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>> GOOD AFTERNOON. THIS MEETING IS NOW CONVENED AT 1:08 P.M.
[Hearings and Budget Workshop on March 26, 2025.]
I'D LIKE EVERYONE TO PLEASE SILENCE YOUR CELLPHONES.THE QUORUM OF THE BOARD'S MEMBERS IS PRESENT IN THE AUDITORIUM.
LET'S SEE, WE HAVE A QUORUM HERE.
ONLY ABSENT MEMBERS ARE ANGELA FLOWERS, PAULA MENDOZA, ROLANDO MARTINEZ, AND EVERYBODY ELSE IS PRESENT.
OUR FIRST ORDER OF BUSINESS IS TO HEAR FROM SPEAKERS ON THE AGENDA.
PUBLIC COMMENT DURING SCHOOL BOARD MEETINGS WILL BE ONLY AVAILABLE TO THOSE PERSONS WHO HAVE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK PRIOR TO THE MEETING TIME PER CURRENT PROTOCOL.
VERBAL AND OTHER DISRUPTIONS BY PERSONS DURING THE SCHOOL BOARD MEETINGS ARE NOT ACCEPTABLE AS THEY INHIBIT THE BOARD'S ABILITY TO CONDUCT BUSINESS AND THE PUBLIC'S ABILITY TO OBSERVE THOSE PROCESSES.
THE PERSONS WHO PARTICIPATE IN SUCH BEHAVIOR WILL BE GIVEN ONE WARNING, AND IF THE BEHAVIOR IS REPLACED, THEY WILL BE ASKED TO LEAVE THE MEETING.
WE HAVE NINE REGISTERED SPEAKERS WHO WILL HAVE TWO MINUTES EACH PER BOARD POLICY.
WE ASK THAT YOU STAY ON TOPIC AND REFRAIN FROM NAMING INDIVIDUALS, ESPECIALLY STUDENTS AS THEIR IDENTITY IS PROTECTED UNDER LAW, BUT YOU MAY NAME YOUR OWN CHILD.
I ASK YOU TO PLEASE RESPECT OUR PROCEDURES, AND THE OTHER SPEAKERS, AND AT THE END OF YOUR COMMENTS PROMPTLY WHEN YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED AND THE TIMER RINGS.
WE'LL BEGIN WITH HISD BOARD OF EDUCATION TRUSTEE SAVANT MOORE.
IS HE HERE? THERE HE IS. FOLLOWED BY TRUSTEE PLACIDO.
IS PLACIDO HERE? THERE WE GO. GO AHEAD.
>> GOOD AFTERNOON. I LEARNED FROM YOU, MAN, I GOT TO KEEP WORKING BECAUSE USUALLY YOU GOT YOUR PORT UNIFORM ON.
BUT GOOD AFTERNOON. THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO SPEAK TODAY.
COLLECTIVELY, WE REPRESENT 1.4 MILLION TAXPAYERS.
I COMMEND EACH OF YOU FOR SHOWING UP AND PRIORITIZING THIS WORK DESPITE YOUR DEMANDED SCHEDULES.
I WANT TO BE CLEAR AND COLLABORATIVE IN THIS MOMENT.
CAN WE INCLUDE A SPECIFIC LINE ITEM IN THE BUDGET TO HELP CLOSE THE EXISTING DEFICIT? MY PHONE IS BLOWING UP.
FAMILIES ARE REPORTING NO RUNNING WATER AND A TROUBLING LOSS OF FOOD PANTRIES IN OUR MOST VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES.
I KNOW THE BUDGET WILL ADDRESS LONG OVERDUE MAINTENANCE ISSUES, AND I THANK YOU IN ADVANCE FOR PRIORITIZING THAT.
BUT THE FOOD PANTRY ISSUE IS NOT JUST ABOUT ACCESS, IT'S A COMMUNICATION PROBLEM.
I URGE TODAY TO SEND AN SMS AND A PRINTED HANDOUT TODAY INFORMING PARENTS EXACTLY WHERE THE PANTRIES ARE.
I PERSONALLY VOLUNTEERED AT THE WEST ARMS SUNRISE PANTRY.
I SEE THE DIFFERENCE THAT IT'S MAKING.
I ALSO REQUEST IN THIS BUDGET THAT WE HAVE SMALL LIBRARIES IN EACH SUNRISE CENTER.
A READING SPACE WITH BOOKS AND QUIET TIME.
A SMALL COST, BUT A HUGE RETURN FOR INVESTMENT OF OUR KIDS.
ON APRIL 5TH, I WILL BE AT THE STATE CAPITAL ADVOCATING FOR AN INCREASE IN PUBLIC SCHOOL FUNDING.
PROBABLY IT WILL BE ABOUT 20,000 PEOPLE.
WE WILL BE PROVIDING TRANSPORTATION FROM EVERY MAJOR CITY AND RURAL COMMUNITY IN THE STATE OF TEXAS TO GET THERE BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT THIS DISTRICT DESERVES TO HAVE MORE FUNDING AND OTHER DISTRICTS IN TEXAS.
I KINDLY ASK THAT THIS SUPERINTENDENT MEET WITH THE UNION LEADERS AND SCHEDULE THE CONSULTATION IN APRIL TO HONOR THE POLICY OF THIS BOARD OF MANAGERS.
I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT NES IS SHOWING SIGNS OF SUCCESS.
BUT WITH THIS HIGH COST, CAN WE EXPLORE COST SAVING MEASURES THAT WON'T COMPROMISE QUALITY.
AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE SHARE THE SAME MISSION TO RESPECT TEACHERS, SUPPORT FAMILIES, AND EDUCATE EVERY CHILD TO BECOME A PRODUCTIVE AND EMPOWERED AMERICAN.
KNOW THAT ALL OF ALL ARE ON OUR PRAYER LIST. I'M PRAYING FOR YOU.
GOD BLESS YOU AND GOD BLESS HISD.
HEY, I'M JUST TRYING TO BE LIKE YOU, MR. PRESIDENT.
I'M GOING BACK TO WORK TO TAKE CARE OF MY FAMILY.
>> THANK YOU. I APPRECIATE THAT.
TRUSTEE GOMEZ. GOOD TO SEE YOU.
>> LIKEWISE. THANK YOU SO MUCH.
I'VE BEEN CATCHING UP ON HISD STUFF OVER THE LAST FEW WEEKS.
MY WIFE AND I WELCOMED OUR LITTLE MUNCHKIN IN DECEMBER OF LAST YEAR.
I WANT TO TALK A BIT ABOUT THE BUDGET RIGHT NOW.
I HAVE SOME QUESTIONS THAT HOPEFULLY WE COULD HELP ME UNDERSTAND.
IS THE BUDGET BEING BUILT UNDER THE ASSUMPTION THAT THE LEGISLATURE IS GOING TO RAISE THE BASIC ALLOTMENT? IF SO, ARE WE SURE WE WANT TO DO THAT? THIRDLY, WHAT IF THE LEGISLATURE DOESN'T OR IF IT DOESN'T RAISE THE ALLOTMENT AS MUCH AS WE THINK IT IS OR WHAT IF TITLE 1 FUNDS DON'T GET TO HISD FOR WHATEVER REASON, OR IF ENROLLMENT IS BELOW PROJECTIONS? ARE THERE OTHER BUDGETS? ARE THERE OTHER VERSIONS THAT TAKE THESE INTO ACCOUNTS? AS A POINT OF COMPARISON, MY WIFE AND I MIGHT BE TEMPTED TO PLAN OUR DAYS AROUND OUR LITTLE GUY EXACTLY FOLLOWING HIS NAP SCHEDULE, EXACTLY FOLLOWING HIS FEEDING SCHEDULE TO A T. WE'D LOOK LIKE GENIUSES IF IT WORKS, BUT IT OFTEN DOESN'T,
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AND IT'S VERY WISE OF US TO HAVE SOME CONTINGENCY PLANS.I DON'T MEAN TO COMPARE OUR LEGISLATORS TO A BUNCH OF BABIES BECAUSE THAT WOULD BE HUGELY INSULTING TO MY THREE-MONTH-OLD SON WHO JUST THE OTHER DAY, HE FLIPPED FROM HIS BELLY TO HIS BACK FOR THE FIRST TIME, AND IN SO DOING, IT'S ACCOMPLISHED MORE THAN A LOT OF OUR LEGISLATORS HAVE.
I HOPE TO SEND HIM TO REALLY GOOD HISD SCHOOLS WHERE HE COULD AMOUNT TO MORE THAN A POLITICIAN, LIKE HIS DAD HAS BECOME UNFORTUNATELY.
BUT GOING BACK TO THE POINT, ARE THERE CONTINGENCY PLANS IN CASE THE LEGISLATOR DOES NOT DO THE RIGHT THING, WHICH I'M SORRY TO SAY, THEY HAVE A HISTORY OF DOING SO AS RECENTLY AS 2023? THANK YOU. I'LL WATCH THE VIDEO LATER ON.
I'M GOING TO GET BACK TO WORK. TAKE CARE.
>> THANK YOU. NOW, WILL OUR REMAINING IN-PERSON SPEAKERS PLEASE COME TO THE MICROPHONE IN THE ORDER TO THE NUMBERS THAT THEY WERE ASSIGNED AT THE SIGN IN.
PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME AS YOU STEP UP TO THE MICROPHONE.
THANK YOU. MISS SMITH, YOU WANT TO CALL PEOPLE?
>> DO WE HAVE SPEAKER NUMBER ONE? WERE YOU ASSIGNED NUMBERS?
>> IS NUMBER ONE HERE? NUMBER TWO? GO AHEAD, NUMBER THREE, PLEASE.
>> HI, GOOD AFTERNOON. I'M BROOKE LONGORIA.
AS PER USUAL, I'M GOING TO GIVE YOU ALL A QUICK UPDATE ON BOOKS AND MY CHILDREN.
NOPE, STILL NO BOOKS FOR MY KID, BUT I DO HAVE GOOD NEWS.
MY FRIEND'S THIRD GRADER IS READING BOOKS, BUT THEY ARE DOING SO IN SECRET.
THEY KEEP A WORKSHEET UNDER THE BOOK SO THEY CAN QUICKLY PIVOT IF VISITORS COME TO THE CLASSROOM.
I WOULD LIKE TO RAISE A CONCERN THAT I AM WORRIED ABOUT WHAT MESSAGE WE ARE SENDING OUR CHILDREN WITH THAT TYPE OF BEHAVIOR.
NOW, ONTO THE BUDGET, I WANT US TO THINK ABOUT THE FACT THAT WE WANT A BUDGET THAT REPRESENTS OUR VALUES, AND I KNOW THAT THIS WILL BE A CHALLENGE CONSIDERING THE FACT THAT YOU ALL HAVE REMOVED GUARD RAILS AND SAFETY NETS, AND NOW INSTEAD OF HIGH QUALITY WRAPAROUND SERVICES, THERE ARE BONUSES FOR SUPERINTENDENT MILES' BLOATED CABINET.
WE HAVE CHILDREN ALL OVER TOWN MISSING RECESS TO DO ZEARN LESSONS, AND WE HAVE AN EXTENDED SCHOOL DAY THAT IS DEVELOPMENTALLY INAPPROPRIATE.
INSTEAD OF FUNDING FIELD TRIPS, THE DISTRICT IS WASTING MONEY ON REBRANDING.
I'VE SAT THROUGH A LOT OF SCHOOL BOARD MEETINGS.
I'VE ATTENDED COMMUNITY MEETINGS WITH YES, EVERY ONE OF YOU HERE TODAY.
NOT ONCE HAVE I HEARD BRANDING RAISED AS A TOP CONCERN AMONG FAMILIES, AND I'M NOT SURE THAT THAT WARRANTS INVESTMENT.
INSTEAD OF LIBRARIANS, MY TAX DOLLARS ARE BEING SPENT ON CONFERENCES FOR SUPERINTENDENT MILES TO PEDDLE HIS SUBPAR CURRICULUM AND EDUCATION MODEL.
THIS YEAR'S BUDGET AND THE ONE BEFORE SERVES SUPERINTENDENT MILES.
IT IS MY SINCERE HOPE THAT NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET SERVES OUR CHILDREN AND OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS, AND THAT YOUR ACTIONS REFLECT THAT.
I WISH YOU THE BEST OF LUCK. THANKS SO MUCH.
>> HEY, YOU ALL. MY NAME IS LIZ SILVA.
I HAVE CHILDREN AT CROCKETT ELEMENTARY, AND I JUST WANTED TO DISCUSS SOME PAYROLL INFORMATION THAT WAS OBTAINED BY PUBLIC INFORMATION REQUESTS.
I JUST WANTED TO TALK ABOUT THE PAY THAT MANY OF OUR HISD EXECUTIVES HAVE MADE BETWEEN JANUARY 1ST, 2024 AND DECEMBER 31ST, 2024.
I'LL START OFF WITH MR. RIDDICK.
HE MADE A TOTAL OF $304,000, A LITTLE MORE THAN THAT, WITH A LINE ITEM OF $40,119 IN JUNE OF 2024, WHICH I CAN ASSUME IS A BONUS OF SOME KIND.
MR. MILES LEFT 2024 WITH $581,000 WITH A $37,857 LINE ITEM RIGHT BEFORE HE RECEIVED HIS $142,000 BONUS.
LAURA STOUT, WHO DID NOT FINISH 2024 WITH US, RECEIVED A TOTAL OF $339,000.
IT'S INTERESTING HERE THAT BASED ON THE PRESS RELEASE, IT SEEMED THAT SHE LEFT ON HER OWN ACCORD, SO IT'S REALLY INTERESTING THAT SHE WOULD HAVE RECEIVED A LUMP SUM OF $114,000 AFTER LEAVING.
IT SEEMS LIKE WHY WOULD SHE RECEIVE THE REST OF HER CONTRACT IF SHE LEFT ON HER OWN ACCORD? LUIS MARTINEZ HAD A TOTAL OF $289,000 WITH A JUNE 2024 LINE ITEM OF $39,000.
AMILDA RECEIVED THE SAME LIGHT ITEM OF $39,000 WITH A TOTAL OF $282,000 PAY FOR 2024.
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JIM TERRY RECEIVED $304,000 WITH A BONUS OF $50,000 IN JUNE OF 2024.CHIEF MASSEY RECEIVED A TOTAL OF $283,000 WITH A BONUS OF $39,282.
MISS FEINBERG RECEIVED A TOTAL OF $261,000.
THE LIST GOES ON AND ON FOR A TOTAL OF $6,000,000 AND CHANGE.
>> THANK YOU. ARE THERE ANY OTHER SPEAKERS IN-PERSON? JESSICA CAMPOS? DR. HOFFMAN LOCKE? SHANNON SWOOP? WE'LL MOVE ON TO DR. MARIA BENZON. YOU MAY BEGIN.
>> THANK YOU. HI. MY NAME IS DR. MARIA BENZON, AND I'M AN HISD PARENT AND TAXPAYER.
OUR STUDENTS DESERVE MORE THAN WASTEFUL SPENDING AND BROKEN TRUST.
AS YOU CONSIDER NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET, I URGE YOU TO REJECT THE RECKLESS FINANCIAL DECISIONS MADE UNDER SUPERINTENDENT MIKE MILES.
NEARLY $470,000 ON A MUSICAL CONVOCATION STARRING HIM.
$732,000,000, ONE-THIRD OF THE ENTIRE BUDGET, POURED INTO THE UNPROVEN NES SYSTEM, OUR NEW EDUCATION SYSTEM.
A $4.4 BILLION BOND OVERWHELMINGLY REJECTED BY VOTERS BECAUSE THEY SIMPLY DO NOT TRUST THIS LEADERSHIP.
THESE ARE NOT JUST NUMBERS, THEY ARE WARNINGS.
IT'S TIME TO MAKE BETTER CHOICES.
I ASK YOU TO PRIORITIZE THREE CRITICAL AREAS.
HIGHLY QUALIFIED CERTIFIED EDUCATORS ARE THE FOUNDATION OF STUDENT SUCCESS.
INSTEAD OF HIRING UNTRAINED STAFF AND FORCING SCRIPTED CURRICULUM INTO CLASSROOMS, WE MUST PAY COMPETITIVE SALARIES, SUPPORT PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT, AND TRUST OUR TEACHERS TO DO WHAT THEY DO BEST, TEACH.
NUMBER TWO, SUPPORT SCHOOL INFRASTRUCTURE AND STAFF.
STUDENTS CANNOT LEARN IN CRUMBLING SCHOOLS OR WITHOUT THE PEOPLE WHO KEEP SCHOOLS RUNNING.
MAINTENANCE WORKERS, LIBRARIANS, COUNSELORS, AND WRAPAROUND SPECIALISTS ARE NOT LUXURIES.
IT'S TIME WE FUND THEM AS SUCH.
NUMBER THREE, RESTORE FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY.
A SUPERINTENDENT WITH A 66.7% EVALUATION DOES NOT DESERVE A BONUS.
EVERY DOLLAR MUST BE SPENT WISELY, NOT ON VANITY PROJECTS TO PROMOTE A SNAKE OIL NES SYSTEM OR BLOATED SALARIES FOR THOSE WHO SIMPLY ECHO MILES' WISHES.
DO THE RIGHT THING. THANK YOU.
>> THIS CONCLUDES OUR PUBLIC COMMENT.
>> THIS CONCLUDES OUR SPEAKERS ON THE AGENDA ITEMS. WE'LL NOW CONDUCT THE HEARINGS THAT WERE SCHEDULED FOR THIS MEETING.
THE PURPOSE OF THIS MEETING IS THE RECOMMENDATION OF THE INDEPENDENT HEARING EXAMINER IN THE MATTER OF KENESHIA KERRY, A TEACHER AT MCGREGOR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
HEARINGS INVOLVED COMPLAINTS AGAINST DISTRICT EMPLOYEES ARE TO BE HELD IN CLOSED SESSION UNLESS THE EMPLOYEE WHO IS SUBJECT TO THE HEARING REQUESTS AN OPEN SESSION.
IF BOTH PARTIES REQUEST OPEN SESSION DURING THIS HEARING, THE BOARD MAY GO INTO CLOSED SESSION TO CONSULT WITH ITS ATTORNEYS UNDER THE TERMS OF THE TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 551.071.
IF ANY BOARD MEMBER WISHES TO SEEK ADVICE OF COUNCIL, PLEASE MAKE THE REQUEST TO ME AT THIS TIME.
FOR THE RECORD, WAYNE LANG WITH THE HOUSTON FEDERATION OF TEACHERS, REPRESENTING MS. CAREY, IS PRESENT.
BRYCE CORSAUT WITH SPALDING NICHOLS LAMP AND LANGLOIS, REPRESENTING THE ADMINISTRATION IS PRESENT, AND CATOSHA WOODS, HISD GENERAL COUNSEL IS ALSO PRESENT.
MR. LANG, DO YOU WISH TO CONTINUE IN OPEN SESSION OR CLOSED SESSION?
THE ISSUES BEFORE THE SCHOOL BOARD ARE WHETHER TO ACCEPT, REJECT, OR CHANGE THE INDEPENDENT HEARING EXAMINER'S FINDINGS OF FACT, CONCLUSION OF LAW, AND PROPOSAL BASED ON THE REVIEW OF THE RECORD.
WE MAY REJECT OR CHANGE A FINDING OF FACT IF AFTER REVIEWING THE RECORD OF THE PROCEEDINGS BEFORE THE HEARING EXAMINER, WE FIND IT IS NOT SUPPORTED BY SUBSTANTIAL EVIDENCE.
IF WE REJECT THE INDEPENDENT HEARING EXAMINER'S RECOMMENDATION OR MAKE ANY CHANGES, YOU MUST STATE THE REASON AND THE LEGAL BASIS FOR THAT.
MR. CORSAUT, YOU WILL PROCEED FIRST, AND YOU'LL BE ALLOWED A 10-MINUTE PRESENTATION, FOLLOWED BY A 10-MINUTE PRESENTATION BY MR. LANG.
IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO RESERVE PART OF YOUR 10 MINUTES FOR REBUTTAL TO THE MATTERS PRESENTED BY MR. LANG, BOTH SIDES WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR QUESTIONS FROM THE BOARD AFTER THE RESPECTIVE PRESENTATIONS, AND AFTER THE DELIBERATION, THE BOARD WILL HANDLE THIS OPINION.
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT HOW THE HEARING IS GOING TO BE CONDUCTED? ALL GOOD. HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO SPLIT YOUR TIME, MR. CORSAUT.
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>> NINE MINUTES FOR THE PRESENTATION AND ONE MINUTE FOR THE REBUTTAL.
>> YOU, MR. PRESIDENT, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD.
THE ADMINISTRATION IS ASKING THAT YOU ADOPT ACCEPT AND ADOPT THE INDEPENDENT HEARING EXAMINER'S RECOMMENDATION, FINDING AND CONCLUDING THAT GOOD CAUSE EXISTS TO TERMINATE KENESHIA KERRY'S PROBATIONARY CONTRACT.
MS. CAREY PERPETRATED OUTRAGEOUS AND UNACCEPTABLE MISCONDUCT WHEN SHE ENGAGED IN A VERBAL ALTERCATION IN A NEAR PHYSICAL FIGHT WITH ONE OF HER STUDENT'S MOMS. OF COURSE, THERE'S MORE TO THE STORY AND I'D LIKE TO START AT THE BEGINNING.
