[*Portions of this meeting are without video]
[00:00:03]
[1. Call to order and establishment of a quorum]
THIS IS A SPECIAL CALLED BOARD MEETING BEING HELD ON AUGUST 19TH, 2024.WE HAVE A QUORUM WITH SEVEN MEMBERS PRESENT.
AT THIS TIME WE WILL HAVE REPORTS AND PRESENTATIONS ON THE INFORMATION ITEMS.
[3.A. Transportation Update]
DOCTOR EVANS. ALL RIGHT.THANK YOU, TRUSTEES, FOR YOUR FLEXIBILITY FOR THIS EVENING.
WE WILL HAVE MR. GREG BUCHANAN TO COME TO THE PODIUM TO DISCUSS TRANSPORTATION UPDATES.
GOOD EVENING, BOARD TRUSTEES AND DOCTOR EVANS.
TONIGHT WE WILL BRING FORTH AN UPDATE ABOUT OUR TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM.
SO ONE OF THE QUESTIONS IS, IS WHY DID WE CHANGE THE BUS RIDER MANAGEMENT SYSTEM TO BEGIN WITH? ONE THING THAT WE HEARD OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS WAS ABOUT SMART TAG, AND HOW THE INACCURACY OF THOSE ALERTS THAT PEOPLE WERE GETTING AND THE TEXT MESSAGES THAT THEY WERE GETTING ALONG WITH OVER THE LAST YEAR, IT DROPPED OFF ANY KIND OF UPDATE TO WHEN A BUS WOULD ARRIVE AT A BUS STOP AND WHEN IT WOULDN'T.
SO WE LOOKED AT AND STARTED EXPLORING.
IF YOU REMEMBER, BACK IN MARCH OF 19 OF 2024, WE BROUGHT TO YOU TALKING ABOUT THE SMART TAG SYSTEM AND SOME CHALLENGES THAT WE WERE HAVING WITH WITHIN THE SYSTEM. ONE OF THE BIG THINGS WAS IS SMART TAG HAS A CELL SERVICE THAT GOES OUT AND COMES BACK IN.
SO IT'S HAVING TO COME FROM THAT BACK THROUGH ANOTHER SYSTEM AND BACK OUT.
ONE THING THAT SMART TAG DID NOT HAVE, IT DID NOT HAVE AN APP.
THE OTHER THING IS THE SMART TAG IS LIMITED WITH ITS INTEGRATION TO OUR ROUTING SYSTEM.
VERSA TRANS IS WHERE WE BUILD OUR ROUTES.
THAT'S WHERE WE ASSIGN OUR STOPS.
SO IN TYLER DRIVE, WE DO HAVE THE ABILITY TO UPDATE ROUTES IMMEDIATELY.
AND IT'S BECAUSE THAT FLOW OF INFORMATION IS TIED DIRECTLY TO THOSE TWO SYSTEMS. SO ONE, THINGS THAT WE SOME THINGS THAT OUR CURRENT SYSTEM HAS, WHICH IS TYLER DRIVE, WE'RE ABLE TO UPDATE ROUTES IMMEDIATELY.
SO ONCE THINGS HAPPEN IN REAL TIME WITHIN OUR ROUTING SYSTEM, IT AUTOMATICALLY UPDATES OUR ON SCREEN, WHICH IS WHAT OUR CAMPUSES USE, WHICH IS ALSO WHAT THE MY STOP APP IS LOOKING AT.
THE DRIVER IS ALSO ABLE TO SEE THOSE UPDATES IN REAL TIME ON THEIR TABLETS AS THEY GET THEM.
WE ALSO UNDERSTAND THAT WE ARE HAVING SOME CHALLENGES WITH THIS.
WE HAVE SOME PARENTS THAT'S WORKING WELL AND THEN WE HAVE OTHERS THAT ARE NOT, AND WE'RE CONTINUING TO WORK THROUGH THAT AND REFINE THAT, AND WE'RE GOING TO COVER THAT FURTHER IN DEPTH AS WE GO THROUGH OUR PRESENTATION.
THE REGISTRATION FORM WAS HOUSED IN SKYWARD.
IT WAS ASSIGNED TO EACH INDIVIDUAL STUDENT.
WE'RE ATTACHING IT TO EACH INDIVIDUAL YEAR.
SO YOU'D HAVE TO DO IT YEAR AFTER YEAR.
SO IT'S FOR THE 2425 SCHOOL YEAR.
NOW NEXT YEAR THEY'LL HAVE TO FILL IT OUT AGAIN.
ON THE FORM THERE WERE THREE QUESTIONS.
DO YOU NEED BUS TRANSPORTATION THE FIRST TWO WEEKS OF SCHOOL? WHAT IS YOUR PRIMARY WAY OF GETTING TO SCHOOL IN THE MORNING, AND THEN WHAT IS YOUR PRIMARY WAY OF GETTING HOME IN THE AFTERNOON? SO WHEN WE GOT THE FORM COMPLETED, WE WORKED VERY DILIGENTLY TO PUSH OUT THE INFORMATION THROUGH THE SPRING AND THE SUMMER.
WE HAD 36,699 STUDENTS COMPLETE THE FORM BY AUGUST THE 4TH.
OF THOSE, 24,761 STUDENTS REQUESTED TRANSPORTATION BY THE AUGUST 4TH DEADLINE.
WE AVERAGED THURSDAY AND FRIDAY OF LAST WEEK 20,415 STUDENTS, SO THERE WAS ROUGHLY 4300 STUDENTS THAT REQUESTED TRANSPORTATION THAT HAD NOT USED THE SYSTEM ON A DAILY BASIS FOR THE FIRST WEEK OF SCHOOL.
WE DID HAVE A COMPUTER ERROR THAT WE HAD TO WORK THROUGH THE FIRST WEEK OF SCHOOL.
WE HAD ABOUT WE HAD ROUGHLY 50 STUDENTS WHERE THE PARENT HAD COMPLETED THE FORM, BUT DUE TO A COMPUTER ERROR, THAT FORM DIDN'T GET MOVED FROM THE STUDENT INFORMATION SYSTEM OVER TO OUR. TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM V-TRANS TO BE ABLE TO ROUTE THOSE STUDENTS.
WE'VE WORKED THROUGH THAT SINCE AUGUST THE 4TH.
WE PULLED THE DATA DOWN ON FRIDAY.
[00:05:02]
WE HAD AN ADDITIONAL 6374 STUDENTS REQUEST TRANSPORTATION.WE DID HAVE TO CLEAN UP THAT DATA.
LOOKING AT IT AND SEEING SOME, THERE WERE SOME DUPLICATES.
THERE WERE SOME THINGS OF THAT.
THERE'S ALMOST 3000 ADDITIONAL STUDENTS THAT NEED TO BE REROUTED.
WE'LL COVER THAT AND OUR DRIVER VACANCIES A LITTLE FURTHER IN OUR PRESENTATION.
AND WE'VE BUCKETED THOSE MAIN CONCERNS.
THE FIRST ONE IS COMMUNICATIONS.
ON THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL, PARENTS DIDN'T RECEIVE NOTIFICATION OF LATE BUSSES.
THEY ARE THERE TO PUSH IT OUT.
