[00:00:02]
[1. CALL TO ORDER AND ESTABLISH QUORUM]
THE TIME IS NOW 6:02 P.M..THIS MEETING IS BEING RECORDED.
WE HAVE A QUORUM WITH ALL BOARD MEMBERS PRESENT THIS EVENING.
WE WILL BEGIN WITH OUR OPENING CEREMONIES, AND I AM HONORED TO INVITE THIS EVENING'S PLEDGE LEADERS UP TO THE FRONT TO LEAD US IN THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE TO THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND THE STATE OF TEXAS, FOLLOWED BY A MOMENT OF SILENCE.
WE HAVE EDWARD TEDDY SEMPLE A FIFTH GRADER AT CYPRESS SPRINGS ELEMENTARY, AND JOHN OR JACK URBAN.
PLEASE PUT YOUR RIGHT HAND OVER YOUR HEART.
ALL RIGHT, MOVING ON TO OUR ANNOUNCEMENTS.
[3. ANNOUNCEMENTS]
OKAY, WELL, CONGRATULATIONS TO THE TIGER VOLLEYBALL TEAM ON THEIR DISTRICT CHAMPIONSHIP.THE TIGERS ARE 43 AND TWO FOR THE SEASON AND 11 ZERO IN DISTRICT PLAYOFFS.
PLAYOFF INFORMATION WILL BE RELEASED LATER THIS WEEK FOR THEIR PLAYOFFS.
GOOD LUCK TO TIGER BAND ON SATURDAY AT THE AREA D MARCHING CONTEST.
A QUICK REMINDER THAT THURSDAY AND FRIDAY OF THIS WEEK ARE STUDENT HOLIDAYS.
HERE IN THE CENTER FOR LEARNING AND LEADERSHIP.
KIM WILLIAMSON IS THE SUBSTANCE USE PROGRAM DIRECTOR FOR HILL COUNTRY MENTAL HEALTH AND DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES, AND SHE'LL BE PRESENTING OUR NEXT TAXPAYER TUESDAY EVENT WILL BE NOVEMBER 12TH AT 9:30 A.M.
AT THE DRIPPING SPRINGS HIGH SCHOOL, AND WE'LL DISCUSS STUDENT PROGRAMS. YOU CAN RSVP ON OUR WEBSITE, AND THEN WE'LL ALSO HAVE VETERANS' DAY CELEBRATIONS AT ALL OF OUR CAMPUSES.
ALL RIGHT. MOVING ON TO OUR RECOGNITIONS.
[4. RECOGNITIONS]
WE ARE RECOGNIZING OUR AP SCHOLARS THIS EVENING.EACH FALL, THE AP PROGRAM RECOGNIZES HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS WHO HAVE DEMONSTRATED EXCEPTIONAL COLLEGE LEVEL ACHIEVEMENT THROUGH THEIR PERFORMANCE ON MULTIPLE AP EXAMS. THIS YEAR, 246 STUDENTS FROM DSHS HAVE BEEN HONORED AS AP SCHOLARS.
114 STUDENTS FROM THE CLASS OF 2025, 21 STUDENTS FROM THE CLASS OF 2026 AND 111 FROM THE CLASS OF 2024. THERE ARE.
THERE ARE SEVERAL LEVELS OF AP SCHOLAR AWARDS.
AP SCHOLAR AWARDED TO STUDENTS WHO SCORE THREE OR HIGHER ON THREE OR MORE AP EXAMS. AP SCHOLAR WITH HONOR GIVEN TO STUDENTS WHO ACHIEVE AN AVERAGE SCORE OF AT LEAST 3.25 ACROSS ALL AP EXAMS TAKEN, AND SCORE THREE OR HIGHER ON FOUR OR MORE OF THESE EXAMS AND AP SCHOLAR WITH DISTINCTION.
THIS IS GRANTED TO STUDENTS WHO EARN AN AVERAGE SCORE OF AT LEAST 3.5 ACROSS ALL AP EXAMS TAKEN, AND SCORE THREE OR HIGHER ON FIVE OR MORE OF THEM. WE'D LIKE TO ASK THOSE SCHOLARS COME UP HERE, AND IF YOU WILL INTRODUCE YOURSELF, YOU CAN COME UP HERE.
I'M LAURENCE PARNIS, AND I'M JEREMY FROST.
[00:05:04]
THANK YOU.[5. PUBLIC HEARING]
NOW WE WILL HAVE OUR PUBLIC HEARING FOR OUR 23-24 FIRST REPORT.MADAM PRESIDENT, SUPERINTENDENT, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD.
THANK YOU GUYS FOR HAVING ME HERE THIS EVENING.
IT HOLDS SCHOOL DISTRICTS ACCOUNTABLE FOR THE QUALITY OF THEIR MANAGEMENT PRACTICES, AND IT'S DESIGNED TO ENCOURAGE THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS TO BETTER MANAGE THEIR FINANCIAL RESOURCES, TO PROVIDE MAXIMUM ALLOCATION FOR DIRECT INSTRUCTIONAL PURPOSES, AND IT'S A TOOL THAT CREATES TRANSPARENCY AND DISCLOSES QUALITY OF LOCAL MANAGEMENT AND DECISION MAKING PROCESSES THAT SCHOOL DISTRICTS USED CONCERNING FINANCIAL RESOURCES AND THE FINANCIAL RESOURCES THAT THE DISTRICT RECEIVES.
SO THE FIRST RATING ORIGINATED BACK WITH SENATE BILL 875 OF THE 76TH LEGISLATURE.
SO IT'S BEEN AROUND FOR QUITE SOME TIME.
IT WAS REVISED BY HB THREE IN THE 83RD LEGISLATURE, AND IT WAS REVISED TO INCLUDE A PROCESS FOR ANTICIPATING FUTURE FINANCIAL SOLVENCY OF THE DISTRICTS. OUR REQUIREMENTS ARE TO PREPARE THE FIRST FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT REPORT AND TO DISCLOSE THE FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT REPORT BY PUTTING THE PUBLIC MEETING IN THE LOCAL NEWSPAPER, WHICH WE DID A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO, AND THEN TO HOLD THE MEETING HERE TO DISCUSS THE RATINGS.
THE CURRENT YEAR RATING IS BASED ON THE PRIOR YEAR AUDITED FINANCIAL DATA, AND SO WHAT THAT MEANS FOR US IS THAT THE 23-24 RATING IS BASED ON THE 22-23 FINANCIAL DATA THAT WE AUDITED LAST FISCAL YEAR.
THERE ARE 21 INDICATORS THIS YEAR, AND THE INDICATORS MEASURE COMPLIANCE WITH AUDIT REPORTING TIMELY DEBT AND EMPLOYEE BENEFIT RELATED PAYMENTS. HEALTHY FUND BALANCE, RELATIONSHIP OF DISTRICT REVENUES TO EXPENDITURES AND ACCURACY OF STUDENT ATTENDANCE ESTIMATES, AND CONSISTENCY OF STAFF RATIOS. TWO.
SOLVENCY INDICATORS RETURNED IN THE 23-24 RATING SYSTEM AFTER NOT BEING SCORED FOR MULTIPLE YEARS, AND THE TWO INDICATORS ARE INDICATOR FIVE, WHICH IS A NET POSITION ACCOUNT, GOVERNMENTAL ACCOUNTING INDICATOR, AND NUMBER 14, A STUDENT GROWTH STAFF RATIO INDICATOR, AND THEN THEY ADDED A NEW INDICATOR THIS YEAR, WHICH IS INDICATOR NUMBER 21, AND IT'S A FINANCIAL HARDSHIP INDICATOR, AND I'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THOSE AS WE GO FORWARD.
I FORGOT TO PROGRESS IN THE SLIDE.
SO THE FIRST FOUR INDICATORS ARE CRITICAL INDICATORS AND EACH OF THESE INDICATORS THE DISTRICT HAS TO PASS OR IT AUTOMATICALLY FAILS.
SO INDICATOR ONE SPEAKS TO WHETHER OR NOT THE DISTRICT SUBMITTED THE AUDITED FINANCIAL DATA TO THE TEA WITHIN 30 DAYS OF NOVEMBER 27TH.
FOR US, SINCE WE ARE A JUNE 30TH DISTRICT INDICATOR NUMBER TWO.
[00:10:07]
OPINION MEANS THAT THERE WERE NO QUALIFICATIONS IN THE ANNUAL FINANCIAL AUDIT, AND IT'S THE OUTCOME THAT THE DISTRICT IS HOPING TO GET EACH YEAR, AND WE OF COURSE, WE GOT WE PASSED BOTH INDICATORS ONE AND TWO FOR INDICATOR NUMBER THREE, IT ASKS WHETHER OR NOT WE WERE IN COMPLIANCE OF DEBT PAYMENTS AND WHETHER THEY WERE MADE IN A TIMELY MANNER, AND THE DISTRICT PASSED THAT INDICATOR.INDICATOR NUMBER FOUR IS WHETHER OR NOT THE DISTRICT MADE TIMELY PAYMENTS TO TRS TEXAS WORKFORCE COMMISSION AND THE INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE, AND ALL OF THOSE PAYMENTS WERE MADE, AND SO WE PASSED THAT INDICATOR, AND THEN INDICATOR NUMBER FIVE IS THE NEW INDICATOR THAT I MENTIONED, AND IT ASKS ABOUT THE TOTAL NET POSITION IN THE GOVERNMENTAL ACCOUNTING COLUMN OF THE STATEMENT OF NET POSITION, WHICH IS A CHART IN THE ANNUAL FINANCIAL REPORT, AND THIS INDICATOR MEASURES SOLVENCY FOR THE DISTRICT AND INDICATES WHETHER OR NOT THE SCHOOL DISTRICT HAS SUFFICIENT GOVERNMENTAL ACTIVITY ASSETS AT THE END OF THE FISCAL YEAR TO COVER ITS LIABILITIES AND THIS IS A CEILING INDICATOR RATHER THAN A PASS FAIL, AND WE MET THAT CEILING INDICATOR, AND THEN INDICATOR NUMBER SIX TALKS TO THE AVERAGE CHANGE IN ASSIGNED AND UNASSIGNED FUND BALANCE OVER THREE YEARS, AND IS LOOKING TO SEE WHETHER THERE WAS A 25% DECREASE IN THAT FUND BALANCE, OR IF THE CURRENT YEAR ASSIGNED AND UNASSIGNED FUND BALANCE EXCEEDED 75 DAYS OF OPERATIONAL EXPENDITURES, AND WE HAD AT LEAST 75 DAYS OF OPERATING EXPENDITURES, AND SO WE PASSED THAT INDICATOR.
INDICATOR NUMBER SEVEN IS ASKED ABOUT THE NUMBER OF DAYS OF CASH ON HAND CURRENT INVESTMENTS, AND IT IS LOOKING FOR THE DISTRICT TO HAVE 90 OR GREATER DAYS OF CASH ON HAND FOR THIS INDICATOR.
THE DISTRICT RECEIVED FULL TEN POINTS AND THE NUMBER OF DAYS ON CASH ON HAND.
WE HAD AT THE POINT OF THE AFR WAS 218.
SO MORE THAN TWO TIMES WHAT WE NEEDED FOR THAT INDICATOR.
THE SCORE THAT WE GOT ON THIS INDICATOR WAS 2.924, AND THE AMOUNT FOR FULL POINTS WAS 3.0.
SO WE WERE VERY CLOSE, AND THE GREATEST LIABILITIES WE HAD AT THE END OF LAST YEAR WERE RECAPTURE ACCRUED PAYROLL AND ACCOUNTS PAYABLE, AND I THINK THE CONTRIBUTING FACTOR HERE TO US MISSING THIS WAS RECAPTURE BECAUSE THE OTHER TWO WERE REALLY OUT OF OUR CONTROL.
INDICATOR NUMBER NINE IS DID THE SCHOOL DISTRICT'S GENERAL FUND REVENUES EQUAL OR EXCEED EXPENDITURES? AND IF NOT, WAS THE NUMBER OF DAYS OF CASH ON HAND GREATER THAN 60? WE HAD GREATER THAN 60 DAYS OF CASH ON HAND, AND SO WE MET THIS AND OUR OF COURSE, OUR GENERAL FUND REVENUES EXCEEDED OUR EXPENDITURES LAST YEAR. SEE, NUMBER TEN IS NOT BEING SCORED OR EVALUATED THIS YEAR.
NUMBER 11 IS ASKING ABOUT THE RATIO OF LONG TERM LIABILITIES TO TOTAL ASSETS FOR THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, AND THIS INDICATOR QUESTIONS THE DISTRICT'S DEBT TO MARKET VALUE OF THE ASSETS, AND THIS INDICATOR RECOGNIZES THAT FAST GROWTH DISTRICTS INCUR ADDITIONAL OPERATING COSTS TO NEW OPEN CAMPUSES, AND WE GOT FULL POINTS ON THIS ONE.
INDICATOR 12 IS WHAT IS THE CORRELATION BETWEEN FUTURE DEBT REQUIREMENTS AND THE DISTRICT'S ASSESSED PROPERTY VALUE? FOR THIS ONE WE GOT FULL POINTS.
THE POINTS THAT WE GOT WERE 2.7, AND TO GET FULL POINTS, YOU HAD TO HAVE LESS THAN FOUR.
FOR NUMBER 13, WHAT IS THE SCHOOL DISTRICT OR WHAT'S THE SCHOOL DISTRICT'S ADMINISTRATIVE COST RATIO EQUAL TO OR LESS THAN THE THRESHOLD RATIO? FOR DRIPPING SPRINGS, THE RATIO TO RECEIVE FULL POINTS WAS 0.1 OR LESS.
THE SCHOOL DISTRICT HAD A DISTRICT ADMINISTRATIVE COST RATIO OF 0.0934 AND SOME ADDITIONAL DIGITS, SO WE WERE ABLE TO RECEIVE FULL POINTS FOR THAT
[00:15:02]
AND THEN FOR THIS ONE THE ADA SIZE FOR THE DISTRICT WAS 5000, 9000.INDICATOR NUMBER 14 IS DID THIS SCHOOL DISTRICT HAVE A 15% DECLINE IN STUDENTS TO STAFF RATIO OVER THREE YEARS? AND FOR THIS INDICATOR WE DID NOT HAVE A 15% DECLINE IN STUDENTS TO STAFF RATIOS OVER THREE YEARS.
THE STUDENT ENROLLMENT GREW 1000 STUDENTS IN THE TIME MEASURED FROM 2021 TO 22-23, AND SO WE RECEIVED FULL POINTS FOR THIS INDICATOR, AND THEN WE'RE GOING TO GO TO NUMBER 15.
ACTUALLY LET ME GO BACK TO 14.
14 IS NEW TO THE FIRST RATING.
NUMBER 14 WAS LAST SCORED IN 2021, AND THEY PUT IT ON PAUSE 21-22 TO NOW.
SO IT'S THE SECOND INDICATOR THAT THEY'VE BROUGHT BACK.
INDICATOR 15 IS NOT BEING EVALUATED.
INDICATOR 16 IS DID THE PUBLIC DID THE PUBLIC EDUCATION INFORMATION MANAGEMENT SYSTEM DATA.
TO LIKE INFORMATION IN THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS, AFR RESULTS IN A TOTAL VARIANCE OF LESS THAN 3%.
FOR THIS INDICATOR, WE GOT FULL POINTS, AND THE LEVEL OF VARIANCE WAS ALMOST ZERO.
SO I TRIED TO GIVE YOU GUYS A RATIO, BUT IT WAS TOO MANY, TOO MANY DECIMALS.
SO NUMBER 17 IS DID THE EXTERNAL AUDITOR DID THE EXTERNAL INDEPENDENT AUDITOR REPORT THE AFR WAS FREE OF ANY INSTANCE OF MATERIAL WEAKNESSES AND WE PASSED THAT INDICATOR.
THERE WAS NO INDICATION OF MATERIAL WEAKNESSES IN THE AUDIT.
NUMBER 18 IS DID THE EXTERNAL INDEPENDENT AUDITOR INDICATE THE AFR WAS FREE OF ANY MATERIAL NONCOMPLIANCE FOR GRANTS, CONTRACTS AND LAWS RELATED TO LOCAL, STATE AND FEDERAL FUNDS? THIS WAS THE INDICATOR THAT WE DID NOT RECEIVE ANY POINTS ON LAST YEAR, BECAUSE IN THE PRIOR YEAR WE HAD MISSED IT.
THERE WAS NO INSTANCE OF MATERIAL NONCOMPLIANCE FOR ANY ANYWHERE IN THAT AREA, AND THEN NUMBER 19 IS DID THE SCHOOL DISTRICT POST THE REQUIRED FINANCIAL INFORMATION ON ITS WEBSITE? AND WE DID POST EVERYTHING THAT WE NEEDED TO, AND SO WE RECEIVED FULL FIVE POINTS THERE.
INDICATOR 20 IS DID THE SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS DISCUSS THE DISTRICT PROPERTY VALUES AT A BOARD MEETING WITHIN 120 DAYS BEFORE THE DISTRICT ADOPTED ITS BUDGET AND YOU GUYS DID HAVE THAT DISCUSSION PRIOR TO ADOPTING THE BUDGET, AND SO WE PASSED THAT INDICATOR, AND THEN 21 IS THE LAST INDICATOR, AND IT'S ALSO A NEW INDICATOR, AND THIS INDICATOR MEASURES WHETHER THE SCHOOL DISTRICT HAS RESOURCES NEEDED TO CONTINUE OPERATIONS INDEFINITELY.
IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT THE DISTRICT DID NOT RECEIVE AN ADJUSTED PAYMENT SCHEDULE, NOR DOES IT FACE FINANCIAL HARDSHIP, AND SOME OF THE OTHER INDICATORS SHOWED THAT THE 218 DAYS OF CASH ON HAND, ETC..
WE LOST POINTS BY, YOU KNOW, THE HUNDREDTHS PLACE OF A DECIMAL AND IT WAS RELATED TO THE LIABILITIES THAT WE HAD ON OUR BOOKS AT YEAR END, AND THEN LAST IS A RECAP.
SO THE DISTRICT SCORED 98 OUT OF A TOTAL OF 100 POINTS.
THE TWO POINTS WERE LOST AN INDICATOR EIGHT.
THE FIRST MANAGEMENT REPORT WITH REQUIRED DISCLOSURES IS AVAILABLE ON THE DISTRICT'S WEBSITE.
THE 24-25 RATING WILL BE BASED ON THIS YEAR'S ANNUAL FINANCIAL AUDIT THAT YOU GUYS WILL HEAR A PRESENTATION ABOUT A LITTLE BIT LATER ON THIS EVENING, AND JUST TO KIND OF CONCLUDE THIS PRESENTATION, I WANT TO LET YOU GUYS KNOW THAT THE DISTRICT IS FINANCIALLY STRONG.
THERE WERE NO QUESTIONED COSTS OR FINDINGS RELATED TO DAY TO DAY OPERATIONS ON THIS AUDIT, AND THEN THE CURRENT FINANCIAL SERVICES STAFF IS STRONG AND CONTINUING TO MAKE POSITIVE CHANGES.
SO THANK YOU GUYS FOR YOUR TIME.
[00:20:01]
THANK YOU SO MUCH.THIS IS SUCH A TESTAMENT TO HOW STRONG YOUR DEPARTMENT IS.
SO BIG KUDOS TO YOU AND EVERYONE ELSE WORKING ON THIS OBVIOUSLY.
ANY QUESTIONS OR DISCUSSION FROM BOARD MEMBERS FIRST? TRICIA. YEAH.
CAN YOU. SO NUMBER EIGHT IS REALLY THE ONLY ONE THAT WE MISSED ON.
CAN YOU ELABORATE ON THAT JUST A LITTLE BIT MORE? HOW WOULD RECAPTURE HAVE AFFECTED OUR SCORING? THE RECAPTURE PAYMENTS ARE NOT DUE UNTIL AFTER THE FISCAL YEAR IS OVER EACH YEAR, AND THE FINAL CALCULATION OF THAT RECAPTURE PAYMENT IS ALWAYS IN FLUX AS WE APPROACH AN AUDIT.
WE DID MAKE A PAYMENT IN MAY TO KIND OF ATTEMPT TO REDUCE THAT LIABILITY, BUT THE FULL AMOUNT WASN'T KNOWN, AND SO WE HAD THAT LIABILITY ON THE BOOKS WHEN WE CLOSED OUR BOOKS AT YEAR END. PERFECT, AND SO WE WOULD DEFINITELY WE PROBABLY CAN'T GET A TEN OUT OF TEN ON THAT IN THE FUTURE.