HISD FIRST EMPLOYED MS. CAREY AT THE OUTSET OF THIS SCHOOL YEAR AS A THIRD-GRADE TEACHER AT MCGREGOR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL UNDER A ONE-YEAR EMPLOYEE PROBATIONARY CONTRACT, AND A COPY OF MS. CAREY'S PROBATIONARY CONTRACT IS AVAILABLE IN EXHIBIT P1 IN HISD EXHIBITS.
ON SEPTEMBER 19TH, 2024, JUST BEFORE MS. CAREY COMPLETED HER TWO MONTHS OF EMPLOYMENT IN THE DISTRICT, STAFF IN THE MAIN OFFICE CALLED MS. CAREY AND DIRECTED HER TO SEND ONE OF HER STUDENTS TO THE MAIN OFFICE BECAUSE HIS MOM WAS THERE TO PICK HIM UP EARLY.
MS. CAREY DID NOT SEND THE STUDENT TO THE MAIN OFFICE AS DIRECTED.
SHE INSTEAD MADE THE DELIBERATE DECISION TO ESCORT THE STUDENT, LEAVING HER THIRD-GRADE OTHER STUDENTS UNSUPERVISED AND WITHOUT INSTRUCTION, DECIDED TO ESCORT THAT ONE STUDENT TO THE MAIN OFFICE, AND WHAT WAS HER INTENT AND REASONING TO DO SO? SHE WANTED TO CONFRONT THE MOM ABOUT HER SON'S MISBEHAVIOR IN HER CLASS EARLIER THAT MORNING.
I'D LIKE TO PAUSE TO MAKE THREE QUICK POINTS.
MS. CAREY VIOLATED DIRECTIVES AND PROCEDURES WHEN SHE ESCORTED THE STUDENT TO THE MAIN OFFICE THAT MORNING.
SHE ALSO VIOLATED CAMPUS EXPECTATIONS AND PROCEDURES WHEN SHE LEFT HER CLASSROOM UNATTENDED AND HER STUDENTS UNSUPERVISED.
THIRD, MS. CAREY VIOLATED CAMPUS EXPECTATIONS, PROCEDURES, AND STANDARDS OF CONDUCT, WHEN SHE FAILED TO COMPLETE A DISCIPLINARY REFERRAL VIA CLASS DOJO, WHICH, AS YOU MAY KNOW, IS THE DISTRICT'S DIGITAL CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT TOOL THAT OUR TEACHERS ARE REQUIRED TO USE TO TRACK STUDENT DISCIPLINARY ISSUES AND COMMUNICATE WITH PARENTS ABOUT THEM.
ALL OF THAT WAS BAD ENOUGH, BUT WHAT HAPPENED NEXT WAS EVEN MORE EGREGIOUS.
ONCE MS. CAREY ARRIVED TO THE MAIN OFFICE IN FRONT OF OTHER STAFF, PARENTS, AND STUDENTS, SHE ENGAGED IN A HOSTILE, PROFANITY-LACED CONFRONTATION, ESCALATING THE ARGUMENT WITH THE MOM TO THE POINT WHERE OUR ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL, JERRY MCMURRAN, WAS FORCED TO IMMEDIATELY AND PHYSICALLY INTERVENE.
AGAIN, I'D LIKE TO PAUSE TO MAKE A COUPLE POINTS.
FIRST, OUR CAMPUS PRINCIPAL, MISS GARRETT, WHO HAS JOINED ME TODAY, SHE WAS NOT PRESENT AT MCGREGOR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL ON THE DAY OF THE INCIDENT AND SO ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL MCMURRAN WAS OUR TOP ADMINISTRATOR AND CAMPUS LEADER ON CAMPUS THAT DAY.
ALSO RELEVANT HERE, MISS MCMURRAN WAS ACTIVELY ENGAGED IN A VIRTUAL RD MEETING AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT.
WHEN MS. CAREY'S FIGHT BROKE OUT, STAFF HAD TO INTERRUPT THE RD MEETING.
THE RD MEETING HAD TO END PREMATURELY AND THAT IN AND OF ITSELF IS SIGNIFICANT, AS YOU KNOW, THE RD MEETING HAD TO BE RESCHEDULED WITHIN CERTAIN MANDATORY TIMELINES WITH BOTH THE COMMITTEE AND THE STUDENTS PARENTS.
ALSO, IN THE MEANTIME, THAT STUDENT'S IEP AND SPECIAL EDUCATION SERVICES WERE NOT UP TO DATE.
AS I STATED PREVIOUSLY, MISS MCMURRAN WAS FORCED TO PHYSICALLY INTERVENE.
AND THAT IS BECAUSE MS. CAREY WAS BOWING UP TO MOM.
THEY HAD THEIR FINGERS IN EACH OTHER'S FACES.
THEY WERE SCREAMING AT EACH OTHER.
MS. CAREY WAS EVEN CALLING THE MOM THE B WORD.
MISS MCMURRAN SQUEEZED HERSELF IN BETWEEN THE TWO WOMEN, OUTSTRETCHED HER ARMS TO ACT AS A PHYSICAL SHIELD BETWEEN THE TWO WOMEN AND ATTEMPTED TO CREATE DISTANCE BY PUSHING BACK AGAINST MS. CAREY TO SEPARATE HER PHYSICALLY FROM THE MOM.
MISS MCMURRAN, WHILE SHE WAS ENGAGED IN THIS PHYSICAL ACTIVITY, WAS ALSO REMINDING MS. CAREY REPEATEDLY TO MAINTAIN HER COMPOSURE, TO MAINTAIN HER PROFESSIONALISM, AND TO LEAVE THE SCENE.
MS. CAREY REFUSED. AT ONE POINT, SHE EVEN REMOVED HER IDENTIFICATION LANARD AND HER EARRINGS, WHILE TELLING MOM OR THREATENING MOM, THIS AIN'T WHAT YOU WANT.
THIS AIN'T WHAT YOU WANT B WORD.
THEREAFTER, MISS MCMURRAN SUCCESSFULLY GUIDED MS. CAREY ABOUT 15-20 FEET AWAY FROM MOM.
HOWEVER, MS. CAREY ROUNDED MISS MCMURRAN, CHARGING BACK TOWARD MOM TO AGAIN ENGAGE IN THIS VERBAL ALTERCATION.
THIS WAS NOT A QUICK INCIDENT.
THIS ENTIRE EPISODE FOUND MS. CAREY OUTSIDE OF HER CLASSROOM FOR APPROXIMATELY 45 MINUTES.
THESE ARE THIRD GRADERS WHO ARE LEFT UNATTENDED FOR 45 MINUTES.
MY ARGUMENT TO YOU ALL AND TO THE HEARING EXAMINER WHO ISSUED
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A POSITIVE RECOMMENDATION FOR US WAS THAT THIS WAS NOT A FLEETING MOMENTARY LAPSE IN JUDGMENT, RATHER, IT WAS A PROLONGED INTENTIONAL AND RECKLESS DISREGARD FOR PROFESSIONALISM AND DECORUM.THE CONSEQUENCES FOR MCGREGOR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL WERE OUTSTANDING.
MOM, OF COURSE, ASKED SHE HAS TWO STUDENTS, ASKED HER STUDENTS TO RECORD THE EVENTS ON THE CELL PHONE.
SHE THEN RAN TO THE NEWS, WHO IN TURN SHOWED UP WITH THEIR CAMERA CREW THE NEXT MORNING, AND THIS STORY WAS BROADCAST BOTH VIA VIDEO AND IN WRITING PUBLICLY.
THAT, OF COURSE, RESULTED IN PARENT COMPLAINTS TO THE CAMPUS.
ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL MCMURRAN IMMEDIATELY NOTIFIED PRINCIPAL GARRETT ABOUT THE SITUATION.
I THINK SHE CALLED HER WHILE SHE WAS AWAY FROM CAMPUS.
PRINCIPAL GARRETT THEN IMMEDIATELY INVESTIGATED THE SITUATION AND SUBSTANTIATED THE ALLEGATIONS AGAINST MS. CAREY, AND A COPY OF THAT INVESTIGATION REPORT, AS WELL AS RELEVANT WITNESS STATEMENTS AS WELL AS A COPY OF THE SURVEILLANCE VIDEO FROM THE CAMPUS SHOWING THIS INCIDENT, ARE AVAILABLE AT EXHIBITS P5 THROUGH P9.
THE ADMINISTRATION RIGHTLY REMOVED MS. CAREY FROM MCGREGOR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AND THEN THIS BOARD PROPOSED HER MID-YEAR TERMINATION ON OCTOBER 10TH, 2024.
IT RESULTED IN MCGREGOR LOSING ONE OF ITS THIRD-GRADE TEACHERS DURING THE FALL 2024 SEMESTER.
THAT TEACHER WAS NOT REPLACED UNTIL DECEMBER 2ND.
THAT'S PARTICULARLY EGREGIOUS GIVEN THE DISTRICT'S CURRENT AIMS TO IMPROVE STUDENT TESTING SCORES AND CLOSE ACHIEVEMENT GAPS.
AS YOU ALL KNOW, TEXAS STUDENTS BEGIN TESTING OR TAKING THE STAR TEST IN THE THIRD GRADE.
OBVIOUSLY, MS. CAREY'S MISCONDUCT VIOLATED HER PROBATIONARY CONTRACT.
IT ALSO VIOLATED PROVISIONS OF THE MCGREGOR EMPLOYEE HANDBOOK, BOARD POLICY DH LOCAL, AS WELL AS BOARD POLICY DH EXHIBIT, WHICH, AS YOU ALL KNOW, INCORPORATES THE EDUCATOR'S CODE OF ETHICS INTO BOARD POLICY.
THE TEXAS EDUCATION CODE PROVIDES THAT ANY PROBATIONARY CONTRACT EDUCATOR IN TEXAS MAY BE DISCHARGED AT ANY TIME FOR GOOD CAUSE AS DETERMINED BY THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES.
THE TERM GOOD CAUSE IS DEFINED AS "THE FAILURE TO MEET THE ACCEPTED STANDARDS OF CONDUCT FOR THE PROFESSION AS GENERALLY RECOGNIZED AND APPLIED IN SIMILARLY SITUATED SCHOOL DISTRICTS IN THIS STATE." DIEDRE DAVIS PARTICIPATED AS AN EXPERT WITNESS IN OUR HEARING, MISS DAVIS IS AN EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF HUMAN RESOURCE SERVICES AT THE KLEIN INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT.
SHE PROVIDED UNDISPUTED EXPERT TESTIMONY THAT K ISD IS SIMILARLY SITUATED AND THAT K ISD WOULD HAVE ACTED EXACTLY AS HISD ADMINISTRATION DID HERE IF PRESENTED WITH THE SAME FACTS AND CIRCUMSTANCES.
TO BE CLEAR, MS. CAREY DOES NOT DISPUTE WHETHER GOOD CAUSE EXISTS.
IN FACT, DURING CLOSING ARGUMENTS, MR. LANG ACTUALLY STATED VERBATIM.
WE ARE NOT DISPUTING WHETHER OR NOT THE DISTRICT HAS THE RIGHT TO TERMINATE A PROBATIONARY CONTRACT FOR ANY REASON WITHIN THIS FINDER.
HE CONTINUED ARGUING, HOWEVER, THAT HE BELIEVES HISD REACHED THE CONCLUSION TOO QUICKLY AND THAT IT SHOULD CONSIDER A LIGHTER PUNISHMENT.
ULTIMATELY, HOWEVER, IT IS THE BOARD, YOU ALL WHO ULTIMATELY DETERMINES WHETHER THE EVIDENCE PRESENTED CONSTITUTES GOOD CAUSE.
WE AGREE WITH THE INDEPENDENT HEARING EXAMINER, AND WE AGREE WITH MS. CAREY THAT THE OVERWHELMING, UNCONTROVERTED, AND UNDISPUTED EVIDENCE ESTABLISHES GOOD CAUSE EXISTS SUPPORTING THE TERMINATION OF MS. CAREY'S PROBATIONARY CONTRACT, AND WE ASK THAT YOU ACCEPT AND ADOPT THE INDEPENDENT HEARING EXAMINER'S RECOMMENDATION ACCORDINGLY. THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU. MR. LANG, YOU MAY MAKE YOUR PRESENTATION TO THE BOARD BASED ON THE TRANSCRIPT AT THIS POINT FOR 10 MINUTES OR LESS.
>> I'M GOING TO SPLIT MY TIME. MS. CAREY IS GOING TO SPEAK FOR 5 MINUTES, AND THEN I'LL COME UP AND DO CLOSING.
MY NAME IS KANESHA CAREY, AND I STAND BEFORE YOU AS A DEDICATED EDUCATOR, A MOTHER, AND SOMEONE WHO MOVED TO HOUSTON WITH THE HOPE OF BUILDING A BETTER FUTURE FOR MY FAMILY.
I HAVE ALWAYS UPHELD THE VALUES OF PROFESSIONALISM, INTEGRITY, AND STUDENT ADVOCACY.
HOWEVER, I NOW FIND MYSELF FIGHTING TO DEFEND MY NAME AND CAREER AGAINST BASIS ALLEGATIONS THAT HAVE BEEN MISREPRESENTED AND MISHANDLED.
THE INCIDENT IN QUESTION BEGAN WHEN I ADDRESSED THE SERIOUS CLASSROOM ISSUE, A STUDENT REPEATEDLY USING RACIAL SLURS TOWARD OTHER STUDENTS.
FOLLOWING PROTOCOL, I SOUGHT TO ENGAGE THE PARENT AS PRIOR COMMUNICATION ATTEMPTS HAD BEEN UNSUCCESSFUL.
MY INTENT TO FOSTER A RESPECTFUL LEARNING ENVIRONMENT INSTEAD, I WAS MET WITH HOSTILITY.
WHILE ADMINISTRATION FAILED TO INTERVENE APPROPRIATELY, THE ASSISTANT PRINCIPALS IMMEDIATE ASSUMPTION THAT I WAS THE AGGRESSOR WITHOUT HEARING MY SIDE SET OFF A CHAIN OF UNJUST ACTIONS THAT NOW PUT MY CAREER IN JEOPARDY.
I REMAIN COMPOSED IN THE FACE OF HOSTILITY.
I WAS PUSHED BY MY ADMINISTRATOR YET I AM THE ONE BEING ACCUSED OF MISCONDUCT.
[00:25:03]
CPS AND LAW ENFORCEMENT FOUND NO EVIDENCE OF WRONGDOING ON MY PART, YET HISD CONTINUES TO PURSUE MY TERMINATION, CHOOSING TO UPHOLD A FALSE NARRATIVE RATHER THAN THE TRUTH.THE DISTRICT ACTED ON MEDIA, PRESSURE, RATHER THAN OBJECTIVE EVIDENCE, RUSH INTO AN UNJUST EMPLOYMENT DECISION.
THEY EVEN STATED IN THE MEDIA THAT I WAS TERMINATED BEFORE CONDUCTING A PROPER INVESTIGATION.
MEANWHILE, ANOTHER TEACHER ON MY CAMPUS HAS A FELONY AND CONTINUES TO WORK WITHOUT SCRUTINY.
IF THIS PROCESS WERE TRULY ABOUT UPHOLDING PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS, THE SELECTIVE ENFORCEMENT OF POLICIES WILL NOT EXIST.
ADDITIONALLY, THE PARENT WHO MADE THE FALSE ALLEGATIONS HAD NO PROBLEM FILING A FALSE POLICE REPORT WHILE STILL SENDING HER CHILD TO THE SAME CAMPUS FOR TWO MONTHS AFTER THE INCIDENT.
BUT THE MOMMY CPS AND HISD RULED OUT HER CLAIMS. SHE IMMEDIATELY WITHDREW HER SON AND VANISHED.
THAT ALONE HAVE RAISED SERIOUS CONCERNS ABOUT THE CREDIBILITY OF HER ALLEGATIONS YET THE DISTRICT IGNORED THESE FACTS AND PURSUED TO END MY CAREER.
TO MAKE MATTERS WORSE, MY FIRST HEARING WAS A SETUP FOR FAILURE.
EVERY PIECE OF EVIDENCE I PREVENTED TO DEFEND MYSELF WAS OBJECTED, LEAVING ME UNABLE TO PROPERLY MAKE MY CASE.
THE PROCESS WAS NOT ABOUT SEEKING THE TRUTH.
IT WAS ABOUT JUSTIFYING A PREDETERMINED DECISION TO REMOVE ME.
THEY ALSO PROVIDED FALSE STATEMENTS ON THEIR TRANSCRIPT ABOUT THINGS I NEVER SAID.
VIDEO EVIDENCE THOUGH LACKING AUDIO I WAS ONLY VISIBLE FOR LESS THAN A MINUTE.
IT DOES NOT SUPPORT THE ACCUSATIONS AT NO POINT DID I REMOVE MY EARRINGS NOR THREATEN OR ATTEMPT TO HARM ANYONE.
YET, INSTEAD OF A FAIR REVIEW OF FACTS, TERMINATION WAS THE FIRST OPTION.
WHY IS THAT THE FIRST OPTION FOR A NON-PROBLEMATIC TEACHER WITH A PROVEN EXCELLENCE OF RECORD? PROBATIONARY CONTRACT SHOULD NOT BE A MEANS TO MISTREAT TEACHERS TO DESTROY THEIR LIVELIHOOD AS IF THEY'RE DISPOSABLE SIMPLY BECAUSE THEY'RE NEW TO THE DISTRICT.
THE DUE PROCESS I AM ENTITLED TO WAS DENIED.
I WAS NOT INTERVIEWED PROPERLY BY ADMIN OR ANYONE.
FALSE CLAIMS AND REPORTS WENT UNCHECKED AND WORST THE ADMINISTRATION'S BIAS WAS EVIDENT WHEN A RACIAL STEREOTYPE WAS WEAPONIZED AGAINST ME, IMPLYING THAT AS A BLACK WOMAN, MY ADVOCACY WAS AGGRESSION.
THIS SITUATION HAS CAUSED ME DEARLY, NOT JUST PROFESSIONALLY, BUT MY HEALTH AND STABILITY AND MY ABILITY TO PROVIDE FOR MY FAMILY.
I HAVE SERVED STUDENTS FAITHFULLY EARN ACCOLADES AS TEACHER OF THE YEAR.
GRADUATED WITH A MASTER'S DEGREE AND HAVE NO HISTORY OF MISCONDUCT, YET HISD IS CHOOSING TO IGNORE MY RECORD AND QUALIFICATIONS.
I SHOULD NOT BE PUNISHED FOR DOING MY JOB, ENSURING THAT ALL STUDENTS FEEL SAFE AND RESPECTED IN MY CLASSROOM.
IF I COULD CHANGE ANYTHING, I WOULD HAVE REPORTED THE BEHAVIOR DIRECTLY TO ADMIN, ALTHOUGH THEY WERE NOT GOING TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT PRIOR TO WHAT I WENT THROUGH BEFORE.
I SHOULD NOT LOSE MY CAREER FOR TAKING ACTION IN THE BEST INTEREST OF MY STUDENTS.
I AM ASKING YOU TO DO WHAT IS RIGHT, NOT JUST FOR ME, BUT EDUCATORS WHO DEDICATE THEMSELVES TO THIS PROFESSION.
LOOK BEYOND THIS SINGLE MISREPRESENTED MOMENT AND CONSIDER MY ENTIRE RECORD, MY CHARACTER, AND UNWAVERING COMMITMENT TO EDUCATION.
I'M JUST ASKING YOU TO OVERTURN THIS UNJUST TERMINATION RECOMMENDATION. THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU. AS YOU STATED, WE ARE REQUESTING THAT YOU LOOK PAST THE EXAMINER'S RECOMMENDATION AND REINSTATE HER TO PROBATIONARY STATUS.
WE HAVE TWO VALID POINTS THAT WE WANT TO MAKE HERE.
ONE WAS, WAS THE INVESTIGATION FAIR? THE INVESTIGATION WHICH TOOK PLACE ON THE 19TH.
STATEMENTS WERE WRITTEN, BUT ONLY THREE WERE PRESENTED.
IT STARTED ON 20TH OF SEPTEMBER, ALTHOUGH THE STATEMENTS WERE WRITTEN ON THE 19TH.
THE INVESTIGATION WAS CONCLUDED ON THE 25TH.
THE RESULTS WERE REPORTED, HOWEVER, ON THE 20TH ON NEWS 13.
BUT YET, WE WEREN'T ALLOWED TO PRESENT THAT INTO IT BECAUSE OF TIMING.
MS. CAREY WAS OFFICIALLY NOTIFIED ON OCTOBER 1ST, TWO WEEKS AFTER THE NEWS REPORTED THAT SHE WAS GOING TO BE MOVED FOR TERMINATION.
THE THREE STATEMENTS THAT WENT TO THEM WAS ONE FROM MISS MCMURRAN HIDS POINT OF VIEW, LACED WITH ALLEGATIONS OF PROFANITY AND AGGRESSION.
THE OTHER ONE CAME FROM MISS BUTLER, THE CLERK THAT ACTUALLY WENT GOT MISS MCMURRAN OUT OF HER RD MEETING.
THE LAST WAS MS. CAREY'S STATEMENT.
HOW THE WITNESSES WERE NOT INTERVIEWED IN THIS PROCESS.
PAGE 45 OF THE TRANSCRIPTS, LINES 2 THROUGH 10, 11 THROUGH 17, 23-26.
