Dec 08, 2022 Board Meetings

GOOD AFTERNOON. THIS MEETING IS NOW CONVENED AT 2 P.M..

[CALL TO ORDER]

[00:00:04]

THE BOARD WILL NOW ADJOURN TO CLOSED OR EXECUTIVE SESSION UNDER CHAPTER 551 OF TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE OPEN MEETINGS ACT SUBSECTIONS

[ADJOURN TO CLOSED OR EXECUTIVE SESSION UNDER SECTIONS 551.004, 551.071, 551.072, 551.073, 551.074, 551.076, 551.082, 551.0821, 551.083, 551.084, AND 551.089 OF THE TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE FOR THE PURPOSES LISTED UNDER SECTION C RECESS]

SHOULD BOARD FINAL ACTION, VOTE OR DECISION ON ANY MATTER CONSIDERED IN THE CLOSED SESSION BE REQUIRED.

SUCH FINAL ACTION VOTE OR DECISION SHALL BE TAKEN AT THE OPEN MEETING COVERED BY THIS NOTICE UPON THE RECONVENING OF THIS PUBLIC MEETING OR AT A SUBSEQUENT PUBLIC MEETING OF THE BOARD UPON NOTICE THEREOF.

THE BOARD HAS ADJOURNED TO CLOSED OR EXECUTIVE SESSION AT 2:01 P.M.

ON DECEMBER 8TH, 2022.

THIS MEETING IS NOW RECONVENED AT 4:34 P.M.

BOARD MEMBERS PRESENT IN THE BOARD AUDITORIUM ARE TRUSTEE ALLEN TRUSTEE WADE.

TRUSTEE. GUIDRY. TRUSTEE SANTOS.

TRUSTEE CRUZ. TRUSTEE BAKER TRUSTEE HERNANDEZ.

ARE THERE ANY BOARD MEMBERS VIA ZOOM? OK TRUSTEE DEIGAARD IS PRESENT VIA ZOOM.

TRUSTEE. ARE YOU THERE? WE ARE POSTED FOR 4:30 P.M.

FOR PUBLIC HEARING ON THE SCHOOL FINANCIAL INTEGRITY RATING SYSTEM OF TEXAS SCHOOL FIRST.

WE WOULD NORMALLY HEAR FROM OUR REGISTERED SPEAKERS AT THIS TIME.

HOWEVER, NO ONE HAS SIGNED UP TO SPEAK REGARDING SCHOOL FIRST.

SUPERINTENDENT HOUSE.

YOU HAVE THE FLOOR.

SO AT THIS TIME, I'D LIKE TO MOVE FORWARD AND TURN THE PODIUM OVER TO GLENN.

WE'LL GO AHEAD AND HAVE YOU TO TO SIT GIVEN THE CIRCUMSTANCES AND TURN IT OVER TO OUR CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER, GLENN REED.

GOOD EVENING, EVERYONE.

I HOPE EVERYONE HAD A GREAT THANKSGIVING BREAK.

SO THIS IS THE PUBLIC HEARING FOR THE SCHOOL FINANCE INTEGRITY RATING SYSTEM OF TEXAS.

[PUBLIC HEARING ON SCHOOL FINANCIAL INTEGRITY RATING SYSTEM OF TEXAS (SCHOOL FIRST)]

IT IS BASED ON THE 2020-2021 FISCAL YEAR.

SO IT'S BASICALLY ALMOST A TWO YEAR LAG IN DOING REPORTING FOR THE FISCAL YEAR.

SO IT'S A 21-22 RATING, BUT IT'S FOR THE FISCAL YEAR PRIOR TO THAT.

SO FIRST OF ALL, JUST KIND OF THE OBJECTIVES AND THE DATA.

THE OBJECTIVES ARE REALLY TO ASSESS THE QUALITY OF FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT OF A PUBLIC SCHOOL TO MEASURE AND REPORT A RESOURCE, HOW RESOURCES ARE ALLOCATED FOR INSTRUCTIONAL PURPOSES TO FAIRLY EVALUATE OUR FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT DECISIONS AND THEN OPENLY REPORT RESULTS TO THE PUBLIC, WHICH OF COURSE IS THE PUBLIC HEARING. SO SCHOOL FIRST IS BASED ON INDICATORS.

THOSE INDICATORS ARE BASED ON POINTS.

SO OF COURSE, IT'S TYPICAL SCALE FOR ABC AND F.

AS YOU CAN SEE HERE ON THE SCREEN.

SO, WE EARNED A RATING OF C OR MEETS STANDARD ACHIEVEMENT WITH A SCORE OF 79 OUT OF 100, AND I WILL EXPLAIN A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THAT AS WE GET FURTHER INTO THE PRESENTATION.

SO THIS IS JUST A SUMMARY OF ALL THE INDICATORS, INDICATORS, ONE THROUGH TEN.

SO YOU CAN SEE WE'VE PASSED ALL THE INDICATORS IN 21-22.

WE HAD TWO POINTS OFF OF INDICATOR EIGHT, WHICH IS NORMAL.

THAT'S BEEN A TREND FOR FOR SEVERAL YEARS.

ON THIS SLIDE--WE'LL COVER EACH INDIVIDUAL ONE AS WE GO THROUGH THE PRESENTATION.

WE DID HAVE ONE NUMBER 17 THAT WE DID FAIL, AND I'LL TALK ABOUT THAT HERE [INAUDIBLE], BUT OVERALL, FROM A SCORE POINT, WE HAD 98 POINTS OUT OF 100.

HOWEVER, WE HAD ITEM NUMBER 17, AND YOU CANNOT SCORE MORE THAN A 79 WITH NUMBER 17 FAILING.

SO WE'LL TALK ABOUT THAT HERE IN A FEW MINUTES.

SO INDICATORS 1, 2, 17 AND 18 OF THE SCHOOL FIRST, AS YOU CAN SEE, THE FIRST ONE WAS DID WE DID

[00:05:01]

DID WE HAVE AN UNMODIFIED OPINION? WE DID. IF WE DON'T, IT'S A FAIL FOR THE ENTIRE RATING, BUT WE DID HAVE AN UNMODIFIED OPINION.

I ALSO ASKED WHETHER WE HAD A CLEAN AUDIT AND NO MATERIAL WEAKNESS OR INTERNAL CONTROLS.

THIS IS THE ONE THAT WE DID FAIL.

WE HAD A MATERIAL WEAKNESS LAST YEAR RELATED TO AN IN-KIND DONATION THAT DID NOT GET RECORDED , AND THEN A CLEAN AUDIT THAT INDICATES THE DISTRICT HAD NO MATERIAL WEAKNESSES IS INTERNAL CONTROL, SO WE COULD GET ALL OF OUR POINTS ON THAT.

SO ON THIS ONE, ITEM NUMBER 17 IS WHERE WE HAD THAT MATERIAL WEAKNESS.

THAT HAS SINCE BEEN COMPLETED AND RESOLVED.

INDICATORS, NUMBER THREE AND FOUR, DID THE DISTRICT PAY ALL OF OUR BILLS AND OBLIGATIONS ON TIME? WE DID. SO WE PASSED THAT INDICATOR, AND DID WE DID WE PAY OUR OBLIGATIONS TO TRS, TEXAS WORKFORCE COMMISSION, INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE? WE DID. SO WE PASSED THAT INDICATOR AS WELL.

FUND BALANCE. DID WE HAVE A SIGNIFICANT DECREASE IN FUND BALANCES? WE DID NOT HAVE A DECREASE IN FUND BALANCE.

SO WE WE PASSED THAT INDICATOR.

CASH ON HAND.

HOW LONG IN DAYS AFTER THE FISCAL YEAR END, COULD THE DISTRICT HAVE OPERATED WITHOUT NEW REVENUE? THE INDICATOR FOR TEN POINTS IS GREATER THAN OR EQUAL TO 90 DAYS.

SO WE DID EARN THOSE FULL TEN POINTS FOR FUND BALANCE FOR CASH ON HAND.

CAN THE DISTRICT PAY ITS SHORT TERM DEBT FROM CURRENT ASSETS? THIS ONE WE SCORED EIGHT OUT OF TEN POINTS.

INDICATORS NINE AND TEN.

DID THE DISTRICT SPEND MORE THAN IT EARNED? SO WE DID NOT SPEND MORE THAN WE EARNED LAST YEAR.

SO WE RECEIVED TEN POINTS.

YOU CAN SEE THE INDICATOR AT THE BOTTOM, WHAT THE SCALE IS, SO IF YOU SPEND MORE THAN YOU EARN, THEN BASICALLY USING FUND BALANCE, YOU GET TO ZERO ON THIS INDICATOR.

AND THEN WERE THE DISTRICT BUDGETED REVENUE ESTIMATES ACCURATE? THAT'S A GREATER THAN OR LESS THAN 10%, AND WE EARNED ALL TEN POINTS ON THAT ONE AS WELL.

INDICATOR 11 IS LONG TERM SOLVENCY IS ASKED ABOUT THE DISTRICT'S LONG TERM SOLVENCY, BASICALLY LOOK TO ENSURE THAT WE CAN PAY OUR LONG TERM DEBTS WITH THE ASSETS WE HAVE.

WE EARN TEN POINTS ON THIS ONE.

SO BASICALLY, IF YOUR DEBTS ARE MORE THAN YOUR ASSETS, THEN YOU'RE GOING TO EARN A ZERO ON THIS ONE, BUT WE WERE NOT IN THAT SITUATION.

INDICATOR NUMBER 12.

FUTURE DEBT PAYMENTS.

THIS INDICATOR ASKS ABOUT THE DISTRICT'S ABILITY TO MAKE OUR PRINCIPAL AND INTEREST PAYMENTS.

IT'S BASICALLY LOOKING AT OUR PROPERTY VALUES AND MAKING SURE THAT OUR VALUES PER $100 WILL ALLOW US TO MAKE OUR FUTURE DEBT PAYMENTS.

THIS ONE USE HAD TO BE LESS THAN [INAUDIBLE] FOUR.

WE MET THAT WE'RE LESS THAN FOUR, SO WE EARNED ALL TEN POINTS ON THIS ITEM AS WELL.

ADMINISTRATIVE COST RATIO.

SO THIS IS THE ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS FOR THE DISTRICT.

FOR A DISTRICT OUR SIZE--IT'S DIFFERENT FOR DIFFERENT SIZED DISTRICTS--THE SIZE HAS TO BE LESS THAN EIGHT AND A HALF PERCENT OR 0855. OUR ADMINISTRATIVE COST RATIO IS 4.76%, SO WE'RE FAIRLY CLOSE TO HALF BELOW WHAT THE STATE'S THRESHOLD IS ON ADMINISTRATIVE COST RATIO.

ITEM INDICATORS 14 AND 15.

DID THE DISTRICT EXPERIENCE A SIGNIFICANT STUDENT TO STAFF RATIO DECLINE? THEY'RE LOOKING FOR THE DISTRICT NOT HAVING MORE THAN A 15% DECLINE IN THE RATIO.

WE HAD A 5% DECLINE IN THE RATIO.

SO WE RECEIVED ALL TEN POINTS ON THIS INDICATOR.

15 IS NOT BEING SCORED.

INDICATOR NUMBER 16.

THIS IS OUR PAYMENT DATA COMPARISON.

SO WHEN WE SUBMIT THAT ACT FOR LAST MONTH, THEY LOOK TO MAKE SURE THAT WHEN WE SUBMIT IT AND SEND THEM THEIR THE COPY THAT THERE'S NO VARIANCE BETWEEN WHAT THE ACTUAL PEIMS SUBMISSION IS AS WELL.

SO YOU HAVE TO BE WITHIN 3% THRESHOLD.

WE HAD A 0%.

SO WE RECEIVED THAT INDICATOR AS WELL, TEN POINTS.

INDICATOR 19 AND 20.

DID WE POST REQUIRED FINANCIAL INFORMATION ON THE WEBSITE? WE DO HAVE A PAGE WHERE WE HAVE ALL OF OUR REQUIRED POSTINGS AND NOTICES AND SO FORTH.

THEY GO AND THEY CHECK THAT WE RECEIVED ALL FIVE POINTS FOR THAT BECAUSE WE DO POST ALL THAT INFORMATION, AND THEN DID THE DISTRICT DISCUSS PROPERTY VALUES? WE PASSED THAT ONE. WE DISCUSSED PROPERTY VALUES SEVERAL TIMES IN THE SPRING WHENEVER AFTER WE RECEIVED OUR VALUES.

[00:10:07]

AND THAT IS OUR SCHOOL FIRST PRESENTATION.

TRUSTEES, I THINK THIS SHOULD BE IN YOUR INBOX.

I DON'T SEE IT IN MINE YET, BUT IT WAS EMAILED TO US JUST RIGHT NOW.

IT'S COMING. IT'S COMING.

TRUSTEE GUIDRY.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS PRESENTATION, CHIEF REED.

LET ME ASK, WAS THIS PRESENTED LAST YEAR AS WELL? OKAY, I MUST HAVE STILL BEEN IN LA LA LAND SOMEWHERE.

[CHUCKLING] BASICALLY, IT'S USUALLY EVERY DECEMBER.

OKAY, YEAH, I WAS IN LA LA LAND.

OKAY, AND SO CAN YOU GO BACK TO I BELIEVE IT'S THE SLIDE THAT SHOWS THAT ONE FAILURE WE HAD.

OOPS, TOO FAST.

OKAY, SO IT'S ITEM 17, CORRECT? THERE IT IS, ITEM NUMBER 17.

YES. CAN YOU EXPLAIN THAT ONE MORE TIME? WHAT WAS OUR WEAKNESS? AND THEN AFTER YOU EXPLAIN IT, CAN YOU TELL ME WHAT WE CAN DO TO CHANGE IT OR WHAT WE ARE PREPARING TO DO TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DO PASS THAT ITEM? SO IT WAS A MATERIAL WEAKNESS RELATED TO AN IN-KIND DONATION THAT WAS MADE TO THE DISTRICT BASICALLY AROUND THE OPERATION CONNECTIVITY.

DONATION. THERE WAS IT WAS MULTIPLE PIECES WITH THE COUNTY, WITH THE STATE AND WITH THE DISTRICT IS BASICALLY CAME DOWN TO TRAINING SO THAT WE'VE PUT SOME ADDITIONAL PROCESSES IN PLACE ON THOSE IN-KIND DONATIONS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DON'T HAVE THAT ONGOING, AND SO IT WAS LIKE AN IN-KIND DONATION THAT KIND OF SLIPPED BY THAT WAS NOT REPORTED AND WE HAVE WE PUT [INAUDIBLE] IT'S NEVER HAPPENED BEFORE.

IT WAS WHERE IF WE PUT SO MUCH MONEY TOWARDS BUYING COMPUTING DEVICES, THEN THE COUNTY WOULD DONATE A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF DOLLARS AND THEN WHATEVER THE COUNTY DONATED AND THE STATE WOULD DONATE THEIR PORTION.

SO THERE WAS A MISUNDERSTANDING IN THAT.

JUST HOW THAT HAPPENED.

WE'VE NEVER DONE THAT BEFORE.

SO WE'VE PUT SOME PROCESSES IN PLACE TO MAKE SURE WHEN SOMETHING LIKE THAT HAPPENS, PROPER TRAINING HAPPENS.

