[I. CALL TO ORDER]
          [00:00:09]
          BOARD, I WANT TO WELCOME EVERYBODY TO TONIGHT'S MEETING. AND IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE TEXAS OPEN MEETINGS ACT, I NOW CALL TO ORDER THE MEETING OF THE MESQUITE INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT BOARD OF TRUSTEES ON THIS MONDAY, SEPTEMBER THE 14TH, 2026 AT 6:00. P M AND I CONFIRMED THAT A QUORUM OF BOARD MEMBERS IS PRESENT AND THAT THIS MEETING WAS POSTED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE TEXAS OPEN MEETINGS ACT. BEFORE WE BEGIN, A QUICK REMINDER, IF YOU WISH TO SPEAK DURING THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD ON ANY ITEM LISTED ON TONIGHT'S AGENDA, PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU'VE SIGNED UP IN ADVANCE. MISS SABRINA SMITH OVER HERE IS WHO YOU CAN CONTACT IF YOU NEED TO FILL THAT OUT. WITH THAT SAID, NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS THE BOARD WILL NOW MEET IN CLOSED SESSION UNDER THE AUTHORITY OF THE TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE, SECTION 551.071, FOR CONSULTATION WITH ITS ATTORNEY AND 551.074 FOR PERSONNEL. NO ACTION WILL BE TA NEXT ON THE AGENDA IS THE INVOCATION THAT WILL BE GIVEN BY THE NEXT GEN REVEREND BROWN DURHAM, THE PASTOR OF MESQUITE FRIENDSHIP CHURCH, FOLLOWED BY THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE LED BY HORN HIGH SCHOOL JROTC CADET LIEUTENANT COLONEL LORENA HERNANDEZ AND SPONSOR OF SERGEANT FIRST CLASS RETIRED MICHAEL STRIBBLING. YOU ARE ALL INVITED TO JOIN IN THE INVOCATION AND PLEDGES IF YOU WISH, REVEREND. HARRY MILLER. RIGHT. HEY. OH, MARK. 
          WHAT TIME? OH. RIGHT. EIGHT. OH. THREE. OH! I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG. 
          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 THE TEXAS ONE STATE UNDER GOD, ONE INDIVISIBLE. FOR ALL. AND EIGHT. OVER FOR. 
          LET US BOW. GRACIOUS GOD, WE THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO GATHER TONIGHT ON BEHALF OF STUDENTS, FAMILIES, EDUCATORS, AND COMMUNITY OF MESQUITE ISD. WE ASK FOR YOUR WISDOM TO GUIDE EVERY DECISION MADE IN THIS ROOM. GIVE US OUR. GIVE OUR SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS AND THE DISTRICT LEADERS CLARITY, DISCERNMENT, AND COURAGE AS THEY CARRY THE RESPONSIBILITY OF SERVING OUR SCHOOLS AND PREPARING OUR STUDENTS FOR THE FUTURE. BLESS OUR STUDENTS, ADMINISTRATORS, COUNSELORS, COACHES, SUPPORT STAFF, AND EVERY PERSON WHO POURS POURS INTO THE LIVES OF OUR STUDENTS EACH DAY. GIVE THEM STRENGTH WHEN THE WORK IS DIFFICULT, PATIENCE WHEN CHALLENGES ARISE, AND ENCOURAGEMENT TO REMEMBER THAT WHAT THEY DO TRULY MATTERS. MOST OF ALL, GOD. WE PRAY FOR EVERY STUDENT IN MESQUITE ISD. 
          PROTECT THEM, INSPIRE THEM, AND SURROUND THEM WITH PEOPLE WHO WILL HELP THEM RECOGNIZE THEIR VALUE AND REACH THEIR FULL POTENTIAL. MAY OUR SCHOOL BE PLACES WHERE EVERY CHILD HAS THE OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN, GROW AND BELONG AND SUCCEED. HELP US TO REMEMBER THAT ALTHOUGH WE MAY SERVE IN DIFFERENT ROLES, WE SHARE ONE COMMON RESPONSIBILITY TO LET TO LEAVE THE NEXT GENERATION BETTER THAN WHEN WE FOUND IT. MAY WISDOM LEAD US, COMPASSION GUIDE US, AND UNITY STRENGTHEN US. IN JESUS NAME, AMEN. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, REVEREND DURHAM. 
          APPRECIATE THAT VERY MUCH. AND, LIEUTENANT COLONEL HERNANDEZ, THANK YOU FOR THE PLANNING OF 
          [III. TEAM OF EIGHT MOMENT]
THE FLAGS AND THE PLEDGES. WITH THAT, OUR NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS OUR TEAM OF EIGHT 
          [00:05:05]
MOMENT. AND I'D LIKE TO CALL ON DOCTOR WILLIAMS. SO I HAD THE PLEASURE OF GOING TO OUR AVID SENIOR DAY THE OTHER DAY THAT WAS HELD RIGHT HERE. AND FROM WHAT I UNDERSTOOD, THIS WAS OUR FIRST YEAR FOR ALL OUR HIGH SCHOOLS TO HAVE AVID SENIORS. AND SO IT WAS JUST A REALLY SPECIAL DAY FOR THEM. THEY HAD ACTIVITIES PLANNED. THEY HAD FORMER AVID STUDENTS COME, THE ONES THAT ARE IN COLLEGE AND IN THE WORKFORCE AND COME BACK AND PRESENT TO THEM. SO I MEAN, JUST IT'S LIKE A SHOUT OUT, I GUESS, TO THE AVID TEACHERS AND COORDINATORS AND EVERYBODY THAT PUTS SO MUCH TIME AND EFFORT INTO THAT BECAUSE IT WAS REALLY GREAT FOR OUR STUDENTS. THANK YOU, DOCTOR WILLIAMS, MISTER CABELL. SURE. ONE THING I WANTED TO MAKE A COMMENT. I HAVE A COUPLE OF THINGS, BUT I WANT TO MAKE MAKE A COMMENT ON THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR WHERE I'VE I'VE LEARNED ABOUT, YOU KNOW, HOW WELL FROM PARENTS ARE SO HAPPY THAT THE YEAR HAS STARTED SO WELL. I KNOW THAT WE'VE HAD A COUPLE OF CHALLENGES AND THOSE WERE TAKEN CARE OF AND THEY'RE VERY PLEASED ABOUT THAT. SO I JUST WANTED TO DO A SHOUT OUT TO THE DISTRICT LEADERS AND OUR SCHOOLS BECAUSE THEY'VE DONE A WONDERFUL JOB. THE SECOND THING IS WE HAD THE PLEASURE, MISS MORRIS AND I, THIS SATURDAY WE WERE WITH CLINTON SASSER AND WE WENT TO THE BUTTERFLY BALL. AND WE MISS YOU. DOCTOR FEINGLASS, WHO'S A STAPLE USUALLY WITH US, BUT WE WON AN AWARD, THE PARTNERS AWARD. SO WE BROUGHT IT OVER TO BRING IT TO THE SCHOOL DISTRICT. I THINK THIS IS A GREAT THING THAT WE PARTICIPATE IN, THAT YOU COULD CLAP IF YOU WANT. THAT'S A GOOD THING. BUT BUT THE THING IS, THIS MEANS A LOT BECAUSE IT'S THE PARTNERSHIPS THAT WE DO WITH WITH GROUPS IN THE COMMUNITY. KEEP KEEP BEAUTIFUL WORKS REAL HARD TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ENSURE THE CITY IS LOOKING THE WAY IT SHOULD LOOK. 
          AND ESTHETICS USUALLY PLAYS A BIG PART TO ATTRACT BUSINESSES AND ATTRACT NEIGHBORHOOD CITIZENS. SO THANK YOU FOR THAT. AND WITH THAT DOCTOR, I'LL GIVE THIS TO YOU BECAUSE YOU ARE THE LEADER OF THE LEADER, THE LEADER OF THE PACK. THAT'S ALL I HAVE. THANK YOU. MR. MISS COLLIER. WELL, IT'S BACK TO SCHOOL TIME, AND THERE'S SO MANY FUN THINGS FOR YOU TO GET INVOLVED IN. THERE'S FOOTBALL, THERE'S VOLLEYBALL, THERE'S SPORTS, THERE'S DIFFERENT ACTIVITIES. THERE ARE LOTS OF WAYS TO PLUG IN. SO CHECK YOUR BACKPACKS, CHECK YOUR PEACH TREES AND YOUR PEACH JARS. THERE ARE WAYS TO PLUG IN. AND I WENT WITH MY MIDDLE AND HE'S AT FRAZIER. THEY LOVE IT. THE KIDS LOVE IT. TO SEE YOU THERE, TO SEE YOU SMILING. SEE YOU JUST SHOW UP AND SAY HI. SO CHECK YOUR EMAILS, CHECK YOUR TEXT MESSAGES BECAUSE IT BLOWS UP MY PHONE, BUT YOU KNOW HOW IT GOES. PLUG IN, BE PRESENT AND LET THEM SEE YOU THERE. 
          THANK YOU, MISS COLLIER. ANYONE ELSE? MISS MORRIS? THIS FRIDAY WE HAD OUR TEAM OF EIGHT TRAINING, WHICH WAS REALLY. IT WAS REALLY BENEFICIAL BECAUSE I'VE GOTTEN TO GO TO LIKE ATTENDED TRAINING SO FAR THIS YEAR, BUT IT'S NEVER BEEN WITH THE GROUP. AND SO THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME AS A GROUP THAT WE GOT TO DO TRAINING. AND I GOT TO HEAR FROM THE PEOPLE THAT HAVE BEEN ON A BOARD FOR A WHILE AND US NEWBIES. AND SO IT WAS JUST A GOOD LEARNING EXPERIENCE. AND I REALLY APPRECIATED YOU GUYS HELPING US. GO AHEAD. WELL, SHE FELT WHAT SHE FAILED TO MENTION, MR. PRESIDENT, IS THAT WE SPENT SEVEN HOURS TOGETHER, SEVEN HOURS TOGETHER. I DON'T IT WAS FUN THOUGH. IT WAS FUN. I'M GLAD. I'M GLAD YOU THINK IT WAS FUN. BUT, YOU KNOW, WE ONLY REQUIRE TO SPEND A TEAM OF EIGHT, WHICH IS THE TRUSTEES AND THE SUPERINTENDENT IS A YEARLY MANDATE OF SPEND SIX HOUR TRAINING ONCE A YEAR. WE DO IT TWICE A YEAR. AND THIS BOARD AND THE SUPERINTENDENT DOES IT TWICE A YEAR. BUT IT WAS A GREAT TIME. AS YOU ALL KNOW, THEIR ELECTED OFFICIALS VOLUNTEER SO THEY DON'T GET PAID. SO THEY SPEND ALL DAY FRIDAY LEARNING ABOUT THE DISTRICT, OUR PRIORITIES AND HELPING US MOVE FORWARD. SO I APPRECIATE THE TIME WE SPENT TOGETHER. THANK YOU, DOCTOR RIVERA. WE WILL NOW MOVE ON TO RECOGNIZE STUDENTS AND STAFF MISS SMITH. THANK YOU, 
          [IV. STUDENT AND STAFF GUESTS]
PRESIDENT SEWARD. WE BEGIN TONIGHT'S SPECIAL RECOGNITION PORTION OF THE MEETING WITH OUR VERY PRESTIGIOUS APPLE CORPS PROGRAM. APPLE CORPS IS AN AWARD THAT'S MADE POSSIBLE BY A PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN THE MESQUITE EDUCATION FOUNDATION AND CLAY COOLEY OF MESQUITE. 
          WE'D LIKE TO THANK BOTH OF THEM FOR THEIR SUPPORT OF OUR AMAZING EDUCATORS. THIS IS THIS 
          [00:10:04]
WILL BE OUR FIRST TWO HONOREES OF THE 2627 SCHOOL YEAR. AND FOR THE MONTH OF SEPTEMBER, OUR FIRST HONOREE IS AMY OSBORNE OF MOSS ELEMENTARY. MISS OSBORNE IS A FIRST GRADE TEACHER WITH 12 YEARS OF TEACHING EXPERIENCE ALL HERE IN MESQUITE ISD. LET'S TAKE A LOOK AND SEE WHAT MAKES HER AN APPLE CORPS TEACHER. WE ARE SO EXCITED TO HONOR MISS OSBORNE AS THE MESQUITE APPLE CORPS RECIPIENT FOR MOSS ELEMENTARY IS. OSBORNE LEADS BY EXAMPLE. SHE HAS A POSITIVE, ENCOURAGING TEACHING STYLE THAT MAKES STUDENTS FEEL VALUED, SUPPORTED, AND EXCITED TO LEARN. 
          SHE BUILDS STRONG RELATIONSHIPS WITH HER STUDENTS AND CREATES A CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENT WHERE STUDENTS KNOW THEY ARE CARED FOR, BELIEVE IN THEMSELVES, AND UNDERSTAND THAT THEIR SUCCESS MATTERS. SHE'S THE KIND OF TEACHER THAT EVERY CAMPUS HOPES TO HAVE. WE ARE SO PROUD OF MISS OSBORNE THAT WE'RE GOING TO HONOR HER WITH THE MESQUITE APPLE CORPS NOMINATION. THANK YOU. I THINK TEACHING IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE IT GIVES ME THE OPPORTUNITY EVERY DAY TO SHAPE MY CHILDREN'S LIVES, NOT ONLY ACADEMICALLY, BUT BEHAVIORALLY, HOW THEY BELIEVE IN THEMSELVES, WHAT THEY ARE CAPABLE OF, AND KNOWING THAT THEY HAVE SOMEBODY THAT BELIEVES IN THEM. BEING ABLE TO SHAVE A SMALL PART OF MY STUDENT'S LIVES IS WHAT'S MOST MEANINGFUL IN TEACHING TO ME. 
          I'M SO EXCITED. I HAVE SOME THINGS FOR YOU. ABSOLUTELY. AND THEN IT'S MY PLEASURE TO GET TO READ OUR PROCLAMATION. WHEREAS THE MESQUITE INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT BOARD OF TRUSTEES SEEKS TO HONOR OUTSTANDING CLASSROOM TEACHERS WHO DEMONSTRATE LEADERSHIP, INNOVATION AND DEDICATION TO THE STUDENTS OF MESQUITE ISD. AND WHEREAS, THE MESQUITE ISD APPLE CORPS CONSISTS OF EXCEPTIONAL TEACHERS NOMINATED BY THEIR PEERS TO RECEIVE THE SCHOOL DISTRICT'S HIGHEST RECOGNITION, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT THE BOARD OFFICIALLY WELCOMES AMY OSBORNE INTO THE MESQUITE ISD APPLE CORPS ON THIS 14TH DAY OF SEPTEMBER 2026. 
          GOOD EVENING. I WANT TO BEGIN BY SAYING HOW HONORED AND HUMBLED I AM TO RECEIVE THIS AWARD. HAVING GROWN UP IN MESQUITE, I'M INCREDIBLY GRATEFUL FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO GIVE BACK TO THE COMMUNITY THAT HAS GIVEN SO MUCH TO ME. I DON'T KNOW IF THANK YOU WILL EVER FEEL LIKE ENOUGH, BUT I WANT TO START BY THANKING MY PARENTS. SORRY I SAID I WOULDN'T CRY WITHOUT THEM. I WOULD NOT BE THE PERSON I AM TODAY. THEY TAUGHT ME THE IMPORTANCE OF HARD WORK, DEDICATION AND PERSEVERANCE. AND THEY HAVE ALWAYS BEEN MY ROCK AND MY BIG SUPPORTERS. THEY COULDN'T BE HERE IN PERSON TONIGHT BUT ARE WATCHING ONLINE. 
          HI MOM AND DAD. I ALSO WANT TO THANK MY MY BROTHER WHO IS HERE TONIGHT WITH HIS FAMILY, AS WELL AS MY NIECE AND NEPHEW. THEIR LOVE AND SUPPORT HAS MEANT SO MUCH TO ME THROUGHOUT THE YEARS. I'M ALSO DEEPLY GRATEFUL FOR MY ADMINISTRATORS, PAST AND PRESENT. THANK YOU FOR BELIEVING IN ME, ENCOURAGING ME, AND GUIDING ME THROUGHOUT THIS JOURNEY TO MY WONDERFUL FAMILY, PAST AND PRESENT. THANK YOU FOR YOUR KINDNESS, SUPPORT, AND LOVE OVER THE YEARS. MOSS IS TRULY MY SECOND HOME AND I'M GRATEFUL FOR EVERY MOMENT, EVERY LESSON, AND EVERY PERSON WHO HAS BEEN A PART OF THAT JOURNEY. MOST OF ALL, I WANT TO THANK MY STUDENTS PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE FOR ALLOWING ME TO BE A SMALL PART OF YOUR LIVES. YOU ARE THE REASON I DO WHAT I DO. YOU CHALLENGE ME, INSPIRE ME, AND REMIND ME EVERY DAY WHY TEACHING IS SO MEANINGFUL. YOU MAKE ALL THE HARD WORK WORTH IT. FINALLY, TO EVERYONE WHO HAS HAD A POSITIVE IMPACT ON MY LIFE, WHETHER YOU REALIZE IT OR NOT, THANK YOU. I AM TRULY GRATEFUL FOR EACH OF YOU AND FOR THE ROLE YOU HAVE PLAYED IN HELPING ME BECOME THE TEACHER AND PERSON I AM TODAY. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS INCREDIBLE HONOR. IT TRULY MEANS MORE TO ME THAN I CAN PUT INTO WORDS. 
          OUR SECOND APPLE CORPS HONOREE THIS EVENING IS SYLVIA FRIEDMAN OF GALLOWAY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. 
          MISS FRIEDMAN IS A FIRST GRADE BILINGUAL TEACHER WITH 25 YEARS OF TEACHING EXPERIENCE IN MESQUITE ISD. IF YOU'LL PLEASE TURN YOUR ATTENTION TO THE SCREENS, WE'RE GOING TO LEARN 
          [00:15:02]
MORE ABOUT MISS FRIEDMAN. MISS FRIEDMAN IS SO DESERVING OF THIS HONOR TO BE INDUCTED INTO APPLE CORPS. SHE EMBODIES WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A FANTASTIC TEACHER. SHE BUILDS COMMUNITY YEAR AFTER YEAR, AND SHE IS TRULY, TRULY, TRULY PASSIONATE ABOUT EDUCATING STUDENTS. EVERY YEAR, SHE STRIVES TO CREATE COMMUNITY WITHIN HER CLASSROOM. SHE'S ALWAYS WORKING REALLY HARD IN ORDER TO BRING EXCITEMENT AND ENGAGEMENT TO HER CLASSROOM, AND WE ARE JUST SO BLESSED AND HAPPY TO STAND BESIDE HER AS SHE RECEIVES THIS WONDERFUL HONOR OF BEING INDUCTED INTO APPLE CORPS. I THINK TEACHING IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE WE ARE ABLE TO HELP THE KIDS TO LEARN AND ACHIEVE THEIR GOALS THROUGH EDUCATION. I THINK THAT EVERYBODY HAS A BETTER CHANCE IN LIFE, AND I LIKE TO HELP MY STUDENTS TO REALLY SEE EDUCATION AS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY. TEACHING IS VERY IMPORTANT BECAUSE WE TOUCH LIFE. WE WE HELP THE KIDS. I TRULY BELIEVE THAT EDUCATION IS CRUCIAL FOR THE FUTURE. 
          PROCLAMATION. WHEREAS, THE MESQUITE INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT BOARD OF TRUSTEES SEEKS TO HONOR OUTSTANDING CLASSROOM TEACHERS WHO DEMONSTRATE LEADERSHIP, INNOVATION AND DEDICATION TO THE STUDENTS OF MESQUITE ISD. AND. WHEREAS, THE MESQUITE ISD APPLE CORPS CONSISTS OF EXCEPTIONAL TEACHERS NOMINATED BY THEIR PEERS TO RECEIVE THE SCHOOL DISTRICT'S HIGHEST RECOGNITION, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT THE BOARD OFFICIALLY WELCOMES SYLVIA FRIEDMAN AND THE MESQUITE ISD APPLE CORPS ON THIS 14TH DAY OF SEPTEMBER 2026. 
          ALWAYS CRYING. IT'S NOT GOING TO BE DISRUPTION TODAY. GOOD EVENING, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, SUPERINTENDENT, COLLEAGUES, FAMILY AND FRIENDS. I'M DEEPLY HONORED AND HUMBLED TO ACCEPT THE APOCALYPSE TEACHER AWARD TONIGHT. AND STANDING HERE FEELS UNREAL. 
          TEACHING IS A DAILY LABOR OF LOVE AND TO BE RECOGNIZED BY MY PEERS AND THIS WONDERFUL DISTRICT MEANS MORE THAN WORDS CAN EXPRESS. I DIDN'T COME TO EDUCATION TO WIN AWARDS. I FEEL GOOD. I CAME TO THE CLASSROOM ALMOST, ALMOST 40 YEARS AGO. YOU CANNOT TALK RIGHT? I'M SORRY. I ALWAYS LIKE TO JOKE. I COME TO THE CLASSROOM ALMOST 40 YEARS AGO BECAUSE I WANTED TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE. EVERY MORNING I LOOK AT MY STUDENTS AND SEE IMMENSE POTENTIAL. MY GOAL IS SIMPLE TO MAKE SURE EVERY CHILD WHO WALKS THROUGH MY DOOR FEELS SAFE, VALUE, AND CAPABLE OF ACHIEVING GREAT THINGS. I SEE MY STUDENTS AS MY CUSTOMERS. I TALK ABOUT THAT DURING THE LUNCH. I WANT TO SERVE MY STUDENTS TO THE BEST OF MY ABILITIES IN ORDER FOR THEM TO VALUE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE AT SCHOOL. I TRULY BELIEVE THAT EDUCATION GIVES EVERYONE THE OPPORTUNITY TO ACHIEVE BETTER GOALS AND HAVE A BRIGHTER FUTURE. AS MY CUSTOMERS, SERVING MY STUDENTS AND KEEPING THEM HAPPY AND ENGAGED WILL MAKE THEM EAGER TO COME TO SCHOOL AND LEARN TODAY AND STAY AT SCHOOL. THAT'S WHAT I WANT. I WANT THEM TO LOVE TO BE AT SCHOOL. I WANT THEM TO LOVE TO LEARN, BE HUNGRY FOR LEARNING MORE AND MORE. THAT'S WHAT I WOULD LIKE FOR THEM. THIS AWARD IS NOT JUST FOR ME. IT BELONGS TO MY PARENTS IN HEAVEN. TO MY INCREDIBLE PRINCIPAL, MRS. GROSS, TO MY TEAM AND EVERY COLLEAGUE WHO SHARED THEIR IDEAS TO LEND A LISTENING EAR, A SHOULDER TO CRY. BECAUSE TEACHERS, WE DO CRY SOMETIMES. WHY TEACHERS AND PUSH ME TO BE BETTER AND BETTER EVERY DAY. IT BELONGS TO MY FAMILY, MY HUSBAND, MY TWO TWINS, MY GIRLS WHO ALWAYS LISTEN TO MY ENDLESS STORIES 
          [00:20:06]
ABOUT MY STUDENTS EVERY DAY. AND THEY SUPPORT ME NO MATTER WHAT. AND MOST OF ALL, IT BELONGS TO MY STUDENTS WHO CHALLENGED ME TO MAKE ME LAUGH, MAKE ME CRY. SOMETIMES I REMIND ME WHY THIS PROFESSION IS THE BEST JOB IN THE WORLD. THIS IS A WORK THAT WE NEED TO DO WITH THE HEART THAT NEEDS PASSION. THAT'S WHAT I BELIEVE. THANK YOU MISS, FOR THIS EXTRAORDINARY RECOGNITION AND FOR YOUR LIFELONG, LIFELONG COMMITMENT TO THE EDUCATIONAL EXCELLENCE I AM PROUD TO TEACH HERE. I AM PROUD TO SERVE THIS COMMUNITY AND I AM MORE DEDICATED THAN EVER TO THE WORK THAT WE DO TOGETHER. BECAUSE WE ARE A TEAM, WE ARE A FAMILY, AND I APPRECIATE EACH ONE OF YOU. APPRECIATE MY SCHOOL, APPRECIATE MY KIDS, AND APPRECIATE EVERYBODY. THIS MEANS A LOT TO ME. LIKE I SAID, I DIDN'T COME TO GET AWARDS, BUT IT FEELS GOOD AND I APPRECIATE IT FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART. IT TOOK ALMOST 40 YEARS. THANK YOU SO MUCH TO EVERYBODY. THANK YOU. WELL, I DON'T KNOW IF I HAVE MUCH TO SAY ABOUT AFTER THAT, BUT MISS OSBORNE, IS YOUR FAMILY HERE? IF THEY'RE HERE, WOULD YOU ASK THEM TO STAND SO WE CAN RECOGNIZE THEM OR RAISE THEIR HANDS? WE WANT TO THANK THEM FOR THE SUPPORT THEY GIVE YOU. AND LIKEWISE, IS YOUR FAMILY HERE SO WE CAN RECOGNIZE THEM AND THANK THEM TOO. MOSS, ARE YOU HERE? FAMILY IS HERE. ALL RIGHT. RAISE YOUR HANDS. THANK YOU. MISS FRIEDMAN. I'LL GET YOU YOURS, BECAUSE I. IT SOUNDED LIKE WE HAVE THE ENTIRE TEXAS FAN BASE HERE TODAY FROM THE FOOTBALL GAME. BUT IS YOUR FAMILY HERE? IF THEY WOULD STAND UP, WE'D LIKE TO RECOGNIZE THEM AND THANK THEM. THANK YOU. I LOVE THAT, AND I'D LIKE TO RECOGNIZE THE GALLOWAY FAMILY THAT'S HERE TOO. IF THEY WOULD STAND AND RAISE THEIR HANDS. AND JUST FOR A NOTE, THIS IS JUST TWO EXAMPLES OF THE OUTSTANDING EDUCATORS WE HAVE IN THIS DISTRICT. AND YOU CAN TELL THEY DON'T LACK THE EMOTION AND THE PASSION FOR WHAT THEY DO. AND WE LOVE THAT IN OUR TEACHERS AND OUR EDUCATORS, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT OUR CHILDREN NEED MORE TODAY THAN THEY'VE EVER NEEDED IT. AND THE SUPPORT OF THE FAMILIES AND THE OTHER PARENTS AROUND THE COMMUNITY. WE NEED TO SUPPORT THESE TEACHERS BECAUSE THEY HAVE A JOB TO DO TO MAKE SURE OUR KIDS ARE BECOME COME THROUGH THE SCHOOL SYSTEM TO LEARN OUR CRITICAL THINKERS, AND THEY WILL BE SUCCESSFUL IN THEIR LIFE. THANK YOU BOTH AND CONGRATULATIONS AGAIN. EACH MONTH, ONE OF OUR OUTSTANDING PARAPROFESSIONALS IS RECOGNIZED WITH THE STAR PARA AWARD. MESQUITE ISD IS EXCITED TO PARTNER WITH FIRST FINANCIAL GROUP OF AMERICA IN ORDER TO PROVIDE THE STAR PARA RECIPIENT WITH A $50 GIFT CARD. AT THIS TIME, I'D LIKE TO INVITE JOHN HORN, HIGH SCHOOL PRINCIPAL DEIDRE BROWN, AND OUR SEPTEMBER STAR PARENT, NICOLE SMITH, TO THE PODIUM, PRINCIPAL. PRINCIPAL BROWN IS GOING TO SHARE ABOUT WHAT MAKES MISS SMITH SO SPECIAL. GOOD EVENING, BOARD MEMBERS SUPERINTENDENT RIVERA AND GUEST. IT IS MY ABSOLUTE HONOR TO RECOGNIZE SOMEONE WHO HAS BEEN AN INCREDIBLE PART OF OUR ORGANIZATION FOR ALMOST SIX YEARS WITH ME AND NINE TOTAL FOR THE ORGANIZATION. NICOLE HAS BEEN SO MUCH MORE THAN A SECRETARY TO ME. SHE HAS BEEN MY CONFIDANT, MY MENTOR, MY SCHEDULER, MY DECORATOR, MY COUNSELOR, AND WHEN NECESSARY, MY PROTECTOR. SHE IS THE PERSON I CAN TURN TO WHEN I NEED AN ANSWER, A SOLUTION, A SECOND OPINION, A REALITY CHECK WHICH SHE DELIGHTS IN, OR SOMETIMES JUST SOMEONE WHO UNDERSTANDS WHAT I'M GOING, WHAT I'M WHAT I'M TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH. NICOLE IS ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE WHO MAKES AN ORGANIZATION STRONGER SIMPLY BY BEING IN IT. SHE SEES WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE AND SHE DOES IT. SHE NOTICES THE THINGS THAT OTHER PEOPLE OVERLOOK. SHE ANTICIPATES NEEDS BEFORE THEY BECOME PROBLEMS. SHE STEPS IN WITHOUT BEING ASKED AND SHE GIVES HER TIME, ENERGY AND HEART TO OUR STUDENTS, OUR STAFF, AND OUR SCHOOL EVERY SINGLE DAY. AS A PRINCIPAL, I KNOW THAT LEADERSHIP IS NEVER A ONE PERSON JOB. THE SUCCESS OF A SCHOOL DEPENDS ON THE PEOPLE WHO STAND BESIDE YOU, SUPPORT YOU, CHALLENGE YOU, ENCOURAGE 
          [00:25:03]
YOU, AND SOMETIMES SAVE YOU FROM YOURSELF. SHE DOES THAT WELL. NICOLE HAS BEEN THAT PERSON FOR ME. THERE HAVE BEEN COUNTLESS DAYS THAT I'VE WALKED INTO MY OFFICE WITH A PROBLEM. 