IT'S POSSIBLE. YOU KNOW, THE ACCRUED PAYROLL THAT WE HAD ON OUR BOOKS WAS CLOSE TO WHAT WE HAD IN RECAPTURE, AND THAT'S JUST A REQUIRED LIABILITY THAT WE POST AT YEAR END BECAUSE WE PAY PAYROLL OVER TEN MONTHS AND WE HAVE TO PAY IT OUT OVER 12.
OKAY, BUT WE'RE GOING TO DO OUR BEST TO TRY TO MINIMIZE THAT AND TRY TO RECEIVE FULL POINTS IN THE FUTURE, AND SOME OF THAT'S DEPENDENT ON INFORMATION THAT WE HAVE AVAILABLE, AND SOME OF IT'S DEPENDENT ON STUFF THAT WE DON'T HAVE CONTROL OVER.
SO FOR SURE. THANK YOU SO MUCH, AND THEN THE VERY LAST THING I'M SURE IS JUST NUMBER 19 IS A FIVE OUT OF FIVE POINTS, CORRECT? THAT'S CORRECT OUT OF TEN. OKAY.
YEAH. THAT'S EXACTLY RIGHT. YEAH.
IT'S SHOWN OUT OF A FIVE OUT OF TEN ON THAT.
SO THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU.
YEAH. TO THAT POINT, I NOTICED ANOTHER CENTRAL TEXAS RECAPTURE DISTRICT HAD THE SAME ISSUE WITH THAT INDICATOR, YOU KNOW, BEING A RECAPTURE DISTRICT, BUT I JUST WANTED TO POINT OUT WHEN I ALSO SAW THAT THE TEA, IN THEIR REVIEW OF THE ANNUAL FINANCIAL REPORTS, HAD NOTHING.
SO KUDOS TO YOUR WHOLE WHOLE DEPARTMENT.
THANK YOU GUYS. APPRECIATE IT.
SINCE THIS IS A PUBLIC HEARING, WOULD ANYBODY FROM THE AUDIENCE LIKE TO MAKE COMMENT ON THIS PARTICULAR PRESENTATION? ALL RIGHT. WE WILL MOVE ON TO OUR PUBLIC COMMENT PORTION OF THIS EVENING.
[6. PUBLIC COMMENT]
THE BOARD ENCOURAGES COMMENTS ABOUT THE DISTRICT FROM RESIDENTS OF THE DISTRICT, FROM DISTRICT EMPLOYEES, OR FROM OTHER MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC.PLEASE KEEP YOUR COMMENTS OR CRITICISMS CIVIL AND COURTEOUS.
IF AN ISSUE MENTIONED IS LISTED ON TONIGHT'S AGENDA.
WHEN YOUR NAME IS CALLED, PLEASE COME UP TO THE PODIUM.
INTRODUCE YOURSELF WITH YOUR NAME AND CONNECTION TO THE DISTRICT.
ONCE YOU BEGIN SPEAKING, THE TIMER WILL BEGIN.
WHEN YOU HEAR THE TIMER SOUND, PLEASE CONCLUDE YOUR COMMENTS.
HOWDY BOARD, I'M WALT SMITH, I'M A HAYS COUNTY COMMISSIONER, PRECINCT FOUR, AND FIRST OFF, I WANT TO SAY THE ONE ATHLETIC ACHIEVEMENT THAT Y'ALL DIDN'T MENTION EARLIER WAS THE DRIPPING SPRINGS MIDDLE SCHOOL GIRLS B TEAM.
NOT DIDN'T LOSE A SINGLE SET ALL YEAR, WHICH IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING I'M GOING TO TALK ABOUT TODAY, BUT I HAVE A DAUGHTER ON THAT TEAM AND DIDN'T DROP A SINGLE SET, SO CAN'T LET THAT PASS.
I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU ALL FOR THE COORDINATION THAT WE'VE HAD WITH YOU ALL AS FAR AS THE COUNTY OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS, THAT'S REALLY COME INTO FOCUS AND CULMINATION WITH THIS BOND.
IN THE PAST, WHENEVER I WAS FIRST ELECTED, WE REALLY DIDN'T HAVE ANY TYPE OF COMMUNICATION WITH THE SCHOOL DISTRICT WHEN IT CAME TO FUTURE PLANNING AND WHAT YOU ALL HAD IN STORE FOR US AND FOR THE TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM WE HAVE.
IF YOU LOOK AT THE BOND THAT IS ON THE BALLOT CURRENTLY, THERE ARE SEVERAL PROJECTS THAT I WANTED TO OUTLINE FOR YOU ALL, ALL OF WHICH HAVE A DIRECT IMPACT ON OUR CAMPUSES AND THOSE 5000 STUDENTS THAT WILL EVENTUALLY BE ON THAT SAWYER RANCH, DARDEN HILL CORRIDOR WITH THOSE CAMPUSES.
[00:25:04]
I'M A NON-VOTING MEMBER OF THAT.THE DARDEN HILL OR DARDEN HILL ITSELF FROM SAWYER RANCH ALL THE WAY TO 1826.
INCLUDED IN THE BOND IS FULL CONSTRUCTION COST FOR A FOUR LANE DIVIDED ROADWAY IN FRONT OF THAT PROPOSED NEW SCHOOL IN CYPRESS, AT THE COST OF ABOUT $50 MILLION FOR CONSTRUCTION. THAT'S BY FAR THE LARGEST PORTION OF CONSTRUCTION IN THE PRECINCT.
EACH COMMISSIONER HAS 2 TO 4 PROJECTS THAT ARE ACTUALLY FUNDED FOR CONSTRUCTION.
IN MY PRECINCT, ONE OF THEM IS THE IS THE ONE THAT I JUST MENTIONED.
ANOTHER ONE IS THE EXTENSION OF THE PEDESTRIAN PATH THAT GOES IN FRONT OF CYPRESS RIGHT NOW, ALL THE WAY TO THE OR PARDON ME, IN FRONT OF SYCAMORE ALL THE WAY TO THE CYPRESS CAMPUS.
ALSO INCLUDED IS PLANNING AND DESIGN FOR EXPANSION AND WIDENING OF SAWYER RANCH ROAD, AND ALSO A LOOK AT DARDEN HILL FROM SAWYER RANCH ALL THE WAY TO 150.
THE OTHER THING THAT I WOULD SAY IS THAT OF ALL THESE PROJECTS, ONE OF THE OTHER PROJECTS THAT WOULD REALLY HAVE AN IMPACT HERE IN THE DRIPPING SPRINGS AREA AND POSSIBLY ON YOUR YOUR OVERALL FUTURE ZONING WOULD BE WHAT WE CALL THE SOUTHWEST CONNECTOR, WHICH WOULD EXTEND 150 FROM ITS CURRENT TERMINATION POINT AT 150 AND 12 JUST SOUTH OF 290 HERE IN TOWN, AND ACTUALLY PROVIDE THE A CONNECTION TO 290 ON THE WEST SIDE, WHICH EVENTUALLY WE HOPE THAT WOULD PROVIDE RELIEF TO THAT TWO 9012 INTERACTION THAT TXDOT HAS TO DEAL WITH, THAT WE DEAL WITH ON A DAILY BASIS.
I CAN TELL YOU, AS A RESIDENT OF HOWARD OR FORMER RESIDENT OF HOWARD RANCH, WE SEE TRAFFIC BACK UP ALMOST TWO AND A HALF MILES, AND AS A COMMISSIONER TO THE SOUTH AND AS A COMMISSIONER, I'VE HAD TO REDO EAST MOUNT GAINOR TWICE IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS BECAUSE OF CUT THROUGH TRAFFIC ON IT.
SO THANK YOU ALL AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR PARTICIPATION LOCALLY.
THANK YOU ALL. NEXT IS JOHN WILLIAMSON.
MY REASON FOR BEING HERE TONIGHT IS ABOUT PHONES IN SCHOOLS SPECIFICALLY FOR THE HIGH SCHOOL.
I KNOW THAT YOU HAVE IMPLEMENTED PHONE POLICIES ALL THE WAY FROM K THROUGH 12 AND CURRENTLY HAVE DIFFERENT POLICIES FOR KINDERGARTEN, MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL, AND I COMMEND YOU FOR IMPLEMENTING THESE VERY IMPORTANT POLICIES TO DATE.
THAT'S RIGHT. I'M ASKING FOR THE PHONES TO BE OFF, THEIR PHONES TO BE OFF ALL DAY.
I'M SURE MANY OF YOU ARE AWARE OF THE INCREASINGLY AVAILABLE RESEARCH ON THE INCREASED BENEFITS TO BOTH TEACHERS AND STUDENTS, BY ELIMINATING THE PHONES COMPLETELY AS A DISTRACTION DURING THE SCHOOL DAY, INCLUDING AT PASSING PERIODS AS WELL AS AT LUNCH.
I HAVE A PACKET THAT I HAVE HERE THAT I WILL BE HANDING TO EACH OF THE BOARD MEMBERS IF I CAN, AFTER I'M FINISHED WITH MUCH OF THIS INFORMATION ON IMPLEMENTATION, BUT HERE ARE A FEW HIGHLIGHTS.
ONE OF MY FAVORITE QUOTES IS FROM A PRINCIPAL AFTER THE PHONE FREE IMPLEMENTATION AT THEIR SCHOOL.
QUOTE I HADN'T ANTICIPATED THE LEVEL OF NOISE.
THERE WAS LAUGHTER AND PEOPLE WERE ACTUALLY INTERACTING AND SOCIALIZING.
I THINK I SHOULD SIT DOWN AT THIS POINT.
THAT ALONE SHOULD GIVE US ALL CHILLS.
WHY ARE WE DOING ANYTHING THAT DIMINISHES LAUGHTER IN THE HALLS FOR OUR TEENAGERS? HERE'S JUST A FEW QUICK STATISTICS FROM THE NATIONAL EDUCATION ASSOCIATION.
72% OF HIGH SCHOOL TEACHERS REPORT CELL PHONES ARE A MAJOR DISTRACTION IN THE CLASSROOM.
83% OF TEACHERS SUPPORT AN ALL DAY PHONE FREE POLICY.
STUDENTS NOT USING THEIR PHONES WROTE DOWN 62%.
RATES OF LONELINESS HAVE DOUBLED.
RECENT RESEARCH FROM JONATHAN HAIDT IN HIS BOOK THE ANXIOUS GENERATION HAS MUCH INFORMATION FROM THIS, AND I EXPECT SOME OF YOU ARE FAMILIAR WITH THIS BOOK AND PROBABLY HAVE READ IT. THERE ARE MANY MORE THINGS TO DISCUSS PARENT REACTIONS BEING A BIG ONE, ENFORCEMENT AND PUNISHMENT, AND STUDENT AND TEACHER REACTIONS.
[00:30:02]
I WILL BE FOLLOWING UP WITH EACH OF YOU ON THE BOARD OFFLINE FROM TONIGHT'S MEETING TO DISCUSS THE STEPS FORWARD AND LOOK FORWARD TO ENGAGING THE TOPIC AND GETTING DRIPPING SPRINGS HIGH SCHOOL PHONE FREE FROM BELL TO BELL.THANK YOU. WHAT DO I DO WITH THIS? THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT.
MOVING ON TO OUR PRESENTATIONS AND DISCUSSION.
[7. PRESENTATIONS AND DISCUSSIONS]
OUR LEARNING SPOTLIGHT FROM CYPRESS SPRINGS ELEMENTARY.FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING US HERE TONIGHT.
WE'RE SO EXCITED TO SHARE SOME OF OUR LEARNING THAT WE'RE DOING.
I WAS SO GRATEFUL TO BE ABLE TO BE AT CYPRESS SPRINGS AS THE PRINCIPAL THIS YEAR, AND I GOT THE I GOT INHERITED THE STEAM APPRECIATION PROGRAM THAT THE PTA STARTED LAST YEAR, AND SO I'M GOING TO LET THEM COME UP AND SPEAK TO IT FIRST AND LET YOU KNOW KIND OF THE HISTORY BEHIND THIS PROGRAM THAT WE'VE STARTED AT CYPRESS SPRINGS AND WHERE WE'RE GOING WITH IT.
THIS IS OUR SECOND YEAR AS SAGE TOLD YOU ABOUT DOING STEAM APPRECIATION AT CYPRESS IN THE PAST, THE PTA HAD THE ART APPRECIATION PROGRAM.
THE TEAM SORT OF FELT LIKE WE WERE DUPLICATING THE EFFORTS OF OUR FABULOUS ART TEACHERS, SO WE WANTED TO DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT, AND AFTER A LOT OF BRAINSTORMING WITH KELLY RAYMOND AND THE PTA BOARD, STEAM APPRECIATION WAS BORN.
THIS FALL, WE FOCUSED OUR EFFORTS ON ENGINEERING.
ENGINEERS WORK IN GROUPS TO SOLVE PROBLEMS. SO COMMUNICATION AND TEAMWORK WERE UNDERLYING LESSONS.
THEY ALSO CREATED MARBLE RUNS.
STUDENTS DECIDED ON A GOAL, DESIGNED AND PLANNED, AND THEN BUILT THEIR MARBLE RUN.
THE VIDEO EXPLAINS THE CONCEPT AND THE LESSON ACTIVITY.
WE FEEL THE VIDEO IS VERY IMPORTANT.
IT ENSURES THAT THE LESSONS ARE CLEAR AND CONSISTENT IN ALL CLASSROOMS. WE PROVIDE EACH CLASSROOM WITH THE MATERIALS THEY NEED FOR THE ACTIVITIES.
WE HAVE APPROXIMATELY 45 MINUTES PER GRADE LEVEL.
TO SUPPORT OUR VOLUNTEERS, WE OFFER A TRAINING THE FRIDAY BEFORE THE EVENT.
THIS YEAR WE HAD 45 VOLUNTEERS SIGN UP, 19 FOR THE TRAINING, SO WE HAD 145 SLOTS OPEN, AND WE WERE ABLE TO FILL 57% OF THOSE SLOTS.
WE ONLY HAD ONE CLASS WITH ALL FIVE VOLUNTEERS, SO THERE WAS A LOT OF HUSTLING.
AS THIS PROGRAM MATURES OVER TIME, OUR PLAN IS TO HAVE VOLUNTEERS CREATE ONE PROGRAM AND THEN TO HAVE A VENDOR COME IN AND RUN ANOTHER LESSON.
AS YOU CAN SEE, IT'S CHALLENGING FOR US TO GET THE AMOUNT OF VOLUNTEERS NEEDED, AND I ALSO WANT TO PROTECT THE VOLUNTEERS FROM BURNOUT AS IT'S A BIG EFFORT TO DEVELOP THE IDEA, MAKE SURE IT MEETS TEKS, WRITE A SCRIPT, CREATE A VIDEO, PREPARE ALL THE MATERIALS, AND TRAIN THE VOLUNTEERS.
FUNDS WERE RAISED VIA JUMP FOR CYPRUS.
OUR BUDGET FOR THIS YEAR WAS $8,000.
[00:35:03]
DISCOUNT THERE.OUR PARENT LED PROGRAM THIS YEAR WAS CREATED BY JENNIFER DRISCOLL-HOLLIS AND SEAN WOLFORD.
UNFORTUNATELY, JENNIFER ISN'T HERE TODAY, BUT I HAVE TO SING HER PRAISES.
SHE IS A PRODUCT MANAGER OF TWIG SCIENCE AT IMAGINE LEARNING, WHICH IS A TEXTBOOK COMPANY THAT TEXAS, THEY DON'T SELL TO TEXAS, BUT JUST WANTED TO REALLY TELL YOU THAT SHE WAS ABLE TO REALLY HELP US UNDERSTAND TEKS AND THEN CREATE A PROGRAM THAT THE KIDS WOULD REALLY BE ENGAGED WITH.
SO IT WAS JUST THE RIGHT AMOUNT OF LEARNING.
THANK YOU. I KNOW WE'VE GOT SOME COOL VOLUNTEERS WHO ARE GOING TO ACTUALLY SHOW IT IN ACTION, BUT JUST SO YOU GET A SENSE TO SEE EVERYBODY BASICALLY JUST A MARBLE RUN WITH DETACHABLE PIECES THAT THE KIDS CAN CONSTRUCT HOWEVER THEY WANT TO SET THINGS UP, AND WE HAD INITIALLY LOOKED AT JUST DOING SOMETHING LIKE A BUY YOUR OWN MARBLE RUN KIT, AND WE PUT A COUPLE TOGETHER AND THEY WERE SO SIMPLE.
THERE WAS NO CREATIVITY WHATSOEVER INVOLVED.
NO LIE, I HAD PROBABLY RUN THIS ABOUT 20 DIFFERENT TIMES WHILE I WAS DEVELOPING IT AND HAD RUN MY BRAIN, MY OLD BRAIN IS THINKING, OKAY, THIS IS HOW A MARBLE RUN LOOKS JUST LIKE THIS. THE VERY FIRST PRE-K CLASS ONE OF THE KIDS SET UP LIKE THAT AND MADE THIS GIGANTIC JUMP I HAD NEVER EVEN THOUGHT ABOUT.
WE COULD NEVER HAVE DONE SOMETHING LIKE THAT WITH ONE OF THOSE BASIC SETS.
SO IT WAS JUST IT WAS A REALLY COOL PROCESS WATCHING THESE KIDS JUST COMPLETELY ENGAGE.
THEY COULD JUST DO IT AS A FUN ACTIVITY OR JUST HAVE SOMETHING EXTRA.
SO EVEN BEYOND THE STEAM PROGRAM, THEY'RE GETTING THE EXTRA USE OUT OF IT AND THE SCIENCE ROOM.
HELLO, I'M ALICIA LEMON, I AM ON THE PTA FOR CYPRESS SPRINGS FOR ENRICHMENT, AND I GOT TO HAVE THE PLEASURE TO BE WITH SCIENCE MILL FOR THE THIRD, FOURTH AND FIFTH GRADE CLASSES, AND THEY HAD BROUGHT IN THE SUPPLIES OF, LIKE, PIPE CLEANERS, TWO WASHERS, A DIXIE CUP AND SOME STRAWS AND A STRING. SO THEY HAD TO MAKE A GONDOLA ZIPLINE AND WITHOUT BEING TOLD HOW TO DO IT, THEY WORKED IN GROUPS OF 2 TO 4 PEOPLE, WHICH APPARENTLY ALL THE CHILDREN LOVED COLLABORATING TOGETHER, AND THEY CREATED INCREDIBLE DESIGNS THAT NONE OF US REALLY THOUGHT OF AND WITH ALL THREE GRADE LEVELS, CONTINUE TO CREATE SOMETHING DIFFERENT EVERY TIME.
THEY WOULD BE WELCOMED BACK ANY TIME.
SO IT WAS VERY, VERY COOL TO SEE THEM BE CREATIVE ON THEIR OWN.
THANK YOU, AND NOW OUR KIDDOS ARE GOING TO SHARE A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THEIR LEARNING.
HI, MY NAME IS AUGUST HINTON AND I'M IN FIRST GRADE.
I LIKE THAT WE GOT TO WORK TOGETHER TO MAKE THE MARBLE RUN.
I LEARNED THAT YOU CAN HAVE MULTIPLE WAYS TO MAKE THINGS GO DOWN.
IT WAS HARD TO GET THE TUBES TO FIT, BUT WE FIGURED OUT AS A TEAM HOW TO PUT THE LARGER AND SMALLER TUBES TOGETHER.
HI, I'M AUDREY KANE WITH A K, AND I AM IN SECOND GRADE.
I'M GOING TO SHOW YOU AN EXAMPLE OF OUR MARBLE RUN.
[00:40:04]
IT WAS HARD LISTENING TO ALL OF THE DIFFERENT IDEAS, BUT WE WORKED TOGETHER AND TOOK TURNS SO WE COULD MAKE A BETTER TOGETHER.SHOW ME WITH YOUR FINGERS HOW MANY TRIES YOU THINK IT TOOK US TO MAKE THIS MARBLE RUN? IT WAS SEVEN.
[LAUGHTER] THIS IS HOW IT WORKS.
EACH ITEM ADDED TO OUR CARRIER COSTS MONEY.
WE DISCOVERED THAT IT NEEDED WEIGHT TO GO DOWN FASTER.
WE LEARNED ABOUT AERODYNAMICS AND EVEN HOW LITTLE THINGS LIKE A PIPE CLEANER VERSUS A STRAW CAN CHANGE THE SPEED AND THE SMOOTHNESS OF THE CARRIER MOVING DOWN THE ZIP LINE. THE BEST PART WAS WORKING AS A TEAM AND DISCOVERING NEW WAYS TO IMPROVE OUR DESIGN.
