OKAY. THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE LAMAR CONSOLIDATED INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT IS CALLED TO ORDER AT 6:31 P.M.. [1. Call to order and establishment of a quorum] [00:00:10] THIS IS A SPECIAL BOARD MEETING BEING HELD ON AUGUST 5TH, 2024. WE HAVE A QUORUM WITH ALL MEMBERS PRESENT. SEVEN MEMBERS. AT THIS TIME, WE WILL TAKE ACTION ON THE CONSENT AGENDA. [3. CONSENT AGENDA] ARE THERE ANY ITEMS THAT THE BOARD WOULD LIKE TO PULL? YES. I'M SORRY. OKAY, SO WE WILL PULL THREE E CONSIDER APPROVAL OF POLICY CW LOCAL. OKAY. LET'S PULL THAT. WE HAVE NO PUBLIC PARTICIPATION. ALL RIGHT. MAY I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE CURRENT CONSENT AGENDA WITH THE EXCEPTIONS OF THREE E? I'LL MAKE A MOTION. TRUSTEE BRUNZELL MAKES A MOTION. DO I HAVE A SECOND? SECOND. TRUSTEE EUBANKS SECONDS. ANY DISCUSSION? I NOW CALL CALL FOR THE VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR OF THE APPROVING THE CURRENT CONSENT AGENDA? SAY AYE. AYE. ANY OPPOSED? I'M SORRY. CAN YOU SAY CURRENT CONSENT AGENDA WITH. OKAY. YES, ABSOLUTELY. ALL RIGHT. I NOW CALL FOR THE VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR OF APPROVING THE CURRENT CONSENT AGENDA. WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THREE E SAY AYE. AYE. ANY OPPOSED? THE MOTION CARRIES. ALL RIGHT, SO NOW WE'LL PULL THREE E. [3.E. Consider approval of policy CW (Local)] JUST A SECOND. HE'S READY. ALL RIGHT. IF HE NEEDS THEIR PRESENTATION, HE WILL. YES, MA'AM. OH. DO WE GO TO DISCUSSION? YES, MA'AM. WE GOT IT. WE GOT TO MAKE A MOTION AND SECOND. AND THEN. OKAY. MAY I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE CONSENT ITEM THREE. OH, I'LL MAKE IT. ALL RIGHT. TRUSTEE SECONDS. ANY DISCUSSION? YES. OKAY. AFTER READING OVER THIS. AND THANK YOU, MR. WELCH. IT'S DIFFERENT FROM WHAT YOU SENT ME LAST YEAR. A LITTLE MORE EASIER TO UNDERSTAND, BUT ONE OF THE THINGS I'M CONCERNED ABOUT. AND IT DOESN'T MAKE IT PERFECTLY CLEAR, ALTHOUGH IT DOES STATE IN HERE ABOUT NAMING OF A SCHOOL OF A PERSON THAT WORKS FOR THE DISTRICT. WE'RE ABOUT READY TO OPEN TWO SCHOOLS WHERE BOTH THOSE THERE'S TWO INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE SUBBING OR STILL WORKING FOR THE DISTRICT, EVEN THOUGH THEY'VE RETIRED, BUT THEY'VE COME BACK. SO EITHER WE NEED TO SET THING IN HERE. THAT RETROACTIVE OR THIS WILL BE SOMETHING FOR FUTURE NAMING OF SCHOOLS. YES, MA'AM. I CAN ANSWER THAT. SO POLICY WHEN IT'S WHEN IT'S WHEN IT IS APPROVED, IT'S IT'S TIME STAMPED THROUGH TASB. AND SO THAT POLICY DOES NOT IS NOT RETROACTIVE. IT'S ONLY MOVING FORWARD. OKAY. AND SO THE EMPLOYEES THAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE WORKING FOR US WITH SCHOOLS NAMED FOR THEM, THIS WON'T THIS WON'T IMPACT THEM, BUT IT WILL IMPACT US MOVING FORWARD IF THE BOARD APPROVES IT TONIGHT. OKAY. BUT I JUST WANT TO MAKE THAT CLEAR. BECAUSE IF SOMEONE STARTS READING THAT AND GETS CONCERNED ABOUT THE TWO SCHOOLS THAT WERE OPENING UP IN 2025, THOSE ARE PEOPLE THAT STILL BRING THEIR SERVICES TO OUR DISTRICT, EVEN THOUGH THEY HAVE RETIRED FROM THE DISTRICT. BUT THEY'RE COMING BACK IN. YES, MA'AM. THE BOARD HAS ALREADY TAKEN ACTION TO NAME THOSE SCHOOLS AFTER THEM. AND SO FOR FUTURE REFERENCE, YOU KNOW, WE WE NAME HIGH SCHOOL NUMBER 10 OR 9, THEN THIS BOARD, THIS POLICY WILL BE IN EFFECT, AND I DIDN'T KNOW IF WE WANTED TO PUT IN THERE AND EXTENUATING CIRCUMSTANCES, BECAUSE I WOULD HATE TO HAVE A PERSON THAT DECIDED TO RETIRE FROM THE DISTRICT. SO DOWN THE LINE, THEY DO HAVE A SCHOOL NAMED AFTER THEM, AND THEN THEY COME BACK WANTING TO SUB BECAUSE WE NEED THEM, YOU KNOW. SO I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT EACH BOARD WOULD HAVE TO TAKE UP TO SEE IF THEY WOULD LIKE TO ACCEPT THAT, OR WE'RE JUST NOT GOING TO LET ANYBODY EVER AGAIN ONCE THEY LEAVE, HAVE A NAME, SCHOOL, WORK FOR THE DISTRICT IN ANY CAPACITY. YES. WELL, THE POLICY IS BOARD POLICY. SO IT'S REALLY AT THE DIRECTION OF THE BOARD. SO IF YOU LIKE, THE TRUSTEES WOULD LIKE TO ADD THE LANGUAGE. WE CAN, BUT YOU KNOW WE WORK AT THE WILL OF THE BOARD. ISN'T ISN'T THE AREN'T SUBS NOT ARE THEY ACTUAL EMPLOYEES OR ARE THEY, AREN'T THEY CONSIDERED A CONTRACT EMPLOYEE? THEY ARE. BUT THEY I MEAN, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN LOOK AT THEM, YOU KNOW, BOTH WAYS. I'M JUST WONDERING IF IT WOULD REALLY AFFECT A SUB. YEAH. WELL, IT'S JUST THEY'RE STILL GETTING MONEY FROM THE DISTRICT. IT COULD. IT COULD. IT JUST DEPENDS ON, YOU KNOW. NOTHING'S EVER A PROBLEM UNTIL IT IS SO. SO IT COULD. IT COULD. SO, YOU KNOW, IF THE BOARD WANTS TO DO THAT, IT WOULD BE GOOD TO SAFEGUARD IT. [00:05:01] IF YOU DON'T, THEN WE WOULD JUST MOVE FORWARD. BUT THE WAY IT WILL READ IS THAT WE WOULD NOT ALLOW ANYONE TO COME BACK IN AN EMPLOYMENT STATUS AFTER THE BOARD APPROVES IT TONIGHT. TEMPORARY OR FULL TIME. SO COULD WE CHANGE THAT? WE COULD MAKE A A MOTION TO AMEND. THE MOTION TO AMEND IT. YES, MA'AM. NOT INCLUDE SUBSTITUTE TEACHERS OR THAT IT'S BUS DRIVERS AS WELL AS I WAS REFERRING TO. YEAH. YEAH. I THINK IT SHOULD JUST BE SOMETHING THAT NEEDS TO, ON A CASE BY CASE BASIS AND BRING IT TO THE BOARD. YEAH. IN PERSON. MAKE AN EXCEPTION IF WE SO CHOOSE, BECAUSE IT'S NOT GOING TO HAPPEN VERY OFTEN. IT JUST HAPPENS THAT WE DO HAVE TWO OF THOSE. AND I DON'T WANT THEM TO THINK THEY CAN'T DO THEIR WORK FOR OUR DISTRICT BECAUSE THEY'RE VERY GOOD RIGHT NOW, WHAT THEY DO. SO WHAT WOULD YOU SUGGEST THE VERBIAGE BE? WE IT SAYS HERE, HOWEVER, THE BOARD MAY CONSIDER AN EXEMPTION IF THE EMPLOYEE HAS PROVIDED DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION WITH NOTE CONFIRMING THE EMPLOYEE'S INTENTION TO VOLUNTARILY SEPARATE FROM SERVICE WITH THE DISTRICT AT THE CONCLUSION OF THE DUE YEAR. CAN WE JUST PUT SOMETHING THAT SAY THE BOARD MAY CONSIDER AN EXCEPTION? YEAH. IN SUCH CASE OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, MAYBE THAT A BOARD MIGHT CONSIDER IF A PERSONNEL WISHES TO RETURN IN A DIFFERENT CAPACITY, WE COULD WE COULD SAY SOMETHING. HOWEVER, THE BOARD CONSIDER AN EXCEPTION TO THE POLICY IF BROUGHT TO BY THE ADMINISTRATION. CORRECT. SO MAKE THE MOTION BECAUSE WE GOT A GOT TO MAKE A MOTION TO AMEND. RIGHT. AND THEN COME BACK TO OKAY. SO GOT TO MAKE A MOTION TO AMEND. LET ME WRITE IT UP. I'LL JUST MAKE THE MOTION AND THEN WE'LL DO OKAY. I WANT TO MAKE A MOTION TO AMEND THE POLICY TO BRING EXCEPTIONS TO A BOARD TO CONSIDER EMPLOYMENT AFTER RETIREMENT OF A PERSON THAT IS HAVING A SCHOOL OR A FACILITY. IT'S NOT DONE NECESSARILY. WE CAN PUT FACILITY IN THERE. IS THERE A SECOND? A SECOND MOTION TO AMEND BY TRUSTEE DANZINGER A SECOND BY TRUSTEE BOX. SO NOW WE VOTE ON THE AMENDMENT. NOW WE NEED TO VOTE ON THE AMENDMENT. SO I WILL CALL FOR THE VOTE OF THE AMENDMENT. ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE. I. ALL OPPOSED. ANY OPPOSED? NONE. THAT MOTION CARRIES TO AMEND THE POLICY. THREE. NOW WE NEED TO VOTE. NOW WE NEED TO CALL ON THE VOTING OF ACCEPTING THE MOTION AS AMENDED. I'LL MAKE THAT. BUT WE ALREADY DID. WELL, WE HAVE TO DO THE VERBIAGE. DO IT AGAIN. DO THE VERBIAGE. YES. LET'S MAKE A MOTION TO ACCEPT THE VERBIAGE. I WILL MAKE THE MOTION TO ACCEPT CW AMENDED. OKAY. IS THERE A SECOND? I'LL SECOND. TRUSTEE BRONZELL SECONDS. I WILL NOW CALL FOR THE VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR, SAY AYE. AYE. AYE. AYE. ANY OPPOSED? THE MOTION CARRIES, AS AMENDED. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. WE WILL NOW HAVE REPORTS AND PRESENTATIONS ON THE FUTURE ACTION ITEMS. [Items 4.A & 5.A] DOCTOR EVANS. ALL RIGHT, TRUSTEES, WE HAVE MISS LUDWICK TO COME TO THE PODIUM. OUR CFO. THERE WE GO. THIS EVENING I WILL COVER BOTH ITEMS FOUR A AND FIVE A WITH THIS ONE PRESENTATION. THE BULK OF THE PRESENTATION IS TO PROVIDE AN UPDATE ON WHERE WE ARE WITH THE 2425 BUDGET. BUT TONIGHT YOU WILL ALSO BE APPROVING SOME ITEMS THAT ARE REQUIRED BY THE COMPTROLLER'S OFFICE TO BE PUBLISHED IN FORMAL NOTICES REGARDING OUR BUDGET FOR NEXT YEAR. SO WITH THAT, I'LL GET STARTED. AS YOU'RE AWARE, THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES HAS TO FORMALLY ADOPT THREE DIFFERENT BUDGETS THE GENERAL FUND, CHILD NUTRITION AND DEBT SERVICE BUDGETS AND ALSO APPROVE SOME TRUTH AND TAXATION ITEMS. THE GENERAL FUND AT THIS POINT IN TIME IS IN A POSITIVE SITUATION OF A LITTLE OVER $500,000. WE ARE SHOWING A PROPOSED REVENUE BUDGET OF $473.8 MILLION AND EXPENDITURES OF $473.3 MILLION, [00:10:03] GOING INTO A LITTLE BIT OF DETAIL ON THE REVENUE BUDGET. IT INCLUDES REVENUES FROM THREE DIFFERENT SOURCES LOCAL, STATE, AND FEDERAL SOURCES. LOCAL REVENUES ARE AT 207.983 OR ALMOST $208 MILLION. THE BULK OF THOSE REVENUES ARE FROM PROPERTY TAXES. IN ADDITION TO PROPERTY TAXES. IN THAT CATEGORY ARE THINGS LIKE INTEREST, ATHLETIC REVENUES, ENTERPRISING MONEY RENTALS, THINGS LIKE THAT. IN THE STATE CATEGORY OF $264 MILLION, WE HAVE THE BULK OF THAT COMES FROM OUR STATE FUNDING FORMULA, AS WELL AS TRS ON BEHALF PAYMENTS, WHICH IS REALLY A BOOK ENTRY THAT HITS BOTH THE REVENUE AND THE EXPENDITURE SIDE OF THE BUDGET FROM FEDERAL SOURCES. WE HAVE $1.7 MILLION ESTIMATED. THE BULK OF THAT IS FROM OUR MEDICAID OR SHARS PROGRAM REVENUE. SO THE TOTAL THERE IS $473.8 MILLION. IN ADDITION TO THE BROAD CATEGORIES, WE'RE REQUIRED TO DISCUSS A LITTLE BIT ABOUT OUR PROPERTY VALUES WITH THE BOARD AND THE PUBLIC DURING OUR BUDGET PROCESS. SO AN UPDATE IN THE AREA OF OUR VALUES IS OUR VALUES WERE CERTIFIED BY THE FORT BEND CENTRAL APPRAISAL DISTRICT ON JULY 25TH, WHICH IS THE DATE THAT THEY'RE REQUIRED TO CERTIFY. OUR VALUES USED FOR OUR TAX LEVY ESTIMATE WERE AT $28.049 BILLION DOLLARS FOR THIS NEXT YEAR. THAT'S AN INCREASE OF 12.28% OVER THE 2023 TAX YEAR VALUES. IF YOU'LL RECALL, AT OUR LAST MEETING, WE WERE USING 10.6%. SO OUR VALUES CAME IN A LITTLE BIT HIGHER THAN THAN