WE ALSO HAD A MEETING WITH OUR PRINCIPALS.
AND THEY HAVE BEEN VERY GOOD PARTNERS WITH US.
THEY ARE ALSO SENDING OUT SCHOLARS FROM THE CAMPUS.
THE NEXT CONCERN THAT WE HAD IS PARENTS SAID THEY COULD NOT TRACK THE BUS ON THE MR. APP. SO THE APP THAT WE PROVIDED FOR THE PARENTS, FOR THEM TO BE ABLE TO TRACK THEIR BUSSES, IT JUST IT WASN'T WORKING.
WHEN WE LOOKED INTO IT ON THE FIRST DAY, THE WAY THE APP WAS SET UP WAS YOU WERE ABLE TO VIEW THE BUS AND TRACK IT 15 MINUTES PRIOR AND AFTER YOUR STOP.
SO IF YOUR STOP WAS SUPPOSED TO BE AT 315, IT WOULD SHOW UP IN THE APP AT 3:00 AND END AT 330.
WELL, TRANSPORTATION, IF IT'S NOT RUNNING AND HAS SOME DELAYS, THE PARENTS ARE SAYING THEY COULDN'T SEE IT BECAUSE BY THE TIME THEY WERE LOGGING INTO IT, THE BUS WAS EITHER NOT THERE OR NOT ON THE ROUTE.
SO WHEN LOOKING AT IT, WE WENT BACK AND LOOKED IN THE SYSTEM, AND WE'VE CHANGED THAT 15 MINUTE WINDOW TO 180 MINUTE WINDOW PRIOR TO THE STOP AND AFTER THE STOP. ONE THING THAT I WILL SAY IS THEY CAN ACTIVELY MONITOR THE WINDOW.
WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO MAKE ADJUSTMENTS AS WE LOOK THROUGH THIS.
AND THAT'S BECAUSE IF IT'S AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL ROUTE, THEY WOULD IT WOULD POP UP ON THE APP.
SO WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO LOOK AT THAT AND REFINE AND ADJUST THAT AS NEEDED AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
SO ONCE THE AFTERNOON ROUTE IS CLEAR THEN THE SCANS ARE OFF AND THEN WE IT ALLOWS US THE FLOW OF INFORMATION TO BE ABLE TO UPDATE ALL OF THOSE AFTER THE AFTERNOON ROUTE. THE NEXT ONE WAS STUDENT SCANS DELAYED.
PARENTS SAID THE SCAN DELAYED WAS COMING IN LATE.
AGAIN, THAT'S THAT FLOW OF INFORMATION.
SO IF A BUS, IF A BUS RIDER WAS IN THEIR ROUTING AND MAKING CHANGES IN THE AM WHILE BUSSES WERE SCANNING, THE FLOW OF DATA WAS HAVING TO GO THROUGH AND OUT, AND IT WAS DELAYING THE SCAN COMING INTO THE ON SCREEN AND THEN BACK OUT TO THE PARENT.
SO BECAUSE OF THAT, WE WERE THAT'S THE UPLOADING DATA AFTER ROUTES HAVE BEEN ROUTED.
AND THEN ALSO ON WEDNESDAY THAT ALSO CAUSED PEOPLE TO GET VERY LATE NOTIFICATIONS.
WEDNESDAY NIGHT IS BECAUSE THE DATA HAD TO CLEAR OUT THE SYSTEM BEFORE SCANS GOT TO THEM.
[00:10:06]
SO BY UPLOADING THOSE IN THE AFTERNOONS AND AFTER THE ROUTES HAVE BEEN COMPLETED, THOSE ARE WAYS THAT WE'RE MINIMIZING THE IMPACT OF SCAN DATA AS IT COMES THROUGH. ALSO, WE MET WITH TYLOR TECHNOLOGIES ON FRIDAY TO DISCUSS THE ISSUES WE'RE HAVING WITH THE APP, AND WE CREATED TO WE COLLABORATED WITH THEM TO CREATE AN ACTION PLAN WITH STEPS THAT LAMAR CISD WAS SUPPOSED TO COMPLETE AND TYLER WAS SUPPOSED TO COMPLETE TO RESOLVE THE ISSUES.WE ALSO HAVE A WEEKLY MEETING WITH TYLER NOW TO CONTINUE TO MONITOR THESE SITUATIONS AND THEN CONTINUE TO REFINE THAT PLAN AND UPDATE IT AS NEEDED, SO THAT WE CAN GET THE APP TO MEET BOTH THE DISTRICT'S EXPECTATIONS AND OUR PARENTS.
SO LOOKING AT DRIVER VACANCIES HOLD ON, HOLD ON.
GREG. OKAY, SO TRUSTEES, DO YOU HAVE ANY ANY IMMEDIATE QUESTIONS ABOUT THE APP ITSELF? AND THE THE FIRST WEEK OF SCHOOL, WE KNOW SOME A LOT OF THIS WAS SELF-INFLICTED.
THERE WERE SOME OTHER THINGS WE'LL TALK ABOUT, TOO.
BUT YOU HAVE ANY BURNING QUESTIONS RIGHT NOW THAT YOU'D LIKE TO ASK BEFORE WE MOVE ON TO THE NEXT PART OF THE CONVERSATION? I DID. SO YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT PRINCIPALS LIKE, MANUALLY SENDING OUT ALERTS.
SO. SO NONE OF THAT STUFF IS AUTOMATED THROUGH THE APP.
LIKE, IF A BUS IS GOING TO BE LATE, WE HAVE TO HAVE PEOPLE ARE MANUALLY HAVING TO DO THAT.
WHAT WE'RE DOING IT TO BE TO OVERCOMMUNICATE BECAUSE WITH THE APP HAVING 180 MINUTE WINDOW.
SO ONCE YOUR STUDENT SCANS ON, IT AUTOMATICALLY UPDATES YOUR ARRIVAL TIME.
SO IF IT MAY SAY FOR 21 AND IT HAS A BUS RUNNING, IT MAY SAY FOR 24.
BUT WE WANT TO BE MORE PROACTIVE TO LET PARENTS KNOW IF IT'S MORE THAN 30 MINUTES LATE.
SO THOSE ARE THE REASONS THAT WE'RE PUSHING OUT.
BECAUSE IF YOU GO TO THE APP AND YOU'RE THINKING THEY'RE ALREADY LOADED, AND THEN YOU GET A SKY ALERT SAYING THAT BUS HASN'T EVEN LEFT THE CAMPUS YET, THEN YOU KNOW, IT'S THAT'S WHY IT'S NOT SHOWING UP ON OUR APP.
OKAY. SO IT IS AUTOMATED ONCE THEY'VE SCANNED ONTO THE BUS AND THEY STARTED THAT, RIGHT? YES, MA'AM. OKAY. IF THIS BUS IS 30 MINUTES LATE, WE'RE GOING TO EMAIL YOU AND LET YOU KNOW.
AND SO WE WANT TO MAKE SURE WE OVERCOMMUNICATE THAT.
HELP US OUT AND SEND OUT THE NOTIFICATION.
ALSO, JUST SO WE CAN MAKE SURE EVERYBODY UNDERSTANDS THE BUS IS LATE, YOU KNOW.
