Good evening, everyone. Good evening, everyone. Let me try that again. Sorry about that.
Katy ISD · Special Board Meeting Agenda
Katy ISD Special Board Meeting, August 10, 2021
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Noting that a quorum is present, I hereby call this special meeting of the Board of Trustees
of the Katy Independent School District to order. Today is Tuesday, August 10, 2021,
and the time is 5 p.m. Dr. Gorgorski, will you verify that we're in compliance
with the provisions of the Texas Open Meetings Act with regard to notice of this meeting?
Board Meeting.
Chair Greg Musil.
Mr. Shelty, I do confirm we are in compliance with the provisions of the Texas Open Meeting
Act for this meeting this evening.
Thank you.
On behalf of my colleagues, I welcome everyone to this evening's special board meeting.
Each board member received the agenda and documentation for this meeting on Friday,
August 6, 2021.
The board will receive information and recommendations from staff, administration, and the superintendent
on these agenda items at tonight's meeting.
Board members will be able to ask questions, receive answers, and should be prepared to take action.
We'll now proceed to Agenda Item 2.1, Presentation of Proposed Changes to the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund,
also called ESSER II and ESSER III. Ms. Leslie Hack.
Good evening.
Are we ready?
Good evening, Board President, Mr. Schulte, school board members, and Dr. Gagorski.
We're happy to be here tonight for our special board meeting for our presentation.
presentation. And we do have before you tonight four presentation topics to discuss. The presentation
topics include the COVID-19 testing, COVID-19 paid leave, TEA remote conferencing, intermittent
school to home, which I think many of our families and students are familiar with, and
KD Virtual Academy, KBA grades K through 6. I do think it's important to note that for
these four particular presentation topics, there is no current funding source for tonight's
topics. Therefore, the presented topics may be included with the ESSER plan and eligible for
ESSER funding. The first topic that we have up is our COVID-19 testing. I do want to make a note
that we have Mr. Lance Nolman here with us from our Risk Management Department, who is very
instrumental in standing up COVID-19 testing throughout the 2021 school year. We are happy
to announce that we have resumed COVID-19 testing as of yesterday, Monday, August 9th. We do have a
new location for our COVID-19 testing site. It is at the west entrance of the Merrill Center.
It is offered Monday through Friday from 7 to 5 p.m. For clarification, our COVID-19 testing is
free for all KDISD employees. The COVID-19 testing is free for all KDISD employee insured dependents
and COVID-19 testing is available for a $125 fee for non-insured dependents and this was
was the case last school year during the 2021 school year. In addition, last school year,
we did offer COVID-19 free testing that was made available to us by TEA. At this time,
Mr. Nolman is currently working on student COVID-19 testing resuming once the supply
and logistics are confirmed with TEA. We anticipate that will be very soon, but we do have it
up and running for staff, their dependents and non-insured dependents for the 125 point
of sale fee. Our second presentation topic is the COVID-19 paid leave. We will resume with KDISD
will provide its employees with up to 10 days of COVID-19 paid leave for qualifying absences.
There's two types of qualifying absences for the paid leave. One, the employee is positive for
COVID-19 or the employee's child is positive for COVID-19. Just some brief instructions,
We'll have more information for our staff following the meeting.
But documentation of the qualifying positive test may be submitted to the employee's immediate supervisor, principal for utilization of a COVID-19 paid leave.
Two important notes.
The COVID-19 paid leave may only be used for absences between July 1st, this past July 1st, and June 30th of 2022.
22. So this would be retro for any COVID positive or for any employee who missed because they were
positive or a child's positive from June 1st through today. So I know Mr. Shush and his staff
will be in contact with those employees. We'll make sure they're taken care of. Also COVID-19
paid leave up to 10 days is in addition to the employee's personal leave bank.
We do have, it was interesting on Thursday,
superintendents did meet with Commissioner Mike Morath.
And one of the things that was noted on Thursday is that remote conferencing
is now available for school districts to offer.
Remote conferencing is very similar to what we offered last school year,
intermittent school to home, when our in-person students had to remain at home
for an extended absence due to COVID or another communicable disease and we learned how to support
them at home and make sure they had the opportunity to make up some makeup work
so it wasn't all waiting for them when they returned to school after an extended absence.
But remote conferencing is an academic support. It's a mechanism which online instruction can be
provided to in-person students if the student is unable to attend school because of a temporary
temporary medical condition and the total amount of remote conferencing instruction does not exceed
more than 20 instructional days over the entirety of the school year if it were to exceed 20
instructional days we would have a separate plan to be able to support that child academically
in addition one of the following requirements must be met to be eligible for remote conferencing
intermittent school the home academic support the student's temporary medical condition is
documented by a physician physician's note the student has a positive test result for a communicable
disease and the student has been identified as having been in close contact for cobin 19 which
would just indicate that the parent would need to notify the school would like to note that the
student that is positive for communicable disease we are updating this cobin 19 self-report app at
the time that the student or parent reports the students excuse me cobin 19 positive the student
at that time via the app could request intermittent school-to-home academic support, be able to put
their return date to school, if it's 10 days, 11 days, whatever the doctor may have told them,
and then that information would go to that home campus, and we could begin facilitating that
intermittent school-to-home support immediately because the campus would have access to that
information. So the COVID self-report app is being updated, and we anticipate it being ready,
updated and ready on Monday. Intermittent school-to-home, we'll be very clear on
this, especially for our teachers that are returning to in-person instruction
and some of them, if you remember, were doing some hybrid last year, that online
and in-person, but intermittent school-to-home instruction cannot be
concurrent, which means remote online students must not be taught by teachers
also teaching in-person students at the same time. So we will provide this
academic support for our students who are home on extended absences it will look a little different
than last year it may not be their classroom teacher but we will have a facilitator there
to make sure that they're getting their assignments able to submit their assignments
if that is something they wish to pursue while they're home
and we will be offering kd virtual academy specific for kdisd students enrolled grades k
K through 6.
The online application window will open tomorrow at 10 AM.
And the online application window
will remain open through midnight Tuesday, August 17.
Our KVA online start date is Monday, August 30.
Our in-person students will return on schedule
Wednesday, August 18.
But we are delaying the start of KVA to Monday, August 30
so that we can ensure we have time to adequately
for the students to enroll, parents to enroll their students, that we can get that enrollment,
staff it with KVA-specific teachers, and then have everything ready and up and running by
Monday, August 30th.
And there will be more information within the application when you submit the application,
some very specific information.
And then, of course, we've updated our KVA resource guide for our parents and students.
Our KVA online end date is Friday, October 15th.
That is the end of the first nine-week grading period for elementary students.
It's the progress report grade, second six weeks for our sixth graders.
And so we anticipate the students will resume in-person learning on Monday, October 18th.
Our KVA teachers will provide online instruction at the centralized KD Virtual Academy,
and they will not be associated with a specific in-person campus.
The KVA online classes will include students from multiple KISD campuses.
Technology will be provided to KVA-enrolled students upon request.
And, of course, grab-and-go meals will be provided to our KVA-enrolled students.
Some specific information.
The online application opens tomorrow morning, 10 a.m.
Deadline to submit the application is midnight Tuesday, August 17th, which is the night before
we resume in-person learning on August 18th.
Our KVA online application will be available via the district's website and beginning also
at 10 a.m. tomorrow.
Our KVA questions may be directed to a specific KVA email and a KVA phone number.
We will have staff ready to go to respond to those emails and those phone calls answer
any questions.
If there's online application concerns, we're going to have a team there ready to help our parents with the online application.
So those are our four presentation topics.
We are happy to answer any questions.
I have Mr. Schuch here for COVID-19 paid leave specific questions, Mr. Nolman for COVID-19 testing,
and, of course, Dr. Kasky and I would be happy to answer any questions on intermittent school-to-home,
remote conferencing or KBA grades K through six. Board members are there
we're gonna do questions um we can do questions now we're gonna do the open
forum with the audience here and then we're gonna be able to have the
opportunity ask questions after that as well so if you want to ask them now we
can ask them now we want to make sure we have the benefit of hearing all the
feedback tonight so. I have a few questions Mr. President because I think
I think it also may help the audience in their questions.
From the 16th when school starts to the 30th,
what will the KBA students do?
Will they be able to stay home and prepare
for the beginning on the 30th?
Yes, yes.
We'll be, yes.
OK.
I think that's all I had right now.
Thank you.
Mr. President.
Ms. Hack, thank you for the presentation.
KVA students who choose to enroll in the virtual academy
will attend from August 30th until October 15th.
Is there any way they can transfer to in-person during that time,
or is that the nine-week grading period,
or can they transition in and out?
Can they transition back to in-person school during that time?
Not during that nine-week period.
It would be very similar to how last year was at the end of a grade period when we tried
to transition them in and out.
Our assumption will be that as soon as we lock online enrollment at midnight on Tuesday,
August 17th, students that are enrolled in KVA, grades K through 6, will be committed
to KVA through Friday, October 15th.
And then students will return to in-person learning on that following Monday, the beginning
of the second nine-week grading period,
and then back half of the second six-weeks grading period
for secondary.
So it is a commitment through Friday, October 15th.
So this offer is for the first nine-week grading period?
Yes.
And then has an end date?
Yes.
A clear end date.
At that time, I would assume that we would reevaluate,
should any new statistics or anything come,
but we have a beginning and an end.
Thank you.
Mr. President?
Hello, Mrs. Hack.
Thank you for your presentation also, but I have a few questions.
First of all, what's going to happen to the pre-K kids?
The pre-K kids have the option to attend in person.
We have about 1,700 pre-K students enrolled because they meet the eligibility for the
pre-K that we offer.
So their option is to attend pre-K in person or elect to remain at home.
Okay.
Okay. And then also, are the teachers prepared for this? And also, we really won't know how
many until midnight on August 17th and then the school starts the next day. So I'm just
imagining if I'm a, let's say I'm a kindergarten teacher, you know, usually they have their
class list sometime before school starts and they know that they have 20 kids or however
however many they have.
So in this instance, they're not going to know.
I mean, maybe I'm terrified of how we're going to staff it.
That would be great.
It's very important.
We want our campuses and our campus teachers
to understand that they are on schedule for in-person
in the START school on August 18.
The elementary and secondary campuses, sixth grade
specifically, those class schedules are built.
They have their schedules.
They have their kids assigned.
And in fact, the schedules will be
available for the students to see on Monday.
I believe we're opening it at 10 a.m.
So we don't want to disrupt any plans that the campuses have for the return of students
on in-person.
We're asking for a grace period to start KVA until Monday, August 30th, so that we can,
one, have that window of time to see how many students elect to enroll online, and then
that gives us an idea of how we have other available staff other than the classroom teachers
currently scheduled to start school on August 18th on how we can staff the
online classes. So I'm sorry but who will those teachers be? It could be a
combination of available staff at the campuses that can that are certified
teachers that could teach that may not have a classroom assigned to them. We're
not a hundred percent sure what that looks like. We are reaching out to our
certified teacher substitutes as well as our retirees which has been encouraged
so there are some possibilities and we'll be working with HR on that so the
teachers who are just our normal in-person teachers don't have to worry
about that they're gonna have to switch on August 30th to that's the goal and
then in junior high I'm sorry I keep asking about this way but in junior high
you know I know that there's classes that are offered on not just the
sixth graders but you know a sixth grader could be in class with the
seventh grade or eighth grade you know like choir or band or spanish even or you know i may be
getting this wrong but i know that there are certain classes that they could overlap so um
how is that going to work i'm just curious the sixth grader the sixth grade classes run pretty
for like a better description clean with sixth grade there's not a whole lot of overlap they
do their four core content they they do pe and they have an elective fine art elective
So it may not be the elective may not be all the choices they have if they were in person
But it is for a short amount of time and then when they return to their in-person
Every effort will be made to put them back into their elective of choice as well as their core and PE
Okay, I think that's all for now. Okay. Thank you. I
Have a funding question
So I know we talked about that we don't have funds for this because it's not being funded
the TA and the ADA, but how does this work? What's the cost of it? I heard three different
components. There's the paid leave, there's the COVID-19 testing, and then there's the KVA.
What does this drain from a cost standpoint from the ESSER funds that we had allocated? And I
assume if there's rumblings that they're potentially going to reinstate the KVA fund,
I guess if we got that back, then we could refund the ESSER that were borrowing. We were allocating
ESSER for closing the funding gap created by last year. We were hoping that we were really
going to get on track to closing that gap and now unfortunately find ourselves back in the uh
in the firefight with covid so i just could i know there's a lot of questions there but but
the funding gap uh how much is it that that's probably probably the main question
you know mr shelty i'm going to jump in a little bit on funding that's something i've been looking
at very closely so so a little bit of unknown on that for example when we do extend the additional
days of leave to our employees. If you're an employee that's not a teacher, you're
not hiring a substitute, so there's really no cost in that other than
somebody has to pick up the slack for the time they're out. So there is that
that burden in there, but there is a sub cost to that. So there's no way really to
know what that'll be until we see how many take advantage of that. But the sub
cost for a sub is roughly $100 a day for that sub. So there could be
additional cost in there, but it'd be hard to determine until we get into it.
What I can do is have Mr. Schuss over there.