WE WERE USING. WITH THE PRELIMINARY ESTIMATES. WE'RE USING A TAX RATE OF 0.666 $0.09. THAT IS MADE UP OF OUR MAXIMUM COMPRESSED TAX RATE OF 0.616 $0.09. THAT IS DETERMINED BY A PRESCRIBED CALCULATION FROM THE STATE. AND THEN WE HAVE ADDED $0.05 IN ENRICHMENT PENNIES THAT THE BOARD ADOPTED PREVIOUSLY. UNDER THE CATEGORY OF STATE AID, WE HAVE, WE'RE USING 46,174 STUDENTS IN ENROLLMENT. AND WE ACTUALLY HIT 46,000 TODAY. SO IT LOOKS LIKE WE'RE GOING TO BE CLOSE ON THE ESTIMATE. WE'RE USING A 94.5% TAX ATTENDANCE RATE. SO OUR REFINED AVERAGE DAILY ATTENDANCE THAT WE'RE USING IN THE FUNDING FORMULA IS 43,634.43 STUDENTS. WE DO HAVE SOME ALLOTMENTS IN THE FUNDING FORMULA THAT ARE PRORATED DUE TO STATE GUIDELINES OR STATE ESTIMATES. ONE IN PARTICULAR IS OUR FAST GROWTH ALLOTMENT. IT IS TYPICALLY AROUND 28 MILLION, AND WE'LL GET ABOUT 25 MILLION OR 26 MILLION OF THAT DUE TO PRORATION. AND THAT'S WHEN THE STATE HITS THE MAXIMUM IN LAW. BUT THE INDIVIDUAL SCHOOL DISTRICTS TOTALS COME UP HIGHER THAN THAT MAXIMUM AMOUNT THAT THEY HAVE TO SPEND ON THAT ALLOTMENT. SO EVERYONE GETS PRORATED ACCORDINGLY. MOVING TO THE EXPENDITURE SIDE, OUR ESTIMATE IS $473.3 MILLION, WITH THE BULK OF THAT BEING IN SALARIES AND BENEFITS TOTALING $398.4 MILLION. THE NEXT LARGEST CATEGORY OF EXPENDITURES WOULD BE PROFESSIONAL AND CONTRACTED SERVICES. WE'RE AT 40.8 MILLION THERE. THAT INCLUDES UTILITIES, PROFESSIONAL CONTRACTS, COPIER RENTALS, THINGS LIKE THAT. SUPPLIES AND MATERIALS. WE'RE AT 23.4 MILLION, OPERATING COSTS AT 8.7 MILLION, AND CAPITAL OUTLAY JUST UNDER 2 MILLION. SALARIES AND BENEFITS MAKE UP OVER 84% OF OUR BUDGET. AS YOU REMEMBER, THE BOARD BUDGET COMMITTEE MADE SALARY INCREASES A TOP PRIORITY, AS DID THE REMAINDER OF THE BOARD, AND EARLIER THIS YEAR, RAISES WERE ADOPTED BY THE BOARD. THE STARTING TEACHER SALARY FOR THIS NEXT YEAR IS 64,100. TEACHERS AND OTHER STAFF PAID ON THE TEACHER'S HIRING SCHEDULE WILL BE RECEIVING A RAISE. THAT'S A FLAT AMOUNT OF $2,000. ALL OTHER STAFF WILL RECEIVE 3% OF MIDPOINT. THERE WAS NO INCREASE IN BENEFIT OR HEALTH INSURANCE PREMIUMS THIS YEAR, SO ALL OF THE STAFF WILL ACTUALLY SEE THEIR RAISE. [00:15:07] IT WON'T BE TAKEN UP WITH INCREASES IN OTHER COSTS. WE ALSO USED A ZERO BASED BUDGETING APPROACH APPROACH THIS YEAR, SO THAT WE COULD ENSURE THAT ALL BUDGETS WERE CAREFULLY THOUGHT OUT AND EVERYONE STARTED AT ZERO AND HAD TO JUSTIFY ALL OF THEIR EXPENDITURE BUDGETS. WITH THAT, I'LL MOVE ON TO CHILD NUTRITION. THAT IS A SELF SELF BALANCING FUND. SO THE REVENUES AND EXPENDITURES WILL BE $31.4 MILLION, WITH THE BULK OF THAT ALSO BEING IN PAYROLL AND BENEFIT COSTS, AS WELL AS SUPPLIES AND MATERIALS. THESE COSTS ARE FINANCED THROUGH MAINLY FEDERAL AND LOCAL SOURCES, WITH A LARGE PERCENTAGE BEING FROM FEDERAL SOURCES AND THE REST BEING FROM MEAL SALES. PAYROLL AND BENEFITS ARE AT 14.1 MILLION, AND SUPPLIES AND MATERIALS AT 16.9 MILLION. MOVING TO THE DEBT SERVICE FUND. THAT ONE IS THE FUND THAT'S DEDICATED TO PAYING DEBT SERVICE ON THE BONDS THAT WE HAVE. OUTSTANDING. THE BULK OF THE THE RESOURCES THAT WE USE TO PAY THOSE THOSE BOND COSTS ARE THE PROPERTY TAXES. WE DO HAVE A SEPARATE INS TAX RATE THAT THAT GENERATES A TAX LEVY. SO WE ARE EXPECTING $143.1 MILLION IN TAX REVENUE. THEN WE ALSO HAVE DELINQUENT TAXES WHICH ARE TAX COLLECT TAXES COLLECTED ON ACCOUNTS THAT WEREN'T PAID IN THE YEAR THAT THEY WERE LEVIED. SO WE HAVE DELINQUENT TAXES, PENALTIES AND INTEREST OF 550,000 BUDGETED. AND WE ALSO HAVE INTEREST EARNINGS OF 16.4 MILLION. THAT WOULD BE CURRENT INTEREST THAT'S EARNED ON THE FUND BALANCE IN JUST THAT FUND, AS WELL AS CAPITALIZED INTEREST THAT WAS GENERATED FROM PREVIOUS BOND SALES. WE HAVE STATE HOLD HARMLESS FUNDING FOR DEBT SERVICE. THAT'S PART OF OUR STATE FUNDING FORMULA. WE'RE ESTIMATING AT $18 MILLION. AND SO REVENUES AND OTHER RESOURCES TOTAL $178.1 MILLION. THAT WILL COVER BOND PRINCIPAL INTEREST AND FEES. BOND PRINCIPAL THIS NEXT YEAR IS $42.4 $2.4 MILLION THAT WE WILL RETIRE, AND OUR INTEREST ON THE BONDS THAT ARE OUTSTANDING IS A LITTLE OVER 130. $135 MILLION THIS YEAR. WE HAVE A SLIGHT AMOUNT OF FEES THAT WE PAY EACH YEAR, TOTALING A LITTLE OVER 100,000. SO WITH THAT, WE SHOULD ADD ADD A SLIGHT AMOUNT TO FUND BALANCE MOVING TO THE TAX RATE. AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, OUR PROPOSED TAX RATE FOR THE 24 TAX YEAR IS 0.666 $0.09 FOR THE LOW RATE AND $0.48 FOR THE INS OR INTEREST AND SINKING RATE. YOU'LL SEE THAT THE INS RATE HAS REMAINED AT $0.48 BOTH YEARS, AND THE MAINTENANCE AND OPERATIONS TAX RATE DROPPED SLIGHTLY BETWEEN LAST YEAR AND THIS YEAR. SO THE CURRENT TAX RATE IS 1.1492. AND FOR THIS NEXT YEAR IT WILL BE 1.1469, WHICH IS A DECREASE. AND NOW FOR THE ITEMS THAT WE WILL NEED THE BOARD TO CONSIDER FOR APPROVAL TONIGHT. THOSE ARE THE TRUTH IN TAXATION REQUIREMENTS WHICH PROVIDES TRANSPARENCY AND THE LEVYING OF TAXES. REQUIREMENT ONE IS FOR THE BOARD TO VOTE ON THE DATE THAT YOU GUYS WILL DISCUSS AND OR ADOPT THE BUDGET AND THE PROPOSED TAX RATE. WE'RE PROPOSING AUGUST THE 27TH FOR THAT REQUIREMENT. TWO IS TO VOTE ON THE TAX RATE THAT WILL BE PUBLISHED IN THE NOTICE, WHICH IS THE RATE THAT I JUST COVERED. IT'S THE 1.1469, AND THAT'S PER $100 OF VALUATION. AND THEN REQUIREMENT THREE IS TO DESIGNATE THE INDIVIDUAL THAT WILL CALCULATE THE NO NEW REVENUE RATE AND THE VOTER APPROVAL TAX RATE FOR THIS NEXT YEAR. AND THAT'S MY OFFICE THAT DOES THAT. SO WITH THAT, I CAN ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE. I THINK THE TRUSTEES GREAT JOB AND VERY THOROUGH AS YOU AND YOUR TEAM ALWAYS ARE. THANK YOU. THAT THAT LAST. CAN YOU GO BACK TO THAT LAST SLIDE? SO THIS IS A LITTLE CONFUSING TO MYSELF AS A TRUSTEE AND POSSIBLY TO THE PUBLIC. WE'RE NOT ASKING FOR A VAT. SO HELP US UNDERSTAND WHY WE HAVE TO DESIGNATE SOMEBODY FOR FOR THAT ROLE IS JUST A LEGAL REQUIREMENT. [00:20:06] WE HAVE NEEDED TO OVER THE NEXT 12 MONTHS, OR WE HAVE TO WE HAVE TO DESIGNATE THE PERSON THAT'S GOING TO CALCULATE THE RATE THAT JUST GOES IN THAT NOTICE JUST GOES IN THE NOTICE, AND THE VOTER APPROVAL TAX RATE IS JUST THE NORMAL TAX RATE. THAT'S NOT YOUR THE VAT RATE. SO IT'S NOT A TAX RATIFICATION RATE. SO THIS VAT IS VAT. VAT AND THE VAT E THE E IS FOR ELECTION. YES. THAT'S THE CONFUSING PART. YES. SO THIS IS VOTER APPROVED TAX RATE AND THE VAT IS VOTER APPROVED TAX RATE ELECTION. THANK YOU. ANY ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? AT THIS TIME WE WILL TAKE ACTION ON THE ACTION ITEMS. ALL RIGHT. SO MAY I HAVE A MOTION FOR THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES TO APPROVE AUGUST 27TH, 2024, TO BE THE DATE OF THE PUBLIC MEETING TO DISCUSS THE BUDGET AND THE PROPOSED TAX RATE, $1 .1469. AS PRESENTED TO BE THE PROPOSED TAX RATE TO THE TO BE PUBLISHED IN THE NOTICE, AND THE CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER TO BE THE EMPLOYEE SLASH OFFICER DESIGNATED TO CALCULATE THE NR TAX RATE AND THE VOTER APPROVED TAX RATE. I'LL MAKE IT. ALL RIGHT. WE HAVE A MOTION BY TRUSTEE WELCH AND A SECOND BY TRUSTEE DANZINGER. I NOW CALL FOR THE VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE. AYE. ANY OPPOSED? NONE OPPOSED. THE MOTION CARRIES. THE SAME MOTION. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. NOW, MAY I HAVE A MOTION FOR THE BOARD OF APPROVED TO APPROVE JG CONSULTING AS THE TOP CANDIDATE. [5.B. Consider approval of RFQ #18-2024TL for District strategic plan] AND ALLOW THE SUPERINTENDENT TO NEGOTIATE A CONTRACT FOR STRATEGIC PLANNING SERVICES FOR A ONE YEAR OR SIMILAR PERIOD. I'LL MAKE THE MOTION. ALL RIGHT. TRUSTEE BRUNZELL MAKES A MOTION. MAY I HAVE A SECOND? TRUSTEE DANZINGER MAKES A SECOND. I WILL NOW CALL FOR THE VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR, SAY AYE. AYE. AYE. ANY OPPOSE? THE MOTION CARRIES. ALL RIGHT. OKAY. TRUSTEES, THE NEXT IS FOR CONSIDERATION OF APPROVAL OF BOOK. [5.C. Consider approval of library book reconsiderations.] OF BOOK LIBRARY BOOK RECONSIDERATIONS. THIS WAS BROUGHT TO THE BOARD BY TWO TRUSTEES. AND SO I'LL TURN IT OVER TO EITHER TRUSTEE BOX OR TRUSTEE HARTSELL TO BRING UP THAT CONCERN ABOUT THE RECONSIDERATIONS. OKAY. THERE WERE TWO BOOKS THAT WERE ON A LIST OF ITEMS TO REVIEW, AND AFTER GOING THROUGH THE REVIEW COMMITTEE THESE BOOKS WERE DECIDED THAT ONE IS CALLED FOUL IS FAIR. AND THE COMMITTEE RECOMMENDED THAT IT WAS IN ALIGNMENT WITH BOARD POLICY AND HB 900. THE COMMITTEE NOTED THAT WHILE CRIME FICTION GENRE IS NOT OF INTEREST TO ALL STUDENTS, SOME HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN IT. I DISAGREE. SO I DON'T KNOW IF EVERYBODY HAD A CHANCE TO LOOK AT THE REVIEWS OR. WHAT DID YOU SAY? CRIME. CRIME. GENRE. GENRE. OKAY. I'M SORRY. IT IS CRIME GENRE. IT'S ABOUT A GIRL WHO WAS RAPED AT A PARTY, AND THEN SHE BEFRIENDS ONE OF THE BOYS WHO WAS IN THE GROUP. AND ONE OF THE LAST THINGS IN THE BOOK REVIEW IS SHE SAYS WE'RE NOTHING TO EACH OTHER. I'M JUST A GIRL WHO WANTED TO F YOU. YOU'RE A GIRL. A BOY I LET F ME BECAUSE I WANTED TO SEE HOW MANY OF YOUR FRIENDS I COULD MAKE YOU KILL. SO THE BOOK. THE BOOK IS PERVASIVELY VULGAR. IT GOES EVERYTHING. LOTS OF DRINKING, DRUGS, ALCOHOL. WHICH I KNOW THAT'S IN BOOKS. BUT AT THE END OF THIS REVIEW, THE F WORD IS USED 181 TIMES THE B WORD 35 TIMES. AND THEN A LIST, YOU KNOW, GOES ON. I DON'T KNOW IF YOU ALL HAD A TIME TO LOOK AT THAT BOOKLET REVIEW, BUT IT SHOWS A LOT OF THE INFORMATION THAT'S IN HERE. SO MY MAIN DISAGREEMENT IS THAT IT IS PERVASIVELY VULGAR. AND THAT IS IN VIOLATION WITH POLICY AND HB 900. SO. IS AND I WAS TRYING AND I READ A LITTLE BIT, IS THERE ANY OTHER INFORMATION OF WHY THE COMMITTEE FELT LIKE IT SHOULD BE PUT BACK ON THE SHELVES? I MEAN, IT SAID THAT THIS COMMITTEE FOUND THAT THE BOOK IS NOT SEXUALLY EXPLICIT AND DOES NOT CONTAIN EXPLICITLY GRAPHIC, GRAPHIC SCENES OF VIOLENCE. AND THERE'S EIGHT PEOPLE ON