Noting that a quorum is present, I hereby call this regular board meeting of the Board of Trustees of Katy Independent School District to order.
Katy ISD · Regular Board Meeting
Katy ISD Regular Board Meeting, May 11, 2026
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In this meeting
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- 0:03 to 0:28 1. Call to Order - Upon announcement by the presiding officer that a quorum is present, the meeting will be called to order. The presiding officer will verify that the meeting has been duly called and notice of the meeting has been posted for the time and manner required by law.
- 0:28 to 11:21 2. Oath of Office
- 11:21 to 11:39 3. Closed Meeting
- 11:39 to 12:16 4. Reconvene from Closed Meeting
- 12:16 to 29:03 5.1 Consider and elect officers for the 2026-2027 Board of Trustees.
- 29:03 to 1:06:53 7. Recognitions
- 1:06:53 to 1:45:48 8. Public Comment/Citizen Participation
- 1:45:48 to 1:46:09 9. Closed Meeting
- 1:46:09 to 1:46:23 10. Reconvene from Closed Meeting
- 1:46:23 to 2:01:04 11.1 Academic Presentation - Academic Competitions
- 2:01:04 to 2:14:55 11.3 Board President Report
- 2:14:55 to 2:28:11 12.1 Discuss and consider Board Approval of the March 2026 Financial Reports.
- 2:28:11 to 2:30:22 12.2 Discuss and consider Board approval of the May 2026 budget amendments.
- 2:30:22 to 2:43:26 12.3 Discuss and consider the compliance costs to retrofit buses with 3 point seatbelts in compliance with Texas Senate Bill 546.
- 2:43:26 to 2:44:33 13. Consent Items
- 2:44:33 to 2:45:01 14. Information Items
- 2:45:01 to 2:47:01 15. Future Meetings
Full transcript
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1. Call to Order - Upon announcement by the presiding officer that a quorum is present, the meeting will be called to order. The presiding officer will verify that the meeting has been duly called and notice of the meeting has been posted for the time and manner required by law.
Today is Monday, May 11th, and the time is 5.02 p.m.
Dr. Grodworski, will you verify that we are in compliance with the provisions of the Texas Open Meetings Act with regards to the notice for this meeting?
Mr. Rebman, I do confirm we're in compliance with the provisions of the Texas Open Meeting Act for our meeting today.
Thank you. We will move on to item 2.1, administering the oath of office to the newly elected members of the Katy Independent School District Board of Trustees.
2. Oath of Office
Debbie Davies, our Secretary for Board Services and Notary, will administer the oath of office to our newly elected members, Cicely Taylor, Jim Davidson, and Nathan Shipley.
Our newly elected members would come forward and meet Ms. Davies here at the front.
somebody's excited correct yes absolutely
for the Katy Independent School District
of the State of Texas
and will
to the best of my ability
preserve, protect, and defend
the Constitution
and laws
of the United States
and of this state
so help me God.
Congratulations.
Welcome to our new board members.
They've got some family members they're going to have to jet because our district is busy
and we have kids that have concerts and awards.
So if your family wants to take a picture real quick so they can get to their awards,
come do it now.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Now it's custom we're going to have our outgoing trustees have the ability to share a few words.
Who would like to go first?
I guess I will.
Ms. Calhoun.
This has been a wild ride of three years.
I never anticipated being a school board trustee member on my bingo card.
That was not in my life plan.
That wasn't something that I thought I aspired to.
When I ran for office, it was truly a calling that I had from God.
And I genuinely mean that.
I prayed about this several times before I stepped into the coliseum of school board politics.
It can be a very rough battle, but I can say honestly after three years it was 100% worth it.
And every decision wasn't always the most well-liked, and every decision wasn't always something that everyone agreed with.
with. But I made those decisions that I did when I voted with a sincere heart and with
one that was chasing after what I felt like that God had told me to do. That is not always
an easy decision for you to follow with God's discernment and where he's leading you to.
Sometimes that ends up leaving you standing alone when you thought you were going to be
surrounded by people who are going to support you and it doesn't always work out like that but it's
always worth it um i am proud of what we were able to accomplish with this board i am proud of the
steps that the legislature took with our guidance and with our support they came in and they backed
us up on several things and i could not be happier the legislature doesn't always make me happy
but in these last three years it did ultimately because we protected children and I am very very
proud of that I will take every arrow for that reason gladly I want to thank the people who
came out to support once again the supporters that we had and that have had for the last three
four or five years who we stood in this in this very room on the other side of that dais together
when we met I can't thank you guys enough for the way that you have come
up underneath us and just been constantly supporting us I want to
thank this district for the opportunity to serve in a way that again I didn't
expect you and I want to thank God for giving me the opportunity I know that
that part of my job is to, for me personally,
is to use whatever platform I have to direct it back to him
because it made no sense.
I was not qualified.
I still question those qualifications.
It made no sense when you look at running on who won and how they won.
And I am a proud recipient of that.
I thank God for the opportunity to stand and to fight for what I believed in.
And so thank you. Thank you for the opportunity to fight for what was right.
I'm happy to have done it, and I would do it all over again in a second.
So that's it.
Thank you, Ms. Calhoun.
Ms. Cuzela.
Thank you, President Redmond.
I wrote my comments. That was very eloquent, Trustee Calhoun,
and I admire you and and trustee Timmy thank you for your for the time to say a
few farewell comments and thank you first to God and Christ the King that's
why I do this it was a prayerful decision and I felt called to do it I
want to thank my husband who supports me 110 percent and thank you to these two
women up here trustees Calhoun and Timmy not many will step into the ring like
they did and I'm very grateful for them. It is a ring. It was an honor to fight the good fight and
I'm stronger and learned so much. Thank you to all of our wonderful supporters, many of you who are
here tonight. I'm glad sexually explicit ideological books pushing transgenderism, CRT,
or DEI were removed. This is called curating a library collection. It is also called following
state law. It's not banning books and it's not a waste of time. I'm glad that at least one year we
We could thank teachers with years of service cash payments and listen to them for specific ways we could help with teacher retention.
For most, all they want to do is teach and be appreciated and have decent pay with a decent health care plan, and that goes for paras too.
I'm proud that we removed cell phones from the classrooms before the state did, and that there's a copy of the Ten Commandments in all 6,000 plus KDISD classrooms, thanks to numerous donors.
owners. They are a symbol of this country's Christian heritage and the moral basis for the
laws of this land. Please do not be afraid of them. These accomplishments were only possible
with a board majority that led and didn't wait for the state, TASB, or the superintendent to tell
them what to do, and it takes courage. So for the new board, congratulations on your new role.
The board is at the very top of the org charts of this district, all 33 of them. Please
Please assume the role and lead accordingly.
Don't just warm a seat, toe the line, rubber stamp, or show up just for photo ops.
The superintendent is your one employee, and it's crucial to the district's success that you lead and direct him.
It's a sacrifice to prepare for board meetings, but it's essential.
The devil's in the details.
Don't stay in the weeds, but do drop down and inspect what you expect.
Say something when it doesn't look right, and this is basic good governance and oversight.
site i have a lot more to say i've signed up for public comment so i'll be here later today
speaking more but in closing i just want to say i've been at school board meetings advocating
for the welfare of students and their families since 2020. and i know how to sign up to speak
i know how to look up a board agenda and so i look forward to still being engaged
i want to thank you in advance for your sacrifice to serve these uh the families and students of
our district and i'll see you later thank you thank you miss steamy okay um so i just wanted
to say uh it's been a privilege and an honor to serve the community that i grew up in um since i
was seven years old i moved here when i was six so um it's been a pleasure and an honor to serve
in the community that i grew up in and i hope and i pray that i made everyone that voted for me
I'm proud by the stance that I've taken to promote academics, protect our
children, and have just plain common sense. So thank you for giving me the
opportunity to serve. I'm very excited about the new chapters that I have and
wish everyone the best.
Thank you very much and we wish all the best in whatever you put your hands your
next thank you we will now um with our new board members uh the board will now convene in closed
3. Closed Meeting
meeting is authorized under section 551.001 of the texas government code for the following purposes
texas government code 551.071 551.074 and 551.129
4. Reconvene from Closed Meeting
the board will now reconvene in open meeting today is monday may 11 2026 and the time is 5 37 p.m
On behalf of my colleagues, I welcome everyone to this evening's regular board meeting.
Each board member received the agenda and documentation for this meeting on Wednesday, May 6, 2026.
And the board will receive information and recommendation from staff, administration, and the superintendent on these agenda items for tonight's meeting.
Board members will be able to ask questions, receive answers, and should be prepared to take action.
In accordance with Chapter 551 of the Texas Government Code, any action arising from discussion in a closed meeting must be taken in an open meeting.
5.1 Consider and elect officers for the 2026-2027 Board of Trustees.
Trustees, we will now move on to item 5.1, consider and elect officers for the 2026-2027 Board of Trustees.
Nominations are open for the position of president.
Mr. President, I nominate Lance Redmond for the position of president.
A nomination was made by James Cross to elect Lance Redmond as president.
Are there any other nominations?
The chair will entertain a motion to close nominations.
Mr. President.
Ms. Fox.
I move that the board close nominations for the office of president.
Second.
Second.
It is moved and seconded to close nominations.
We'll now proceed to vote.
Board members, please record your vote to close nominations on your keypad.
And the motion passes 7-0.
We just closed.
Now we'll move on to vote.
nominees shall be voted on in the order in which they were nominated so a
nomination was made by James Cross that the board elect Lance Redmond for office
of president of the Board of Trustees for the 2026 2027 school year will now
proceed to vote board members record your vote via your keypad and the motion
passes 7 to 0
Thank you, Board.
We'll now move on and open nominations for the position of Vice President.
Mr. President.
Ms. Fox.
I nominate Don Champagne for the position of Vice President.
The nomination was made by Ms. Fox to elect Don Champagne as Vice President.
Are there any other nominations?
No nominations.
The chair will entertain a motion to close nominations
Mr. President
This box I move that the board closed nominations for the office of vice president
Is there a second?
Second
It's been moved and seconded. We will now proceed to vote
Board members, please record your vote to close nominations via your keypad
And the nominations are closed seven zero a
nomination the nomination was made by Rebecca Fox that the board elect Don
champagne for the office of vice president of the Board of Trustees for
the 2026 2027 school year will now proceed to vote board members please
record your vote via your keypad and the motion passes 7-0
Congratulations. Congratulations Ms. Champagne. We'll now open nominations for the position of
secretary. Mr. President. Ms. Champagne. I nominate James Cross for the position of secretary.
Nomination was made by Ms. Champagne to elect James Cross as secretary. Are there any
other nominations? All right then I will entertain a motion to close nominations.
Mr. President, I move that the Board close nominations for the Office of Secretary.
Chair Greg Musil.
There's a motion.
Do I have a second?
Second.
Second by Mr. Shipley.
We'll now proceed to vote.
Board members, please record your vote to close nominations via your keypad.
Nominations are closed 7-0.
A nomination was made by Rebecca Fox that the, no, by Don Champagne that the Board elect
James Cross for the office of Secretary of the Board of Trustees for the 2026-
2027 school year. We will now proceed to vote. Board members please record your
vote via your keypad. And the motion passes 7-0.
This concludes the election of Board Officers. We will now move on to the next
agenda item, our Pledges of Allegiance. Tonight Dr. Giergorski, you will be the
presenter. You bet. We got a lot of kids in the house today and a special treat because
board and I just returned from honoring our graduating seniors who are going to go serve
in the United States Armed Forces and so we are lucky enough to have our JROTC with us tonight.
We don't always have that but those members here with us tonight Cadet Cody Lee, Cadet
Rhiann Venegas, Cadet Priscilla Verretta, and Cadet Gabriella Rano, and all led by
Commander Elvis Michael over there. And we also have a special guest who's going
to lead us in the Pledge of Allegiance. We're gonna do it all at once, okay, all
coming up here. So, Nolan Aung is a fifth grader over at Cross Elementary. His
principal is out there, Tamika Holdman. Parents Agbor Aung and Meshea Aung, and
and he's got a brother over there, Israel.
Student special interest, Nolan likes to play basketball,
spend time with siblings and go on trips.
Favorite subject, reading language arts,
and a quote from his reading language arts teacher,
Mrs. Strada.
Nolan is an amazing fifth grader.
Hardworking, smart, and wonderful friend
to everyone around him.
Sets a great example in the classroom
with his positive attitude and kind heart.
It's been such a joy working with him,
and I know he will go on to do incredible things
in junior high and beyond. But before we bring our pledge leader up I'm gonna
also tell you a whole bunch of kids over to my left over here that's the Wood
Creek Junior High choir who are gonna sing the national anthem for us tonight.