I'm sure he'll take a note on this.
And I can give either a weekly or a biweekly report to the board and let you know what those subs are running for that specific program.
Kind of give you a ballpark the first two weeks or a month to see what that cost is running the district.
I'm going to ask Mr. Nauman, who's over there, if he can tell me again.
It escapes me the cost per test per employee for the COVID testing.
testing? The cost is running right at $125 per test and we're, as we alluded to in the beginning
of the presentation, we're passing that same cost to those non-insured dependents as well,
plus any virtual medicine visits the employee wishes to seek if they are positive.
And I will add in there, Mr. Nauman, also that the student tests are supposed to be provided
for free, the rapid student tests for free by the state of Texas again this school year.
That is correct. That is my understanding.
The student tests are free from the state of Texas.
So that's a good thing to be able to provide that.
Then you get into the big cost, the virtual cost in there.
The best way I can sum up the virtual cost right now,
because there is no funding mechanism,
and those dollars would be coming out of the ESSER funds.
So we get funded, as this board knows, by ADA, average daily attendance,
and every child is worth X amount of dollars per school year.
I'd break that down unless Chris wants to, Mr. Smith over there wants to correct me a little bit closer.
But each child each day is worth in funding about $35, maybe $38, maybe $40, depending on some weights in there.
But that's a pretty close guess in there.
So if you figure out, once we know how many students are in virtual instruction, which we'll have that number by the 17th,
and I can provide that to the board, those students would be in there for a nine-week period, okay?
Okay, not officially nine weeks because it's actually August 30 through whatever, but the funding works that way.
And then I could calculate that for you to tell you based on that.
But the quick math you can figure out, depending on how many students, it's going to be about $35 per day that we would lose in lost revenue for that funding because there's not a funding mechanism for that.
So it kind of gives you an idea of that cost.
One of the reasons why we're looking at a nine-week period versus a longer period of time because that will certainly add up.
If you put 5,000 somebody can do quick math right now
I'm not gonna do it in my head
But if you did 5,000 kids in a virtual instruction at $35 per kid per day for nine weeks
Think about what that costs the district. I will say this at the same time
I am a bit hopeful that our state legislature will do something with virtual funding
Although that did not get done in the regular session. There's been two special sessions called
It is on the second special session agenda, and I know that because I watched the Texas
Senate hearings this morning.
A virtual bill was discussed at length this morning for a long period of time about the
merits of that.
There are other districts that are in the same shape we're in that money for that virtual
program would be very beneficial to our schools.
We just need our Texas House and our Senate to take a look at that virtual bill and see
see if they will fund that for our districts so that we would have a funding mechanism.
Part of the problem with that is, and I think most people in this room know what's going
on with our Texas House and Senate right now, is we're not able to get a quorum in the House.
We do have a quorum in the Senate.
That's why they were able to discuss that.
So I guess at this stage, I would sit here and plead with our elected officials and ask
them if they would return to quorum and take that bill up.
That would be very beneficial to school districts like Katy and some of the surrounding districts
IN THE HOUSTON AREA, AS WELL AS ALL AROUND THE STATE,
WOULD THEY AT LEAST LISTEN TO THAT BILL,
ITS MERITS AS IT'S BEEN PRESENTED,
AND TAKE ACTION OR DON'T TAKE ACTION AT THAT POINT
ON THE MERITS, BUT I WOULD HOPE THEY WOULD LOOK AT THAT
AND TAKE ACTION AND ALLOW THE FUNDING FOR SCHOOL DISTRICTS
SO WE CAN PROVIDE THIS TO OUR STUDENTS WHO DO WANT IT.
THERE ARE STUDENTS OUT THERE AND PARENTS WHO WANT IT,
SO I THINK THE STATE OUGHT TO FUND IT,
BUT I'D JUST REACH OUT TO DO THAT.
WHILE I'M TALKING ABOUT THAT AS WELL,
THERE'S PLENTY OF THINGS ON THE SPECIAL SESSION.
I'll talk about education-related things, but there's also a bill that's been sitting out there that didn't get through the first session as well.
It didn't get to be heard, but our retired educators who are part of TRS, and I know some people know this, some people don't, how that works,
but we've got educators who have given their whole life to public service to our kids all over the state of Texas,
and there is a bill out there that would give them that 13th check.
It's called a 13th check.
It's one extra check to retired educators.
and if you know what's going on with our economy right now,
and the inflation we're seeing, now is the time.
The money is there. The state has it.
Let's support our educators who have given so much to the kids in Texas,
and let's vote on that bill as well and get that one through
so those folks can get some funding as well and help them out
because that's a tough time for some folks that are out there.
So that's about all I'll say on those two topics, but I think that's important.
And one other question. I understand the funding thing.
That answers my question on that.
If you get, we had a pretty aggressive plan to try to close the learning gap, right?
We were hiring teachers.
You guys had a really well thought out plan on how to close that.
Now that we may have to use that, those funds to fund the ADA gap that's going to be created,
are those plans on hold until we see if the, if the legislative does pass
where we get reimbursed for the KVA?
Are we kind of putting the, let's get all these extra teachers and extra tutoring,
is that on hold for the first nine weeks?
Are we going to proceed in parallel and hope or what's the?
Yeah, that's certainly a good question, Mr. Schulte, and I want to assure our folks, our school board and our folks listening, we're not going to stop doing what we need to do for that pandemic learning loss that we've seen and identified.
We're going to continue to fund those things for this school year, and we're going to make sure our kids get everything they need through that ESSER plan.
You might recall that the ESSER plan is designed to be spent over three years.
So there are some things that are identified that may continue after year one,
and then there are some things that may be due to other expenditures,
such as we're talking about today, that we may not be able to expend after year one.
Maybe not into year two or something maybe we were hoping to do in year three
doesn't get done in year three, or we find a different funding source for it in year three.
So rest assured, everything we want to do in that ESSER plan for year one is moving forward.
Nothing has changed in that process.
Thank you.
Any other questions?
Yes, I'm sorry.
Go ahead, Dawn.
Real quick, just to follow up with that, because I was actually going to, I was thinking about that too,
because I think it was like $44 million or something that was in the ESSER plan that we voted on, I believe, in July.
So if that money's already been budgeted, you know, and I know that there's so many unknowns, we don't know how many kids are going to do it, we don't know how many teachers we need and all this, but how, where's the money going to come from if that $44 million, and I apologize if I'm misquoting that, has already been budgeted for and to be spent this year?
That's my question.
Yeah, it's a total of, Ms. Champagne, a total of all ESSER funds, I believe, Mr.
Schmitt, if I get it wrong, $79.3 million.
So we're talking about $79.3 million spread over three years.
So the dollars that we have budgeted for the things we're going to do in year one of the ESSER plan,
we would continue with those, and then we may have to make some different choices of what we're doing with ESSER in years two
two, and three to cover these expenditures we're talking about here.
It's a little hard to speculate that, as I explained when Mr. Schulte asked that question on the budget,
because I don't know how much these things are going to cost me just yet.
But I'll have a good feeling on this probably in about three to four weeks,
and I can get some additional data to the board to kind of show where we're going there and see where we need to be.
Just one quick question.
I know we want to get the comments, but I hate to hit this hornet's nest,
Yes, but if you mention this, I apologize, but how will this affect UIL participation if you're in KVA?
It's grades K through 6, so there's no UIL eligibility.
7 through 12 are on schedule.
That's why I didn't ask you that question.
I withdraw the question.
You started sixth grade football team?
I'm just kidding.
Any other questions?
Again, Board Members, you have another opportunity.
Mr. President, just one question.
On the slide when it goes back to the FMLA or our teachers, I noticed you listed teachers
specifically of course themselves and their children.
Are their spouses included in this and it just wasn't listed specifically?
For the COVID testing or?
Not for the COVID testing, I'm sorry.
Oh, for the COVID paid leave.
It specifically says that the KDISD employee tests positive or the KDISD employee's children
test positive.
What about their spouse?
It did not include their spouse that they would be able to take up to 10 days leave for a spouse.
Is there a reason? I'm sorry.
Yeah, I guess the best reason I can come up with that, Ms. Wilson,
is that we don't have anything budget for this as it is,
so we had to make some tough decisions on some of the things that we were doing here.
We thought it was important to take care of all employees with that,
and we do know a lot of our employees have school-age children,
that they need to take care of.
And if the child is at home ill, the employee is going to need to be at home ill.
But we're leaving it up to the adults to kind of take care of themselves while they're there.
It kind of boils down to cost.
Mr. President, should we specify an age of the child?
Like it's not any child, like my child gets it.
He lives in California.
Like a school-age child that can't stay home alone?
Is that what you're saying?
That's a good point.
and i don't think we identified it that way miss hack but we could we could definitely
write into there a school-aged child child any other questions
okay we're now going to proceed to the public hearing portion of the meeting
those individuals requesting to speak regarding the proposed changes that the sr2 and sr3 that
that signed up by 2 p.m. on Tuesday, August 10th, 2021,
or have an opportunity to speak.
Each speaker will be given three minutes
to present to the board.
As I announce your name, please come to the podium
and state your first and last name for the record.
And once your three minutes is up,
your mic will drop.
Okay, and the first speaker tonight,
and I apologize, I'm gonna do the best I can on these names.
First one's pretty easy,
but Nancy Sung is our first speaker.
You know, Mr. Schulte, I'm going to interject if you don't mind.
I don't mean to interrupt you.
But I do know we had a large number of people sign up to speak today,
and I'm hoping the presentation may have answered a lot of those questions
or concerns that they might have been speaking to.
So I just want to remind the public that even when you call a name,
if they have chosen now not to speak, not that I want to discourage anyone from speaking,
but I think the presentation and the questions that were asked by the board were pretty thorough,
and it may clarify those things.
So I just want to let them know that they're not obligated to speak just because they signed up. Thank you
So Nancy sung
Actually, the presentation was exactly the what I was here for so it did answer a lot of my questions
So thank you for that option because that's what we were looking for
Okay, thank you
The next speaker mr. Schulte if I may again, I hate to interrupt but we do use the center podium for okay. Okay. Thank you
Yeah, yeah, I thought that was something new that we were starting tonight
We didn't start that one new on you guys. We wouldn't like it. Okay. Okay. The next speaker number two is Alex song
And I really do appreciate the
The proposed response to what's happening. I have three boys at home
one that has
aged out of the KDI ISD school district but he's going to A&M this year fabulous
job great great job guys thank you but my ten-year-old Evan Evan Sung I worry
about him a lot and I mean last year he stayed home all year didn't go out at
all got a new basketball rim for him he didn't want to go out and do that with
with his friends um yeah i know it's kind of an interesting thing that's happening but it's
happening and uh i hope that it all kind of ends up well i guess i just wanted to be able to tell
everybody what i think about it and uh what your citizens are thinking about it uh as parents
thank you thank you mr sun the next speaker we have for tonight is uh nelson lee
Hi, it's actually Lee Nelson.
And my name is Lee Nelson, and I am a parent of two children in KDISD.
And I'm here today to speak on behalf of a group of 300 KDISD parents within a private social media group
and 2,000 parents who signed a petition for a mask requirement and a virtual learning option as an alternative
for the vaccine-ineligible under 12.
Absolutely not.
Pediatric hospitalizations are at an all-time high.
Of the 1,000 kids who tested positive in Katy at Texas Children's Hospital last week,
35 are currently hospitalized with severe COVID.
There are only 27 ICU beds left for the 6.6 million people in the greater Houston area.
Regardless of the governor's ban or the TEA's guidance,
There is a responsibility by the district to provide a safe learning environment and to prevent community spread of COVID-19.
Austin, Dallas, and Houston ISD, who has a vote on Thursday, are all willing to do what's best for the kids and require masks.
Sci-Fair, 4th Bend, and Conroe ISD...
Excuse me. Can you stop for a second?
Yes.
We will have decorum in this room. I will clear the room.
room. Everybody's going to have a chance to speak. I'm not going to allow people to overrun
you when you're speaking. Do not speak when somebody's speaking. I will clear this room.
This is the first warning. It will not be a second one. I apologize. Thank you. Am I
clear? Am I clear? Thank you. Thank you, sir.
SciFair, Fort Bend and Conroe ISDs will offer a virtual option in spite of the state bans,
fines or funding. With COVID's future projections surpassing numbers far beyond anything we have
seen thus far, the CDC, AAP and all health experts advise students and staff to be masked in school
and utilize a multi-layered prevention strategy. This will be critical in preventing spread and
goes far beyond the use of hand sanitizer. We have seen how this plays out. The opening of schools
schools without masks or proper strategies in place has proven to be disastrous, forcing shutdowns within days in states like Georgia, Arkansas, Mississippi and Louisiana.
Sending our under 12 kids into a mass gathering every day with zero safeguards is irresponsible.
Our children should not be collateral damage for politicizing their health and safety.
Families need reassurance that their children will be provided a safe learning environment until this pandemic is manageable.
and all vaccines are available for all ages.
This is the time for prudence and to take a stand,
and we're again urging the elected and appointed officials of this district
to be part of a solution and to work in the best interest of the children.
Guidance works. The tools are available.
$73 million in federal COVID relief ESSER funds are available.