THE COMMITTEE. [00:25:03] I DON'T KNOW, I'D HAVE TO READ AND LOOK AND SEE, I THINK SIX I THINK I HEARD SOMEONE SAY SIX. THERE'S SIX PEOPLE ON THE COMMITTEE. THERE'S SIX PEOPLE ON THE COMMITTEE AND ALL SIX READ THE BOOK. ALL SIX READ THE BOOK, AND ALL SIX CAME TO THAT CONCLUSION AFFORDED TO VOTE ON FAIR. OKAY. YEAH. I MEAN, I CAN READ SOME OTHER EXCERPTS. NO, NO, I JUST WANT TO KNOW WHAT? I JUST LIKE TO HEAR THE OTHER SIDE OF WHAT THE COMMITTEE WAS THINKING. THE THE FOUR, TWO, TWO. THE TWO PARENTS ON THE COMMITTEE BOTH SAID IT WAS IN ALIGNMENT. THERE WAS AN ADMINISTRATOR AND A TEACHER THAT SAID IT WAS NOT IN ALIGNMENT. OKAY. THE OTHER ADMINISTRATOR, THE OTHER LIBRARIAN AND THE OTHER ADMINISTRATOR SAID IT WAS IN ALIGNMENT. SO THE TWO PARENTS DID AGREE WITH IT BEING IN ALIGNMENT. CORRECT? WOW. OKAY. OKAY. I'M SORRY. GO AHEAD. I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING ELSE TO SAY. I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE OTHER TWO. YEAH. LET ME LOOK AT THE OTHER BOOK. JACKIE. LET'S, LET'S. I THINK WE MAKE THE MOTION ON EACH BOOK SEPARATELY. OKAY. WELL, I MEAN, DO I NEED TO READ MORE FROM THE REVIEW? ARE THERE ANY OTHER DISCUSSIONS? ANYBODY ELSE READ THE REVIEW? BUT IT IS PERVASIVELY VULGAR. I MEAN. IT TALKS ABOUT EFFING TEACHERS. AND YEAH, SO IT'S VERY EXPLICIT. BEFORE WE TAKE A VOTE, I NEED TO FULLY UNDERSTAND WHAT WE'RE GOING TO BE VOTING ON. WE'RE VOTING TO REMOVE THE TO OVERRIDE THE COMMITTEE AND REMOVE THE BOOK FROM OUR LIBRARIES. IS THAT GOING TO BE THE VOTE? SO SO WE CAN MAKE A MOTION, I GUESS, TO UPHOLD THE RECONSIDERATION COMMITTEE'S DECISION TO MODIFY IT OR TO OPPOSE IT, OPPOSE THE RECOMMENDATION OF WHAT WOULD BE TO MODIFY. WELL, THOSE ARE JUST THE OPTIONS THAT THE BOARD HAS. AND SO AGAIN, IT'S AT THE BOARD'S WILL. SO IF THE BOARD WANTS TO UPHOLD IT, THEY CAN IF YOU WANT TO MODIFY IT AND SAY IT'S ONLY FOR A CERTAIN GRADE LEVELS OR HOWEVER YOU WANT TO DO IT, OR IF YOU JUST WANT TO OPPOSE IT ALTOGETHER AND SAY YOU'RE GOING TO OVERTURN THE DECISION, THE BOARD CAN DO THAT ALSO. RIGHT? SO I GUESS I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO OPPOSE THE RECOMMEND THE RECONSIDERATION COMMITTEE'S DECISION. WE HAVE A MOTION TO OPPOSE THE RECONSIDERATION COMMITTEE'S DECISION. DO WE HAVE A SECOND? ALL RIGHT. MOTION BY TRUSTEE. BOX AND SECOND BY VICE PRESIDENT HARTZELL. I WILL NOW CALL FOR THE VOTES. THIS IS THE DISCUSSION. WE WILL WE CAN DISCUSS IT NOW. YEAH. YES. SO I WANT TO SPEAK ON THIS MATTER JUST BRIEFLY, BECAUSE THIS IS A HOT TOPIC NATIONWIDE HAS BEEN FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS. PEOPLE WHO WANT ANY AND ALL BOOKS IN OUR LIBRARIES, LAMAR AND ALL OTHERS CALL THIS BOOK BANNING. THIS IS NOT BOOK BANNING. THIS IS APPROPRIATE BOOKS THAT OCCUPY A LIMITED AMOUNT OF SPACE ON A LIBRARY SHELF. THIS IS NOT A FIRST AMENDMENT ISSUE. THESE AUTHORS HAVE A RIGHT TO PUBLISH AND TO SELL THEIR MATERIAL. THIS IS ABOUT WHAT WE ARE GOING TO CONDONE AS THE TRUSTEES OF THE COMMUNITY, ABOUT WHAT GOES ON OUR SHELVES. WE WOULD NOT WANT A BOOK IN OUR LIBRARIES THAT TRIES TO CONVERT KIDS TO NAZISM. WE WOULD BE OKAY TO HAVE A BOOK THAT INFORMS KIDS ABOUT THAT, BUT WE WOULD RIGHTFULLY. QUOTE UNQUOTE, BAN A BOOK THAT TRIES TO CONVERT KIDS TO NAZISM. BUT THERE IS A FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHT FOR AUTHORS TO PUBLISH THOSE KIND OF BOOKS. AND IN MY MIND, THIS KIND OF FILTH DOESN'T BELONG IN A SCHOOL LIBRARY. THERE'S SO MANY GOOD AUTHORS AND AND MANUSCRIPTS OUT THERE WRITTEN BY MANKIND THAT THAT I THINK THAT WE WOULD BE BETTER AS A SCHOOL SYSTEM IF THIS IS NOT ON OUR SHELVES. AND I WILL VOTE IN FAVOR OF TRUSTEE BOX'S MOTION. GOT A QUESTION? WHAT IS OUR PERIMETERS ON BAD WORDS, LET'S SAY IN A BOOK IT CAN BE SAID IN A BOOK IN OUR LIBRARIES, OR IT CANNOT BE SAID IN A BOOK IN OUR LIBRARY. THE POLICY. I'M CURIOUS. HB 900 ALSO STATES PERVASIVELY VULGAR, SO I THINK PERVASIVELY, PERVASIVELY VULGAR THROUGHOUT THE BOOK. IT'S NOT NOT HAVING ANY CURSE WORDS. I JUST THOUGHT IT NEEDED TO BE STATED FOR THE POLICY ALSO SAYS THAT IT HAS TO IT HAS TO GO THROUGH THE ENTIRETY OF THE BOOK. SO THERE CAN'T BE JUST LIKE ONE PAGE THAT JUST HAS A COMPLETE LIST OF VULGARITY IN IT. IT HAS TO BE THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE BOOK TO BE CONSIDERED IN ITS ENTIRETY. THAT'S VERY GOOD TO KNOW. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. GOOD FOR THE PUBLIC TO KNOW. CAN I SAY. I JUST DO WANT TO REITERATE, YOU KNOW, THAT WE DO HAVE SAFEGUARDS SET UP THAT IF A PARENT COMES ACROSS A BOOK OR THE CHILD, THEY CAN SET UP THAT THEIR CHILD'S LIBRARY BOOKS ARE SENT TO THEM TO SEE BY EMAIL THAT THEY CAN SEE WHAT THEIR CHILD IS CHECKING OUT. SO IT ALWAYS COMES DOWN TO THE PARENT OF WHAT THE PARENT WISHES THEIR CHILD TO READ. [00:30:07] WE AS BOARD MEMBERS. YES, WE DO NOT WANT SOMETHING IN OUR LIBRARIES THAT ARE SO EXTREMELY OUT THERE. BUT AGAIN, THAT'S WHY WE HAVE THIS COMMITTEE. AND IT LOOKS LIKE TO ME THIS COMMITTEE WAS KIND OF WAVERING TOO. SO BUT AGAIN, WHERE WE PLACE A BOOK IN THE LIBRARY, HOW THAT BOOK GETS CHECKED OUT, IT STILL HAS LAYERS IN THERE AS PROTECTION FOR OUR CHILDREN THAT EVEN IF WE WERE TO SAY IT GOES BACK INTO THE LIBRARY, IT DOESN'T MEAN AND I AND IT WASN'T THIS THE ONE THAT WAS JUST IN THEORY? NO, IT WAS NOT. THERE WAS ONE THAT WAS JUST AT ONE LIBRARY. BUT IT'S JUST THAT WE NEED TO REMEMBER AND REMIND THE PUBLIC WE HAVE SET UP SAFEGUARDS FOR OUR BOOKS, AND WHEN WE COME ACROSS A BOOK THAT NEEDS TO BE REVIEWED, WE HAVE A GROUP OF PEOPLE AND A WAY TO DO THAT. SO ANYWAY, I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE KNOW THAT WE ARE TAKING THE CORRECT STEPS TO MAKE SURE THE STUDENTS GET THE RIGHT THE BOOKS IN THEIR HAND THAT THEIR PARENTS APPROVE OF. RIGHT. THEY DO CHECK OUT THE BOOK AND THEN PARENTS ARE NOTIFIED JUST JUST TO STATE. ARE ALL PARENTS NOTIFIED OR DO THEY HAVE TO SIGN UP FOR THAT? CHOOSE. YOU HAVE TO CHOOSE IT WHEN YOU SIGN UP FOR REGISTRATION. SO IN THE BEGINNING OF YOUR FORMS THERE IS A CHECKBOX. I DON'T HAVE ANY MORE. NOT ANYMORE. BEGINNING OF THE YEAR FORMS TO FILL OUT OKAY. ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? SO THIS BOOK WENT THROUGH THE APPROPRIATE STEPS AS FAR AS THE APPROVAL PROCESS IS CONCERNED. CORRECT. SO THEY WENT THROUGH A RECONSIDERATION. THEY HAD TWO WEEKS TO READ THE BOOK, AND THEN THEY MET AS A COMMITTEE. EACH INDIVIDUALLY VOTED ON THE BOOK AND THEN MADE A RECOMMENDATION TO THE OVERALL QUALITY POLICY. CORRECT. WE SET SO THE THE RECONSIDERATION OF THIS BOOK WAS THROUGH EFB OF THE LAST EFB LOCAL, WITH CONSIDERATION OF HOUSE BILL 900. CORRECT. ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? IF NOT, I WILL NOW CALL FOR THE VOTE. AND WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THIS SPECIFIC RECONSIDERATION OF THIS BOOK. SO ALL IN FAVOR OF TRUSTEE BOXES MOTION, PLEASE SAY AYE. AYE. ANY OPPOSED? ONE OPPOSED. TWO OPPOSED. THE MOTION CARRIES. ALL RIGHT. WE WILL NOW SPEAK TO THE SECOND BOOK. SO, DO WE HAVE A MOTION? YEAH. I RECOMMEND THAT THE BOARD OF TRUSTEE OPPOSE THE RECONSIDERATION COMMITTEE'S DECISION ON THE NEXT BOOK AS WELL. WHAT IS THE TITLE OF THE BOOK? I'M GETTING IT. SORRY. THERE YOU GO. LET ME GET TO MY CONFESSIONS OF ALLEGED. GOOD GIRL. YES, YES, YES. CONFESSIONS OF AN ALLEGED. OF AN ALLEGED GOOD GIRL. REITERATE YOUR MOTION, ADDING THE TITLE OF THE BOOK IN THERE, PLEASE, FOR THE RECORD. TO OPPOSE THE RECONSIDERATION. RECONSIDERATION COMMITTEE DECISION ON THE CONFESSIONS OF AN ALLEGED GOOD GIRL. WE HAVE A MOTION BY TRUSTEE BOX. DO WE HAVE A SECOND? ALL RIGHT, VICE PRESIDENT HADSELL SECONDS. IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION REGARDING THIS BOOK? I'D JUST LIKE AGAIN TO ASK WHAT THE COMMITTEE THOUGHT AND HOW DID THEY VOTE? IT WAS A SIX TO 2 TO 0 VOTE. SO ALL SIX MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE FELT THAT IT WAS IN ALIGNMENT WITH THE FBI LOCAL GIVE INFORMATION OF WHY THEY FELT THAT THEY THAT WAY. IT SAYS ON THE I KNOW I READ THAT, BUT I WANT TO SEE IF THERE'S ANYTHING ELSE I CAN PULL THAT. GIVE ME ONE SECOND. THIS RIGHT HERE. IS. THE SUBJECT MATTER WRITTEN IS WRITTEN FOR ENTERTAINMENT AND NOT FACTUALITY. THIS BOOK DOES NOT APPEAL TO AN UNWHOLESOME. INTEREST, BUT RATHER IT WAS MORE SEX POSITIVE. THE MATERIAL WAS NOT PATENTLY OFFENSIVE OR PREVAILING STANDARD TO PREVAILING STANDARDS, AND THE MATERIAL WAS NOT AROUSAL. GAFFNEY WAS ABLE TO TO TELL A STORY THAT WAS RELATABLE TO TEENAGERS AND EMPOWERED THEM, EMPOWERING THEM TO BOTH EMPOWERMENT TO BOTH MEN AND WOMEN ABOUT THEIR BODIES. IS THIS THE SAME GROUP OF PEOPLE THAT READ THE OTHER BOOK TOO, OR IS THIS A DIFFERENT COMMITTEE? [00:35:01] TOTALLY DIFFERENT COMMITTEE. AND IT'S SIX. ALL SIX. ALL SIX VOTED THAT IT WAS AN ALIGNMENT. TRUSTEE BOX. DO YOU HAVE SOME? CAN YOU CAN YOU SPEAK TO THIS AS TO AS TO WHY YOU'RE MAKING THEM? WELL, I THINK IT'S IN THE SO IN THE FIRST OFF, THIS BOOK HAS BEEN ACTIVE FOR TWO YEARS AND NEVER BEEN CHECKED OUT. IT'S BEEN FOR FOSTER FOR AT LEAST ONE YEAR AND NEVER BEEN CHECKED OUT. SO IT'S BEEN SITTING ON THE SHELVES. NO ONE SEEMS TO BE INTERESTED IN IT. IT'S ABOUT A GIRL WHO'S A PREACHER'S DAUGHTER, AND HER AND HER BOYFRIEND ARE PLANNING ON GETTING MARRIED. SO AFTER NUMEROUS FAILED ATTEMPTS TO COMPLETE THE ACT OF HAVING SEX, DOMINIC BREAKS UP WITH HER. HEARTBROKEN, MONIQUE TRIES TO GET TO THE BOTTOM LINE OF WHAT'S WRONG WITH HER, AND MAYBE SHE'LL BE ABLE TO WIN HIM BACK. WITH THE HELP OF TWO UNLIKELY PEOPLE, SHE FINDS OUT THE REASON WHY HAVING SEX WITH DOM HAS BEEN SO DIFFICULT FOR HER. WILL IT BE ENOUGH TO WIN HIM BACK OR WILL SHE EVER WANT TO BE WITH HIM ANYMORE AFTER HER REVELATION? AND THEN IT GOES ON TO TALK ABOUT VAGINAL DILATORS AND OTHER SEX EDUCATION IN THE BOOK. AND I GUESS SHE WANTS TO GET HER BOYFRIEND BACK. LIKE, SHE WANTS TO HAVE SEX WITH HIM SO HE'LL