[00:00:01]
[I. CALL TO ORDER]
IT'S 6:15 P.M., AND I'M GOING TO CALL TO ORDER THE BOARD WORKSHOP OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE COPPELL INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT.THE FIRST ORDER OF BUSINESS IS TO ESTABLISH A QUORUM.
I'M GOING TO START ON MY LEFT WITH TRUSTEE WALKER.
TRUSTEE SETHI, MYSELF, TRUSTEE MATTHEW TRUSTEE RAVAL.
AND PRESIDENT CAVINESS HAD A CONFLICT THIS EVENING THAT WAS UNAVOIDABLE.
SO AND WE HAD NOBODY SIGNED UP FOR OPEN FORUM, IS THAT CORRECT? THAT'S CORRECT. OKAY.
[IV.A. 2024-2025 & 2025-2026 Budget Planning Discussion - Diana Sircar (Chief Financial Officer) (SPG1) (FOS)]
SO WE WILL TURN IT OVER TO YOU, DOCTOR HUNT.ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU, MISS BENTLEY.
WE ARE GOING TO FOLLOW UP WITH THE TAX RATE DISCUSSION FROM WHAT WAS HAD AT AN EARLIER MEETING RELATED TO THE POSSIBLE VOTER APPROVED TAX RATE ELECTION.
AND SO THERE WAS SOME ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS THAT CAME FROM THAT.
SO WE'RE GOING TO TALK THROUGH THAT PIECE, AS WELL AS A LOOK AT WHERE WE ARE WITH OUR 2425 BUDGET.
OR IF YOU WANT TO MOVE TO GET WHERE YOU CAN SEE BETTER.
SO WE'LL START HERE WITH THE TAX RATES.
AND WE'VE GONE THROUGH ALL OF THESE PARTS OF THE TIMELINE.
THE PUBLIC MEETING NOTICE WAS IN THE NEWSPAPER ON FRIDAY.
AND THAT OCCURS BEFORE THE BOARD MEETING ON MONDAY, AUGUST 19TH.
THERE WILL BE WE WILL ALSO JUST DISCUSS THE FACT THAT THERE WAS AN EFFICIENCY AUDIT.
THAT IS CURRENTLY POSTED ON THE COPPELL ISD WEBSITE ON THE FINANCIAL TRANSPARENCY PAGE.
AND THAT WILL PROBABLY IF THE BOARD DECIDES TO CALL A VOTER APPROVAL TAX RATIFICATION ELECTION OR VADER, THEN WE'LL PROBABLY HAVE A VADER WEBSITE THAT THAT IT WILL BE POSTED ON AS WELL.
AND THEN MONDAY, AUGUST 19TH IS THE LAST DAY THAT THE BOARD COULD CHOOSE TO CALL THAT ELECTION.
THE PROPOSAL AGAIN, IS TO ADD BACK THE 3.17 VOTER APPROVED PENNIES THAT WERE COMPRESSED WITH HOUSE BILL THREE BACK IN THE 1920 SCHOOL YEAR.
AND WE'VE SEEN THAT THE CERTIFIED PROPERTY VALUES WENT UP BY 10.39% IN COPPELL ISD.
THAT INCREASE IN PROPERTY VALUES FORCES ADDITIONAL COMPRESSION OF THE MAINTENANCE AND OPERATIONS TAX RATE OF 4.7 PENNIES, AND THEN THE VOTER WOULD PROPOSE TO INCREASE THAT TAX RATE, UP 3.17, WITH A NET DECREASE THEN OF 1.53 PENNIES.
THE PROPOSED TAX RATE FOR 2425 WOULD BE LOWER THAN THE 2324 TAX RATE IN EITHER CASE.
THIS AGAIN IS THE JUST A VISUAL OF THE TIER ONE TAX RATE AND THEN THE ENRICHMENT PENNIES THAT GET ADDED TO THAT EIGHT GOLDEN PENNIES, AND THEN UP TO NINE COPPER PENNIES.
THAT WAS THE LAST TIME THE LEGISLATURE INCREASED THE BASIC ALLOTMENT.
AND SO VOTERS WILL THEN WOULD THEN GO TO THE POLLS TO ADD BACK THOSE 3.17 PENNIES, IF THE BOARD CHOOSES TO CALL THAT VADER.
THEIR GOLDEN PENNIES ARE NOT SUBJECT TO RECAPTURE AT ALL.
COPPER PENNIES ARE SUBJECT TO RECAPTURE.
AND SO THIS IS AN ESTIMATE OF WHAT REVENUE WOULD STAY IN THE DISTRICT.
SHOULD THOSE 3.17 PENNIES BE ADOPTED? IT'D BE ABOUT $2.4 MILLION IN REVENUE THAT COPPELL ISD WOULD KEEP.
[00:05:07]
AND TAXPAYERS.AN AVERAGE SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENCE IS.
THE TAXABLE VALUE OF THAT IS ABOUT 513,000 WITHIN THE COPPELL ISD AREA.
THE VATRE WOULD INCREASE THE TAXES BY $163 IN TAXES.
THIS IS A REALLY IMPORTANT SLIDE THAT WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU ALL, AS OUR REPRESENTATIVES OF THE COMMUNITY AND OUR COMMUNITY, WATCHING FROM HOME OR LATER BROADCAST FULLY UNDERSTAND THIS PIECE.
I KNOW THAT CAME UP AT THE EFFICIENCY AUDIT WHEN WE TALKED ABOUT IT WAS WHAT YOU SAID, MR. HILL, WHEN IT WAS JUST THE TREE.
NOT JUST. BUT THE WHEN THE PROCESS WAS DIFFERENT.
THE LAST TIME THAT WE HAD ONE.
SO WE JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR COMMUNITY HAS A GOOD UNDERSTANDING AND THAT BOARD MEMBERS HAVE A GOOD UNDERSTANDING, BECAUSE IF THIS IS THE DIRECTION THE BOARD WANTS TO GO MONDAY NIGHT, THIS WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT WE WOULD WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CONTINUE TO SHARE WITH OUR COMMUNITY SO THAT PEOPLE UNDERSTAND WHAT IT IS THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT AND THE IMPACT THAT IT COULD HAVE ON THEIR PERSONAL FINANCES AND THEIR WORK AT HOME.
I THINK THAT'S A SIGNIFICANT ISSUE, THAT THE COPPER PENNIES IS A SIGNIFICANT POINT.
AND I THINK THE FACT THE OVERALL IMPACT IS SIGNIFICANT BECAUSE PEOPLE JUST SEE A TAX INCREASE.
AND THAT'S JUST IT. I MEAN, THEY SHUT DOWN AUTOMATICALLY IN THAT CONVERSATION.
THIS STANDS OUT TO ME AS ONE THAT'S EASILY EXPLAINABLE ONCE YOU EXPLAIN IT, AND ONCE THEY PUT INTO CONTEXT, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? 163 IS ANNUALLY.
AND THEN THAT 4.7 THAT'S GOING TO BE COMPRESSED BECAUSE OF OUR UPWARD PROPERTY TAXES.
RIGHT. THEY THAT COMES OUT OF WHAT THEY GIVE US.
SO THE AMOUNT OF TAX REVENUE, THE TAX RATE THAT IS COMPRESSED, ANYTHING THAT IS NOT RAISED BY TAXES FROM THE LOCAL TAXPAYERS IS OFFSET BY THE STATE.
AND SO WHEN THE TAX RATE IS COMPRESSED, TAXPAYERS PAY LESS.
AND WHEN WE SAY STATE PAYS MORE, IT'S NOT THAT THEY'RE PAYING US ANYMORE.
THAT'S RIGHT. BECAUSE ALL THIS IS RECAPTURED MONEY, RIGHT.
SO THE PERCENTAGE STATE WAS GIVING US THE AMOUNT IS SAME.
BUT THAT PERCENTAGE GOES UP WHICH THEY PORTRAY AS THE THING THEY'RE CONTRIBUTING MORE TOWARDS.
THAT'S EXACTLY RIGHT. OUR ENTITLEMENT DOES NOT CHANGE.
IT JUST IS. HOW MUCH IS THE STATE KICKING IN.
AND OUR LOCAL TAXPAYERS FUND THE MAJORITY OF THE DISTRICT'S ENTITLEMENT.
SO WE KEEP WE WOULD KEEP 2.5 MILLION ISH.
HOW MUCH WOULD WE RAISE? HOW MUCH WOULD GO TO THE STATE OUT OF THOSE OPPORTUNITIES? IT'D BE ABOUT FIVE.
5 MILLION. A LITTLE OVER 5 MILLION THAT WOULD BE RAISED.
AND THEN THAT AMOUNT WOULD BE RECAPTURED.
THE AMOUNT ABOVE 2.4 MILLION WOULD GO BACK TO THE STATE.
SO WE'D BE KEEPING AROUND 43% OF THE INCREASED REVENUE.
YES. AND WE SAY THAT THERE IS AN INCREASE OF 163.
SURE. SO BECAUSE OUR PROPERTY VALUES WENT UP, THE BASE ON WHICH THAT LEVY IS, THE BASE ON WHICH THAT TAX RATE IS APPLIED AND THE TAX LEVY IS ASSESSED IS GOING TO GO UP.
SO PEOPLE'S TAXES WILL GO UP BASED UPON JUST THE INCREASE IN THE VALUE OF THEIR HOME.
AND THE VADER WOULD REDUCE THE AMOUNT THAT THEIR TAXES ARE GOING UP.
LET ME LET ME PUT IT THIS WAY.
THE TAX RATE WOULD GO DOWN BY 4.7 PENNIES WITHOUT THE VADER.
[00:10:06]
WITH THE VADER, IT GOES DOWN 1.53.THE TAX DOLLARS THAT WOULD BE RAISED BY THE VADER WOULD BE THAT $163 INCREASE ON THAT AVERAGE HOME.
SO THAT WAS ONE YEAR WHEN EVERYBODY'S TAXES WENT DOWN.
OKAY. SO WHY WOULD IT HAVE? WHY WOULD IT BE GOING DOWN 4.7 PENNIES NOW? IS THAT COMPRESSION? THAT IS COMPRESSION.
YES. AND SO THAT'S THE STATE'S COMPRESSION BASED UPON THE LOCAL VALUE INCREASE IN PROPERTY VALUES.
COPPELL ISD IS NOW AT THE FLOOR.
THE TAX RATE WE HAVE NOW REACHED THAT FLOOR SINCE 2019.
BUT NOW COPPELL ISD IS AT THAT FLOOR.
SO WE HAVE FINALLY REACHED THAT FLOOR BASED UPON THE INCREASE IN VALUES IN OUR DISTRICT.
THANK YOU. THIS IS JUST A GRAPHIC THAT SORT OF SHOWS THE TAX RATE.
AND THEN THE STATE COMPRESSED THOSE, BOTH THE NO TIER ONE RATE AND THE TIER TWO PENNIES.
AND THAT HAS HAPPENED EVERY YEAR SINCE 2019.
AND SO NOW YOU'LL SEE THAT BY ADDING THOSE THREE PENNIES BACK, THE TAX RATE WILL STILL BE LOWER.
IT'S GREAT. AND THIS IS THE PROPOSED 2425 TAX RATE, BOTH THE NO TAX RATE AT 78.69 PENNIES AND THE INS TAX RATE FOR A TOTAL TAX RATE OF $1 0.0343.
WITHOUT THE VADER, THE TOTAL TAX RATE WOULD BE $1 0.00 ZERO.
EXCUSE ME. MISS SIRCAR WENT BACK SEVERAL YEARS AT THE REQUEST OF THE BOARD.
BECAUSE I KNOW YOU'VE ASKED TO SEE PREVIOUS YEARS DATA AS MUCH AS FIVE YEARS.
I THINK SHE WENT BACK SEVEN, SO THIS IS GREAT.
IT'S ALSO, AGAIN, NOT ONLY HELPFUL TO BOARD MEMBERS, BUT GOOD FOR THE COMMUNITY BECAUSE THESE ARE COMPONENTS OF WHAT WE ARE PART OF THE CONTENT THAT WE WOULD BE POSSIBLY SHARING IF YOU ALL DECIDED TO MOVE FORWARD WITH IT.
