August 17, 2026 at 7:00 PM - Regular Meeting

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.

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."

Description:   "Honor the Texas flag; I pledge allegiance to thee, Texas, one state under God, one and indivisible." 

Description:  Congratulations to Dixie Bradford who earned second place in the state on her agriscience fair project in the Environmental Services/Natural Resources Division I. She just completed 8th grade and we can't wait to watch all of her success at FHS.

Congratulations to Mackenzie Atkinson, Cooper McAnelly, Aaley Ramirez, and Heriberto Sanchez for earning their Lone Star FFA Degree, the highest degree the state can award to an FFA member. The Lone Star Degree recognizes years of dedication through agricultural education, leadership, community service, and successful Supervised Agricultural Experience Projects.

Congratulations to the Florence FFA Chapter for being recognized as a National Gold Rated Chapter for the very first time. This prestigious honor reflects the passion, dedication, and commitment of our members, advisors, parents, volunteers, and supporters who make our chapter successful each year.

And last but not least, congratulations to the Florence High School band. This summer, they were recognized by the ATSSB Outstanding Performance Series as a State Runner-up for their performance of Strange Humors last year. They finished in third place in the state for this song and their song Galop Festivo earned a 6th place finish in the state. What an incredible year for the FHS band, and we are all looking forward your outstanding performances in the upcoming school year.
 

Description:  A special congratulations to FES 3rd grade teacher Janna Jackson for being named the Region 13 Elementary Teacher of the Year. Each year, all 53 school districts and 27 charter schools are invited to nominate both an elementary teacher of the year and a secondary teacher of the year. Janna was recognized as the top elementary teacher out of all the schools in Region 13 who nominated a candidate. She is believed to be the first teacher from Florence ISD to earn this award and this recognition reflects the hard work and dedication she shows in teaching our students. We are all proud to recognize you as the best elementary educator in Region 13. Congratulations again on this huge accomplishment!

FISD is also incredibly proud of Denielle Bailey who was recognized at the 98th Texas FFA Convention in Fort Worth as one of the Top 12 exceptional agriculture teachers in the State of Texas when she won the Here by the Owl Award. This recognition is a testament to your hard work, dedication, and passion that you pour into our students, agricultural education, and the Florence FFA program. We are extremely blessed to have you on our team and are proud to call you one of the best agriculture educators in Texas!

Not to be outdone, Misty Overfelt was recognized by the Texas Health Occupations Association at their summer conference with the THOA Experienced Health Science Teacher Award for Area 1. She was nominated by her peers for her dedication to CTE Health Science and her commitment to shaping the future of Texas Healthcare. Thank you to Mrs. Overfelt for ensuring that our students are prepared to enter the healthcare field when they graduate from FHS!

And finally, recognition for a former teacher. Missy Rosenbusch Spicer was recently inducted into the Ag Teachers Hall of Fame. Throughout her years teaching at Florence High School, she did far more than teach agriculture. She inspired generations of students, built confidence, cultivated leadership, and instilled a lifelong appreciation for agriculture and hard work. Her classroom was a place where students grew not only in knowledge, but in character. The impact she has made on her students, our school, and the Florence community is immeasurable. While awards recognize excellence, those who know her understand that her greatest legacy is found in the lives she has influenced over the years. Congratulations on this well-deserved recognition. Thank you for the lasting difference you've made and continue to make!
 

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. 

Description:  Mr. Kirkpatrick will review the campus and district accountability results. The focus will be on the three domains that make up the rating and how each campus performed in each domain. The final analysis of the Texas Academic Performance Report will be provided in December or January, depending on when it is released by TEA. The attachment will be loaded after the agenda posts as scores are not released in time to load by the Tuesday deadline.

Description:  The UIL has established new required protocols for practice schedules for athletics and marching band. These protocols require the district to follow guidelines based on the Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT) for practices. The Wet Bulb Globe Temperature estimates the effect of temperature, relative humidity, wind speed, and solar radiation using a combination of three thermometers. For Florence ISD, the guidelines are as follows:
WBGT between 82 and 86.9 degrees — Provide at least three separate rest breaks each hour with a minimum duration of four minutes.

WBGT between 87 and 90 degrees — maximum practice time of 2 hours. Football players restricted to helmet, shoulder pads, and shorts during practice. Must provide at least four separate rest breaks per hour with a minimum duration of 4 minutes. Must have an onsite Rapid Cooling Zone (Ice Tub). Unrestricted access to water.

WBGT between 90.1 and 92 degrees — maximum practice time is one hour. Football players may not wear protective equipment and there may be no conditioning. Required to have 20 minutes of rest breaks distributed throughout the hour of practice. Must have an onsite Rapid Cooling Zone. Unrestricted access to water.

WBGT Above 92 degrees - No outdoor workouts. Delay practices until a cooler WBGT is reached.
In Florence during the summer, we are hitting an 87 degree WBGT before noon the 92 degree threshold midafteroon and not falling below that threshold until about 6 pm. The high school football team practices in the mornings beginning at 6 am, so they are not being impacted by these protocols. However, as the sun rises later each morning, they begin workouts before it is light. They turn on the softball field lights, which provides some light, but not enough. I plan to get pricing to add LED lights to the back of one of the softball poles that shines on the practice field to provide enough light for them to continue practice.

