLOSED SESSION PURSUANT TO TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE SECTIONS 551.071551.072551.074 AND 551.082 OF THE OPEN MEETINGS ACT TO DISCUSS PERSONNEL LAND ACQUISITION OR CONSULTATION WITH OUR ATTORNEY. LAMAR. SEE ISD BOARD OF TRUSTEES ARE RETURNING FROM CLOSED SESSION. LAMAR ISD BOARD OF TRUSTEES ARE RETURNING FROM CLOSED SESSION. ALL RIGHT. IT IS 9:21 P.M., AND WE HAVE A QUORUM. IS THERE ANYTHING THAT ANYBODY WOULD LIKE TO ANNOUNCE OR ANY UPCOMING EVENTS? COMING UP FRIDAY NIGHT, RANDALL HIGH SCHOOL IN STATE. I'LL SAY RANDALL HIGH SCHOOL WILL WIN ITS FIRST STATE CHAMPIONSHIP ON FRIDAY NIGHT. YES IT WILL, YES IT WILL. SO IF ANYONE'S STILL WATCHING, WHICH I HOPE EVERYONE IS STILL WATCHING, DRIVE IT TO ARLINGTON ON FRIDAY, 7:00 PM. I DON'T WANT TO PROLONG THIS, BUT I DO WANT TO SAY, YOU KNOW, WHEN I WAS ON THE SIDELINE AT THE GAME THE OTHER NIGHT, YOU KNOW, I THOUGHT, I THOUGHT OUR YOUNG MAN WON WITH CLASS. AND I WATCHED THEIR HEAD COACH STILL SPEAKING LIFE INTO THEM AND STILL DIRECTING THEM ON HOW TO WIN WITH CLASS. I'M TALKING ABOUT BRIAN RANDALL NOW I WAS DOWN THERE ABLE TO WATCH THAT. AND SO I REALLY DO APPRECIATE THE KIND OF MODEL THAT HE IS FOR THE YOUNG MAN THAT HE'S THAT HE'S SUPPORTING, BUT ALSO, YOU KNOW, HAVE YOUNG LADIES THAT ARE TRAINERS THE ASSISTANT COACHES AND THE FAMILIES ARE WATCHING. AND SO I DO APPRECIATE THE ROLE MODEL AND THE LEADERSHIP THAT HE'S PROVIDING TO THOSE YOUNG MEN. ALL RIGHT. SO GO RANDALL. AND IT IS 9:22 P.M. AND THE MEETING IS ADJOURNED.