AND IT WAS APPROVED. AND I THINK EVEN KNOWLEDGEABLE PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY ARE CONFUSED ABOUT HOW WE CAN HOW CAN WE REALLY BE LOWERING THE TAX RATE, BUT THEIR DOLLAR AMOUNT THEY'RE PAYING IN INCREASES.
AND SO I THINK JUST HAVING SUCH A SIMPLE VISUAL, I GET THAT QUESTION REGULARLY, SOMETIMES TONGUE IN CHEEK, BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE LIKE, I KNOW YOU GUYS LOWERED THE TAX RATE, BUT I DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW I'M STILL PAYING MORE.
AND ALSO TO TO WHAT MR. HILL HAD SAID PREVIOUSLY WITH THAT TIARA, THE TAX RATE ELECTION THAT WE HAD HAD PREVIOUSLY, THAT MIGHT BE SOME INDIVIDUALS, LESS KNOWLEDGE OR ONLY KNOWLEDGE AND NOT MIGHT NOT BE AWARE THAT THE LAWS HAVE CHANGED AND THE PROCESS IS NOW DIFFERENT.
SO THAT'S IT. ON THE TAX RATE.
IF ANYBODY HAS ANY OTHER QUESTIONS.
SHE'S GIVEN YOU A LOT OF THE INFORMATION THAT YOU ALL REQUESTED THE LAST TIME.
IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE THAT YOU ALL NEED BEFORE MONDAY NIGHT? WE'RE GOOD. JUST LIKE TO SAY I'VE LOVED ALL THESE LITTLE STEPS THAT WE'VE TAKEN.
SO I FEEL LIKE I REALLY UNDERSTAND KIND OF THE SPIRAL EFFECT OF TEACHING AND LEARNING.
LIKE, THIS IS NOT THE FIRST TIME I'VE HEARD THIS INFORMATION, AND YET IT'S COMPLEX.
AND SO HAVING A LOT OF BITES AT THE APPLE HAS BEEN VERY HELPFUL.
SO I FEEL VERY PREPARED TO BE ABLE TO MAKE A DECISION BECAUSE IT DIDN'T ALL HAPPEN TONIGHT.
WE'VE BEEN BUILDING, SO I APPRECIATE THAT.
SURE, SURE. WELL, AND AS SHE MENTIONED, WE WOULD PUT SOMETHING TOGETHER ON THE WEBSITE FOR WITH OUR COMMUNICATIONS TEAM, SIMILAR TO WHAT WE HAVE DONE WITH BOND ELECTIONS THAT WOULD HAVE EVERYTHING IN ONE PLACE.
WE'VE BEEN BUILDING UP TO THIS, TO YOUR POINT, BUT FOR COMMUNITY MEMBERS THAT MIGHT NOT HAVE BEEN FOLLOWING ALONG ON THIS JOURNEY, THE EFFICIENCY AUDIT THAT ALL OF THESE PRESENTATIONS, THAT WOULD BE A PART OF WHAT WE WOULD HAVE ON THAT WEBSITE, IT'S ALL AVAILABLE NOW, BUT THAT WOULD BE PUT IN A PLACE WHERE IT WOULD BE EASY FOR PEOPLE TO
[00:15:10]
FIND. THE OTHER THING THAT'S IMPORTANT TO KNOW IS THAT THE BUDGET THAT WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT NEXT IS BASED UPON HAVING THAT VADER IN THERE. SO THERE WILL BE, AS YOU KNOW, IN AUGUST WHEN THE BOARD ADOPTS THE BUDGET AND THE TAX RATES THERE ARE CERTAIN RESOLUTIONS YOU HAVE TO PASS.BUT CURRENTLY THE BUDGET HAS THE VADER REVENUE IN IT.
AND THE REASON FOR THAT IS BECAUSE WHEN WE CALCULATE WHEN THE TAX RATE IS CALCULATED WITH THAT VADER IN THERE, WE HAD TO PUT THAT IN THE PUBLIC NOTICE THAT WENT INTO THE NEWSPAPER.
BUT WE CAN'T CHOOSE TO ADOPT A HIGHER RATE THAN WE PUT IN THE NEWSPAPER.
SO THAT'S WHY IT WAS IMPORTANT THAT WE PUT THAT IN THE NEWSPAPER WITH THE VADER IN IT.
SO HERE WE ARE MOVING THROUGH OUR BUDGET PLANNING CALENDAR.
WE'RE AT AUGUST 12TH TALKING ABOUT THE BUDGET WORKSHOP.
THIS IS WHEN WE'LL SEE THE FINAL DRAFTS OF ALL OF THE BUDGETS.
SO LET'S START WITH FOOD SERVICE AND WE'LL WE'LL TALK ABOUT THAT AGAIN.
AND THEN OUR SECONDARY PROGRAM AND THE COMBINATION OF THE TWO.
AND SO YOU'LL SEE THAT THE COMBINED BUDGET FOR FOOD SERVICE WOULD BE ABOUT $149,000 POSITIVE TO THE FUND BALANCE.
THE MAJORITY OF THAT COMING FROM THE SECONDARY PROGRAM.
OUR AMENDED BUDGET FOR THIS YEAR HAS A NEGATIVE IMPACT TO THE FUND BALANCE BECAUSE THERE WAS A FUND BALANCE THAT THE FOOD SERVICE DEPARTMENT HAS TO SPEND DOWN BY INVESTING BACK INTO CAPITAL EQUIPMENT IN THEIR PROGRAM.
AND SO THAT'S WHY THAT IS THAT WAY.
JUST TO BE CLEAR, THAT FOOD SERVICE, THAT'S THEIR OWN THING.
THAT'S THEIR OWN. THAT IS THEIR OWN BUDGET, THEIR OWN BUDGET.
SO IT OPERATES THEIR OWN FUND BALANCE, ALL OF THAT WITH THEIR OWN REQUIREMENTS.
THIS IS THE DEBT SERVICE BUDGET.
AND THE 2223 I'M SORRY, THE 2324 ACTUALS.
DON'T HAVE THAT AMENDED BUDGET FOR 2324 DOES NOT HAVE THE EASEMENT THAT WE DISCUSSED LAST TIME.
THAT WILL COME TO YOU NEXT MONDAY WITH THE BUDGET AMENDMENTS, SO THAT WILL THEN BE IN THERE.
BUT THE PROPOSED BUDGET FOR 2425 WOULD THEN BE EQUAL AMOUNTS OF REVENUE AND DEBT SERVICE.
SO NO CONTRIBUTION TO THE FUND BALANCE FOR DEBT SERVICE.
THAT'S THAT'S WHAT THE BUDGET WOULD BE.
AND INS AGAIN, HAS ITS OWN FUND BALANCE.
SO THEN WE'LL MOVE ON TO GENERAL OPERATING FUND.
AGAIN, THESE ARE THE BUDGET PRIORITIES THAT THE BOARD HAS ESTABLISHED.
SOME OF THE BUDGET CHALLENGES THAT WE HAVE EXPERIENCED, THINGS SUCH AS CUMULATIVE INFLATION OVER 20% A LACK OF AN INCREASE IN THE BASIC ALLOTMENT OR STATE FUNDING FUTURE ENROLLMENT PROJECTIONS, WHICH INCLUDE DECLINING ENROLLMENT, ESPECIALLY AT THE ELEMENTARY LEVELS, AND UNDERSTANDING, TOO, THAT SCHOOL FUNDING IS BASED ON THE AVERAGE DAILY ATTENDANCE OF STUDENTS.
IT'S NOT BASED ON THE TAX DOLLARS THAT IS RAISED.
IT IS BASED ON THE AVERAGE DAILY ATTENDANCE OF THE STUDENTS THAT ARE ATTENDING SCHOOL.
WE HAD A DECLINE IN ATTENDANCE RATES, AND THERE'S THINGS WE'RE DOING TO ADDRESS THAT.
[00:20:09]
ADJUSTED DOLLARS.AND IT SHOWS THAT FUNDING FOR PUBLIC SCHOOLS IS LOWER IN INFLATION ADJUSTED DOLLARS THAN IT WAS BEFORE THE LEGISLATURE INCREASED THE BASIC ALLOTMENT IN 2019.
NOW, THIS CHART CAME FROM THE LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD, WHICH IS PART OF THE STATE GOVERNMENT, AND IT INCLUDES THE $4 BILLION THAT WAS SET ASIDE FOR SCHOOLS AND PUT INTO THE STATE BUDGET, BUT HAS NOT COME OUT TO SCHOOLS.
SO SCHOOL DISTRICTS ARE STILL UNLIKELY TO RECEIVE ANY OF THAT $4 BILLION.
THEY KNOW THEY'RE STARVING US.
AND STILL THEY'RE PAYING LESS.
YES. SO THEN THIS CHART HERE WAS PUT TOGETHER BY MOCK CASEY.
AND THAT'S A GROUP THAT ALSO HELPS TO WORK WITH SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND THE COLUMN ON THE RIGHT WITH THE RED NUMBERS. WHAT THAT IS, IS THEY TOOK THE NUMBERS ON THAT LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD CHART AND THEY SAID, WELL, LET'S BACK OUT THAT $4 BILLION, BECAUSE WE DON'T REALLY EXPECT THAT THAT'S GOING TO COME TO SCHOOL DISTRICTS.
AND THEY LOOKED AT THE TOTAL INFLATION ADJUSTED STATE AND LOCAL DOLLARS.
THIS IS STATE AND LOCAL ONLY, NOT FEDERAL, BUT STATE AND LOCAL PER AVERAGE DAILY ATTENDANCE.
AND YOU CAN SEE IN 2020 IT WAS ABOUT $10,194 PER STUDENT.
BUT THEY'RE PROJECTING THAT BY 2025 IT WOULD BE 8737.
THEY CAN TELL YOU RIGHT NOW, IN 2023, IT WAS 9397.
THIS IS A STATE DRIVEN NUMBER.
SO THIS ACTUALLY PROVES OUT WHAT WE SAID WHEN HB THREE PASSED.
WE'RE LIKE, OKAY, WELL, WE'RE WAITING TO SEE HOW IT'S INTERPRETED.
IT'S GOOD. IT'S GOOD FOR NOW, BUT LET'S SEE HOW THIS ALL REALLY PLAYS OUT.
AND IT HAS PLAYED OUT AS DISMALLY AS WE THOUGHT IT WOULD WHEN HB THREE PASSED, I REMEMBER IT.
ONE OF THE WORKSHOP, WE SAID IF THEY DON'T KEEP ON ADDING TO IT, THERE ARE SO MANY STRINGS ATTACHED INTO IT, WE WILL ACTUALLY END UP WITH LESS MONEY AND WE'LL BE TOTALLY AT THEIR MERCY, WHICH IS EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED.
SO REALLY IT'S REPRESENTING IT QUOTES HERE, NEARLY A $1,460 DECLINE COMPARED TO WHAT SCHOOLS RECEIVED IN 2020. AND SO, MISS SIRCAR, THAT GOES BACK TO GOING BACK TO 2022, GOING OUT AND LISTENING TO THE KC TEISSL CONFERENCE.
AND YOU'RE NOT EVEN TALKING ABOUT IN THAT NUMBER.
THE NUMBER IS INCREASING EVEN MORE TO TRUSTEE SETHI POINT, IF YOU LOOK AT THAT ON AN AGGREGATE BASIS, THAT LOOKS LIKE 10 TO $12 BILLION BACK IN 2023, THAT NUMBERS LOOK LIKE YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT CLOSE TO $15 BILLION.
IF YOU DO ACROSS THE BOARD AND DO AVERAGES.
I MEAN, THIS IS HORRENDOUS TO SEE THE FACT THAT THEY'RE NOT LIVING UP TO WHAT THEY'RE REQUIRED TO DO BY LAW AND PUTTING DISTRICTS AND SUPERINTENDENTS AND ADMINISTRATORS IN A IN A BIND TO DELIVER SERVICES THAT IN THE 25TH MEETING THAT I LISTENED TO, I'M HEARING THAT SAME CONVERSATION ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT DO WE DO AND HOW DO YOU DO MORE WITH LESS? AND I KNOW DOCTOR HUNT, YOU TALKED ABOUT THAT MORE WITH LESS A LITTLE BIT IN THAT CONVERSATION AS WELL.
