July 20, 2026 at 7:00 PM - Regular Meeting
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I. Call to Order
Description:
Announcement by the Board President whether a quorum is present and that notice of the meeting has been posted in accordance with the Texas Open Meetings Act, Texas Government Code Chapter 551 as required by law.
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II. Pledges of Allegiance
Presenter:
Tim Marfell
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II.A. United States Pledge
Description:
"I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."
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II.B. Texas Pledge
Description:
"Honor the Texas flag; I pledge allegiance to thee, Texas, one state under God, one and indivisible."
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III. Invocation
Presenter:
Jason Earp
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IV. Recognitions
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V. Public Comment
Description:
The Board encourages comments about the district from members of the public. Anyone who has signed up to speak in advance of the meeting in accordance with the Board procedures may do so at this time. The Board asks that each participant's comments pertain to district business and be no longer than 5 minutes. For any member of the public who is accompanied by a translator, your time will be doubled as required by law. Remember that the Board may not discuss or act upon any issues that are not posted on our agenda. In addition, the Board has adopted policies to provide prompt and equitable resolution of complaints and concerns for employees, students or their parents, and the general public. Copies of our district policies and procedures on public comments and filing complaints are available on the district website.
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VI. Superintendent Report
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VI.A. 2026-2027 Preliminary Budget Report
Presenter:
Eric Banfield/Rick Kirkpatrick
Description:
Mr. Banfield will provide an overview of the expected budget for the 2026-2027 school year based on current information. The final budget will be presented in August for approval.
Attachments:
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VI.B. Discussion Regarding VATRE and Proposed Bond
Presenter:
Rick Kirkpatrick/Eric Banfield
Description:
More information will be provided on the expected impact on taxpayers should both propositions be approved by the Board of Trustees and approved by the voters in November.
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VI.C. Accountability Update
Presenter:
Rick Kirkpatrick
Description:
Mr. Kirkpatrick will review the latest projections for campus and district accountability.
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VI.D. Discussion Regarding Texas Association of Rural Schools Directors Meeting
Presenter:
Rick Kirkpatrick
Description:
Mr. Kirkpatrick represented Region 13 at the TARS Regional Directors meeting last week and will update the board on their legislative priorities and what was gleaned from discussions with state leaders.
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VII. Consent Agenda: Consideration, Discussion and Appropriate Action
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VII.A. Minutes of June 15, 2026.
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VII.B. Minutes of July 6, 2026.
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VII.C. Central Texas College and Florence Independent School District Dual Credit Agreement for 2026-2027 and Amended Dual Credit Agreement for 2025-2027.
Description:
Annually, the Board approves the Dual Credit Agreement with Central Texas College. This year, they have added Elementary Statistics to the document.
Attachments:
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VII.D. Memorandum of Understanding with the Bell County Juvenile Services Department for the Discipline and Rehabilitation of JJAEP Students
Presenter:
Rick Kirkpatrick
Description:
This is the annual agreement with Bell County Juvenile Services for JJAEP. The only change from last year is the highlighted portion that sets the number of assigned days for mandatory expulsions for certain offenses defined in Texas Education Code §37.007.
Attachments:
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VII.E. Resolution to Sanction the Extracurricular Status of the 4-H Organization and Adjunct Faculty Agreement with the Burnet County Texas 4-H Organization
Presenter:
Rick Kirkpatrick
Description:
Each year, the board approves the attached resolution and Adjunct Faculty Agreement with the Burnet County 4-H Organization so that Florence ISD students participating in off-campus activities can receive state funding as the students are considered "in attendance" as long as one of the adjunct faculty members is directing the activities and participation of students at the event.
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VIII. Items Brought Down from Other Agenda Sections for Discussion and Appropriate Action
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IX. Regular Business: Consideration, Discussion and Appropriate Action
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IX.A. Consideration and Possible Action to Approve the List of Honors Courses for UIL Eligibility
Presenter:
Rick Kirkpatrick
Description:
Texas Administrative Code §74.30 identifies as honors classes courses that meet the requirements of the law (Texas Education Code §33.081(d)(1) in English Language Arts, Languages Other Than English, Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies and may be exempted from No Pass No Play requirements. The attachment lists the courses that qualify for the exemption offered at Florence High School. Students must earn 60 or higher in these courses to remain eligible.
Attachments:
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IX.B. Consideration and Possible Action to Add, Revise, or Delete (LOCAL) Policies as Offered by TASB Policy Service for Consideration and According to the Instruction Sheet for TASB Localized Policy Manual Update 127 with the Following Changes:
BJCF(LOCAL): Superintendent — Nonrenewal CAA(LOCAL): Fiscal Management Goals and Objectives — Financial Ethics DC(LOCAL): Employment Practices DH(LOCAL): Employee Standards of Conduct DP(LOCAL) Personnel Positions DPA(LOCAL): Personnel Positions — Principals DPB(LOCAL): Personnel Positions — Other Personnel Positions EHBB(LOCAL): Special Programs — Gifted and Talented Students FFF(LOCAL): Student Welfare — Student Safety
Presenter:
Rick Kirkpatrick
Description:
The District recommends approval of the changes to Local Policy as provided by TASB Policy Service.