AND I JUST WANT TO GO OVER THIS AGAIN FOR IN THE SPIRIT OF OVERCOMMUNICATION.
BY AUGUST 4TH, WE HAD 36,699 ISH.
SO THERE'S 10,000 PEOPLE THAT DID NOT COMPLETE IT.
CORRECT. SO THEN WE HAD 24,000 REQUESTS TO 24,761 REQUESTS TO USE THE TRANSPORTATION, AND THEN ONLY 20,000 DID IT. SO THAT LEAVES 4000 PLUS PEOPLE WHERE THOSE BUSSES ARE STOPPING AND THOSE PARENTS AND THOSE CHILDREN ARE NOT THERE.
YES. AND THE AM. SO THAT IS CAUSING DELAYS BY PEOPLE THAT HAVE SAID SO.
THERE'S OTHER OTHER THINGS THAT'S CAUSING THE DELAYS THAN JUST TRAFFIC.
OR WE'RE DOING OUR DILIGENCE TO MAKE SURE WE'RE STOPPING AND WAITING.
SO ACROSS THE DISTRICT 4000 TIMES, THAT'S A THAT CAN BUILD.
YES, SIR. AND WE'RE TRYING TO MINIMIZE THAT.
THAT'S WHY WE'RE TRYING TO REGISTER IT.
BUT YES SIR. WE HAVE ROUGHLY 4300 KIDS ROUTED THAT AREN'T USING IT ON A DAILY BASIS.
YEAH. SO I THINK FOR I THINK MY POINT IS I'M TRYING TO MAKE IS FOR THE COMMUNITY TO UNDERSTAND THAT THERE'S 4300 STOPS THAT WE'RE ESSENTIALLY MAKING WHERE THERE'S NO ONE THERE, WHICH IS CAUSING TIME.
THERE'S A DOMINO EFFECT THAT'S GOING TO EVERYTHING ELSE IS GOING TO FALL.
AND SO THEN YOU SAID AUGUST 4TH, WE HAD 6300 PLUS SIGN UP TO USE IT.
AND TO NOT HAVE A CLIFF FOR AUGUST 26TH.
OUR TEAM IMPORTED A LOT OF THAT DATA IN THIS WEEKEND.
AND WE SPENT A LOT OF THIS WEEKEND WRITING THOSE STUDENTS.
SO SOME OF THEM ARE IN DIFFERENT SITUATIONS.
[00:15:02]
AND WE'VE HEARD VOCALLY FROM THOSE.SO WE'RE IN CURRENTLY WE'RE TRYING TO GET ALL THOSE STUDENTS ON THE BUS.
SO BY THE 26TH THEY WILL ALL HAVE BEEN ROUTED.
RIGHT. AND SO I THINK FOR THE COMMUNITY'S SAKE, TO TO HEAR AND TO UNDERSTAND THAT THERE'S 4000 THERE AND POTENTIAL IF, SAY, 6000, ONLY 3000 ACTUALLY SHOW UP TO THOSE BUS STOPS.
SO, OKAY, THAT WAS JUST FOR THE OVER COMMUNICATION.
BUT ONCE THEY GET TO SCHOOL, ONCE THEY GET THEIR NUMBER.
HOW IS THAT COMMUNICATED TO THE THE FRONT OFFICE, TO THE TEACHER? HOW DOES THE KIDS KNOW WHEN THEY HAVE OFFICIALLY BEEN ALLOWED BACK ON THE BUS THAT AFTERNOON? YES, MA'AM. WE BOTH COMMUNICATE TO THE CAMPUS AND TO THE PARENT THROUGH THAT EMAIL, LETTING THEM KNOW WHEN YOUR STOP IS WHAT YOUR STOP LOCATION IS.
WE ALSO MAKE A PHONE CALL TO THE PARENT, BUT THE ON SCREEN, WHICH IS WHERE THE THE STOP IS LOCATED, THE CAMPUSES HAVE ACCESS TO THAT ON SCREEN DATA SO THEY CAN SEE WHEN KIDS POP UP.
THEY CAN ALSO TRACK BUSSES LIVE.
SO IF A PARENT CALLS THE CAMPUS, THEY CAN LOOK AT AND SEE THAT BUS IS HERE.
SO WE GAVE THEM ALL THAT INFORMATION.
AND ONE OF THE CAMPUS PEOPLE WERE TRYING TO FIND THAT INFORMATION AND THEY WERE HAVING A HARD TIME.
THEY SAID THE PARENT NEEDED TO DO IT IS THAT IS.
BUT THE SCHOOLS CAN LOOK UP THAT INFORMATION FOR THE PARENT.
AGAIN, JUST TO REFRESH EVERYTHING.
THIS WAS EARLY, BUT YES, MA'AM.
SO TRY TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY HAD THEIR LOGIN AND ALL OF THAT.
WE'VE BEEN THERE. SUPERINTENDENTS HAVE ALSO BEEN HELPING US OUT WITH THAT, TO MAKE SURE THE CAMPUSES HAVE WHAT THEY NEED AND MAKE SURE THAT THEY CAN LOG IN AND SEE THAT DATA, BECAUSE THEY WERE SAYING THAT THERE WERE KIDS THAT HAD LATE TO FILL OUT THAT FORM, BUT WERE GETTING THEIR NUMBERS PRETTY QUICK.
SO WE ARE STAYING ON TOP OF IT AND I APPRECIATE THAT.
MAKE SURE THESE KIDS GET HOME.
YES, MA'AM. THANK YOU, MR. BUCHANAN. THAT'S THE SYSTEM WE JUST CHANGED.
CHANGED TO. IS THAT CORRECT? NO, SIR. THAT IS OUR ROUTING AND PLANNING SYSTEM.
THAT'S WHERE WE BUILD OUR ROUTES.
AND THAT'S WHERE THE STUDENT DATA COMES OUT OF SKYWARD INTO THAT SYSTEM.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE HAVE BEEN USING.
WHAT WE DID WAS, IS THERE WAS A THIRD PARTY APPLICATION CALLED SMART TAG THAT IT WAS COMING OUT OF THAT SYSTEM FOR THE APP AND TO SCAN STUDENTS IN AND OUT. WE WERE HAVING TROUBLE WITH THAT INTERFACE BETWEEN OUR ROUTING AND PLANNING SYSTEM AND THE THIRD PARTY SYSTEM.
AND THEN THAT'S WHEN WE SWITCHED FROM THE MY SOME SMART TAG TO THE TYLER DRIVE MY STOP APP.
AND IN THE SPRING, WERE WE NOT RUNNING THIS SIMULTANEOUSLY IN THE TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT WITH THE OLDER SYSTEM THAT WE HAD, WE WERE NOT YOU.
NO. SO WE RAN IT THROUGHOUT THE SUMMER SCHOOL TIME PERIOD, BECAUSE FOR US, WE COULDN'T RUN IT PARALLEL BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO PULL THE TABLETS AND THE SCANNERS OUT OF THE BUS, THE HARDWARE OUT FROM ONE SYSTEM AND PUT THE NEW HARDWARE IN.
YOU SAID YOU GUYS ARE HAVING A WEEKLY MEETING WITH TYLER.