COME BACK TO HER. SO THAT'S THE PREMISE OF THE BOOK. THAT'S WHAT I GOT FOR YOU. ANY DISCUSSION? ALL RIGHT. I WILL NOW CALL FOR THE VOTE. ACCORDING TO TRUSTEE BOX'S MOTION TO OPPOSE THE RECONSIDERATION COMMITTEE'S DECISION. ALL IN FAVOR, SAY AYE. AYE. ANY OPPOSED TO OPPOSE? THE MOTION CARRIES. ALL RIGHT. THERE WE GO. ALL RIGHT. TRUSTEES. NEXT WE HAVE FOR YOUR APPROVAL. [5.D. Consider approval of Student Code of Conduct revisions.] CODE OF CONDUCT REVISIONS. I HAVE DOCTOR WAITS COMING TO THE MICROPHONE, PLEASE. MR. PRESIDENT, I'M GOING TO CONSIDER THE APPROVAL OF THE STUDENT CODE OF CONDUCT REVISIONS. SO WHAT YOU SEE HERE ARE THREE DIFFERENT COLORS IN RED, OR WHAT ARE WE CONSIDERING TO REMOVE FROM THE STUDENT CODE OF CONDUCT IN BLUE? WHAT WE'RE GOING TO ADD AND WHAT WE'RE GOING TO REMAIN IN STUDENT CODE OF CONDUCT. SO IN THIS SECTION POSSESSION OF TELECOMMUNICATION OR OTHER ELECTRONIC DEVICES, STUDENTS ARE ALLOWED TO BRING THEIR OWN TELECOMMUNICATION DEVICES TO SCHOOL. ELECTRONIC DEVICES INCLUDES BUT IS NOT LIMITED TO CELL PHONES, SMART WATCHES, TABLETS, PORTABLE MUSIC DEVICES, WIRELESS HEADPHONES AND WIRELESS EARBUDS. THIS SECTION IS GOING TO TALK ABOUT PRE-K THROUGH EIGHTH GRADE. HERE IN BLUE IS WHAT WE'RE RECOMMENDING TO ADD TO STUDENT CODE OF CONDUCT. AND THEN I'M GOING TO GIVE SOME KEY POINTS SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO READ EVERYTHING. SO THE KEY POINTS FOR THE PRE-K THROUGH KINDERGARTEN EXCUSE ME PRE-K THROUGH EIGHTH GRADE STUDENTS, CELL PHONES AND ELECTRONIC DEVICES MUST BE TURNED OFF AND KEPT IN BACKPACKS OR LOCKERS, NOT IN POCKETS. ANY NON-SCHOOL DEVICE SEEN OR USED WILL BE CONFISCATED. USE OF CELL PHONES AND ELECTRONIC DEVICES IS PROHIBITED DURING THE SCHOOL DAY, INCLUDING ALL AREAS OF THE BUILDING. DEVICES CAN BE TURNED ON AFTER THE FINAL BELL FOR COMMUNICATION WITH PARENTS OR FRIENDS FOR TRANSPORTATION, AND THESE ARE THE KEY POINTS. IN THIS SECTION. HERE ARE THE KEY POINTS. I'M GOING TO SHOW THE KEY POINTS RIGHT AFTER THIS REGARDING THE END OF SCHOOL. AND THE KEY POINTS IN THIS SECTION ARE THE SCHOOL DAY ENDS FOR JUNIOR HIGH AND MIDDLE SCHOOL. 04:30 P.M. ELEMENTARY A 240. ELEMENTARY B 310. AND THIS IS WHEN STUDENTS ARE ABLE TO UTILIZE ELECTRONIC DEVICES. STUDENT PHONE USE DURING CLASS IS NOT ALLOWED AND DISCIPLINARY ACTION WILL FOLLOW. FOR EMERGENCIES, PARENTS MUST CALL THE FRONT OFFICE. STUDENTS SHOULD GO TO THE FRONT OFFICE TO MAKE ANY EMERGENCY CALLS. IN THIS SECTION IS WHERE IT'S THE STUDENT EXCEPTIONS. HERE IN BLUE IS WHERE WE'RE ADDING TEXT TO THE STUDENT CODE OF CONDUCT. THE KEY POINTS FOR THAT SECTION IS STUDENTS WITH SPECIFIC PLANS, SUCH AS IEP OR 504 PLAN REQUIRING PHONE USE WILL GET A PHONE POUCH AND INDICATED PERMISSION ONLY DOCUMENTED USE IS ALLOWED. OTHER USES RESULT IN DISCIPLINARY ACTION. ANYONE MAY USE ELECTRONIC DEVICES DURING EMERGENCIES, DEFINED AS INTIMATE THREATS TO HEALTH OR SAFETY. THE SCHOOL DISTRICT IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR DAMAGE OR LOSS OR THEFT OF PERSONAL DEVICES. THAT SECTION WAS FOR PRE-K THROUGH EIGHTH GRADE. YES, SIR. LET'S LET'S PAUSE FOR THAT AND MAKE SURE WE HAVE WE ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT PRE-K THROUGH EIGHT FIRST. ABSOLUTELY, SIR. I AM AWARE THERE ARE SOME JUNIOR HIGHS THAT HAVE BEEN CELL PHONE FREE FOR A WHILE NOW. [00:40:02] AND BUT IS THERE ANY EVER TIME THAT A TEACHER WOULD WANT CELL PHONES OUT IN THE MIDDLE IN THE JUNIOR HIGHS? ARE THEY ALL HAVE ELECTRONIC DEVICES THEY CAN USE IN THE CLASSROOM? SO IF THE TEACHER PERMITS THEM TO USE IT DURING INSTRUCTIONAL TIME, YES, THEY CAN. OR IN THE CAFETERIA WHEN NOT FOR PRE K THROUGH EIGHT. NO NO, NO I'M SORRY. ARE YOU SAYING CURRENTLY OR NO RIGHT NOW WITH THIS NEW POLICY. I'M SORRY. YES, MA'AM. OKAY. I'M SORRY. BUT HAVE THEY CURRENTLY BEEN ABLE TO DO IT? THEY'VE BEEN CURRENTLY ABLE TO DO THAT. THE TEACHER COULD ALLOW THEM TO USE IT FOR LOOKING UP INFORMATION OR SOMETHING. YES, MA'AM. OR PLAY A GAME OR WHATEVER. YES, MA'AM. THAT THEY. OKAY. BUT NOW GOING FORWARD. GOING FORWARD WITH THIS NEW POLICY OR NEW. NO MORE. THAT'S CORRECT. FOR PRE-K THROUGH EIGHTH GRADE STUDENTS. OKAY. JUST WANT TO MAKE THAT DIFFERENTIATION. YES, MA'AM. BUT THEY WOULD STILL BE ABLE TO USE A SCHOOL ISSUED DEVICE. SO IF A TEACHER HAS A SCHOOL ISSUED DEVICE, THEY'LL BE ABLE TO USE THAT. BUT ALSO I WANT TO I WANT TO POINT OUT STUDENTS WITH SPECIAL PLANS. AND SO FOR FOR INSTANCE, I'VE BEEN ASKED THIS QUESTION, YOU KNOW, WHY WOULD A STUDENT WITH A SPECIAL PLAN, YOU MAY HAVE A STUDENT THAT'S A TYPE ONE OR TYPE TWO DIABETIC WHO, YOU KNOW, THEIR BLOOD SUGAR IS MONITORED THROUGH THEIR PHONE. AND SO YOU STILL WANT THEM TO BE ABLE TO HAVE ACCESS TO THAT. AND SO THEY'LL HAVE A POUCH THAT WOULD NOT BE LOCKABLE. BUT THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO DO THOSE THINGS SO THEY CAN STILL CHECK AND MAKE SURE THEY HAVE THE NECESSARY TOOLS THEY NEED. BUT THERE ARE COMMITTEE OR THE 504 COMMITTEE WOULD APPROVE THAT FIRST. YES, MA'AM. ARE WE ONE FOR ONE ON DEVICES? NO, NOT AT THIS TIME. NO, SIR. I'M MAKING A MENTAL NOTE. AND FOR MYSELF, I REALIZE THIS ABOUT 24 HOURS AGO. AND. AND FOR THE PUBLIC, THIS IS GOING IN THE STUDENT CODE OF CONDUCT, NOT BOARD POLICY, WHICH IS JUST SIX OF ONE HALF DOZEN OF THE OTHER A LITTLE BIT, BUT IT DOES MAKE A DIFFERENCE TO SOME EXTENT. CAN YOU DEFINE, BESIDES THAT PIECE OF IT, ARE THERE ANY OTHER CHANGES TO, TO OUR CURRENT POLICY THAN WHAT THIS WOULD DO FOR K THROUGH EIGHT? NO, THAT THIS WHAT I JUST EXPLAINED TO YOU OR WHAT OUR CURRENT POLICY. THE CHANGES WILL BE FOR OUR CURRENT POLICY WILL BE CHANGED IN THESE JUST KEEP ONES. I JUST EXPLAINED TO YOU NOW. SO IN OUR JUNIOR HIGH, SEVENTH AND EIGHTH GRADE, THOSE THOSE ARE STUDENTS MORE LIKELY TO HAVE PHONES THAN A FIRST GRADER. SO SO IF WE PASS THIS THIS, OUR JUNIOR HIGH TEACHERS AND PRINCIPALS WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO MAKE AN EXCEPTION LIKE THE DAY BEFORE A HOLIDAY, TO SAY, HEY, IF YOU FINISH YOUR TEST EARLY TOMORROW, YOU CAN GET ON YOUR PHONE. THAT WOULD NOT BE ALLOWED. NOT NOT ALLOWED AT ALL. CURRENT POLICY WOULD ALLOW THAT. IS THAT CORRECT? THAT'S CORRECT SIR. CURRENT POLICY WOULD ALSO ALLOW, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, FOR A TEACHER TO MAKE A CELL PHONE FREE CLASSROOM, OR A PRINCIPAL TO MAKE A CELL PHONE FREE CAMPUS. IS THAT CORRECT? YES, SIR. COULD A PRINCIPAL WITH THE CURRENT POLICY MAKE A CELL PHONE FREE CAMPUS EXCEPT FOR EXCEPTIONS AS DETERMINED BY A TEACHER THE DAY BEFORE A HOLIDAY? AS AN EXAMPLE. YES, SIR. THIS POLICY WOULD NOT ALLOW THAT. THAT'S CORRECT SIR. ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? QUESTIONS REGARDING THAT? ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. BOARD OF TRUSTEES, I WANT TO TALK ABOUT NINTH GRADE THROUGH 12TH GRADE STUDENTS IN THIS SECTION. SO HERE YOU SEE IN BLUE WHAT ARE WE ADDING TO PROPOSED TO ADD TO THE STUDENT CODE OF CONDUCT. AND I'M GOING TO GIVE THE KEY POINTS. AND THE KEY POINTS ARE STUDENTS CAN HAVE PHONES AND DEVICES BUT MUST KEEP THEM OFF DURING THE INSTRUCTIONAL DAY AND TESTING UNLESS APPROVED FOR INSTRUCTION. NINTH THROUGH 12TH GRADERS MAY USE DEVICES DURING LUNCH IF ALLOWED BY THE PRINCIPAL. ALL DEVICES, INCLUDING SMARTWATCHES, MUST BE TURNED OFF AND IN BACKPACKS ALL DAY. WALKING IN HALLWAYS WITH DEVICES IN HAND IS NOT ALLOWED. TEACHERS MAY PERMIT DEVICE USE FOR INSTRUCTION. STUDENTS MUST FOLLOW DEVICE RULES. PHONE USE IS A PRIVILEGE THAT CAN BE REVOKED. AND THAT'S THE KEY POINT OF THAT SECTION. YOU KNOW, I CAN TAKE QUESTIONS FROM THIS SECTION AT THIS TIME. WHAT IF WE ADDED TO THIS THAT WE HAD NOW THAT WE'RE MOVING FORWARD? IS IT JUST THE SMARTWATCHES OR HAS THAT ALWAYS BEEN IN THERE. THAT'S THAT'S NOT BEEN DETAILED BUT SMARTWATCHES, WE ARE DEFINITELY PUTTING THAT VERBIAGE IN. AND WE'RE ALSO ENSURING THAT WE'RE NOT ALLOWING STUDENTS TO WALK IN THE HALLWAYS WITH THE PHONES FOR NINTH THROUGH 12TH GRADE STUDENTS. SO IF THEY HAD THEIR APPLE WATCH, THEY COULDN'T HAVE IT ON IN SCHOOL. YES, MA'AM. SO I HAVE A QUESTION. SO WE ARE REALLY COUNTING ON OUR ADMINISTRATORS TO IMPLEMENT THESE AND STICK WITH THEM. [00:45:04] AND 100% FOLLOW ALL OF THIS. ABSOLUTELY. YES, MA'AM. ALSO, EVERY SCHOOL IS THE SAME. NO. YOU KNOW. YEAH. THEY WERE, THEY WERE. YEAH THEY WERE. IT HAS TO BE FROM ONE. IT HAS TO BE THE WHOLE THING OR NOTHING, YOU KNOW. YES, MA'AM. SO YOU KNOW, THE PRINCIPAL HAS, AS DOCTOR SAID, ESPECIALLY THE NINTH THROUGH 12TH GRADE IS MR. WELCH'S QUESTIONS. IF A PRINCIPAL CHOSE TO MAKE THEIR CAMPUS A CELL PHONE FREE CAMPUS, OR IF A TEACHER CHOSE TO MAKE HIS HER CLASSROOM A CELL PHONE FREE CLASSROOM. WITH THIS CURRENT POLICY, THEY HAVE THE OPTION TO DO THAT. THEY CAN THEY CAN MAKE POLICY MORE STRICT. WHAT THEY CAN'T DO IS LOOSEN POLICY. SO THE THE PRE-K THROUGH EIGHT POLICY CANNOT BE LOOSENED. SO THAT DOESN'T GIVE THEM THE OPPORTUNITY. BUT IT DOES GIVE NINE THROUGH 12 THE OPPORTUNITY TO RESTRICT. SO SAME SAME QUESTION FROM FOR FOR HIGH SCHOOL OUTLINED THE DIFFERENCES OTHER THAN THIS PIECE OF IT. IS THERE ANY OTHER DIFFERENCES FROM THE CURRENT POLICY TO THIS. NO. SO RIGHT NOW FOR THE CURRENT POLICY, WHAT'S DIFFERENT? EXCUSE ME. I'M SORRY. WHAT'S DIFFERENT FOR THE CURRENT POLICY IS PHONES AND. EXCUSE ME. YOU CANNOT WALK WITH YOUR PHONES IN THE HALLWAYS AT ALL. AND IT'S GOING TO BE A SITUATION WHERE THE THEY HAVE TO BE IN THE BACKPACKS INSTEAD OF BEING IN THE EXCUSE ME IN THE DORM. WALKING THROUGH THE HALLWAYS IS THE MAIN THING FOR THE NINTH 12TH GRADE STUDENTS. YEAH, I WELL, I DON'T HAVE ANY MORE QUESTIONS FOR YOU, SIR. I WAS GOING TO HAVE SOME COMMENTS FOR THE BOARD DURING THE COMMENT SECTION BEFORE WE VOTE. YES, SIR. AND JUST JUST TO MAKE SURE I'M CLEAR ON THIS. AND FOR THE PUBLIC. ANY CHILD CAN USE THEIR PERSONAL DEVICE DURING AN EMERGENCY. THAT'S CORRECT. IN YOUNGER GRADES. OLDER