SEVERAL PARENTS WERE PRESENT, NO STATEMENT, TWO SECRETARIES.
ONLY ONE STATEMENT. MISS ROBERTSON, NO STATEMENT.
MISS HENDERSON, NO STATEMENT, SECURITY GUARD WHO ACTUALLY INTERVENED TO KEEP THE PARENTS SEPARATED, NO STATEMENT.
PAGE 50, MISS MCMURRANS TESTIMONY OF LINES 1 THROUGH 11.
SHE SAYS. THERE ARE SEVERAL PARENTS.
[00:30:01]
THERE WERE OTHER PARENTS TO PICK UP THEIR CHILDREN.SOME OF THE CHILDREN WERE COMING FROM THE FRONT OFFICE DURING THE INCIDENT.
TWO OR THREE OF THESE SECRETARIES, MISS ROBERTSON, IS THE THIRD ONE WHO WAS COMING OUT OF THE OFFICE.
I WENT TO THE THREE SECRETARIES.
BY THE TIME THE WHOLE INCIDENT HAD FINISHED, THE CAFETERIA SUPERVISOR MISS HENSON WAS ALSO THERE.
THERE WERE PARENTS, STUDENTS, STAFF MEMBERS, ALL OF THEM, INCLUDING THE SECURITY GUARD.
HISD EXHIBIT NUMBER SEVEN, MISS MURRAY'S STATEMENT ON THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE, LIST THE WHOLE EXTRA WITNESS THAT WASN'T EVEN IN THAT FIRST PART, AND THAT WAS MISS HALSTON.
NO STATEMENT FROM HER AS WELL.
>> HISDS EXHIBIT 7. I WENT THROUGH THAT ONE.
CPS WAS NOT REPORTED TO, BUT YET WE HAVE A REPORT FROM CPS THAT WAS NOT ALLOWED.
HISD POLICE SHOWED UP ON THE SCENE LATER AFTERNOON.
NO REPORT FROM HISD POLICE IN THE INVESTIGATION.
HISD EXHIBIT 8, BUTLER'S TESTIMONY.
PARENT ACCUSED MS. CAREY OF PHYSICAL ABUSE OF HER STUDENT.
NO RECORD OF THAT INVESTIGATION.
IT'S NOT EVEN MARKED DOWN AS IT HAPPENED.
THE NEWS WAS CALLED CAME TO THE CAMPUS.
OUR EXHIBITS 3 AND 4, NOT ALLOWED, WAS THE NEWS REPORTS, AND EXHIBIT 4, WHICH WAS ALLOWED IS STATEMENTS FROM THE PARENTS.
I ENCOURAGE YOU TO GO READ WHAT THE PARENTS HAVE TO SAY ABOUT IT.
VICTIM'S STATEMENT, NOT INCLUDED.
NOT EVEN THE VIDEO IN THEIR STATEMENT AND TESTIMONY SAID THAT THE PARENT RECORDED, NOT INCLUDED IN THE INVESTIGATION.
WAS THIS A VICTIMS ALLEGATION? MCMURRAY SPENT 20 MINUTES CONSOLING AND APOLOGIZING TO THE PARENT, BUT NO STATEMENT.
NOTHING IN WRITING FROM THE PARENT, NO PUBLIC RECORD OF HER STATEMENT.
THE FALSE ALLEGATION SHE MADE WAS REPORTED ON THE NEWS.
IT WAS INVESTIGATED, NO OUTCOME FROM THE ALLEGATIONS.
MS. MCMURRAY STATED THAT SHE WAS TRYING TO CALM MS. CAREY DOWN WHEN SHE SPENT MORE TIME ACTUALLY CALMING DOWN THE PARENT.
THE ONLY COMMENT SHE DID WAS PUSHING HERSELF AGAINST MS. CAREY AND HOLDING HER HANDS DOWN.
SHE SAYS, POINTING IN THE FACE.
NOW MS. CAREY IS TRYING TO GET HER HANDS FREE.
THE INVESTIGATION WAS NOT FAIR.
PROGRESSIVE DISCIPLINE. WAS SHE GIVEN NOTICE OF CONCERN? SHE WAS, BUT FIVE MINUTES LATER, SHE WAS PUT OUT OF THE CAMPUS FOR HER INVESTIGATION.
WAS IT REASONABLE? THE MEMO OF CONCERN OUTLINED EXPECTATIONS AND CONSEQUENCES.
THAT IS PROGRESSIVE DISCIPLINE.
THAT'S MAYBE SURE HOW IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN HANDLED.
REASSIGNMENT TO HOME FOR THE ALLEGATIONS.
THERE WAS ALLEGATIONS THAT SHE DID WRONG DOING IT TO A CHILD.
YES, REASSIGNMENT FOR HOME WAS APPROPRIATE.
WAS IT FAIR? THE QUESTION THAT WE POSED EARLIER WAS A LOT OF DOUBT ON THE FAIRNESS SINCE THE CONFERENCE TO DISCUSS THE OUTCOME OF INVESTIGATION WAS ALSO A CONFERENCE NOTIFYING HER OF HER TERMINATION ON OCTOBER 1ST.
THE INVESTIGATION ENDED ON SEPTEMBER 25TH.
WE HAVE ALREADY OUTLINED THE DETAILS IN THE SHORTCOMINGS OF THE INVESTIGATION.
WAS IT SIGNIFICANT PROOF? THE EVIDENCE, VIDEO STATEMENTS, AND TESTIMONY SAY NO, THERE ARE TOO MANY FACTORS MISSING.
WAS THERE EQUAL TREATMENT? SEVERAL OTHER TEACHERS ON THE CAMPUS HAVE CONFRONTATION WITH PARENTS, NONE OF THEM WERE TERMINATED.
MS. MCMURRAY NOT ONLY RAISED HER VOICE TO MS. CAREY, BUT LAID HANDS ON HER.
NO MEMO OF TERMINATION, AND HERE WE NEED TO REMEMBER THAT DH(LOCAL), LEGAL AND EXHIBIT SAYS THAT ALL EDUCATORS MUST FOLLOW A CODE OF ETHICS.
WAS A PENALTY APPROPRIATE? WE DON'T THINK SO. THERE WAS FALSE EVIDENCE.
IT WAS HER FIRST OFFENSE IN THE DISTRICT.
THE TRAINING ON THE CODE OF ETHICS DID NOT OCCUR.
THERE WAS NO SIGN A SHEET, AND THE PRE-SERVICE WEEK WAS NOT EVIDENCE TO PROVIDE OUTCOMES OTHERWISE.
THE HANDBOOK THAT SHE SUPPOSEDLY SAID THAT THEY WENT OVER, EXHIBIT 22 WAS NO PUBLISHING DATE AND NO REVISION DATE.
THE DATE IT WAS DELIVERED WAS AUGUST 23RD, AND THEN HAVING THE SUBJECT LINE, DC 8, WHICH IS ABOUT ATTENDANCE AND DFDB, WHICH IS ABOUT NON-RENEWALS.
NOTHING THAT SAYS ABOUT THE CODE OF ETHICS.
THE MEMO OF CONCERN AND THE CONCLUSION OF AN INCONCLUSION OF THE INVESTIGATIONS DO NOT [INAUDIBLE]
>> THANK YOU. MR. CORSAUT, WOULD YOU LIKE TO TAKE YOUR REMAINING MINUTE?
CLOSING, I WOULD LIKE TO TALK ABOUT, HE MENTIONED THERE WAS EVIDENCE EXCLUDED.
I WANTED TO SAY THAT MS. CAREY'S EVIDENCE DURING THE HEARING.
SHE RECEIVED A FULL AND FAIR HEARING.
THE REASON THAT HER EVIDENCE WAS EXCLUDED, HOWEVER, IS BECAUSE SHE VIOLATED THE PRE-HEARING ORDERS.
THERE WERE MULTIPLE PRE-HEARING ORDERS ISSUED BY OUR HEARING EXAMINER.
THEY DID NOT PRESENT ANY DOCUMENTS OR ANY EVIDENCE
[00:35:01]
TO US BEFORE THE ACTUAL DAY OF THE TRIAL.IT WAS ALSO EXCLUDED BECAUSE IT'S IRRELEVANT.
HE WAS MENTIONING ALLEGATIONS.
SHE MENTIONED ALLEGATIONS OF STUDENT ABUSE.
ALL OF THAT WAS A SEPARATE AND UNRELATED INCIDENT THAT HAPPENED AFTER THIS INCIDENT AND THE EMPLOYMENT DECISION AT ISSUE WERE MADE.
TO THE EXTENT THAT THEY ARE TALKING ABOUT POLICE REPORTS AND OTHER WITNESSES ABOUT ALLEGATIONS OF STUDENT ABUSE, THAT WAS SEPARATE AND APART FROM THIS INCIDENT.
THIS INCIDENT WAS SHE LEFT HER CLASSROOM OF 3RD GRADE STUDENTS, UNATTENDED, UNSUPERVISED WITHOUT INSTRUCTION FOR 45 MINUTES SO SHE COULD GO AND CONFRONT A MOM ABOUT THE STUDENT'S MISBEHAVIOR RATHER THAN FOLLOWING CAMPUS EXPECTATIONS AND DISCIPLINARY POLICIES AND PROCEDURES AND THEN [INAUDIBLE]
>> THANK YOU. ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS FROM MY COLLEAGUES? THE PARTIES HAVE COMPLETED THEIR PRESENTATIONS AND IT IS NOW TIME FOR BOARD MEMBERS TO MAKE OUR DECISION ON THE ISSUES BEFORE US.
WE MUST EITHER ADOPT THE FINDINGS OF FACT, CONCLUSIONS OF LAW, AND RECOMMENDATION OF THE HEARING EXAMINER OR REJECT OR CHANGE THE HEARING EXAMINER'S FINDINGS OF FACT IN CONCLUSION OF LAW AND PROPOSE A GRANT OF RELIEF.
IF WE FIND THAT SUBSTANTIAL EVIDENCE DOES NOT SUPPORT A FINDING OF FACT, THE FINDING MAY BE REJECTED OR CHANGED BASED ON THE RECORD AND EXHIBITS PRESENTED BEFORE THE HEARING EXAMINER.
FURTHERMORE, SHOULD WE DETERMINE THAT A HEARING EXAMINER DID NOT CORRECTLY INTERPRET THE APPLICABLE HISD BOARD POLICIES OR ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURES AND/OR STATE AND/OR FEDERAL LAW, WE MAY REJECT OR CHANGE THE HEARING EXAMINER'S CONCLUSION OF LAW.
THE CONCLUSION OF LAW MAY ALSO BE CHANGED OR REJECTED IF A FINDING OF FACT THAT SUPPORTS THE CONCLUSION OF LAW HAS BEEN FOUND BY US NOT TO BE SUPPORTED BY SUBSTANTIAL EVIDENCE.
WE MUST STATE IN WRITING THE SPECIFIC REASON AND LEGAL BASIS FOR ANY CHANGE OR REJECTION.
ANY ACTION THAT WE TAKE MUST BE SUPPORTED BY THE RECORD PRESENTED BY THE INDEPENDENT HEARING EXAMINER.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? IS THERE A NEED FOR US TO GO TO CLOSED SESSION? LET'S GO AHEAD AND THE BOARD WILL NOW RECESS TO CLOSED SESSION UNDER CHAPTER 551 OF THE TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE, OPEN MEETINGS ACT, SUBSECTION 55.004 THROUGH 551.089.
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 IN AN OPEN MEETING COVERED BY THIS NOTICE UPON THE RECONVENING OF THE PUBLIC MEETING OR AT A SUBSEQUENT PUBLIC MEETING OF THE BOARD UPON NOTICE ERA.
THE BOARD HAS RECESSED TO CLOSED SESSION AT 1:46 PM ON MARCH 26TH 2025.
COMPUTERS UP. DO I HAVE A MOTION?
>> YES. I MOVE THAT WE ADOPT THE DECISION AND RECOMMENDATION OF THE INDEPENDENT HEARING EXAMINER.
ADOPT THE FINDINGS OF FACT AND CONCLUSIONS OF LAW RECOMMENDED BY THE INDEPENDENT HEARING EXAMINER AND APPROVE THE PROPOSED TERMINATION OF KANISHIA CAREY'S 2024-2025 PROBATIONARY CONTRACT FOR GOOD CAUSE.
>> IS THERE A SECOND? DO WE NOT HAVE THIS?
>> HERE WE GO. WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND.
ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? IF NOT, PLEASE VOTE.
I UNDERSTAND ONE OF OUR SPEAKERS HAS ARRIVED THAT WAS NOT HERE. THERE YOU GO.
WE'LL GO AHEAD AND TAKE YOU NOW.
>> THE FAR EAST FOR TWO WEEKS AND TIME REENTRY IS QUITE A THING.
>> I CAN IMAGINE TO BE LIKE YOU. GO AHEAD.
>> I'M CONCERNED ABOUT THE FUNDAMENTAL VISION AND VALUES REFLECTED IN THE BUDGET.
THE CURRENT SINGULAR FOCUS ON STANDARDIZED TESTING TO MEASURE STUDENT SUCCESS, USING TEST SCORES TO EVALUATE TEACHERS, CREATING FORCED CURVE DISTRIBUTIONS.
ALL OF THESE REFLECT THE VALUES OF CORPORATE AMERICA, DRIVEN BY PROFIT MARGIN AND COMPETITION.
IT'S A FUNDAMENTALLY FLAWED FRAMEWORK TO USE HERE BECAUSE PUBLIC EDUCATION IS ABOUT INVESTING IN CHILDREN AND DOING THAT SUCCESSFULLY REQUIRES COLLABORATION, MENTORING, AND COOPERATION, THE PROVERBIAL VILLAGE, NOT COMPETITION.
[00:40:03]
IF WE DO IT RIGHT, NOT SHAREHOLDERS, THE SUPERINTENDENT OR THE ADMINISTRATION, THE CHILDREN ARE THE ONES WHO BENEFIT.THE FUNDAMENTAL DIFFERENCE BETWEEN TEACHERS AND CORPORATE EMPLOYEES IS THAT TEACHERS ARE MOTIVATED TO HELP KIDS BY LOVE, NOT BY THE PROMISE OF A BIGGER PAYCHECK.
LEARNING IS IMPACTED BY COUNTLESS FACTORS BEYOND THE SCHOOL'S CONTROL, WHETHER A CHILD HAS ENOUGH SLEEP, IS SICK OR IN PAIN, HAS BOOKS AT HOME OR EVEN HAS A HOME.
LEARNING ASSESSMENT IS ALSO IMPACTED BY MYRIAD ADDITIONAL FACTORS, INCLUDING THE TIME OF DAY, ROOM TEMPERATURE, AND SETTING.
THIS IS WHY MEASURING LEARNING IS INCREDIBLY COMPLICATED AND CANNOT BE ACCURATELY OR VALIDLY ACCOMPLISHED BY A SINGLE TEST.
FOCUSING EXCLUSIVELY ON TEST SCORES CONTRADICTS EVERYTHING WE KNOW ABOUT WHAT CHILDREN NEED TO THRIVE, WHICH IS TRUSTING SUPPORTIVE RELATIONSHIPS WITH ADULTS AND A SENSE OF BELONGING AND SECURITY.
THIS IS SUPPORTED BY LITERALLY ALL THE PEER REVIEWED RESEARCH OUT THERE.
TEACHERS CANNOT DEVELOP SUPPORTIVE RELATIONSHIPS WITH STUDENTS WHEN THEY'RE REQUIRED TO READ VERBATIM FROM A SCRIPT WHILE CONSTANTLY FORCING STUDENTS TO HURRY THROUGH BORING ERROR WRITTEN WORKSHEETS WITH INTERRUPTIONS EVERY FOUR MINUTES, AND NO TIME ALLOWED FOR QUESTIONS OR DEEPER EXPLORATION OF MATERIAL.
STUDENTS CANNOT DEVELOP A SENSE OF BELONGING OR SECURITY IN A SCHOOL WHERE STAFF TURNOVER IS CONSTANT, AND TEACHERS CANNOT TAILOR CURRICULUM TO ENGAGE THEIR INTERESTS.
REMOVING WRAP AROUND SPECIALISTS AND REDUCING FOOD DISTRIBUTION LOCATIONS, ELIMINATING THE ENTIRE DYSLEXIA DEPARTMENT, PAYING A HUGE BONUS TO THE SUPERINTENDENT WHEN THE DISTRICT LOSES 42% OF ITS TEACHERS.
THESE ACTIONS DO NOT INDICATE THAT THE DISTRICT VALUES CHILDREN OR TEACHERS, BUT THE COMMUNITY DOES.
LET'S CREATE A BUDGET THAT REFLECTS OUR VALUES AND MISSION.
>> THANK YOU. ANY MORE SPEAKERS? GOOD. NEXT ITEM UP, PURPOSE OF THIS MEETING IS CONSIDERED THE DISPUTE FILED BY JAMES WESTHOFF, POLICE OFFICER, HISD POLICE DEPARTMENT.
HEARINGS INVOLVE COMPLAINTS AGAINST DISTRICT EMPLOYEES ARE TO BE HELD IN CLOSED SESSION UNLESS EMPLOYEE WHO IS SUBJECT TO THE HEARING REQUESTS AN OPEN HEARING.
IF BOTH PARTIES REQUEST AN OPEN SESSION DURING THE COURSE OF THE HEARING, THE BOARD MAY GO INTO CLOSED SESSION TO CONSULT WITH ITS ATTORNEY UNDER THE TERMS OF TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 551.071.
IF ANY BOARD MEMBER WISHES TO SEEK ADVICE OF COUNSEL, PLEASE LET ME KNOW.
FOR THE RECORD, MR. MARTINEZ JOINED.
FOR THE RECORD, AVERY KRUSHALL, AND BONNY CREED, WITH THE COMBINED LAW ENFORCEMENT ASSOCIATION OF TEXAS, REPRESENTS JAMES WESTHOFF.
THEY ARE PRESENT. ALSO, WE HAVE ANDREW FRANCIS WITH SPALDING NICHOLS LAMP AND LANGLOIS, REPRESENTING THE ADMINISTRATION.
CATOSHA WOODS, HISD GENERAL COUNSEL IS ALSO PRESENT.
MR. KRUSHALL, AND MR. CREED, DO YOU WISH TO CONTINUE IN CLOSED SESSION OR OPEN SESSION?
>> CLOSED SESSION. IF THE PARTY IS NOT INVOLVED IN THIS HEARING, WE NEED TO HAVE YOU LEAVE THE AUDITORIUM AT THIS TIME, WOULD APPRECIATE THAT.
THIS SPECIAL MEETING OF THE SCHOOL BOARD OF THE HOUSTON INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT IS NOW RECONVENED IN OPEN SESSION.
LET'S SEE. I THINK YOU MIGHT HAVE TO HIT MY COMPUTER SINCE MINE JUST WENT OFF.
WHAT HAVE WE GOT TO DO HERE? EVERYBODY GOT THEIR COMPUTER UP? YOU'RE GOOD OVER THERE?
>> GO AHEAD AND READ YOUR MOTION.
>> I MOVE THAT WE DENY ALL REQUESTED RELIEF REMEDIES NOT PREVIOUSLY GRANTED BY THE LEVEL 2 HEARING OFFICER AND UPHOLD THE DECISION OF THE LEVEL 2 HEARING OFFICER.
>> IS THERE A SECOND? WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND.
[00:45:03]
ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? IF NOT, PLEASE VOTE.A LETTER NOTIFYING BOTH PARTIES OF THE ACTION OF THE BOARD SHOULD BE PREPARED AND SIGNED BY THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF BOARD RELATIONS AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
THE HEARING IS CONCLUDED AT 2:48 PM. THANK YOU.
>> WE'RE GOING TO START THE NEXT HEARING.
DO WE HAVE THE PARTIES HERE? [BACKGROUND] WE HAVE ONE SET OF PARTIES, WE DO HAVE ANOTHER SET HERE.
>> GO CHECK OUTSIDE. THANK YOU.
[00:52:01]
TECHNICALLY, WE'RE GOING TO GO AHEAD AND HAVE TO RESCHEDULE THIS HEARING.WE CAN'T REACH EITHER PARTY AND WE HAVE TO TALK TO THEM SPECIFICALLY IF WE DISMISSED.
WE CANNOT DO THAT AT THIS POINT, SO WE'RE GOING TO POSTPONE THIS AND RESCHEDULE AT ANOTHER DATE.
THEN IN THE MEANTIME, WE'RE GOING TO TAKE A BRIEF BREAK.
WE'LL RECONVENE AT, HOW LONG A BREAK YOU WANT? GET STARTED ON THE BUDGET.
I DON'T THINK EVERYBODY IS HERE. WE NEED TO GET THEM ALL ORGANIZED.
YOU'RE GOING TO ORGANIZE FOR THE BUDGET WORKSHOP, AND THEN WE'LL COME BACK AT 3:05.
LET'S MAKE SURE WE HAVE ALL OUR COMPUTERS SET UP AND READY TO HIT THE ROAD ON THE BUDGET REVIEW OR BUDGET WORKSHOP. WE'RE TAKING THAT BREAK NOW.
BOARD MEMBERS, AND MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC, WE ARE GOOD TO GO.
THIS MEETING IS RECONVENED AT 3:18 PM.