I GUESS IT'S THE SOFTWARE MAKER, IS THAT RIGHT? THAT'S CORRECT. SO IT'S A IT'S A WIDELY USED PROGRAM IN THE TRANSPORTATION.
IF IT'S ALREADY USED OUT THERE, WHAT WHAT WHAT ARE WE NEEDING TO DO THAT HASN'T ALREADY BEEN BUILT INTO THE SOFTWARE? SO WHAT THEY'RE LOOKING AT, FOR INSTANCE, THIS LAST WEEK IS THEY SAID THAT YOU NEED TO RUN A CERTAIN REPORT AND LOOK AND LOOK AT THESE STUDENTS.
SO THEY'RE GOING BACK IN AND SAYING THESE STUDENTS MAY BE CAUSING ISSUES WITHIN THEIR.
BECAUSE RIGHT NOW WE DO HAVE PARENTS THAT THE APP IS FUNCTIONING WELL FOR.
AND THEN WE HAVE A GROUP THAT DOESN'T.
SO THAT'S WHAT WE'RE GOING BACK IS SCANNING IN.
SO WE WHAT WE'RE DOING IS PULLING THOSE SPECIFIC INSTANCES WHERE PARENTS SAYS I CAN'T SEE ANYTHING.
[00:20:05]
THEN WE GIVE THAT DATA TO TYLER, AND THEN THEY GO IN THERE AND LOOK AT THAT STUDENT.WHERE IS THAT STUDENT AT? HOW IS IT TRACKING? SO THEN THEY CAN LOOK AT THE CODING IN THE BACKGROUND TO SEE WHAT'S CAUSING THE INTERFERENCE BETWEEN WHAT THE PARENTS SEEING AND WHAT'S IN THE SYSTEM.
SO THAT'S A LOT OF WHAT WE DID ON FRIDAY WAS GIVING THEM VERY SPECIFIC INSTANCES FROM EMAILS AND PHONE CALLS THAT WE RECEIVED FOR THEM TO TRACK IT OUT, TO SAY, OKAY, LET'S GO IN THERE AND DO THIS BECAUSE THIS IS WHAT WE'RE SEEING IN THE CODING.
SO THAT'S WHAT WE'RE CONTINUING TO DO IS AS THESE INSTANCES COME UP, PROVIDE THAT INFORMATION WITH THEM, FOR THEM TO DRILL DOWN TO SEE WHAT THE ISSUES ARE WITHIN THE SOFTWARE. AND I DID HAVE A PARENT TELL ME THAT THEIR KID WAS DROPPED OFF AT 6:30 P.M., AND I ASSUME YOU'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT THAT SOON.
YES, SIR. WE WERE GOING TO TALK ABOUT LATE BUSSES.
YES, SIR. RIGHT. IS THIS FORM ARE WE GOING TO HAVE TO DO THIS THE SAME WAY EVERY AT THE BEGINNING OF EVERY SCHOOL YEAR? I WOULD SAY IN SOME FORM OR FASHION, WE ARE GOING TO SIT DOWN AS A TEAM ONCE WE GET EVERYTHING ROLLING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION TO REVIEW WHAT HAPPENED THIS PAST YEAR TO SEE IF THERE'S WAYS TO IMPROVE IT.
IS THERE A DIFFERENT WAY TO BE ABLE TO DO IT? CONTINUALLY LOOKING AT HOW WE CAN IMPROVE TO MAKE THE FIRST COUPLE OF WEEKS OF SCHOOL GO BETTER THAN WHAT IT DID THIS YEAR.
CAN YOU JUST REMIND ME WHY? WHAT WHAT WAS THE TWO WEEKS FOR? JUST TO MAKE SURE EVERYTHING WAS RUNNING SMOOTHLY OR JUST NOT TO OVERWHELM THE SYSTEM.
WE'LL GO THROUGH THE THE DATA IN HERE IN A SECOND.
BUT YES, IT WAS TO SMOOTH OUT THE FIRST TWO WEEKS OF SCHOOL KNOWING THAT 46,000 KIDS WERE ON THERE, NOT KNOWING WHICH OF THE 46,000 WAS GOING TO RIDE YOU ROUTE. AND THERE COULD BE 250 KIDS ON THE ROUTE, AND YOU'RE THINKING 50 OR 60 MAY RIDE OUT OF THE 250 NOT KNOWING WHO THEY WERE.
THAT WAS THE GOAL OF THE FORM.
THANK YOU. SO DRIVER VACANCIES.
SO ON AUGUST THE 21ST, 2023, WE HAD 17 VACANCIES WITHIN OUR DEPARTMENT BETWEEN AUGUST THE 21ST OF 23 TO MAY 24TH OF 2024, THE TRANSPORTATION TEAM HIRED AND TRAINED 58 SCHOOL BUS DRIVERS, BUT OF THOSE 58, WE WERE ONLY ABLE TO FILL EIGHT VACANCIES.
SO WE HIRED 58 PEOPLE AND WE ONLY MADE GROUND TO FILL UP EIGHT.
AND THE REASON BEING IS, IS EVERYTHING BETWEEN HEALTH ISSUES TO PEOPLE NOT MOVING.
IT'S JUST A TRANSITION OF FLOW OF PEOPLE COMING IN AND OUT OF THE SYSTEM.
SO THAT KIND OF PUTS IN PERSPECTIVE.
WE HAVE TO BASICALLY HIRE 58 PEOPLE TO FILL A VACANCY.
SO WE HAD TO HIRE 116 TO GET ALL OUR VACANCIES ROUGHLY FILLED OVER THAT SAME TIME PERIOD.
WE GET OUR WHOLE LIST OF SPED AND THEN WE GO ROUTE ALL OF THEM.
THAT POPULATION INCREASED TO THE POINT WHERE WE HAD TO ADD SEVEN ADDITIONAL BUS ROUTES.
THEN WE ANTICIPATED GIVING US A TOTAL VACANCIES NOW OF 15.
SO AGAIN, TRUSTEES, YOU KNOW WE HAVE THOSE VACANCIES.
AGAIN, OUR DISPATCHERS HAVE TO GO OUT AND DRIVE.
SO AS WE TALKED ABOUT LAST YEAR, WE HAVE TO PULL PEOPLE TO MAKE SURE WE GET KIDS TO SCHOOL ON TIME.
AND SO FOR THE COMMUNICATION PIECE NOW WE'VE PULLED OUR BUS DISCIPLINE SUPERVISORS.
SO NOW WE HAVE AN ISSUE ON THE BUS, RIGHT? THOSE SUPERVISORS ARE NOW COMMUNICATING WITH PARENTS ABOUT LATE BUSSES AND ARRIVALS.
SO YOU SEE, IT'S JUST THIS NEVER ENDING CYCLE.
I MEAN, THAT'S THE KEY TO THIS WHOLE SITUATION.
WE CAN GET FULLY STAFFED WITH BUS DRIVERS THAT WE KNOW OUR MECHANICS CAN STAY WHERE THEY SHOULD BE.
OUR DISPATCHERS CAN STAY WHERE THEY SHOULD BE.
NOW THAT WE'VE IMPLEMENTED THIS STUFF, WE WANTED TO BE ABLE TO SYSTEMS WITH OUR SYSTEMS. HOW DID IT AFFECT IT? SO THE CHART AT THE TOP IS THE 2324 FIRST WEEK OF SCHOOL.