GRADES? YES. CORRECT. CORRECT. THERE'S AN EMERGENCY. THERE'S AN EMERGENCY. TRUE EMERGENCY. CAN I CAN I ALSO ADD TO THAT THAT THAT ALL THE CLASSROOMS TOO ARE, ARE EQUIPPED TO CALL 911? IS THAT CORRECT? OKAY. SO ANY PHONE IN A CLASSROOM. DO YOU WANT TO ELABORATE? NO, I JUST WANT TO SAY YES. YES. ALL CLASSES HAVE A CELL PHONE, A TELEPHONE. RIGHT? YES. I JUST WANTED TO ADD A LITTLE SOMETHING TO THIS, JUST FOR. I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR THE PUBLIC TO UNDERSTAND WHY. WHY SOME OF THESE CHANGES ARE BEING MADE. TO CREATE CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENTS WHERE TEACHERS CAN TEACH AND STUDENTS CAN LEARN, YOU KNOW, WITHOUT FREE OF DISTRACTIONS TO REDUCE THE NEGATIVE IMPACTS FOR ALL STUDENTS OF INAPPROPRIATE USE OF DEVICES AT SCHOOLS SUCH AS CYBER BULLYING, EXPOSURE TO HARMFUL CONTENT, INCIDENTS INVOLVING MOBILE PHONES THAT DETRACT FROM HEALTHY SCHOOL CLIMATE TO INCREASE MEANINGFUL FACE TO FACE CONNECTIONS BETWEEN STUDENTS. TO PROMOTE STUDENT FOCUS, INTERACTION AND ENGAGEMENT IN THE CLASSROOM, AND TO INCREASE ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OF OUR STUDENTS. WE HAVE A LOT OF DISCIPLINE ISSUES THAT COME FROM FROM CELL PHONES AND SCHOOLS. AND I THINK BY TRYING TO GIVE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS THE ABILITY TO MAKE GOOD CHOICES AND BE ABLE TO KEEP THEIR CELL PHONES IN THE CLASSROOM AND ON THEIR PERSON, IT GIVES THEM THE OPPORTUNITY TO TO TRY AND DO THAT, TO MAKE GOOD CHOICES. RIGHT. K THROUGH EIGHT, THEY PROBABLY DON'T HAVE THE, THE ABILITY TO MAKE THE SAME KIND OF CHOICES. SO THAT HAS BEEN TAKEN AWAY FROM THEM. WHICH WAS ALREADY, LIKE YOU SAID, IN PLACE IN SOME MIDDLE SCHOOLS AND SOME JUNIOR HIGHS AND SOME OF THE THE THINGS LIKE, I KNOW YOU ALL HAVE KIND OF LOOKED INTO YONDER, BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I SAW ON THEIR WEBSITE, WHICH I THOUGHT WAS INTERESTING. IT SAID THAT SCHOOLS THAT HAVE CHOSEN TO PUT THEIR PHONES AWAY FOR THE DAY 83%, HAVE SEEN AN INCREASE IN STUDENT ENGAGEMENT IN THE CLASSROOM, 74% HAVE SEEN AN IMPROVEMENT IN STUDENT BEHAVIOR, AND 65% SAW AN IMPROVEMENT IN ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE. I MEAN, THOSE NUMBERS ARE HUGE. SO I THINK THAT WE'LL SEE POSITIVES COMING FROM THIS, FROM TIGHTENING UP OUR HIGH SCHOOL POLICY JUST A LITTLE BIT BECAUSE WE DIDN'T REALLY MAKE ANY CHANGES IN THE HIGH SCHOOL POLICY. IT'S REALLY A MATTER OF ENFORCEMENT AND FOLLOW THROUGH. BUT I WANTED TO ALSO TELL YOU ALL ABOUT SOMETHING. ONE OF THE TEACHERS AT FULSHEAR HIGH SCHOOL, I BELIEVE, DID AN EXPERIMENT. THEY WERE DOING A UNIT ABOUT ADDICTION. SO STUDENTS TRACKED THE AMOUNT OF NOTIFICATIONS THEY RECEIVED. SO FOR ONE CLASS FOR THE WHOLE DAY, EACH CHILD WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR TRACKING ALL OF THEM. AND THEN AT THE END OF THE DAY, THEY ADDED THEM ALL UP. 2645 CLASSROOM INTERRUPTIONS HAPPENED FROM NOTIFICATIONS COMING THROUGH ON PHONES. SO THIS FOR ME, I THINK IS THE BIGGEST ISSUE WITH KIDS HAVING PHONES IN SCHOOL. BECAUSE IF YOU'RE TRYING TO WORK ON A PHONE AND YOU'RE CONSTANTLY BEING BOMBARDED BY SNAPCHAT NOTIFICATIONS, INSTAGRAM NOTIFICATION, TIKTOK NOTIFICATION, ALL THESE NOTIFICATIONS COMING THROUGH, IT'S REALLY HARD TO CONCENTRATE AND STAY FOCUSED. [00:50:04] AND I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT FOR KIDS TO LEARN TO TO SEPARATE. OKAY, HERE'S YOUR PHONE. YOU'RE ON TASK AND TO STAY ON TASK. SO BUT ANYWAY, LIKE I SAID, THIS POLICY REALLY AS IT STANDS IS K THROUGH EIGHT AND THE STRICTER POLICY. AND I FEEL LIKE IT SHOULD BE K THROUGH 12, BUT I KNOW I MIGHT BE IN THE MINORITY. BUT I DO THINK BY GIVING HIGH SCHOOL A CHANCE TO BE ABLE TO USE THEIR CELL PHONES APPROPRIATELY AND RESPONSIBLY AND THAT, LIKE I SAID, GIVING THEM A CHANCE. SO WE'LL SEE WHAT HAPPENS. I MY QUESTION, I GUESS I HAVE WHEN I FIRST READ THIS AND I JUST. AND THEN I JUST REALLY FAST. SINCE THIS IS A HANDBOOK POLICY GOING IN THAT HAS TO BE IMPLEMENTED BY PRINCIPALS AND TEACHERS, DID WE GET INPUT FROM THEM WHEN CREATING THIS POLICY? YES. THERE WAS SOME INPUT FROM ADMINISTRATORS. OKAY. BECAUSE YOU NEED TO HAVE PEOPLE BUY IN IF THEY'RE GOING TO IMPLEMENT AND BE SUCCESSFUL. AND THAT'S WHAT WE WANT TO SEE IS SOMETHING SUCCESSFUL IF WE'RE GOING TO THIS LENGTH TO HELP OUR CHILDREN, BUT IF NOT, THEN WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE THEY'RE THEY'RE A VOICE IN THE ROOM OF WHAT THEIR CONCERNS ARE. AND THE POUCHES IS THERE. IS IT JUST THAT THE POUCH IS SOMETHING THAT'S A DIFFERENT COLOR OR IT LOOKS OR IT'S JUST, YOU KNOW, THAT THERE'S A CELL PHONE IN THERE? IS IT SOMETHING THAT THEY CARRY? I MEAN, I DON'T UNDERSTAND THE SO LET ME EXPLAIN THAT. YONDER POUCHES. SO WHAT IT IS, IT'S TYPICALLY UTILIZED FOR STUDENTS TO COME IN STRAIGHT TO THE BUILDING AND PUT THEIR PHONE IN THE POUCH, AND IT'S LOCKED BY AN ADMINISTRATOR. THAT MEANS THAT NOW THE STUDENT DOESN'T HAVE THE PHONE CONFISCATED, THE PHONE IS ON THE ON THE STUDENT. THAT'S WHAT TYPICALLY THE POUCH WILL BE UTILIZED FOR. AND FOR STUDENTS WHO REQUIRE SPECIAL NEEDS, THAT POUCH WOULDN'T BE LOCKED, SUCH AS A STUDENT WHO HAS DIABETES, WHO NEEDS TO CHECK THEIR INSULIN LEVELS. YES, MA'AM. SO I SERVE ON THE POLICY COMMITTEE WITH TRUSTEE BOX AND TRUSTEE WALTZ AND WELCH. AND WHEN WE FIRST STARTED DISCUSSING THIS, IT WAS I MEAN, THERE IS A NATIONWIDE TREND RIGHT NOW. DISTRICTS ARE BANNING CELL PHONES TO SOME DEGREE OR LIMITING THEIR USE. STATE LEGISLATURES ARE CONSIDERING BILLS AND ALL THAT. HOWEVER, RESEARCHING IT, WHAT I KEPT FINDING WAS THE DISTRICTS THAT ARE ABLE TO DO IT SUCCESSFULLY ARE ABLE TO PAY FOR YONDR POUCHES FOR EVERY STUDENT BECAUSE IT TAKES THE TEMPTATION COMPLETELY OFF THE TABLE. AND MOST OF THOSE DISTRICTS ARE ALSO 1 TO 1. SO IN MY MIND, THERE'S THREE KIND OF OPTIONS TO BAN CELL PHONES. YOU HAVE A COMPLETE BAN WHERE THE KIDS CAN'T EVEN BRING THEM TO SCHOOL. AND I DON'T THINK ANY PARENT, INCLUDING MYSELF, WOULD GO FOR THAT. MY DAUGHTER DRIVES TO SCHOOL. SHE'S NOT GOING TO GO WITHOUT A CELL PHONE. YOUR SECOND OPTION IS KIND OF WHAT WE ARE PROPOSING. PUT THEM IN YOUR BACKPACK. THEY'RE FOR EMERGENCY ONLY. BUT I THINK JUST KNOWING KIDS, HUMAN NATURE THAT IT'S IMPOSSIBLE TO ENFORCE. HOW ARE WE GOING TO KNOW IF KIDS BACKPACK OR IF THEY'RE REALLY OFF? AND THEN THIRD IS THE YONDR POUCH, BECAUSE WHICH IS A VERY EXPENSIVE OPTION. I MEAN, YOU'RE TALKING MILLIONS OF DOLLARS AND THEN I HAVE I'VE. IF YOU GO ON TIKTOK, THERE'S JUST VIDEO AFTER VIDEO OF KIDS FIGURING OUT HOW TO HOW TO HACK THEM, HOW TO BREAK THEM, HOW TO BRING MORE THAN ONE CELL PHONE TO SCHOOL. AND SO I JUST I FEEL LIKE I, I DON'T WANT I THINK WHAT WE'RE DOING IS THE SECOND OPTION, WHICH IS GOING TO BE REALLY, REALLY HARD TO ENFORCE AND REALLY CUMBERSOME FOR ADMINISTRATION. WHILE I WHILE I STILL AGREE THAT CELL PHONES ARE A PROBLEM AND IN A PERFECT WORLD, KIDS WOULD JUST NOT NOT BE ON THEM DURING THE DAY, I DON'T THINK I DON'T THINK IF WE COULD BRING THESE KIDS UP THROUGH THE YEAR, I MEAN, SEVENTH AND EIGHTH GRADE NOW, IT'S GOING TO BE HARD. BUT IF WE START THEM OFF AND THEY'RE MOVING UP, YES, I'M SPEAKING MOSTLY TO HIGH SCHOOL AND HIGH SCHOOL, BUT THEN BUT BUT I MEAN, IF WE CAN GRADUALLY SHOW THEM THEY'RE NOT THE NEED THEN BY THE TIME THEY HIT HIGH SCHOOL. BUT HOPEFULLY. BUT AGAIN, LIKE YOU SAID, IT'S HUMAN NATURE. IT'S A PARENT THING. PARENTS WANT TO KNOW WHERE THEIR KIDS ARE. THEY TRACK THEM. RIGHT. AND KIDS DO THINGS AFTER SCHOOL, SO THEY NEED THEIR PHONE TO GO ON THOSE BUSSES TO GO TO ATHLETIC EVENTS. SO WE CAN'T REALLY BAN IT COMPLETELY FROM THE SCHOOL. RIGHT? I THINK AGAIN, COMES DOWN TO I'M NOT SAYING THERE WON'T BE ENFORCEMENT ISSUES, BUT, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE HAVE TO MAKE [00:55:05] CHOICES. THAT'S WHAT I TELL MY KIDS ALL THE TIME. YOU MAKE A CHOICE AND THERE'S GOING TO BE A CONSEQUENCE. IF YOU DON'T MAKE THE RIGHT CHOICE, THEN YOU KNOW YOU'RE GOING TO LEARN THE HARD WAY. AND YEAH, IT MIGHT IT MIGHT BE DIFFICULT. BUT I FEEL LIKE LIKE K SAID, IF WE START NOW, THEN MAYBE ONCE THEY GET USED TO IT. I MEAN, I KNOW RANDALL DOES SOMETHING, RANDALL HIGH SCHOOL DOES SOMETHING VERY SIMILAR. AND MAYBE IT'S NOT PERFECT. IS THAT RIGHT? IS THAT CORRECT, DOCTOR EVANS? WHAT WAS YOUR QUESTION AGAIN? THAT RANDALL HIGH SCHOOL, THEY. YOU KNOW, I KNOW THAT THEY'VE BEEN TIGHT ON CELL PHONES SINCE THE BEGINNING. THEY HAVE BEEN. BUT I WOULD SAY I WOULD SAY GEORGE RANCH IS PROBABLY THE SCHOOL THAT HAS ENFORCED THAT THE THE STRONGEST. YEAH. I MEAN, BUT WE'VE ALL SEEN, YOU KNOW, THINGS COME BEFORE THE BOARD THAT HAVE TO DO WITH CELL PHONES BEING AT SCHOOL. THAT WOULD HAVE I MEAN, THE INCIDENT AT GEORGE RANCH WOULD HAVE NEVER JUST RECENTLY AT FOSTER. WHAT WAS SOMETHING NOT HUGE. GOT TOTALLY OUT OF CONTROL IN MY KIDS AT FULCHER COME HOME AND THEY KNEW WHAT HAPPENED. IT'S EVERYBODY STARTS SHARING, EVERYBODY STARTS VIDEOING, EVERYBODY STARTS SENDING. AND THEN BEFORE YOU KNOW IT, WE HAVE SOMETHING THAT SHOULD NEVER HAVE BEEN WHAT IT WAS BLOW FAR OUT OF PROPORTION. AND I AGREE WITH YOU. BUT WITHOUT THOSE PHONES BEING IN YONDER POUCHES, EVEN IF THAT HAPPENED TOMORROW, THE KIDS ARE STILL GOING TO TAKE THEIR PHONES OUT OF THEIR BACKPACK AND THEY'RE STILL GOING TO RECORD AND THEY'RE STILL GOING TO START CALLING. THAT'S MY POINT, IS THAT UNLESS THEY ARE LITERALLY LOCKED UP, I JUST DON'T I DON'T SEE THIS WORKING. AND SO GOING BACK TO WHAT TRUSTEE WELCH WAS SAYING ABOUT, DOES OUR CURRENT POLICY ALLOW FOR THIS ANYWAYS? I THINK IT DOES IN HIGH SCHOOL, JUST NOT FOR K THROUGH EIGHT. WELL, I THINK THE CURRENT POLICY DOES ALLOW THROUGH THE K THROUGH EIGHT THE ENFORCEMENT OF THIS. IF WE DO THAT, IF THAT PRINCIPAL CHOOSES CORRECT, THE CURRENT POLICY ALLOWS IT PRE K THROUGH 12, PRE K THROUGH 12. IT'S AN ENFORCEMENT. IT WOULD BE AN ENFORCEMENT THING THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT. NOW IF THE BOARD APPROVES THIS THEN IT WILL BE A PRE K THROUGH EIGHT BAND AND THEN A NINE THROUGH 12 ENFORCEMENT OF THE CURRENT POLICY. I WANT TO EMPHASIZE TO THE PRINCIPALS OUT THERE AND TO THE TEACHERS THAT IF THIS DOES NOT PASS TONIGHT AND WE STAY WITH THE CURRENT POLICY, YOU HAVE THE POWER. JUST LIKE ROBERTS MIDDLE SCHOOL. I SAW THEIR ANNOUNCEMENT ON SOCIAL MEDIA NOT TOO LONG AGO THAT ROBERTS MIDDLE SCHOOL IS A CELL PHONE FREE CAMPUS. OF THIS COMING SCHOOL YEAR. AND SO IF THE PRINCIPAL DOESN'T WANT TO DO THAT AT YOUR CAMPUS FOR SOME REASON, AND YOUR TEACHER AND YOU'RE THINKING, THESE DANG CELL PHONES CONSTANTLY DISTRACT, YOU CAN MAKE YOUR CLASSROOM A CELL PHONE FREE AREA. I LOOK AT THIS AS LIKE THE 55 MILE PER HOUR SPEED LIMIT THAT WE USED TO HAVE IN THIS NATION. EVERYBODY'S GOT A CELL PHONE AS ADULTS AND ADOLESCENTS AND SOME OF THE KIDS. THE SPEED LIMIT. EVERYBODY HAS A CAR. NO ONE FOLLOWS THE SPEED LIMIT. IT'S JUST TOO SLOW. I LOOK AT THIS AS THE SAME WAY. WE ALL HAVE PHONES THEY ARE PART OF INCORPORATED INTO OUR DAILY LIFE. THEY'RE PART OF OUR OUR BODY ALMOST AT THIS POINT. WE LOOK AT OUR PHONES SO MUCH AND THAT'S NOT NECESSARILY A HEALTHY THING. BUT I THINK THAT BY DOING THIS, WE WE ARE GOING TO JUST HAVE CONSTANT VIOLATION AND IT WON'T BE ENFORCEABLE. I THINK THE BETTER SOLUTION IS TO ALLOW THE PRINCIPALS AND THE TEACHERS TO TO GOVERN THIS ON A CAMPUS OR CLASSROOM LEVEL, AND TO POSSIBLY TEACH THOSE GOOD CELL PHONE HABITS TO INCORPORATE INTO THE LESSONS AND STUFF. AND IF I'M WRONG ON THAT, I'M WRONG. I'LL ADMIT THAT IN THE FUTURE. BUT I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S BEEN ENOUGH SUCCESSFUL BANNING OF PHONES BY SCHOOL DISTRICTS FOR US TO KNOW IF IT WORKS, OR IF ADMINISTRATORS AND TEACHERS JUST CONSTANTLY ARE MONITORING THAT AND CONSTANTLY GETTING THEM IN TROUBLE. AND SO MAYBE IN ANOTHER YEAR OR SO I COULD SUPPORT SOMETHING LIKE THIS. BUT I'M NOT PLANNING TO TONIGHT. AND WE ARE. WE ARE PILOTING YONDR ON SEVERAL CAMPUSES AS A DISCIPLINE MEASURE. YES. WE'RE PILOTING YONDR FOR SIX DIFFERENT CAMPUSES. AND THEY'LL GET ABOUT 30 TO 40 POUCHES TO UTILIZE IT AS A DISCIPLINE MEASURE FOR PERSISTENT MISBEHAVIOR OF CELL PHONE USAGE. OKAY. SO INSTEAD OF DOING SOMETHING, WILL DO NOTHING TO ADDRESS THE PROBLEM AND STILL HAVE AN ENFORCEMENT ISSUE. WELL, THAT'S THAT'S THAT'S A WAY TO LOOK AT IT. ANOTHER WAY TO LOOK AT IT IS A PRINCIPAL OR A TEACHER WHO, WHO CURRENTLY HAS NOT ADDRESSED THIS ON THEIR CAMPUS COULD POSSIBLY SAY, THIS IS WHAT WE'RE GOING TO START DOING. AND THAT COULD THAT COULD HAPPEN NEXT MONDAY. OR A TEACHER COULD, COULD POSSIBLY DO THAT. I DON'T KNOW IF EVERY TEACHER WOULD SAY. AND WHEN I SAY, I DON'T KNOW, I MEAN, I LITERALLY DO NOT KNOW. I'M IGNORANT. I DON'T KNOW IF EVERY TEACHER WOULD SAY YES. CELL PHONES ARE A PROBLEM IN MY LESSONS. [01:00:02] I, MY MY KIDS ARE NOT ABSORBING MY CONTENT BECAUSE OF CELL PHONES THAT MAY OR MAY NOT BE TRUE ON A CLASSROOM BY CLASSROOM BASIS. BUT IF THAT IS TRUE IN A TEACHER'S CLASSROOM, YOU NEED TO TALK TO YOUR PRINCIPAL AND TELL THEM THAT YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE A CELL PHONE FREE CLASSROOM AND YOU NEED HELP ENFORCING IT. I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE DOCTOR AND HIS TEAM CAN WORK WITH YOU ON THAT, I GUESS, BUT I THAT'S. THAT'S HOW I SEE IT RIGHT NOW. SORRY. WE PASSED A PRETTY STRICT VERSION OF THIS THIS TIME LAST YEAR. SO WITH THE EXCEPTION OF K THROUGH EIGHT. BUT FOR IT WAS A BIG CHANGE FOR NINE THROUGH 12 TO SAY LIKE PUT YOUR PHONES AWAY DURING CLASS. AND I THINK, YES, WE DID HAVE ENFORCEMENT ISSUES OBVIOUSLY. AND THAT'S WHY I'M JUST KIND OF I DON'T KNOW HOW THIS IS GOING TO CHANGE THE ENFORCEMENT ISSUES. I WOULD SAY THAT WITH OUR CURRENT SITUATION OF NOT BEING A 1 TO 1 AND NOT HAVING ENOUGH TECHNOLOGY FOR EVERY STUDENT ON CAMPUS THAT DOES GET IN, THAT COULD IMPACT THE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT. SO AS WE'RE THINKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, DO IF A CERTAIN CLASS IS ON THE LOWER END OF THE TOTEM POLE AS FAR AS NEEDING TECHNOLOGY ON THE REGULAR, IF AN ENGLISH CLASS MAY NEED IT MORE, IT WOULD MAKE IT HARDER FOR A SEVENTH GRADE CLASS THAT DOESN'T REALLY NEED IT, AND THEY HAVE TO USE IT. IT WOULD MAKE THAT INSTRUCTION MORE DIFFICULT. SO. ANY OTHER DISCUSSION QUESTIONS? OKAY. MR. PRESIDENT, I HAVE SOME MORE OF THE PRESENTATION FOR OUR PRE-K THROUGH 12TH GRADE STUDENTS. THIS WILL BE ALL 4 TO 6000 STUDENTS. SO HERE IT'S A LOT OF RED AND RED AND BLUE. BUT I'M GOING TO SHOW YOU A MORE EASIER TO READ PORTION OF THIS. BUT THIS IS OUR CURRENT POLICY. AND WHAT'S IN RED WE'RE GOING TO REMOVE. AND WHAT'S IN BLUE WE'RE GOING TO ADD FOR OUR OFFENSE LEVEL WHEN IT COMES TO THE APPROPRIATE USE OF THE CELL PHONE POLICY. THIS IS OFFENSE ONE, TWO AND THREE. AND THIS IS OFFENSE FOUR, FIVE AND SIX WITH SIX BEING REMOVED FOR THE RECOMMENDATION. AND HERE IT IS CLEARLY TO READ FIRST OFFENSE PARENT CONTACT ELECTRONIC DEVICES CONFISCATED AND THE PARENT MUST RETRIEVE THE DEVICE. SECOND OFFENSE THE PARENT CONTACT ELECTRONIC DEVICES CONFISCATED. PARENT MUST RETRIEVE THE DEVICE WITH A $15 FEE, AND THE STUDENT IS ASSIGNED IN-SCHOOL SUSPENSION. THIRD OFFENSE. PARENT CONTACT. ELECTRONIC DEVICE CONFISCATED. PARENT MUST RETRIEVE DEVICE WITH A $15 FEE AND THE STUDENT IS ASSIGNED OUT OF SCHOOL. SUSPENSION. FOURTH OFFENSE. PARENT CONTACT. ELECTRONIC DEVICES CONFISCATED. PARENT MUST RETRIEVE THE DEVICE WITH A $15 FEE, AND STUDENTS ASSIGNED OUT-OF-SCHOOL SUSPENSION AND FIFTH OFFENSE AND BEYOND. PARENT IS CONTACT ELECTRONIC DEVICES CONFISCATED. PARENT MUST RETRIEVE THE DEVICE WITH A $15 FEE, AND THE STUDENT IS RECOMMENDED TO ATTEND AOC. ANY QUESTIONS ON THIS PORTION? ONE NOTE THAT I DID ASK DOCTOR EVANS ABOUT THAT $15 FEE, AND THAT IS A STATE MANDATE THAT WE CANNOT GO ABOVE $15. IS THERE ANY TYPE OF LIKE CURRENTLY WITH THE CURRENT POLICY, ANY ANY TYPE OF WHAT ARE THE OFFENSES? LET ME JUST START WITH WHAT ARE THE OFFENSES IN THE CURRENT POLICY? SO OUR CURRENT POLICIES HAVE SIX OFFENSES. AND IT'S A LITTLE LENIENT WHEN YOU GET TO THE POINT WHERE IS HAS HAPPENED ON THE SECOND OFFENSE. AND THEN ISTH HAS HAPPENED ON THE THIRD OFFENSE AND THEN THE FOURTH OFFENSE THE STUDENT CAN BE SUSPENDED AND THEN THE FIFTH OFFENSE, IT CAN BE A RECOMMENDATION TO AOC AND THEN SIXTH OFFENSE AND BEYOND HIS RECOMMENDATION TO AOC. IT'S JUST A LITTLE STRICTER. OKAY. SO THIS SECTION OF THE MISUSE OF TECHNOLOGY RESOURCES AND THE INTERNET. THE BLUE IS WHAT WE RECOMMEND TO ADD. AND RED IS WHAT WE ARE REMOVING FOR RECOMMENDATION. AND I'LL SHOW THE KEY POINTS. AND THE KEY POINT OF THIS SECTION IS USING AN ELECTRONIC DEVICE TO TAKE OR DISTRIBUTE VIDEOS OR PICTURES OF INDIVIDUALS IN PRIVATE SETTINGS OR OUR COMPROMISING SITUATIONS IS A JAIL STATE JAIL FELONY REPORTABLE TO AUTHORITIES AND RESULTING IN A MANDATORY DAP PLACEMENT. CAN I JUST SAY THAT THERE'S A REASON WHY WE HAVE TO PUT THESE THINGS IN OUR POLICY, IN OUR HANDBOOK. OKAY. STATE JAIL FELONY. BECAUSE IT'S HAPPENING ON OUR CAMPUSES WITH CELL PHONES. I MEAN, IT IS A PROBLEM. SO I THINK TO JUST I DON'T KNOW, I THINK TO IGNORE IT WOULD BE A FAILURE ON OUR PART IN SOME, IN SOME WAY TO JUST TO NOT PUT INTO EFFECT ANY KIND OF CHANGES INTO OUR, OUR HANDBOOK I THINK IS IS A MISTAKE AND WE ADDED TWO IN MAY NOT PREVENT PRESENTED TWO [01:05:03] TWO MORE CODES TO ADD TO OUR CODE OF CONDUCT WHICH ALREADY HAS LIKE SEVEN CODES IN RELATION TO CELL PHONES. AND I JUST I THINK I JUST WANT PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND THERE'S A REASON WHY WE'RE DOING THIS, PARENTS. THERE'S A REASON WHY WE'RE DOING THIS. BECAUSE THERE'S A PROBLEM. THERE'S A PROBLEM IN THE SCHOOLS AND THEY CAN'T BE MONITORED ALL THE TIME. YOU CAN'T WATCH YOUR KIDS IN THE BATHROOM. YOU CAN'T. THERE'S A PROBLEM. SO IF PHONES AREN'T AWAY DURING THE DAY, AND I MEAN THIS JUST WHAT HAPPENS. AND YEAH, PEOPLE ARE GOING TO DISOBEY THE RULES, BUT THERE'S CONSEQUENCES WHEN THAT HAPPENS. SO JUST BECAUSE PEOPLE IGNORE THE RULES OR IGNORE ENFORCEMENT DOESN'T MEAN THAT THOSE RULES DON'T STILL EXIST OR SHOULDN'T STILL EXIST. SO THAT'S. AND IN THIS SECTION, THE TWO THE TWO AREAS IN RED AND BLUE ARE THE BLUE AREAS THAT PARENTS ARE REQUIRED TO. AND WE WERE MOVING. THEY'LL BE ALLOWED TO. AND THAT KEY SECTION OF THAT, THAT KEY POINT OF THAT SECTION, THE PARENTS ARE REQUIRED TO RETRIEVE THE PHONE ON THE STUDENT'S FIRST OFFENSE. ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS OR DISCUSSION? CAN WE BREAK DOWN THIS OF WHAT WE THINK NEEDS TO MOVE FORWARD AND WHAT DOES NOT NEED TO MOVE FORWARD. OKAY. BECAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS THERE'S A LOT OF MOVING PARTS HERE. SO WE WILL NEED TO TO GET THERE. WE NEED TO MAKE A MOTION AND THEN SECOND IT AND THEN MAKE AN AMENDMENT TO THAT. SO IF THERE IS NO MORE QUESTIONS OR DISCUSSION, I CAN WE CAN MAKE THE MOTION TO APPROVE THIS AND ASK FOR A SECOND. AND AFTER THAT WE'LL HAVE DISCUSSION AND WE CAN MAKE AN AMENDMENT THEN IF THAT'S CLEAR FOR EVERYONE. ALL RIGHT. SO MAY I HAVE A MOTION FOR THE BOARD TO APPROVE THE STUDENT CODE OF CONDUCT REVISIONS? DO WE HAVE A SECOND? WE HAVE A MOTION BY TRUSTEE BOX. WE HAVE A SECOND. WE DO NOT HAVE A SECOND. SO SOMEONE HAS TO SECOND IN ORDER FOR US TO AT LEAST MOVE FORWARD WITH K THROUGH EIGHT. RIGHT? SO I WILL SECOND. NO. OH, NO. IF THERE IS NO SECOND, THEN IT DIES AND YOU CAN MAKE ANOTHER MOTION. OKAY. OKAY. SO THERE IS YOU MAKE THE SECOND FOR THAT. YES. I GUESS NOT. OKAY. SO THERE IS NO SECOND. DO WE HAVE ANY OTHER MOTIONS ON THE TABLE? SECOND, THAT MOTION DIES. NOW, DO WE HAVE ANY OTHER MOTIONS ON THE TABLE? SO I MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE STUDENT CODE OF CONDUCT. THE PORTION OF K THROUGH EIGHT CELL PHONE POLICY. IS THAT CORRECT? RIGHT. ISN'T THAT WHAT WE'RE SAYING? SO YOU WANT TO MOVE FORWARD WITH. WELL, WE'RE WAS THERE STUFF IN THE ORIGINAL MOTION THAT YOU DO NOT WANT TO BE INCLUDED IN THIS MOTION WITHOUT THE NINE THROUGH 12. SO MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE K THROUGH EIGHT STUDENT CODE OF CONDUCT CHANGES WITHOUT THE CHANGES TO NINTH THROUGH 12TH GRADE. I'LL SECOND IT. THERE WERE SOME CHANGES TO THE NINTH THROUGH 12TH. LET'S GO BACK TO THE NINE THROUGH 12. AND LET'S LET'S SEE WHAT'S IN RED. WHAT'S IN BLUE. SO LET'S SLOW DOWN A LITTLE BIT AND LET'S TALK THROUGH WHAT THE CURRENT POLICY IS VERSUS WHAT THE CHANGES ARE FOR THE NINE THROUGH 12. SO HERE IS THE FIRST SLIDE. NO NO I'M SORRY. THIS IS NINE THROUGH 12 RIGHT HERE SIR. GOTCHA. YES, SIR. SO FOR NINTH THROUGH 12TH GRADE STUDENTS, WHAT WE'RE RECOMMENDING FOR VERBIAGE IS THE SMART WATCHES. AND THEN THE MAIN PART IS GOING TO BE UTILIZED FOR CHANGE IS WALKING IN THE HALLWAYS WITH DEVICES THAT ARE NO LONGER BE ALLOWED. THAT WAS ON THE POLICY THAT WAS IN THERE LAST YEAR. SO TO ME THE NINE THROUGH 12 HAS NOT REALLY CHANGED. THEY ADDED SMART WATCHES, BUT WHAT ELSE HAS CHANGED? WAS THAT THE EXAMPLE? THE EXAMPLE OF WALKING IN THE HALL WITH DEVICE IN HAND IS NOT ACCEPTABLE. THAT WAS ALL. BUT THAT WAS JUST THE LANGUAGE WE ADDED TODAY. YES, SIR. THAT'S CORRECT. SO THEY'RE ALREADY NOT SUPPOSED TO BE WALKING IN THE HALLS WITH IT IN THEIR HANDS, CORRECT? YES, SIR. DO YOU STILL WANT TO MAKE THAT MOTION? BECAUSE THE K THROUGH EIGHT ORIGINAL ONE DID NOT MOVE FORWARD. WELL, NOW I'M CONFUSED. THE ONLY THING, IF THE ONLY THING WE'RE CHANGING IS SMARTWATCHES. I MEAN, I DON'T KNOW. I, I DON'T THINK WE SHOULD TAKE AWAY SMARTWATCHES, BUT THAT'S JUST ME. [01:10:03] SO THAT THAT COULD BE. THAT COULD BE YOUR MOTION IS TO SAY YOU WANT TO MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE IT ALL, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF ALLOWING SMARTWATCHES. YOU CAN YOU CAN MAKE THAT MOSTLY IF YOU LIKE TO. SO WHATEVER, WHATEVER, WHATEVER THE BOARD WISHES TO DO IS WHAT THE BOARD CAN DO JUST IN THE MOTION. JUST MAKE THAT LANGUAGE CLEAR AND THEN WE'LL MAKE SURE WE WORD IT THAT WAY, AND THEN WE'LL HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH THE ADMINISTRATORS TO ENFORCE IT. OKAY. SO I MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE STUDENT CODE OF CONDUCT REVISIONS, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF SMARTWATCHES IN NINTH THROUGH 12TH. WE HAVE A MOTION. DO WE HAVE A SECOND? AND THAT MOTION DIES. OKAY. CAN I JUST SAY THAT IF YOU DO HAVE IF IF CHILDREN DO NOT TURN OFF THEIR PHONES LIKE THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO BE IN THEIR BACKPACK AND THEY WERE WEARING A SMARTWATCH, IT'S LITERALLY LIKE WEARING A WATCH, A PHONE ON YOUR HAND. THE ONLY THING YOU CAN GET, ALL YOUR TEXT MESSAGES, YOU CAN TEXT PEOPLE. YOU CAN, I DON'T KNOW, I DON'T HAVE ONE. BUT I MEAN, I KNOW YOU CAN MAKE PHONE CALLS AND MAKE TEXTS. RECEIVE TEXTS. BROWSE THAT KIND OF THING. I THOUGHT ALL THE KIDS ARE GOING TO TURN THEIR PHONES OFF. SUPPOSEDLY THAT'S MY THAT'S MY POINT. WE'RE TALKING ABOUT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE HIGH LEVEL BOARD LEVEL HERE. THIS IS NOT PREVENTING SMARTWATCHES AND CELL PHONES. THOSE CAN STILL BE BANNED ON THE CAMPUS AND CLASSROOM LEVEL. THIS IS WHAT THE CURRENT POLICY ALLOWS. AND SO WE'RE NOT SAYING YEAH, YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO DEAL WITH CELL PHONES AND SMARTWATCHES, TEACHERS AND PRINCIPALS. WE'RE NOT SAYING THAT. WE'RE SAYING THAT WE'RE NOT. IF, IF, IF A IF A MOTION DOESN'T PASS, WE'RE SAYING WE'RE NOT GOING TO MAKE A BOARD POLICY. THAT IS LAW. AND LAMAR. BUT THAT STILL DOESN'T MEAN THAT YOU CAN'T DO IT ON YOUR CAMPUS OR YOUR CLASSROOM. I THINK THAT'S BEING LOST IN SOME OF THIS DISCUSSION. UP, UP HERE BY US RIGHT NOW IS THIS THAT CAN STILL HAPPEN IN THIS DISTRICT, CAMPUS BY CAMPUS OR CLASSROOM BY CLASSROOM. CAN I TRY IT? YES, MA'AM. DO I NEED TO MAKE A A? YOU'LL NEED TO MAKE A MOTION. LET ME MAKE A MOTION. I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO ACCEPT THE CHANGES IN THE POLICY OF OFFENSES AND MISUSE OF THE RESOURCES. HOW DO I SAY THAT? JUST LIKE THAT. OKAY. NOT INCLUDE THE K THROUGH EIGHT OR THE CHANGES IN NINE THROUGH 12, BUT TO INCLUDE THE THE CHANGES IN THE HOW WE DISCIPLINE. OKAY. SO WE HAVE A MOTION TO ACCEPT CHANGES INTO THE OFFENSES DISCIPLINE AND THE MISUSE OF TECHNOLOGY AND NOT INCLUDE THE CHANGES THROUGH K THROUGH EIGHT AND NINE THROUGH 12 AS PRESENTED. CORRECT. ALL RIGHT. WE HAVE THAT MOTION. DO WE HAVE A SECOND TO THAT? THAT MOTION DIES. ARE THERE ANY OTHER MOTIONS ON THE TABLE? TRUSTEE BRUNZELL, YOUR LIGHT IS ON. I DON'T KNOW, NO, YOUR LIGHT IS OFF. YOUR LIGHT IS BACK ON. I MEAN, I KNOW WE WANT TO DO SOMETHING HERE. IT FEELS LIKE WE ALL KIND OF HAVE THIS FEELING OF MAYBE WE WANT TO DO SOMETHING THAT MAYBE WE'RE TRYING TO DO THIS TOO PREMATURELY, THAT MAYBE THE POLICY COMMITTEE OR WHATEVER NEEDS TO GO BACK AND MAYBE TRY TO, SINCE THEY'VE HEARD ALL OF OUR QUESTIONS, KIND OF GET IN A LITTLE MORE. I DON'T KNOW. YEAH. I THINK FOR THE PUBLIC'S SAKE. SO IT'S, YOU KNOW, KNOWING EVERY SINGLE PERSON SITTING AROUND THESE TABLES, WE ALL AGREE THAT THERE ARE HARMS AND THERE ARE ISSUES AND THAT SOCIAL MEDIA AND THE WAY CELL PHONES ARE BEING USED ACROSS THE NATION ARE NOT GOOD FOR STUDENTS TO BE USING. SO WE ARE NOT SAYING BY US NOT MAKING A MOTION OR PASSING A MOTION, WE'RE NOT SAYING THAT ANY OF THAT, LIKE WE'RE OKAY WITH WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THIS NATION ON CELL PHONES. WE'RE SAYING THAT OUR CURRENT POLICY ALLOWS THE DISTRICTS TO EMPOWER THE ADMIN ON THE CAMPUS LEVEL TO ENFORCE THEIR THINGS. SO WE'RE NOT SAYING WE'RE LACKING OR RELAXING ANY POLICY. WE'RE PUTTING THE ACCOUNTABILITY ON THAT CAMPUS LEVEL. CORRECT. I TOOK I TOOK IT UPON MYSELF TO DO MY OWN LITTLE POLL AT TWO DIFFERENT SCHOOL FUNCTIONS, ASKING TEACHERS WHAT THEIR THOUGHTS WERE. TWO BIGGEST TWO THINGS THAT CAME UP CONSISTENTLY WERE TECHNOLOGY AND DRESS CODE ARE THE TWO BIGGEST DISTRACTIONS. I CARRY TWO CELL PHONES. IT'S MY BIGGEST DISTRACTION IN MY HOME. IT'S THE BIGGEST DISTRACTION. BUT IT IS 2024. [01:15:01] THEY ARE A TOOL, OUR CAMPUSES BEING AS LARGE AS THEY ARE AND US NOT BEING 1 TO 1 WITH TECHNOLOGY. I WANT THE TEACHERS TO HAVE THE CAPABILITY TO USE IT AT THE CHILD'S DEVICE AS A TOOL, IF THEY DEEM IT APPROPRIATE, TO JOHN'S POINT. THE RULES ARE ALREADY THERE IF LOCAL ADMINISTRATION, PRINCIPAL TEACHER CHOOSE TO ENFORCE IT AND WE'LL BACK IT. I DON'T THINK ANY OF US WOULDN'T JUST LIKE DRESS CODE. I DON'T THINK FOR US TO COME DOWN WITH A BLANKET RULING ACROSS THE BOARD WOULD BE FAIR. I THINK THE PROS OUTWEIGH THE CONS, BUT IT'S GOING TO COME DOWN TO NO MATTER WHAT. ON ENFORCEMENT. YEAH, THOSE THAT CHOOSE ENFORCEMENT I MEAN, THERE'S RULES THAT WE HAVE IN PLACE NOW THAT AREN'T ENFORCED AND SETTING ANOTHER RULE THAT MAY OR MAY NOT BE ENFORCED. I DON'T THINK WE'RE DOING ANY GOOD. DOCTOR. SO, YOU KNOW, MY JOB IS TO BUILD CONSENSUS. AND SO DOCTOR WADE SAID EARLIER THAT SOME OF OUR ADMINISTRATORS HAVE GIVEN SOME INPUT ABOUT THIS, BUT NOT TO THE LEVEL THAT THAT I THINK THAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE. SO IF THE BOARD SO PLEASES THE BOARD CAN MAKE A MOTION TONIGHT TO, TO TO REQUEST TO ASK ME TO GO BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD. GOT A COMMITTEE OF SOME ADMINISTRATORS, TEACHERS AND STUDENTS AND COME UP WITH A DIFFERENT COMPREHENSIVE PLAN. IF YOU IF YOU SO CHOOSE, OR OR WE CAN JUST CONTINUE TO DO WHAT WE'RE DOING NOW AND DO A BETTER JOB OF ENFORCING THE POLICY. AND SO, YOU KNOW, IT IS IT IS A CONCERN IS THAT WE DO HAVE TO ENFORCE THE POLICY MORE CONSISTENTLY ACROSS ALL OF OUR CAMPUSES. SOME CAMPUSES DO A GREAT JOB, SOME CAMPUSES DO A POOR JOB. JUST A PLAIN, PLAIN AND SIMPLE. BUT AS TRUSTEE WELCH SAID, TEACHERS DO HAVE THE AUTONOMY AND THE AUTHORITY TO MAKE THEIR CLASSROOMS A CELL PHONE, A CELL PHONE FREE CLASS THAT CAN ALSO SAY THERE ARE NO SMARTWATCHES IN THIS CLASS. AND SO WHAT WE HAVE TO DO THEN IS IF A TEACHER MAKES THAT RULE IN THEIR CLASSROOM AND THEY HAVE CONSEQUENCES, THEN WE HAVE TO ENFORCE THOSE CONSEQUENCES REGARDLESS OF MOM AND DAD. COME UP AND THEY'LL THREATEN US WITH ATTORNEYS AND THEY'RE AND THEY'RE CURSING AT EVERYBODY. THERE ARE THERE ARE CONSEQUENCES. AND SO WE CAN DO THAT, OR THE BOARD CAN DIRECT ME TO GO BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD, AND WE CAN COME UP WITH A DIFFERENT PLAN WHILE WE'RE DOING THAT. THIS FIRST SEMESTER, WE CAN PRESENT SOME DATA TO THE TRUSTEES VIA THE WEEKLY UPDATE ABOUT, YOU KNOW, HOW THINGS ARE GOING, HOW MANY CELLPHONE ISSUES ARE WE HAVING? YOU KNOW, WE CAN GIVE YOU ALL THE DATA YOU NEED. ALSO, PUT A COMMITTEE OF FOLKS TOGETHER AND THEN COME BACK IN THE SPRING SEMESTER WITH A DIFFERENT WITH A DIFFERENT RECOMMENDATION OR SAY, YOU KNOW, IT'S BEEN IT'S BEEN GOING GREAT. WE DON'T HAVE A RECOMMENDATION, SO WE CAN DO WHATEVER. YOU KNOW, I WORK AT THE WILL OF THE BOARD SO I CAN DO WHATEVER THE BOARD CHOOSES US TO DO. AND I WOULD JUST LIKE TO SAY, I THINK THAT'S A GOOD IDEA. BUT FOR THE POLICY COMMITTEE, MAYBE BRINGING IN THOSE ADMINISTRATORS THAT ARE IN THE SCHOOLS THAT HAVE ALREADY HAVE A NO PHONE ZONE AND HOW THEY'RE IMPLEMENTING IT AND HOW THEY'RE HOW IS IT GOING? WHAT ARE THE CONSEQUENCES AND WHAT DO THEY SEE TO THE PITFALLS? OR ARE THEY HAVING ANY PITFALLS SO THAT OTHER SCHOOLS CAN TRY TO EMULATE? BUT OF COURSE WE NEED TO REMEMBER WE ARE 385MI². WE HAVE SIX HIGH SCHOOLS, ALMOST SEVEN. WE HAVE DIFFERENT LOW. OUR SCHOOLS ARE SPREAD OUT AND THEIR THEIR SCHOOLS ARE OF DIFFERENT NATURE FROM SCHOOL TO SCHOOL. SO WHAT'S GOOD FOR SOMEBODY MAY OR MAY NOT BE GOOD FOR SOMEBODY ELSE. BUT I WOULD LIKE TO HEAR FROM THOSE PRINCIPLES THAT HAVE MADE THEIR SELVES SCHOOL OF THEIR SCHOOLS, NO PHONE ZONES, AND SEE WHAT THEY'RE