Our governor wants to shake down the district with fines,
putting a price tag on the protection of our children.
children. Katie ISD is expected to protect them. People are depending on you. Vaccine
ineligible kids, junior high and high school students, staff and teachers. Human life is
the should be the top priority. I thank you for your time and I thank you for your proposed
changes. Thank you.
you. Our next speaker, excuse me, excuse me, we have a lot of people to get through tonight. What
I would like to do with one speaker's done, we're immediately going to move on to the next speaker,
so please hold your applause in between speakers so we can get, we have a hundred people to get
through tonight, okay? The next speaker is Garima Dasgupta.
Good evening everyone, good evening board members.
First of all, I really want to thank you all.
I want to express my sincere gratitude to you all for your service.
Thank you for understanding our concern and you all are great.
Thank you so much.
I love you all.
Bye.
CHAIRMAN BRYANT ROWE.
Thank you.
The next speaker tonight is Elizabeth McLean.
Good evening. My name is Elizabeth McLean. I'm a KDISD parent and an involved community member.
Tonight, I urge you to follow CDC and AAP expert guidance regarding COVID-19 protocols in our
schools kva is an amazing start but you've already mentioned tonight that there was huge learning loss
from that last year it's just not enough follow a fellow concerned community member dr nicole
zeizig asked me to share her statement she wanted to be here but she's working a 12-hour hospital
shift she says i'm an internal medicine physician hospitalist at a large local hospital outside life
I feel somewhat normal, but inside we are again seeing immense suffering and preventable death due to COVID-19,
more prominently in our younger population than before.
Texas hospitals, including children's, are at capacity.
We're on the steep upward slope of this surge, so resources will become even more limited.
The Delta variant is more contagious than others.
Without preventative measures, one infected person will spread it to eight on average.
The hospitalization rate for pediatric patients ranges from 0.1 to 1.9 percent.
Without preventative measures, we can expect hundreds of students in the Houston area to require hospitalization,
and about one-third of those will require ICU care.
We have a responsibility to both protect individual students and to decrease community transmission.
mission. This is possible through adherence to CDC and AAP recommendations in schools,
including universal masking. I urge you to listen to medical professionals on the front lines.
Nicole Zeisig, Internal Medicine. I want to leave you with one final consideration,
the KDISD community that you serve. You cannot possibly know how each individual household
household feels about this or any other specific issue.
However, you can draw inferences from previous behaviors.
And I ask you to think back to two.
First, a year ago, more than 50% of KISD students chose virtual learning despite thorough and
rigid COVID-19 protocols.
A significant percentage continued virtual learning even as vaccines became available.
available. Second, a school board candidate who was most known for vocal opposition to masking
was soundly defeated in the last board election just a few short months ago. These are both
indicators that when it comes down to it, our community errs on the side of caution when it
comes to COVID-19 safety in our kids. We have that expectation. I understand the actions of the
the governor, as well as the divisive nature of this topic surrounding the pandemic, will put you
in a very difficult position. But I will remind you of a life lesson that I share with my children.
Often the difficult thing and the right...
Hi, I'm Roseville McConkey. As a pediatrician here in Katy, I had no cases of COVID from April to
mid-July of this year. However, starting in the third week of July, I had a positivity rate of
24% in my practice. Unlike the previous COVID surges, COVID is affecting my younger patients
from 8 months to 11 years old, all ineligible for the COVID vaccine. This translates to an
unprotected group of students from pre-k to six starting school august 18th children now make up
20 percent of covet cases in the u.s the landscape has changed with the highly contagious delta
variant as cases and children rise so will be the severe complications doctors at our local
children's hospital have been treating respiratory failure multi-system implement inflammatory
and dehydration from COVID in kids from two weeks old to 17 years old.
While less common, long-haul COVID, cardiac disease, lung transplants,
and death can be outcomes from COVID in children.
We cannot predict who will get these complications,
which can happen in mild or asymptomatic COVID.
All ICU beds of every children's hospital in and around Houston are full.
Our largest children's hospital declined more than two dozen transfers from community hospitals and urgent cares this past week.
An ER doctor reports that 80% of the pediatric ER is just holding patients who need inpatient or ICU care.
Not actively trying to reduce the cases of COVID decreases the capacity to treat common injuries and ailments in a timely manner.
The evidence is there and mounting in our hospitals in real time about the effects of
COVID in kids.
We cannot use last year's information on a changing and evolving virus.
This means we must act now to revise the safe return to school plan to truly make it safer
for our students.
Those who oppose mask mandates talk about choice.
Optional masking is not a fair choice in that masking works best when everyone does it.
At least allow families who want to minimize risk to opt their child into a masked classroom cohort.
Masked students together with similarly masked peers and teachers will thrive both socially and physically in a safe environment.
Other recommendations include provide spacing or shields when students have to unmask to eat,
require students and staff to stay home if symptomatic, and must test negative to return.
turn, contact trace and notify close contacts. Follow the quarantine rules of 14 days for
exposures. COVID cannot be handled like any other infectious disease such as strep throat or colds
for school clearance. Strep and colds do not cause hospitalizations and deaths like COVID does.
We know from experience that mitigation involves multi-layered approach with masking, physical
distancing, testing, cleaning, contract tracing, isolation, and quarantining. Please take steps to
to preemptively stop this red of COVID
and protect our most vulnerable and defenseless population.
Thank you.
Our next speaker is Katherine Abrahamson.
Hi, good evening.
My name is Dr. Katherine Abrahamson,
and I have a pediatric licensed psychologist,
psychologist, licensed specialist in school psychology, immunocompromised individual,
and a parent of a Katy ISD elementary school student.
I am here today to express my concern about Katy ISD's COVID-19 safety protocols for the
2021-2022 school year.
I am particularly concerned that CDC and AAP guidelines regarding masks and contact tracing
are not being implemented this school year.
There are several key facts that should be considered in designing and implementing the district's COVID-19 safety protocols.
Children under the age of 12 cannot yet receive the vaccine.
Current vaccines do not fully protect people against the Delta variant.
Fully vaccinated people can still transmit the virus.
And our area lags behind many other states in its rate of fully vaccinated residents.
residents. Given these facts requiring masks conducting contact tracing, which were policies
implemented in Katie ISD last school year are needed at this time. The board should
also consider additional mitigation measures when possible crying lunch in the classrooms
instead of cafeteria to help reduce any viral transmission and promote social distancing
reinstate capacity limits for events and celebrations to help reduce viral transmission. As a psychologist,
As a psychologist in LSSP, I have worked with children who have lost loved ones due to the COVID-19 virus.
I have also provided mental health support to youth and their families as they struggled with virtual learning and social isolation from quarantines and remote classrooms.
We know that the pandemic has had a significant impact on our children's mental health.
I am concerned that without the prior COVID-19 mitigation strategies, there will not only be increased physical illnesses among students and staff, but additional mental health concerns.
The mental toll of the pandemic, including illnesses, missed school days, possible hospitalizations, and even death should be taken into consideration.
I urge you as a mental health professional, community member, and parent to listen to
medical experts, follow the science, and implement evidence-based policies such as mask wearing
and contact tracing during this critical time.
Thank you for your attention.
Thank you.
The next speaker is Yaya Yanduri.
Yaya Yanduri.
Apologize if I said that wrong.
No, not a problem.
I'm going to correct you.
you. I'm Jaya Yenduri. All right. Good evening, everyone. I'm Dr. Jaya Yenduri. I'm a parent of
two KDISD elementary children, as well as a pediatric pulmonologist by profession.
And I agree with all the pediatricians and the doctors prior to me with the mask mandating and
the virtual options and keeping our kids safe at our school. We're in another COVID surge,
and this surge is very different compared to what we faced last year with a more infectious
infectious Delta variant affecting more of the younger age kids and the adolescents,
especially the unvaccinated kids in the elementary age group. The high transmissibility of the Delta
variant is going to translate into more kids being exposed and leading into more kids being infected.
Even if the Delta variant is not more virulent than the prior variants that we have seen,
just the sheer number of kids who are going to be exposed and infected with the Delta variant
is going to lead to more hospitalizations with COVID and COVID-related illnesses.
And we are already seeing that in other states, as well as in our own state.
Last year, since the start of the pandemic, more than 300 children across the United States have died of COVID.
And during the previous COVID surges, children's hospitals in the U.S. experienced very low admission rates compared to the previous years.
It could be because of multiple reasons, but more importantly, because we were not seeing the respiratory viruses that we usually see.
But what's different this year is that the children's hospitals are dealing with a huge surge of respiratory viruses, like the RSV and the flu.
and the hospital beds and the ICUs are already full dealing with these respiratory infections.
I worry how children's hospitals will handle a COVID surge on top of this RSV surge that's happening right now.
There are multiple children waiting in the emergency rooms to get to the inpatient units,
and it's happening in the hospital that I'm working at currently.
And we are nonstop working to take care of these patients.
So I humbly request, as a parent and as a pediatric pulmonologist in the medical field,
to act safely for our kids and continue the virtual option if it's needed,
even if the kids are not vaccinated by October 15th,
and also encouraging masks and mandating masks
and all the other CDC and the AAP recommendations,
following those recommendations for safety of our kids in the schools
once they reopen the schools for all the kids for in-person learning.
Thank you so much for your time.
Thank you.
you our next speaker tonight is Jessica Escalante good afternoon my name is
Jessica Escalante and I represent my daughter who is a nine-year-old student
who has asthma in your district I also come to you as a community partner as I
I am the HR manager for a local and global company.
As part of an HR manager in a global company,
I am also on the emergency task force for COVID-19
and have been since this has started.
We made the decision back then
to follow all CDC mandatory guidelines.
That was requiring masks for all employees
in the manufacturing outside in the hot.
That included tracing, cleaning,
cleaning everything that came with the CDC guidelines.
And because of it, we have always kept our doors opened.
We maintained an essential employer,
and we kept less than 5% infection rate at all times,
with or without vaccines.
And you ask me, why did we do this?
We did it because we cared about our employees,
about their safety, their families, and this community.
I simply ask that you care enough to do the same for the children.
That you follow the same regulations that have been proven by the CDC to work.
As I improved as an HR manager that works.
As I did the CDC tracing and I contacted the employees and I ensured that they stayed safe.
That they went home to their families.
We want our children to come home to their families.
families. Because of it, it really comes down to what does the district want to do? To follow
a politically induced requirement or do your responsibility and protect these children
you signed up to serve. I ask that you rethink this. Our children want to come to campus.
My daughter stayed home at KVA. She wants to come. And I guarantee you as I listen to
your commentary here some of that funding issues with kva would probably minimize go away if masks
were mandated and more people felt more comfortable sending their children to school if there is more
funding issues partner with your local employers we want to help we want to show you if you need
guidance on ehs on any protocols to keep doing it to follow the safety practices and to keep
our community working, employed, and our children safe. If you think about what
happens with one infection, who goes home to take care of those children? It's the
people. It's the mother, it's the father who may lose their job because they have
to go home. Not following the requirements of masks that CDC puts for
elementary children who don't even have a choice to be vaccinated is outright
dangerous for everybody for every single person who steps on your campus so I
ask you to please read thank you thank you our next speaker tonight is
jasmine lyle hello good evening my name is jasmine lyle thank you for allowing me to speak
a lot of my questions weren't answered i was pleasantly surprised knowing that kva was an
an option, at least until October. I'm a mother of two children in the KDISD
elementary school system. I'm also a physician as many before me. I'm an
anesthesiologist who works in the Texas Medical Center. We've requested a lot of
the parents who are wearing masks have requested that we have virtual as an
option. That's why I came here to speak. Thankfully, you have given us that
that option. I do still insist that mandatory masking stay in consideration, although I know
how tough it is and how much we want to get back to normal. It's no longer just about COVID anymore,
and I work in the Med Center, so I know. The Texas Med Center right here in Houston,
one of the largest in the world, is overwhelmed right at this moment. The ICU beds are scarce.
There is no room in the ERs.
And it's not just the adults anymore.
These are pediatric ICU beds.
Pediatric ERs.
It could be your child who would need that bed.
It doesn't have to be for COVID that we would need that bed.
Your child might get in an accident.
Your child might get any other respiratory virus that lands them in the hospital.
May have an asthma exacerbation, cancer, seizures.
They need to get to the ER.
They need to be treated.
They need to be seen appropriately.
They need to be admitted.
And we need to make sure that we have room for them.
At what lengths would you go for your child?
What would you do?
I certainly would wear a mask if I knew that your child, if I choose to keep my child virtual,
I will do that. But for your child, I will wear that mask. And I would encourage everybody to
wear that mask. I want to make sure your child has that space in that ER or in that ICU if they
were to get sick or hurt. You don't know what could happen tomorrow.
So I do appreciate that we have considered virtual options.
We need to reassess in October to continue the virtual option for those who are not comfortable
sending their kids.