SO WHAT WAS REALLY GREAT ABOUT THIS AND WALKING INTO THIS, IS THAT WE, AS YOU ALL KNOW, WE HAVE NEW SCIENCE TEKS THIS YEAR AS A DISTRICT AND THEY REALLY FOCUS ON ENGINEERING AND OUR ENGINEERING PRACTICES, AND SO I DO HAVE UP ON THE SCREEN, THESE ARE THE ENGINEERING TECHS THAT SPAN ALL OF OUR GRADE LEVELS, K THROUGH FIVE, AND THE ACTIVITIES THAT WERE CHOSEN FOR THE STUDENTS TO WORK ON REALLY FOCUSED ON THESE THINGS. SO AS YOU HEARD THEM SAY, THERE WERE THINGS LIKE COMMUNICATION AND COLLABORATION AND LISTENING TO OTHERS BEING ABLE TO EXPLAIN.
THEY ALSO HAD TO DESIGN EITHER THEIR MARBLE RUN OR THEIR ZIPLINE PASSENGER AND REALLY DECIDE ON DETERMINE HOW IT WAS GOING TO WORK AND MAKE ADJUSTMENTS AND SO THEY REALLY WERE HITTING ALL OF THESE ENGINEERING TEKS WITH BOTH ACTIVITIES K THROUGH FIVE, WHICH WAS GREAT TO SEE, AND THEN OUR CLASSROOMS, TOO, A LOT OF THEM DID ACTIVITIES AFTERWARDS THAT REALLY HELPED THEM FOCUS ON THEIR WRITING END OF IT.
AS YOU KNOW, ALSO WITH STAAR, THEY HAVE THE ECR AND THE SCR, THE CONSTRUCTED RESPONSES THAT THEY'RE WORKING TOWARDS, AND AS A CAMPUS, WE'RE REALLY WORKING ON OUR WRITING AND STUDENTS BEING ABLE TO NOT ONLY SHARE THEIR THINKING, BUT TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE EVIDENCE WITH IT, AND NOT ONLY WHEN IT'S COMING TO READING PASSAGES, BUT ALSO IN MATH AND SCIENCE, AND SO EVEN OUR TEACHERS WHO DON'T TEACH READING AND WRITING, ELA, I MEAN, ALL TEACHERS TEACH READING AND WRITING, BUT EVEN JUST OUR SCIENCE OR MATH TEACHERS ARE REALLY FOCUSING ON THAT WRITING COMPONENT.
SO THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF A STUDENT WHO DID A REFLECTION AFTERWARDS, AND THEN SOME OF THE RESPONSES THAT STUDENTS HAD FROM THEIR REFLECTION FROM DOING THE ACTIVITY, AND SO THAT WAS REALLY NEAT TO SEE THEIR THINKING AND TO BE ABLE TO SHARE THEIR THINKING AS THEY WENT THROUGH THE PROCESS. I'M ALSO SHARING A COUPLE QUESTIONS FROM STAAR SO THAT YOU ALL CAN SEE HOW IT RELATES TO THESE ACTIVITIES.
WHAT'S REALLY GREAT ABOUT THIS IS NOW STUDENTS HAVE AN EXPERIENCE IN SOME BACKGROUND KNOWLEDGE WHERE THEY'VE ACTUALLY DONE AN EXPERIMENT SO THAT WHEN THEY COME TO A QUESTION LIKE THIS ON STAR, THEY CAN THINK ABOUT, OH, I'VE DONE SOMETHING WITH A MARBLE BEFORE, AND THEY CAN BE THINKING ABOUT THEIR OWN EXPERIENCE AND HOW IT RELATES AND THEY'VE ALSO BEEN PRACTICING, YOU KNOW, HOW TO SHARE THAT THINKING AND THINK THROUGH THINGS.
THIS OTHER QUESTION ON STAAR IS ALL AROUND FRICTION, WHICH WAS HIT A LOT WITH THE ZIPLINE ACTIVITY.
[00:45:09]
FRICTION WAS A BIG COMPONENT OF HOW THAT ZIPLINE TRAVELED OR THE VEHICLE THEY MAY TRAVEL DOWN THE ZIPLINE, AND SO BEING ABLE TO FOR THOSE STUDENTS TO BE ABLE TO MAKE THOSE CONNECTIONS TO ACTIVITIES THAT THEY'VE DONE IN THE CLASSROOM IS HUGE FOR THEM, AND THAT IS IT.IT'S NOT MOVING FORWARD, BUT THANK YOU SO MUCH.
THANK YOU FOR LETTING US SHARE TODAY.
WONDERFUL. BOARD MEMBERS, DO YOU HAVE ANY DISCUSSION? COMMENTS? QUESTIONS? KIM. OKAY.
I JUST WANT TO TELL Y'ALL THAT Y'ALL JUST DID A GREAT JOB.
HE WORKS FOR A MAJOR SKI RESORT IN JUNEAU, ALASKA.
THEY'RE THREE HOURS BEHIND US, SO HE'LL BE UP WHEN I GET OUT OF HERE.
THEY'RE IN THE PROCESS OF BUILDING A GONDOLA AT THE SKI RESORT, AND I CAN'T WAIT TO TELL HIM THE ENGAGEMENT OF OUR ELEMENTARY STUDENTS AND WHAT THEY'RE DOING AND WHO KNOWS? YOU MAY BE DESIGNING THE NEXT GONDOLA AT A SKI RESORT IN THE UNITED STATES.
SO THANK YOU GUYS FOR YOUR TIME AND THAT BECAUSE IT'S JUST SO IMPORTANT.
ROB. YEAH, AND LET ME ECHO THAT FIRST.
I LOVE THIS AS A HANDS ON LEARNER.
WE HAVE KIDS THAT LEARN DIFFERENT WAYS, RIGHT? SO WHAT WE'VE DONE IS WE'VE FOUND WAYS TO INTRODUCE THESE TEKS, RIGHT, WHICH THESE KIDS NEED TO KNOW IN PREPARATION FOR THE STAAR AND LIFE, AND WE FOUND UNIQUE WAYS TO GET THEM TO LEARN IT, AND I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THAT, AND FOR A VISUAL PERSON LIKE ME, THIS IS PHENOMENAL AND THE SECOND THING I'LL NOTE IS I LOVE THAT WE'RE ALREADY DR.
K, THIS IS REALLY FOR YOU. WE'RE ALREADY IMPLEMENTING THE FEEDBACK WE GOT WHEN WE EVALUATED THE PERFORMANCE OF THE STAAR LAST YEAR, AND SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE IDENTIFIED THAT OUR KIDS WERE MISSING RIGHT WHEN WE LOOKED AT THE COLLECTIVE AND WE IMMEDIATELY STARTED TO MAKE CHANGES AND IMPLEMENT THAT, I APPRECIATE THAT.
THAT'S WONDERFUL. THAT'S GOING TO HELP THESE KIDS GET THE NEXT LEVEL, AND SO THANK YOU ALL AND KIDS.
WONDERFUL JOB, AND THESE STUDENTS ALSO HAVE SOME QUESTIONS FOR Y'ALL IF THAT'S OKAY.
DID YOU HAVE A STEAM LAB WHEN YOU WERE IN SCHOOL? THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
I'M GOING TO LET TRICIA ANSWER THAT QUESTION.
I DID NOT HAVE A STEAM LAB THAT I CAN I CAN REMEMBER, AND IT'S SUPER FUNNY BECAUSE LIKE ROB SAID, I AM A HANDS ON LEARNER, AND SO I THINK THIS PROBABLY WOULD HAVE HELPED ME LEARN, AND I'M SO EXCITED THAT YOU GUYS ACTUALLY GET TO ENJOY THIS AS WELL AS LEARN FROM IT, BECAUSE IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO EVEN TEAMWORK.
YOU GUYS ARE LEARNING TEAMWORK IN THIS AND TEAMWORK MAKES THE DREAM WORK.
WHAT DO YOU THINK IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING WE SHOULD LEARN IN SCHOOL? THAT IS A GREAT QUESTION.
I THINK OLIVIA GOT THAT QUESTION.
WELL, ACTUALLY I DON'T THINK THERE REALLY IS JUST ONE THING THAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT.
I THINK WHAT IS MOST IMPORTANT IS THAT EACH INDIVIDUAL STUDENT HAVE THE ENVIRONMENT AND THE RESOURCES AND THE SUPPORT TO PURSUE YOUR OWN GIFTS AND TALENTS, BECAUSE WHAT MAKES THE WORLD SO BEAUTIFUL IS WHAT WE EACH INDIVIDUALLY CONTRIBUTE TO THAT. SO I THINK AS A MEMBER OF THE BOARD AND A SUPPORTER OF EDUCATION, I THINK TWO THINGS ARE REALLY IMPORTANT.
NUMBER ONE IS MAKING SURE THAT OUR STUDENTS CAN MASTER THEIR CORE CONCEPTS ENGLISH, MATH, SCIENCE AND HISTORY, AND THEN JUST AS IMPORTANT IS CREATING OPPORTUNITIES LIKE STEAM AND CTE AND AMAZING ELECTIVES.
SO I DON'T THINK IT'S JUST ONE THING.
I THINK IT'S THE INDIVIDUAL LEARNER AND FINDING WHAT WORKS BEST FOR THEM.
THANK YOU FOR ANSWERING THAT QUESTION.
HOW MANY KIDS ARE IN THE DISTRICT? I HAPPENED TO HAVE GOTTEN THIS INFORMATION VERY RECENTLY.
[00:50:01]
SO I CAN TELL YOU. WE HAVE 8722 KIDS IN OUR DISTRICT, AND HOW DO YOU SUPPORT THEM? I CAN TELL YOU AS A BOARD HOW WE SUPPORT THEM KIND OF A BROAD OVERVIEW OF THAT.MORRIS-KUENTZ. WE SUPPORT YOU GUYS AS A WHOLE.
SO WE ARE JUST ONE PERSON, BUT AS A WHOLE WE ARE ALL A TEAM TOGETHER.
SO THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO NOTE, AND THEN WE SUPPORT YOU GUYS STARTING REALLY WITH YOUR TEACHERS, WHAT THEY NEED AND THEN WHAT YOUR PRINCIPALS NEED AND THEN WHAT ALL OF THESE FOLKS SITTING HERE ON THE SIDES, THE OTHER DISTRICT OFFICIALS, WHAT THEY NEED, THEY KIND OF TELL US OR YOUR PARENTS TELL US AND WE KIND OF MAKE POLICY DECISIONS AND CHANGES BASED ON THAT.
SO YOU TELL US WHAT YOU NEED SO THAT WE CAN HELP SUPPORT YOU.
ALL RIGHT. NOW FOR OUR LEADERSHIP SPOTLIGHT.
I THINK FIRST IS OUR CONFERENCE.
JUST GO DOWN THE LINE, SHARE QUICK TIDBITS.
SOMETHING YOU LEARNED SOME SESSION YOU LIKED? OKAY, MY FAVORITE SESSION THAT I ATTENDED WAS CALLED UNDERSTANDING HOW LOCAL WORKFORCE NEEDS AFFECT CTE PATHWAYS.
BASICALLY, THEY SAY, FIND OUT WHAT JOBS ARE LOOKING FOR GRADUATES IN YOUR PARTICULAR COMMUNITY OR NEARBY, AND BEGIN OFFERING THOSE PROGRAMS IN YOUR CAREER AND TECHNOLOGY PROGRAM.
ANOTHER KEY THING WAS TO MAKE SURE YOU KEEP THOSE TEACHERS COMING OUT OF INDUSTRY UP TO DATE.
THEY OFFER PROGRAMS OUT THERE CALLED EXTERNSHIPS, AND THAT IS WHERE THEY GO AND WORK IN THAT INDUSTRY OVER THE SUMMER TO STAY CURRENT AND UP TO DATE? SO, FOR EXAMPLE, IF THEY'VE BEEN IN THE CLASSROOM FOR 15 YEARS, HOW HAS THAT INDUSTRY CHANGED AND ARE THEY ABLE TO KEEP UP WITH IT? HAVE ADVISORY COMMITTEES IN YOUR CAREER AND TECHNOLOGY PROGRAMS BY GROUPS.
MY FAVORITE PART OF THE WHOLE PRESENTATION WAS DISTRICTS HAVE WHAT THEY CALL EMPLOYEE ABILITY CARDS, AND THE KIDS HAVE TO EARN POINTS TO GET THESE CARDS BEFORE THEY CAN GO OUT AND DO THEIR PAID INTERNSHIPS.
THESE ARE THINGS LIKE BEING TO CLASS ON TIME BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO BE AT WORK ON TIME.
YOU CAN'T BE ON YOUR PHONE AT WORK, SO YOU CAN'T BE ON YOUR PHONE IN CLASS.
ALL OF THESE THINGS THAT EMPLOYERS ARE LOOKING FOR, THEY HAVE TO EARN POINTS, AND WHEN THEY GO INTO THE INTERNSHIP, THE FIRST THING THE BUSINESS ASKS IS WHERE IS YOUR EMPLOYEE ABILITY CARD? I JUST THOUGHT THAT WAS A GREAT IDEA.
SHANDA. MY FAVORITE SESSION WAS NAVIGATING THE BRAND TRANSITION TO MULTIPLE HIGH SCHOOLS.
I BELIEVE ALL OF US SAT IN ON THAT ONE, RIGHT? WE HEARD FROM ROYSE CITY ISD AND LIBERTY HILL ISD, BOTH OF WHICH ARE GOING FROM A ONE HIGH SCHOOL TO A TWO HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT, AND THEY ARE EITHER IN THE PROCESS OF OR SOON TO BE OPENING AND WE GOT SO MANY GOOD IDEAS AND HOW TO NAVIGATE THAT WITH THE COMMUNITY AND HOW TO GET THE STUDENTS INVOLVED IN IT, AND I THINK IT WAS REALLY, REALLY VALUABLE TO SEE BECAUSE IT, YOU KNOW, IS GOING TO BE SUCH AN EMOTIONAL TRANSITION FOR OUR COMMUNITY, AND SO TO SEE HOW ANOTHER OTHER DISTRICTS HAVE DONE IT WAS REALLY, REALLY HELPFUL, AND I THINK I TOOK A LOT FROM THAT.
ANYTHING IN PARTICULAR? I LOVED THEIR IDEA WHERE THE STUDENTS GOT TO BE INVOLVED IN THE DESIGNING OF THE LOGOS AND THE COLORS, AND SO I THINK THAT IS SOMETHING REALLY IMPORTANT THAT COULD BE REALLY VALUABLE TO OUR COMMUNITY.
OLIVIA. WELL, I TYPED MINE BECAUSE I KNEW IT WAS A LONG NIGHT.
[00:55:07]
THIS CAN BE DISRUPTIVE.WE, STATEWIDE, ARE SEEING A RISE OF STUDENT BEHAVIOR IMPACTS.
THIS SESSION DISCUSSED THREE TOPICS.
NUMBER ONE WAS LEVERAGING A DISTRICT BEHAVIOR TEAM TO DRIVE ACCOUNTABILITY.
I'M HAPPY TO SAY THAT IN THE DISCUSSION SESSION CONFIRMED TO ME THAT AT DSISD, WE ALREADY HAVE SOME OF THE BEST PRACTICES IN PLACE AND HIGHLIGHTED HOW CRITICAL PARENT ENGAGEMENT AND SUPPORT IS WHEN IT COMES TO THIS TOPIC.
SO EVEN THOUGH WE HAVE EMBRACED DUAL CREDIT PROGRAMS FOR YEARS, I HAD HEARD SOME CHATTER ABOUT NEWER INITIATIVES, AND SO I CHOSE ONE ON DUAL CREDIT PROGRAMS AND LEARNED ABOUT THE TEXAS FIRST DIPLOMA.
FOR THOSE KIDS WHO WANT TO EXIT HIGH SCHOOL FASTER, THERE ARE SCHOLARSHIPS DEPENDING ON WHETHER STUDENTS RECEIVE THEIR DIPLOMA 1 OR 2 SEMESTERS EARLY AT PARTICIPATING INSTITUTIONS.
ALSO, FOR ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED STUDENTS, THERE'S SOMETHING CALLED FINANCIAL AID FOR SWIFT TRANSFER OR THE FAST PROGRAM, AND THERE WERE 260,000 STUDENTS ENROLLED IN THE FIRST YEAR, ALMOST 80 MILLION IN FUNDING FROM THE STATE, AND THE OTHER REALLY INTERESTING FACT FROM THIS SESSION WAS THAT RICE UNIVERSITY HAS A PROGRAM TO HELP HIGH SCHOOL TEACHERS BECOME CERTIFIED TO TEACH DUAL CREDIT, AND THEN IF ANYONE IS INTERESTED, THE WEBSITE TO GO TO IS HIGHER ED.TEXAS.GOV BACKSLASH THE TEXAS FIRST PROGRAM.
ROB. I JUST WANT THE RECORD TO REFLECT THAT I'M THE ONLY ONE.
[CHUCKLING] YOU KILLED MY JOKE. NO, IT'S TOO LATE.
GOLLY! THAT'S OKAY, THAT'S OKAY.
I SAID THIS LAST TIME. I'LL SAY IT AGAIN: I ENJOY THE FELLOWSHIP WITH Y'ALL AT THIS DEAL.
NO, LISTEN, I GOT A CHANCE TO ACTUALLY GO TO A COUPLE OF MEETINGS BEFORE WE KICKED OFF THE TEXAS CONFERENCE, AND ONE OF THE MOST INTERESTING TO ME WAS I GOT A CHANCE TO MEET WITH THE DEPUTY COMMISSIONER OF TEA, AND ALSO WITH A STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION MEMBER AS IT RELATES TO THE IMPLEMENTATION OF HB 1605 AND THE WHAT THEY CALL HQIM, RIGHT, HIGH QUALITY INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS, WHICH THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION WILL BE VOTING ON IN NOVEMBER, ABOUT WHICH OF THE HQIMS ARE GOING TO BE APPLICABLE OR THEY'RE GOING TO ADOPT BASICALLY AS HQIM, AND SO OBVIOUSLY, AS A DISTRICT, WE NEED TO BE UP TO SPEED ON THOSE TYPES OF THINGS.
THERE IS FINANCES. $60 PER KID COMES WITH THAT CURRICULUM.
OKAY. SO JUST THERE'S A LOT TO WORK OUT THERE.
SO FOR ME, VERY INSIGHTFUL BECAUSE WE GOT TO KEEP AHEAD OF THINGS AS WE'RE IDENTIFYING THINGS DOWN THE DOWN THE DOWN THE PIPELINE EDUCATION AS WE KNOW, IT'S FLUID AND IT'S CHANGING ALL THE TIME, RIGHT, WITH TEKS AND INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS AND ALL KINDS OF THINGS.
TRICIA. SO I WAS THE DELEGATE OBVIOUSLY AT THE TASB CONFERENCE, AND WHAT THAT MEANS IS I AM A PART OF THE PROCESS THAT TASB DECIDES WHAT THEY'RE GOING TO GO TO THE LEGISLATURE AND SPEAK ON PUBLIC EDUCATION'S BEHALF, AND SO IT'S A REALLY GOOD PROCESS.
I THINK, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAD SUBMITTED AS A BOARD WEREN'T NECESSARILY VERBATIM RECOMMENDED AND VOTED ON, BUT OUR VOICE WAS THERE WITHIN SOME OF THE ITEMS, AND SO IT'S GOOD TO LISTEN TO FEEDBACK FROM OTHER DISTRICTS AND KIND OF REALLY BEFORE THE DELEGATE ASSEMBLY EVEN HAPPENED, MEETING WITH PEOPLE JUST IN OUR AREA THAT ARE GOING THROUGH THE EXACT SAME THING FINANCIALLY THAT WE ARE.
SO IT'S LIKE WE ALL SAY THE SAME THING.
THAT WAS A BIG CONVERSATION WITHIN THAT ASSEMBLY, AND WE'RE HOPING TO HEAR SOME REALLY GOOD THINGS IN THE NEAR FUTURE FROM THE LEGISLATURE OUT OF THIS COMING LEGISLATURE.
I WAS ALSO ABLE TO ACTUALLY SPEAK WITH MIKE MORATH HIMSELF.
[01:00:07]
WELL AS WHICH IS MAKING THE SCHOOL DAY LONGER AND ACTUALLY GOING KIND OF A MORE YEAR-ROUND APPROACH.NOTHING THAT OUR DISTRICT IS LOOKING INTO DOING AT THIS TIME, BUT IT WAS THE ASSEMBLY THAT WE WENT TO AND THEN HE LIKE, STOOD UP THERE AND LISTENED TO SOME VERY HARD QUESTIONS, AND HE DID A VERY GOOD JOB OF ANSWERING THE QUESTIONS.