HOW THEY'RE DOING IT. I WOULD AGREE. I FEEL LIKE I MEAN, THERE'S A REASON WHY THESE PRINCIPALS MAKE THE PHONE. I MEAN, THEIR SCHOOLS CELL PHONE FREE. AND IT'S A CONSTANT DISTRACTION. I MEAN, THERE'S LOTS OF REASONS. SO I'M SURE THAT THEY WOULD SHARE THAT. I MEAN, I MEAN, EARLIER MANDY SAID, YOU KNOW, IT'S KIND OF LIKE AN ALL OR NOTHING. I MEAN, FOR K THROUGH EIGHT, FOR ME, I FEEL LIKE IT'S AN IT'S AN ALL, ALL NEEDS TO BE DONE. BECAUSE YOU HAVE THESE BLURRED LINES OR YOU CAN HAVE IT ON THIS TIME AND THAT TIME AND NOT THIS TIME, AND NOT IN THE HALLWAY, BUT IN THE LUNCHROOM. AND THERE'S SO MANY IN AND OUT OF YOUR BACKPACKS WITH THE PHONE. I MEAN, THESE ARE KIDS. THEY'RE LIKE, WHAT, 13 AND UNDER? AND THEY DON'T EVEN KNOW HOW TO PROPERLY USE A CELL PHONE. WE'VE SEEN DISCIPLINE ISSUES THAT COME UP IN FRONT OF THE BOARD THAT ARE IT JUST SHOULDN'T BE HAPPENING. AND IT'S BECOMING IT'S COME IT BECOMES A PROBLEM BECAUSE OF A CELL PHONE, SPECIFICALLY BECAUSE OF A CELL PHONE. THAT IS WHY THIS CHILD IS IN ALC. THAT IS WHY THIS CHILD HAD A STATE FELONY FILED AGAINST HIM, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE OF HIS CELL PHONE. [01:20:03] HAD THEY NOT HAD THE CELL PHONE? I MEAN, WE HAVE A GRIEVANCE, THINGS THAT REVOLVE AROUND CELL PHONES. AND SO I GUESS I WOULD LIKE TO JUST SAY, I THINK THE K THROUGH EIGHT, AND I THINK IT'S A GOOD POLICY. I THINK THAT LIMITING CELL PHONES TO YOUNGER KIDS, GETTING RID OF THE DISTRACTION, ALLOWING TEACHERS TO TEACH AND NOT HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT IT, GETTING RID OF THE BLURRED LINES OF WHEN IT'S OKAY, WHEN IT'S NOT OKAY. THAT WOULD ELIMINATE SOME OF THE ENFORCEMENT ISSUES AND SOME OF THE THINGS THAT THEY'RE DEALING WITH, BECAUSE IT'S NEVER IT'S NOT OH, SOMETIMES IT'S NEVER SHOULD IT BE OUT. SO TO ME THAT ELIMINATES THAT BLURRED LINE. AND THEN AGAIN FOR THE NINTH THROUGH 12TH, I MEAN THIS IS OUR POLICY. THIS IS OUR CURRENT POLICY. SO THIS IS WHAT WOULD BE ENFORCED IN NINTH THROUGH 12TH. AGAIN IT WOULD JUST HAVE TO BE ENFORCED. AND I DON'T THINK ANYONE IS SAYING THAT THE CAPE. NOT BANNING THE K THROUGH EIGHT WOULD BE A BAD THING. WHAT THE CONCERN I'M SENSING AND SEEING FROM JUST KNOWING OUR SCHOOLS AND KNOWING OUR THE ENVIRONMENTS, IS THAT WE DON'T HAVE ANYTHING TO REPLACE THAT WITH. WE ARE NOT A 1 TO 1. WE CAN GO FOR ROUTES TO BECOME A 1 TO 1. WE CAN CALL FOR A BOND TO BUY TECHNOLOGY, PUT IT ON A 30 YEAR BILL THAT'S GOING TO FOR AN ITEM THAT'S ONLY GOING TO LAST TWO YEARS. SO UNTIL WE GET TO A POINT TO WHERE WE BECOME ONE ON ONE, WHERE WE CAN REPLACE IT WITH DISTRICT OWNED TECHNOLOGY, I SO NO ONE'S SAYING THAT WE'RE NOT DISAGREEING THAT YOU'RE SAYING THAT, BUT. WELL, CAN I SAY BEFORE 2020 WE HAD TRADITIONAL CLASSROOMS. WE DID NOT. WE WERE NOT 1 TO 1. AND THEN EVERYBODY COMES BACK TO THE SCHOOL AFTER THAT. AND IT'S LIKE ALL OF A SUDDEN CELL PHONES ARE LIKE THE NEW THING. AND SO WE BRING THEM INTO THE CLASSROOM BECAUSE WE HAD TO USE THEM WHEN WE WERE AWAY FROM THE CLASSROOM. SOME KIDS DID TO DO THEIR WORK, AND WE NEVER GONE BACK TO THE TRADITIONAL WAY OF DOING SCHOOL, AND IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT WE HAVE TO GO BACK. EXACTLY. BUT I MEAN, THERE ARE WAYS TO DO SCHOOL WITHOUT PHONES, I CAN TELL YOU THAT. THERE'S WAYS TO DO PHONES WITHOUT A COMPUTER ON YOUR DESK EVERY DAY. AND WE DO HAVE THAT TECHNOLOGY. WE DO HAVE LAPTOPS, LAPTOP CARDS. AND WHILE WE DON'T HAVE ONE FOR EVERY SINGLE CLASSROOM, MAYBE THAT COULD BE A GOAL. OR MAYBE WE HAVE TWO TEACHERS THAT SAY, OKAY, I ONLY NEED IT TWICE A WEEK. I CAN PARTNER WITH THIS OTHER TEACHER WHO NEEDS THREE TIMES A WEEK, AND THEN THEY THEY CAN'T SHARE OR WHATEVER THOSE SITUATIONS THAT WE COME UP WITH, BUT ESPECIALLY IN AN ELEMENTARY AND JUNIOR HIGH, I DON'T THINK THAT THE NEED IS IS 1 TO 1. I DON'T EVEN THINK THE NEED IS 1 TO 1 IN HIGH SCHOOL. I KNOW KATIE WENT TO 1 TO 1 AND PEOPLE ARE UPSET BECAUSE NOW THEIR KIDS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR A CHROMEBOOK. FINANCIALLY RESPONSIBLE, THEY HAVE TO TAKE IT HOME EVERY DAY. I THINK HAVING MORE CARTS, MORE LAPTOPS AT THE SCHOOL AVAILABLE FOR TEACHERS TO USE. DEFINITELY. YEAH, BUT I DON'T THINK WE HAVE TO BE 1 TO 1 BECAUSE NOT ALL TEACHERS USE THEM EVERY SINGLE DAY. SO JUST TO CLARIFY, ARE YOU SAYING BEFORE COVID WE WEREN'T SO HEAVILY USING CANVAS OR CANVAS? WE USED CANVAS. OKAY. YEAH. BUT THEN AFTER AFTER COVID, WELL, DURING COVID, THAT'S WHEN YOU WERE DOING YOUR WORK AND TAKING A PICTURE AND THEN LOADING IT UP TO CANVAS. WELL, NOW YOU DO YOUR HOMEWORK, THEN YOU TAKE A PICTURE, EVEN THOUGH YOU HAVE THE PAPER, AND YOU GO TO SCHOOL EVERY DAY AND YOU LOAD IT UP ON CANVAS. RIGHT. I MEAN, THAT'S NOT NECESSARY. AND IF IT IS, YOU CAN DO IT AT HOME WHEN YOU GET HOME. I MEAN, MY POINT IS THERE ARE WORKAROUNDS. SO WE'RE ACTING LIKE, OH, YOU GOT TO HAVE A DEVICE EVERY SINGLE DAY. WELL, YOU DON'T ACTUALLY HAVE TO HAVE IT EVERY SINGLE DAY. IS IT A TOOL THAT WE USE? YES IT IS. IS IT HELPFUL TO TEACHERS? YES, BUT IT'S NOT AN EVERYDAY THING. SO LIKE I SAID, WE DID IT BEFORE. SO I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY WE CAN'T MAKE IT WORK NOW. SO DO WE WANT TO MAKE A MOTION THAT THE DOCTOR AND HIS ADMINISTRATION PROVIDE US WITH MORE INFORMATION AND COME BACK TO US SO THAT WE CAN FURTHER EXPLORE HOW WE'RE GOING TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS ISSUE OF CELL PHONES IN THE CLASSROOMS. YES. DO WE HAVE A MOTION? YES, I'LL MAKE THAT MOTION. OKAY. SO YOU MAKE THE MOTION THAT TO DIRECT AND ASK DOCTOR NEVINS AND HIS TEAM TO CREATE A COMMITTEE TO INVESTIGATE THE USE OF CELL PHONES ON CAMPUSES APPROPRIATELY. ALL RIGHT. DO WE HAVE A SECOND? NO. AND WE HAVE A SECOND. ANY DISCUSSION TO THE MOTION? I'D LIKE TO REQUEST OF DOCTOR NIVENS THAT YOU INVITE THE POLICY COMMITTEE TO ATTEND THAT AT LEAST ONE IN THE SPRING. MAYBE NOT EVERY TIME YOU ALL MEET. MAYBE. BUT AT LEAST ONE TIME THAT WE CAN THAT WE CAN HEAR ALSO WHAT THE GENERAL CONSENSUS IS. AND WE CAN ASK SOME OF THE QUESTIONS OURSELVES. YES, SIR. ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? YES. SO MY CONCERN WITH NOT UPDATING THIS PIECE OF THE HANDBOOK IS THAT WE GO BACK INTO SCHOOL, JUST LIKE WE DID LAST YEAR, AND NOTHING CHANGES. NOTHING CHANGES. KIDS WILL WALK AROUND THE HALLWAYS WITH THEIR PHONES AND DO WHATEVER THEY WANT AND NOTHING CHANGES. [01:25:03] SO I THINK FROM THIS CONVERSATION, OBVIOUSLY WE ARE SAYING WE ARE WE ARE NOT IGNORING THIS ISSUE. WE ACKNOWLEDGE IT AND WE, THE BOARD EXPECTS THE POLICY THAT WE PASSED LAST YEAR TO BE ENFORCED. SO IT'S NOT TO IGNORE IF THERE IS ANYTHING ABOVE AND BEYOND WHAT IS CURRENT POLICY. WE WANT TO KNOW WHAT THAT IS AND HOW WE CAN HELP THE ADMINISTRATION ENFORCE IT BETTER IF NEED BE. BUT IF THERE'S NO REAL CHANGES TO THE NINE THROUGH 12 ESPECIALLY, THEN IT REALLY IS JUST AN ENFORCEMENT ISSUE. SO I WOULD I WOULD LOVE TO SEE EVERY SCHOOL OPERATING LIKE GEORGE RANCH AND WHICHEVER OTHER SCHOOLS ARE BEING SUCCESSFUL. I MEAN, THAT'S THE THAT'S THE POINT, THAT'S THE EXPECTATION. BUT THEN K THROUGH EIGHT HAS NO CHANGES EITHER. SO. WELL, SO I, I KNOW REDDING AND POLLY RYAN, AT LEAST THOSE ARE MY TWO EXPERIENCES. THEY DO NOT HAVE THEIR CELL PHONES OUT DURING THE DAY. FROM MY UNDERSTANDING, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S EVERY JUNIOR HIGH AND MIDDLE SCHOOL, BUT I DON'T BELIEVE THEY DO IT FOR THEY DON'T USE CELL PHONES FOR SCHOOLWORK. I DON'T KNOW AREA SUPERINTENDENTS. DO THEY? GOOD EVENING. BOARD. DOCTOR EVANS, YOU ARE CORRECT. IT IS SCHOOL CHOICE. IN MAROON TRACK, THE TWO SCHOOLS YOU CITED DO HAVE CELLPHONE BAN POLICIES. THEY'RE VERY STRICT IN ENFORCING THAT POLICY. AND HOW AND HOW AND WHEN THEY ENFORCE THE POLICY. HOW IS IT NOT A HUGE PROBLEM? I MEAN, THEY ENFORCE IT AND PEOPLE OBEY. THEY THEY LIVED WITH THE HEADACHES EARLY. BUT AFTER WE SET THE CULTURE AROUND CELL PHONES AND STUDENTS WERE MORE LIKELY TO COMPLY. BUT WHEN WHEN CELL PHONES ARE OUT, THEY ARE TAKEN. SO I THINK THAT'S IT. IT'S SETTING A CULTURE. AND THE CULTURE THAT WE HAVE NOW IS NOT I MEAN, WE MAY HAVE IT AT SOME SCHOOLS AND YES, MA'AM, THAT IS CORRECT. AT SOME SCHOOLS WHERE IT HAS BEEN SET TO BE THAT WAY. I KNOW IT HIGH SCHOOLS. I WOULD LIKE TO CONCUR WITH THE BOARD. IT IS USED EFFECTIVELY IN SOME OF THE HIGH SCHOOL CLASSROOMS. I'VE SEEN IT USED EFFECTIVELY. BUT I'VE ALSO SEEN WHEN IT'S NOT BEEN USED EFFECTIVELY. AND SO IT WILL BE AN ENFORCEMENT ISSUE. AND SO BY US TALKING ABOUT IT, WE ARE LOUD AND CLEAR THAT WE WANT IT TO BE USED FOR PRODUCTION AND NOT CONSUMPTION. SO WE ARE IN A VOTE. ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? I WILL NOW CALL FOR THE VOTE TO DIRECT THE ADMINISTRATION, TO INVESTIGATE MORE AND CREATE A COMMITTEE AND MOVE FORWARD. ALL IN FAVOR, SAY AYE. AYE. ANY OPPOSED? THE MOTION PASSES. TRUSTEE. DID YOU VOTE? SO, WOULD YOU LIKE TO ABSTAIN? SO TRUSTEE BOX. WOULD YOU LIKE TO ABSTAIN FROM THE VOTE? OKAY. THANK YOU. ONE ABSTAINED. SO THAT WAS A GREAT DISCUSSION. I'D LIKE TO SAY TO MY TO MY LEADERSHIP TEAM IS THAT, YOU KNOW HAVING A DISCUSSION ABOUT ENFORCING POLICY AT THE CAMPUS LEVEL IS THE LAST THING I WANT THIS BOARD TO DO. AND SO WE'LL HAVE A DEEPER CONVERSATION ABOUT HOW WE'RE GOING TO MAKE SURE WE DO THAT. BUT THE BOARD'S JOB IS NOT TO ENFORCE POLICY THAT'S OURS. AND SO WE'LL HAVE DEEPER DISCUSSIONS ABOUT THAT. SO I JUST WANT TO MAKE THAT LOUD AND CLEAR. AND SO WE WHEN WE HAVE DISCUSSIONS AND YOU START SENDING THE EMAILS, JUST JUST UNDERSTAND WE'RE HAVING THE DISCUSSIONS BECAUSE THE TRUSTEES THAT'S NOT THEIR JOB. ALL RIGHT TRUSTEES WE'LL MOVE ON. [7. FUTURE CONSENT ITEMS] ARE THERE ANY ITEMS ON THE FUTURE CONSENT AGENDA THAT THE TRUSTEES WOULD LIKE TO PULL FOR DISCUSSION AT THE AUGUST 27TH BOARD MEETING? HEARING NONE. THE MEETING IS ADJOURNED AT 8 P.M.. * This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.