Attachments:
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IX.C. Consideration and Possible Action to Approve the Florence ISD Student Code of Conduct for the 2026-2027 School Year
Presenter:
Rick Kirkpatrick
Description:
The Florence ISD Student Code of Conduct is presented with no changes from the previous year for approval.
Attachments:
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IX.D. Consideration and Possible Action to Approve Guaranteed Maximum Price (GMP) Number 1 with Joeris for the Meat Processing Lab Project, Including Delegation of Authority to the Superintendent to Finalize Negotiations and Execute the GMP Amendment Number 1
Presenter:
Rick Kirkpatrick
Description:
The total proposed cost for GMP #1 for the renovations at the meat lab is $340,585.00. This cost only includes remaining demolition, extending and sound-proofing the temporary wall between the lab and the classrooms, and the cost to order the new cooler and freezer. The remainder of the project will be presented in GMP #2 at a future meeting.
Attachments:
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IX.E. Consideration and Possible Action to Approve a Rate for Payment for Accumulated Leave Upon Retirement
Presenter:
Rick Kirkpatrick
Description:
In 2025, the Board approved a revision to policy DEC(LOCAL) allowing for payment at a rate determined by the board for local accumulated leave. At the time this was approved, the board discussed paying $75 per accumulated local leave day, assuming the retiree met all requirements set forth in the policy. At this time, we need to set the rate for the upcoming school year. This rate will remain in place until the board makes a change. I recommend staying with the original $75 per accumulated local leave day.
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IX.F. Consideration and Possible Action to Approve an Amendment to the Contract with LPC Industries for the HVAC Upgrades in FISD
Presenter:
Rick Kirkpatrick
Description:
Here is the final amendment to the contract for the HVAC Upgrade Project. Alternate #1 is now included in the total cost as is a $45,000.00 increase to the base cost. LPI has assured us that all units that have been delivered will be installed prior to school beginning and all remaining work will be completed during school holidays when the remaining units arrive from the manufacturer.
Attachments:
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X. Executive Session
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X.A. (Tex. Gov't Code §551.076, §551.074, §551.071 and §551.129)
A. Safety and Security — Deliberate the deployment, or specific occasions for implementation of security personnel or devices or to deliberate regarding a security audit and the recommendation to adopt the proposed Board Policy CKE(LOCAL), Emergency Plans, and Board Resolution.
Presenter:
Rick Kirkpatrick/Dr. Kelly Avritt
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XI. Action Taken from Closed Session
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XI.A. Consideration and Possible Action to Approve Confidential Staff to Carry Firearms While on District Property, Pursuant to Meeting Qualification Criteria
Presenter:
Rick Kirkpatrick/Dr. Kelly Avritt
Description:
This measure is taken to continue the Guardian Program on all FISD campuses for the 2026-2027 school year. The Guardians considered for approval participate in requalification at the end of July. As long as they pass the requalification, this board action will allow them to carry firearms on school district property to protect our students.
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XI.B. Consideration and Possible Action to Adopt a Resolution to Declare a Good Cause Exception to the House Bill 3 Armed Security Officer Requirement
Presenter:
Rick Kirkpatrick
Description:
House Bill 3 from the 88th Legislative Session and later codified in the Texas Education Code Section 37.0814, requires the board to ensure that at least one armed security officer is present during regular school hours at each district campus. While Florence ISD contracts with the City of Florence Police Department to provide School Resource Officers on each campus during regular school hours, when a School Resource Officer is absent from work, the City of Florence Police Department does not have available qualified personnel to be on the campus. On June 17, 2024, the FISD Board of Trustees approved the Guardian Program and the district currently has armed staff on each campus. Under Section 37.0814(c) of the Texas Education Code, the board may claim a good cause exception if the district is unable to ensure an armed security officer (as defined by TEC Section 37.0814(b)) on each campus each regular school day.
Attachments:
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XII. Items for Future Board Meetings
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XIII. Reports (no board action required)
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XIII.A. Finance Reports
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XIII.B. Enrollment/Attendance Report
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XIII.C. Campus Reports
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XIII.D. Resignations/New Hires
Attachments:
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XIII.E. FISD 2026-2027 Student Handbook and Campus Supplements
Description:
The Student Handbook and Supplements have been completed for the 2026-2027 school year. These documents do not require Board of Trustees approval and are only here as an information item. A summary of changes is also attached.
Attachments:
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XIV. Adjournment
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