AND THIS HERE IS A FURTHER INDICATION.
EXACTLY. SO YES, NONETHELESS, OUR FUNDING IS IS NOT KEEPING UP WITH INFLATION.
CURRENTLY, THIS SLIDE WAS PRESENTED IN ONE OF OUR EARLIER WORKSHOPS.
AND AT THAT POINT IN TIME, WE WERE LOOKING AT ELEMENTARY ENROLLMENT IS ABOUT 83% OF CAPACITY.
[00:25:07]
TODAY. AND WE'LL PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION WHEN WE GET THIS YEAR'S SNAPSHOT DATA.SO ELEMENTARY ENROLLMENT IS PROJECTED TO DECLINE BY 100 OR MORE STUDENTS FOR THE NEXT THREE YEARS.
AND REALLY LOOKING AT AN IMPACT OF $3.4 MILLION REDUCTION IN STATE ENTITLEMENT JUST DUE TO THE REDUCTION OF THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS WE EXPECT IN THE DISTRICT.
MIDDLE SCHOOL ENROLLMENT IS PROJECTED TO REMAIN STEADY IN THE SHORT TERM, BUT THEN START LOSING, AND BY THE FIFTH YEAR, THAT WOULD BE ANOTHER $1.7 MILLION IN ENTITLEMENT THAT THE DISTRICT WOULD LOSE.
THE HIGH SCHOOL IS EXPECTED TO INCREASE ENROLLMENT BY A SMALL AMOUNT PER YEAR, AND THAT WOULD GIVE US ABOUT $2.3 MILLION, WITH A NET LOSS OF $2.8 MILLION BY THE FIFTH YEAR UNDER OUR CURRENT LAW.
SO WHAT HAS CISD DONE TO RESPOND TO SOME OF THESE CHALLENGES? ONE IS THE ATTENDANCE CAMPAIGN TO INCREASE ATTENDANCE RATES AND INCREASE FUNDING IN THE EFFICIENCY AUDIT.
WE LOOKED AT THE ATTENDANCE RATES, AND EVEN WITH RSD'S LOWER ATTENDANCE RATES, CISD HAS AN ATTENDANCE RATE 1.4% HIGHER THAN ITS PEER DISTRICTS AND 3.3% HIGHER THAN THE STATE AVERAGE.
SO WE DO A REALLY GOOD JOB OF GETTING OUR KIDS HERE.
WE NEED TO DO A BETTER JOB, BUT WE ARE TRYING TO MAXIMIZE OUR FUNDING AS WELL BY HAVING ALL THOSE KIDS IN SCHOOL, AND WE DO A PRETTY GOOD JOB OF THAT.
WE ARE COMMITTED TO THAT WORK.
I MEAN, IT REALLY WAS A A WOULDN'T EVEN CALL IT A SOFT.
OUR COMMUNICATION WITH COMMUNITY MEMBERS, AS WE JUST SHARED WHERE WE WERE WITH OUR BUDGET CHALLENGES, WHY WE WERE IN SOME OF THE POSITION, WHY WE'RE IN THE POSITION THAT WE'RE IN, SOME OF THE REASONS BEHIND THAT AND THAT I KNOW WAS VERY EYE OPENING TO COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
IT IS MORE ROBUST, MORE AGGRESSIVE, MORE POIGNANT AND HOPEFULLY WILL BRING US SOME RESULTS.
AGAIN, THAT WAS AT THE REQUEST OF THE BOARD AS WELL AS OUR OWN DESIRES.
KIDS LEARN BEST WHEN THEY'RE IN SCHOOL.
AND THEN CERTAINLY THE FINANCIAL PIECE, WHICH IS REALLY IMPORTANT FOR US RIGHT NOW.
SOMETIMES AS A PARENT, YOU WONDER, HOW CAN I MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THIS BUCKET? BUCKET. YOU KNOW, WHAT'S MY PERSONAL ACCOUNTABILITY AND RESPONSIBILITY? AND I THINK THAT IS JUST WHEN PEOPLE SAY, WHAT CAN I DO? YOU KNOW WHAT? HOW CAN WE HELP? THIS IS STEP ONE AND VERY CLEAR.
SO I'VE LEARNED A LOT EVEN FROM THE BEGINNING GRAPHICS.
WHEN YOU SEE THOSE NUMBERS, YOU KNOW, FIVE OR LESS RIGHT.
FIVE OR LESS. THIS IS THE IMPACT.
AND IT ANSWERS THE QUESTION OF HOW CAN I HELP? ANOTHER THING THAT RSD HAS DONE, RESPONDING TO THESE CHALLENGES, IS LOOKING AT WAYS TO BRING NEW STUDENTS INTO COPPELL ISD.
SO WITH THOSE MARKETING PLANS AND SOCIAL MEDIA PLANS AND INCREASING THE NEIGHBORHOODS INCLUDED IN OPEN ENROLLMENT, THE DISTRICT WILL BRING IN 1.5 TO $1.8 MILLION IN FUNDING FOR THOSE OPEN ENROLLMENT STUDENTS.
WITH THE DISTRICTS ALSO LOOKING AT FACILITY EFFICIENCIES AND UTILIZATIONS.
AND WE'LL BE COMING TO THE BOARD IN SEPTEMBER WITH SOME OF THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS AND TO ADD CLARITY ON THAT TOO, BECAUSE SOMETIMES I GET FROM COMMUNITY MEMBERS OR CONSOLIDATION. WHAT DOES THAT REALLY MEAN? I MEAN, THAT IS LOOKING AT ALL OF OUR SCHOOLS, YOU KNOW, CONSOLIDATING CAMPUSES, CLOSING CAMPUSES.
AND SO WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THAT FOR A LONG TIME.
WE'VE BEEN LOOKING AT ALL OF THAT.
AND THEN TO MR. CARR'S POINT ABOUT THE OPEN ENROLLMENT AND THE MARKETING PIECE, WE'RE DOING ALL THAT AGGRESSIVELY, BUT WE ALSO WON'T KNOW UNTIL REALLY BEYOND THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL HOW MANY OF OUR RETURNING STUDENTS ARE REALLY GOING TO BE IN CLASSROOMS WITH US, WHO HAS MOVED OVER THE SUMMER? WHO'S CHOOSING OTHER OPTIONS? AND SO WE'RE HOPEFUL THAT IT'S ALL GOING TO BE FAVORABLE.
BUT YOU NEVER KNOW AS MANY AS WE BROUGHT IN.
[00:30:02]
WE MAY HAVE SOME FAMILIES THAT ARE EXITING TOO.SO WE'RE LOOKING AT ALL OF THAT.
THAT'S WHERE WE'LL TALK ABOUT.
THIS IS ANOTHER OPTION TO WHERE EFFICIENCIES AND OUR STAFFING ARE COMING INTO PLAY.
THAT MIGHT MEAN THAT THERE COULD BE A POSSIBILITY OF ADDITIONAL WAIVERS.
WE CAN TALK MORE ABOUT THAT AT A LATER DATE.
BUT AGAIN, I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THE BOARD IS AWARE.
COMMUNITY IS AWARE WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THESE THINGS.
AND THEN IT'S LIKE, OH, THIS IS WHAT YOU ALL HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT FOR QUITE SOME TIME.
AGAIN, I FEEL LIKE WE SAY THIS EVERY MEETING, BUT WE'RE TRYING TO ATTRACT KIDS TO COVER COSTS THAT WE ALREADY WOULD HAVE TO SPEND BECAUSE OF THE CITIZENS THAT WE HAVE ENROLLED IN OUR DISTRICT. SO WE ARE TRYING TO GENERATE REVENUE TO OFFSET EXPENSES THAT WE WOULD HAVE, WHETHER THOSE OPEN ENROLLMENT KIDS CAME OR NOT.
CORRECT. TO FILL THE SEATS THAT ARE OPEN.
YES, YES. NOT TO ADD ADDITIONAL STAFF.
LOOKING AT WAYS TO REDUCE OVERALL EXPENDITURES.
WE'LL GET INTO THAT A LITTLE BIT MORE OF THAT LATER.
COPPELL ISD SPENDS OVER 80% OF EXPENDITURES OF THE BUDGET ON SALARY AND BENEFITS.
SO LOOKING AT WAYS TO REDUCE POSITIONS THROUGH ATTRITION.
ALSO REDUCING THE AMOUNT THAT WAS BUDGETED.
AND NEXT YEAR THE CITY OF COPPELL WILL BE FUNDING THOSE.
SO THAT'S A YEAR TO YEAR THING.
SO WE'RE NOT GOING TO COUNT ON THAT.
BUT NEXT YEAR, WE CAN COUNT ON THE CITY OF COPPELL FUNDING THOSE STUDENT RESOURCE OFFICERS.
AND THEN LOOKING AT WAYS TO OVERALL REDUCE OUR OPERATING EXPENDITURES.
AND THEN I KNOW I DON'T HAVE TO SAY THIS TO THE BOARD, BUT THE DISTRICT ALSO NEEDS TO COMMUNICATE TO OUR STATE REPRESENTATIVES ABOUT THESE BUDGET CHALLENGES AND AND HOW WE'RE FACING THEM.
AND MOST OF THESE ARE THE SAME AS THEY HAVE BEEN.
THE MAINTENANCE AND OPERATIONS TAX RATE WOULD BE REDUCED BY THAT 1.53 PENNIES.
BY ASSUMING THE PASSAGE OF EVADER, IT INCLUDES $2.4 MILLION IN REVENUE.
THE REFINED AVERAGE DAILY ATTENDANCE IS.
AS WE HAVE PROJECTED, WE HAVE ADDED IN THOSE OPEN ENROLLMENT STUDENTS THAT WE ARE ANTICIPATING OR THAT EXPRESSED AN INTEREST AND HAVE ENROLLED. SO WE'VE ADDED THAT INCREASED OUR ATTENDANCE RATE TO 96% AND MADE SOME ADJUSTMENTS BASED UPON PRE-K FUNDING.
IT INCLUDES THE 3% COST OF LIVING INCREASE FOR TEACHERS AND STAFF.
AND ANOTHER THING THAT I JUST WANT TO MENTION HERE WHILE THE DISTRICT IS CONTINUING TO PROVIDE $350 PER MONTH FOR HEALTH CARE FOR FULL TIME STAFF, THE TRES CARE HEALTH CARE PREMIUMS WENT UP BY ABOUT 11%.
SO THAT COST OF LIVING INCREASE THAT WE PASSED ALONG FOR TEACHERS AND STAFF IS IS COVERING THAT IF THEY'RE A SINGLE PERSON, BUT MAY NOT BE COVERING THAT IF THEY ARE A EMPLOYEE THAT IS COVERING THEIR ENTIRE FAMILY WITH HEALTH CARE.
SO THE LEFT HAND COLUMN IS THE NET REVENUE INCREASE $3.6 MILLION IN NET REVENUE.
WITHOUT THE VADER, THAT'D BE ABOUT $1.2 MILLION.
THE EXPENDITURES ARE ON THE RIGHT HAND COLUMN.
THE DISTRICT HAS REDUCED EXPENDITURES BY $5.5 MILLION.
BUT THEN WHEN WE'VE HAD TO ADD SOME EXPENDITURES BACK, BECAUSE WE DO HAVE CONTRACTED SERVICES THAT REQUIRE US TO INCREASE THEIR RATES SO THAT THEY CAN PROVIDE COST OF LIVING INCREASES TO THEIR EMPLOYEES AS WELL AS THE COST OF LIVING INCREASE THAT WE PROVIDED TO OUR OWN EMPLOYEES.
SO WE ARE LOOKING AT A NET OF ABOUT 864,000 REDUCTION IN EXPENSES.
SO WITH WITH OUR COST SAVING MEASURES AND EVERYTHING NOW WE WOULD.
