[00:00:02]
>> OKAY. I'M READY. TIME IS 5:31 [INAUDIBLE] IS PRESENT.
[Items A & B]
HOWEVER, ONLY LIMITED IN-PERSON ATTENDANCE IS PERMITTED FOR THE EMPLOYEES OR MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE STATE AND FEDERAL GUIDELINES REGARDING THE ONGOING COVID-19 PANDEMIC.DR. BROWN, DO YOU CONFIRM THAT THE MEETING WAS DULY CALLED AND THE NOTICE OF THE MEETING WAS POSTED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE TEXAS OPEN MEETINGS ACT?
>> YES, MR. MCCARTY, WE DID POST AND ADVERTISE THIS MEETING IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAW.
[Item C]
>> WE'RE GOING TO GO INTO PUBLIC COMMENTS AS LISTED ON THE AGENDA POSTED ON THE WEBSITE.
THOSE WISHING TO ADDRESS THE BOARD AND THE PUBLIC COMMENT TONIGHT, WE'RE ASKED TO E-MAIL THEIR COMMENTS TO THE E-MAIL ADDRESSES THAT WAS PROVIDED.
IN ORDER TO ENTER THESE COMMENTS INTO THE RECORD, COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER MARK THOMAS WILL NOW READ THE COMMENTS RECEIVED.
I WOULD LIKE TO REMIND EVERYONE THAT PER THE TEXAS OPEN MEETINGS ACT, GOVERNMENT CODE 551.042 AND THE LOCAL BOARD POLICY BED, THE BOARD SHALL NOT DELIBERATE OR TAKE ACTION REGARDING ANY SUBJECT THAT IS NOT ON THE AGENDA. MR. THOMAS.
I'VE SOLICITED SOME HELP THIS EVENING BECAUSE I DIDN'T KNOW IF MY VOICE WOULD MAKE THROUGH ALL THESE COMMENTS.
SO I APPRECIATE THE ASSISTANCE OF SKIP BASKERVILLE OUR ASSOCIATE SUPERINTENDENT AND DAVE LAMBSON OUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF TECHNOLOGY.
WE'RE GOING TO TAG TEAM THROUGH THIS EVENING.
AGAIN, WE DON'T KNOW THE EMOTIONS OF THESE E-MAILS, WE'RE JUST READING TO THE BOARD WHAT WE RECEIVED THROUGH ONE O'CLOCK TODAY, WHICH WAS OUR POSTED TIME.
LET ME BEGIN. "TO THE BISD SCHOOL BOARD, I AM WRITING TODAY TO EXPRESS MY DEEP CONCERN FOR THE CONTINUED USAGE OF SYMBOLS THAT INVOKE THE CONFEDERATE ERA AT MY BELOVED HIGH SCHOOL ALMA MATER.
WHILE I UNDERSTAND THIS HISTORIC SEDIMENT AND PREVIOUS OLD, ONCE A REBEL ALWAYS A REBEL BELIEFS, I CANNOT CONTINUE TO SIT IDLY AS OTHER GROUPS, ESPECIALLY OUR BLACK COMMUNITIES ARE FORCED INTO THE SIMPLICITY, WITHSTAND THAT UNNECESSARILY RACISM RELATED PAIN.
THE USE OF REBELS OR SYMBOLISM THAT IS AN OLD TO THE CONFEDERATE ERA IN WHICH SLAVERY WAS TREASURED CANNOT AND SHOULD NOT BE TOLERATED IN THIS DAY AND AGE.
AS A FORMER MASCOT AND STUDENT BODY LEADER, I KNOW I CAN DO BETTER.
AS A SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER, YOU CAN DO BETTER.
AS A COMMUNITY MEMBER, WE NEED TO DO BETTER AND ABOLISH THIS KIND OF DICTION.
LET'S BE EMPATHETIC, INCLUSIVE, AND FORWARD THINKING.
BEST, RONNIE", AND I'LL SPELL THE LAST NAME H-U-Y-N-H, HOLIDAY HEIGHTS, 2000, NORTH RICHLAND MIDDLE SCHOOL, 2003, RICHLAND HIGH SCHOOL 2007.
THE NEXT IS, "MY NAME IS MELANIE RUSH TORY AND I'M A RICHLAND HIGH SCHOOL CLASS OF 2007 GRADUATE.
I WAS EDUCATED IN THE BIRDVILLE INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT FROM KINDERGARTEN THROUGH 12TH GRADE.
I'M WRITING TO ASK THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES, SUPERINTENDENT AND BIRDVILLE ISD TO FINALLY MOVE AWAY FROM RICHLAND HIGH SCHOOL'S HURTFUL MASCOT, FLAG AND SPIRIT SQUAD NAMES.
AS UNCOMFORTABLE AS IT MAY BE TO BE ACKNOWLEDGED, WE CAN NO LONGER DENY THE PAIN WE PERPETRATE BY CLINGING TO SCHOOL SYMBOLS ROOTED IN RACISM AND WHITE SUPREMACY.
THIS CHANGE WOULD NOT ERASE HISTORY, AS OUR COUNTRY OR OUR COMMUNITY, WE CANNOT ERASE OUR RACIST PAST OR PRESENT IF WE TRIED.
I'M CALLING ON THE LEADERS OF THIS DISTRICT TO BE HONEST IN ADMITTING THE PAIN WE HAVE COLLECTIVELY CAUSED AND CONTINUE CAUSING YEAR AFTER YEAR, WHEN WE CLING TO WORDS LIKE REBELS, DIXIE BELLES, AND JOHNNY REB.
AS A STUDENT, I ATTENDED EVERY SINGLE FOOTBALL GAME PLAYED IN FOUR YEARS.
I WAS A MEMBER OF THE REBEL BAND AND SHOUTED, GO REBELS GO FROM THE STANDS MORE TIMES THAN I CAN COUNT.
I TOO FEEL PROUD OF OUR DEEPLY CONNECTED TO THE REBELS.
THIS IS A DECISION ABOUT OUR FUTURE AND THE MESSAGE VERBALIZED CHOOSES TO SAYING TO BLACK STUDENTS TODAY AND EVERY DAY MOVING FORWARD.
DO THE RIGHT THING, TAKE THE FIRST STEPS IN INITIATING THIS CHANGE AND MAKE A COMMITMENT TO SEE IT THROUGH.
DISTRICTS ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND IN OUR OWN STATE HAVE HAD THE COURAGE TO DO EXACTLY THAT IN JUST THE LAST TWO YEARS.
[00:05:01]
IT'S A DECISION THAT WILL UNDOUBTEDLY MEET RESISTANCE, BUT THE STATUS QUO IS NO LONGER AN OPTION.PLEASE BE THE DISTRICT THAT NOT ONLY TAUGHT ME TO STRIVE FOR EXCELLENCE, INTEGRITY, AND SERVICE, BUT ACTUALLY LIVES UP TO THEIR OWN WORDS IN THE FACE OF ADVERSITY.
THANK YOU." MELANIE RUSH, GREEN VALLEY ELEMENTARY 2000, NORTH RIDGE MIDDLE SCHOOL 2003, RICHLAND HIGH SCHOOL 2007.
"FOR WARNING, I'M A MATH GUY, NOT WRITING TO SLASH GRAMMAR.
TO THOSE THAT WANT THE REBEL MASCOT TO STAY, I HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS FOR YOU.
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE A RICHLAND REBEL TO YOU? WHEN SOMEONE ASK YOU WHERE DID YOU GO TO SCHOOL, WHAT DO YOU SAY? PRETTY SURE YOU SAY I WENT TO RICHLAND HIGH SCHOOL AND YOU MAY NOT EVEN BRING UP THE MASCOT.
FOR THOSE THAT SAY IT'S HERITAGE, NOT HATE, WHY ARE WE SELECTING A PART OF OUR NATION'S HERITAGE BUILT ON HATE? IF YOU SAY IT WASN'T BUILT ON HATE OR SLAVERY, GOOGLE WHAT WAS THE MAIN REASON FOR THE CIVIL WAR? DON'T FILTER THROUGH 30 PLUS PAGES LOOKING FOR ONLY ONE THAT DOESN'T SAY ECONOMICS OR SLAVERY.
FUN FACT, THE ECONOMICS WAS KEEPING SLAVERY FOR THE COTTON.
DO YOU CARE MORE ABOUT THE FACT YOU CAN SAY YOU'RE A RICHLAND REBEL MORE THAN THE KIDS THAT HAVE TO ATTEND WITH A MASCOT THAT DID NOT WANT THEM TO THRIVE IN SOCIETY? MY ANSWERS ONE THROUGH FOUR, IF YOU CARE ABOUT MY ANSWERS, HERE THEY ARE.
WHAT IT MEANS TO GO TO RICHLAND HIGH SCHOOL? I SAY RICHLAND IS THE SCHOOL THAT ALLOWED ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO END THE CYCLE OF NON-COLLEGE GRADUATES IN MY FAMILY, TO BE THE FIRST TO START BUILDING WEALTH FOR MY GROWING FAMILY, FILLED WITH A STAFF THAT SUPPORTED ME AND GAVE ME A WAY OUT OF POVERTY OF FREE AND REDUCED LUNCH.
THAT'S WHAT GOING TO RICHLAND MEANS TO ME.
THIS SCHOOL GAVE ME A PLATFORM TO BETTER MY LIFE.
I LOVE THE SCHOOL I WENT TO, BUT IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE MASCOT.
IT WAS THE PEOPLE THAT MADE THE SCHOOL.
WHENEVER I SEE AN ALUMNI, NEVER DO WE TALK ABOUT BEING A REBEL, WE TALK ABOUT THE MEMORIES AND PEOPLES THAT MADE THE SCHOOL AMAZING.
WE TALK ABOUT THE STAFF WE LAUGHED AND JOKED WITH WHO EVENTUALLY BECAME OUR FRIENDS AFTER HIGH SCHOOL.
I AM A WINNER AND SO IS EVERY PERSON WHO ATTENDED RICHLAND.
THE CIVIL WAR AND THE REBELS LOST.
SO WHY DO I WANT TO BE A LOSER? THAT'S NOT WHAT WE PREACH OR BELIEVE IN AT RICHLAND.
WHY WOULD WE SELECT A PERIOD OF OUR HISTORY THAT WAS LOST AND MEMORIALIZE IT AROUND THE SCHOOL AS IF IT WAS A GOOD THING? I'D NEVER HEARD ONE GRADUATION SPEECH TALKING ABOUT BEING A LOSER.
IN FACT, QUITE THE CONTRARY, IT'S ABOUT BEING GREAT AND GOING OUT MAKING THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE.
KEEPING THE REBEL MASCOT ISN'T MAKING OUR SCHOOL A BETTER PLACE.
IN FACT, IT'S KEEPING US FROM GROWING AS THE WORLD CHANGES.
ONE OF OUR ALUMS ON FACEBOOK PAGE SAID, 'IT WAS ALL GOOD UNTIL THE BLACK STARTED COMING.' WHILE THE WORLD IS DIVERSIFIED, AND SO IS OUR SCHOOL, LESS THAN 50 PERCENT OF THE KIDS THAT ATTEND RICHLAND ARE WHITE, WHICH WE CAN INFER IS A LOT LESS THAN WHEN THE SCHOOL FIRST ESTABLISHED.
COLOR AND INEQUITY HAS NEVER BEEN SO PRESENT THAN IT IS IN TODAY'S SOCIETY.
YOU MUST SAY THAT VIC THE MASCOT, DIDN'T KEEP YOU FROM DOING THINGS AND I SAY YOU'RE RIGHT.
BECAUSE OF THE PEOPLE AT THE SCHOOL WEREN'T REBELS, THEY DIDN'T ACT LIKE REBELS BECAUSE IF THEY DID, THE COACHES WOULD HAVE NEVER ALLOWED ME TO PLAY ON THE TEAM AND GAIN A SCHOLARSHIP.
THE TRAINERS WOULD HAVE NEVER GIVEN ME WATER.
THE TEACHERS WOULD HAVE NEVER STAYED AFTER SCHOOL TO TUTOR ME.
THE PRINCIPAL WOULD HAVE NEVER GIVEN ME MY DIPLOMA.
SO I ASK YOU, WHAT PART OF BEING A REBEL IS THAT? I LOVE ALL OF YOU AND THIS GROWTH THAT WE MUST MAKE WILL BE UNCOMFORTABLE AND THERE MIGHT BE PAIN.
HOWEVER, JUST AS A GARDENER PRUNES THEIR GARDENS TO YIELD MORE FRUIT,
[00:10:01]
WE MUST DO SO IN ORDER TO CONTINUE THE REBEL LEGACY AND WHAT IT MEANS TO HAVE ATTENDED RICHLAND.HERE'S MY QUESTIONS THAT I HAVE FOR THE BOARD.
CAN YOU AGREE THAT THE RICHLAND FLAG USED TO BE THE CONFEDERATE FLAG? IF SO, ITS ORIGINAL MEANING WAS SOUTHERN HERITAGE AND NOT SLAVERY.
CAN YOU AGREE THAT THE CONFEDERATE FLAG WAS USED BY THE CONFEDERATE ARMY, AKA REBELS? CAN YOU AGREE THAT JOHNNY REB WAS A PERSONIFICATION OF A SOLDIER IN THE CONFEDERATE ARMY? CAN YOU AGREE THAT THE REBEL YELL WAS USED BY THE CONFEDERATE ARMY FOR BATTLE IN CIVIL WAR? CAN YOU AGREE THAT SLAVERY IS HORRIBLE? I FIND IT HARD TO SAY NO TO ANY OF THE ABOVE QUESTIONS.
YES, THE CONFEDERATE FLAG WAS ORIGINALLY USED TO REPRESENT SOUTHERN AMERICAN HERITAGE.
WHEN YOU PUT THE JOHNNY REB'S REBEL BATTLE CRY IN THE SAME CONTEXT, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE CONFEDERATE FLAG WHEN IT WAS USED BY THE CONFEDERATE ARMY, NOT ITS ORIGINAL PURPOSE.
THE WORD REBEL WAS USED TO DESCRIBE ANY GROUP OF PEOPLE AGAINST AN ESTABLISHED GOVERNMENT.
THE MEANING JOHNNY REB AND REBEL BATTLE CRY ONLY CAME ABOUT DURING THE CIVIL WAR.
THEREFORE, WE CAN AGREE THAT WHEN OUR SCHOOL WAS ESTABLISHED, THE REBEL, THE JOHNNY REB, THE REBEL BATTLE CRY AND THE CONFEDERATE FLAG WERE CHOSEN TOGETHER AT THE TIME PERIOD DEPICTING THE SOUTHERN." THE SOUTH, WHO WANTED SLAVERY.
IF THIS STATEMENT IS TRUE, THAT WE HAVE CHOSEN OUR MASCOT, OUR CHEER TEAM, AND OUR FLAG FROM A TIME PERIOD OF HATE AND SLAVERY, WHY WOULD WE WANT TO BE PROUD OF IT? VICTOR JONES, GRADUATE 2008, RUSSELL MIDDLE SCHOOL, HOLIDAY HEIGHTS ELEMENTARY.
>> TO BIRDVILLE INDEPENDENT SCHOOL BOARD.
I'M AN ALUMNI OF RICHLAND HIGH SCHOOL AND FORMER MEMBER OF THE RICHLAND REBEL BAND.
BECAUSE OF MY EDUCATION FROM RHS, I WAS ABLE TO GRADUATE FROM UT AUSTIN IN THREE YEARS AND MOVED TO LOS ANGELES TO BECOME A TELEVISION EDITOR.
AS AN ALUM OF RHS, I HAVE TO SAY THAT I'M DEEPLY ASHAMED THAT THE MASCOT OF MY ALMA MATER IS STILL THE REBEL.
IF IT WAS A COWBOY, THEN PLEASE CALL IT A COWBOY.
THE SYMBOLS OF THE CONFEDERACY WITH THE JOHNNY REB ARE DEEPLY ENTRENCHED WITH CHATTEL SLAVERY AND THE OPPRESSION OF BLACK AMERICANS.
WE DO NOT WANT OUR ALMA MATER TO STAND AS A SYMBOL OF RACIST INSTITUTIONS.
IT IS NOT AN ISSUE OF SCHOOL SPIRIT, IS AN ISSUE OF JUSTICE AND CIVILITY.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION.
JOHNNY AARON CROWLEY, MULLENDORE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, 2001.
NORTH RIDGE MIDDLE SCHOOL, 2004, RICHLAND HIGH SCHOOL, 2008.
I SAW A RECENT STATEMENT THAT WAS POSTED ON FACEBOOK ON THE BISD OFFICIAL PAGE ABOUT NOT WANTING TO STAY SILENT ABOUT RACISM, HATE, OR INTOLERANCE.
I REALLY APPRECIATE THE STATEMENT AND WOULD LIKE TO SEE A CHANGE TO THE MASCOT AND THE FLAG OF RICHLAND HIGH SCHOOL IN ORDER TO CUT ALL TIES WITH THE CONFEDERACY.
I ATTENDED RHS IN THE EARLY 2000S, AND THIS WAS AN ISSUE THEN, AND IT'S STILL AN ISSUE NOW.
I FULLY BELIEVE IT IS WAY PAST TIME TO CHANGE EVERYTHING OVERALL.
I UNDERSTAND THAT THE FLAG WAS CHANGED IN 1998, BUT IT STILL REFLECTS THE CONFEDERATE FLAG, AND THE MASCOT, AS WELL AS THE JOHNNY REB'S AND DIXIE BELLES, ARE CONNECTED TO RACIALLY CHARGED HATE DUE TO THEIR TIES TO THE CONFEDERACY.
I MYSELF WAS A JOHNNY REB AND HAD SO MUCH SCHOOL PRIDE WHEN I WAS THERE.
BUT I'VE SINCE LEARNED, AND WHILE I HAVE SCHOOL PRIDE, I WAS IGNORANT OF HOW NEGATIVELY IT AFFECTED THE BLACK PEOPLE AND/OR PEOPLE OF COLOR.
I, NOW, AM A TEACHER MYSELF PURSUING MY MASTER'S DEGREE IN SPECIAL EDUCATION IN ORDER TO GET ANOTHER STEP CLOSER TO BECOME AN ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL SO THAT I CAN MOVE UP EVEN FURTHER AND INCITE CHANGE IN EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM.
I SEE THE INJUSTICE AGAINST PEOPLE OF COLOR EVERY DAY, AS I'M SURE AS YOU DO TOO.
WE HAVE COME A LONG WAY IN THE REALM OF RACISM, RACIAL PREJUDICE, AND THINGS OF THE LIKE.
HOWEVER, IT IS ABUNDANTLY CLEAR THAT WE HAVE SO FAR TO GO.
BEST HOLIAN TRAINER, LIFE SKILLS TEACHER, SPECIAL EDUCATION.
NEXT. IN SUPPORT OF THE NUMEROUS CHILDREN OF COLOR IN OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT, AND THE MEMORY OF THOSE WHO HAVE ENDURED GREAT DISCRIMINATION, RACISM, AND HATRED ALL OVER THE WORLD BEFORE US, I'M ASKING THE DISTRICT TO CONSIDER CHANGING THE REBEL MASCOT.
I WAS A RICHLAND GRADUATE IN 2007,
[00:15:03]
ATTENDED NORTH RIDGE MIDDLE SCHOOL, AS WELL AS JOHN D. SPICER AND FOSTER VILLAGE ELEMENTARY'S.I LOVE BSD AND HAD A GREAT EXPERIENCE AT ALL SCHOOLS.
HOWEVER, I DID NOT REALIZE AS A HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT, HOW OUR MASCOT WAS STILL TRIGGERING FOR SO MANY.
AS A LICENSED PROFESSIONAL COUNSELOR NOW, AS WELL AS A WOMAN OF COLOR, I BELIEVE, IT IS IMPORTANT TO DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO ELIMINATE RACIST TRIGGERS FOR ALL PEOPLE AND HAVE INCLUSIVE, NON-JUDGMENTAL, NON-RACIST MASCOTS, FLAGS, CHANTS, AND SYMBOLS ACROSS THE ENTIRE DISTRICT.
AS AN EMPLOYEE OF THE DISTRICT NOW, I WOULD LIKE THE BOARD TO CONSIDER THE STRONG MESSAGE OF SOLIDARITY AND UNIFICATION IT WILL SEND TO OUR COMMUNITIES WITH THIS SIMPLE CHANGE.
IT DOESN'T HURT ANYONE TO CHANGE IT, BUT IT DOES HURT OTHERS WHEN WE CONTINUE TO CLING TO A SYMBOL THAT ONCE STOOD FOR SOMETHING SO DIVISIVE. THANK YOU SO MUCH.
LAUREN DEBOSE. NEXT. I WAS A PROUD MEMBER OF THE JROTC, INCLUDING ARM DRILL AND COLOR GUARD TEAMS. I PARTICIPATED IN PRESENTATION OF THE NATIONAL AND STATE FLAGS AT MANY FOOTBALL GAMES IN MY TIME AT RHS.
BECAUSE OF MY PRIDE FOR THAT PROGRAM, I BELIEVE WE SHOULD HASHTAG REMOVE THE REBEL.
ALL REBEL, JOHNNY REB'S, DIXIE BELLES, LADY REBS, AND FLAG ICONOGRAPHY SHOULD BE RETIRED AND REPLACED WITH THEMES THAT DO NOT INCORPORATE CONFEDERATE MESSAGING.
AS A HIGH SCHOOL TEACHER, I WOULD FEEL BETTER ABOUT THE LESSONS TAUGHT CURRENT AND FUTURE STUDENTS OF MY ALMA MATER IF THIS CHANGE WERE TO GO FORTH.
I CANNOT, IN GOOD FAITH, WEAR OR DISPLAY THE MERCHANDISE FROM MY HIGH SCHOOL CAREER IN MY OWN CLASSROOM OR PERSON IN THE PRESENT DAY, BECAUSE THE CLEAR CONFEDERATE MESSAGING DOES NOT REFLECT MY VALUES.
[INAUDIBLE] , HOLIDAY HEIGHTS ELEMENTARY HUSKY, NORTH RICHLAND MIDDLE FALCON, RICHLAND?, 2009.
DEAR BISD BOARD OF TRUSTEES, I AM THE GRANDDAUGHTER OF [INAUDIBLE] , LONGTIME 20TH CENTURY EDUCATOR AND VICE PRINCIPAL IN BIRDVILLE ISD.
MY GRANDMOTHER TAUGHT IN THE ORIGINAL ONE RED BRICK BUILDING, SCHOOL HOUSING BISD AND TAUGHT FORMER BISD SUPERINTENDENT [INAUDIBLE] G.
THOMAS AND NUMEROUS FUTURE BISD EDUCATORS LIKE RAY AND J. THOMPSON.
MY ANCESTORS STARTED BIRDVILLE BAPTIST CHURCH AND MY GREAT GRANDPARENTS, JOHN WESLEY AND KELLY BASSY HAD A SHORT-LIVED GENERAL STORE AT THE TURN OF THE CENTURY WHERE SHANNON HIGH SCHOOL IS NOW.
I CARE ABOUT WHAT HAPPENS IN BISD.
PLEASE REMOVE ALL REMINDERS OF THE OLD SOUTH AND CIVIL WAR.
THE CONTINUED USE OF THESE TERMS, DIXIE BELLES, JOHNNY REB, AND THE USE OF A FLAG THAT CLOSELY RESEMBLES THE STAR AND BARS OF THE CONFEDERACY IS OFFENSIVE AND MARGINALIZES AFRICAN-AMERICAN STUDENTS AND TELLS THOSE OUTSIDE THAT RHS FINDS THESE SYMBOLS AND HERITAGE MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE FEELINGS AND IMPORTANCE OF OTHERS.
THIS IS HAPPENING ALL OVER THE SOUTH WHERE THE CIVIL WAR REALLY TOOK PLACE.
LOOK TO PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS, WHERE THEY ARE REMOVING THE NAME STONEWALL JACKSON FROM THEIR SCHOOLS.
LOOK TO RICHMOND, VIRGINIA, THE SEAT OF THE CONFEDERACY, WHERE THEY ARE REMOVING A STATUE OF ROBERT E. LEE, AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST, LISTEN TO GENERAL LEE'S DESCENDANT, REVEREND ROBERT W. LEE THE FOURTH, WHO'S EDITORIAL WAS IN THE WASHINGTON POST JUST A FEW DAYS AGO.
"ROBERT E. LEE IS MY ANCESTOR.
TAKE DOWN HIS STATUE AND LET HIS CAUSE BE LOST." BISD IS BETTER THAN THIS.
BE AN AGENT OF POSITIVE CHANGE.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR CAREFUL CONSIDERATION.
MOST SINCERELY, DR. MARGUERITE BAKER LEVIN, RHS GRADUATE 1980, TEXAS ALL STATES SYMPHONIC BAND 1980, FORMER MEMBER UNITED STATES NAVAL BAND, WASHINGTON DC.
MARGUERITE LEVIN, DMA FACULTY, NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY, FACULTY, NEW ENGLAND CONSERVATORY PREP DIVISION [INAUDIBLE].
>> HELLO. I'M THE MOTHER OF A FUTURE RICHLAND HIGH STUDENT.
AS A SUPPORTER OF A RACIAL EQUALITY AND CULTURAL PROGRESS, I CANNOT SUPPORT THE SCHOOL'S REBEL MASCOT.
I TAKE PRIDE IN MY CITY, AND WANT MY CHILD TO TAKE PRIDE IN HER SCHOOL.
BUT THERE IS NO WORLD IN WHICH I RAISE AN ETHICALLY MINDED, EMPATHETIC WHITE ALLIED TO RACIAL INJUSTICE, WHOSE SCHOOL IS A SYMBOL OF BLACK ENSLAVEMENT.
PLEASE REMOVE THIS RACIST MASCOT AND RESTORE OUR CITY PRIDE IN OUR BELOVED NRH, CASSANDRA HACKENBERGER.
I'M A CLASS OF '04 RHS ALUM, THAT MOVED BACK TO NRH IN 2017 TO RAISE A FAMILY.
I DO NOT WANT MY 20 MONTH OLD DAUGHTER TO ATTEND A SCHOOL
[00:20:02]
WHOSE MASCOT ORIGINATES FROM THE ENSLAVEMENT OF BLACK PEOPLE.PLEASE UPDATE THIS DATED SYMBOL FOR 2020.
TO THE BIRDVILLE ISD BOARD OF TRUSTEES, MY NAME IS JOSH FARGO AND I AM A 2007 GRADUATE OF RICHLAND HIGH SCHOOL.
DURING MY FOUR YEARS AT RICHLAND, I WAS A JOHNNY REB AND A MEMBER OF THE REBEL MARCHING BAND.
I PLAYED REBEL SOCCER AND I WAS A CAPTAIN OF THE RUNNING REDS CROSS-COUNTRY TEAM.