WE'LL NOW ADDRESS OUR WORKSHOP TOPIC, THE 2025-2026 DISTRICT BUDGET.
SUPERINTENDENT MILES, YOU HAVE THE FLOOR.
>> YES, SIR. I'M GOING TO DO IT FROM THE PODIUM.
>> WHILE YOU'RE GETTING READY, BOARD MEMBERS, YOU EACH GOT A COPY OF THIS SELF-EVALUATION FOR THE QUARTERLY TRACKER.
IF YOU WOULD TAKE A LOOK AT THAT AND THERE'S SOME ITEMS ALREADY CHECKED ON IT.
IF YOU HAVE ANY CHANGES OR YOU WANT TO MAKE CHANGES TO IT, WOULD YOU PLEASE GET THAT TO US BY TOMORROW END OF BUSINESS, SO WE CAN PUT IN THE PACKAGE FOR FRIDAY.
GOT IT. THANK YOU. SUPERINTENDENT MILES.
>> MR. PRESIDENT, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, WE'RE HERE TO DO THE SECOND BUDGET WORKSHOP.
YOU'LL RECALL THAT LAST BUDGET WORKSHOP, WE DID THE METHODOLOGIES AND ASSUMPTIONS.
WE HAD ALVAREZ AND MARSAL PRESENT ON THE BEST IN-CLASS BUDGET PRACTICES.
I WENT OVER A PART OF THAT AS WELL, AND THEN THE OVERVIEW OF THE DISTRICT FINANCIAL POSITION.
TODAY, WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT THE ACTION PLAN AND ITS RELATIONSHIP TO THE BOARD GOALS, AND THE BUDGET RELATED TO BOTH.
WE'LL ALSO SPEND A LITTLE BIT OF TIME TALKING ABOUT THE BUDGET METHODOLOGY FOR SCHOOL BUDGETS.
WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE PRESENTING ANY BUDGET LINE ITEMS. WE'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HOW MUCH MORE MONEY WE'RE GOING TO SPEND AS A RESULT OF THE ACTION PLAN.
BUT THIS IS NOT THE ITEMIZED BUDGET OF COURSE, AND NEITHER WILL WE GET SCHOOL BUDGET INFORMATION, JUST THE METHODOLOGY.
YOU'LL GET MORE PRECISE NUMBERS,
[00:55:02]
OF COURSE NEXT MONTH.WHEN WE DO THIS SCHOOL BUDGETING APPROACH, WE'LL HAVE THE SCHOOL NUMBERS FOR YOU AT LEAST THE PRELIMINARY ONES, AND THEN WE'LL ALSO HAVE DEPARTMENT NUMBERS FOR YOU, THE PRELIMINARY ONES.
TODAY, IT'S ABOUT ACTION PLAN BECAUSE AS THE BEST IN CLASS DISCUSSION WAS HELD LAST TIME, WE TALKED ABOUT HOW YOUR MONEY SHOULD FOLLOW YOUR PRIORITIES AND GOALS.
THE BUDGET SHOULD BE BUILT ON THOSE PRIORITIES AND ENSURING THAT WE ACCOMPLISH OUR GOALS.
KEEP IN MIND THAT IN OUR CASE, THE GOALS ARE NOT JUST THE BOARD GOALS.
WE'RE GOING TO BE COVERING THAT IN A MINUTE, BUT IT'S ALSO ABOUT GETTING OUT OF INTERVENTION STATUS.
THE FIRST THING THOUGH, AND THIS IS JUST THE PREAMBLE.
LAST TIME WE TALKED ABOUT THE BUDGET ASSUMPTIONS AND METHODOLOGY, AND WE SAID THAT AS THE YEAR GOES ON, THE NEXT COUPLE OF MONTHS, WE'RE GOING TO GET MORE AND MORE INFORMATION SO THAT WE CAN BUILD AN ACCURATE BUDGET, BUT WE NEED TO KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THE REVENUE SIDE WILL BE, AND THAT INVOLVES THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION.
AT THIS POINT, WE DON'T HAVE A LOT MORE INFORMATION, BUT WE HAVE A LITTLE BIT BETTER IDEA THAN WE DID BEFORE.
THE HEADLINE IS, IT DOES SEEM THAT THE DRAFT BILLS, AND YOU SEE FOUR OF THEM UP ON THE SCREEN, IT DOES SEEM THAT THE DRAFT BILLS PUT OUT A NUMBER AND THERE'S AN APPETITE.
THERE'S NEGOTIATIONS FOR INCREASING THE NUMBERS.
SENATE BILL 26 ISN'T AN INCREASE, BUT THERE HASN'T BEEN A LOT OF DISCUSSION ABOUT DECREASING THE AMOUNT OF MONEY IN SENATE BILL 26, WE'LL SEE WHAT HAPPENS IN THE END.
THIS IS THE SENATE BILL THAT REQUIRES A PAY INCREASE FOR TEACHERS.
THERE'S STILL SEVERAL QUESTIONS OUTSTANDING.
ONE IS, IS IT AN ALLOTMENT, OR IS IT A ONE TIME FUNDING? WHAT'S IT GOING TO BE LIKE? IF IT COMES OUT THE WAY IT'S WRITTEN RIGHT NOW, WE STAND TO GAIN 38 MILLION, BUT ALL OF THAT WILL BE BUDGET NEUTRAL BECAUSE WE'LL BE PAYING THAT OUT RIGHT AWAY TO TEACHER SALARIES.
BUDGET NEUTRAL MEANS, IT WON'T AFFECT OUR FUND BALANCE OR DECREASE OR INCREASE OUR GENERAL FUND REVENUE MUCH, SINCE WE'LL BE PAYING IT RIGHT OUT.
SENATE BILL 260 SCHOOL SAFETY ALLOTMENT.
WE DO THINK THEY'LL BE MONEY FOR SAFETY AND SECURITY, WHICH IS GREAT FOR US SINCE WE HAD PROJECTED, WE WANT TO DO SOME OF OUR HIGH PRIORITY FACILITIES' NEEDS.
COMPREHENSIVE EDUCATION FUNDS AND THE BASIC ALLOTMENT.
THE BILL HAD $220 MILLION IN IT OR 220 PER PUPIL INCREASE, AND IT DOES SEEM LIKE THERE'S A GOOD DEBATE RIGHT NOW ON INCREASING THAT AMOUNT.
WE DON'T THINK IT'LL BE LOWERED.
THERE'S LOTS OF DIFFERENT VARIATIONS, I DON'T THINK IT'S WISE TO PROJECT TOO HIGH, BUT OUR CURRENT ASSUMPTIONS ARE CONSERVATIVE, WE BELIEVE.
THE SAME WITH THE ENTITLEMENTS, WHICH WE PEG THE INCREASE IN BASIC ALLOTMENT TO 250 AND ENTITLEMENTS TO 200, SO WE THINK THAT'S A CONSERVATIVE ESTIMATE.
THEN FINALLY, IT LOOKS LIKE OUR SHARS PROGRAM THAT SCHOOL HEALTH AND RELATED SERVICES WILL GET SOME MONEY.
AGAIN, THESE ARE ALL ASSUMPTIONS AND PROBABILITIES.
JIM, DO YOU KNOW WHAT'S THE TOTAL AMOUNT ON SHARS? IS IT 17 MILLION?
>> WELL, WHAT WE THINK THEY WOULD BRING IN TO US WOULD BE ABOUT 32-40 MILLION IF THE BILL'S PASSED, AND THERE'S SEVERAL BILLS OUT THERE.
>> WE HADN'T REALLY BUDGETED FOR THAT, SO AGAIN, OUR ASSUMPTION IS PRETTY CONSERVATIVE HERE.
AGAIN, DON'T GO BUYING ANY PROPERTY BASED ON THIS INFORMATION.
WE'RE GETTING CLOSER AND CLOSER TO FINDING OUT WHAT WE'LL ACTUALLY GET.
BUT IT DOES LOOK LIKE WE'VE GIVEN THE BOARD A CONSERVATIVE ESTIMATE, AND IT LOOKS LIKE WE'LL HAVE MORE MONEY THAN THAT CONSERVATIVE ESTIMATE.
THIS IS THE BUDGET DEVELOPMENT TIMELINE.
THIS IS SECOND BUDGET WORKSHOP, AND WE HAVE THREE MORE WORKSHOPS, AND THEN THE REGULAR BOARD MEETING,
[01:00:01]
OF COURSE, AND THEN THE JUNE MEETING WHERE THE BOARD WILL ENTERTAIN THE BUDGET FOR VOTE.THIS YEAR IS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT THAN LAST YEAR.
LAST YEAR, WE REALLY HAD THE RIGHT SIZE.
>> IT'S A GOOD PLACE TO BREAK BECAUSE YOU'VE GONE THROUGH LEGISLATIVE UPDATE AND THE PROCESS AND TIMELINE.
IS THERE ANY QUESTIONS THAT BOARD MEMBERS HAVE ABOUT THE TIMELINE OR THE PROCESS OR NOT SO FAR?
>> I HAVE ONE QUESTION. I DON'T KNOW WHAT HAPPENED THERE. I HAVE A QUESTION.
WE ARE INCLUDING IN THE BUDGETING THE HB 2 $250 PER PUPIL AND THEN HB 2 $200 PER PUPIL OR NO?
>> NO. THE HB 2 IS THE BASIC ALLOTMENT.
THAT IS THE 250 PER PUPIL THAT WE PUT IN THE BUDGET ASSUMPTIONS.
HB 2 ALSO INCLUDES ENTITLEMENTS, WHICH IS NOT NOTED HERE.
THERE'S LOTS OF DIFFERENT ENTITLEMENTS THAT WILL BE IN THE COMPREHENSIVE BILL.
I DIDN'T OUTLINE ANY DIRECTLY, BUT IT DOESN'T LOOK LIKE IT'LL GO DOWN MUCH THAN WHAT WE PROJECTED.
IT MIGHT AND IN FACT, IT PROBABLY WILL GO UP.
>> ARE WE ASSUMING ANY INCREASE IN ENTITLEMENTS?
>> YES. AGAIN, WE'RE NOT CHANGING OUR BUDGET METHODOLOGY OR ASSUMPTIONS BECAUSE WE DID THAT LAST TIME, AND I THINK IT'S PRUDENT TO WAIT.
I'M JUST SUGGESTING THE HEADLINE IS THAT WHAT WE PROJECTED A MONTH AGO IS PROBABLY GOING TO BE CONSERVATIVE, MEANING WE'LL PROBABLY GET MORE MONEY THAN THAT.
THAT'S IT. I DON'T WANT TO BE MORE DEFINITIVE THAN THAT.
>> I'M JUST TRYING TO UNDERSTAND. I THOUGHT YOU SAID SOMETHING ABOUT $200, BUT MAYBE-
>> YOU'RE RIGHT. IT'S JUST NOT OUTLINED IN THE SAME WAY HERE.
HOUSE BILL 2 INCLUDES NOT ONLY THE BASIC ALLOTMENT, ENTITLEMENTS, AND SEVERAL OTHER THINGS RELATED TO EDUCATION FUNDING.
ALL I'M SUGGESTING IS THAT ON THE ENTITLEMENTS AND THE BASIC ALLOTMENT, WE THINK IT'S GOING TO GO UP.
THE BAIT IS BRINGING IT UP, NOT CUTTING IT.
>> THEN ON SARS, FOR THIS HB 500, WOULD THERE BE ANY ADDITIONAL THINGS THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO DO TO RECEIVE THIS ENHANCEMENT MONEY?
>> IT'S ONLY IF THE LEGISLATURE PASSES.
>> ANYBODY ELSE? GREAT. THANK YOU.
>> WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO THIS YEAR IS EITHER BRING IN A BALANCED BUDGET OR VERY CLOSE TO A BALANCED BUDGET.
PART OF THAT REASON IS SO THAT WE CAN SHOW THAT WE CAN SUSTAIN THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING OVER THE LONG HAUL.
AT SOME POINT YOU GOT TO GET TO A BALANCED BUDGET, OTHERWISE, IT'S NOT SUSTAINABLE.
THERE WERE LOTS OF REASONS WHY WE COULDN'T THE YEAR BEFORE THIS YEAR BECAUSE THE REVENUE SIDE DID NOT COME IN, AND WE'RE IN THE MIDDLE OF TRANSFORMATION.
STILL, WE HAVE TO GET PRETTY QUICKLY TO A BALANCED BUDGET.
ONE OF THE PROBLEMS WE'RE TRYING TO SOLVE IS TO SHOW THAT WE CAN BALANCE THE BUDGET AND ALSO SUSTAIN TRANSFORMATION.
THE WORK WE ARE DOING AND ANY CHANGES WE MAKE HAVE TO BE SUSTAINABLE.
THEN THIS IS A GOAL FOR EVERY DISTRICT EVERY YEAR, AT LEAST EFFECTIVE ONES, AND THAT IS WHEN YOU'RE IN SCARCE RESOURCE ENVIRONMENT, THEN YOU HAVE TO PRIORITIZE.
THE QUESTION IS, CAN YOU PRIORITIZE IN A WAY TO STILL ACCOMPLISH THE GOALS? WHICH IN OUR CASE, IS MANIFOLD BASED ON OUR VISION AND THE BOARD GOALS, AND THE TEA REQUIREMENTS TO GET US OUT OF INTERVENTION STATUS.
WE'VE GOT TO PRIORITIZE OUR MONIES TO DO THAT, AND THAT'S ALWAYS A PROBLEM WE WILL BE TRYING TO SOLVE.
OF COURSE, HAVING SAID THAT, JUST LIKE LAST YEAR, IF WE'RE GOING TO MEET THE BOARD GOALS, WHICH IS RAISE ACHIEVEMENT, CLOSE GAPS, GET US OUT OF INTERVENTION STATUS, AND OBVIOUSLY, WE'VE GOT TO PRESERVE WHAT HAPPENS IN THE CLASSROOM.
WE'VE GOT TO BE ABLE TO SUPPORT TEACHERS WELL AND PROVIDE THE RESOURCES THAT A TEACHER NEEDS AND A SCHOOL NEEDS.
YOU'RE GOING TO SEE THAT MANY OF THE CUTS ARE KEPT AWAY FROM THE CLASSROOM AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.
CAN'T DO THAT EVERYWHERE, BUT TO THE EXTENT THAT WE CAN, THAT'S WHAT WE'LL DO.
WE WILL PRIORITIZE RESOURCES, AND THEN DECISIONS THAT WE MAKE NOW HAVE TO SUPPORT LONG-TERM SUSTAINABILITY.
[01:05:08]
YOU WON'T SEE US PUTTING ONE-TIME MONIES INTO RECURRING EXPENSES, FOR EXAMPLE.THAT'S NOT A LONG-TERM FINANCIALLY SUSTAINABLE PLAN.
THOSE ARE OUR GUIDING PRINCIPLES.
THOSE PRINCIPLES COMBINED WITH THE DISTRICT VISION AND THE BOARD GOALS, AND I'LL STOP AFTER THAT.
WE'RE TRYING TO NOT ONLY MEET THE INTERVENTION CRITERIA.
YOU'LL SEE, PRIORITIZE INSTRUCTION AND SPECIAL EDUCATION, BUT WE ALSO HAVE TO PREPARE OUR KIDS FOR YEAR 2035 ENVIRONMENT.
IT'S NOT ENOUGH TO DO WELL ON THE START GAME.
WE ALSO HAVE TO DO WELL CCMR AREA AND OTHER THINGS THAT PREPARE KIDS FOR THE WORKPLACE.
THEN OF COURSE, THE BOARD GOALS ARE TIED TO THIS NOTION OF GETTING OUT OF INTERVENTION STATUS AND HELPING OUR KIDS ACHIEVE, AND THIS IS JUST A SUMMATION OF THAT EFFORT.
OBVIOUSLY, IT'S MORE THAN THIRD GRADE AND MORE THAN SPECIAL ED, AND MORE THAN TSI.
BUT THESE ARE DOING THESE WELL WILL ALSO MEET THE OTHER NEEDS THAT OUR KIDS HAVE.
THAT'S WHERE THE BOARD GOALS COME IN.
THIS IS WHERE THE TEA INTERVENTION CRITERIA COMES IN AND OUR VISION.
THE REST OF THIS PRESENTATION IS ABOUT, HOW DO OUR ACTIONS THEN ALIGN WITH THE VISION AND THE BOARD GOALS.
WE'LL TALK ABOUT EACH ONE HERE IN A MINUTE.
BUT THIS IS A SUMMARY. YOU HAVE THE ACTION PLAN.
YOU ALSO HAVE THIS POWERPOINT, BUT THERE'S A LOT MORE DETAIL IN THE DISTRICT ACTION PLAN THAT YOU RECEIVED.
INDICATORS OF SUCCESS, SPECIFIC ACTIONS ARE OUTLINED IN THAT DOCUMENT.
I'LL QUICKLY DO A SUMMARY OF THESE EIGHT KEY ACTIONS.
OBVIOUSLY, THERE'S 100 THINGS THAT THE DISTRICT HAS TO DO AND THOUSANDS OF SPECIFIC ACTIONS THAT WE TAKE EVERY DAY.
THIS PRIORITIZING IS AN EXERCISE AND SAYING, WHICH IS THE ONES THAT WE HAVE TO FOCUS ON AND WHICH ONE WILL GET US THE BIGGEST BANG FOR OUR BUCK, GIVEN THAT WE HAVE THE GOALS AND VISION THAT WE HAVE.
THESE KEY ACTIONS, THERE ARE EIGHT OF THEM.
SOME OF THEM DIRECTLY, OBVIOUSLY, CAN BE CORRELATOR TRANSLATED TO A GOAL LIKE IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF INSTRUCTION.
WE KNOW THAT DIRECTLY INFLUENCES THE ACHIEVEMENT IN THIRD GRADE, AND IT DIRECTLY AFFECTS THAT.
SPECIAL EDUCATION, OF COURSE, DIRECTLY IMPACTS SPECIAL AT GOAL NUMBER THREE, OR THE BOARD GOALS ON SPECIAL EDUCATION, THE TEA CRITERIA.
THEN THE OTHERS ARE INDIRECTLY TIED TO THE BOARD GOALS LIKE.
HAVING A GOOD TEACHER EVALUATION SYSTEM IMPROVES TEACHER EFFECTIVENESS, PAYING PEOPLE WELL, BRINGS PEOPLE IN, AND THOSE ALSO WILL GET THE ACHIEVEMENT RESULTS THAT WE NEED.
THOSE OTHERS ARE INDIRECTLY RELATED, AND YOU CAN SEE THE CHART ON THE RIGHT-HAND SIDE.
THERE'S A LOT MORE DETAIL AND YOU STOP ME ANY TIME.
A LOT MORE DETAIL ON EACH OF THE KEY ACTIONS, BUT I WON'T READ THROUGH THESE SLIDES.
I'LL JUST POINT OUT SOME BIG ELEMENTS.
WE'RE AT A POINT WHERE WE'VE DONE A GOOD JOB, I THINK, OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS; LAST YEAR AND THIS YEAR, ON MAKING SURE THAT 273 SCHOOLS ARE ALIGNED ON WHAT THE QUALITY OF INSTRUCTION MEANS.
OF COURSE, IT REQUIRES CONTINUAL PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT.
WE WILL ALWAYS HAVE SOME NEW TEACHERS.
WE WILL PROBABLY ALWAYS HAVE TEACHERS MOVING TOWARDS CERTIFICATION.
WE THINK WE'LL HAVE FEWER AND FEWER OF THOSE, BUT WE ARE LIVING IN A CERTIFIED EDUCATION DEFICIT IN THE COUNTRY AND IN STATE OF TEXAS.
WE'LL PROBABLY ALWAYS HAVE AN EFFORT TO IMPROVE TEACHER INSTRUCTION.
EVEN THE TEACHERS WHO HAVE BEEN HERE, WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO IMPROVE THAT.
IT ALSO MEANS THAT WE HAVE TO CALIBRATE ALL THE TIME AND MAKE SURE OUR PRINCIPALS ARE GOOD AT GIVING INSTRUCTIONAL FEEDBACK, AND SO YOU SEE AN INDICATOR AROUND IMPROVING OUR IRT,
[01:10:05]
INDEPENDENT REVIEW TEAM, PRACTICE, OUR CALIBRATION.WE ALSO, NOT THAT WE'VE IGNORED IT, BUT WE WANT TO PUT A LITTLE BIT MORE EFFORT INTO EMERGENT BILINGUAL INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES.
WE ADDED TO OUR SLIDE DECK AND CURRICULUM WITH SCAFFOLDS TO HELP EMERGENT BILINGUALS.
WE HAVE ENGLISH LANGUAGE DEVELOPER TEACHERS, ELD TEACHERS WHO HELP, AND WE'VE DONE I THINK A GOOD JOB OF IMPLEMENTING DUAL LANGUAGE VERSUS BILINGUAL.
STILL, HAVING SAID ALL THAT, WE HAVE A GROWING POPULATION OF EMERGENT BILINGUAL STUDENTS, SO WE NEED TO REALLY SHORE THAT UP AND INCREASE THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS GROWING IN TELPAS PROFICIENCY.
THAT'S HOW WE'LL MEASURE WHETHER OR NOT WE'RE DOING A GOOD JOB THERE.