          A MILLION THINGS ON MY MIND ARE ABSOLUTELY NO IDEA HOW I WAS GOING TO GET EVERYTHING DONE. 
          AND SOMEHOW NICOLE WAS ALREADY THREE STEPS AHEAD OF ME. SHE HAS BEEN A STEADY PRESENCE THROUGH THE EASY DAYS AND DIFFICULT ONES. SHE HAS HELPED ME LAUGH WHEN I NEED TO LAUGH, THINK WHEN I NEED TO THINK, AND OCCASIONALLY REMINDS ME WHEN I NEED TO SLOW DOWN. BUT I APPRECIATE MOST ABOUT NICOLE IS NOT WHAT SHE DOES, IT IS HOW SHE DOES IT. SHE DOES HER WORK WITH LOYALTY, COMPASSION, HUMOR, AND AN INCREDIBLE SENSE OF RESPONSIBILITY. SHE CARES DEEPLY FOR OUR COMMUNITY. SHE CARES ABOUT OUR STUDENTS, SHE CARES ABOUT OUR STAFF, AND SHE CARES ABOUT DOING THE THINGS THE RIGHT WAY. NOT BEING SOMEONE WHO IS WATCHING, BUT SOMEONE WHO IS SIMPLY WHO SHE IS. NICOLE, YOU HAVE BEEN ONE OF THE MOST DEPENDABLE PEOPLE I'VE HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF WORKING ALONGSIDE. YOU HAVE BEEN MY JOB. YOU HAVE MADE MY JOB EASIER, OUR SCHOOL STRONGER AND OUR DAYS A WHOLE LOT MORE MANAGEABLE. THANK YOU NICOLE. 
          THANK YOU FOR BEING DEPENDABLE WHEN I NEED YOU. THANK YOU FOR TELLING ME THE TRUTH WHEN I NEED A REALITY CHECK. THANK YOU FOR TAKING CARE OF THINGS THAT I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW THAT NEEDED TO BE TAKEN CARE OF. AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, THANK YOU FOR GIVING SO MUCH OF YOURSELF INTO OUR SCHOOL. NICOLE. CONGRATULATIONS FOR BEING NAMED STAR PARA. THIS HONOR IS INCREDIBLY WELL DESERVED. CONGRATULATIONS AND WE'RE SO GRATEFUL FOR YOU. OH. ALL RIGHT. 
          NEXT UP, WE WANT TO RECOGNIZE THREE EDUCATORS WHO HAVE BEEN PROMOTED TO THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF OUR ETIP PROGRAM. DISTRICT SCHOLAR HERE TO TELL US MORE ABOUT THE ETIP PROGRAM AND INTRODUCE OUR NEWEST SCHOLARS IS MESQUITE ISD COORDINATOR LIZ RIDLER. WELCOME. GOOD EVENING. 
          MESQUITE ISD FAMILY, THE MESQUITE ISD EXCELLENCE IN TEACHING INCENTIVE PROGRAM AIMS TO SUPPORT TEACHERS IN REACHING THEIR PROFESSIONAL GOALS WHILE CONTINUING TO SERVE IN THE CLASSROOM. IT'S MY PLEASURE TO ANNOUNCE THREE NEW SCHOLARS WHO REACH THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF ETIP DISTRICT SCHOLAR, AND THESE THREE EDUCATORS HAVE ACHIEVED THIS THIRD LEVEL OF ELIGIBILITY BY COMPLETING TWO YEARS OF ETIP CLASS WORK AND THEN TWO YEARS AS A CLASSROOM SCHOLAR, AND THEN TWO YEARS AS A CAMPUS SCHOLAR. AND THEY ALL THREE COMPLETED THEIR DOCTORAL DEGREE. 
          SO THESE DISTRICT SCHOLARS WILL JOIN OUR TEN EXISTING SCHOLARS AND WORKING CLOSELY WITH THE DISTRICT LIAISON TO COMPLETE A GOAL THAT BENEFITS OUR ENTIRE SCHOOL DISTRICT. AND THEY'LL DO THAT IN ADDITION TO THEIR CAMPUS GOAL AND THEIR TWO CLASSROOM GOALS. SO PLEASE JOIN ME IN CONGRATULATING THESE NEW SCHOLARS. WOULD YOU COME UP, PLEASE? AS YOU'RE CALLED, WE HAVE A BILINGUAL TEACHER, BILINGUAL KINDERGARTEN TEACHER AT RUTHERFORD ELEMENTARY, DOCTOR YESENIA DOMINGUEZ LOPEZ. 
          THANK YOU. WE HAVE AN ESL TEACHER FROM VANSTON MIDDLE SCHOOL DOCTOR DIANA BROWN. 
          AND KINDERGARTEN TEACHER FROM CROSS ELEMENTARY, DOCTOR RENEE MITCHELL. LET'S GIVE ONE FINAL CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OF OUR ETIP SCHOLARS. NEXT, WE ARE PROUD TO RECOGNIZE OUR SEPTEMBER COMMUNITY PARTNER, SINFUL TREATS, FOR THEIR GENEROUS PARTNERSHIP AND COMMITMENT TO PROVIDING ENRICHING EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCES FOR MESQUITE ISD STUDENTS. DURING THE SUMMER, THEY PROVIDED A MONTH LONG BAKING ENRICHMENT PROGRAM AT NO COST TO MESQUITE ISD FAMILIES SERVING NEARLY 30 ELEMENTARY STUDENTS. WE HAVE A SPECIAL VIDEO TO SHOW YOU MORE ABOUT THIS YUMMY PARTNERSHIP. THIS MONTH, WE'RE EXCITED TO HONOR SINFUL TREATS AS OUR COMMUNITY PARTNER. THEY GAVE US A WHOLE MONTH FREE OF COOKING SKILLS IN THIS SERIES. THEY WERE ABLE TO ENJOY HOW TO LEARN BAKING, 
          [00:30:07]
MIXING, MEASURING, AND ALL OF THE FUN THINGS. THANK YOU SINFUL TREATS FOR BEING OUR COMMUNITY PARTNER. WE APPRECIATE ALL YOU DO. 
          ALL RIGHT, NOW WE'RE GOING TO MOVE ON TO. OUR FAVORITE PART OF THE PROGRAM IS WHEN WE GET TO RECOGNIZE OUR AMAZING STUDENTS. FIRST, WE HAVE A STUDENT THAT WE'D LIKE TO RECOGNIZE IN THE LEADERSHIP CATEGORY FROM VANGUARD HIGH SCHOOL. THIS IS ANTONIO RIVAS. ANTONIO PLACED FIRST IN THE KNOWLEDGE COMPETITION AT THE 2026 SUMMER LEADERSHIP EXPERIENCE AT THE UNITED STATES AIR FORCE ACADEMY IN COLORADO. HE'S HERE. YES. 
          HIS SPONSOR IS. YEAH. GO AHEAD. HIS SPONSOR IS MAJOR AJ RIVAS. AND CONGRATULATIONS. ALL RIGHT. 
          NEXT UP, WE'RE GOING TO RECOGNIZE THREE SPECIAL GROUPS OF STUDENTS FOR THEIR ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE IN OUR ADVANCED PLACEMENT PROGRAM. FIRST, WE HAVE OUR AP SCHOLARS WITH HONOR. 
          THESE STUDENTS SCORED A THREE OR HIGHER ON FOUR OR MORE AP EXAMS AND HAVE AN AVERAGE SCORE OF AT LEAST 3.25 ON ALL AP EXAMS TAKEN. FIRST UP, WE HAVE FROM MESQUITE HIGH SCHOOL, LUCAS CARDOZA, ANDRADE, AP SCHOLAR WITH HONORS SPONSOR OLI CLEMENTS. NEXT UP, AP SCHOLAR WITH HONORS FROM MESQUITE HIGH SCHOOL, LEONARDO MORENO. ALSO FROM MESQUITE HIGH SCHOOL. 
          ANGELINA RODRIGUEZ. THIS IS KAYLEE, ALSO AP SCHOLAR WITH HONOR FROM MESQUITE HIGH SCHOOL. 
          FROM NORTH MESQUITE HIGH SCHOOL. THIS IS ALEXANDER ALFARO, AP SCHOLAR WITH HONOR. ALSO FROM NORTH MESQUITE HIGH SCHOOL. GABRIEL GABRIEL MARU, AP SCHOLAR WITH HONOR. THAT SPONSOR IS ASHA PERKINS AT NORTH. ANOTHER STALLION. JACQUELINE MORA, AP SCHOLAR WITH HONOR. ISELLA SANCHEZ FROM NORTH MESQUITE HIGH SCHOOL. AP SCHOLAR WITH HONOR. THIS. FROM WEST MESQUITE HIGH SCHOOL. WE HAVE IGNACIO ALVIDREZ, AP SCHOLAR WITH HONOR. THE SPONSOR AT WEST IS SAMANTHA PARKER. ALSO FROM WEST, WE HAVE ALFREDO CORPUS AP SCHOLAR WITH HONOR. 
          ALSO FROM WEST MESQUITE HIGH SCHOOL. ALEX GOMEZ, AP SCHOLAR WITH HONOR. IF I DIDN'T MENTION THAT WEST MESQUITE SPONSOR IS SAMANTHA PARKER. ANOTHER WRANGLER. IRIS HERNANDEZ, AP SCHOLAR WITH HONOR. NEXT, WE HAVE BELLA MARTINEZ, AP SCHOLAR WITH HONOR FROM WEST MESQUITE. 
          SO LADY MORALES ORTIZ, WEST MESQUITE HIGH SCHOOL, AP SCHOLAR WITH HONOR. ALSO A 
          [00:35:16]
WRANGLER. DAISY MUNOZ, AP SCHOLAR WITH HONOR. THIS IS SHALOM OMARI FROM WEST MESQUITE HIGH SCHOOL, AP SCHOLAR WITH HONOR. TIMOTHY SALONGA, ANOTHER WRANGLER AP SCHOLAR WITH HONOR. 
          NOW FROM POTEET. WE HAVE SOPHIA CASTRO, AP SCHOLAR WITH HONOR. THE SPONSOR AT POTEET IS ALLISON LEWELLYN. ANOTHER PIRATE. ESTHER JACOB, AP SCHOLAR WITH HONOR. FROM JOHN HORN HIGH SCHOOL. WE HAVE RASHAD BROWN, THE SECOND AP SCHOLAR WITH HONOR. THIS. 
          SPONSOR AT HORN HIGH SCHOOL IS GILBERTO LOPEZ LERMA. ALSO FROM HORN HIGH SCHOOL. HUNTER CARHART. ANOTHER FROM HORN HIGH SCHOOL. MISS RILEY HENDRIX, AP SCHOLAR WITH HONOR. ANOTHER JAGUAR. LORENA, LLAMADO AP SCHOLAR WITH HONOR. THIS IS JOSE PALMEIRO PALMEIRO FROM HORN HIGH SCHOOL, AP SCHOLAR WITH HONOR. FROM VANGUARD HIGH SCHOOL. NOW WE HAVE AVA CHACON, AP SCHOLAR WITH HONOR. YOUR SPONSOR AT VANGUARD IS BRANDON MILLER. ANOTHER VANGUARD. 
          JESSICA TORRES, AP SCHOLAR WITH HONOR. OKAY. OUR NEXT GROUP OF STUDENTS ARE AP SCHOLARS WITH DISTINCTION. THIS MEANS THESE STUDENTS HAVE SCORED AT LEAST A 3.5 ON ALL AP EXAMS TAKEN AND SCORED A THREE OR HIGHER ON FIVE OR MORE OF THOSE. FIRST UP FROM NORTH MESQUITE, WE HAVE ALONDRA MANCHA, AP SCHOLAR WITH DISTINCTION. THE SPONSOR AT NORTH MESQUITE HIGH SCHOOL IS ASHA PERKINS. NEXT. VALERIE PALOMA NORTH MESQUITE HIGH SCHOOL AP SCHOLAR WITH DISTINCTION. AND THIS IS YURIDIA PEREZ, NORTH MESQUITE HIGH SCHOOL AP SCHOLAR WITH DISTINCTION. ANOTHER STALLION, CAMILA RAMIREZ, AP SCHOLAR WITH DISTINCTION. NOW FROM WEST MESQUITE HIGH SCHOOL. LISANDRO SALINAS, AP SCHOLAR WITH DISTINCTION AGAIN, YOUR SPONSOR AT WEST MESQUITE IS SAMANTHA PARKER. ALRIGHT, STILL FROM WEST SIDE. MARIAH MATHIS AP SCHOLAR WITH DISTINCTION. FROM NORTH MESQUITE HIGH SCHOOL. HUGO RODRIGUEZ, AP SCHOLAR WITH 
          [00:40:12]
DISTINCTION. SPONSOR AT NORTH MOSQUITOES. ASHA PERKINS. ALSO AP SCHOLAR WITH DISTINCTION FROM NORTH MESQUITE. CARSON WINFREY. NOW FROM POTEET HIGH SCHOOL. SILVER KU, AP SCHOLAR WITH DISTINCTION SPONSOR. ALLISON LLEWELLYN. SORRY ABOUT THAT. HORN HIGH SCHOOL WE HAVE UZUMAKI O'CONNOR. OKINAWA. OH. SAY IT. OH, NORA. OH! UZUMAKI. OH, NORA. SHE WROTE SOME PHONETICS THERE FOR ME. DID AN EXCELLENT JOB. I JUST STILL DIDN'T SAY IT RIGHT. THIS IS HORN HIGH SCHOOL'S AP SCHOLAR WITH DISTINCTION. CONGRATULATIONS. FROM VANGUARD HIGH SCHOOL. HECTOR GONZALES, AP SCHOLAR WITH DISTINCTION. ALSO FROM VANGUARD ONE. GUEVARA JUAN GUEVARA, AP SCHOLAR WITH DISTINCTION. SO MANY SCHOLARS. ANTONIO RIVAS, VANGUARD HIGH SCHOOL AP SCHOLAR WITH DISTINCTION. FROM VANGUARD HIGH SCHOOL. COURTNEY SANDELL, AP SCHOLAR WITH DISTINCTION. THIS IS JASLYN SANTA MARIA VANGUARD HIGH SCHOOL AP SCHOLAR WITH DISTINCTION. ALSO FROM VANGUARD HIGH SCHOOL. WE HAVE ROMINA SERNA. AND ISAAC VASQUEZ, VANGUARD HIGH SCHOOL AP SCHOLAR WITH DISTINCTION. ALRIGHT. AND THIS LAST CATEGORY OF FOLKS ARE AP SCHOLARS WITH DISTINCTION. THE FOLLOWING STUDENTS ALSO EARNED AP CAPSTONE DIPLOMA AWARDS GRANTED TO STUDENTS WHO EARNED SCORES OF THREE OR HIGHER IN AP SEMINAR, AP RESEARCH, AND ON FOUR ADDITIONAL AP EXAMS OF THEIR CHOOSING. THIS IS JADEN FLORES FROM NORTH MESQUITE HIGH SCHOOL, AP SCHOLAR WITH DISTINCTION AND AP CAPSTONE DIPLOMA SPONSOR ASHA PERKINS. ABRAHAM. AND THIS IS ABRAHAM MENDEZ, WEST MESQUITE HIGH SCHOOL AP SCHOLAR WITH DISTINCTION AND AP CAPSTONE DIPLOMA SPONSOR IS SAMANTHA PARKER. AND FINALLY, WE HAVE POTEET HIGH SCHOOL'S ALEJANDRO ESTRADA, AP SCHOLAR WITH DISTINCTION AND AP CAPSTONE DIPLOMA SPONSOR. THERE IS ALLISON LLEWELLYN. 
          AND THAT CONCLUDES ALL THE RECOGNITIONS. CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR SCHOLARS AND THEIR AMAZING SPONSORS. WE GOT AN IMPORTANT ITEM TO DISCUSS. WE'D LIKE FOR YOU TO JOIN US. AND THEN WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A TEN MINUTE RECESS AND CONGRATULATE EACH OTHER AND 
          [00:45:03]
HAVE PICTURES OUTSIDE IF YOU'LL JUST BEAR WITH US, I APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU. 
          ALL RIGHT. NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS BEING MOVED UP. I'M SORRY, I'M SORRY. 
          THE NEXT ITEM IS OUR AUDIENCE PORTION. THAT'S RIGHT. IS THERE ANYBODY THAT WISHES TO SPEAK ON ITEMS ON THE AGENDA? WE HAVE NO ONE. ALL RIGHT. THEN WE WILL MOVE ON TO THE NEXT ITEM. ON 
          [VI. CONSENT AGENDA]
THE AGENDA IS OUR CONSENT AGENDA. BOARD MEMBERS. ARE THERE ANY ITEMS ON THE CONSENT AGENDA YOU WISH TO PULL FOR SEPARATE DISCUSSION AND ACTION? NO, MR. PRESIDENT, BUT I MOVE TO APPROVE. SECOND, I HAVE A MOTION BY MR. CARVILLE, A SECOND BY MR. EVER EVERETT TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA. ANY DISCUSSION? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE INDICATE BY SAYING AYE. 
          AYE. THOSE OPPOSED. NAY. MOTION PASSES SEVEN ZERO. NEXT ITEM IS REPORTS OF THE SUPERINTENDENT. 
          [VII. REPORTS OF THE SUPERINTENDENT]
UNDER PERSONNEL BOARD MEMBERS. AGAIN, JUST A QUICK REMINDER THAT THE FOLLOWING APPOINTMENTS WERE MADE BEFORE SEPTEMBER 1ST DURING THE SUMMER HIRING PERIOD. UNDER POLICY DC LOCAL EMPLOYMENT PRACTICES FROM JUNE 1ST TO AUGUST 31ST, THE BOARD DELEGATES TO THE SUPERINTENDENT. 
          THE AUTHORITY TO EMPLOY CONTRACTUAL PERSONNEL TO THE POSITIONS OF ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL AND ABOVE. THIS ALLOWS THE SUPERINTENDENT TO KEEP CAMPUSES STAFFED AND READY FOR THE NEW YEAR WITHOUT WAITING FOR BOARD MEETING DATES. DOCTOR RIVERA THANK YOU, MR. PRESIDENT. YEAH. THIS IS THE LAST BATCH OF SUMMER HIRES. YEAH, IT'S THE LAST BATCH RIGHT. 
          FRESH OUT THE OVEN. AND SO I'M GOING TO PASS IT ON TO OUR COMMUNICATIONS CHIEF, MISS SMITH. AND SHE'LL INTRODUCE YOU TO THOSE THREE CANDIDATES. ALL RIGHT. I'M EXCITED TO INTRODUCE YOU TO MICHAEL BALDWIN, WHO'S NOT HERE THIS EVENING. BUT WE'RE GOING TO INTRODUCE THE LET YOU KNOW A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THE NEW ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL AT NORTH MESQUITE HIGH SCHOOL. MISS BALDWIN HAS BEEN NAMED ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL AT NORTH MESQUITE HIGH SCHOOL, AND MOST RECENTLY, SHE SERVED AS AN ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE WITH AN EDUCATIONAL SOFTWARE COMPANY. 
          AFTER SPENDING THREE YEARS AS A SECONDARY MATH COORDINATOR IN CEDAR HILL ISD. BALDWIN'S EXPERIENCE ALSO INCLUDES DISTRICT LEVEL MATH AND STEM LEADERSHIP ROLES IN RICHARDSON, DESOTO, AND LANCASTER ISDS. SHE EARNED A BACHELOR'S OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH TEXAS AND A MASTER OF EDUCATION IN EDUCATIONAL ADMINISTRATION FROM LAMAR UNIVERSITY. WE ARE EXCITED TO HAVE ON BOARD OUR NEW ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL AT NORTH MESQUITE HIGH SCHOOL, MIKA BALDWIN. NEXT UP, WE HAVE A NEW ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL AT WOOLLEY MIDDLE SCHOOL, JOSE ANTUNEZ ANTUNEZ. DID I SAY THAT RIGHT? OKAY. MR. ANTUNEZ JOINS MESQUITE ISD. HE'S THE NEW PRINCIPAL ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL AT WOOLLEY MIDDLE SCHOOL, MOST RECENTLY SERVED AS A HIGH SCHOOL PRINCIPAL WITH TEXAS KHAN ACADEMIES. HE BRINGS MORE THAN 25 YEARS OF EDUCATION EXPERIENCE, INCLUDING LEADERSHIP ROLES IN IRVING, HEREFORD, CORSICANA, WACO AND LITTLE ELM ISDS. HE'S ALSO SERVED AS AN ADJUNCT FACULTY MEMBER AND FIELD SUPERVISOR AT SEVERAL COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES. HE EARNED A BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN MATHEMATICS AND EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP FROM SOUTHWESTERN OKLAHOMA STATE UNIVERSITY AND A MASTER OF SCIENCE AND MATHEMATICS IN EDUCATIONAL ADMINISTRATION FROM TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY COMMERCE. THANKS FOR BEING HERE, MR. ANTUNEZ, NEW ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL AT WOOLLEY MIDDLE SCHOOL. AND LASTLY, I'D LIKE TO INTRODUCE YOU TO OUR NEW ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL AT WILKINSON MIDDLE SCHOOL, LORENZA BROWN. MR. BROWN JOINS MESQUITE ISD WITH MORE THAN 20 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE IN EDUCATION AND MOST RECENTLY SERVED AS COMMUNITY TECHNOLOGY COORDINATOR AT SAINT ANTHONY ACADEMY. BROWN BEGAN HIS CAREER IN EDUCATION AS A TEACHER, SERVING STUDENTS IN DALLAS AND CEDAR HILL ISD BEFORE MOVING INTO CAMPUS LEADERSHIP IN VENUS ISD. BROWN EARNED A BACHELOR OF ARTS IN KINESIOLOGY FROM HUSTON-TILLOTSON COLLEGE AND A MASTER OF EDUCATION IN EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP AND POLICY STUDIES FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT ARLINGTON. WELCOME TO WILKINSON MIDDLE SCHOOL, MESQUITE ISD. MR. LORENZO BROWN. THANK YOU, MISS SMITH. WITH THAT, WE WILL D MEMBERS, NEXT ITEM UNDER ITEM NUMBER TWO. WE'RE REMOVING THAT. WE DON'T HAVE PLACEMENTS YET. 
          SO WE'LL PUT THAT MOVE THAT TO THE OCTOBER BOARD MEETING. THE NEXT ITEM IS NUMBER THREE A REPORT LEGAL OFFICE UPDATE. WE GOT THAT DURING EXECUTIVE SESSION. WE'LL MOVE ON TO ITEM 
          [00:50:03]
NUMBER FOUR. IT'S AN ACTION ITEM. THIS MATTER HAS BEEN RESOLVED AND NO BOARD DELIBERATION OR ACTION IS NECESSARY. WITHOUT OBJECTION, WE WILL PROCEED TO THE NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA. NEXT ITEM IS NUMBER FIVE. IT'S A REPORT ON RESIGNATIONS, NEW HIRES. YOU HAVE THAT IN THERE FOR YOUR READING. NO QUESTIONS, I TAKE IT. OKAY. NEXT, AS WE DISCUSSED EARLIER, IF THERE'S NO OBJECTIONS, WE'RE GOING TO MOVE UP ITEMS ONE AND TWO FROM BUSINESS. NO OBJECTIONS. OKAY. FIRST ITEM IS AN ACTION ITEM TO CONDUCT A PUBLIC HEARING FOR THE EFFICIENCY AUDIT. WE WILL NOW OPEN THE MEETING AT 726 FOR A HEARING. IS THERE ANYONE THAT WISHES TO SPEAK ON THE EFFICIENCY AUDIT? DON'T ALL JUMP AT ONCE THERE. ABRAHAM. 
          YOU HAVE NO, NO NO TAKERS. OKAY. WE WILL NOW CLOSE THE HEARING SINCE THERE'S NOBODY SPEAKING ON IT. NEXT ITEM IS A REPORT TO REVIEW THE EFFICIENCY AUDIT, MR. PRADO. GOOD EVENING, PRESIDENT SEWARD. BOARD OF TRUSTEES DOCTOR RIVERA. ON MAY 11TH, 2026, THE BOARD APPROVED WHITLEY PEN TO CONDUCT AN EFFICIENCY AUDIT. AND SO TONIGHT, MISS SALINAS, PUBLIC SECTOR PARTNER IN CHARGE FROM WHITLEY PEN, WILL GIVE YOU A REPORT. I WILL ALSO PASS A HARD COPY FOR YOU THAT YOU CAN READ AT YOUR LEISURE. GREAT INFORMATION IN THERE AND WE WILL BE POSTING THAT RIGHT AFTER THIS MEETING ON OUR WEBSITE. MISS SELENA. THANK YOU, MR. PRADO, PRESIDENT SEWARD, DOCTOR RIVERA AND MEMBERS OF THE BOARD. THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME HERE TONIGHT. AS MR. PRADO INDICATED, WE DID START THE PROCESS IN MIDDLE OF MAY, AND WE HAD THREE MONTHS IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD AND HOUSE BILL THREE. SO I'LL GET STARTED AND AND TAKE US THROUGH THE PURPOSE OF THE EFFICIENCY AUDIT AND THEN THE RESULTS THERE THEREOF AS WELL. IF YOU RECALL, DURING THE 86 LEGISLATURE IN 2019, HOUSE BILL THREE WAS ENACTED, WHICH REQUIRES SCHOOL DISTRICTS TO UNDERGO AN EFFICIENCY AUDIT PRIOR TO HOLDING A VOTER APPROVAL TAX RATE, ELECTION, OR EVADER HERE. NOW, THAT'S ALSO MEMORIALIZED IN THE TEXAS EDUCATION CODE SECTION 11.184. SO THIS WILL PROVIDE YOUR VOTERS WITH THE INFORMATION REGARDING THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS FISCAL MANAGEMENT, EFFICIENCY, UTILIZATION OF RESOURCES BEFORE AN ELECTION TO ADOPT A MAINTENANCE AND OPERATIONS PROPERTY TAX RATE. SO THAT'S THE IMPORTANT PART, THAT THIS DOES NOT AFFECT YOUR INTEREST IN SEEKING RELATED TO YOUR BONDS. IT'S ONLY MAINTENANCE AND OPERATIONS. THE AUDIT GUIDELINES WERE GIVEN TO US IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD OR THE LBB. THE AVAILABLE DATA HAD TO BE FROM THE RECENT MOST RECENT SCHOOL YEAR, AND THAT WAS AS OF 2025. 