For those who will be sending their kids and they have no options, that's where I'm asking
that mandatory masking be in place.
that we can take thank you our next speaker tonight is Stacy mag
thank you for allowing me to speak I have been a resident of Katy ISD in
Grand Lakes since 2011 when we moved here we had two small preaged pre
preschool aged kids so naturally asked everyone around who's the best word at
where's the best school where do we take them so everyone told us kdisd so my two are now a
sophomore and a junior at seven lakes high school um i wanted to see if you all are familiar with
the term loco parentis as it applies to school districts districts are liable from the moment
a kid steps out the door until that child gets home you are responsible in acting in good faith
in place of parents for the time that our kids are with all of you on campus those responsible
must act in a manner of a reasonable and prudent parent. I'm asking you to keep
our kids safe and our community safe. Every kid has a right to a free
appropriate public education. Even our own objectives in the general provision
of the Education Code, Objective 8 states that school campuses will maintain a
safe and disciplined environment where they feel that is conducive to learning.
I ask how any kid could learn in an environment where they feel unsafe and
worried about getting COVID or spreading it to family members. Objective five talks about
thoughtful and active citizens in the making. Objective six, retaining qualified and highly
effective personnel. A school district that doesn't require masks is not a safe environment
and ignoring safety is not a good way to retain teachers. Even our superintendent's own
non-negotiables talk about a safe and secure learning environment for our students and staff.
And what about someone who's been exposed and needs to quarantine? The district has told staff
this year to come into work as long as they don't have a fever mask or no mask no need to wait on a
positive test even though an infected person can shed virus before testing positive did you know
the education code has a better protocol for how we handle lice we have a vulnerable population of
students under 12 who are not yet eligible for vaccine and schools are about to open without
the same safety protocols as last year so i was told that kdisd is the best in the whole in the
Houston area and I'm saddened and disappointed that we're in a community
where we even debating keeping our kids safe.
We know the best way to do this is to require masks. We live in a
multicultural and diverse community where some of these kids live with
immunosuppressed parents, siblings and grandparents, not to mention teachers
and staff. This should not be political. No one has a right to be negligent and
infect others around them with a communicable disease. The governor made
a mistake and it is responsibility of our government to protect the public
health. Asymptomatic people can still spread the virus and we know the best
way to prevent the spread is having everyone wear masks. Even if you give
this virus free reign it's going to replicate and infect people. New variants
will emerge and more can be more contagious and more deadly and why
wouldn't we do something that would protect the most vulnerable and everyone
around us. Please require masks in our KDISD and please keep all of us safe.
thank you thank you our next speaker tonight is Kimberly Larson Hill Kimberly
Larson Hill okay we'll move on the next speaker is pile bias pile bias okay
Okay, moving on.
The next speaker is Prya Yandra.
Prya Yandra.
Okay, moving on.
The next speaker is Delini Benyaki.
Delini Benyaki.
the next speaker is sawadi sinhi
sawadi sinhi next speaker is Varun Tandon Varun Tandon the next speaker is Eliz Markowitz
Dr. Markowitz?
Hey, y'all. My name is Dr. Eliz Markowitz and I'm currently a professor in the Department of Psychological Health and Learning Sciences at the University of Houston.
First and foremost, thank you so much for holding a special meeting to discuss the current safety protocols regarding COVID-19 in KISD public schools, which stretch over three counties, Fort Bend, Harris, and Waller.
Two of these counties, Fort Bend and Harris, have been put on a high severe COVID-19 alert in the past week.
And positive testing rates are over 15% in each of these counties.
As of 3.30 p.m. today, the number of individuals hospitalized for COVID-19 has reached the peak hospitalization rate that we experienced this past winter.
Except there's one stark difference.
The new Delta variant is affecting children.
And unfortunately, pediatric hospitals have run out of ICU beds to treat these children.
children. In a district with a population of nearly 100,000 students, faculty and staff,
there is no doubt that without proper precautions, students, staff and staff will not be able
faculty will become infected with covid 19. and sadly probability states that people will die
and when these people do die like the kisd nurse who died this past year of covid what will you say
to the family members of that child or faculty member whoops i'm sorry i'm sorry that we put
politics over the completely preventable death of your loved one?
Thankfully, such consequences can be avoided through the adoption of the CDC's evidence-based
guidelines.
After all, that is your job, according to the Texas Education Code.
Indeed, Objective 8 states that school campuses will maintain a safe and disciplined environment
conducive to student learning.
I implore you to follow the lead of Austin ISD, Dallas ISD, and soon to be Houston ISD,
and institute a mask mandate across all KISD campuses.
This will ensure that we can get kids back on campus and make up for the learning loss that we did experience in the previous year.
Unfortunately, science has shown us that masks are only effective if worn by all.
So the idea of an optional mask mandate is a joke at best.
While the fine for defying Abbott's mask mandate is $1,000,
the value of a human life is far more.
And undoubtedly, the board will face far pricier legal action
for reckless endangerment or manslaughter
upon the mass infections and death of those who attend KISD institutions.
Thank you. Thank you. Sorry, your time is up. Thank you.
Our next speaker tonight is Yukatha, and all it says on here is M.
Last name is M. Yukatha M.
And the next speaker is Payaranka M.
RAVIKANT THAUTAM?
RAVIKANTH THAUTAM?
I THINK I'M SAYING THAT CLOSE ENOUGH.
RAVIKANTH THAUTAM?
DIPA PARAKHA?
GOOD EVENING, EVERYONE.
SO MY SON IS IN KTISD,
and he has congenital heart defect so I guess I was here to request KVA so thank you very much for
giving that as an option for parents like us but at the same time I would request mask so it would
help parents like us to be in the school in safer environment because it's easy to spread virus
I mean I understand it's freedom and everybody should have that choice so you can probably have
have, as others suggested, a separate classrooms for people with masks to have that option
for parents who are concerned about their kids' safety.
That's what I wanted to say.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Our next speaker tonight is Vinod Nair.
Vinod Nair.
year. Mary Ellen Cuzela. Good evening. Thank you for your time to speak to you. I'm here tonight
representing thousands of KDISD parents that do not want masks required this school year nor ever.
I hope you're aware that a few Texas school districts have decided to require
a mask on their campuses despite the governor's orders. This is outrageous.
It's a breach in the chain of command, a disrespect for the higher elected office
of governor, and a misuse of power to further a political agenda. You, the
school board, are elected by the people and for the people. I request you stand
firm on your mask optional policy and obey the governor. Let this lady speak please.
please. I request a quorum, please. Please. I appreciate everyone else. Everybody's doing a
really good job tonight. I sincerely appreciate that. Oh, this lady deserves her chance to speak.
I apologize. Well, you can commence. Thank you. To be clear, I have no interest at all in having
masks required nor any social distancing or any other protocol, especially after my kids
experienced a normal life of summer camps, trips, sleepovers, and get-togethers when masks were not
required all summer long. Masks don't work to control COVID because it is a virus that's spread
via aerosol particles that are small enough to pass through any mask. Even the NIH has stated
this, though the CDC and the NIH itself disregard this fact. Children are not at any more risk from
COVID than the seasonal flu. Every adult at school has had their vaccine or had their chance to get
it. There's no reason to defy the governor's order and have a mask mandate. We have more than a few
drugs that are successful at treating COVID patients. We are not helpless. There are available
inexpensive treatments and willing doctors to treat patients with these drugs. Natural and
acquired immunity is also something we can depend on and is hugely overlooked in the COVID discussion.
The mask and vaccine will not eliminate COVID. Yes, there are children with health concerns.
KDISD is already positioned to help them stay healthy with a mask optional policy, places to wash hands, and a sick child protocol that has served us well in the past decades of the school district's existence.
Sick kids stay home. Kids who want to wear a mask can. Kids who don't won't.
If you keep doing the same thing, you're going to get the same result. Mask mandates have not worked. Why do the same thing again and expect a different result?
It costs to have liberty. When the government and elected officials are tyrannical, the people have a duty to not comply.
I believe we are at this crossroad. Freedom is a gift from God. You are not God.
We may not take it away. Our U.S. Constitution, Bill of Rights, and laws were created to protect the people's freedoms.
Don't be involved in defying our lives, liberty, and pursuit of happiness.
I repeat, masks must be optional if you defy the law of the land and higher elected officials such as the governor, we will have to defy you.
We will resist and teach our kids the cost of liberty.
Join me in fighting for freedom and protecting our beautiful country, the United States of America, the last bastion of democracy in our world.
Keep masks optional. Do not mandate vaccines either.
Thank you.
Our next speaker is Jenny Alexander, please.
Here we go again.
I kind of feel like I've been watching CNN for the last half an hour.
So I will adjust at least one of these ESSER items.
Your PCR testing, it's baloney.
The FDA issued a report in the last two weeks.
they want to scrap the PCR testing because why? It can't tell the difference
between COVID and the flu. It also can't tell the difference between COVID, the
flu, and the Delta variant. We've had two women up here that are psychologists
speaking. You both should know about the ASH experiments where if you tell seven
people in a room this arm is shorter than this arm and six of you say yes I
agree the seventh one will also say it excuse me i'm sorry but i must address i'm sorry this is i
mean it's outrageous to me if if six people say this arm is lower than this arm the seventh one
of you will agree with it especially if you're a woman and as a woman i want you mostly to disregard
the women speaking we need men we need you four strong men to stand up we don't need you protecting
protecting us from viruses and vapors in the air.
We need you to protect our liberties.
We need you to protect our bodily integrity.
We know, my group knows that the federal government
wants you to use those ESSER funds
to coerce our children into taking this vaccination.
And I want you to know that it's not okay.
It's not okay for you guys to use the money that way at all.
We've also had two women come up
and suggest that you segregate the schools.
That's where this is gone.
They want you to segregate the schools.
Masked over here and the dirty unmasked over there. I mean it's an option
Thanks
The next speaker tonight is sweet the G so we to G
The next speaker is Derek Smith
My name is Derek Smith.
I was going to say some other things,
but I just want to encourage the board that's making these decisions
to just look at facts and science.
You heard quotes from folks in ERs.
You can try to claim a test is wrong or whatever nonsense we just heard,
but look at the ERs.
We don't have Texas Children's Hospital.
ICUs don't have enough beds because of the surge right now.
Now, these, I mean, if you use her theory,
all these folks just sort of grab onto these conspiracy theories,
and that's what happens when we hear this nonsense.
But I do want to say that the board could have done a better job in the report,
Dr. Gorski, of actually encouraging folks to listen to the science
and know that there's a 300% increase in infections from this time last year.
All of you have the opportunity to speak out.
Council over here will probably tell you that the frivolous lawsuit in Waller County
didn't even have a citation paid and went nowhere.
Hopefully that's not what discouraged you from sharing this information
because you heard it from these doctors.
This is real.
This is not whatever these conspiracy theorists want to tell you.
So do something about it.
Mr. President?
Yes.
Quiet, please. Thank you.
It is important that each of you use your voices.
That is, you have social media.
You can talk about how serious this is and use your responsibility.
But that report should have done that. It should have had some statistics.
It should have said what the danger really is.
But it did. Dr. Dr. Grzegorski, you yourself had to be told by Lena Hidalgo what to do last year this time because you pandered to mask sissies and other folks with these conspiracy theories. Don't do that this time.
time. All of you should be on social media talking about the biggest health
risk to us. No, this is far worse than the flu, far worse than the original
covid. We can wear masks. You can do things like staggering class start
times. These are all solutions that are out there that you guys can be
talking about and and implementing. But also, more importantly, informing.
forming. This is an educational board. This is an educational group. You have
the email addresses of a ridiculous amount of people to share that
information. So please do that. Please listen to facts and science and real
numbers of people not only going into hospitals being intubated, being long
hauled. Some folks made the mistake of going home. You could also share this
misinformation with COVID and then getting the vaccine out there.
Thank you. Thank you.
Our next speaker tonight is Salma Kamran Alam.
Salma Kamran Alam.
Our next speaker tonight is Theramule Edelukatani.
Our next speaker is Doug Alexander.
Good evening.
My name is Doug Alexander, and my wife and I have three children in Katy ISD.
First of all, I'd like to thank the board for allowing me to speak.
Our children participated in school in person last year with masks.
Without question, this was the most difficult year they've had.
We would like to thank you for our current guidance that recommends wearing a facial
covering when indoors in confined spaces, but without mandating.
Our kids attended some of the preschool events this year.
For instance, fish camp, choir camps, school camps, sports camps, and the response and
excitement displayed by our kids, as well as the group of kids participating, was overwhelmingly
positive and signs for a great year to come.
Some kids wore masks.
Some kids did not.
It was their decision and it was their family's decision.
What a child wears to school is a family's decision, particularly as it relates to the restriction of their ability to breathe and communicate.
But if a parent or child feels more comfortable wearing a mask anywhere at all, that is their choice and should be respected.
It comes down to personal responsibility, keeping kids at home when they're sick, proper hand washing, covering your mouth when you cough or sneeze,
proper rest, diet, exercise, a true focus on health and a person's immune system.
We ask that the board stay the course with our current direction.
With that, since I'm first time here, and again, I appreciate it,
as we focus on the health of our students,
one additional view is our campuses and specifically our high schools.
For example, in one high school, a restroom has a name,
each restroom has a name, and that name relates to which group of students
get to vape in that particular restroom.
You can see the parking lot littered with discarded vaping devices.
This is a long-term health risk that can be actioned on immediately and addressed.
We've read the updated guidelines and disciplinary rules, in particular the
tool relating to vaping and synthetic drugs and applaud these
necessary steps. We hope that the enforcement of these rules will make a
positive change. Thanks to each of you for your time and commitment to the
children of Katy ISD. Our next speaker tonight is the Vasilakse Magdum.