SO, I MEAN, YOU CAN'T REALLY ASK FOR ANYTHING OTHER THAN THAT.
WE ALSO GOT, LIKE A MEETING WITH PART OF HIS TEAM AS WELL.
SO I THINK IT WAS A VERY GOOD WEEKEND AND I ENJOYED IT.
AWESOME. ONE THING I WILL I MEAN, YOU GUYS ALL COMMENTED ON IT.
I LOVED THE SECOND HIGH SCHOOL MEETING.
THAT WAS KIND OF WHAT I TOOK AWAY FROM IT, TOO.
SO I FEEL WE'RE KIND OF AHEAD IN SOME WAYS, AND, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A LOT TO LEARN IN OTHER WAYS.
BUT I LOVED THE STUDENT VOICE COMPONENT AS WELL.
I ALSO THINK IT'S INTERESTING JUST HEARING FROM EVERY DISTRICT IN THE STATE REALLY ACTUALLY SEEING THE FINANCIAL IMPACT THAT EVERYBODY'S FEELING THAT IT IS REALLY UNIVERSAL, AND IT'S ACTUALLY A HUGE TESTAMENT TO OUR FINANCIAL DEPARTMENT.
WITH ALL OF THE WORK THAT YOU GUYS DID FOR THIS YEAR'S BUDGET, THAT WE ARE ACTUALLY NOT IN A PLACE WHERE WE RAISED OUR TAX RATE THIS YEAR, AND THERE'S SO MANY DISTRICTS I'M SEEING THAT WENT OUT FOR ELECTION TO RAISE THEIR TAX RATE, YOU KNOW, HERE IN THIS NOVEMBER ELECTION.
SO THAT WAS INCREDIBLY COMFORTING, AND AS HARD AS BUDGET TIMES ARE AND OUR CONVERSATIONS ON BUDGET ARE IN OUR DISTRICT, WE ARE ACTUALLY VERY HEALTHY COMPARED TO SO MANY OTHER DISTRICTS, AND MY FAVORITE PART OF THE CONFERENCE IS ALWAYS THE STUDENT PRESENTATION.
THEIR HOME SCHOOL DISTRICTS GET TO PRESENT, AND THIS YEAR IT WAS SO AWESOME.
ONE NIGHT WAS ALL SPACE AND IT WAS SUPER.
THEY BOTH DID FABULOUS, FABULOUS JOB, AND WE FOUND OUT BECAUSE OF OUR LOVELY DR.
NO PRESSURE. WE GOT SOME YEARS TO THINK ABOUT THAT.
ALL RIGHT. TAXPAYER TUESDAY KICKED OFF.
OLIVIA, YOU WERE AT THIS TAXPAYER TUESDAY WAS NOT PREPARED FOR THIS ONE.
TAXPAYER TUESDAY, IT'S SO INCREDIBLE.
LEADERSHIP DRIPPING SPRINGS. THANK YOU, LEADERSHIP DRIPPING SPRINGS WAS THERE AND THESE ARE BUSINESS OWNERS AND VOLUNTEERS, JUST PEOPLE THAT ARE VERY, VERY ACTIVE IN THE COMMUNITY, AND THIS IS HOW WHEN I GET TO MY LIAISON REPORT ON PARKS AND REC, THIS IS WHAT WE'RE DOING.
SO WATCHING SO MANY FACES AND HEARING THE QUESTIONS THAT THEY WERE ASKING, AND REALLY WE DID LIKE FINANCE 101 PUBLIC EDUCATION, AND THEY WERE GRASPING IT AND YOU COULD SEE THAT IT WAS IMPACTFUL. SO I THOUGHT HAVING THEM THERE WAS BRILLIANT.
AWESOME, AND THEN OUR CAMPUS VISIT.
SO I'M GOING TO HAND IT OFF TO OUR CONSTRUCTION DUDE.
ROB, WHAT DID YOU THINK OF THE CAMPUS? ROB ROCKING THE VEST? SORRY, IT WAS IN THE SHIRT.
KAYLA REMINDED ME I WAS OUT OF UNIFORM.
JAMES, I KNOW YOU'RE SITTING IN OVER THERE.
OKAY. YOU'RE LISTENING. GOOD. HEY, BUDDY.
HOW'S IT GOING? HEY, GREAT JOB IN THIS.
I WANT TO THANK FIRST KELLY RAYMOND.
SHE STARTED HER TENURE AGAIN AS DRIPPING SPRINGS ELEMENTARY PRINCIPAL, AND SO WE SPENT SOME TIME REALLY JUST TALKING ABOUT HER VISION FOR THAT CAMPUS, AS SHE OBVIOUSLY LEARNED A LOT IN CYPRUS.
[01:05:09]
IMPROVED, I'M OLD SCHOOL, I WAS GOING TO CALL THE LIBRARY.SORRY. DON'T GET MAD AT ME. THE IMPROVED LIBRARY, THE MAKERSPACE THAT IS THERE.
SEEING THE KIDS INTERACTING AGAIN HANDS ON WAY, RIGHT.
THEN THERE'S TRICIA TALKING TO SOMEONE WHO HAS HEADPHONES ON SO THAT PERSON IS NOT LISTENING TO YOU, RIGHT? YOU REALIZE SHE'S NOT LISTENING TO YOU IN ANY WAY WHATSOEVER, AND THEN LOOKS LIKE KIM, SHANNON AND STAFF FOUND A PLACE TO CHILL THERE IN THE IN THE MAKERSPACE, BUT THAT'S THAT'S IT. WELL, WE ABSOLUTELY COULD GET UP, INCLUDING KIM.
SHANA, YOU WERE THERE? YES, I WAS THERE.
ALL RIGHT. TRUSTEE IS DOWNTOWN.
ROB, YOU PLAYED IN THE GOLF TOURNAMENT? YEAH, THAT'S ME WITH THE GOLF TEAM.
THIS WAS AWESOME, AND THEY TOTALLY OUTDROVE ME, RIGHT, AND THAT WAS SO I'M VERY COMPETITIVE.
YOU KNOW, AND I WAS LIKE, HEY, LET'S SEE WHAT YOU GOT, TIGER, BECAUSE WE'RE THE TIGERS.
SO THAT'S LEGIT, RIGHT? NOT LIKE TIGER OF THE WOODS.
THESE ARE THESE ARE SOME SHARP YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN ON THIS GOLF TEAM.
THAT WAS PART OF THE ED FOUNDATION TOURNAMENT, WHICH WAS PACKED.
MY TEAM DID NOT WIN, AND I PUT A GOOD TEAM TOGETHER.
THAT'S HOW MANY GOOD GOLFERS THAT WERE OUT THERE.
YEAH, I'M IN THE MIDDLE THERE WITH THE HANDS.
THIS WAS AT CENTRAL TEXAS SCHOOL BOARDS.
WE HAVE WE MEET ONCE A MONTH AND AT REGION 13, AND THE TOPIC THAT NIGHT WAS SUPERINTENDENT EVALUATION INSTRUMENT, AND I LEFT THERE FEELING REALLY GOOD ABOUT THE INSTRUMENT THAT WE HAVE, BUT THEY HAD THREE SUPERINTENDENTS ON THE PANEL.
ONE HAD BEEN A SUPERINTENDENT FOR 42 DAYS, ONE 16 YEARS AND ONE SIX YEARS, AND WE GOT TO HEAR THEIR PERSPECTIVE OF HOW THE EVALUATION IS THROUGH THEIR EYES, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S IT LIKE? EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM SAID THEY WOULD BE HARDER EVALUATING THEMSELVES THAN THEIR OWN SCHOOL BOARD, AND, YOU KNOW, WE JUST FELT LIKE WE WERE ON A REALLY GOOD PAGE THERE, BUT JUST LOTS OF GOOD COMMENTS.
THEY LIKE THE COMMENTS THAT WE MADE FROM DRIPPING SPRINGS ABOUT WHAT WE'RE DOING, AND PEOPLE TOOK NOTES, AND I THINK THEY'RE GOING TO GO BACK AND TRY TO MAYBE IMPLEMENT SOME THINGS THAT WE'RE DOING, BUT GREAT GROUP OF PEOPLE, AND I LOVE TALKING WITH MY HANDS.
ROCCO AND I ATTENDED AT TORCHY'S A FUNDRAISER FOR OUR HIGH SCHOOL ROBOTICS CLUB, WHICH IS CALLED THE SPRING CONSTANT AND I JUST WANTED TO TALK ABOUT THIS BRIEFLY BECAUSE I ALWAYS TALK ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT OUR DISTRICT HAS TO HELP THESE KIDS PURSUE THEIR DIFFERENT TALENTS, BUT I FORGET WHAT, GOSH, WHAT NIGHT WAS IT? BUT IT'S A WEEK. IT'S A SCHOOL NIGHT ON A WEEKDAY, AND THE KIDS ARE OUT THERE RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE ENTRY WITH, LIKE, CAR WASH SIGNS, KIND OF TRYING TO GET PEOPLE IN, AND THEN THEY HAD THE ROBOT OUT THERE AND THE TEAM, THERE'S BOYS AND THERE'S GIRLS, AND THEY WERE SO PROUD TO TELL YOU HOW THE ROBOT WORKS, AND I JUST LOVE EVERYTHING THAT THEY'RE DOING THAT THEY'RE FUNDRAISING, THAT THEY'RE HAVING TO BALANCE HOW THEY USE THEIR RESOURCES.
AWESOME. NEXT IS OUR LIAISON REPORTS.
YEAH. MY COMPUTER DIED, SO THERE'S THAT.
HOW ABOUT WHAT I WAS GOING TO TALK ABOUT WAS THE BUDGET COMMITTEE MEETINGS.
THEY'RE ONGOING, AND THE BUDGET COMMITTEE, I HAD IT ALL WRITTEN DOWN EXACTLY WHAT IT WAS CALLED, BUT THEY'RE DOING AN AMAZING JOB, AND ACCOUNTING IS DOING AN AMAZING JOB ABOUT KIND OF HELPING THEM THROUGH THE INS AND OUTS OF WHAT WE TALK ABOUT IN OUR BUDGET AND SO THEY'RE ALL COLLABORATING AND COMING WITH QUESTIONS.
THE FIRST MONTH THEY LEARNED ABOUT WHAT WE I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT ALL JUST DIED, BUT THE FIRST MONTH THAT THEY TALKED ABOUT WAS BASICALLY GOING THROUGH OUR BUDGET AND WHAT EVERYTHING STANDS FOR, WHERE WE'RE GETTING OUR MONEY AND WHAT WE'RE SPENDING IT ON, AND SOME OF THE THINGS WERE VERY EYE OPENING WITH THAT.
[01:10:10]
FEEL LIKE WOULD WORK AS FAR AS PROGRAMING IS CONCERNED.SO WE HAVE ANOTHER MEETING TOMORROW, AND THAT WILL BE WHERE THEY DO KIND OF COLLABORATE AND COME TOGETHER AND FIGURE OUT WHAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO PRESENT US AS A BOARD TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO GET US MORE FUNDING, DO LESS WITH MORE.
ALL'S WELL. OKAY, JUST A QUICK NOTE FOR ME.
OBVIOUSLY WITH THE VETERAN COMMUNITY, I WOULD HAVE SENT OUT ALL OF THE INFORMATION THAT I HAD ON OUR VETERANS DAY CEREMONIES AT OUR DIFFERENT CAMPUSES, WHICH OUR CAMPUSES HAVE BEEN DOING A GREAT JOB DISTRIBUTING OUT TO FAMILIES AND THOSE TYPES OF THINGS, AND SO MY FELLOW VETERANS OUT THERE, I ENCOURAGE YOU TO ATTEND EITHER THE ONE AT THE HIGH SCHOOL OR ANY OF THE OTHER ONES AT ANY OF OUR SECONDARY OR ELEMENTARY CAMPUSES.
IT IS ONE OF THE PROUDEST MOMENTS, AS A VETERAN, YOU GET TO DO WHEN YOU SEE A ASSEMBLY ROOM OR A GYM FULL OF OUR YOUNG PEOPLE STANDING AND APPRECIATING THE SERVICE AND SACRIFICE DONE BY THOSE WHO SERVED.
IT'S PRETTY COOL. SO IF YOU'RE A VETERAN AND YOU HEAR THIS, PLEASE, I ENCOURAGE YOU TO COME.
I'LL BE AT ROOSTER AT THE HIGH SCHOOL, I'D LOVE TO SEE YOU THERE.
PARDON ME? IT WAS A REPRESENTATIVE FROM NAMI WHO LED THE SESSION.
THEY'RE KIND OF PATTERN OF PRACTICE IS TO HAVE PEERS, THOSE WITH LIVED EXPERIENCE, WHO ARE THE ONES WHO THEN HELP OTHERS NAVIGATE THROUGH WHATEVER THEY'RE GOING THROUGH.
ONE OF THE MOST FASCINATING THINGS TO ME, WHICH I THINK I'VE SEEN IN THE JUST GENERAL NEWS MEDIA, IS THAT OUR MICROBIOME AFFECTS OUR MOOD AND VICE VERSA. OUR MOOD AFFECTS OUR MICROBIOME.
THERE'S A LOT OF FOOD FOR THOUGHT.
ALSO, THE MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS LINE OF 988 IS NOT GEO ROUTED YET.
WHICH I HAD NEVER THOUGHT OF, SO, FOR INSTANCE, IF YOUR PHONE AREA CODE IS 334, WELL, THEN THEY ASSUME THE PERSON IS IN ALABAMA WHERE YOU MIGHT BE RIGHT HERE.
SO THEY RECOMMENDED UNTIL THAT IS FIXED THAT YOU USE THE CRISIS TEXT LINE TEXTING HELLO TO 741741, AND THAT GOES DIRECTLY TO A PEER SUPPORT SPECIALIST.
FIRST, AS A COMMISSIONER ON PARKS AND RECS.
WE CONTINUE TO WORK ON OUR MASTER PARKS PLAN.
WE ARE CURRENTLY IN THE CONCEPTUAL PHASE.
IT IS VERY SIMILAR TO OUR STRATEGIC PLANNING PROCESS, WHERE RIGHT NOW WE ARE PLANNING THREE IN-PERSON STAKEHOLDER MEETINGS AND DOING 12 VIRTUAL, AND THE 12 VIRTUAL WILL BE INVITING GROUPS OF THE COMMUNITY LIKE THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE DSYSA, JUST DIFFERENT GROUPS TO PARTICIPATE.
OUR ADVOCACY COMMITTEE IS WORKING ON ADVOCACY COMMITTEE, BY THE WAY, IS ME, TRICIA AND KIM.
WE REVIEWED OUR 88TH LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES.
THEN WE SPOKE ABOUT HOW AND IF NEEDS HAVE CHANGED, GETTING READY FOR THE 89TH.
WE WILL BE MEETING WITH ZWIENER ON NOVEMBER 22ND.
OUR NEXT TASK IS WORKING ON A RECOMMENDATION FOR OUR 89TH LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES.
WE'LL HAVE ANOTHER ZOOM TO WORK ON THAT, AND THEN BE PRESENTING THAT AND COLLABORATING WITH THE BOARD IN NOVEMBER AND THEN PLAN AN ACTION ITEM IN DECEMBER. OKAY.
I ATTENDED THE COUNCIL OF PTA MEETING EARLIER THIS MONTH.
IT WAS A REALLY SHORT MEETING, ACTUALLY.
ALL EIGHT PTA'S IN OUR DISTRICT ARE IN GOOD STANDING, SO THAT'S A WIN.
THEY DO WANT TO REMIND FOLKS ABOUT THE PTA SCHOLARSHIP.
[01:15:04]
THE TEXAS PTA OFFERS A $1,000 SCHOLARSHIP TO A HIGH SCHOOL SENIOR AND A $500 SCHOLARSHIP TO FOR CONTINUING EDUCATION FOR ANY FACULTY.THE WINDOW FOR APPLICATIONS CLOSES ON NOVEMBER 15TH, AND THAT WILL BE ANNOUNCED ON APRIL 1ST, WHO WINS THAT? WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT AGAIN THE TIGER TRACK MEMBERSHIP, WHERE YOU CAN JOIN ONE SCHOOL THROUGH A TRACK OF PTA.
OR YOU CAN JOIN ALL EIGHT PTAS, WHICH IS ALSO A WIN.
AND THEN WE HAD A PRESENTATION FROM THE DRIPPING SPRINGS COMMUNITY LIBRARY.
SARAH ROSE, THEIR DIRECTOR, OH GOSH, FUNDRAISING COORDINATOR, WHO I DON'T KNOW HOW SHE DOES IT ALL. EVERY I'VE SEEN HER PRESENTATION SO MANY TIMES, BUT EVERY TIME SHE TALKS ABOUT THE BUTTERFLIES, LIKE I GET CHOKED UP, I'M LIKE, IT'S GOING TO BE SO BEAUTIFUL.
I THINK SHE SAID THEY HAVE SOLD, THERE HAVE 135 OUT OF 500 OF THE BUTTERFLIES, AND IF YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT, PLEASE GO TO THE DRIPPING SPRINGS COMMUNITY LIBRARY WEBSITE TO GET INFORMATION ON THAT.
WE HAD A COMMITTEE MEETING JUST LAST WEEK AND MADE SOME ADJUSTMENTS ON THE MAP BASED ON FEEDBACK THAT WE HAD RECEIVED AT THE COMMUNITY MEETINGS, AND THEN EVERYONE WAS LIKE, OH, WE DON'T KNOW.
IT'S A VERY EMOTIONAL PROCESS SO THAT IT'S GOING WELL, I THINK.
WHAT ARE WE ABOUT HALFWAY THROUGH THE ATTENDANCE ZONING PROCESS? SO THAT CAN BE FOUND ON THE WEBSITE, AND I ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO GO BE INVESTED IN THAT BECAUSE IT'S GOING TO CHANGE A LOT FOR US.
KIM. MY FIRST IS DRIPPING SPRINGS WOMEN'S CLUB, AND WE HAD A GUEST SPEAKER, DR.
ANN TODD. SHE IS THE AUTHOR OF THE BOOK OS OPERATION BLACKMAIL.
THIS BOOK IS ABOUT A FACTUAL OF ACCOUNT OF WOMEN SPY'S INVOLVEMENT DURING WORLD WAR TWO.
IT WAS A GREAT PRESENTATION AND THE ROOM WAS FULL, SO IT WAS GREAT TO SEE THE SUPPORT FOR HER.
DRIPPING SPRINGS EDUCATION FOUNDATION REPORT.
THE 15TH ANNUAL SCHOOL HOUSE SCRAMBLE WAS A HIT.
WE HAD 141 GOLFERS THAT PLAYED AT GRAY ROCK GOLF CLUB.
THEY ALSO PARTICIPATED IN A HOLE IN ONE AND A PUTT FOR A PURPOSE.
I THINK I ONLY SOLD LIKE $1,400 IN PUTT FOR A PURPOSE, BUT THEY HAD FUN.
WE RAISED AN ASTOUNDING $68,585.18 FOR THE STUDENTS AND STAFF OF DRIPPING SPRINGS.
SHOUT OUT GOES TO ALL THE VOLUNTEERS WHO HELPED WITH THIS EVENT.
THE EMPLOYEE GIVING SHIRTS ARE A BIG HIT THIS YEAR AND THE PROGRAM HAS BEEN A SUCCESS.
CURRENTLY, THERE ARE 642 STAFF MEMBERS WHO ARE WEARING THOSE T SHIRTS THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY.
SO WE APPRECIATE THE SUPPORT FOR THE FOUNDATION.
FOR EVERYBODY THAT BOUGHT ONE LAST IS TEACHER GRANTS HAVE BEEN SUBMITTED.
THERE WERE 23 GRANT APPLICATIONS TURNED IN FROM SEVEN OF THE EIGHT CAMPUSES.
THESE PARTICULAR APPLICATIONS WILL GO UNDER REVIEW AND WORK WITH OUR DISTRICT AND BE SELECTED.
AND HOPEFULLY WE'LL HAVE SOME GREAT THINGS IN THE CLASSROOM NEXT YEAR FROM THESE TEACHERS.
ROB. MADAM PRESIDENT, I FORGOT TO DO MY SUBCOMMITTEE REPORT.
WOULD YOU LIKE ME TO DO THAT NOW? I DO APOLOGIZE FOR THAT.