          AND WE USED THE SAME DATA THE SAME YEAR FOR YOUR PEER DISTRICTS THAT YOU'LL SEE HERE IN THE NEXT FEW SLIDES, WE NOT ONLY COMPARED MESQUITE ISD TO ITSELF, MAYBE ITS NEIGHBORING DISTRICTS, BUT YOU'LL SEE HERE IN A FEW SLIDES THAT WE COMPARED IT TO 17 OTHER DISTRICTS AND COMPARED THE AVERAGE INFORMATION. THERE WERE 20 ITEMS, INCLUDING 18 FIGURES, THAT THE LBB REQUIRES US TO REPORT ON AND ALSO PROVIDE AN EXPLANATION AS WELL. THE PEER DISTRICTS ARE LISTED HERE, AND YOU'LL SEE THAT THEY'RE FROM COUNTIES ACROSS THE STATE OF TEXAS. THIS WAS BASED ON TAX RATE, SIZE OF THE DISTRICT COMMUNITY TYPE, AS WELL AS WHO YOU COMPETE FOR FOR STAFF. RIGHT. SO THIS WAS A CONCERTED EFFORT BETWEEN US AND YOUR MANAGEMENT TEAM WHO SELECTED THE THE PEER DISTRICTS. YOU'RE ONLY REQUIRED TO HAVE FIVE BUT YOU SELECTED 17, WHICH ALLOWS YOU TO LOOK AT VARIOUS SCHOOL DISTRICTS THROUGHOUT THE STATE. 
          SO I THINK IT'S A FAIR ASSESSMENT. LET'S START WITH YOUR TAX RATE. THE REASON WE'RE HERE IS TO INCREASE YOUR MAINTENANCE AND OPERATIONS TAX RATE. YOU'LL SEE THAT FROM 2024 THROUGH 2026, IT HAS STAYED RELATIVELY THE SAME, BUT IT HAS DECREASED ABOUT THREE THOUSANDTHS OF A OF A PENNY. WHEN YOU LOOK AT YOUR PEER DISTRICT AVERAGE, YOU'LL SEE THAT YOU'RE ALWAYS ABOUT $0.05 IN 24 AND 2324 TAX YEAR 2425 SCHOOL YEAR. YOU WERE FIVE PENNIES BEHIND YOUR PEER DISTRICT AVERAGE TAX RATE. AND FOR 2026, YOU'RE ESTIMATED TO BE THREE PENNIES BELOW YOUR YOUR PEER DISTRICTS AS WELL. WE'RE ALSO REQUIRED TO LOOK AT 
          [00:55:02]
HOW YOU PERFORM ACADEMICALLY. SO YOUR ACCOUNTABILITY RATING WAS A B, YOUR PEER DISTRICT AVERAGE OF THOSE 17 PEER DISTRICTS WAS A C. SO YOU ARE PERFORMING A BIT BETTER THAN YOUR PEER DISTRICTS. AS YOU RECALL THE SCHOOL FIRST RATING. AND YOU'LL HAVE ANOTHER PUBLIC HEARING THAT MR. PRADO WILL REPORT TO YOU HERE. BUT THE 2026 PRELIMINARY RATINGS WERE ISSUED LAST MONTH OF AUGUST 2026 USING THE 2025 DATA. SO THESE ARE PRELIMINARY RESULTS. 
          BUT ONCE AGAIN, YOU HAVE EARNED AN A AND YOU HAVE EARNED AN A SINCE 2021 TO PRESENT DAY. SO KUDOS TO YOUR TEAM FOR EARNING THAT RATING. AND THAT RATING, IF YOU RECALL, IS ISSUED BY THE TEXAS EDUCATION AGENCY. NOW WE GET INTO STUDENT COUNTS AND THOSE CHARACTERISTICS. THIS LOOKS AT THE SPECIAL POPULATIONS THAT MESQUITE ISD AND YOUR PEER DISTRICT SERVE. 
          SO JUST LOOKING AT THE NUMBERS, AND I UNDERSTAND THAT LOOKING AT THE NUMBERS MAY NOT BE COMPARATIVE. SO WE HAVE TO LOOK AT EXPENDITURES PER STUDENT. THAT NORMALIZES EVERYTHING. SO JUST JUST FOR SETTING THE BASIS HERE, MESQUITE ISD HAS 37,930 STUDENTS. THIS IS AGAIN AS OF 2025. AND WE'RE COMPARING THAT TO 30,000 AND 108 STUDENTS WITH OUR PEER DISTRICT AVERAGE. AND YOU'LL SEE HERE THAT THE DIFFERENT SPECIAL POPULATIONS FROM ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED ALL THE WAY TO CAREER AND TECHNICAL VARIES BY SIZE. BUT I THINK THE MOST NOTEWORTHY CHART IS LOOKING AT IT AS A PERCENTAGE OF YOUR TOTAL STUDENT POPULATION, AND THEN LOOKING AT THE SAME DATA FOR YOUR PEER DISTRICTS. AND THE MOST STARK DIFFERENCE HERE IS YOUR ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED POPULATION. YOUR STUDENTS ARE AT 81.2% VERSUS YOUR PEER DISTRICTS WERE AT 55.2. ENGLISH LEARNERS ARE STILL ABOUT TEN PERCENTAGE POINTS HIGHER. 
          SPECIAL EDUCATION IS ALSO HIGHER. AND THOUGH THAT THIS IS YOUR LOCAL MONEY. AND SO I WANT TO ALSO ADD THAT EVERY TIME YOU SPEND JUST ANOTHER DOLLAR, FEDERAL REQUIREMENTS, IF YOU CONTINUE TO RECEIVE FEDERAL REQUIREMENTS, YOU HAVE TO SPEND THAT SAME DOLLAR OR MORE THE FOLLOWING YEAR. SO THERE'S NO LEEWAY FOR YOU TO REDUCE THOSE FUNDS. SO YOU HAVE TO MAINTAIN THAT EFFORT GOING FORWARD. AND THEN YOU HAVE YOUR BILINGUAL ESL EDUCATION, AGAIN, ALMOST TEN PERCENTAGE POINTS HIGHER THAN YOUR PEER DISTRICTS AND ABOUT 11 PERCENTAGE POINTS HIGHER THAN THE STATE. THE CAREER AND TECHNICAL, AGAIN, HIGHER FOR BOTH COMPARISON GROUPS AS WELL. AND THIS IS IMPORTANT TOO, BECAUSE YOU'LL SEE WHEN WE LOOK AT YOUR EXPENDITURES, THAT IT REQUIRES MORE RESOURCES TO EDUCATE THESE SPECIAL RESOURCES. AND THAT'S WHAT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE WITH THIS INFORMATION. YOUR YOUR ATTENDANCE PERCENTAGE AS IT IS, IS COMPARABLE TO YOUR YOUR PEERS EVEN HIGHER, 0.3 PERCENT PERCENTAGE POINTS HIGHER, AND ABOUT 0.1 PERCENTAGE POINTS LESS THAN THAN THE STATE. NOW, IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE, TOO, THAT YOUR ENROLLMENT HAS DECLINED BY ALMOST 2000 STUDENTS BETWEEN 2021 AND 2025, AND AGAIN, IT'S EXPECTED TO DECREASE ANOTHER 3.42%. AND AS WE ALL KNOW THAT YOUR STATE AID IS PRIMARILY DRIVEN BY YOUR ATTENDANCE, NOT JUST ENROLLMENT, BUT THE THE PERCENTAGE OF THE TIME THAT THE CHILDREN ATTEND CLASSES. AND YES, THERE'S, THERE'S THAT INVERSE RELATIONSHIP WITH YOUR PROPERTY TAXES. BUT IF THE ATTENDANCE IS NOT THERE, ENROLLMENT IS NOT THERE, THEN THE STATE AID WILL WILL SUFFER. SO AT LEAST YOU'RE DOING YOUR PART IN COMPARISON TO YOUR PEER DISTRICTS WITH THAT HEALTHY ATTENDANCE RATE. NOW WE LOOK AT THE TOTAL REVENUES PER STUDENT. AND THIS IS LOOKING AT THE GENERAL FUND, THE SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS, ALL OF YOUR FEDERAL PROGRAMS, INCLUDING THE CHILD NUTRITION PROGRAM. AND I HAD TO PUT THE THE ORANGE PIECE OF THE LAYERED BAR CHART, NOT THE ORANGE, EXCUSE ME, THE GREEN, THE NUMBERS OUTSIDE JUST BECAUSE I DIDN'T WANT TO SQUISH THE NUMBERS SO THAT 589, THE 671 AND THE 783 IS ALL RELATED TO OTHER LOCAL REVENUE AND INTERMEDIATE REVENUE SOURCES. 
          BUT I WANT TO POINT YOUR ATTENTION TO THE ORANGE PORTION OF THE BAR CHART OF THE STACKED BAR CHARTS. YOU'LL SEE THAT MESQUITE ISD IS AT A LITTLE UNDER $2,600 PER STUDENT, WHILE ITS PEER DISTRICTS ARE AT 4800 AND AND ALSO THE STATE AS WELL. SO OBVIOUSLY THAT TAX REVENUE IS A LOT HIGHER THAN WHAT YOU'RE BRINGING IN. NOW. YOU HAVE YOUR YOUR STATE AID, WHICH IS AT 7900. BUT OVERALL, YOU'LL SEE HERE THAT YOUR YOUR REVENUE IS HIGHER. BUT WE NEED TO LOOK AT IT AS WELL IN COMPARISON TO YOUR EXPENDITURES. SO YOUR EXPENDITURES ARE HIGHER THAN YOUR PEER DISTRICT AVERAGE. WE ALREADY ESTABLISHED THAT YOUR SPECIAL POPULATION GROUP 
          [01:00:05]
PERCENTAGES ARE A LOT HIGHER THAN THE PEER DISTRICTS AND THE STATE AVERAGE. THIS IS THESE AMOUNTS ARE PER STUDENT. SO THEIR EXPENDITURES BY STUDENT. AND AGAIN IT'S IMPORTANT TO LOOK AT THE PERCENTAGES. THAT'S REALLY WHERE IT MATTERS. YOU'LL SEE THAT MESQUITE ISD SPENDS 60.3% OF ITS RESOURCES IN INSTRUCTION, COMPARED TO 58.5% OF ITS PEER DISTRICTS AND 57.7% OF THE STATE AVERAGE. SO YOU'RE SPENDING THE MONEY IN THE RIGHT PLACE. ANOTHER POINT, EVEN THOUGH IT'S JUST A SLIVER, THAT GREEN PORTION OF THE BAR CHART IS VERY IMPORTANT. YOU SPEND 2.5% ON GENERAL ADMINISTRATION. THIS BUILDING, RIGHT? CENTRAL ADMIN FUNCTION 41 IF WE WERE TO LOOK AT IT COMPARED TO 2.8 FOR YOUR PEER DISTRICTS AND 3.3 AT THE STATE AVERAGE, WHICH MEANS YOU'RE RUNNING YOUR GENERAL ADMINISTRATION VERY LEAN. THE OTHER THE OTHER COMPONENTS ARE ARE PRETTY COMPARABLE, BUT THE BIGGEST DIFFERENCES ARE GOING TO BE IN YOUR INSTRUCTION AND RELATED SERVICES. AND THAT'S WHERE YOU'RE SPENDING MOST OF YOUR YOUR FUNDS. I DID HAVE A NOTE AS WELL THAT ABOUT $681 PER STUDENT IS INCLUDED IN EXPENDITURES HERE. SO I DON'T WANT YOU TO THINK THAT YOU'RE RUNNING A DEFICIT EVERY TIME. WHAT THE STATE DID, AND THAT'S ANOTHER IMPORTANT NOTE, IS THAT THE STATE PROVIDES THESE REPORTS. IT'S COMING FROM YOUR TEAM'S DATA. WE DON'T MANIPULATE IT. WE HAVE TO SHOW IT THAT WAY. SO THE REVENUE EXCLUDES THE ON BEHALF. AND SO IF YOU RECALL FROM THE FINANCIAL AUDIT PORTION, TRES IS ALWAYS SAYING HOW MUCH ARE WE CONTRIBUTING ON BEHALF OF MESQUITE ISD? SO THAT EQUATED TO ABOUT $681 PER STUDENT. THE STATE REMOVES IT FROM REVENUE, BUT NOT IN THE EXPENDITURES. SO YOU HAVE TO REMOVE ABOUT $681 FROM THE EXPENDITURE BASED TO THEN COMPARE REVENUES TO EXPENDITURES ON AN EQUAL LEVEL. IT'S IT'S THE WAY THEY DID IT. AND I JUST HAVE TO EXPLAIN THAT. 
          SO YOU COULD YOU COULD UNDERSTAND IT AND NOT THINK THAT YOU'RE RUNNING A DEFICIT. 
          WHEN WE LOOK AT YOUR PAYROLL AS A PERCENTAGE OF FUNDS, YOU SPEND 81.5% OF YOUR EXPENDITURES ON PAYROLL. SO YOU'RE PAYING YOUR PEOPLE, COMPARED TO YOUR PEER DISTRICT AVERAGE OF 77.1 AND 78.4%. YOUR AVERAGE TEACHER SALARY IS HIGHER AT $68,875 VERSUS 66,060 3751. ONE OTHER IMPORTANT NOTE YOU'LL SEE IT IN THE REPORT IS THAT MESQUITE ISD IN 2025 DID NOT PARTICIPATE IN THE TEACHER INCENTIVE ALLOTMENT. THESE OTHER DISTRICTS DO, MEANING THAT THEIR THOSE SALARIES ARE A BIT HIGHER BECAUSE THEY'VE GOT THOSE OTHER ADDITIONAL PAYOUTS TO THOSE EMPLOYEES. AND AND THIS IS THE YEAR IN 2026 WHERE YOU ALL ARE IMPLEMENTING THAT. 
          SO YOU ALL ARE SPENDING YOUR FUNDS ON, ON YOUR TEACHERS, THE TEACHING STAFF AS A PERCENTAGE OF THE TOTAL STAFF IS 47.7% COMPARED TO YOUR PEER DISTRICTS AT 48.2. AND YOUR STUDENTS PER TEACHING STAFF IS 13.7 VERSUS YOUR 15 STUDENTS PER YOUR PEER DISTRICTS AND THE STATE AVERAGE. 
          AND OVERALL, YOUR STUDENTS PER TOTAL STAFF IS 6.57.2 FOR YOUR PEER DISTRICTS AND. AND SEVEN STUDENTS PER STAFF FOR YOUR FOR THE STATE AVERAGE, YOUR TURNOVER RATE FOR YOUR TEACHERS IS REALLY EXEMPLARY. IT'S ONLY 16.7% VERSUS 19.5 COMPARED TO YOUR PEER DISTRICT AVERAGE, AND 18.8 FOR YOUR STATE AVERAGE. NOW, THESE LAST TWO SLIDES REALLY HONE IN ON WHY DO YOU EVEN NEED THE THE OTHER ONE SUPPORTED AS WELL. BUT YOU CAN SEE HERE THAT FROM 2021 TO 2025, YOUR UNASSIGNED FUND BALANCE HAS BEEN DECLINING AND CONTINUES TO DECLINE WITHOUT. 
          THE DISTRICT ASSERTS THAT WITHOUT THE NO INCREASE TAX RATE INCREASE, THIS UNASSIGNED FUND BALANCE WILL CONTINUE TO DECREASE. AND WHY IS THAT IMPORTANT? THE TEXAS EDUCATION AGENCY REQUIRES THAT YOU HAVE AT LEAST THREE MONTHS OF UNASSIGNED FUND BALANCE IN ORDER TO KEEP ALL YOUR POINTS FOR FIRST RATINGS. AND NOT JUST THAT, RIGHT? YOU RECEIVE A LOT OF FEDERAL FUNDS IN ORDER. AND THOSE FEDERAL FUNDS ARE UNDER REIMBURSEMENT BASIS, MEANING YOU HAVE TO PAY FOR THAT FIRST OUT OF THE GENERAL FUND BEFORE THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT REIMBURSES YOU. SO YOU HAVE TO HAVE A HEALTHY FUND BALANCE TO OPERATE THOSE FEDERAL FUNDS. 
          ANOTHER IMPORTANT DISTINCTION, TOO, IS THAT YOUR UNASSIGNED FUND BALANCE COMPARE PER STUDENT COMPARED TO YOUR PEER DISTRICTS IS 2778 VERSUS A LITTLE OVER 2800. AND IN A SIGN, DO YOU HAVE ABOUT $15.5 MILLION IN ASSIGNED FUND BALANCE, WHICH IS $410 PER STUDENT VERSUS YOUR 
          [01:05:03]
PEER DISTRICTS OF $693 PER STUDENT. AND THAT HAS ALREADY BEEN ASSIGNED FOR YOUR HEALTH FUND, ETC. THAT WE KNOW YOU, YOU ARE FUNDING EVERY YEAR. ANY QUESTIONS FOR ME? IT LOOKED LIKE THE EVIDENCE POINTS TO THE FACT THAT WE ARE OPERATING FINANCIALLY RESPONSIBLE AND PRUDENT. THAT'S CORRECT. I GUESS I'M LOOKING FOR YOUR OPINION, BUT I'M JUST SAYING THAT THAT'S WHAT IT APPEARS BASED ON THE REPORT. CORRECT. THAT'S WHAT THE DATA SHOWS. SO WE DON'T ISSUE AN OPINION. BUT THE DATA DOES SUPPORT THAT. AND I BELIEVE THAT IS ALSO THE THE OPINION OF YOUR DISTRICT MANAGEMENT. AND WE SEE THE THE DECLINE IN YOUR FUND BALANCE AS WELL. REMEMBER IN 2022, WHEN WE HAD THE VADER IN NOVEMBER OF 22, WE DIDN'T HAVE TO PERFORM THIS EFFICIENCY AUDIT DUE TO THE GOVERNOR DECLARING A DISASTER. YES, SIR. YES, SIR. SO THIS WAS THE YEAR 2025. AND SO AND AND CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, WE WERE WE WERE SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER IN CENTRAL OFFICE WITH OUR PEER DISTRICTS AND THE STATE. CORRECT. AND THAT'S EVEN BEFORE WE MADE THE CENTRAL OFFICE CUTS THAT WE MADE LAST YEAR, WHICH ARE NOT REFLECTED. 
          SO IF WE WERE TO DO THE SAME CALCULATION TODAY, WE'LL BE EVEN PROBABLY A WHOLE PERCENTAGE POINT IS THAT I WOULD HAVE TO LOOK AT THE OVERALL CUTS. BUT I KNOW THAT YOU HAD ABOUT 24 MILLION IN A REDUCTION. SO IF WE WERE TO TAKE WHAT THAT REDUCTION IS IN THE GENERAL ADMINISTRATION AND APPLY THAT. SO YOU'VE ALREADY MADE SIGNIFICANT CUTS TO. SO REFLECT THAT. BUT IT ALSO. IT WOULD ALSO REFLECT ON THE TEACHER COUNTS BECAUSE WE HAVE LESS TEACHER COUNT. SO, YOU KNOW, I'LL GET YOU A COPY OF THIS PRESENTATION, BUT IT'S, IT'S VERY SIGNIFICANT AS WE GO AROUND THE COMMUNITY, INFORMING THEM FACTUALLY ABOUT THE REFERENDUM AND THE REPORT. ALSO, YOU READ IT. IT'S THE IMPACT PER HOUSEHOLD, WHICH I BELIEVE IT'S 76. IT'S $76 PER YEAR. IS IS THE IMPACT. IS THAT CORRECT? GILBERT? LET ME LET ME. YES. 
          $76 ANNUALLY OR APPROX. APPROXIMATELY $6.35 PER MONTH IF THE VADER PASSES. THANK YOU, I JUST WANT TO ADD AND MAKE A COMMENT. THANKS FOR GIVING ME THE CHANCE. ALLUDING TO DOCTOR RIVERA'S COMMENT. RELATED TO THIS IS DATA THAT DOESN'T INCLUDE THE LAST TWO YEARS WORTH OF CUTS THAT WE'VE MADE. AND SO I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT TO TO CONSIDER THAT WE MAKE CUTS OVER $50 MILLION TO RIGHT SIZE THE DISTRICT. AND SO TO YOUR POINT, IF WE WERE TO DO RUN SOME OF THE SAME SORT OF ANALYSIS, YOU WOULD SEE THOSE RESULTS BAKED INTO THAT CALCULATION. SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? BOARD MEMBERS? THANK YOU VERY MUCH. GREAT REPORT. APPRECIATE IT. NEXT ON THE AGENDA UNDER CONSTRUCTION IS AN ACTION ITEM TO APPROVE SCHEMATIC DESIGN FOR THE MESQUITE ISD TRANSPORTATION CENTER. ADDITION AND RENOVATION, A 2025 BOND PROJECT. MR. DON POOLE, THANK YOU, SCHOOL BOARD PRESIDENT, SEWER DOCTOR RIVERA HERE TONIGHT TO PRESENT THE SCHEMATIC DESIGNS FOR THE TRANSPORTATION ADDITIONS AND RENOVATIONS AS GOING TO BE PRESENTED BY GLENN PARTNERS. AND WITH US TONIGHT IS ASSOCIATE PRINCIPAL PRINCIPAL JENNIFER CRADDOCK AND PRINCIPAL DAN HOLT, WHO'LL BE DOING THIS. 
          THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. GOOD EVENING. BOARD OF TRUSTEES PRESIDENT SEWARD. DOCTOR RIVERA, AS DON MENTIONED, MY NAME IS JENNIFER CRADDOCK. I'M A PROJECT MANAGER AND ASSOCIATE PARTNER WITH GLENN PARTNERS ARCHITECTS. WE AT GLENN PARTNERS HAVE APPRECIATED THE OPPORTUNITY OF WORKING WITH DON AND JAY ON THE PROJECTS THAT WE'RE WORKING ON IN THE DISTRICT, AS WELL AS THE DISTRICT LEADERSHIP. WE'VE GOTTEN TO KNOW DOCTOR RIVERA, MR. PRADO, DOCTOR. FIELDS, AND IT'S JUST ALREADY BEEN SUCH A GREAT RELATIONSHIP. SO THANK YOU FOR THAT OPPORTUNITY. WE'VE RECENTLY PRESENTED TO YOU MESQUITE HIGH SCHOOL AND PETITE HIGH SCHOOL, JUST SO YOU CAN CONTINUE SEEING OUR FACES IN ASSOCIATION WITH PROJECTS. AND NOW I HAVE THE PLEASURE OF BRINGING YOU THE PLANNED IMPROVEMENTS FOR THE TRANSPORTATION CENTER. LET ME MAKE SURE I CAN DO THIS. OKAY. WE'LL BE COVERING THE PROJECT SCHEDULE. I WILL BE COVERING THE PROJECT SCHEDULE, SCOPE, AND PAIN POINTS WE OBSERVED IN THE EXISTING BUILDING. DAN HOLT, AS MENTIONED, AS A PARTNER AND ARCHITECT AND OUR FIRM, HE'S 
          [01:10:03]
GOING TO BE PRESENTING OUR DESIGN SOLUTION THROUGH OUR GOALS AND GUIDING PRINCIPLES, SITE AND FLOOR PLANS, AND SOME RENDERINGS TO BETTER COMMUNICATE WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO ACHIEVE HERE. SO PROJECT SCHEDULE, THERE'S A LOT OF INFORMATION HERE, BUT THIS BUILDING IS UNIQUE IN THAT IT'S OPERATIONAL 12 MONTHS OUT OF THE YEAR. SO IT PRESENTS INTERESTING COMPLICATIONS AS WELL AS OPPORTUNITIES THAT ARE A BIT DIFFERENT FROM THE ACADEMIC IMPROVEMENTS HAPPENING THROUGHOUT THE DISTRICT. THROUGH CAREFUL PHASING, WE ANTICIPATE THE CONSTRUCTION PHASE OF THE PROJECT TO BE APPROXIMATELY ONE YEAR. WE WILL ISSUE FINAL DRAWINGS IN LATE JANUARY AND PLAN TO BRING THE GMP TO THE BOARD FOR APPROVAL IN APRIL OF 2027. PROJECT SCOPE THE EXISTING BUILDING HAS AGING BUILDING SYSTEMS THAT ARE TO BE ENHANCED AND MODERNIZED, INCLUDING MECHANICAL, ELECTRICAL, PLUMBING, AS WELL AS A NEW FIRE ALARM AND SPRINKLER SYSTEM. THERE ARE ALSO UNDERGROUND FUELING TANKS THAT HAVE REACHED THEIR LIFE EXPECTANCY THAT NEED TO BE REPLACED. ADDITIONALLY, THERE ARE TWO PORTABLE BUILDINGS ON SITE THAT ARE USED FOR THE BUS DRIVER LOUNGE AND AS A LARGE MEETING SPACE FOR THE DEPARTMENT. THIS PROJECT WILL INCLUDE AN ADDITION THAT WILL ENABLE THESE PORTABLE BUILDINGS TO BE REMOVED WHILE WE ARE ON SITE, WE ALSO PLAN TO PROVIDE ADEQUATE OFFICE SPACE, ADDITIONAL TOILET ROOMS AND TO REPLACE AGING FINISHES, FINISHES AND SPACES THAT WILL REMAIN IN PLACE. ALL RIGHT, SO AFTER WALKING AND SCANNING THE EXISTING BUILDING, THERE WERE SEVERAL PAIN POINTS THAT WE IDENTIFIED. THERE'S AN INADEQUATE NUMBER OF RESTROOMS TO SERVE THE OVER 200 STAFF MEMBERS THAT USE THIS FACILITY. 