This also impacts middle school athletics. Middle school football practice is after school, and they will be required to follow these protocols until we get cooler weather. This may mean that the only day they get to practice outside in full pads is on Saturday morning.

 

Description:  The Board of Trustees is required to approve a Certificate of Compliance with certain laws required by Texas Education Code §39.008. The board must certify that FISD has:
1. Reviewed local policies and procedures to ensure alignment with TEC §11.005 (Prohibition on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Duties) and §28.002 (Certain Instructional Requirements and Prohibitions);
2. Documented how district or school employees and contractors were notified of these policies and procedures;
3. Compile descriptions of any changes made to existing policies, programs, procedures, or trainings that were altered to comply with these statures, as well as any cost savings the district gained based on these actions.
TASB Policy Update 127, previously approved by the Board of Trustees at the July 20 board meeting, made the changes required by this new law. In addition, our employee handbook was updated to reflect these changes. Last week, the district sent notification to all employees, vendors, and contractors of these changes. At the September Board of Trustees meeting, the Board will have to act to approve the Certification of Compliance and I will then submit the board-approved certification to TEA.
 

Description:  Currently, we fill our buses and white fleet at a gas station and pay market price. As requested by the board, Mr. West reached out to a company that installs fuel tanks and pumps for facilities similar to our transportation facility. Mr. Kirkpatrick will lead a discussion about costs, expected fuel savings, and return on investment.

Description:  As required by law, Mr. Birch will update the board regarding the Safety and Security Committee meeting held on August 3, 2026.

Description:  The District is recommending both a Voter Approval Tax Rate Election and a Bond Election to be held November 3, 2026. If both propositions pass, the tax rate levied by Florence ISD will remain the same as the approved total tax rate of $1.0182 for the 2025-2026 school year. The total tax rate proposed for the 2026-2027 school year tonight is the same $1.0182. 

Description:  This is the annual agreement with Bell County Juvenile Services for JJAEP.

Description:  Each year, the board approves the attached resolution and Adjunct Faculty Agreement with the Williamson 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. 

Description:  This is the annual MOU for Head Start. No changes from the previous year.

Description:  The 2026-2027 T-TESS list of appraisers is attached for approval.

Description:  The 2026-2027 T-TESS Appraisal Calendar is attached for approval.

Description:  During the year-end process, it is often necessary to transfer budget allocations between function codes. Transfers represent no change in the total amount budgeted or appropriated. Such changes are intended to represent corrections or adjustments that bring local appropriations by function in-line with expected expenditures for the year-end process and for audit purposes. State regulations require Board approval for budget transfers of appropriated funds between function codes.

In making this request, staff sought the opinion of the FISD Independent Auditor (Leiona Ledesma-McCuskey of Lott Vernon). Their original opinion received by email on July 14, 2015, concurs that such a motion is acceptable. The contents of the auditor's statement are included below:

It is acceptable to have management move budgeted amounts by functions as long as the Board has approved for management to have such authority without changing the overall budget total which requires board approval.

Staff will provide a budgeted list of any and all transfers made under this authority at the next regularly scheduled meeting following the end of the fiscal year, and provide further updates as necessary as we close 2025-2026.

Description:  Board Policy BDD (LOCAL) states that the Board shall retain an attorney or attorneys, as necessary, to serve as the District's legal counsel and representative in matters requiring legal services. Florence ISD has historically used Walsh Gallegos. The attached agreement sets forth the benefits of the retainer program. The cost is $1000.00 per year.

Description:  This agenda item is similar to the Walsh Gallegos Retainer Agreement. We are allowed free telephone consultation with the attorneys from Eichelbaum, Wardell as long as the call does not extend past 20 minutes. In addition, we receive reduced rates on legal work beyond the initial telephone call. The cost is $1000.00 for the 2026-2027 school year.

Description:  This resolution and attached exhibits set forth the terms for compensation increases for FISD staff if the VATRE and bond propositions are both approved by our voters during the November 3, 2026, election. Exhibit A establishes the baseline compensation schedule that reflects no change in pay for staff from the 2025-2026 school year. Exhibit B establishes the Enhanced Compensation Schedule for the 2026–2027 school year, which includes a 2% raise for teachers, administrators and nonexempt employees. It also establishes the terms for the retroactive pay adjustment.

Description:  The 2026-2027 budget is presented for your consideration and approval. The budget is adopted at the functional level for the General Fund (Maintenance and Operating), the Child Nutrition Fund, and the I&S Debt Service Fund.

The following schedules are included:
• Combined Functional Summary of the Proposed Budget for Adoption
• Tax rate forms (new) used to calculate the required Truth In Taxation tax rates. 
• Other Summary Tax Value and Budget Schedules are included in the Hearing presentation.

Upon adoption of the budgets at the functional level, the Board is required to approve any transfer reallocating funds from one function to another or to decrease or increase the budget totals for these funds.