YOU COULD SAY REBEL PRIDE WAS THE CENTERPIECE OF MY HIGH SCHOOL LIFE.
AS A TEENAGER, I DIDN'T ASSOCIATE THE REBEL FLAG WITH THE HATEFUL AND RACIST HISTORY IT TRULY REPRESENTS.
BUT I'VE COME TO UNDERSTAND THAT IT WAS WRONG TO GIVE A HIGH SCHOOL OR ANY SCHOOL A CONFEDERATE MASCOT.
IT WAS WRONG IN 1961 WHEN BIRDVILLE ISD BESTOWED THE SYMBOLS OF WHITE SUPREMACY ON A NEW HIGH SCHOOL, EVEN AS BLACK PEOPLE ACROSS THE COUNTRY FOUGHT FOR EQUAL RIGHTS, IT IS STILL WRONG TODAY.
DURING THE EARLY 2000S, WHEN I WAS AT RICHLAND, THE CONFEDERATE FLAG, THOUGH OFFICIALLY BANNED, WAS A CONSTANT PRESENCE IN THE CULTURE OF THE SCHOOL, IMPLICITLY CONDONED BY TEACHERS AND ADMINISTRATORS WHO LOOKED THE OTHER WAY IF IT WAS INCLUDED ON A STUDENT GROUP T-SHIRT OR FLOWN IN THE BACK OF A PICKUP TRUCK BEFORE A GAME.
THERE ARE THOSE IN THE RICHLAND COMMUNITY FOR WHOM THESE CONFEDERATE SYMBOLS WILL ALWAYS CONJURE WARM PERSONAL FEELINGS, HARKENING BACK TO THE GOOD OLD DAYS, BUT THE NOSTALGIA COMES AT A HARMFUL COST TO SO MANY OTHERS IN OUR COMMUNITY.
IN THE OUTSIDE WORLD, THESE SYMBOLS REPEL PEOPLE WHO ABHOR RACISM.
THE CURRENT ITERATION OF RICHLAND'S FLAG AND MASCOT ARE THINLY VEILED STAND-INS FOR THE RACIST VERSIONS THEY REPLACED.
BY DISGUISING THESE HATEFUL SYMBOLS, WE TOLERATE THEIR MEANING.
I UNDERSTAND SUPERINTENDENT BROWN HAS DISMISSED THESE CONCERNS IN THE PAST.
I HOPE THE SCHOOL BOARD HAS THE FORTITUDE TO ACT.
I URGE YOU TO REPLACE THE REBEL MASCOT AND RENAME ANY STUDENT GROUPS WITH LINGERING CALLBACKS TO THE CONFEDERACY OR THE SLAVE HOLDING SOUTH.
MULTIPLE PETITIONS CALLING FOR THESE LONG OVERDUE CHANGES HAVE GARNERED OVER 14,000 SIGNATURES IN SUPPORT.
JOSH FARGO, MULLENDORE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, '95 TO 2000, NORTH RICHLAND MIDDLE SCHOOL, 2000 TO 2003, RICHLAND HIGH SCHOOL, 2003 TO 2007.
HI, MY NAME IS SAMANTHA ANDERSON, I WAS A JOHNNY REB AND A SENIOR CLASS PRESIDENT FOR THE CLASS OF '09 OF RICHLAND HIGH SCHOOL.
I'M PROUD TO HAVE GRADUATED FROM RICHLAND HIGH SCHOOL, BUT WOULD LIKE TO GIVE MY FULL SUPPORT TO REMOVE THE SCHOOL MASCOT.
THE REBEL DOES NOT RESPECT THE DIVERSITY WITHIN THE SCHOOL DISTRICT.
KEEPING THE MASCOT WOULD NOT ALIGN WITH THE STATEMENT THAT, "SOCIAL INJUSTICE OF ANY KIND HAS NO PLACE IN OUR CLASSROOMS OR ANYWHERE IN OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT," AS DICTATED BY SUPERINTENDENT DARRELL BROWN ON TWITTER, JUNE 4TH.
THANK YOU, SAMANTHA ANDERSON, GREEN VALLEY ELEMENTARY, NORTH RIDGE MIDDLE SCHOOL, RICHLAND HIGH SCHOOL CLASS OF '09.
TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN, I SAW THE RECENT STATEMENT ON BISD'S FACEBOOK PAGE SAYING THAT THIS SCHOOL DISTRICT WILL STAND AGAINST HATE, INTOLERANCE, AND RACISM.
I APPRECIATE BISD TAKING A STANCE AND SHEDDING LIGHT ON THESE ISSUES.
HOWEVER, ALL OF RICHLAND HIGH SCHOOL SYMBOLS STILL STEM FROM CONFEDERATE IMAGERY, WHICH DOES REPRESENT RACISM.
I UNDERSTAND THE FLAG WAS CHANGED IN 1993, BUT IT IS NOT ENOUGH.
ALL CURRENT, FUTURE, AND PAST STUDENTS MUST BE ABLE TO FEEL PRIDE FOR THEIR SCHOOL, AND UNFORTUNATELY, RIGHT NOW THAT IS NOT POSSIBLE.
PLEASE CONSIDER MAKING THESE CHANGES TO UPHOLD BISD'S PROMISE TO STAND AGAINST HATE, INTOLERANCE, AND RACISM.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME, ZOE BERMAN, CLASS OF 2014.
DEAR SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS, AS A PROUD STUDENT OF BIRDVILLE ISD, FROM THE FIRST THROUGH TWELFTH GRADE, I HAVE COUNTLESS POSITIVE MEMORIES OF BISD.
THE QUALITY OF MY EDUCATION WAS EXCELLENT, AND THAT HAS BECOME MORE AND MORE APPARENT THE OLDER I GET, THE MORE PLACES I VISIT AROUND THE WORLD.
MY SCHOOL SPIRIT STARTED EARLY WHEN MY AUNT WOULD WRITE ME EARLY DISMISSALS FROM SNOW HEIGHTS ELEMENTARY TO ATTEND RICHLAND HIGH SCHOOL PEP RALLIES TO SEE MY OLDER COUSINS IN ACTION.
THEY WERE A VARSITY FOOTBALL PLAYER, A DIXIE BELLE, AND A VARSITY CHEERLEADER.
WHEN I ARRIVED AT RHS, I QUICKLY RAN FOR THE STUDENT COUNCIL AND SERVED AS A CLASS OFFICER ALL FOUR YEARS.
I WAS ACTIVELY INVOLVED IN THE CHOIR AND THEATER DEPARTMENTS AND WAS A SOUTHERN BELLE AND A REBELER IN CHOIR.
WE SANG COOL DIXIE AT COUNTLESS EVENTS.
I ALSO SERVED AS A DIXIE BELLE FOR TWO YEARS, PERFORMING IN EVERY SINGLE PEP RALLY AND FOOTBALL GAME DURING THOSE TWO YEARS.
I WORE THE CONFEDERATE FLAG ON THE BACK OF MY DRILL TEAM VEST, OBLIVIOUS OF ANY NEGATIVE CONNOTATIONS.
MY OLDER SISTER WAS ALSO A REBELER AND WAS A JOHNNY REB WHO WAVED THE FLAG.
[00:25:04]
MY FAMILY AND I WERE ABOUT AS PROUD OF RHS AS YOU CAN GET.DURING MY SISTER'S YEARS AS A JOHNNY REB, I FIRST BECAME AWARE OF SOME RED FLAGS ABOUT MY SCHOOL, NO PUN INTENDED.
AT NUMEROUS GAMES, SHE AND HER FELLOW JOHNNY REBS WERE ESCORTED TO AND FROM THEIR BUS TO PREVENT GETTING ROCKS, PUNCHES, AND SLURS THROWN THEIR WAY.
I REMEMBER HAVING SERIOUS DISCUSSION WITH MY FAMILY AFTER A FEW OF THESE GAMES.
DURING MY JUNIOR YEAR IN THE SPRING OF 1994, I REMEMBER THE "FLAG FORUMS" WE HELD.
[BACKGROUND] I WAS SO PROUD OF MY CLASS AND OUR SCHOOL FOR BEING WISE ENOUGH TO DISCUSS THE DETRIMENTAL EFFECTS OUR SCHOOL FLAG WAS HAVING ON MANY OF OUR STUDENTS, AS WELL AS ON OUR IMAGE AROUND NEIGHBORING TOWNS.
THANKS TO MY FRIEND, LORRAINE FISHBAUGH GARRISON, WE NOW HAVE A SCHOOL FLAG WE CAN BE PROUD OF 26 YEARS LATER.
IN 1995, I WAS HONORED WITH THE TITLES OF, ''SOUTHERN BELL' AT OUR SENIOR PROM, AND ''MISS DIXIE'' AT OUR SENIOR AWARDS NIGHT.
I STILL DIDN'T THINK TOO MUCH ABOUT THOSE TITLES BUT THE FACT THAT I WAS SINGING, "I WISH I WAS IN THE LAND OF COTTON," MULTIPLE TIMES A YEAR TO HONOR MY SCHOOL, FELT ABSOLUTELY WRONG.
I ATTENDED THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN FROM 1995-1999.
DURING MY FIRST SEMESTER THERE, I HAD COUNTLESS FRIENDS LOOK AT MY HIGH SCHOOL SCRAPBOOK IN HORROR, I HAD MANY CONVERSATIONS EXPLAINING, WE'RE NOT RACIST, WE GOT RID OF THE FLAG.
IT WAS VERY HARD TO EXPLAIN THAT MY SCHOOL STILL CLUNG TO THE REBEL MASCOT SANG DIXIE, AND ALL OTHER CONFEDERATE CONNOTATIONS.
THROUGH YEARS OF READING, LISTENING, AND LIVING, I'VE EVOLVED AS A HUMAN BEING AND I WILL NOT LOOK AWAY FROM THE HISTORY AND HORROR OF ALL THINGS CONFEDERATE.
JUMP FORWARD 25 YEARS, I'VE LIVED IN AUSTIN, TEXAS AND NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK.
I HAVE TRAVELED TO MANY COUNTRIES IN EUROPE AND TWO COUNTRIES IN AFRICA.
THANKS TO THE REMARKABLE TEACHERS WHO INSPIRED ME IN BISD, I BECAME A TEACHER.
I NOW TEACH IN KELLER ISD, AND I TAKE MY JOB HELPING BOLD YOUNG LIVES VERY SERIOUSLY.
[BACKGROUND] I'M HONORED TO TEACH A MUCH MORE DIVERSE POPULATION THAN I EVER GREW UP WITH IN THIS PART OF TEXAS.
THE WORLD HAS CHANGED SO MUCH IN THE LAST 25 YEARS.
WE'RE NOW A GLOBAL COMMUNITY, WE HAVE A WEALTH OF INFORMATION TO EDUCATE OURSELVES FROM THE COMFORTS OF OUR SMARTPHONES.
IT IS WAY PAST TIME FOR OUR COMMUNITY TO EVOLVE AND STOP CONNECTING OURSELVES AND OUR WONDERFUL SCHOOLS WITH SYMBOLS, NAMES, SONGS, AND PHRASES THAT CELEBRATE THE WORST PARTS OF OUR NATIONAL HISTORY.
I'M CERTAIN THAT OUR HOMETOWN AND BELOVED SCHOOL CAN BE A WELCOMING ENVIRONMENT WHERE ALL STUDENTS CAN SUCCEED.
THERE IS NO REASON ON EARTH FOR RICHLAND HIGH SCHOOL TO CLING SO STRIDENTLY TO NEGATIVE, HURTFUL, EMBARRASSING, AND SHAMEFUL TRAITS.
THE SPIRIT AND PRIDE OF RHS HAS ALWAYS BEEN IN THE INCREDIBLE PEOPLE WHO WILL WORK AND ATTEND THERE.
THEIR LOVE, COMPASSION, WISDOM, HUMOR, BRAVERY, AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS ARE WHAT MAKE IT AN EXEMPLARY SCHOOL.
I STRONGLY BELIEVE THAT SOME REBRANDING WILL ONLY HELP THE REST OF THE WORLD SEE THIS.
AT THE VERY LEAST, IT WILL HELP THE STUDENTS AND FACULTY PAST AND PRESENT NOT HAVE TO DEAL WITH THE SELF-LOATHING THAT COMES FROM ALLOWING SUCH HATRED IN RHS PRIDE.
ANDREA BURKHARD HINOJOSA, SNOW HEIGHTS ELEMENTARY, 1983 TO 1988, WA PORTER ELEMENTARY, 1988 TO 1989, SMITHFIELD MIDDLE SCHOOL, 1989 TO 1991, AND RICHLAND HIGH SCHOOL, 1991 TO 1995.
>> CARRIE COOK, GRADUATING YEAR 1991, ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, WA PORTER, MIDDLE SCHOOL, SMITHFIELD JUNIOR HIGH, HIGH SCHOOL, RICHLAND HIGH SCHOOL TO BIRDVILLE BOARD OF TRUSTEES, SUBJECT MATTER RICHLAND REBELS MASCOT.
MY TWO BROTHERS AND I ATTENDED BIRDVILLE SCHOOLS THROUGHOUT OUR K12 EDUCATION.
I PERSONALLY WAS A NATIONAL HONOR SOCIETY GRADUATE AND PLAYED SOCCER FOR OUR GIRLS SOCCER TEAM.
I WENT ON TO ATTEND COLLEGE AND LIVE IN VARIOUS PLACES.
MOVING BACK TO [INAUDIBLE] COLLEYVILLE, SOUTHLAKE AREA IN 2006.
"I NOW HAVE THREE SONS WHO ARE IN SCHOOL IN A NEIGHBORING COMMUNITY.
AS A PARENT, I TALK TO THEM ABOUT RACISM AND HOW WE SHOULD ADDRESS BOTH INTENTIONAL AND UNINTENTIONAL RACISM AND REFLECT ON OUR NATURAL BIAS.
I'VE USED MY HIGH SCHOOL EXPERIENCE AS AN EXAMPLE TO THEM BY EXPLAINING HOW MY HIGH SCHOOL WAS RICHLAND REBELS AND HAD CONFEDERATE MASCOTS AND CLUBS.
I ACTUALLY USE IT AS AN EXAMPLE OF HOW NOT TO BE.
WHEN I HEARD THAT THE SCHOOL FLAG WAS CHANGED, I WAS HAPPY, AND MISTAKENLY THOUGHT THAT ALL THE CONFEDERATE IN YOUR WINDOWS WAS REMOVED.
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I WAS DISAPPOINTED AND EMBARRASSED THAT IT DIDN'T HAPPEN.I WILL USE THE SCHOOL'S OWN WORDS TO SUPPORT WHY THEY SHOULD CHANGE THE SCHOOL MASCOT TO SOMETHING OTHER THAN THE REBELS.
THE R SAYS TO RESPECT ONE ANOTHER.
HOW IS HAVING CONFEDERATE SYMBOLS AND MASCOTS RESPECTFUL TO OUR AFRICAN-AMERICAN STUDENTS? HOW IS IT TEACHING OUR WHITE STUDENTS TO BE RESPECTFUL TO OUR BROWN SKIN STUDENTS? THE FIRST E SAYS TO EMPOWER OUR STUDENTS TO BE AGENTS OF CHANGE.
DO NOT TELL ME THAT KEEPING THE TRADITIONS OF HISTORY OF THE REBEL MASCOT IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN REFLECTING ON THE ISSUES OF ULTIMATELY CHANGING TO BE A MORE INCLUSIVE AND KIND ENVIRONMENT FOR OUR CHILDREN.
THE SECOND E SAYS TO EMPATHIZE WITH PEOPLE IN OUR LOCAL AND GLOBAL COMMUNITIES.
NOT CHANGING THE MASCOT IS OVERLY HYPOCRISY SINCE IT IS THE EPITOME OF NOT BEING EMPATHETIC TO OUR COMMUNITY OF COLOR.
AS LEADERS OF OUR SCHOOL AND OUR COMMUNITY, I ENCOURAGE YOU TO START THINKING ABOUT OUR BROWN SKIN STUDENTS, PARENTS, AND ALUMNI WITH KINDNESS, EMPATHY, AND LOVE.
I'M REQUESTING THAT YOU TAKE IMMEDIATE ACTION TO CHANGE THE MASCOT FROM REBELS AND JOHNNY REB, ETC.
AS A LEADER IN THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, IT IS YOUR DUTY TO ADDRESS THIS WRONG AND MAKE IT RIGHT.
ACTION SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS, I'LL LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING THE CHANGES THAT YOU MAKE SO I CAN HAVE A SENSE OF PRIDE IN MY HIGH SCHOOL RATHER THAN BEING EMBARRASSED FOR IT.
CARRIE COOK, SOUTH LAKE." CARRIE ALSO INCLUDED THE QUOTES THAT SHE REFERENCED, THE R AND THE TWO ES WAS ALL AT THE RICHLAND HIGH SCHOOL WEBSITE TYING WITH THE REBEL FLAG, THAT'S INCLUDED IN THE NOTES THE BOARD RECEIVED.
MOVING ON TO THE BISD BOARD OF TRUSTEES, "MY NAME IS KYLIE FIRGO, A 2010 GRADUATE OF RHS.
IN MY TIME AT RICHLAND, I WAS PROUD MEMBER OF THE MARCHING BAND, LADY REBELS SOCCER TEAM, AND MANY OTHER STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS.
I ATTENDED NEARLY EVERY FOOTBALL GAME AND PEP RALLY, BEAMING REBEL PRIDE.
AS A STUDENT, I WAS AMONGST OTHERS WHO CONSIDERED THE MASCOT AND SPIRIT SYMBOLS TO BE INTEGRAL TO THE SCHOOL'S TRADITION AND HISTORY.
I MIGHT HAVE EVEN FOUGHT TO KEEP THEM, BUT WOULD HAVE BEEN WRONG.
THE RHS MASCOT AND TRADITION TIES TO IT SERVE TO PERPETUATE SYMBOLS OF OPPOSITION AND SYSTEMATIC RACISM.
THIS WAS TRUE DURING THE SCHOOLS BEGINNING IN 1961 AND CONTINUES TO BE TRUE NOW.
I GAINED MORE INFORMATION AND CHANGED MY PERSPECTIVE.
IN THE PAST, I KNOW THESE CONCERNS WERE NOT MET WITH CHANGE.
PLEASE JOIN ME AND THE THOUSANDS OF OTHERS SEEKING TO CHANGE THESE SYMBOLS OF HATE THAT BRINGS SHAME TO OUR COMMUNITY.
YOU HAVE GAINED MORE INFORMATION, IT IS TIME TO CHANGE YOUR PERSPECTIVE. KYLIE FIRGO." "TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN, I AM A RECENT HIGH SCHOOL 2008 GRADUATE AND DEMAND CHANGE FROM CONFEDERATE BASED MASCOT AND STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS.
AS A FORMER VARSITY ATHLETE, AND JOHNNY REB, I'M APPALLED THAT OUR SCHOOL HAS NOT EVOLVED.
FURTHERMORE, I'M APPALLED THAT THE HISTORY OF THE SAME NAMES WERE NOT A TOPIC OF DISCUSSION IN ANY OF MY CLASSES.
I WAS A STUDENT IN THE BIRDVILLE INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT SINCE THIRD GRADE AND I DID NOT RECALL ONE CLASS COVERING THIS SUBJECT.
IT IS OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO KNOW BETTER AND DO BETTER.
IT IS YOUR JOB AS EDUCATORS TO CREATE AND FOSTER A WELCOMING AND DIVERSE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT.
HOLDING ON TO THE CONFEDERATE HERITAGE DOES NOT ACCOMPLISH THAT.
AS A FORMER STUDENT, I CANNOT AND WILL NOT SUPPORT THE SCHOOL THAT CONTINUES TO FOSTER CONFEDERATE MESSAGING, AND IT DOES NOT REFLECT MY VALUES.
SINCERELY, A DISAPPOINTED STUDENT RHS 2008, BLACK LIVES MATTER, STEPHANIE WIN.
TEXAS TECH UNIVERSITY, ENERGY, COMMERCE, INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS, AND MARKETING 2014." "TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN, I AM A RECENT HIGH SCHOOL 2007 GRADUATE, AND DEMAND CHANGE FROM THE CONFEDERATE-BASED MASCOT AND STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS.
AS A FORMER MEMBER OF THE RHS BAND, I AM APPALLED THAT OUR SCHOOL HAS NOT EVOLVED.
FURTHERMORE, I'M APPALLED THAT THE HISTORY OF THE SAME NAMES WERE NOT TOPICS OF DISCUSSIONS IN ANY OF OUR CLASSES.
I WAS A STUDENT IN THE BIRDVILLE INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT SINCE THE FIFTH GRADE,
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AND I DO NOT RECALL ANY CLASS COVERING THIS SUBJECT.IT IS OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO KNOW BETTER AND DO BETTER.
IT IS OUR JOB AS EDUCATORS TO CREATE AND FOSTER A WELCOMING AND DIVERSE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT.
HOLDING ON TO THE CONFEDERATE FLAG DOES NOT ACCOMPLISH THAT.
AS A FORMER STUDENT, I CANNOT AND WILL NOT SUPPORT A SCHOOL THAT CONTINUES TO FOSTER CONFEDERATE MESSAGING AND IT DOES NOT REFLECT MY VALUES.
SINCERELY, VICKI WIN, A DISAPPOINTED STUDENT, RHS 2007, BLACK LIVES MATTER."
>> "I HAVE LIVED IN NRH FOR THE PAST 13 YEARS, AND I'VE ALWAYS BEEN APPALLED AND ASHAMED OF THE IMAGERY MASCOT FOR RICHLAND HIGH SCHOOL.
I HAVE TWO CHILDREN THAT ARE SCHEDULED TO ATTEND RICHLAND IN THE FUTURE.
I HAVE A DAUGHTER ENTERING NORTH RIDGE AND A SON AT GREEN VALLEY.
I THINK IT'S TIME TO MAKE A CHANGE.
IF NOT, I WILL CONSIDER USING MY OPTIONS AND LOOK INTO OPEN ENROLLMENT TO ANOTHER DISTRICT.
I KNOW THERE IS A PUSH TO GET IT CHANGED AND I THINK NOW IS THE TIME.
I AM A TAXPAYER WHOSE CHILDREN WILL BE DIRECTLY IMPACTED BY YOUR DECISION.
THANKS. BURT RAY, NORTH RICHLAND HILLS." "TO BISD, I AM A PARENT OF TWO BIRDVILLE GRADUATES, 2000 AND 2004, AND THE GRANDMOTHER OF TWO ELEMENTARY SCHOOL-AGE STUDENTS.
I'M A SOCIOLOGIST BY TRADE AND TEACH AT THE POST-SECONDARY LEVEL.
BIRDVILLE IS AN AMAZING SCHOOL DISTRICT.
I CAN SAY THAT BECAUSE I HAVE ALREADY SENT TWO ADULT CHILDREN OFF TO COLLEGE AND BOTH OF THEM WELL-PREPARED, BOTH OF THEM GRADUATED.
I DID NOT HAVE TO FILL IN ANY GAPS FOR THEM TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN COLLEGE TO LEVEL COURSES.
THEIR TEACHERS HAD DONE THEIR JOB AND DONE IT WELL.
THAT COMMITMENT TO THEIR EDUCATION AND BUILDING THEIR SKILL SET BEGAN IN THEIR KINDERGARTEN CLASSROOM.
MY GRANDCHILDREN ATTEND NORTH RIDGE ELEMENTARY, AS DID MY CHILDREN.
MY GRANDSON IS ON THE AUTISM SPECTRUM, HE WAS NONVERBAL AT THE AGE OF THREE.
AT THE POINT OF DIAGNOSIS BY BIRDVILLE, I HAD A CONVERSATION WITH MY PREVIOUS DEPARTMENT CHAIR.
SHE ASKED ME, "WHAT SCHOOL DISTRICT WERE YOU IN?" I REPLIED, "BIRDVILLE." HER RESPONSE AND THIS IS A QUOTE, "THEN YOU ARE VERY LUCKY BECAUSE NOBODY DOES AUTISM BETTER THAN BIRDVILLE." SHE NEITHER LIVES OR WORKS IN THE BOUNDARIES OF THIS DISTRICT, YET SHE KNOWS.
HE IS CONVERSATIONAL, HE CAN READ, HE'S DEVELOPED SOCIAL SKILLS.
BIRDVILLE HAS NOURISHED HIS LOVE FOR MATH.
ONE OF HIS TEACHERS DESCRIBE WORKING WITH HIM AS, "GETTING THE SMARTHEAD." FROM THE PRESCHOOLERS WITH DISABILITIES PROGRAM TO THE FOURTH GRADE, BIRDVILLE IS COMMITTED TO "GETTING THE SMARTHEAD." BIRDVILLE DID NOT EXCLUDE HIM, OR GIVE UP ON HIM, OR DISMISS HIM, OR SEE HIM AS SOMETHING LESS THAN, AND THAT BRINGS ME TO THE TOPIC OF THIS E-MAIL.
I KNOW THAT THERE WILL BE PEOPLE WHO HAVE A LONG HISTORY WITH THE DISTRICT.
PEOPLE WHO FIND COMFORT IN THE SYMBOLISM OF THE REBEL, THEY WILL REMEMBER WHEN RICHLAND HIGH SCHOOL FIRST OPENED AND THE EXCITEMENT FOR THE COMMUNITY WHEN SUCH A MILESTONE IS ACHIEVED.
I UNDERSTAND THAT. BUT I ALSO UNDERSTAND THAT NO STUDENT SHOULD HAVE TO EITHER BE SHAMED BY THE SYMBOL OF THEIR SCHOOL OR VICTIMIZED BY THAT SYMBOL.
EVERY CHILD NEEDS TO FEEL PRIDE IN THEIR SCHOOL.
EVERY CHILD NEEDS TO FEEL VALUED BY THEIR SCHOOL.
I ASK YOU TO CONSIDER THREE QUESTIONS: DOES A SYMBOL OF THE REBEL FLAG AND ITS ASSOCIATED EXPRESSIONS EMBARRASS 21ST CENTURY STUDENTS? DOES IT CAUSE THEM TO FEEL SHAME FOR THEIR SCHOOL OR PRIDE IN THEIR SCHOOL? WHEN THE SCHOOL SYMBOL IS REPRESENTATIVE AND CELEBRATORY OF AN HISTORIC PERIOD OF DOMINATION IN WHICH SOME HUMAN BEINGS OWN OTHER HUMAN BEINGS, HOW DOES THAT FEEL FOR MINORITY STUDENTS? HOW DOES THAT FEEL FOR AFRICAN-AMERICAN STUDENTS? IS THIS A SYMBOL THAT MAKES THEM FEEL VALUED OR SOMEWHAT LESS THAN? CHANGE IS HARD, BUT SOMETIMES, WE AS THE OLDER GENERATION NEED TO PASS THE TORCH.
WE NEED TO ACCEPT THAT THESE STUDENTS ARE NOT ASKING THAT ANYONE BE DEVALUED BUT RATHER, THAT ALL STUDENTS BE VALUED.