I HAVE TWO THINGS, AND I ONLY INTERJECT BECAUSE I THINK THEY'RE BOTH NOTEWORTHY FOR OUR TEAM HERE.
SO AS YOU MY COLLEAGUES KNOW, WE HAVE A MUNICIPALITY SUBCOMMITTEE THAT WE STARTED REALLY AT A BOARD RETREAT OVER THE SUMMER WHERE WE IDENTIFIED THAT, YOU KNOW, WE WANTED TO ENGAGE WITH OTHER ELECTED OFFICIALS WITHIN THE MUNICIPALITIES HERE IN OUR COMMUNITY TO ADVOCATE FOR OUR DISTRICT AND ALSO TO ADDRESS ONE OF THE NUMBER ONE COMPLAINTS I HEARD BEFORE I JOINED THIS TEAM WAS, MAN, WHY DON'T YOU GUYS WORK TOGETHER TO MAKE SURE EVERYTHING WORKS RIGHT? AND SO THIS COMMITTEE SUBCOMMITTEE WAS FORMED, AND SO WE'VE JUST STARTED, AND ONE OF THE THINGS ACTUALLY, COMMISSIONER SMITH SPOKE ABOUT TONIGHT DURING PUBLIC COMMENT WAS THE EFFORT WHERE WE MET WITH THE COMMISSIONER OF PRECINCT FOUR AND THE HAYS COUNTY TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT TO DISCUSS THE PLANED DARDEN HILL ROAD EXPANSION, AND SO WE WERE
[01:20:03]
ABLE TO WORK OUT THE TIMELY EXPANSION OF DARDEN HILL TO COINCIDE WITH THE POTENTIAL FUTURE CONSTRUCTION OF HIGH SCHOOL NUMBER TWO, WHICH IS TENTATIVELY LOCATED AT THE CORNER OF DARDEN HILL AND SAWYER RANCH ROAD, AND SO WE IDENTIFIED THAT AS A CRITICAL PIECE OF INFRASTRUCTURE THAT NEED TO BE ADDRESSED.AND WE WERE ABLE TO WORK WITH THE COUNTY TO MODIFY THE ORIGINAL PLAN TO A PLAN THAT BETTER ALIGNS WITH WHAT THE DISTRICT NEEDS FOR ITS FUTURE, AND SO YOU KNOW, APPRECIATE THAT, APPRECIATE THE COMMISSIONER OF THE COUNTY WORKING WITH US AT THAT AND IDENTIFYING THAT AND WORKING TOGETHER FOR THAT AS WE LOOK TO POTENTIAL 2028 OPENING FOR THAT WHOLE SITUATION THERE, AND THEN THE SECOND THING, AND THIS IS REALLY FOR MY COLLEAGUES, SOME OF YOU MAY NOT BE AWARE OF DRIPPING SPRINGS AS A CITY IS KIND OF GOING THROUGH WHAT WE JUST WENT THROUGH IN THAT STRATEGIC PLANNING EXERCISE, RIGHT.
IT'S CALLED THE DRIPPING SPRINGS COMPREHENSIVE PLAN IS WHAT THEY'RE WORKING THROUGH.
THEY DID? JUST EARLIER, I MET WITH MAYOR BILL FOLDS AND A COUPLE CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS JUST TO EVALUATE WHERE THEY ARE SO FAR, AND WHAT THEY'RE TRYING TO DO IS GET A COMPREHENSIVE LAND PLAN FOR THE CITY OF DRIPPING SPRINGS AND THE ETJ.
WHY IS IT NOTABLE FOR US? WE'RE ABOUT TO BUY LAND WE'RE ABOUT TO PUT SCHOOLS THERE, AND SO NOT THAT NECESSARILY IT ALL HAS TO NEST TOGETHER, BUT WE DO WANT TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY'RE DOING.
WE WANT THEM TO UNDERSTAND WHAT WE'RE DOING SO THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO HELP WORK TOGETHER, NOT ONLY TO ADDRESS, YOU KNOW, THE LAND USE PLANNING FOR OUR AREA, BUT ALSO THE TRAFFIC IMPACT OF POTENTIAL DECISIONS EITHER ONE OF US MAKES INDIVIDUALLY.
THANK YOU FOR COMMENTING ON THAT.
DID YOU HAVE SOMETHING ELSE? OLIVIA.
GO AHEAD. I KNEW TONIGHT WAS GOING TO BE LONG, I COMPLETELY FORGOT.
SO FOR BOND STEERING, WE'VE HAD TWO MEETINGS.
WE HAVE OUR THIRD MEETING COMING UP THIS SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 2ND.
THE COMMITTEE WE HAVE 22 OR 23 MEMBERS ARE ACTUALLY GOING TO GO TO OUR CAMPUSES.
GREAT. I HEARD THE SAME ABOUT THE REZONING COMMITTEE.
LIKE ALMOST 100% ATTENDANCE FROM COMMITTEE MEMBERS.
A LITTLE A LITTLE DIFFERENT FROM SOME OF OUR PAST.
SO I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING SPECIFIC ON PRESIDENT'S REPORT? YOU KNOW, CONTINUE TO READ HOLLY'S UPDATES BECAUSE THEY'RE OBVIOUSLY CASE IN POINT.
THERE'S A LOT GOING ON THAT EVEN MYSELF, I MISSED A COUPLE THINGS ON OUR SCHEDULE IN PARTICULAR.
SO THERE ARE CAMPUS VISITS GETTING PUT INTO OUR CALENDAR.
MAKE SURE YOU'RE KIND OF LOOKING THROUGH EVEN A FEW WEEKS OUT FOR SOME OF THOSE THINGS, COMMITTEE MEETINGS, IF WE'RE ON THOSE COMMITTEES, AND THEN OBVIOUSLY OUR BOARD MEETING, SPECIAL MEETINGS, WE DO HAVE A SPECIAL MEETING THIS COMING MONDAY.
SO JUST BE MINDFUL OF THAT, AND OUR LAST THING IS BECAUSE I WAS CRAZY ENOUGH TO GIVE YOU ALL AN ASSIGNMENT BECAUSE I THOUGHT WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH WORK TO DO THIS YEAR, BUT I, WE ARE READING THIS REALLY AWESOME BOOK CALLED GRIT, WHICH, IF YOU HAVEN'T READ IT, IT'S ACTUALLY A REALLY FABULOUS BOOK, AND WE WENT THROUGH CHAPTER TWO.
SO I ACTUALLY READ THE WHOLE BOOK OVER THE SUMMER AND IT'S GREAT.
SO I WAS I WAS HAPPY THAT YOU ASSIGNED IT.
SO LAST MONTH, OLIVIA, I DID NOT PAY HER TO SAY THAT.
OLIVIA. OVERVIEW CHAPTER ONE, AND SHE CITED THE EXAMPLE OF THE WEST POINT CADETS AND HOW DR.
DUCKWORTH'S GRIT SCALE WAS A BETTER PREDICTOR OF CADET SUCCESS THAN WEST POINT'S OWN WHOLE CANDIDATE SCORE IN THEIR ADMISSIONS PROCESS, AND ESPECIALLY IN TERMS OF WHICH APPLICANTS MADE IT THROUGH WHAT THEY CALL THEIR BEAST BARRACKS TRAINING PROGRAM, AND THEN IN CHAPTER TWO, ONE OF THE STANDOUT QUOTES FOR ME IS, DR.
DUCKWORTH SAID, I BEGAN TO REFLECT ON HOW SMART EVEN MY WEAKEST STUDENTS SOUNDED WHEN THEY TALKED ABOUT THINGS THAT GENUINELY INTERESTED THEM, AND THAT JUST WARMED MY HEART, BECAUSE I KNOW THAT DR.
ANOTHER OBSERVATION SHE MAKES IS THAT OF WHAT SHE CALLS NATURALNESS BIAS, AND THAT IS A HIDDEN PREJUDICE AGAINST THOSE WHO ACHIEVED WHAT THEY HAVE BECAUSE THEY WORKED FOR IT, AND A HIDDEN PREJUDICE FOR THOSE WHO WE THINK ARRIVED AT THEIR PLACE IN LIFE BECAUSE THEY ARE NATURALLY TALENTED, AND I THINK THAT IS INNATELY TRUE FOR MOST PEOPLE.
WE'RE JUST KIND OF IN AWE OF THOSE WITH THAT NATURAL TALENT.
WHAT WAS FASCINATING TO ME ABOUT THE CYPRESS STEAM EXAMPLE IS IT TIES IN DIRECTLY WITH HER DISCUSSION IN CHAPTER TWO ABOUT GIFTED AND TALENTED PROGRAMS IN GENERAL.
[01:25:02]
I HAVE NOTICED IN MY YEARS ON THE BOARD THIS KIND OF PENDULUM SWING.I KNOW THAT WHEN MY SENIOR WAS FIRST IDENTIFIED FOR GIFTED AND TALENTED IN FIRST GRADE, BY THIRD GRADE, HE WAS SAYING THINGS TO ME LIKE, MOM, I WISH ALL THE KIDS COULD DO THESE PROGRAMS, AND THAT'S PARTLY A REFLECTION OF HOW AMAZING CARRIE POTTER WAS.
SHE WAS THE DSE GT TEACHER AT THE TIME, BUT KIDS WEREN'T DOING THINGS LIKE THIS IN NORMAL, YOU KNOW, QUOTE UNQUOTE NORMAL CLASSROOMS. SO ONE OF HER TAKEAWAYS IS THAT TALENT IS GREAT, BUT TESTS OF TALENT ARE HIGHLY IMPERFECT, AND THEY DISTRACT US FROM WHAT SHE THINKS IS MORE IMPORTANT, AND THAT IS EFFORT.
SO I ENCOURAGE EVERYBODY TO READ IT.
YEAH. THIS CHAPTER OF THE WHOLE BOOK ACTUALLY, MAYBE IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE CHAPTERS BECAUSE IT'S CALLED DISTRACTED BY TALENT AND MARY JANE SUMMARIZED IT PERFECTLY, BUT BASICALLY, I FEEL VERY PASSIONATE BECAUSE YOU GUYS SEE EVERY MONTH THESE AMAZING RECOGNITIONS, THESE PEOPLE THAT OBVIOUSLY HAVE A LOT OF TALENT. YES, THEY HAVE OBVIOUSLY WORKED REALLY HARD, BUT THEY HAVE A LOT OF TALENT AND WE SHOWCASE THESE THINGS AND WE SHOWCASE STAR SCORES AND EVEN WE AS A BOARD ARE LOOKING FOR THESE VERY CLEAR METRICS, AND SHE IS EVEN SUGGESTING THAT IT'S REALLY HARD TO QUANTIFY THIS STUFF.
IT'S REALLY HARD TO TEST FOR THESE THINGS.
YOU KNOW, EVEN AS A DISTRICT, I THINK WE'VE HISTORICALLY TRIED TO BE VERY PERSONALIZED, INDIVIDUALIZED EDUCATION, AND THAT'S REALLY, REALLY CHALLENGING TO PUT ON PAPER AND SORT OF PROVE TO PEOPLE BECAUSE THERE ARE SO MANY KIDS THAT MAYBE DON'T HAVE THAT TALENT, AND ACTUALLY A BIG PLUG TO BOARD MEMBERS.
THEY WERE SORT OF FORGOTTEN ABOUT THEIR WHOLE K THROUGH 12 EXPERIENCE, OR THEY WERE, YOU KNOW, LOOKED PAST AND THEN THEY TURN OUT TO BE ROCKET SCIENTISTS LATER IN LIFE OR, YOU KNOW, AND SO EVEN BY THESE SUCCESS MEASURES THAT EVEN WE'RE LOOKING AT, YOU KNOW, I WANT I WANT US TO CONTINUALLY, CREATIVELY LOOKING AT WAYS TO REACH ALL STUDENTS IN OUR DISTRICT.
SO, ALL RIGHT, WITH THAT, WE ARE GOING TO SHIFT INTO OUR ACTION.
BOARD MEMBERS, DO WE NEED A FIVE MINUTE BREAK BEFORE WE GO IN? DO WE WANT TO DO CONSENT? TAKE A BREAK. ALL RIGHT.
WE WILL TAKE A FIVE MINUTE BREAK.
I NEED IT TO BE FIVE MINUTES, THOUGH.
WE ARE MOVING INTO OUR ACTION ITEMS. FIRST IS OUR CONSENT AGENDA.
[8. CONSENT AGENDA]
ANY QUESTIONS OR DISCUSSION ON CONSENT? OTHERWISE, I WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION.ROB, I MOVE THAT THE DISD BOARD OF TRUSTEES APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA AS PRESENTED.
A MOTION FROM ROB. A SECOND FROM TRICIA.
ANY DISCUSSION? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? SEVEN ZERO.
ALL RIGHT, MOVING ON TO OUR FIRST ACTION ITEM.
[9. ACTION]
CONSIDERATION, APPROVAL OF OUR ANNUAL COMPREHENSIVE FINANCIAL REPORT.YES, WE HAVE ROGER TOVAR HERE FROM WHITLEY PENN TO GO OVER THE 2023-2024 ANNUAL FINANCIAL REPORT.
YES. WELL, THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME HERE TONIGHT.
I'M A CPA AUDIT FIRM WITH THE AUDIT FIRM WHEATLEY PENN HERE IN THE STATE OF TEXAS.
SO FIRST THE FIRST SLIDE THAT I HAVE ON THAT YOU CAN SEE ON THE SCREEN.
SO THIS IS THE TEAM THAT WAS OUT HERE.
BRYCE AND BROOKE WERE THE ONES THAT WERE OUT HERE THE MOST.
SO THEY DID MOST OF THE HEAVY LIFTING AND THEN MYSELF AND PATRICK.
PATRICK IS ANOTHER PARTNER WITHIN THE FIRM THAT WAS IN CHARGE OF PERFORMING THE WHAT WE CALL EQCR ENGAGEMENT QUALITY CONTROL REVIEW, AND ALONG WITH THAT TEAM, WE ALSO WORKED WITH MANAGEMENT, WHICH, YOU KNOW, WE'RE ALWAYS WE'RE ALWAYS HAPPY TO COME OUT HERE AND PERFORM THE AUDIT.
YOU KNOW, IT'S AN EASY AUDIT FOR US TO PERFORM JUST BECAUSE EVERYTHING IS READY.
MANAGEMENT IS ON TOP OF THINGS.
EVERYTHING THAT WE REQUEST, THEY PROVIDE, AND SO THAT MAKES IT A LOT EASIER FOR US TO PERFORM THE PROCEDURES THAT WE HAVE TO PERFORM, AND SO ONCE YOU LOOK AT THE, YOU KNOW, AS FAR AS THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE FINANCIAL STATEMENT AND THE AUDIT.
SO I HAVE THREE PARTIES UP HERE ON THE SLIDE, AND SO THE FIRST ONE IS MANAGEMENT.
[01:30:10]
GATHER ENOUGH EVIDENCE TO SUPPORT AN OPINION ON THOSE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS.WHERE AM I SUPPOSED TO BE POINTING? OH, THERE WE GO.
AS FAR AS THE FINANCIAL STATEMENT AUDIT, THE PURPOSE OF THE FINANCIAL STATEMENT AUDIT IS TO PROVIDE USERS OF THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS WITH REASONABLE ASSURANCE THAT THEY CAN RELY ON THOSE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS SO THEY CAN MAKE INFORMED DECISIONS.
SO AS FAR AS OUR AUDIT, IT IS FOR THE FISCAL YEAR 24.
SO IT'S STRICTLY FOR THE FISCAL YEAR 24, WHICH ENDS JUNE 30TH, 2024.
SO THERE'S NO ABSOLUTE CERTAINTY.
SO WE DON'T LOOK AT 100% OF THE TRANSACTIONS.
WE DO TAKE A RISK BASED APPROACH.
SO WE PERFORM A RISK ASSESSMENT PRIOR TO US COMING OUT HERE.
THAT RISK ASSESSMENT DRIVES THE AUDIT, AND SO THAT RISK ASSESSMENT DETERMINES WHAT AREAS WE'RE GOING TO BE FOCUSING ON IF WE'RE GOING TO BE PERFORMING ACTUAL INTERNAL CONTROLS. SO WE DETERMINED THAT PRIOR TO US BEING OUT HERE, ONCE WE'RE OUT HERE, WE'LL START DOING OUR WORK.
THAT WAS NOT THE CASE WITH THE WITH THE DISTRICT.
YOU KNOW, WE WERE ABLE TO PERFORM THAT RISK ASSESSMENT, PERFORM OUR, OUR AUDIT PROCEDURES AND KIND OF, YOU KNOW, JUST KIND OF WENT THE WHOLE PROCESS WITHOUT HAVING TO GO BACK AND MODIFY THAT RISK ASSESSMENT.
AS FAR AS THE ACTUAL AUDIT REPORT, THERE'S A FEW SECTIONS WITHIN THE AUDIT REPORT.
SO THE FIRST ONE YOU'RE GOING TO SEE ON THERE IS THE MANAGEMENT DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS.
SO THAT'S BASICALLY A SUMMARY OF YOUR FINANCIAL STATEMENTS.
THAT'S A REALLY GOOD SECTION TO LOOK AT, AND SO THAT IS ALSO WHAT WE CALL RSI.
SO IT'S REQUIRED SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.
SO IT'S REQUIRED FOR THAT TO BE IN THERE.
OUR RESPONSIBILITY FOR THAT INFORMATION IS TO PERFORM LIMITED PROCEDURES.
SO WE DO COMPARE THAT TO YOUR ACTUAL FINANCIAL STATEMENTS.
SO THOSE ARE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS YOU'LL SEE ON THERE THOSE NUMBERS.
WE DID PERFORM AUDIT PROCEDURES AND PERFORM CONTROL TESTING OVER SOME OF THE SIGNIFICANT AREAS.
RIGHT AFTER THAT YOU'RE GOING TO SEE ANOTHER SECTION OF RSI REQUIRES SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.
SO THAT'S GOING TO INCLUDE SOME OF YOUR BUDGET TO ACTUAL.
SO IT'S GOING TO INCLUDE YOUR FINAL BUDGET COMPARED TO YOUR ACTUAL EXPENDITURES AND REVENUES AS WELL AS SOME PENSION AND OPEB INFORMATION, AND THEN FINALLY RIGHT AFTER THAT YOU'RE GOING TO SEE WHAT IT'S CALLED, OTHER SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.
SO I MENTIONED THE RISK ASSESSMENT EARLIER.
SO THAT'S KIND OF PERFORM HERE.
IF YOU'RE LOOKING AT THE SLIDE THAT'S GOING TO PERFORM HERE ON NUMBER ONE.
SO WE STARTED THE WHOLE PROCESS WITH THAT RISK ASSESSMENT.
IN YOUR CASE YOU ALSO HAVE A SINGLE AUDIT WHICH I'LL TALK ABOUT THAT HERE IN A LITTLE BIT.
SO AT THAT POINT WE'RE ALSO PERFORMING THE COMPLIANCE TESTING CONTROLS OVER TESTING, NOT JUST THE COMPLIANCE, BUT ALSO TO MAKE SURE THAT THE DISTRICT HAS CONTROLS OVER THOSE COMPLIANCE REQUIREMENTS.
SO THAT'S BEING DONE HERE IN THE NUMBER TWO ON THE SCREEN.
NUMBER THREE THOSE TWO KIND OF BLEND IN TOGETHER.
SO NOW WE'RE PERFORMING AUDIT PROCEDURES, SUBSTANTIVE TESTING OVER YOUR ACTUAL FINANCIAL STATEMENTS.
SO AT THAT POINT WE'RE LOOKING AT YOUR CASH RECONCILIATIONS, ALL KINDS OF PROPERTY TAXES, ALL THAT.
SO WE HAVE FINAL NUMBERS BY THAT POINT.
SO WE'RE CONFIRMING WITH THIRD PARTIES ALL THOSE TYPES OF THINGS.
AS FAR AS THE OPINION ON THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS.
SO THERE'S A FEW OPTIONS THERE.
SO AT THAT POINT, WE CAN DISCLAIM WE CAN ISSUE A DISCLAIMER IF WE'RE ABLE TO AUDIT SOME OF IT, BUT MAYBE NOT SOME AREAS, WE'RE NOT ABLE TO DO THAT SO WE CAN QUALIFY OUR OPINION IN THAT CASE, AND THEN ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE WE CAN ALSO ISSUE AN UNMODIFIED OPINION.
SO THAT'S THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF ASSURANCE THAT YOU CAN OBTAIN.