THEN SINCE WE'RE STARTING TES NEXT YEAR, THAT WILL HELP US IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF INSTRUCTION, BUT WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT ANY APPRAISER, JUST LIKE WE DID WITH T-TEST, BUT WE'RE GOING TO BE MUCH MORE RIGOROUS IN THIS, THEY'RE CERTIFIED TO APPRAISE TEACHERS.
OUR PRINCIPALS, OUR APS, HAVE TO PASS CERTIFICATION IN ORDER TO APPRAISE.
KEY ACTION 2 IS THE IMPLEMENTATION OF TES.
IT'S ONE THING TO PASS IT, AND I THANK THE BOARD FOR DOING THAT LAST BOARD MEETING, BUT IT'S ANOTHER TO MAKE SURE IT'S IMPLEMENTED WITH FIDELITY, IMPLEMENTED FAIRLY, RIGOROUSLY, AND CONSISTENTLY ACROSS 273 SCHOOLS.
WE HAVE A KEY ACTION AROUND THAT.
A BIG PART OF TES IS DISTINGUISHED TEACHER REVIEW, AND SO WE'LL BE IMPLEMENTING THAT WELL.
ONE PART OF TES, BESIDES A RIGOROUS EVALUATION AND DEVELOPING THE PROFICIENCY OF TEACHERS, IS TO ENSURE THAT WHEN WE HAVE THE RATINGS AND WE APPLY THEM AND WE PAY FOR THAT FOR HIGHER RATINGS, THAT WE RETAIN A LARGER PERCENTAGE OF TEACHERS WHO ARE ABOVE PROFICIENT.
WE THINK WE'RE GOING TO SEE THAT.
WE ALREADY SEE THAT WITH T-TEST, WE THINK WE'RE GOING TO SEE IT EVEN MORE WITH TES.
YOU SEE THE KEY ACTION 1 DIDN'T REQUIRE ANY ADDITIONAL FUNDING BECAUSE WE ALREADY DO THAT.
WE WILL JUST DO BETTER TRAINING.
WE HAVE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPERS.
BUT THE IMPLEMENTATION OF T-TEST, WE THINK WILL REQUIRE A FEW MORE PEOPLE AT CENTRAL OFFICE TO MANAGE IT TO ALSO HELP CERTIFY AND KEEP TRACK OF THE DATA.
THERE IS A COST TO IT, AND WE'RE ESTIMATING $1,000,000 FOR THAT.
KEY ACTION 3 IMPROVES SPECIAL EDUCATION.
I PUT DOWN ZERO TO THE BUDGET HERE, BUT IT REALLY DEPENDS ON WHETHER OR NOT WE GET THAT MANY MORE SPECIAL ED STUDENTS.
IF WE DO, WE MAY HAVE TO INCREASE IT.
IF CONCOMITANTLY AT THE LEGISLATURE, THEY DON'T INCREASE IDA FUNDS OR KEEP IT THE SAME.
IF WE GET A DECREASE IN IDA, THEN MAYBE WE'LL HAVE TO INCREASE THAT.
RIGHT NOW, IT SAYS ZERO, BUT I WANT A FOOTNOTE ON THAT, THAT MIGHT HAVE TO INCREASE DEPENDING ON THE NUMBER OF KIDS WE HAVE.
I THINK WE'VE DONE A GOOD JOB WITH COMPLIANCE ON SPECIAL ED THIS YEAR, GETTING BETTER AND BETTER, GETTING OUT OF TEA DOGHOUSE FOR A SPECIAL ED.
BUT THE REAL MEAT IS ON THE INSTRUCTIONAL SIDE, AND THAT IS NOT SOMETHING YOU CAN CHECK A BOX FOR.
THAT TAKES A LOT OF INSTRUCTION, COACHING SO THAT WE IMPROVE OUR SPECIAL ED INSTRUCTION.
THAT'S WHY YOU SEE IMPROVE THE IRT SCORES FOR SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHERS AND THAT THE IPS HAVE AT LEAST A GOOD PORTION OF IT IS INSTRUCTIONAL IMPROVERS, NOT JUST THINGS TO CHECK THE IP COMPLIANCE BOX.
THEN WE KNOW THAT WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO HAVE GOOD TEACHER ASSISTANCE FOR SPECIAL ED CLASSROOMS. AGAIN, THAT SAYS ZERO, BUT IT MAY CHANGE.
PRE-K, WE WANT TO CONTINUE TO GROW OUR PRE-K KIDS.
THIS IS NOT AN EASY THING TO DO.
THE COST COMES IN THE PRE-K TEACHERS THAT WE HAVE TO HIRE,
[01:15:05]
BUT ALSO IN THE FACILITIES TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE ENOUGH ROOM AND CLASSROOMS TO GET TO 800 ADDITIONAL PRE-K SEATS.A ROUGH ESTIMATE IS $5 MILLION.
WE HAVE TO FIND THAT IN THE BUDGET AND WE HAVE TO BUDGET FOR THAT.
>> CAN I ASK A QUESTION ON THAT?
>> IS YOUR $5 MILLION, IS THAT FOR ACTUAL RENOVATIONS TO SCHOOLS, OR IS THAT FOR PERSONNEL OR BOTH?
>> I THINK MOST OF IT WILL BE FOR PERSONNEL, BUT MAYBE, KRISTEN, CAN YOU ADD TO THAT?
>> A BIG PART OF THE PERSONNEL THAT WE SUPPORT IS THE TEACHING ASSISTANT.
A PRE-K CLASSROOM CAN HAVE UP TO 22 STUDENTS AND WE ADD TEACHING ASSISTANCE TO MAKE THE RATIO MORE LIKE 1:11, WHICH IS REALLY OUR TRUE TARGET.
THIS NUMBER FUNDS A LOT OF THE TEACHING ASSISTANCE IN NESNPUA, AND THEN ANY NEW CLASSROOM, IT'LL ALWAYS FUND THE START-UP COSTS.
THE FURNITURE, THE EQUIPMENT, JUST EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO GET A CURRICULUM, EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO GET THE ROOM CLASSROOM READY.
>> ARE WE EXPECTING MORE PRE-K STUDENTS? I UNDERSTAND THE SEATS, BUT DO WE HAVE KIDS TO FILL THE SEATS?
>> THAT'S ALSO ACTUALLY A PART OF THIS IS WE ARE DOING A LOT MORE TO PROVIDE INFORMATION TO THE COMMUNITY THAT PRE-K IS EXPANDING AND THAT IT'S AVAILABLE.
WE'RE INVESTING IN BOTH ON-THE-GROUND MARKETING AND DIGITAL MARKETING RESOURCES TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE COMMUNICATING IN THE PARTICULAR ZONES THAT ARE EXPANDING, THAT THERE ARE SEATS AVAILABLE.
IT'S BOTH A COMBINATION OF CREATING THE SEATS AS WELL AS THE SUPPORTS TO HELP STUDENTS ENROLL IN THE SEATS BECAUSE OFTENTIMES THOSE PARENTS AGAIN, THEY'RE NOT ON OUR LIST SERVES, DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO THAT INFORMATION, SO WE'RE INVESTING IN TRYING TO GET THE INFORMATION OUT THERE.
>> LAST QUESTION. IS IT CURRENTLY OPEN ENROLLMENT FOR PRE-K FOR NEXT YEAR?
>> THERE'S A PRE-K SCHOOL CHOICE APPLICATION THAT FIRST ROUND HAS CLOSED, BUT IT WILL STILL STAY OPEN, AND THERE'S TA REQUIRES US TO ADMIT PRE-K FOR ELIGIBLE STUDENTS FIRST.
THE APPLICATION FOR THAT GROUP HAS CLOSED.
THE APPLICATION FOR THE REMAINING PRE-K STUDENTS IS STILL OPEN, BUT THEN AS SEATS ARE AVAILABLE, ANYBODY CAN STILL APPLY.
>> ARE WE PROJECTING THAT THESE WILL ALL BE FULL PLUS THE 800 NEW SEATS?
>> OUR GOAL MORE BROADLY IS ALWAYS TO FILL UPPER 90% OF SEATS ACROSS THE BOARD.
BUT WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENS ACROSS HISD IS CERTAIN ZONES HAVE WAIT LIST THAT ARE A MILE LONG, AND OTHER ZONES MIGHT HAVE SOME OPEN SEATS WHERE WE REALLY NEED TO INVEST IN THE MARKETING.
WHAT WE DO IS LOOK AT THE ZONES THAT STILL HAVE OPEN SEATS SO THAT WE ACTUALLY CAN MAKE SURE THEY'RE FULL, BUT WE STILL TARGET THAT ABOVE 95% GOAL ACROSS THE DISTRICT.
>> THE 800 SEATS, I'M ASSUMING ARE GOING TO THE AREAS WHERE THERE'S WAIT LISTS.
>> IF THERE'S CAPACITY AT THE CAMPUSES.
WE DO DATA TRIANGULATION ACROSS THE BOARD.
WE LOOK AT WHAT THE DEMOGRAPHER SHOWS IN TERMS OF WHERE FAMILIES ARE GROWING.
WE ALSO LOOK AT WHERE HISTORICALLY THERE HAS BEEN WAIT LISTS AS WELL TO DETERMINE.
IF THERE HAVE BEEN LONG WAIT LISTS, YES, THAT'S ABSOLUTELY THE PLACE WHERE WE START, BUT IF THAT BUILDING IS FULL, THEN SOMETIMES WE'RE A LITTLE BIT STUCK IN THAT ZONE UNLESS WE CAN DO A PARTNERSHIP IN THAT ZONE, WHICH REQUIRES US TO FIND A DIFFERENT FACILITY FROM AN EXTERNAL VENDOR.
IT DOES MAKE IT OPERATIONALLY COMPLEX WHEN WE HAVE A PARTNERSHIP BECAUSE THE PRINCIPAL ISN'T AT THAT PARTNERSHIP SCHOOL, YET WE'RE STILL OVERSEEING THE KIDS, BUT IT IS ONE SOLUTION WE HAVE FOUND IN A COUPLE OF ZONES WHERE WE KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF DEMAND AND ARE STILL LOOKING TO INCREASE SUPPLY.
>> ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ON THIS ONE?
>> I GUESS JUST ABOUT A TREND THAT WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION CUTS, MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THERE'S SOME FUNDING THAT WAS GOING TO PRE-K IN THE COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE, AND I'M NOT SURE HOW THAT WORKS LOGISTICALLY EXACTLY, BUT I WONDER ABOUT HOW THAT SUPPLY DEMAND CAN AFFECT WHAT WE'RE DOING ON THE GROUND.
>> I HADN'T HEARD THAT ABOUT FEDERAL FUNDING CUTS TO PRE-K OR EVEN TEA CUTS TO PRE-K, ANYTHING THAT HAVE YOU HEARD?
I'M NOT SURE IF JIM HAS INSIGHT, BUT NOT THAT I'M AWARE OF OF INCREASES OR DECREASES.
[01:20:01]
>> ONE ADDITIONAL QUESTION, SORRY.
>> IF WE WERE TO FILL THOSE 800 SEATS, WHAT WOULD BE OUR TOTAL COUNT FOR PRE-K.
>> IF WE FILL THE 800 SEATS WHAT'S THE TOTAL COUNT?
>> FOR PRE-K. GREAT JOB, GUYS.
>> YEAH. THAT'S TOTAL. THAT'S ALL. THANK YOU.
>> THE NEXT ONE, IMPROVE DISTRICTWIDE SYSTEMS AND EFFICIENCY.
I'M GOING TO SWITCH TO ANOTHER SLIDE DECK.
MY STAFF CAN TAKE A BREATH HERE. IT'S OKAY.
SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO DO AS A SPIRIT MOVES YOU.
IF WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT SYSTEMS AND THE EFFICIENCY, IS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT WHERE WE ARE IN THE SYSTEM AND THEN WE CAN GO BACK TO NUMBER 5, WHICH IS DIRECTLY RELATED TO THIS.
THIS IS A JACKSON POLLOCK PICTURE.
IT REPRESENTS THIS IS FOR YOU, AUDREY. [LAUGHTER]
>> IT REPRESENTS IN A VISUAL WAY THE SYSTEMS AND PROCESSES THAT WERE HERE WHEN THIS TEAM GOT HERE.
I DON'T WANT TO USE A LOT OF WORDS AND ASPERSIONS.
MAYBE THE PICTURE WILL HELP EASE THAT.
BUT EVERY DISTRICT HAS SYSTEMS AND PROCESSES, AND IF YOU THINK OF THE BLUE RECTANGLE AS A DEPARTMENT, HR, FINANCE IS DIFFERENT ONE, CURRICULUM IS A DIFFERENT ONE, SCHOOL IS A DIFFERENT ONE, ETC.
WE STILL HAVE SYSTEMS AND PROCESSES THAT ARE ALL OVER THE PLACE.
I CAN GIVE YOU EXAMPLES EVEN IN THE FIRST SUMMER, HR TRYING TO GET A HANDLE ON POSITION CONTROL NUMBERS, AND THEN TRYING TO HIRE BY BREAKING BAD PROCESSES ASSOCIATED WITH POSITION CONTROL NUMBERS WAS A NIGHTMARE.
TRYING TO GET OFFERS OUT WHEN THE REGULATIONS HAVE OLD REGULATIONS THAT SAY YOU CAN'T HIRE UNTIL 45 DAYS AFTER A PERSON GET NON RENEWED THINGS LIKE THAT.
IT WAS JUST A MESS AND THAT'S JUST HR.
MANY OTHER SYSTEMS AND PROCESSES THAT WERE NOT ALIGNED.
I KNOW THE REPORTERS ARE HERE, BUT I DON'T CARE.
SOMETIMES IT'S HARD FOR ME TO BELIEVE WE GOT THE OUTCOMES WE GOT WITH THE SYSTEMS AND PROCESSES THAT WERE AS CHALLENGING AS THEY WERE.
THAT WAS FIRST YEAR, AND WE JUST BY GOOD LEADERSHIP AMONG THE DEPARTMENTS, SOME REALLY EFFECTIVE DEPUTY CHIEFS, WE GOT THE OUTCOMES WE NEEDED TO GET.
WE SERVED TEACHERS AND WE SERVE KIDS ANYWAY, AND WE FIXED A LOT OF IT, BUT SUFFERED FROM MANY OTHERS.
THAT'S THIS YEAR. THIS YEAR, WE'RE STILL ALIGNING IMPROVING SYSTEMS. ANYBODY WHO'S WORKED IN A BIG ORGANIZATION, WE HAVE 25,000 EMPLOYEES KNOWS HOW MUCH WORK AND EFFORT IT TAKES TO GET FROM THIS TO THIS.
WE DON'T TALK ABOUT IT A LOT, BUT THE CABINET AND THE DEPUTY CHIEFS ARE FIRST RATE, AND I'M TELLING YOU THAT AS A PERSON WHO'S BEEN A SUPERINTENDENT OR CEO FOR 18 YEARS.
THE FIRST RATE. ARE WE WHERE WE NEED TO BE? NO, WE STILL HAVE SOME BROKEN SYSTEMS. I'LL BE HONEST, I DIDN'T PUT TRANSPORTATION UP HERE BECAUSE THAT WOULD LOOK LIKE THIS.
WE'RE ALIGNING THE SYSTEM BUT IMPROVING THE SYSTEM AND PROCESSES WE HAVE.
AS A RESULT, THOUGH, THIS IS NOT WHERE YOU SHOULD WIND UP.
NOW MOST LARGE SYSTEMS GET TO THIS POINT AND THEN THEY STOP, AND WHAT YOU HAVE THEN IS A SILOING EFFECT.
IF YOU JUST IMPROVE THE SYSTEM AND PROCESSES IN YOUR LANE IN YOUR BLUE BOX, THAT IS KNOWN AS A SILO.
YOU CAN GET REALLY GOOD AT IT LIKE THIS AND STILL YOU WOULD
[01:25:02]
HAVE SILOS AND THAT'S NOT THE MOST EFFECTIVE WAY TO RUN AN ORGANIZATION, ESPECIALLY HIGH PERFORMING ONE.YES, WE GOT TO GET HERE, BUT REALLY WHAT WE HAVE TO DO IS GET HERE.
GOING FORWARD, THIS IS NOT NOW SEQUENTIAL.
IF YOU GO HERE, YOU ACTUALLY MIGHT STRENGTHEN YOUR SILOS.
THE THING TO DO IN A LARGE SYSTEM WHEN YOU'RE AT THIS POINT RIGHT HERE IS TO WORK TO LINE THE SYSTEM CROSS FUNCTIONALLY AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO.
SO TWO MONTHS AGO, WE STARTED LOOKING AT OUR DEVELOPING AND DATA INTEGRATION TEAM.
THAT RESULTED IN SOME PEOPLE SHIFTS, AND YOU'LL SEE SOON THE ORG FOR CHIEF OF STAFF IS GOING TO GROW A LITTLE BIT SO THAT WE CAN DO THIS.
SO THAT WE DON'T GO FROM HERE TO HERE, WE GO FROM HERE TO HERE.
NOW, IT MIGHT TAKE US MORE THAN A YEAR, NOT MUCH MORE, BUT MORE THAN A YEAR TO GET TO THIS.
BUT WE'RE DEFINITELY NOT GOING TO DO IT IF WE DON'T IMPROVE THE SYSTEM CROSS FUNCTIONALLY, AND THAT'S WHERE WE ARE.
ONE OF THE THINGS WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT DATA AND SOME OF THE CHALLENGE WE'VE HAD WITH DEFINING DATA, YOU MAY NOT KNOW THAT THERE HAVE BEEN HARDLY ANY BUSINESS RULES AROUND MUCH OF THE DATA NOR SERVICE LEVEL AGREEMENTS.
I MENTIONED THAT IN THE EFFICIENCY REPORT BACK IN FEBRUARY OF THE FIRST YEAR.
BUSINESS RULES AND SERVICE LEVEL AGREEMENTS.
FOR EXAMPLE, WHEN WE SAY, I'LL JUST TAKE THE MOST RECENT EXAMPLE.
ASK MATTHEW SAWYER AND HR, TELL ME HOW MANY TEACHERS ARE CHRONICALLY ABSENT IN '22 '23.
BECAUSE SINCE THEN, WE HAVE BUSINESS RULES FOR CHRONICAL ABSENCE, WE HAVE DEFINED IT AND WE HAVE REGULATIONS AROUND THAT.
WHEN I SAY CHRONICALLY ABSENT, EVERYBODY, AT LEAST IN THE ADMINISTRATION KNOWS WHAT THAT MEANS.
WE'VE GOT GOOD DATA TO SHOW THAT TEACHERS NOW KNOW WHAT IT MEANS, AND SO DO PRINCIPALS.
WELL, IF YOU TRY TO DEFINE IT IN 22 23, THERE WERE NO BUSINESS RULES AROUND IT.
IF THE BOARD ASKED ME, WELL, HAVE WE IMPROVED AND ARE CHRONICALLY ABSENT SINCE BEFORE YOU GOT HERE AND THE ANSWER IS, WE CAN GIVE YOU A BROAD NUMBER, BUT THEY DIDN'T HAVE THE SAME BUSINESS RULES.
HAD THEY HAD THE BUSINESS RULE, MAYBE PEOPLE WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN AS ABSENT.
IT IS A LITTLE BIT LIKE COMPARING APPLES AND ORANGES.
STILL, WE CAN GIVE YOU GENERALLY HOW MANY TEACHERS EXCEEDED THEIR PTO DAYS AND THEIR STATE DAYS.
BUT THEY ALSO HAD DARK DAYS SO DOES DARK DAYS COUNT AS A DAY ABSENT? THAT'S A BUSINESS RULE.
ANYWAY, POINT IS, THIS IS WHERE WE NEED TO BE.
NOW I CAN GET BACK TO NUMBER 5.
MY STAFF IS APPLAUDING THE FACT THAT WE'RE RETURNING TO THE POWERPOINT.
BUT I'M HOPING YOU UNDERSTAND THIS IS WHY THIS KEY ACTION IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE WE WANT TO STRENGTHEN THE AVAILABILITY AND ACCURACY OF KEY DATA, AND UNDERNEATH THAT, THE DEFINITION OR THE NUANCE THERE IS, WE NEED BUSINESS RULES, WE NEED SERVICE LEVEL AGREEMENTS, WE NEED CLEAN DATA, WE NEED ONE DEFINITION OF ENROLLMENT.
WE NEED ONE BUSINESS RULE FOR HOW MANY BUSES WE HAVE.
DOES IT INCLUDE BUSES THAT ARE GOING TO BE SOLD.
DOES IT INCLUDE BROKEN BUSES? DO YOU COUNT CANNIBALIZED BUSES? WHAT'S THE RULE? WHEN YOU ASK ME HOW MANY BUSES WE HAVE, IT'S LIKE, WELL, IT DEPENDS.
THE FACT IS THAT PEOPLE HAVE BEEN USING DASHBOARDS, DIFFERENT SOFTWARE IN MANY DIFFERENT AREAS? EVEN IF WE GOT THE BLUE RECTANGLE SQUARED AWAY, IT STILL WOULDN'T BE CROSS FUNCTIONAL AND WE STILL WOULD GET DIFFERENCES IN DATA REPORTING AND SO IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO HAVE ONE.
[01:30:06]
THE $10 MILLION THERE WILL PROBABLY COME FROM MAINTENANCE TAX NOTES IF IT'S NECESSARY.THAT MONEY IS PARTLY FOR THE DATA INTEGRATION TEAM, BUT MOST OF THAT IS GOING TO BE GETTING OUR TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM OPTIMIZED.