And that is Wood Creek Junior High principal Dr. Andrew Lowery is over
there and music directors Ann Gess and Conley Kumo and all of the students with
us tonight Olivia Karner, Zachary Sheehan, Vasilija Gess, Lauren Winn, Annabella
Krueger Carter Marble jet Jessa McCluskey Parker Reeves Kayla Roberts
Chris chav Roy Andrew to Chi Alice Volker Regine
Vuli Chi a Reese Wilson and a special quote from our music director tonight
we're proud to present the Woodcreek junior high choir they are a group of
students who are in membership in region 23 junior high honor choir through their
hard work and dedication they embody the ideals of wood creek junior high choir program hard
working talented skilled dedicated generous kind brave and supportive these students understand
that the music matters but that character matters more helping to create a brave space in the choir
room so let's bring up our pledge leader to start us on the pledge oh look i forgot that we have our
ROTC with us tonight. See they got me. So come on over here guys. We'll do the
presentation of colors first then the pledge.
I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, one and only, and to the
United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation under God,
indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.
Honor the Texas flag. I pledge allegiance to thee, Texas, one state under God, one and indivisible.
.
Oh, say can you see by the dawn's early light
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming, Whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight,
For the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming, and the rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air, they proved through the night that our flag was still there.
For Satan's best heart's fangled banner yet wave,
For the land of the free and the home of the brave.
Ready, cut.
Face.
Forward, march.
Left, left, right.
Left, left, forward.
Good evening, President Redmond, Trustees, and Superintendent Gorski.
My name is Nolan Eong and today I want to tell you about my time at Cross Elementary.
Cross Elementary is a special place for me. I learned a lot of things there, made some amazing friends, and had a blast every day.
What makes it even more special is that my little brother Ezra goes to the same school as me.
It's great to see him around and it reminds me to set a good example for him.
I feel happy knowing he's there and it makes me want to be an even better role model for him.
Seeing him at school is a nice reminder of how important it is to be kind and responsible,
not just for myself, but for him too.
Cross Elementary is more than just a school.
It's a place where I can grow, learn, and have fun with the people I care about, including my brother.
My teachers Mrs. Strada and Ms. Villarreal are amazing. They are kind, patient, and always helped me when I didn't understand something.
They made learning exciting and made me feel confident in myself.
In school, I didn't just learn the basics like reading, math, and science.
I also learned some important life skills like how to be a good friend and how to persevere when things get tough.
There were times when I felt like giving up, but my teachers are always there to encourage me and help me push through the hard times, which really helped me become a stronger person.
They taught me that it's okay to make mistakes and that it's all part of the learning process, and that's something that has stuck with me to this day.
One of my biggest passions is basketball. I love playing it whenever I can, whether it's at school or at home.
Basketball makes me happy. It also teaches me teamwork, discipline, and the importance of keeping up with the practice and getting better, just like in school.
I have so many amazing memories from my time at Cross Elementary that I'll always treasure.
I'm grateful for all the wonderful teachers I had my brother Israel my
friends and all the cool things I got to learn while I was there it's a special
place that will always be close to my heart thank you for listening to my
story
Nolan, we are so excited to welcome you to the school board.
My name is Mrs. Fox, I'm on the school board, and I have invited a very special guest to join me.
And then, Mr. Cross, do you know him?
Because I think it's a pretty special place, too.
James Cross from Cross Elementary is here to help me give you this certificate of recognition for doing the pledges for us tonight.
And this very special bag that is only given to people who come and help us open our meeting.
And there's only about 90 students.
We have 95,000 students and you get one of these.
Does that make you feel special? Because you are, your future is so great and your family is so special.
You sound like a great big brother too by the way.
Yes you do. And you love Cross Elementary?
Yes.
They're my very good friends. They'll be a great mentor for me.
Okay, hold on. We're going to go right back here and take a picture.
You can have no more than a few clicks of bravery for speaking in front of all of these people.
They're very impressed with you, am I right?
You have a school full of kids just like that, don't you?
Thank you.
So I'm going to brag real quick.
I've known this lady right here a long, long time.
We worked together back in junior high, all the time ago.
Principal, Dr. Lowry.
Wherever you are, I've worked with Dr. Lowry, too.
Two awesome, awesome folks, and these kids are lucky to have them.
So I'm very proud to be here with you tonight.
All right.
In three, two, one.
In three, two, one.
All right, as the students make their way out, we're going to go ahead and move on to the recognitions portion this evening.
7. Recognitions
First, I'd like to recognize a brand new principal over at McIlwain Elementary, and that is Callie Roman.
Where's Callie at? There she is.
Callie stepped in just a few weeks ago to fill in in a vacant position there.
She's doing a fantastic job.
And who did you bring with you today?
Thank you.
Awesome.
Thank you.
Thank you.
And then I'm going to go ahead and introduce our Director of Communications, Brandon Webb.
He's going to do the recognitions portion of our meeting tonight.
Good evening, President Redman, Trustees, and Superintendent Grigorski.
For our first recognition this evening, please welcome Lance Carter, Executive Director of Athletics.
Good evening, President Redman, Trustees, and Dr. Grigorski.
Tonight we have a very special recognition.
Last week at the UIL 2026 Golf State Championship, one of our student athletes made a very special mark on history.
Dr. Grigorski, board, it is my pleasure to present to you Carolyn Liu, a sophomore at Jordan High School.
And some of Carolyn's accomplishments are going to truly astonish the golfers in the room.
room. She shot a two under par through 36 holes to win by four shots at TPC San Antonio, which is a
pro TPC course. This caps a remarkable season for Caroline in which she won seven tournaments,
the Region 3 tournament by seven shots, shooting a seven under par at that tournament. Her
Her performance helped and her leadership helped the Jordan golf team win back-to-back district titles and back-to-back regional titles.
The Jordan golf team has been to the state tournament the past three years.
As a freshman last year, Carolyn finished fifth in the state.
I'm going to say a few numbers here, and I want you to truly understand this is a 15-year-old sophomore in high school.
I have been playing golf three times longer than she has been alive and have never played this good of golf.
So far in her young career, she has won seven tournaments, including the state championship this year.
She also holds the score record of a 67 for a 36-hole tournament and a 135 for over a two-day tournament.
Her average tournament score this season was 71.9, which is under par.
Her grace and composure stand out amongst, greatest amongst her talents.
We are very proud of Caroline and all of her accomplishments and cannot wait to see what the future brings the next two years of her high school career.
Please congratulate Caroline Lue.
Thank you.
sure it's called a ringer
Thank you Coach Carter and congratulations Carolyn. Tonight we are
so proud to present the top two students from each high school ranked highest
academically in the respective graduating class. Valedictorians and
Salutatorians please come forward when your name is called. Parents of the
Valedictorians and Salutatorians are asked to please stand when their student
is being introduced to the Board of Trustees stand next to the campus
principal at this time please welcome dr. K Williams principal of Cinco Ranch
High School good evening president Redmond trustees and superintendent
Kukowski I am pleased to introduce you this evening to the valedictorian and
salutatorian from Cinco Ranch High School the Cinco Ranch High School class
of 2026 valedictorian is sophie kai sophie is the daughter of young song kai and ying ying kai
she graduated with a 4.843 3 4.8438 gpa and plans to attend johns hopkins university
while attending single ranch high school sophie participated in kryptonite's robotics team
was a member of orchestra future business leaders of america and mu alpha theta please
Please join me in congratulating valedictorian Sophie Cai.
I am also excited to announce Trish Meeta Bonaparte as a single ranch high
School Class of 2026 Salutatorian. She is the daughter of Rivnev and Himbadu Panapalli.
Shrishmita will graduate with a 4.8421 GPA and will attend the University of Houston to earn
a bachelor's degree in the Honors College and then a subsequent MD at the Tillman J. Fetida
Family College of Medicine. During her time at Cinco Ranch, she participated on the Texas Music
Educators Association All-State Mixed Choir and the Varsity Choir. Shris Meeta
was a member of the National Honor Society, Science National Honor Society,
Spanish National Honor Society and was president of the South Asian Cultural
Association. Please join me in congratulating salutatorian Shris Meeta
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Next, I'd like to introduce Dr. Ethan Kroll, principal of Jordan High School.
Good evening, President Redman, trustees, and Superintendent Gorgorski.
I'm honored to introduce to you this evening the Valedictorian and Salutatorian from Jordan High School.
I'm honored to present Suche Kamaseti as the Jordan High School Class of 2026 Valedictorian.
He is the son of Raja Ninu Kamaseti Suche.
He graduates with a 4.9136 GPA.
He will attend the University of Texas at Austin to study computer science as part of
the selective Turing Honors Program, a robotics honors program.
During his time at Jordan High School, he participated on VEX Robotics in Science Olympiad
and was a member of the Technology Student Association.
Shouchei was a USACO platinum competitor conducting advanced AI research that included projects
such as diagnostic tools for kidney disease at University of Houston and analyzing visual
elements to make advertisements memorable at the Ohio State University.
It's written just like that, Dr. Gorski, the Ohio State.
He built automated camera tracking systems for professional basketball games as software
engineer at Sony, served as president of the South Asian Association, and was head
of programming for Vex Robotics. Xu She and his team earned a UIL state
championship and garnered the Excellence Award at Region 3 Championship. His
passion for teaching through his nonprofit Math4All helped raise over
$140,000 for competitive math accessibility. Xu She is a National
Merit finalist and has earned the Texas Oil and Gas and the A&M Brown Foundation
scholarships. He enjoys playing the viola, basketball, and tennis. Please join me in
and congratulating valedictorian, Sushay Khamisetti.
I'm also proud to present Murugan Jagan as the Jordan High
School class of 2026 salutatorian.
He's a son of Jagan Anumanali and Anita Jagan.
Murugan will graduate with a 4.9054 GPA
and will attend the University of Texas at Austin
to study electrical and computer engineering while attending jordan high school he was a member of the
science olympiad vex robotics where he was lead coder and captain technology student association
quiz bowl national honor society and national science honor society murugan has studied taekwondo
for seven years and is a third degree black belt he implemented the sunday soccer league connecting
students across katie and won trophies in system control technology for the technology student
Association Regionals to Nationals, Murugan has received a Cockrell Engineering Honors
Scholarship. Please join me in congratulating Soleditorian Murugan Jagan.
Thank you, Dr. Kroll.
Next I'd like to introduce Dr. Rick Hall, principal of Katy High School.
Thank you, Dr. Kroll.
Now I would like to introduce our, sorry, good evening, President Redmond, Trustees
and Superintendent Gorgorski, it is my honor and privilege to present the class
of 2026 valedictorian and salutatorian for Katy High School. I am pleased to
introduce Daniela Isabel Gonzalez-Lendino as the Katy High School
class of 2026 valedictorian. She is the daughter of Gregorio Gonzalez-Gomez and
and Gabriela Landino-Final.
Daniela will graduate with a 4.8485 GPA
and plans to attend the University of Texas
at Austin, where she plans to double major in government
and psychology.
While at Katy High School, she participated in the Quiz Bowl,
was a member of Special Buddies, Spanish Honor Society,
National Honor Society, Rho Kappa, Mu Alpha Theta,
and Model UN, and is a Spanish Honor Society scholarship
recipient please join me in congratulating valedictorian Daniela
Gonzalez Landino I am also proud to present
Pargulan Sudhakar as the Katy High School class of 2026 salutatorian he is
He is the son of Sudhakar Singaravaravar and Mani Singamagam.
Prigulin will graduate with a 4.8406 GPA and plans to attend the University of Texas at
Austin.
He was involved in the robotics club and was a member of the Technology Students Association.
Please join me in congratulating the salutatorian, Prigulin Sudhakar.
Thank you, Dr. Hall.
Now please welcome Ms. Lizzie Herring, principal of Maid Creek High School.
Good evening, President Redman, Trustees, and Superintendent Gorgorski.
It is my honor to be here tonight to introduce the valedictorian and salutatorian for Maid Creek High School.
The Maid Creek High School Class of 2026 valedictorian is Ifrah Shoaib.
She is the daughter of Shoaib Ahmed and Farzana Shoaib.
Ifrah graduates with a 4.8235 GPA and plans to attend the University of Texas
at Austin to major in neuroscience on the pre-med track. She is a quiet and
reserved student but her calm presence should never be mistaken. She is
exceptionally driven and focused as demonstrated by her outstanding
achievements both in and out of the classroom. Ifrah's extensive involvement
includes the Muslim Student Association, Environmental Alliance, National Honors
Society Spanish science English and social studies National Honor Society's
mu alpha theta best buddies and volunteer service at the mod marks
branch library please join me in congratulating our valedictorian if
rush away we look forward to all that you will accomplish and our
Our salutatorian for the Maid Creek High School class of 2026 is Orlando Tomas Brislick-Lumacow.
He is the son of Tomas Brislick-Lumacow and Donna Brislick-Lumacow.