ON SLIDE 16, SO THAT AMOUNT THE DISTRICT EXPERIENCED A SIGNIFICANT STUDENT TO STAFF RATIO DECLINE WE SHOWED. THAT'S CORRECT BECAUSE IT SEEMS LIKE IT'S A LITTLE OFF BUT WE CHECK THESE NUMBERS, RIGHT? WE DO. ALL RIGHT, CHIEF, I TRUST YOU, AND THEN THE LAST THING IS WITH JUST ONE FAILURE, WHY DO WE HAVE A C? BECAUSE ON THIS ITEM THERE ARE SEVERAL ITEMS. SO LET ME GO BACK HERE.

SO THIS 1, 2, 17 AND 18 AND THREE AND FOUR ARE NOT POINTS.

18 IS A POINT, BUT THE REST OF THEM ARE PASS FAIL.

SO IF WE DID NOT SUBMIT OUR AFR ON TIME, THEN WE FAIL THE ENTIRE IT'S A ZERO.

WE'RE BELOW STANDARD. THE WHOLE THING DOESN'T MATTER WHAT YOU MAKE.

WE CAN HAVE 98 UP THERE, BUT WE FAIL.

GOTCHA. RIGHT ON THIS PARTICULAR ONE, THE DISTRICT CAN'T SCORE MORE THAN 79%, EVEN IF THE OTHER INDICATORS ARE MET.

GOT YOU. THANK YOU, SIR.

I APPRECIATE IT. TRUSTEE WADE.

THANK YOU, CHIEF REED.

SLIDE 12, PLEASE.

NUMBER NINE.

SO GOING FORWARD, I THINK REALLY WHAT I'M GOING TO ASK YOU IN THE NEXT TWO QUESTIONS IS HOW DOES THIS HOW DO YOU PERCEIVE THIS TO GO IN YEAR 25? AND I ASK THIS BECAUSE I KNOW WE KNOW WHAT'S COMING.

SO IN THAT CASE, HOW WOULD WE MANAGE THIS FOR THIS FORECAST THAT YOU'RE SHOWING US TODAY? I KNOW I'M LOOKING FORWARD, BUT I JUST WANTED TO UNDERSTAND THAT.

YEAH, SO A COUPLE OF THINGS ON HERE, AND IF YOU LOOK ON THE QUESTION ON INDICATOR NUMBER NINE, ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE THERE, IT SAYS, DID THE SCHOOL DISTRICT'S REVENUES EQUAL OR EXCEED EXPENDITURES? WELL, WE DIDN'T EXCEED IT, BUT IF WE DO OVERSPEND, IF WE SPEND MORE THAN OUR ACTUAL REVENUES.

RIGHT. THERE'S THE SECOND PART THAT SAYS, IF NOT, WAS THAT SCHOOL DISTRICT NUMBER OF DAYS OF CASH ON HAND GREATER THAN 60 DAYS.

SO IF WE SPEND MORE THAN WE EARN, BUT OUR CASH ON HAND IS OVER 60 DAYS, WE CAN STILL EARN THE POINTS.

[00:15:02]

SO LET ME GO TO SLIDE 13.

AGAIN, THIS GOES BACK INTO THAT SAME QUESTION, LONG TERM SOLVENCY.

SO LET ME READ THE CRITERIA REAL QUICK.

CAN YOU EXPLAIN THAT IF WE WERE TO GET IN THIS POSITION, HOW WOULD THAT WORK IN THE CRITERIA? DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? SO WHAT IT'S REALLY BASICALLY DOING IS JUST LOOKING AT THE DISTRICT'S TOTAL ASSETS, TOTAL LIABILITIES AND DOING A RATIO, RIGHT.

SO THE CLOSER YOU GET TO ONE, THE MORE RISK YOU HAVE OF BEING INSOLVENT.

WHICH IS WHAT I'M ASKING, ARE WE GOING TO BE--WE'RE AT 39%.

WHAT THEY'RE LOOKING FOR IS WELL BELOW 60.

SO WE'RE A LITTLE BIT MORE THAN HALF BELOW THE HIGHEST RATIO.

SO WE'RE IN GOOD SHAPE.

OKAY, THANK YOU. TRUSTEE HERNANDEZ.

THANK YOU. I HAD ONE OTHER QUESTION ON NUMBER 13.

THIS ONE? YES.

SO WHAT IS THE DEFINITION THAT TEA USES FOR ADMINISTRATION? THEY'RE BASICALLY LOOKING AT FUNCTION 41 AND FUNCTION 21, AND THEN THEY'RE COMPARING THAT THEN TO INSTRUCTIONAL FOR 11, 12, 13 AS THE DENOMINATOR.

SO SO WHO IS INCLUDED IN FUNCTION 41 AND 21? THAT'S GENERAL ADMINISTRATION.

ADMINISTRATION ON THE CAMPUS LEVEL? NO THAT'S FUNCTION 23.

THAT'S ALSO INCLUDED IN THE INSTRUCTIONAL SIDE BUT FUNCTION 41 IS OUR GENERAL MINISTRATION 21 IS YOUR IS YOUR SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION LIKE OUR OUR SUPERINTENDENTS OUR SSOS ANYTHING THAT'S INSTRUCTIONAL SUPERVISION.

SO SUPERVISING A PRINCIPAL OR STAFF.

OKAY, THANK YOU.

NOBODY ON THE CAMPUS LEVEL, THOUGH.

NO, NO, IT IS NOT.

TRUSTEES ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? ALL RIGHT, WE WILL TAKE A TEN MINUTE RECESS AND RESUME AT 5 P.M.

EXACTLY FOR OUR REGULAR BOARD MEETING.

[SPANISH] GOOD EVENING.

[REGULAR BOARD MEETING RECONVENES FOR OPEN SESSION]

BOARD MEMBERS PRESENT IN THE BOARD AUDITORIUM ARE TRUSTEE WADE TRUSTEE GUIDRY TRUSTEE SANTOS TRUSTEE CRUZ TRUSTEE BLUEFORD-DANIELS TRUSTEE BAKER TRUSTEE HERNANDEZ. BOARD MEMBERS PRESENT VIA ZOOM ARE TRUSTEE DEIGAARD.

I WOULD LIKE TO ASK EVERYONE TO PLEASE SILENCE ALL CELL PHONES.

[SPANISH] CADET MAJOR LIZ NAJERA, WHO IS IN OUR JUNIOR RESERVE OFFICER TRAINING CORPS PROGRAM, WILL LEAD THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE AND THE PLEDGE TO THE TEXAS FLAG.

CADET NAJERA ATTENDS CHAVEZ HIGH SCHOOL IN DISTRICT THREE.

I WOULD LIKE TO ASK DISTRICT THREE, TRUSTEE DANI HERNANDEZ TO INTRODUCE THE PLEDGE LEADER.

THANK YOU. CADET MAJOR LIZ NAJERA SERVED AS A BATTALION EXECUTIVE OFFICER FOR HISDS 21ST BATTALION ARMY JROTC. SHE RANKS SIXTH IN HER CLASS 2024 JROTC, CLASS OF 220 CADETS MAINTAINING A 3.0 GRADE POINT AVERAGE.

AS A STUDENT, CADET NAJERA HAS DISTINGUISHED HERSELF AS A MEMBER OF THE CHAVEZ.

INTERACT AND ATTAINED ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE IN THE GIFTED AND TALENTED PROGRAM.

THROUGH HER YEARS IN JROTC, CADET NAJERA HAS SERVED ON THE COLOR GUARD TEAM, SHOWN HER LEADERSHIP SKILLS NOT ONLY AS THE EXECUTIVE OFFICER, BUT ALSO AS THE ACADEMIC TEAM COMMANDER, AND HAS ACHIEVED MANY ACCOMPLISHMENTS WITHIN THE BATTALION.

AFTER GRADUATION, CADET NAJERA PLANS TO ATTEND NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY TO OBTAIN A FOUR YEAR DEGREE IN ARCHITECTURE.

[00:20:17]

I WOULD NOW LIKE TO TURN THE TIME OVER TO SUPERINTENDENT HOUSE FOR ANY SUPERINTENDENT UPDATES.

[RECOGNITIONS]

THANK YOU, MADAM PRESIDENT. I DO HAVE A FEW THINGS THAT I WANT TO SHARE WITH TRUSTEES, AS WELL AS THE PUBLIC, AS WELL AS UPDATES, OF COURSE, AS WE APPROACH THIS WINTER BREAK.

I WANTED YOU ALL TO BE UP TO SPEED ON JUST A FEW THINGS.

NUMBER ONE, THE HISD PARENT LINK IS SOMETHING THAT I WANT YOU GUYS TO KNOW THAT IS BEING ROLLED OUT AS A PART OF THE DISTRICT'S COMMITMENT TO IMPROVE THE WAY WE EMPOWER PARENTS TO SUPPORT THEIR STUDENTS LEARNING.

THE DISTRICT HAS LAUNCHED THE HISD PARENT LINK AND THE DISTRICT PARENT LINK IS ONE STOP IN TERMS OF A ONE STOP RESOURCE TO BE THE CENTER TO HELP STAFF BE PREPARED TO HELP PARENTS NAVIGATE THE PROCESS OF ENROLLMENT.

SO WE'RE EXTREMELY EXCITED ABOUT THE IDEA OF HAVING A MORE EFFICIENT PROCESS IN TERMS OF HOW PARENTS ENROLL AND WHAT THAT PROCESS LOOKS LIKE. MOREOVER, KIND OF MOVING TO THE NEXT SUBJECT, THE [INAUDIBLE] JUNTOS PARTNERSHIP, EXTREMELY EXCITED ABOUT THIS. I'M TRYING TO GET MY TONGUE ROLL TOGETHER.

I DIDN'T QUITE HAVE IT, BUT HISD IS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH BAKER RIPLEY, COMMUNITY DEVELOPERS TO PROVIDE AN ON-DEMAND DIGITAL MINI ESL LESSON FOR SPANISH SPEAKING HISD PARENTS AND CAREGIVERS.

WE FEEL LIKE THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY BECAUSE AS A PARENT OF TWO HISD STUDENTS, WE KNOW THAT SOMETIMES WHEN WORK COMES HOME, IT MAY HAVE BEEN A WHILE SINCE WE'VE HAD THE KIND OF SUPPORT, AND THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY NOT ONLY TO SUPPORT WITH THAT WORK, BUT ALSO AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO IT IN SPANISH AND ENSURE THAT SUPPORT IS IN PLACE.

THE ESL LESSONS WILL BE PRESENTED IN A TV PRODUCTION CALLED [INAUDIBLE] JUNTOS, WHICH WILL BE BROADCAST ON OUR HISD TV CHANNEL.

SO VERY EXCITED ABOUT IT.

MOVING ON TO SCHOOL CHOICE, OF COURSE, DECEMBER 14TH IS A DATE TO REMEMBER.

THE PHASE ONE WINDOW OF THE HISD SCHOOL CHOICE PROCESS LAUNCHES WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER THE 14TH.

WE PUT THIS OUT IN SEVERAL DIFFERENT WAYS TO THE COMMUNITY, BUT WE WANT TO MAKE CERTAIN THAT OUR COMMUNITY IS UP TO SPEED IN REFERENCE TO THESE DATES.

WE'RE EXTREMELY EXCITED TO ANNOUNCE THE LAUNCH OF THE NEW APPLICATION PLATFORM, WHICH WILL SIMPLY BE THE ENROLLMENT PROCESS MADE EASIER FOR OUR FAMILIES.

THE LAST COUPLE OF THINGS THAT I'LL MENTION IS REFLECTION IN REFERENCE TO OUR FIRST SEMESTER.

IT'S AMAZING TO THINK THAT WE'RE ABOUT TO ROLL INTO 2023, AND I'D LIKE TO TAKE SOME TIME TO RECOGNIZE THE HARD WORK OF NOT ONLY OUR TEACHERS, BUT OUR STAFF, OUR LEADERS, OUR BOARD, OUR COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE.

THERE'S A LOT THAT HAS GONE INTO THIS FIRST SEMESTER AND JUST A COUPLE OF PIECES THAT I'LL SHARE THAT HAVE ROLLED OUT SINCE WE'VE GOTTEN THE BALL ROLLING IN 2022-23. OF COURSE, THE IMPLEMENTATION OF HIGH QUALITY INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS ACROSS 78 SCHOOLS IS IN MOTION.

I THINK THE BOARD HAS AD NAUSEUM HEARD US TALK ABOUT IT, BUT WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF THAT IMPLEMENTATION.

WE ALSO HAVE MOVED FORWARD WITH THE INCREDIBLE, INCREDIBLE WORK BEING DONE TO IMPROVE OUTCOMES AT OUR 24 RISE TRANSFORMATION CAMPUSES.

THE SUCCESSFUL LAUNCH OF T-TESS, THE APPRAISAL SYSTEM, WHICH WILL BE A MAJOR SHIFT IN THE DISTRICT AS WELL.

THESE ARE JUST SIMPLY THREE INITIATIVES THAT WE'RE VERY, VERY PROUD OF THAT WE THINK WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE US FORWARD AS A DISTRICT TO YIELD THE KIND OF STUDENT RESULTS AND SUCCESS THAT WE WANT TO SEE.

THE LAST THING THAT I'D LIKE TO MENTION BEFORE BEFORE MOVING ON, I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE BLUE SHIRTS IN THE ROOM.

TH ROGERS PARENTS, STUDENTS THAT ARE HERE.

I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO MEET WITH A PORTION OF THESE PARENTS AND HEARD THE PASSION IN THEIR VOICES, HEARD THE PAIN IN THEIR VOICES AS WELL, AND AS SUPERINTENDENT WHAT I WANT YOU ALL TO KNOW AND I TOLD MANY OF THE PARENTS THIS DURING THAT TIME THAT I HAD TO MEET WITH THEM IS THAT THIS IS A SITUATION THAT NOBODY WANTED.

WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS IS RIGHT.

SO WE ARE TAKING A COMPLETE PAUSE AND WE'RE GOING TO BE ENGAGING WITH THE COMMUNITY AT OUR PSI PROGRAM AND ENSURE THAT ANYTHING THAT HAPPENS MOVING FORWARD THAT YOU ALL ARE ENGAGED IN THE PROCESS.

[00:25:07]

WE DON'T WANT TO DO ANYTHING TO PUT OURSELVES IN A SITUATION WHERE YOUR STUDENTS, OUR STUDENTS ARE BEING DISPLACED. WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THEIR ENVIRONMENT OF LEARNING IS A POSITIVE ENVIRONMENT, AND I WANTED TO MAKE SURE TO ACKNOWLEDGE YOU AND LET YOU KNOW THAT WE'RE WORKING WITH YOU AND NOT AGAINST YOU.

SO WITH THAT SAID, WE ALSO ARE, AND THAT'S WHY WE GOT STARTED A LITTLE BIT EARLY.

WE WANTED TO MAKE A SHIFT SO THAT ANY TH RODGERS PARENT THAT WANTS TO SPEAK HAS THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO THAT ON THE FRONT END OF THE MEETING VERSUS BEING HERE UNTIL 7:00.

AND SO THAT WILL HAPPEN, JUST FYI.