          THE EXISTING RESTROOM FINISHES AND FIXTURES ARE AGING AND BEYOND THEIR LIFE CYCLE. THE EXISTING LOCKER ROOMS AND SHOWERS ARE NOT USED IN THIS SPACE, AND COULD THAT SPACE COULD BE REDISTRIBUTED TO OTHER PROGRAMMATIC NEEDS WITHIN THE BUILDING. SIMILARLY, THE KITCHEN IS UNDERSIZED AND FINISHES AND APPLIANCES ARE AGING. AS MENTIONED, THERE ARE TWO PORTABLE BUILDINGS THAT NEED TO BE REMOVED. ONE IS USED AS A LOUNGE FOR DRIVERS BETWEEN MORNING DROP OFF AND AFTERNOON PICKUP. THE OTHER IS USED AS LARGE FOR LARGE MEETINGS, WHICH IS STILL NOT LARGE ENOUGH FOR THE ENTIRE DEPARTMENT TO MEET AT ONCE. IT'S NOT IDEAL FOR STAFF TO BE SEPARATED FROM THE MAIN BUILDING, REQUIRING STAFF TO LEAVE THE MAIN BUILDING TO ACCESS THESE MEETING SPACES. CURRENTLY, THERE IS NOT A SPRINKLER SYSTEM IN THE BUILDING, AND THE FIRE ALARM SYSTEM IS OUT OF DATE AND IN NEED OF UPGRADE. ONCE INSIDE OF THIS MAIN SPACE, THERE IS NOT A SECURE LOBBY TO SEPARATE PUBLIC SPACES FROM THE STAFF OFFICES. 
          ONCE OFF OR OFFICES ARE UNDERSIZED, LACK NATURAL DAYLIGHT, AND ARE DISORGANIZED. 
          THE CIRCULATION THROUGH THE SPACE IS CONFUSING, WITH NARROW PINCH POINTS AND HIGH TRAFFIC AREAS. SO THAT'S MY PART OF THIS PRESENTATION. DAN NOW HAS THE GREAT FUN OPPORTUNITY OF SHOWING YOU OUR DESIGN SOLUTION. ALL RIGHT, GOOD EVENING. I WANT TO IDENTIFY SOME OF THE PROJECT GOALS THAT JENNIFER KIND OF OUTLINED A LITTLE BIT FOR US. SO REALLY THE BIGGEST GOAL OF THIS PROJECT IS TO REDUCE REMOVE THOSE PORTABLES FROM FROM THE SITE AND MAKE SURE THOSE DEDICATED SPACES FOR THE DRIVERS IS CONNECTED TO THE MAIN BUILDING. AND ALSO JUST AGAIN, JUST UPDATE AND EXPAND THOSE RESTROOMS, UPDATE AND RECONFIGURE THE ADMINISTRATIVE SPACES AND BRING UP THE BUILDING UP TO CODE. HERE IS THE EXISTING SITE PLAN. 
          CURRENTLY HAVE SPACES FOR JUST UNDER 200 BUS BUS SPACES, AND AND SOME OF THE RECORD TRAILERS AND SOME 18 WHEELERS AS WELL. CURRENTLY, WE DON'T HAVE A WHOLE LOT TO DEVELOP ON THE SITE, BUT I'LL CHANGE TO THE NEW SITE PLAN. THE BIGGEST THING IS OBVIOUSLY REMOVING THE PORTABLES. SO WE'RE CONNECTING THE THE NEW ADDITION WITH THE EXISTING BUILDING KIND OF RE REDOING THE THE FRONT ENTRY THERE. AND ON THE SOUTH KIND OF BOTTOM RIGHT OF THE SITE. WE'RE ALSO ADDING SOME ADDITIONAL SITE STAFF PARKING. SO THERE'S A CURRENT NEED TO INCREASE THE AMOUNT OF DRIVERS PARKING SPACES AS WELL. AND REALLY TO THE LEFT OF THE SITE WHERE THOSE FUELING STATIONS ARE. WE'RE GOING TO DO SOME LITTLE, LITTLE MODIFICATION TO THOSE TANKS AND REPLACE THE ONES THAT AREN'T WORKING AND UPGRADE THE EXISTING ONES. HERE'S THE EXISTING FLOOR PLAN. AGAIN, I WANT TO MAKE SURE EVERYONE GOT TO STUDY THIS. AND WHAT WE'RE DOING MAIN ENTRY RIGHT NOW IS KIND OF CENTERED IN THE BUILDING. WE'RE GOING TO ACTUALLY REMOVE, REMOVE THAT AND RELOCATE THAT. MOVING TO THE NEW FLOOR PLAN. IT'S A LITTLE BIT MORE MORE ORGANIZED. SO THE MAIN ENTRANCE GETS SHIFTED KIND OF WHERE THE EXISTING BUILDING AND A NEW ADDITION KIND OF CONNECTION POINT. AND TO THE LEFT, YOU GOT ALL THE OFFICES KIND OF IN A NEW SECURED AREA. SO VISITORS AND STAFF WILL GO THROUGH THE 
          [01:15:04]
MAIN ENTRANCE AND THEY'LL BE A LITTLE BIT MORE SECURED WITH ALL THE DISPATCH, THE ROUTING OFFICES AND THE VARIOUS DIRECTORS AND OTHER OFFICE STAFF. WHAT WE'RE DOING THE BATHROOMS A LITTLE BIT IN THE MAIN BUILDING, MEET ADA AND AS WELL AS PROVIDE A COUPLE MORE STALLS AND, AND FACILITIES FOR, FOR THE STAFF THERE AND INTRODUCING SOME MORE ADDITIONAL STORAGE THAT'S MUCH NEEDED, AS WELL AS MOVED TO THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE FLOOR PLAN. 
          WE'VE GOT THE KIND OF DRIVERS AREA WHERE THE MEETING ROOM AND THE DRIVER'S LOUNGE, WHICH IS SEPARATED BY AN OPERABLE PARTITION SO WE CAN OPEN UP THAT SPACE, HAVE ONE LARGE MEETING ROOM, AS JENNIFER WAS SAYING, TO GET HOUSE ALL THOSE 200 PLUS STAFF THERE. THEY WILL HAVE A DEDICATED KITCHENETTE AS WELL AS DEDICATED BATHROOMS. ONE THING WE DID HAVE ADJUSTED AS WELL ADDED A PASS THROUGH. SO IF THE MEETING ROOM IS BEING UTILIZED, THERE'LL BE A DIRECT WAY TO GET FROM THE LOBBY, INTO THE INTO THE DRIVER'S LOUNGE WITHOUT INTERRUPTING THE MEETING AS MUCH AS TIME. SO WE'VE MADE THAT ADJUSTMENTS AND THE REST OF THE FLOOR PLAN KIND OF THE TOP RIGHT. WE HAVE SOME BUILDING INFRASTRUCTURE, FIRE RISER ROOM, ELECTRICAL ROOM, SOME TABLE STORAGE. BUT THAT'S KIND OF WRAPS UP THE NEW PLAN. GOT SOME RENDERINGS, SHOWED KIND OF HELP SHOW WHAT THE EXTERIOR IS GOING TO LOOK LIKE. THIS IS THE NEW NEW ADDITION ON TOP OF THE THE EXISTING BUILDING. SO THE ADDITIONS ON THE RIGHT WITH THE NEW OPPORTUNITY FOR SOME BRANDING OPPORTUNITIES. AND WE'RE KIND OF STITCHING THE TWO BUILDINGS TOGETHER WITH KIND OF A BLUE CANOPY. IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE BLUE, BUT WE DO THE WANTED TO SHOW KIND OF HOW WE WANT TO CREATE THE NEW AND THE OLD. THE NEW FURNITURE IS KIND OF THE BOTTOM RIGHT, A LITTLE BIT OF A PLAZA THERE WITH SOME LANDSCAPING AS WELL AS SOME TREES TO THE RIGHT. HERE'S KIND OF THE THE NEW ADDITIONS OF THE DRIVER'S LOUNGE AND THE, THE KITCHEN THAT'S KIND OF BEHIND ON THAT WALL. YOU GOT A NICE COVERED ENTRY IN CASE IT'S RAINING PEOPLE LOCKED OUT OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT. SO A LITTLE BIT OF A WAITING SPACE THERE. 
          AND AS WE'RE FLIPPING AROUND, THE MAIN ENTRY IS ON THE, ON THE RIGHT SIDE AND THEY'VE GOT THOSE NEW OFFICES. EACH ONE OF THEM HAVE A WINDOW AND LOOKING OUT AS AT THE AT THE FRONT ENTRY TURNING AROUND KIND OF HERE'S THE BUS ENTRANCE TO THE, TO THE SHOP. AND WHAT I HAVEN'T MENTIONED YET, WE'LL HAVE NEW KIND OF OVERHANG AND KIND OF PORCH AREA FOR SOME OF THE DRIVERS ARE GOING TO HANG OUT. A LOT OF THEM LIKE TO, TO STICK AROUND BETWEEN, BETWEEN THE SHIFTS AND KIND OF ENJOY THEIR DAY THERE. SO WE HAVE A DEDICATED SPACE FOR THEM THAT KIND OF CONCLUDES ANY QUESTIONS. HOW OLD IS THE EXISTING BUILDING? IT'S A 1987, I BELIEVE. YEAH, IT'S A PRE-ENGINEERED BUILDING THAT HAS REALLY MET ITS LIFE EXPECTANCY. SO THIS IS THE OPPORTUNITY TO CLEAN THAT UP AND GIVE THESE GREAT STAFF MEMBERS, YOU KNOW, A REALLY NICE PLACE TO, TO RESIDE. WHAT KIND OF CHALLENGE WILL RAYMOND AND HIS STAFF HAVE TO OPERATE DURING CONSTRUCTION? WE'RE STILL WORKING ON THAT. SO IT'S IT'S GOING TO BE A LOGISTICS NIGHTMARE, BUT WE'RE GOING TO WORK THROUGH IT. AND, YOU KNOW, IN THE EARLY STAGES OF THAT. BUT YEAH, WE'RE WE'RE COMMUNICATING WITH RAYMOND ALSO, YOU JUST APPROVED THIS LAST SESSION AND THAT GROUP IS NOW ON BOARD. LEE LEWIS IS DOING THE PROJECT. AND SO WE'RE WORKING WITH LEE LEWIS ON THE SCHEDULE AND THE PHASING AND HOW THAT WORKS. WHILE THE BUILDING IS STILL RUNNING. SO THAT WAS MY QUESTION. LIKE, IS IT STILL. BOARD MEMBERS? THIS IS AN ACTION ITEM. MOVE TO APPROVE. SECOND. I HAVE A MOTION BY MR. COLLIER AND A SECOND BY MR. CARVILLE TO APPROVE THE SCHEMATIC DESIGN FOR THE MESQUITE ISD TRANSPORTATION CENTER. ADDITION AND RENOVATION A 2025 BOND PROJECT. ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? THERE BEING NONE. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE INDICATE BY SAYING AYE. AYE. THOSE OPPOSED? NAY. MOTION PASSES SEVEN ZERO. THANK YOU DON. THANK YOU. 
          APPRECIATE IT. GREAT JOB. THANK YOU. I'M EXCITED. IT'S GOING TO BE READY. OKAY. NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA. OUR FIRST EFFECTIVENESS REPORT STUDENT NUTRITION MARK STEWART. THERE YOU GO. I'M SORRY THAT WAS A LITTLE TOO FAST. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING ME. THANK YOU, DOCTOR RIVERA, MR. SEWARD AND THE REST OF THE BOARD. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING ME. MY NAME IS MARK STEWART AND I'M THE DIRECTOR OF FOOD AND NUTRITION SERVICES. BEFORE WE 
          [01:20:02]
GET STARTED, I HAVE A QUICK VIDEO FOR YOU TO WATCH. I'VE NOTICED WHEN STUDENTS EAT WELL AND HAVE A GOOD MEAL IS THAT THEY'RE ABLE TO FOCUS MORE IN THE CLASSROOM SO THAT THEY'RE ABLE TO HAVE MORE ENERGY IN A PLACE THAT'S GOING TO HELP THEM LEARN. AND I THINK THE CAFETERIA HAS DONE A REALLY GOOD JOB ABOUT PREPARING THEIR MENU SO THAT STUDENTS EXPERIENCE DIFFERENT TYPES OF FOOD, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, ALSO JUST MAKING SURE IT'S WELL PREPARED. A PROGRAM THAT I'VE REALLY ENJOYED FOR OUR STUDENTS AT THIS CAMPUS IS THE FRESH FRUIT AND VEGETABLES PROGRAM. FIRST OF ALL, THEY LOVE SNACKS, SO GIVING THEM AN OPPORTUNITY TO END THE DAY WITH SOMETHING REALLY HEALTHY WAS REALLY POSITIVE. WHAT WE'RE DOING IS NOT JUST EDUCATING AND SENDING THEM OUT THE DOOR, LIKE WE'RE MEETING A NEED IN MULTIPLE AREAS. I FEEL LIKE IF YOU DON'T HAVE FOOD THROUGHOUT THE DAY, YOU'RE NOT GOING TO LEARN THEIR LOVE. AND IT'S JUST GOING TO BE LIKE, OH, I'M SO HUNGRY. I CAN'T WAIT FOR THE DAY TO END SO I CAN GO HOME AND EAT A SNACK. AND YOU'RE GOING TO RUSH THROUGH ASSIGNMENTS, PUSH THROUGH TESTS BECAUSE YOU'RE SO HUNGRY. YOU WANT TO DO LIKE YOU WANT TO GET HOME QUICKLY. SO FOOD IS REALLY IMPORTANT FOR THAT. AND ALSO, I FEEL LIKE YOU SHOULD HAVE GOOD FOOD AND THE CAFETERIA. SO KIDS LOOK FORWARD TO LUNCH AND THEY ACTUALLY EAT THEIR FOOD. BUT THIS IS MY FRIEND MAKAYLA AND THIS IS MY BEST FRIEND AJA. AND WE LOVE PEPPERONI PIZZA WITH ALSO MY OTHER FAVORITE LUNCH FOOD IS THE FRIED RICE AND ORANGE CHICKEN, THE ORANGE CHICKEN, THE ORANGE CHICKEN, LITTLE BUS HERE. YES. WELL, I STUDIED AT MESQUITE ISD MY WHOLE 12 YEARS. 
          I WENT TO POTEET AND WHEN I WAS IN POTI, I ENROLLED IN THE CULINARY PROGRAM. I WAS THERE FOUR YEARS. I DID THE CTE PROGRAM FROM INTRO TO CULINARY TO PROSTART COMPETITIONS. IT REALLY OPENED UP MY DOORS. IN ORDER FOR ME TO GO INTO THIS CAREER FIELD, A CHEF TRAINER POSITION OVER M ISD, I APPLIED AND I WAS LIKE, THIS IS GOING TO BE THE HEAD START JOURNEY INTO EDUCATION. AND ULTIMATELY, MY GOAL IS TO BECOME A CULINARY INSTRUCTOR. I WANT TO SAY A VERY SPECIAL THANK YOU TO TANYA NEAL FOR PUTTING THAT VIDEO TOGETHER. SHE'S OUR MARKETING AND OUTREACH SPECIALIST, AND SHE DID THAT VIDEO ALL BY HERSELF. SO 2026 MARKS A SIGNIFICANT YEAR FOR SCHOOL NUTRITION. 80 YEARS AGO, HARRY TRUMAN SIGNED THE NATIONAL SCHOOL LUNCH ACT OF 1946, WHICH ALLOWS US TO COMPLETE OUR MISSION OF WELCOMING EVERY MISD CHILD WITH A NUTRITIOUS MEAL SO THEY CAN ENTER THE CLASSROOM FOCUSED, CARED FOR, AND READY TO LEARN. NEXT UP, I'D LIKE TO SAY A SPECIAL THANK YOU TO THE 390 PEOPLE ON MY TEAM. THEY START THEIR DAY LONG BEFORE THE SUN IS UP. THEY LIFT HEAVY BOXES, SPEND HOURS IN THE FREEZER AND EVEN MORE HOURS OVER A HOT SERVING LINE WITH LOVE AND CARE. THEY SERVED ALMOST 6.4 MILLION MEALS LAST YEAR. OUR TEAM HITS THE GROUND RUNNING EVERY MORNING WITH A NUTRITIOUS MEAL FOR OUR STUDENTS. APPROXIMATELY 29.5% OF MISD STUDENTS TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THEIR FREE MEAL. THAT AMOUNTS TO ABOUT 1.8 MILLION BREAKFASTS PER YEAR. WE ALSO OPERATE TWO SPECIAL BREAKFAST PROGRAMS AT SELECT CAMPUSES SECOND CHANCE BREAKFAST, WHICH ALLOWS TARDY STUDENTS A SECOND CHANCE TO GET BREAKFAST AND STUDENT ATHLETES TO FUEL UP AFTER FIRST PERIOD AND BREAKFAST IN THE CLASSROOM, WHICH WE RUN A HYBRID VERSION HERE IN MISD, WHERE TEACHERS BRING THEIR CLASSROOM DOWN TO THE CAFETERIA AND STUDENTS EAT IN THE CLASSROOM. LUNCH IS WHERE WE REALLY SHINE. ALL MEALS ARE FREE HERE AT MISD, AND THAT HELPS DRIVE OUR HIGH PARTICIPATION RATE. ALMOST 75% OF OUR STUDENTS TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE FREE LUNCH. THAT AMOUNTED TO ALMOST 4.6 MILLION LUNCHES LAST YEAR. I'M PARTICULARLY PROUD OF THIS BECAUSE WE FAR EXCEED THE NATIONAL AVERAGE OF 60%. WE INVEST SIGNIFICANTLY IN HIGH QUALITY FOODS SO THAT STUDENTS ENJOY THEIR MEALS. WE OPERATE SEVERAL OTHER FOOD PROGRAMS. OUR AFTER SCHOOL SNACK PROGRAM OPERATES AT SEVERAL ELEMENTARIES. IT OFFERS A QUICK SNACK FOR STUDENTS STAYING AFTER SCHOOL TO CONTINUE THEIR LEARNING. OUR SUPPER PROGRAM IS ONE OF MY FAVORITES BECAUSE IT OFFERS A FULL MEAL TO STUDENTS STAYING AFTER THE BELL. CURRENTLY, WE ARE OPERATING ONLY AT FLOYD ELEMENTARY, BUT WE'RE HOPING TO EXPAND THIS PROGRAM SO THAT MORE STUDENTS CAN RECEIVE THE FREE BENEFIT. 
          WE ALSO OFFER THE FRESH FRUIT AND VEGETABLE PROGRAM. IT OFFERS FRESH PRODUCE TO STUDENTS AS A SNACK DURING THEIR SCHOOL DAY, ALONG WITH A QUICK NUTRITION EDUCATION PIECE, WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO OFFER STUDENTS THINGS LIKE STRAWBERRIES, CANTALOUPE, SNAP PEAS, AND BELL PEPPERS. THIS PROGRAM HAS BEEN GROWING OVER THE LAST THREE YEARS. IT 
          [01:25:03]
STARTED WITH JUST THREE SITES AND NOW IT'S BEEN EXPANDED TO 11 ELEMENTARIES. THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE CHOOSES THOSE SITES. SO AS MUCH AS I WOULD LOVE TO EXPAND IT, WE ARE TIED TO THE SITES THAT TD CHOOSES. WE ALSO OFFER MEALS TO ALL OF OUR ALL CHILDREN UNDER THE AGE OF 18 DURING OUR SUMMER MEALS PROGRAM. THE COMMUNITY ELIGIBILITY PROGRAM ALLOWS ALL MISD STUDENTS TO EAT FOR FREE AND SINCE IMPLEMENTING THIS PROGRAM, WE'VE SEEN A HUGE INCREASE IN MEALS SERVED. I'M GOING TO TALK ABOUT THIS PROGRAM LATER IN THE PRESENTATION. SO FOR NOW, WE'LL MOVE ON. ON TOP OF SERVING MEALS TO STUDENTS, FOOD NUTRITION ALSO OPERATES AN INTERNAL CATERING DEPARTMENT. THEY PROVIDED THE MEAL EARLIER TODAY AND WE ALSO OPERATE THE CONCESSION STANDS FOR FOOTBALL, SOCCER AND A FEW U.I.L EVENTS. 
          YOU'LL BE HAPPY TO KNOW THAT SOME OF THE NEW MENU ITEMS THIS YEAR INCLUDE LOADED FRIES AND SAUSAGE ON A STICK. THEY'RE BOTH EXCELLENT, SO PLEASE BE SURE TO CHECK THEM OUT WHEN YOU GO TO A GAME. WE'VE ALSO BEEN WORKING WITH FACILITIES TO BEGIN CONCESSION STAND UPGRADES. 
          PLEASE BE SURE TO CHECK OUT THE NEW MCDONALD FIELD CONCESSION STAND WHEN THE TURF IS FINISHED. 
          THE FACILITIES DEPARTMENT DID AN EXCELLENT JOB GETTING US A FRESH NEW LOOK AND UPGRADING SEVERAL PIECES OF EQUIPMENT. SPECIAL PROJECTS IS THE REALLY FUN PART OF WHAT WE DO. TWO YEARS AGO, WE STARTED THE STUDENT CHEF SHOWDOWN, WHERE OUR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT CULINARY PROGRAMS GET TO COMPETE FOR A SPOT ON THE DISTRICT WIDE MENU. IT'S BEEN SO FUN TO WORK WITH THESE STUDENTS AND SEE THEM SHINE. LAST YEAR, THE SECRET INGREDIENT THEY ALL HAD TO WORK WITH WAS BEANS. THE WINNING RECIPE WAS SOUTHWEST PINTO BEANS AND CORN FROM NORTH MESQUITE HIGH SCHOOL. AND IT'S OUT OF THIS WORLD. IT IS SO GOOD. COME TRY IT. WE ALSO LIKE TO HAVE FUN DURING OUR NATIONAL SCHOOL LUNCH AND BREAKFAST WEEKS. WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A CIRCUS THEME THIS YEAR FOR LUNCH. OUR DEPARTMENT IS THE ONLY FINANCIALLY SELF-SUSTAINING OPERATION, WHICH MEANS THAT THE NUMBER OF MEALS WE SERVE IS DIRECTLY TIED TO REVENUE. WE REMAIN FINANCIALLY STABLE, AND LAST YEAR OUR EXPENSES DID EXCEED OUR REVENUE. BUT THAT WAS A STRATEGIC CHOICE BECAUSE WE WERE GETTING TOO CLOSE TO OUR EXCESSIVE FUND BALANCE THRESHOLD. WE CHOSE TO REINVEST IN OUR PROGRAM BY PURCHASING MORE FRESH FRUITS AND VEGETABLES, UPGRADING EQUIPMENT LIKE FREEZERS, AND INSTALLING CAMERAS TO PROMOTE SAFETY. ONE OF OUR KPIS IS FEDERAL REVENUE, AND IT'S A GOOD INDICATOR OF THE FINANCIAL HEALTH OF OUR DEPARTMENT. AND AS YOU CAN SEE, OUR FEDERAL REVENUE HAS BEEN STEADILY RISING. ANOTHER KPI LUNCH PARTICIPATION HAS ALSO BEEN ON THE RISE IN JUST THE LAST FOUR YEARS, OUR PARTICIPATION HAS RISEN 8%, WHICH MEANS THAT WE'RE REACHING 2880 MORE STUDENTS ON A DAILY BASIS THAN WE WERE FOUR YEARS AGO. THIS IS ATTRIBUTED TO BIG CHANGES BY PUTTING HIGH QUALITY MEATS AND ENTREES ON THE MENU. 
          OUR 75% PARTICIPATION RATE IS HIGH ABOVE BOTH THE NATIONAL AND STATE AVERAGES. BREAKFAST, ON THE OTHER HAND, IS AN AREA WHERE WE HAVE LOTS OF OPPORTUNITY. CURRENTLY, ONLY 29.5% OF STUDENTS TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE FREE BREAKFAST. MY GOAL IS TO CHANGE THAT. OUR NUMBER ONE PRIORITY FOR THE NEXT TWO YEARS IS TO INCREASE BREAKFAST PARTICIPATION. AS YOU CAN SEE, OUR BREAKFAST IN THE CLASSROOM SITES FEED THE MOST STUDENTS, BUT THE REST OF OUR CAMPUSES HAVE A LARGE GAP BETWEEN THE CURRENT NUMBER OF STUDENTS EATING BREAKFAST AND WHERE WE WANT TO BE. AND FILLING THIS GAP IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS THAT FOOD NUTRITION SERVICES CAN DO FOR OUR STUDENT BODY. BECAUSE CDC DATA DIRECTLY LINKS SKIPPING BREAKFAST TO ACADEMIC STRUGGLES, MENTAL HEALTH CHALLENGES, AND SCHOOL DISCONNECTION. THAT MEANS IF WE WANT OUR STUDENTS TO HAVE THE BEST OPPORTUNITIES IN THEIR SCHOOL CAREER THAN HELPING THEM CONSUME A HEALTHY BREAKFAST IS CRITICAL FOR THEIR SUCCESS. ON OUR OWN, FOOD NUTRITION SERVICES CAN ACHIEVE AN INCREASE TO 35%. BREAKFAST PARTICIPATION THROUGH MENU OVERHAULS, TARGETED MARKETING AND LOCALIZED PARTNERSHIPS AT INDIVIDUAL CAMPUSES. THIS INCREASE HAS THE POTENTIAL TO REACH OVER 2000 ADDITIONAL STUDENTS PER DAY, BUT TO ME, THAT JUST DOES NOT DO OUR STUDENTS JUSTICE. THAT'S WHY I'LL BE ENLISTING THE SUPPORT FROM CAMPUS LEADERS AND ADMINISTRATION TO CREATE A UNIFIED PLAN TO INCORPORATE MORE NONTRADITIONAL BREAKFAST MODELS, LIKE BREAKFAST IN THE CLASSROOM OR BREAKFAST AFTER THE BELL. IF WE CAN ACHIEVE 60% PARTICIPATION PARTICIPATION, THEN WE'LL REACH OVER 11,000 ADDITIONAL STUDENTS EACH DAY. IMAGINE 11,000 STUDENTS FACING FEWER HURDLES LIKE ACADEMIC 
          [01:30:07]
STRUGGLES, MENTAL HEALTH CHALLENGES, AND SCHOOL DISCONNECTION. THAT BRINGS ME TO ANOTHER BIG CHALLENGE THAT FNS HAS COMING UP. DUE TO THE WAY THE COMMUNITY ELIGIBILITY PROGRAM IS FUNDED, WE ARE GOING TO SEE A $4 MILLION REDUCTION IN FUNDING STARTING IN 2728. 
          THIS IS DUE TO FEWER HOUSEHOLDS THAN MISD ENROLLING IN BENEFIT PROGRAMS LIKE THE SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM, OR SNAP, WHICH IN TURN LOWERS OUR IDENTIFIED STUDENT PERCENTAGE. I WON'T BORE YOU WITH THE ACRONYMS, BUT WHAT YOU REALLY NEED TO KNOW IS THAT FEWER FAMILIES ARE RECEIVING SNAP BENEFITS DUE TO THE EXPIRATION OF PANDEMIC FEDERAL RELIEF, AND THAT, IN TURN IMPACTS OUR FUNDING. WE ARE ADDRESSING THIS THROUGH TARGETED FAMILY ENGAGEMENT, WHERE WE IDENTIFY FAMILIES WHO MAY BE ELIGIBLE FOR THOSE BENEFITS BY INCOME LEVEL, BUT THEY'RE NOT TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THOSE SNAP BENEFITS. THEN PARTNERING WITH DISTRICT COMMUNICATIONS TO REACH THOSE FAMILIES AND REMOVE BARRIERS SO THEY CAN APPLY FOR BENEFITS. THIS STRATEGY CAN PARTIALLY REBUILD OUR NUMBERS OR MAY PREVENT FURTHER LOSSES, BUT IT WILL NOT FULLY RESTORE OUR FUNDING. BUT THERE IS ANOTHER WAY THAT WE PLAN TO ADDRESS THIS LOSS IN FUNDING. SO REMEMBER WE TALKED ABOUT INCREASING BREAKFAST FOR OUR STUDENTS. WELL, BY DOING SO, WE CAN ACTUALLY SOLVE THE REVENUE PROBLEM TO IF FNS INCREASES BREAKFAST PARTICIPATION TO 35%, WE WILL GENERATE APPROXIMATELY $1.1 MILLION, STILL SHORT OF THE $4 MILLION SHIFT THAT WE EXPECT. BUT IF WE INCREASE PARTICIPATION TO 60%, WE WILL GENERATE AROUND $6 MILLION IN REVENUE, WHICH WILL FULLY ABSORB THE $4 MILLION DEFICIT AND CREATE A $2 MILLION SURPLUS THAT WE CAN USE TO MODERNIZE AGING KITCHENS AND OFFSET DEPARTMENTAL MAINTENANCE COSTS. SO BOARD MEMBERS AND CABINET, I'M ASKING FOR YOUR SUPPORT BECAUSE IF WE CAN PARTNER ON A SCHOOL WIDE EFFORT TO PROVIDE MORE BREAKFAST TO STUDENTS, WE CAN PROVIDE BETTER OPPORTUNITIES FOR OUR CHILDREN. 