A TARDY BUS IS A BUS THAT ARRIVES AT A CAMPUS AFTER THE FIRST BELL.
[00:25:03]
SO IF YOU'LL JUST LOOK AT THE FIRST WEEK OF SCHOOL, WE HAD A TOTAL OF 331 TARDY BUSSES AT OUR CAMPUSES.JUST LOOKING AT THE FIRST WEEK OF SCHOOL LAST YEAR, WE HAD 51 ON THE PURPLE TRACK, 29 ON THE GOLD.
I MEAN, WE HAD A SIGNIFICANT ISSUES WITHIN THAT.
ON THE BOTTOM CHART IS THIS CURRENT LAST WEEK THAT WE HAD.
IF YOU LOOK AT FRIDAY, WE ONLY HAD TWO TARDY BUSSES ON THE PURPLE TRACK.
WE DID NOT HIT THAT MARK LAST YEAR UNTIL THE FOURTH WEEK OF SCHOOL.
SO IT DID HELP US BE ABLE TO GET OUR AM ROUTES WORKING AND GETTING KIDS TO SCHOOL AT A BETTER TIME.
WE ONLY HAD 74 TOTAL THIS FIRST WEEK OF SCHOOL, COMPARED TO 331 LAST SCHOOL YEAR.
THEN THE PM THIS IS WHERE WE'RE GETTING MOST OF OUR FEEDBACK IS FROM THE PM BEING BUSSES BEING LATE.
SO IN THE SPRING WE PULLED THE DATA.
ON THE TOP CHART IS THE BLUE RED SILVER MAROON TRACK.
SO IF YOU'LL NOTICE ON A TIER, IT WAS 305 THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL.
IT WAS 335, AND BY FRIDAY IT WAS BACK TO 305 A TIER B, IT WENT FROM 4:00 TO 420 DOWN TO 340.
HIGH SCHOOL WENT FROM 425 530 TO 450.
MIDDLE SCHOOL JUNIOR HIGH WENT FROM 545, 645 TO 6:00.
OUR PURPLE AND GOLD TRACK ON THE ELEMENTARY A IT WENT FROM 315 TO 4:00 TO 350.
ELEMENTARY B WENT FROM 410 TO 4 50 TO 4:00.
OUR HIGH SCHOOL WENT FROM 415 TO 5 TO 430.
MIDDLE SCHOOL JUNIOR HIGH WENT FROM 555 TO 710 DOWN TO 615.
AND AGAIN, ALL THESE LATE BUSSES HERE, THESE ARE THE LAST STUDENT THAT GETS OFF A BUS.
SO OUR LAST MIDDLE SCHOOL JUNIOR HIGH STUDENT GOT OFF ON FRIDAY AT 615, WAS SCANNED OFF OUR BUS.
SO EVEN THOUGH IT'S NOT PERFECT, A LOT OF THESE THINGS THAT WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT IN THE NEAR FUTURE THAT, YOU KNOW, TRAFFIC AND INFRASTRUCTURE, THINGS THAT ARE THAT ARE THERE, WE'RE RUNNING NOT WHERE WE WANT TO BE IN THE AFTERNOON, BUT WE'RE CONTINUING TO REFINE THAT AND TRYING TO NARROW THOSE TIMES BACK DOWN.
SOME HAVE IMPROVED AND SOME HAVE GOTTEN SLIGHTLY WORSE.
SOME HAVE STAYED WITHIN THE BALLPARK OF WHERE THEY WERE LAST SPRING.
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT LIGHT BUSSES BEFORE WE GO INTO ADDITIONAL FACTORS IMPACTING TRANSPORTATION? SO THIS IS SOME DRONE FOOTAGE THAT WAS SHOT BY THE CITY OF FULSHER.
THIS IS ON THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL.
THIS IS AT 935 IN THE MORNING.
SO THIS IS AT A TIME WHERE OLA RANDO ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IS ALREADY STARTED AT 715.
HUGGINS HAS ALREADY STARTED AT 745, AND THE HIGH SCHOOL HAS BEEN IN CLASS FOR OVER AN HOUR.
SO THIS IS WHAT THEY. THIS IS JUST THE ROBERTS MIDDLE SCHOOL AND LEHMAN JUNIOR HIGH TRAFFIC.
CHAD, I DON'T KNOW HOW TO MAKE THAT.
IS ALL PARENTS JUST DROPPING OFF JUNIOR HIGH STUDENTS AND MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS.
THERE ARE OFFICERS OUT, CHIEFS OFFICERS ARE OUT TRYING TO DIRECT TRAFFIC THE BEST THEY CAN.
THOSE ARE PARENTS TRYING TO GET OUT THE BACK WAY TO COME BACK ONTO 1093 AGAIN.
[00:30:08]
DID YOU NOTICE THAT IT WAS ANY LESS TODAY ON THE SECOND WEEK OR NO.THE TRAFFIC HERE SEEMED TO HAVE A LITTLE BIT BETTER OUT TOWARDS THE FORESHORE AREA.
HOWEVER, IT'S STILL BACKED UP PRETTY BAD.
WE'RE STILL HAVING TO UTILIZE OUR RESOURCES, JUST LIKE MR. BUCHANAN SAID AT 9:35 A.M.
THAT THAT IS A LAMAR CISD POLICE OFFICER RIGHT THERE AT THAT INTERSECTION.
THAT SHOULD BE IN THAT CAMPUS.
WHAT YOU'LL SEE IS IF WHEN YOU SCAN THROUGH THE VIDEO WITH GREG SHOWED YOU, YOU LOOKED OUT THE BACK, WE HAD TO DIVERT TRAFFIC TO THE BACK OF THE SCHOOL TO TRY TO EMPTY CHARGER AWAY. SO UTILIZING POLICE RESOURCES HAS BEEN A CHALLENGE.
WE'RE KIND OF BURNING THE CANDLE AT BOTH SIDES.
SO WE'RE GOING TO SHOW THREE MORE VIDEOS.
AND LIKE ONE WAS THE FIRST DAY WEDNESDAY.
AND THEN AND THEN DURING THE WEEK AND THEN ONE AS LATE AS THIS MORNING.
AND SO WE'RE GOING TO SHOW YOU HOW TO HOW TO PROGRESS THIS.
IS THAT THE SECOND VIDEO CHAD.
THIS IS HUGGINS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AND ONLY HUGGINS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
VOLIN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL HAS BEEN IN SESSION FOR TWO MINUTES.
SO THIS IS ONLY THE PARENT DROP OFF FOR HUGGINS ELEMENTARY.
AS YOU CAN SEE THE LINE BACKS OUT HERE.
IT COMES DOWN WRAPS AROUND GOES ALL THE WAY OUT TO FISHER BAND.
DOWN BESIDE VOLIN ROUND ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
THEN, IF YOU'LL LOOK AT CHARGE YOUR WAY.
CHARGE AWAY. BACKED UP IN FRONT OF THE JUNIOR HIGH, HIGH SCHOOL AND MIDDLE SCHOOL.
THAT IS ALL HUGGINS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
TRAFFIC JUST DROPPING OFF AT 715 OR 7:17 A.M.