LAST THING I WILL MENTION IS THAT WE HAVE A GIANT.

IN A VERY LITTLE PACKAGE THAT HAS BEEN HERE FOR 31 YEARS AND BEEN IN PUBLIC EDUCATION LAW FOR 31 YEARS.

ELNEITA, IF YOU DON'T MIND STANDING.

[APPLAUSE] SO TODAY WE'LL BE ELENIETA HUTCHINS-TAYLOR'S LAST MEETING WITH HISD, AND I GOT A LITTLE CHOKED UP YESTERDAY WHEN TALKING ABOUT HER BECAUSE SHE'S BECOME SPECIAL TO ME OVER THE COURSE OF TIME, BUT YOU'RE NOT GOING TO GET ME AGAIN.

[CHUCKLING] SO JUST JUST JUST FYI, BUT I THINK I THINK WE KNOW HER STORY.

SHE'S BEEN IN PUBLIC EDUCATION AND LAW ACTUALLY WAS ON THE FRONT END OF SUPPORTING AND DEFENDING TEACHERS FOR SEVERAL YEARS BEFORE ACTUALLY COMING INTO THE WORK HERE IN HISD OVER THE COURSE OF THE LAST 23 YEARS.

EVEN THOUGH THIS IS YOUR LAST MEETING, MRS. HUTCHINS-TAYLOR, AS I CALL YOU, PLEASE KNOW THAT YOU HAVE A WELCOMED PLACE IN MANY HEARTS IN HISD, AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO THE LEGACY THAT YOU LEAVE IN THE LEGAL WORLD, NOT ONLY IN HISD BUT IN THE STATE OF TEXAS.

PLEASE, GIVE IT UP FOR CHIEF ELNEITA HUTCHINS-TAYLOR.

[APPLAUSE] I THINK WE HAVE A LITTLE SOMETHING FOR YOU, MS. HUTCHINS-TAYLOR.

I'M NOT SURE WHO HAS IT, BUT WE'RE GOING TO GO AHEAD AND JEREMY'S GOING TO BRING IT UP AT THIS TIME, IF YOU'LL JOIN ME UP FRONT.

MAYBE RIGHT HERE. I THINK UP HERE, RIGHT UP HERE, SO EVERYBODY CAN SEE.

ON BEHALF OF HISD AND ME, AS SUPERINTENDENT, IT HAS BEEN AN HONOR AND A PLEASURE TO SERVE WITH YOU THESE THESE LAST THESE LAST 18 MONTHS, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO A LIFETIME OF FRIENDSHIP.

THANK YOU. ABSOLUTELY. [APPLAUSE] THANK.

THANK YOU, SUPERINTENDENT HOUSE, AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE, MS. HUTCHINS-TAYLOR. PLEASE NOTE THAT WE CONDUCT OUR HEARING OF THE COMMUNITY IN TWO PARTS TO PRIORITIZE OUR STUDENTS WHO HAVE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK, AND ACTUALLY, LET'S PAUSE ON

[HEARING OF THE COMMUNITY]

SO IF YOU CAN JUST COME UP, WE WANT TO GIVE YOU THE FLOOR FIRST.

SO IF YOU. YOU'LL STILL HAVE 2 MINUTES TO SPEAK, EACH OF YOU.

SO IF YOU WANT TO GO AHEAD. IF YOU SIGNED UP TO SPEAK AND JUST TELL ME YOUR NAME AS HE COME TO THE PODIUM SO I CAN CROSS YOU OUT, THE FLOOR IS YOURS.

WE'VE BEEN JOINED BY TRUSTEE ALLEN , AND PLEASE JUST TELL ME YOUR NAME AS YOU COME UP.

THANK YOU. I'M KELLY MILNER.

MY DAUGHTER AGED OUT OF ROGERS PSI PROGRAM THIS PAST MAY.

I WAS A HISD TEACHER FOR 15 YEARS IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS.

AS A TEACHER AND MOM, I KNOW THAT SENDING PSI STUDENTS TO THEIR HOME SCHOOLS WOULD BE NOT JUST UNFAIR TO THE PSI, BUT TO THE GENERAL ED STUDENTS AND THE GENERAL ED

[00:30:05]

PSI CLASSROOMS INCLUDE EXPLOSIVE BOWEL MOVEMENTS, VOMITING, UNCONTROLLABLE CRYING, SCREAMING, SEIZURES, RESPIRATORY DISTRESS, SELF STIMULATION, BEHAVIORS LIKE SHAKING AND ROCKING FLAILING ARMS AND LEGS UNCONTROLLABLY, AND THE BEEPING AND THE VIBRATING OF THE DIFFERENT MACHINES AND EQUIPMENT THAT'S REQUIRED IN THE IN MOST CLASSROOMS EVERY DAY, BUT ROGERS' PSI CLASSROOMS ARE DESIGNED TO HANDLE THESE THINGS WITH MAXIMUM MAXIMUM SUPPORT AND MINIMAL DISRUPTION.

OUR STUDENTS DESERVE THE DIGNITY PROVIDED BY THESE HIGHLY SUPPORTIVE, INTENTIONALLY DESIGNED AND RESPECTFUL ENVIRONMENTS THAT HAVE EXISTED AT ROGERS FOR DECADES.

THANK YOU.

GOOD EVENING. I'M RUTHIE GREEN, AND I'M A PARENT OF A PSI STUDENT.

MY STUDENT WAS BORN WITH SEVERE UNDERDEVELOPMENT AND A SMALL BRAIN.

SO HIS BRAIN NOW IS STILL THE SIZE OF AN INFANT.

SO HE FUNCTIONS AT THAT LEVEL, AND ONE OF THE ELEMENTS IS THAT HE HAS SEIZURES, AND HIS SEIZURES, HE COMPLETELY STOPS BREATHING.

HE TURNS BLUE AND YOU HAVE ABOUT 5 MINUTES TO ADMINISTER HIS ANTI SEIZURE MEDICINE PLUS OXYGEN SO THAT YOU WON'T CAUSE ANY MORE DAMAGE TO THE BRAIN.

THAT'S ALREADY HAD SOME DAMAGE.

THAT'S MY STUDENT.

MY CORE VALUE IS THAT I BELIEVE IN GOD, AND I BELIEVE THAT EVERYONE DESERVES THE RESPECT.

SO AT THE PARENT MEETING, I LISTENED AND I SAID, I NEED TO UNDERSTAND HOW THE BOARD COULD COME TO THIS DECISION OF RELOCATING OUR STUDENTS.

AND SO I WENT TO THE POLICY, BUT THEN I GOT THERE AND I HEARD THINGS LIKE EDUCATION, YOUR EDUCATIONAL PHILOSOPHY AND YOUR YOUR BELIEF.

I HEARD ABOUT SCHOOL EMPOWERMENT.

I HEARD ABOUT WE PLEDGING TO SEEK INPUT AND OWNERSHIP FOR THE PEOPLE WHO WILL BE AFFECTED THE MOST ABOUT CHANGE, BUT YET AT THE PARENT MEETING, NONE OF THAT HAPPENED FOR US, AND SO I HEAR NOW THAT YOU'RE SAYING THAT'S A VALUE ADDED, BECAUSE NOW YOU CAN SEE WHO WE ARE AND WHAT'S NEEDED, AND THEN I SAID, I STILL NEED TO UNDERSTAND THE PROCESS, SO MAYBE I KNOW WHERE I CAN FIT IN YOUR PLANNING PROCESS. SO I WENT THROUGH THE POLICY AND I UNDERSTAND THAT YOU HAVE A PRELIMINARY ACTIVITIES AND IN THERE YOU DISCUSS NURSES, YOU DISCUSS COUNSELORS, AND I SAID, OKAY, WELL, THAT'S GREAT.

THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT THESE THINGS, BUT WHEN WE ASK THOSE QUESTIONS DURING OUR PARENT MEETING, WE SAID, WHERE ARE THE NURSES? WHAT DO YOU MEAN? MY SON. MA'AM, THANK YOU, WE'LL LOOK OVER YOUR EMAIL.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

ANY OTHER TH ROGERS PARENTS OR COMMUNITY MEMBERS.

I'M TRYING TO MAKE A MOTION FOR EXTENSION OF TIME.

WHAT IS IT? JOSE SANCHEZ.

[WHIMPERING] GIVE ME A SECOND.

MY SON NAME IS SUPERMAN.

HE'S A STUDENT AT T.H.

ROGERS, AND HE'S A PSI STUDENT.

HE IS A MIRACLE CHILD.

HE'S A MIRACLE CHILD.

LIKE ALL OF THESE MIRACLE CHILDREN THAT ARE HERE AT TH ROGERS, AND I JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND

[00:35:02]

I DON'T UNDERSTAND.

TH ROGERS IS GOOD.

THE PEOPLE ARE GOOD.

EVERYBODY'S GOOD.

THIS IS A GOOD PLACE.

WE DID OUR RESEARCH, AND TH ROGERS IS THE SCHOOL FOR OUR KIDS TO GO TO.

I JUST DON'T KNOW, BUT THAT'S WHY I SAY VIVA.

I SAY VIVA TO PSI, VIVA TO RDSPD.

I SAY VIVA TO EVERYBODY SUPPORTING US.

EVERYBODY. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU. I SAY, SI SE PUEDE, AN OLD SCHOOL TERMINOLOGY THAT MEANS WE KEEP ON GOING, AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO.

THERE ARE KIDS.

WE'RE BATTLE TESTED.

WE'VE BEEN THROUGH THERAPIES, DOCTORS, EVERYTHING TO MAKE SURE OUR KIDS ARE OKAY, AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO DO.

YOU GUYS DON'T UNDERSTAND.

MY SON ALMOST DIED ON THE OPERATING TABLE.

THAT'S HOW MUCH OF A MIRACLE CHILD HE IS.

ALL OF THESE KIDS ARE THAT WAY.

THAT'S WHY I DON'T UNDERSTAND.

GOING BACK TO THE LOCAL SCHOOLS, WHAT'S THAT GOING TO RESOLVE? THAT'S GOING TO THROW US BACK 30 YEARS.

WE'RE NOT GOING FORWARD.

HOW MANY TIMES WE HEARD THAT? GO FORWARD. DON'T GO BACKWARDS, AND TH ROGERS WAS FORWARD, NOT BACKWARDS.

I GOT NO MORE, BABE. I'M SORRY I DONE LOST MY PLACE, BUT I JUST WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU, EVERYBODY.

THANK YOU, SUPERINTENDENT, FOR PUTTING THIS THING ON PAUSE.

I JUST PRAY THAT THE DECISION IS THAT THIS WILL NOT HAPPEN.

THIS IS OVER, AND LEAVE US ALONE.

JUST LEAVE US ALONE, PLEASE.

WE'RE GOING TO ALLOW A ZOOM SPEAKER AS WELL.

IT'S [INAUDIBLE] FROM TH ROGERS.

TURN ON YOUR CAMERA. YOU MAY BEGIN.

GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS [INAUDIBLE], AND I AM A STUDENT AT THE UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON HONORS COLLEGE [INAUDIBLE] AND I'VE BEEN VOLUNTEERING WITH THE POPULATION THERE FOR ALMOST SEVEN YEARS.

I'M SPEAKING TODAY TO URGE YOU TO KEEP THE PSI PROGRAM AT TH ROGERS.

GOING TO SCHOOL WITH STUDENTS WHO HAVE DISABILITIES CHANGED MY WORLD.

[INAUDIBLE] VALUES OF INCLUSIVITY, ADVOCACY.

INSPIRED ME TO BECOME A PHYSICIAN.

MY [INAUDIBLE] CLASSMATES HAVE SHOWN THAT IT INSPIRED THEM TO PURSUE CAREERS LIKE SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGY OR PHYSICAL THERAPY.

INTERRUPTED SCHEDULES WITH DISABILITIES AROUND CAMPUS, COMMUNICATION CAN MANIFEST IN DIVERSE WAYS.

I LEARNED HOW TO TALK TO SOMEONE WHO CAN COMMUNICATE VERBALLY, HOW TO LOOK FOR SOMEONE'S OPINIONS, EVEN IF THEY'RE NOT APPARENT AT FIRST GLANCE, AND THE MOST BASIC LEVEL, I LEARNED THAT INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES ARE INDIVIDUALS JUST LIKE ME.

THEY SHOULD FIND BETTER DISABILITIES.

THEIR OPPORTUNITIES SHOULD NOT BE LIMITED SIMPLY BECAUSE THEY HAVE DIFFERENT NEEDS, INDIVIDUAL WITH VALUABLE IDEAS, DESIRES, [INAUDIBLE], AND THEY DESERVE TO BE AT TH ROGERS.

IT IS A PLACE THAT CONSTANTLY RECOGNIZES THAT.

I TOOK THESE VALUES WITH ME BEYOND TH ROGERS, WHETHER IT BE THROUGH ORGANIZING ADVOCACY EVENTS FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES, VOLUNTEERING [INAUDIBLE] WITH HOMERUN HITTERS, OR UNDERSTANDING HOW TO BETTER CARE FOR PATIENTS WHO HAVE DISABILITIES AT MY JOB AT A PEDIATRIC CLINIC.

THIS RIPPLE EFFECT STEMMED FROM THE UNIQUE WAY THE PROGRAM WAS IMPLEMENTED AT TH ROGERS.

OTHER HISD SCHOOLS I VISITED AND ATTENDED ARE NOT [INAUDIBLE] INTEGRATION I OBSERVED AT ROGERS.

THE PSI PROGRAM AT TH ROGERS IS A NECESSITY NOT ONLY FOR THE STUDENTS AND THEIR FAMILIES, BUT ALSO FOR THE BETTERMENT OF OUR COMMUNITY.

I IMPLORE YOU TO FIGHT AGAINST STRUCTURAL BARRIERS, PREVENT THE DEVASTATING LOSS OF THIS PROGRAM.

THANK YOU. OTHER SPEAKERS FOR TH ROGERS.

MY NAME IS JULIE BEASON, AND I HAD PREPARED COMMENTS, BUT I'M GOING TO SPEAK OFF THE CUFF , BUT, MR. HOUSE, I JUST WANT TO IMPLORE YOU, IF YOU TALK TO THE COMMISSIONER THAT YOU TALK ABOUT LRE AND HOW LRE DOES NOT APPLY TO OUR CHILDREN AND THEY NEED TO FIX THIS PROBLEM ONCE AND FOR ALL, AND IF YOU WANT TO CUT THE HEAD OFF THE SNAKE, THAT IS IT.

LRE DOES NOT APPLY.

THE LAW SAYS THAT IT'S WHAT'S APPROPRIATE, AND YOU CAN LOOK AT OUR CHILDREN.

OUR CHILDREN ARE NEVER GOING TO LIVE INDEPENDENTLY.

EVEN THE NAME OF OUR PROGRAM IS MARGINALIZING FOR US PREPARING STUDENTS FOR INDEPENDENCE .

[00:40:05]

PLEASE BE CREATIVE WITH COMMISSIONER MORATH.

CHANGE THEIR NAME TO MEDICALLY FRAGILE LIKE IT WAS IN SPRING BRANCH.

MAKE THEM THEIR OWN LITTLE ENTITY IF WE CAN'T HELP OUR ABSENCES, BUT THEY HAVE--MY KID'S PROBABLY THE MOST MEDICALLY FRAGILE OF ALL.