Good evening.
I'm here to request you all to keep masks optional and not mandated
because nobody seems to understand the real science here,
so let's talk about common sense, shall we?
The slogan of my mask protects you and your mask protects me
was created to divide people and make them fight against each other.
Oh, this is a logical idea.
Think for a moment.
I'll present a dental office scenario to you.
Dentists wear surgical masks and other personal protective equipment,
but the patient he's treating is not wearing a mask.
How can he, right?
How will a dentist work inside a patient's mouth if the patient is wearing a mask?
When the dentist is doing a procedure, there's erosal, saliva droplets splattering all over the room.
Patient is breathing through his mouth and nose both.
Trust me, I'm a dentist.
By that definition of my mask protects you, your mask protects me,
dentists should be falling ill severely and dying.
Is that happening?
I doubt if any dentist is asking for a negative PCR test from the patients
before scheduling an appointment either.
That patient could be asymptomatic and still spreading the infection, right?
Someone told me the other day the dentists are using plastic barriers.
I would like to know how dentists are able to get the visibility to work in an operating field that is inside of the patient's mouth with a barrier.
Can someone demonstrate that to me, please?
Is there a dentist here?
Even if there is a barrier, droplets and aerosols are still going to splatter and spread all over the room.
So the dentist cannot escape those droplets with viruses.
But if the dentist is not getting sick, that means the mask is protecting the wearer, that is, the dentist, to a little extent.
So my point is a mask may protect the wearer to a very little extent.
The wearer should not be worried about others wearing it or not.
Best is to wear N95 mask and not cloth mask.
Cloth mask do nothing.
But you can't make a child wear N95 all day long.
Poor child will suffocate.
And children fiddle with mask.
Most of the time they wear it under the nose.
They remove it while eating.
Why make them wear it when it is not effective and working?
parents fail to study and understand the psychological effects of all these
measures on children we fail to study the harmful long-term effects of these
masks like bacterial infection, hypocapnia, acidic pH in the cells which
is perfect environment for bacteria to grow which are worse than viral
infections my sources who are doctors tell me that most cases kids who are
admitted in the hospital are from bacterial pneumonia and RSV not COVID-19
And there are many studies showing no evidence that cloth masks and surgical masks are effective against viruses.
I've already shared those studies and talked about the size of the viruses and poor size of the mask in one of the board meetings
and referred you all to OSHA guidelines of surgical masks too.
Let's keep the mask optional and respect individuals' decisions of protecting themselves.
To the best of their knowledge from the research...
Thank you.
The next speaker is Kate Oswald.
Good evening.
My name is Kate Rock.
I reside in Katy ISD.
I have five children.
My oldest will be going to sixth grade.
Then I have a fourth grader, and I have a soon-to-be kindergartner.
When we moved out of state two years ago, I praised Katy ISD.
I couldn't have enough good things to say about it.
So when my husband and I had the option of coming back, I was ecstatic.
Here I am being told last night that my children may not have the option to wear a mask.
They may be told they had to wear a mask.
Where I lived for the last two years, everyone applauded Texas, their freedoms, their liberties, everything that we stood for.
We are the United States of America.
And when I was raised, I was born and raised with the impression that we have freedoms and that's what I'm going to fight for.
and we should have a choice and that's what i instill in my children as everyone should be i
shouldn't be told what i had to do what is happening what is happening to our country on so
many different levels so many different levels it's not just right here it's not just covid it's
everything else and i'm very passionate about it because i worry i worry for my five children and
what's going to happen to their future and i worry for a lot of other parents who can't be here
tonight and i'm the voice of them and i'm the voice of my child i rush to get here tonight i
I work full-time, five kids, as I mentioned, but I was going to be here because I was going to take a stand.
Now, what I say and what I do that's best for my family may not be what's best for somebody else.
And I'm okay with that, and I will respect that.
All I ask is that everyone does the same for me.
What is best for my family may not be the best for someone else.
There isn't one person out there that knows what's best for my child.
Usually a parent or a legal guardian can make that decision.
Okay, so far as the district to say, well, we're gonna do what's best for your child.
You don't know that.
You don't know what's best for my child because I know as my fourth grader last year, had
my fifth grader last year came home not knowing who some of her classmates were because they
were wearing masks.
Came home upset because so and so is told that they had their mask below their nose.
That's what they're worrying about in the schools if the mask is below the nose.
I think we have bigger issues to worry about out there.
much bigger issues to worry about this is all part of y'all's agenda and I
don't like it all right I am a I am happy with everything I'll have done in
the past and I just hope in the future that we can make the right decisions and
we have choices and we have options and that's all I'm asking is that you're
giving us the option to wear a mask for this next school year thank you so much
The next speaker tonight is Luann Mathews.
All right, I'm not good at this. I'm very uncomfortable. I was not going to after I
submitted last night, but I do want to say just a few quick things. One,
One, when we have the flu every year, we hear about all the deaths.
The only difference is that it's not advertised and counted,
and I think that's causing a lot of hysteria.
On the surge of hospitals, that happens every year.
Please address the podium, please.
Okay.
Well, I was really talking to them, but I guess I'll face you.
Yeah, but we deal with that every year.
I was married to someone who worked in a hospital,
and he used to keep me up on it and I would hear about it on the radio how the this hospital is
full it's closed down they're having to transfer them to other hospitals this is not new with
COVID this has been happening year after year after year so that argument needs to go away
because they're full all the time they're maxed out for various reasons all kinds of reasons the
other thing I wanted to mention is I've been keeping a big interest in what's going on with
our experts all over the country and the world and i've been reading i've been watching i've
been listening and currently on this variant that's come out many of the experts across
here and i'm sure that's the reason that our governor made the decision he made the variant
may be more transmissible but it's much less deadly so it's like getting a cold and we didn't
keep kids at home in fear on simple I mean obviously we don't want to go to
school and spread things but you know that people with colds kids with colds
still went to school if it was mild I'm not saying that that's what they should
do but that's happened you know we live with this things we have all our life
and like this lady back here I'm terrified what's going on in this
country. I'm extremely terrified to the point that I cry about it. This is not our country to go
around telling everybody in this country they have to wear a mask or they have to get a vaccination.
It's wrong and even one of the inventors of this what is it m rna vaccine has come out very worried
about the impact that it's having on people. There's a lot of things that are not being told
that are being kept by the mainstream media of all the deaths that are taking place and all the
horrible things are happening from these vaccines people are dying because of these vaccines and
these breakouts that are happening if you read up you have to look in a lot of different places
which i've done a lot of this breakthrough is vaccinated and they're also coming out with these
experts saying that your natural immunity is turning out to be stronger than the vaccines
scenes. And that's why they're now going to a booster. So people need to really be doing their homework and quit listening to what you're spoon fed and go look at studies and listen to the experts. Don't listen or come out and say what the experts say because somebody told you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
The next speaker tonight is Alicia Hoy Wilson.
Oh, the next speaker is Minaj Kona.
Hello, everybody.
Thank you so much for giving the option of virtual school.
I understand that individual liberties and freedom are very important.
Those are the foundations of this country.
But at the same time, I feel like we need to listen to the doctors' community,
scientific community, make decisions based on facts.
We are a prosperous country because we believed in science,
We believe in technology and we are an advanced nation and still we rely on our democratic
principles and I might not be able to share, articulate these points well, but I just want
you all to understand that we need to listen to what's happening on the ground in hospitals.
One of the lady has shared that doctors are treating patients every day and these hospitals
are full most of the seasons.
But COVID is different.
There is tents being created outside of hospitals because of overflow.
So please do understand that individual liberties are important.
Nobody is fighting for losing individual liberties.
is just life is important. We are trying to save
as many lives as possible. COVID is a new animal.
This is something that humanity hasn't seen in the past.
We have lost millions of lives around the world.
We want to make sure we get our kids home safe.
Thank you all for giving me this opportunity to speak. Thank you.
Our next speaker tonight
is you're gone Jana gala you're gone Jana gala
Kalpana sub-romanian
hello and good evening first of all thanks for giving me this opportunity to
address the board and i would like to thank you for an exceptional year last year for raising up
to the covert pandemic issue and giving us all uh the opportunity for kva i came here to request
that you offer the kva option for k-6 and i also i already saw that was in the agenda thank you again
and i do agree that masks have to be optional mainly because some of our kids even mine
who is a special ed kid is not comfortable wearing a mask all day long.
So keep them optional, yes, and at the same time,
do promote social distancing and frequent hand washing
for the other school kids who are in the vaccine group
so that we can keep them safe and our teachers safe.
Thank you.
Our next speaker tonight is Simon Gutierrez.
David Cuban.
Hi, thank you for having me out here.
That's my first school board meeting, so it's exciting.
I'm the father of two boys in KDIC, nine and six years old, both of whom are too young
to be vaccinated.
My wife is a pediatrician with Texas Children, so I get to hear details daily.
And I work in investment management, so when I look at things, I just kind of look at things
as a numbers problem.
Is there a problem?
Is there not a problem?
How do we solve it?
This isn't an ideology issue.
it's a what's going on and is there some way to fix it so as previous speakers
have said pediatric hospitals are full adult hospitals are full we're building
COVID tents at LBJ now that's the reality nobody wants it to be that way
but that's what it is another big difference is for children is that
unlike last year children child to child spread is now a much bigger factor the
previous variant you would have kids in daycare not spreading it to each other
that's changed I recognize a lot of people aren't going to know all these
things because it's changed over the last three or four weeks we were two
percent three percent positivity rate a month ago now we're almost 15% but I
want to point out you know again the Abbott mandate against having a mass
mandate the ban is is not really an obstacle it's it's a $1,000 fine it's
there in GA 38. So really what we're looking at is, is it worth paying the fine to enact that
policy? The price tag's pretty low, so I don't think that's an actual obstacle.
other school districts are already making that decision.
I also just wanted to comment on the whole personal responsibility angle
where people say, I know I should go out to decide because I know what's right for my kid.
And while for almost every issue that is 100% correct,
when those choices impact others and can be detrimental to their health,
can impact them in a way that they may not be able to get a hospital bed if they need it,
I mean, that's when personal choice has always ended.
When your choices affect you and only you, you don't really get to do what you want.
But when they start spilling over and affecting other people,
especially at a time when kids may not be able to get into a hospital when they need to,
that's always been the line.
And so, you know, I think we need to not look at this as some sort of ideology issue.
I would love to see us in four or five weeks not need a mask mandate.
But the current situation is we do.
I mean, there's no other way around it.
One percent of kids with COVID get hospitalized and we're already out of beds.
Ask any doctor, they expect to bump an illness two weeks into the school year.
It happens every year as kids crowd into rooms.
We're just looking out for our kids' health and safety, and we want all of our kids back
in school, which is the best place to be learning.
Thank you.
Our next speaker tonight is Sashi Kumar Kona.
Hello, all.
Thank you for allowing me to speak.
I'm Dr. Kona.
I'm a pediatrician, and I'm a neonatologist as well.
I want to agree with everything some of my colleagues have said in terms of the risks
associated with COVID. I want to encourage everyone to implement safe
practices. It's not only safe for their kids but everyone else's kids safety.
There's two main things I wanted to mention. One is please do not be in the
misbelief or disbelief that COVID is benign in children. Many children have
significant short-term and long-term effects of COVID. They can have
multi-system involvement and it can have long-term effects. Can you speak into the
the microphone so we can hear I want to make sure I can hear you. Thank you. Yes. So I wanted to,
I wanted to reiterate that COVID is not benign in children, it can have significant short term and
long term effects. There seems to be a misconception that kids fight it off easily,
and they're fine. But as one of my colleagues has mentioned, even in asymptomatic COVID patients,
you can see multisystem inflammatory disease later on, so it is not benign at all. I also want to
mentioned that if it was the seventh person in the room I would I'm fairly
confident that I can differentiate between the long arm and the short arm
and I wouldn't depend on I wouldn't depend on the six people to to realize
what the answer is and I'm also confident that every single person in
the room here can be that seventh person who can differentiate between the long
arm and the short arm and not necessarily look at what the other six
people are saying differentiate but also in then thank you so much for providing
providing the virtual school option. I think that is a safe thing to do for people who
want their kids to be safe. I'm requesting that you extend the virtual school option
at least until vaccines are available for kids under 12. That way parents can make an
informed choice and feel safe in sending kids back to school when the vaccines are available.
Thank you so much.
Our next speaker tonight is Cindy Wingo.
Hello, everyone. Thank you for this opportunity to speak to you. This is my first board meeting.
This has been a very impressive night. There's a lot of really smart people here in Katy.
I think every doctor in Katy is here tonight. So, you know, very impressive. I don't want to
say that I know anything better than them. You know, I just want to express my opinion about
this mask the mask thing so I'm a realtor I early on because I was I guess
the real estate industry was essential so I didn't have to stay home thank
goodness and I chose to ignore kovat good better and different that's what I
chose to do I'm old I'm overweight I have never ever gotten kovat I have
I have been around a lot of people.
I have traveled.
I have not worn a mask.
So personally, I personally don't think it's as communicable as CNN tries to tell us it is.