          AND THAT'S WHAT I CALL A WIN WIN SITUATION. ANY QUESTIONS, BOARD MEMBERS? YOU GOT QUESTIONS? WELL, I WANTED TO REVISIT A LITTLE THE BREAKFAST. DO WE KNOW THE REASON WHY ONLY 30% ARE TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THAT? ARE THEY EATING AT HOME OR IS IT JUST THAT BREAKFAST IS NOT APPEALING. I THINK THAT THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT FACTORS. IT'S IT'S WE'RE WE'RE CAPTIVE AT LUNCHTIME. AND SO THE STUDENTS ARE ALREADY THERE. AND SO WE'RE NOT FIGHTING THE MORNING BATTLE OF GETTING KIDS TO SCHOOL ON TIME. THERE'S ALSO A LOT OF SOCIAL STIGMA AROUND BREAKFAST, ESPECIALLY AT THE SECONDARY LEVEL, BECAUSE IT'S NOT VERY COOL TO HANG OUT IN THE WHEN ALL OF YOUR OTHER FRIENDS ARE HANGING OUT OUTSIDE. THERE'S ALSO ISSUES AT THE SECONDARY LEVEL WHERE THERE'S NOT ENOUGH ADULT STAFF TO MONITOR KIDS IN DIFFERENT AREAS, AND SO THERE'S NOT A LOT OF PLACES FOR THEM TO GO AND HAVE BREAKFAST. WE'VE TRIED A FEW DIFFERENT THINGS, LIKE KIOSKS TO TRY TO CAPTURE KIDS ON THE WAY IN, BUT IT HASN'T BEEN SUCCESSFUL. AND I THINK JUST THERE'S JUST A SEVERAL DIFFERENT FACTORS. WE DO NEED TO TRY NEW MENU ITEMS TO TRY TO INCREASE THAT AS THE THE APPEAL AS WELL, RIGHT? BECAUSE BREAKFAST IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT MEALS OF THE DAY. ABSOLUTELY. OKAY. THANK YOU. 
          OTHER QUESTIONS? FIRST OFF, THANK YOU FOR THE REPORT, AND I APPRECIATE THE FACT THAT YOU'RE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO GET REVENUE BACK. PLUS, I THINK THAT'S A GREAT GOAL. YOU KNOW, I'VE HAD THE PRIVILEGE PRIVILEGE OF VISITING SOME OF THE SCHOOLS. AND WHEN I DO, I GO BACK AND TALK WITH CAFETERIA WORKERS AND I WATCH THEM DURING THEIR WHEN THE KIDS COME IN, THEY'RE JUST SO PASSIONATE ABOUT TAKING CARE OF THOSE KIDS IN THAT AREA THAT IT'S JUST LIKE OUR EDUCATORS, THEY WANT TO TAKE CARE OF THOSE KIDS AND MAKE SURE THEY'RE GETTING WHAT THEY NEED. AND THEY'RE EXCITED ABOUT BEING THERE, AND I APPRECIATE THAT VERY MUCH. I DID HAVE ONE REQUEST FROM A BOARD MEMBER, MR. EVERETT. HE WANTS TO KNOW IF WE CAN GET ORIENTAL MOUNTAIN FOR ONE OF OUR MEALS ONE TIME. WE CAN MAKE THAT HAPPEN. DON'T DO IT. HE'LL GET MAD AT ME. OKAY, THAT'S NOT ONE OF HIS FAVORITES, BUT THIS WAS A GREAT REPORT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. NEXT ON THE AGENDA IS A REPORT JROTC GIVEN BY COLONEL BURTON. COME ON DOWN, SIR. SIR, WE DON'T HAVE TO STAND TO ATTENTION, DO WE? NOT TONIGHT. THANK YOU. 
          GOOD EVENING, EVERYONE, TO THE SCHOOL BOARD. SUPERINTENDENT. DEPUTY SUPERINTENDENT, ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT, OUR LIEUTENANT COLONEL BURTON, THE DIRECTOR OF ARMY INSTRUCTION FOR JROTC. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME TODAY. I'M PLEASED TO PRESENT THIS BRIEFING ON 
          [01:35:04]
MESQUITE ISD. JROTC EFFECTIVENESS REPORT. AT ITS CORE, JROTC IS SIMPLE YET POWERFUL. IT'S TO MOTIVATE YOUNG PEOPLE TO BE BETTER CITIZENS. WE DO THIS BY INSTILLING LEADERSHIP, PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY, TEAMWORK, SELF-DISCIPLINE, AND A STRONG SENSE OF COMMUNITY SERVICE. JROTC HAS BEEN A PILLAR OF MESQUITE ISD FOR OVER 58 YEARS. 
          WE HAVE A. WE STARTED BACK AT MESQUITE HIGH SCHOOL IN 1968, AND TODAY WE OPERATE IN ALL THE HIGH SCHOOLS IN MESQUITE ISD. EVERYTHING WE DO DIRECTLY SUPPORTS THE DISTRICT CORE VALUES, THE MESQUITE PROMISE, AND OUR BROADER GOAL OF ENSURING EVERY STUDENT IS WORKING HARD TOWARDS BEING COLLEGE CAREER OR MILITARY READY. ALSO, JROTC IS NOW PART OF CTE. TO START, WE HAVE MUCH TO CELEBRATE. WE SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED ANOTHER JROTC STEM SUMMER CAMP AND WE ALSO ABLE TO INVITE ANOTHER SCHOOL DISTRICT TO PARTICIPATE WITH US. AT THE SUMMER CAMP. OUR CADETS ALSO IMPACTED OUR COMMUNITY. THEY EXECUTED SIX COMMUNITY SERVICE LEARNING PROJECTS WHILE ACCUMULATING OVER 18,000 HOURS OF COMMUNITY SERVICE. ALSO, I'M PROUD TO MENTION THAT I MENTIONED THAT OUR CADETS EARNED $2 MILLION IN SCHOLARSHIPS THIS YEAR. WE WERE ABLE TO HOST OUR FIRST GREEK SCHOLARSHIP WORKSHOP IN COLLABORATION WITH UT ARLINGTON AND WEST POINT ADMISSION, IN ORDER TO HELP MORE CADETS SECURE A PATH TO COLLEGE FUNDING. WITH THAT, ALL OF OUR SIX HIGH SCHOOLS UNDERWENT THE VIGOROUS JROTC PROGRAM ACCREDITATION INSPECTION. EVERY SINGLE SCHOOL SCORED OVER 97%, EARNING THE TOP DESIGNATION OF UNIT ON IT WITH DISTINCTION AND WHAT THAT MEANS ONLY 10 TO 15% OF OVER OF ALMOST 1800 ARMY JROTC PROGRAM ACROSS THE COUNTRY ACHIEVES THIS. I THINK THEY DID AN OUTSTANDING JOB, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, WE'RE FACING ONGOING CHALLENGES. 
          WE'RE CONTINUOUSLY FIGHTING THE MISPERCEPTION THAT JROTC IS ONLY FOR STUDENTS WHO WANT TO ENTER THE MILITARY. WE'RE WORKING TO INCREASE ENROLLMENT DISTRICT WIDE, CONVINCING STAKEHOLDERS OF THE PROGRAM'S ENORMOUS BENEFITS AND STRIVING TO RETAIN EXPERIENCED JROTC INSTRUCTORS. OUR IMMEDIATE NEXT STEPS ARE TO STREAMLINE TEACHING USING OUR CURRICULUM MANAGER. VERSION THREE EXPAND COUNSELING AND PARENT KNOWLEDGE. IMPLEMENT CONSISTENT DISTRICT WIDE CADET STANDARDS, DEPLOY CADET AMBASSADORS, AND INTEGRATE ASVAB INTO OUR CURRICULUM. OUR DEPARTMENT VISION IS TO SUPPORT OUR CAMPUSES WITH A THOUGHTFUL LEADERSHIP AND LEADERSHIP AND AND LIFE AND REAL LIFE EXAMPLES, GIVING CADETS THE VALUE AND EXPERIENCE THEY NEED TO LEAD IN ANY PATH THEY CHOOSE. STAFFING IS OVERSEEN BY THE BY THE ARMY OF THE DIRECTOR OF ARMY INSTRUCTION OFFICE ALONGSIDE AN OPERATION NCO, OUR MILITARY PERSONNEL SUPPLY OFFICER AND ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT. ACROSS OUR CAMPUSES, THE NUMBER OF INSTRUCTORS WILL REMAIN CONSTANT AS LONG AS THE MINIMUM NUMBER OF CADETS ARE ARE MET PER PROGRAM, MEANING FOR THREE INSTRUCTORS, MINIMUM AMOUNT OF CADETS IS NEEDED FOR THAT PROGRAM WOULD BE 151 FOR TWO INSTRUCTORS. THE CADETS AS NEEDED WOULD BE WOULD BE 100. 
          ACROSS ALL SIX CAMPUSES. WE HAVE DEDICATED ARMY SENIOR ARMY INSTRUCTORS AND ARMY INSTRUCTORS. WE HAVE ALSO A SPECIALIZED CYBER INSTRUCTOR AT VANGUARD HIGH SCHOOL. WE DO CURRENTLY HAVE A FEW INSTRUCTOR VACANCIES, SPECIFICALLY AT NORTH MESQUITE, AT WEST MESQUITE AND AT AT HORNE HIGH SCHOOL. AND FILL THOSE POSITIONS REMAIN A PRIORITY, A PRIORITY FOR US MOVING FORWARD. AS FAR AS ACCOMPLISHMENT, WE SENT OUR VERY FIRST JROTC TEAM FROM MESQUITE ISD TO COMPETE AT THE NATIONAL RADIO CHALLENGE AT FORT KNOX, KENTUCKY. THEY DID AN OUTSTANDING JOB. ONE OF OUR JROTC ROBOTICS TEAM RECEIVED A PRESTIGIOUS JUDGES AWARD AT THE TEXAS STATE REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP. AND THEN WE ALSO SENT OUR VERY FIRST TEAM TO THE MESQUITE FROM MESQUITE TO COMPETE AT THE GREEK NATIONAL ARCHERY CHAMPIONSHIP AT FORT LEONARD WOOD, MISSOURI, AND ANOTHER GR JROTC TEAM ALSO COMPETED AT THE STATE ARCHERY COMPETITION. MOST OF OUR SENIORS RECEIVED AN INDUSTRY BASED CERTIFICATION THROUGH THE NIKE LEADERSHIP TESTING. ALL OF OUR HIGH SCHOOL PARTICIPATED IN THIS. HERE'S THE THING. THIS IS 
          [01:40:07]
WHERE WE WERE VERY BUSY IN TERMS OF COMPETITION, PARTICIPATION. ALL OUR MOST OF OUR CADETS PRACTICED BEFORE SCHOOL, DURING SCHOOL, AFTER SCHOOL. JUST DEPEND ON THAT. 
          THAT PARTICULAR EVENT, OUR CADETS WERE ACTIVE ACROSS A WIDE ARRAY OF EVENTS TO INCLUDE DRILL, COMPETITION, ORIENTEERING, CYBERPATRIOT, MARKSMANSHIP, ARCHERY, AND ROBOTICS. THEY PARTICIPATED IN OVER 330 EVENTS. THE PRIMARY MAJOR CHALLENGE IS ENSURING CADETS EXPERIENCES ARE PROPERLY PLANNED, GETTING STUDENTS AND PARENTS TO TAKE TAKE A CHANCE WITH JROTC HELPING CADETS DIGEST INFORMATION KEY INFORMATION EARLY WITHOUT BEING OVERWHELMED AND DRIVING AND DRIVING THE EARLY PARTICIPATION FACTOR WITH THEM IN IN THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF CO-CURRICULAR. AS SOON AS WE CAN. HERE'S ANOTHER EVENT THAT I'M EXTREMELY PROUD OF THAT TOOK STEM LEADERSHIP CAMP THIS PAST SUMMER. OUR CADETS GOT A CHANCE TO STAY ON CAMPUS AT EAST TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY. THEY HAD A CHANCE TO PARTICIPATE IN DIFFERENT GRTC EVENTS TO INCLUDE CONFIDENCE BUILDING EXERCISES. THEY WERE PLACED IN LEADERSHIP ROLES WHERE THEY HAD TO MAKE DECISIONS. THEY HAD A CHANCE TO VISIT AN INDUSTRY TO SEE HOW THAT INDUSTRY OPERATES FOR ITS CAREERS, THAT THEY HAVE. THE CADETS, ALSO, AT THE VERY END, HAD TO COMPLETE A PROJECT EXPLAINING WHAT THEY DID, WHAT THEY LEARNED THROUGHOUT THAT ENTIRE PROCESS, AND THEY HAD A CHANCE TO BRIEF DIFFERENT ADMINISTRATORS AND PARENTS DURING THAT PROCESS. OUR PRIOR YEAR GOAL WAS TO INCREASE JROTC ENROLLMENT DISTRICT WIDE BY 20%. 
          ALL OUR PROGRAMS ARE ACTIVELY WORKING TO IMPROVE ENROLLMENT BY INCREASING THEIR PRESENT AND DISTRICT MIDDLE SCHOOLS, AND WORKING WITH COUNSELORS AND SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS. OUR TARGET ACCREDITATION GOAL FOR ALL JROTC PROGRAM WAS TO SCORE AT LEAST A 95% ON ACCREDITATION INSPECTION, AND ALL OUR PROGRAMS EXCEEDED EXCEEDED THIS BY SCORING OVER 97%. WE ALSO WANT TO EXPAND OUR STEM INVOLVEMENT IN ORDER TO SUPPORT OUR GOALS. NEARLY 70 OF OUR CADETS PARTICIPATED IN OUR SUMMER GRTC LEADERSHIP ACADEMY THIS PAST SUMMER. FINALLY, MESQUITE ISD PROGRAM REMAINS COMMITTED TO MOTIVATING EVERY STUDENT TO BECOME A BETTER CITIZEN THROUGH A WORLD CLASS CURRICULUM THAT STRIVES TO ENSURE COLLEGE, CAREER AND OUR MILITARY READINESS. WE WILL CONTINUE TO ADJUST SO THAT WE CAN MEET OUR CADETS WHERE THEY ARE AND PROVIDE QUALITY LEADERSHIP TO HELP THEM AS THEY GROW. LOOKING AHEAD, OUR NEXT STEPS ARE TO ESTABLISH A STEM ADVOCACY COUNCIL AND SCHEDULE EXPANDED JROTC SHOWCASE VISIT WITH OUR ELEMENTARY AND MIDDLE SCHOOLS. JROTC IS INDEED HERE TO PROVIDE OPPORTUNITY AND STUDENT GROWTH FOR OUR CADETS, NOW AND INTO THE FUTURE. NOW, AS I CLOSE, I WANT TO DRAW YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS PICTURE. THESE ARE OUR CADETS IN ACTION, FACING THE CHALLENGE. 
          IDENTIFYING A PROBLEM, FINDING A SOLUTION, AND WORKING TOGETHER TO COMPLETE THE CHALLENGE. WHO. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT OF OUR CADETS AND OUR PROGRAM, AND I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE. BOARD MEMBERS QUESTIONS. I DON'T HAVE QUESTIONS, BUT I DO HAVE A COMMENT. I'VE ALWAYS LOVED THIS PROGRAM. AND OF COURSE, YOU KNOW, MY MY KIDS BOTH GRADUATED CADET MAJORS FROM THE ROTC IN MESQUITE ISD. YES, SIR. ACTUALLY, THEY WERE SKATERS AND S5 AT THE TIME. AND IT'S BEEN VERY, VERY GOOD, VERY GOOD PROGRAM. NOW, BACK THEN WE USED TO TALK ABOUT THE GOLD STAR BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT THE DESIGNATION. I DON'T KNOW IF THAT STILL EXISTS. THE GOLD STAR, IT STILL EXISTS. GOLD STAR THAT'S A 95% OR BETTER. 
          YES, SIR. GOOD. SO WE ALWAYS HAD THAT. SO I, I'M I'M REALLY GLAD THAT WE CONTINUE THE TRADITION BECAUSE THIS IS A GOOD PROGRAM FOR, FOR THE FOR OUR KIDS. AND I KNOW OUR BOARD PRESIDENT GRADUATED FROM THAT PROGRAM TOO. HE WAS PART OF THE ROTC. SO THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU'RE DOING. COLONEL BURTON. THANKS A LOT. UNFORTUNATELY, I WAS IN THE FIRST CLASS, 196768. 
          FOR ANY PARENTS THAT ARE LISTENING AND THEY THINK THAT, OH, IF MY KID GOES TO ROTC, I HAVE TO GO TO THE MILITARY. CAN YOU? THAT'S DEFINITELY SPEAK TO THAT. THE THING WE. OUR MISSION IS TO MOTIVATE OUR KIDS TO BECOME BETTER CITIZENS. IT'S NOT TO PUT THEM IN THE MILITARY. 
          IF YOU HAVE SENIORITY, SENIOR, JUNIOR, ROTC. OUR JOB IS TO TO HELP MOTIVATE THEM, TO HELP FIND THEM OPPORTUNITIES. WHAT THEY. WHAT THEY LIKE TO DO, WHAT THEY, WHAT THEY CAN STRIVE 
          [01:45:02]
IN. THAT'S WHAT OUR INSTRUCTORS DO. THEY THEY'RE THERE TO ASSIST THEM IN THOSE, THOSE ASPECTS. THANK YOU. THIS PROGRAM DESERVES THE RESPECT THAT IT IS CURRENTLY RECEIVED. 
          SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP. YOU'RE WELCOME SIR. THANK YOU COLONEL. GREAT JOB. 
          KEEP THE PROGRAM GOING. APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU. BOARD MEMBERS. NEXT ITEM IS UNDER ADMINISTRATION. IT'S A REPORT ON THE SUMMER ACADEMIC PROGRAMS, INCLUDING ACCELERATED INSTRUCTION REPORT. MISS WILLIS. HELLO. HOW ARE YOU? GOOD. YOU? I'M DOING GREAT. YOU READY TO GO? YEAH. I'M READY. GOOD AFTERNOON, DOCTOR RIVERA AND BOARD MEMBERS. I AM EXCITED TO SHARE THE IMPACT OF MESQUITE ISD'S 2026 SUMMER PROGRAMS AND CELEBRATE THE OPPORTUNITIES PROVIDED TO OUR STUDENTS. THIS PAST SUMMER ACROSS THE DISTRICT, STAFF MEMBERS WORKED TOGETHER TO PROVIDE SUMMER LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES TO MORE THAN 2800 STUDENTS. DEPARTMENTS ACROSS MESQUITE ISD, INCLUDING TEACHING AND LEARNING, ADVANCED ACADEMICS, SPECIAL EDUCATION, FAMILY AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES, COLLABORATED TO PROVIDE LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES FOR STUDENTS FROM PRE-KINDERGARTEN THROUGH HIGH SCHOOL PROGRAMS INCLUDED ACADEMIC SUPPORT, HANDS ON ENRICHMENT THROUGH CAMP INVENTION, CAMP, EXCEL INVENTION PROJECT, AS WELL AS SUMMER MELT TRANSITION PROGRAMS AND CREDIT RECOVERY. TOGETHER, THESE OPPORTUNITIES ADDRESSED OUR STUDENTS DIVERSE NEEDS AND INTERESTS WHILE PREPARING THEM FOR THEIR NEXT STEPS. SO LET'S TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT OUR STUDENTS THRIVING THIS SUMMER. 
          THIS SUMMER, THROUGH THE COMMITMENT AND DEDICATION OF OUR STAFF, STUDENTS WERE PROVIDED WITH RECOVERY AND ENRICHMENT OPPORTUNITIES DESIGNED TO SET THEM UP FOR SUCCESS IN THE UPCOMING SCHOOL YEAR. FROM ACADEMIC SUPPORT TO ENGAGING LEARNING EXPERIENCES, MULTIPLE DEPARTMENTS CAME TOGETHER TO MAKE THE MAGIC HAPPEN. FROM OUR THIRD GRADE SUMMER LEARNING ACADEMY TO OUR MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL TRANSITION PROGRAMS, STAFF WORKED TIRELESSLY TO ENSURE STUDENTS FELT SUPPORTED, ENCOURAGED, AND PREPARED FOR WHAT'S NEXT. BECAUSE OF THESE OPPORTUNITIES, OUR STUDENTS SOARED, BUILDING CONFIDENCE, STRENGTHENING SKILLS AND CREATING MEANINGFUL CONNECTIONS THAT WILL CONTINUE TO IMPACT THEIR JOURNEY THROUGHOUT THE SCHOOL YEAR. TOGETHER, WE MADE THIS SUMMER ONE OF GROWTH, OPPORTUNITY, AND SUCCESS FOR OUR STUDENTS. SO AS YOU CAN SEE IN THE VIDEO, OUR STUDENTS TRULY ENJOYED LEARNING THIS SUMMER. SO NOW LET'S HIGHLIGHT A FEW OF OUR PROGRAMS AT RANGE IN OUR ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS, 175 PRE-KINDERGARTEN STUDENTS IN KINDERGARTEN STUDENTS RECEIVED MORE THAN 120 HOURS OF SUMMER INSTRUCTION. THE PROGRAM STRENGTHENED FOUNDATIONAL LITERACY WHILE ALSO PROVIDING PHYSICAL EDUCATION AND LIBRARY EXPERIENCES. THIRD GRADE STUDENTS RECEIVED THREE FOCUSED DAYS OF FOUNDATIONAL INSTRUCTION IN READING, WRITING, AND MATH LESSONS. COMBINED DIRECT TEACHING, SMALL GROUP SUPPORT, COLLABORATION, AND HANDS ON LEARNING. TRADITIONAL SUMMER SCHOOL AND SUMMER PE GAVE STUDENTS OPPORTUNITIES TO EARN COURSE CREDIT WHILE CREATING ROOM IN THEIR SCHOOL YEAR SCHEDULES FOR ADDITIONAL CLASSES SUCH AS BAND OR ATHLETICS. OUR TRANSITION PROGRAMS, THE DEAL FOR INCOMING SIXTH GRADERS AND FRESH YOU FOR INCOMING NINTH GRADERS OFFERED TEAM BUILDING ACTIVITIES TO HELP STUDENTS CONNECT WITH STAFF AND PEERS TO BECOME FAMILIAR WITH THEIR NEW CAMPUSES AND FEEL MORE CONFIDENT ABOUT THEIR TRANSITION TO THEIR NEW SCHOOL. 
          HIGH SCHOOL CREDIT RECOVERY PROGRAMS ACROSS SEVEN CAMPUSES PROVIDED STUDENTS WITH VALUABLE OPPORTUNITIES TO MAKE MEANINGFUL PROGRESS TOWARDS GRADUATION. THROUGH THEIR HARD WORK AND THE SUPPORT OF OUR DEDICATED STAFF, STUDENTS EARNED AN IMPRESSIVE 737 CREDITS THIS SUMMER. WHILE WE RECOGNIZE THE OPPORTUNITIES FOR CONTINUED GROWTH REMAIN, OUR SUMMER EOC STUDENTS ACHIEVED SEVERAL IMPRESSIVE RESULTS. MESQUITE ISD EARNED A 23% PASSING RATE IN ENGLISH, ONE 2% POINTS ABOVE THE STATE AND A 47% PASSING RATE IN ALGEBRA ONE, FOUR POINTS ABOVE THE STATE. U.S. HISTORY MATCHED THE STATE AS 72%, WHILE BIOLOGY ACHIEVED OUR HIGHEST DISTRICT PASSING RATE AT 78%. THROUGH OUR WIDE RANGE OF LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES, 
          [01:50:02]
COLLABORATION ACROSS DEPARTMENTS AND THE DEDICATION OF OUR STAFF, WE PROUDLY CELEBRATED 22 SUMMER GRADUATES. GUIDED BY OUR COMMITMENT TO EXCELLENCE. ALWAYS, WE WILL CONTINUE PROVIDING OPPORTUNITIES FOR EVERY STUDENT TO GRADUATE PREPARED FOR SUCCESS IN COLLEGE, THE WORKFORCE, OR THE MILITARY. IN CLOSING, I AM PLEASED TO SHARE THAT MESQUITE ISD'S GRADUATION RATE REMAINED ABOVE THE STATE IN EACH OF THE FIVE YEARS SHOWN 2025 IS NOT SHOWN YET. THAT WILL COME WHEN THE TAPER REPORT COMES OUT IN NOVEMBER. SO BEFORE WE. HOLD THE PUBLIC HEARING, ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS BOARD MEMBERS? YEAH. 
          OKAY. I GOT TO SEE SOME OF THE MIDDLE SCHOOL PROGRAM AND IT WAS SO FUN. THEY HAD SO MUCH FUN THIS SUMMER. JUST THE JUST THE CHEESING. I WAS LIKE, OKAY, THIS IS IT. YEAH, THIS IS IT. 
          YEAH, IT FEELS GOOD. MY KID A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO GOT TO DO THE DEAL WHEN HE WAS TRANSITIONING. IT EASED HIS ANXIETY SO MUCH. SO I'M VERY THANKFUL FOR THAT PROGRAM. HIS COUNSELOR WAS LIKE, I THINK HE NEEDS THIS. AND IT TURNED OUT GREAT. AND THEN HE WAS EXCITED BECAUSE Y'ALL LIKE MEET LIKE A COUPLE OF MONTHS LATER TO DO LIKE THE PIZZA OR WHATEVER. YES. 
          SO IT WAS NEAT. I THINK IT WAS A GREAT IDEA. IT IS. AND IT HELPS THEM GET USED TO THE NEW CAMPUS. THEY GET TO LEARN NEW STAFF MEMBERS, AND THE OTHER JUNIOR HIGH CAMPUSES ARE COMING TOGETHER, SO THEY'RE MEETING NEW FRIENDS AS WELL. THEY GET TO MEET NEW PEOPLE ALONG THE WAY. LIKE THEY THEY WERE PREPARED A LITTLE MORE. IT HELPS. IT DID. YEAH. ANYTHING ELSE? THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MISS WILLIS. SO NOW THE TEXAS EDUCATION CODE 29.081, STATES THAT A DISTRICT SHALL EVALUATE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF ACCELERATED INSTRUCTION PROGRAMS AND ANNUALLY HOLD A PUBLIC HEARING TO CONSIDER THE RESULTS, I WILL NOW OPEN CONDUCT, OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING TO EVALUATE THE ACCELERATED INSTRUCTION EFFECTIVENESS REPORT. WE ARE NOW OPEN FOR THE HEARING. IS THERE ANYONE WISHING TO SPEAK ON THE ITEM? THERE BEING NONE, WE WILL NOW CLOSE THE HEARING. THANK YOU, I APPRECIATE IT. 
          NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS A DISCUSSION OF THE DISTRICT WIDE INTRUDER DETECTION AUDIT REPORT FINDINGS. I GUESS, MR. MORRIS. WE ALL GET TO SEE ME AGAIN AS WE START THE SCHOOL YEAR. WE HAVE ALREADY HAD THREE OF THESE INTRUDER DETECTION AUDITS, ALL THREE ELEMENTARIES. SO THEY STARTED, I THINK THE SECOND DAY OF SEPTEMBER, THEY GAVE OUT ON THE CALL AND SAID THAT THEY WOULD BE HERE. AND THEY THEY SHOWED UP. SO WE'VE HAD THREE OF THESE INTRUDER DETECTION AUDITS. JUST AS A REMINDER, THIS IS OUTLINED IN CHAPTER 37 OF THE TEXAS EDUCATION CODE. 
          THEY WILL VISIT ALL 52 OF OUR CAMPUSES. WHAT THEY DO IS THEY WILL TRY TO ENTER OUR BUILDING AT THREE DIFFERENT ENTRANCES, EXTERIOR ENTRANCES, TO SEE IF THEY CAN GAIN ACCESS TO OUR BUILDINGS. THEY MAY KNOCK ON THE DOORS TO SEE IF SOMEBODY WILL OPEN THEM. THEY'LL SEE IF THEY'RE PROMPT, THEY'LL SEE IF THEY'RE UNLOCKED, IF THEY CAN'T GAIN ENTRY. AND THOSE THREE POINTS, THEY COME TO THE MAIN OFFICE CHECK IN. AT THAT POINT, SOMEBODY ON THE ADMINISTRATION WILL WALK THEM AROUND THE ENTIRE BUILDING. THEY'LL TRY TO ENTER EVERY EXTERIOR DOORS. 
          THAT'S COULD BE A LOT FOR OUR ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS. IT'S AS FEW AS 12 FOR OUR BIGGER SCHOOLS. 
          YOU'RE YOU'RE UPWARDS OF A 50 EXTERIOR DOORS THAT THEY'RE GOING TO CHECK. THEY'RE GOING TO CHECK TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE DOING OUR DOOR SWEEPS ONCE A WEEK. AND THEY'RE GOING TO ALSO DO A CLASSROOM DOOR AUDIT TO ENSURE THAT OUR CLASSROOM DOORS ARE LOCKED PER WHAT WE WE EXPECT. AND SO THEY DO THAT EVERY TIME THEY COME OUT. ONCE AGAIN, EVERY SCHOOL ONE TIME A YEAR. AND, AND WE JUST, WE, WE GO ALONG WITH THEM AND, AND TAKE CARE OF IT. SO ANYTIME WE HAVE A FINDING THAT I'LL REPORT IT TO YOU ALL IN CLOSED SESSION AND WE'LL DISCUSS THAT AND DISCUSS OUR PLAN TO CORRECT AND MAKE THOSE CORRECTIVE ACTIONS. NEXT ITEM IS UNDER INSTRUCTION. IT'S A REPORT ON THE ACCOUNTABILITY GOALS. MISS ALICIA AUSTIN. 
          SHOWTIME. GOOD EVENING EVERYONE. I KNOW THIS IS THE PART YOU'VE ALL BEEN WAITING FOR. SO I'M GOING TO WALK YOU THROUGH ASSESSMENT AND ACCOUNTABILITY DATA, AND I'LL CLARIFY THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THOSE TWO AS WE GO BECAUSE THEY ARE DIFFERENT, BUT THEY'RE OFTEN COMBINED. SO WE'LL GET STARTED. WE TYPICALLY RUN THROUGH CONTENT AREA FOR ASSESSMENT AND 
          [01:55:03]
THEN WE'LL HIT ACCOUNTABILITY AT THE END. SO WE'LL JUMP RIGHT IN. THE FIRST SLIDE THAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT IS OUR RLA. AT THE MEETS LEVEL. RESULTS FROM GRADES THIRD THROUGH ENGLISH TWO. WE TEST EVERY YEAR STARTING AT THIRD GRADE FOR READING. AND THIS IS A FIVE YEAR COMPARISON. AND THIS IS PROBABLY THE LAST YEAR YOU'RE GOING TO HEAR ME MENTION COVID. 
          BUT COVID IS THE LINE ON THE BLUE LINE 2022, THE YEAR AFTER COVID WHEN WE DIDN'T TEST FOR A FEW YEARS. AND SO THAT WAS OUR RESULTS. THE ORANGE BAR THAT YOU SEE, THOUGH, THAT WAS THE FIRST YEAR AFTER THEIR STAR REFRESH WHERE THE TEST WAS REWRITTEN, REDESIGNED, THERE WAS AN ACR, WHICH IS THAT EXTENDED CONSTRUCTED RESPONSE. SO WE SAW A BIT OF A DIP, BUT YOU CAN SEE THE TREND FOR THE LAST FOUR YEARS AS WE'VE BEEN MAKING FOR THE MOST PART, STEADY PROGRESS AT THE MEETS LEVEL FOR READING. THE NEXT SLIDE SHOWS YOU THE SAME RESULTS FOR MASTERS, AND YOU CAN SEE THAT BY FAR BEFORE THE REFRESH, WE DID RELATIVELY WELL GETTING KIDS TO MASTERS, BUT PART OF THAT REDESIGN OF THE TEST MEANT THAT IF STUDENTS DIDN'T WRITE A GOOD EXTENDED, CONSTRUCTED RESPONSE AND THEY GOT ZERO POINTS, IT WAS NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE FOR THEM MATHEMATICALLY TO HIT THE MASTER'S LEVEL. AND THAT'S REALLY WHAT WE SAW. BUT WE'VE MADE SOME REALLY SIGNIFICANT GAINS THE LAST FOUR YEARS AS WE'VE FIGURED OUT HOW BEST TO PREPARE KIDS FOR THAT PART OF THE TEST. YOU MIGHT NOTICE ENGLISH ONE, ENGLISH TWO LOOKS REALLY LOW COMPARATIVELY, BUT IT'S IMPORTANT TO KNOW THAT THE PASSING STANDARD FOR THOSE ARE A LOT HIGHER. SO FOR ENGLISH THREE THROUGH EIGHT, IT'S ABOUT 70% IN THE 70S TO HIT MASTERS. ENGLISH ONE, ENGLISH TWO ARE 84 AND 88. SO IT'S A HIGHER STANDARD. SO THEREFORE IT LOOKS LIKE FEWER KIDS ARE REACHING THAT. BUT THE REAL KEY HERE IS IF STUDENTS GET NO POINTS FOR THEIR RIGHT WRITTEN PORTION, THEY'RE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO HIT MASTERS. THIS NEXT SLIDE SHOWS YOU JUST FROM YEAR TO YEAR HOW WE DID AND PROGRESSING JUST THE LAST TWO YEARS IN TERMS OF GRADE LEVEL AND THE PERCENTAGE OF GROWTH THAT WE HAD. AND BY FAR WE DIDN'T, WE HAD MORE PROGRESS THAN LOSSES, BUT PRIMARILY MOVING FORWARD IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION IN TERMS OF OUR OUR PERFORMANCE. AND YOU CAN SEE THAT'S THE THREE PERFORMANCE LEVELS. NOW APPROACHES, MEETS AND MASTERS. I ALWAYS LIKE TO SHOW YOU ALSO HOW DO WE DO ON AKERS? BECAUSE WE'VE SPENT A LOT OF TIME AND EFFORT TO REALLY UNDERSTAND THIS PORTION OF THE TEST, TO GET KIDS READY FOR IT. AND YOU CAN SEE FROM THE LAST TWO YEARS THE PROGRESS WE'VE MADE, AND THESE ARE THE STUDENTS WHO RECEIVED A SCORE OF ZERO. SO THAT FIRST YEAR OUT WE HAD 50S AND 60%. AND IT WAS A SURPRISE BECAUSE WE THOUGHT THAT JUST WAS NOT WHAT WE ANTICIPATED. WHAT WE REALIZED VERY QUICKLY WAS THERE ARE A LOT OF ELEMENTS TO THE CR THAT ARE DIFFERENT THAN THE WRITING THEY'VE DONE PREVIOUSLY, AND THEY WERE JUST NOT PREPARED FOR IT IN THE SAME WAY. SO LAST YEAR WE HAD SOME REALLY INTENTIONAL EFFORTS THAT WE PUT IN PLACE. AND BUT FOR FOURTH AND HIGH SCHOOL, WE SAW SOME REALLY GOOD GAINS IN TERMS OF KIDS NOT GETTING A ZERO, I CAN TELL YOU THAT OF THE THOUSANDS THAT WE'VE READ THROUGH, THE NUMBER OF ZEROS WAS DRAMATICALLY LOWER THIS LAST YEAR THAN IT WAS IN PREVIOUS YEARS. AND PART OF THAT IS THE INTENTIONAL WORK WE'VE DONE TO HELP STUDENTS UNDERSTAND WHAT IT IS THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO BE DOING. AND BUT FOR ENGLISH, BUT FOR FOURTH GRADE ENGLISH AND THE ENGLISH ONE PROMPTS THEMSELVES, WE FELT LIKE THOSE WERE A PRETTY FAIR ASSESSMENT. SOME OF THE QUESTIONS WERE A LITTLE DIFFICULT, MORE SO THAN KIDS WERE PREPARED FOR. BUT, YOU KNOW, YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT THEY'RE GOING TO GET RIGHT. FOR EXAMPLE, ON THE ENGLISH ONE TEST, THE QUESTION WAS ALL ABOUT AN EXCERPT FROM A PLAY AND HOW THE STAGE DIRECTION DIRECTION IMPACTED WHAT THEY WERE VIEWING. SO THAT WAS NOT SOMETHING THAT WE WERE READY FOR IN TERMS OF DRAMA, BUT WE NOW KNOW THAT THAT'S AN OPTION. 
          SO BUT ON THE WHOLE, WE FELT GOOD ABOUT THE PROGRESS WE MADE ON LOWERING THE NUMBER OF ZEROS, BUT WE STILL HAVE SOME WORK TO GO ON. THE OTHER END OF THAT SPECTRUM ARE THE STUDENTS THAT ARE GETTING BETWEEN 6 AND 10 POINTS FOR THEIR ECR TEN BEING THE MAXIMUM. AND YOU CAN SEE ALSO WE HAD SOME GAINS WHERE THE WHERE WE HAD MORE ZEROS, WE ALSO HAD FEWER HITTING THAT SIX THROUGH TEN AREA. BUT WE, WE, WE ARE MAKING PROGRESS. AS MY SUMMATION OF THAT PART. WE ALSO PARTICIPATED FOR THE SECOND YEAR IN THE SCORING PROCESS. SO T GIVES US THE OPPORTUNITY, IF WE SEE SCORES THAT WE FEEL LIKE AREN'T ACCURATE FOR WHAT THE STUDENT WROTE, THEN WE COULD SUBMIT THEM FOR RESCORING. BUT THIS WAS ALSO THE FIRST YEAR THAT THE STATE AUTOMATICALLY RESCORED ANY CR THAT WAS WITHIN ONE POINT OF THE NEXT PERFORMANCE LEVEL. SO IF A STUDENT WAS APPROACHES BUT ONE POINT AWAY FROM MEETS, THEY AUTOMATICALLY RESCORED IT AND WE DIDN'T HAVE TO SUBMIT IT. BUT IN ADDITION TO THOSE, WE SUBMITTED ALMOST 500 ACRES AND 
          [02:00:03]
38% OF THEM CAME BACK WITH A HIGHER SCORE. SO WE WILL CONTINUE TO DO THAT PROCESS AS LONG AS WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY. JUST SOME OF THE KEY THINGS THAT WE'VE LEARNED THROUGHOUT THIS PROCESS IS WE, STUDENTS NEED TO UNDERSTAND WHO THEY'RE WRITING FOR WHEN THEY'RE WRITING THAT CR, AND IT'S AN AUTOMATED SCORING ENGINE. IT'S NOT THEIR FAVORITE TEACHER. 
          IT'S NOT SOMEONE WHO KNOWS THEM PERSONALLY, SO THEY REALLY HAVE TO WRITE TO THE PROMPT ADDRESSING THE QUESTION THAT'S POSED. AND WE STILL HAVE A LOT OF STUDENTS THAT ARE SUMMARIZING WHAT THEY READ. AND THAT'S BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT WE TAUGHT THEM TO DO FOR SO MANY YEARS. TELL ME ABOUT WHAT YOU READ. WELL, NOW IT'S ADDRESS, THE PROMPT THAT'S WRITTEN BASED ON WHAT YOU READ. SO IT'S A DIFFERENT APPROACH, BUT SOMETHING THAT WE CONTINUE TO WORK THROUGH. SO WHAT ARE WE DOING TO CONTINUE IMPROVING IN LA? AND THERE THERE'S SEVERAL THINGS. FIRST OF ALL, WE'RE INTO YEAR TWO OF UTILIZING IREADY AND THAT IT REALLY HELPS US IDENTIFY LEARNING GAPS. STUDENTS TAKE A BOY BEGINNING OF YEAR ASSESSMENT. IT THEN SETS UP A PATHWAY FOR THEM, FOR THEM TO FOLLOW ON THEIR OWN, TO IMPROVE THEIR OWN READING COMPREHENSION. ONE THING THAT WE TWEAKED FOR THIS YEAR WAS JUST HAVING BETTER TESTING PROTOCOLS IN PLACE SO THAT WE GET A BETTER DIAGNOSTIC DATA, SO WE REALLY KNOW WHAT KIDS KNOW AND DON'T KNOW, SO THAT THE PATHWAY THEY'RE ON IS WHAT THEY NEED IT TO BE. WE ALSO CONTINUE TO USE THE E CR THAT THEY WROTE IN THE SPRING. SO STUDENTS TOOK THAT TEST IN APRIL. WHEN THEY COME BACK IN AUGUST, THAT IS THEIR BEGINNING OF YEAR WRITING ASSESSMENT THAT THAT CURRENT TEACHER WOULD THEN HAVE, RATHER THAN GIVING THEM A NEW ASSESSMENT AND WRITING AT THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR, MOST STUDENTS DIDN'T DO A WHOLE LOT OVER THE SUMMER TO GET BETTER AT WRITING. SO FROM APRIL TO AUGUST, WE FEEL LIKE IT'S A GOOD COMPARISON OF WHAT THEY KNOW AT THAT POINT. SO WE USE THOSE TO PLAN FOR INSTRUCTION AND FOR ASSESSING INDIVIDUAL STUDENTS ON WHAT THEY NEED. WE'LL ALSO CONTINUE TO FOCUS ON THE CONVENTIONS OF WRITING AT THE LOWER LEVELS. BEFORE STUDENTS TAKE A TEST, THEY NEED TO KNOW WHAT LETTERS GET CAPITALIZED, WHERE DOES PUNCTUATION GO, HOW TO CORRECTLY SPELL WORDS, AND SOME OF THE GRAMMAR CONSTRAINTS IF WE CAN GET THEM TO KNOW THAT WELL SO THAT WHEN THEY GET TO THIRD, FOURTH, AND FIFTH GRADE, THE FOCUS ISN'T SO MUCH ON THE MECHANICS OF WRITING, BUT ON THE ACTUAL EXPRESSION OF THE WRITING, AND THEN JUST HELPING THEM UNDERSTAND THAT THIS SHIFT IS NOT RESPONDING TO HOW THEY FEEL ABOUT SOMETHING THAT'S WRITTEN. BUT HERE'S THE PROMPT OR RESPONDING TO THE TEXT AND THE WAY THE QUESTION IS WRITTEN. AND THEN LAST YEAR, WE ALSO DEVELOPED A FRAMEWORK FOR WRITING THAT REALLY CARRIES FROM THIRD GRADE ALL THE WAY ENGLISH TO SO NO MATTER WHAT GRADE LEVEL YOU'RE IN, YOU'RE GOING TO SEE A SIMILAR STRATEGY TO HELP YOU WRITE THE BEST E CR, WE CALL IT SIX FOR SIX, MEANING SIX QUESTIONS WILL GET YOU SIX POINTS AT THE BARE MINIMUM. I SHOULD ALSO MENTION THOUGH, THAT THIS IS THE LAST YEAR, 2627 FOR WHAT I CALL THE INTEGRATED CR AND FOR THE ENGLISH TO EOC. BY THAT I MEAN THE INTEGRATED CR. IT'S GOING TO BE A SEPARATE TEST NEXT APRIL APRIL 2028. STUDENTS WILL TAKE THAT TEST IN APRIL JUST ON WRITING. AND THEN IN MAY THEY'LL TAKE THE OTHER PORTION. 
          THAT WOULD BE MORE OF THE READING AND COMPREHENSION. ENGLISH TWO IS ALSO GOING AWAY AFTER THIS YEAR. SO FOR HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION, STUDENTS NOW JUST NEED FOUR ASSESSMENTS. BUT THREE OF THOSE ARE THE FRESHMAN LEVEL. AND THAT'S A CONCERN BECAUSE ENGLISH ONE, ALGEBRA, ONE BIOLOGY. WE ALL KNOW THAT THOSE ARE NOT USUALLY THE MOST SUCCESSFUL YEARS FOR HIGH SCHOOL KIDS THAT FIRST YEAR OUT. BUT THREE OUT OF THE FOUR TESTS THAT THEY TAKE FOR GRADUATION WILL HAPPEN DURING FRESHMAN YEAR. SO WE'RE GOING TO BE PREPARED FOR THAT AS WELL. OKAY, LET'S MOVE ON TO MATH. SO YOU SEE THE SAME FIVE YEAR TRENDS. WE DIDN'T SEE THAT AS BIG OF A DIP AFTER COVID. AND WITH THE REFRESH FOR MATH, BECAUSE THERE WASN'T A LOT THAT CHANGED WITH THE MATH TEST OTHER THAN THE QUESTION TYPES. AND BY THAT, I MEAN THERE WEREN'T WRITING QUESTIONS THAT WERE ON MATH THE WAY THERE WAS ON SCIENCE, SOCIAL STUDIES, AND READING. 
          BUT YOU CAN SEE THAT WE'VE KIND OF TRENDED. WE TRENDED UP JUST AFTER THE COVID AND THE REFRESH, AND THEN WE SLOWLY TICKED DOWN. AND I SHOULD ALWAYS ADDRESS WHAT'S WHAT'S HAPPENING IN SEVENTH GRADE BECAUSE IT'S SO MUCH LOWER THAN THE OTHER GRADE LEVELS. AND THIS IS TYPICAL FOR DISTRICTS LIKE US ACROSS THE STATE THAT SCHEDULE OUR KIDS THE WAY WE DO IN FIFTH GRADE STUDENTS THAT ARE AT THE ADVANCED OR 40 PERCENTILE ARE ROUTED INTO ADVANCED SIXTH GRADE MATH ULTIMATELY, SO THEY CAN GET TO ALGEBRA ONE IN EIGHTH GRADE, BECAUSE THAT WAY THEY CAN GET TO CALCULUS THEIR SENIOR YEAR. THEY DON'T START ALGEBRA IN EIGHTH GRADE. THEY WON'T MAKE THAT LAST SUBJECT. SO WHAT ENDS UP HAPPENING, THOUGH, IS STUDENTS THAT ARE TAKING SEVENTH GRADE MATH ARE NOT ADVANCED, AND MANY OF THEM ARE BEHIND WHERE THEY SHOULD BE BECAUSE THEY HAVE GAPS AND HOLES THAT WE'RE TRYING TO FILL. SO THOSE TYPICALLY SEEM THOSE TEND TO BE THE LOWER PERFORMING STUDENTS THAT WE SEE ACROSS ALL SUBJECTS. AND REALLY AT, LIKE I 
          [02:05:02]
SAID, IN DISTRICTS THAT SCHEDULE THE WAY THAT WE DO. SO THE KIDS THAT YOU SEE THAT ARE TAKING EIGHTH GRADE ARE EIGHTH GRADERS, AND THEY'RE ALSO SEVENTH GRADERS WHO ARE ADVANCED. YOU CAN SEE ALSO FOR MASTERS, IT'S A REALLY A LOT LOWER DIFFERENCE FOR SEVENTH GRADE. I SHOULD ALSO POINT OUT ALGEBRA ONE BECAUSE IT'S A LITTLE MASKED THEIR ALGEBRA ONE THAT WAS EIGHTH GRADE AND ALGEBRA ONE THAT WAS HIGH SCHOOLER IN THERE TOGETHER. WE DEFINITELY SAW A DROP FOR ALGEBRA ONE AT THE MIDDLE SCHOOL LEVEL, AND WE FELT LIKE IN HINDSIGHT, IT WAS THE FOCUS ON I-READY THAT WE HAD. WE WERE REALLY USING I-READY, BUT IT'S MORE OF AN INTERVENTION TOOL AND NOT AN ENRICHMENT TOOL. AND THESE ARE STUDENTS THAT ARE MORE ADVANCED, SO THEY WEREN'T RECEIVING THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF INSTRUCTION THEY NEEDED. IF THEY WERE WORKING THROUGH I-READY THE WAY THAT THEY DID. BUT WE'VE ADDRESSED THAT FOR THIS YEAR. SO HERE YOU CAN SEE REALLY MARKEDLY THE DIP THAT WE HAD IN MATH FROM ELEMENTARY THROUGH MIDDLE SCHOOL. AND THERE'S REALLY NO I MEAN, IT IS WHAT IT IS. WE TOOK A STEP BACK IN MATH AND IT'S BEEN KIND OF A STEP THE LAST FEW YEARS, WHICH WE'LL TALK ABOUT IN A MOMENT, WHY WE THINK THAT IS. THE ALGEBRA ONE THERE THAT YOU SEE AT THE MASTER'S LEVEL, IT WAS 20%. THAT WAS A DROP FOR THE MIDDLE SCHOOL ALGEBRA ONE, AND I THINK IT WAS 6% FOR HIGH SCHOOL. SO WE HAVE LOTS OF THINGS IN THE WORKS TO ADDRESS OUR CONCERNS ABOUT MATH. FIRST OF ALL, WE ARE PROVIDING DEMONSTRATIONS OF LEARNING IN CLASS EVERY COUPLE OF DAYS, TWO DAYS A WEEK FOR GRADES THREE THROUGH EIGHT. AND THIS WOULD BE THE QUICK CHECKS FOR UNDERSTANDING TO MAKE SURE THAT BEFORE WE GET TOO DEEP INTO THE CONTENT THAT STUDENTS KNOW WHAT IT IS THEY SHOULD KNOW BEFORE THEY'RE READY TO MOVE ON. WE'RE USING A SOFTWARE PROGRAM FOR STUDENTS TO TAKE THOSE ASSESSMENTS. THAT GIVES THEM QUICK FEEDBACK ON WHAT THEY GOT, WHAT THEY DIDN'T HAVE. TEACHERS CAN SEE WHAT THEY'VE DONE. THEY CAN SEE WHERE THEY WENT WRONG IN THEIR WORK. AND THEN EITHER PLAN FOR RETEACH. IF ENOUGH STUDENTS DIDN'T GET IT ALL TOGETHER OR FOR INDIVIDUAL INTERVENTION AS NEEDED. SO WE HAVE THOSE IN THE WORKS. WE JUST STARTED DOLLS FOR ELEMENTARY LAST WEEK, SO GIVE US A FEW WEEKS TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE WHERE WE NEED THEM TO BE. WE WILL CONTINUE TO UTILIZE IREADY TO IDENTIFY LEARNING GAPS. WE WANT TO MAKE SURE WE'RE FOCUSING ON THE INTERVENTION COMPONENT AND NOT ENRICHMENT, BECAUSE AGAIN, IT'S NOT MADE FOR THAT. IT'S MADE TO FILL GAPS AND HOLES WHERE STUDENTS ARE BEHIND WHERE THEY SHOULD BE. IN TERMS OF MIDDLE SCHOOL MATH, WE ARE USING A CURRICULUM BY A COMPANY CALLED SAVIS. IT'S ON THE H Q I'M LIST, WHICH MEANS HIGHLY QUALIFIED INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS. IT'S AN APPROVED LIST FROM TI, AND WE'RE JUST AT THE POINT NOW WE'RE CREATING OUR OWN CURRICULUM. DOESN'T MAKE SENSE WHEN THERE ARE COMPANIES OUT THERE WHO HAVE BEEN VETTED BY TI, WHO HAVE THE RESOURCES AND MATERIALS TO REALLY PROVIDE SOMETHING MORE ROBUST THAN WHAT WE CAN CREATE IN-HOUSE. SO WE HAVE THAT IN PLACE. WE'RE ALSO GOING TO CONTINUE TO REFINE THE CURRENT ELEMENTARY CURRICULUM THAT WE'RE USING. WE'VE HAD STEM SCOPES IN PLACE THE LAST TWO YEARS, BUT WE'RE ALSO PILOTING BLUEBONNET AT FIVE OF OUR CAMPUSES, AT LEAST IN MATH. THE ONE THING TO KNOW ABOUT STEM SCOPES IS IT'S A LOT, AND IT'S ON THE H Q I'M LIST AND IT IS APPROVED CURRICULUM. BUT I THINK OF IT AS LIKE, I'M GOING TO THE CHEESECAKE FACTORY AND LOOK AT THE MENU AND IT'S JUST PAGE AFTER PAGE AND IT'S ALL REALLY GOOD, BUT IT'S TOO MUCH. AND I NEED TO HONE IN ON WHAT I NEED TO HAVE FROM THIS LIST. SO WE'VE BEEN WORKING SINCE THE SUMMER TO REALLY COOL DOWN THE RESOURCES FOR TEACHERS. SO THEY HAVE A VERY CLEAR PATH RATHER THAN SHOWING THEM THE ENTIRE MENU, BUT REALLY HIGHLIGHTING WHAT THEY NEED TO FOCUS ON. IN ADDITION TO THAT, WE'VE ALSO ADDED INSTRUCTIONAL MINUTES FOR MATH JUST TO HAVE MORE INSTRUCTIONAL TIME, AND THEN BUILT TIME IN THE SCOPE AND SEQUENCE FOR THAT INTERVENTION, AS LONG AS WELL AS PLANNING LESSONS THAT ARE PROVIDED FOR THAT. WE CONTINUE TO LOOK AT HOW DO WE FILL THAT GAP FOR SEVENTH GRADE? THIS IS WHERE I THINK OF LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE AND THE ONE HOUSE SCHOOL, ONE ROOM SCHOOLHOUSE WHERE YOU GOT TODDLERS TO TEENAGERS ALL IN THE SAME ROOM. THAT'S A LOT OF TIMES WHAT WE HAVE IN SEVENTH GRADE MATH. WE HAVE STUDENTS AT EVERY LEVEL WITH ALL SORTS OF GAPS AND HOLES, AND ONE TEACHER IN THE ROOM THAT'S TRYING TO FILL THEM. SO WE'LL CONTINUE TO WORK THROUGH THAT. BUT USING IREADY, IF IT'S USED WITH FIDELITY, IS GOING TO HELP FILL THOSE. AS LONG AS STUDENTS ARE HONEST WITH THEIR ASSESSMENT AND THEY DO THE BEST THEY CAN, AND THEN THEY GET A GOOD PATHWAY TO LAY OUT WHERE THEY NEED TO GO NEXT. AND THEN WE WILL CONTINUE TO USE SOMEONE IN MY DEPARTMENT, OUR DISTRICT ASSESSMENT FACILITATOR, AND DEPLOY HER OUT TO CAMPUSES THAT ARE OUR HIGHEST PRIORITY. AND SHE REALLY HELPS THEM FOCUS IN ON WHAT IS YOUR DATA SHOWING YOU AND HOW DO YOU REACT TO IT, AND HOW TO PLAN A GOOD PLC. SO I 
          [02:10:02]
WISH WE HAD MORE OF HER SO THAT WE COULD SEND MANY PEOPLE OUT TO LOTS OF PLACES, BUT WE'RE WORKING THROUGH THAT PROCESS. SO WE HAVE A LOT OF THINGS IN THE WORKS FOR MATH, BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT THAT WAS AN AREA THAT REALLY BROUGHT US THAT WAS A IT WAS NOT A HIGHLIGHT, WE'LL PUT IT THAT WAY, BUT WE HAVE SOME THINGS IN THE WORKS TO ADDRESS THEM. OKAY. MOVING ON TO MORE OF A HIGHLIGHT SCIENCE, YOU CAN SEE HERE. NOW WE ONLY TEST THREE GRADE LEVELS IN SCIENCE. 