Orlando will graduate with a 4.8197 GPA and plans to attend the University of Texas at
Austin to study aerospace engineering.
Orlando distinguished himself as an exceptionally driven and determined student who consistently
strives for excellence.
He has been actively involved in orchestra, golf, student council, chess, Mu Alpha Theta,
Science National Honor Society, and robotics.
Please join me in congratulating our salutatorian, Orlando Tomas Brislik-Lumacow.
Thank you, Ms. Herring.
Now I'd like to welcome Ms. Julie Hinson, principal of Morton Ranch High School.
Thank you, Ms. Herring.
Oh, sorry.
Good evening, President Redmond, Trustees, and Superintendent Grygorski.
Tonight I'm honored to present the Morton Ranch High School Class of 2026 Valedictorian and Salutatorian.
Our Valedictorian is Dakota Mock.
I would like to introduce you to her parents, Darrell and Nancy Mock.
Could you please stand and be recognized?
Dakota is graduating with a 4.7937 GPA and will be attending Rice University to pursue
a degree in astrophysics with plans to pursue a career in academia research.
During her time at Morton Ranch, she was a member of National Honor Society and Mu Alpha
Theta.
Dakota was in robotics where she was a coding lead, lieutenant, and dean's list nominee
and in destination imagination qualifying for state all four years and
leaving for globals the day after graduation this year please join me in
congratulating our valedictorian Dakota Mott our salutatorian is Vasca Fendi I
would like to introduce you to Vasca's parents Lutfi Fendi and Basud
Balarama please stand and be recognized
Vasca is graduating with a 4.7 681 GPA and will be attending Carnegie Mellon to
pursue a degree in computer science with plans to focus on a career in software
development and AI during his time at Morton Ranch who was a member of
National Honor Society mu alpha theta the Technology Students Association
academic UIL for math and computer science and was a coding lead in
robotics please join me in congratulating our salutatorian vasca
né
Thank you, Ms. Henson.
now I'd like to introduce dr. David Paz principal of Pato high school good
evening president Redmond trustees and superintendent Gregor ski tonight is my
honor to recognize a Dithya Naritha n as the Pato high school class of 2026
valedictorian. He is the son of Rakesh Rajapal and Smithia Nair. Adithya has
earned the distinction of graduating at the top of his class with a GPA of 4.7692,
a testament to his discipline focus and commitment to excellence. Following
graduation he will attend Texas A&M University, there you go, to pursue a
degree in business. During his time at Pato, Adithya has been involved both
academically and athletically. He was a four-year member of our tennis program
where he was not only competed at a high level but also earned academic all-state
honors as a varsity player and secured numerous tournament championships. And
his ability to balance the demands of rigorous academics with elite athletic
performance speaks volumes about his character and work ethic. Beyond
athletics, Adithya had been an active member of the National Honor Society,
English Honor Society, MU Alpha Theta, and the Technology Student Association.
Through TSA he advanced this to the state level in board game design
demonstrating both creativity and problem-solving at a competitive level.
Adithya represents the very best of what we hope for for what we have in student
intellect, perseverance, and well-rounded involvement. We are incredibly proud of
of Edithia and confident that his future is as bright as his accomplishments.
Please join me in congratulating valedictorian Edithia Narion.
I am also very proud to recognize the Pato High School class of 2026
salutatorian Hanel Gikoyo Kimaru. He is the son of Francis Gikonu and Lucy
Kamaru. Hanel graduates with a GPA of 4.7547, earning his place among the
very top of his class through consistent excellence and dedication. Following
graduation, he will attend the University of Texas at Austin to pursue a degree in
biology. He has been a cornerstone of our campus community, most notably as a
four-year member of the Pato Band drumline. His commitment to the
performing arts reflects not only talent but discipline, teamwork, and pride in
representing Pato at the highest level. In addition to his musical contributions,
Hanel has served as vice president of the National Honor Society where he
demonstrated leadership, service, and a commitment to uplifting others. He is
also a member of Mu Alpha Theta, further showcasing his academic strength and
versatility. One of Hanel's most impressive accomplishments is earning
superior ratings at the UIL solo and ensemble contest all four years of high
school, a rare achievement that speaks to his dedication and pursuit of excellence.
He represents the balance of academic rigor, leadership, and extracurricular
dedication that defines the very best of our students. Please join me in
congratulating salutatorian Hanel Kamaru.
Thank you, Dr. Paz.
Now please welcome Ms. Carrie Finneson, principal of Seven Lakes High School.
Good evening, President Redmond, Trustees, and Superintendent Gorgorski.
As the principal of Seven Lakes High School, I would like to present our valedictorian and salutatorian.
I am honored to introduce the Seven Lakes High School Class of 2026 valedictorian, Ermi Annabelle Sarkar.
She is the daughter of Anindu and Moe Sarkar.
Ermi will graduate with a 4.8857 GPA and will be attending Princeton University in the fall.
While attending Seven Lakes, she participated in Science Olympiad, Robotics, and Bridge Club.
Ermi was a member of National Honor Society and Student Council.
She is a second degree black belt in Taekwondo and an Eastern classical vocal musician.
Please join me in congratulating valedictorian Ermi Sarkar.
I am also pleased to present our salutatorian, Eric Kishang Jong.
He is the son of Yingcheng and Hong Jong.
Eric will graduate with a 4.8816 GPA and plans to attend the University of Texas at Austin
and major in computer science and business.
During his time at Seven Lakes, Eric was the Science Olympiad captain,
National Honor Society president, and a member of Move Alpha Theta
as a four-time national inductee.
He was a Science Olympiad state and national champion,
a UIL academic competitor, and state qualifier in number sense and science.
Eric has earned National Merit, National Honor Society, Chinese Professional Club,
and Asian Chamber Foundation scholarships. Please join me in
congratulating Eric Jong.
Thank you, Principal Finneson.
Next, please welcome Dr. Melinda Stone, Principal of Taylor High School.
Good evening, President Redmond, Trustees, and Superintendent Grigorski.
I am honored to present to you the Taylor High School class of 2026 valedictorian Travis Tang Fang.
He's the son of Yu Fang and Yang Tang.
Travis will graduate with a 4.8714 GPA and plans to study statistics and machine learning at Carnegie Mellon University.
While at Taylor, he participated in marching band, full orchestra, and concert band.
Travis had numerous accomplishments including being named to region band and
region orchestra. He's a National Merit Scholarship finalist and a Presidential
Scholar candidate. Travis was president of Mu Alpha Theta and a member of
Science National Honor Society and National Honor Society. Please join me in
congratulating our valedictorian Travis Fang. I am also proud to present to you
this evening the Taylor High School class of 2026 salutatorian Missy Han. She's the daughter of
Guo Mei Li and Xiaogong Han. Missy will graduate with a 4.8 448 GPA and plans to attend the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology otherwise known as MIT where she will be studying business
and engineering and not only that she is going to run track and cross country for
them. During her time at Taylor she was captain of the varsity girls cross
country team, a varsity track member and held school records in the 3000 meter
and the 3200 meter. Missy ranked among the top 45 cross country runners in the
state, placed top 12 in the Houston half marathon in the 16 through 19 division
and earned academic all-state elite honors. She also served as vice president
of speech and debate, captain of public speaking and oral interpretation, and was
a future business leader of America member. Missy was a two-time Texas
Forensic Association state qualifier in original oratory and placed first and
second in KDISD UIL poetry interpretation, qualified for the FBLA
National Leadership Conference, and earned top honors in area dance and duet
competitions she's completed over 260 volunteer hours tutoring elementary
students and received both the congressional silver medal and
presidential gold volunteer service award please join me in congratulating
salutatorian Missy Hahn
Thank you, Dr. Stone.
Finally, I'd like to introduce Ms. Elizabeth Brott, principal of Tompkins High School.
Good evening, President Redmond.
trustees and superintendent Gagorski it is my honor to introduce the valedictorian and
salutatorian from Tompkins High School I am proud to announce the class of 2026 Thompson
Tompkins High School valedictorian Sean bow Lou he is the son of she Zhang on blue and gene hua
by Sean will graduate with a 4.9 GPA and will attend Rice University where he
plans to major in computer science with a minor in computational and applied
mathematics while attending Tompkins Sean served in a leadership role at
Chongqing you sigh secondary school in Chongqing China where he delivered
presentations on AI and technology to hundreds of students, taught English
classes, and built a meaningful connections across cultural backgrounds.
This experience broadened his perspectives and strengthened his
communication skills. Sean also pursued his interest in technology by developing
practical websites and AI powered projects designed to expand and create
opportunities for a wider audience. He was also involved in National Honor
Society, Computer Science Club, and UIL academics. One of Sean's greatest
commitments in high school was his participation in Science Olympiad. As a
build captain, he provided individualized guidance to competitors in events such
as hovercraft and bungee drop, helping them refine designs and improve
performance. As a competitor, Sean has earned over 40 medals including multiple
state awards. He hopes to apply his interest in technology and analytics to
to develop impactful innovations in fields such as data analysis and quantitative systems.
Please join me in congratulating Sean Lew.
I am also pleased to present the class of 2026 Tompkins High School Salutatorian, Shreyas
Kinney.
He is the son of Ramesh and Monica Kinney.
Shreyas will graduate with a 4.88 GPA and will attend Rice University on a pre-medical track.
majoring in biochemistry and molecular biology.
As president of the Science Olympiad Club, he has led a team of 40 to 50 students,
organizing competitions and guiding participation in regional, state, and national invitational events.
Shrey has also founded and served as a president of the Biology Club,
growing it to over 45 members and leading labs and peer tutoring
focused on advanced biology and biology Olympiad preparation.
Through his academic successes, he placed among the top 125 students in the nation in
Biology Olympiad.
Shreyas further pursued his interest in biology through research at the University of Houston,
where he studied the effects of environmental factors on tadpole development, contributing
to data collection and tissue analysis.
In service, he completed over 200 volunteer hours at Texas Children's and Memorial Hermann's
Hospital, supporting patients and staff while gaining exposure to clinical environments.
In the arts, Shreyas held a leadership role in the orchestra program, managing music logistics
and contributing program notes.
He aspires to pursue a career in surgery while also exploring health policy to help improve
access to care and strengthen health care systems.
Please join me in congratulating salutatorian Shreyas Kenny.
Thank you, Ms. Broad.
Congratulations to all of these outstanding students on their remarkable accomplishments.
This concludes the recognition portion of our meeting tonight.
I'll now hand it back over to Board President Redmond for the Freeman High School recognition.
Thank you, Mr. Webb. Much like our board has done through the past few months,
tonight trustees are proudly wearing the distinguished colors of one of our ten high schools.
Tonight we are honoring and showcasing the Freeman High School Golden Eagles to celebrate the campus's remarkable achievements.
We want to recognize the educators, coaches, fine arts, and other staff who have helped build Freeman High School's legacy who are with us tonight.
Freeman High School is KDIC's newest high school that opened in August of 2024 to serve students in our district's rapidly growing Northwest Quadrants.
The campus was built as part of our 2021 voter-approved bond program and currently serves freshmen, sophomores, and juniors as the home of the Golden Eagles.
named after the Freeman family whose roots in Katy date back more than 125 years the school
reflects a strong tradition of community involvement in educational leadership although
still in its inaugural years Freeman high school students and programs have already earned
significant recognition student leadership has quickly become a defining part of the campus
culture with students already receiving district recognition for achievements in academics fine
Fine Arts and Athletics. In 2025, the school softball team received the statewide grant
TF Beyond the Game Team Award from the Texas Sports Hall of Fame for Outstanding Community
Service. And in Fine Arts, the Golden Eagles Band has advanced to the UIL State Marching Band
Championships, helping make district history as one of three KDISD bands to reach the state
competition that year. Most recently, the Academic Decathlon Team placed third in the nation,
competing against long-established programs and teams.
This team made entirely of sophomores and juniors,
stepped onto the national stage, and delivered at the highest level.
They have earned national recognition as the Division II online bronze medalists.
The campus itself has also gained statewide attention
for its innovative design and construction.
In 2025, Freeman High School received Engineering News Record Texas
and Louisiana's Best K-12 Education Project Award
and was named Regional Project of the Year. We give our educators and staff
here tonight a round of applause.
And for all the staff and representatives of Freeman, we'd invite you to come
forward and take a picture with the board tonight.
Thank you.
All right.
All right.
In 3, 2, 1.
In 3, 2.
Mr. President,
I would like to say something real quick to the Freeman people.
Real quick.
