June 12, 2023 at 6:00 PM - Regular Meeting
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A. Call to Order
Description:
The Board President or his/her designee will call the meeting to order.
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B. Roll Call
Description:
The Board President or his/her designee will call the roll of members.
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C. Pledge of Allegiance
Description:
The group will recite the Pledge of Allegiance.
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D. Public Communications
Description:
Citizens wishing to address the Board of Trustees have so indicated by listing their name on the Communications from the Public sign-in sheet located on the table at the entrance to the boardroom if the meeting is done in person, or at the link provided on the published board agenda if conducted remotely. Those signing have given a brief indication of the topics to be addressed.
Comments to the Board of Trustees under this provision will be limited to three minutes. The members of the Board of Trustees will listen to citizen presentations during this portion of a regularly scheduled meeting, but they will not comment or participate in a discussion of the topic. |
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E. Consent Agenda
Description:
Board members routinely approve items on the consent agenda as a group. These are routine agenda items. Board members have the option to ask questions regarding any of the items listed under "consent agenda".
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E.1. Minutes
Description:
State law requires that a record be kept in the form of official minutes on each meeting held by a governmental body and that these minutes be approved at the next regular meeting.
Attached are the minutes from the May 15, 2023 regular meeting.
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E.2. Financial Statements
Description:
Monthly reporting of financial position in relation to the budget. The Board is provided monthly financial statements.
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E.3. Investment Report
Description:
Meet legal reporting requirements for investments.
In order the meet legal reporting requirements for investments, the Board receives quarterly reports on District investments.
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E.4. State Aid Comparison - Budgeted vs. Earned
Description:
The Board has requested a monthly status report of earned state aid in relation to the budget.
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E.5. Earned vs. TEA Payments
Description:
The Board has requested a monthly status report of earned state aid in relation to the budget.
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E.6. Tax Collection Report
Description:
Attached is the Tax Assessor-Collector's Report.
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F. Information Items
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F.1. Financial Report
Description:
The Chief Financial Officer, Jean Ann McCarthy, will review the financial disbursements for the previous month with the Board of Trustees. No action is required.
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F.2. Superintendent's Report
Description:
The Superintendent will update the Board on important issues pertaining to the District.
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F.3. After-School (ACE) Program Report
Description:
Ashley Gartman, administrator for the After-School Program, will be present at the meeting to share activities from the 2022-2023 school year.
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F.4. Communications Office - Changes, Processes and Updates
Description:
Lindsey Saunders, Communications Officer for the District, will present an update on the new Smithville ISD website and app. The programs are projected to be up and running by July 1st.
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F.5. First Draft of the 2023-2024 District Budget
Description:
The school district staff is currently in the process of developing the proposed budget for the 2023-2024 school year. The process began in January with budget planning at the campus level. The Board must adopt the final budget on or before August 31, 2023 in accordance with legal requirements.
Budget hearings were conducted with each campus principal and each department director. Expenditure adjustments from the first draft were made based upon input received from SISD staff as well as the public. The expenditure side of this draft has been thoroughly reviewed by the superintendent and business manager. However, the revenue side is very vague at this point. Jean Ann McCarthy, Chief Financial Officer, will present the first draft of the 2023-2024 budget to the Board.
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F.6. Intruder Detection Audit Report Finding for Smithville High School
Description:
Dr. Michael Caudill, Assistant Superintendent, will present audit findings, an action plan and information to the Board of Trustees.
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F.7. Discussion about Possible Security Requirement in Accordance with HB3
Description:
The Texas House has passed a bill, HB3, that would require at least one armed security officer at every campus and silent panic buttons in every classroom. The Superintendent would like to make the Board aware of this and discuss its possible effects on Smithville ISD.