I THINK THIS IS AN IDEA THAT WE SHOULD ALL TAKE A KNEE FOR.
NOW, BEFORE I CLOSE, I FEEL COMPELLED TO SPEAK DIRECTLY TO THE PEOPLE WHO ARE SEEKING THIS CHANGE.
REMEMBER, YOU ARE SEEKING TO INCREASE DIGNITY FOR ALL PEOPLE THROUGH YOUR ACTIONS, AND THAT INCLUDES BEING RESPECTFUL AND APPRECIATIVE OF THOSE WHO HAVE COME BEFORE YOU,
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THOSE WHO HAVE INVESTED IN AND BUILT THE COMMUNITY IN WHICH YOU RESIDE.ANYTHING LESS THAN THAT LEVEL OF UNDERSTANDING DIMINISHES THAT WHICH YOU SEEK TO ACCOMPLISH.
WITH REGARDS, MAUREEN L. [INAUDIBLE] ." "MY NAME IS MICHAEL MORRISSEY.
I WAS A MEMBER OF THE RICHLAND MARCHING BAND, DRUM MAJOR MY SENIOR YEAR, AND A TWO-TIME ALL STATE TRUMPET PLAYER.
I'M PROUD TO HAVE GRADUATED FROM RICHLAND HIGH SCHOOL AND THANKFUL FOR THE MANY EXPERIENCES I HAD WHILE A STUDENT.
AS SOMEONE WHO WORKS IN EDUCATION, I WOULD LIKE TO GIVE MY FULL SUPPORT TO REMOVE THE SCHOOL MASCOT, THE "REBEL" DOES NOT RESPECT AND CELEBRATE THE DIVERSITY WITHIN THE SCHOOL DISTRICT.
KEEPING THE MASCOT WOULD NOT ALIGN WITH THE STATEMENT THAT, "SOCIAL INJUSTICE OF ANY KIND HAS NO PLACE IN OUR CLASSROOMS OR ANYWHERE IN OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT," AS DICTATED BY SUPERINTENDENT DARRELL BROWN ON TWITTER, JUNE 4TH.
PLEASE DO NOT LET "TRADITION" STAND IN THE WAY OF DOING THE RIGHT THING. THANK YOU.
MICHAEL MORRISSEY, NORTH RIDGE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, NORTH RIDGE MIDDLE SCHOOL.
RICHLAND HIGH SCHOOL, CLASS OF 2009." [BACKGROUND]
>> HI, MY NAME IS BRITTANY JUNKERSFELD.
I WAS A LADY RIB ON THE 2005-2006 VARSITY GIRL'S BASKETBALL TEAM.
MY FRESHMAN YEAR AT RICHLAND HIGH SCHOOL.
MY PARENTS DIVORCED MY SOPHOMORE YEAR OF SCHOOL.
ALTHOUGH THAT RESULTED IN MY MOVING OF SCHOOLS, I'VE ALWAYS BEEN PROUD TO SAY THAT I WENT TO RICHLAND HIGH SCHOOL.
MY BROTHER BLAKE JUNKERSFELD, PLAYED VARSITY FOOTBALL FOR RICHLAND ALL FOUR YEARS AND WAS A CAPTAIN HIS SENIOR YEAR '07.
WE BOTH SPENT SO MANY YEARS WITH TEACHERS AND COACHES FROM ALL BACKGROUNDS.
WITH THAT, I WOULD LIKE TO GIVE MY FULL SUPPORT TO REMOVE THE MASCOT, THE QUOTE REBEL END QUOTE DOES NOT RESPECT NOR DEMONSTRATE THE DIVERSITY WITHIN THE SCHOOL DISTRICT.
KEEPING THE MASCOT WOULD NOT ALIGN WITH THE STATEMENT FROM DARRELL BROWN ON TWITTER, JUNE FOURTH, QUOTE, "SOCIAL INJUSTICE OF ANY KIND HAS NO PLACE IN OUR CLASSROOMS OR ANYWHERE IN OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT," END QUOTE, PLEASE CHANGE THE MASCOT.
THANK YOU, BRITTANY JUNKERSFELD.
NEXT ONE, TO THE ADMINISTRATION OF RICHLAND HIGH SCHOOL.
MY NAME IS ADAM LOVE AND I'M AN ALUMNI OF RICHLAND HIGH SCHOOL, A MEMBER OF THE GRADUATING CLASS OF 2009.
I WAS ALSO A JOHNNY REB AND A STUDENT COUNCIL VICE PRESIDENT.
I KNOW THIS YEAR HAS BEEN FULL OF CHALLENGES AND AS A SCHOOL, YOU HAVE WORKED TIRELESSLY TO OVERCOME THOSE CHALLENGES.
AS A FORMER STUDENT, I APPRECIATE YOUR SUPPORT FOR YOUR CURRENT STUDENTS DURING THE PANDEMIC, HOWEVER, WE'RE IN YET ANOTHER MOMENT OF HEIGHTENED RACIAL AWARENESS IN AMERICA.
WHILE WE COLLECTIVELY MOURN THE MURDERS OF OUR BLACK AMERICANS AND NAVIGATE THE PATH FORWARD.
IT IS ABSOLUTELY CRITICAL TO CONSIDER THE IMPACTS OF THESE TRAUMATIC MODERN EVENTS AND THEIR DIRECT CONNECTION TO THE BLACK AMERICAN HISTORY ON STUDENTS OF ALL RACES.
NOT ONLY DO WE NEED TO ADDRESS THE EMOTIONAL STATE OF STUDENTS AND STAFF, BUT ALSO MAKE CHANGES THAT CREATE REAL POSITIVE IMPACTS ON OUR STUDENT'S LIVES AND COLLECTIVE FUTURES.
TO THAT END, ONE OF THE MOST PRACTICAL MEASURES THAT CAN BE TAKEN NOW IS THE REMOVAL AND SUBSEQUENT REPLACEMENT OF OUR SCHOOL FLAG AND MASCOT.
FRANKLY, IT IS UNACCEPTABLE TO CLING TO TITLES AND IMAGERY INSPIRED BY THE CONFEDERACY.
NAMES AND SYMBOLS HAVE POWER AND TO MAINTAIN THE STATUS QUO NOW WOULD COMMUNICATE INDIFFERENCE AT BEST, AND COMPLACENCE AND SUPPORT OF OPPRESSIVE SYSTEMS AT WORSE.
IF RICHLAND FAILS TO ACKNOWLEDGE THIS REALITY THE SCHOOL DOES A GREAT DISSERVICE TO THE CURRENT BLACK STUDENT POPULATION AND LIMITS THE POTENTIAL FOR THE GROUNDSWELL OF ACTIVISM, CONCILIATION, AND BRIDGE-BUILDING THAT IS POSSIBLE IN SUCH A DEFINING STAGE OF OUR YOUNG STUDENTS LIVES.
AS 9-12 EDUCATORS, YOUR STAFF ARE TRUSTED LEADERS, MENTORS AND ROLE MODELS TO COUNTLESS STUDENTS.
I KNOW I CAN COUNT ON YOU TO TEACH AND LEAD BY EXAMPLE, EXHIBIT KINDNESS, PROVIDE RESOURCES, AND BE A SAFE SPACE FOR THEM BECAUSE I EXPERIENCED IT MYSELF WHILE A STUDENT THERE, BUT I'M NOT BLACK.
WHAT STEPS WILL YOU TAKE TO SERVE THE BLACK STUDENTS IN YOUR SCHOOLS? I SINCERELY HOPE THAT ONE OF THEM WILL BE THE REMOVAL AND REPLACEMENT OF THE SCHOOL FLAG AND MASCOT.
MAY THIS CHANGE BE A STRONG FIRST STEP TOWARD ANTI-RACIST ACTIVITY WITHIN OUR GRADE SCHOOL.
SINCERELY, ADAM LOVE, GREEN VALLEY ELEMENTARY, NORTH RIDGE MIDDLE SCHOOL, RICHLAND HIGH SCHOOL, CLASS OF '09.
HELLO, CLASS OF 2006 HERE, I WANT TO TAKE SOME TIME TO [NOISE] EXCUSE ME, TO EXPRESS HOW TRULY GRATEFUL I AM FOR THE MANY EXPERIENCES I HAD AT RICHLAND HIGH SCHOOL.
I MET SO MANY GOOD PEOPLE AND TEACHERS THAT I GIVE CREDIT TO FOR MOLDING ME INTO THE PERSON I AM TODAY.
COACH HUDSON TAUGHT ME TO LOVE AND RESPECT ALL PEOPLE AS MY BROTHER AND SISTER, MY SPEECH TEACHER, WHO HAD NEVER BEEN TO SCHOOL WITH BLACK CHILDREN,
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GAVE ME A VOICE.HE GAVE ME MEANINGFUL CONVERSATION ABOUT A HISTORY HE LIVED IN WHEN SCHOOLS WERE SEGREGATED.
HE ALWAYS MADE ME HUNGRY FOR KNOWLEDGE BECAUSE IT'S RARE THAT YOU HEAR ABOUT HISTORY FROM SOMEONE WHO ACTUALLY LIVED IT.
ALTHOUGH THERE ARE MANY GREAT QUALITIES ABOUT THIS SCHOOL, I IMMEDIATELY FELT UNCOMFORTABLE ATTENDING WHEN I NOTICED THAT THE FLAG, LOGO, SPIRIT TEAM AND MASCOT ALL ECHOED THE CONFEDERACY.
I ALSO NOTICED THAT MANY OF THE STUDENTS, BOTH BLACK AND WHITE WERE NOT EDUCATED ON WHAT THE TRUE MEANING BEHIND THESE SYMBOLS ENTAIL AND HOW THEY HAD TO RECOGNIZE SYMBOLISM IN THE THINGS WE IGNORANTLY PARADE IN PRIDE.
THESE ARE THINGS WE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN IN SCHOOL BUT DID NOT.
BEING THAT I CAME FROM A SMALL TOWN IN LOUISIANA THAT IS KNOWN FOR HAVING KKK RALLIES AND LARGE COTTON FIELDS WHERE MY ANCESTORS WERE SLAVES.
I IMMEDIATELY RECOGNIZED THAT THE FLAG LOOKS AWFULLY SIMILAR TO THE CONFEDERATE FLAGS THAT ARE USED TO INTIMIDATE THE BLACK COMMUNITY IN MY HOMETOWN AND ACROSS THE NATION FOR GENERATIONS.
I SHOULD'VE SAID SOMETHING THEN, BUT I LET FEAR GET THE BEST OF ME BECAUSE WE AS BLACK PEOPLE HAVE BECOME CONDITIONED TO LIVE IN FEAR OF WHITE AMERICA [NOISE].
WHEN I INITIALLY MADE A STATEMENT ABOUT THE SCHOOL, I HAD NO IDEA SO MANY OTHER PEOPLE HAD THE SAME SENTIMENTS.
FIFTEEN THOUSAND OTHER PEOPLE HAVE JOINED ME IN MY QUEST TO HAVE ALL THESE SYMBOLS OF OPPRESSION REMOVED SO THAT WE CAN ALL BE PROUD OF OUR SCHOOL.
SCHOOL IS NOT A PLACE TO HOLD ONTO LEGACY OF FAILURE AND TRADITIONS OF IGNORANCE.
HERITAGE SHOULD BE LEFT AT HOME, JUST LIKE ALL OTHER PEOPLE AT SCHOOL HAVE TO DO.
IT'S DEGRADING TO WALK AROUND WITH REBEL EMBLEMS AND HAVE OTHER PEOPLE STARE.
THIS SHOULD BE A SAFETY CONCERN LONG AGO.
YOUR BLACK STUDENTS OFTEN LOOK LIKE UNCLE TOM'S WRAPPED IN A CONFEDERATE FLAG WHILE PLAYING MINORITY SONGS.
THIS SCHOOL IS KNOWN AS THE CONFEDERATE SCHOOL AND MANY ARE SHAMED FOR ATTENDING.
I'M QUITE SHOCKED THAT AFTER SOMEONE SHOT THEMSELVES IN THE BATHROOM ON CAMPUS AND DIED, IT TOOK 20 MINUTES FOR ANYONE TO BELIEVE THE BLACK STUDENT WHO REPORTED IT.
CHANGE SHOULD HAVE BEEN IMPLEMENTED THEN TO PREVENT SUCH INDECENT THAT CAN STEM FROM BULLYING, RACISM, DEPRESSION, AND A LACK OF KNOWLEDGE.
THE ENTIRE THEME OF THIS SCHOOL IS OFFENSIVE, WHICH IS WHY MY POST IS CAUSING CONCERNS THROUGHOUT THE UNITED STATES.
PLEASE READ WHAT YOUR ALUMNI STUDENTS, PARENTS, AND FACULTY ARE SAYING.
SAYING TO TRULY UNDERSTAND THE IMPACT THAT SYSTEMATIC RACISM CAN HAVE AND HOW THIS SCHOOL HAS BEEN THE CAUSE OF MANY BLACK AND OTHER MINORITY STUDENTS FEELING INFERIOR.
THE POINT OF PICKING REBEL WHEN THE SCHOOL OPENED WAS IN PROTEST TO CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENTS IN WANTING TO KEEP A SENSE OF FALSE PRIDE AND WHITE HERITAGE.
I HAD BEEN BULLIED AND THREATENED MULTIPLE TIMES JUST FOR SPEAKING UP AND NOT TAKING, EXCUSE ME, AND NOT TAKING NO FOR AN ANSWER.
I WILL NOT LET UP ON BEHALF OF MY ANCESTORS WHO NEVER SAW FREEDOM, BUT INSTEAD, SAW A CONFEDERATE FLAG WHILE ACCEPTING DEATH IN A WAR THEY WERE FORCED TO FIGHT IN.
STUDENTS HAD BEEN MESSAGING ME THAT THEY TOO WERE AFRAID TO SPEAK, BUT THEY CAN NO LONGER LET FEAR DRIVE THEM.
I HAVE CALLED ON PEOPLE WHO I BELIEVE ARE FOR THE PROGRESSION OF THE BLACK COMMUNITY, INCLUDING FORMER ALUMNI, LOCAL RADIO NEWS, THE 14 BLACK MAGIC JUDGES ELECTED IN TEXAS.
JUDGE TAMMY CAMP, THE NAACP, THE NEW BLACK PANTHERS, BLACK OWNED BUSINESS NETWORKS, AND THE BLACK LIVES MATTER OF MOVEMENTS.
I HAVE ALSO CALLED A MINI SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS TO CONTINUE TO SHARE THIS MESSAGE AND HOPE FOR CHANGE.
PLEASE STAND WITH US AS WE CONTINUE TO FIGHT TO GAIN EQUALITY FOR ALL WITHIN OUR SCHOOL.
IT'S NEVER TOO LATE TO MAKE THINGS RIGHT.
HERE ARE A FEW THINGS THAT CAN NEVER BE ERASED FROM OUR SCHOOL HISTORY THAT CAN BUT COULD WORK TO FIX FOR OUR FUTURE ALUMNI.
HAVING BLACK FACE IN THE YEARBOOK, DOING STAGE PLAYS OF UNCLE TOM'S CABIN,
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RACIAL BULLYING, INEQUALITY, THE BLATANT DISRESPECT THAT PEOPLE HAVE BY PLACING CONFEDERATE FLAGS ON SCHOOL PROPERTIES.THEY WERE ALSO PASSED OUT AT THE PARADE A FEW WEEKS AGO.
WE DO NOT DESERVE TO BE DISREGARDED.
WE DO NOT DESERVE TO BE DISRESPECTED.
WE SHOULD HAVE NEVER HAD STUDENTS ACTING OUT THE CIVIL WAR AT HALFTIME AND SINGING THE SOUTH WILL RISE AGAIN AS THE CONFEDERATE SOLDIERS COME BACK FROM THE DEAD.
BEING PRETTY, BUT YOU'RE A BLACK GIRL, STUDENT ASKING WHY I'M SO WHITE IF MY PARENTS ARE BLACK? BEING CALLED AN IN-WORD WAS NORMAL.
SILENCING THE MINORITY VOICE WAS NORMAL.
HAVING THE, IF THEY WERE BLACK, A BLACK PRESIDENT DISCUSSION IN CLASS AND WATCHING AS MY CLASSMATES DISCUSS A BLACK PRESIDENT WOULD BE SHOT IMMEDIATELY.
TEACHERS OPENLY MAKING RACIST COMMENTS ABOUT BLACK HAIR IN STEREOTYPES THAT ARE NOT ACCURATE.
IT IS A FACT THAT THE THEME OF THIS SCHOOL HAS COMPRISED FROM THE POSITION OF RESISTANCE WHITE AMERICA HELD DURING THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT.
PLEASE DO NOT DENY ANY LONGER WHILE THE WORLD IS TELLING YOU THEY SEE IT FOR WHAT IT TRULY IS.
FROM MY HEART ONLY LUCRETIA GORE AND SHE WENT ON TO SHARE THE FOLLOWING QUOTE, "OUR NEW GOVERNMENT IS FOUNDED UPON EXACTLY THE OPPOSITE IDEAS.
ITS FOUNDATION IS LAID, ITS CORNERSTONE REST UPON THE GREAT TRUCE THAT THE NEGRO IS NOT EQUAL TO THE WHITE MAN.
THAT SLAVERY SUBORDINATION TO THE SUPERIOR RACE IS AS NATURAL AND NORMAL CONDITION.
OUR GOVERNMENT IS THE FIRST IN THE HISTORY OF THE WORLD BASED UPON THE GREAT PHYSICAL, PHYSIOLOGICAL, AND MORAL TRUTH.
THIS TRUTH HAS BEEN SLOW IN THE PROCESS OF ITS DEVELOPMENT, LIKE ALL OTHER TRUTHS IN THE VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS OF SCIENCE".
THAT WAS QUOTED FROM THE CORNERSTONE SPEECH, ALSO KNOWN AS THE CORNERSTONE ADDRESS, WAS AN ORATION GIVEN BY THE CONFEDERATE VICE PRESIDENT ALEXANDER H. STEPHENS.
SHE CONCLUDES AND SAY, IN THE MODERN DISPLAY OF FLAGS USED BY AND ASSOCIATED WITH THE CONFEDERATE STATES OF AMERICA, STATED IN THE RESPONSE TO THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENTS IN THE 1950S AND '60S AND CONTINUES IN THE PRESENT DAY.
AMERICA CAN NO LONGER BE BLINDED BY RACIST LIES TO PRESERVE A HERITAGE OF FAILURE.
KNOWLEDGE IS POWER, AND THIS SCHOOL SHOULD DO ALL IT CAN TO BE A MARTYR FOR CHANGE AND EXAMPLE TO OUR CHILDREN, LUCRETIA GORE.
WHILE I WAS A STUDENT AT RICHLAND, THE SCHOOL FAILED TO EDUCATE STUDENTS THAT THE LABELS,"REBELS", "JOHNNY REBS", ARE OFFENSIVE TERMS. NOW THAT I KNOW, I CAN'T JUST PRETEND THAT THESE LABELS ARE ANYTHING LESS THAN OFFENSIVE.
ALTHOUGH THE CONFEDERATE FLAG WAS TECHNICALLY REMOVED FROM THE OFFICIAL SCHOOL FLAG, DURING MY TIME AT RICHLAND HIGH, 2007-2011, THERE WERE STILL NUMEROUS CONFEDERATE FLAGS FLOWN AT BALL GAMES AND ON TRUCKS IN THE SCHOOL PARKING LOT.
CONFEDERATE FLAGS SHOULD BE IN SCHOOL BOOKS AS A TOPIC TO LEARN ABOUT, NOT FLOWN FROM PRIDE.
SCHOOLS NEED TO BE A SAFE PLACE FOR ALL CHILDREN.
SEEING SOMEONE PRIDEFULLY FLYING THE CONFEDERATE FLAG SENDS A MESSAGE THAT THEY ARE FOR THE THINGS THE CONFEDERATE PARTY WANTED.
SLAVERY BEING THE MAIN AND VERY OBVIOUS ONE.
SOME ARGUE THIS IS FAMILY HERITAGE, BEING THAT MANY FOLKS WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY HAVE GERMAN ANCESTRY.
LET'S SAY FOR INSTANCE, THAT YOUR GREAT GRANDPA WAS A NAZI, WITH THE SCHOOL BOARD GREEN FLYING THIS OFFENSIVE FLAG AT SCHOOL.
ANYONE THAT'S APATHETIC HOW THIS CULTURE THAT THE SCHOOL BOARD CONTINUES TO ALLOW IS HURTING THE CHILDREN BEING EDUCATED, HAS NO BUSINESS BEING A PART OF THE EDUCATION SYSTEM.
WE HAVE A DUTY TO REMOVE LABELS THAT BIND US TO THE CONFEDERATE ARMY, SO THAT ALL STUDENTS AND ALUMNI CAN FEEL PROUD OF REPRESENTING OUR SCHOOL.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR UNDERSTANDING, VICTORIA DEAN, CLASS OF 2011.
[00:55:02]
MY NAME IS NICK LEVER.I LIVE IN NORTH RICHLANDS HILLS.
I GRADUATED RICHLAND CLASS OF 2009, AND I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO SENDING MY TWO CHILDREN TO RICHLAND FOR THE GRADUATING CLASS OF 2029 AND 2030.
I'M ASKING YOU TO CHANGE THE SCHOOL MASCOT AND REPRESENTATIVE SYMBOLS AWAY FROM A REPRESENTATION OF RACISM AND OPPRESSION, SUCH AS REBELS OR RAIDERS.
I'M WRITING BECAUSE I'M HOPING THAT IN THIS TIME OF CHANGE IN OUR NATION, WE CAN TAKE A MOMENT TO REFLECT ON THE INSTITUTIONS THAT HAVE BROUGHT US TO WHERE WE ARE TODAY.
WHILE IT MAY NOT SEEM LIKE SOMETHING AS SMALL AS THE MASCOT OF A LOCAL HIGH SCHOOL CAN HAVE AN IMPACT ON THE STORY THAT IS UNFOLDING NATIONWIDE, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER THAT COMMUNITY IS MOST FELT AT THE LOCAL LEVEL.
MAKING OUR CHILDREN FEEL WELCOME IN A PLACE OF LEARNING SHOULD ALWAYS BE A PRIORITY.
THE FACT IS THAT THE CURRENT CULTURE THAT IS PRESENTED BY OUR SCHOOL REPRESENTATION IS NOT INVITING ONE OF THE BIPLC THAT FIND THEMSELVES IN OUR SCHOOL.
RACISM IS A FACET OF OUR PAST THAT WILL ALWAYS CAST A SPECTER OVER OUR PRESENT, BUT IT SHOULD NOT BE SOMETHING TO STRIVE FOR IN OUR FUTURE.
THE NEXT GENERATIONS OF CHILDREN, PARENTS, TEACHERS, AND ADMINISTRATORS ARE LOOKING TO US NOW TO CORRECT OUR PAST PROBLEMS NO MATTER HOW SMALL OR LARGE THEY ARE.
IT IS UP TO US TO CHANGE THOSE THINGS WE HAVE THE POWER TO CHANGE AND HOPE THAT MANY SMALL CHANGES WILL BRING ABOUT A LARGER CULTURAL SHIFT.
I OFTEN FEEL THAT I DO NOT GET A DIRECT SAY IN WHERE IT IS MY TAXES GO AND RELY ON MY REPRESENTATIVES TO DETERMINE THAT FOR ME.
HOWEVER, I WOULD BE PROUD TO HEAR THAT MY TAXES WE'RE GOING TOWARD A REBRANDING OF THE SCHOOL IN THE HOPES OF CREATING A MORE ACCEPTABLE, ACCEPTING CULTURE FOR MY CHILDREN AND THE OTHER CHILDREN IN OUR AGE.
>> MR. RICCARDI, THAT CONCLUDES THE COMMENTS THAT WE RECEIVED TODAY BY ONE O'CLOCK.
THE COMMENTS THAT HAVE COME IN AFTER THAT TIME WILL BE BROUGHT TO THE BOARD AT THE NEXT BOARD MEETING. THANK YOU.
>>THANK YOU GENTLEMEN, I APPRECIATE THAT.
[NOISE] WE WILL NOW CONVENE IN CLOSED SESSION AS AUTHORIZED BY TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE 551,
[Item D]
SPECIFICALLY 074 PERSONNEL OF 72 REAL PROPERTY 071 CONSULTATION BOARDS ATTORNEY AND 076 SECURITY PERSONNEL.[Items E & F]
>> TIME IS 07:30, WE WILL NOW RECONVENE INTO OPEN SESSION.
NEXT WE'LL CONSIDER THE PERSONNEL ITEMS. I WANT TO ANNOUNCE THAT DR. BROWN HAS ACCEPTED 12 RESIGNATIONS AND TWO RETIREMENTS.
DO I HAVE A MOTION FOR PERSONNEL ITEMS? [BACKGROUND].
>> MR. PRESIDENT, I MOVE THAT THE BOARD APPROVE AND ADOPT ALL PERSONNEL ITEMS AS PRESENTED AND RECOMMENDED BY THE SUPERINTENDENT. THANK YOU.
>> IS THAT RECORDING? [OVERLAPPING]
>>THANK YOU. MR. DELTS, NEED A DISCUSSION.
[Item G]
>> I WANT THE BUDGET WORKSHOP, DR. BROWN. [BACKGROUND]
WE'LL BEGIN, I'LL ASK KATIE TO COME UP AND GIVE A LITTLE UPDATE ON THE CURRENT STATE OF FINANCES, AND THEN WHEN SHE GETS DONE, I'D LIKE TO MAKE SOME INTRODUCTORY COMMENTS BEFORE WE TALK ABOUT SOME OTHER THINGS THAT COULD HAVE AN IMPACT ON OUR FINANCES IN UPCOMING SCHOOL YEAR, BUT FIRST I WILL TURN OVER TO MS. BOWMAN.
>> GOOD EVENING. JUST AN UPDATE ON OUR BUDGET SCHEDULE.
THE ONLY DATES THAT HAVE CHANGED ON THIS IS THE BUDGET AND TAX NOTICE FOR THE STAR TELEGRAM.
WE HAVE TO DO 10 DAYS BEFORE THE JUNE 25TH MEETING.
AS OF TODAY, THE CONTROLLER STILL DOESN'T HAVE THE TAX RATE CALCULATION WORKSHEETS ON THE WEBSITE.
THEY POSTED THEM LAST WEEK AND THERE WERE A NUMBER OF ERRORS.
THEY RE-POSTED THEM, THEN THEY HAD TO PULL THEM DOWN AGAIN.
SO I WAS ABLE TO GET A COPY OF THE LAST ITERATION FROM OUR DELINQUENT ATTORNEY AND HE WALKED ME THROUGH THE ERRORS SO THAT I COULD DO THE CALCULATIONS CORRECTLY.