THIS IS THREE MINUTES AFTER THE HIGH SCHOOL GOT OUT.
AND I'M GOING TO LET CHIEF WALK THROUGH THIS AND SOME CONCERNS THAT WE SEE.
AGAIN, LIKE YOU SAID, THIS IS FULL SHIRT.
I WANT YOU TO KIND OF PAY ATTENTION TO THAT BRONCO.
THAT ON THE FAR RIGHT HAND, YOU SEE THAT HAND STICKING OUT THE WINDOW THERE? RIGHT HERE. RIGHT THERE.
YOU SEE THE HAND HE'S WAVING OVER TO A STUDENT, OR THEY'RE WAVING OVER TO A STUDENT.
THE STUDENT RUN IN THE MIDDLE OF THE TRAFFIC.
SO ON TOP OF US, TRYING TO HANDLE AND FLOW THE FLOW OF TRAFFIC.
THESE ADDITIONAL SAFETY CONCERNS ARE OCCURRING RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE SCHOOL CAMPUS ON THE ROADWAY.
ROBERT'S FULL DROP OFF LINE IS ALREADY PACKED AND STOPPING THE FLOW OF TRAFFIC FOR ANY OF THE HIGH SCHOOLERS TO EVEN GET OUT OF SCHOOL.
YES, MA'AM. WE'RE SEEING IT COME OUT ON CHARGE AWAY AROUND 3:00.
KEEP, KEEP MOVING UNTIL I MEAN, HIGH SCHOOL HASN'T EVEN HIGH SCHOOL.
AND I'M SEEING THIS IN THE MORNINGS TO I UNDERSTAND I KNOW IT'S A MESS.
AND SO PEOPLE CAN'T GET TO HIGH SCHOOL ON TIME WHEN THEY START AT LEAST ALMOST, YOU KNOW.
AND SO WE'LL GET TO THAT AT THE END.
THE LAST VIDEO WE HAVE IS THIS MORNING AT 841.
SO AT 841, AGAIN BY LAREDO ELEMENTARY SCHOOL'S IN SESSION.
HUGGINS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IS IN SESSION.
FOSTER HIGH SCHOOL IS IN SESSION.
SO THE TRAFFIC HAS IMPROVED SOME.
BUT YOU SEE A BUS ALREADY COMING IN.
[00:35:01]
BACK UP YOUR WAY.THOUGH, ALL THAT TRAFFIC IS JUST GOING TO ROBERTS MIDDLE SCHOOL.
MR. BUCHANAN, BEFORE YOU GET TO THE SOLUTIONS LATER WOULD YOU WOULD YOU SAY THAT MOST OF THESE STUDENTS THAT ARE BEING DROPPED OFF BY THEIR PARENTS HAVE AN OPTION TO RIDE THE BUS, OR ARE WE PROVIDING BUS SERVICES TO ALL THESE STUDENTS IN THESE NEIGHBORHOODS AND STUFF? I WOULD SAY THAT THEY HAD A CHOICE.
THEY HAVE A CHOICE. THEY HAVE A THEY HAVE A CHOICE.
SO THAT WAS PART OF THE FORM IS FILLING OUT HOW THEY'RE GOING TO GET TO, TO THE CAMPUSES THEMSELVES.
SO BECAUSE OF THE DELAYS GETTING OFF AND GET TO CAMPUS, BECAUSE A LOT OF THEM.
THEY'RE USED TO A LITTLE BIT MORE CONSISTENCY BECAUSE THEY'RE IN THE FIRST TWO TIERS.
NOW THEY'RE MOVING TO THE FOURTH TIER.
AND THEY HAVE, YOU KNOW, AFTER SCHOOL ACTIVITIES.
I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS THOSE VIDEOS POINT OUT, IS THE SHEER AMOUNT OF CONSTRUCTION THAT IS TAKING PLACE RIGHT NOW IN THESE AREAS AS WELL, FROM THE APARTMENTS TO THE HOUSES THAT ARE IN CONSTRUCTION THAT WILL POTENTIALLY HAVE STUDENTS IN THERE.
ADDING TO THIS? YES, SIR. AND I THINK IT'S INTERESTING THAT FOLKS WANT THE SCHOOL DISTRICT TO HANDLE IT.
WE WANT TO WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO SAY, WELL, IT'S IT'S THE CITY AND IT'S THE COUNTY AND IT'S TXDOT.
YOU KNOW, THAT'S JUST THE REALITY OF IT.
SO I'M INTERESTED TO HEAR Y'ALL'S Y'ALL'S PROPOSED SOLUTIONS HERE IN A FEW MINUTES.
YES, SIR. AND I WAS JUST GOING TO ADD TO THAT.
WOULDN'T IT BE REALLY TO ALSO THE STATE LEGISLATURE? I MEAN, TO SOME DEGREE, IT'S NOT JUST FULSHEAR CITY COUNCIL.
IT WHAT WHAT WHAT ROLE WOULD THE STATE LEGISLATURE HAVE IN? WELL, I MEAN, AS FAR AS DEVELOPMENT IS CONCERNED, ISN'T TEXAS IS A DO YOU HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY ABOUT THAT? WELL, THAT WAS THE CONVERSATION I WAS HAVING WITH JASON DUTTON LAST YEAR, WAS TRYING TO MAKE SCHOOL DISTRICTS CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE.
RIGHT NOW, YOU KNOW, THEY DON'T HAVE THAT.
AUTONOMY IS WHAT I UNDERSTAND.
BUT IF THEY'RE GIVEN THAT AUTONOMY THROUGH THE STATE LEGISLATURE, THROUGH THROUGH THE LAW, THEN THEY CAN FORCE THAT DEVELOPER TO COME TALK TO US ABOUT WHAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN AS FAR AS THE INFRASTRUCTURE AND ALSO GIVING US LAND OR, YOU KNOW, SELLING LAND AT A DECENT PRICE, GETTING ALL THOSE THINGS AT THE GROUND LEVEL TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ABLE TO GET IN AND OUT OF THOSE FACILITIES AS QUICK AS POSSIBLE.
SO RIGHT NOW, ACCORDING TO THE CITY GOVERNMENT, THEY DON'T HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO DO THAT.
WELL, I'M SURE THAT THERE'S THE PROS AND CONS OF THAT ARGUMENT.
I'D LOVE TO HEAR THE PROS AND CONS IN THE LEGISLATURE.
AND MAYBE THAT DOES NEED TO HAPPEN.
BUT WHAT I KNOW MISS BRUNZELL CAN ATTEST TO THIS, THAT AS PRESIDENT, WE GET EMAILS OF WHENEVER A NEW PERMIT IS FILED OR TO THE TAXING AGENCY.
I GOT MULTIPLE EMAILS ALERTING THE TAXING AGENCY OF A NEW DEVELOPMENT COMING IN.
THEY CAN PUT IT ON A 30 DAY MORATORIUM ON GROWTH, AND THAT'S IT.
AND WITH A LOT OF THIS DEVELOPMENT HAPPENING, IT'S OUTSIDE CITY LIMITS AND ETJ, WHERE THERE IS NOTHING THAT CAN BE DONE TO SAY, OKAY, WELL, LET'S THINK ABOUT THE SCHOOLS AT LEAST. AND BUT.