WE'VE BEEN IN THE ICU AT TEXAS CHILDREN'S PROBABLY 30 DAYS THIS YEAR WITH RANDOM VIRUSES AND THINGS LIKE THAT.

IF OUR ABSENCES COUNT, YOU KNOW, THEY HAVEN'T CHANGED IN 20 YEARS.

WE'VE HEARD EVERY EXCUSE THERE IS.

CHANGE THE NAME OF THE PROGRAM, MAKE THEM THEIR OWN LITTLE INDEPENDENT AREA, WHATEVER BOX YOU NEED TO CHECK TO MAKE THIS WORK.

THERE'S VANGUARD KIDS AT THEIR SCHOOL THAT TAKE HIGH SCHOOL CLASSES THERE WITH HIGH SCHOOL KIDS.

MY SON CANNOT GO TO WISDOM HIGH.

I CAN PLAY THAT GAME.

I CALLED THEM TO PLAY PATTY CAKE.

THEY DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT.

THIS ONLY EXIST IN SOME BUREAUCRATIC MIND.

IT TOOK YEARS TO MAKE THE MAGIC THAT IS ROGERS.

I USED TO LAUGH AT THE THOUGHT OF MY KID GOING TO TH ROGERS AND WOW, FULL CIRCLE.

HERE I AM BEGGING, BEGGING.

I COULD ONLY DO WORSE.

THERE IS NO PRIVATE SCHOOL THAT CAN ACCOMMODATE HIM.

I HAVE MADE LIFELONG FRIENDSHIPS.

I AM SO HUMBLED.

WE HAVE A SCOLIOSIS SUPPORT GROUP WHO'S GOING TO HELP ME TALK ABOUT MY SON'S TEN HOUR BACK SURGERY.

THEY'VE ALL GONE THROUGH IT.

IT'S NOT JUST FOR HIM, IT'S ME.

HE HAS SEVEN MORE YEARS LEFT OF SCHOOL.

WE'RE NOT GOING TO GO SIT AT HOME.

HE CAN'T GO TO WISDOM.

IT'S NOT A PRIDE ISSUE.

IT'S NOT ME CHERRY PICKING SCHOOLS . ANY OTHER TH ROGERS SPEAKERS? THANK YOU. OH, IT LOOKS LIKE WE HAVE ANOTHER ONE.

GOOD EVENING, EVERYONE. MY NAME IS [INAUDIBLE] MULLICK AND I AM AN ALUM WHO ATTENDED TH ROGERS FROM KINDERGARTEN TO EIGHTH GRADE.

AS A FORMER TH ROGERS STUDENT, I CAN SURELY SAY THAT THE DECISION TO REMOVE THE PSI PROGRAM WILL DESTROY THE SENSE OF UNITY AND COMMUNITY THAT HAS BEEN FOSTERED AT TH ROGERS SINCE ITS BEGINNING PROMOTING INCLUSIVITY AND FIGHTING DISCRIMINATION.

GROWING UP AT ROGERS, SURROUNDED BY PSI STUDENTS SHAPED HOW I VIEWED THE DISABLED COMMUNITY IN SUCH A POSITIVE WAY.

A WAY THAT OTHER STUDENTS WHO DO NOT ATTEND, ROGERS WOULD NEVER GET.

I GAINED EMPATHY, AWARENESS OF DEVELOPMENTAL DIFFERENCES AND A TRUE DEFINITION OF INCLUSIVITY BY GOING TO A SCHOOL WITH STUDENTS WHO HAD MULTIPLE DISABILITIES.

ROGERS WAS UNITED.

THERE WAS A SENSE OF ONENESS.

DESPITE YOUR BACKGROUND, EVERY COMMUNITY WAS PRESENT AT SCHOOL EVENTS SUCH AS GRADUATIONS, AWARDS CEREMONIES, CHOIR PERFORMANCES AND SCHOOL SCHOOL DANCES, ENSURING THAT STUDENTS WOULD RECEIVE THE PROPER SPECIALIZED CARE AND THE LEAST RESTRICTIVE ENVIRONMENT, WHICH IS WHAT THEY APPLIED TO ROGERS FOR AND COMMUTED BEYOND THEIR ZONE SCHOOLS FOR.

IT WAS THESE THINGS THAT I KNOW THE COMMUNITY AND ALL OF THE STUDENTS, PARENTS AND FACULTY OF THE DISABLED COMMUNITY AT ROGERS CHERISHED.

IT WAS THESE THINGS THAT MADE ROGERS WHAT IT WAS.

IF THE PSI PROGRAM IS DISBANDED, STUDENTS AND FAMILIES WILL LOSE THE EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES PRESENTED TO THEIR CHILDREN TO LEARN AT SUCH AN ESTEEMED SCHOOL, SOMETHING THAT IS RARELY PRESENTED FOR NOT JUST THEM, BUT ALL STUDENTS AT ROGERS WILL LOSE THE VITAL UNDERSTANDING THAT THEY ARE NO DIFFERENT FROM THEM.

REMOVING AND RELOCATING INDIVIDUALS WILL CHANGE THE CHARACTER OF ROGERS, AND THEREFORE THIS SHOULD BE A DECISION UPON THE BOARD.

FOR ALL THESE REASONS AND MORE.

I'M CALLING FOR THE REVERSAL OF THIS DECISION, WHICH WILL ONLY NEGATIVELY IMPACT OUR STUDENTS, FAMILIES AND FACULTY AT TH ROGERS.

THANK YOU.

HELLO, MY NAME IS ANIKA [INAUDIBLE] AND I'M A TH ROGERS ALUMNI.

I WENT TO RODGERS FROM KINDERGARTEN THROUGH EIGHTH GRADE AS WELL, AND ALL NINE YEARS I WAS LUCKY TO BE A PART OF THE LARGE COMMUNITY OF VANGUARD, RDSPD AND PSI STUDENTS.

FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF A VANGUARD STUDENT, THE ROGER'S COMMUNITY WAS LIKE NO OTHER, NOT ONLY BECAUSE OF THIS DIVERSITY, BUT ALSO BECAUSE OF HOW THOSE DIFFERENCES WERE CELEBRATED.

FROM SINGING IN ASL PERFORMANCES TO THE PSI STUDENTS HOMECOMING COURT.

THAT IS WHY I CONSIDERED ROGERS TO BE SPECIAL, WHICH IS WHY I NEVER IMAGINED THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO FIGHT FOR THE PSI PROGRAM BECAUSE IT IS SUCH A CORE PART OF WHAT ROGERS IS.

WHILE AT ROGERS, I WAS INSPIRED TO JOIN CAMP MY WAY, WHICH IS A SUMMER PROGRAM LED BY HOMERUN HITTERS, WHICH WORKS CLOSELY WITH THE PSI PROGRAM, AND I HAVE VOLUNTEERED THERE EVER SINCE. ESPECIALLY AFTER GRADUATING, I REALIZED FROM THIS EXPERIENCE HOW FORTUNATE I WAS TO BE SURROUNDED BY SUCH AN INCLUSIVE ENVIRONMENT.

I LEARNED TRUE EMPATHY AND WAS INSPIRED TO PURSUE MORE COMMUNITY SERVICE.

I LEARNED HOW TO COMMUNICATE BETTER AND CONNECT WITH PEOPLE BEYOND WORDS, AND I LEARNED TO MAINTAIN A MUCH MORE OPEN MIND BY UNDERSTANDING A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE OF THE WORLD.

[00:45:02]

THROUGH CAMP MY WAY, I'VE ALSO GOTTEN TO KNOW MANY MI STUDENTS, MANY OF WHOM GO TO ROGERS, AND THEY'RE THE MOST KIND, PATIENT AND GRATEFUL PEOPLE I KNOW, AND IT'S HEARTBREAKING TO HEAR THAT THEIR COMMUNITY, ALONGSIDE THE VANGUARD CHILDREN'S, IS BEING PUT AT RISK.

ROGERS FOR THESE CHILDREN IS SOMEWHERE THAT ASSURES THEIR PARENTS THAT THEY'RE RECEIVING A PROPER, SUITABLE EDUCATION, THAT THEY'RE RESPECTED IN THEIR ENVIRONMENT, AND MOST OF ALL, THAT THEY'RE SAFE. THE PSI STUDENTS ARE JUST AS MUCH EMPHASIS ON THEIR EDUCATION AS VANGUARD STUDENTS AND NOT TO BE PUSHED ASIDE TO FIGURE IT OUT FOR THEMSELVES.

BY DISPLACING THESE CHILDREN FROM THE PROGRAM, THE DISTRICT IS TAKING AWAY A SAFE SPACE FOR THEM AND A SECOND HOME.

WE URGE YOU NOT TO FOLLOW THROUGH WITH THIS IMMORAL RELOCATION OF THE STUDENTS AT ROGERS AND NOT GIVE UP ON THEM.

TH ROGERS NEEDS ITS PSI STUDENTS JUST AS MUCH AS THEY NEED ROGERS.

THANK YOU.

[INAUDIBLE] AND I GRADUATED FROM ROGERS NEARLY FOUR YEARS AGO.

THE DECISION TO REMOVE THE PROGRAM FROM ROGERS IS ONE THAT IS INCREDIBLY HARD TO COMPREHEND AND INVITES AN INDEFINITE AMOUNT OF QUESTIONS.

THIS PROGRAM AT ROGERS WAS CREATED FOR A REASON TO ALLOW CHILDREN WHO WERE OVERLOOKED AT THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD SCHOOLS TO ACHIEVE THEIR BEST AND TO SUCCEED.

HOWEVER, THESE KIDS ARE NOW BEING TREATED LIKE PAWNS IN A CHESS GAME.

IT IS UNFAIR OF THE DISTRICT TO FORCE THE MOVEMENT OF THESE CHILDREN AND DAMAGE THEIR FUTURES.

IF THESE CHILDREN ARE TO MOVE TO THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD SCHOOLS, THERE ARE A NUMBER OF QUESTIONS THAT ARISE.

WILL THESE SCHOOLS BE RECEIVING THE FUNDING REQUIRED TO ENSURE THE BEST POSSIBLE EDUCATION FOR THESE CHILDREN? IS THERE A GUARANTEE THAT THESE CHILDREN WILL BE ALLOTTED THE TIME AND ENERGY THAT THEY DESERVE? THIS DECISION WAS NOT MADE IN THE BEST INTEREST OF THE CHILDREN AND HAS SHATTERED THE TRUST THAT THESE FAMILIES HAVE WITH THE DISTRICT.

AS WELL AS VIOLATING TEXAS CODE EDUCATION SECTION 26.001.

THE LETTER THAT WAS SENT OUT HAD NO HINT OF AN APOLOGY, BUT WAS RATHER A POORLY PHRASED CELEBRATION.

IN WHAT WAY IS STUDENTS BEING TAKEN AWAY FROM THEIR FRIENDS THEY LOVE AND FROM THE COMMUNITY THEY FLOURISH IN A POSITIVE CHANGE.

TO CELEBRATE, THESE CHILDREN CAME TO ROGERS TO EXPERIENCE THE EDUCATION THAT WAS NOT AVAILABLE AT THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD SCHOOLS, AND YET THIS EDUCATION IS BEING RIPPED FROM THEM AND THEY ARE SENT BACK TO THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD SCHOOLS.

IS THIS REALLY WHAT THEY DESERVE? PLEASE RECONSIDER THE ILL INFORMED DECISION YOU HAVE MADE.

THANK YOU.

GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS YVONNE [INAUDIBLE] AND I'M THE PARENT OF A VANGUARD FIRST GRADER WHO WAS PART OF THE LAST KINDERGARTEN CLASS TO LEARN AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE AT TH ROGERS.

HE ACTUALLY STILL LIKES TO USE ASL TO COMMUNICATE, AND IT SURPRISES HIM WHEN HIS PARENTS CAN'T KEEP UP BECAUSE IN HIS WORLDVIEW, ASL AND CHILDREN IN WHEELCHAIRS WEARING HELMETS IS NORMAL.

A PSI PARENT ASKED WHY VANGUARD PARENTS CARE ABOUT THE PSI PROGRAM CLOSURE.

MY SON DOESN'T UNDERSTAND WHY HE CAN'T LEARN ASL AT SCHOOL ANYMORE, BUT HE KNOWS THE CULTURE OF HIS SCHOOL HAS CHANGED.

I AM HERE BECAUSE PSI STUDENTS ARE VALUED MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY WHO HAVE THE RIGHT TO A QUALITY EDUCATION THAT MEETS THEIR SPECIAL NEEDS, AND WE ARE HERE TO AMPLIFY THEIR VOICES.

IN MY DAY JOB, I'M A PHYSICIAN WHO KNOWS THAT HIGH VOLUME CENTERS ARE ASSOCIATED WITH BETTER HEALTH OUTCOMES.

THIS MUST BE TRUE IN EDUCATION BECAUSE THE 2018 [INAUDIBLE] REPORT SUGGESTS STUDENTS WITH SEVERE DISABILITIES SHOULD HAVE SPECIALIZED CENTERS OF EDUCATION.

WHAT OTHER SCHOOL IN THE DISTRICT HAS THE EXPERIENCE, EXPERTISE AND LOVE THAN TH ROGERS? SOME SPECIFIC CONCERNS THAT LOCAL EXPERTS HAVE RAISED INCLUDE HOW WILL THESE STUDENTS BE ACCOMMODATED IN ACTIVE SHOOTER OR DISASTER SITUATIONS? WHAT IS THE INCREASED RISK OF BULLYING AND ISOLATION IN A LOCAL SCHOOL? THE LOSS OF ACCESS TO MULTIDISCIPLINARY TEAMS OF EDUCATORS, THERAPISTS, NURSES AND SOCIAL WORKERS.

THE LOSS OF SOCIAL SUPPORT FOR STUDENTS AND THEIR FAMILIES, AND THE LOSS OF DEVELOPMENTAL BENEFITS FOR BOTH VANGUARD AND PSI STUDENTS.

PEOPLE OFTEN TALK ABOUT THE GIFTED STUDENTS AT T.H.

RODGERS. PSI STUDENTS HAVE THE GIFT TO TEACH US ALL ABOUT RESPECT, HUMANITY AND RESILIENCE.

WE IMPLORE HISD TO KEEP THE PROGRAM FOR PSI STUDENTS AT TH ROGERS.

HELLO, I AM DR.

DEBORAH CARR.

I AM PRESIDENT OF HOMERUN HITTERS INTERNATIONAL.

[00:50:05]

SO I'VE SEEN TH ROGERS AND WHAT IT CAN DO FOR CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES, BUT NOT JUST THEM.

MY FOCUS HAD BEEN ON JUST THE CHILDREN, BUT IT HAS TO DO WITH THEIR PARENTS, AND I KNOW THE LRE REGULATION DOESN'T DEAL WITH PARENT ISSUES. IT DOESN'T DEAL WITH ALL OF THE ASPECTS THAT WE DEAL WITH WITH OUR CHILDREN.