WE'RE STILL WAITING FOR TOMORROW TO SEE IF THEY FINALLY PUT THEM OUT.
BUT WHEN I CALLED, SHE TOLD ME IT MIGHT BE FRIDAY, BUT I THINK THE INFORMATION WE HAVE I BELIEVE IS CORRECT, SO I'M NOT REALLY WORRIED ABOUT IT.
WE DO HAVE THE NOTICE READY TO GO, SO EVERYTHING'S READY.
WE'RE JUST WAITING TO SEE IF THEY DO THAT FINAL PIECE.
SO MORE THAN LIKELY TOMORROW, SHARAY WILL SEND THE NOTICE OVER TO THE STAR TELEGRAM AND IT WILL BE POSTED ON FRIDAY.
I JUST WANTED TO UPDATE YOU AND I KNOW YOU GUYS SAW THIS LAST NIGHT, BUT SINCE WE DO NOT HAVE A RAISE BUILT INTO THE TEACHER HIRING SCHEDULE THIS YEAR, I MADE A NOTATION THAT THE STARTING PAY AND THE YEAR ONE PAY WILL BOTH BE $55,000.
[01:00:03]
JUST [INAUDIBLE] LIKE TO GIVE YOU THE SCHEDULE SO YOU CAN SEE WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE.DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THE SCHEDULE?
>> YOU CAN, BUT THEN THERE'LL BE A PAY INCREASE.
BASICALLY, THE TEACHERS WOULD END UP GETTING A STEP.
BECAUSE WHAT WE TRADITIONALLY DO, AND I DON'T THINK I HAVE THAT.
DO WE HAVE THAT UP THERE [INAUDIBLE]?
>> THAT'S CORRECT. BUT IF YOU KEEP IT THE SAME, THEN WHAT WE DO IS IN OUR SYSTEM, THIS IS THE SCALE THAT DETERMINES THE TEACHER SALARIES.
SO AS THEY GET THAT EXTRA YEAR OF EXPERIENCE, IT WOULD MOVE THEM DOWN THAT SCALE IF WE DID NOT INCREMENT IT LIKE THIS.
LET ME SEE, I THINK I LOADED UP.
>> SO IN OTHER WORDS, YOU'RE KEEPING THE SALARY THE SAME, BUT YOU CAN'T KEEP THEM FROM GETTING A YEAR'S EXPERIENCE.
SO THESE PEOPLE MOVE FROM HERE TO HERE.
WHEN THEY MOVE THERE THEN THEY ARE IN A NEW SALARY.
>> THEN YOU HAVE TO PLUG IN THE 55 ON THEM.
BUT THEN YOU WOULD HAVE A NEW HIRE WITH 16 YEARS MAKING MORE THAN SOMEBODY WHO HAS BEEN WITH YOU THE WHOLE TIME FOR 16 YEARS BECAUSE THEY GOT STOPPED AT 15 AND THE NEW PERSON COMING IN AT 16 WOULD BE MAKING [OVERLAPPING] $450 MORE.
>> WELL, THAT'S POSSIBLE, YES.
SO WE HAVE SOME DIFFERENT SALARIES.
>> BUT DEPENDING ON HOW LONG THEY'VE BEEN IN THE SYSTEM AND [INAUDIBLE] , SURE, YOU HAVE DIFFERENT SALARIES, BUT BOTTOM LINE IS, IF YOU'RE SAYING NO RAISES, THEN THERE ARE NO RAISES.
SO WE HAD THIS CONVERSATION AND THEN HERE'S THE ISSUE.
THE REASON WE WENT AWAY FROM THE STEPS SEVERAL YEARS AGO IS THAT YOU'RE PUBLICIZING NO RAISE, BUT IF YOU GIVE THE STEP, YOU'VE ADDED ABOUT $800,000 TO YOUR RECURRING BUDGET, AND TEACHERS THEN WOULD BE THE ONLY GROUP OF PEOPLE GETTING QUARTER RAISE.
BECAUSE SO MANY OF THESE FOLKS GET UP TO ABOUT $1000.
IT RANGES FROM ABOUT 300 TO ABOUT 1,000.
SO IN A YEAR OF NO RAISE, IF YOU ADDED THE STEP, THEY'D GET $1,000 RAISE AND THEN YOU'D HAVE A COORDINATOR GET NOTHING, YOU'D GET, ALL YOUR OTHER PEOPLE GET NOTHING.
SO IN ESSENCE, THEY'D BE THE ONLY GROUP THAT GOT AN INCREASE IN PAY.
THE BOARD CAN CERTAINLY ADD A STEP.
IT'S JUST ABOUT $800,000 FOR TEACHERS ONLY TO DO THE STEP.
>> ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, COMMENTS ON THAT?
ONE ON THE NUMBER, BUT THE SALARY THAT WAS WITH THEM LAST YEAR WILL BE WITH THEM THIS YEAR WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THAT THE BOARD CHOOSES TO DO THE ONE-TIME PAY, THEN THEY GET THAT AS A ONE-TIME BONUS.
>> THAT'S TRUE, THAT'S ABSOLUTELY TRUE.
>> I THINK THE REASON WE CALL IT A HIRING SCHEDULE IS SO THAT NO ONE CAN LOOK AT IT AND SAY, "OKAY, NEXT YEAR, [OVERLAPPING] IF THE BOARD DOESN'T GIVE RAISES, I'M GOING TO GET THAT AMOUNT," BECAUSE THAT'S HOW IT WAS YEARS AGO WHEN DISTRICTS DID DO STEPS.
THERE WAS ALWAYS THE UNDERSTANDING FROM A TEACHER THAT IF THERE WERE NO RAISES BY THE BOARD, YOU WOULD STILL INCREMENT THE STEPS.
SO IT WAS MOVED TO A HIRING SCHEDULE SO THAT BASICALLY THIS IS WHAT THE BOARD HAS APPROVED THIS YEAR, AND UNLESS THEY CHOOSE TO CHANGE IT, AND I SEE WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, BUT BASICALLY WE DIDN'T WANT PEOPLE WHO DEPEND ON IT FOR A FUTURE YEAR BECAUSE EVERY YEAR IT HAD TO BE REVIEWED.
IN THE PAST, THE SALARY SCHEDULE REALLY NEVER CHANGED UNLESS YOU GAVE RAISES.
SO TEACHERS COULD LOOK AND SAY, "WELL, IF NOTHING HAPPENS, IF I'M A YEAR TWO TEACHER IN YEAR FOUR, THAT'S HOW MUCH MORE THAT I WOULD MAKE." I DON'T KNOW WHAT YEAR BIRDVILLE MOVED AWAY FROM THE STEP.
>> SEVERAL YEARS AGO AND THEN WHAT YOU'RE QUOTING IS YOUR RAISE, TRULY IS A RAISE, I WOULD NOT WANT TO QUOTE A TWO PERCENT RAISE IF YOU'RE GIVING TWO PERCENT PLUS A STEP, I'D WANT TO TAKE THAT EXTRA HALF PERCENT.
SAY YOU GOT A TWO AND A HALF PERCENT RAISE.
I'D ALSO LIKE TO SPREAD IT OUT BECAUSE IF YOU JUST DO THE STEP AND YOU ACTUALLY MOVE THEM, THEN YOU GOT $300-$1000 OF INCREASES, AND IT'S HARD TO COMMUNICATE THAT.
I'D TAKE THE 800,000, WHICH IS ABOUT A HALF A PERCENT AND I'D GIVE A HALF PERCENT MORE RAISE, THEN IT'S THE SAME.
IT'S EQUITABLE. OTHERWISE THERE'S WINNERS AND LOSERS SO TO SPEAK.
>> ANY OTHER COMMENTS? SO FOR FACILITIES, I MENTIONED THIS TO YOU AT THE LAST MEETING.
I'M JUST GOING TO GO OVER A FEW THINGS TO GIVE YOU AN UPDATE ON WHAT WE'VE BEEN DOING.
WE HAVE BEEN MEETING WITH A GROUP OF LEAD PRINCIPLES,
[01:05:01]
DIRECTORS, AND OTHER FACILITY STAFF.WE'VE GOT OUR NEXT MEETING TOMORROW.
THESE ARE SOME OF THE ITEMS THAT WE'VE BEEN EXPLORING.
WE THINK A LOT OF THESE MAY BE REIMBURSABLE AT 75 PERCENT BY FEMA.
>> THESE ARE WELL DEFINED FOR THE RECEPTION AREAS.
[INAUDIBLE] [LAUGHTER] [INAUDIBLE]
>> SO WE'RE GOING TO BE PURCHASING SOME OF THOSE FOR CAMPUSES, FOR THE FRONT LOBBY HERE SO THAT WE HAVE OPPORTUNITIES.
LET'S SAY THEY HAD A DAY WHERE PARENTS HAD TO COME UP AND TAKE CARE OF PAPERWORK, THEY COULD MOVE THOSE TO A TABLE, SET IT UP, AND HAVE THE PARENTS PREPARE PAPERWORK SO THAT'S WHAT WE'VE WE FOUND.
WE DIDN'T WANT TO HAVE TO ATTACH THINGS TO DESKS AND COUNTERS, OR HANG IT FROM THE CEILING.
WE REALLY WANTED SOMETHING A LITTLE MORE PORTABLE, SO THAT WAS WHAT SOME OF MY GUYS FOUND.
SO WE HAVE SOME OF THOSE ON ORDER RIGHT NOW.
JUST TO LET YOU KNOW WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW, WE'VE GOT A LOT OF THINGS ON ORDER, SOME THINGS IN PLACE, BUT WE HAVE A COUPLE OF MONTHS WORTH OF SANITIZER.
IT'S AMAZING HOW MUCH YOU CAN GO THROUGH WITH 24,000 STUDENTS, BUT YOU CAN SEE WE HAVE QUITE A FEW THINGS THAT WE'VE ALREADY ACQUIRED.
WE WERE ALERTED TODAY BY TEA THAT THEY'RE GOING TO BE SENDING US HAND SANITIZER, MASK, GLOVES, A NUMBER OF OTHER ITEMS THAT THEY'RE GOING TO BE SHIPPING HERE.
I THINK THE SANITIZER WAS OVER 2,000 GALLONS.
SO WE'LL HAVE TO SEE WHAT FORMAT THOSE COME IN, SO WE'LL HAVE ADDITIONAL SUPPLIES THAT THE STATE IS GOING TO BE PROVIDING TO US TO HELP US OUT AS WE GO THROUGH.
>> BECAUSE RIGHT NOW THE REPLACEMENT THING, YOU'VE GOT THE BAGS THAT GO IN THAT DISPENSER THING.
>> WE DO, THAT'S RIGHT, AND I'VE GOT A PHOTO JUST TO SHOW YOU.
THIS IS THE ONE THING I WANTED TO BRING TO YOU TONIGHT THAT WE WANTED TO MOVE FORWARD WITH, SO THIS IS THE BOTTLE FILLERS.
WE HAVE TAKEN INVENTORY OF ALL OF OUR CAMPUSES, AND SOME CAMPUSES ALREADY HAD BOTTLE FILLERS.
WE'RE PLANNING ON ORDERING AROUND 75.
THERE'LL BE TWO AT EACH ELEMENTARY, UNLESS THEY ALREADY HAVE TWO.
THEY'LL BE THREE CAMPUSES WITH ENROLLMENT GREATER THAN 500.
WE WILL HAVE A FEW EXTRAS, SO AS WE WORKED WITH THE CAMPUSES, IF THEY HAVE A LARGE GEOGRAPHIC AREA IN THEIR CAMPUS, THEN WE MAY ADD AN ADDITIONAL ONE.
THE MIDDLE SCHOOLS WILL RECEIVE THREE PER CAMPUS, THE HIGH SCHOOLS, HALTOM, I THINK THEY HAVE FOUR RIGHT NOW SO THEY'LL GET ONE MORE.
BUT WE WANT TO HAVE FIVE AT HALTOM, FOUR AT BIRDVILLE AND RICHLAND.
WE'LL PUT ONE EACH AT SHANNON AND DAP, AND THEN THREE AT THE [INAUDIBLE].
SO WE'D LIKE TO GET STARTED ON THAT IF WE COULD. YES, SIR.
>> [OVERLAPPING] WHY WOULD SOME SCHOOLS HAVE THESE AND SOME NOT?
>> WELL, THROUGH SOME OF THE ONETIME REQUEST WHEN WE WENT OUT TO CAMPUSES, SOME OF OUR HIGH SCHOOLS ACTUALLY REQUESTED THEM.
SOME OF THE OTHERS, THEY MAY HAVE BEEN INSTALLED.
I KNOW RICHLAND, I'M TRYING TO THINK HOW MANY HE TOLD ME HAD, THEY GOT SEVERAL THERE.
BUT A LOT OF THEM ARE IN THE ATHLETIC AREAS.
THE ONLY THING I CAN FIGURE IS MAYBE A CAMPUS FUNDED IT AT SOME POINT BACK IN THE PAST AND WALKER CREEK HAS SEVERAL, BUT I WAS NOT AWARE OF WHEN THOSE WERE INSTALLED.
SO THAT'S REALLY THE REASON, I KNOW MOST OF THE ELEMENTARY'S DO NOT HAVE ANY, BUT THEY ARE ALREADY USING WATER BOTTLES.
SO THE PRINCIPALS WERE VERY EXCITED ABOUT THE PROSPECT OF GETTING WATER FILLERS.
>> IS THAT ON? ONE OF THE THINGS AND IT WASN'T BULLYING, MAYBE IN SKIPS AREA MORE SO, BUT BOTH MY KIDS JUST GAVE UP ON BRINGING WATER BOTTLES TO SCHOOL BECAUSE FRIENDLY OR WHATEVER, IF IT'S THAT PEOPLE TAKE THEM AND THEY THROW THEM ON TOP OF THE ROOF.
THEY PLAY KEEP AWAY, AND THEY FINALLY, JUST LIKE I'M BRINGING A BOTTLED WATER I CAN'T DO THIS, AND IF IT'S A NICE ONE THEN IT GETS STOLEN.
SO I'M NOT AGAINST THESE IN ANY WAY.
I THINK FACULTY WILL PROBABLY USE THEM AND OTHERS, BUT I'M ALSO KIND OF DISAPPOINTED BECAUSE THERE'S GOING TO BE MORE MESSING AROUND BECAUSE OF THE WATER BOTTLES IF PEOPLE START DOING IT.
ARE WE SHUTTING DOWN THE OTHER WATER FOUNTAINS?
>> WE HAVEN'T MADE THAT DECISION YET.
I KNOW THE CDC, I HAD MICHELLE PROVENCE, OUR DIRECTOR OF NURSING HAD DONE SOME LOOKING ON SOME OF THE DIFFERENT WEBSITES.
THEY'RE NOT SAYING TO SHUT THEM DOWN BECAUSE THE CONSTANT WATER FLOW KEEPS THE WATER FRESH, BUT I KNOW AT ELEMENTARY LEVEL, YOU TEND TO HAVE KIDS PUTTING THEIR MOUTHS ON THEM.
SO WE MAY DO THAT WHEN SCHOOL STARTS.
[01:10:02]
I KNOW ONE OF THE PRINCIPALS SITS ON THE COMMITTEE THAT WE'RE WORKING ON.SHE SAID ALL OF HER STUDENTS HAVE WATER BOTTLES THAT THEY BRING TO SCHOOL.
SO SHE SAID THAT WOULD BE A REALLY USEFUL THING FOR THEM TO HAVE, IS TO HAVE THE FILLER.
NOW, THE SECONDARY LEVEL, I WASN'T AWARE OF IT.
>> THIS WAS MIDDLE SCHOOL WHERE THEY JUST GAVE UP ON IT, FINALLY.
THE REASON I WAS ASKING IS THEY'VE SHUT DOWN THE DRINKING FOUNTAIN AT THE REC CENTER.
SO I JUST DIDN'T KNOW WHAT WE WERE DOING.
I DON'T KNOW WHERE THEY GOT THAT FROM.
>> WE'RE WAITING TO GET MORE GUIDANCE ON THAT.
BUT RIGHT NOW, WE'RE HOPING THAT IF WE DO NEED TO DO THAT, WE'LL STILL HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR KIDS TO GET WATER.
>> I THINK YOU HAVE TO HAVE THOSE FOR SOME DEGREE BECAUSE OF STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING AND THEY'RE NOT PROVIDING [NOISE] WATER OUTSIDE.
SO THEY REQUIRE ATHLETES, BAND MEMBERS TO BRING THEIR OWN WATER.
SO YOU GOT TO HAVE SOMETHING TO FILL IN WHAT HE SHOWS.
SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT THEY'RE NOT PROVIDING WATER ANYMORE AND WHAT THEY CALL A COW, THAT BIG PLASTIC THING ANYMORE.
>> I KNOW THAT THAT'S ON THE CDC LIST, THAT YOU CAN'T DO THAT.
>> ANY QUESTIONS ON THAT? WELL, IF YOU'RE GOOD WITH THAT, WE'LL MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT PURCHASE.
JUST A COUPLE OF PICTURES I WANT YOU TO SEE WHAT THESE LOOK LIKE.
SO THESE ARE THE DISPENSERS THAT WE'RE GETTING WITH 3,000 OF THEM COMING IN, AND THOSE ARE FREE WITH THE PURCHASE OF THE SANITIZER.
WE'LL BE PLACING THOSE ON THE WALLS AND THEN WE'LL HAVE STANDS TO GO WITH THEM. YES, SIR.
>> I'M SO SORRY. THE PICTURE THAT YOU HAD DOESN'T HAVE A CATCH UNDERNEATH IT.
>> DO YOU KNOW WHETHER IT DOES?
>> THE ONES LIKE THESE THAT WE HAVE JUST TO ANSWER.
>> THOSE ARE THE PUSH IN, SO YOU PUSH IT IN WITH YOUR HAND UNDERNEATH.
>> SO VERSUS THE ONE THAT YOU PUT UNDER AND AUTOMATICALLY DISPENSES.
THEY DON'T HAVE A CATCH AT THE BOTTOM ON THIS TYPE.
THEY ONLY HAVE IT ON THE ELECTRONIC ONES.
>> I'M ASSUMING THIS, IT LOOKS LIKE THE MANUAL PUSHING THE WAY EASIER. [LAUGHTER]
YES. CORRECT. THIS IS THE SANITIZER BOTTLES THAT WE WILL HAVE AVAILABLE IN THE CLASSROOMS FOR THE STUDENTS AROUND THE DISTRICT.
>> I DON'T NEED TO KNOW ALL THE SOURCE AND MAKING, BUT HOW DID YOU ALL COME UP WITH THE GUESSTIMATE ON HOW MUCH FOAMING HAND SANITIZER TO ORDER?[LAUGHTER] I WAS CURIOUS, I WAS FASCINATED BY THAT.
>> I THINK THAT WE GOT AS MUCH AS WE FELT LIKE WE COULD HOUSE.
>> THERE ARE SHORTAGES OF THAT, AND IT MAY BE NOW IT'S BECAUSE THE STATES GENERATING A LOT OF IT THERE, BUT THIS IS WHAT WE'LL BE PUTTING IN THE CLASSROOMS AND MAKING AVAILABLE FOR THE STUDENTS.
>> ONE OF THE THINGS WE WANTED TO DO THIS SUMMER IS TO KEEP OUR CUSTODIANS FROM HAVING TO WORK IN PAIRS.
SO WE BOUGHT THESE DESK DOLLIES TO ALLOW THEM TO BE ABLE TO MOVE FURNITURE WITHOUT INJURING THEMSELVES.
THIS IS MY FAVORITE, AND I WISH I HAD TIME TO SHOW YOU A VIDEO, THERE'S A VIDEO ONLINE IF YOU WANT TO LOOK AT KAIVAC CLEANING MACHINES.
THIS IS THE NEW WAY WE'RE GOING TO BE CLEANING BATHROOMS. IT'S BASICALLY, FROM THE VIDEO, YOU SPRAY OUT SANITIZER AND IT'S A PRESSURE WASHER, SO YOU BASICALLY PRESSURE WASH THE ENTIRE BATHROOM AND THEN VACUUM IT UP.
IT WAS AMAZING TO WATCH THE CLEANLINESS.
SOME OF OUR BATHROOMS, LITTLE BOY BATHROOMS, MAYBE THAT DON'T SMELL THAT GREAT [LAUGHTER] CLEANING OF THAT MAY HELP THE GROUT AND THOSE KIND OF THINGS.
[LAUGHTER] [BACKGROUND] IT MAY MAKE A VAST IMPROVEMENT IN SOME OF THE RESTROOMS AT THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
[LAUGHTER] I'M SORRY. LET'S MOVE ON, I DID NOT INTEND TO DO THAT. [LAUGHTER] SORRY ABOUT THAT.
>> THEY DON'T CALL THOSE LITTLE KIDS LITTLE SQUIRTS FOR NOTHING.
>> [LAUGHTER] NO, I DIDN'T SAY THAT. OKAY. [LAUGHTER]
>> SORRY, THAT WAS RECORDED, WASN'T IT?
>> HERE'S ANOTHER PIECE OF INFORMATION.
YOU HAD REQUESTED ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON THE PRIVATE SCHOOL REQUIREMENTS FOR FEDERAL CARES ACT.
I HATE TO TELL YOU, WE DON'T KNOW A WHOLE LOT MORE.
WE DO HAVE A DOCUMENT THAT GAVE US JUST SOME BASIC INFORMATION, BUT THERE'S A TRAINING NEXT WEEK THAT'S SUPPOSED TO GO INTO THE DETAILS.
SO THIS EQUITABLE SERVICES REQUIREMENT, WE CANNOT GIVE THEM MONEY.
THE SERVICES MUST BE PROVIDED TO ALL PRIVATE, NONPROFIT TEACHERS AND STUDENTS LOCATED WITHIN THE DISTRICT BOUNDARIES.
THE DISTRICT IS RESPONSIBLE FOR CONTACTING ALL OF THOSE SCHOOLS WITHIN ITS BOUNDARIES AND NOTIFYING THEM OF THE OPPORTUNITY TO OBTAIN EQUITABLE SERVICES UNDER THE CARES ACT FOR NEXT YEAR.
THE PROPORTIONAL SHARE FOR EQUITABLE SERVICES IS BASED ON THE TOTAL ENROLLMENT AT THE DISTRICT AND THE PMP SCHOOLS.
RIGHT NOW, TEA IS ALLOWING US TO HOLD BACK FIVE PERCENT OF THE FUNDS THAT THEY'VE PROVIDED THROUGH CARE TO TRY TO HELP US WITH THOSE COSTS, BUT WE DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THAT'S GOING TO LOOK LIKE YET.
THEN THE DISTRICT WILL BE REQUIRED TO DOCUMENT AND SEND IN DOCUMENTATION TO TEA TO AFFIRM THAT WE HAVE ACTUALLY OFFERED THOSE SERVICES AND PROVIDED THEM.
[01:15:02]
>> GIVE ME A LIST OF THREE THINGS AND SERVICES THAT THEY'LL PROVIDE.
>> WELL, I THINK YOU HAVE TO MEET WITH EACH SCHOOL AND DETERMINE THAT. I'LL LET RACHEAL [INAUDIBLE]
>> FROM WHAT WE'RE SEEING, ONCE A PMP DECIDES THAT THEY WOULD LIKE THESE FUNDS, WE WILL ACTUALLY HAVE A GROUP OF PEOPLE THAT WILL MEET WITH THEM TO DETERMINE WHAT THEIR NEEDS ARE.
THEN WE WILL THEN TRY TO MATCH WHATEVER SERVICES WE'RE PROVIDING THAT THEY CAN PIGGYBACK ON, FOR LACK OF A BETTER TERM.
THERE COULD BE PURCHASE OF EQUIPMENTS, BUT THE PROBLEM WITH THE EQUIPMENT ARE NOT THE PROBLEM, BUT WHAT WE WILL HAVE TO DO WITH THE EQUIPMENT, THE EQUIPMENT REMAINS BISD'S.
BUT IF THEY HAVE DETERMINED THAT THEIR NEED IS TECHNOLOGY EQUIPMENT, AND ONCE WE FIGURE OUT WHAT THEIR PROPORTIONAL SHARE IS, WE CAN MAKE THAT PURCHASE AND THEN THAT EQUIPMENT BECOMES OURS AT THE END OF THE TIME.
>> SERVICE? I WOULD THINK LIKE TEACHER TRAINING. TEACHER TRAINING.
>> SOME OF THE SOFTWARE WE PROVIDE WITH THE ONLINE LEARNING.
>> THEY COULD GET INTO SOME OF THE ONLINE SOFTWARE LEARNING.
>> POSSIBLY. WE'RE STILL RESEARCHING THAT, THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS WE WENT AWAY WITH BECAUSE WE'RE NOT SURE HOW THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO WORK WITHIN THE NETWORK.
>> I THINK THE TRAINING IS USUALLY THE ONE THAT IS THE MOST WIDELY USED BECAUSE WE SHARED SOME RESOURCES THAT ARE NOT DEPENDENT UPON THE NETWORK.
>> DOES THAT MEAN WE ALLOW THEM TO COME TO OUR TEACHER TRAINING?
>> THAT'S BEEN THE MOST COMMON.
>> WE DON'T DO THE SPECIAL TRAINING JUST FOR THEM?
>> THEY'RE ALLOWED TO COME IN.
>> YEAH. THEN WE'LL PUT A VALUE ON THAT AND THEN THAT BECOMES PART OF THEIR ALLOCATION.
>> SO ON A COMPUTER THAT YOU WOULD BUY EXTRAS AND GIVE TO THEM?
>> THAT WAS ONE OF THE EXAMPLES THAT WAS SHARED ON A RECENT CALL FOR.
>> THEY LIKE WHAT WE'VE BEEN DISTRIBUTING.
>> THE CHROMEBOOKS? OKAY. [BACKGROUND]
>> THEN GETTING THOSE, BUT YOUR HOTSPOT WOULD BE A SERVICE.
>> HOTSPOTS WOULD BE A SERVICE.
>> OKAY. SO WOULD YOU IN IT, [INAUDIBLE]?
>> WHAT I AM UNDERSTANDING IS THAT [INAUDIBLE] TRAININGS AND WE OFFERED IT UP TO OTHER DISTRICTS AND PEOPLE WOULD COME AND VISIT THOSE TRAININGS AND THEY BRING THEIR OWN DEVICE AND GET ON OUR WI-FI AND THEY PARTICIPATE IN THAT TRAINING. [INAUDIBLE]
>> [OVERLAPPING] SOFTWARE AGREEMENTS. YEAH. I ASK IF YOU WOULD IMAGE THEM, BECAUSE I'M GOING, YOU GOT SOFTWARE AGREEMENT ISSUES, AND THEN YOU'RE ON WITH A RECURRING, AND YOU HAVE THE MAINTENANCE, THEN YOU HAVE THE UPDATING.