That's just from my personal experience.
So, and that's not to say I'm not going to get COVID.
I might.
But, you know, they're very effective therapies.
And if I do get it, I will call frontline doctors, get on a therapy right away.
and I hope that I will survive.
But I've chosen not to stop living my life
because I might get sick in the future.
You know, I guess now we are having a little spike in COVID.
I guess that's why everybody says that the hospital beds are full.
And, you know, it doesn't surprise me, you know,
with all of the undocumented people that are walking through our borders
and they're just being put right in the middle of our cities,
of course of course we're having a spike in covid and you know that's that's just it's truly that's
that's really dreadful um we are going to have to educate these these um undocumented children
and you know i think a good solution for that is just to test them before you put them into
the system now let's talk about masks for just a second so masks are really really nasty uh i
I spend a lot of time with all of my little nieces.
Whenever we have to put on our mask, you know, we pick them up off the bottom of the car.
They're really, really nasty.
They recycle mouth bacteria, and they can lead to pneumonia and cavities.
But the worst thing about masks, it restricts their oxygen intake.
And all these little bodies that are growing, they really need oxygen,
and it stunts their growth physically, emotionally, and in a lot of other ways.
It really limits their play time.
So I want, okay, I'm going to run out of time.
So anyway, I just want to thank you for the opportunity to express my opinion.
Thank you.
Time's up.
Thank you.
Our next speaker tonight is Ayesha Shadiq.
Ayesha Shadiq.
Royaj Uden.
Royaj Uden.
Marcella Burke.
Marcella Burke.
John or Nancy Karam.
Sopana or Varendra Barambat. Good evening everybody. First of all I would like to
thank entire KTISD community for handling COVID situation very effectively and smoothly last year
and thanks for giving the opportunity for raising my opinion today.
So we are talking about kids going back to school.
It's not about dentists or professional experts or any adults.
So definitely the scenario is completely different here.
And this is where I would say like the things what we need to consider is scientific data.
As of yesterday, now the numbers are not wrong.
As of yesterday, we heard and all these media systems are saying that 90,000 kids are hospitalized, not infected, but hospitalized, and all the ICU beds are full across the country.
Florida and Texas, these two states are actually leading the packs in the COVID resurgence of the cases, what we are seeing.
and again like I would like to thank that KVA option is going to work out very well
for the kids who are not vaccinated. I'm a parent of high schooler and an elementary kid
so that KVA option is definitely going to work for my elementary kid because he's not vaccinated
and I'm not going to put him at risk but at the same point of time my high schooler girl she is
very excited to go back to school and I'm going to support that and this is where like mask mandate
comes very handy. So here my ask to all of you is consider the scientific facts and go for the
mandating the mask. We have seen like several school districts have put that mandate and that
is actually proven tactics and that is what like CDC guidelines are talking about, that is what
what AAP guidelines are talking about.
So we all know the importance of using masks.
I just want to tell one more thing here that out of like Fortune top 500 company,
we are seeing like only 70% sorry, only 30% companies have asked for their employees to go back to work.
So when adults are given the option of staying at home,
we are just asking for kids having this mandated mask so that our vaccinated kids can continue
enjoying their school experience and at the same point of time the kids who are not vaccinated
can opt for the kva option and again i would like to request that if if those kids are not
vaccinated before that october one timeline then really the request is to extend that kva option
until that happens. Once the vaccination is done, then definitely our kids would be more safer
because that's the main weapon to fight against this virus. Thank you all.
The next speaker tonight is Carol Wetterauer.
Good evening. My name is Carol Wetterauer. I am a retired RN. I work critical care. I've
I have been a nurse for 44 years before retiring.
I have six grandchildren in Fort Bend ISD,
but as we know, this virus has no county line boundaries.
And we live in Katy.
In a recent interview, US Secretary Miguel Cordona said,
"'I know that there are some folks making decisions
that are less based on science and more on their ideology.
But at the end of the day,
our educators job is to make sure that our students are okay.
In Houston and in Katy, ICUs are full.
It's telling when an 11 month old baby
must be transferred out of Houston to Temple, Texas
for an ICU bed.
bed. This is insanity. In another interview, a young physician working with COVID patients
was asked what she says to people who call her a hero. She replied angrily, I'm tired
of being expected to be a hero. Taking care of COVID patients is my job. It may be risky,
but it's what I do.
Where are the risk takers among our general public?
Why can't they be heroes when all they have to do
is wear a mask?
Members of the school board, please do your job
and make sure our children are okay.
Keep them safe.
Defy orders from Governor Abbott
and require all teachers, staff and children
and wear masks in school inform parents of positive cases in the school conduct contact
tracing and require children to quarantine at home if they come in close contact with someone
who is infected please do your part and be heroes too thank you
our next speaker tonight is tom tang
Tang? Tom Tang?
I'm not a good public speaker. I never came out to speak.
But today I came out to speak to you. Why I came out today?
Because today I went to school. I saw a lot of kids, a lot of teachers, a lot of parents.
parents wear warm masks there, but many did not.
I look at my two kids.
They did not get a vaccine yet because they are not authorized to do that.
They are younger than 12 years old.
And I talk with many parents in the school, in the event, and they wanted me to talk with
you to share our concerns. I share my personal experience with you. Our working world for
companies, the safety always the number one. Nothing else can surpass the safety. Our kids
can learn social skills. Our kids can interact with the teachers only when they are healthy.
We don't want them go to the hospital. I really told my kids when I left home,
home, this is my first time to still act, to speak for them.
Safety always number one.
That's what I was educated.
And another thing is I'm a scientist.
Scientists, our work is always based on the data.
What I heard from a pediatrician, from a gentleman,
man she he said his wife is a pediatrician what did they said were true are true i heard my person
i got my personal news almost every day somebody got infected infected and i heard some of the sad
I'm so sorry they lost their loved ones.
My heart really was broken.
I have two things that I want to confirm with you.
That for the K at sixth grade,
they have the option for KVA, is that right?
Thank you, Board President.
And for, I have an eighth grade child as well.
Well, I'm very worried if they go to school,
they still have a chance to get infected
because so many people got vaccine
and they still got it.
Thank you.
The board's gonna take a 10 minute recess
and we'll start back up.
We're about halfway through the list.
So we're going to take a quick 10 minute break and we'll be right back
Okay, well now reconvene the board meeting the time is 6 56. We're about halfway through the open forum attendees
The next speaker is Ramon Marin
Ramon nope the next speaker is a behi shock but Tori
The next speaker is Sralaka Koka.
Kristen Martin.
I'm wondering, is Dr. Fauci here tonight?
He seems to have a big fan club.
It's interesting to me that these physicians, I don't know where they studied,
but they didn't get the breaking news about the PCR test having a class one recall.
The tests cannot differentiate between the flu and COVID-19.
So it kind of concerns me that this feels more like a community health center than a school district.
I don't know why you guys are in the business of testing and tweeting out things about getting the vaccine.
Seems like you guys need to separate those powers.
And I'm going to also address the elephant in the room with my lady over here with the five kids.
Something has drastically changed in the last couple of years in this district.
It does not feel like America.
It doesn't feel like one nation under God.
It feels like some foreign land with a lot of tyranny.
What are we doing to these kids? What about suicide? Anyone talk? They're much more likely to
to die from suicide than they are to die from COVID-19. In fact, the precinct three police
officers just had to rescue a girl off of the roof of La Sentera who was attempting to commit
suicide. This is a really a really dangerous thing. So I ask you guys to think about what are
are the outside pressures that you guys are getting to make these decisions?
Are you going to think about the livelihood of the kids?
Are you going to cave to the bureaucrats in Washington that do not do as they say?
Barack Obama just had a party with 600 people with no masks and no vaccines.
But they're the main ones that will get up there and lecture to you
about how your kids are going to kill their grandmother.
We have to stop.
I lost confidence in this district, much like this lady,
and I've withdrawn my two kids from the district.
So they won't be attending in sixth and seventh grade in Katy ISD.
So please, I just ask you, these kids are not sick.
Stop treating them like they're sick.
They're not vectors of the virus.
People are not dying.
You don't hear of any.
Has any kid died in Katy from COVID-19?
Zero.
Stop it.
it they're not spreading it they're not racist and there is no gender fluidity okay so let's just
settle that those are the reasons i took my kids out you guys have got to take a stand and you
have to have courage or you're going to have a legacy in this district of failure please
be the outlier district be what this that statement says on the wall about your mission
One nation under God, not under Dr. freaking Fauci.
That guy has flip-flopped 10 times.
Look at the funding of the CDC.
You've got to read beneath the headlines.
These cases are not what you think they are.
Thank you.
The next speaker tonight is Yaya Zing.
Yaya Zing.
Yaya Zing.
Morgan Calhoun.
Okay.
I thought that was you.
I wasn't sure it looked like you were leaving, so I apologize.
I apologize.
Thank you guys for allowing me to come and speak for the board tonight.
I have three children from the ages of four to eight in the KDISD school system.
We moved here and stayed here for what I know as being a product of this school system,
for the excellent education opportunities that can be provided here that cannot be had at the same level elsewhere.
That is being eroded by authoritarian-style mandates stripping away my choice as a parent to decide what is best for my family.
We were forced as a family to stay out of the educational experience for our children for an entire year.
This is mentally, emotionally, and in some cases physically damaging to our children who are in the developmental stages that are necessary for optimal growth.
The kids don't play tag. They play catch COVID.
This is just what's happened in the short term.
We will have to wait and watch and see what the long-term damaging effects are while we perpetuate an environment of fear onto a susceptible and impressionable mind that you are supposed to be helping with parents to shape and form.
Fear-based leadership may be effective for a time, drumming up the what-ifs and the maybes,
but what does that produce?
Children able to critically think?
Children able to step outside and take a brave foot forward?
Or rather, children who are being molded to defer to the community think?
I just want the choice.
If someone else wants to wear a mask, I have no issue with that.
If someone wants to use a virtual option, that is, again, their choice.
But even entertaining the idea that masks will come back to the school system
is enough for me and other parents to start looking at other educational opportunities
outside of KDISD for a more free environment to have our children educated,
not indoctrinated into a system of fear.
We will not comply, and we will resist these harmful mandates.
Beyond that, a decision like that is in direct violation of Governor Abbott's orders.
I don't get to go home with every person here to watch how you eat,
to watch how you exercise, to watch what your sleep quality is,
To watch what processed foods you eat and how often.
The line at McDonald's was down Highway 90 last night.
What your BMI is, what your comorbidities are,
those are personal responsibilities that people are choosing not to take.
All of which are direct reflections of ability to contract and severity of symptoms.
I don't force anyone to make better choices for the very decisions that have massive effects on their health.
We make and practice those choices in our home.
I want to keep the choice to remain for us to continue to decide to remain unmasked.
We kept an entire community of children home over the last year to prevent the spread.
And now with children who remained at home for over a year, remained masked, unable to build and develop a balanced and able immune system.
Throwing out numbers without context of age, medical history, physical capability is pointless and baseless with little reliability.
I have two kids that I'm taking out of your school system because of the decisions that you have made
Thank you
Our next speaker tonight is Marcella our real on our Ilana Marcella Ali Ron or the Ronald
I can't say that our well on oh
The next speaker is Samit or in D'Ariana pal
The next speaker is Heather Calhoun.
I'm just going to make this real short and sweet.
I didn't get the email that I was going to speak,
so there's things that I would normally say that I'm not going to.
If you make the grave decision to defy our Bill of Rights, our inalienable rights, with
the CRT, with the mask, with the transgender, whatever you want to call it, we the people
have had enough and we the people will defy you as well.
The next speaker tonight is Sean Dolan.
The next speaker tonight is Rui Fong Tuo.
Thank you for the opportunity.
Can you hear me?
Yes.
Yes, I hear you fine.
Thank you.
So I want to bring up my Harvey experiences
because my neighborhood was flooded during Harvey
and complete strangers, total strangers showed up
at my house and rescued me and my family and my pets,
my dog and cat.
And we didn't ask each other what our ideologies were.
We didn't ask each other where we were from.
I mean, these people, they actually came from out of state
and then used their boat to save me
and i'm grateful for that and and i totally adored that camaraderie time back at that time
and um i see this covid as the same kind of crisis we're facing like harvey that we need to come
together um put aside our differences and then um come back make sure we we all come out of this uh
pandemic whole and well. So in order to solve this problem, you need to go back to the science
and the facts, which the reason our average age is in the 60s, some countries in the 70s, because
of the advance of the medicine. The doctors are doing a darn good job. And if we don't believe
doctors then why why do people go to doctors when they are sick so we need to
listen to the medical professionals the doctors the CDC's the people that
devoted their lives and and their entire career trying to research and save lives
so I want to bring up the freedom thing I mean totally understand it's a very
emotional things I mean sometimes I don't want to do things I was told I
I totally understand that.
But in this case, I think most of y'all are old enough to remember the big fight of the seatbelts fight and the indoor smoking fight.
Remember that?
I think y'all remember, right?
So like the smoking, why aren't we allowed to smoke indoors anymore?
Because it's proven, scientific research, that smoke can cause cancer.
And it's a public health issue.
So same thing here.
with the mask, with this pandemic, Delta variant.