SO POSSIBLE FUTURE CONSIDERATIONS.
[00:40:04]
AND LOOKING AT IS THERE A CITY ORDINANCE WHERE YOU CAN'T SIT ON THE STREET AND OCCUPY A PUBLIC STREET, YOU KNOW, FOR A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF TIME? THINGS LIKE THAT, FOR US TO BE ABLE TO, TO WORK THROUGH THAT WITH THEM.THE OTHER THING IS REVISITING OUR SECONDARY SITE LAYOUTS WITH ALL THREE CAMPUSES.
BUT WE'VE ALREADY PURCHASED LAND FOR HIGH SCHOOL COMPLEX EIGHT AND HIGH SCHOOL COMPLEX NINE.
SO FOR US TO BE ABLE TO DO ANYTHING MASSIVE ABOUT THAT, THOSE SITES ARE REALLY LOCKED IN.
IT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT WE WOULD DO IN FUTURE PURCHASES OF LAND DEVELOPMENT MOVING FORWARD.
BUT WHAT I'VE ALSO BEEN DOING IS GOING TO CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS, MEETING PEOPLE AT DIFFERENT LEVELS OF GOVERNMENT, SETTING UP MEETINGS WITH THEM TO TRY TO FIGURE OUT HOW WE CAN PARTNER, DISCUSS THROUGH HOW DO THE IMPACTS OF DEVELOPMENTS IMPACT THE COMMUNITY, HOW DOES IT IMPACT THE SCHOOL DISTRICT? HOW DO WE WORK TOGETHER TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE DOING THE BEST WE CAN TO TAKE CARE OF OUR STUDENTS AND OUR FAMILIES AND ALL THE INCOMING PEOPLE INTO OUR AREAS? SO AS OF TODAY, I'VE BEEN ABLE TO MAKE CONTACTS WITH SEVEN OF OUR 15 MUNICIPALITIES, AND I HAVE SCHEDULED THREE MORE THAT I'LL BE GOING TO LATER THIS WEEK.
BUT THEN JUST GOING IN AND HAVING THOSE CONVERSATIONS WITH GUYS, LET US KNOW WHEN YOU'RE SELLING OFF LAND, WHEN DEVELOPMENT'S COMING IN, WE CAN WORK WITH YOU TO SHOW, OKAY, IF CAMPUSES ARE GOING HERE, WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT ROADWAYS ARE GOING IN AND OUT SO THAT THERE'S EASY ACCESS TO THE CAMPUS FOR PARENTS TO GO IN AND OUT TO GET THEIR STUDENTS.
SO THAT IS GOING TO BE AN ONGOING FOCUS THAT I'M GOING TO HAVE IN MY ROLE.
BECAUSE WE SEE THE INFRASTRUCTURE, WE SEE WE SEE WHAT'S HAPPENING ON THE PURPLE TRACK.
SO THE NEXT THING IS WE WANT TO MAKE SURE ALL OF OUR CAMPUSES ARE ACCESSIBLE FOR WALKERS AND BIKERS.
RIGHT. KIDS ARE RIDING THEIR BIKES.
THEN WE CAN GET ENGAGED WITH THE CITY IS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT KIND OF SIDEWALKS DO WE HAVE TO COME UP TO THE SCHOOLS BEFORE WE EVEN START APPROVING PLATS? AND SO THAT'S, THAT'S THAT'S THAT'S WHAT HIS MAIN JOB DUTIES ARE.
AND THEN, YOU KNOW, JUST BEING A PART OF THE CONVERSATION.
I'VE BEEN ON THIS BOARD FOR FIVE YEARS ALREADY, STARTING SIXTH, AND THIS HAS BEEN AN ONGOING CONVERSATION THAT WE'VE HAD IN THIS BOARD ROOM WITH WITH EACH OTHER AND THE ADMINISTRATION AND ALL THOSE FOLKS WHO WATCH OUR VIDEOS ABOUT ENGAGING OUR CITY OFFICIALS AND OUR COUNTY GOVERNMENT.
SO ARE WE GETTING NEW DATA OR NEW WILLINGNESS FOR FOR THOSE OFFICIALS TO WORK WITH US THAT WE HAVEN'T IN THE PAST, BECAUSE IT'S NOT A NEW PROBLEM THAT THEY'VE ALL OF A SUDDEN BECOME ALERT TO.
I THINK ESPECIALLY IN THE AREA, THEY WERE LIKE, WE NEED TO HAVE THESE CONVERSATIONS.
WHEREAS MR. BUCHANAN, MISS COLE-HAMILTON HAVE TO DO A LARGER JOB IN OTHER AREAS.
THIS IS ONE OF MY MAIN FOCUS, SO I'M ABLE TO USE MY TIME TO GO IN AND TALK THROUGH EVERYTHING, WORK WITH OUR DEMOGRAPHER, SAYING, THIS IS OUR DEMOGRAPHER SAYING, WHAT ARE YOU SEEING COME IN? HOW DO WE COMBINE THAT DATA? AS DOCTOR NIVENS MENTIONED TO SAY, NOW WE'RE AHEAD OF IT TO MAKE BETTER DECISIONS FOR THE DISTRICT.
IS THERE I HAVE A COUPLE OF THINGS.
ONE NOT THAT IT'S GOING TO SOLVE US ANYTHING FOR THIS YEAR, BUT ONCE WE OPEN A NEW TRACK WITH TOMAS, IS THAT GOING TO TAKE SOME OF THE PEOPLE AWAY OR IS THAT NOT GOING TO HELP THIS SITUATION AT ALL.
WHEN WE LOOKED AT THE REZONING THAT THE BOARD APPROVED IN MAY FOR TOMAS, WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT IS IT'S GOING TO PROVIDE MORE RELIEF FOR THE GOAT TRACK THAN IT WILL THE PURPLE. THE REASON BEING IS, IS IT TAKES ABOUT 3 OR 400 KIDS OFF OF EACH ONE OF THE PURPLE TRACK SCHOOLS.
[00:45:01]
PULLING OFF WESTHEIMER LAKES, TALAVERA, LAKESIDE BELTERRA WILL BE COMING OFF THE PURPLE TRACK.SO THOSE COMMUNITIES WILL BE ABLE TO GO RIGHT THERE AT BEL AIR.
SO IT WILL REDUCE SOME OF THE TRAFFIC GOING DOWN.
AND THAT'S IF THE GROWTH HITS THE MARKS THAT WE THINK IT WILL.
IF NOT, IT MAY NOT SEE THAT MUCH RELIEF.
ARE WE ADDING. ARE WE ADDING 7000 KIDS BY 2030 ON THE TRACK ALONE? IS THAT RIGHT? DOCTOR MAXWELL? YES, SIR. THAT'S THE APPROXIMATION THAT WE'VE RECEIVED IS ABOUT 7000 STUDENTS.
AND THAT DOESN'T COUNT THEM FOR THEIR FAMILIES.
AND THEN TRAFFIC AND ALL OF THOSE THINGS HAPPENING.
WOULD IT BE POSSIBLE MAYBE JUST EVEN ON THE GOLD TRACK OR PURPLE TRACK TO MOVE JUST THEM TO FIVE TIER AS A SOLUTION? THAT'S SOMETHING THAT CAN BE EXPLORED.