>> THAT'S WHY WHEN YOU SAY, " [INAUDIBLE] REALLY INTERESTING, YOU'VE PULLED THAT SOFTWARE THING."
>> [OVERLAPPING] YEAH. ONE OF THE CONCERNS THOUGH, OR I'LL THROW THIS OUT THERE, IS THAT THESE FUNDS ARE NOT LIKE THE TYPICAL PMP FUNDS AND SERVICES THAT WE HAVE TO HAVE.
THEY ARE MUCH MORE BROAD, MEANING THEY HAVE MUCH MORE ABILITY.
PLUS, PMPS CAN ACCEPT THESE FUNDS, AND NOT BE TIED TO ANY OF THE OTHER FEDERAL REGULATIONS THAT THE OTHER FEDERAL FUNDS TIE THEM TO, AND IT'S FOR EVERY STUDENT AND TEACHER, NOT JUST THE LOW SOCIOECONOMIC STUDENTS.
WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THIS CAN IS GOING TO LOOK LIKE UNTIL WE GET IT OPEN, BUT LIKE I SAID, WE HAVE IDENTIFIED THE PMPS IN OUR AREA. WE ARE WORKING.
I WAS ON AN EMAIL TODAY, THAT FORT WORTH ISD IS DOING A BIG SURVEY TO ALL THE PMPS IN THEIR DISTRICT, AND THEY'RE GOING TO BE SHARING THAT INFORMATION WITH US TO IDENTIFY THOSE THAT MIGHT BE RECEPTIVE TO CARES MONEY.
SO WE'LL BE WORKING WITH THOSE AS WE LEARN MORE INFORMATION.
>> THAT TRAINING WILL BE NEXT WEEK.
THERE'S A SPECIFIC TEA TRAINING NEXT WEEK FOR THIS.
>> [OVERLAPPING] ANY OTHER QUESTIONS?
>> [OVERLAPPING] OH, SORRY, WHITNEY.
>> SINCE THIS IS THE CARES ACT FOR THE 2021 SCHOOL YEAR, DO YOU ANTICIPATE ALL OF THIS TO PASS THROUGH AND BE DONE AFTER NEXT YEAR?
>> THE CARES MONEY IS ONLY GOOD THROUGH THE END OF NEXT YEAR OF DECEMBER '22.
>> [OVERLAPPING] OKAY. RIGHT. THEN I WOULDN'T OBSESS OVER IT.
I HATE TO SOUND HORSEY, BUT IT'S JUST WEIRD.
>> WELL, STRANGER THINGS, THE MONEY THAT WE'RE GETTING FOR CARES IS ACTUALLY GOING TO BE REPORTED THIS FISCAL YEAR, SO THAT'S A PIECE OF THIS.
BECAUSE INITIALLY, THEY SAID, "YOU CAN SPEND IT NEXT YEAR." BUT THEY'RE GOING TO REDUCE OUR GENERAL FUND DOLLARS THIS YEAR.
SO IF YOU DON'T REPORT IT, THEN YOU'RE SHORTING YOURSELF.
YOU CAN REPORT IT NEXT YEAR, BUT THEN YOU COULD END UP WITH OTHER ISSUES THIS YEAR.
THIS IS A FEDERAL REQUIREMENT, AND I HAVE SEEN SOME WRITINGS OUT THERE THAT SOME DISTRICTS OR SOME STATES ARE PUSHING BACK A LITTLE BIT ON THIS PARTICULAR PIECE OF IT.
BUT AT THIS POINT, WE'RE JUST WAITING FOR DIRECTION FROM TEA.
[01:20:03]
COULD WE REPORT OUR ACTIVE SHOOTER TRAINING, IF WE WERE TO INVITE THEM AND THEY WERE TO COME? SINCE THAT'S NOT NECESSARILY A COST, BUT WE COULD RECOVER THE COST.BECAUSE WE'RE GOING TO PROVIDE IT ANYWAY TO OUR STAFF, BUT WE CAN CHARGE THEM IF THEY ACCESS IT.
THAT WOULD NOT BE A COST TO THE DISTRICT, BUT IT'S SOMETHING WE COULD-
>> [BACKGROUND] [LAUGHTER] [NOISE].
>> [OVERLAPPING] IT'S GOING TO BE DEPENDENT UPON WHAT THEY HAVE IDENTIFIED THROUGH THEIR NEEDS ASSESSMENT.
>> OKAY. ALL RIGHT, IF THEY DO, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WOULD NOT BE A COST BECAUSE IT'S GOING TO BE ONLINE.
>> [BACKGROUND] HOW MANY ARE THERE?
>> [BACKGROUND] WE MAY NEED MORE.
>> OKAY, ANYTHING ELSE ON THAT?
>> OKAY. OTHER BOARD UPDATES, [INAUDIBLE] GO OVER THE UPDATED NUMBERS.
>> SO WHAT YOU HAVE IN FRONT OF YOU RIGHT NOW IS THE '19-20 REVISED BUDGET THAT WE'RE GOING TO PRESENT IS THAT A VERY SUMMARIZED LEVEL FOR YOU.
WHAT WE ARE PROPOSING IS TO BASICALLY CONTINUE WITH THE BUDGET AS IT HAS BEEN ADOPTED THROUGH THIS DATE.
AS KATIE MENTIONED, THE CARES MONEY IS GOING TO BE A REVENUE SOURCE OF ABOUT $3.6 MILLION THAT IS GOING TO, AT SOME POINT, HAVE TO BE RECORDED AS FEDERAL FUNDS.
OUR REVENUES UP THERE, THAT 219 MILLION WILL ACTUALLY HAVE THREE MILLION OF IT BEING OUT OF FEDERAL FUNDS AND $216 MILLION OUT OF LOCAL FUNDS.
HOWEVER, ALL THE FAQS COMING OUT FROM TEA IS SHOWING THAT WE WILL BE ABLE TO ALWAYS REPORT IN OUR AFR, EXCUSE ME, ANNUAL FINANCIAL REPORT.
IN THE ANNUAL FINANCIAL REPORT, THEY WILL BE ABLE TO REPORT BOTH 266, WHICH IS THE FEDERAL FUNDS AND THE 199, THE LOCAL FUNDS.
EVERY BUDGET COMPARISON WILL BE DONE WITH BOTH FUNDS TOGETHER.
WHAT WE ARE PROPOSING TO YOU TONIGHT, BECAUSE WE STILL DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THOSE FUNDS CAN BE EXPENDED ON.
THAT TRAINING IS ACTUALLY THURSDAY AND FRIDAY OF THIS WEEK.
WE ARE PROPOSING THAT WE GO AHEAD AND LEAVE THE BUDGET PRETTY MUCH AS IT WAS, THAT YOU SAW IN APRIL AND MAY.
THAT WAY, WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE COVERED, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE ABLE TO EXPEND OUR FUNDS AS WE HAVE PLANNED AT THIS POINT.
THE NEXT SCREEN, I'M GOING TO SHOW YOU IS WHERE WE THINK WE'RE ACTUALLY GOING TO BE WITH FUND BALANCE, OR ACTUALLY SOME EXPERIENCE ON SAVINGS.
REMEMBER, WHEN WE STARTED THE BUDGET PROCESS, WE SAID THAT WE WOULD HAVE APPROXIMATELY NINE MILLION DOLLARS AVAILABLE FROM THIS YEAR'S BUDGET TO SPEND ON ONE-TIME EXPENDITURES.
WE WENT THROUGH THAT PROCESS, AND WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THAT.
AS I STARTED LOOKING AT THE BUDGET NOW, AS WHERE WE ARE AFTER TWO MONTHS OF CLOSURE, WE ARE ACTUALLY LOOKING AT APPROXIMATELY 11 MILLION OF UNSPENT FUNDS.
I'VE GIVEN YOU SOME HIGHLIGHTS THERE.
WE HAVE $1.6 MILLION OF REDUCED REVENUE.
OUR ADA IS GOING TO BE LESS THAN WE ANTICIPATED BASED ON HOW TEA IS DOING.
THE CALCULATION FOR THE FIFTH AND SIXTH WEEKS ADA, THAT COMPARING IT TO WHAT WE DID LAST YEAR AND OUR ENROLLMENT OR EXCUSE ME, ADA FROM THE 4-6 WEEKS OF '18-'19, WENT DOWN ABOUT 0.3 PERCENT BETWEEN THAT AND THE FINAL ADA.
SO OUR ADA FOR THIS YEAR IS ALSO GOING TO GO DOWN THAT SAME 0.3 PERCENT.
THE OTHER THING IS OUR LOSS IN INTEREST INCOME.
THE INTEREST INCOME IS SUCH THAT THE INTEREST RATES RIGHT NOW, THERE'S HARDLY ANYTHING OUT THERE, SO WE'RE EXPERIENCING SOME LOSS IN OUR INTEREST REVENUE.
THE OTHER PIECE OF THAT LOST REVENUE IS ALSO OUR SHARS.
THAT IS OUR MEDICAID PROGRAM WITHIN THE SPECIAL ED PROGRAM.
ON A NORMAL BASIS, WE WOULD BE BILLING OUT THOSE SERVICES AS WE SERVE THOSE STUDENTS, BUT WE'RE NOT ABLE TO SERVE THOSE STUDENTS RIGHT NOW.
SO IT'S A LOSS IN REVENUE THIS YEAR.
THAT REVENUE WILL NOT BE TOTALLY LOST THOUGH, BECAUSE WE WILL HAVE A COST REPORT THAT WE WILL DO THIS TIME NEXT YEAR, FOR THIS YEAR, THAT WILL MAKE UP THAT DIFFERENCE.
BUT RIGHT NOW, IT'S AFFECTING US.
WE'RE LOOKING AT ABOUT A LOSS OF $1.6 MILLION IN REVENUE.
THEN I'LL REMIND YOU OF THE SPECIAL PROGRAM ROLL FORWARDS THAT WE HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT. I'M SORRY.
>> I'M SORRY. I WAS FOLLOWING YOU ON, "SINCE WE'RE NOT PROVIDING THE SERVICES, WE CAN'T BILL FOR THEM." BUT THEN I THOUGHT I HEARD YOU SAY, I DON'T WANT TO PUT WORDS IN YOUR MOUTH, BUT YOU WERE SAYING SOMETHING LIKE, WE CAN MAKE IT UP NEXT YEAR.
>> [OVERLAPPING] COST REPORT. THE WAY THAT WE ARE FUNDED WITH THE SHARS PROGRAM IS WE IDENTIFY TOTAL COSTS, THEN THEY GO FORWARD AND THEY IDENTIFY A RATIO BASED ON OUR SERVICES AND OUR NUMBER OF STUDENTS.
[01:25:06]
THEN BASED ON WHAT WE EARNED ON THEM, WE WON'T KNOW THAT UNTIL THEY GET THOSE CALCULATIONS IN PLACE AND THEN ANYTHING THAT WE HAVE BILLED AND RECEIVED THROUGHOUT THE YEAR WILL BE NETTED AGAINST THAT TOTAL NUMBER.SO IT'S ONE OF THOSE THINGS WHERE WE DON'T REALLY KNOW WHAT WE HAVE UNTIL THE END OF WHAT WE HAVE BECAUSE OF THE IEP RATIO AND DIRECT SERVICE RATIO, AND ALL OF THOSE RATIOS THAT ARE NOT KNOWN UNTIL THE END OF THE FISCAL YEAR.
>> COULD YOU TRANSLATE THAT INTO ENGLISH VERY QUICKLY AND THEN I'LL- [LAUGHTER]
>> LET ME JUST SAY, I'LL JUST SAY, "AH, YES."
>> [OVERLAPPING] CAN YOU HELP WITH THAT?
>> [OVERLAPPING] I'M SORRY, YOU DID A GREAT JOB, IT'S JUST, THIS IS SO CRAZY.
>> IT'S COMPLICATED. SO WITH SHARS, IF WE'RE ACTIVELY SERVING THE STUDENTS AND WE HAVE MONEY FOR SALARIES AND THINGS LIKE THAT, WE CAN BILL AS WE GO, BASED ON THE NUMBER OF HOURS THE TEACHERS ARE SPENDING WITH THE KIDS.
NOW, SINCE WE HAVEN'T BEEN HAVING THOSE HOURS WITH KIDS TO TRACK, NEXT YEAR WHEN WE DO THE COST REPORT, THE COST REPORT BASICALLY SAYS, "WHAT DID YOU SPEND THE WHOLE YEAR?" THEN THEY REIMBURSE YOU BASED ON ALL EXPENSES, SO THE TEACHER SALARIES RIGHT NOW.
>> SO THAT'S WHAT IT IS. SO SHE'S SAYING, AT THE END OF THE PROCESS, IT'S LIKE WHEN YOU OVER WITHHOLD ON YOUR TAX RETURN, YOU GET A REFUND.
WE'RE GOING TO GET A REFUND ON THE STUFF WE'VE MISSED THIS YEAR.
>> NO, I'M SORRY. IT IS SO COMPLICATED BECAUSE PART OF IT IS OUR RATIO, BISD'S RATIO, AND PART OF IT IS A STATE RATIO WHICH WE DON'T KNOW UNTIL THEY ACTUALLY SUBMIT THOSE RATIOS OUT THERE.
SO BASICALLY WHAT WE DO, LIKE SHE SAYS, WE GATHER ALL THE COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH ALL THOSE SERVICES AND THEN WE DETERMINE WHAT PERCENTAGE THEY WILL PAY US FOR IT.
THEN WE SAY, "OKAY, WHAT HAVE THEY ALREADY PAID US FOR?" AND THEN WE GET THE DIFFERENCE.
>> BUT EVERYBODY'S DENOMINATOR CHANGED THIS YEAR, AND YOU'LL ALL BE ON PARITY.
>> BECAUSE OF THAT. THAT'S WHY YOU REALLY CAN'T FIGURE IT OUT EXACTLY, SO I UNDERSTAND.
>> RIGHT. THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT OR THE MEDICAID PROGRAM HAS EXCESS CASH THIS YEAR, THAT THEY WILL HAVE TO PAY OUT NEXT YEAR.
SO ANOTHER PROBLEM WITH YOUR STATE BUDGET.
[LAUGHTER]. JUST A REMINDER, THIS SPECIAL PROGRAM ROLL FORWARDS.
REMEMBER, WHEN WE BROUGHT THE BUDGET AMENDMENT TO YOU IN MARCH? WE HAD OUR EARLY EDUCATION, OUR STATE COMP ED, AND OUR DYSLEXIA ALLOTMENTS, THAT WE WERE GOING TO NOT BE ABLE TO EXPEND ALL THOSE FUNDS.
WE DID NOT HAVE THEM ALL ALLOCATED, AND WE WILL BE ROLLING THOSE FORWARD.
THAT'S $3.2 MILLION THAT WE WILL BE ROLLING FORWARD AND SO IT WILL NOT COME OUT OF THIS YEAR'S BUDGET.
>> [OVERLAPPING] ARE THEY DESIGNATED THOUGH?
>> YES. THEY'RE DESIGNATED EARLY EDUCATION, STATE COMP ED, AND DYSLEXIA.
THEN WE HAD THE ONE-TIME EXPENDITURES THAT WE DID TALK ABOUT ALREADY WITH YOU, THEY ARE THE CRITICAL MEAL AND THE REQUIRED ONE-TIME EXPENDITURES, THOSE WERE ACTUALLY BROUGHT FORWARD IN A BUDGET AMENDMENT IN MAY LAST YEAR.
SO THOSE HAVE ALREADY BEEN FUNDED, BUT THEY'RE PROBABLY NOT GOING TO BE EXPENDED BEFORE JUNE 30TH.
SO THOSE FUNDS WILL NOT BE AFFECTING THIS END OF THE YEAR ACTIVITY.
THEN WE ALSO HAD OUR UNALLOCATED REVENUE THAT WE HAD ON THAT MARCH AMENDMENT, IF YOU'LL REMEMBER.
WE HAD OVER SEVEN MILLION DOLLARS DIFFERENCE IN INCREASED REVENUE BETWEEN JUNE OF LAST YEAR AND MARCH OF THIS YEAR, AS TEA GOT ALL OF THE INFORMATION OUT RELATED TO HOW THEY WERE CALCULATING THE STATE REVENUE, BOTH TRANSITION AND THE OTHER PIECES, THE SPECIAL PROGRAMS. SO WE HAD $2.6 MILLION THAT WE BROUGHT TO YOU IN MARCH AND SAID, "WE DON'T HAVE ANYTHING FOR THIS RIGHT NOW, BUT IT CAN BE USED FOR ONE-TIME EXPENDITURES." THAT STILL HAS NOT BEEN ALLOCATED, SO WE STILL HAVE THAT $2.6 MILLION.
WE BASICALLY STOPPED SPENDING DURING COVID.
WE DIDN'T HAVE ANY PLACE TO STORE ANYTHING.
OUR WAREHOUSE IS FULL; WE LIMITED OUR EXPENDITURES TO NECESSITY ISSUES.
AS A RESULT OF THAT, WE ARE SEEING A SAVINGS OF APPROXIMATELY FIVE MILLION DOLLARS.
SO WHEN YOU ADD ALL OF THAT TOGETHER, OUR ANTICIPATED UNSPENT BUDGET AS OF RIGHT NOW IS ABOUT $11 MILLION.
WE SAW GASOLINE FOR THE VEHICLES.
OUT OF DISTRICT TRAVEL, WE SAVED A LOT OF MONEY THIS YEAR BECAUSE NO ONE'S TRAVELING ANYWHERE.
ELECTIONS, WE DIDN'T HAVE AN ELECTION THIS YEAR, SO WE HAVE THAT SAVINGS.
SO JUST LOTS OF DIFFERENT THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO WHAT WE BOUGHT BEFORE YOU WITH THIS SLIDE IS,
[01:30:02]
THIS IS THE SLIDE THAT WE HAVE SHOWN YOU BEFORE WITH AVAILABLE FOR ONETIME AMOUNTS, EXCEPT THAT IT IS REVISED FROM THAT 9.1 MILLION TO 11.5 OR 1,105.SO BASICALLY, AT THIS POINT, WE ARE PROJECTING TO HAVE ABOUT $5.1 MILLION AVAILABLE FOR ADDITIONAL EXPENDITURES FOR THINGS SUCH AS THE COVID, FOR THE ONLINE LEARNING PROCESS AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
>> I DID WANT TO MENTION ONE THING.
I KNOW IN THE PAST WHEN WE'VE DONE THE ONETIME PAYMENT, WE'VE SET THAT UP TO SAY IF FUNDS ARE AVAILABLE BECAUSE MANY TIMES WE'RE WAITING ON TAX REVENUE.
BUT WHAT I WANTED TO SHOW THE BOARD IS THAT, IF YOU LOOK IN THAT ALL OTHER COLUMN, WE'VE STILL GOT $5.1 MILLION OF UNALLOCATED FUNDS FROM THIS YEAR'S BUDGET.
SO I THINK IF YOU WOULD ALLOW US AND YOU DECIDE TO APPROVE THE ONETIME PAYMENT AT THE JUNE MEETING, WE'D LIKE TO GO AHEAD AND PUBLICIZE THAT TO OUR EMPLOYEES BECAUSE WE KNOW EVEN IF NEXT YEAR'S REVENUE IS LOWER THAN EXPECTED, [OVERLAPPING] WE COULD TAKE IT OUT OF THIS.
SO I WANTED TO SEE IF YOU ALL WOULD ALLOW US TO DO THAT RATHER THAN WAITING UNTIL OCTOBER TO MAKE THAT DECISION.
>> I SEE EVERYONE NODDING THEIR HEAD, YES.
>> WHAT WERE THOSE AMOUNTS AGAIN FOR THE 500 AND 750,000? HOW MUCH WERE THEY AGAIN?
>> LET'S SEE. [LAUGHTER] LET ME THINK.
DO YOU HAVE THAT WRITTEN DOWN? YEAH. I THINK IT WAS ABOUT 1.7 MILLION FOR 500, AND IT WAS ABOUT [OVERLAPPING]
>> YES, 750, AND THEN TWO MILLION IN 250, AND THEN AROUND THREE MILLION, I THINK IF WE DID THE 1,000.
>> I KNOW WHERE YOU'RE GOING, BUT MR. DILKS.
>> KATIE, IF WE HAVE THIS FIVE MILLION, COULD WE UP THAT BECAUSE WE WERE TALKING ABOUT IT BEING REAL TIGHT.
>> THAT WOULD BE A VERY GOOD POSSIBILITY AND IT MIGHT BE A MORALE BOOSTER.
>> WE COULD CERTAINLY DO THAT.
>> ANY THOUGHTS FROM ANYBODY ELSE WHILE WE'RE ON THIS TOPIC? JOE, [OVERLAPPING] MR. TOLBERT.
I AGREE THAT'S A WORTHWHILE GOAL.
I'M ALSO WANTING TO HEAR FROM DR. CLARK, I'M NOT GOING TO USE OUR NICKNAME.
[LAUGHTER] I WANT TO HEAR FROM DR. CLARK.
PERSONALLY, THE ONLINE LEARNING I THINK IS HUGE.
THE OTHER THING IS I CAN JUST TELL FROM MY KIDS, AND I THINK OBJECTIVELY THEY'RE IN THE TOP OF THEIR CLASS.
THERE'S GOING TO BE A HUGE LEARNING GAP, AND THESE ARE KIDS THAT ARE IN THE TOP OF THEIR CLASS, AND I CAN'T IMAGINE KIDS THAT WERE ALREADY STRUGGLING.
PERSONALLY, I'M READY TO START STICKING SOME OF THIS MONEY INTO SOME TUTORS OR IN INTERVENTIONIST OR SOMETHING, AND SOMETHING WE CAN DO TO TRY TO GET US FROM LOSING [OVERLAPPING]
>> FOR THE ESTIMATE, I BELIEVE, SHE HAD WAS JUST UNDER A MILLION, WASN'T IT? FOR YOUR ONLINE LEARNING PROGRAM THAT YOU PUT TOGETHER INITIALLY. IS THAT WHAT IT WAS?
>> I PUT IN FOR [NOISE] 10 ONLINE FEATURES THAT ARE APPROXIMATELY $900,000 AND THE [INAUDIBLE] WAS ASSUMING THAT 10 WOULD BE SUFFICIENT.
BUT I STILL THINK THAT WE ALSO WOULD HAVE SOME FUNDS.
I THINK THE FIVE MILLION [INAUDIBLE] WE ALSO HAVE [INAUDIBLE] THAT ARE AVAILABLE THAT WE ARE UTILIZING.
SO IT IS JUST RIGHT NOW, IT'S HARD TO GET.
I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS THAT IS OF CONCERN TO ME IS THAT THE WORK THAT OUR TEACHERS ARE DOING TO EVEN [NOISE] GET READY TO DO ONLINE BECAUSE WHAT WE'RE PAYING THEM A LITTLE BIT WERE [INAUDIBLE] I THINK THAT AFTER HAVING TWO FUNDS ARE BEING USED TO PAY FOR THE 14 TEACHERS TO DO TRAINING.
THEN WITH SOME OF THE MONEY THAT I REQUESTED WOULD BE TO PAY THEM FOR ACTUALLY DEVELOPING THE COURSES THAT WE'LL BE TEACHING.
SO THAT'S MAKING THE ASSUMPTION THAT 14 TEACHERS THAT IS JUST [INAUDIBLE] BE IN THERE.
SO RIGHT NOW WITH OUR [INAUDIBLE] ONLINE REGISTRATION.
[01:35:04]
WE HAVE PRETTY GOOD NUMBERS COMING THROUGH WITH OUR ONLINE REGISTRATION SO FAR WITH OUR [INAUDIBLE] BUT IT DOESN'T MEAN [INAUDIBLE] [OVERLAPPING]>> I DIDN'T MEAN TO PUT HER ON THE SPOT, BUT THE POINT OF THAT BEING THAT THERE'S SOME OTHER THINGS OUT THERE.
WE ALSO KEEP IN MIND, AND I'M VERY PROUD OF THE BOARD FOR SETTING THIS AND APPRECIATE YOU GUYS COOPERATING IN SETTING OUR INCOME AT 98 PERCENT WATER.
I THINK EVERYBODY HAS TO KNOW THAT WE CLOSED OUR EYES AND THREW THE DART AT THE DARTBOARD AND HOPED THAT IT HIT THE WALL.
SO AGAIN, I'VE GOT THIS QUEASY FEELING IN MY STOMACH ABOUT WHAT'S ACTUALLY GOING TO BE THERE.
YOU CAN TALK TO ME ALL DAY ABOUT WHAT THE STATE MAY OR MAY NOT DO, BUT I HAVE SOME CONCERNS AS MR. MCCARTY, I THINK, HAS EXPRESSED IN THE PAST ABOUT WHETHER SOME PEOPLE WILL CHOOSE HOMESCHOOLING AND/OR ANOTHER ONLINE SERVICE OTHER THAN WHAT WE MAY PROVIDE.
I DO THINK IF WE GO TO SOME CONVOLUTED SYSTEM IN THE FALL, I DO THINK SOME PEOPLE ARE GOING TO BE LOOKING FOR ALTERNATIVES BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT GOING TO WANT AB AND THEY'RE NOT GOING TO WANT ALL ONLINE, THEY'RE GOING TO WANT A SCHOOL WHERE THEIR KIDS CAN GO, AND IF THEY CAN FIND IT IN A PRIVATE SCHOOL, IF THEY CAN FIND IT IN A CHARTER, OR SOMEHOW THEY'RE GOING TO FIND IT.
I'M NOT AGAINST IT, KELVIN, I WOULD LOVE TO DO THAT, CERTAINLY LOVE TO DO IT.
THERE'S JUST SO MANY UNKNOWNS.
YOU'RE HAMSTRUNG, YOU CAN'T EVEN TELL ME WHAT OUR SCHEDULE IS GOING TO LOOK LIKE NEXT YEAR.
I GET BOMBARDED WITH THAT EVERYDAY.
PEOPLE ASKING ME "ARE MY KIDS GOING TO BE ABLE TO GO TO SCHOOL NEXT YEAR?" THEY'VE GOT TO BE ABLE TO GO TO SCHOOL EVERY DAY. [LAUGHTER]
>> WELL, WE'VE GOT AN UPDATE A LITTLE BIT ON THAT SO [BACKGROUND] THAT'S THE BIGGEST THING.
>> WE'RE PLANNING FOR FULL PHASE OPENING SCHOOLS, THAT'S OUR PREFERRED [INAUDIBLE] AND THAT'S WHAT THE MAJORITY [INAUDIBLE] [OVERLAPPING]
>> CAN THE TEA TELL US THAT WE CANNOT DO IT? MY CONCERN HAS BEEN, AND THIS MAY NOT BE THE GREATEST TIME, BUT HOW CAN THEY LAY OUT A BLANKET RULE FOR PADUCAH TEXAS AND FOR BIRDVILLE VERSUS DALLAS? I DON'T KNOW HOW THEY LAY OUT A BLANKET RULE FOR EVERY SCHOOL DISTRICT.