I JUST WANT TO LEAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS FOR YOU GUYS TO MAYBE ASK AMONG YOURSELVES OR TAKE TIME TO ASK PARENTS ASK, HOW DID IT FEEL WHEN THE DOCTORS FIRST TOLD YOU THAT YOU COULD PROBABLY JUST LET YOUR CHILD BE PUT AWAY IN SOME INSTITUTION BECAUSE THAT CHILD WOULD NOT DEVELOP PROPERLY? ASK THE PARENTS, HOW DOES IT FEEL WHEN THAT CHILD AT A YOUNG AGE HAS A PROBLEM THAT CAUSES THAT CHILD TO DIE? WE HAVE A HIGH RATE OF MORTALITY WITH OUR SPECIAL NEEDS CHILDREN, BUT THEY ALL HAVE A SUPPORT GROUP THAT SUPPORTS THEM THROUGHOUT THEIR LIVES.

THE PARENTS AND THE CHILDREN.

THE OTHER THE OTHER QUESTION TO ASK IS HOW RESTRICTIVE IS THEIR ENVIRONMENT? HOW MUCH? THANK YOU.

MY NAME IS NIKKI GAMBIER.

I'M A MOTHER OF A ROGERS VANGUARD STUDENT AS WELL AS A PEDIATRICIAN WITH SPECIALIZATION IN CHILD DEVELOPMENT AND BEHAVIOR.

I WAS DRAWN TO MY SPECIALTY FOR THE SAME REASON I WAS DRAWN TO ROGERS FOR MY DAUGHTER'S EDUCATION.

BOTH ARE COMMITTED TO SUPPORTING EVERY YOUNG PERSON TO REACH THEIR OPTIMAL POTENTIAL AND BEING A VALUED AND RESPECTED MEMBER OF AN INCLUSIVE COMMUNITY.

WE HAD OTHER OPTIONS, BUT WE CHOSE TH ROGERS FOR THE DEAF AND PSI PROGRAM FOR HER TO BE ABLE TO BE PART OF THE COMMUNITY AND AMONG PROFESSIONAL COLLEAGUES, IT IS BELIEVED THAT ROGERS SHOULD BE CELEBRATED, NOT PUNISHED, FOR ITS COMMITMENT TO SUPPORTING BEST PRACTICES AND SPECIAL EDUCATION AND INCLUSIVITY WHILE MEETING THE INDIVIDUAL NEEDS OF DIVERSE STUDENTS AND FAMILIES WITH PROFOUND HEALTH NEEDS.

FOR CONTEXT, PSI STUDENTS MAY HAVE MULTIPLE PHYSICAL, DEVELOPMENTAL, BEHAVIORAL OR EMOTIONAL AND SENSORY IMPAIRED DISORDERS WITH COMPLEX MEDICAL NEEDS THAT IMPACT THEIR ABILITY TO COMMUNICATE, CARE FOR AND LIVE INDEPENDENTLY.

THESE DISABILITIES MAY INCLUDE CEREBRAL PALSY, VISUAL IMPAIRMENT, MEDICAL CONDITIONS, LIFE THREATENING SEIZURES AND OTHER NEURODEVELOPMENTAL OR EVEN GENETIC CONDITIONS JUST FOR SOME. THEREFORE, HOW IS IT MOST SUPPORTIVE TO RELOCATE OUR VALUED PSI STUDENTS TO LOCAL AND LIKELY MORE RESTRICTED CAMPUSES THAT HAVE ALREADY BEEN IDENTIFIED IN OUR DETERMINATIONS TO NOT BE SAFELY EQUIPPED TO MEET THEIR MEDICAL, MENTAL HEALTH AND BEHAVIORAL NEEDS.

ARE THESE CAMPUSES EQUIPPED TO ADDRESS POTENTIALLY WORSENING SEIZURES, DISRUPTIVE BEHAVIORS OR ANXIETIES THAT CAN WORSEN WITH CHANGE IN SKILLED CARES, ROUTINE AND ENVIRONMENT? CAN THE SAME LEVEL OF SPECIALIZED ATTENTION BE GUARANTEED AT EACH LOCAL SCHOOL? HAVE FAMILIES BEEN INVOLVED IN SHARED DECISION MAKING? THE ANSWER IS NO.

TH ROGERS HAS BEEN SHOWN TO BE SPECIALLY DESIGNED AND OUTFITTED WITH SPECIALIZED STAFF, TRAINING FACILITIES, EQUIPMENT AND CLASSROOMS. SO THINK OF IT THIS WAY WHAT DO YOU WANT? YOUR LOVED ONE IN A RURAL ICU WHEN YOU KNOW BETTER CARE IS AVAILABLE ELSEWHERE? NO. YOU WANT THEM TRANSFERRED TO THE MEDICAL CENTER.

RELOCATING THE PSI PROGRAM IS NOT THE MOST SUPPORTIVE APPROPRIATE.

ANGELINA ESPARZA, I'M A PARENT OF A VANGUARD FOURTH GRADER AT TH ROGERS.

WE ACTUALLY CHOSE THE SCHOOL AND TRUSTEE SANTOS, WE'RE ACTUALLY FROM ONE OF YOUR CONSTITUENTS.

[00:55:02]

TO OUR SURPRISE, THE DEAF PROGRAM WAS REMOVED LAST YEAR AND NOW WE'RE HAVING THE SAME SITUATION WITH THE PCI.

IN ADDITION TO BEING A PARENT, I'M ALSO A NURSE AND I WANT TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE NURSING CARE.

AS YOU HEARD FROM A LOT OF THE PARENTS, THE NEEDS OF THESE CHILDREN ARE VERY COMPLEX.

THESE COMPLEX MEDICAL NEEDS REQUIRE OFTEN ADVANCED TRAINING TO IMPLEMENT LIFE SAVING AND HARM REDUCTION ACTIONS QUICKLY.

LACK OF SPECIALIZED EQUIPMENT, ROOMS, ACCOMMODATIONS, HAMPERED DAILY NURSING CARE AND DAILY NURSING CARE CAN INCLUDE FEEDING, CHANGING MEDICATION, ADMINISTRATION SEIZURE CARE AND EMERGENCY RESPONSE.

PUTTING THESE CHILDREN'S LIVES AT RISK, WHICH IS VERY IMPORTANT.

THAT'S LIABILITY.

MENTAL HEALTH, WE TALK ABOUT A LOT IN EDUCATION THAT IT'S IN GROWING CONCERN.

THERE'S A LOT OF FEDERAL FUNDS OUT THERE.

THERE'S A LOT OF STATE FUNDS OUT THERE.

IN TERMS OF THE MENTAL HEALTH CONCERNS, THESE STUDENTS STRUGGLE OFTEN--AS ANY STUDENT WOULD--WITH CHANGE, AND RELY ON THE SECURITY THAT IS OFFERED BY ROUTINE, AND FAMILIAR FACES AND PLACES.

CHANGES CAN INCREASE THE LIKELIHOOD OF DEPRESSION, ANXIETY AND BEHAVIORAL CHANGES.

THIS IS SIGNIFICANT.

THE SOCIAL IMPACT EXTENDS--AS WE'VE SEEN TODAY--BEYOND THE CHILD AND THE STUDENT.

IT REALLY INCLUDES THE FAMILY, AND TO BE ABLE TO TAKE AWAY THE PEER GROUP OF NOT ONLY THE STUDENTS, BUT THE PEER GROUP OF THE PARENTS IMPACTS THE WHOLE FAMILY.

IT'S REALLY QUITE SAD.

THE PROPOSED CHANGES ALREADY HAVE PLACED UNDUE STRESS ON PARENTS AND FAMILIES.

TRUST CANNOT BE REPLICATED.

IT'S NOT BUILT OVERNIGHT AND IT CANNOT BE TRANSFERRED.

THESE PARENTS TRUST THESE NURSES.

IT'S IMPORTANT TO HAVE THAT CONNECTION.

IT IS HIGHLY UNLIKELY THAT SCOPE OF SERVICES WOULD BE AVAILABLE AT ANY OTHER SCHOOL TO THE SCOPE AND SCALE THEY ARE NOW.

I IMPLORE YOU TO RECONSIDER THESE ASPECTS, ALL OF THESE ASPECTS IN YOUR DECISIONS, AND ALSO WE WANTED TO ASK REQUEST THAT THE PARENTS THAT ARE COMING LATER BECAUSE YOU DID FLIP THE AGENDA.

ANY OTHER TH ROGERS PARENT OR COMMUNITY MEMBER? GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS MELVIN WONG AND I'M A VANGUARD PARENT.

I JUST WANT TO GO THROUGH THREE QUESTIONS ABOUT THE REMOVAL OF THE PSI PROGRAM.

FIRST IS WHO HAS THE AUTHORITY TO MAKE THIS DECISION? I KNOW UNDER THE EDUCATION CODE THAT YES, THE TEA CONSERVATOR HAS THAT RIGHT TO DIRECT AN ACTION, BUT YESTERDAY WE RECEIVED A RESPONSE FROM TEA FROM OUR PUBLIC INFORMATION REQUEST THAT NO DOCUMENTS HAVE BEEN PRODUCED IN THE LAST 18 MONTHS BETWEEN TEA AND HISD OR TH ROGERS REGARDING THE REMOVAL OF THE PSI PROGRAM. WE KNOW THAT THE BOARD UNDER POLICY BAA HAS THE EXCLUSIVE POWER TO GOVERN AND OVERSEE THE MANAGEMENT OF THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS OF HIGH ESTEEM.

SO WE BELIEVE THE BOARD HAS THE AUTHORITY TO MAKE THAT DECISION AND TO REVERSE ANY DECISION THAT HAS BEEN MADE REGARDING THE REMOVAL OF THE PSI PROGRAM.

SECONDLY, WHY WAS THE DECISION MADE IN THE FIRST PLACE? WHAT WAS THE BASIS? AND AS FAR AS I CAN TELL, YOU KNOW, I LOOKED AT ALL THE IMPROVEMENT PLANS FOR TH ROGERS THAT ARE AVAILABLE IN THE BOARD'S WEBSITE AND NOTHING IN THERE INDICATED TO ME THAT IT WAS EVER IN DANGER OF BEING REMOVED.

YES, IT WASN'T PERFECT, BUT THERE WAS NO BASIS, IT SEEMED, OR AT LEAST A LACK OF CLARITY AS TO WHY THAT DECISION WAS MADE, AND THE THIRD AND FINAL QUESTION IS WHY SHOULD THE BOARD REVERSE THIS DECISION? IT WAS MENTIONED PREVIOUSLY, I DO THINK IT'S A VIOLATION OF THE EDUCATION ADMINISTRATIVE CODES IN TERMS OF WORKING TOGETHER WITH THE STUDENTS, THE PARENTS IN A COLLABORATIVE MANNER. IT'S A VIOLATION OF THE BOARD'S OWN POLICIES IN TERMS OF REQUIRING TRANSPARENCY AND COMMUNICATION AND ALSO CHANGE THE CHARACTER OF THE SCHOOL.

60TH ANNIVERSARY THERE'S A PHOTO OF T.H.

RODGERS IN THE FRONT OFFICE.

PRINCIPAL CHENIER.

RIGHT NEXT TO HER IS A PSI STUDENT, AND IT SAYS, THIS IS WHERE ACADEMICS AND CHARACTER MATTER.

SO WE'RE REMOVING THE PSI PROGRAM WILL CHANGE THE CHARACTER OF THE SCHOOL.

THANK YOU.

ANY OTHER SPEAKERS FOR TH ROGERS, AND WE STILL HAVE A FEW MORE SPEAKERS.

SO IF FOLKS COME A LITTLE LATER, WE CAN ADD THEM.

OH, I SEE SOMEONE. THANK YOU.

I'M HERE.

I WAS CALLED BY A GOOD FRIEND OF MINE TO ASK TO COME AND SPEAK, AND I SAID, WELL, GLADLY, BECAUSE

[01:00:02]

SO I KNOW WHAT IT'S LIKE TO HAVE A DILEMMA AND IS SEEKING SOME HELP.

SO WE ARE HERE ON BEHALF OF THE CHILDREN AT TH ROGERS SCHOOL.

THE SERVICE THAT THE CHILDREN RECEIVE THERE IS MUCH NEEDED, AND THE SERVICES THAT ARE PROVIDED THERE'RE SECOND TO NONE.

ALL OVER THIS CITY, WHEN A CHILD HAVE SOME DELAYS TO TH ROGERS IS THE TOPIC OF DISCUSSION.

NEIGHBORHOOD SCHOOLS ARE WONDERFUL AND MUCH NEEDED.

IN THIS DAY AND TIME, WE NEED TO TRY TO, I THINK, STAY TOGETHER, HELP EACH OTHER, HELP THE CHILDREN, BECAUSE THE CHILDREN ARE THE FUTURE.

WE ARE ON OUR WAY OUT, MOST OF US.

I'M AN OLD LADY, AND SO THE CHILDREN ARE OUR FUTURE, AND I THINK THAT WHATEVER CAN BE DONE TO ASSIST THEM, HELP THEM TO GROW, EXCEL, IT'S SOMETHING THAT SHOULD BE THOUGHT ABOUT AND THOUGHT ABOUT VERY CAREFULLY.

I WORKED IN THE MEDICAL PROFESSION A LONG TIME, AND IT SAID, FIRST, DO NO HARM, AND SO I THINK THAT LET'S GIVE IT SOME THOUGHT, SOME CONSIDERATION, BECAUSE THE CHILDREN DON'T HAVE ANYBODY, THEY CAN'T SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES. SO WE AS CONCERNED THANK YOU SO MUCH, MA'AM.

THANK YOU.

MY TIME IS UP? YES, YOUR TIME IS UP, BUT THANK YOU SO MUCH.

THANK YOU. [CHUCKLING] THANK YOU.

ALL RIGHT, GOOD EVENING.

MY NAME IS [INAUDIBLE] HASSAN.

I HAVE TWO CHILDREN IN TWO DIFFERENT HISD SCHOOLS.

ONE IS MY NEIGHBORHOOD SCHOOL, AND SECOND, TH ROGERS, A SCHOOL WHERE ACADEMICS AND CHARACTER MATTER.

CHARACTER! I CHOSE TO SEND MY SON TO ROGERS, EVEN THOUGH HE'S YOUNG.

HE'S FIVE YEARS OLD. WE DRIVE TO GET THERE BECAUSE OF THE UNIQUE CHARACTER THAT I THOUGHT THE SCHOOL HAS.

WHEN WE APPLIED, THERE WERE THREE DIFFERENT STUDENT POPULATIONS IN ROGERS.

YOU GUYS KNOW WHAT I'M REFERRING TO? SADLY, WHEN MY SON STARTED, IT WAS DROPPED DOWN TO TWO POPULATIONS BY THE REMOVAL OF THE RDSPD PROGRAM.

SADLY, THE CHARACTER OF MY SCHOOL, MY SON'S SCHOOL, OUR SCHOOL CONTINUES TO CHANGE IN A WAY THAT I CONSIDER RATHER INHUMANE. PLEASE HELP.

PLEASE HELP IN STOPPING THIS CHANGE.

STOP OUR FAMILY FROM BREAKING.

T.H. ROGERS IS MY FAMILY.

YES, I HAVE MY OWN SCHOOL, BUT THAT'S STILL A FAMILY, AND YOU CAN SEE OUR FAMILY HERE.