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F.8. Tentative July Agenda Items
Description:
Tentative items for the July board meeting include:
1. ESSER III, ESSA and Perkins Grant Public Hearing 2. Financial Report 3. Superintendent’s Report 4. Second Draft of the 2023-2024 District Budget 5. Preliminary STAAR Test Scores 6. Call for Public Hearing on Proposed Budget and Tax Rate 7. Approve TTESS Appraisers and Appraisal Calendar 8. Annual Professional Learning Review Senate Bill 1267 9. Approval of 2023-2024 Student Code of Conduct 10. Superintendent’s Formative Evaluation 11. Personnel |
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G. Action Items
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G.1. Consider Approval of 2023-2024 Salary Schedules
Description:
District administrators have been working on an updated salary schedule for teachers, administrators, paraprofessionals, and trades for the upcoming school year 2023-2024. Salary schedules are necessary to calculate the 2023-2024 budget, and it has been Smithville I.S.D.'s practice to inform staff as early as possible of any changes to the salary schedules. Salaries have to be set each year and have a major impact on the district budget, which must be adopted no later than August 31, 2023.
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G.2. Revision of 2023-2024 Calendar to Reflect Date Change
Description:
The 2023-2024 District Calendar was adopted by the Board of Trustees at the regular meeting in February, 2023. However, after further review, the bad weather make-up day originally noted for April 5, 2024 has been changed to March 8, to be included with the existing professional development day. This accommodates Jamboree. The flex day has been changed from August 7, 2023 to December 15, 2023. The change in calendar requires board action.
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G.3. Consider Approval of District of Innovation Addendum
Description:
A local innovation plan may be amended, rescinded, or renewed if the action is approved by a vote of the district-level committee established under Section 11.251, or a comparable committee if the district is exempt from that section, and the board of trustees in the same manner as required for initial adoption of a local innovation plan under Section 12A.005. 19 TAC §102.1313 (a) A district innovation plan may be amended, rescinded, or renewed if the action is approved by a majority vote of the district-level committee established under the Texas Education Code (TEC), §11.251, or a comparable committee if the district is exempt from that section, and a two-thirds majority vote of the board of trustees. (b) The district shall notify the commissioner of education of any actions taken pursuant to subsection (a) of this section along with the associated TEC exemptions and local approval dates. A designated District of Innovation may choose to amend or renew its plan at any time pursuant to applicable sections of Texas Education Code (TEC) and Texas Administrative Code (TAC).
It is the recommendation of administrators that the District of Innovation Plan adopted by the Board in February be amended to include the following language: Manner in which statute inhibits the goals of the plan: TEC §21.003 A person may not be employed as a teacher, teacher intern or teacher trainee, librarian, educational aide, administrator, educational diagnostician, or school counselor by a school district unless the person holds an appropriate certificate or permit issued as provided by Subchapter B. DRAFT/Amendment 5/18/2023 Innovation Strategy Amidst the challenges of hiring highly qualified staff, the district will continue to seek qualified applicants with a TEA certification for all teaching positions. However, if a satisfactory candidate is not available, under the District of Innovation, SISD would be permitted to: 1. Employ an uncertified person. An individual may be eligible to teach any course on a non-certified contract not to include certifications for Special Education and Bilingual Education. 2. Allow a certified teacher to teach outside of their certification area or grade level. For example, elementary certified teachers could teach at junior high school, teachers certified in the middle grades could teach in either elementary or high school, and high school certified teachers could teach at junior high school. Smithville ISD shall develop minimum required qualifications for persons hired in the above manner and will also require professional development in the areas of classroom management, instruction, curriculum and parent engagement. Smithville ISD will require the individual to complete certification requirements within two years of employment and be enrolled in an educator preparation program. Smithville ISD will continue to provide notification to the parents/guardians of students in those classes where the instructor does not hold a traditional teaching certificate in that particular content area.