I go there once a week and the front office staff and the counselors and
everybody there and the people that walk through the hall and the people that
wave to me periodically I just want to say you are so kind and so professional
and I enjoy being there I'll see you Thursday
do we have any scouts in the audience tonight no scouts well then we will now proceed into at this
8. Public Comment/Citizen Participation
time the board will give members of the public an opportunity to speak in accordance with Katie
ISD board policy BED local as defined by board policy speakers who signed up by 2 p.m. on Monday
May 11th, 2026 will be allowed to address the board. A total of 30 minutes is allotted for
open forum non-agenda items with the time divided evenly among speakers. The maximum time allowed
for any speaker is three minutes. Speakers who signed up to speak on posted agenda items will
be allowed three minutes to speak. Speakers who signed up to speak on non-agenda topics will be
limited to the first 20 speakers. Speakers that signed up to speak on non-agenda items tonight
will be allowed two and a half minutes to speak if the speaker is not finished
speaking at the end of their allotted time the audio will turn off the board
shall not tolerate disruption of the meeting by members of the audience if it
after at least one warning from the presiding officer any person continues
to disrupt the meeting by his or her words or actions the presiding officer
or his or her designee may request assistance from law enforcement
officials to have the person removed from the meeting if speakers wish to
share written material with the board please provide ten copies to the
the Secretary for Board Services before the meeting begins, for board members, the superintendent,
the chief communication officer, and permanent record.
If a speaker has not attempted to solve a matter administratively through proper channels
as stated in board policy, the presiding officer's designee shall advise the speaker to seek
resolution through appropriate policy.
Finally, pursuant to Texas Government Code Section 551.074 and 551.0821, the board will
not permit the presentation of personally identifiable information regarding a student
and will not discuss the appointment, employment, evaluation, reassignment, duties, discipline,
or dismissal of a public officer or employee or to hear a complaint or charge against an
officer or employee.
Should a speaker wish to address one of these issues, they must do so through the appropriate
local grievance policies, FNG local, DGBA local, CKE local, or GF local.
Our speakers will be called forward in the order they sign speak.
We'll start with our agenda items.
Each of these speakers has three minutes.
We'll start with Marissa Pappas, followed by Mary Ellen Cuzela.
Good evening.
Good evening.
I first want to start by welcoming and congratulating the new board members.
I look forward to board meetings that are actually student, teacher, and district centered.
My name is Marissa Pappas and I've been working for the KDISD for the past 14 years.
I began my career here during my student teaching when I was 21 years old.
I have never once imagined myself leaving this district.
Unfortunately, recent changes in the district have made me question my loyalty and career path.
I come before you tonight to request the district adopt a policy and standard operating procedure
regarding movement and position changes among elementary teachers.
teachers. Like many of my coworkers, my teaching certificate ranges from pre-K to sixth grade.
My certificate does give me job security and the ability to obtain diverse experiences,
but it also lends itself to workplace bullying and retaliation. Due to the recent right-sizing
across the district, many roles were eliminated and reduced. I worked extremely hard to obtain
my non-classroom teaching role. My appraisals from my supervisors indicate that I've been
successful in this position but when the right-sizing began I was informed that I
would be moved from my position and placed in any classroom position
determined by my administrators I asked what the determining factors were
considering when changing my role and I was unable to get a clear answer I asked
if it was based on seniority in the district seniority in my role my
experience perhaps the type of certification I held or even my
performance evaluations then upon speaking with fellow educators in the
district i wondered why did some campuses have explicit procedures that allowed staff and
eliminated roles to interview for alternate positions and follow fair guidelines while
others did not after i was told i was being moved from my position without reason i reached out to
district supervisors research board policy and even found the administration guidelines dk
regulation that administrators are supposed to follow however my email to district officials
when unanswered and my phone calls were given a generic passive-aggressive
statement like well at least you have a job next year I've come to learn that
it's common practice when an administrator does not like a staff
member to move them to an unpreferred and unfamiliar greater subject and an
attempt to get that staff member to quit the lack of transparency from district
supervisors regarding the ESL EB position movement on a campus and
placement on an excess list shows that they support this behavior so again I
I'm asking that the district adopt a policy regarding changes on the elementary level to ensure bullying doesn't occur.
I urge district officials to actually utilize culture and climate surveys and that staff complaints, questions, and concerns be listened to.
As a teacher, I do not treat my students as if they're a number.
I educate them in a manner that's fair.
If a child's struggling or makes a mistake, I know that it is my job to teach them and help them grow.
My goal as a teacher is to ensure student success, so why are principals not held to the same standards? Thank you
Thank you
Mary Ellen Cozzella followed by Victor Perez
Hello, I want to offer a few things that I've learned and ideas for areas of focus for you
First of all TASB is a taxpayer funded lobbyists and so is TASA
Money paid into this district from taxpayers is going to these lobbyists in the form of dues and payments for board and superintendent training, among other things.
Texas Association for School Boards and Texas Association of School Administrators and other lobbyists lobby the government on positions that not all taxpayers agree with, but the district's using their money.
Somehow they think you guys are a team of eight versus a team of seven board members with one employee, the superintendent.
They are not the only providers of board training and not the only organizations that want the best for public schools.
Approving the budget will be one of your first responsibilities this summer.
Since you will likely be in a sizable deficit, I would suggest requiring zero-based budgeting in all areas.
Consider asking for significant cuts in administrative areas to keep teachers and classrooms from feeling the budget cuts.
The balance of online teaching and learning is off.
Our kids are on a cognitive decline.
kids need more paper and pencil and less technology technology must be balanced
in the classroom equip the students and teachers with best practices on how to
use and not use AI consistent standards are needed to deal with cheating and the
false positive reports of cheating there are inconsistencies within schools and
across campuses move the board election to November and allow the county to
administer it there was only a 3% turnout for this past board election all
All KDSD school board elections have had single-digit voter turnout,
except for November of 2020 when there was a 77% turnout.
School employees and the district council should not be administering the election.
A school district that now spends a billion-plus every year deserves a better election.
This district is too big for a small-town election.
The superintendent's contract, I'd like to say a few things.
The common contract length for a Texas superintendent is three years, not five.
And he should not automatically receive the highest percent raise a teacher receives as part of his contract.
In closing, please ensure the board policies are enforced.
Lead your superintendent.
You have 242,000 constituents counting on you to lead and do the work of the board.
That's about the size of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
To be clear, you're not an extension of the district.
You're an extension of the public.
The families and taxpayers who live here.
You have a duty to represent them and how their money is spent.
And never forget that the parents are the first and primary educators of their children.
No one should co-parent with the government.
Thank you in advance for your sacrifice to serve.
Thank you very much.
Thank you.
Our next speaker will be Victor Perez, followed by non-agenda items, which will be Kelly Mendez.
Thank you.
Thank you for the opportunity to speak.
First, I want to congratulate the newly elected trustees.
Thank you for your willingness to serve our community and our schools.
I also want to take a moment to recognize and thank trustees whose terms have concluded.
Mary Ellen Cuzela, Amy Timi, and Morgan Calhoun.
It doesn't seem to be Katy's practice of thanking or recognizing trustees as they end
their term and depart the board.
departing trustees are not formally acknowledged for their service and
sacrifices. Serving on this board requires countless hours personal
sacrifice and time away from family. It also requires resilience in the face of
criticism and public attacks. These trustees did not simply occupy a seat or
go through the motions. They asked difficult questions, challenged
assumptions and work to address concerns raised by parents teachers and taxpayers
they stood up to protect children to advocate for children and families
supported curriculum that was factual and educational rather than political
in nature raised concerns about excessive reliance on technology over
traditional learning methods supported teacher planning time and compensation
and bonuses for experienced teachers with longevity, supported teachers on
disruptive student behavior, and took seriously the responsibility to examine
district spending. Despite narratives to the contrary, they supported KDISD and
public education. Some viewed them as controversial simply because they were
willing to speak openly and stand up for family values. Whether people agreed with
them or not they were engaged impactful consequential and willing to serve
courageously for that they deserve our gratitude and thanks thank you thank you
now non agenda items we have two and a half minutes we have Kelly Mendez
followed by Meredith Seely. Good evening. I'm Kelly Mendez, a parent of three
students in Katy ISD, former high school and middle school teacher, and I'm here
tonight with Schools Beyond Screens Katy. Technology was introduced into
classrooms as a tool to support learning, but in many classrooms screen-based
instruction is becoming the norm rather than the supplement. And before we move
move further in that direction we need to ask an important question is this
actually helping students learn because the research increasingly suggests it
does not research points to four major concerns with widespread ed tech use in
schools student privacy skill displacement declining learning outcomes
and the impact technology is having on teaching itself students only have so
many hours in a day every hour spent on a screen is an hour not spent reading physical books
practicing handwriting engaging face-to-face solving problems independently or developing
sustained attention for years parents were told more classroom technology would improve academic
outcomes but the oecd one of the world's largest educational research organizations found that
students who use computers very frequently at school often perform worse across multiple
measures of learning another alarming statistic comes from common sense media for every 60 minutes
students spend on an ed tech device nearly 40 of those minutes are off task and that should not
surprise us chromebooks apps ai tools are designed to maximize engagement and prolong use not deepen
in learning human biology does not update with the latest software students still learn through
attention repetition discussion struggle and connection with the adults teaching them a screen
cannot replace that we understand the reality the district is operating within STAAR testing is
digital and students need basic keyboarding and platform familiarity to navigate those
those assessments successfully. But digital testing does not require digital
schooling. Tonight we are asking KDISD to adopt thoughtful policies that
prioritize learning, safety, attention, and human connection because technology
should support education not replace the conditions that make learning possible.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Meredith Seeley followed by Chancey Davis.
Good evening. I'm Meredith Seeley.
I'm a parent of two students here in Katy ISD
and I'm also here with Schools Beyond Screens Katy.
Over the past two weeks, we conducted an anonymous community survey
regarding technology use in our classrooms.
We received more than 700 responses from parents, teachers, and students
across the district. The patterns were remarkably consistent. The same concerns were raised again
and again. Excessive screen time, off-task behavior, inappropriate content, and a growing
frustration with device dependence. A few findings stood out clearly. First, nearly half of respondents
reported their child spends more than four hours per day on a school-issued device. Second, the
The overwhelming majority reported that between 25 and 50% of that time is spent off-task
on gaming or unrelated content.
Third, 45% of respondents have personally observed or been made aware of students encountering
inappropriate or concerning content on these devices.
Finally, more than 77% of respondents support increasing paper-based learning and reducing
screen reliance. Parents are not asking KDISD to eliminate technology. We are
asking for meaningful limits and a learning environment centered on student
learning and safety. Here are some direct responses from our survey and these are
quotes. My child has had recurring missing work and zeros because of being
distracted and off task on the Chromebook. Games and inappropriate
content are readily accessible our campus uses GoGuardian students are
getting around that software so teachers aren't able to see their screen in real
time almost weekly my kids say a website was blocked and students immediately
found a workaround and shared it coded using coded websites to access social
media and graphic content one of my kids experienced another student watching
hentai porn on their Chromebook during class time my eight-year-old searched
naked girl on his Chromebook during class another access to magazine that
showed an animated topless woman we realized our eighth grade son had a
snapchat account on his school issued Chromebook these quotes are only a small
sample of the concerns that are being raised by families but safety is only
part of the problem the concerns be extend beyond what they're seeing thank
Thank you.
Chancey Davis, followed by Jennifer Pearson.
Hi, I'm Chancey Davis, and a parent
of three students in Katy ISD, and a former teacher in Katy
ISD.
And I'm here tonight with Schools Beyond Screens Katy.
Beyond safety concerns, we're witnessing
a decline in academic rigor at some schools, attention,
and help student health here is what parents teachers and students stated in
the survey these are quotes my children do not know how to spell because they
constantly rely on autocorrect my fifth grader barely writes anymore and did not
know he was supposed to write on lined paper RLA is done online no annotating
no writing with pencils our teacher rarely reads books aloud instead plays
YouTube videos of someone else reading. My student learned to read through AI
program in kindergarten and ended up with major reading and writing delays.
Now from teachers. I'm seeing extremely poor handwriting and constant Chromebook
issues. From another teacher, students spend the majority of time on Chromebooks
because we're prompted to use canvas in order to save paper. From a teacher, I
substituted in a kindergarten class where they were on iPads for more than
two hours when we had to transition to paper pencil their behavior was horrible
from another teacher students seem addicted some refuse to get off the computers to join
small group instruction because all they want to do is play games i think we can relate as parents
right? From a teacher, AI use is rampant and out of control. Kids think cheating isn't a big deal
because technology makes it easier. And finally, from a high school student, I feel hopeless.
You can visibly see your friend's critical thinking skills have atrophied. This is not
an isolated issue. It is a systemic failure of the current model of technology. Our next speaker
will address the policy changes for our community is calling for parents are not
asking KDISD to eliminate technology we're asking for just consistent
implementation across the district of meaningful limits and the learning
environment centered on student learning and safety thank you thank you
Jennifer Pearson followed by Dwayne Lacey.
Hello, my name is Jennifer Pearson.