If we don't all wear masks, there's a good chance that the pandemic can get worse.
Just about a month and a half ago, it was only 10,000.
Now it's over 100,000 a day on average.
Our hearts are always in a good place.
People that disagree with me, they care about the kids, and so do I.
But I think we should all come together and look at the facts and listen to the medical doctors and make sure that we can save as many lives as we can with your policies.
And I thank you for your very thoughtful COVID programs.
Thank you.
Our next speaker is Liang Yu.
Good evening. Thank you for the opportunity to allow me to speak. So I think that I just want to echo all the doctors that has presented before that first, the safety of our students and our KTISD teacher and staff are the most important.
I urge the board to respect science, follow the data, follow CDC guidance.
I'm very glad to see that we have the first nine-week option for the K-6 students to have the virtual class opportunity.
I strongly urge that it's not a firm deadline because COVID is quickly evolving and the situation is changing very fast.
So I urge the board to set up a pre-review meeting to assess the situation approaching the October 15th deadline and to be able to provide the best decision at the point for the students.
And also that I strongly urge that KTISD school to have required masks in school so that it best protect our students' safety and also our teachers' safety.
Thank you very much.
Thank you.
Our next speaker tonight is Anastasia.
Hmm.
Baba Nyaza?
No, I probably didn't say that right.
Baba Nyazova.
How was that?
Baba Nyazova.
Okay.
I would have never got that.
Thank you.
Thank you for the opportunity to express my comments today.
My name is Anastasia Baba Nyazova.
I am a mom of two kids that are enrolled in KTISD, 10 and 13 years old.
And my comment will be three-folded.
So first of all, there is a lack of data available for parents for independent analysis on potential risks associated with COVID-19.
Anybody involved in scientific research in data science, statistics, knows that to draw well-educated conclusions on a subject,
one needs a specific, sufficient data set that actually represents your subject.
needs to know the variables that can change the outcome,
needs to understand the data filtration systems,
also the manipulation that is done on the data,
and all the tools used in the analysis.
So there is no data available to the public whatsoever.
So I really think that one can be biased, persuade,
but nobody can make a well-educated decision right now
on what risks COVID basically leads to the kids.
kids. So with that said, if you're not able to create a well-educated decision as a parent,
you can definitely divide naturally into three categories. One that think that the COVID possesses
a huge risk to their kids and that it has severe consequences. Others extreme would be thinking
that there is no risk associated with COVID whatsoever and there are multiple reasons why
they would think that and sort of group that will be just in between and they would have no apparent
I would say with the no public data available, with all the variables that can derive the result, I say that nobody can say who is wrong and who is right.
And before this public data is available, similar to what you have in some fields, industries where you would have frack-focused data, you would have public data on wells,
I really request before any decision is made on any mandate any blanket decision on masks or
vaccination to have an open system where anybody can independently search for the data and make
the analysis with their best means and there are many data scientists and people involved
in research that can do that on their own so first of all I also want to ask you to consider
there are different options when you're trying to be to have actually the best decision made
and when you're trying to listen to people there are many options cigarette segregating the schools
one of them why not potentially having the kva wonderful that you have it maybe to last it for
the whole year potentially requiring medical masks or asking those who want to wear the medical masks
in the school having the option for them to provide this mask there are many different
options and there are so many questions that are not answers answered whether
those kids that had the COVID were they vaccinated or not what was the major
reason did they immunity go down because of the one year that they stayed at home
and they did not practice the immune defense many many questions that just
raised thank you the next speaker is Carrie Song
For me, actually, I have just two questions.
Since the earlier presentation has answered
a lot of my questions, so thank you for that.
My first question is related to a decision
of not offering the virtual learning for the pre-K.
So is that something that can still be further reviewed
and assessed and then come back to potentially
suggest something differently?
Because I feel for each families,
the option could be different, right?
So some of the families probably going to work better for in-person study and some other
family might be working better for their virtual study. So I think we should all respect the
diversity here. And that applies to the pre-K level kids as well. There is a reason for them
to get qualified for the pre-K program. So I would request for the board, respectfully request the
board to reconsider this decision to offer multiple options for the pre-K level kids as well.
in person virtue and that that would be much appreciated um the other one is related with
so currently the the virtual offer is valid until the mid-october so would encourage for the board
to consider to offer to extend that for the for the full semester but again right i do respect
the diversity one option works for one family may not work for the other so i definitely support
to have in person and also virtual for the same time so with that I would like
to get a follow up for my two questions especially for the first one for the
pre-k one since the school starts in a week so is there a way I could follow up
on this question for this after this meeting I'll go ahead and dress that
mr. Schulte generally the open forum part in the public hearing that we're
doing tonight are art for question and answer and dialogue but i'll be happy to answer any question
you have if you would like to go to our website you can find my email on there as the superintendent
send me any question you have and i will make sure those folks who can best answer those questions
would get your response okay my questions basically are the ones i just raised in terms
of the pre-k the the virtual uh virtual offer kva option for the pre-k program
program. If that could be extended to the pre K.
Yeah, would it be possible that you just follow up via email? If you need to follow up the
similar way that you did to sign up this evening, if that's the email like you'd like to use
that would go over to our general counsel's office, you can follow up that way as well
via email that'll come to me.
Okay, thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Our next speaker is to your Chicago.
Good evening. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to speak. This is my first public hearing at KTISD. I have two kids, four and seven, and I was here mainly for the virtual school.
school. And I guess I have my questions answered as far as that is concerned.
Also coming tonight, I'm hearing a lot of debate about mask mandate versus not mandating
the mask. I would just like to say one thing that, you know, if me wearing a mask or my
kids wearing a mask is going to help other kids or other people live a healthy life and
and it will impact their health in any way,
and it will promote a healthy environment,
I will definitely have them wear it.
It is not a matter of freedom, but it
is a matter of personal choice.
And whatever the board decides, I
would like to make a point that if you would actually
were to mandate the mask or not to mandate it,
wearing it would actually prevent and provide a we would prevent you know the spread of the
virus and it would provide a healthy environment because that is the science and that is what the
science is telling us thank you very much the next speaker tonight is Jaspreet Kaur
Yes, free color
Brian Zhang
Isabella Korea
Nice body
Good evening, everyone
number of things I had to say were already presented or discussed by others so I'll just touch on a couple of issues.
Number one, I want to thank you about the KVA offer being offered as an option for K through sixth grade.
However, I do want to present a concern that I have for the older kids as well.
As we know, I mean, they do have the option to get the vaccine, but yet, even if successfully
vaccinated, teens can still bring the virus home to younger siblings or family members
with a delicate health.
Breakthrough cases are happening and they are not rare.
And because we are in a critical state of the pandemic, the safe return to school plan, it actually has just a fraction of the safety measures adopted one year ago as follows.
Masks are optional.
Those not complying with recommendation from CDC and AAP.
There is no recommendation when it comes to keeping a safe distance in the classroom,
cafeteria, during recess or PE.
There is no restriction in terms of visitors or volunteer activities on campus.
There is no information in terms of safety precautions when riding the school bus.
There is no information in terms of criteria for switching to online or closing schools
if needed.
There is no information concerning equipment or supplies shared at school.
In addition, there is no information in terms of ventilation assessments or HVAC systems maintenance and improvement with the use of HIPAA filters,
even though most classrooms have no window and many students spend all day in portables.
Besides, there is what I would call a soft language throughout the document.
For instance, staff and students positive for COVID should complete the positive self-report
app.
Individuals who have symptoms should consider isolating, consider seeking medical guidance,
consider testing, consider wearing a mask, and so on and so forth.
So how can this possibly be considered safe?
These should be all musts, not shoulds or considers,
especially if the person chooses not to be tested.
I recognize the importance and benefits of in-person learning and socialization,
but not at the expense of health and safety.
Even though we are being offered this option,
I really ask that we have more strong protocols.
Thank you.
Thank you.
The next speaker tonight is Cameron Samuels.
Hello trustees.
My name is Cameron Samuels and I am a student
at Seven Lakes High School here in the district.
It feels counterproductive for my cause
to be here in person as the national COVID-19 cases
surge past 200,000 new cases each day.
But here we are, about to enter the school year,
not required to wear masks, get vaccinated,
contact trace, or take sufficient precautionary measures.
When I enrolled in Katy ISD as a kindergartener
more than 12 years ago, I was required to get vaccinated
for measles, mumps, rubella, and countless other viruses.
Throughout my time in school, my peers could not wear spaghetti straps or jeans that have rips above the knee because of a district dress code regulations.
But this school year, the COVID-19 vaccine and face masks are not to be required, despite the fact that more than 600,000 Americans have died from this pandemic and 36 million have become sick from it.
My brother was one of them. He and I both learned virtually this past school year, and we all know this was not a desired method of learning.
He was excited for the prospect of being able to go back in person when it was safe.
So once February came around, he eventually walked into the doors of Seven Lakes Junior High for the first time as a sixth grade student.
and within two months he was homesick with the coronavirus and his attention towards school work
had diminished. Wearing masks is not desirable. Getting pricked by a vaccine is not desirable.
But when a problem this big is affecting our nation, our state, and our local schools,
it requires the community to act together towards a solution rather than further contribute to the
problem. My peers and I are scared to go to school. We do not want to contract this life-altering
disease and we do not want to bring it to our families and our friends. It is unfortunate that
one death can be considered a tragedy while thousands of deaths are simply a statistic.
I say no to that. The pandemic is not over and despite many people believing so and despite
the governor preventing local public authorities from mitigating the spread of this virus, several
school districts have already issued mask mandates. This is what will keep our
community safe, not elected officials who disregard science for political reasons.
With that being said, in addition to these allocations of the ESSER funds, I
compel the Katy Independent School District to join hands with Dallas and
Austin ISD and many others in mandating masks for students and staff members, in
in providing a seamless virtual learning option
for students year round similar to this past year
and to continue to stand strong
in the name of science, safety and compassion.
Thank you.
Our next speaker is Saiva Kumar.
Saiva Kumar.
Raj Kasa.
NACA NAIC.
KALYN PATINA.
KALYN PANTINA.
JARED KORR.
I'm sorry, Jared Core.
My name is Jared Core. Members of the board, thank you for the opportunity to speak at the meeting
today. I want to note at the outset of my time that I'm happy to see the increased community
involvement in the actions of school boards both here and across the nation over the past
few months. In both smaller communities and larger and state national scales,
We've experienced challenges that we may have never expected and it's critical that solutions to those challenges start at the local level and be driven up
Rather than sit back and wait for a one-size-fits-all solution to be mandated down
So it's important to me to say that regardless of whether I agree or disagree with any causes or actions taken up at these meetings
It's valuable to have the community in a special parent and especially parent voices being heard
I also want to say upfront that I do have children enrolled in Katie ISD schools. Our family is very active in them
My wife has served as PTA president for two years in one of them, and we both regularly volunteer at the schools.
We love Katy ISD students, we love our Katy community, and we want nothing better for them both.
To dive into the topic that I requested to speak about, I'll start by stating emphatically that I do not wish my children to be subjected to the mandatory mask wearing for in-person learning for the upcoming school year or at any point going forward.
Last year's mask policy was arbitrary at best, and I don't want to see it repeated.
There was no standardization of the type of face covering required.
Students are allowed to wear face shields, gaiters, cloth coverings, painter's masks,
medical masks, literally anything that covers the mouth and nose was deemed acceptable.
A study published in the CDC in November of 2020 shows that some of those acceptable mask
forms that the students wore were as little as 5% effective in particle collection.
That covers breathing out.
Now to cover breathing in, a study published in the US National Library of Science found
a 97 percent particle penetration rate for viral illness on cloth masks which if you go in any of
the schools you can see that's mostly what's being worn and that was the 2015 study before
mask wearing was politicized not only are masks not foolproof most of them aren't even mildly
effective moving on from the type of face covering let's talk about the situational enforcement of
mask wearing and i'll be brief it seemed really ignorant to me that we subjected children k-12
to sit in classrooms with restricted face covering for seven hours a day only for many of those same
kids to go out on basketball courts volleyball courts football fields band halls and elsewhere
maskless breathing 10 times harder and faster touching talking passing a ball between dozens
of hands all maskless why would we require a mask in a classroom environment if we're going to allow
an extracurricular activities to continue don't get me wrong i'm not advocating to shut those
down i'm saying that having a dual standard further shows the arbitrary nature of a mask
mandate so to be clear i'm not favoring the standardization of a mass policy that's simply
simply not realistic. I'm asking that this board allow it to remain a choice.
Now if you look hard enough you can find statistics on both sides of the debate so I'll just use
the few points that I came across that I found relevant. Survival rate of COVID-19 for ages
0 to 19 years which would encompass all of Katy's student ISD population is 99.997 and
for ages 20 to 49 which would cover the bulk of Katy's employee population is 99.98. That's
actually higher than the same figures for season thank you your time's up thank you
the next speaker is sulakana nilseti
oh i thought somebody was walking up sorry about that next one is morali but the daga
Thank you, Mr. President.
Thank you, Dr. Rikoxi.
This is my first board meeting.
I'm a Houstonian for the last 20 years.
I'm a KT resident for over 12 years.
My high schooler has started his schooling at KTISD and he is a senior.