THAT ALSO INCLUDES BUSINESS RULES AND DATA SO THAT WE CAN TRACK THE NUMBER OF RIDERS WE HAVE, AND WE CAN BE MUCH MORE EFFICIENT IN OPTIMIZING THE ROUTES, BUT ALSO WHEN A STUDENT LEAVES A BUS ROUTE OR IT WANTS TO JOIN A BUS ROUTE, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A BETTER DATA INTEGRATION SYSTEM THAT IT'S INCLUDED EVERYWHERE.
>> WE HAVE A QUESTION HERE. GO AHEAD.
>> YEAH. THANK YOU. I JUST MAKE SURE I UNDERSTAND THIS $10 MILLION, THAT'S MAINTENANCE TAX NOTES.
FIRST OF ALL, IS IT A RECURRING THING THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE PAYING ON AN ANNUAL.
>> WE PAY THE INTEREST ON THE MAINTENANCE SECTS RECURRENTLY UNTIL IT'S PAID OFF.
>> WHAT'S THE RIGHT WORD, THE RES? THE SUBSTANCE OF THE AMOUNT THAT WOULD BE EXPENDED IS THE PRINCIPAL AMOUNT, I GUESS.
>> [BACKGROUND] LIKE THE PRINCIPAL?
>> TEN MILLION WILL BE STRUCTURED DEPENDING ON THE MARKETPLACE, AND THEN WE'LL PAY OUT OF THE GENERAL FUND SO A MONTH FOR 20 YEARS.
>> WE HAD THAT IN ASSUMPTIONS AND METHODOLOGY, BY THE WAY, WE DIDN'T EXCLUDE THAT.
>> THAT IS ABOUT $100 MILLION THAT'S TO DO WHAT? THE TRANSPORTATION.
>> YOU'LL SEE TRANSPORTATION IS ONLY 10 MILLION OF IT.
YOU'LL SEE LATER ON, THERE'S BARBARA JORDAN AND CAREER TECH ED.
THEN YOU'LL SEE IT'LL BE COMING UP HERE.
>> I THOUGHT IT WAS JUST BUSES.
I WANT TO MAKE SURE, THANK YOU.
>> YEAH. IT'S ONLY 10 MILLION AND NOT BUSES AND TRANSPORTATION.
>> THANKS. ARE THERE ANY CHALLENGING DECISIONS THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT FROM A TRANSPORTATION PERSPECTIVE? ANY OFFERINGS, ANYTHING THERE? I HEAR YOU WITH OPTIMIZE, BUT DOES ANY OF THAT OPTIMIZE MEAN ANY TOUGH DECISIONS FOR WHAT WE OFFER?
>> YES. AT SOME POINT, WE'RE IN THE MIDDLE OF THAT PLANNING AND WE'LL BRING IT TO THE BOARD IN A COHERENT MANNER.
I DON'T JUST GIVE OUT BITS AND PIECES HERE, THAT'LL JUST CONFUSE PEOPLE.
BUT THE ANSWER IS YES IS THE ANSWER WE'VE SENT OUT A SURVEY TO PARENTS WE'RE GETTING INFORMATION FROM THEM ON WHAT MAKES THE MOST SENSE.
THE BOTTOM LINE IS, IT'LL BE MUCH MORE EFFICIENT.
IT'LL BE BETTER FOR KIDS, AND WE THINK IT'S GOING TO INCREASE RIDERSHIP.
THEN JUST A COUPLE MORE KEY ACTIONS.
THIS IS ALSO PART OF THAT, ACCURACY OF INFORMATION AND TIMELINESS, AND THE DATA DASHBOARD IS GOING TO HELP WITH THAT.
WHEN ONE OF THE BOARD MEMBERS, AND I ASKED FOR DATA ALL THE TIME, AND WE ASKED FOR DIFFERENT THINGS OR THE COMMUNITY AS WE'LL HAVE MORE TIMELY AND ACCURATE INFORMATION.
PART OF THE INFORMATION FLOW ALSO, WE HOPE THAT HISD NOW WILL GROW IN ITS VIEWERSHIP, AND WE CAN GET INFORMATION OUT THAT WAY.
WE'RE TRYING TO RAISE SOME ONE TIME MONIES PHILANTHROPICALLY TO SUPPORT THIS BECAUSE SOME OF IT IS ONE TIME EXPENDITURES.
BUT OUR BUDGET ALLOCATION FOR COMMUNICATIONS, NOT JUST HISD NOW, BUT FAMILY FACING COMMUNICATIONS IN MANY DIFFERENT WAYS AND OUR WEBSITE, BY THE WAY, WHICH WE WILL HAVE UP THIS NEXT YEAR AT THE START OF THE YEAR, MUCH STREAMLINED AND MORE ACCURATE WEBSITE AND MORE USER FRIENDLY ONE.
WE'RE BUDGETING TWO MILLION DOLLARS FOR THIS KEY ACTION.
ALL THESE AMOUNTS ARE OVER AND ABOVE WHAT WE'RE ALREADY SPENDING, OF COURSE, ON COMMUNICATIONS OR SPECIAL EDUCATION.
THE AMOUNTS YOU SEE HERE ARE CHANGE TO THE BUDGET ALLOCATION, OR IN THIS CASE, INCREASE.
>> LAST YEAR, I THINK THERE WAS A REFERENCE TO A $10 MILLION ALLOCATION FOR A WEBSITE.
>> I THINK THERE WAS A COMMUNICATION BUDGET.
BUT THAT WOULD'VE BEEN IN LAST YEAR'S BUDGET, WHATEVER IT WAS.
[01:35:02]
THIS IS MORE THE ADDITIONAL AMOUNT.>> I THINK IT ALSO INCLUDED PHILANTHROPY.
>> IS YOUR QUESTION WHETHER THAT MONEY WAS ACTUALLY APPLIED?
>> DO YOU HAVE A NUMBER IN YOUR HEAD FOR THE COMMUNICATION BUDGET LAST YEAR, I JUST DON'T HAVE IT IN MY HEAD.
>> COMMUNICATIONS BUDGET LAST YEAR WAS VERY SMALL.
LIKE OUR OVERALL NON SALARY COMMUNICATIONS BUDGET FOR THIS CURRENT ACADEMIC YEAR WAS A LITTLE OVER A MILLION DOLLARS, AND THAT INCLUDED THE MONEY THAT NEEDED TO BE SPENT THIS CALENDAR YEAR ON BOND EDUCATION.
THIS YEAR, WE'VE LEVERAGED PHILANTHROPY TO LET US START COMMUNICATIONS PROJECTS THAT WILL GO OVER INTO NEXT YEAR.
IN THE UPCOMING SCHOOL YEAR, MOST OF OUR COMMUNICATIONS NEEDS WILL BE COVERED BY THE DISTRICT BUDGET, WHICH IS WHY THE TWO MILLION DOLLAR INCREASE.
>> JUST SO I'M CLEAR, I RECALL A NEED OF $10 MILLION.
I GUESS WHAT I'M SAYING IS, HAS THAT NEED BEEN WHITTLED DOWN? I KNOW WE DIDN'T ALLOCATE 10 MILLION.
>> THE NEED TO DO SOME LARGE SCALE COMMUNICATIONS AND DATA INTEGRATION PROJECTS IS ROUGHLY $5 MILLION OVER THIS FISCAL YEAR AND EARLY NEXT FISCAL YEAR, AND PHILANTHROPY IS HELPING WITH THAT BY MAKING SOME GIFTS IN KIND TO THE DISTRICT.
THE $10 MILLION FIGURE IS NOT ONE THAT WE'VE BEEN OPERATING OFF OF WHAT THE NEED IS.
>> THEN I JUST WANT TO BE CLEAR.
THE REASON WHY THIS TWO MILLION, ONE SHOULD ONLY USE PHILANTHROPY FOR ONE TIME COSTS UNLESS THE PHILANTHROPIC DOLLARS ARE GOING TO BE EXTENDED OVER FIVE, 10 YEARS.
THAT'S WHY YOU HAVE AN INCREASE HERE BECAUSE WE NEED TO INVEST IN COMMUNICATIONS AND NOT JUST THE PEOPLE SIDE, BUT ALSO THE MATERIALS SIDE, HISD INFRASTRUCTURE, THE WEBSITE, THINGS LIKE THAT.
>> NUMBER 7, HIGH QUALITY POST SECONDARY PATHWAYS.
VERY PROUD OF THE WORK KRISTEN HOLE AND HER TEAM HAS DONE ON CCMR AND CTE.
WE HAVE LOTS OF DATA, YOU'VE GOTTEN SOME OF IT ON IMPROVEMENTS TO CTE AND CCMR. WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE THAT.
HAVING SAID THAT, WE NEED TO UPGRADE OUR CAREER TECH ED.
I SAID THIS AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS YEAR AND THE END OF LAST YEAR.
WE NEED TO UPGRADE OUR CTE, AND EVEN THOUGH THE BOND DIDN'T PASS, WE HAVE CAREER TECH ED COURSES THAT WE NEED TO UPGRADE.
WE'RE GOING TO TRY TO DO WHAT WE CAN DO TO IMPROVE OUR PROGRAMS OF STUDY AND TO OFFER A 10 SCHOOLS AN UPGRADED CAREER TECH ED CENTER AT BARBARA JORDAN.
THAT'S WHERE YOU SEE THE MONEY.
PROBABLY AGAIN, WE'LL SEE WHAT THE LEGISLATURE DOES, BUT IF IT COMES OUT LIKE WE THINK IT IS OR CONSERVATIVELY, THEN WE'LL USE 110 MILLION MAINTENANCE TAX NOTES FOR BARBARA JORDAN/CAREER TECH ED UPGRADES.
>> JUST SO WE'RE CLEAR, AGAIN, I'M SORRY, BUT WE'RE NOT PAYING OUT THIS 20 AND 10.
THOSE ARE PART OF THE $110 TOTAL MILLION FOR MAINTENANCE.
>> WE'RE ON ONE MAINTENANCE TAX NOTE UNDER 10.
BUT I'M SHOWING YOU HOW IT WILL BE SPENT.
>> ANY QUESTIONS ON CAREER TECH ED OR ANY OF THAT?
>> JUST TO BE CLEAR. THERE IS NO BUDGET ADJUSTMENT OF $20 MILLION OR $10 MILLION.
IT'S A $10 MILLION PAYMENT ON THIS.
>> THAT'S RIGHT. THE $110 MILLION, I THINK IN THE BUDGET ASSUMPTIONS AND METHODOLOGY IS SEVEN AND A HALF MILLION FOR PAYMENT ON THE INTEREST ON THAT NOTE.
>> I DO HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT THAT. EXCUSE ME.
AS IT RELATES TO OUTCOMES, BARBARA JORDAN IS NOT CENTRALIZED, IT'S NOT IN THE CENTRAL OF HOUSTON.
WHAT IS THE STRATEGY THEN TO MAKE SURE THAT IT'S AVAILABLE OR ACCESSIBLE TO STUDENTS THROUGHOUT THE DISTRICT AND NOT JUST THOSE THAT ARE CLOSELY LOCATED TO THE FACILITY?
>> RIGHT NOW IT WILL BE AVAILABLE TO 10 HIGH SCHOOLS.
IN FACT, ALL HIGH SCHOOLS HAVE SOME CTE PROGRAM.
THERE'S NO ATTEMPT AT LEAST IN THE NEXT YEAR TO HAVE ALL THE HIGH SCHOOLS GO TO BARBARA JORDAN.
BUT THERE WILL BE AN ATTEMPT ALREADY, AS YOU SEE, THE FOUR PROGRAMS OF STUDY THAT WE PUT IN EVERY HIGH SCHOOL, THE AI ELECTIVE IN EVERY HIGH SCHOOL.
WE ARE GOING TO TRY TO UPGRADE PROGRAMS OF STUDY FOR EVERYBODY.
[01:40:04]
BY THE WAY, YOU'LL SEE IN THE BUDGET THAT WE'RE PAYING FOR THAT, NOT THE SCHOOLS THAT WE PUT PROGRAMS OF STUDY IN.WE'VE GOT A FEW MORE PROGRAMS OF STUDY THAT WE'RE OFFERING AT BARBARA JORDAN, OVER TIME, WE HOPE TO HELP ALL THE HIGH SCHOOLS WITH UPGRADING THEIR CTE PROGRAMS.
>> THEN FINALLY, HEALTH AND SAFETY, WE STILL HAVE $1.03 BILLION OF URGENT NEED OR IMPORTANT NEED FOR OUR HEALTH AND SAFETY.
THAT WAS THE MONEY WE ASKED FOR IN THE BOND.
WE'RE NOT GOING TO GET 1.03, AND WE CAN'T SPEND THAT MUCH MONEY, BUT WHAT WE CAN DO IS TAKE OUR HIGHEST PRIORITY ITEMS THAT ALISHIA JOLIVETTE AND HER TEAM HAS ALREADY IDENTIFIED AND PUT IN SOME MONEY FOR THAT.
SOME OF THIS WE'LL GET FROM THE STATE AND INCREASE BECAUSE WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO SPEND WHAT WE ALWAYS SPEND ON HEALTH AND SAFETY.
BUT IF WE GET MORE MONEY FROM THE STATE, WE CAN PUT MONEY INTO THIS, AND THEN ALSO THE BUDGET ALLOCATION OF 40 MILLION ALSO OUT OF MAINTENANCE TAX NOTES.
THAT'S ONE WAY WHERE WE CAN ADDRESS THE BIGGEST NEEDS, AS YOU CAN SEE ON THE SCREEN, ESPECIALLY HVAC, ROOFS, PERIMETER FENCING, THINGS LIKE THAT.
WE WENT THROUGH AN EXERCISE I THINK THREE MONTHS AGO NOW WHERE WE HAD ALGORITHM TO FIND THE BIGGEST NEEDS WHERE WE'RE SERVING THE MOST KIDS.
IF YOU'VE GOT A SMALL SCHOOL THAT NEEDS AN HVAC, IT PROBABLY WON'T GET THIS MONEY HERE.
WE'LL DO WHAT WE CAN DO TO KEEP IT GOING, BUT WE WON'T PUT A NEW ONE IN OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
WE WANT TO SERVE THE MOST KIDS WITH THE MONEY THAT WE HAVE. I'LL STOP THERE.
AGAIN, THERE'S 100 THINGS THAT WE HAVE TO DO.
THESE ARE THE ONES THAT ARE PRIORITIZED AND THE ONES THAT WILL USE MONEY.
>> THAT'S ALL THE QUESTIONS FOR THAT. GO AHEAD.
>> I WANT TO TAKE A MINUTE TO SET YOU UP OR TO GIVE YOU A PREVIEW OF THE SCHOOL BUDGET.
YOU WON'T GET THE NUMBERS TODAY BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE THEM.
WE HAVE A DRAFT AND WE'RE WORKING THROUGH THAT.
THEN WE'LL BE GIVING THAT OUT TO THE SCHOOLS THE MARCH 28, WHAT DATE IS IT, MARCH 28? GOT IT RIGHT.
THE BOARD WILL GET IT. AFTER THE SCHOOLS GET THEIR EXACT NUMBER.
THE BASIC FORMULA HASN'T CHANGED.
THIS IS HOW WE GET PAID FROM THE STATE AND THIS IS HOW WE PAY THE SCHOOLS.
PER UNIT ALLOCATION, NOT TO BE CONFUSED WITH NON-NES PUA.
THE REASON WHY THEY'RE CALLED PUA IS BECAUSE THEY OPERATE OFF OF A PER UNIT ALLOCATION, TIMES A PROJECTED ENROLLMENT TIMES ADA.
WE'RE GOING TO KEEP THE PUA THE SAME, WHICH IS THE PUA, AS YOU CAN SEE ON THE SLIDE, IS NOT ONLY THE BASIC AMOUNT THAT WE GIVE THE SCHOOLS, BUT IT ALSO INCLUDES ALL THESE OTHER WEIGHTS.
THAT'S THE WAY THE DISTRICT HAS DONE IT FOR A WHILE.
JUST TO KEEP DOWN THE CHANGES AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.
IT'S UNCHANGED SINCE 2023, AND IT WAS KEEPING THE SAME ONE THAT WE HAD THIS YEAR.
THEN IF THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION COMES THROUGH AND CHANGES THE ALLOTMENT FOR EMERGENT BILINGUAL, WE'RE NOT GOING TO CHANGE THAT UNTIL FISCAL YEAR 2026-'27, BECAUSE WE WON'T KNOW THAT UNTIL LATER IN THE SUMMER. THAT'S A PUA.
>> CAN I ASK A QUESTION ON THAT?
>> CAN YOU EXPLAIN HOW THE PUA NUMBER IS CALCULATED?
>> WELL, I'LL GIVE YOU THE GENERAL ONE AND JIM, YOU CAN ADD ANYTHING YOU WANT.
WE START WITH AN AMOUNT, AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT AMOUNT IT IS.
IS IT 5,000, 6,000 SOMEWHERE AROUND THERE.
>> FIVE THOUSAND AND EIGHTY-TWO DOLLARS.
>> FIVE THOUSAND AND EIGHTY-TWO. SOMEWHERE IN THERE.
THEN WE ADD A WEIGHTED FACTOR FOR THE NUMBER OF KIDS.
[01:45:05]
LET'S SAY YOU HAVE 300 EMERGENT BILINGUAL STUDENTS OR BILINGUAL STUDENTS, AND THE WEIGHT IS, I'M GOING TO MAKE IT 0.02.YOU MULTIPLY 0.02*300 KIDS AND YOU ADD THAT TO THE 5,032.
ALL OF THESE WEIGHTS ARE PRESCRIBED BY LEGISLATURE AND TEA, AND WE USE THE SAME WEIGHTS.
>> THERE IS SOME WHATEVER THAT NUMBER IS 5,082 OR 32 OR WHATEVER.
THAT'S THE MINIMUM, ASSUMING NO SPECIAL EDUCATION STUDENTS.
>> THERE'S NO SCHOOL THAT DOESN'T GET SOME SORT OF WEIGHT, BECAUSE THEY ALL HAVE SPED AND THEY ALL HAVE BILINGUAL OR ALMOST ALL OF THEM WERE GIFTED AND TALENTED.
NOW, THERE'S A COUPLE IN HERE THAT WE ADDED THAT'S UP TO THE DISTRICT, LIKE MAGNET SUBSIDIES IS A DISTRICT CREATED SUBSIDY. WE DIDN'T CHANGE IT.
IT'S STILL THE SAME SMALL SCHOOL SUBSIDY, HIGH SCHOOL SUBSIDY, WE'RE ADDING TO THE PER UNIT ALLOCATION.
WE GET NEW MANDATES FOR, LIKE, ENTITLEMENTS AND AN INCREASE, YOU'RE SAYING THAT WE WOULDN'T APPLY THE INCREASE?
>> THAT'S RIGHT. WE COULD CHANGE EVERYTHING, BUT WE THINK IT WOULD BE MORE PRUDENT TO LET PEOPLE, BECAUSE IT COULD ALSO BE A DECREASE, BY THE WAY.
THOSE WEIGHTS FOR THE ENTITLEMENTS ARE GOING TO CHANGE IN THIS LEGISLATIVE SESSION.
WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THOSE CHANGES ARE GOING TO BE.
ESSENTIALLY, WE JUST TOOK THE PER UNIT ALLOCATION.
EACH CAP IS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT BASED ON THEIR SOCIAL ECONOMIC STRUCTURE.
THE BASE AMOUNT WAS THEN EACH STUDENT WAS WAITED GIVEN THE LAST LEGISLATIVE SESSION.
WE'VE JUST USED THAT FOR '24, '25, AND WE USED THAT FOR '26, AND WE KNOW THEY'RE GOING TO CHANGE, AND THEN WE WILL CHANGE IT FOR '27.
THOSE WAITS WILL LOOK AT THE ENROLLMENTS AT EACH ONE OF THOSE CAMPUSES.
>> KEEP IN MIND, WE'RE KEEPING UP OR DOWN.
IF WE USE THE OCTOBER COUNT, WHICH IS WHAT WE HAVE TO DO ON THE NEW WEIGHTS, YOU COULD HAVE SOME SIGNIFICANT SHIFTS MID YEAR FOR SCHOOLS, AND THAT WOULD PROBABLY NOT BE A GOOD THING.
>> NO, THAT'S HELPFUL. I'M REALLY JUST TRYING TO UNDERSTAND IF WE GET NEW MANDATES AND ADDITIONAL FUNDING, WHAT THE IMPACT WOULD BE TO THE SCHOOLS.
IT MAKES SENSE TO ME, LOGICALLY WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.
I'M JUST TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT IN THE EVENT THAT WE HAD LIKE SOME NEW MANDATE THAT COSTS A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT, THOSE SCHOOLS WOULDN'T BE HURT.
>> THANKS FOR ASKING THAT. OBVIOUSLY, IF SOMETHING HAPPENS IN THE LEGISLATURE THAT IT'S AN UNFUNDED MANDATE OR THERE'S A HUGE SHIFT IN A WEIGHT, OR THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT DOES SOMETHING, THEN WE WILL HAVE TO ADJUST AND WE WILL BRING THE BOARD AN ADJUSTMENT TO EITHER SCHOOLS OR THE DISTRICT BUDGET.