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G.4. Consider Approval of Board Policy Update 121 and Local Policies as Follows:
Description:
The District must update and maintain its policies with the most recent legislation and educational regulation changes. In your packet of information, you have been provided the Update 121 Local Policy Overview. The board should not adopt (LEGAL) policies, but TASB recommends that they be reviewed. Therefore (LEGAL) policies are included for review in Update 121. The attachments provide you with information concerning the policy changes found in the update. The information included in the board packet is a summary of each of the policy changes. The update includes changes to the following local board policies: CCGB(LOCAL): AD VALOREM TAXES - ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CFB(LOCAL): ACCOUNTING - INVENTORIES CKE(LOCAL): SAFETY PROGRAM/RISK MANAGEMENT - SECURITY PERSONNEL CKEC(LOCAL): SECURITY PERSONNEL - SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICERS CLB(LOCAL): BUILDINGS, GROUNDS, AND EQUIPMENT MANAGEMENT - MAINTENANCE CRF(LOCAL): INSURANCE AND ANNUITIES MANAGEMENT - UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE CVA(LOCAL): FACILITIES CONSTRUCTION - COMPETITIVE BIDDING CVB(LOCAL): FACILITIES CONSTRUCTION - COMPETITIVE SEALED PROPOSALS DEA(LOCAL): COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS - COMPENSATION PLAN FD(LOCAL): ADMISSIONS FFI(LOCAL): STUDENT WELFARE - FREEDOM FROM BULLYING
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G.5. Schedule Board Meeting Dates for 2023-2024
Description:
The Smithville I.S.D. Board of Trustees traditionally meets on the third Monday of each month. There are several months throughout the year that those regular meeting dates conflict with school holidays, etc. At this time, we would like to suggest the following dates for regular board meetings during the 2023-2024 school year:
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G.6. Review and Approve Board Operating Procedures
Description:
As a guide to administrative operations, the Board has adopted a set of board operating procedures. These address the issues of:
Following board elections and reorganization of the board each year, the board reviews their operating procedures to ensure that all board members have input into adopting the operating procedures and contact information is correct.
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G.7. Board Self-Evaluation
Description:
The Board conducts a self-assessment once a year to accomplish the following:
1. Assess governance team effectiveness 2. Review roles and responsibilities in the decision- making process 3. Identify the continuing education needs of the governance team and team members 4. Initiate dialogue among team members to enhance communications 5. Establish goals for the governance team The Board is using a survey instrument and process recommended and developed by the Texas Association of School Boards. The instrument is organized according to the Framework for School Board Development. The question arises "Can this be done in executive session since some of the discussion might be about a particular member of the governance team?" TASB Legal has been consulted regarding this question, and the response from them was that it had to be conducted in open session. The only exception would be if the discussion needed to address directly the conduct of board member X. Then according to TASB that discussion could occur in closed session. |
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G.8. Personnel
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G.8.a. Resignations of Certified Personnel
Description:
The Superintendent would like to inform the Board of the resignations of: Erin Stephens and Rachel Castillo, teachers at Brown Primary, Elizabeth Villasana, teacher at Smithville Elementary School, Kieran Gibson, teacher at Smithville Junior High, Stetson Gommert, and Terri Prihoda, teachers at Smithville High School, Augie Ramirez, teacher/coach at Smithville High School, and Amanda Gommert, Assistant Principal at Smithville High School.
No action is required. |
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G.8.b. Employment of Certified Personnel
Description:
According to Board Policy DC [Local], the Superintendent has the authority to make recommendations to the Board regarding the selection of all personnel.
The Superintendent has approved the hire of the following individuals: Molly Armstrong - Teacher Degree - Pending completion of program Certification - Core Subjects EC-12 pending completion of program Years of Experience - 0 years Campus - Smithville Elementary School To replace Katarina Barlow Harlye Bonorden - Teacher Degree - BS from Sam Houston State University Certification - Core Subjects EC-6 Years of Experience - 0 years Campus - Smithville Elementary To replace Ashley Cooper Bethany Cooper Collins - Teacher Degree - BA from Sam Houston State University Certification - English 7-12 pending completion of alternative certification program requirements Years of Service - 2 years Campus - Smithville High School To replace Megan Hancock |