[01:35:07]
SO WE DO CONDUCT OUR AUDIT IN ACCORDANCE WITH GENERALLY ACCEPTED AUDITING STANDARDS, AS WELL AS GOVERNMENT AUDITING STANDARDS, SO THAT GOVERNMENT AUDITING STANDARDS, WE CAN ALSO CALL IT YELLOW BOOK.SO THAT REQUIRES FOR US TO ACTUALLY LOOK AT YOUR INTERNAL CONTROLS AND ALSO ISSUE A REPORT OVER THOSE INTERNAL CONTROLS, AND SO DURING OUR PROCESS, IF WE NOTICE THAT THERE'S A DEFICIENCY IN YOUR CONTROLS, A MATERIAL WEAKNESS OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT, WE'RE REQUIRED TO REPORT THAT OR ISSUE A REPORT DOCUMENTING ALL THAT.
AND SO THAT'S THE THIS SLIDE HERE GOES OVER THAT REPORT.
SO THAT'S FOUND ON PAGE 106 AND 107.
SO WE DON'T HAVE ANY MATERIAL WEAKNESSES OR SIGNIFICANT DEFICIENCIES TO REPORT TO YOU.
WE ALSO DON'T HAVE ANY INSTANCES OF NONCOMPLIANCE THAT ARE MATERIAL TO YOUR FINANCIAL STATEMENTS.
SO THAT'S ALSO A CLEAN REPORT, AND THEN I MENTIONED SINGLE AUDIT EARLIER.
SO IF THE DISTRICT RECEIVES OVER $750,000 OF FEDERAL AID, IT TRIGGERS WHAT WE CALL A SINGLE AUDIT.
SO WE HAVE TO GO IN THERE AND DETERMINE WHAT THE MAJOR PROGRAMS ARE GOING TO BE, AND THEN PERFORM COMPLIANCE TESTING OVER THOSE PROGRAMS, AS WELL AS CONTROLS OVER THOSE COMPLIANCE TESTING.
SO THIS AND HERE YOU CAN SEE THE MAJOR PROGRAMS OVER THE LAST THREE YEARS, INCLUDING 2024.
WE WERE ONLY REQUIRED TO TEST AT LEAST 20%.
SO ESSER PROVIDED PLENTY OF COVERAGE, AND FOR THE FEDERAL SINGLE AUDIT, WE ARE ALSO ISSUING A REPORT ON THAT. SO THAT'S ALSO AN UNMODIFIED OPINION ON COMPLIANCE OVER EACH FEDERAL PROGRAM.
IN THIS CASE, IT'S JUST ESSER.
WE ALSO DO NOT HAVE ANY CONTROL ISSUES, ANY CONTROL FINDINGS RELATED TO EACH MAJOR PROGRAM.
SO ANY COMPLIANCE ISSUES, WE DIDN'T HAVE ANY OF THOSE TO REPORT TO YOU.
SO AS FAR AS OPINIONS, THOSE ARE THE REPORTS THAT WE'RE REQUIRED TO ISSUE.
SO THOSE THREE THAT I JUST MENTIONED.
SO OVERALL THERE WAS AN UNMODIFIED OPINION AND NO ISSUES, NO DEFICIENCIES TO REPORT TO YOU.
THIS SLIDE HERE GOES SUMMARIZES YOUR FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR JUNE 30TH.
AS OF JUNE 30TH, 2024, AND IT COMPARES THAT TO 2023 SIDE BY SIDE.
SO YOU CAN SEE HOW THE FLUCTUATION BETWEEN THE YEARS.
THIS IS YOUR STATEMENT OF NET POSITION.
SO HAS YOUR ASSETS YOUR LIABILITIES AND YOUR NET POSITION.
THERE YOU CAN SEE THERE WAS A HUGE INCREASE IN ASSETS, AND THAT IS DUE MAINLY APPROXIMATELY 24 MILLION OF THAT WAS TO ADDITIONAL CAPITAL ASSETS THAT YOU HAVE ON THERE AS WELL AS THE ISSUANCE OF BONDS.
YOU ALSO SEE THERE THAT YOUR LIABILITIES INCREASED SIGNIFICANTLY OVER LAST YEAR.
SO IT KIND OF GROSSED UP YOUR BALANCE SHEET.
YOUR ASSETS ARE UP BUT THEN YOUR LIABILITIES ARE UP AS WELL.
SO THE BOTTOM LINE THERE YOU CAN SEE YOUR NET POSITION.
IT WENT FROM $95 MILLION LAST YEAR TO 115, WHICH IS AN INCREASE OF 20 ABOUT $20.5 MILLION, AND SO THAT YOU CAN SEE THAT DETAIL HERE.
SO YOU CAN SEE YOUR REVENUES AND YOUR EXPENSES SIDE BY SIDE.
SO OVERALL YOUR CHANGE IN NET POSITION WAS IT WENT FROM LAST YEAR YOU HAD A 22.7.
THIS YEAR IT WAS 20.5, SO MORE OR LESS IT WAS IN LINE.
SO I DID NOT MENTION THAT THIS IS ON YOUR GOVERNMENT WIDE STATEMENT.
SO THIS INCLUDES ALL YOUR FUNDS AS WELL AS YOUR LONG TERM ASSETS LIABILITIES.
SO THIS INCLUDES THE ACTIVITY FOR YOUR PENSION YOUR OPEB CAPITAL ASSETS AND BONDS, AND SO NOW WE LOOK AT THE GENERAL FUND.
YOUR EXPENDITURES HERE FOR THIS YEAR WERE 96 COMPARED TO LAST YEAR, 105.
SO YOU CAN SEE THE BREAKDOWN OF YOUR EXPENSES, YOUR EXPENDITURES.
OUTSIDE OF THAT, YOU CAN SEE THE BREAKDOWN OF THE REST OF YOUR EXPENDITURES THERE, AND THIS
[01:40:02]
SLIDE DOES SAY FISCAL YEAR 23 SHOULD BE 24.I JUST REALIZED THAT RIGHT BEFORE THIS MEETING.
OVERALL, IN THE GENERAL FUND, YOUR FUND BALANCE DECREASED ABOUT $1 MILLION.
AT THE END OF 2024, YOU'RE SITTING AT 49.1 AND YOU CAN SEE THE BREAKDOWN THERE.
YOUR ASSIGNED OR COMMITTED FUND BALANCE THERE IS 13.5, AND THAT LEAVES YOU WITH AN UNASSIGNED FUND BALANCE OF $35 MILLION, AND THEN HERE'S JUST ANOTHER METRIC THAT YOU CAN LOOK AT AS FAR AS YOUR FUND BALANCE.
SO THIS IS ONLY YOUR UNASSIGNED FUND BALANCE.
SO ANYTHING THAT'S NOT COMMITTED ASSIGNED RESTRICTED IS YOUR UNASSIGNED FUND BALANCE.
AND SO YOU CAN SEE THIS OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS WHERE THE DISTRICT HAS BEEN AS FAR AS PERCENTAGE, THIS YEAR, YOU'RE SITTING AT AROUND 37%, WHICH IS OVER THAT 25%, WHICH EQUALS ABOUT 134 DAYS OF OPERATING, OF OPERATING DAYS IN YOUR FUND, UNASSIGNED FUND BALANCE, AND THEN THE TWO SCHEDULES THAT ARE THAT DEA REQUIRES TO BE INCLUDED ON.
THERE ARE YOUR BUDGET TO ACTUAL FOR YOUR DEBT SERVICE FUND AS WELL AS YOUR CHILD NUTRITION FUND, AND YOU CAN SEE ON HERE THAT YOUR CHILD NUTRITION FUND REVENUES WERE $4.2 MILLION, AND THAT WAS LESS THAN FINAL BUDGETED REVENUES BY 171,000.
YOUR EXPENDITURES WERE $4.3 MILLION, AND THAT WAS LESS THAN YOUR FINAL BUDGETED EXPENDITURES BY 523,000 OVERALL, AND THAT CHILD NUTRITION FUND, YOUR FUND BALANCE DECREASED ABOUT 128,000 AT THE END OF THE YEAR.
THAT FUND BALANCE IS SITTING AT 1.4, AND THEN ON THE OTHER SIDE, THE DEBT SERVICE FUND.
THE REVENUES, $39.7 MILLION WAS LESS THAN YOUR FINAL BUDGETED REVENUES BY 1.3, AND THEN ON THE EXPENDITURE SIDE, THAT WAS 27.6, AND THAT WAS LESS THAN YOUR THAN YOUR FINAL BUDGETED EXPENDITURES BY 1.7.
SO YOUR DEBT SERVICE FUND OVERALL INCREASE THE FUND BALANCE BY $12.7 MILLION, AND AT THE END OF THE YEAR, YOU'RE SITTING AT 35.8, AND THEN FINALLY THE LAST FEW SLIDES, WE'RE JUST GOING TO GO OVER SOME OF THE REQUIRED COMMUNICATIONS.
AS AUDITORS WE ARE REQUIRED TO COMMUNICATE A FEW THINGS TO YOU.
SO WE CONSIDER THOSE POLICIES TO BE IN ACCORDANCE WITH INDUSTRY STANDARDS.
YOUR FINANCIAL STATEMENTS ALSO INCLUDE ESTIMATES.
SO THIS YEAR, THE ESTIMATE THAT WE CONSIDER TO BE SIGNIFICANT WAS STATE AID.
SO WE CONSIDER THOSE ESTIMATES THAT ESTIMATE TO BE REASONABLE, AND THEN ALSO WE ARE REQUIRED TO COMMUNICATE TO YOU IF WE HAD ANY DISAGREEMENTS WITH MANAGEMENT OR ANY DIFFICULTIES THAT WE ENCOUNTERED DURING THE AUDIT, WE DON'T HAVE ANYTHING TO REPORT TO YOU THERE.
THERE WERE ALSO NO MATERIAL MISSTATEMENTS THAT WERE IDENTIFIED BY US THAT REQUIRE MANAGEMENT CORRECTION, AND THEN WE ALSO OBTAIN REPRESENTATION FROM A REPRESENTATION LETTER FROM MANAGEMENT PRIOR TO PRIOR TO US ISSUING THE FINAL REPORT, AND THAT LETTER SIMPLY STATES THE RESPONSIBILITIES THAT MANAGEMENT HAS WHEN IT COMES TO THE AUDIT, AND SO THAT'S A REQUIREMENT THAT WE'RE REQUIRED TO OBTAIN PRIOR TO US ISSUING THE REPORT.
SO THAT'S BEEN TAKEN CARE OF ALREADY.
THROUGHOUT THE PROCESS, WE ALSO DISCUSSED THE APPLICATION OF ACCOUNTING PRINCIPLES, AND OUR RESPONSE TO THOSE INQUIRIES WAS NOT A CONDITION TO OUR RETENTION OR RETENTION AS THE DISTRICT'S AUDITORS.
AND WITH THAT, THAT IS MY PRESENTATION.
ANY QUESTIONS OR DISCUSSION FROM THE BOARD? ROB I DO AND IT'S NOT ON THE AUDIT.
SO BUT THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
IT WAS, IT WAS GOOD, AND AT FIRST A COMMENT AND THEN A QUESTION FOR YOU IF THAT'S OKAY.
DON'T WORRY. I THINK YOU'RE GONNA KNOCK IT OUT OF THE PARK.
IT SHOULD BE PRETTY EASY. SO TONIGHT IS FOR MY COLLEAGUES.
WE HEARD OUR FIRST RATING REPORT WHERE WE GOT LOOKED AT EXTERNALLY.
CORRECT. RIGHT. THAT RIGHT, AND WE SCORED 98 OUT OF 100 AND MISSED 100 BY ONE POINT SOMETHING.
[01:45:01]
RIGHT. MAINLY BECAUSE WE GOT HOSED ON RECAPTURE RIGHT.IT WASN'T AN AUDIT OF YOUR INTERNAL CONTROLS.
WE'RE REQUIRED TO LOOK AT YOUR CONTROLS BUT NOT ISSUE AN OPINION OVER THOSE.
EVERYTHING IS LOOKING SHARP, AND THEN WE ALSO GOT A LITTLE CLOSE TO LANDING THE PLANE.
RIGHT. IT'S ABOUT SIX MONTHS AGO, WE WERE FACING A $1.9 MILLION ACTUAL DEFICIT TO FUND BALANCE.
WE LANDED AT $1.04 MILLION, WHICH LEADS ME TO MY QUESTION.
SO THAT OUR ANY FUND BALANCE IS AT 49,101 MILLION.
UNASSIGNED FUND BALANCE, ASSIGNED FUND BALANCE.
SO BASED ON WHAT WE HEARD TONIGHT, WE HAVE $35 MILLION IN UNASSIGNED FUND BALANCE.
OUR $49 MILLION IN TOTAL FUND BALANCE, WHICH IS A $14 MILLION DELTA.
WOULD YOU JUST REFRESH MY MEMORY ON WHAT ASSIGNED FUND BALANCE IS? NUMBER ONE, NUMBER TWO, WHAT MAKES UP THAT $14 MILLION ROUGHLY ROUND ABOUT.
SO THE ASSIGNED IS WE BROUGHT TO THE BOARD BACK IN JUNE, AND IT'S NOT NECESSARILY SPENT.
IT'S SAYING IF WE NEED IT, IT MAY BE FOR PORTABLES I THINK PORTABLES ARE IN IT.
WHAT ELSE IS AN INSURANCE DEDUCTIBLE.
INSURANCE DEDUCTIBLE, TECHNOLOGY BUSSES.
OKAY. SO THAT REFRESHED MY MEMORY.
IT'S THAT $35 MILLION OF UNASSIGNED FUND BALANCE TIED TO OUR FIRST RATING, NOT $49 MILLION, CORRECT.
I THOUGHT THEY COULD TAKE THE THEY TAKE ASSIGNED AND THE COMMITTED AND UNASSIGNED.
I THINK WHEN THEY LOOK AT THAT.
RIGHT, AND WE KNOW IN TODAY'S CLIMATE WITH, WITH REALLY THE STUDENT [INAUDIBLE] CHALLENGES THAT WE'RE HAVING, THAT FUND BALANCE FOR US IS TRULY IT'S NOT JUST A PILE OF MONEY WE'RE SITTING ON TO DO THAT.
IT COULD BE A LIFELINE FOR THIS DISTRICT, FOR TEACHER COMPENSATION FOR A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT THINGS, FOR PROGRAMS WITHIN OUR DISTRICT, AND SO FOR ME, JUST TRULY UNDERSTANDING THAT KNOWING, NUMBER ONE, WE'RE IN A GOOD PLACE AS WE ARE NOW, BUT ALSO THAT CHART THAT YOU SHOWED THAT KIND OF LOOKS AT YEAR OVER YEAR.
OUR EXPENDITURES ARE GOING UP, RIGHT? WE'RE OPENING NEW SCHOOLS, AND SO MANAGING THAT FUND BALANCE FOR ALL THAT IS THAT IS CRITICAL, AND SO I'M GLAD WE'RE IN A GREAT SPOT.
OUR JOB IS TO KEEP IT THAT WAY.
JUST FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, AND SO I'M GLAD WE'RE IN A GOOD PLACE.
THANK YOU ALL FOR MANAGING THIS MONEY VERY, VERY WELL.
AND SO AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION, AND THANK YOU FOR THE ENTIRE FINANCE TEAM THAT IS WORKING THEIR TAIL OFF TO IMPROVE THE WAY YOU MANAGE THE MONEY, THE TRANSPARENCY AROUND HOW WE'RE MANAGING OUR MONEY FROM OUR MACRO TO OUR BOND DOLLARS, THE WAY IN WHICH WE'RE FULLY TRANSPARENT WITH THE COMMUNITY OF EVERY SINGLE PROJECT WE'RE DOING. I'M JUST REALLY APPRECIATING THAT AS THE STEWARD OF ALL THOSE THINGS, I APPRECIATE IT VERY MUCH.
I REALLY WANT TO THANK JOSEPH AND HIS TEAM.
SO I'VE BEEN REALLY IMPRESSED WITH THAT TEAM.
TRICIA, I'M READY TO MAKE A MOTION.
I MOVE THAT THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES APPROVED THE 2023-2024 ANNUAL FINANCIAL REPORT AS PRESENTED.
ANY DISCUSSION? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? SEVEN ZERO. ALL RIGHT.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
ALL RIGHT, MOVING ON TO OUR SCHEMATIC DESIGN FOR OUR HIGH SCHOOL TWO.
MADAM SUPERINTENDENT, I'D LIKE TO INTRODUCE VLK TO DO THE SCHEMATIC DESIGN PRESENTATION.
JUST A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND DESIGN ON HIGH SCHOOL TWO STARTED IN JUNE OF 20.
THE OTHER THING I'D LIKE TO ADD IS REMEMBER WE HAVE A CMAR ON THIS.
SO WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, I'LL INTRODUCE TIM AND HIS TEAM.
YOU'RE GOING TO GET US ALL TONIGHT.
[01:50:05]
MADAM PRESIDENT, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, DR.WHERE'S THE CLICKER? RIGHT HERE. OKAY.
SO WITH ME TONIGHT IS JULIE ZITTER, RICHARD HUNT AND MADISON WILSON, AND THEY'RE GOING TO BE TALKING ABOUT CERTAIN PARTS OF THE PROJECT THAT THEY'VE BEEN HEAVILY INVOLVED IN.
SO WE'RE GOING TO GO THROUGH THAT, TALK ABOUT THE COMMUNITY INPUT, GO OVER THE INITIAL VLK LAUNCH, WHICH WAS OUR COMMUNITY DESIGN MEETINGS THAT WE HAD BACK IN FEBRUARY, MARCH AND APRIL, AND THEN THE WORK THAT'S BEEN ONGOING WITH PROGRAMING OF THE SECOND HIGH SCHOOL AND THEN RICHARD IS GOING TO PRESENT THE DESIGN UPDATE OF WHERE THE PROJECT STANDS TODAY.
I'M TRYING TO REMEMBER HER NAME INDIVIDUAL, SERENA, THANK YOU.
JAMES AND ALL THE OTHER FOLKS THAT HAVE SAT IN THE MEETINGS.
WE WOULDN'T BE WHERE WE ARE TODAY WITHOUT THEM.
SO I JUST WANT TO WANT TO REALLY ACKNOWLEDGE THOSE FOLKS.
OKAY, SO WHERE ARE WE TODAY? WE ARE IN OCTOBER, ALTHOUGH IT DOESN'T FEEL LIKE THAT OUTSIDE.
WE STARTED THIS PROCESS EARLIER IN THE YEAR AND SCHEMATIC DESIGN KICKED OFF, AS I SAID, IN FEBRUARY, AND REALLY THAT WAS TO GAIN INTEREST AND INSIGHT FROM THE COMMUNITY.
SO THAT WAS MADE UP OF ROUGHLY 70 REPRESENTATIVES.
PRIOR TO THAT, WE HAD WE TOOK SOME TIME TO GET COMMUNITY VOICE INTO THOSE MEETINGS SO THAT WE STARTED WITH A BACKGROUND OF WHAT OTHER INDIVIDUALS WITHIN THE COMMUNITY OF DRIPPING SPRINGS WERE REALLY FOCUSED ON FOR THIS PROJECT, AND SO SINCE THEN, WE HAVE AGAIN HAD MANY, MANY MEETINGS TO GET TO WHERE WE ARE TONIGHT.
AND I WILL SAY WE APPRECIATE THE KIND OF THE FEEDBACK BACK AND FORTH SOMETIMES THAT IS DIFFICULT, AND WE TOOK WE DID TAKE A BIT OF A DESIGN PAUSE TO MAKE SOME CHANGES THAT WE FEEL, AND I KNOW THAT THE DISTRICT FEELS IS BETTER SUITED FOR DRIPPING SPRINGS, AND SO AGAIN, THE DESIGN THAT WE'RE GOING TO SHOW YOU TONIGHT REFLECTS THAT.
I KNOW OUR TEAM IS VERY EXCITED ABOUT IT.
JULIE, YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT COMMUNITY INPUT.
THAT ONE AS A COMMUNITY MEMBER, I'D BE HAPPY TO.
WE HAD FOUR MEETINGS THAT WE HOSTED ALONG WITH YOU.
IN THIS ROOM FOUR TIMES, AND IN TANDEM TO THAT, WE ALSO HAD A SURVEY.
SOME OF YOU ACTUALLY PARTOOK OF THAT, BUT IT WAS ALL COMPOSED OF TOPICS RELATED TO INSTRUCTIONAL COMMUNITY VALUE AS WELL AS ARCHITECTURAL CHARACTERISTICS.