Description:  The District adopts a tax rate each year according to the State Comptroller’s Truth in Taxation guidelines.  The tax rate is adopted after the budget is approved.  The District has published its proposed tax rates in the required meeting-notice and the hearing has been held. 

The Ordinance To Set Tax Rate is a recommended method to record the Board’s decision and it will be referred to in the minutes of the meeting. The statement in the ordinance is required since the District's rate is higher than the calculated No-New-Revenue rate in the Tax Rate Calculation worksheet.

The tax rate as proposed in the ordinance will trigger a Voter-Approval Tax Rate Election.

The Maintenance and Operating tax rate is proposed at $0.7328 and the Interest and Sinking tax rate is proposed at $0.2854.  The total proposed tax rate at $1.0182 is the same rate as the prior year’s rate of $1.0182 with no increase. 

Last year the Homestead Exemption was increased from $100,000 to $140,000 for homeowners. For over-65 and disabled homeowners, the $10,000 additional exemption was raised to $60,000.


 

Description:  The attached order, if approved, will call for an election to approve the Adopted Tax Rate of $1.0182 per $100 of the taxable assessed value of property within Florence Independent School District. The maintenance and operations tax rate will be $0.7328 per $100 of such taxable assessed valuation and the interest and sinking rate (debt service rate) will be $0.2854 per $100 of such taxable assessed valuation. At this time, the district has not received the early voting polling locations or the election day polling places. Once received, they will be incorporated into this order.

Description:  Similar to the previous agenda item, the attached order, if approved, will call for an election for the issuance of $1,450,000 of refunding bonds for the purpose of refinancing the principal of, interest on, and any redemption premium that certain previously issued maintenance tax and revenue note of the District designated as the "Florence Independent School District Maintenance Tax and Revenue Note, Series 2015," and the levy and imposition of taxes sufficient to pay the principal of and interest on the bonds. The polling locations for both the Election Day and Early Voting will be incorporated into this order once received.

Description:  Williamson County has once again agreed to serve as the Election Administrator for the November 3, 2026, election. The Election Administrator for Williamson County will serve as the Election Administrator for our election. She will be responsible for the coordination, supervision, and handling of all aspects of administering the election.

Description:  Bell County has  agreed to serve as the Election Administrator for the November 3, 2026, election. The Election Administrator for Bell County will serve as the Election Administrator for our election. She will be responsible for the coordination, supervision, and handling of all aspects of administering the election in Bell County.

Description:  The recommended advocacy agenda is attached for discussion and review. After being trained by the Texas Association of Rural Schools, instead of creating a bullet list, I tried to tell the story behind the request and how it could impact Florence ISD and rural school districts. If approved, I will create a one-pager for clarity.

Description:  The Texas Education Code requires districts to reduce their local revenue level if they received funding that exceeded the level established under TEC §48.257 for the school year. The easiest option for FISD is to purchase attendance credits from the state using the excess revenue. TEA recommended additional expanded language for the agenda item and motion, for the record of the approval agreement and the delegation of authority to the Superintendent.

Description:  FISD was awarded a JET Grant from the Texas Workforce Commission for $328,799. The grant requires a matching commitment from FISD of 5%, or $17,306. FISD will use these funds to purchase the equipment approved for purchase by the Texas Workforce Commission. The budget spreadsheet is included below. The Hospital Ready Room will be purchased through Platinum Consulting Services,TIPS Contract #24084. The Anatomy and Physiology, Biology Classroom Package will be purchased through zSpace and is a sole source purchase (Soul Source Letter attached). The VRNA Virtual Certified Nursing Assistant School Set will be purchased through Tech Labs, TIPS Contract #260105.

Description:  GMP #2 as provided by Joeris includes the cost to complete the renovation of the Meat Lab at FHS. If approved, I will finalize the contract with our attorney and execute it. The estimated cost for this project was $2,000,000 and the total cost of GMP 1 and GMP 2 is $1,950,773. The proposal includes both contractor and owner contingencies and the pre-construction fee from the original contract.

Description:  The Child Nutrition Department needs to raise adult meal prices in order to remain compliant with federal guidelines. This cost has not risen since 2022. The adult lunch cost will go up $.50 to $5.50 and the adult breakfast cost will go up $.25 to $3.75.

Description:  The cost to provide one SRO on each campus has remained unchanged since last year. The total cost is $205,822.76. The SRO program has been very successful since implemented and meets the requirements in statute of having an armed peace officer on campus when students are present during the school day.

Description:  Budget transfers and amendments for the expected revenues and expenditures realized to close out the 2025-26 school year in preparation for the annual independent audit.  The Board approves transfers and amendments for the General Fund, Debt Service Fund and the Child Nutrition Fund. 

Description:  As we have previously discussed, school districts in the State of Texas are required to ensure that all school buses are equipped with 3-point seat belts by September 1, 2029. TEA currently has a grant open that will cover $6000 per bus if we are awarded the grant and the District has applied for the grant. My recommendation is to upgrade three buses with 3-point seat belts at this time so we can ensure that all of our route buses are equipped. BuyBoard Contract #722-23. This purchase will require a transfer from fund balance to cover the expense in September.

Description:  No teacher resignations