YES TO BUY $2 MILLION? YES, WITH A LITTLE BIT MORE.
[00:35:01]
2.1, 3.6, 3.6 WITH THE VADER.WE DON'T KNOW THE LONG TERM EFFECT ON SOME OF THOSE CUTS.
SOME OF THAT IS EFFICIENCIES WITH SCHEDULING.
SOME OF THAT IS REVAMPING DIFFERENT SUPPORT PROGRAMS LIKE OUR DIGITAL LEARNING COACHES AND INSTRUCTIONAL COACHES. YOU KNOW, YOU DO WHAT YOU HAVE TO DO IN A TOUGH TIME, BUT LONG TERM, YOU KNOW, WHEN THAT HAS THE POTENTIAL TO AFFECT STUDENT OUTCOMES AND A STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT, THEN WE HAVE TO GO BACK AND RECONSIDER.
LIKE I SAID, WITH ELIMINATING SOME POSITIONS.
BUT ALL THOSE PEOPLE WERE DOING IMPORTANT WORK AND NONE OF THOSE POSITIONS WERE REPLACED.
AND SO YOU CAN DO THAT FOR SHORT TERM.
CAN YOU DO IT FOR LONG TERM? WE WON'T KNOW UNTIL WE START TO SEE WHAT SOME OF THOSE SOME OF THAT IMPACT COULD BE.
SO WE'RE MONITORING THAT AS A TEAM WHERE YOU KNOW, WE'RE LOOKING AT ALL OF THAT.
WE WON'T KNOW THAT UNTIL THE SCHOOL YEAR STARTS, TOO.
AND YOU JUST, YOU KNOW, WE JUST DO THE BEST WE CAN WITH WHAT WE HAVE AND WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW.
THAT'S AGAIN, ONE OF THE REASONS WHY WE'RE LOOKING MORE LONG TERM.
WHAT MIGHT SOME OF THESE SOLUTIONS BE TO HELP US WITH OUR BUDGET CHALLENGES? AND DOCTOR HOOD, TO YOUR POINT, I KNOW EVERY TIME YOU HAVE A LEGISLATIVE CYCLE COME ABOUT, OBVIOUSLY YOU HEAR THINGS YOU KNOW THROUGH THE GRAPEVINE, BUT ALSO AT THE END OF THE DAY, THINGS DO COME UP THAT ARE NOT NOT, NOT EXCUSE ME, THAT IS NOT KNOWN.
AND BECAUSE OF THAT, I THINK THAT ALWAYS IS A CAUTIONARY TALE IN THESE CONVERSATIONS, ESPECIALLY DURING THIS TIME, IT'S BECOMING MORE VICARIOUS IN THOSE THINGS THAT THAT COME ABOUT. TO YOUR POINT, AND I THINK THE LENIENCY OF YOUR STAFF TO IS IS A REAL CONCERN.
I KNOW IT IS FOR YOU ALL, BUT I THINK AS WELL, COMMUNITY MEMBERS AS WELL, BECAUSE THEY START ASKING FOR THINGS FOR THEIR KIDS AND IT'S LIKE, WELL, WE CAN'T DO THAT BECAUSE, SURE. WELL, AND, YOU KNOW, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE USING CONSERVATIVE STAFFING RATIOS.
WE'RE STAFFING BASED ON THE STUDENT POPULATION THAT WE HAVE NOW.
AND SO WE'RE LOOKING AT ALL OF THOSE, AGAIN, LOOKING FOR EFFICIENCIES, WANTING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE, YOU KNOW, BEING EFFICIENT NOT ONLY IN FACILITIES BUT ALSO WITH OUR STAFFING MODELS.
BUT I KNOW THAT THE DEMANDS THAT ARE PLACED ON EDUCATORS ARE GREAT.
AND SOME OF OUR STUDENT CHALLENGES ARE BIG.
AND SO WE WANT TO, AGAIN, MAKE SURE THAT OUR STUDENTS ARE BEING SUCCESSFUL ACADEMICALLY.
BUT WE'RE FOCUSING ON THE WHOLE CHILD AND RSD, AND THAT TAKES A GREAT PARTNERSHIP WITH OUR PARENTS.
BUT IT'S ALSO PROVIDING SUPPORT AT SCHOOL TOO.
ARE WE DOING LIKE BEGINNING OF YEAR SURVEYS OF STAFF? LIKE HOW? BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY STAFF RETENTION IS A FACTOR ON STUDENT OUTCOMES AND WHAT WE CAN PROVIDE TO THE KIDS.
SO CAN YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE THINGS THAT WE'RE DOING, AND ARE WE DOING THOSE AT THE BEGINNING OF THE SCHOOL YEAR, AND WHEN ARE WE GOING TO DO THOSE THINGS AGAIN FOR STAFF, FOR STUDENTS, AND ALSO FOR ANY PROGRAMS THAT MIGHT BE AFFECTED, YOU KNOW, BEGINNING AND MIDDLE OF THE YEAR, BEGINNING, MIDDLE AND END OF THE YEAR ARE ALWAYS JUST GOOD TOUCH POINTS.
WE DO A LOT OF THAT THROUGH OUR ASSESSMENT PIECES AS FAR AS STUDENT OUTCOME AND PERFORMANCE.
WE DO OUR EXIT SURVEYS AS WELL AS OUR STAY INTERVIEWS.
AND SO I THINK THAT MIGHT BE A WAY TO GAIN SOME OF THAT.
IT'S HARD FIRST OF THE YEAR, PEOPLE ARE STRESSED, BUT THEY'RE ALSO REALLY EXCITED.
BUT I KNOW THAT WE KIND OF TALKED THROUGH THAT THROUGH ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES.
I KNOW COMPONENTS OF THAT WILL HAPPEN THROUGH COMMUNICATIONS TOO.
I THINK TWO IS MR. HILL MENTIONED THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION AND YOU KNOW WHAT MIGHT COME OUT OF IT? I THINK WE NEED TO KEEP IN MIND HOW FAR BEHIND THE STATE IS, THOUGH, WHEN WE LOOK AT CONSTANT DOLLARS AND WE LOOK AT THE COST OF OF WHAT IT IS COSTING NOW TO RUN EVERY SCHOOL DISTRICT AND HOW FAR THE STATE IS BEHIND IN DOING THAT THERE.
I WOULD NEVER SAY NEVER, BUT I REALLY FIND IT HARD TO BELIEVE THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO CATCH UP IN ONE LEGISLATIVE SESSION AND PROVIDE US WITH THE DOLLARS THAT WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO SUSTAIN THE METHODS IN WHICH WE'RE ABLE TO RUN SCHOOL.
PLUS, THERE'S COMPETITION FOR THE DOLLARS, RIGHT? THAT'S NOT JUST PUB THAT THE GARDEN.
SO WHILE THERE'S A HUGE SURPLUS THERE, THE REALITY IS WE AREN'T THE ONLY ONES ASKING FOR IT.
[00:40:08]
OKAY, SO THIS IS THE PROPOSED REVENUE BUDGET, ABOUT $167 MILLION.YOU'LL SEE TAX REVENUES UP AT ABOUT 143.
IT'S ABOUT $10 MILLION MORE THAN THAT DRAFT BUDGET IN JUNE, WHICH IS THE SECOND COLUMN.
AND THAT'S BECAUSE WE NOW KNOW WHAT PROPERTY VALUES WENT UP BY.
BUT IT'S A IT'S STILL FROM 131 MILLION, WHICH IS WHAT WE ANTICIPATE COLLECTING THIS YEAR UP TO 143.
AND THEN HERE'S THE EXPENDITURE BUDGET BY FUNCTION 174, ABOUT $175 MILLION HERE.
BUT YOU'LL NOTICE THAT RECAPTURE GOES UP FROM ABOUT 22 MILLION TO 32 MILLION.
SO ABOUT $10 MILLION MORE IN RECAPTURE.
THE DISTRICT COULD COULD KEEP ABOUT 2.4 MILLION IN THAT FROM THAT TAX REVENUE.
IF THE VADER PASSES AND THEN THIS IS THE PROJECTED PROPOSED BUDGET IS IN THE VERY FIRST COLUMN AT ABOUT $7.5 MILLION, DEFICIT WOULD BE BUDGETED.
SO WE'RE REALLY LOOKING AT BETWEEN A FIVE AND $6 MILLION DEFICIT THAT WE MIGHT REALIZE THIS YEAR.
WE STILL HAVE YET TO CLOSE JULY.
BUT THAT'S WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT RIGHT NOW.
AND THE PROPOSED BUDGET IS WITH US, FULLY STAFFED.
THE PROPOSED BUDGET 2024, 2024, 25 IS WITH THE STAFF THAT WE HAVE.
YES. YOU MEAN 100% OF ALL OUR VACANCIES ARE FILLED? WE DON'T HAVE THAT MANY VACANCIES.
TRUE. BUT YES, EVERY POSITION IS FILLED EVERY SINGLE DAY.
THE ENTIRE SCHOOL YEAR? YES. AND SO IF, FOR EXAMPLE, IF SOMEBODY WERE TO HAVE TO RESIGN NEXT MONTH, THEN WE WOULD THE MONEY WOULD BE THERE FOR REPLACING THAT.
THAT TO ME THIS SLIDE SPEAKS A LOT OF ALL THE HARD WORK THAT'S GONE BY THE DISTRICT.
WHEN WE REMEMBER WHEN WE WERE MAKING THE BUDGET FOR 2324, WHICH WAS IN 2223 SCHOOL YEAR.
WE WERE LOOKING AT 13 TO $14 MILLION DEFICIT AT THAT TIME.
NOW OUR WITH OUR 2425 BUDGET AND WHAT CAME OUT TO BE 2324 BOTH YEAR COMBINED IS LESS THAN WHAT WE THOUGHT OUR TOTAL DEFICIT WOULD BE FOR ONE YEAR WHEN WE WERE PLANNING THIS TWO YEARS AGO.
SO A LOT OF EFFORT HAS GONE IN THE LAST TWO YEARS TO BRING OUR EXPENDITURE IN CONTROL.
SO TO ME, THIS WAS A GREAT SLIDE TO PUT THAT IN PERSPECTIVE.
SO THANK YOU FOR ALL THE HARD WORK.
WE'RE DEFINITELY MOVING THE NEEDLE IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION, BUT STILL A LOT OF WORK LEFT TO BE DONE.
AND AND AS WE KNOW THAT AS POSITIONS CAME UP AND THEY WEREN'T REPLACED.
WE'RE SAVING THOSE DOLLARS IN THIS YEAR AS WELL.
SO WE'LL BE SAVING THEM FOR NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET.
THEY WON'T BE IN NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET, BUT WE'RE SAVING THE DOLLARS THIS YEAR.
I WOULD ADD, I KNOW WE DID A LOT OF HARD WORK TO CUT THAT DEFICIT DOWN.
AND, YOU KNOW, BUDGET HASN'T BEEN REALIZED AT ALL.
BUT WE'VE ALSO BENEFITED FROM SOME ONE TIME.
YES. YOU CAN'T PLAN ON EVENTS THAT HAPPEN.
THAT HELPS WITH THE BIG CHUNK OF THAT.
YES. AND SO FOR EXAMPLE, THE THE IPADS IS A GREAT EXAMPLE.
THE IPADS AND THE, THE DEVICES THAT WERE BASICALLY SENT TO SALVAGE.
AND WE'RE ANTICIPATING 1.1 MILLION.
WE'VE GOTTEN ABOUT 450,000 OF THAT.
I DO NOT KNOW IF WE'RE GOING TO GET THAT CHECK IN THIS YEAR OR NEXT YEAR.
SO IF WE GET IT THIS YEAR, IT'S IN THOSE NUMBERS.
IF WE GET IT NEXT YEAR, THEN WE'LL HAVE THAT REVENUE COME IN FOR NEXT YEAR.
WELL, ONCE AGAIN, THANK THEM FOR THAT.
[00:45:04]
WE REALIZED A LOT OF THAT IN THIS IN THIS PARTICULAR FISCAL YEAR.SO THERE'S ALWAYS SOME OF THOSE THINGS.