BOTH THE VANGUARD AND PSI STUDENTS CONTINUE TO MAKE TH ROGERS THE COMMUNITY DIVERSE, INCLUSIVE AND SPECIAL.

I'M BEING REDUNDANT HERE: WE ARE A FAMILY.

BOTH MY SON AS A VANGUARD STUDENT AND THE PSI STUDENTS.

WE LEARN FROM EACH OTHER, AND LET'S REMEMBER, HOW DID THE PSI STUDENTS GET HERE? THEY DIDN'T JUST WALK IN ONE MORNING.

FROM MY UNDERSTANDING, THE PARENTS, THE KIDS, THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD SCHOOL WASN'T ABLE TO PROVIDE.

MY SON CAN GO TO HIS NEIGHBORHOOD SCHOOL.

HE'LL BE JUST FINE.

HE'LL BE BOBBY THE BOBCAT.

WOO HOO! BUT YOU KNOW WHAT? SOME OF OUR OTHER KIDS HERE CANNOT JUST GO INTO THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD SCHOOL THAT ONCE TURNED THEM AWAY.

SO, PLEASE, I URGE YOU RECONSIDER, HOW IS THAT NEIGHBORHOOD SCHOOL GOING TO TAKE YOU?

[01:05:01]

ANY OTHER TH ROGERS SPEAKERS? THANK YOU SO MUCH.

SO NOW WE'LL CONDUCT THE HEARING OF COMMUNITY IN TWO PARTS TO PRIORITIZE OUR STUDENTS WHO HAVE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK.

WE HAVE FIVE STUDENTS, SPEAKERS WHO SHALL BE LIMITED TO 2 MINUTES EACH AS BOARD POLICY.

TWO STUDENTS HAVE REGISTERED TO SPEAK TO THE ADDRESS THE BOARD VIA ZOOM.

PLEASE REMEMBER THAT IF YOU ARE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK VIA ZOOM, WE MUST SEE YOU LIVE WITH YOUR CAMERA ON AS YOU SPEAK.

IF YOU'RE WATCHING THE MEETING LIVE ON ANOTHER DEVICE, PLEASE MEET THE MEETING AUDIO WHEN YOU SPEAK TO AVOID AUDIO INTERFERENCE, TURN ON YOUR CAMERA AND BEGIN SPEAKING.

MISS SMITH, PLEASE IDENTIFY AND ADMIT OUR ZOOM STUDENT SPEAKERS.

JIMENA RUIZ, PLEASE TURN ON YOUR CAMERA AND YOU MAY BEGIN.

GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS JIMENA RUIZ.

I AM A SENIOR AND A MEMBER OF THE CLIMATE ACTIVISM CLUB AT NORTH HOUSTON AND COLLEGE HIGH SCHOOL.

I WOULD LIKE TO START OFF BY SAYING THAT EARLIER THIS SCHOOL YEAR, I DECIDED TO JOIN THE CAC DUE TO THE VALUABLE EFFORTS I HAVE HEARD MY FELLOW CLASSMATES PUT FORTH NOT ONLY FOR OUR DISTRICT BUT OF OUR COMMUNITY AS WELL.

RECENTLY, OUR CLUB LEARNED OF A THREE STATE SERVICE CALLED THE PRELIMINARY ENERGY ASSESSMENTS.

THIS PEA COULD REDUCE UTILITY CONSUMPTION AND OVERALL UTILITY COST.

TO GIVE AN EXAMPLE, SAN ANTONIO ISD HAS HAD AN UNDENIABLE BENEFIT BY TAKING PART OF THIS FREE PROGRAM, WHICH HAS ALLOWED HUGE SAVINGS BY SIMPLY BEING MINDFUL OF AND REDUCING ENERGY CONSUMPTION.

OVERALL, I AM HERE TO STATE THAT YOU SHOULD APPLY FOR A PRELIMINARY ENERGY ASSESSMENT TO LEARN HOW TO SAVE MONEY BY ACTIVELY REDUCING UNNECESSARY ENERGY CONSUMPTION.

ACKNOWLEDGING THAT THE HORSE HAS MADE HISTORY, I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO STATE THAT THIS WOULD BE A GREAT ADDITION FOR THE DISTRICT.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.

THANK YOU, MS. RUIZ.

[INAUDIBLE]. DIANA GARCIA, PLEASE TURN ON YOUR CAMERA.

YOU MAY BEGIN.

GOOD AFTERNOON, BOARD MEMBERS.

I'M DIANA GARCIA, A STUDENT AT NORTH HOUSTON [INAUDIBLE] AND THE CLIMATE ACTIVISM COMMITTEE.

I, ALONG WITH OTHER MEMBERS OF OUR CLIMATE ACTIVISM CLUB, ENCOURAGED THE DISTRICT TO FOLLOW THE APPLICATION FOR A PRELIMINARY ENERGY INVESTMENT THAT IS PROVIDED BY THE STATE ENERGY CONSERVATION OFFICE FOR FREE, WHICH WILL ALLOW THE DISTRICT BE MORE PARENT WITH US , AND ACCORDING TO THE HIGH ENERGY AND SUSTAINABILITY WEBSITE, ENERGY IS ONE OF THE MOST ONE OF THE BIGGEST, HIGHEST COSTS FOR THE DISTRICT.

APPLYING FOR A PEA WOULD ALLOW THE DISTRICT TO ASSESS HOW ASSESS HOW MUCH ENERGY IS BEING USED AND WHAT WE CAN DO TO REDUCE OUR CARBON FOOTPRINT AND ENERGY COSTS FOR THE DISTRICT.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.

PRESIDENT CRUZ. THIS CONCLUDES THE STUDENT SPEAKERS.

NEXT, WE'LL HEAR FROM STUDENT SPEAKERS WHO REGISTERED TO ADDRESS THE BOARD IN THE AUDITORIUM.

WILL [INAUDIBLE] PLEASE COME TO THE PODIUM? PRESIDENT CRUZ.

THESE SPEAKERS SPOKE TO THE ROGERS ITEM, SO THEY'VE ALREADY SPOKEN.

THE THREE OF THEM. ALL THREE? OKAY, SORRY.

I WAS TRYING TO KEEP TRACK.

IT'S NOW TIME TO HEAR FROM SPEAKERS TO SPECIFIC AGENDA ITEMS. WE HAVE SIX AGENDA ITEM AGENDA SPEAKERS REGISTERED.

PLEASE SPEAK TO THE ITEM YOU HAVE SIGNED UP FOR.

WE ALSO ASK THAT SPEAKER, STAY ON TOPIC AND REFRAIN FROM NAMING INDIVIDUALS, ESPECIALLY STUDENTS, AS THEIR IDENTITY IS PROTECTED UNDER LAW, BUT YOU MAY NAME YOUR OWN CHILD.

SPEAKERS SHOULD PRACTICE NORMAL RULES OF DECORUM.

OBSCENE LANGUAGE AND PROFANITY WILL NOT BE TOLERATED AS THIS IS A PUBLIC MEETING IN OUR STUDENTS ARE WATCHING.

ADDITIONALLY, DISRUPTIONS OF THE MEETING WILL NOT BE TOLERATED.

WE ASK THE AUDIENCE TO REFRAIN FROM INTERRUPTING SPEAKERS WHILE THEY PRESENT TO THE BOARD DURING THIS PORTION OF THE MEETING AND TO PROMPTLY END THE REMARKS WHEN THE TIMER RINGS INDICATING THE EXPIRATION OF THEIR TIME, SPEAKERS WILL GENERALLY BE GIVEN TO REMINDERS OF OUR PUBLIC COMMENT RULES.

IF THE SPEAKER CONTINUES TO VIOLATE THE RULES AFTER THESE REMINDERS, THE SPEAKER WILL BE ASKED TO LEAVE THE MEETING.

OUR FIRST ITEM HELD FOR REGISTERED SPEAKERS IS I TO APPROVAL OF CURRENT AND ANTICIPATED DONATIONS FOR DISTRICT WIDE AND SCHOOL SPECIFIC PROGRAMS AND AUTHORIZATION TO

[01:10:08]

PLEASE COME TO THE PODIUM.

[INAUDIBLE] YOUR OVERWORKED FELLOW TEACHER.

IF HISD REALLY CARED ABOUT OUR STUDENTS AND PARENTS AND EVEN TEACHERS, THEN THEY WOULD HIRE PEOPLE, MORE PEOPLE, TO SUPPORT US IN THE CLASSROOM, FILLING OUT THOSE DUMB BOX CHECKER BUREAUCRATIC PAPERWORK THAT SERVES NO PURPOSE OTHER THAN TO SAY, HEY, WE DID IT.

IF HISD REALLY CARED ABOUT OUR STUDENTS, THEN THERE WOULD BE MONEY FOR OUR CAMPUSES.

I JOINED T.H. ROGERS THIS YEAR AND I'M JUST APPALLED BY THE STATE OF THE CAMPUS AFTER COMING FROM A TITLE ONE CAMPUS EMERSON ELEMENTARY.

WHY IS THAT? EMERSON ELEMENTARY, A TITLE ONE CAMPUS RECEIVING FAR MORE FUNDING WITH NICER BUILDINGS, NICER BUILDINGS, NICER MATERIALS, NEW TECHNOLOGY, YEARLY FUNDING FOR MATERIALS THAT TEACHERS NEED.

I NEED SOMETHING. I GOT IT AT THAT CAMPUS.

I NEED SOMETHING TO TEACH ROGERS, GOOD LUCK WITH THAT.

THERE'S NO FUNDING.

ON TOP OF THAT. PTO IS HAVING TO SPEND EVERY SINGLE DOLLAR FOR OUR OWN PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT.

WE HAVE MONEY FOR THAT IN THE DISTRICT.

OUR FUNDING THAT I NEED FOR CURRICULUM THAT I STILL DON'T HAVE BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE THE FUNDING.

I KEEP HEARING THESE ROADBLOCKS.

IF YOU ALL CARED ABOUT EXCELLENCE, THEN YOU WOULD PUT MONEY INTO THESE PROGRAMS. YOU WOULD SUPPORT OUR TEACHERS, YOU WOULD SUPPORT OUR PSI PROGRAM INSTEAD OF RIPPING THEM APART FROM THE CAMPUS IN THE NAME OF EXCELLENCE, IN THE NAME OF STAR TESTING SCORES OR ATTENDANCE OR WHATEVER IT IS THAT YOU ARE CONCERNED ABOUT.

IF YOU GUYS REALLY CARED ABOUT THE TEACHERS, THEN YOU WOULD ACTUALLY GIVE US INSTRUCTIONAL PLANNING TIME TO DO THINGS LIKE READING ACADEMY, A STATE MANDATED COURSE.

I GET IT, BUT WE WOULD ACTUALLY HAVE TIME TO DO IT INSTEAD OF ME HAVING TO DO IT DURING LUNCH OR MAYBE EVEN DURING CLASS TIME BECAUSE I HAVE TO GET HOME AT 3:30, AND LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, AND THEN ALONG WITH THAT, YOU'RE LOWERING OUR STANDARDS, MAKING SURE THAT OUR KIDS ARE NOT REALLY LEARNING AND YOU ARE NOT HERE FOR US.

WE VOTED FOR YOU.

YOU WORK FOR US.

WHY DO Y'ALL KEEP FORGETTING THAT? WHY DO WE HAVE TO BEG YOU FOR THINGS WE SHOULD NOT? THAT'S NOT HOW IT WORKS.

WELL YOU WORK FOR US.

SO ACTUALLY WORK FOR US.

SHAME ON YOU.

OUR NEXT ITEM HELD FOR REGISTERED SPEAKERS IS J ONE AUTHORITY TO NEGOTIATE AND EXECUTE AN AGREEMENT AND RELATED DOCUMENTS WITH HARRIS COUNTY FOR DISPARITY STUDY.

[SPEAKERS TO AGENDA ITEMS]

I'M SORRY, I CANNOT READ.

TO PAY EMPLOYEES RELATED TO THE BOIL WATER NOTICE ISSUED BY THE CITY OF HOUSTON ON NOVEMBER 7TH, 2022.

I'M ACTUALLY SPEAKING VIA ZOOM.

CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES, MA'AM.

OKAY, GOOD EVENING, EVERYONE.

I AM CORETTA MALLET [INAUDIBLE] AND I JUST WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU TO SUPERINTENDENT HOUSE AND TO THE BOARD MEMBERS FOR TAKING THIS MEASURE UP REGARDING THE BOIL WATER NOTICE. MAKING SURE WE PUT STUDENTS HEALTH AND SAFETY FIRST AND FOREMOST, BECAUSE AS WE KNOW, WE DO HAVE A LOT OF STUDENTS WITH VARIOUS HEALTH ISSUES AS HAVE BEEN TESTIFIED SPOKEN TO DURING TODAY'S MEETING.

IN ADDITION TO THAT, REGARDING THE MWB DISPARITY STUDY, I AM ALSO ASKING OR HOPING THAT WHATEVER PORTIONS OF THAT CAN BE MADE PUBLIC, THAT ONCE THAT IS COMPLETED, IF ANY PORTION OF THAT CAN BE MADE PUBLIC, THAT BE POSTED SOMEWHERE ON THE BOARD SIDE WHERE IT'LL BE EASILY ACCESSIBLE TO THE COMMUNITY. THANK YOU.

OUR NEXT ITEM HELD FOR REGISTERED SPEAKERS IS K ONE APPROVAL OF PROPOSED REVISIONS TO BOARD POLICY F LOCAL INSTRUCTIONAL RESOURCES FIRST READING.

WILL DANIEL SANTOS PLEASE COME TO THE PODIUM? GOOD EVENING. MEMBERS OF THE BOARD SUPERINTENDED HOUSE.

MY NAME IS DANIEL SANTOS, EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT OF THE HOUSTON FEDERATION OF TEACHERS.

I RISE TO SPEAK ON ITEM K ONE.

[INAUDIBLE] IGNORANCE ESTABLISHES A DANGEROUS PRECEDENT.

THE CHANGES TO THIS POLICY PERMITTING INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS AND LIBRARY RESOURCES TO PRESENT, QUOTE, MULTIPLE VIEWPOINTS RELATED TO CONTROVERSIAL ISSUES QUOTE OPENS A PANDORA'S BOX UNLESS THE DISTRICT SUPPLEMENTS THE POLICY WITH RUBRICS DESIGNED BY QUALIFIED SCHOLARS TO PREVENT NONSENSICAL CHALLENGES, IT WOULD BE EDUCATIONAL MALPRACTICE TO GIVE LEGITIMACY TO VIEWPOINTS THAT ARE ANTI-SEMITIC, MISOGYNIST, BIGOTED AND HISTORICALLY INACCURATE WITHOUT RIGOROUS SAFEGUARDS.

THIS POLICY INVITES ABUSE AND DILUTES THE EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCE OF ALL OUR STUDENTS, ESPECIALLY THOSE FROM HISTORICALLY

[01:15:03]

THANK YOU. OUR NEXT ITEM HELD FOR REGISTERED SPEAKERS IS K2 APPROVAL TO ADOPT NEW BOARD POLICY.

[INAUDIBLE] OH, HE ALREADY SPOKE OK.

PRESIDENT CRUZ ALL K TWO SPEAKERS ALREADY SPOKE TO.