I'm an employee here, and I'm an ITL and member of AFT.
I would like to start by saying that I'm grateful for my job in KDISD,
and I believe this is the best district in Region 4.
I was raised and graduated here and want to see the district succeed.
This is my first year being employed in KDISD.
Unfortunately, over the past year I've managed to become more impoverished due to my choice
of employment.
I'm just a girl standing before you asking for affordable health care for my family of
four.
Last school year I worked in Spring Branch ISD.
As you know they're a very small district in comparison.
Despite their size, I was offered better health care for my family through their system, TRS
Active Care.
Spring Branch charged $12 more per paycheck, but I got a copay of $30 to see a doctor.
The main difference is the cost to see the doctor.
In Katy, the monthly healthcare payment of almost $1,000 a month takes all my money.
There's nothing left to pay for a doctor's visit.
Though there are similar deductions from paycheck,
the copay in Spring Branch is what saved me and allowed me to be able to take my family to the doctor.
To see a specialist, which I'm old, I do have to see specialists, it takes 10% of my take-home pay for one visit.
And that's if I pay the least amount possible.
Heaven help me if I should also need to take my children in for something in the same pay period.
I had the misfortune to need to go to the ER in early February.
I debated for hours before I went because I knew the cost.
those hours they could have meant the difference for me what is worse is that
my children now know they need to ration care they've heard me deliberate on if I
can afford to go to the doctor for one or more appointments and a paycheck and
they have told me that they have waited to tell me about ailments because they
say I knew you couldn't afford it mom so I didn't say anything that shouldn't be
something my children worry about educators are always held to a higher
standard to make sure that every care every child is taken care of and that
they know that and that we make sure they succeed we expect the same mindset
of you as trustees of this amazing district I hope that you will take this
standard to heart for yourselves please be good stewards of our medical care
please do something differently take care of us the Katy ISD vision statement
is to be the legacy what will you thank you
Duane Lacy followed by Molly Ulrich
good afternoon to our board our newly elected board members and our departing
board members I am so glad to stand before you my name is Duane Lacy I am a
US history teacher slash social studies teachers at Becken-Dorf Junior High School and I am
the 2025-26 teacher of the year for Becken-Dorf.
Alright, I am here to talk about expanding the teacher incentive allotment to social
studies.
I would also preface to say that I also want it for science as well, but that is not my
area of expertise.
This proposal recommends that expanding teacher incentive allotment to include middle school social studies beginning with eighth grade social studies to better support teacher retention, ensure equitable compensation across tested subjects, and align with the district's strategic priorities.
Social Studies is a required, star-tested subject in Texas and plays a central role in preparing students for civic engagement, critical thinking, and historical literacy.
Students study government systems, citizenship, and multiple perspectives while strengthening academic vocabulary and analytical skills through primary sources, data, and maps.
However, despite the rigor and accountability associated with social studies, KDISD currently
limits TIA eligibility to only mathematics and reading and language arts.
This exclusion has created compensation inequities among core content teachers who are held to
comparable instructional and accountability standards.
Recommendation. It is recommended that KDISD expand TIA to 8th grade social studies which provides reliable start growth data for evaluation and designation purposes.
This targeted expansion would allow the district to maintain accountability while recognizing excellence in an additional core academic area.
It aligns with the strategic goal of number six, which says attract, develop, support, and retain high-quality staff members.
The rationale and impact behind this is this.
Equity and retention.
TIA provides meaningful financial recognition for effective teaching.
Extended eligibility to social studies would address current inequities and improve retention of high-performance.
Thank you very much.
You're good.
Thank you.
We appreciate it.
Next, Molly Ulrich, followed by Tamara McFarland.
Hi.
My name is Molly Ulrich, and I currently have four children in KDISD schools.
I want to thank you all for volunteering your time to serve on the board for our school district.
I know you have all had to make many sacrifices in order to serve.
When you say yes to serving on the school board, you are also committing to moving family
vacations, birthday celebrations, and a variety of other engagements around to attend the
meetings and other KDISD representations.
I especially want to thank the three board members who will move on to other adventures.
This has been a long three years.
years. Serving on the KDISD board and keeping your composure while being bombarded with
personal insults has been a challenge. I'm sure I don't even know half of what you have
been through. I want to thank the families of these board members who have really been
through the ringer to support them. I want to thank you for sticking through for your
entire term and making our school district better for it. I voted for you because I was
impressed that you held firm to your beliefs and maintained a backbone while writing and voting in
many good policies that benefit our children for the last four years i felt comfortable with my
children in public schools knowing that at least someone had their back i thank you for keeping
common sense in our schools especially that rules specified especially the rules that specified with
bathrooms and locker rooms each student was to use i thank you for keeping parents informed and for
keeping parents a priority in their students educational decisions and for
removing explicit books from the schools thank you for a job well done thank you
Tamra McFarland followed by Claudia Turcotte hello everyone I just wanted to
say if you quoted curative for the health insurance look at it it's new you
never know um we all want our teachers to be taken care of okay good evening everyone i want to
extend a heartfelt thanks to marielle and kuzella morgan calhoun and amy teamy for their dedicated
years of service on this board and to our community they have stood strong for the protection of
children parental rights teachers discipline management and fiscal responsibility their
leadership has made a real difference and my family is deeply grateful i warmly welcome our
new school board members and pray that you will carry forward the same
community oversight. In light of KDISD's budget deficit and the recent
canvas hacking, student data leaks and dark web message every student saw, I ask
this board to consider adopting Texas Bluebonnet paper and pencil curriculum
for K through 8. As a state curriculum reviewer I have seen Bluebonnet side by
side with the digital curriculums used in Katy ISD including HMH and SAVIS.
And Bluebonnet stands out as far superior classical curriculum like you will find in
the finest accredited private schools and notably with Dr. Ben Carson, Dr. Ramirez,
Dr. Vaughan and other highly esteemed educational experts on the Bluebonnet Advisory Panel.
The Texas Attorney General's constitutional attorney has cleared up any misconceptions about Blue Bonnet and switching would provide millions to KDISD in state funding plus savings from fees paid to curriculum companies.
This is especially urgent now as parents have watched, like me, handwriting skills decline, migraines, all kinds of issues since the glitchy Chromebooks, and scientific studies prove that screen learning adversely impacts long-term retention of information and neurological development in children.
Recently I tested apps on elementary and middle school Chromebooks and was able
easily able to access sexually provocative photos. I reported it. Our
children deserve better. This is a crisis Bluebonnet delivers that excellence
with a hundred percent TEEX alignment. I invite you to review it. Thank you.
Thank you.
Claudia Surcott, followed by Erica Bowman.
Thank you and welcome and congratulations to the new board members.
I pray that you all will have great success.
I would like to thank the three outgoing board members, Ms. Cuzela, Ms. Calhoun, and Ms.
Tehme for their dedication and service.
I'm going to specifically refer to Ms. Cuzela as I witnessed firsthand and up close the
the diligence and wholeheartedness with which she served.
Most people will never know the heroic sacrifices
that she made on behalf of KDISD.
She gave copious amounts of time to this volunteer position,
many times at great cost to herself.
She was the undeserving recipient
of vitriol and personal attacks pretty relentlessly
over the last three years.
As her friend, it was very painful to witness.
Individuals of little to no accomplishment
in their own sad lives, regularly came to board meetings to attack and malign her.
Conveniently for them, Ms. Cuzela was not able to respond.
Since I've known Ms. Cuzela for over 17 years, I can attest to the fact that these attacks
have had a profound impact on her, just not in the way people think.
What you meant for evil, God meant for good.
To all the people who showed up on a regular basis to berate Ms. Cuzela, the joke is on
you.
You took a strong woman and made her unbreakable.
You took a fighter and made her unbeatable.
I am so glad that she will now shake the dust off her feet
and that she will no longer throw pearls before swine.
None of you hateful people are deserving of another moment of her time.
All of your dysfunctional toxic rants are forever immortalized,
and how proud you must be, for those are likely the pinnacle of your accomplishments.
As for Ms. Cuzela, having been forged in the fire, she now goes forward secure in the
knowledge that she is invincible.
No weapon formed against her will prosper and she shall confute every tongue that rises
against her in judgment.
This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Ms. Erica Bowman, followed by Kyle Mendez.
Good evening. Before I turn to the board, it saddens me to hear an outgoing trustee take pride in being part of banning books about transgender students and DEI.
KDISD serves nearly 100,000 children, 36% Hispanic, 17% Asian, 15% Black.
Everyone in them deserves a board that sees them, not erases them.
them. I'm Erica Bowman. I've taught at Katy ISD and HISD. A former PTA president and I'm
a proud mother of a Pato graduate and a senior who graduated this Saturday. I'm here to express
some of the concerns I have recently heard. At one campus, all five ESL support staff
were placed in positions they did not request. Three are leaving. When you lose that kind
of experience in a single year on a single campus, the students who suffer most are the
ones who were currently behind this too is happening on many campuses can the board request
a district-wide report on involuntary reassignment rates and whether experienced bilingual teachers
are disproportionately affected sped teachers and district report the equivalent of 261 required
data entry actions per day on top of lesson plannings ar ard meetings and managing students
with highest needs under education code 11.164 the board is legally required to review and reduce
paperwork burdens on classroom teachers and transfer reporting tasks to non-instructural staff.
I am asking, when was the last time the board conducted that review?
What is the average SPED teacher caseload in KDISD this year,
and how does it compare to TEA recommendations?
On health insurance, KD teachers are hitting out-of-pocket maximums on plans restricted,
a single pharmacy network that costs more than competitors.
Lamar, Cypher, and Spring Branch offers their teachers more.
State law sets on 1800 minimum contributions.
It also permits you to contribute more.
The choice is yours.
Congratulations to Trustee Taylor, Davidson, and Shipley.
Ms. Taylor, in your campaign, you specifically named
lowering health insurance and premium prescription costs.
Teachers are hitting their out-of-pocket maximum,
so what is your timeline for pushing administration
on that before June budget?
Mr. Davidson, your wife Kelly has served Katie
an isd employee for over 20 years the work she does is mental health is exactly the kind of
support staff teachers rely on your understanding of district from the inside out as most trustees
will never see you also have a consultant background so you understand the cost of
recruit and replace thank you mr kyle mendez followed by david hamilton
Mr. Mendez, Ms. Bowman, thank you very much.
We appreciate you.
Good evening.
I'm Kyle Mendez, a parent of three students in KDISD,
and I'm here tonight with Schools Beyond Screens, Katie.
Tonight, we're formally proposing a policy framework
for healthier, more intentional technology use in KDISD classrooms.
Our policy is built on foundational principles of neuroscientific research, the necessity of human-led instruction, and the protection of student health.
It recognizes that technology should enhance, not replace, the student-teacher relationship.
KDISD hires exceptional educators, and this policy is designed to better leverage their expertise, not replace it with software.
A great teacher will always be more powerful than a screen.
The full policy is included in the report we submitted, but I want to summarize several key recommendations.
The policy calls for one, paper-based instruction and assignments to become the default.
Two, screen-free pre-K through second grade classrooms.
Three, eliminating routine one-to-one device use in grades three through eight with technology instead accessed through supervised computer labs or carts for specific instructional purposes.
purposes.
4.
District-wide Safe Listing, where student devices can access only websites and apps
explicitly reviewed and approved by the district.
5.
Screen-free recesses, lunches, and passing periods.
6.
Offline homework whenever possible.
7.
Full parent visibility into approved websites, apps, student screen time, browsing history,
and privacy policies.
8.
Stronger protections around student privacy, data collection, and generative AI.
9. A formal vetting and annual audit process for all educational technology used in KDISD classrooms.
We believe district-wide standards matter. Families should not have completely different
expectations from one classroom or campus to another. Every digital tool introduced in
classrooms should have to answer these basic questions. Is it safe? Is it effective? Is it
developmentally appropriate and is it truly better than the non-digital
version because our children should not be test subjects for unproven technology
the full policy and supporting research are included in the report we submitted
tonight thank you thank you David Hamilton followed by Haley Chile
david hamilton
all right then we'll move on to haley chillick
haley will be our last speaker this evening good evening i'm haley schillick a parent of three
students in kdisd and i'm here tonight with schools beyond screens katie we close by acknowledging
that we all want the same thing strong schools engaged students and families who feel confident
choosing KDISD. We know the rebuttals. Testing is digital. Contracts have been
signed. Chromebooks can make parts of teaching easier. Districts feel pressure
to keep up and appear competitive. But none of these explanations answer the
central question, is this best for students? We cannot allow sunk cost
thinking to drive student policy. A large financial investment does not justify
continuing practices that are producing growing concerns for learning, behavior,
development, and safety. Adult convenience cannot become the driving force behind
educational decisions. The standard must be what is best for students and the
academic concerns are only part of the issue. Students are minors. They cannot
meaningfully consent to the collection and use of their data. Families deserve
transparency and strong safeguards around student information. Despite
claims that screen-based learning prepares students for the workforce,
employers are increasingly sounding the alarm that young students are struggling
with focus, communication, problem-solving, and sustained attention. The workforce
does not need students who can click faster through software. It needs capable
adults who can think critically, communicate clearly, and stay focused
without constant digital stimulation. KDISD has an opportunity to lead here.