THERE ARE ALWAYS SOME UNKNOWNS, ESPECIALLY TOWARD THE END OF THE YEAR.
THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS, WE'VE BEEN HIT WITH A, YOU KNOW, 250, $300,000 BILL FROM THE TAX OFFICE BECAUSE WE OWED TAXES BACK THAT THEY HAD PAID TO US BECAUSE PEOPLE'S PEOPLE'S PROPERTY TAX SUITS OR WHATEVER HAD BEEN SETTLED.
AND SO NOW THEY WERE GETTING A REFUND.
WELL, THAT MEANS WE HAVE TO GIVE THE MONEY BACK, TOO.
TO. SO UNFORTUNATELY, WE'VE SEEN A LOT MORE OF THAT.
WE'VE SEEN A LOT MORE OF THAT, THAT PEOPLE ARE FIGHTING THEIR PROPERTY TAXES.
BUT I THINK TO YOUR POINT, IT'S REALLY A COMPLIMENT OVER THE YEARS, BECAUSE EVERY YEAR YOU DO THIS AND EVERY YEAR YOU TALK TO US, YOU FIND WAYS THROUGH YOUR ORGANIZATIONS, THROUGH YOUR CONNECTIONS, THROUGH YOUR COMMUNICATION TO MAXIMIZE OPPORTUNITIES.
AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY DOESN'T DO THAT TO THE DEGREE THAT YOU DO IT.
AND REALLY THE LONG TERM RELATIONSHIP WITH THE CITY.
AND I THINK EVERYBODY NEEDS TO REALIZE THAT THAT IS NOT A COMMON PRACTICE.
IT DOES NOT HAPPEN EVERYWHERE.
AND SO THANK YOU FOR ALL OF THAT TO YOUR ENTIRE STAFF.
AND I THINK PEOPLE NEED TO UNDERSTAND THAT THAT IT IS NOT A COMMON PRACTICE EVERYWHERE.
I THINK WE TURN OVER EVERY ROCK WE CAN.
SO THIS IS THE WAY THE BUDGET LOOKS.
IN JUST IN COMPARISON, THE 2324 IS THE OUTSIDE CIRCLE.
THE 2425 IS THE INSIDE CIRCLE.
SO YOU'LL SEE THAT THE BUDGET IS STILL REMAINING RELATIVELY CONSISTENT.
AND THE PERCENT THAT'S BEING SPENT ON INSTRUCTION IS ACTUALLY GOING UP BY A PERCENT.
WE ARE DEDICATING MORE RESOURCES TO INSTRUCTION THAN WE DID IN THIS CURRENT YEAR.
AND SO THIS IS THE MULTIYEAR PROJECTION WHEN WE USE THE FINAL PROJECTED BUDGET, INCLUDING THE VADER, AND THEN WHAT? OUR ESTIMATED ENDING FOR THE 2324 SCHOOL YEAR IS.
SO YOU CAN SEE THAT THIS IS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT THAN IT WAS THE LAST TIME.
BUT IN ORDER FOR THE DISTRICT TO CONTINUE TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE, LET'S SAY, COST OF LIVING INCREASES, TO PROVIDE THAT LIVABLE WAGE FOR OUR STAFF, WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO LOOK AT WAYS WHEN WE CAN MAKE THOSE LONG TERM SUSTAINABLE COST REDUCTIONS.
SO YOU'LL REMEMBER BACK IN JANUARY, THIS WAS THE WAY THE SLIDE LOOKED.
AND IN AUGUST, THIS IS THE WAY THAT THE SLIDE LOOKS AGAIN, THAT FIRST COLUMN BEING 2223.
THAT WAS LAST YEAR AND THE SECOND COLUMN BEING THE END OF THIS YEAR.
AND THEN YOU'LL SEE THERE THAT IN THE END OF 25, 26, WE START GOING INTO THE YELLOW WHERE WE'RE GETTING INTO THE $40 MILLION RANGE, AND WE WANT TO KEEP THAT ABOVE 42 MILLION.
SO WE'VE WORKED HARD TO BUY A YEAR OF TIME, BUT WE STILL NEED TO FOCUS ON MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE MAKING THOSE LONG TERM SUSTAINABLE CHANGES.
SO PEOPLE DO HEAR THE SAME THINGS OVER AND OVER.
BUT ALSO SOME UPDATES LIKE DIANA SHARED NEW PROJECTIONS OF WHERE WE ARE, JUST WHERE WE ARE WITH SOME OF THIS WORK BIG DECISIONS AHEAD OF US TO, AS WE SAID, WE CAN MAKE DO FOR A WHILE, BUT LONG TERM WE NEED MORE.
WE WANT TO STAY COMPETITIVE WITH OUR TEACHER SALARIES, ALL OF OUR STAFF MEMBERS SALARIES.
AND IN ORDER TO DO THAT, WE'VE GOT TO HAVE THE FUNDS TO PAY FOR THAT.
DOCTOR HUNT, I'VE READ THAT MORE OF.
[00:50:02]
CUTS WE'RE MAKING.AND WHETHER IT'S SUSTAINABLE OR NOT, HOW ARE WE GOING TO QUANTIFY IT? TO ME, IT'S TWO PART OF QUANTIFICATION.
THAT IS STUDENT OUTCOMES IN ALL THE AREAS ACADEMICS ATHLETICS, FINE ARTS AND THE OTHER IS MORALE OF THE STAFF AND MORALE OF OUR STUDENTS IS DO THEY GET THAT PERSONAL ATTENTION? HOW MUCH MORE STRESS AND WORK PRESSURE OUR STAFF IS FEELING? SO HOW ARE WE GOING TO QUANTIFY THESE TWO THOUGHTS? SO THAT WHEN WE SAY WHEN WE IF WE ARE IN A SITUATION TO REVERT BACK ANY DECISION BECAUSE IT WASN'T SUSTAINABLE, WE ARE DOING IT OBJECTIVELY RATHER THAN SUBJECTIVELY.
SO IF YOU ARE BEING MORE EFFICIENT WITH SCHEDULING AND YOU'RE WANTING TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU YOU KNOW, ARE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF EMPTY SEATS IN CLASSROOMS, YOU KNOW, THAT COULD HELP WITH EFFICIENCIES, THAT COULD SAVE SOME FUNDS HERE AND THERE.
BUT WHAT DOES THAT DO TO THE MORALE OF THAT TEACHER? IF YOU'RE A FIRST YEAR TEACHER OR KNEW, YOU MIGHT NOT KNOW ANY DIFFERENT, SO YOUR BASELINE MAY BE THE SAME, BUT IF YOU'RE NOT USED TO THAT AS A RETURNING STAFF MEMBER, THAT COULD HAVE AN IMPACT.
SO YOU'RE MAKING THOSE CHANGES WITH CLASSROOM.
YOU'VE YOU HAVE CHANGES TO THE TEACHER SUPPORT THROUGH OUR COMBINED EFFORT NOW OF THE DIGITAL LEARNING COACHES AND THE INSTRUCTIONAL COACHES, MAYBE THEY'RE, YOU KNOW, STILL ABLE TO PROVIDE SUPPORT AND RESOURCES.
BUT IF IT WASN'T THE SAME LEVEL AS IT WAS LAST YEAR, HOW DOES THAT IMPACT WHEN YOU DON'T HAVE POSITIONS ANYMORE THAT YOU WERE RELYING ON PEOPLE TO DO? YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT THOSE THINGS ARE SOMETIMES UNTIL THEY'RE NOT THERE ANYMORE.
YOU KNOW, YOU TRY TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY HAS THEIR DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES COVERED.
BUT THERE ARE CERTAIN PEOPLE THAT HAVE AFFINITY FOR CERTAIN THINGS THAT ARE JUST REALLY GOOD AT IT.
AND SO YOU DON'T KNOW IF IT'S THAT.
YOU ALSO DON'T KNOW IF IT'S CHANGE OF LEADERSHIP.
WE'VE HAD SOME MOVEMENT AMONGST OUR PRINCIPALS.
WE'VE GOT SOME GREAT EIGHT PRINCIPLES THAT ARE IN PLACE FOR THIS COMING SCHOOL YEAR.
ALL OF THEM WERE IN CISD IN A DIFFERENT ROLE LAST YEAR, BUT THEY'RE ALL NEW TO THEIR ROLE THIS YEAR.
YOU KNOW, HOW DOES THAT HAVE AN IMPACT.
SO IT'S IT'S IT'S HARD TO KIND OF REALLY DETERMINE MORE THAN JUST STAFF SEEING BLOW STAFF.
SOME OF THAT, YOU CAN PUT YOUR FINGER ON SOME OF THAT, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THAT IS MORE QUANTITATIVE.
IF WE DO SEE OR QUALITATIVE, IF WE DO SEE A DECLINE IN STUDENT PERFORMANCE, IF WE ARE NOT SEEING NOT JUST WITH STAAR INTERCOURSE, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE MORE THAN THAT ONE TEST ONE DAY, BUT HOW IS IT IMPACTING PERFORMANCES AND OTHER ACADEMIC LEVELS KIND OF YET TO BE DETERMINED? I DON'T KNOW. OTHER THOUGHTS FROM THE TEAM ON THAT.
I THINK WE'VE CONTINUED TO PUT SOME THINGS IN PLACE, THOUGH, NOT JUST CUTS AND POSITIVE WITH THE CALENDAR THAT'S BEEN BUILT OUT WITH US HAVING TWO CREW STAFF WORK DAYS IN PREPARATION FOR THE YEAR AND CONTINUING TO ALLOW TEACHERS AND STAFF TO BE REMOTE ON THOSE DAYS IF THEY CAN BEST PREPARE THEIR LESSONS AT HOME OR GET THINGS DONE, OR JUST RECOGNIZE THAT SOME OF THEM COME UP BEFORE CONTRACTS ACTUALLY START TO DO SOME THINGS.
ALSO, A LOT OF THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR AND EVEN PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT THROUGHOUT THE YEAR HAS BEEN GIVEN BACK TO CAMPUSES, SO IT CAN BE MORE FOCUSED ON WHAT'S TAKING PLACE ON THEIR CAMPUS.
DOCTOR BROOKS AND HER TEAM HAVE DONE A LOT OF ALIGNMENT PIECES IN RECENT YEARS TO GET SYSTEMS ACROSS THE DISTRICT IN PLACE, AND NOW REFINING THOSE AS CAMPUS TEAMS HAS BEEN REALLY POSITIVE.
WHILE THESE CONVERSATIONS ARE HARD YOU KNOW, WE CAN'T FORGET THAT SALARY AND WHAT YOU ALL WERE ABLE TO APPROVE OR DID APPROVE FOR SALARY INCREASES WAS VERY MEANINGFUL TO THE STAFF.
AND SO WHILE THESE CONVERSATIONS ARE HARD.
THEY'RE WATCHING AND LISTENING TO.
YES, IT MIGHT MEAN CHANGE, BUT IF THAT MEANS NOT ONLY WILL THEIR POSITION BE MAINTAINED, BUT WITH COST OF LIVING AND RAISE INCREASES IN RECENT YEARS, THAT REALLY IS POSITIVE WITH MORALE.
DOCTOR HUNT AND THE ADMINISTRATIVE TEAM EVERY NINE WEEKS MEETS WITH THE SUPERINTENDENT TEACHER ADVISORY COMMITTEE, WHERE THERE ARE REPRESENTATIVES FROM EVERY CAMPUS THAT ARE ABLE TO GIVE INPUT ABOUT WHAT'S WORKING ON CAMPUSES, WHAT'S NOT WORKING, WHAT ARE THE CONCERNS, YOU KNOW, IN REAL TIME, FACE TO FACE WITH ALL OF US.
[00:55:01]
AND I'M SURE WE WILL LOOK AT SOME MORE FORMALIZED SURVEYS.WE HAVE BEEN STRATEGIC WITH STATE INTERVIEWS IN RECENT YEARS WHERE WE REALLY HAVE BEEN TARGETING AND TALKING TO THOSE IDENTIFIED AS TEACHERS OF THE YEAR ON CAMPUSES, OUR EMPLOYEES THAT RECEIVE THE GEM AWARDS, BECAUSE THOSE ARE THE EMPLOYEES THAT WE WANT TO HEAR.