>> IF YOU'LL ALLOW US, I WANT TO START WITH THAT.
THOSE WERE THE QUESTIONS BECAUSE WE GOT A LITTLE INFORMATION TODAY IN A LOT OF THINGS HE POINTS OUT EXACTLY THAT.
THERE'S STILL NINE COUNTIES THAT HAVE NEVER HAD A CASE.
>> SO IT'D BE TOUGH TO TELL THAT DISTRICT HOW YOU'RE GOING TO NEED 50 PERCENT, THEY'LL GO, "WHY?" THEY UNDERSTAND THERE'S A LOT OF DIVERSITY.
SO WE'RE GOING TO GET INTO THAT A LITTLE BIT.
PLUS THE GOOD NEWS IS HIS CALL TODAY SAID NEXT TUESDAY THE 16TH THEY WILL GIVE US SOME DIRECTION ON THE FALL.
TODAY, THEY TALKED ABOUT THE SUMMER INSTRUCTION.
SO THAT'S GOOD NEWS, IS WE'LL GET SOMETHING.
SO WE'RE GOING TO GIVE YOU SOME INFORMATION TONIGHT.
WE'LL TRY TO LAY OUT THE PLAN, BUT WE'RE GOING TO TELL YOU, AT LEAST, WHERE WE ARE AND WHAT WE KNOW TO THIS POINT.
BUT IF WE CAN GET SOME DIRECTION, THEN I'LL PUT AN INFORMATION OUT ON THE 25TH, AND THEN JUST KEEP YOU INFORMED AS TO, "HEY, WE GOT SOMETHING." AS SOON AS I FIND OUT I'LL EMAIL YOU AND SAY, "HEY, HERE'S WHAT HE TOLD US TODAY." [OVERLAPPING] SO THAT WE CAN DISCUSS IT.
>> YES, THAT'S PERFECT. I'M SO SORRY FOR SO MANY QUESTIONS.
COULD WE KEEP IT AT 500, AND THEN LET'S SAY THAT THE PARTICIPATION IS GOOD, PEOPLE COME BACK, EVERYTHING'S GREAT, COULD WE THEN LATER [OVERLAPPING]
>> WE WOULD HAVE TO PUT THAT IN THE RESOLUTION.
SO WE COULD POTENTIALLY PUT THE FIRST 500 IN AND THEN HAVE A CAVEAT LIKE WE'VE DONE IN THE PAST.
IF FUNDS ARE AVAILABLE, WE CAN DO AN ADDITIONAL WHATEVER. [OVERLAPPING]
>> BUT WE GOT TO ACTUALLY PUT THAT IN THE RESOLUTION.
>> MR. [INAUDIBLE] , I'D PROBABLY SUPPORT THAT.
I CAN'T SAY I'D VOTE, BUT I'D PROBABLY SUPPORT THAT.
>> MR. DAVIS AND THEN MR. DILKS.
[LAUGHTER] I WAS TRYING TO GET IN AND CUT IN ON HIM BUT, YEAH.
>> THE 500 WE CAN DO NOW, AND SAY [INAUDIBLE]
>> WITH 250, [INAUDIBLE] $850,000.
STILL DOESN'T AFFECT WHAT [INAUDIBLE].
I WANT TO REALLY EMPHASIZE TUTORING.
I THINK WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO HAVE A LUNCH OR AFTER SCHOOL TUTORING FOR THESE KIDS, AND WE CAN HAVE THE FUNDS READY TO DO THAT. THEY'RE BEHIND.
THOSE KIDS ARE REALLY SMART, THEY'VE HAD A [INAUDIBLE] HAD WORK DONE AND EVERYTHING [INAUDIBLE] I WANT TO MAKE SURE THERE'S A REAL GOOD STRONG PLAN WHEN WE START SCHOOL IN AUGUST THAT IF SOMEBODY IS TUTORING THAT AFTERNOON, WE'RE READY TO GO FOR IT.
WE'RE GOING TO PAY THESE TEACHERS TO DO THAT.
THAT MIGHT BE ANOTHER HALF A MILLION DOLLARS YOU NEED TO DO FOR TUTORING, BUT I'M TELLING YOU, IT'S MONEY WELL SPENT.
>> YOU SAID THE SECRET RIGHT THERE. TEACHERS DOING IT.
SO TO ME, THAT'S THE SECRET OF IT.
[01:40:02]
WE'VE GOT TO HAVE A GOOD TEACHER THAT KNOWS WHAT THEY'RE DOING.>> WE MOST CERTAINLY WILLING TO PAY.
>> WE'RE PUTTING A PRIORITY THAT THIS IS IMPORTANT IF THIS KID CAUGHT BACK UP, AND GET THEM TO [INAUDIBLE] SCHOOL BACK TO IT'S NORMAL LEVELS.
I'M ALL IN FAVOR OF THE 500 DOWN.
>> [INAUDIBLE] BUT PUT SOME MONEY IN YOUR PROGRAM FOR TUTORING, HOW MUCH THAT IS? IN MY MIND, IT'S A LOT OF MONEY.
>> WHAT WE'D LIKE TO DO, [INAUDIBLE] WILL BE BRINGING TO YOU AT THE JUNE MEETING THE ROLLOVER BUDGET AMENDMENT, BECAUSE WE HAVE A LOT OF PROJECTS THAT ARE GOING ON RIGHT NOW.
WHAT WE'D LIKE TO DO IS BRING THOSE REMAINING FUNDS FORWARD WITH THOSE DOLLARS, THEN WE'LL HAVE YOU APPROVE THOSE AS A BUDGET AMENDMENT IN JULY, AND THEN THOSE CAN BE AVAILABLE FOR THE TUTORING, THE 250, ANYTHING THAT WE BRING TO YOU WILL UTILIZE THOSE FUNDS, WE WON'T JUST SPEND THEM ARBITRARILY.
BUT IF WE CAN GO AHEAD AND ROLL THOSE, THEN WE CAN MAKE USE OF THOSE AS NEEDED WHETHER IT'S FOR DEVICES, HOTSPOTS, THINGS THAT MAYBE POP UP IF YOU WILL ALLOW US TO DO THAT TUTORING.
BUT WE CAN PUT THOSE DOLLARS IN AND MOVE THEM AROUND. MA'AM?
>> BY THE TIME THEY RECOVERED MINE, I JUST THOUGHT WE COULD DO AS AN ADDENDUM.
>> OKAY. I'LL WORD THE RESOLUTIONS SO THAT PART OF IT IS SET IN STONE, AND PART OF IT IS BASED ON AVAILABLE FUNDING.
IT WILL HAVE THAT AS A [OVERLAPPING]
>> OKAY. PERFECT. SO IT WILL BE CONTINGENT BASED ON AVAILABLE FUNDING FROM THE 2019 MONIES?
I KNEW THAT'S WHERE YOU'RE GOING.
I KNOW THE QUESTION, BUT HE HAD ALREADY SAID SOMETHING.
>> WE CAN MAKE THAT DETERMINATION.
USUALLY IT'S OCTOBER 1, AND THEN WE'LL MAKE THE PAYMENT IN NOVEMBER.
SO IT'D BE BASED ON EMPLOYEES THAT ARE IN THE DISTRICT AS OF OCTOBER 1.
>> OKAY. WE'LL TAKE CARE OF THAT.
I THINK WE'RE ALMOST FINISHED.
>> YEAH. BASICALLY ALL WE'VE GOT LEFT HERE IS JUST A SUMMARY OF WHAT THE BUDGET AS WE LOOK AT RIGHT NOW.
AS I MENTIONED, WE DID TAKE THE REVENUE DOWN TWO PERCENT, AS FAR AS THE ADA GOES.
WE ALSO HAVE NEW NUMBERS AS FAR AS PROPERTY VALUES, THEN WITH THAT ONE TIME PAYMENT OUT OF THE 2021 BUDGET, IT DOES PROVIDE A DEFICIT BUDGET OF $809,000.
>> LET ME POINT OUT TOO, ON THE DEBT SERVICE FUND.
EVEN WITH THE $1.1 MILLION THERE, WITH THE CALCULATIONS I DID TODAY, WE ARE STILL UNDER WHAT THE OLD ROLLBACK RATE WOULD BE, BUT WE ARE PROJECTING FIVE PERCENT ON OUR VALUES.
SO WHEN WE GET THOSE ACTUAL VALUES IN JULY, IF THEY'RE HIGHER, THEN WE'LL BE COMING BACK.
WE MAY ANYWAY, BECAUSE WE DO HAVE A PRETTY GOOD FUND BALANCE THERE, WE MAY COME BACK WITH A COUPLE OF MILLION DOLLARS OF PREPAYMENT ON BONDS, IF YOU'D ALLOW US TO DO THAT, TO MAINTAIN OUR TAX RATE.
THE OVERALL TAX RATE, I THINK I MENTIONED TO YOU EARLIER, WE WERE TOLD INITIALLY THAT WE SHOULD PUT IN THE HIGHEST TAX RATE THAT WE CAN PASS, WHICH I THINK WOULD BE 96 SOMETHING CENTS.
BUT HONESTLY, WHEN EVERYTHING WAS CALCULATED IN THE TAXES, IT DIDN'T MAKE SENSE TO DO THAT BECAUSE WE FEEL LIKE FIVE PERCENT IS CONSERVATIVE FOR VALUE GROWTH.
SO RIGHT NOW, WE'RE GOING FROM $0.97 PROJECTED, DOWN TO $0.9578.
THAT DOES INCLUDE THAT ADDITIONAL PENNY WE'VE BEEN DISCUSSING, WE TOLD YOU WE DON'T GET ADDITIONAL REVENUE FOR THAT PENNY, BUT WHAT WE DO GET IS THAT TRANSITION FUND PIECE THAT WILL GO AWAY IN FIVE YEARS.
IT DROPS FROM 6 MILLION TO 2.5 MILLION, WHICH MEANS AS WE PROGRESS TOWARD THAT CLIFF, IT'LL BE FAIRLY EASY FOR US TO FIND THAT WITHIN THE BUDGET, TO TRY TO TRIM BACK IF WE HAVE TO.
THAT WILL REQUIRE A UNANIMOUS VOTE OF THE BOARD TO GO FROM FOUR GOLDEN PENNIES TO FIVE.
BUT THIS INCLUDES ALL FIVE PENNIES, AND WE'RE STILL ALMOST A PENNY AND A HALF BELOW WHAT WE WERE THIS YEAR.
SO WE WILL STILL HAVE A TAX DECREASE NO MATTER WHAT WE DO.
>> DID THEY MANDATE HOW THAT LANGUAGE HAS TO BE?
I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT LANGUAGE LOOKS LIKE BECAUSE THE CONTROLLER HAS NOT PUT IT OUT YET.
I'M WAITING TO SEE WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE, AND I CAN HAVE THAT INFORMATION FOR YOU.
BECAUSE YOU WON'T BE PASSING THE TAX RATE AT THE JUNE 25TH MEETING, SO WE HOPEFULLY WILL KNOW THAT SOON.
BUT IN THE PAST, ANY TIME WE'VE GONE ABOVE THE EFFECTIVE TAX RATE, WHICH HAS HAPPENED OCCASIONALLY, YOU STILL HAVE TO HAVE THAT WEIRD LANGUAGE AS YOU PASS IT.
>> SO LET ME ASK A QUESTION ON THE 800,000 [INAUDIBLE] EVEN THOUGH I MOVE THAT,
[01:45:02]
THE MONIES FOR THE ONE TIME FOR THE $500 BACK TO THE PRIOR YEAR, DOES IT AFFECT THAT?>> NO, IT'S INCLUDED IN THAT NUMBER RIGHT NOW.
>> DO YOU WANT IT TOTALLY REMOVED FROM THIS BUDGET?
>> THE ONLY REASON WE LEFT IT HERE IS BECAUSE I THINK IT HAS TO BE PART OF THE OVERALL BUDGET ADOPTION.
NOW, ONCE WE GET PAST THE END OF JUNE, I DON'T THINK IT MATTERS WHERE THE MONEY COMES FROM.
>> BUT I FEEL LIKE IT'S IMPORTANT TO HAVE IT IN THAT NUMBER.
>> THAT'S FINE. OKAY. I UNDERSTAND WHY.
>> NO, NO, NO. I UNDERSTAND WHY. I'M GOOD.
BUT THE 250 ADDITIONAL WON'T BE A FACTOR THERE, BUT IT WILL BE CONTINGENCY IN THE PRIOR SCHOOL YEARS?
>> THAT'S CORRECT. IT WILL BE PART OF THAT ROLLOVER.
>> OKAY. I THINK WE JUST HAVE ONE MORE SLIDE.
ALL I WANT TO REMIND YOU, THIS IS WHAT DR. CLARK WILL BE GETTING INTO.
WE WILL HAVE SOME COSTS RELATED TO THE 2021 ONLINE INSTRUCTION.
WE WILL PROBABLY HAVE OTHER COVID-RELATED COSTS.
WE DID HAVE SOME NUMBER ONE LOWER PRIORITY FACILITY NEEDS THAT WE MAY BE COMING BACK WITH OUT OF THAT $5.1 MILLION.
>> YOU KEEP SAYING [INAUDIBLE]
>> WE WON'T SUBMIT THAT UNTIL SEPTEMBER, SO WE'LL BE SUBMITTING THAT.
EVERYTHING THAT'S RELATED TO SANITIZATION, SAFETY, NOT ANYTHING INSTRUCTIONALLY, WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO GET 75 PERCENT REIMBURSEMENT.
>> RIGHT. WE ARE LOOKING AT DOING THAT AND PUTTING ALL THAT TOGETHER IN SEPTEMBER [INAUDIBLE].
>> SO WHILE WE'RE ON A COUPLE OF THE COVID THINGS, CAN I ASK COUPLE OF QUESTIONS? I'LL JUST SAY THIS, AND I DON'T NECESSARILY WANT TO BE A STORYTELLER.
BUT I WENT TO LUNCH TODAY FOR THE FIRST TIME, OVER AT TACO TUESDAY PLACE THERE.
>> YES. THANK YOU. ROSA'S. THAT'S THE FIRST TIME THAT I'VE GONE INTO A PLACE THAT I WAS ACTUALLY FELT A LITTLE UNCOMFORTABLE THAT THEY WERE NOT DOING THE RIGHT THING, DOING THE 50 PERCENT.
I GOT MY SILVERWARE OUT OF THE BIN, I WENT AND PICKED UP THE STUFF WITH EVERYBODY ELSE AND THEY DIDN'T MARK OFF TABLES VERY MANY, SO WE WERE SITTING NEXT TO PEOPLE.
NOT THAT I WAS FREAKED OUT, BUT I WAS THINKING, IT MADE ME THINK THAT WAS THE FIRST TIME THAT IT REALLY HIT ME THAT I WAS OUT OF PLACE THAT ACTUALLY WASN'T GIVING ME DISPOSABLE THINGS TO WORK WITH, AS FAR AS FOOD UTENSILS THAT WEREN'T PREPACKAGED AND THAT EVERYTHING WAS ON SOMETHING I WAS GOING TO GIVE BACK TO THEM.
I KNOW WE TALKED ABOUT SOME OF THE LUNCHROOM STUFF LAST TIME BEFORE.
HAVE YOU ALL LOOKED AT SOME OF THE THINGS, LIKE THE THINGS ON THE FLOOR, SO PEOPLE ARE GOING TO SOCIAL DISTANCE WHEN THEY GET BACK?
>> THAT'S SOME OF THE THINGS WE'RE DISCUSSING.
IN FACT, WE HAVE CHILD NUTRITION ON THE THING TOMORROW, AND THEY'LL GET GUIDANCE FROM TDA.
>> THEY'LL BE THE ONES THAT REALLY GIVE US THE MOST INFORMATION.
BUT I DO KNOW, IT'S LIKE FOR THIS SUMMER, EVERYTHING'S BEEN PACKAGED, THAT THEY'VE BEEN SUBMITTING TO THE KIDS IN THE CARS.
SO I CAN'T IMAGINE THAT THAT'S GOING TO BE A LOT DIFFERENT.
I DO KNOW SOMETHING INTERESTING, I WAS AT A MEXICAN RESTAURANT WHERE THEY WERE SOCIAL DISTANCING, WE WERE OUTSIDE ON THE PATIO, AND THEY HAD A REDUCED MENU.
BUT FAJITAS WERE NOT AN OPTION ON THE MENU.
I WONDERED, BECAUSE THERE WERE KNOWN FOR THEIR FAJITAS.
I WONDERED IF THAT HAD ANYTHING TO DO WITH JUST THE EXPOSURE OF WALKING AROUND WITH AN OPEN PLATE, I HAVE NO IDEA.
BUT WE SAT THERE AND THOUGHT, "WHY DON'T THEY HAVE FAJITAS?" EVERYONE MUST BE DOING THINGS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENTLY.
WE DID HAVE A GRACKLES JUMP ON OUR TABLE AND STEAL A CHIP OUT OF OUR BASKET.
HOPEFULLY HE DIDN'T HAVE COVID. [LAUGHTER]
>> COOL. I'M JUST THINKING, THAT'S THE BIGGEST PLACE.
>> THE OTHER ONE IS, THE THING THAT WE'RE LATE ON DOING, WHICH IS THE GYM, HOW THAT'S GOING TO WORK AND THE PROCESSES.
I THINK THAT'S MORE OF A TRAINING AND A PROCESS SITUATION THAT YOU'RE TELLING EVERYBODY HOW THEY'RE GOING TO CHANGE THEIR WORKOUT ROUTINES IN THE GYM VERSUS CYCLE WEIGHTS.
IT'S ONE AT A TIME, AND I'M GOING TO SPREAD THEM OUT.
I HAVE A FRIEND THAT WORKS WITH A TRAINER RIGHT NOW, THEY SHOW UP FOR THIS AND HE'S SET UP IN THE PARKING LOT BECAUSE HE CAN'T HAVE THE TRAINER WITH HIM INSIDE.
SO HE DOES HIS EXERCISE IN THE PARKING LOT NOW.
I THINK THOSE ARE THE PLACES, FOOD AND SWEAT ARE THE TWO THAT ARE THE WORST TWO OF THE DEAL.
OTHER THAN THE LITTLE BOYS' BATHROOMS, [OVERLAPPING] TAKE CARE OF THAT.
>> I KNOW THE ELEMENTARY LEVEL, THE PRINCIPALS WERE EXPLAINING TO ME THAT THEY ALREADY HAVE SUCH ROUTINE, AND IT IS THIS PROCESS WITH THE KIDS.
THEY WALK WAY ON ONE SIDE OF THE HALLWAY, AND THEY'RE KIND OF SPACED OUT.
SO DEPENDING ON HOW WE OPEN, I THINK THEY FELT LIKE THEY ALREADY HAVE A LOT OF THOSE DISCIPLINES IN PLACE.
NOW SECONDARY, WITH HALL CHANGES AND ALL, WILL BE A DIFFERENT MATTER.
>> I THINK [INAUDIBLE] GOES BACK TO THE LUNCHROOM.
>> IF YOU TRY TO SPACE KIDS OUT SIX FEET, [INAUDIBLE] THREE FEET LATER ON.
>> [INAUDIBLE] LUNCH AT 10:30.
[01:50:01]
>> WE'VE ALREADY DISCUSSED THAT.
WE WOULD HAVE TO SPREAD THOSE OUT IF THAT IS WHAT WE'RE REQUIRED TO DO, YOU'RE EXACTLY RIGHT, OR DO PART OF THE MEALS IN THE ROOMS, AND THE PRINCIPALS ARE NOT IN FAVOR OF DOING THAT.
>> I KNOW THE PRIVATE SCHOOLS ARE DOING THAT, THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE GOING TO.
>> WELL, [OVERLAPPING] IT'S DIFFICULT BECAUSE YOU GOT TO GIVE THE TEACHERS A 30-MINUTE, DUTY-FREE LUNCH, AND SO, SOMEBODY HAS TO BE SITTING WITH THOSE STUDENTS.
[OVERLAPPING] YOU'VE GOT TO SPREAD THE KIDS APART ANYWAY IN THE CLASSROOMS, THAT'LL BE A CHALLENGE.
>> [OVERLAPPING] THAT'S WHAT I SEE AS THE CHALLENGE.
>> WE HAVE ALL OF THOSE ON OUR LIST, AND TRANSPORTATION AS WELL.
WE'VE BEEN DOING A LOT OF READING AND EXPLORING ON THAT, SOME OF THE THINGS THAT DISTRICTS HAVE BEEN SUGGESTING FOR TRANSPORTATION.
THE TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT HAS SAID, "NO, YOU WON'T DO THAT BECAUSE IT'S A SAFETY ISSUE." SO PUTTING SCREEN GUARDS, ONE OF THESE BEHIND THE DRIVER, AND SOME THINGS LIKE THAT.
THANKFULLY, NEXT WEEK WE'LL GET SOME GUIDANCE FROM THE STATE, AND WE'LL JUST CONTINUE TO WORK WITH ALL OF THE AGENCIES TO KNOW, AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO BRING YOU INFORMATION AS WE KNOW.
>> [BACKGROUND] THE DAYS MUST HAVE TO BE LONGER [INAUDIBLE]
>> OUR NEXT MEETING WILL BE THURSDAY, JUNE 25TH BEGINNING HERE IN THE BOARD ROOM.
>> WE'VE GOT A LITTLE MORE INFORMATION.
>> WHERE DID THAT COME FROM? [LAUGHTER]
>> BUT BOY, WAS I FEELING LIKE TO SAY, MAN, GOOD DEAL THIS THING IS OVER.
>> CAN I GET A MOTION FOR ADJOURNMENT? [LAUGHTER]
>> [OVERLAPPING] SORRY. I DID JUMP YOU OUT.
A LITTLE MORE INFORMATION, WE WERE GOING TO GIVE YOU QUITE A BIT. HERE'S WHAT WE'VE LEARNED.
FIRST OF ALL, YOU KNOW WE'RE STILL DEALING WITH A LOT OF UNCERTAINTY, BUT WE'RE GETTING MORE INFORMATION, WE'RE PUSHING HARD FOR IT.
THE COMMISSIONER ANNOUNCED TODAY, HE DOES EVERY TUESDAY AND THURSDAY, OCCASIONALLY, HE'LL CANCEL ONE, TODAY HE FOCUSED ON SUMMER SCHOOL INSTRUCTION.
WE WERE HOPING THAT HE WOULD GET INTO FALL INSTRUCTION, WE'D HAVE A LITTLE MORE INFORMATION FROM HIM.
HE PROMISED NEXT TUESDAY, THE 16TH.
SO I'VE ASKED DR. CLARK WHO WENT AHEAD, AND WHEN WE FOUND OUT WHAT HIS AGENDA WAS, WE WENT AHEAD AND LET HER SEND YOU WHAT WE HAVE BEEN WORKING ON.
AS I WEIGH, IT'S A LOT OF PEOPLE.
YOU SAW THE PEOPLE SHE'S GOT RUNNING THEIR SUBCOMMITTEES.
OUR COMMENTS AND OUR THOUGHTS ARE MUCH LIKE EXACTLY WHAT [INAUDIBLE] SAID ON ASSAULT ON TEXASISD.COM TODAY.
WE'RE PUSHING AND HOPING FOR THE IN-PERSON AND WE'RE LETTING THE COMMISSIONER KNOW, MUCH LIKE ABOUT WHAT MR. TOLBERT WAS SAYING.
IF WE DON'T OFFER IN-CLASS INSTRUCTION TO THOSE WHO WANT THAT, WHO REALIZE THAT THAT'S THE BEST WAY FOR OUR TALENTED TEACHERS TO HAVE THE MOST IMPACT, AND IF YOU BELIEVE TEACHERS MAKE A DIFFERENCE, AND WE DO, THEN GIVE THEM THAT OPPORTUNITY.
FOR THOSE THAT DON'T, WE DO REALIZE SOME WILL CHOOSE TO STAY THERE, THAT'S FINE, WE'LL FIND SOME WAY TO ACCOMMODATE THEM AS BEST WE CAN.
I THINK THEY'LL QUICKLY SEE THE REALITY THAT WE'RE NOT ABLE TO EDUCATE YOU AS WELL THERE, AND THAT IF THEY SEE IT'S SAFE AND THEY SEE THE GOOD THINGS HAPPENING, THEY'LL MIGRATE BACK.
THAT'S THE PLAN THAT WE'RE PUSHING FOR.
I HOPE ON THE 16TH THAT'S WHAT HE GIVES YOU.
BUT I WANTED DR. CLARK JUST TO GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT OF INFORMATION, BUT WE'LL PLAN TO HAVE, HOPEFULLY, MORE ON THE 25TH.
SO I'M JUST GOING TO ADD A DISCUSSION ITEM, PROBABLY, A PRESENTATION TO CONTINUE ABOUT THIS.
AS SOON AS I KNOW SOMETHING, I'LL BE HAPPY TO SHARE IT WITH YOU SO YOU'LL KNOW, BUT THEN I'D LOVE TO GO IN A LITTLE MORE DETAIL ON THE 25TH.
BUT LET DR. CLARK CATCH YOU UP TO SPEED A LITTLE BIT WITH WHAT WE'VE DONE.
NO DECISIONS, WE'RE STILL WAITING.
JUST KNOW THAT WE ARE PREPARED FOR THE REMOTE INSTRUCTION, WHICH WOULD BE VERY DISAPPOINTING.
THE HYBRID MODEL, WHICH WE'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, THE MOST CHALLENGING.
LET DAVE TALK A LITTLE BIT, JUST BRIEFLY TONIGHT IN THE INTEREST OF TIME, JUST ABOUT THE DISTRICTS THAT DID HAVE AN ADVANTAGE, AND THAT'S THE ONE-TO-ONE DISTRICTS, THEY DID.
WE'VE GOT TO ASK SOME QUESTIONS, HAS THIS CHANGED? THE WORLD HAS CHANGED A LITTLE BIT AND IT MAY NEVER GO BACK BECAUSE OF COVID-19, BECAUSE OF SOME OTHER EVENTS THAT HAVE HAPPENED, IT MIGHT CAUSE THIS TO BE DIFFERENT.
WE'RE TRYING TO POSE THE QUESTION, HAS THIS EXPERIENCE CAUSED US TO MAYBE HAVE TO CONSIDER ONE-TO-ONE? I KNOW THE STATE IS PUSHING FOR IT WITH ASSESSMENT.
BY 2023-2024, THEY REALLY WANT ALL ASSESSMENTS TO BE ONLINE.
I'M NOT SURE 1000 PLUS PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEMS ARE ALL GOING TO BE ONE-TO-ONE, BUT YOU'LL HAVE TO HAVE A SYSTEM FOR TESTING.
MAYBE THEY WOULD ACCOMMODATE US TO HAVE A VERSION A, VERSION B, SO YOU COULD TEST HALF YOUR KIDS ON A-DAY AND THE REST OF THEM ON B-DAY WITH TWO VERSIONS OF THE TEST, BUT THEY DO EXPECT THEM TO BE ONLINE.