          IT HAPPENS IN FIFTH GRADE, EIGHTH GRADE, AND THEN THE BIOLOGY TEST IN HIGH SCHOOL. 
          AND THIS WAS OUR RESULTS AT THE MEETS LEVEL. AND YOU CAN SEE THAT WE'VE KIND OF CONSISTENTLY MOVED IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION AT THE MASTERS UNDER THOSE BARS ARE A LITTLE, BUT WE HAD SOME REALLY GOOD GAINS, ESPECIALLY IN BIOLOGY. AT THE MASTER'S LEVEL. THERE'S A LOT OF INTENTIONAL WORK THAT'S HAPPENING THERE. ONE THING TO KNOW ALSO IS THAT BUT FOR EIGHTH GRADE APPROACHES, WE REALLY MADE GAINS ACROSS THE BOARD. SO I LIKE SEEING MORE GREEN THAN RED FOR SURE. WE'LL GO AHEAD AND DO SOCIAL STUDIES HERE AND THEN I'LL SUMMARIZE THE TWO. SO WE ONLY HAVE TWO TESTS IN SOCIAL STUDIES EIGHTH GRADE. AND THEN THE US HISTORY THAT HAPPENS IN HIGH SCHOOL. AND AGAIN YOU SEE THAT EIGHTH GRADE SOCIAL STUDIES HAS BEEN A CONCERN FOR MANY YEARS. WE'RE JUST NOT AT THE PERFORMANCE LEVEL ACROSS THE STATE. IT'S NOT A GREAT TEST, BUT WE TEND TO BE ON THE LOWER END OF AVERAGE ANYWAY IN TERMS OF EIGHTH GRADE PERFORMANCE. BUT YOU CAN SEE WHEN WE GET TO US HISTORY, IT LOOKS BETTER. BUT PART OF THAT IS THE PASSING STANDARD IS ALSO DIFFERENT. AND THAT'S MORE EVIDENT THAN ANYTHING HERE ON THE MASTERS, BECAUSE YOU'RE LOOKING AT FOR EIGHTH GRADE TO GET MASTERS, IT'S 76% AND HIGH SCHOOL US HISTORY, IT'S 68%, SO THAT THE GAP LOOKS WIDER THAN IT PROBABLY REALLY IS BASED ON JUST WHAT IS THE PASSING STANDARD. BUT I WILL SAY, BECAUSE I LIKE POINTING THIS OUT EVERY YEAR, THE PURPLE STUDENTS IN US HISTORY WERE THE ORANGE STUDENTS IN EIGHTH GRADE. SO YOU CAN THINK, WELL, WE WENT FROM SEVENTH GRADE MASTERS. 
          THAT'S THE SAME COHORT. SO AFTER THREE YEARS OF WORK IN HIGH SCHOOL, IT LOOKS LIKE WE HAVE THEM ON TRACK MORE SO THAN WHERE THEY STARTED. SO JUST TO SUMMARIZE, I'M SORRY, LET'S DO THIS ONE NEXT. SOCIAL STUDIES. WE HAVEN'T SEEN BIG GAINS OVER THE YEARS, BUT WE HAD SOME INCREASES FOR MEETS AND MASTERS. SO THAT'S ALWAYS POSITIVE. BUT AGAIN IT'S THE BAR IS NOT VERY HIGH WHERE WE WANT IT TO BE OVERALL. OKAY. SO SUMMARY PAGE. SO WE'VE GOT SOME REALLY GOOD THINGS HAPPENING IN SCIENCE THAT WILL CONTINUE. THE MAIN THING TO REMEMBER ABOUT SCIENCE IS THAT WHILE THE TEST IS GIVEN IN FIFTH AND EIGHTH GRADE, IT IS ABANDONED TEST, MEANING IT COVERS THREE YEARS OF CONTENT. SO IF THERE'S NOT STRONG INSTRUCTION IN THIRD AND FOURTH GRADE SCIENCE, FIFTH GRADE SCIENCE TEACHER IS RESPONSIBLE FOR GETTING THOSE KIDS READY. 
          AND THAT'S JUST A BIGGER CHALLENGE. AND IT'S THE SAME THING FOR MIDDLE SCHOOL. IT'S SIXTH, SEVENTH, AND EIGHTH GRADE TESTED IN THE EIGHTH GRADE. BUT THE KEY REALLY THAT WE FOUND IS THAT MORE HANDS ON OPPORTUNITIES THAT STUDENTS HAVE TO ENGAGE WITH THE CONTENT AT THE LEVEL THAT THEY'LL BE TESTED FOR. STAR IS WHAT WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO PUSH TOWARD IN TERMS OF SOCIAL STUDIES, MUCH LIKE WITH THE FIFTH OR THIRD THROUGH EIGHTH GRADE MATH FOR DEMONSTRATIONS OF LEARNING, WE HAVE ADDED THOSE IN FOR EIGHTH GRADE SOCIAL STUDIES BECAUSE WE SEE THE NEED TO MAKE SURE STUDENTS ARE RECEIVING INSTRUCTION AND THEIR       & ASSESSMENTS AT THE LEVEL THAT THEY SHOULD. WE ALSO REACHED OUT TO SOME DISTRICTS COMPARABLE TO US, AND FOUND THAT THEY WERE ALL USING A RESOURCE CALLED LOHMAN ED, SO WE'RE UTILIZING THAT NOW. IT PROVIDES THINGS LIKE INDEPENDENT PRACTICE, WARM UPS. 
          IT'S NOT A FULL BLOWN CURRICULUM, BUT IT'S SOME RESOURCES TO HELP CONVEY THAT MATERIAL BETTER. BUT HELPING STUDENTS UNDERSTAND HOW TO READ GRAPHS, CHARTS, RESPOND TO POLITICAL CARTOONS. THE KINDS OF QUESTIONS THAT THEY SEE ARE NOT WHAT I REMEMBER WHEN I WAS IN SCHOOL. IT'S NOT NAMES, DATES, FACES, AND PLACES. IT'S CAUSE AND EFFECT. IT'S IT'S INTERPRET SOMETHING THAT THEY SEE AND IT REALLY NEEDS TO APPROACH IT LIKE A READING TEST. 
          AND IF THEY'RE NOT READING ON GRADE LEVEL, THE HISTORY TEST, WHETHER IT'S EIGHTH GRADE OR US, IS MORE DIFFICULT. IT'S ALSO JUST A LOT OF CONTENT. WHEN WE THINK ABOUT US HISTORY, RECONSTRUCTION IS WHERE IT STARTS. AND, YOU KNOW, WHEN I FINISHED HIGH SCHOOL 40 YEARS AGO, WE ENDED WITH VIETNAM. WELL, NOW WE GO RECONSTRUCTION UP THROUGH NINE OVER 11, SAME AMOUNT OF TIME. IT'S A LOT MORE CONTENT. SO HELPING STUDENTS REALLY INTERACT WITH THAT IS WHAT'S KEY FOR THAT SUCCESS. OKAY, SO THAT IS IT FOR ASSESSMENT. THAT'S HOW KIDS DID ON STAR. NOW WE'RE GOING TO LOOK AT ACCOUNTABILITY. READY FOR THE SWITCH. THIS IS WHERE I 
          [02:15:01]
GET GET EXCITED. NOW I WILL TELL YOU THAT I GO TO CAMPUSES AND I GO OVER THIS DATA WITH THEM. AND WE SPEND AN HOUR AND A HALF TO TWO HOURS. I HAVE A FEELING YOU DON'T WANT ME TO TAKE THAT LONG, BUT WE'LL GO THROUGH IT AT A HIGH LEVEL AND ANSWER WHATEVER QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE. SO WHAT YOU'RE SEEING IN FRONT OF YOU IS 2025 RATINGS VERSUS 2026. AND AS YOU KNOW, WE WERE ABLE TO MAINTAIN OUR OVERALL RATING OF BE RIGHT THERE AT AN 80. BUT YOU CAN ALSO SEE THE AREAS WHERE WE HAD SOME STEP UP AND THEN MAYBE A STEP BACK. SO WE'LL WORK THROUGH EACH OF THESE ELEMENTS. WHAT WE JUST LOOKED AT WAS STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT. IT'S ALSO CALLED DOMAIN ONE. SO I'M GOING TO USE THOSE INTERCHANGEABLY. YOU'LL NOTICE THAT WE CAME UP TWO POINTS FROM THE PRIOR YEAR FROM 74 TO 76. BUT SOMETIMES WHAT YOU'RE NOT SEEING THERE IS CMR'S IMPACT. SO THREE THROUGH EIGHTH GRADE IS ALL STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT. HOW DO KIDS DO ON STAR 100% OF THAT FOR HIGH SCHOOLS, THAT'S ONLY 40% OF THEIR ACHIEVEMENT SCORE. THE OTHER 40 COMES FROM CMR AND THE OTHER 20 COMES FROM A GRADUATION RATE. WE HAD SOME REALLY GREAT PROGRESS WITH CMR. WE'VE GOT A LOT OF GOOD THINGS HAPPENING THERE, AND SO THAT MIGHT SKEW THE DATA TO MAKE IT LOOK LIKE WE CAME UP OVER ALL IN STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT. BUT IN FACT, IF YOU'RE JUST LOOKING STAR TO STAR, THAT WAS NOT THE CASE. CMR IS HELPING HIM MAKE UP THAT DIFFERENCE THERE. SO THAT'S DOMAIN ONE. THIS LAST YEAR WE HAD A 76. THEN YOU'LL SEE THERE ARE SCHOOL PROGRESS AND THERE'S ACTUALLY TWO PARTS TO PROGRESS. IT CAN HAVE EITHER ACADEMIC GROWTH. IT'S ALSO CALLED TWO A OR RELATIVE PERFORMANCE. AND IF YOU LOOK THERE ACADEMIC GROWTH. WE HAD THE SAME SCORE 71 FROM YEAR TO YEAR. WE CAME UP SLIGHTLY IN RELATIVE PERFORMANCE FROM AN 80 TO AN 82. SO SO FAR WE'VE LOOKED AT THREE NUMBERS. YOU HAVE DOMAIN ONE WHERE WE HAVE A 76 DOMAIN TWO A 71 DOMAIN TWO B IS AN 82. THE WAY IT WORKS IS WHICHEVER OF THOSE THREE IS HIGHEST BECOMES 70% OF THE CAMPUS AND ULTIMATELY DISTRICT'S RATING. AND SO YOU CAN SEE THERE, WE PULLED UP THE 82 FOR RELATIVE PERFORMANCE. 
          AND THAT BECAME 70% OF OUR DISTRICT'S RATING. THE OTHER 30% COMES FROM CLOSING THE GAPS, WHICH IS ALSO CALLED DOMAIN THREE. AND THIS IS ALL FEDERAL ACCOUNTABILITY. AND THAT'S WHERE WE SAW THE BIGGEST DROP. AND WE'LL SEE WHAT THAT WAS ABOUT HERE IN A MOMENT. BUT THAT BECOMES THE OTHER 30% OF OUR SCORE. SO WE ENDED UP WITH THE SAME RATING OVERALL. BUT WE KNOW WE STILL HAVE SOME WORK TO DO. SO LET'S LOOK AT INDIVIDUALLY AT WHAT THESE MEAN WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT ACADEMIC GROWTH. SO NOW WE'RE NOT LOOKING AT ALL PARTS OF STAR. IT'S JUST READING AND MATH BECAUSE WE CAN MEASURE GROWTH FROM YEAR TO YEAR, BUT ONLY IF YOU TEST EVERY YEAR. SO STARTING IN THIRD GRADE FOR READING AND MATH ALL THE WAY UP THROUGH HIGH SCHOOL ALGEBRA ONE OR ENGLISH TWO, YOU CAN GET A GROWTH SCORE FOR A STUDENT. AND THAT'S ANNUAL GROWTH. SO WE'RE LOOKING AT STAR TO STAR FROM YEAR TO YEAR. AND REALLY THE WHOLE MESSAGE OF GROWTH IS JUST NOBODY CAN GO BACK. IF I IF I HAVE A SIXTH GRADE STUDENT WHO WALKS IN THE CLASS AS MEATS, I NEED TO WALK OUT OF SIXTH GRADE AT MEATS. THAT MEANS FIFTH GRADE. I WAS AT MEATS, SIXTH GRADE I WAS AT MEATS. I GREW A YEAR'S WORTH IN THAT TIME BECAUSE I'M ABLE TO MAINTAIN MY PERFORMANCE LEVEL FROM ONE YEAR TO THE NEXT. BUT IF I COME IN AT MEATS AND I LEAVE, IT APPROACHES, THEN I LOST GROUND AND I GET NO POINTS FOR THAT. 
          WE ALSO HAVE STUDENT OPPORTUNITIES TO EARN WHAT WE CALL BONUS POINTS FOR ACCELERATED GROWTH. THESE ARE STUDENTS THAT ARE AT DID NOT MEETS, AND WE GET THEM TO MOVE TO AT LEAST APPROACHES. THEY'RE MOVING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. THEY'RE NOT ON GRADE LEVEL YET, BUT WE'RE TRYING TO GET THEM ACCELERATED TO WHERE THEY NEED TO BE. SO THOSE TWO PIECES COME TOGETHER TO DETERMINE A CAMPUS AND THEN ULTIMATELY DISTRICTS ACADEMIC GROWTH SCORE. THEN YOU HAVE RELATIVE PERFORMANCE. THIS ONE IS REALLY NOTHING MORE THAN WHAT IS YOUR PERCENT AND WHERE DOES THAT CROSS PATHS ON THE CHART WITH YOUR DOMAIN? ONE ACHIEVEMENT SCORE. IF YOU'RE A HIGH SCHOOL, IT'S ACHIEVEMENT PLUS CMR. AND SO THIS IS REALLY AN ACKNOWLEDGMENT THAT STUDENTS FROM HIGHER ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED PERCENTAGES TEND TO HAVE MORE ACADEMIC CHALLENGES. SO THE HIGHER YOUR SCORE, THE LOWER YOUR DOMAIN ONE SCORE CAN BE TO MAINTAIN THE SAME GRADE LEVEL. THAT IS NOT NECESSARILY A PHILOSOPHY THAT WE WANT TO SUBSCRIBE TO, BECAUSE WHAT THAT MEANS IS, I'M NOT GOING TO SET LOWER EXPECTATIONS FOR STUDENTS JUST BECAUSE OF THEIR ECONOMIC BACKGROUND, BUT IT DOES ACKNOWLEDGE THERE ARE MORE ACADEMIC CHALLENGES THAT THEY MAY BE FACING. SO IT'S MORE DIFFICULT TO HAVE THEM ACHIEVE AT THE SAME LEVEL. SO ALL THAT TO SAY, TYPICALLY WHAT WE'VE SEEN IS OUR ELEMENTARIES TYPICALLY RELY ON GROWTH AND NOT RELATIVE PERFORMANCE. HIGH SCHOOLS MORE RELATIVE PERFORMANCE THAN GROWTH. BUT PART OF THAT IS THERE ARE VERY FEW OPPORTUNITIES FOR A HIGH SCHOOL TO USE GROWTH, BECAUSE THEY ONLY HAVE THREE MEASURES EIGHTH GRADE MATH TO ALGEBRA 
          [02:20:02]
ONE, EIGHTH GRADE TO ENGLISH ONE AND ENGLISH ONE TO ENGLISH TWO, WHEREAS ELEMENTARY MIDDLE SCHOOLS, LOTS OF DIFFERENT STUDENTS AND PATHWAYS FOR THAT. BUT YOU CAN SEE THE BREAKDOWN HERE OF HOW MANY CAMPUSES USED EACH OF THOSE FOR THEIR 70%. AND IT SAYS, WE DID HAVE ONE SCHOOL THAT USED ACHIEVEMENT, BUT THAT'S ONLY BECAUSE THEIR ACHIEVEMENT AND THEIR GROWTH SCORE WAS THE SAME. SEVEN ONLY USED GROWTH AND WE HAD 42 AT RELATIVE PERFORMANCE. AND THAT TO ME IS TELLING THAT GROWTH IS NOT WHERE WE NEED IT TO BE. PLUS, IT WAS OUR LOWEST MEASURE THAT, AS YOU SAW ON THE PREVIOUS SLIDE. OKAY, THE LAST SECTION THEN IS DOMAIN THREE. 
          THIS IS CLOSING THE GAPS. THIS IS ALL FEDERAL ACCOUNTABILITY. AND THIS IS THAT OTHER 30% OF A CAMPUS OR DISTRICTS RATING. AND THIS ONE, THIS ALONE I COULD SPEND AN HOUR ON. BUT I'M NOT. 
          I'M GOING TO TELL YOU THERE ARE FOUR PARTS TO DOMAIN THREE. THE ONE THAT TO ME IS THE MOST IMPACTFUL BECAUSE IT'S WEIGHTED THE MOST HEAVILY IS GROWTH. SO YOU SEE THAT THEIR GROWTH STATUS 50%. WHAT THAT MEANS IS FOR A CAMPUS, 50% OF THEIR DOMAIN THREE SCORE IS ALL OF THEIR DOMAIN, TWO A SCORE. SO IF YOU DON'T HAVE A GOOD GROWTH SCORE, YOU'RE NOT GOING TO HAVE A GOOD DOMAIN THREE SCORE. AND BECAUSE WE SAW A DIP IN CLOSING THE GAPS, PART OF IT WAS DUE TO THAT. THIS IS AN ACTUAL ELEMENTARY CAMPUS. HIGH SCHOOLS LOOK A LITTLE DIFFERENT. 
          THEY'RE A LITTLE MORE DETAILED. BUT THIS IS AN ELEMENTARY OR MIDDLE SCHOOL WEIGHTING THAT YOU CAN SEE THERE. SO WE'RE LOOKING AT ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT. THAT'S HOW MANY KIDS DO WE GET TO MEET IN READING AND MATH. GROWTH IS WHAT WE JUST TALKED ABOUT WITH TWO A YOU HAVE ELP STATUS. THIS IS TOPAZ. AND THIS WAS ANOTHER AREA THAT WE SAW A DROP THAT WE WEREN'T EXPECTING. 
          AND THAT'S PRIMARILY BECAUSE WE WENT FROM, WELL, WE WENT TO USING COMPOSITE SCORE FOR DETERMINING TOPAZ PROGRESS, MEANING READING, WRITING, SPEAKING AND LISTENING COMBINED EACH WEIGHTED AT 25% TO DETERMINE A SCORE. WE HAVE BEEN GETTING FOUR OUT OF FOUR POINTS THERE ON MOST OF OUR SCHOOL CAMPUSES. AND THEN COMPOSITE CAME AROUND AND WE JUST WE WERE NOT PREPARED FOR THAT. WHAT THAT ENDED UP MEANING IS WE HAD 28 SCHOOLS THAT GOT ZERO POINTS OUT OF FOUR WHEN THEY HAD BEEN GETTING FOUR OUT OF FOUR. SO IT REALLY WAS LIKE A FALSE POSITIVE. WE FELT REALLY GOOD THE LAST FEW YEARS ABOUT HOW WE'VE BEEN DOING WITH TOPAZ PROGRESS, AND THEN WE WENT BACK TO DOING COMPOSITE, AND THAT WAS NOT THE CASE. SO YOU CAN SEE THAT'S WEIGHTED AT 10%. SO GETTING ZERO OUT OF THAT JUST IT'S LIKE A LETTER GRADE DIFFERENCE. THE LAST ONE THAT YOU SEE THEIR SUCCESS STATUS FOR ELEMENTARY MIDDLE SCHOOL. 
          THAT'S JUST DOMAIN ONE. AGAIN, THAT'S JUST HOW'D YOU DO ON STAR ALL PARTS INCLUDED. SO THE WAY THIS WORKS IS THAT YOU HAVE FOUR STUDENT GROUPS THAT ARE MEASURED. ALL CAMPUSES USE TWO OF THE SAME GROUPS. IT'S YOUR ALL STUDENT GROUP. SO THAT'S EVERYONE. IT'S A GROUP CALLED HIGH FOCUS. IT'S MADE UP OF A VARIETY OF SPECIAL PROGRAMS. AND THEN IT'S YOUR TWO LOWEST PERFORMING ETHNICITY GROUPS FROM THE PRIOR SCHOOL YEAR. AND THAT COULD BE AS FEW AS TEN STUDENTS. AND IF FOR SOME OF OUR CAMPUSES THAT'S BEEN THE CASE, YOU CAN HAVE AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL OF 500 STUDENTS. BUT IF THEY HAD 11 STUDENTS IN ONE ETHNICITY GROUP THAT MISSED THE TARGET, THEN THAT'S REALLY WHAT A CHUNK OF THEIR SCORE IS BASED ON. SO BUT THEY KNOW AHEAD OF TIME WELL IN ADVANCE WHO ARE THEIR TWO LOWEST PERFORMING SO THAT THEY FOCUS ON THEM, MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE NOT FALLING THROUGH THE CRACKS AND THEY'RE HITTING THE TARGETS THAT ARE SET FOR THEM. SO THAT'S REALLY HOW THIS WORKS. THE TARGETS ARE SET. YOU HIT THE TARGET FOR THE GROUP, YOU GET YOUR POINTS, YOU CALL IT A DAY. THAT'S HOW IT WORKS. IN THEORY. WHAT WE'VE USED WITH DOMAIN THREE THOUGH IS IT HELPS US DETERMINE OUR PRIORITY CAMPUS NEEDS. BECAUSE THERE'S ANOTHER ELEMENT TO THAT WHERE SCHOOLS CAN BE CONSISTENTLY UNDERPERFORMING YEAR AFTER YEAR AFTER YEAR FOR ONE PARTICULAR STUDENT GROUP. AND WHEN THAT HAPPENS, THAT'S WHEN THEY END UP HAVING OTHER SUPPORT AND INTERVENTIONS THAT COME INTO PLAY. OKAY, SO LET'S LOOK AT WHAT THOSE ARE. YOU'RE GOING TO SEE TARGETED SUPPORT, ADDITIONAL TARGETED SUPPORT, COMPREHENSIVE SUPPORT. THOSE ARE THE THREE LEVELS OF SUPPORT THAT CAMPUSES MAY NEED. AND IN PARENTHESES, YOU CAN SEE THE NUMBER OF SCHOOLS THAT ARE AT EACH OF THOSE LEVELS. IT ALSO INCLUDES ANY CAMPUS THAT HAS AN OVERALL D OR F RATING, BECAUSE YOU COULD HAVE AN OVERALL D BUT NOT BE TARGETED SUPPORT. IT JUST DEPENDS ON THE NUMBER OF YEARS THAT YOU'VE MISSED TARGETS AND IN WHAT STUDENT GROUPS. WE DO HAVE IMPROVEMENT PLANS THAT ARE IN THE WORKS. SEVERAL OF US WERE AT REGION TEN A COUPLE OF DAYS LAST WEEK, AND WE HAVE MORE TRAININGS NEXT WEEK, AND THEN WE HAVE PLANS TO PULL OUR CAMPUSES TOGETHER TO WORK ON THEIR INTERVENTION PLANS AND HAVE THEM READY FOR YOUR YOUR APPROVAL BY THE NOVEMBER BOARD MEETING. THE CHART THAT YOU SEE THERE JUST GIVES YOU OVERALL RATING FROM THE LAST THREE YEARS, CAMPUSES AND THEIR A THROUGH F, AND THERE'S NO DENYING THAT WE'VE 
          [02:25:01]
TAKEN A BIT OF A STEP BACK. WE HAVE MORE SEATS THAN WE HAD B'S AND MORE D'S THAN WE HAD C'S. 
          AND THEN WE HAD ONE CAMPUS THAT WAS AN F RATING THIS PAST YEAR. BUT ALL OF THOSE ARE ON OUR LIST FOR PRIORITY CAMPUS SUPPORT THAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH SINCE THE START OF SCHOOL. 