THE WEIGHTS ARE THE WEIGHTS THAT ARE BEING USED TO DETERMINE WHAT WE'RE RECEIVING FROM THE STATE IN TERMS OF THE BASIC ALLOTMENT PLUS ENTITLEMENT THAT'S PROBABLY NOT THE RIGHT WAY TO SAY IT BUT ENTITLEMENT.
>> YOU GET A BASIC ALLOTMENT, $6,160 PER STUDENT.
THEN YOU HAVE WHAT ARE CALLED ENTITLEMENTS BASED ON THE SOCIAL ECONOMIC STATUS OF THE STUDENTS, AND THERE'S 35 DIFFERENT ENTITLEMENTS.
ANYWAY, THEY'LL HAVE ALL WEIGHTS.
ALSO IN HOUSE BILL 2 NOW, WHICH WILL BE THE INSTRUMENT BY WHICH WE WILL GET FUNDED WHEN IT'S PASSED, THEY'RE ARGUING NOW OVER THOSE WEIGHTS FOR THE ENTITLEMENTS, AS WELL AS THE BASIC ALLOTMENT, WHICH THE SUPERINTENDENT TALKED ABOUT, WHICH RIGHT NOW WAS 220 AND SOME GO UP AS HIGH AS 680.
BUT THE LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD IS SAYING, YOU GUYS GOT TO GO BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD TO FIGURE THAT OUT, AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE WAITING FOR IS A REWRITE OF HOUSE BILL 2 FOR THE WEIGHTS AND FOR THE BASIC ALLOTMENT.
>> THEN THE PROJECTED ENROLLMENT, I KNOW ENROLLMENT IS ALWAYS CONTROVERSIAL THING.
[01:50:02]
>> BOARD MEMBER FLOWERS HAS JOINED?
>> YEAH. BUT WE'RE GOING TO USE THE PROJECTED ENROLLMENT FROM THE DEMOGRAPHER AND WE WILL TRUE UP AT THE END.
IF THE DEMOGRAPHER IS WAY OFF, THEN WE'LL GET THE ACTUAL NUMBER IN OCTOBER USING THE PMS NUMBER.
THEN AVERAGE DAILY ATTENDANCE, SAME THING.
WE'RE USING THE AVERAGE DAILY ATTENDANCE IN THE LAST TWO ATTENDANCE CYCLES, WHICH IS THREE AND FOUR.
BUT WE TRUE UP WITH THE ACTUAL AVERAGE DAILY ATTENDANCE ONCE WE GET IT.
THERE'LL BE A TRUE UP AND THAT WON'T HAPPEN UNTIL OCTOBER BECAUSE THAT'S WHEN WE SUBMIT THE PMS REPORT.
I STARTED WITH THE PROBLEMS WE'RE TRYING TO SOLVE.
ONE OF THE PROBLEMS WE'RE TRYING TO SOLVE IS MAKE SURE WE HAVE A BALANCED BUDGET AND THAT THE BUDGET IS STILL TIGHT.
I DON'T SEE ANYTHING IN THE LEGISLATURE RIGHT NOW THAT'S GOING TO GIVE US A WHOLE BUNCH OF MONEY, WE HAD THE METHODOLOGY AND ASSUMPTIONS REPORT.
IT'LL BE BETTER THAN THAT PROBABLY, BUT WE STILL ARE IN A FISCAL YEAR AND ACTUALLY PROBABLY NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS.
WE'RE GOING TO REMAIN FISCALLY TIGHT.
WE THINK WE CAN GET CLOSE TO A BALANCED BUDGET, IF NOT A BALANCED BUDGET, BUT THAT MEANS WHEN WE ALLOCATE MONEY TO THE SCHOOLS, WE HAVE TO CONSIDER THE FACT THAT WE'RE NOT BACK TO BALANCE.
BACK TO BALANCE WOULD BE WHAT WE DID IN THIS DISTRICT PRIOR TO COVID, WHICH IS YOU GET YOUR PUA, PER UNIT ALLOCATION, YOU MULTIPLY BY ENROLLMENT, AND THEN YOU MULTIPLY BY ADA.
THAT'S WHAT YOU GET. THAT'S HOW YOU RUN YOUR PROGRAM.
THE DISTRICT WILL PAY FOR A WHOLE BUNCH OF STUFF OVER HERE.
WE'RE GOING TO GO OVER THAT. BUT THAT'S BALANCE.
LAST YEAR, WE DID NOT BALANCE.
WE DIDN'T BALANCE BECAUSE THERE WERE A LOT OF OTHER CHANGES AND WE WANTED TO MINIMIZE THE IMPACT OF CHANGE.
WE USED A DIFFERENT METHODOLOGY AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT THAT.
LAST YEAR, WE CAPPED THE LOSS AT 12%.
THAT KEPT THE SCHOOLS NOT FLUSH WITH MONEY, BUT WITH SIGNIFICANTLY MORE MONEY THAN THE BALANCED BUDGET WOULD HAVE BEEN.
BALANCES PUA TIMES ENROLLMENT TIMES ADA.
THEY GOT MUCH MORE MONEY THAN THAT.
I KNOW ANYTIME YOU CUT ANYTHING, IT'S LIKE, OH, NO, CAN I LIVE WITHOUT THE THING YOU'RE GOING TO CUT.
BUT TURNS OUT, THE SCHOOLS WERE ABLE TO DO WHAT THEY NEEDED TO DO.
THEY'RE STILL GETTING ACHIEVEMENT.
THEY'RE STILL TAKING THEIR FIELD TRIPS, THEY'RE STILL DOING THE PERFORMANCE ARTS, THEY'RE STILL DOING THE MAGNET PROGRAMS, ALL OF THAT.
THIS YEAR, WE'RE GOING TO CHANGE THE METHODOLOGY TO WHAT YOU SEE IN THE THIRD BULLET.
WE'RE GOING TO GIVE THEM THEIR BASIC FORMULA, PUA TIMES ENROLLMENT TIMES ADA, AND THEN IF THEY LOSE ANY MONEY, WE'LL CALCULATE 10% AND WE'LL ADD THAT BACK.
PROJECTED ENROLLMENT, TIMES AVERAGE ADA, TIME PUA.
THAT'S THE TOTAL FUNDING PLUS, IF THERE'S ANY REDUCTION, WE TAKE THAT REDUCTION, WE MULTIPLY IT BY 10% AND WE GIVE IT BACK TO THEM.
I'M NOT TRYING TO. BUT WHAT I AM TRYING TO SAY IS IT'S MORE THAN BALANCE.
IT'S MORE THAN WHAT YOU WOULD GET IF IT WAS PRE COVID.
>> THERE ARE SOME SCHOOLS THAT ARE GOING TO DECREASE, AND IT'S IMPORTANT TO KNOW THIS.
IF YOU HAVE A DECREASE IN ADA OR ENROLLMENT, THEN IT IS LIKELY THAT YOUR BUDGET GOES DOWN AND PEOPLE SHOULD NOT BE SURPRISED ABOUT THAT.
THAT'S FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE BEHAVIOR.
IF YOUR ENROLLMENT OR ADA GOES DOWN, AT THE DISTRICT LEVEL WE'LL HAVE TO DO THE SAME THING.
WE'RE CUTTING LOTS OF THINGS, AND YOU SAW THAT IN THE BUDGET AND METHODOLOGY REPORT BECAUSE WE ANTICIPATE ENROLLMENT GOING DOWN.
IF ENROLLMENT GOES DOWN, YOU HAVE TO CUT SOME STAFF OR PROGRAMS OR PURCHASE SERVICES, SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
YOU SAW THAT IN THE BUDGET METHODOLOGIES SESSION THAT WE DID A MONTH AGO AND SCHOOLS NEED TO DO THE SAME.
[01:55:01]
IF THEIR ENROLLMENT GOES DOWN, THE ADA GOES DOWN, THEY HAVE TO CUT BACK.THAT'S THE MAIN REASON WHY A BUDGET WOULD GO DOWN.
IF THE BUDGET GOES UP BECAUSE ENROLLMENT GOES UP, IF ENROLLMENT GOES UP OR ADA GOES UP OR A COMBINATION OF THE TWO, THEN MOST LIKELY THEY WILL HAVE AN INCREASE, AND I'M GOING TO GO OVER EXAMPLES OF THAT.
NOW, WE HAVE SOME SMALL SCHOOLS.
THE SMALL SCHOOL SUBSIDY ISN'T ENOUGH TO CARRY A SMALL SCHOOL THAT HAS FEWER THAN 250 KIDS.
IN THE MEANTIME, SINCE WE'RE NOT CLOSING SCHOOLS NEXT YEAR, WE'RE GOING TO BRING TO THE BOARD.
I THINK I TOLD YOU LAST TIME, SOME SCHOOLS MOST LIKELY WILL BRING TO THE BOARD IN THE LATE FALL, A LIST OF SCHOOLS TO CLOSE FOR THE FOLLOWING YEAR '26, '27, NOT '25.
IN '25, '26, WHAT I'M SAYING TO THE BOARD IS WE'LL PROBABLY HAVE TO SUBSIDIZE SOME SCHOOLS, MORE THAN THE SMALL SCHOOL SUBSIDY.
BUT IF WE'RE GOING TO KEEP A SMALL SCHOOL OPEN, THEN I THINK OUR OBLIGATION TO MAKE SURE THEY HAVE ENOUGH MONEY TO OPERATE WELL.
EVEN IF THEY SEE A REDUCTION IN THEIR LINE ITEM BECAUSE OF A DECREASE IN ENROLLMENT, WE WILL STILL FIGURE IT OUT.
WE WILL HELP THEM MAINTAIN AN AP, FOR EXAMPLE, MAINTAIN THE CLASS SIZE OR THE TEACHERS FOR THE CORE SUBJECTS, ETC.
>> I JUST WANT TO ASK A QUESTION BEFORE WE MOVE AWAY FROM THAT SLIDE.
THE FIRST BULLET, I'D JUST LIKE TO ASK THE QUESTION.
IT SAID THAT IT IS LIKELY IF ENROLLMENT OR ADA DECREASES THAT THE SCHOOL BUDGET ALLOCATION WILL DECREASE.
WHAT TYPE OF SCENARIO IS THERE THAT IT WON'T HAPPEN WITH THESE DECREASES?
I'M GOING TO SHOW YOU, BUT THE ANSWER IS IF YOUR ADA INCREASES, EVEN IF YOUR ENROLLMENT GOES DOWN A LITTLE BIT, YOU PROBABLY WON'T HAVE A DECREASE IN YOUR BUDGET, OR IF YOUR ENROLLMENT GOES DOWN ONLY A LITTLE BIT OR YOUR ADA GOES DOWN A LITTLE BIT.
THAT 10% REDUCTION WILL ACTUALLY PULL IT BACK UP.
BUT THERE'S NO QUESTION AT ALL IF YOUR ADA GOES DOWN, WE HAVE I THINK ONE OR TWO SCHOOLS WHERE THE ADA IS IN THE HIGH '80S, OR IF YOUR ENROLLMENT GOES DOWN, 100 KIDS, TO ME, THERE'S PROBABLY NO QUESTION.
WE'RE GOING TO SHOW YOU EXAMPLES THAT YOUR TOTAL BUDGET DOESN'T GO DOWN.
>> ONE QUICK QUESTION AS WELL.
JUST AS WE DISCUSSED 50% OF SCHOOLS WITH THE PUA, WHAT IMPACT WOULD ENROLLMENT DECLINES HAVE ON THE NES SCHOOL?
>> RIGHT NOW, WHAT INA MYER AND HER TEAM IS DOING WITH HR IS THEY ARE RIGHT-SIZING BASED ON THAT ENROLLMENT PROJECTION.
THEY ALREADY DON'T HAVE A LOT OF PURCHASE SERVICES OR PROGRAMS. IT'S THE NES MODEL, IT'S THE HISD CURRICULUM.
THERE'S NOT MUCH OF ADDITIONS TO CUT.
THEY DON'T HAVE A LOT OF EXTRA PEOPLE EXCEPT FOR TEACHER APPRENTICES AND LEARNING COACHES, WHICH IS PART OF THE MODEL.
BUT IF THEY LOSE ENROLLMENT, THEY'RE GOING TO LOSE STAFF, MOSTLY. THAT'S THE IMPACT.
>> CAN YOU JUST REMIND US BECAUSE I'VE FORGOTTEN, WHAT IS THE RATIO OF TEACHER ASSISTANTS AND LEARNING COACHES?
>> TEACHER ASSISTANCE THIS YEAR WAS 125:1.
>> ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY FIVE?
>> ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY FIVE AND LEARNING COACHES IS 1:100.
THIS YEAR, EVERYTHING IS 1:100.
LEARNING COACHES AND TEACHER APPRENTICES 1:100 IN THE NES ORBIT.
SOME EXAMPLES REAL QUICK JUST TO GO THROUGH.
HERE'S A SCHOOL, AGAIN, NO NAMES ON IT, THIS IS A SCHOOL WITH 3,224, SO PRETTY BIG SCHOOL.
THE ENROLLMENT DECREASED BY 72.
THE ADA WENT UP A LITTLE BIT. THAT'S GOOD.
THE TOTAL CAMPUS ALLOCATION IS 14,946,000, ALMOST 15 MILLION.
THEY LOST BASED ON THE REDUCTION, THAT'S A REDUCTION OF 216,000, WHICH, BY THE WAY, IN A BUDGET OF 15 MILLION IS NOT THAT MUCH.
[02:00:04]
WE'RE GOING TO ADD BACK 10%, THAT'S 21,000.THEIR ADJUSTED CAMPUS IS ALMOST 15 MILLION, 14,968,000.
THAT'S NOT GOING TO BE A BIG IMPACT ON THAT SCHOOL EVEN THOUGH THEY LOST 72 KIDS.
>> PART OF THE REASON I WAS ASKING ABOUT THE PUA CALCULATION IS WHEN WE LOOKED AT THESE DIFFERENT EXAMPLES, THEY'RE ALL DIFFERENT, OBVIOUSLY, BASED ON THE WEIGHTS THAT JIM JUST DESCRIBED.
THIS ONE, IN PARTICULAR, IS I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS AN ACTUAL SCHOOL OR NOT.
>> I THINK THIS IS A HYPOTHETICAL.
>> THIS IS TOTALLY MADE UP. THAT 5,052 WOULD NEVER EXIST BECAUSE IT'S LESS THAN WHAT YOU JUST SAID IS THE WHOLE SUM. GOT IT.
>> I THINK WHOEVER DID THIS CHART, ASSUME NO BARE-BONDS PUA.
>> IS THAT THE RIGHT 5,052? I WAS JUST TRYING TO UNDERSTAND.
>> WHAT IS THE BARE BOND? WITH NO INCREASE. IS IT 5,000?
>> THERE'S A DIFFERENCE CLASSIFICATION BASED ON GRADE LEVEL.
I'LL PROVIDE THAT TO YOU. GOT IT. OKAY.
>> THIS IS BARE MINIMUM WITHOUT WEIGHTS.
>> AN EXAMPLE, EACH PUA IS AFTER THE CALCULATION WITH THE WEIGHT.
>> BUT IT'S NOT JUST A FICTITIOUS NUMBER.
IT'S A REAL CAMPUS WITH REAL WEIGHTINGS ON HOW YOU CAME UP WITH THE POA NUMBER, CORRECT?
>> HELP ME THEN. IS IT K THROUGH FIVE IS ONE NUMBER AND THEN MIDDLE SCHOOL AND THEN HIGH SCHOOL HAS A DIFFERENT NUMBER?
>> ARE THEY INCREASING OVER TIME?
>> YES. I'LL PROVIDE THAT INFORMATION. I DON'T HAVE THE EXACT NUMBERS.
>> IT COSTS MORE TO RUN HIGH SCHOOLS PER PUPIL.
THIS IS ANOTHER ONE, PROBABLY BETTER EXAMPLE OF A LOSS.
THE ENROLLMENT DECREASES BY 153, THAT'S A LOT OF KIDS IN ONE YEAR, EVEN FOR A BIG SCHOOL.
THE PUA MULTIPLIED BY THAT PLUS TIMES AND ADA WENT DOWN INCREDIBLY 81.2.
IF WE ADD BACK 10%, WE ADD BACK 258,000, BUT IT'S STILL A LOSS OF OVER $2 MILLION.
BUT IF YOUR ADA GOES DOWN LIKE THIS AND YOUR ENROLLMENT GOES DOWN, YOU ARE GOING TO LOSE MONEY.
>> WELL, THE WAY THE MATH WORKS, 12.7%, WHEN YOU WHEN YOU TAKE THAT NUMBER RELATIVE TO THE 14 MILLION OF THE '24/'25 CAMPUS ALLOCATION, IT'S $2 MILLION.
IT'S ABOUT YOU GOT TO HAVE PEOPLE COMING TO THE SCHOOL, NOT JUST ENROLLMENT.
IT'S A COMBINATION OF THE TWO.
>> THIS IS AN EXTREME EXAMPLE.
>> BUT STILL, IT MAKES THE POINT. YES.
>> IT'S HYPOTHETICAL, I KNOW, BUT JUST FOR OUR UNDERSTANDING.
WITH 2 MILLION GONE, WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE IN REAL LIFE FOR? LIKE, IF YOU WERE THE PRINCIPAL, HOW DO YOU GET $2 MILLION?
>> THE WAY YOU GET $2 MILLION MOSTLY IS THROUGH STAFF.
IT PROBABLY MEANS TESTING COORDINATOR.
NONE OF THE NES CAMPUSES HAVE TESTING COORDINATORS.
IT MAY MEAN OTHER POSITIONS THAT ARE NON CLASSROOM POSITIONS.
I DON'T WANT TO SAY ANYTHING BECAUSE THEN PEOPLE JUST GO CRAZY.
>> I DIDN'T MEAN THAT TYPES OF PEOPLE LIKE HOW MANY ARE WE TALKING ABOUT, 10?
>> YOU CAN THINK OF IT THIS WAY, $250,000 IS THREE TEACHERS.
>> BECAUSE THE ACCOUNTING BENEFITS, BY THE WAY.
>> IT'S ALSO DISCRETION OF THE PRINCIPAL BASED ON THE DEFINED AUTONOMY, CORRECT?
>> THAT'S RIGHT. IT ALSO SO IF THIS WOULD MEAN MAKING SURE MY CLASS SIZES ARE 25, 26 INSTEAD OF 20 OR 12, IT MIGHT MEAN CUTTING OUT ANY PURCHASE SERVICES.
I BOUGHT SOMETHING TO FOR AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMMING OR SOMETHING, THEN I'M GOING TO HAVE MY TEACHERS DO IT INSTEAD OF THIS FANCY COMPANY OR WHATEVER? I MEAN, I'M MAKING THINGS UP.
IS A HYPOTHETICAL. BUT SO IT'S NOT JUST STAFF, IT'S PURCHASE SERVICES.
[02:05:04]
>> THANK YOU. WHY DON'T YOU GO AHEAD AND THEN I'VE GOT A QUESTION.
>> I THINK THANKS FOR THAT QUESTION. THAT'S ACTUALLY A GOOD QUESTION.
IS THERE A POINT WHERE WE TAKE TOO MANY STAFF MEMBERS AWAY AND THEN IT IMPACTS THE DESIRED OUTCOMES OF THE SCHOOL?
>> THANKS FOR ASKING. THAT'S A HARD QUESTION TO ANSWER.
LET ME ANSWER IT THIS WAY THOUGH.
THE REASON WHY IT'S A HARD QUESTION TO ANSWER IS BECAUSE IT DEPENDS ON WHAT THE PRINCIPAL DECIDES TO DO.
IF YOUR OUTCOME IS GETTING STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT RESULTS AND CONTINUING TO OFFER YOUR PROGRAMMING, MAGNET PROGRAMMING, FOR EXAMPLE, THEN I WOULDN'T CUT THOSE FOLKS.
YOU CAN'T DO EVERYTHING, AND WE HAD ADDITIONAL MONIES THROWN INTO THE SYSTEM BECAUSE OF ICER, AND PEOPLE GOT USED TO ADDITIONAL PEOPLE.
WE'RE NO LONGER IN THAT LUXURY PERIOD.
PUA TIMES ENROLLMENT TIMES ADA SHOULD ALLOW YOU TO RUN AN EFFECTIVE SCHOOL DEPENDING ON WHAT YOUR OUTCOMES ARE.
IF YOUR OUTCOME IS ACHIEVEMENT, THE BOARD GOALS, THE VISION, THEN THAT IS ENOUGH.
BUT IF YOUR OUTCOME IS TRYING TO DO EVERYTHING, THEN NO, IT MAY NOT BE ENOUGH.
>> THANK YOU FOR THAT, SUPERINTENDENT.
I WONDER, AGAIN, JUST HYPOTHETICAL BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW THE DETAILS OF EVERY SCHOOL.
BUT I'M ASSUMING THAT THERE ARE SOME CAMPUSES WHERE WE ALREADY HAVE 26, 27 STUDENTS PER CLASSROOM AND SO WE'RE GOING TO NOW POTENTIALLY MOVE INTO THE 30S AND HOW DOES THAT IMPACT? I KNOW THAT THERE ARE SOME CAMPUSES WHERE AT LEAST FROM MY UNDERSTANDING I'M AWARE THAT THAT THERE ARE SOME CLASSROOMS THAT ARE DOUBLING UP SOMETIMES.