THIS CONCLUDES OUR HEARING OF REGISTERED SPEAKERS FOR AGENDA ITEMS. WE ARE NOW READY TO CONSIDER THE SUPERINTENDENT'S AGENDA ITEMS.

[Superintendent's Agenda Items ]

BBFA LOCAL.

A CONFLICT OF INTEREST IS ANY CIRCUMSTANCE THAT COULD CAST DOUBT ON A TRUSTEES ABILITY TO ACT WITH TOTAL OBJECTIVITY WITH REGARD TO THE DISTRICT'S INTERESTS.

WE'LL NOW CONSIDER ITEMS HELD FOR ABSTENTION AND OR DISCUSSION EACH MONTH.

ALL ACTION ITEMS BEGIN ON THE CONSENT AGENDA.

IF A TRUSTEE WOULD LIKE AN ITEM HELD FROM CONSENT, THEY NEED TO NOTIFY SYLVIA TRINH, BY 8 A.M.

ON THE MONDAY PRIOR TO THE VOTING MEETING.

TRUSTEES IS A REMINDER EVERYONE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY PRIOR TO THIS MEETING TO SUBMIT ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS AFTER AGENDA REVIEW TO THE ADMINISTRATION.

THE UPDATED Q&A DOCUMENT WAS SENT TO ALL TRUSTEES VIA EMAIL.

IS IN YOUR SHAREPOINT UNDER DECEMBER BOARD MEETING DOCUMENTS AND HAS BEEN POSTED ON THE DISTRICT WEBSITE FOR EACH ITEM OF DISCUSSION.

WE WILL DO ONE ROUND OF ONE MINUTE PER TRUSTEE AND IF ADDITIONAL ROUND IS DESIRED, THAT CAN BE DONE WITH THE MOTION SECOND AND BOARD VOTE.

WE HAVE ONLY ONE ITEM HELD FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA THIS EVENING.

K ONE APPROVAL OF PROPOSED REVISIONS TO BOARD POLICY EF LOCAL INSTRUCTIONAL RESOURCES.

FIRST READING IS BEING HELD AT THE REQUEST OF TRUSTEE WADE.

MAY I HAVE A MOTION? SO MOVED.

SECOND HERNANDEZ.

I HAVE A MOTION BY TRUSTEE GUIDRY AND A SECOND BY TRUSTEE HERNANDEZ, ANY DISCUSSION? TRUSTEE WADE. SO I WANTED TO SAY ABOUT IF LOCAL K ONE.

I WANT TO THANK ADMINISTRATION FOR CLARIFYING THE PROTECTION MEASURES FOR FAMILIES.

I WANTED TO KNOW THE DISTRICT IS NOW HAS THE ABILITY TO INFORM PARENTS ON THE READING MATERIALS CHECKED OUT IN LIBRARIES.

INFORMATION LEADS TO TRANSPARENCY AND TRUST.

SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

TRUSTEE SANTOS.

THANK YOU, PRESIDENT CRUZ, SUPERINTENDENT HOUSE? IT WAS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THERE IS A RUBRIC.

THERE'S NOT A RUBRIC FOR THIS.

DR. BIRD, IF YOU DON'T MIND SHARING SOME INSIGHT AND REFERENCE TO WHAT IS DEEMED SO THE TO TRUSTEE WADE'S COMMENTS, WE ARE USING A NEW VENDOR FOR CHECKING OUT BOOKS WHICH PARENTS WOULD HAVE ACCESS TO VIEW WHAT BOOKS THEIR CHILDREN ARE CHECKING OUT FROM THE LIBRARY.

AND THEN YOUR QUESTION IS ABOUT I'M NOT SURE WHAT YOUR QUESTION.

SO IT'S JUST THE ABILITY TO SEE WHAT THEIR CHILDREN HAVE CHECKED OUT IN AND OUT, CORRECT? CORRECT. SO THERE'S NO DEFINING WHAT IS WHAT DOES COME IN AND OUT OF THE LIBRARY? NO, THOSE STANDARDS ARE.

THANK YOU SO MUCH. THAT'S ALL.

PLEASE VOTE.

8 FOR 1 AGAINST, ZERO ABSTENTIONS.

WITHOUT ANY OBJECTION FROM MY COLLEAGUES.

I AM PULLING ITEM J ONE AUTHORITY TO NEGOTIATE AND EXECUTE AN AGREEMENT AND RELATED DOCUMENTS WITH HARRIS COUNTY FOR DISPARITY STUDY FROM CONSIDERATION ON THE CONSENT AGENDA.

THE ADMINISTRATION IS NOT READY TO PRESENT THIS ITEM AT THIS TIME.

THE ADMINISTRATION WILL PRESENT THE ITEM AT AN APPROPRIATE TIME IN THE FUTURE ONCE AN AGREEMENT CAN BE REACHED WITH HARRIS COUNTY.

WE'RE NOW READY TO CONSIDER ITEMS DISCUSSED.

[CONSENT AGENDA]

HAVE A MOTION BY TRUSTEE BAKER AND A SECOND BY TRUSTEE SANTOS, PLEASE VOTE FOR CONSENT AGENDA.

9 FOR 0 AGAINST ZERO ABSTENTION.

[01:21:00]

[CONSIDERATION AND APPROVAL OF MINUTES FROM NOVEMBER 10, 2022]

SO MOVE BAKER, SECOND HERNADEZ.

I HAVE A MOTION BY TRUSTEE SANTOS AND A SECOND BY TRUSTEE HERNANDEZ.

PLEASE VOTE. NINE FOR ZERO AGAINST ZERO ABSTENTIONS.

WE WILL NOW CONDUCT OUR HEARING OF THE COMMUNITY SO THAT SPEAKERS MAY BE HEARD NO LATER THAN 7 P.M.

[HEARING OF THE COMMUNITY]

ONLY THOSE WHO REGISTERED BY NOON YESTERDAY MAY SPEAK THIS EVENING.

COPIES OF HAND OUT MATERIALS MUST HAVE BEEN PROVIDED TO BOARD SERVICES BY NOON YESTERDAY.

SPEAKERS ARE LIMITED TO 2 MINUTES EACH.

I'D LIKE TO REMIND SPEAKERS WHEN ADDRESSING THE BOARD TO PLEASE STAY ON TOPIC AND REFRAIN FROM NAMING INDIVIDUALS.

I ALREADY READ ALL THAT BEFORE.

WE WILL BEGIN WITH REGISTERED SPEAKERS WHO SIGNED UP TO ADDRESS THE BOARD VIA ZOOM.

MS. SMITH PLEASE IDENTIFY AND ADMIT OUR ZOOM SPEAKERS.

JOHN SIGREN, YOU MAY BEGIN.

HELLO. I'M A TEACHER AT NORTH HOUSTON EARLY COLLEGE HIGH SCHOOL, WHERE I SPONSOR OUR CLIMATE ACTIVISM CLUB.

YOU HEARD FROM TWO OF MY STUDENTS EARLIER IN THE MEETING.

I'M SPEAKING TONIGHT TO URGE HOUSTON ISD TO APPLY FOR A FREE PRELIMINARY ENERGY ASSESSMENT FROM THE TEXAS STATE ENERGY CONSERVATION OFFICE.

THIS FREE ANALYSIS WILL ASSESS HOUSTON ICE'S CURRENT ENERGY USAGE, THEN RECOMMEND STEPS THAT CAN BE TAKEN TO REDUCE OUR ENERGY BILL.

MY STUDENTS FROM NETJETS AND STUDENTS FROM NORTHSIDE HIGH SCHOOL HAVE GOTTEN THE SUPPORT OF ONE BOARD MEMBER FOR THIS FREE ASSESSMENT, AND BASED ON THE RECOMMENDATION OF A SECOND BOARD MEMBER, WE HAVE REACHED OUT TO THE FACILITIES DEPARTMENT ABOUT THIS ITEM AS WELL.

I'M ASKING THAT THE BOARD AND THE SUPERINTENDENT ENSURE THAT HISD FILLS OUT THE ONE PAGE APPLICATION FOR THIS SERVICE.

I WILL EMAIL THE LINK TO THIS APPLICATION TO ALL BOARD MEMBERS AND THE SUPERINTENDENT AS SOON AS I AM DONE SPEAKING.

THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO DOWNSIDE TO THIS.

OTHER SCHOOL DISTRICTS, INCLUDING SAN ANTONIO ISD, HAVE USED THIS FREE SERVICE TO CUT BOTH THEIR CARBON FOOTPRINT AND THEIR ENERGY COSTS FOR THEIR DISTRICT.

ACCORDING TO HISD AND ENERGY AND SUSTAINABILITY, PAGE, ENERGY USAGE IS THE DISTRICT'S SECOND LARGEST COST.

A COMPREHENSIVE ENERGY AUDIT CAN BE THE FIRST STEP TOWARDS REDUCING ENERGY COSTS AND ALLOWING THE DISTRICT TO REDIRECT THOSE FUNDS TOWARDS STUDENT LEARNING.

THANK YOU.

NO MORE SPEAKERS ON ZOOM.

THANK YOU, MISS SMITH. NEXT, WE'LL HEAR FROM SPEAKERS WHO WISH TO ADDRESS THE BOARD IN THE AUDITORIUM.

WE ASK THAT YOU PLEASE SPEAK DIRECTLY INTO THE MICROPHONE.

THE CLOCK ON THE WALL TO YOUR RIGHT AND ON THE PODIUM WILL COUNT DOWN YOUR TIME AND WE'LL SIGNAL WHEN YOUR TIME IS UP.

I ASK THAT YOU PLEASE RESPECT OUR PROCEDURES AND THE OTHER SPEAKERS AND END YOUR REMARKS PROMPTLY WHEN YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED.

WILL [INAUDIBLE] PLEASE COME TO THE PODIUM.

GOOD EVENING. BOARD OF TRUSTEES AND SUPERINTENDENT MILLARD HOUSE THE SECOND.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. MY NAME IS [INAUDIBLE].

I'M A MOTHER OF TWO, A FIFTH GRADER AND A TWO YEAR OLD TODDLER.

SINCE 2014, I WORKED AS A SPECIAL ED ASSISTANT IN SECOND WARD IN THE EAST END.

MY SECOND HOME, MY FIRST HOME WAS ACTUALLY FIFTH WARD.

GROWING UP IN THE BOTTOM, THERE'S ONLY ONE PLACE TO GO, AND THAT'S THE TOP.

SO HERE I AM.

I AM PERSONALLY ADDRESSING THE ISSUE THAT HAPPENED TWO YEARS AGO DURING THE MISS OF THE PANDEMIC SHUTDOWN.

DURING THE SHUTDOWN, I WAS WRONGFULLY TERMINATED AND FIRED FROM HISD DURING THIS PANDEMIC SHUTDOWN FOR QUOTE UNQUOTE, MISCONDUCT ABSENT WITHOUT PERMISSION, WHICH CAUSED ME TO BECOME INELIGIBLE FOR RECEIVING REGULAR UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS.

SO FIRST OFF, IN AN UNTIMELY SHORT MANNER, I WAS THREATENED BY MY SUPERVISOR TO PHYSICALLY COME TO COLLECT A CHECK OR RESIGN.

I LET MY SUPERVISOR KNOW THAT I WAS UNABLE TO PHYSICALLY REPORT TO WORK GIVEN THE SHUTDOWN.

SO I DID SOME DIGGING, DISCOVERED AND APPLIED FOR COVID 19 FAMILY MEDICAL LEAVE UNDER THE CARES ACT.

[01:25:01]

ASSUMING THAT WAS A SUPPORTING DOCUMENT, IT WAS NEVER MADE CLEAR WHAT SUPPORT AND DOCUMENTATION WAS NEEDED.

SINCE I AM CARING FOR MY CHILDREN WHO SCHOOL AND DAYCARE WAS CLOSED OR UNAVAILABLE DUE TO COVID 19 RELATED REASONS.

SO I DID NOTIFY MY SUPERVISOR THAT I WAS UNABLE TO WORK, INCLUDING TELEWORK, BECAUSE OF SCHOOL CLOSURES AND I WAS NOT ABLE TO REPORT FOR THAT REASON.

THEREFORE, I WOULD APPLY FOR SAID LEAVE.

SEVERAL TIMES I EMAILED MY SUPERVISOR FOR HELP REQUEST FOR DOCUMENTATION AND SHE NEVER ACKNOWLEDGED IT.

SHE NEVER DENIED IT. SHE NEVER AGREED TO IT.

SO. TO SUM IT UP I NEED HISD.

I KNOW YOU WERE NOT HERE, MR. MILLARD HOUSE THE SECOND, BUT I NEED HISD TO FIX THEIR ERRORS IN THIS NEGLIGENCE DURING A PANDEMIC SHUTDOWN.

BECAUSE I DON'T UNDERSTAND. HOW CAN SOMEONE BE FIRED DURING A GLOBAL SHUTDOWN, DURING A PANDEMIC, A NATURAL DISASTER? THIS WAS NOT MY CHOICE TO COME TO WORK.

I'M NOT THERE TO PLEASE YOU.

I'M THERE FOR MY KIDS TO TAKE CARE OF MY KIDS, AND IN A SHUTDOWN, I WOULD THINK THAT HISD WOULD HAVE MY BACK THE WAY I ALWAYS HAD HIS BACK.

SO THE MINUTE THAT I CANNOT BE THERE FOR THEM, THANK YOU, MISS [INAUDIBLE].

THANK YOU. OUR NEXT.

[INAUDIBLE] WE'RE NOT ALLOWED TO DELIBERATE BECAUSE IT'S NOT A POSTED ITEM.

[INAUDIBLE]. THANK YOU. THE NEXT SPEAKERS, PLEASE COME TO THE PODIUM AS I CALL YOUR NAME.

LAUREN [INAUDIBLE].

I'M A PARENT OF TWO STUDENTS, THREE STUDENTS, ONE AT WHEATLEY AND ONE AND TWO AT MACK REYNOLDS.

MY DAUGHTER'S AT A BASKETBALL GAME, BUT SHE SAID, HI, EVERYONE.

I COULDN'T MAKE IT TODAY DUE TO MY BASKETBALL GAME.

HOWEVER, I'D LIKE TO THANK ALL WHO VOTED FOR MAGNA SCHOOL FUNDING, ESPECIALLY FOR MAC RENTALS, SO THAT KIDS LIKE ME CAN BE PROVIDED WITH THE EDUCATION WE NEED AND STILL BE SURROUNDED BY OUR COMMUNITY.

HOLLY A MORE AND MORE SEVENTH GRADE MAC REYNOLDS MIDDLE SCHOOL.

I ALSO WANTED TO BRING UP THERE'S A FIVE YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN, BUT MR. HOUSE IS ONLY ON A THREE YEAR CONTRACT.

SO PUBLICLY, I WOULD LIKE Y'ALL TO THINK ABOUT EXTENDING HIS CONTRACT BECAUSE AS WE CAN SEE, HE HAS DONE AN INCREDIBLE JOB.

AND LASTLY, AS YOU CAN SEE, I AM IN BLUE AND ORANGE AND I STAND IN SOLIDARITY WITH ALL THESE PARENTS TONIGHT.

YOU CAN'T TELL, BUT I'M A DISABLED VET.