SO THEY WERE IN THOSE THREE DIFFERENT BUCKETS, AND WE ASKED PEOPLE BY WAY OF NOT IMPORTANT, SOMEWHAT IMPORTANT AND VERY IMPORTANT, AND SO HERE YOU'RE JUST SEEING THAT INFORMATION DISTILLED, JUST A CROSS-REFERENCE OF SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE ASKED THE COMMUNITY TO PARTICIPATE IN.
IN PARTICULAR, IN ADDITION TO THOSE THREE BUCKETS OF INFORMATION, WE HAD AN OPEN ENDED QUESTION AT THE VERY END, AND SO EVEN IF YOU DIDN'T FIND A CATEGORY IN WHICH TO RESPOND TO, YOU HAD AN OPEN ENDED ONE, AND THAT REALLY REINFORCED EITHER SOME OF THE TOPICS WE HAD ALREADY ASKED OF, OR ONES THAT REALLY HIT HARD FOR PEOPLE SUCH AS SAFETY AND COST AND
[01:55:04]
LIGHT. SO THOSE ARE ALL COMPONENTS THAT WE GRAVITATED TOWARDS AND INCORPORATED INTO THE LAUNCH PROCESS AND ULTIMATELY THE DESIGN, WHICH I THINK YOU'LL SEE TONIGHT.OKAY, SO FOR THOSE THAT ARE NOT FAMILIAR WITH OUR TERMINOLOGY, AGAIN, VLC LAUNCH IS OUR PROCESS OF GETTING OUR COMMUNITIES TOGETHER AND HAVING A NUMBER OF MEETING AND DESIGN EXERCISES TO CREATE THE VISION, AND SO WHAT I'M GOING TO SHOW YOU NEXT IS THE VIDEO OF THAT PROCESS, AND COLLECTIVELY WORKING WITH THE TEAM HERE IN DRIPPING SPRINGS, AS WELL AS OUR TEAM AS WELL.
HOPEFULLY THE AUDIO IS WORKING TONIGHT.
I'M SORRY. THE DESIGN PROCESS FOR THE SECOND DRIPPING SPRINGS ISD HIGH SCHOOL CAMPUS WILL BE GUIDED BY THE DISTRICT COMMUNITY, STUDENTS AND STAKEHOLDERS COLLECTIVE VISION AND WILL PRIORITIZE COLLABORATION, COMMUNICATION, AND FUTURE FORWARD THINKING FOR THE STUDENTS OF DRIPPING SPRINGS ISD.
THE CAMPUS WILL INCORPORATE FLEXIBLE AND INTENTIONAL LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS THAT CULTIVATE CURIOSITY, ESTABLISH A SENSE OF PRIDE, AND PROVIDE A VARIETY OF EXEMPLARY STUDENT EXPERIENCES THAT CONTINUE TO BUILD THE FOUNDATION FOR STUDENTS TO BECOME LIFELONG LEARNERS.
A SECURE AND INTENTIONAL OUTDOOR COURTYARD WILL CREATE CROSS-CURRICULAR OPPORTUNITIES AND FOSTER AN ATMOSPHERE FOR ENGAGING INSTRUCTIONAL EXPERIENCES IN A NATURAL, INSPIRING SETTING. THE STUDENT UNION WILL ALLOW FOR DIFFERENTIATED COLLABORATION, STUDENT ENGAGEMENT, AND SPACE EFFICIENCY THROUGH SCALABILITY AND MULTI-PURPOSE USES.
THE DESIGN SHOULD INCORPORATE EFFICIENCIES AND COST EFFECTIVE MEASURES IN THE BUILDING PLAN.
BEFORE RICHARD TAKES OVER HERE, I HOPE WHAT YOU GUYS GAIN OUT OF THAT IS THIS IS DRIPPING SPRINGS.
WE'RE SO INCREDIBLY GRATEFUL TO BE A PART OF IT, BUT THE VISION THAT HAS BEEN CREATED FROM THE FOLKS THAT WERE A PART OF THAT MEETING IS REALLY IMPACTFUL TO US, AND ME TOO, ESPECIALLY SINCE MY SON MAY GO THERE ONE DAY.
LET ME ADJUST THIS DOWN. HE'S PRETTY TALL.
I'M JUST GLAD I DIDN'T WEAR THE SAME SUIT AS I DID IN THAT VIDEO.
SO THE LAUNCH WAS A THREE DAY EVENT, AS YOU GUYS KNOW, WITH THE COMMUNITY, WITH STUDENTS, WITH TEACHERS, VARIOUS STAKEHOLDERS ALL BROUGHT TOGETHER, AND ON THE FIRST DAY WE WENT THROUGH A FEW LITTLE EXERCISES, AND THE ONE YOU SEE ON THE SCREEN IS THE TYPOLOGY BOARD.
SO THESE ARE COMPARABLE IMAGES OF DIFFERENT SPACES THROUGHOUT A HIGH SCHOOL, AND REALLY WHAT WE GOT FROM THIS IS A LOT OF FEEDBACK ON WHAT'S APPROPRIATE FOR DRIPPING SPRINGS WHEN IT COMES TO JUST IMAGERY AND SPACES AND DESIGN CUES.
YEAH. SO ALSO ON DAY ONE, WE DID A SMALL GAMING EXERCISE WHERE THE COMMUNITY AND THE STUDENTS GOT TO PLAY WITH THE VARIOUS PIECES OF THE BUILDINGS, LIKE ATHLETICS AND ACADEMICS AND ALL THAT, BUT WHAT WE REALLY FOCUSED ON WAS THAT SIDE COLUMN, WHICH IS THE BIG IDEAS AND SOME OF THE BIG IDEAS WERE VERY PRAGMATIC, LIKE WATER HALLWAYS, MORE RESTROOMS, BUT THEN SOME WERE VERY GLOBAL AND FORWARD THINKING LIKE, YOU KNOW, COURTYARDS, NATURAL LIGHT STUFF THAT REALLY IMPACTS THE EDUCATION.
SO WE TOOK ALL THAT INFORMATION BACK, RIGHT? AND THEN WE COMPILED IT WITH THE SURVEY AND ALL THE COMMUNITY MEETINGS WE HAD.
AND WE BROUGHT BACK TO THE COMMUNITY AND THE DISTRICT VARIOUS DESIGNS.
SO THERE WAS THREE CONCEPTS BASED ON THE BOARDS.
ONE WAS THE SPINE, WHICH HAD A STRAIGHT HALLWAY FOR MOST OF THE BUILDING.
THE OTHER WAS A HUB AND SPOKE, BUT THE ONE THAT GOT THE MOST VOTES WAS THE COURTYARD, AND SO WHAT WE HEARD IN THE IN THE SURVEYS WAS THIS IDEA ABOUT OUTDOOR LEARNING COURTYARDS, YOU KNOW, AND THE COURTYARDS REALLY PLAY INTO THE SAFETY AND SECURITY OF THAT OUTDOOR LEARNING SPACE.
[02:00:04]
THEY DID HAVE SOME COMMENTS ABOUT IT, AND WE DID GO BACK AND ADJUST THAT FOR OH SORRY, STUDENT ADJACENCIES.WE DID ANOTHER EXERCISE ON DAY TWO THAT TALKED ABOUT SPECIFIC SPACES IN THE BUILDINGS AND HOW THOSE WOULD WORK, AND GOT A LOT OF FEEDBACK ON THOSE, BUT WHEN WE CAME BACK FOR DAY THREE, WE TOOK BACK SOME OF THE FEEDBACK AND SOME OF THE FEEDBACK WE HEARD FROM STUDENTS WAS REALLY GOOD STUFF, RIGHT? BECAUSE THEY'RE THE ONES THAT ARE USING THE BUILDINGS.
SO WE REARRANGED THE BUILDING, WE BROUGHT IT BACK, AND FROM THIS POINT FORWARD, WE STILL ARE REVIEWING SORT OF THE SURVEYS AND THE COMMUNITY MEETINGS, BUT WE ALSO PRESENTED THIS A LOT TO THE PAT.
SO WE HAVE THIS OTHER COMMITTEE THAT'S KIND OF RUNNING THROUGH THE DESIGN PROCESS AND VETTING IT ALL THE WAY THROUGH, AND IF YOU EVER WORKED ON A HIGH SCHOOL BEFORE, YOU KNOW, IT'S A LOT OF DESIGN CHANGES.
THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS THAT GOT TO MOVE.
YOU FIGURE A LOT OF STUFF OUT.
SO THE PLAN YOU SEE THAT WE CAME OUT OF DAY THREE DOESN'T EVEN LOOK LIKE WHAT WE'LL SHOW YOU LATER.
BECAUSE AGAIN, IT'S AN EVOLVING IT'S AN EVOLUTION OF A PROCESS.
RIGHT. SO THE OTHER THING WE DID ON DAY THREE IS WE STARTED A LITTLE BIT OF THE EXTERIOR AND GOT SOME FEEDBACK ON, YOU KNOW, BASICALLY THE ARCHITECTURAL STYLE OF THE BUILDING, WHICH IS THE UPPER LEFT.
ONE COLONNADE GOT THE MOST VOTES.
SO AGAIN, IF YOU LOOK AT SORT OF WHERE WE ARE TODAY, YOU'LL START TO SEE HOW MUCH THAT INFLUENCED IT AND HOW MUCH THE COMMUNITY HAD A VOICE IN IT, THE WHOLE PROCESS. WITH THAT, I'LL TURN IT OVER TO MADISON TO TALK ABOUT PROGRAMING.
OKAY. I'M GOING TO RUN YOU REAL QUICK THROUGH THE PROGRAMING EXERCISE THAT WE WENT THROUGH AND TO GET WHERE WE ARE TODAY, BUT YOU'LL SEE THE GRAPHIC ON THE SCREEN, AND THAT WAS OUR FIRST PROCESS IN PROGRAMING, AND THAT IS CALLED REVERSE PROGRAMING.
SO WE TAKE YOUR EXISTING CAMPUS AND LOOK AT ALL THE SPACES THAT YOU CURRENTLY HAVE AND WHAT THOSE THE SIZES OF THOSE SPACES, AND THEN WE ALSO TAKE A TEAM TO YOUR CAMPUS, AND WE WERE ABLE TO WALK IT AND MAKE SURE THAT THOSE SPACES THAT ARE LABELED ON THE FLOOR PLAN ARE ACTUALLY WHAT THEY'RE BEING USED AS, BECAUSE AN EXISTING CAMPUS, THEY TEND TO GET CHANGED TO WHATEVER THEY NEED TO BE.
SO WE TOOK THIS EXERCISE AND LOOKED AT ALL THE DIFFERENT SPACES THAT YOU HAD AND HOW YOU WERE USING THEM, AND THEN WE WERE ABLE TO USE THOSE SPACES AND THIS PLAN TO START FORMING HIGH SCHOOL NUMBER TWO.
SO TO DO THAT WE HAVE TO ONE DISCUSS THOSE EXISTING SPACES WITH YOUR ADMIN AND HOW THEY'RE BEING USED AND WHAT SPACES YOU NEED IN ADDITION TO THAT, BUT WE ALSO NEED TO WORK THROUGH THE NEW TEA GUIDELINES SO THAT DICTATES THE NEW SIZES OF THOSE SPACES, AND THOSE HAVE CHANGED OVER THE YEARS.
SO WE HAD TO MAKE SOME OF THOSE SPACES LARGER THAN THEY PREVIOUSLY HAVE BEEN.
THIS IS AN EVER EVOLVING PIECE OF OUR PROCESS.
SO AS WE CONTINUE TO DISCUSS THIS WITH THE USERS, WE KIND OF ARE ABLE TO SHIFT AROUND THOSE SPACES AND THE SIZES OF THOSE SPACES BASED ON WHAT THEY REALLY NEED AS WELL.
I'LL ADD WHEN DESIGNING FOR ANY CAPACITY.
RIGHT. WE REALLY LOOK AT THE NUMBER OF TEACHING SPACES TO START WITH.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S THE STARTING POINT, AND THEN AREAS SUCH AS CTE THAT TAKES A MUCH DEEPER LEVEL OF CONVERSATION, WHICH WE'VE HAD WITH THE DISTRICT AND COMING UP WITH THOSE PROGRAMS. SO NOW WE'RE GOING TO GO THROUGH THE DESIGN UPDATE.
I WANT TO GIVE KUDOS AGAIN, JUST AS COMMISSIONER SMITH SAID EARLIER ABOUT JUST THE COORDINATION COLLABORATION BETWEEN THE DISTRICT, THE COUNTY, EVEN US AS THE ARCHITECT ON THIS PROJECT.
WE KNOW THAT THERE'S IMPROVEMENTS THAT ARE ON THE CURRENT HAYS COUNTY BOND FOR IMPROVEMENTS TO DARDEN HILL FOR THIS PROJECT, WE ABSOLUTELY NEED THAT.
WE WAITED FOR A WHILE UNTIL SCHOOL WAS BACK IN SESSION TO START GETTING THOSE COUNTS.
[02:05:01]
BUT THAT'S ULTIMATELY GOING TO DETERMINE THE FLOW IN AND OUT OF THE SITE, BUT RIGHT NOW WE ARE PLANNING FOR THESE IMPROVEMENTS BEING THERE FOR WHEN THIS PROJECT GETS CONSTRUCTED.OBVIOUSLY THAT IS INTO THE VOTERS HANDS AND WE'LL SEE HOW THAT PANS OUT.
THE LAST PART OF THIS, I THINK, RICHARD, YOU'RE GOING TO TAKE THE LAST BIT.
TIM MADE ME PROMISE TO KEEP THIS UNDER AN HOUR.
SO, YES, LIKE I SPOKE ABOUT EARLIER, A LOT OF FEEDBACK, A LOT OF DESIGN.
WHAT YOU SEE NOW IS ROUGHLY FOUR MONTHS OF WORK, I BELIEVE.
SIX MONTHS, YOU KNOW, AND IT'S A VERY TEDIOUS PROCESS.
RIGHT? AND I KEEP HAMMERING THAT HOME.
IT TAKES US A YEAR TO DESIGN A HIGH SCHOOL.
SO IT'S REALLY IT'S REALLY NICE TO STAND UP HERE AND SORT OF SHOW IT OFF.
RIGHT. SO AGAIN, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE'RE GOING TO START, WE STARTED WITH SORT OF A BASIC UNDERSTANDING OF WHERE THE BUILDING HAS TO GO ON THE SITE BECAUSE THERE'S AN EXISTING ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, DARDEN HILL ROADS TO THE NORTH.
SO WE KIND OF KNEW WHERE THAT HAD TO GO, BUT WORKING THROUGH IT WITH THE DISTRICT AND FIGURING OUT WHERE THE FIELDS GO, WHERE THE TENNIS COURT GOES, YOU KNOW, WHERE THE ATHLETICS NEEDS TO BE IN POSITIONING TO THOSE EVENTS, HOW YOU NEED TO SEPARATE, YOU KNOW, YOUR EVENT TRAFFIC AND YOUR SCHOOL TRAFFIC.
YOU KNOW, THAT'S ALL BEEN THOUGHT THROUGH AND GOTTEN ONTO THIS.
OR I GUESS THAT'S WEST ON THE SITE IS THE STUDENT PARKING LOT, AND THEN THEY'LL ENTER THROUGH A PROMENADE INTO THE CAFETERIA LIBRARY, MEDIA CENTER WITH A DEDICATED STUDENT ENTRY, AND THEN YOU COME AROUND TO THE SOUTH OF THE BUILDING WHERE THE FOOTBALL FIELD IS.
THAT'S WHERE THE GYM AND AUDITORIUM LOBBIES ARE, AND THIS IS ONE OF THE BIGGER DESIGN CHANGES THAT WE MADE DURING THIS PROCESS, AS WE EVOLVED WITH THE FEEDBACK, THERE'S NOW A SINGLE PLAZA THAT SERVES BOTH THE COMPETITION GYM AND THE AUDITORIUM.
RIGHT? SO THERE'S THIS REALLY COOL OPPORTUNITY TO DO AN EVENT PLAZA THERE, RIGHT IN THE CENTER, AND THAT TIES INTO THE MAJOR THRUST OF THE PROJECT, WHICH IS THE COURTYARD WITH THE BUILDING SURROUNDING THE ENTIRE COURTYARD THAT IS CONNECTED TO THAT EVENT PLAZA.
SO, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THINGS GO INTO THIS, RIGHT? AND I'M SURE THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS THAT STILL HAVE TO GO INTO THIS, BUT AGAIN, WE'RE LANDING ON A REALLY GOOD SITE PLAN FROM A TRAFFIC FLOW, FROM A SORT OF SEPARATION OF MAJOR USERS THAT COME TO THE BUILDING, EITHER THEY COME TO THE BUILDING ALL DAY OR THEY COME IN THE EVENING.
THAT'S ALL BEEN SORT OF PUSHED THROUGH AND THOUGHT ABOUT.
SO WHEN WE LOOK AT THE ACTUAL PROJECT OR THE ACTUAL FLOOR PLAN, THE ORANGE IS THE ADMINISTRATION.
SO THAT INDICATES WHERE THE FRONT ENTRY IS.
SO STAYING TRUE TO THE CONCEPT THAT WE PULLED OUT OF THE LAUNCH WITH THE STUDENT UNION, HAVING THOSE TWO SPACES, RIGHT WHERE THE STUDENT ENTRY IS, IS A BIG PLUS, AND THEN THEY FRONT THE LEFT SIDE OF THE COURTYARD OR THE OUTDOOR LEARNING SPACE.
RIGHT. SO WHAT WE'VE DONE IS WE'VE SEPARATED IT INTO ITS OWN BUILDING SO IT CAN ACTUALLY OPERATE FOR VISITING TEAMS THAT COME IN AND PREVENT WHAT'S THE RIGHT WORD? NOT INFILTRATION, BUT PEOPLE GOING INTO THE MAIN BUILDING FROM THE ATHLETICS BUILDING, AND AGAIN, THAT EVENTS PLAZA THAT I SPOKE ABOUT THAT SPLITS THE CAFETERIA OR THE COMPETITION GYM AND THE AUDITORIUM THERE.
SO EVEN THOUGH WE DID HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, KIND OF EVOLVE THE DESIGN, IT'S EVOLVING IN A CONSTANT IMPROVEMENT, AND THAT'S REALLY WHAT YOU HOPE FOR, RIGHT? YOU DON'T WORRY ABOUT HOW MANY TIMES YOU HAVE TO CHANGE THIS, HOW MANY TIMES YOU HAVE TO DO THAT.
SO AGAIN, SECOND FLOOR LARGELY ACADEMICS AND SCIENCE AND THEN WE HAVE A COUPLE OF ATHLETIC SPACES ON THE SECOND FLOOR.
WITH THAT, I'LL TURN IT BACK OVER TO TIM.
UNDER AN HOUR? YES, UNDER AN HOUR.
IT'S REALLY BEEN A PLEASURE WORKING WITH THE TEAM HERE.
WE AGAIN, WE APPRECIATE THE FEEDBACK TO PUSH US A BIT, AND PUSHING US HAS MADE THIS PROJECT BETTER FOR TONIGHT'S REVIEW OF SCHEMATIC DESIGN, AND WITH THAT, I'LL OPEN IT UP TO ANY QUESTIONS, AND AGAIN, WE'RE REQUESTING YOUR APPROVAL TONIGHT FOR US TO MOVE FORWARD TO DESIGN DEVELOPMENT.
TRICIA. FIRST I WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE TEA GUIDELINES THAT WE WERE PROVIDED.
THOSE HELPED ME SPECIFICALLY GO OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY AND JUST LET THEM KNOW WHAT'S ACTUALLY REQUIRED AND WHAT WE'RE HAVING TO PAY FOR BECAUSE OF, YOU KNOW, RULES AND REGULATIONS OF TEA.
SO I APPRECIATED READING THROUGH THOSE.
[02:10:01]
I ALSO WANTED TO THANK YOU GUYS VERY MUCH FOR PROVIDING ALL OF THE INFORMATION THAT YOU'VE PROVIDED US FROM THIS TO THIS POINT.FOR ME, IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND EXACTLY WHAT IT IS THAT WE'RE BUILDING.
RIGHT? SO WE HAVE TO PLAN FOR THE FUTURE OF ALL OF OUR STUDENTS, AND, AND THIS PROJECT RIGHT HERE, WHILE I WILL HAVE POSSIBLY HALF OF MY CHILDREN ATTEND IT'S NOT THE ONLY THING THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT, BUT YOU GUYS HAVE DONE AN AMAZING JOB OF LETTING US KNOW EXACTLY WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE, WORKING WITH THE COMMUNITY AND WORKING WITH EVEN US AND OUR IDEAS AND WHAT WE FEEL LIKE WE SHOULD HAVE, AND Y'ALL JUST WORKED AROUND ALL OF ALL OF THAT COMMUNICATION AND FEEDBACK AND I APPRECIATE IT.