HOW DOES THAT HELP HELP OR HURT STUDENTS AND OUTCOME AND SO FORTH?
>> AGAIN, I IF I ENCOUNTER THAT AS AN ED OR CHIEF OF A DIVISION, I'D LOOK AT THE STAFFING.
I'D LOOK AT THEIR BUDGET, AND I WOULD HELP THEM.
I'VE RUN A CHARTER NETWORK, I'VE RUN TWO OTHER DISTRICTS, AND I KNOW THAT YOU ALWAYS HAVE ENOUGH MONEY TO DO THE THINGS TO PRIORITIZE IN A DISTRICT THIS SIZE.
THE SCHOOLS GETTING PUA, TIMES ENROLLMENT, TIMES ADA HAS ENOUGH MONEY TO DO OUR CORE JOB.
BUT INSTEAD OF CUTTING A LANGUAGE ARTS TEACHER AND MAKING THE CLASS SIZE 28 OR 29, WHICH A PUA COULD DO, THEY SHOULD NOT DO THAT, AND THEY SHOULD CUT SOMETHING ELSE.
WE DON'T NEED TO TALK ABOUT HID, SO I DON'T NEED TO OFFEND ANYBODY HERE, BUT IN OTHER PLACES WHERE THEY HAVE 300 KIDS AND FOUR OFFICE MANAGERS.
YOU DON'T NEED FOUR OFFICE MANAGERS.
YOU THINK THE PRINCIPAL MIGHT THINK THEY NEED FOUR OFFICE MANAGER, THEY DON'T.
THEY MIGHT HAVE TO ACTUALLY DO A SPREADSHEET THEMSELVES OR MAKE MORE PHONE CALLS THEMSELVES.
THERE'S MANY THINGS THAT WE AND THE PROFESSION HAVE GOTTEN USED TO THAT WE DON'T NEED.
THE ANSWER TO YOUR QUESTION IS, THEY DON'T NEED TO CUT THE CORE, THE CORE MISSION.
I WOULD SAY FIRST, LET ME LOOK AT IT, LOOK THE DIVISION CHIEF LOOK AT IT, OR LET THE ED LOOK AT IT, AND WE CAN TELL WHAT SHOULD BE CUT OR WHAT SHOULD'NT.
NOW WHETHER THEY WANT TO OR NOT, THAT'S A DIFFERENT STORY.
>> MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THE EDS ARE GOING TO ASSIST THE PRINCIPALS THE EXTENT THEY REQUEST IT WITH THEIR BUDGETS, IS THAT RIGHT?
>> THE EDS WILL LOOK AT ALL THE BUDGETS.
THEY'LL BE CAREFUL IN THE PUA SIDE.
THE BUDGET IS UP TO THE PRINCIPAL.
WE'RE NOT GOING TO LET A PRINCIPAL DO CRAZY STUFF, THOUGH.
YOU'RE NOT GOING TO GET RID OF ALL YOUR MATH TEACHERS OR HAVE CLASS SIZES OF 40 FOR YOUR MATH.
WHEN YOU HAVE TOO MANY OFFICE MANAGERS OR TOO MANY OTHER THIS OR THIS.
WE'RE NOT GOING TO LET THAT HAPPEN BECAUSE ALL KIDS DESERVE EFFECTIVE RUN SCHOOLS.
BUT THEY DO HAVE DISCRETION OVER STAFF AS THE BOTTOM LINE.
>> MY REAL OTHER QUESTION WAS, CAN YOU REMIND US AND MAYBE I'M MISREMEMBERING THIS, BUT THERE WAS A STAFFING AMOUNT PER TEACHER.
I GUESS THE RIGHT WAY TO ASK THIS.
HOW DO THE SCHOOL BUDGETS, ARE THE ACTUAL DOLLARS THAT ARE PAID TO EACH PARTICULAR TEACHER COMING OUT OF THAT BUDGET, OR IS IT SOME ESTIMATED NUMBER OR AVERAGE NUMBER?
[02:10:03]
IS WHAT I'M ASKING ME SENSE? IN OTHER WORDS, IF YOU HAVE A TEACHER THAT'S BEING PAID $90,000 AND A TEACHER THAT'S BEING PAID $60,000, ARE THEY GOING TO COST DIFFERENT AMOUNTS OUT OF THE BUDGET OR IS THERE A 70 SOMETHING THOUSAND.THANK YOU. THAT'S MY QUESTION. THANKS.
>> COUPLE MORE EXAMPLES THEN WE CAN STOP.
THIS IS ONE WHERE THE DECREASE IS ONLY 14 STUDENTS.
THE CAMPUS ALLOCATION INCREASES BY 43,000.
YOU CAN SEE ADA MATTERS IN THIS CASE.
THEIR BUDGET IS HIGHER THAN THE YEAR BEFORE.
HERE'S A SCHOOL WHERE THE DECREASE IS ONLY 11 STUDENTS.
>> INCREASE 11 STUDENTS, SO NOT A LOT.
THE PUA OF COURSE IS THE SAME.
THEIR AMOUNT IS ONLY $60,000 MORE, BUT IT'S AN INCREASE.
THEN FINALLY, THIS IS A DECREASE OF 16 KIDS.
IF THEY STAY ABOUT THE SAME AND THE ENROLLMENT OR THE ADA GOES UP IN THIS CASE, YOU SEE THAT THEY'RE NOT LOSING MONEY.
EVEN THOUGH THEY LOST 16 KIDS, OR ADA MADE UP FOR IT.
THERE WILL BE SCHOOLS THAT WILL STRUGGLE, WE'LL TRY TO HELP WHERE WE CAN.
THE BIGGEST THING THOUGH IS THIS.
WE'RE STILL NOT AT BALANCE BECAUSE WE'RE GOING TO PROVIDE ALL OF THESE THINGS.
NES IS ONE THING, BUT FOR PUA CAMPUSES, WE'LL FUND THE CORE CURRICULUM IF IT'S ON THE APPROVED LIST JUST LIKE WE DID THIS YEAR.
RLA, MATH, SCIENCE, SOCIAL STUDIES, THERE'S I THINK THREE VETTED CURRICULA.
IF THEY WANT TO USE THOSE THREE, WE'LL PAY FOR IT.
WE'RE PAYING FOR ESOL, WE'RE PAYING FOR ZEARN MATH.
THE ELA DIGITAL RESOURCE I THINK THIS YEAR WAS AMIRA.
THEN SUMMIT K-12, APEX, NEWSELA, LEARNING A THROUGH Z.
THOSE ARE ONES WE WILL SUPPORT.
>> CAN I ASK A QUESTION ABOUT THAT?
>> ON ZEARN, FOR EXAMPLE, IF IT'S NOT A PUA SPECIAL FOCUS SCHOOL, THEN THE SCHOOL BUDGET WOULD COVER THAT, IS THAT RIGHT?
>> NO. CHRIS, DO YOU WANT TO ANSWER?
>> IT VARIES. THERE'S A DIFFERENT ANSWER BASED ON THE RESOURCE THAT IS LISTED ON HERE.
FOR EXAMPLE, SUMMIT K-12, WE HAVE A BROADER LICENSE TO.
LAST YEAR, WE WERE ABLE TO FUND ZEARN AT MORE CAMPUSES DUE TO A TEA GRANT, SO IT JUST DEPENDS.
AS WE DO BUDGETING FOR THIS YEAR, OUR PRIORITY IS NES AND THE SPECIAL FOCUS, BUT WE ARE LOOKING TO SEE IF WE CAN ALSO SUPPORT MULTIPLE OTHER OF THESE IN ADDITION TO THAT FOR PUA.
THE GOAL IS, IN AN IDEAL STATE, YES, WE COVER THIS FOR EVERYBODY BECAUSE EVERYTHING ON THIS LIST WE MAKE SURE WE HAVE ANALYSIS THAT SHOWS THAT IT CONNECTS TO OUTCOMES.
>> THEN WE'RE PAYING FOR THE ASSESSMENTS, OF COURSE?
>> SUPERINTENDENT, I'M SORRY. CAN WE GO BACK TO THAT QUESTION? I'M SORRY.
>> GOING BACK TO THE SOFTWARE, THE PLATFORMS THAT WE HAVE.
IF THERE'S SELECT SCHOOLS THAT ARE GOING TO HAVE ACCESS TO IT, SO AGAIN, I DON'T WANT SAY RESEARCH BECAUSE THERE'S NO RESEARCH, BUT WHAT IS THE POTENTIAL IMPACT FOR CAMPUSES WHO HAVE USED IT TO IMPROVE AND ARE NOT UNDER THAT CATEGORY? THEY'RE NOT NES. HOW ARE WE GOING TO SUPPORT THEM? WHAT ARE ALTERNATIVES THAT WE HAVE IN LIEU OF THESE SOFTWARE PLATFORMS?
>> WE KNOW THERE'S RESEARCH THAT THIS WORKS FOR KIDS. THAT'S FOR SURE.
BUT THE QUESTION ABOUT THE RESOURCE FOR PUA SCHOOLS IS THE METHODOLOGY WE'RE USING.
IN OTHER WORDS, WE'RE NOT PAYING FOR THIS.
WOULD IT HELP THE PUA SCHOOLS THAT ARE NOT SPECIAL FOCUS? PROBABLY, BUT THEY HAVE SOME CHOICES OVER THAT? THEY HAVE SOME CHOICES OVER THE WHETHER THEY PURCHASE CURRICULUM OR NOT.
THEY COULD USE THE HISD CURRICULUM, BY THE WAY, THE MAJORITY OF SCHOOLS WILL BE USING THE HISD CURRICULUM, WHICH IS FREE,
[02:15:03]
AND THEY'RE GOING TO USE THAT AND THEY'RE GOING TO STOP PAYING FOR ANY OTHER CURRICULUM THAT'S NOT VETTED BECAUSE WE'RE GOING TO PAY FOR VETTED CURRICULUM.BUT EVEN THEN, I WILL GUARANTEE YOU THAT MAJORITY OF SCHOOLS WILL USE THE HISD CURRICULUM INSTEAD OF AMPLIFY.
EVEN THOUGH AMPLIFY IS VETTED AND WE'LL PAY FOR.
IT'S CHOICES THAT THE PUA SCHOOLS MAKE AROUND THEIR BUDGETING PROCESS.
>> I THINK TO ADD TO THAT, RIGHT NOW AT THIS STAGE IN TIME, WE ARE NOT AT A PLACE YET WHERE WE'RE SAYING ANY PUA CAMPUS THAT WAS USING ONE OF THESE LAST YEAR WOULD NO LONGER BE ABLE TO HAVE ACCESS TO IT THIS YEAR.
WE'RE NOT AT THAT PLACE YET FOR NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET.
ANYBODY WHO WAS PREVIOUSLY USING THESE MAY VERY LIKELY STILL BE ABLE TO HAVE ACCESS TO THEM NEXT YEAR AS PUA.
WE'RE LOOKING INTO THAT THOUGH.
>> WE'RE PAYING FOR THESE ASSESSMENTS, OF COURSE, PAYING FOR 50% AT PRE-K TEACHING ASSISTANCE IN THE PUA CAMPUSES.
THIS WAS A BIG ONE LAST YEAR, DUAL CREDIT, DUAL ENROLLMENT, AP AND IB PROGRAMMING.
PAYING FOR TSI ASSESSMENT FEES FOR SAT, ACT AND TSIA, AND ACCESS TO KHAN ACADEMY TO SUPPORT SAT AND TSAI PREP.
>> MIKE, JUST TO CLARIFY, THERE WERE SOME QUESTIONS, I THINK THIS YEAR ABOUT IB PROGRAMMING AND FEES AND MAYBE SOME OTHER COSTS RELATED TO THAT.
WOULD YOU CLARIFY, WOULD THOSE BE INCLUDED AS WELL?
>> I'M PRETTY SURE, BUT KRISTEN, CAN YOU JUST VERIFY?
>> LAST YEAR, THE APPROACH WE TOOK IS THAT EVERYTHING THAT CENTRAL OFFICE WAS PREVIOUSLY PAYING FOR WITH IB, WE CONTINUED TO PAY FOR, AND THAT'S THE PLAN AS WE CONTINUE FORWARD AS WELL.
>> DO YOU RECALL WHAT THE QUESTION WAS? I THINK IT WAS ABOUT MAYBE SOME RECURRING ASSESSMENT OR MAYBE CHECKING EVERY FIVE YEARS OR SOMETHING WITH THE CAMPUS?
>> CERTIFICATION. THERE YOU GO.
>> THOSE ARE PAID BY THE SCHOOLS, RIGHT?
>> THE CERTIFICATION AND TRAINING IS BY THE SCHOOL?
>> YES. EVERY FIVE YEARS, THE IB ORGANIZATION COMES TO THE SCHOOL TO MAKE SURE THE PROGRAM IS COMPLIANT, AND SO YES.
WE WORK WITH THE IB ORGANIZATION TO DO THAT AND SCHOOLS ARE ON A CYCLE.
THE BIGGEST EXPENSE FOR US FROM AN IB PROGRAMMING SIDE IS COVERING THE ASSESSMENT.
THAT'S THE PIECE WE HAD TO HOLD ON A LITTLE BIT FOR LAST YEAR, BUT THAT WE WERE ULTIMATELY ABLE TO COVER, AND WE PLAN TO COVER THAT AGAIN AS OF NOW.
>> IS THERE A COST IN THE CERTIFICATION AND ARE WE PAYING IT?
>> I CAN DOUBLE CHECK THAT, BUT LIKELY, YES.
IF WE HAVE PAID FOR IT BEFORE, WE PAY FOR IT AGAIN. I'LL DOUBLE CHECK THAT. [OVERLAPPING]
>> IT'S OKAY TO CHECK. THANK YOU.
>> THE SAME THING GOES FOR CTE CURRICULUM STUDENT IBC TESTING FEES AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT.
I ALREADY SAID WE PAY FOR THE FOUR PROGRAMS OF STUDY, AND I DON'T WANT TO READ ALL THIS, BUT YOU CAN GO THROUGH IT.
THESE ARE OTHER THINGS THAT WE PAY FOR THAT THE SCHOOLS DO NOT HAVE TO DO.
>> MIKE, SORRY. ON THAT PREVIOUS ONE, THOSE HEALTH AND MEDICAL, THOSE ARE SEPARATE FROM ANYTHING WE MIGHT SEE AROUND OUR SUNRISE CENTERS BECAUSE THOSE ARE NOT CAMPUS COSTS.
>> JUST TO CLARIFY. THANK YOU.
>> BY THAT SAME TOKEN, THE TELEHEALTH PIECE IS SEPARATE, OR IS THAT FUNDED BY GRANT? WHAT WAS THAT?
>> JUST CHECKING TO MAKE SURE, HAZEL HEALTH IS PAID FOR BY THE DISTRICT?
>> CORRECT. THIS YEAR IT'S COVERED FULLY BY THE DISTRICT. YES.
>> LET ME LOOK AT WHERE WE ARE. WE ARE EVALUATING THE COST OF THE SPECIFIC PROGRAM, BUT WE DO WANT TO REMAIN COMMITTED TO PROVIDING THE TELEHEALTH SERVICES FOR PHYSICAL HEALTH AND MENTAL HEALTH, BUT WE ARE EVALUATING THE CONTRACT AND JUST MAKING SURE IT'S THE FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE APPROACH.
>> THEN YOU CAN SEE SCHOOL LINKS AND CREDIT RECOVERY THROUGH APEX. FINE ARTS.
>> CAN I ASK A QUESTION ON HAZEL HEALTH? IS PART OF YOUR ASSESSMENT THE USE AND RETURN ON INVESTMENT AND THAT KIND OF THING?
>> THE DISTRICT SUPPORTS FINE ARTS THROUGH CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT
[02:20:02]
AND SOME ONLINE RESOURCES AND CURATED MATERIALS.>> CAN YOU REVIEW JUST AT A VERY HIGH LEVEL SCHOOLS THAT HAVE FINANCE DEPARTMENTS THAT BECOME NES? I KNOW THE OVERARCHING PROGRAM DOESN'T HAVE A SPECIFIC SUPPORT IN PLACE.
BUT WHAT'S THE VISION THERE AROUND WHAT IT IS THAT THEY SHOULD EXPECT AROUND PROGRAMMING?
>> YES. IF THEY HAVE NOT JUST FINE ARTS, BUT ANY MAGNET PROGRAM, WE CONTINUE TO SUPPORT THAT, AND THE DISTRICT WILL PAY FOR THOSE FEES.
NES DOESN'T HAVE ITS OWN BUDGET, SO THE DISTRICT ESSENTIALLY COVERS THOSE COSTS LIKE DIE HARD.
>> THEY'LL CONTINUE TO DO SO, IS THAT CORRECT?
I THINK I TOLD YOU AT THE LAST MEETING, WE DON'T PLAN TO ADD NES CAMPUSES, SO THAT WON'T BE A CHALLENGE AS FAR AS INCREASE IN BUDGET OR ANYTHING UNLESS A PUA SCHOOL DROPS TO AN F. THEN THESE ARE SOME OTHER COSTS, OF COURSE, THIS IS NOT NEW INFORMATION. WHAT'S THAT?
[LAUGHTER] QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS AND WE CAN THEN REVIEW WHAT'S COMING UP.
>> I THINK YOU'RE GOOD. GO AHEAD.
>> ON THE NEXT TIME, I THINK WE'LL GET A LITTLE BIT MORE EXCITEMENT BECAUSE WE'LL BE GIVING YOU THE DEPARTMENT ALLOCATIONS, THE NUMBER, THE TOTAL AMOUNT, AND THEN SCHOOL-BASED ALLOCATIONS.
KEEP IN MIND, THOSE NUMBERS WILL STILL BE PRELIMINARY IN DRAFT BECAUSE IT DEPENDS ON WHAT THE LEGISLATURE DOES, IF WE CAN GIVE THEM MORE MONEY OR NOT.
THE SAME THING WITH SCHOOL-BASED ALLOCATIONS, YOU'LL GET THE ALLOCATION AMOUNT FOR EACH SCHOOL. WE WILL REVIEW THAT.
>> ONE GENERAL. IN THE VERY BEGINNING OF THE PRESENTATION, THERE WAS AN ANNOTATION AROUND THE DISTRICT'S VISION.
COULD YOU PULL THAT SIGN UP FOR ME? I JUST WANTED TO OFFER A REFLECTION BECAUSE IT SEEMS LIKE MAYBE THERE WERE MORE THAN ONE SLIDE OR MAYBE IT WAS JUST ONE.
>> YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THIS SLIDE HERE?
>> YES. IT'S A LITTLE BIT CHALLENGING FOR ME WHEN I SEE DISTRICT VISION ON A SLIDE PRESENTED TO US BECAUSE IT'S NOT THE VISION.
WHAT I'M THINKING ABOUT IS JUST I KNOW THIS IS THE STRATEGY TO HELP US GET TO OUR GOAL AND GET TO OUR VISION.
I THINK JUST FROM A COMMUNICATION STANDPOINT, IT WILL HELP IF WE DELINEATE BETWEEN THOSE STRATEGIES VERSUS VISIONS, WHICH FOR US IS EMPOWERING STUDENTS TO BECOME CRITICAL THINKERS, VISIONARY LEADERS, ACTIVE CONTRIBUTORS TO THE COMMUNITY.
I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO JUST DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE GOALS, VISION, STRATEGIES GOING FORWARD SO THAT WE DON'T MINCE WORDS AND STRATEGIES, IF YOU WILL.
>> SURE. I'M SURE WE CAN FIGURE OUT SOMETHING.
>> ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, COMMENTS? GREAT. THAT'S THE BALANCE OF OUR MEETING TODAY.
BUT BOARD MEMBERS, I DO WANT TO REMIND YOU THAT WE HAVE THIS SELF-EVALUATION, AND ACTUALLY, TWO OF US HAVE ALREADY FILLED THEM OUT.
>> THREE, SORRY. THERE'S ONLY ONE [OVERLAPPING] CHANGE FROM THE LAST ONE, WHICH WOULD BE VISION AND GOALS NUMBER 4, AND ALL THE REST ARE PRETTY MUCH THE SAME.
WE'VE ACTUALLY INCREASED TWO POINTS FROM THE VISION AND GOALS NUMBER 4 BECAUSE OF WHAT WE DID IN JANUARY.
IT SHOULDN'T BE REALLY DIFFICULT FOR YOU ALL TO FILL THIS OUT PRETTY QUICKLY AND SIGN YOUR NAME AND MAYBE HAND IT TO EMILY.
GREAT. WITH THAT ANY COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS FROM BOARD MEMBERS?
>> CAN I SAY THANK YOU, PLEASE TO EVERYONE INVOLVED IN
[02:25:03]
THIS BUDGETING WORKSHOP WORK BECAUSE IT'S A LOT OF WORK, BUT I REALLY APPRECIATE THE PACING AND THE WAY YOU'VE BEEN ABLE TO BREAK THE INFORMATION OUT, AND I KNOW IT'S A LOT.WHEN WE ASK QUESTIONS, AND YOU DON'T HAVE ANY ANSWERS, I KNOW IT'S LIKE YOU'RE IN THE MIDDLE OF BUDGETING AND IT'S OKAY.
BUT THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALLOWING US A SPACE TO BETTER UNDERSTAND. THANK YOU.
>> I WILL ECHO THAT TO THANK YOU.
WE STAND ADJOURNED.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.