THEY'RE DOING GREAT THINGS AND WHAT'S ALLOWED THEM TO DO THAT.
WHAT ARE THEIR FRUSTRATIONS AND STRUGGLES? SO WE'LL CONTINUE WITH THOSE PIECES IN PLACE MOVING FORWARD.
I DON'T WANT THE RIGHT WORD. I WAS GOING TO SAY ENJOY AND I DON'T KNOW.
AND SO AS WE'RE WORKING FOR EFFICIENCIES, TEACHERS SEE THAT? AND YES, FOR SOME THAT'S A CHANGE THAT THEY HAVE TO ADJUST TO.
BUT FOR OTHERS THEY SEE THAT, WOW, IT'S AN EQUITY PIECE.
I HAVE HAD 21 AND 22 STUDENTS IN MY CLASS THE LAST 3 OR 4 YEARS.
SO NOT EVERYTHING IS IS NECESSARILY NEGATIVE TO ALL PEOPLE.
AND SO I DON'T THINK THERE'S ONE QUICK SURVEY OR FIX, BUT WE HAVE TO BE ON THE CAMPUSES, IN THE CLASSROOMS, YOU KNOW, WITH THE DIFFERENT COMMITTEES THAT ALL OF US SHARE, REALLY LISTENING AND HEARING, YOU KNOW, WHAT? WE'RE WHAT'S BEING SAID BY EVERYBODY ACROSS THE DISTRICT.
DOCTOR HOOD OR ANY OF THE MEMBERS OF THE CABINET, HAS THERE BEEN ANY RESEARCH DONE? BECAUSE I THINK ONCE AGAIN, I THINK A LOT OF STUFF ORGANIC, TRYING TO DO EVERYTHING INTERNALLY AND FIGURE IT OUT.
THAT'S A LONG ROAD CONSIDERING ALL THE WORK THAT YOU ALL HAVE GOT GOING ON, BUT HAS ANY RESEARCH BEEN DONE IN THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS THROUGH TSA OR SOME OTHER ORGANIZATIONS TO KIND OF LOOK AT THIS, TO GET KIND OF A BASELINE OF, HERE'S SOME THINGS THAT WE'RE SEEING ACROSS THE BOARD IN THE STATE OF TEXAS OR EVEN NATIONALLY, ANY RESEARCH DONE TO THAT DEGREE AT THIS POINT.
I DO KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU WATCH THE NEWS AND YOU HEAR ABOUT TEACHER BURNOUT AND TEACHER TURNOVER AND JUST THE STRESS THAT PEOPLE IN PUBLIC EDUCATION ARE FACING. SO I THINK, YOU KNOW, TO THIS POINT, WE'RE TRYING TO STAY POSITIVE.
WE'RE TRYING TO DO THE BEST THAT WE CAN.
WE REALLY EMPHASIZE OUR MISSION STATEMENT OF WORKING TOGETHER AS KIND OF THE KEY, BUT WE ALSO HAVE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT IT IS HARD TO BE IN PUBLIC ED RIGHT NOW. AND SO WE JUST DO THE BEST WE CAN TO TRY TO REALLY SUPPORT ONE ANOTHER, ENCOURAGE ONE ANOTHER, MAKE SURE OUR PRINCIPALS PRINCIPLES ARE THERE TO SUPPORT OUR STAFF.
THERE MAY BE SOME, YOU KNOW, MORE CONCRETE RESEARCH.
I DO KNOW, THOUGH, IT'S NOT UNIQUE TO COPPELL ISD.
I MEAN, OTHERS ARE FACING IT, TOO.
AND THAT'S THE REASON I ASKED THAT QUESTION.
THEY I'M SURE THERE'S SOMETHING WITH CHARLES BUTTS FOR SURE.
GO AHEAD. I WAS GOING TO SAY I, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE HAD SOME STUDIES DONE WHERE WE'VE LOOKED AT STAFFING MODELS, ESPECIALLY IN SPECIFIC PROGRAMS, AND MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE STAFFING APPROPRIATELY FOR THOSE AND LOOKING AT WAYS IN WHICH WE CAN BE MORE EFFICIENT.
SO WE'VE HAD SOME OF THAT WORK DONE FOR US TO TELL US WHAT WE WHICH WAY WE SHOULD BE GOING.
ALSO, EVEN WITH PROGRAMS HAVE HAD SOME STUDIES DONE TO HELP US TO MAKE SURE WE'RE INVESTING THE DOLLARS IN THE RIGHT PROGRAMS. I THINK BACK TO MR. SETHI'S POINT, YOU KNOW, HOW DO WE KNOW WHAT TO ADD BACK? WELL, IT MIGHT NOT BE THAT WE WANT TO ADD BACK THE SAME THINGS THAT WE HAVE HAD TO REDUCE.
IT MAY BE THAT THERE ARE OPPORTUNITIES TO IMPROVE STUDENT OUTCOMES BY ADDING DIFFERENT THINGS BACK WHEN THE TIME IS RIGHT, WHEN THE FUNDS ARE THERE, AND WHEN WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO DO THAT.
SO I THINK THAT'S THOSE OPPORTUNITIES ARE WHAT WE NEED TO LOOK FORWARD TO.
AS OPPOSED TO JUST THINKING ABOUT WHEN CAN WE GET WHEN CAN I GET THAT POSITION BACK? WHICH IS A REALLY GOOD POINT.
AND I THINK WITH OUR STRATEGIC PLANNING WORK AND WHAT MISS BROWN HAS DONE AS WE'VE ELEVATED OUR STRATEGIC DESIGN TO THE NEXT LEVEL, YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE SOME OF THOSE PARTS AND PIECES THAT WE HAVE THAT MAKE US A DESTINATION SCHOOL DISTRICT OR THAT WE MAYBE WANT TO DO DIFFERENTLY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE MAINTAIN THAT STATUS AND AGAIN, THAT OUR
[01:00:08]
STAFFING RATIOS ARE COMMISERATE WITH OUR CURRENT ENROLLMENT BECAUSE SOME OF THOSE POSITIONS MIGHT HAVE NATURALLY GONE AWAY BECAUSE WE'VE LOST SOME STUDENT ENROLLMENT.AND SO WE WANT TO BE EFFICIENT.
WE WANT TO USE THOSE STAFFING MODELS.
LIKE YOU HAD MENTIONED, WE'VE DONE SALARY STUDIES, AS SIRCAR SAID, TOO.
WE'VE BROUGHT IN OUTSIDE GROUPS.
YOU KNOW, WE'VE SHARED THIS WITH THE BOARD TO WHERE THEY HAVE REVIEWED CERTAIN PROGRAMS THAT WE OFFER AND AND GIVE US COMPARATIVE TO WHERE WE ARE WITH OTHER SCHOOL DISTRICTS, BOTH STATE AND NATIONAL.
I MEAN, THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE DIDN'T TAKE ADVANTAGE RIGHT OUT OF THE GATE.
WE'VE KIND OF REALLY TAKEN OUR TIME TO MAKE SURE THAT WE WERE READY TO TO TACKLE THAT.
AND AND THERE ARE STILL PIECES THAT WE'RE STILL WORKING THROUGH ON THAT.
BUT WE GOT NOTIFICATION EARLIER THAT WE'RE RIGHT WHERE WE NEED TO BE AS FAR AS OUR NEXT STEPS.
KAREN DUCAR, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF HR, IS HELPING TO IMPLEMENT THAT.
AND SO THAT IS SOMETHING AGAIN, TO RECOGNIZE GREAT TEACHING ONE OF OUR BIG IMPORTANT CORE VALUES AND MAKE SURE THAT OUR TEACHERS IN THE CLASSROOMS ARE HAVING THEIR NEEDS MET. THERE ARE ALSO SOME THINGS WE'VE DONE IN SOME PURCHASES WE'VE DELIBERATELY MADE.
STEPHANIE FLORES, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF INTERVENTION SERVICES, BROUGHT FORWARD TO CABINET.
YES, IT WAS IS AN INCREASED COST IN THE BUDGET, BUT A SOFTWARE PROGRAM THAT HELPS WITH ALL OF THE PAPERWORK THAT GOES ALONG WITH CONSIDERING STUDENTS FOR ANY OF THE PROGRAMS UNDER THE INTERVENTION SERVICES UMBRELLA.
I'LL TURN AROUND AND LOOK AT OUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF TECHNOLOGY, DWIGHT GOODWIN.
YOU KNOW, WE'RE EXPLORING NOT ONLY FOR STUDENTS, BUT FOR STAFF.
SO. TRUSTEE WALKER YEAH, I WOULD, I WOULD DEFINITELY, FIRST OF ALL, START OFF BY WANTING TO AMPLIFY MANISH AND ANTHONY, ALL THOSE WORDS OF THE AMAZING WORK THAT HAS GONE INTO THESE NUMBERS.
I DON'T KNOW, I DID NOT EXPECT TO SEE THIS KIND OF MOVEMENT IN THIS WAY.
SO JUST TO SAY ALOUD WHAT THEY SAID SO WELL AS WELL ALSO, DIANE, AS A SIDE NOTE, I LOVE THE VISUALS.
I'M A VISUAL LEARNER, BUT TO BE ABLE TO SEE THIS AND TAKE SO MUCH INFORMATION AND UNDERSTAND IT, I JUST WANT TO SAY OUT LOUD THAT REALLY HELPS ME MAKE IT ACCESSIBLE SO THAT I CAN UNDERSTAND IT VERY MUCH.
AND THEN I WANTED TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHEN WHAT DO I NEED MOVING FORWARD FOR LONG RANGE BUDGET PLANNING? I'LL JUST REITERATE AS WE MOVE FORWARD INTO CONSOLIDATION AND THOSE TYPES TALK, YOU KNOW WHAT WE'VE SAID.
WE'VE SAID CHOICES PROS AND CONS GIVE US OPTIONS.
AND THEN AS WE TALK ABOUT PROGRAMS AND THINGS I THIS IS WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE.
I WE HAVE DONE SUCH AN AMAZING JOB.
I FEEL LIKE COMMUNICATIONS BUILDING TRUST WITH OUR COMMUNITY.
AND SO I WOULD SAY WHAT I NEED AS WE CONTINUE MOVING FORWARD IS TO CONTINUE WITH THAT TRUST.
I THINK A BIG PART OF THAT IS NO SURPRISES.
AND IF THERE'S GOING TO BE SOMETHING THAT AFFECTS STUDENTS DIRECTLY, THAT IS DIFFERENT THAN WHAT THEY EXPECTED, THAT THERE'S COMMUNICATION WITH PARENTS WELL IN ADVANCE, I THINK, AND I'M SPEAKING SPECIFICALLY AROUND THE GT CHANGE AT THE MIDDLE SCHOOL.
AND I WOULD ECHO ALSO AT TRUSTEE BENTLEY.
WHAT YOU SAID AND HOW ARE WE GOING TO CHECK TO SEE HOW THESE KIDS ARE DOING WITH A MAJOR PROGRAMMATIC CHANGE? AND I KNOW THIS ISN'T THE THE FIRST AND ONLY WE HAVE THINGS THAT WE CAN CONTROL AND WE CAN CONTROL LETTING OUR PARENTS KNOW THINGS IN ADVANCE.
ESPECIALLY IF YOU ENROLLED FOR SOMETHING IN THE SPRING AND THEN TWO WEEKS BEFORE SCHOOL BEGINS.
IT IS A TOTALLY DIFFERENT COURSE.
I THINK THERE NEEDS TO BE A RAMP UP FOR OUR PARENTS THAT THAT IF THEY'RE GOING TO WALK ALONG WITH US AND MAKE THESE CUTS, THEY NEED TO HAVE NO SURPRISES AND BE NO IN FUTURE.