I have a small boy who is going to be a middle schooler.
You can see this is a very important board meeting and I have taken up that time to come here and express those aspects.
An important aspect that I wanted to bring is KTISD definitely, definitely had shown an amazing job last year by providing the tools, the necessary, by empowering the teachers and the students to continue their learning process through the virtual as well as in person.
People had the choice to make the choice, whichever was convenient and comfortable, best for their family.
COVID has not gone away. The key is, it is as detrimental as it was in the previous year.
We have to take into account data. Data speaks for itself.
We, as Houston area, is at the pinnacle of medical research and facilities, hospitals.
We can see the data and clearly the data shows that hospitalizations are at its max.
acts. Given that, as KTISD, we have to stand up and make a statement that our kids are
important. The health of the kids is not just kids, the teachers as well, is as important
as the community. We have to state clearly that life and death is at stake, not liberty
and freedom. We have to keep them apart and say okay wearing a mask is not
something that is going to kill me but not wearing a mask has the potential to
kill somebody. So better make the choice that is appropriate and I really
appreciate the in the slides what you had presented with regards to virtual
learning I have a question that I would like to send by email the 15 days that
the virtual learning versus the in-person learning there is a gap so
thank you yeah well he can address that in an email or maybe a boss that at the
end before we make the motion okay the next speaker is Manan Raj Rama Lingam
Thank you.
Cool.
Esteemed board members, honored, trusted faculty and staff, and parents who love their students,
all of you keep them in mind.
Thank you for your time, attention.
attention. 635 students given at $35 a day will cost you $1 million over nine weeks.
There's numbers guy, that's me. That's the impact of KVA for nine weeks. 635 students
equals one million dollars. I would advocate for masks, for mask mandate. I
know other people don't and I really appreciate the opportunity where we can
all discuss this together so we collectively can come to our decision
instead of having someone at a different government level dictating what we
We decide what should we do for our students based on the majority view.
Yeah, other than mask and KVA funding, that's all I got other than encouragement and that
that as parents, as a first time person standing up
and making a board meeting,
being a part of this political process
is something that many of us first time people
will carry on.
And so you have a new constituency developing.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Our next speaker tonight is Amman Thind.
Amman Thind.
Our next speaker is Santosh Kumar Tuwaghani.
Santosh.
the next speaker is a mouth a moraga melt the moraga the next speaker is Carl Kruger
Hi, thanks for the time. I really appreciate y'all listening to us and what we have to say.
So my name is Carl Krueger. I have two daughters who attend KDISD at Odessa Kilpatrick Elementary.
And the reason I'm here tonight is I would just like to request that KDISD require masks for all students below the age of 12,
because these students cannot be vaccinated yet, obviously, against COVID.
COVID. So I feel like the case for requiring students to wear masks in school is really
fairly straightforward. Children do catch and spread COVID, you know, both to each other and
to adults in and out of school. And while their symptoms are usually mild, thankfully,
they are sometimes severe. And I think that we're all aware of the impact that COVID can have on
adults, especially the elderly and those with pre-existing conditions that are both in our
schools and also out in the community. So because of this preventing children from
contracting COVID at school is an important part of reducing the impact of COVID both to them and
also to the broader community. So it's really not just about them but also about all of us together.
So at school students are going to be indoors obviously and they won't be able to maintain
social distance in the classroom which is an ideal condition for COVID to spread. Masks have been
proven effective in preventing the spread of COVID particularly if everybody wears one.
The benefits of students wearing masks are substantial as I alluded to earlier including
keeping them healthy as well as reducing deaths in the surrounding community. There doesn't appear to
be any overwhelming evidence let alone proof that masks have any significant dangers or downsides.
Surgeons for example wear masks on the daily oftentimes for hours at a time
in order to in order to prevent transmission of disease obviously and
they have done so for decades if there were a significant concern we'd probably
know something by now it would be there would be something published somewhere
that would tell us about that and we would have heard about it by now so if
there is a significant benefit to wearing masks with no real downside I
think we should mandate masks for students as I mentioned earlier we
mandate lots of other things for people such as not smoking inside or children needing to be
vaccinated before they go to school this falls actually at a significantly lower category
of infringement upon personal liberties than any of those other things
so obviously some people will no doubt say that you know you're being active in a school district
and this is all political if you go against the executive order however keep in mind that as you
you think about how you're going to deal with that, that you already have all the information
and data available to provide an effective defense against that argument. Ultimately,
it will be very hard for anyone to mount an effective case against you when you act in
the interest of protecting children. So I hope I've convinced you that requiring students
to wear masks will save lives and that any fallout from disregarding the governor's order
should be manageable for you and ultimately a small price to pay.
Thank you. Time's up. Thank you.
And the last speaker tonight is Nitesh Sharma.
Nitesh Sharma.
No?
Okay, that concludes the end of the public hearing.
I'd like to thank everyone for your, everybody really did a great, great job of listening.
Thanks for your participation. We appreciate everybody's comments tonight.
And I don't want to put everybody a lot of time in to get ready for that.
So thank you.
We'll now proceed into action on 3.1 of the agenda,
which is considered board approved of the proposed changes to the ESSER plan.
Are there any additional questions from the board members or anyone?
Yes.
Dr. Gorkorski, maybe this is already communicated somewhere,
is what are we doing about visitors in schools?
schools and specifically I'm wondering if for the first nine weeks we could have some sort of
not have visitors in cafeterias where all the children will be unmasked at elementary schools.
I'm going to ask Ms. Hack may know the exact language we're using on there about visitors
but we do have visitors who will be allowed to come to schools. You might recall even the board
had asked me a few questions last year about some of the visitors especially
the mentors we've got a large program through keys mentors we weren't able to
do that to our satisfaction last year a lot of kids missed out on their mentor
so some of those things that our visitors
do provide are very important to our kids and our families and our schools.
So we did bring the visitor, I guess, rule back and we're a little bit more.
There are a couple of things that we tightened up on.
For example, going back to school on the first day, you know what I mean?
That's a big thing for parents at the elementary and usually that's been multiple days, but
but it's limited now to one in that respect,
because I know that's important to our folks.
There are some limitations on the lunchroom, as you described, with some sign-ups.
I don't remember exactly what that rule is.
I would ask Ms. Hack to share a little bit more about that,
if she could help me out on that one.
Yes, we have communicated with our elementary principals.
In fact, we have communicated out via our district Friday e-news,
and the campuses are communicating their specific campus procedures.
Dr. Grogorski is correct.
parents will be able to walk their children to school,
to class on the first day of school.
It's normally been the first three days.
It will be restricted to one day only.
In regards to campus lunch visitors,
we have several campuses that are at capacity
and so their campus lunch visitor procedures
will look a little different based upon the capacity.
It will be limited somewhat,
how they deem is best appropriate.
And as far as the birthday celebrations,
those two are going to look a little different this year to try to restrict some of the things
that were occurring prior to kind of make sure that we're doing some COVID safety things.
So we'll look different at each campus.
We have asked that your campus protocols in regards to lunch visitors is supported and
the principals will be communicating that.
I had one question regarding the, I forgot to ask it earlier, but the question I think
the other gentleman asked is i know the kva students are starting later uh than the other
students and yeah how is that is that time going to be i'm assuming that time will be made up
somehow um the 10 days later they're starting just curious what the how that's going to be handled
yeah so um what a lot of folks don't realize and and but i think uh most of the board knows that
when we when the state changed the funding they changed number of days to number of minutes we've
We've talked about number of minutes probably, I don't know, maybe going on five years now that we've been calculating minutes to earn our number of instructional minutes for a school year to be a complete school year.
So we do know those virtual students would be starting a little bit later than our in-person students.
So we're going to make up those minutes within the school day times in virtual.
So those kids will get a little bit more learning time virtually.
And then when everything moves back to in-person instruction, those minutes will balance out.
to the equal number of minutes for elementaries.
Is there anything you'd want to add to that, Ms. Hack?
No, you described it, yes.
We've determined how many minutes
that we would need to make up.
And so, like Dr. Gorgorski, when they return to in-person,
that they have the same number of minutes
as our in-person students.
Any other questions from any of the board members, trustees?
Mr. President?
Yes.
I move the board of trustees approves of proposed changes
to the elementary and secondary school emergency relief fund,
ESSER II and III plan, as presented
by administration which includes a nine-week virtual school option for K
through sixth grade, extended pay leave, and free COVID testing for employees and
KDISD insured dependents. Second. Okay I have a motion by Ms. Vann and a second by
Mr. Redmond. Is there any other additional questions? Mr. President I do
have a question maybe it'll be addressed in a minute
about the fmla is that not going to be we don't need to have
a motion on that i think it was uh yeah extended paid
leave it was it was in the motion oh okay it's already included in there
yes oh it's going to pay yeah okay thank you just a different rewording of it
thank you correct any other questions before we move to a
vote mr. president I do have one yes it sounded like during public comment some
people were mentioning that we were suspending or made the assumption that
all protocols are suspended and that there won't be notifications but I know
that the guidance has come out recently from the CEA that there there are some
things that are still happening it's not a get rid of everything but but choose
things like is that correct is what there was guidance release that would
still be happening you are correct mr. Redmond there was some what I would say
if we were comparing apples to apples last year to this year
tea gave us much more guidance and they did give us some flexibility with some
of the decisions we would be able to make the guidance this year is is pared
down considerably and some of the things that we were allowed to do last year for
For a good example of that would be when we do the contact tracing and then we were to send students home who could have been exposed to COVID and ask them to get a test before they return and have them quarantine for a few days.
We don't have that flexibility as we did before.
That flexibility was there.
It's a limited now.
Now those kids can self quarantine and we can do as Ms. Hack described in the presentation that we have the intermittent school to home.
they call it remote conferencing. We call it intermittent school-to-home. So
there's some flexibility there but not the exact same things to send
students home. So those are some of the changes in there. We still do have the
COVID-19 dashboard. It's up right now. People can see what's going on currently
at those schools. You can go there daily. It updates automatically. It's a system
Some of that will update overnight as the COVID comes in.
We do ask the kids.
That was the same way last year with employees or children, students, the self-reporting app.
We can't make somebody self-report.
We can encourage them to and tell them they should self-report.
But we hope they will do that again so we can track it and find out where it's at,
notify those folks who might have been in that classroom with that child or in a program,
You know, I mean if it was on a basketball court or something like that, so there are things we are still doing and tracking
And seeing what's going on as far as school closures. I heard that one come up
You mean school closures those are still our public health experts
Both of our account well all three counties actually but mostly our counties are Fort Bend and Harris County
Those are where most of our schools are they have the authority to examine the data and they can close a school
I don't think they've ever lost that ability.
They had that long before COVID, and they continue to have that authority.
And we do work closely with our health officials of Harris County and Fort Bend,
communicate with them regularly about things.
Those things haven't stopped going on kind of behind the scenes.
So those are just a few examples I can point to.
But a lot of what came down from TEA just isn't there as an option anymore.
And, you know, that's kind of where we're at on that.
Thank you.
Any other questions?
Mr. President, Superintendent Gorgorski, I just want to say my appreciation for calling
this meeting, for having a public discussion for our community to know that we are watching
it and that I know and trust that our school district will be on this.
We'll be paying attention to everything that's going on and your responsiveness to us, Dr.
Gorgorski when we have questions and then calling the meeting giving our public an opportunity to
speak to us and for them to hear from us and I know that going forward as conditions change and
evolve and that that I trust that you'll continue to make us aware and we'll call you know we'll
call more meetings if necessary and communication is we've received hundreds of emails hundreds of
communications from people and I can only speak for me I haven't answered
everyone but I've read everyone and they are as varied as what we've heard
tonight and I appreciate that and take this position seriously and you know
we're getting school going I appreciate you sharing that miss Fox and you're
right occasionally I'll get some some emails that will be accusatory as in you
don't care you're not listening um and i think a good example as you've just described and
president schulte and i spoke about this at length last week on thursday and friday to come to
some consensus of talking about the importance of having a school board meeting given our folks an
opportunity to be heard that's always important to us and then given the board an opportunity to
speak and ask questions about how we'll be moving forward and that's important to me if we didn't
here, I think it'd be evidenced by doing nothing and then just making our decisions and not having
any dialogue. So I appreciate you saying that. Any other questions before we vote?
Okay, we'll now proceed to vote. All those in favor, please raise your right hand and say aye.
Aye. All those opposed, the motion carries 7-0.
for agenda item 4.1 the next regular board meeting is scheduled for monday august 23rd 2021
and there being no further business before the board this meeting is adjourned
the time is 7 49 thanks everybody
Official documents
Motions and votes
Recorded actions
MOTION 001 · AGENDA 3.1
PassedIt is recommended that the Board of Trustees approves the proposed changes to the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund (ESSER II & III) plan as presented by administration which includes a 9-week virtual school option for K-6th grade, extended paid leave, and free COVID testing for employees and Katy ISD insured dependents.
7 Yes · 0 No
| Trustee | Vote |
|---|---|
| ashley-vann | Yes |
| dawn-champagne | Yes |
| duke-keller | Yes |
| greg-schulte | Yes |
| lance-redmon | Yes |
| leah-wilson | Yes |
| rebecca-fox | Yes |