          OKAY, THIS IS MY LAST SLIDE. SO WHAT ARE WE DOING DISTRICT WIDE? NOT SPECIFIC TO ONE CONTENT AREA. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE DOING IS FOCUSING ON CLOSING THE LOOP. AND BY THAT I MEAN IF WE PLAN FOR A PLC, WE GO IN CLASS AND MAKE SURE THAT IT'S HAPPENING. IF I GO INTO A TEACHER'S CLASSROOM AND DO AN OBSERVATION AND I SEE SOMETHING THAT NEEDS ADDRESSING, THEN I LET THE TEACHER KNOW WHAT IT IS. WE MAKE AN ACTION PLAN, AND THEN I COME BACK AND MAKE SURE THAT IT'S HAPPENING SO THAT WE'RE CLOSING THAT LOOP TO MAKE SURE THAT WHAT WE'RE DELIVERING TO THEM, TO KNOW AND TO DO IS IMPACTING ULTIMATELY, INSTRUCTION. WE'RE ALSO WORKING THROUGH A GRADUAL RELEASE MODEL, WHICH IN ITS SIMPLEST FORM, I DO AS A TEACHER. THEN WE'RE ALL GOING TO DO THEN YOU DO ON YOUR OWN. WE'VE BEEN WORKING THROUGH HOW TO TWEAK THAT BECAUSE WHAT WE'VE DETERMINED IS OUR STUDENTS AREN'T GETTING TO THE INDEPENDENT WORK AT THE LEVEL THAT THEY SHOULD. THERE'S A LOT OF TEACHER TEACHING HAPPENING, AND THERE'S NOT AS MUCH STUDENT WORK ON THE BACK END. SO WE WE'RE WORKING THROUGH THAT SO THAT WE CAN HAVE MORE TIME FOR STUDENTS TO WORK INDEPENDENTLY, AND THEN AT THE LEVEL OF RIGOR THAT THEY NEED TO BE TO REACH THAT MEASURE. FOR TX, WE ALSO HAVE A PRIORITY CAMPUS SUPPORT PLANS IN PLACE. SO WE'VE ALREADY IDENTIFIED SEVERAL CAMPUSES, PARTLY FROM THE DATA THAT WE HAVE AND OTHERS JUST FROM OUR GOT NEW PRINCIPALS, NEW STAFF, THAT SORT OF THING. WE'VE HAD AN INITIAL MEETING TO SET GOALS WITH THEM TO DETERMINE THEIR NEEDS AND THEN PROVIDE ALMOST LIKE IT'S A SUPPORT MENU, REALLY. WHAT IS IT THAT YOU'RE WORKING ON? WHAT DO YOU NEED? AND THEN PROVIDING THAT FOR THEM. AND THEN WE HAVE PLANS. WE'LL BE CHECKING IN WITH THEM EVERY MONTH TO LOOK AT THEIR DATA AND REVIEW THEIR PROGRESS, MAKE ADJUSTMENTS TO THE PLAN, AND THEN SEE IF THERE ARE OTHER SCHOOLS THAT WE NEED TO BRING INTO THE FOLD. WE'VE ALSO CREATED DISTRICT COMMON FORMATIVE ASSESSMENTS, AND THIS WAS A BACK AND FORTH WE'VE HAD FOR A FEW YEARS NOW. INITIALLY, WE FELT LIKE CAMPUSES ARE CREATING. THESE TEACHERS ARE DOING THEM PLCS. THEY'VE TAUGHT THE MATERIAL, THEY KNOW WHAT THEY SHOULD BE ASSESSING. BUT WHAT WE REALIZE IS THAT OUR TEACHERS ARE JUST NOT SKILLED ENOUGH AT FOR THAT LEVEL OF CREATIVITY, OF ASSESSMENT, TO MAKE SURE THAT IT'S AT THE LEVEL THAT IT NEEDS, IT'S ASSESSING WHAT WE NEED, AND IT'S DIFFICULT FOR US TO KNOW WHAT'S HAPPENING AT ONE CAMPUS VERSUS THE OTHER. SO WE HAVE THOSE NOW CREATED. THEY'RE PART OF WHAT TEACHING AND LEARNING IS DOING. THOSE ARE COMING EVERY 2 TO 3 WEEKS. THEY'RE PASTE IN THE CURRICULUM AND THEY'RE WRITTEN AT THAT DEPTH OF KNOWLEDGE, 2 OR 3. SO THEY'RE NOT ALL LOWER LEVEL QUESTIONS. THAT'S WHAT WE WERE SEEING FROM TEACHER CREATED ASSESSMENTS. AND THEN THE LAST PIECE, WHICH IS REALLY IMPACTFUL AS WELL, IS JUST A FOCUS ON TOPAZ IMPROVEMENT. ONE THING THAT WE HAVE THIS YEAR IS NEW ENGLISH LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY STANDARDS. THEY'VE BEEN IMPLEMENTED THIS YEAR. 
          THEY'LL BE ASSESSED IN THE NEXT FEW YEARS. SO WE'VE GOT A FEW YEARS TO GET USED TO THEM. BUT YOU KNOW, WE USED TO HAVE BEGINNING, INTERMEDIATE, ADVANCED, ADVANCED HIGH BASED ON STUDENTS PERFORMANCE ON TOPAZ. WE'VE GOT A NEW FIFTH LEVEL NOW PRE-PRODUCTION, WHICH IS SORT OF THAT SILENT TIME WHERE STUDENTS ARE MAYBE ENGAGING WITH LANGUAGE BUT NOT RESPONDING. SO WE'RE WORKING THROUGH TEACHERS GETTING FAMILIAR WITH THOSE. AND WE'VE ALSO WORKED THROUGH A STRATEGIC ACTION PLAN FOR THE NEXT THREE YEARS TO MAKE THOSE CHANGES, TO BE READY FOR THE FOR THE DEPLOYMENT OF THE NEW TOPAZ. I ALWAYS LIKE TO END WITH THIS WHEN I TALK ABOUT TOPAZ, BECAUSE IT'S REALLY IT'S I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT THE MESSAGE THAT TEACHERS HERE IS THAT EVERY TEACHER IS A LANGUAGE TEACHER. AND IT'S NOT JUST THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE TEACHER TO GET THAT STUDENT READY FOR TOPAZ WHEN THEY'RE TAKING AN ASSESSMENT OR THEY'RE WHEN THEY'RE RESPONDING TO A PROMPT AND THEIR WORDS LIKE PRECIPITATION AND CLIMATE AND HUMIDITY THAT THEY NEED TO BE ABLE TO USE, NOT JUST SAY, RAIN AND STICKY. AND THOSE ARE GOING TO THEY'RE GOING TO LEARN THOSE WORDS IN A SCIENCE CLASS. AND SO EVEN THOUGH YOU MIGHT HEAR STUDENTS ENGAGING IN, IN, IN ENGLISH, THAT THEY'RE NOT REACHING THAT ACADEMIC LEVEL OF ENGLISH, IT'S LIMITING THEIR OPPORTUNITIES ONCE THEY FINISH WITH HIGH SCHOOL. AND ULTIMATELY THAT'S THE GOAL IS TO GET THEM TO HAVE EVERY DOOR OF OPPORTUNITY OPEN. SO IF WE CAN GET NOTHING ELSE THROUGH TO ANYONE, IT'S EVERY TEACHER IS A LANGUAGE TEACHER. EVERYONE IN THE BUILDING SHARES A RESPONSIBILITY TO HELP STUDENTS BOTH LEARN ENGLISH AT AN ACADEMIC LEVEL, WHILE NOT LOSING THEIR OWN HOME LANGUAGE ABILITIES AS WELL. SO I FEEL REALLY GOOD ABOUT A LOT OF THE THINGS WE HAVE GOING ON. 
          THERE'S MORE INITIATIVES HERE THAT I COULD PROBABLY COVER, AND LOTS MORE DATA THAT YOU MIGHT ASK ME ABOUT, BUT I'LL STOP AT THIS POINT AND SEE WHAT QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE FOR ME. 
          [02:30:03]
BOARD MEMBERS. I'M HAPPY TO GO. I APPRECIATE FOR THE PRIORITY CAMPUSES THE FOCUS ON LIKE THOSE MONTHLY CHECK INS RELATED TO DATA AND UPDATING SUPPORT PLANS, IS THE SUPPORT CARRIED OUT BY THE E, D, L, D OR AN ADDITIONAL. IT'S A COMBINATION. IT'S A DISTRICT LEVEL TEAM. SO SOMEONE FROM TEACHING AND LEARNING ME EDLD AS WELL. AND THEN THE PRINCIPAL. OKAY. THANK YOU. YES. OTHER QUESTIONS. THERE'S A LOT. I COULD HAVE A WHOLE SEPARATE BOARD MEETING JUST ABOUT THIS. I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THAT THERE'S A PLAN. YES. COMING OUT LIKE I LIKE SEEING THAT THERE'S A PLAN COMING OUT OF IT, AND THAT THERE'S FREQUENT CHECKPOINTS TO MAKE SURE THAT THE PLAN IS BEING IMPLEMENTED. OKAY. VERY GOOD. OKAY. I HAVE ANOTHER ONE FROM THE DATA THAT WE MONITORED LAST YEAR, HOW PREDICTIVE WAS THAT FORMATIVE DATA COMPARED TO OUR RESULTS? IT WAS, I WILL SAY IT WAS HIT OR MISS. SO WHAT WE'VE LOOKED AT SO FAR WITH IREADY, IT SEEMED THERE'S A PREDICTIVE AND I NEVER REMEMBER THE PHRASE, BUT THERE WAS AN ELEMENT FOR I-READY THAT WE COULD USE THAT WAS A PREDICTOR OF STAR SUCCESS, AND IT WAS ABOUT 50% ACCURATE. 
          WE FELT LIKE SOME OF THAT, THOUGH, WAS BASED ON THE ASSESSMENTS THAT STUDENTS GAVE. 
          AND WERE THEY REALLY GIVING THEIR BEST AND TAKING THE ASSESSMENT AS SERIOUSLY AS THEY COULD? AND THAT'S ALWAYS KIND OF AN UNKNOWN. AND SO WE'RE CURIOUS TO SEE NOW WHAT THIS YEAR LOOKS LIKE, AND ESPECIALLY WITH OUR COMMON FORMATIVE ASSESSMENTS THAT ARE DISTRICT CREATED, IT WAS DIFFICULT TO ASSESS AT A CAMPUS LEVEL. HOW DID A CAMPUS DO ON THEIR OWN ASSESSMENTS THAT THEY CREATED VERSUS STAR? SO WE HAVE NOT FOUND THE MAGIC SOLUTION YET TO WHAT IS TRULY A GOOD ALIGNED STAR ASSESSMENT, TO KNOW IF WE'RE AT THE MEETS LEVEL. THANK YOU. I THINK I GAVE YOU SOME QUESTIONS EARLIER. I THINK YOU MAY HAVE ANSWERED ALL THESE. I MAY HAVE, AND BECAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF INFORMATION THERE, I THINK YOU DID ANSWER SOME OF THESE. AND I KNOW YOU GOT SOME INITIATIVES FOR IMPROVEMENT. WHAT SPECIFICALLY CHANGED BETWEEN 2025 AND 2026 THAT CAUSED 21 CAMPUSES TO DROP A LETTER GRADE IN A SINGLE YEAR VERSUS 2025. I DON'T EVER WANT TO POINT FINGERS AT ANY 1 OR 2 THINGS, BUT IT WAS PRIMARILY MATH, ELEMENTARY MATH, SOME MIDDLE SCHOOL AS WELL. BUT THE STRUGGLES THAT WE'VE HAD WITH IMPLEMENTING STEM SCOPES WITH FIDELITY, AND THEN THE IMPACT OF TOPAZ COMPOSITE ON DOMAIN THREE WAS ANOTHER BIG DROP. WE JUST WE WEREN'T PREPARED FOR I MEAN, I DON'T WANT TO SAY WE WEREN'T PREPARED. WE KNEW IT WAS COMING. I DON'T THINK WE REALIZED THE IMPACT THAT IT WAS GOING TO HAVE AND HOW STUDENTS WERE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO ACHIEVE AT THE SAME LEVEL WHEN IT WAS A COMPOSITE SCORE. SO THOSE TWO REALLY PRIMARILY, WE MADE GAINS IN THE OTHER THREE CONTENT AREAS. WE MADE GAINS IN CMR. OUR GRADUATION RATES ALWAYS BEEN HIGH. SO IT WAS IT WAS REALLY PRIMARILY IN THOSE TWO AREAS. ANOTHER QUESTION PARANG ELEMENTARY DROPPED FROM A C TO F. WHAT IS THE CAMPUS SPECIFIC ROOT CAUSE ANALYSIS AND WHAT IMMEDIATE SUPPORTS ARE IN PLACE THIS YEAR FOR THAT SCHOOL. SO THEY'RE ONE OF OUR PRIORITY CAMPUSES. THEY WERE WITH US LAST WEEK AT REGION TEN. THEY'LL BE WORKING THROUGH A DIAGNOSTIC, MEANING REGION TEN WILL COME OUT AND SPEND A DAY, ALL DAY ON THE CAMPUS, VISITING CLASSES, INTERVIEWING TEACHERS, INTERVIEWING STUDENTS. AND THEY REALLY KIND OF HELP IDENTIFY PRIMARILY NOT ONLY A ROOT CAUSE, BUT A FIRST INITIAL STEPS TO MOVE FORWARD. WHAT I CAN SAY WITH THE NEW PRINCIPAL, THEY REALLY WERE STRONG ON BUILDING CULTURE, AND THAT WAS AN IMPORTANT DISTINCTION. I THINK THAT IF IF THE CULTURE OF THE CAMPUS IS NOT POSITIVE AND ENRICHING, IT'S VERY DIFFICULT TO TEACH. SO WE FEEL LIKE WE'VE GOT A GOOD FOUNDATION FOR STRONG CULTURE AT THE CAMPUS OF EXCELLENCE. AND NOW IT'S MOVING FORWARD TO LET'S FOCUS ON INSTRUCTION. I THINK THIS MAY BE TOO SOON, BUT I THINK YOU'VE GOT IT. YOU MADE A COMMENT TO IT. I SAID, WHAT DOES OUR INTERNAL ASSESSMENT OR BENCHMARKS DATA SHOW FOR THIS CURRENT SCHOOL YEAR? AND ARE WE SEEING THE SAME GROWTH OR ARE WE GOING TO SEE A DECLINE? IT'S IT'S REALLY KIND OF TOO EARLY TO TELL. I MEAN, IT FEELS LIKE WE'VE BEEN HERE FOR MONTHS AND MONTHS, BUT LIKE, WE JUST STARTED OUR DRILLS LAST WEEK FOR ELEMENTARY MATH. WE'VE HAD TWO CFAES, THE COMMON FORMATIVE ASSESSMENTS. AND SO WHAT THE PLAN IS THAT AT THE NINE WEEK POINT WE HAVE, WE WILL HAVE BENCHMARKS AND WE WILL HAVE NINE WEEK ASSESSMENTS. WE'RE JUST NOT THERE YET. LAST QUESTION. WHAT IS THE WHAT IS DIFFERENT ABOUT POTEET HIGH SCHOOL FEEDER PATTERN THAT PRODUCED ZERO D AND F CAMPUSES? AND HOW CAN ANY OF THOSE PRACTICES BE REPLICATED FOR 
          [02:35:04]
HORN AND MESQUITE HIGH SCHOOL FEEDERS? I THINK IT'S HARD TO COMPARE FEEDER TO FEEDER BECAUSE EVERY CAMPUS IS DIFFERENT. SOME OF IT COULD BE CAMPUS SIZE AND JUST TENDS TO BE THE SMALLER THE CAMPUS, THE, THE EASIER IT IS FOR EVERYONE TO KNOW ALL THE STUDENTS AND WHAT THEIR NEEDS ARE ON LARGER CAMPUSES. THAT'S A MORE IT'S MORE OF A STRUGGLE. SO IT'S, IT'S DIFFICULT TO SAY THAT THERE'S ONE THING THAT'S IN A FEEDER THAT'S DIFFERENT THAN ANOTHER. I FEEL LIKE EVERY CAMPUS IS DIFFERENT AND UNIQUE IN ITS OWN WAY. YES. I WANT TO WEIGH IN ON THAT. ON THAT QUESTION. I REMEMBER FROM LAST YEAR, WE HAD TWO CAMPUSES FROM THE FEEDER PATTERN THAT WE PRIORITIZE, AND WE PUT ON A PRIORITY LIST, AND THEY'RE NO LONGER ON THE LIST. SO IT'S NOT A FEEDER PATTERN. I WOULDN'T SAY IT'S A FEEDER PATTERN. IT'S AUSTIN KIND OF ANSWER THAT IT'S ABOUT. EVERY YEAR WE'RE DEALING WITH A, YOU KNOW, EVERY CAMPUS IS AT A RESET. AND SO WE HAVE TO LOOK AT THE NEEDS OF THE STUDENTS ON THAT CAMPUS AT THAT YEAR AND PLAN. NOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE DID DO LAST YEAR WHEN I SAID WE I MEAN DOCTOR FIELDS AND TEACHING AND LEARNING AND THE TEAM, WE LOOKED AT THE CAMPUSES THAT WE HAD A PLAN AND THE PLAN WAS SUCCESSFUL AND THEY JUMPED UP VERY SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS AND TRY TO REPEAT THOSE HIGH LEVERAGE STRATEGIES, ALONG ALSO WITH REGION TEN SUPPORT INCLUDE WHAT WE KNEW WE WORKED FOR OUR DISTRICT AND REPLICATE THAT THIS YEAR, HIGH YIELD STRATEGIES THAT SHOWED UP TO BE PROVEN IN OUR DISTRICT. AND WE'RE DOING THAT WITH THE PRIORITY CAMPUSES THIS YEAR. BUT REMEMBER, FEEDER PATTERN TWO CAMPUSES LAST YEAR AND FEEDER PATTERN. AND NOW THOSE CAMPUSES ARE OUT. YEAH. MR. COLLIER SO WALK ME THROUGH WHAT ALREADY IS USED FOR. IT'S A SUPPLEMENT TOOL. IT'S IT YOU CAN THINK OF IT THAT WAY. SO STUDENTS START THE YEAR AND THEY TAKE A BEGINNING OF YEAR ASSESSMENT THAT DETERMINES THEIR LEVEL OF ABILITY IN READING AND MATH. AND THEN FROM THERE, IT CREATES A PATHWAY FOR THEM TO WORK THROUGH QUESTIONS AND FUNCTIONS. SO THINGS TO READ, MATH TO DO AT THE LEVEL THAT THEY SHOWED WHERE THEY WERE PROFICIENT OR NEEDED MORE SUPPORT BASED OFF THAT FIRST TEST THEY TOOK. AND THEN IT SO AS THEY WORK THROUGH THE PATHWAY, IT WILL THEN TAILOR WHAT THEY NEED FROM THAT POINT ON. THEN THEY TAKE A MIDDLE OF YOUR ASSESSMENT AND WE REASSESS FROM THERE. AND THEN THEY'LL ULTIMATELY END WITH THE END OF YEAR. BUT IT'S NOT LINKED TO WHAT THEIR STAR TEST RESULTS WERE. NO. BUT WHAT IT CAN DO IS THAT'S WHERE THEY HAVE THAT PREDICTOR, WHERE THEY CAN SAY, THIS IS WHERE A STUDENT IS PROBABLY GOING TO END UP. AND FROM WHAT WE LOOKED LIKE, IT LOOKED LIKE IT WAS ABOUT 50% ACCURATE. OKAY. BUT WE'RE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE EXPECTING THAT TO GO UP BECAUSE WE'RE DOING BETTER AT GIVING THE ASSESSMENT THIS YEAR SINCE LAST YEAR WAS OUR FIRST YEAR. AND I SHOULD ALSO ADD, IT'S ALSO A PART OF THE T, A MEASURE FOR GROWTH FOR ELEMENTARY STUDENTS UP TO THIRD GRADE AND THEN SOME HIGH SCHOOL FOR LAST YEAR. SO THAT WAS PART OF WHAT WE USED IT FOR AS WELL. BUT PRIMARILY IT WAS AN INSTRUCTIONAL TOOL TO HELP FILL GAPS AND HOLES, FILL GAPS AND HOLES. AND STUDENTS CAN WORK ON IT. YOU KNOW, THERE'S KIND OF A SWEET SPOT. WE DON'T WANT THEM TO BE ON THERE IN PLACE OF TIER ONE INSTRUCTION. THEY REALLY NEED TO BE GETTING THE DIRECT INSTRUCTION FROM THE CLASSROOM TEACHER. THIS IS SOMETHING SUPPLEMENTAL THAT THEY WOULD EITHER DO DURING ADVISORY OR EVEN ON THEIR OWN. BUT EVEN I REALLY WOULD RECOMMEND THAT THEY DON'T DO MORE THAN 45 MINUTES TO AN HOUR A WEEK, BECAUSE THEN IT GETS THEY'RE SATURATED WITH IT. SO WE DON'T EVER WANT IT TO TAKE THE PLACE OF THE TEACHER IN THE CLASSROOM TEACHING THE CONTENT FOR THE FIRST TIME. IT'S MEANT TO FILL GAPS AND HOLES AND HELP US IDENTIFY THEM INITIALLY. 
          PERFECT. THANK YOU. LAST YEAR WAS THE FIRST. LAST YEAR WAS THE FIRST YEAR WE USED ALREADY. 
          SO IT WAS OUR BASELINE YEAR. CORRECT. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? TALKING ABOUT THE PRIORITY CAMPUSES, I KNOW LIKE WE HAVE OUR TSS ARE THEY ARE WE USING THEM SOME AT THE PRIORITY CAMPUSES? YES. I'VE TALKED TO DOCTOR CUMMINGS ALREADY AND SHE AND I TALKED EARLY ON ABOUT WHAT OUR PRIORITY CAMPUS LOOK LIKE. WHAT IS THE DATA SHOWING BEFORE WE EVER HAD THE MEETING TO SELECT THE SCHOOLS. AND SO SHE DEPLOYED PEOPLE IMMEDIATELY INTO JUST TO DETERMINE WHO NEEDED TO WORK WHERE. SO THAT'S ALREADY IN THE WORKS, YOU KNOW, THINKING ABOUT THE UNCERTIFIED TEACHERS AND, YOU KNOW, THE SUPPORT THAT THEY'RE GOING TO NEED, ESPECIALLY AT THOSE PRIORITY CAMPUSES. MISS MORRIS, WE DO HAVE A NEW MATH CURRICULUM DIRECTOR TO. RIGHT. 
          AND IS THAT WHO'S HELPING? SO RE ALIGN THE MATH. WELL. SO IT'S A COORDINATOR. BUT YES IT'S IT'S OKAY. WE HAVE A WE HIRED A NEW ELEMENTARY MATH COORDINATOR AND YES, THEY ARE. 
          AND BECAUSE WE DIDN'T ADOPT THIS YEAR MATH CURRICULUM, WE'RE PILOTING THROUGH LIFT THROUGH THE LIFT PROGRAM GRANT FROM TI. AND WE ADDED A COUPLE MORE CAMPUSES. THE PERSON THAT 
          [02:40:04]
WE HIRED IS SUPPLEMENTING THE CURRICULUM. SO NOW WE HAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE GUIDANCE FOR THE TEACHERS BECAUSE THE PROBLEM IS, AND THE BEST WAY THAT I CAN EXPLAIN IT IS, AND SOMEBODY MADE THIS EXPLANATION EARLIER, BUT THERE'S A LOT AND STETHOSCOPES, RIGHT? AND IF I'M AN EXPERIENCED EDUCATOR, I'M ABLE TO DISCERN WHICH LESSON IS A GOOD INTRODUCTORY LESSON TO GET THE CONCEPT. WHICH LESSON IS GOOD TO PROVIDE SUPPORT FOR INDEPENDENT PRACTICE, AND WHICH LESSON IS GOOD FOR ENRICHMENT? BECAUSE I HAVE THE EXPERIENCE. BUT WE ALL KNOW THAT IN THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS WE'VE BEEN HAVING A DECLINE, AND THE TEACHERS HAVE A LOT OF YEARS OF EXPERIENCE. SO WHAT I'VE HEARD FROM THE CAMPUSES THEY'RE DOING, THE SCRIPTED CURRICULUM PILOT, IS THAT THE NOVICE TEACHERS LIKE IT BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE THE BACKGROUND KNOWLEDGE, BUT THE SCRIPTED CURRICULUM PROVIDES THE SUPPORT, ENSURE THEY DO IT CORRECTLY, AND EXPERIENCED TEACHER MAY NOT APPRECIATE IT AS MUCH BECAUSE THEY HAVE EXPERIENCE, ARE ABLE TO DISCERN THE LESSON. SO WE HAVE BOTH RIGHT NOW. NEXT YEAR IS WHEN IT'S GOING TO BE OUR ADOPTION YEAR. SO WE HELP US MAKE AN INFORMED DECISION. DOES THAT ANSWER YOUR QUESTION? OKAY. 
          ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? WELL, ALICIA, THANKS FOR TAKING SUCH A DEEP DIVE INTO THE ANALYSIS OF THE DATA. APPRECIATE IT. THERE'S A LOT THERE. I KNOW YOU WORK HARD AT THIS. I'M OPTIMISTIC OF THE FOCUS THAT THE DISTRICT HAS TO IMPROVE AND WORK ON THE PRIORITY, HIGH PRIORITY CAMPUSES. WE'RE JUST LOOKING FORWARD TO MOVEMENT FOR THE NEXT YEAR OR TWO AND OUR FOR OUR STUDENTS TO BE SUCCESSFUL. BUT THANK YOU FOR ALL THE HARD WORK AND EVERYBODY ELSE THAT PARTICIPATED IN PULLING THAT DATA TOGETHER. I KNOW IT'S NOT ONE PERSON, BUT A TEAM, A BIG TEAM. BUT THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. APPRECIATE IT. ALL RIGHT. BOARD MEMBERS, THE NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS UNDER BUSINESS. WE'VE ALREADY TAKEN CARE OF ITEMS ONE AND TWO. WE REMOVED THEM UP EARLIER. WE'RE ON TO ITEM THREE, WHICH IS AN ACTION ITEM TO APPROVE AN AMENDED BUDGET FOR 2026 2027 MISTER PRADO. WHAT DID YOU DO? WELL, GOOD EVENING AGAIN. PRESTON SEWARD, BOARD OF TRUSTEES. DOCTOR RIVERA, THIS IS I GAVE YOU AN UPDATE IN SEPTEMBER. WORKSHOP RELATED TO THE REFUNDING THAT WE DID IN JULY. SO GLAD WE DID IT IN JULY. 
          AUGUST AND SEPTEMBER HAVE BEEN VERY, VERY INTERESTING, TO SAY THE LEAST IN IN BOND SALES. AND IN THAT AREA, IT WAS JULY 22ND THAT WE DID THE REFUNDING. WE CLOSED THE DEAL ON AUGUST 20TH. 
          FIND, DELIVER, SIGNED. AND SO WHAT YOU'RE SEEING IN YOUR PACKET IS THE RESULTS OF THAT REFUNDING ASSOCIATED WITH THE INS RATE AND THE INS BUDGET. SO WITH THAT, JUST A QUICK RECAP. 
          OUR OVERALL INTEREST RATE IN THE REFUNDING WAS ABOUT 3.63.598. YOU WON'T GET THAT RIGHT NOW. I WILL TELL YOU THAT GROSS SAVINGS WAS OVER $33.5 MILLION. AGAIN, THAT WAS A CONTRIBUTION OF $15 MILLION THAT WE DID FROM THE FUND BALANCE. AND THE PRESENT VALUE SAVINGS WAS CLOSE TO $10 MILLION. THAT THAT MEANS THAT OUR TAXPAYERS WILL BE PAYING LESS IN INTEREST OF AROUND ALMOST $33 MILLION FOR THESE FUNDS THAT WE REFUNDED. SO THAT IS WHAT IS IN FRONT OF YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION. AND I WILL ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE. ANY QUESTIONS, MR. PRADO? THANK YOU, MR. PRADO. THANK YOU. THIS IS AN ACTION ITEM. MR. PRESIDENT. I MOVE TO APPROVE. SECOND. SECOND, MADAM. GO AHEAD. YOU BEAT ME SECOND. I HAVE A MOTION BY MR. EVANS. SECOND BY DOCTOR WILLIAMS. ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE INDICATE BY SAYING AYE. AYE. THOSE OPPOSED? NAY. MOTION PASSES SEVEN ZERO. 
          ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION IN THE BOOKLET? IF NOT, THERE'S A. 
          I PUT BEFORE YOU A REMINDER OF TENTATIVE, TENTATIVE AGENDA FOR OCTOBER AND OTHER ACTIVITIES THAT ARE COMING UP BETWEEN NOW AND THEN. I JUST WANT TO POINT OUT ONE THING. OUR NEXT BOARD MEETING IS NOT ON OCTOBER THE 12TH. IT WILL BE ON OCTOBER THE 5TH BECAUSE THE 12TH IS A STUDENT HOLIDAY FOR FAIR DAY. SO WE'RE GOING TO HAVE OUR BOARD MEETING A WEEK EARLY. 
          CORRECT. OKAY. WITH THAT, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING ELSE TO ADD, DOCTOR RIVERA? SIR, NOTHING'S ON THE AGENDA. OKAY. ANYBODY ELSE HEARING? NO OBJECTIONS. NO FURTHER DISCUSSION. WE ARE.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.