SO WE'RE WORKING WITH THEM ON THAT THOUGHT, BUT THEY'RE WARNING US TO HAVE ACCESS TO TECHNOLOGY.
SO WITH THE WAY WE STRUCTURED OUR BONDS, THE WAY DAVE CAME UP WITH A PLAN TO DO CHROMEBOOKS AND SAVE THE MONEY, WE COULD DO THAT.
THE QUESTION IS NOT CAN WE, THE QUESTION IS, SHOULD WE? BECAUSE, OBVIOUSLY, IT'S A SUSTAINABILITY THING THAT WOULD
[01:55:02]
IMPACT FUTURE BONDS TAPPED TO SUSTAIN IT.SO THOSE ARE ALL THE THINGS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
SO I'M GOING TO DR. CLARK JUST TO CATCH YOU UP TO SPEED A LITTLE BIT WITH SOME OF THE THINGS WE'VE BEEN DOING WITH THE PROMISE OF ANOTHER ROUND OF THIS, HOPEFULLY, WITH MORE INFORMATION ON THE 25TH.
>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR SETTING ME UP AND THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING VERY WILLING AND SUPPORTIVE OF THE FINANCES TO DO A PHASE 1 AND PHASE 2 DUE TO THE COVID.
YOU ARE VERY MUCH AWARE OF WHAT I DID PRESENT IN THE LAST WORKSHOP, SO I JUST WANTED YOU TO KNOW THAT WE HAVE GONE LIVE WITH THE SUMMER ENRICHMENT AND UPDATES THAT INCLUDE SEL.
TODAY, I JUST RECEIVED VIDEOS FROM OUR OT AND PT SPECIALIST THAT ARE AMAZING, AND THIS WAS OUR $10,000 REQUEST THAT I MADE IN THE PRESENTATION FOR PHASE 1 TO PAY FOR OUR SPECIAL ED OTPTS TO DEVELOP THESE VIDEOS THAT WOULD HELP OUR PARENTS TO KNOW HOW TO WORK WITH THEIR STUDENTS AT HOME.
I'VE LOOKED AT SOME OF THEM, AND I CAN MAKE THAT AVAILABLE SO THAT YOU CAN SEE, BUT IT'S REALLY AMAZING THE WORK THAT IS GOING ON AS I SPEAK.
WE HAVE PLANNED THIS VIRTUAL JUMP START PROGRAM AND WE HAVE THE REGISTRATION OUT THERE ALREADY.
THE OTHER DAY WE HAD AT LEAST 400 SUMMER STUDENTS ALREADY SIGNED UP.
I FEEL LIKE IT'S GOING TO BE, AGAIN, A BIG SUCCESS.
THE ISSUE AROUND THIS IS THAT IT IS VIRTUAL SO THAT WE WILL HAVE TO DISTRIBUTE TECHNOLOGY AGAIN.
BUT DAVE IS IN THE PROCESS OF PLANNING THAT, AND WE WILL BE TRAINING TEACHERS.
WE'VE ALREADY SELECTED THE 14 TEACHERS WHO ARE GOING TO BE THE VIRTUAL ONLINE TEACHERS FOR THE JUMP START PROGRAM.
THEY'RE GOING TO START TRAINING ON HOW TO USE CANVAS AND TO DEVELOP CANVAS COURSES.
THAT WILL BE A TWO-WEEK COURSE FOR REMEDIATION AND CATCHING KIDS UP IN READING AND MATH.
THEN WE WILL START THAT IN JULY 23RD, I THINK, TO GO INTO AUGUST 26.
IN ADDITION TO THAT, WE'RE ALSO IN THE MIDST OF TRAINING TEACHERS BEYOND THE ONES THAT ARE GOING TO DO THE JUMP-START TO LEARN MORE ABOUT DEVELOPING CANVAS COURSES FOR THEIR PARTICULAR CONTENT AND GRADE LEVEL BECAUSE WE DON'T WANT TO BE CAUGHT FLAT-FOOTED.
WE WANT TO BE PREPARED FOR THREE SCENARIOS THAT I'M GOING TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT IN JUST A MINUTE.
BUT RIGHT NOW WE HAVE CHRISTIAN [INAUDIBLE] THAT'S WORKING TO DESIGN THE CANVAS COURSE SHELL THAT TEACHERS CAN USE TO START PUTTING CONTENT IN.
WE ARE IDENTIFYING TEACHERS WHO ARE VERY INTERESTED IN LEARNING TO DO THAT AND INTERESTED IN DOING IT.
IT REALLY DOESN'T MATTER WHAT SCHOOL YOU ARE AT, AS LONG AS THE COURSE HAS BEEN DEVELOPED, THEN ANY STUDENT CAN GO IN AND USE THAT COURSE.
SO OUR THOUGHT IS THAT WE WANT TO PICK SOME TEACHERS THAT ARE VERY EXCITED ABOUT DEVELOPING THESE CANVAS COURSES AND LET THEM BE THE ONES TO WORK WITH OUR COORDINATORS IN OUR DIGITAL LEARNING DEPARTMENT TO REALLY PUT OUT SOME QUALITY CANVAS COURSES.
AS YOU KNOW, WE WERE ONE OF THE DISTRICTS THAT RECEIVED A HALF A MILLION DOLLARS FOR TEXAS RAISE YOUR HAND AND THE BLENDED GRANT THAT WE GOT, AND SO WE'VE REALLY BEEN POSITIONED WELL, I THINK TO PASS OFF INTO THIS ENVIRONMENT OF BLENDED.
BASED UPON WHAT OUR TEACHERS HAVE EXPERIENCED OVER THIS PAST SEVERAL MONTHS, THEY HAVE REALIZED THAT THIS IS NOT A BAD GIG.
[02:00:04]
THEY HAVE REALLY SEEN STUDENTS DO SOME GREAT THINGS THROUGH BLENDED.NOW THEY DON'T LIKE AND NO ONE LIKES AT HOME, REMOTE EMERGENCY LEARNING, AND THAT'S ALL.
BUT THEY HAVE SEEN THE BENEFIT OF USING A BLENDED LEARNING MODEL, WHERE KIDS ARE DOING A LOT OF WORK AND PROJECT-BASED KINDS OF THINGS, AND SOME RESEARCH AND ACTIVITIES AT HOME.
THEN TO COUPLE THAT WITHIN SCHOOL INSTRUCTION IS A GOOD MODEL.
OUR THINKING IS BY REALLY PREPARING OURSELVES TO DO ONLINE, IT'S EASY TO EBB AND FLOW.
IT'S EASY TO GO TO A REMOTE EMERGENCY IF YOU HAVE TO, IF WE HAVE TO HAVE ANOTHER SHUTDOWN.
BUT IT'S ALSO GREAT PRACTICE IN A FACE-TO-FACE ENVIRONMENT TO ALSO BE ABLE TO USE BLENDED, AND USE TECHNOLOGY TO BLOW THE WALLS OPEN AND HAVE UBIQUITOUS KIND OF LEARNING.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO STAY IN BRICK AND MORTAR FOR LEARNING TO TAKE PLACE.
SO WE'RE PREPARING OUR TEACHERS TO LIVE IN THIS, I'M GOING TO CALL IT THE NEW NORMAL.
I THINK THE NEW NORMAL IS THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO BE CONSUMERS OF THE TECHNOLOGY, AND REALLY KNOW HOW TO USE THAT TO ENGAGE STUDENTS MORE EFFECTIVELY.
SO HERE'S WHAT, WE HAD THOSE THREE SUB-COMMITTEES THAT ARE TALKED TO YOU ABOUT BEFORE, WITH JULIE HAMMOND WORKING ON THE CURRICULUM AND ASSESSMENT, AND JENNIFER MILLER WORKING ON ALL THE INTERVENTIONS, AND BY THE WAY, MR. DAVIS, WE ARE LOOKING AT AFTER-SCHOOL TUTORIALS AND A LOT OF OUR SPAR CAMPUSES ALREADY HAVE AFTER-SCHOOL PROGRAMS, AND THEN WE ALSO HAD LEE AND CAROL LOOKING AT THE SCL.
SO THOSE COMMITTEES ARE STILL WORKING, BUT WE SAW THE NEED TO ALSO ORGANIZE THREE MORE SUB-COMMITTEES, AND LORENE AND CLARENCE HAVE REALLY HELPED TO ORGANIZE THESE COMMITTEES BECAUSE THEY'RE REALLY PRINCIPAL BASED COMMITTEES, AND ONE OF THE SUB-COMMITTEES IS WORKING ON A PLAN A FOR FULL FACE-TO-FACE.
NOW WE REALIZED THAT I DON'T THINK SCHOOL IS GOING TO GO BACK TO NORMAL EXACTLY, BECAUSE THESE SAFETY AND HEALTH PRECAUTIONS HAVE GOT TO BE PUT INTO THIS FULL RETURN TO SCHOOL.
SO A FULL FACE-TO-FACE IS STILL GOING TO HAVE MANY OF THE THINGS THAT KATIE HAS TALKED ABOUT, AND THAT SHE IS ALSO WORKING WITH HER STAFF TO CONSIDER AND TO HAVE IN PLACE.
SO OUR PRINCIPALS; THESE COMMITTEES CONSIST OF PRINCIPALS, ASSISTANT PRINCIPALS, COUNSELORS, AND TEACHERS.
SO PLAN A IS ONE THAT'S WORKING.
THEN WE HAVE A PLAN B SUB-COMMITTEE THAT'S WORKING MORE OR LESS ON THIS HYBRID MODEL.
NOW, THE HYBRID MODEL REALLY COULD BE AND COULD TAKE ON A SEVERAL DIFFERENT FORMS. ONE IT COULD BE THAT WE WOULD HAVE A FULL FACE-TO-FACE, WITH SOME CHILDREN DECIDING NOT TO COME BACK FOR HEALTH REASONS.
IN ACTUALITY, THAT IS A HYBRID MODEL OR THE HYBRID MODEL COULD BE MORE DRASTIC, WHICH I THINK DR. BROWN HAS ALLUDED TO, THAT IF THEY SET US UP FOR THAT, THAT'S GOING TO BE EXTREMELY CHALLENGING, AND THAT WOULD BE WHERE YOU HAVE TO DO A LOT OF SOCIAL DISTANCING, AND THEN YOU WOULD HAVE TO HAVE A MODIFIED SCHEDULE, WHERE HALF OF YOUR KIDS WOULD COME SOME DAYS, AND THE OTHER HALF.
THAT ONE IS JUST, I THINK, GOING TO PRESENT SO MANY PROBLEMS, THAT IT'S JUST GOING TO BE ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE FOR DISTRICTS TO DO.
I THINK SMALLER DISTRICTS HAVE A BETTER CHANCE OF DOING THAT THAN LARGER METROPOLITAN DISTRICTS, WHERE YOU DEPEND ENTIRELY ON TRANSPORTATION, AND SO THAT PRESENTS ANOTHER ISSUE.
SO THAT COMMITTEE THOUGH IS CONSIDERING A LOT OF DIFFERENT SCENARIOS WITHIN THAT HYBRID MODEL.
SO I THINK THE HYBRID MODEL HAS SOME VALIDITY BECAUSE I DO BELIEVE EVEN IF WE COME FULL FACE-TO-FACE, THAT WE'RE PROBABLY GOING TO HAVE SOME CHILDREN THAT ARE NOT GOING TO BE COMFORTABLE COMING BACK INITIALLY,
[02:05:03]
BUT I THINK THAT AS THE YEAR PROGRESSES, LET'S SAY THE WEEK'S PROGRESS, I THINK THAT THEY'RE GOING TO SEE, "WELL, IT'S NOT SO BAD," AND THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE A DIFFERENT COMFORT LEVEL.SO DAVE HAS BEEN WORKING HAND IN GLOVE WITH US ABOUT WHAT'S NEEDED IN TERMS OF THE TECHNOLOGY.
THAT FOR US TO EVEN CONSIDER THE YES, WHAT WOULD WE HAVE TO HAVE IN PLACE? BECAUSE IF WE HAVE FULL FACE-TO-FACE, WE CAN'T TAKE TECHNOLOGY THAT THE TEACHERS DEPEND UPON OUT OF THE CLASS, TO DISTRIBUTE THOSE TO KIDS THAT ARE AT HOME, BECAUSE YOU'D BE ROBING PETER TO PAY PAUL.
SO WHAT WOULD THAT ENTAIL? THEN THE OTHER SUB-COMMITTEE THAT'S REALLY WORKING IS PUTTING THE PIECES TOGETHER FOR COMPLETE REMOTE IF AN EMERGENCY HAPPENED AGAIN.
BUT I THINK IF WE DO WELL IN THAT PLAN B, THEN GOING TO PLAN C IS NOT GOING TO BE AS CHALLENGING, AND WHAT WE HAVE LEARNED IN THIS ENVIRONMENT IS GOING TO REALLY SET US UP FOR MORE SUCCESS.
WE'VE LEARNED SOME VERY VALUABLE LESSONS, AND SOME THINGS THAT WE KNOW WHAT TO DO IN THE NEXT GO AROUND.
>> [OVERLAPPING] I THINK YOU EXPLAINED IT, BUT LET ME SAY IT BACK TO YOU.
>> SO THE SCENARIOS ARE; EVERYBODY COMES BACK AND YOU'RE EXPECTED TO BE HERE, JUST LIKE IT WAS THE START OF LAST YEAR.
>> WITH SOME SAFETY AND HEALTH PRECAUTIONS.
>> YEAH, RIGHT. I'M SORRY. YES.
>> THE NEXT ONE, WHAT YOU'RE CALLING YOUR HYBRID THOUGH, IS YOU'RE SAYING THAT THERE'LL BE A PERCENTAGE, A SUBSTANTIAL NUMBER OF KIDS.
>> WELL, I THINK THERE COULD BE SUBSTANTIAL, BUT THERE ALSO COULD BE FEW AND I THINK IT DEPENDS ON WHAT THE STATE IS GOING TO DO.
IF THE STATE FUNDS THAT, THEN WE COULD BE IN A POSITION THAT WE WOULD OPERATE SOME ONLINE FOR KIDS WHO CHOOSE TO DO THAT.
>> I GUESS THE BETTER QUESTION IS, WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT A HYBRID, YOU'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT THIS AB.
>> NOT NECESSARILY, THAT IS A FORM OF A HYBRID MODEL, BUT THAT IS THE MOST CHALLENGING WAY TO LOOK AT IT.
>> SO BASICALLY YOURS ARE; EVERYBODY'S HERE WITH SAFETY PRECAUTIONS IN PLACE.
SUBSTANTIAL NUMBER OF KIDS MAYBE ONLINE BUT MOST CHILDREN, FACE-TO-FACE.
>> THEN THE THIRD WOULD BE EMERGENCY SITUATION, WE [INAUDIBLE] ON.
>> [OVERLAPPING] THAT'S RIGHT.
>> OKAY. SO THEN TO LOOK AT, TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE AND I WANT TO ASSURE YOU THAT EVEN TODAY WE HAD COMMITTEE MEETINGS, ZOOMS. I DROP IN ON THE ZOOMS, CLARENCE AND LORENE DROP IN ON THE ZOOMS. WE HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE DROPPING IN ON THE ZOOM MEETINGS, AND OUR PRINCIPALS ARE RUNNING THESE THINGS VERY EFFECTIVELY, AND SOME GREAT IDEAS ARE COMING FROM THIS GROUP.
SO WHAT WE ENVISION IS, IF YOU'LL LOOK AT THIS TIMELINE, WE'VE SET THESE SUB-COMMITTEES IN PLACE THAT WE'VE DEVELOPED AND ADMINISTERED THAT PARENTS SURVEY.
BASED UPON THE DATA THAT WE'RE GETTING BACK, WE'RE GOING TO GIVE THAT TO THOSE SUB-COMMITTEES, AND I THINK FROM THE DATA AND THE COMMENTS THAT WE'RE GETTING BACK, THAT'S GOING TO HELP THEM DRAFT SOME CONTINGENCY PLANS IN A MORE INFORMED MANNER, BECAUSE THEY BEGIN TO SEE AND SENSE THE THINKING THAT'S OUT THERE THAT OUR PARENTS HAVE.
THEN THEY'RE GOING TO SHARE THEIR VARIOUS PLANS AND GET FEEDBACK FROM EACH OTHER.
SO THAT WILL BRING THEM ALL BACK TOGETHER AND THAT THEY CAN BOUNCE IDEAS, AND SHARE IDEAS, AND GET SOME INPUT ON WHAT EACH SUB-COMMITTEE HAS DONE.
THEN WE'LL MAKE THE CHANGES BASED ON THAT FEEDBACK.
THEN WE WANT TO SHARE THE CONTINGENCY PLANS WITH THE CABINET, AND SEE HOW OTHER FAULTS THAT MIGHT PLAY IN AND AGAIN A SYSTEMS APPROACH BECAUSE EVERYTHING IS CONNECTED AND IT HINGES ON THINGS WORKING ACROSS THE SYSTEM.
THEN WE WANT TO REALLY DRAFT WHAT WE THINK ARE SOME VERY GOOD OPTIONS TO BRING TO THE BOARD, AND GET YOUR INPUT AND YOUR FEEDBACK, SO THAT BEFORE WE COMMUNICATE AND ANSWER THOSE QUESTIONS THAT EVERYBODY'S HANDING YOU ABOUT, WHAT'S THE BEGINNING OF SCHOOL GOING TO LOOK LIKE? THAT WE HAVE VETTED ALL OF THESE THINGS THROUGH ALL THE STAKEHOLDERS, AND THAT WE CAN PRESENT A UNITED FRONT, AND THAT WE'RE ALL ON THE SAME PAGE AND SUPPORTIVE OF WHAT WE WANT THE OPENING OF SCHOOL TO BE,
[02:10:03]
AND THAT WE CAN COMMUNICATE THAT IN A TIMELY FASHION, SO THAT WE CAN PREPARE PEOPLE, AND WE ALSO WANT TO DO THAT SURVEY AGAIN. OKAY?>> YOU'RE SPEAKING MY LOVE LANGUAGE THERE, AND I KNOW YOU DON'T KNOW ALL THE ANSWERS BECAUSE ALL THE ANSWERS AREN'T KNOWABLE, BUT HELP ME OUT A LITTLE BIT.
I MEAN, WE'VE GOT SCHOOL STARTING ON AUGUST 17TH, AND THEN TEACHERS HAVE OPTION OUT MR. BASKERVILLE 45 DAYS BEFORE.
IS IT 45 DAYS BEFORE? SO WHAT DAY DOES THAT FALL, JULY 9TH? [BACKGROUND] OKAY.
WOW, HERE WE ARE, JUNE 9TH, AND WE'RE GOING TO TURN AROUND AND JULY 9TH IS JUST A MONTH AWAY.
BY THE WAY, ARE WE GOING TO GET THE SUMMARY RESULTS OF THE SURVEYS? [BACKGROUND] OKAY.
>> SURVEYS GO THROUGH SATURDAY AT 5:00 PM, SO WE'LL GET RESULTS THEN.
>> DO YOU HAVE A BETTER HANDLE ON WHEN THESE COMMITTEES ARE GOING TO REPORT BACK AND YOU'RE GOING TO FOLD IN THE SURVEY?
>> I DO, AND I'M SORRY THAT I DON'T KNOW THEM BY MEMORY, BUT I THINK THAT THAT REALLY HINGES A LOT.
I THINK THAT WE'VE GOT TO BE PREPARED TO COMMUNICATE TO THE BOARD BEFORE OUR JULY BOARD MEETING, THAT'S WHY TOO LATE.
SO I THINK THAT IT DEPENDS ON WHAT DR. BROWN AND ALL OF US HERE FROM THE AGENCY THAT'S REALLY GOING TO FAST FORWARD THESE THINGS QUICKLY.
BUT WE'RE POISED, MR. TOLBERT, TO REALLY COME OUT WITH A PLAN, IN A PRETTY FAST PACE BECAUSE THESE PEOPLE HAVE BEEN WORKING.
THEY DON'T HAVE A BLANK SHEET OF PAPER.
THEY HAVE A LOT OF IDEAS DOWN AND WE HAVE THE MEANS TO PUT THIS DOWN PRETTY QUICKLY AND GET BACK WITH YOU ALL SO THAT WE CAN INFORM OUR PUBLIC IN A TIMELY FASHION BECAUSE YOU'RE RIGHT.
WE HAVE TEACHERS RETURNING, I THINK, AUGUST 1ST, ISN'T IT? AUGUST 1ST.
>> [OVERLAPPING] THE NEXT TEACHERS, YEAH.
>> YEAH, THEY REPORT AUGUST 1ST, AND THEN MR. BASKERVILLE, ONE OR THE [INAUDIBLE] [BACKGROUND] GO INTO THE TWO DAYS OR THREE DAYS OR WHATEVER.
>> THEY SHOULD GO FIRST MONDAY IN AUGUST.
EVERYTHING IS FACED AGAIN TO [LAUGHTER] START IN EARNEST, AND OUR SCHOOL BOARD MEETING IN JULY WOULD BE JUST A FEW DAYS BEFORE THAT.
>> [OVERLAPPING] JUST TO TAG INTO THAT, THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT WE'VE BEEN IN OUR CONVERSATIONS AND THE LITTLE COMMENTS WE'VE MADE TO THE COMMISSIONER, ALL THESE THINGS.
THAT'S WHY I THINK HE FINALLY HEARD THAT HE WAS TALKING LATTER PART OF JUNE, AND THAT'S WHY HE UPPED THAT TO THE 16TH KNOWING THAT YOU NEED TO START MAKING COMMITMENTS.
WE REALIZED WITH THE SURVEY, WE CERTAINLY BELIEVE THAT IF WE'D ASK PEOPLE A MONTH AGO VERSUS YOU ASK THEM THIS WEEK, AND HOPEFULLY IF YOU ASK THEM IN A MONTH AND YOU ASK THEM IN TWO MONTHS, WE THINK THOSE FEELINGS ARE GOING TO EVOLVE.
CAN WE SAY EXACTLY WHAT IT IS BECAUSE WE DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN OUT THERE WITH THE REPORTS? BUT WHAT WE HOPE IS THAT AT SOME POINT, WE START GETTING SOME BETTER FEELINGS AND BETTER THOUGHTS ABOUT EVERYONE BEING TOGETHER.
IF THEY'LL GO AHEAD AND GIVE US SOME SUPPORT FOR DOING THE NORMAL, WHICH IS WHAT WE'RE TELLING THEM, TO PROTECT OUR SCHOOLS, WE NEED TO DO FINE WITH SOME RESTRICTIONS, BUT NOT SO HEAVILY RESTRICTED THAT YOU GOT TO GO TWO SCHEDULES.
HOW DO YOU DO THAT WITH A TEACHER YOU'RE PAYING TO WORK X NUMBER OF HOURS? IF YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO DELIVER BOTH IN PERSON AND ONLINE INSTRUCTION, ADVANCED CHEMISTRY, THAT LOOKS VERY DIFFERENT, HOW AM I GOING TO DO THAT? IF I'VE GOT HALF MY CLASS THERE, DON'T I STILL HAVE TO TEACH A WHOLE CLASS? THE ANSWER IS YES. SO THOSE ARE ALL THE QUESTIONS.
I THINK THEY UNDERSTAND THAT YOU'RE REALLY GOING MAKE IT DIFFICULT.
SO THEY CAME OUT AND I TALKED A LOT ABOUT THE AB SCHEDULES, MANY DISTRICTS JUMPED ON THAT.
WE'VE BEEN HESITANT BECAUSE WE'RE PUSHING THIS AND LOOK, LET'S LOOK FOR A FACE-TO-FACE MODEL WITH SOME RESTRICTIONS AND SOCIAL DISTANCING AND THING, REALIZING SOME MAY CHOOSE TO DO THAT.
BUT IF THE LARGEST MAJORITY IS FACE TO FACE, WE GOT A SHOT AT THIS.
I THINK WE CAN WIN THE OTHERS BACK OVER.
WE'RE JUST SITTING THERE UNFORTUNATELY HAVING TO DO SOME EXTRA WORK AND SOME THINGS THAT ARE NOT GOING TO COME TO FRUITION.
THAT'S OKAY BECAUSE I DON'T WANT TO DO THAT HYBRID MODEL, BUT WE'VE GOT TO BE PREPARED FOR IT.
[02:15:02]
THEN EVERYBODY SWITCHES TO, "OKAY, THIS IS WHAT WE'RE DOING." IT'S A VERY RAPID PROCESS OF NOW THAT WE KNOW WHAT WE'RE DOING, WE'LL VERY QUICKLY GET THAT PLAN TOGETHER, AND THAT'S WHAT ALL OF US ARE SAYING.YOU'VE GOT TO, UNFORTUNATELY, PLAN FOR A FEW THINGS THAT YOU HOPE DON'T HAPPEN, BUT YOU CAN'T BE SITTING THERE JULY 9TH GOING, "OH, MY GOSH." THINGS HAVE CHANGED.
SO EVEN IF WE GET GOOD NEWS ON THE 16TH, IF IT CHANGES OVER THE NEXT FOUR WEEKS IN THE WORST SITUATION AND THEY RETRACT BACK, YOU'VE GOT TO BE PREPARED.
SO WE'RE PREPARED FOR ALL THOSE UNCERTAINTIES, UNFORTUNATELY, BUT WE'RE PLANNING FOR THE BEST AND WE DO BELIEVE THE HIGHEST LIKELIHOOD IS THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE IN A MODIFIED VERSION OF ALL IN FACE-TO-FACE INSTRUCTION, KNOWING THAT SOME PEOPLE ARE GOING TO CHOOSE TO STAY BACK.
WE DO BELIEVE, AND A LOT OF PEOPLE BELIEVE PSYCHOLOGICALLY, A LOT OF PARENTS, THE MOM SYNDROME FOR EXAMPLE, "I DON'T WANT TO SEND MY KIDS BACK." BUT THEY HAVEN'T HAD THAT CONVERSATION WITH THEIR KIDS YET.
THEN THEIR KIDS FOUND OUT ALL THEIR FRIENDS ARE GOING AND, "WELL, MOM, IF I DON'T DO THAT, THEN I CAN'T PLAY THIS OR I CAN'T BE IN THIS CLUB, OR I CAN'T DO THIS," AND A BUNCH OF THOSE SAYINGS.
AS IT GETS AUGUST, WE'LL BE MODIFIED.
SO THE PERCENTAGES, IF THERE ARE 25 PERCENT WHO ARE STAYING, THEN THAT'LL WORK ITSELF OUT.
THE FEARS WILL LESSEN, THE KIDS WILL PEER PRESSURE THEM, AND THEN SOME WON'T, SOME WILL STICK TO IT.