AND THEN TO Y'ALL'S POINT, HOW ARE WE GOING TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR STUDENTS ARE TAKEN CARE OF OR HOW HOW THEY LOOK WHEN WE DO PROGRAM CHANGES? SO I YOU SAID IT BEAUTIFULLY.
HOW ARE WE GOING TO MEASURE HOW THESE KIDS ARE DOING IF WE CHANGE THINGS DRAMATICALLY?
[01:05:01]
AND SO THAT WE ARE THEN ABLE TO GO IN AND RECTIFY AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.SO I KNOW I FEEL LIKE WE WE'VE MADE SUCH STRIDES.
YOU KNOW, WE LEARN FROM THINGS AS WE GO.
BUT I JUST WOULD SAY SLOW AND STEADY WINS THE RACE.
DOES THAT DOES THAT RESONATE? I'D LIKE TO ADD TO THAT, BUT I'D LIKE TO ADD THE EDUCATORS, BECAUSE A LOT OF TIMES WE TALK ABOUT CHANGES ARE MADE AND THE PEOPLE THAT ARE ON THE GROUND FLOOR ARE THE ONES THAT ARE IMPACTED THE MOST, AND THEY'RE CAUGHT BETWEEN A ROCK AND A HARD PLACE BECAUSE NOT NECESSARILY OF THEIR OWN CALLING, BUT THEY'RE TRYING TO DELIVER.
AND HOW DO THEY FEEL ABOUT THAT? I MEAN, I WAS HAVING A CONVERSATION WITH A AN EDUCATOR.
THE FIRST THING THEY SAID IS NOBODY EVER ASKED ME HOW I FELT.
NOBODY EVER ASKED ME, YOU KNOW, ABOUT PARTICIPATING IN THE CHANGES BEING MADE.
MANY TIMES WE ASK PEOPLE TO GIVE FEEDBACK AND THEY SAY, WELL, DID HE DID THEY GIVE YOU FEEDBACK? AND NO, THEY DIDN'T. WHY? BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T FEEL LIKE THEY WERE PART OF THE PROCESS TO BEGIN WITH.
SO WHY SHOULD I GIVE YOU FEEDBACK.
ALL THE PIECES COME TOGETHER THAT DRIVE THESE OUTCOMES, NOT JUST 1 OR 2 FACTORS.
IT'S ALL OF THEM COLLECTIVELY TOGETHER.
WE'VE GOT REALLY GREAT PROCESSES IN PLACE FOR ALL OF US KNOWING WHAT TO EXPECT.
AND WE'RE ALL DOING A GOOD JOB.
I THINK IN THAT REGARD, AND AS WE MOVE FORWARD AND REALLY DIFFERENT THINGS THAN WE NEED TO CHANGE THAN WHAT HAS PREVIOUSLY HAPPENED IN OUR COMMUNITY, I FEEL LIKE WE'VE GOT TO FIGURE OUT IN ADVANCE WHAT ARE THE PROCESSES GOING TO BE FOR BACK TO THE EVALUATION, LIKE, OKAY, LIKE IF IT'S A PROGRAM, HERE'S HOW WE'RE GOING TO EVALUATE PROGRAM SUCCESS OR FAILURE QUALITATIVELY AND QUANTITATIVELY.
AND WE AREN'T FUMBLING AROUND TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW WE'RE GOING TO DO THAT.
BUT WHETHER IT'S FACILITIES OR PROGRAMS, WE WE HAVE TO GO IN.
I FEEL LIKE TO DECISIONS, KNOWING HOW WE'RE GOING TO EVALUATE IF WHAT WE DID WORKED OR DIDN'T WORK.
AND THEN AFTER WE DO AN ITERATION, IF WE NEED TO TWEAK IT A LITTLE BIT BECAUSE WE MISSED SOMETHING OR WE DIDN'T KNOW EVERYTHING THAT WE SHOULD HAVE BEEN MEASURING OR LOOKING AT, BUT I THINK WE'VE GOT TO BE LOOKING AT THE QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE, AND I THINK WE JUST HAVE TO DECIDE WHAT THOSE THINGS ARE GOING TO BE.
I THINK IT GOES TO TRANSPARENCY AND COMMUNICATION AND NO SURPRISES FOR BOTH OUR COMMUNITY AND STAFF.
AND I THINK IT GIVES US A COMMON LANGUAGE AROUND THE TABLE, WHICH WILL HELP US FIGURE OUT WHERE WE NEED TO TWEAK THINGS OR BRING SEE SOME OPPORTUNITY WE DIDN'T SEE BEFORE. BUT I JUST FEEL LIKE WITHOUT THAT IN ADVANCE, WE COULD MAKE A LOT OF DECISIONS IN SEPTEMBER THAT MAY OR MAY NOT BE THE RIGHT ONES.
SOMETHING I'D LIKE TO ADD TO MY THOUGHT IS, I LIKE WHAT YOU SAID.
RECYCLING IS SIRCAR MR. WHAT WE BRING BACK MAY NOT BE EXACTLY WHAT WE TOOK AWAY.
BECAUSE, AGAIN, GROWTH MINDSET, WE ARE ALWAYS LEARNING SOMETHING NEW.
WHEN WE ARE, WE DO HAVE PROCESSES TO TAKE A PULSE BOTH QUALITATIVE AND QUANTITATIVE, OF OUR STAFF, OF OUR STUDENTS. BUT IF WE COULD PAY A LITTLE BIT MORE EXTRA ATTENTION OR TO A LITTLE BIT EXTRA WORK AROUND THE CHANGES WE ARE MAKING GROUP BEING A GREAT EXAMPLE, RIGHT.
THAT WILL BE COULD BE ONE OF THE MULTIPLE CHANGES THAT MIGHT COME UP IN NEXT YEAR OR SO.
[01:10:09]
MIGHT HAVE COME BECAUSE OF THE CHANGES WE MADE.BUT WE NEED SOME KIND OF TRIGGER POINT TO KNOW THAT THIS CHANGE IS BECAUSE OF SOME BASIC CHANGES WE RECOMMENDED IN A PROGRAM OR IN FACILITIES OR WHATEVER CHANGES THAT WILL COME UP IN NEAR FUTURE.
SO IF YOU COULD MODIFY OR ENHANCE OUR EXISTING PROCESSES AND PROCEDURES TO KEEP TRACK ALONG THE CHANGES WE ARE RECOMMENDING, AND IT BEING JUST ONE OF THE INITIAL STEPS THAT WILL HELP US LOOK AT THINGS MORE OBJECTIVELY, BOTH FROM STAFF AND TRUSTEES PERSPECTIVE.
WHAT DOES IT DO FOR GT TEACHERS BECAUSE THEY'RE HAVING TO NOW LOOK AT BOTH COURSEWORK.
THEY MIGHT BE VERY WELL TRAINED TO DO THAT EXCEPTIONALLY WELL.
AND WE DON'T HAVE TO LOOK AT IT AGAIN.
BUT IF WE DO SEE SOME KIND OF NOT SO FAVORABLE RESULTS, EITHER IN OUR IMAP OR ANY OTHER KIND OF SCORES OR JUST TEACHERS MORALE IN GENERAL, THEN WE KNOW IT'S BECAUSE OF THIS CHANGE.
SO AS WE'RE MOVING PROGRESS, WE MIGHT HAVE TO GO A STEP FURTHER IN OUR PROCESSES TO KEEP TRACK OF BOTH QUALITATIVE AND QUANTITATIVE. PULSE CHECK.
WE DO BOTH FOR OUR STUDENTS AND STAFF.
AND I CAN TELL YOU IT HAS PAID OFF DIVIDENDS.
YOU KNOW, BY LEAPS AND BOUNDS WHEN WE COME TOGETHER AND HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS.
EVERYBODY KNOWS AT A HIGH LEVEL, RIGHT? FROM A BOARD PERSPECTIVE, THIS IS THE NORTH STAR.
THIS IS WHY WE'RE GOING THERE.
AND THEY FOLLOW IT WITH THE DETAILS.
AND WE'VE DONE THEY'VE DONE A LOT OF PILOT PROGRAMS AS WELL.
ESPECIALLY ON THE COMMITTEE THAT I CHAIR, I GET TO HEAR THAT.
AND IT IS ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT IT COMES TOGETHER QUITE WELL.
RIGHT. AND IT REMOVES THE BOARD FROM GETTING DOWN INTO THE NITTY GRITTY DETAIL, BECAUSE ONE OF THE THINGS I THINK UNDERLYING THAT I HEAR IN YOUR COMMENTS IS TRYING TO KEEP THE BOARD OUT OF THE DETAILS AND KEEP YOU AT A HIGH LEVEL WHILE RESPECTING THE INTEGRITY AND KNOWLEDGE OF THE STAFF THAT ARE BRINGING THE RECOMMENDATIONS UNDER THE SUPERINTENDENT. ABSOLUTELY.
IT'S NOT OUR JOB TO FIGURE OUT WHAT CHANGES TO BRING.
OUR JOB IS JUST TO MONITOR THAT WE ARE KEEPING IT A DESTINATION DISTRICT.
OUR PROGRAMS ARE SERVING OUR COMMUNITY THE WAY THEY WERE BEFORE, OR EVEN BETTER.
IT'S KIND OF TOUGH TO MEASURE THE THINGS THAT MATTER THE MOST, WHICH IS QUALITATIVE FACTORS.
LIKE FOR EXAMPLE, HOW MUCH BURDEN EXTRA ARE YOU PUTTING ON TEACHERS.
BECAUSE IF THERE'S A LEARNING COACHES AREN'T AVAILABLE.
BUT NOT ONLY THAT, BUT WHAT ABOUT A TEACHER WHO WANTS A PATHWAY OUT OF THE CLASSROOM.
EVENTUALLY YOU WANT TO TRY SOMETHING DIFFERENT.
BUT THAT POSITION IS NO LONGER THERE, SO THEY CAN'T TRY THAT AND SEE IF THEY WANT TO COME BACK.
YOU CAN PAY SOMEBODY EXTRA ALL YOU WANT, RIGHT? BUT IF YOU PUT LIKE SIX PEOPLE'S JOBS ON OUR BACKS, EVENTUALLY THEY'RE GONNA BE LIKE, YOU KNOW WHAT? I'M DONE. I'M NOT GOING TO DO THAT ANYMORE.
SO AS WE STILL THINKING ABOUT, YES, WE'RE MAKING A LOT OF GREAT PROGRESS IN TERMS OF WHAT WE CUT NOW AND TO YOUR POINT, LIKE, YES, WE'VE DONE THAT, BUT HOW LONG IS THAT SUSTAINABLE FOR OUR TEACHERS, FOR OUR STUDENTS? THE QUANTITATIVE DATA, I THINK, WILL COME AS WE AS WE SEE OUTCOMES.
SOME OF THE THINGS THAT ARE QUALITATIVE ON THE TEACHER SIDE AS WELL AS THE KIDS.
IT'S HARD TO MEASURE, ESPECIALLY LIKE GT, FOR EXAMPLE.
RIGHT? YOU GOT A QUIRKY KID WHO'S WHO DOESN'T.
BUT IF IT'S A LARGER SETTING MAYBE I WON'T SAY ANYTHING.
YOU CAN'T MEASURE THAT, RIGHT?
[01:15:01]
IT'S HARD. IT'S HARD TO HARD TO FIGURE OUT.BUT THEN YOU'RE ON A SCALE OF, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S REALITY VERSUS I'M JUST TRYING TO SEE WHAT I CAN DO.
YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS I THINK I WOULD NEED FOR, LIKE, LONG TERM BUDGET PLANNING BEFORE WE JUST TALK ABOUT THAT IS LIKE, IF WE'RE GOING TO MAKE A CHANGE TO, LIKE A PROGRAM OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, WHAT IS AND I THINK FACILITIES PLANNING TOOL WILL PROBABLY HELP A LITTLE BIT WITH THAT TOO, IN TERMS OF BUT I DON'T WANT LIKE THE OUTCOME I NEED LIKE WHAT WERE THE INPUTS INTO THAT.
LIKE DID WE HAVE LIKE STAGNANT ENROLLMENT IN THIS PARTICULAR THING? AND THEN CAN WE NOT QUANTIFY DID THAT HAVE THE OUTCOMES THAT IT NEEDED ON THE OUTSIDE.