ROBIN. TIM, YOU'RE GOING TO BE SHOCKED, BUT I DO NOT HAVE A QUESTION FOR YOU.
I KNOW, I KNOW, DROP THE MIC, BUDDY, BUT I DO HAVE TWO COMMENTS.
YES, SIR, AND SO I WAS I WAS WATCHING YOUR VIDEO TOGETHER, WHICH WAS PHENOMENAL, BY THE WAY.
I REMEMBER THE COMMENT BY OUR YOUNG SECOND GRADER.
I THINK SHE WAS SECOND GRADER FROM CYPRUS WITH A K.
WHERE SHE SAID THE IDEAS OF MANY CAN BE A CHALLENGE, BUT WE ARE BETTER TOGETHER.
WE HAVE HAD HUNDREDS AND HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE ENGAGED IN THIS PROCESS SO FAR.
NOTHING COULD BE FURTHER FROM THE TRUTH, AND YOU ALL WANTED TO MAKE THIS PRESENTATION TWO MONTHS AGO, RIGHT? BUT WE HAD TO GET A FEW MORE IDEAS ON THE TABLE.
RIGHT? WE HAD TO WORK OUT A COUPLE MORE THINGS TO GET TO THIS POINT.
NO, IT'S BACK, IT'S BACK, IT'S RETURNED, IT'S RETURNED.
I WANT TO PUT THIS IN PERSPECTIVE FOR EVERYBODY ESPECIALLY OUR COMMUNITY.
THIS IS THE SINGLE LARGEST NONRESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT PROJECT IN THE HISTORY OF DRIPPING SPRINGS.
ALMOST 3000 PEOPLE ON A DAILY BASIS RIGHT.
I LOOK FORWARD TO THAT, AND I WANT OUR COMMUNITY TO KNOW THAT THE EFFORT, CERTAINLY BY THIS BODY SO FAR IN ENGAGING IN THIS PROCESS AND BEING PRESENT AND ALSO LISTENING TO THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE HAS BEEN TREMENDOUS, AND I THINK THAT'S A TESTAMENT TO OUR WHAT WE TOLD THE COMMUNITY WE'RE GOING TO DO, RIGHT AT THE END OF THE DAY, THEY TRUSTED THE SEVEN OF US TO DO THIS RIGHT.
THE LARGEST SINGLE DEVELOPMENT PROJECT IN THE HISTORY OF DRIPPING SPRINGS.
THAT'S NOT A RESIDENTIAL COMMUNITY IN LET WHEN 30 TO 32 MONTHS.
RIGHT. THESE LARGE MASTER PLANNED COMMUNITIES.
YOU WORK ON IT FOR TEN, 12 YEARS.
WE'RE GOING TO DO THIS IN 32 MONTHS ISH.
I DON'T WANT TO GET AMERICAN ALL STRESSING THAT I'M 32 MONTHS ISH.
OKAY, WE HAVEN'T FULLY DECIDED ON THAT.
JAMES IS GOING TO WORK THAT OUT.
THANK YOU. TIM, AND THEN I'LL GO LAST.
OH, SHANDA, I ALSO JUST WANT TO SAY A HUGE THANK YOU BECAUSE YOU HAVE BEEN SO PATIENT, AND SO JUST IN PROVIDING INFORMATION FOR ME PERSONALLY TO SIT UP HERE NOW, WHEREAS I STARTED THIS PROCESS, REALLY, AS YOU KNOW, ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THIS.
SO I HAVE HAD TO CATCH UP IN THIS ROLE AND I JUST WANT TO SAY THE AMOUNT OF INFORMATION AND PATIENCE THAT YOU ALL HAVE HAD WHERE, YOU KNOW, WE KNOW YOU WANTED TO DO THIS TWO MONTHS AGO.
I JUST, I HAVE TO SAY THANK YOU FOR THAT BECAUSE I DON'T HAVE ANY QUESTIONS.
[02:15:01]
SUCH A VESTED INTEREST IN THIS, AND SO I APPRECIATE THAT, AND I TRUST YOU AND I, WE WANT TO GET IT RIGHT FOR THE COMMUNITY.SO ANYWAY, THANK YOU, AND I DIDN'T SEE YOU OLIVIA.
SORRY. GO AHEAD. KIM WILL BE OUR HEADLINER.
WOULD IT BE POSSIBLE TO PUT THAT VIDEO ON THE LINK TO HIGH SCHOOL 2 PROJECT ON THE.
PERFECTLY, PERFECTLY FINE WITH US? YES, I THINK IT DOES A GREAT JOB, AND I WOULD EVEN LIKE TO SEE, I DON'T KNOW IF WE COULD EVEN NEXT TO IT, LIKE WHILE THE MEETINGS ARE ON THERE.
ANYWAY, I JUST THINK THAT WOULD BE A GOOD AD TO HAVE A VISUAL.
I'VE JUST GOT A GENERAL QUESTION.
I HAVE A CONSTRUCTION BACKGROUND.
WHEN IT COMES, I KNOW WHAT THE COMMUNITY CHOSE AND VERY HAPPY WITH WHAT THEY CHOSE, BUT WHEN IT COMES TO THE OVERHANGS BEING ON A FIRST LEVEL OR A SECOND LEVEL, OR IS IT ARCHITECTURAL OR IS IT INCLEMENT WEATHER? THAT OVERHANGS? THE OVERHANGS LIKE A BALCONY OR AWNING? THE AWNING. SO THE COLONNADE.
WELL, THE COLONNADE, I'D SAY OVER THE SECOND LEVEL, AND THEN ONE OF THE DESIGNS WAS LOWER.
RIGHT. SO OVER THE COURSE OF THE LAST COUPLE OF MONTHS, SOME OF THOSE HAVE BEEN REDUCED.
THERE'S CERTAINLY THAT COVERING OVER THE FRONT ENTRY.
SOME OF THE OTHER CANOPIES HAVE BEEN TURNED INTO JUST KIND OF TYPICAL CANOPIES.
WE HAVE FOUND THAT IF YOU'RE GOING TO BUILD A STRUCTURE FOR A TWO STORY BUILDING AND THOSE COLUMNS HAVE TO GO UP ALL THE WAY OR HOWEVER THAT IS BUILT.
LEAVING A VOID UNDERNEATH THE BUILDING IS CERTAINLY COST EFFECTIVE.
IT CAN BE VIEWED IN A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT WAYS.
PUTTING AN EXTERIOR ALUMINUM CANOPY ON THE BUILDING IS ALSO VERY COST EFFECTIVE OVER TIME.
SO REALLY, I WOULD SAY IT DEPENDS ON WHERE IT IS AND THE IMPACT AND THE IMPORTANCE ON THE CAMPUS.
SO IN THAT IN THAT INSTANCE, A COST EFFECTIVE ALUMINUM CANOPY IS THE WAY TO GO.
AT THE FRONT ENTRY? MAYBE NOT. DOES THAT ANSWER YOUR QUESTION? IT DOES. OKAY. THANK YOU.
WE STARTED LOOKING AT SCHOOLS A YEAR AGO WHERE YOU TOOK US OUT.
WE LOOKED AT NEW SCHOOLS, OLD SCHOOLS, ALL THE 2500.
THE AMOUNT OF COMMUNITY INPUT THAT YOU ALL HAVE ALLOWED.
I MEAN, LIKE, PUT SOMETHING TOGETHER AND SHOW US WHAT YOU'RE THINKING OF.
THE COMMUNITY DID THAT, AND THEN YOU LISTENED TO EVERYTHING THEY SAID, AND YOU CAME BACK AND YOU BROUGHT IT TO THE COMMUNITY AND TO THE COMMITTEE, BUT THOSE TYPOLOGY BOARDS WERE AMAZING.
SO YOU PUT A BUNCH OF IDEAS OUT THERE AND YOU HAD PEOPLE BE ABLE TO GIVE THEIR INPUT.
YOU KNOW, THE PROS AND THE CONS AND, YOU KNOW, JUST GETTING DOWN TO, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S THE HALLWAY GOING TO LOOK LIKE? WHAT'S THE LAYOUT OF THE BUILDING GOING TO BE LIKE? AND YOU KNOW, WHAT DOES EVERYBODY WANT? AND LISTENING TO EVERYTHING IN THE SURVEY, LISTENING TO EVERYTHING THAT WAS IN THE COMMUNITY BUILDING.
I MEAN, THIS HAS JUST BEEN I'VE ONLY BEEN IN EDUCATION 41 YEARS.
I'VE BEEN IN A LOT OF HIGH SCHOOLS AND I'VE BEEN INVOLVED IN A LOT OF PLANNING, BUT I'VE NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE A VLC LAUNCH, AND IT WAS THE WAY TO GO AND IT JUST STUCK OUT, AND EVERY MEETING THAT WE WENT INTO, PEOPLE LEFT HAPPIER AND HAPPIER AND HAPPIER, AND AFTER THE LAST MEETING THAT WE HAD, THAT WAS THE HAPPIEST ALL THE PEOPLE WERE, AND IT JUST GOT CONDENSED AND IT GOT REALLY SMALL, BUT HOW IT'S GOING TO SERVE THE NEEDS OF THIS COMMUNITY, AND I CAN'T HELP BUT QUOTE THE STUDENT IN THE ROOM.
IT'S SIMPLE YET ELEGANT, AND THAT'S WHAT OUR KIDS DESERVE, AND IT'S JUST IT'S JUST A CLASS ACT, AND I WAS JUST HONORED TO BE A PART OF IT, AND IF THERE'S NO OTHER COMMENTS, I WANT TO MAKE THE MOTION.
KIM, I WAS GOING TO SAY I HAVE TO MAKE THE MOTION.
RIGHT, AND WE'RE GOING TO DO THAT, AND BEFORE YOU ALL MAKE A MOTION, I DO WANT TO GIVE A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF CREDIT TO THE TEAM THAT IS HERE WITH ME, SOME OF WHICH ARE NOT HERE TONIGHT. THERE IS CERTAINLY NO WAY THAT ONE PERSON CAN DO THIS.
[02:20:02]
THIS TAKES A TRUE VILLAGE TO MAKE THIS WORK, AND SO I JUST WANT TO THANK THEM AGAIN FOR BEING HERE AND FOR JAMES AND THE FOLKS THAT HAVE BEEN A PART OF THIS THUS FAR.THANK YOU. MOTION. THE ONLY REASON I WANT TO BE ON THIS BOARD.
I'M JUST KIDDING. JUST KIDDING.
ANY DISCUSSION? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? SEVEN ZERO. MOVING ON UP.
ALL RIGHT. NEXT IS OUR ARCHITECTURE ENGINEERING SERVICES FOR 18 PLUS.
THIS IS NOT AS BIG IN GRANDEUR AS THE HIGH SCHOOL.
SO WE HAVE A POOL OF THREE ARCHITECTS YOU GUYS APPROVED IN 22.
WE LOOKED AT OTHER CAMPUS THINGS WE COULD DO THE MOST COST EFFECTIVE THING FOR US TO DO TO GET A PROGRAM THAT'S THIS SPECIFIC AND THIS SPECIAL FOR THIS CLIENTELE IS TO BUILD THAT FROM THE GROUND UP. SO WE'VE WE'VE DONE THE MATRIX ON THAT.
WE HAVE A REAL ESTATE AGENT IS ENGAGED.
WE NEED TO GET AN ARCHITECT ON BOARD TO ACTUALLY FULFILL THAT AND GET THAT FINAL BUDGET.
OUR RECOMMENDATION FOR THAT WAS PBK.
DO YOU WANT DO WE WANT TO WAIT FOR DISCUSSION AFTER ALL THREE? THAT'S WHAT WE WANT TO ADDRESS THEM TOTALLY FINE.
ARE WE HAPPY TO CONSOLIDATE IF YOU'D LIKE.
WE ARE APPROVING THEM INDIVIDUALLY.
WELL, I JUST HAVE SOMETHING ON THIS PARTICULAR PROJECT.
FIRST OF ALL, I WANTED TO THANK THE DISTRICT FOR, YOU KNOW, GETTING TO THIS POINT AND, AND BEING ABLE TO ACTUALLY MAYBE SEE THIS PROJECT MOVE FORWARD BECAUSE I KNOW THIS SPECIFIC PROJECT IS FOR OUR MOST VULNERABLE IN OUR COMMUNITY, AND IT'S NEAR AND DEAR TO MY HEART.
SO THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR EFFORT IN MOVING US FORWARD AND GETTING US HERE.
ALL RIGHT. IF NO DISCUSSION ON NINE C, WE WILL VOTE FIRST ON NINE C.
OLIVIA. I MOVE THAT THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES APPROVE PBK ARCHITECTS FOR THE 18 PLUS BUILDING PROJECT, BASED ON THE PROFESSIONALS DEMONSTRATED COMPETENCE AND QUALIFICATIONS AND FURTHER DELEGATE AUTHORITY TO THE SUPERINTENDENT OR HER DESIGNEE TO NEGOTIATE AN AGREEMENT WITH PBC ARCHITECTS IN A FORM APPROVED BY LEGAL COUNSEL, AND TO BRING BACK A FINAL PROPOSED AGREEMENT FOR THE BOARD TO CONSIDER AND TAKE ACTION TO APPROVE AT A FUTURE BOARD MEETING.
ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? SEVEN ZERO. ALL RIGHT.
NEXT. THE NEXT ONE I'D LIKE TO BRING TO YOU GUYS ATTENTION IS THE ROOSTER SPRINGS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
THOSE ARE BOTH IN OUR 23 BOND PROGRAM.
WE RECOMMEND PFLUEGER ARCHITECTS TO TAKE ON THIS PROJECT.
ROB, I HAVE A MOTION, UNLESS OLIVIA WANTS TO MAKE IT.
OKAY, YOU GOT TO TURN THE THING OFF.
ALL RIGHT? I DON'T WANT TO STEP OVER HERE. OLIVIA.
I MOVE THAT THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES APPROVED PFLUEGER ARCHITECTS, INC.
FOR THE ROOSTER SPRINGS ELEMENTARY RENOVATION PROJECT SPACE ON A PROFESSIONALS DEMONSTRATED COMPETENCE AND QUALIFICATIONS AND FURTHER DELEGATE AUTHORITY TO THE SUPERINTENDENT OR HER DESIGNEE TO NEGOTIATE AN AGREEMENT WITH PFLUEGER ARCHITECTS, INC., IN THE FORM OF AN APPROVED IN A FORM APPROVED BY LEGAL COUNSEL, AND TO BRING BACK A FINAL PROPOSED AGREEMENT FOR THE BOARD TO CONSIDER AND TAKE ACTION TO APPROVE AT A FUTURE BOARD MEETING.
A MOTION FROM ROB, A SECOND FROM MARY JANE.
ANY MORE DISCUSSION? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? SEVEN ZERO. ALL RIGHT.
LAST PROJECT I'D LIKE TO BRING YOU GUYS IS DRIPPING SPRINGS HIGH SCHOOL.
THIS WOULD BE ALSO A SECURE VESTIBULE.
SECURITY, SECURITY UPGRADES TO THE REST OF THE CAMPUS, AND A ROOF UPGRADE FOR ABOUT 122,000FT² OF THAT OF THAT BUILDING, WHICH IS BASICALLY THE CAFETERIA, THE BIG SPACES ON KIND OF THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE BUILDING ALL THE WAY THROUGH THE BACK.
SO THAT WILL BE INCORPORATED IN THIS PROJECT, AND WE RECOMMEND PBK FOR THAT.
[02:25:03]
JUST FOR CLARIFICATION, ON THE LAST PROJECT AT ROOSTER AND THIS HIGH SCHOOL, ARE THE ARE ANY OF THIS GOING TO HAPPEN DURING THIS SCHOOL YEAR OR IS THIS ALL FOR THIS SUMMER? THOSE ARE ALL HAPPEN IN THE SUMMER OF 25, ALL FOR THE SUMMER.OH, SO THAT'S IN ADDITION, THEN TO THE FURTHER WORK HAPPENING AT DSE.
OKAY, SO THREE CAMPUSES ARE GOING TO BE UNDER CONSTRUCTION.
WELL ALL RIGHT, SUMMER 25 IS GOING TO BE ROCKING AND ROLLING.
OKAY. IT'S SO LONG, BUT I'LL DO IT.
I MOVE THAT THE, WHAT'S THAT? YOUR MONOLOGUE. I MOVE THAT THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES APPROVE PDK ARCHITECTS FOR THE DSHS RENOVATION PROJECTS, BASED ON THE PROFESSIONALS DEMONSTRATED COMPETENCE AND QUALIFICATIONS, AND FURTHER DELEGATE AUTHORITY TO THE SUPERINTENDENT OR HER DESIGNEE TO NEGOTIATE AN AGREEMENT WITH PBK ARCHITECTS IN A FORM APPROVED BY LEGAL COUNSEL, AND TO BRING BACK A FINAL PROPOSED AGREEMENT FOR THE BOARD TO CONSIDER AND TAKE ACTION TO APPROVE AT A FUTURE BOARD MEETING.
A MOTION FROM SHANDA, A SECOND FROM KIM.
ANY DISCUSSION? JUST A QUICK COMMENT, MADAM PRESIDENT, AND I KNOW WE'RE YOU KNOW, WE'RE KIND OF GLANCING OVER THESE, YOU KNOW, FIRST COMMENT.
YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY ALL THESE ARCHITECTS HAVE PARTNERED WITH THE DISTRICT PREVIOUSLY, AND WE HAVE GONE AND VETTED THESE ARCHITECTS THOROUGHLY FOR THE PAST, AND SO CERTAINLY A PARTNERSHIP HERE, BUT I KNOW I SEE ONE OF ARCHITECT, SEVERAL ARCHITECT PARTNERS HERE IN THE DEAL.
BETWEEN PFLUEGER AND PBK, WHO WE'RE GOING TO AWARD THESE TO AND AT LEAST TENTATIVELY AWARD THESE TOO, WE NEED YOU BIG, RIGHT? BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF TIME, AND IT'S GOTTA BE DONE RIGHT THE FIRST TIME.
RIGHT, AND SO WE'RE GOING TO DOUBLE UP NOW ON OUR PROJECTS OVER THE SUMMER.
WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? SEVEN ZERO. ALL RIGHT.
THANK YOU, AND OUR LAST ACTION ITEM THIS EVENING IS CONSIDERATION.
APPROVAL OF THE USE OF 2018 BOND FUNDS FOR SAFETY EQUIPMENT.
AS WE DISCUSSED LAST WEEK, WE'RE ASKING FOR NO MORE THAN 13,000 OUT OF THE 2018 BOND FUNDS FOR SOME SAFETY EQUIPMENT, AS RECOMMENDED BY THE.
TRICIA I WAS GOING TO MAKE A MOTION.
A MOTION FROM TRICIA, A SECOND FROM SHANDA.
ANY MORE DISCUSSION? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? SEVEN ZERO. ALL RIGHT.
THAT CONCLUDES OUR ACTION THIS EVENING.
ANY MORE HIGHLIGHTS FROM LEARNING AND INNOVATION REPORT FROM LAST WEEK?
[10. REPORTS AND INFORMATION]
NO, THERE ARE NO UPDATES.THANK YOU. ANYTHING FROM THE BOARD ON FINANCE REPORTS? WE GOT A LOT OF FINANCE THIS EVENING.
WE GOT OUR BOND UPDATE LAST WEEK FROM JAMES.
ANY MORE QUESTIONS OR DISCUSSION FROM THE BOARD? OKAY. HR, ANY COMMENTS FROM THE BOARD? ALL RIGHT. SUPERINTENDENT'S REPORT.
ONLY THING I HAVE ADDED IS FOR Y'ALL IS ONE SUBDIVISION LOT.
IT'S OUT ON MACGREGOR, IT'S THREE LOTS, FOUR ACRES.
NOT ANTICIPATING ANY BIG IMPACT FROM THAT, BUT IT'S JUST NEW IN THE REPORT.
I REMEMBER WHEN A TIME WHEN IT WAS EVERY SINGLE MONTH, NEW SUBDIVISIONS.
NOW THEY'RE SLOWLY STARTING TO BUILD ON THOSE.
WITH NO FURTHER ACTION THIS EVENING, WE STAND ADJOURNED AT 8:37 P.M..
THANK YOU ALL.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.