The district can be thoughtful, courageous, and ahead of the curve. We are
asking for meaningful changes by the 26-27 school year. As Maya Angelou said,
do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do
do better. Thank you for your time. Thank you.
This concludes the open forum portion of our meeting. The board will now convene and close
9. Closed Meeting
meeting is authorized under section 551.001 of the Texas government code for the following
purposes. Texas government code 551.071, 551.076, and 551.129.
10. Reconvene from Closed Meeting
The board has just reconvened from closed meeting in accordance with Chapter 551 of the Texas Government Code.
Any action arising from discussions in closed meeting must be taken in open meeting.
There is no action to take from our closed meeting, so we'll move on to Section 11, our reports.
11.1 Academic Presentation - Academic Competitions
Our first item is 11.1, Academic Presentation on Academic Competitions.
Presenter Christy Sides, our Instructional Officer in GT and Advanced Academics.
PRESIDENT REDMOND, BOARD OF TRUSTEES, DR. GRIGORSKI, MY NAME IS CHRISTIE SIDES AND I REPRESENT THE GIFTED AND TALENTED DEPARTMENT.
AS YOU HEARD FROM SO MANY OF OUR VALIDATORIANS AND SOLIDATORIANS THIS EVENING, ACADEMIC COMPETITIONS HAVE PLAYED A LARGE ROLE IN OUR DISTRICT.
AND THIS EVENING I'M GOING TO GIVE YOU AN OVERVIEW WITH SOME INFORMATION ABOUT EACH OF THE ONES THAT WE DO.
But I want to begin because recently I was speaking with a graduated senior and she shared
with me that some of her most meaningful experiences did come from her academic competitions, the
early mornings, the long practices, especially the mentors that really worked with her.
And she reflected that while the awards and the accomplishments were exciting, the greatest
impact on her was the confidence that she gained in working with those competitions.
So many of these opportunities begin with a very simple question, and it's one that mirrors my own personal motto.
What if the answer was yes? What if a student tried out for a team, tried out for a competition, shared an idea, or took a risk?
Academic competitions provide students with a chance to discover what is possible when they step beyond their comfort zone and they challenge themselves to grow.
Katy ISD's mission is to provide those unparalleled learning experiences that inspire students to create the future.
Katy proudly supports a wide range of academic competitions that challenge students, but they do more than just recognize achievement.
they help shape our students into leaders and future innovators as you can
see through University Interscholastic League UIL Katie offers an extensive
array of academic competition opportunities with everything from
accounting to editorial writing to persuasive speaking these activities
complement the academic curriculum by motivating students to deepen their
their knowledge and engage with truly meaningful issues.
At the April UIL Regional Tournament, Seven Lakes High School earned runner-up in the
overall competition, capturing several event championships and advancing students in multiple
areas.
Jordan, Freeman, Taylor, and Tompkins also secured advancement with their regional championships.
Our state tournament will be taking place May 18 and 19 at UT Austin, and we're confident
that they will continue to represent KDISD with their very best.
Next up, we have Science Olympiad.
It's a team-based STEM competition for middle and high school students,
and it emphasizes teamwork, problem solving, and cross-disciplinary collaboration.
Their events range from a wide variety of topics, including meteorology,
water science, entomology, and forensic science.
We're so proud to share that three out of the four Texas teams advancing to the national
competition are from Katy ISD.
In Division C, Seven Lakes High School captured the Texas State Championship, while Jordan
High School delivered an outstanding performance to earn second place, qualifying for nationals
for the very first time in their school's history.
And in Division B, Seven Lakes Junior High also earned a spot at nationals with a second
place finish, also marking their first ever national qualification. All three
teams will now proudly represent Katy ISD and Texas at the national tournament
May 22nd through the 23rd at the University of Southern California. What
impressed me most when I visited the Seven Lakes team was their tenacity and
their mindset about productive failure. They spoke openly about learning through
through their mistakes, pushing through their challenges, and continuously improving together.
Their resilience, passion, and willingness to support one another reflects the true value
of academic competitions.
And this brings us to Academic Decathlon.
It is a rigorous competition where nine member teams, comprised of students with varying
varying GPA levels, they compete across 10 different subject areas.
The event promotes scholastic achievement through seven written exams,
along with essay, speech, and interview components.
Together, these experiences help students develop real world skills,
such as adaptability, perseverance, and analytical thinking.
Skills that are going to serve them well beyond the high school walls.
This year, nine KDISD teams advanced to the state finals in April. In the large school division,
Taylor placed fifth, Morton Ranch sixth, and KD 11th. And in the medium school division,
Freeman earned second place with multiple students also earning well-deserved scholarships. In
speaking with academic decathlon teams at Taylor High School, their poise and their ability to
communicate stood out immediately an increasingly rare and valuable skill in today's world
equally inspiring was their strong sense of family fostered to the dedication of their amazing
teachers and coaches and when i asked what motivates their level of commitment junior
ethan phillips shared a perspective that speaks volumes he told me grades do not define them
effort and perseverance do. Competing against nearly 700 students from across
the nation at the academic decathlon national competition, Taylor and Morton
Ranch High School students delivered brilliant performances. Amanda Camparato
earned second place in literature, Ethan Phillips placed second overall in the
varsity division, and Abdullah Doffer placed third overall in the honors
division also earning four remarkable individual awards golden interview
silver in music and bronze in literature and in science competing against the
nation's top students their achievements reflect the excellence at the highest
level and as we heard earlier from Freeman in the national online medium
school division they earned an impressive third place finish competing
competing against those long-established programs made up of senior decathletes.
Individually, in the Scholastic group, Blessing Honorwatt earned second place overall,
and Matin Manchari earned third.
What makes these achievements even more remarkable is this is the team's very first year to compete,
and again, they're made up of juniors and sophomores.
In addition to an outstanding collection of national medals across multiple events,
every decathlete also earns scholarship funding underscoring both their academic
excellence and the strength of this emerging program under its strong
leadership and next up destination imagination it's a creative team based
competition that strengthens communication collaboration and
problem-solving skills teams develop one of six challenges in the fall and they
they create a solution for presentation at regional, state, and global levels.
One of the many impactful challenges is service learning.
This includes where students identify a real community need and they design and implement
a solution over the course of the year, which culminates in a presentation that shares both
their process and their impact.
In addition, every team participates in an instant challenge.
They must think quickly, communicate on the fly, and solve a problem with limited materials in just a few minutes.
These challenges emphasize their creativity, their teamwork, and fast, effective problem solving under pressure.
So in the future, should you ever wonder about ways to clean up the ocean or maybe you need a device invented,
ask a DI student and they're bound to have a solution that will impress you.
you. The Destination Imagination Gulf Coast Regional Tournament hosted at Freeman High
School this year brought together more than 300 teams from across Katy and the surrounding
districts. They celebrated imagination, teamwork, and inventive thinking, and of those, more than
120 teams represented Katy ISD. One of the unique aspects about DI is it engages students across
all grade levels from 1 through 12. We have rising stars teams that participate
and then we have teams in grades 3 through 12 that compete for top honors
and the chance for advancement at State. In total 16 KDISD teams advance to the
state tournament reflecting both the depth of participation and the support
within our district. And at the Lone Star finals in April we brought together
teams from elementary, from junior high, and from high school. KDISD teams
earned multiple awards including excellence across several divisions. Now
eight teams have qualified for the global finals to be held in Kansas City
on May 22nd through the 24th where they will compete with teams from around the
world. As with many of KDISD's competitive programs, Destination
imagination teams often return year after year after year strengthening
relationships through their shared experiences and their continued growth
some students participate all 12 years before they graduate a lasting testament
to the strength of the program as well as the sustained support given by our
district Katie is DS mission statement affirms that we provide unparalleled
learning experiences that prepare and inspire our students to create the
future. Our academic competitions bring this mission to life through the
dedication of our amazing teachers as students apply their learning and they
build skills that will take them beyond the walls of the classroom. And as we
continue to expand our opportunities for students, perhaps the most powerful
question we can ask is what if the answer was yes yes to trying something
new yes to taking a risk and yes to creating a future full of possibilities
we're so proud to celebrate the accomplishments of our students in the
academic competitions I'm happy to take any questions that you might have thank
you board are there any questions mr. president the champagne thank you for
your presentation so a long time ago my kids were in elementary school I was
usually something on the PTA board sometimes the president whatever and the
people that wanted the parents who wanted their children to participate in
di didn't have the funding like we the school district didn't pay for it as
what I understood back then they were always asking PTA to help them with
their expenses so how is di funded now well i have good news for you there the district does support
destination imagination uh supports them at the regional and all the way through state
they're no longer begging and borrowing whatever your experiences were in the past the district
does fully support them all right because that that's really good because i know it's a really
good program and it was um but like i said so from what i what i gathered from back then and this was
you know 15 years ago or so that you know not every school is able to
participate in it either because if you know for instance if you didn't have a
strong PTA then your kids were just kind of be out of it so that's good that's so
good to hear so do you do you have any kind of information about how many of
our schools participate in it oh absolutely we one of the interesting
THINGS IS WE ACTUALLY HAVE SO MUCH INTEREST IN DI THAT WE OFFER IT AT EVERY
SINGLE CAMPUS NOW IT DEPENDS ON THE YEAR SOMETIMES THE STUDENT INTEREST AND THE
SPONSORS AND THINGS DON'T ALWAYS ALIGN BUT FROM ACROSS THE DISTRICT WE HAVE
GREAT INTEREST IN IT AND SO CURRENTLY WE HAD 35 ELEMENTARY TEAMS THAT
PARTICIPATED JUST THIS YEAR 15 OF THOSE WERE RISING STAR WE ALSO HAD 27 TEAMS IN
in grades six through eight, and 14 teams in grades nine through 12.
And that's across all of our schools.
At Globals, we're going to see Woolman and Kilpatrick Elementary,
they're moving forward.
Adams and McMeans both have two teams that will be attending Globals.
And then Morton Ranch, Cinco, Beck, Katie, Taylor.
seven lakes hopkins and jordan all have members of teams that are advancing so it's very widespread
we have a great deal of interest in it as well as participation okay and then um i hate to belabor
this but like that there could their thing that they're going to go to in kansas city yes is that
who pays for that now that is out of our um our state range and so the district does supply
funding with teams all the way to state however if the teams are going out of state or if they're
doing a national competition the way that is funded is that they can do campus budgets as
well as pta can support them as well as they can do fundraising in addition and so we're so proud
of those teams as they advance they're really doing tremendous work i think that's so awesome
thank you so much for your information absolutely any other questions board
thank you very much thank you for your time
well uh item 11.2 we're going to push until june at the request of the presenter and 11.3
11.3 Board President Report
i could do present
Although I don't have a three-minute timer, so you can't cut me off.
So for the Board President update, I wanted to feel what it was like to be a staff member
and stand in front of this board I get why everybody looks at me like why are
you making us do this but I wanted first to thank you for trusting me to lead
this next year's president most people think what happens in this room does not
affect the classroom and they think that school board meetings are about politics
budgets disagreements a lot of times they're right but here's what the research actually
says two decades of studies show that board governance practices are directly correlated
to student achievement not loosely connected directly correlated what we do here how we
function as a team whether we trust each other whether we stay focused it shows
up in how kids perform within two to three years it affects the classroom our
actions here so tonight matters more than it might look from the outside
tonight every year when new board members are elected it is a new board
tonight with three new board members and we start something new tonight
night so what first thing I want to talk about is what bad boards cost and I
think we owe it to this community to just share what board dysfunction causes
what it would it cost us studies of Texas school districts show that board
conflict instability and politically motivated decisions are associated
directly with declines in student achievement.
That when we are dysfunctional, students lose.
When boards fight, kids pay.
When boards are distracted, teachers suffer.
And when boards lose the community trust, our entire system weakens.
That's the cost of getting it wrong.
So that's why we have to get it right.
It's one of the most important things we can do as a board.
What do great boards do?
Research shows that great boards do three things.
Number one, great boards focus on vision, policy, and accountability, not operations.
They stay in their lane and they trust the professionals.
Great boards, number one, focus on vision, policy, and accountability.