BUT IF IT'S SAFE ENOUGH TO COME FOR SOME, AND GOOD NEWS IS HAPPENING, AND WE GET TO STICK TO THAT, THEN PEOPLE WILL SEE ITS OKAY AND MIGRATE.
THAT'S BEEN THE THOUGHT THAT'S MOST LIKELY.
THAT'S WHAT WE'RE HOPING FOR BECAUSE I THINK THAT SAVES PUBLIC EDUCATION.
>> THANK YOU, THAT WAS HELPFUL.
>> I'M GOING TO PUSH A LITTLE BIT JUST AS A SINGLE BOARD MEMBER.
IF THE 16TH, THE COMMISSIONER HAS SOME CONCRETE IN WHAT HE'S SAYING, AND I KNOW CONCRETE CAN BE BUSTED UP LATER, BUT IF HE HAS SOME CONCRETE IN IT AND SAYS THIS IS HOW IT LOOKS LIKE, I LIKE FOR YOU ALL TO GIVE US YOUR, "YOU DON'T HAVE TO NOW." BUT IF THE 16TH TURNS OUT TO HAVE MORE CONCRETE SUGGESTIONS OR RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE COMMISSION, THEN CAN YOU TELL US YOUR TIMELINE? I DON'T WANT TO HEAR ABOUT THIS AT OUR BOARD MEETING IN JULY.
I WOULD LIKE SOMETHING BEFORE THAT, JUST FOR US TO KNOW, AND THEN START GETTING MARK READY SO HE CAN START GETTING SOME COMMUNICATIONS OUT WITH ALL THE CAVEATS THAT THIS IS ALL NOT SET IN STONE.
THE OTHER THING I WANT TO BRAG ON, I DON'T KNOW WHO DID IT.
BY THE WAY, I HAVEN'T SEEN EITHER ONE OF THEM.
I JUST KNOW I TALKED TO [INAUDIBLE] PARENTS, AND THAT SURVEY FREAKED THAT COMMUNITY OUT, AND THEN SOME FOLLOW-UP COMMUNICATIONS FROM THEIR SUPERINTENDENT FREAKED THE COMMUNITY OUT.
OUR SURVEY, THE PEOPLE I'VE TALKED TO, I HAVEN'T DONE IT, MY WIFE DID IT.
THEY'VE GONE THROUGH IT. WE'RE VERY COMFORTABLE AND VERY CALM, AND IT DID NOT SCARE THEM.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE DIFFERENCE WAS. [OVERLAPPING]
>> WELL, I CAN TELL YOU WHAT THE DIFFERENCE IS.
WE HAD SOME WONDERFUL PEOPLE WHO WORKED ON THAT COMMITTEE AND THAT DID THAT, AND WE ALSO LOOKED AT MANY DISTRICT EXAM.
ONE THAT WE LOOKED AT THAT I SAID, UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES WOULD WE EVER DO A SURVEY LIKE THAT IN THAT DISTRICT IS UP THAT WAY.
[LAUGHTER] IT'S NORTHWEST OF HERE.
[LAUGHTER] IT'S LARGE [LAUGHTER]. THEN WE TOOK THE ONE THAT NORTHWEST DID BECAUSE OF COTTON BEING IN THAT SCHOOL DISTRICT, AND THAT DIDN'T PROVIDE ENOUGH INFORMATION.
SO JULIE HANGMAN AND DAVE AND MARK CRUZ AND JENNIFER.
I MEAN, THERE WAS JUST A BUNCH OF THEM.
NOREEN AND CLARENCE, WE ALL JUST PITCHED IN AND LOOKED AT A LOT OF EXAMPLES, AND LEANNE WAS A PART OF THAT.
I'M TELLING YOU, I LIVE IN ZOOM NOW.
IT'S JUST THAT IF WE HAD TO PICK SOME POSITIVES, THAT MIGHT BE ONE THAT WE HAVE DONE MORE COLLABORATION THROUGH ZOOM AND ORGANIZING SUBCOMMITTEES AND DIFFERENT PEOPLE WORKING ON THINGS THAT I AM BLOWN AWAY AT THE WORK THAT HAS BEEN ACCOMPLISHED.
I HOPE THAT YOU, IF YOU HADN'T HAD A CHANCE TO LOOK AT AND LISTEN TO THE POWERPOINT PRESENTATION, IT JUST OUTLINES ALL THE WORK THAT HAS BEEN ACCOMPLISHED IN JUST A SHORT MATTER OF TIME.
WHAT HAS BEEN DONE FOR THAT JUMP-START IS JUST GOING TO BE AMAZING.
IN JUST A SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME, WE'VE GOT AMAZING PEOPLE, AMAZING PEOPLE THAT ARE WORKING SO HARD.
WE DO BELIEVE THAT A FOLLOW-UP SURVEY, YOU'D GET SOME DIFFERENT RESULTS, EVEN IN FIVE WEEKS.
[02:20:02]
SO YOU START WITH THIS INFORMATION THAT YOU UNDERSTAND IS STILL HARD FOR ME, IF I TOOK IT TODAY ON JUNE 9TH TO SAY FOR SURE HOW I'M GOING TO FEEL ON AUGUST 17TH.I THINK I CAN ANSWER BETTER A MONTH FROM NOW, SIX WEEKS FROM NOW, OR WHEN AUGUST GETS HERE.
WE DON'T HAVE THAT LONG, BUT WE CAN STILL CONTINUE TO ASK, CONTINUE TO SURVEY, AND AN INFORMALLY SURVEY AS WELL.
SO WE DO BELIEVE WE CAN GET THERE.
WE JUST NEED THE LATITUDE TO DEVISE A SYSTEM THAT WE THINK IS BEST FOR OUR KIDS.
THAT'S WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR FROM THE COMMISSIONER.
WE'RE ON A EPIC JOURNEY EMPOWERING PERSONALIZED INSTRUCTION AND CURRICULUM.
WE'RE DEVELOPING THIS STAFF HUB THAT'S GOING TO HAVE EVERYTHING THAT ANYBODY WANTS TO KNOW.
THE SECOND PART WE'RE GOING TO DO IS WE'RE GOING TO GET SOME INFORMATION TO OUR EDUCATORS- YES.
-TO GET SOME FEEDBACK FROM THEM.
WE'RE WORKING ON THAT SURVEY RIGHT NOW.
ABOUT HOW THE EXPERIENCE WORKS FOR THEM AND LOOKING AT THESE SCENARIOS.
SO WE CONTINUE TO GET INFORMATION EACH WEEK.
DR. CLARK, YOUR JUMP-START PROGRAM SOUNDS INCREDIBLE.
YOU GOT 400 STUDENTS REGISTERED.
HOW ARE THE STUDENTS FINDING OUT ABOUT THAT. HOW ARE THE PARENTS? WE IDENTIFIED SELECT GROUPS OF STUDENTS LIKE THAT WERE ON TIER TWO, TIER THREE, THE ONES THAT WE KNEW THAT WE WERE REALLY BEHIND, SPECIAL ED STUDENTS.
WE HAD THEIR EMAILS, WE DID A DATA, MONICA [INAUDIBLE] PULLED ALL THEIR DATA AND THEIR TABLES AND ASK THEM.
HERE ARE THE ONES THAT WE HAVE IDENTIFIED TO THE DATA.
IF YOU SEE SOMEONE MISSING FROM THAT LIST THAT YOU WANT TO INCLUDE, PLEASE DO SO.
I KNOW THIS SAID CONTINGENCY PLAN.
ARE WE DEFINITELY LOOKING AT APRIL 17TH AS OUR START DATE? AUGUST. [OVERLAPPING].
YES. BECAUSE UNFORTUNATELY, THE FLEXIBILITY THEY WERE LOOKING FOR WAS LOOKING TO MOVE BACK AND IN OUR AREA DISTRICTS.
I THINK CAROL WAS ONLY ONE THAT EVEN HAD A CONVERSATION ABOUT CONSIDERING THAT.
LOOK, WHERE I'M CONCERNED ABOUT PEOPLE BEING UNCOMFORTABLE ABOUT THE 17TH.
I DIDN'T WANT TO BUMP IT UP TO THE THIRD.
SO FLEXIBILITY, WE JUST SAID WHAT WE'RE GOING TO COMMUNICATE, WHAT'S THE PLAN? WE DON'T WANT TO JUMP OUT AND START TALKING ABOUT JUNE UNTIL WE CAN TELL THEM WHAT THE PLAN IS GOING TO LOOK LIKE, WHAT SCHOOL IS GOING TO LOOK LIKE.
AS SOON AS THAT HAPPENS, WE'RE GOING TO TALK TO THEM ABOUT THE FLEXIBILITY, SAYING, "HEY, WE DON'T KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT." SO KEEP YOUR JUNE PLANS FLEXIBLE.
WE DIDN'T WANT TO COME UP AND ADD WEEKS AND SAYS, "WELL, YOU CAN PULL THEM BACK." BECAUSE THEN YOU IRRITATE PEOPLE.
BECAUSE YOU SAY, "WE'RE GOING TO GO TO GRANDMA'S HOUSE AND WHATEVER, WE'RE GOING TO DRIVE.
NOW, YOU ARE TELLING ME, BECAUSE WE TOOK OFF TWO WEEKS AGO, NOW WE'RE GOING TO GO TO SCHOOL THAT WEEK." NONE OF THAT FELT GOOD.
WE JUST SAID, LOOK, WE'VE GOT A GOOD SCHEDULED.
WE NEED THIS TIME TO GET PREPARED.
LET'S STAY WITH THE SCHEDULE TAKEOFF WHEN WE NEED TO.
IT'S LIKE ON THE DAY THAT THE WEATHER'S BAD.
I KNOW THE COUNTER SAID WE'RE GOING TO GO TO SCHOOL.
IT'S NOT SAFE TO GO TO SCHOOL, WE'RE NOT.
WE HAVE TO TAKE OFF A WEEK OR TWO.
JUST KNOW THAT WE'LL COME BACK WHEN WE CAN, WHEN IT'S SAFE, WILL GO TO THE REMOTE INSTRUCTION, WILL BE PREPARED FOR THAT BECAUSE WE CAN DO THAT.
THEN WE'LL COME BACK WHEN IT'S SAFE.
THEN IF THE STATE SAYS, "HEY, YOU GOTTA MAKE UP THOSE TWO WEEKS." WE KNOW WHERE IT'S GOING.
SO WE JUST FELT LIKE IN A YEAR WITH SO MUCH UNCERTAINTY THAT WAS THE LEAST DISRUPTIVE AND THE BEST TO BE FULLY PREPARED.
I THINK THAT'S A GREAT SEGUE TO SAY THAT SOME OF THE STRUGGLES THAT WE ENCOUNTERED REALLY CENTER AROUND THE DIGITAL DIVIDE.
THE FACT THAT WE HAVE SO MANY HOUSEHOLDS THAT DO NOT HAVE THE TECHNOLOGY AND THE CONNECTIVITY THAT IS NOW BEING ALMOST REQUIRED IN EDUCATION.
SO WITH THAT, IF YOU DON'T MIND,
[02:25:01]
DAVE CAN COME UP AND TALK ABOUT WHAT THE TECHNOLOGY [OVERLAPPING] JUST THE LAST THING, WE THOUGHT WE BETTER PLANT THE SEED FOR YOU TONIGHT, AND I APPRECIATE YOUR PATIENTS WITH THIS.BUT UNLESS THEY JUST GIVE YOU A FEW MINUTES OF HERE'S WHERE WE ARE ONE-TO-ONE, AND LET'S YOU AT LEAST BEGIN TO PONDER THAT.
I REALLY LIKE DR. CLARK'S EXAMPLE EARLIER WHERE SHE DESCRIBED OUR RELATIONSHIP AS A HAND IN A GLOVE.
I KNOW THAT I'M NOT THE HAND IN THAT RELATIONSHIP, THAT I'M [LAUGHTER] THE GLOVE AND THAT TECHNOLOGY, OUR GOAL IN THE DISTRICT IS TO REALLY HAVE THE BUSINESS DRIVE TECHNOLOGY.
WE WANT TO BE PROVIDING SUPPORT IN HELPING THE DISTRICT TRY TO MEET ITS GOALS AND ACCOMPLISH ITS VISION, AND NOT REALLY BE FORCING THE DISTRICT INTO THINGS.
SO WHAT WE'RE BRINGING TO YOU TODAY IS SOMETHING THAT REALLY TEACHING AND LEARNING IS PUSHING US TO EXPLORE.
BECAUSE WE FOUND THAT THERE'S BEEN SOME CHALLENGES WITH COVID-19 THROWING US BASICALLY IN A WEEKEND FROM FACE-TO-FACE CLASSROOM INSTRUCTION, TO 100 PERCENT REMOTE AND ONLINE, WAS BOTH UNEXPECTED AND UNPRECEDENTED.
WE DIDN'T HAVE A PLAYBOOK TO WORK FROM, THAT TOLD US WHAT DECISIONS WERE COMING THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO CHOOSE FROM.
WE'VE LEARNED A LOT IN THE LAST TWO MONTHS.
DR. CLARK ALREADY TOUCHED ON THE DIGITAL DIVIDE.
WE HAVE A HUGE DIVIDE IN OUR DISTRICT OF ACCESS TO BOTH TECHNOLOGY AND ACCESS TO THE INTERNET.
TODAY SHE ALREADY TOUCHED ON THIS, THAT ACCESS TO TECHNOLOGY IS CRITICAL TO AN EDUCATIONAL SUCCESS.
THAT IT'S ALMOST BECOMING A REQUIRED ELEMENT IN EVERY CLASSROOM, AND IN EVERY LEARNING EXPERIENCE.
THAT WITHOUT IT, YOU'RE FALLING BEHIND.
SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I'VE DONE IS, I'VE WORKED REALLY HARD TO DEVELOP A RELATIONSHIP WITH ALL OF THE NORTH TEXAS CTOS.
SOME OF THOSE DISTRICTS ALREADY HAVE ONE-TO-ONE PROGRAMS THAT THEY'VE HAD FOR MANY YEARS.
SOME OF THEM ARE IN SIMILAR PLACES THAT WE'RE IN RIGHT NOW AND THEY'RE HAVING SIMILAR CONVERSATIONS THAT WE'RE HAVING RIGHT NOW.
THOSE THAT ALREADY HAD A ONE-TO-ONE PROGRAM, DIDN'T HAVE TO CHECK OUT DEVICES, DIDN'T HAVE TO SPEND TIME DEVISING THIS WHOLE PROCESS, DIDN'T HAVE TO RESTRUCTURE THEIR SUPPORT MODELS AND THEN THEIR SERVICE MODELS, DIDN'T HAVE TO TRAIN KIDS ON HOW TO USE THEM, HOW TO COMMUNICATE WITH THEM, DIDN'T HAVE TO TRAIN TEACHERS FOR HOW TO INTERACT WITH STUDENTS USING THOSE DEVICES.
BECAUSE THEY'D ALREADY LEARNED THAT.
THEY'D ALREADY EXPERIENCED THAT.
THEY DIDN'T HAVE TO IMPLEMENT A FOCUS ON LEARNING MANAGEMENT AND REALLY TRYING TO ORGANIZE THAT COMMUNICATION.
THEY WERE ALREADY DOING A HYBRID MODEL UTILIZING THE LEARNING MANAGEMENT SYSTEM, THAT REALLY CREATED A CONSISTENT EXPERIENCE FOR THE STUDENTS.
IT REALLY HELPED TO ORGANIZE THAT COMMUNICATION.
SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE HEARD HERE IN BIRDVILLE, AND THAT I KNOW OTHER DISTRICTS ARE HEARING IS ALL THE DIFFERENT WAYS PARENTS ARE COMMUNICATING, AND ALL THE DIFFERENT METHODS THAT THEY'RE USING.
SOME DISTRICTS THAT ARE ONE-TO-ONE, THEY USE THEIR LEARNING MANAGEMENT SYSTEM.
ALL THE TEACHER COMMUNICATION GOES THROUGH ONE CHANNEL AND IT'S CONSISTENT FOR THE KIDS.
IT'S A CONSISTENT, CLEAR, CONCISE PROCESS OF DOING THAT.
SO WE'VE BEEN MAKING A LIST AND COMING UP WITH SOME IDEAS TO THINGS THAT WE THINK PROBABLY NEED TO BE LOOKED AT AND EXPLORED ONE-TO-ONE.
WE'RE AT A PRETTY GOOD OPPORTUNITY.
DR. BROWN TOUCHED ON THIS JUST A FEW MINUTES AGO, WHEN YOU STARTED THIS CONVERSATION.
WITH THE 2018 BOND, WE WENT INTO THAT BOND IN 2018 BASED ON LAPTOPS.
LAPTOPS WERE STILL HEAVY FOCUS IN EDUCATION.
CHROMEBOOKS WERE JUST STARTING TO DISRUPT THE INDUSTRY.
WE MADE A DECISION AFTER THE 2018 BOND PAST TO GO WITH CHROMEBOOKS IN OUR CLASSROOM, TO START USING CLOUD TECHNOLOGY, START USING MORE ONLINE AND WEB.
WHICH REALLY CUT OUR DEVICE COST ALMOST IN HALF.
SO WE HAVE SOME CAPACITY IN OUR 2018 BOND TO BE ABLE TO IMPLEMENT AND SUSTAIN A ONE-TO-ONE PROGRAM FOR ALMOST 3-4 YEARS.
NOW, BEYOND THAT, IT'S NO LONGER A $30 MILLION INITIATIVE FOR FOUR YEARS, IT'S PROBABLY MORE LIKE $12 MILLION FOR FOUR YEARS TO CONTINUE SUSTAINING.
SO IT'S NOT THE HUGE COST THAT IT USED TO BE WITH ONE-TO-ONE IN THE PAST, BUT IT IS.
ONCE YOU JUMP INTO IT, IT'S HARD TO STOP, AND SO THERE WOULD BE CONTINUED MAINTENANCE.
SO WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH ALL THE OTHER DISTRICTS THAT ALREADY HAD ONE-TO-ONE PROGRAMS WORKING ON NUMBERS AND METRICS AND DIFFERENT WAYS THAT THEY USE TO SUSTAIN THEIR MODELS, DIFFERENT WAYS THAT THEY USE TO CONTINUE PROVIDING SUPPORT.
WE DON'T HAVE ALL THE ANSWERS TODAY, WE'RE JUST HAVING A CONVERSATION TO LET YOU KNOW WHAT WE'RE EXPLORING, WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT,
[02:30:02]
AND HOPE TO BE ABLE TO BRING YOU MORE INFORMATION IN THE FUTURE.ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS? ANYTHING THAT I CAN HELP?
>> JUST SO I HEARD YOU, YOU'RE SAYING THAT THE LEFTOVER FUNDS FROM 2018 BOND, AND GIVEN THE FACT THAT THEY'RE CHEAPER DEVICES.
YOU THINK THAT WE COULD OUTFIT TO BE A ONE-TO-ONE WITH THE MONEY WE HAVE RIGHT NOW? THAT DOESN'T INCLUDE MAYBE SOME MAINTENANCE AND SOME ONGOING THING.
>> SO I BELIEVED THAT WE COULD IMPLEMENT ONE-TO-ONE.
WE'VE ALREADY BOUGHT ALMOST 17,000 DEVICES.
BECAUSE WE'VE DONE HALF CLASS SETS IN EVERY ROOM IN THE DISTRICT.
WELL, NOT EVERY ROOM IN THE DISTRICT IS BEING UTILIZED BY A FULL CLASS ALL DAY LONG.
SO IN SOME CASES, WE STANDARDIZED BASICALLY SAYING, 12 DEVICES IN A ELEMENTARY CLASSROOM AND 15 IN A SECONDARY CLASSROOM.
BASED ON THOSE NUMBERS, I DON'T THINK IT WILL COST US MUCH MORE TO BUY THE ADDITIONAL DEVICES TO BE ONE-TO-ONE.
THEN TO CONTINUE SUSTAINING THAT MODEL FOR 3-4 YEARS BASED ON THE FUNDS THAT WE ALREADY HAVE AVAILABLE.
>> HOW ABOUT THE BACKBONE INFRASTRUCTURE ON ME? I KNOW MY KIDS AT NORTH RIDGE, WOULD JUST TURN OFF THEIR WI-FI BECAUSE THE SYSTEM WAS SO SLOW AND EAT UP ALL OUR DATA, WHICH WE HAD CHANGE OF PLAN.
>> PART OF THAT MR. TOLBERT, BECAUSE THEY'RE EITHER USING THE GUEST NETWORK, WHICH WE INTENTIONALLY MAKE SLOW.
BECAUSE WE WANT THEM TO LOGIN USING THEIR CREDENTIALS TO GET THE FILTERING AND ACCESS TO MORE.
>> PROBABLY WHY THEY WERE [LAUGHTER] AND THE GUEST. OKAY
>> PART OF THAT IS TRAINING, AND CREATING THAT CULTURE AROUND TECHNOLOGY, AND THE CULTURE AROUND LEARNING MANAGEMENT, AND THE CULTURE AROUND HAVING THAT DEVICE.
>> SO THE GUEST WHEN SLOW, BUT YOU'RE SAYING THAT IF THEY'D HIT THE DISTRICT ONE AT NORTH RIDGE IT'S NOT.
>> IF MARK DID A SPEED TEST RIGHT HERE, HE'D GET 300 MEGS.
>> OUR NEW WIDER AREA NETWORKS ARE GOING TO BE DONE BY THE END OF THIS MONTH.
YOU REMEMBER EARLY ON, WE BROUGHT A NEW WIDER AREA NETWORK THAT BY THE WAY, WE GOT TO A 100 PERCENT FUNDED BY E-RATE.
THAT POTENTIAL HALF MILLION COST THE STATE MATCH THAT MONEY AND WE DIDN'T HAVE TO SPEND THAT IN OUR 2018 BOND.
SOME OF THAT CAPACITY THAT I'M TALKING ABOUT BEING ABLE TO SUSTAIN THIS MODEL.
THAT NEW WIDER AREA NETWORK IS GOING TO BE DONE COMING TO OUR PLAZA, WHERE EVERY BUILDING NOW WILL HAVE A DIRECT CONNECTION TO OUR DATA CENTER TO GET OUT TO THE INTERNET.
THEY WON'T HAVE TO GO THROUGH THOSE MULTIPLE HOPS.
CORRECT. REMEMBER THEY HAD TO JUMP FROM MULTIPLE LOCATION, SO IF YOU'RE AT GREEN VALLEY, YOU GOT TO GO THROUGH THREE OTHER BUILDINGS BEFORE YOU GET TO THE DATA CENTER, AND NOT TO THE INTERNET.
THAT'S ALL GOING TO CHANGE IN A MONTH.
I'M EXCITED FOR IT AS TECHNOLOGY GUY, WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THE FUTURE HOLDS.
SOME OF THE CONCERNS THAT PARENTS HAVE IS, I DON'T WANT TO SEND MY KIDS BACK TO SCHOOL AND HAVE THEM ON A LAPTOP THAT ANOTHER KID USED AN HOUR AGO.
[BACKGROUND] IF IT'S A ONE-TO-ONE MODEL, WE WOULDN'T HAVE THAT CONCERN IN PLACE.J OTHER QUESTIONS?
>> MYSTERIES. HOW MANY MORE DEVICES WOULD NEED TO PURCHASE? WHAT FOUR OR FIVE, 4 OR 5,000?
>> YEAH. I DON'T HAVE THE EXACT NUMBER, BUT IT'S RIGHT AROUND THERE.
>> [OVERLAPPING] OKAY. WHAT'S A CHROMEBOOK COST?
>> OUR CURRENT PRICE IN TODAY'S NUMBERS FOR THE DEVICE THAT WE'RE BUYING RIGHT NOW IS 294.
>> WE CHECKED OUT 5,300 DEVICES, WE GOT 80 PERCENT OF THOSE BACK.
THE REST OF THOSE ARE BEING USED IN SUMMER SCHOOL OR ASPIRE.
OTHER DISTRICTS SAY YOU EXPERIENCE ABOUT A THREE TO 3-5 PERCENT BREAKAGE RATE EVERY YEAR, SO IN OUR MODEL THAT WE WOULD WANT, AND I CAN BRING YOU MORE INFORMATION.
I'M LOOKING OF 5-6 DIFFERENT WAYS OF DOING.
>> I JUST WANT TO RAP THAT VERSE UP.
>> OTHER QUESTIONS? A LOT OF INFORMATION, ESPECIALLY AT THE FIRST OF THE MEETING.
THANKS TO EVERYONE, THAT THEY WORKED HERE, DR. CLARK'S DEPARTMENT, ALL OF US JUST KNOW THAT WE HAVE WORKED VERY COLLABORATIVELY.
AS DR. CLARK HAS SAID, A LOT OF INPUT ON THIS, WORKING REALLY HARD TO BE PREPARED BECAUSE I'M SURE YOU KNOW THAT WHEN IT COMES TIME TO START THE GAME, WE WANT TO BE PREPARED.
WE KNOW WE'VE GOT TO DO AS WELL AS WE CAN.
IF THE STATE WOULD JUST GIVE US A LATITUDE WE NEED, WE'LL BE PREPARED. ANY OTHER QUESTION? IT'S TO SAY ONCE AGAIN, I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU ALL DO YOUR JOB WITHOUT DOUBLE PHDS [LAUGHTER] FROM WHAT YOU DO.
SCHOOL FINANCES HAVE FASCINATED ME SINCE I GOT ON.
NOT A GOOD WAY, [LAUGHTER] BUT IN A BAD WAY.
BUT WHAT YOU GUYS HAVE TO KNOW FROM FEDERAL TO STATE TO LOCAL, AND TAXES, AND IT JUST BLOWS ME AWAY AND YOU RUN THINGS LIKE THE COMMERCIAL REAL, LESS OR ALSO IN JUST WEAR SO MANY HATS.
BUT YOU ALL DO GREAT WORK, EVERYBODY DOES.
[02:35:02]
BUT I JUST WANTED TO POINT ALL YOU OUT TONIGHT THAT, I WAS AGAIN REMINDED HOW COMPLICATED YOUR BUSINESS IS.WILL JACK PROVE? HE KNOWS WHAT'S TO DO NEXT.
>> CAN [LAUGHTER] I SAY IT NOW? THIS TIME I'M GOING TO SHOW HIM.
[LAUGHTER] OUR NEXT MEETING WILL BE THURSDAY,
[Items H & I]
JUNE 25TH, BEGINNING HERE IN THE BOARDROOM.TIMES FOR THE CLOSE AND OPEN SESSIONS WILL BE POSTED 72 HOURS IN ADVANCE OF THE MEETING.
AS WE HAVE NO FURTHER BUSINESS, DO I HAVE A MOTION TO ADJOURN?
>> THANK YOU, MR. [INAUDIBLE] .
>> THANK YOU, MR. [INAUDIBLE] .
LET'S GET OUT HERE. ALL IN FAVOR?
>> THANK YOU-ALL VERY MUCH.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.