YOU KNOW, LIKE THOSE KINDS OF THINGS.
THAT'S WHERE MY MIND WOULD GO.
WHY? YOU KNOW, WHY WAS THIS IN THIS STATE RIGHT NOW? LIKE, WERE PEOPLE NOT INTERESTED IN IT? IS THIS ONE OF THOSE PROGRAMS THAT.
YES, IT WAS GREAT FOR THE TIME THAT IT WAS IN, BUT NOW IT IS NO LONGER HAVING THAT ATTRACTION.
AND THEN WE NEED TO SWAP IT OUT LATER FOR A HIGHER VALUE PROGRAM THAT WILL BE OUR DESTINATION SCHOOL DISTRICT PIECE OF THE FUTURE, RIGHT? THAT'S HOW THAT'S HOW I WOULD BE THINKING.
IT'S LIKE, OKAY, THIS IS RUN ITS COURSE.
AND NOW WE CAN TRY TO RETOOL AND MOVE FORWARD.
I THINK YOU MENTIONED IT, AND I FORGOT WHOEVER SAID IT, YOU SAID IT TOO.
BUT LIKE, THAT DOESN'T NECESSARILY MEAN THAT THEY'RE GOING TO FIX OUR FUNDING.
LIKE WE HAVE TO PREPARE FOR THE WORST YET.
IF THE VOUCHER THING, WHICH IS LIKE THE TRUMPET FOR EVERYBODY WHO WANTS TO DO THIS NOW THAT RIGHT NOW AT LEAST THE NUMBERS WE'VE TALKED ABOUT IN THE LAST SESSION, WHICH WILL RESULT IN THE $4,000 NET LOSS FOR EVERY KID THAT GOES OUT OF HERE.
RIGHT. SO THEY WANT TO TAKE TEN, BUT THEY ONLY GIVE US SIX IN THE BEGINNING.
AND THE OTHER I THINK MAYBE THE BIGGEST, BIGGEST THING I'M WORRIED ABOUT IS LIKE THIS TEACHER IMPACT ON THE LONG TERM CUTS BECAUSE I MEAN, IT'S A LOT LIKE IF YOU START IF YOU IF YOU'RE BEING WAY TOO EFFICIENT BY PUTTING, GOING TO THE MAX OF EVERY, EVERY CLASSROOM, EVERY ROOM AND THEN SLIMMING DOWN ALL THE SUPPORT THAT YOU WANT.
LIKE, THAT DOESN'T MAKE DELIVERING EDUCATION, WHICH IS LIKE THE BREAD AND BUTTER.
RIGHT? THAT'S WHY WE PAY MOST OF THE, THE, OUR SALARY TO THE TEACHER.
I WANT YOU TO HAVE THE MOST SUPPORT.
I WANT YOU TO BE ABLE TO BE THE MOST CREATIVE AND BE ABLE TO, YOU KNOW, LOSE YOUR JOB.
AS WE DID FOR THE CONVOCATION.
I THOUGHT IT WAS AWESOME, THE CONVOCATION PIECE.
BUT TO ALLOW TO DO THAT, THOSE SUPPORT ENVIRONMENTS THAT NEED TO BE THERE.
DO EITHER OF YOU GUYS HAVE ANYTHING TO ADD? I JUST I WAS JUST THINKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, JUST I MEAN, WITH ALL THE CHANGES GOING ON WITH OUR BUDGET AND DECISIONS THAT ARE STILL COMING UP.
I 100% AGREE WITH WHAT YOU SAID, LEE, THAT WE HAVE A TRACK RECORD OF DOING THINGS A CERTAIN WAY.
WE TAKE INPUT FROM ALL THE STAKEHOLDERS.
EVERYBODY FEELS LIKE FEELS THAT THEY'RE INVOLVED.
THAT EVEN WITH CHANGES THAT WERE PROPOSED WE THERE WAS RESEARCH, THERE WAS A DATA BEHIND THAT, THAT WHY WE ARE DOING THAT HALF DAYS CONTINUE OR NOT CONTINUE THINGS LIKE THAT AND THAT I THINK THAT THAT WAS A GREAT PROCESS COMING UP WITH THAT CHANGE.
I WOULD SAY JUST THAT LET'S JUST KEEP THAT TRANSPARENCY AND OPEN COMMUNICATION MOVING FORWARD.
I PERSONALLY DON'T THINK, JUST LIKE WE DON'T HAVE TO BELIEVE THAT CHANGE IS GOING TO BE BAD, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, HOW THE CHANGE IS PROPOSED. AND JUST TO LET EVERYONE SEE THAT THERE IS SO MUCH WORK THAT GOES BEHIND PROPOSING ANYTHING AND NOT EVERYONE KNOWS ABOUT THAT.
SO THAT WOULD BE REALLY, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING TO JUST KIND OF KEEP WORKING ON.
[01:20:05]
THANKS. THANK YOU, ANTHONY.I MEAN, I THINK, YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY'S TOUCHED ON KEY POINTS.
I THINK AT THE END OF THE DAY, I THINK THE LEGISLATURE DOES HAVE AN IMPACT.
I THINK THE LOCAL CONTROL COMPONENT, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THAT SINCE I'VE BEEN ON THE BOARD HAS BEEN MORE AND MORE OF A CHALLENGE, AND THE LEVEL OF STATE CONTROL HAS INCREASED EXPONENTIALLY.
AND TO MRS. SIRCAR POINT ABOUT FINDING OPPORTUNITIES.
AND I BELIEVE THAT THIS IS GOING TO BE AN INFLECTION POINT FOR DISTRICTS, BECAUSE AT THE END OF THE DAY, IF YOU DON'T HAVE ENOUGH DOLLARS, WE CAN'T PRODUCE THE DOLLARS OURSELVES.
Y'ALL DO A PHENOMENAL JOB AND Y'ALL HAVE DONE THAT.
THAT'S WHY WE'VE HAD THIS CONVERSATION FOR FOUR YEARS.
BUT AT SOME POINT YOU ONLY CAN DO SO MUCH.
I MEAN, THEY NEED THEY NEED DOLLARS TO LIVE ON AND THEY NEED TO HAVE THE CONFIDENCE IN THIS PROCESS.
AND IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT WE CAN CONTROL.
UNFORTUNATELY, IF WE COULD, WE WOULDN'T BE HAVING THIS CONVERSATION.
BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, THOSE THINGS HAVE TO COME TOGETHER.
WE CAN'T ASK ANGELA BROWN OVER THERE TO COMMUNICATE THINGS THAT WE CAN'T BRING INTO EXISTENCE.
AND WE CAN'T ASK DOCTOR HUNT TO KEEP TRYING TO DO PHENOMENAL THINGS.
WE NEED SUPPORT AND WE NEED IT AT THE STATE LEVEL.
BUT I'M THE MOST OPTIMISTIC PERSON IN THE WORLD, AND I'VE BEEN HERE GOING ON 18.
THE OPTIMISM IS STARTING TO WEAR THIN BECAUSE WE NEED SOME REALITY.
AND THAT REALITY IS, IS DOLLARS TO SUPPORT OUR PEOPLE.
EVERYBODY IS DOING THEIR PART.
COMMUNITIES ARE PAYING HIGHER TAXES.
WE ARE TRYING TO MAKE OUR DOLLAR STRETCH AS MUCH AS WE CAN.
IT'S JUST WE NEED SOME ACTION FROM AUSTIN.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER COMMENTS FROM BOARD MEMBERS? WELL, AS WE WRAP UP, I WANT TO REMIND EVERYONE THAT INPUT AT COPPELL ISD IS OUR SOURCE OF ENGAGEMENT.
ENGAGEMENT IS ONE OF OUR CORE VALUES.
THAT'S THE WAY WE'VE BEEN ASKING, AND WE'VE BEEN RECEIVING A LOT OF INPUT FROM THE COMMUNITY.
LAST YEAR ESPECIALLY, I MEAN, WE'VE BEEN DOING THIS CLOSE TO FOUR YEARS NOW.
BUT LAST YEAR, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE WERE DOING OUR BUDGET ROADSHOWS, WE HAD OVER ALMOST 4000 TOUCH POINTS WHERE WE GOT FEEDBACK FROM PEOPLE, SO IT MIGHT NOT HAVE BEEN DISCUSSED.
YOU KNOW, WE SAID EVERYTHING IS ON THE TABLE AND SO EVERYTHING IS ON THE TABLE.
AND MAYBE NOT TO THE DETAIL THAT THAT MAYBE THE BOARD IS ASKING FOR, BUT WE CAN CERTAINLY DO THAT.
BUT A LOT OF WHAT WE'VE BEEN BRINGING TO YOU ALL IS FEEDBACK THAT WE HAVE RECEIVED FROM STAFF.
SO THERE, YOU KNOW, I KNOW YOU'VE TALKED TO EVERYBODY.
EVERYBODY GIVES YOU GOOD FEEDBACK.
I'M NOT SAYING THAT THERE WASN'T SOMEBODY THAT DIDN'T, YOU KNOW, HAVE THEIR SHOULDER TAPPED.
BUT, YOU KNOW, I HOPE THEY ALWAYS KNOW THEY CAN GO TO THEIR PRINCIPAL.
THEY ALWAYS KNOW THEY CAN REACH OUT TO US.
LIKE WE SAID, THE TEACHER'S ADVISORY GROUP THAT MEETS ON A REGULAR BASIS.
WE HAVE THE DISTRICT EDUCATION IMPROVEMENT COMMITTEE THAT'S MADE UP ALMOST PRIMARILY OF TEACHERS.
BUT I ALSO KNOW UNTIL STUFF'S WRITTEN ON PAPER, SOMETIMES PEOPLE DON'T SEE THAT OR UNDERSTAND THAT.
WE HAD BEEN TALKING ABOUT INCREASING PRICES, INCREASING FEES THAT HAD BEEN TALKED ABOUT FOR A WHILE.
AND THEN WHEN WE SENT OUT THAT THE BUS FEES WERE GOING TO BE HIGHER.
I PROBABLY GOT MORE ON THAT THAN GT MIDDLE SCHOOL.
AND I'M NOT SAYING THAT THAT'S NOT IMPORTANT, TOO, BUT I THOUGHT, HOW COULD PEOPLE NOT KNOW THAT WE HAD BEEN TALKING ABOUT THAT? HOW CAN YOU NOT KNOW THAT FEES ARE GOING TO GO UP WHEN YOU JUST GO TO THE GROCERY STORE AND PRICES INCREASE? BUT I ALSO KNOW UNTIL IT HITS USE, YOU SOMETIMES DON'T ACCEPT THAT OR UNDERSTAND THAT, BUT I JUST WANT TO BE REAL CLEAR.
[01:25:01]
WE'LL CONTINUE TO GIVE INPUT.THEY SEE WHERE OTHER PEOPLE ARE.
THEY SEE THEIR CASELOAD VERSUS OTHERS THERE.
I MEAN, THEY'RE QUICK TO SHARE THAT WITH ME.
I WOULD ASSUME THEY'RE ALSO SHARING THAT WITH THEIR PRINCIPALS WHERE THEY SHOULD BE.
THEY OBSERVE THAT, THEY WATCH THAT.
AND SO WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE TAKING CARE OF THEM TOO.
WE ARE RELYING HEAVILY ON INPUT FROM OUR COMMUNITY AND STILL WANT INPUT.
I KNOW WE'LL SEND SOMETHING OUT AFTER THIS MEETING TODAY ASKING FOR THE SAME THING.
IF ANYBODY HAS ANY IDEAS ON ANYTHING, ALWAYS REACH OUT.
OKAY. DOES ANYBODY HAVE A MOTION? I MOVE, WE ADJOURN.
I'LL SECOND. WE HAVE A MOTION BY TRUSTEE SETHI, SECONDED BY TRUSTEE HILL THAT WE ADJOURN.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? MOTION PASSES SIX ZERO.
THANK YOU EVERYBODY. THANK YOU.
ANOTHER.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.