Number two, they function as a team.
not seven individuals with seven different visions and goals one body one direction
great boards function as a team and the third thing research shows great boards create stability
great boards create stability so teachers can teach principals can lead and students can grow
healthy boards create stable systems stable systems support teachers and supported teachers
improve student learning that's the chain and it starts here with healthy boards it starts
starts with us tonight so what's our plan so last week when we stood in this
room and started out a new trustee orientation I told this elite Jim and
Nathan that we're not just gonna hand you a packet and turn you loose on being
a trustee that our commitment was that you become a fully functioning healthy
board member and by those steps a fully functioning healthy board and so we've
built this four phase year-long development right so we're in the middle
of phase one right now governance foundations legal responsibilities and
role clarity so it started last week it continues on this summer at summer
leadership Institute it continues on as we move team building to the summertime
we can that a crazy idea doing team building at the beginning of becoming a
team wow it's crazy number two phase two as we move into the fall context finance academics
operations those just-in-time trainings reusing our our committees so that we can sit down in
depth with the experts and they can tell you hey this when we look at a pnl these are the things
that stand out to us that we're going to be prepared to answer you can answer questions like
what do functions mean what are what are these things we're voting on right they can walk you
through all that stuff so that you are prepared when you sit down with our academic team and you
understand what are our house bill three goals what do you do when a school is underperforming
how do you send a team in how do you support what what are those additional structures we add
we have the ability to to lay those out to you as we take next steps
phase three what are the skills you need we need as board members
policy leadership our superintendent evaluation and how do we make data informed decisions
And then phase four, as we go into the spring,
continual self-improvement.
How do we refine this process so that the next time we
have to onboard people?
It gets better and better and faster and faster.
And this isn't just a new trustee orientation.
It's how we get better and better every year.
It's based on Dr. Susan Elliott did her dissertation research
on specific Texas school board onboarding and and so we're taking that
and we're using it to apply it to how we're applying that this year so what
does that mean for Katie I see the weekend before last it's kind of two
ways I'm like oh it's right now the weekend before last was at the HGB
Excellence Awards and was able to watch teachers from around the state get
get recognized and they got cash in their pocket their school got grants you
had principals who were getting recognized you had school districts
small districts large districts school boards touch thing is making that noise
and they were they were recognized and I was sitting there and I was so proud
because I know the work that the people in this room do like we should be on
that stage not because winning an award and i shared this with with our new trustees not
because winning the award actually means anything right it's because the work and what we would have
to do to get there how that work affects the classroom that's what's important so again this
what this means for ksd is the work's not about this board winning but it is about is this better
all right I know I know where to hold it too now I can move around this is
dangerous all right it's about what a high-functioning board makes available
what it means for our community teachers feel supported by humble stable
consistent leadership and students whose learning isn't disrupted every time
there's an election in a community that can trust this board to keep the main thing the main thing
which is kids so ktisd is already doing great things my job our job is to make sure the
governance of this district is worthy of the people who serve it every day and my wife told
me this was super cheesy which means it's going to be awesome so i bought each of you a gift
You can't tell them what it is because I'll say it here in a second.
Thank you to BJ for giving me this wonderful basket.
basket. They're not Easter eggs in here. All right, so what I bought you is a compass.
compass. Eight compasses. One for me, one for Cicely, one for Jim, one for Rebecca, one for Ken,
one for Don, one for James, one for Nathan. I probably should have used your last names, but
we're working together as a team. I'm going to call you by your first name.
The compass does one thing. It tells you what true north is.
when you get lost in the wilderness you don't know which way is up can't see the sun
the compass will tell you where true north is it orient orients you it gives you the ability
to know where you need to go and so this year we're going to have tough moments
decisions that aren't easy nights when this half of the boardroom wants one thing and this half
wants another thing and it seems like everybody online wants something else
and in those moments that's when hopefully you have your little compass sitting there
aligned to north and we're not seven individuals with seven different goals right we're one team
with one destination right that that doesn't mean that we all think we get there the same way
right this isn't a every vote has to be 7-0 in fact it shouldn't be but if we
all agree on the destination we're going if we all have our true north the same
way then when we're making those decisions and we disagree maybe the
route we take we can still trust and work together right kids teachers our
community that's the true north for us
so every time you look at this compass ask yourself am i oriented do I have do
I have my true north set so I've been on this board for seven years people who
have more experience than me I've had the ability to go school districts in El
Paso and down on the coast and Amarillo and everywhere in between walk through
their schools see what they do great see what they struggle with talk to school board members
all across the state that what they're struggling with what's good the the struggles that we share
i've seen what boards and what the results are when the board is dysfunctional
and i've seen what can happen when the board is is clicking when it is working together well
and so tonight we have we have this this new start a fresh start we have what I
believe we have our compasses oriented right so we know what true north is and
so Nathan Jim Cicely you took an oath tonight our community is counting on you
I'm counting on you
James, Dawn, Rebecca
are veterans
this is our moment
to show what it looks like to lead
and to our community
to the people in this room
y'all deserve a
board that leads and sets the example
and is worthy
of the work that y'all are doing
and we
Our board can't do it alone.
We have to have the people in this room.
We have to have our community be a part of it.
And so a year from now, if we do this right,
this board will be the model for governance in this state
and how it affects the classroom.
And so I appreciate you tonight trusting me, hopefully,
to lead through this, maybe just this lofty goal I just put out there.
But I believe that's the vision,
and I believe that that's something that we can all get together on what we're building.
And the work begins tonight and I'm honored to do it with you. Thank you all. Thank you
for your trust and now help me make good on all the things I just said. Thank you.
12.1 Discuss and consider Board Approval of the March 2026 Financial Reports.
12.1.
DISCUSS AND CONSIDER BOARD APPROVAL OF THE MARCH 2026 FINANCIAL REPORTS.
our presenter will be Jamie Hines our assistant superintendent of finance
good evening president Redmond trustees and superintendent Gagorski you have
before you our financial reports for the month of March including our financial
statements, our construction report, and our tax report through the month of
March, as well as our check register summary for the month of March. I'm going
to just go through kind of what I usually do, but then slow down on a
couple things and just point those out. First off, on our financial statements,
these are through seven months of our fiscal year, which begins in September,
which is about 58.33%. So as we go through these, we use that sort of as our barometer on what our
expenses and what our revenues look like. First off, we look at our expenses, our revenues, and
our changes in fund balance on this financial statement each month, and we evaluate it across
objects and functions. And objects are essentially what we're spending things on. And then functions
are the why we're spending the money. So for objects, we have several codes there, but they're
the 6,100s are our payroll costs. And that's by far our biggest what that we spend on. 6,200s are
purchased and contracted services. 6,300s are our supplies and materials. Our 6,400s are other
operating expenses 6500 is our debt payment and 6600 is our capital outlay
and we look at these revenues and expenses across our three major funds
and that's our general fund and that's our main operating fund our food service
fund for our nutrition department and then our deaths debt service fund which
is what we use to pay our debt service so with that I'll move over to the
the percentages on the right hand side of the first page of the financial statements.
And as you go to the percentage per date, I'll be comparing those to that 58.33%.
The big thing on revenues, they come at different times throughout the year.
So we don't focus on those as much as long as our revenues are staying on track.
And we also do budget amendments.
One of those this past month was on the state program revenues.
we have an increase in a budget. The budget amendments, you may notice that that's at 57% versus last year we were at about 52%.
That budget amendment was in April. Our financial statements are two months in arrears, so these are through the end of March.
So anything that happened last month, you're still not actually seeing it.
And so essentially what that means is we increased that state program revenue budget, which means that percentage, once the report comes out this next month and that budget amendment is reflected, that percentage will go down.
And that was because of some changes that the state made in how they recognize tax levies.
So then if you move down and look at our other expenditures, which is really where we focus in to make sure that our expenditures are on track throughout the year, what we want to focus on is not going above that percentage, that 58.33%.
And you can see for payroll, we're underspending at 57 a little bit.
But if you look at last year, we're underspending less than we were last year through this same time period.
But all of the others are on track and underspending a little bit, which is what we want to see.
We don't want to see that we're going over that unless we have a good reason behind that.
The debt payments, we're at 79%.
That's normal, and we'll stay at 0% through February.
and then we'll make our debt payment which is on I'm sorry not interest but
our principal payment in principal and interest in February and then we'll make
an interest payment only in August and so we'll stay at 79% until we we make
that next interest payment in August and we'll pay the other 20% or so. And then
capital outlay, those are larger projects that are funded within this and so a lot
of them take place over the summer so it's normal for that to stay low until
we've recognized that and also since they're large projects sometimes they
don't all get spend within the fiscal year so we don't
always use all of that budget. But those are much smaller budgets than when you
look up at the payroll cost so that's where we really focus going a little bit
deeper but not too deep is going into the functional side of this and the
function is the why we spend the money it's the actual things we're spending it
on like instruction school administration guidance counseling and so
we also look at it by function and this is where and you'll hear the phrase over
time blowing a function and that's going above that percentage we never want to
go above we never want to spend above our budgeted amount within a function
and that's something the state keeps an eye on to make sure that we don't do so
we do really look at these functions across that fifty eight point three
three percent and and figure out where we're at and why and if you look you'll
notice that there's three of those that are that are above that and one of them
is debt service and we've already explained that we make that 80% payment
so that's normal for that to be above the percentage throughout the year the
other is security and monitoring and the reason for that is we've had more
overtime this year and and we've looked into that and we're just monitoring that
as we go and we may have to amend the budget unless you know that that's a
sometimes a transient thing and over the summer will go down as the students
leave so we are watching it though the other is data processing services and
that is also an annual trend with data processing that's our technology
department spending and that's because at the beginning of the year the
technology contracts on software are all usually I say all most of them are
filled in the first couple of months that the department receives that budget
the contracts roll over in September and October and so they go ahead and pay
those for the next year so that that budget will start start out with a high
expense for the year and then trend down and you can see if you look at last year
we were 61 percent and this year we're at 62 percent so we're sticking with
that same trend so beyond that I'm not going to go into more detail I'll
answer as many questions as you have but then we also have a function and object analysis of each
of these expenditures as well so you can you can drill down into these numbers from the initial
report and i'm happy to answer any questions beyond that we have a construction report which
is a summary of all of our capital projects the first page shows you you know where the the overall
bond authorizations and capital projects like E-rate funds, TERS waterfall funds, and miscellaneous
capital funds, where they stand. And then it goes into detail on each of the individual projects
within those separate funds. The next is our tax report. And our tax report shows us where we're at
with our levy, what the levy is, what our collection rate looks like, how much we have
collected and then compares that also to last year and I brought this up last
month and I'll bring it up again because we are focused on a little bit our
collections rate this year is slightly lower than it was last year and we have
reached out to our counties that do the tax collections we've gotten back some
reports and the reason so far that we found is we have some of our really
large taxpayers over 250,000 and over 100,000 that still haven't paid. A lot of times that's
because they're contesting their actual taxes and that's a normal process. It'll go through an ARD
committee and then come back and that depending on what the ARB committee comes back with they'll
eventually pay those taxes and we'll receive them. But we've asked for some additional
historical reports so we can have even more detailed information but anyway
that number is trending closer but we're still just monitoring that and then we
have a check register summary which shows all of the actual checks that
we've written out or they it's a summary of what we've written out to our vendors
by the the separate fund and this ties back to the actual expenses or accounts
accounts payable that we do every month and every single transaction is posted out on our website
and that report ties back to this as well. So this is a summary of that and beyond that I'd
be glad to answer any questions regarding any of these financial reports. Thank you.
Board are there any questions?
Ms. Taylor?
Can you explain the reduction in the federal program revenue?
Yes, ma'am.
So on the revenue side, and we've seen this for a few years, and this goes back to something that I think Mr. Smith has brought up several times, but SHARS, which is school health and related services, that's our Medicaid reimbursement.
And that is federally funded.
It's administrated by the state.
but the state and somewhat the feds have reduced that reimbursement
significantly over the past several years. So not only this is this is gone
this is a percentage of the overall budget to take it to another level that
budget has gone down significantly. That used to be a pretty significant source
source of funding, funding between 10 and 15 million. I think we were even at one point looking
at budgeting 17 million for that. That never came to fruition because they started constricting
reimbursements for our Medicaid. That's down to just a few million dollar budget now. And even
on top of that, they've compressed how much they do by, it's formulaic and they decide the formula.
the state does even though the funds come from the federal government goes
through the state and they decide how to distribute and they've compressed that
and and it's really become a very small part of our budget that's the reason for
that are you concerned about that given you budgeted for the war the concern has
we've had to really work through it over the past several years and I'll miss
Ms. Rios is the one who really digs into budgeting.
We look at the trends and kind of suggest where we think that revenue is going to fall.
But we have recognized that reduction already in our budget.