I LOST MY HEARING ON MY RIGHT EAR AND I HAVE UNCONTROLLABLE BACK SPASMS FROM MULTIPLE DEPLOYMENTS.

IMAGINE ME NOT BEING ABLE TO GO TO THE VETERAN'S HOSPITAL FOR SOMEONE TO SPECIFICALLY CAN WORK ON MY ISSUES.

SO WHY WOULD YOU TAKE A SCHOOL THAT SPECIFICALLY WORKS ON THE ISSUES OF ALL THESE PARENTS AND THE STUDENTS? SO I JUST WANTED TO BRING THAT UP TO YOUR POINT AND ASK THAT YOU PLEASE THINK ABOUT RE-VOTING TO OPEN THEIR SCHOOL BACK UP AND NOT MOVING THEIR CHILDREN.

HAVE A GREAT NIGHT. THANK YOU.

DR. RUTH LOPEZ.

GOOD EVENING, EVERYONE.

I'M THE PARENT OF A FIRST AND FIFTH GRADER AT BURNET ELEMENTARY IN THE EAST END OF HOUSTON.

IT'S A DUAL LANGUAGE SCHOOL, AND I'M ALSO AN EDUCATION RESEARCHER THAT FOCUSES ON ISSUES OF EQUITY AND A FACULTY MEMBER.

TODAY, I'M SPEAKING AS A PARENT.

FOR SEVERAL YEARS, FAMILIES, TEACHERS, STAFF AND LEADERS OF DAVID G BURNET ELEMENTARY HAVE BEEN ADVOCATING FOR A DUAL LANGUAGE MIDDLE SCHOOL GRADES SIX THROUGH EIGHT OPTION IN THE EAST END.

CURRENTLY, BURNET ELEMENTARY SERVES STUDENTS FROM K-5, WHERE THEY HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN IN SPANISH AND ENGLISH, BUT AFTER FIFTH GRADE, MANY FAMILIES ARE MAKING THE DIFFICULT DECISION OF WHETHER TO KEEP THEIR CHILDREN ENDURE LANGUAGE OR NOT BECAUSE THERE IS NO DUAL LANGUAGE MIDDLE SCHOOL OPTION IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.

LEAVING THE COMMUNITY FOR DUAL LANGUAGE.

MIDDLE SCHOOL IS NOT ACCESSIBLE TO MANY FAMILIES.

I WOULD LIKE TO ASK YOU TO CONSIDER MAKING BURNET ELEMENTARY A DUAL LANGUAGE K-8 SCHOOL.

BURNET ELEMENTARY HAS SHOWN ITSELF TO EXCEL IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF BILINGUAL STUDENTS AND WAS EVEN AN EXEMPLAR SITE VISIT FOR THE RECENT TEXAS ASSOCIATION OF BILINGUAL EDUCATORS CONFERENCE.

THERE ARE SO MANY OPPORTUNITIES THAT CAN OPEN UP TO STUDENTS IF THEY ARE ABLE TO CONTINUE THEIR DUAL LANGUAGE EDUCATION IN MIDDLE SCHOOL.

ONCE IN HIGH SCHOOL, THEY CAN EVEN START SPANISH IN AN ADVANCED LEVEL AND EARN COLLEGE CREDIT.

SO I THANK YOU FOR CONSIDERING THIS REQUEST.

JACKIE [INAUDIBLE] HILL.

AS YOU KNOW, IN 2021, TEXAS JOINED A GROWING NUMBER OF STATES AND PASSING SENATE BILL 797 INTO LAW.

[01:30:01]

IN A CONSPICUOUS LOCATION IN EACH SCHOOL IF IT IS DONATED.

THIS IS THE SPECIFIC POSTER WITH THE MOTTO AND OUR NATIONAL AND STATE FLAGS DISPLAYED AS SPECIFIED AND AUTHORIZED BY THIS LAW.

PATRIOT MOBILE HAS GENEROUSLY DONATED THESE BEAUTIFUL AND GOD WE TRUST POSTERS TO ALL 274 SCHOOLS IN HISD ON BEHALF OF PATRIOT, MOBILE AND COUNTY CITIZENS DEFENDING FREEDOM.

WE ARE VERY EXCITED TO SEE THESE DISPLAYED IN OUR SCHOOLS.

IF THERE'S ONE THING WE NEED NOW MORE THAN EVER, IT'S GOD.

YOU, DEAR CHILDREN, ARE FROM GOD AND HAVE OVERCOME THEM BECAUSE THE ONE WHO IS WITHIN YOU IS GREATER THAN ONE WHO IS IN THE WORLD.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

THIS IS FOR YOU, BY THE WAY.

LAUREN [INAUDIBLE].

THIS CONCLUDES OUR HEARING OF THE COMMUNITY.

WE ARE NOW READY TO HEAR REPORTS AND COMMENTS FROM BOARD MEMBERS.

PLEASE LIMIT YOUR TIME TO ONE MINUTE PER TRUSTEE WE'RE GOING TO.

COLLEAGUES. SO WE NEED TO GO INTO CLOSED SESSION FOR ONE BRIEF UPDATE.

[TRUSTEE REPORTS AND COMMENTS]

THANK YOU, EVERYONE, FOR COMING OUT TONIGHT AND HAVE A GOOD NIGHT.

THANK YOU, EVERYONE, FOR COMING OUT, ESPECIALLY THE TH ROGERS PARENT.

WE APPRECIATE YOU AND GOD BLESS ALL OF YOU.

MERRY CHRISTMAS.

IF I DON'T SEE YOU AGAIN AND GOOD NIGHT.

THANK YOU ALL FOR COMING OUT.

YOUR TIME IS IMPORTANT TO YOU AND IT'S IMPORTANT TO US.

YOUR COMMENTS ARE IMPORTANT TO US, AND, YOU KNOW, WE SEE THE PASSION THAT YOU ALL HAVE FOR YOUR CHILDREN AND YOUR FAMILIES, AND SO WE FEEL THAT PASSION. WE DON'T JUST SEE IT.

WE FEEL IT, AND I WANT TO SAY HAPPY HOLIDAYS, BE SAFE AND MERRY CHRISTMAS.

SO THANK YOU, PRESIDENT CRUZ TO THE TH ROGERS COMMUNITY.

I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR REACHING OUT AND FOR SHARING YOUR CHILDREN WITH US.

YOU'VE GIVEN US INCREDIBLE INSIGHT AND MY HEART IS WITH YOU AND WITH THE PROGRAM.

SO I'M GLAD THAT IT'S MOVING, THAT IT'S STAYING.

I WANT TO WISH EVERYBODY A VERY HAPPY HOLIDAY.

STAY SAFE AND HAVE A GOOD NIGHT.

LET ME JUST THANK THE ADMINISTRATION FOR TAKING THE TIME AND SUPERINTENDENT HOUSE TO LISTEN TO THE FAMILIES OF TH ROGERS AND LISTEN TO THE COMMUNITY. I AM EXCITED THAT THIS MATTER HAS BEEN PLACED ON A HOLD.

I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH THE ADMINISTRATION, WORKING WITH THE OFFICIALS TO TRY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE GET SOME OTHER RESOLVE THAT YOU ALL GET TO REMAIN AT YOUR SCHOOL, AND I THINK WE CAN FIND A WAY TO DO IT.

MR. HOUSE. THANK YOU ALL FOR COMING OUT.

THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING PATIENT WITH THIS BOARD AND WITH THIS MEETING AND WISH YOU ALL HAPPY HOLIDAYS.

GOOD NIGHT. I WANT TO SAY WHAT I LEARNED TODAY, THIS EVENING ABOUT THIS DECISION TO HOLD TH ROGERS.

I THINK THAT WAS THE BEST NEWS OF MY WEEK OR EVEN MY MONTH.

I'M JUST DELIGHTED ABOUT THIS NEWS.

SO THANK YOU SO MUCH.

ADMINISTRATION FOR WORKING WITH THE PARENTS.

AS WE KNOW, THAT'S THE WHOLE GOAL WE'RE HERE FOR, IS TO WORK FOR YOU AND TO WORK FOR YOUR CHILDREN, AND SO I'M DELIGHTED TO HEAR THIS NEWS. AGREE WITH TRUSTEE GUIDRY THAT WE NEED TO BE WORKING WITH THE STATE.

FIGURE OUT WAYS WE CAN WORK AROUND THIS.

SO I THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND FOR THE DIGNITY THAT YOU'VE SHOWN BEING HERE TONIGHT, BEING A UNITED FRONT.

JUST IT'S HEARTWARMING TO THANK YOU, AND I JUST WANT TO WISH EVERYONE A WONDERFUL AND MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY HOLIDAYS, AND WE WILL BE SEEING YOU IN 23.

HARD TO BELIEVE. THANK YOU.

I WANT TO SAY THAT I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING EVERYONE AT THE DREAM SUMMIT ON SATURDAY TO GET ANY AND ALL AVAILABLE INFORMATION AND ATTENDING THE RECOGNITION CEREMONY AT KINDER FOR THOSE HISD EMPLOYEES THAT HAVE REACHED THEIR MILESTONES AT HISD.

ALSO, I WANT TO SAY ENJOY YOUR HOLIDAY IF I DON'T SEE YOU BEFORE WE GET BACK ON JANUARY 5TH FOR AGENDA REVIEW STUDENTS AND RETURNING ON JANUARY THE NINTH.

[01:35:05]

THANK YOU TO ALL OF THE PARENTS AND STUDENTS THAT CAME TO SPEAK.

WE DEFINITELY HEAR YOU.

WE SHARE YOUR CONCERNS AND GRATEFUL TO MR. HOUSE AND HIS STAFF FOR FOR LISTENING AND PAUSING AND THINKING OF BETTER SITUATIONS FOR OUR STUDENTS.

SO THANK YOU.

I'M GOOD. THANK YOU ALL.

GOOD NIGHT.

JANUARY 5TH.

ON JANUARY 12TH, 2023.

AGENDA REVIEW FOR THAT MEETING WILL BE HELD ON JANUARY 5TH, 2023.

THE BOARD WILL NOW ADJOURN TO CLOSED OR EXECUTIVE SESSION UNDER CHAPTER FIVE FIVE.

[CLOSED SESSION (CLOSED TO PUBLIC) – BOARD SERVICES CONFERENCE ROOM]

2.0821.03.084.089.

SHOULD BOARD FINAL ACTION OR DECISION ON ANY MATTER CONSIDERED IN THE CLOSED SESSION BE REQUIRED.

SUCH SPINAL ACTION VOTER DECISION SHALL BE TAKEN AT THE OPEN MEETING COVERED BY THIS NOTICE UPON THE RECONVENING OF THIS PUBLIC MEETING OR A SUBSEQUENT PUBLIC MEETING OF THE BOARD. UPON NOTICE THEREOF, THE BOARD HAS ADJOURNED A CLOSE OR EXECUTIVE SESSION AT 6:23 P.M.

ON DECEMBER 8TH, 2022.

WE ARE NOW READY TO CONSIDER ITEMS DISCUSSED IN EXECUTIVE SESSION.

[CONSIDERATION AND POSSIBLE ACTION ON MATTERS DISCUSSED IN CLOSED OR EXECUTIVE SESSION]

SETTLE THE MATTER? [INAUDIBLE] INDIVIDUALLY AND AS NEXT FRIEND OF [INAUDIBLE] VERSUS HISD AND THE DISTRICT COURT, HARRIS COUNTY, TEXAS TO 15TH JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT CAUSE NUMBER 2020 DASH 83599 ON THE TERMS DISCUSSED IN CLOSED SESSION EFFECTIVE DECEMBER EIGHT, 2022. SECOND BAKER.

WE HAVE A MOTION BY TRUSTEE GUIDRY AND A SECOND BY TRUSTEE BAKER.

PLEASE VOTE. NINE FOR ZERO AGAINST ZERO ABSTENTIONS.

I MOVE THAT THE BOARD APPROVE A FINDING OF NO GOOD CAUSE FOR EDUCATORS TO RESIGN OR ABANDON EMPLOYMENT CONTRACTS WITHOUT DISTRICT CONSENT UNDER SECTIONS [INAUDIBLE] OF THE TEXAS EDUCATION CODE, AS DISCUSSED IN CLOSED SESSION, AND AUTHORIZE THE SUPERINTENDENT OR HIS DESIGNEE TO SUBMIT A WRITTEN COMPLAINT TO SBEC TO IMPOSE SANCTIONS AS DISCUSSED IN CLOSED SESSION.

EFFECTIVE DECEMBER NINE, 2022.

SECOND BAKER. I HAVE A MOTION BY TRUSTEE GUIDRY AND A SECOND BY TRUSTEE BAKER.

PLEASE VOTE. NINE FOR ZERO AGAINST ZERO ABSTENTIONS.

I MOVE THAT THE BOARD APPROVED THE BALANCE OF THE CLOSED SESSION PERSONNEL AGENDA, INCLUDING SPECIFICALLY THAT THE BOARD APPROVED PROPOSED TERMINATIONS OF OF CONTINUING TERM AND PROBATIONARY CONTRACTS, APPROVE END OF TERM TERMINATIONS OF PROBATIONARY CONTRACTS THAT THE BOARD APPROVED, PROPOSED NON RENEWALS OF TERM CONTRACTS THAT THE BOARD APPROVED.

ISSUANCE OF FOURTH YEAR PROBATIONARY CONTRACTS AND THAT THE BOARD AUTHORIZE THE SUPERINTENDENT OR HIS DESIGNEE TO PROVIDE NOTICE OF SAME THAT THE BOARD APPROVED SEPARATION AND RELEASE AGREEMENTS, THAT THE BOARD APPROVED WITHDRAWALS OF CONTRACT RECOMMENDED RECOMMENDATIONS AND THAT THE BOARD APPROVE ISSUANCE OF FINAL ORDERS ON CONTRACT TERMINATIONS AND RENEWALS.

NON RENEWALS AS DISCUSSED IN CLOSED SESSION EFFECTIVE DECEMBER NINE, 2022.

SECOND, BAKER.

A MOTION BY TRUSTEE GUIDRY AND A SECOND BY TRUSTEE BAKER.

PLEASE VOTE. NINE FOR ZERO AGAINST ZERO ABSTENTIONS.

I MOVE THAT THE BOARD APPROVE NUMBER ONE APPROVE THEM AMENDMENTS TO THE SUPERINTENDENCE CONTRACT OF EMPLOYMENT ON THE TERMS DISCUSSED IN CLOSED SESSION.

NUMBER TWO AUTHORIZE BOARD COUNCIL TO PREPARE A WRITTEN CONTRACT AMENDMENT REFLECTING SAME AND NUMBER THREE, AUTHORIZE THE BOARD PRESIDENT AND BOARD SECRETARY TO EXECUTE SAME ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD EFFECTIVE DECEMBER 9TH, 2022.

SECOND BAKER. I HAVE A MOTION BY TRUSTEE GUIDRY AND A SECOND BY TRUSTEE BAKER.

PLEASE VOTE. NINE FOR ZERO AGAINST ZERO ABSTENTIONS.

ARE THERE ANY OTHER MOTIONS? THERE BEING NO FURTHER BUSINESS.

THIS MEETING IS OFFICIALLY ADJOURNED AT 7:10 P.M.

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.