So in terms of it impacting our current year budget or future year budgets, we've really already realized that.
but that 57% is now 50% 57% of a few million dollars or a couple of million
dollars versus of 15 million dollars which it used to be a much bigger thing
but we've we've had to adjust for that that's been one of the things that we've
has been kind of a hardship on the district the last two years any other
other questions for mr. president champagne I made that the Board of
Trustees approves the March 2026 financial reports like it is moved and
seconded that the Board of Trustees approves of the March 2026 financial
reports will now proceed to vote board members please record your vote on the
screen be your keypad motion passes 7-0
12.2 Discuss and consider Board approval of the May 2026 budget amendments.
well now move on to item 12.2 discuss and consider board approval of the May
2026 budget amendments and our presenter will be miss Esperanza real sir
director your budget and Treasury hello
good evening board president Redmond board of trustees and dr. Krakowski
tonight for the general fund we present budget amendments which are all direct functional offsets
and these functional offsets include staff development mileage summer extra duty start
of year supplies memberships and overtime the approval of these amendments will result in no
impact to the general operating fund any questions any questions for mr. president the champagne um
I just want to say something to you, Mrs. Rios and Mr. Hines and Mrs. Smith and Mr. Smith, not related.
I am so appreciative of you with all the work that you do for our district.
And I always want to say, you know, we're all in this together.
You know, it is all about the main thing.
Like Mr. Redmond said, the main thing is the main thing.
And the kids are what we're concerned with all the time.
but just so that the new board members cannot know that we've had I call an a
plus rating for like I don't know 25 years or something like that and I just
want to really make sure you understand that the the board that the board really
really appreciates the financial team here.
Thank you.
Mr. President.
Mr. Fox.
I agree with everything Mrs. Schenker said.
says and I move that the Board of Trustees approves the May 26 budget
amendments it is moved and seconded the Board of Trustees approves of the May
2026 budget amendments will now proceed to vote for members please record your
vote by your keypad and the motion passes 7-0
12.3 Discuss and consider the compliance costs to retrofit buses with 3 point seatbelts in compliance with Texas Senate Bill 546.
we'll now move on to item 12.3 discuss and consider the clients cost retrofit
buses with three-point seat belts in compliance with Texas Senate Bill 546.
And our presenter will be our Executive Director of Transportation, Paul Landis.
Thank you. Good evening, President Redmond, members of the board, and Dr. Gagorski.
School buses are widely recognized as the safest form of transportation on our roadways.
Each day, more than 20 million students across the United States rely on school buses to get
to and from school including over 1.7 million students here in texas historically school buses
have been designed with safety at the forefront through a concept known as compartmentalization
this design includes closely spaced energy absorbing high back seats that help protect
students without the need for seat belts in 1998 the state of texas began requiring newly purchased
school buses to be equipped with seat belts a standard katie isd has consistently followed
Today, the state is asking districts to evaluate their current fleet, specifically identifying
how many buses are equipped with three-point seat belts and the cost to retrofit those
that are not.
KDISDS currently operates or contracts a total of 840 buses.
Of these, 288 buses are equipped with three-point seat belts, while 552 are not yet compliant
with this standard.
standard. The estimated cost to retrofit the remaining buses is approximately $15.27 million.
Given current and projected budget constraints, along with the absence of dedicated legislative
funding for this requirement, the Transportation Department is not recommending a retrofit
at this time. However, we remain committed to student safety and will continue to monitor
guidance and funding opportunities moving forward.
Board, any questions?
Board, any questions?
Yes, I have some.
Ms. Champagne?
So, thank you for your presentation.
And that is just really sad, isn't it?
That is another example of unfunded mandate and that we can't do what is being recommended
to us because we don't have the funds for it.
So, I just want to make sure that everybody hears that this is why, you know, this coming
coming session, we need to really push for the funding of things like this so that our
children can be safe in their buses.
But thank you for your presentation.
I just wanted to clarify, I know there's some buses that are coming up to be replaced.
Those buses will have the three point seat belts.
Yes, ma'am.
Every bus we've bought since 1998, it's not 1998, 2018, sorry, has had the three-point seatbelts,
and that continues to be the plan to continue to do that.
It's required, and it's what we'll do.
Mr. Landis?
Yes.
So the new mandate for the three-point seatbelt,
seatbelt. Could you provide any commentary on the entity, the writers of that new policy?
What when they researched the compartmentalization and some of the other safety features on the
bus, what were the deficiencies that they were looking to solve with the three-point
seatbelt? Did they, was there data cited? What was to be gained?
That's hard to say in a lot of ways because my personal opinion on the matter as somebody
who's been in this industry for 30 years is that it wasn't necessary. It wasn't really necessary.
I know every life is important and it's hard to put a dollar figure on each life,
but statistically it always has been school buses are the safest form of transportation
on the roads much more safer than your car to get someone to school or
something in the morning so and I think they've been designed to where they have
been safe the statistics are quite low on the number of passengers who are
actually fatalities that are on a school bus the real safety factor is more
outside the bus than on inside the bus so truthfully on the bigger buses
especially I think it's a bit redundant to tell you the truth to have the
seatbelts is my my personal opinion there so I I don't know what they're
thinking or what they're looking at I do know that there has been a push from
parental groups and things starting many years ago to do that but I think a lot
of that is not a real understanding how they were designed and looking at the
statistic of what has happened for many many years as far as the safety is
concerned mr landis so the buses as they currently are and they have very high backs they're made for
for safety for students, right?
And the data shows that they're very safe.
We're not seeing injuries, fatalities, those kinds of things.
Do you believe that it's just that push from the parent groups that, like,
well, everybody needs a seatbelt, or is it...
I don't know why all of a sudden they're asking us to do this.
$15 million of retrofitting on buses that are aging out and are going to be replaced soon,
which I guess they come with seatbelts.
Do they come with seatbelts now?
Is that it?
I mean, they don't automatically as part of what we order with them,
but that is our mandate and that's what we've been doing.
I think partly in Mr. Graham may have more insight in what the current law is, but back in 2018, I think the difference between what they basically asked for the same thing then, the difference then they just said seatbelts.
Now it's become three-point seatbelts. So that might be the differentiation of why we're doing that now. But at the same thing then is everything bought moving forward, unless the board said we can't afford to do that, was going to be seatbelts.
So it's a very similar mandate then to what it is now.
Are you seeing any detriment to three-point seatbelts on some children?
Like, do they, not every child is the same size.
We have T91s and we have high school adult size.
Yes.
How in the world do you know which size seatbelt?
There are some kids who don't fit in the seatbelts.
and as of now I don't think there's any resolution to how that is handled it
seems poorly thought out to me mr. president champagne so let me I'm gonna
just follow up with some things that some other trustees have asked but so
So there is a mandate for it, but we can't afford it. Is that right?
The current, I don't have specifically what the laws are for me, but there's, yes, there is some kind of a mandate for 2029 or something like that to have this.
Oh, by 2029?
I believe so.
Oh, okay.
But right now, the first part of this is just getting the facts together and reporting those facts.
Okay, so we have some time to reach the mandate.
The bill requires us to hear this.
The bill requires us to hear this because the motion that I read says that we're going to approve the compliance cost, but I'm a little confused about that.
Okay, okay. So let me just, real quick, I want to hear that, but also, how can, even if we have all those three-point seatbelts or whatever kind of seatbelts, how do they, you know, is the bus driver having to walk around and make sure everybody has their seatbelts on?
That's a good question. The law right now says that we are to require students to
wear seat belts. So on our end we just make the announcement to the buses that
do have seat belts on them. The driver just tells children that they're
supposed to wear their seat belts but we don't go through the bus checking like a
Six Flags roller coaster or anything like that. It's just...
You're not allowed to touch children.
Yeah.
You can't touch kids.
Well and we have enough trouble keeping on time right now as it is that would add a
lot of significant time because that had to be done at every single bus stop you know not just
at the campus in the pm you'd have to do that at every stop in the morning too it would be a nightmare
any more questions board justice mr shipley mr okay
so i'm assuming that the 325 that have no seat belts are probably the oldest in the fleet
Yes, sir. Fair then the 227 that have lap belts like that's like the next they're a little bit
Those are all of ours
Smaller sped buses have lap belts, which doesn't meet the guidelines, but they all do have those
Even older than that well starting in 2018 they had the three points, but before that they're just the lap belts
Yeah, it might I echo
Miss Champaign's question around of the buses that have the three-point harnesses today
are they even being utilized and we make an announcement right but we're also
that's about the extent of it yes so it seems like a heavy lift to try to spend
a bunch of money to meet this when the reality is is utilization probably isn't
all that high even with the buses that have them right yeah in practice yeah
well and if I may add one other bit it's not just the money is the practicality
in the logistics of it i don't think even if we were to buy it if everybody in the state was to
buy all new buses to meet the mandate they couldn't be supplied in that timeline and
the retrofit would probably take just as long or longer to do that i i think if if we want to try
to move the needle on safety it would be to try to if we're going to do anything i'm not suggesting
that we do is to try to move the needle on usage of the belts that we already have and not spend a
bunch of money on especially if they're gonna be phased out over time and new
ones are gonna be phased in to me this makes the most practical sense any other
questions board trustees there was a question on the motion language that
that motion should say I move that the Board of Trustees approve that word
reporting should be included in there reporting the compliance cost because
Because all the bill, all Senate Bill 546 requires is for us to report, to look at our fleet and say, hey, what would it cost us to retrofit?
If we had the money, what would it cost?
And Paul's saying it's well north of $15 million.
And that report has to go to this board.
The board's got to give that report, vote up or down whether or not we're doing it.
And then TEA actually in the bill is going to collect that data.
So perhaps if we're talking about an unfunded versus a funded mandate, perhaps this is the legislature actually giving us an opportunity to say, hey, what would it cost KDISD to fix all their buses?
You know, that number over $15 million sounds big.
I've seen other districts have reported larger numbers than that.
Again, Paul is telling you that our Mr. Landis is telling you that we're putting them in all of our new buses.
So this is really just an opportunity for us to report that number.
TEA is supposed to gather that data so then perhaps the next legislative
session should the legislature decide that every bus needs to have a
three-point harness we won't have an unfunded mandate because they will know
what that number costs so perhaps that's the goal here but I can't speak for the
legislature thank you any other questions Mr. President
Ms. Fox I move that the Board of Trustees approves the reporting of
compliance costs to retrofit buses with three-point seatbelts in compliance with
Texas Senate bill 546 of a motion is there a second second it is moved and
seconded that the Board of Trustees approves the compliance cost to retrofit
bus the reporting of the compliance cost to retrofit buses with three-point
seatbelts in compliance with Texas Senate bill 546 will now proceed to vote
Board members please record your vote on the keypad. The motion passes 7-0.
13. Consent Items
A consent agenda shall include items that were discussed and considered
as well as items of a recurring nature. The board shall be furnished with background materials for
each item and consent agenda items shall be grouped together under one action item.
All items shall be acted upon by one vote without separate discussion unless a board member requests
that an item be withdrawn for individual consideration be illegal and be local
are there any items that the board members would like to remove from the
consent agenda right mr. president miss champagne I'm able to the Board of
Trustees approves a consent agenda for items 3 13.1 through 13.4 I have a
motion is there a second second second by mr. cross it is moved and seconded
that the Board of Trustees approves the consent agenda for items 13.1 through
13.4 will now proceed to vote board members please record your vote on the
screen via your keypad the motion passes 7 to 0
14. Information Items
information items the donated items list has been received by the board we do not
have any board committee updates tonight and madam secretary or mr secretary did
we capture any requests from the board we have one and that is if you could
share with us the research that you talked about in your presentation about
good boards we'd love definitely love to see that perfect future meetings we'll
15. Future Meetings
have a work-study meeting on Monday June 15th 2026 and there will be a regular
board meeting on Monday June 22nd 2026 mr. president miss Fox is there any way
that during the summer if our board agendas are not lengthy like last month
that we could condense that to one meeting per month possibly during summer
when we're doing all those extra trainings and traveling and doing team
buildings and things like that if it's possible to condense those would you let
let us know. I think going forward if there are going to be clear agendas that are short
that we can make the decision then like not be locked in to always say we're going to have a
work study but plan on it and if the agenda is short we don't need to spend time on it
be a good a good steward of everybody's time and resources unless there's objections from the board
for that. If I'm like during the summer when people are trying to plan family time or time off or you know those kind of things because not just us affected by dates. If I may share this one just as an upcoming primer what we got for June July I don't know how deep that agenda will be yet we're not that far but for June we would be talking about the compensation plan we would be talking about proposed raises and we'd be
talking about the budget so for June for sure I'd recommend let us do all those
in the work-study so then you have time to think through some of that or ask
questions get feedback and then adopt those at the regular meeting for June
for sure July I couldn't speak to just yet thank you yeah that needs to be all
right there being no further business before
For the board, this meeting is adjourned.
The time is 9.18 p.m.
Official documents
Motions and votes
Recorded actions
The motions and votes for this meeting have not been recorded here yet. Whether any were taken is not stated either way. The agenda and the recording above are the primary sources.