I WILL SAY THAT WHEN WE OPEN UP TOMAS, THERE'S.
THE DENSITY IS SO GREAT ALONG BELLAIRE EAST AND WEST.
I MEAN, IT HAS A PRETTY TIGHT ZONE.
SO THE TRAFFIC IS REALLY GOING TO BE CONCENTRATED ON BEL AIR AND BE PULLED OFF EVERYTHING ELSE.
BUT YES, MA'AM, EVERYTHING IS ON THE TABLE.
THAT'S WHY WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO BRAINSTORM MORE OPTIONS AND BE ABLE TO BRING BACK TO THE BOARD OF WHAT WE CAN DO AND WHAT KIND OF IMPACT IT'S GOING TO HAVE, BECAUSE THERE'S GOING TO BE CAUSE AND EFFECT TO ANY DECISION THAT WE MAKE.
I KNOW THAT LAST YEAR WHEN WE VOTED TO ENLARGE OUR NUMBERS, THIS WAS LOOKED AT, I'M SURE, BECAUSE WE WHAT FULSHEAR HIGH SCHOOL WENT FOR REALLY ONLY HAVING 2500 KIDS.
WHAT DO THEY HAVE, 3500 OR 33,000.
HOW MANY? I'M NOT SURE HOW WHERE THEIR NUMBERS ARE RIGHT NOW.
AS OF TODAY, THEY'RE SITTING AT ABOUT 3300 STUDENTS.
OKAY, SO WHEN WE FIRST BUILT THAT SCHOOL AND ALL THREE OF THOSE SCHOOLS, OF COURSE THE GROWTH WASN'T THERE LIKE THAT AND WE ONLY HAD 2200 KIDS I THINK.
SO. WE'RE ADDING TEN A LOT MORE KIDS AND A LOT MORE KIDS WITH CARS.
AND THAT'S THE THE ISSUES THAT I THINK WE'RE GOING TO HAVE, NO MATTER WHAT WE DO, WE CAN'T CHANGE RIGHT NOW THE WAYS TO GET THEM IN AND OUT OF THERE.
YES, MA'AM. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE DID LOOK AT WAS IF WE DIDN'T ADD AN ADDITION, LIKE WE WOULD BE HAVING TO TRANSPORT, JUST TRANSPORT THEM SOMEWHERE, WE WOULD HAVE 1300 ADDITIONAL STUDENTS ON OUR TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM THAT IS ALREADY PRETTY MUCH TAXED.
AND THAT WOULD BE JUST FOR FOR HIGH SCHOOL.
RIGHT. SO WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT OPENING UP TO MASS AND THEN TWO YEARS LATER OPENING UP NUMBER EIGHT.
YES. AND OPENING UP HIGH SCHOOL EIGHT.
JUNIOR HIGH. EIGHT. MIDDLE SCHOOL.
EIGHT. AND I AND I KNOW PEOPLE THAT LIVE OUT IN FULSHER THAT HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, AND THEY'RE NOT HAPPY BECAUSE THEY'RE GETTING STUCK. SO MAYBE THOSE PEOPLE NEED TO GO TO THEIR CITY COUNCIL AND SAY, HEY, YOU NEED TO HELP THE SCHOOL DISTRICT BECAUSE THIS IS IMPACTING OUR LIVES TOO. I HAVE A QUESTION.
THE LIKE CHARGER WAY AND AND SOME OF THOSE THAT ARE GOING INTO THE SCHOOLS AREN'T THOSE CONSIDERED FIRE LANES? IN THE SCHOOL. I'M GUESSING LIKE CHARGER LANE AND.
THOSE ARE, THOSE ARE, THOSE AREN'T.
YOU KNOW, IF IT'S CONSIDERED A FIRE LANE.
IS, IS IT'S JUST, YOU KNOW, PAINT THOSE CURBS RED.
AND SO THAT'S PART OF THE CITY.
ORDINANCES WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
AND SO THE CITY'S WILLING TO HAVE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE ON.
AND THEN, OF COURSE, WE CAN DO THAT ON OUR PROPERTY.
SURE. WOULD BE TERRIBLE IF A FIRE TRUCK HAD TO TRY TO PULL IN.
THAT'S RIGHT THERE. AND THEY'RE STUCK BEHIND 300 CARS.
THAT'S RIGHT. YOU KNOW. THAT'S RIGHT. AND SO THAT'S THE CONVERSATION.
THAT'S A THAT'S A CONVERSATION THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE.
[00:50:02]
WE HAVE THE SAME THING AT MY OFFICE.AND IT'S NOT US, BUT WE HAVE LAW ENFORCEMENT AT OUR OFFICE.
AND IF THERE'S AN EMERGENCY, THEY CAN'T GET OUT.
I KNOW SOME OF THESE SCHOOLS WEREN'T OPEN YET LAST YEAR, BUT WAS THE TRAFFIC LIKE THIS AT THE BEGINNING LAST YEAR? AND DOES IT EVENTUALLY LEVEL OFF SOMEHOW? WELL, PEOPLE PROBABLY START CARPOOLING BECAUSE THEY GET SICK OF IT.
DOES DOES LAMAR DO WE OWN THE ROADS THAT GO DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF THE SCHOOL, OR IS THAT A COUNTY OR CITY PROPERTY? NO, SIR. MOST OF THE TIMES WHEN WE BUILD ROADS LIKE THAT TO PUT THE INFRASTRUCTURE IN, THEN WHAT WE DO IS WE DEDICATE IT BACK OVER TO THE COUNTY.
SO WE DON'T HAVE TO MAINTAIN THE ROADWAYS AND THE UTILITIES AND THE INFRASTRUCTURE.
SO NO, SIR, THAT IS OWNED BY THE CITY OF FULSHEAR.
SO THAT'S WHY WE WOULD NEED TO WORK WITH THEM ON IMMEDIATELY IN FRONT OF EACH OF THE SCHOOLS.
YEAH. BECAUSE I THINK ABOUT COPELAND WAY IN FRONT OF RANDALL AND.
RIGHT. AND THEN JOHN'S DEVELOPMENT IS GOING TO DEVELOP OFF OF COPELAND ROADWAY.
SO WE HAVE COPELAND. IT'S A TWO LANE ROAD IN AND OUT.
AND THEN POTENTIAL HOUSES ON A THIS IS KIND OF SO IF I MEAN I'M JUST THINKING HERE IF IF WE WERE WANTING TO ADD AN ADDITIONAL LIKE ONCE YOU TURN ON TO CHARGE AWAY, IF YOU'RE COMING SOUTH ON 1093 AND YOU TURN NORTH ON CHARGER WAY, IF WE WANTED TO ADD AN ADDITIONAL LANE JUST FOR ROBERTS RIGHT THERE, LIKE, YOU KNOW, LIKE, WOULD THAT EVEN BE POSSIBLE? MAYBE A STACKING LANE, IT WOULDN'T MATTER REALLY, WOULD IT? IT WOULD STILL BE THERE. YES, MA'AM.
YES. SO THEY PROBABLY WOULDN'T DEDICATE IT TO JUST ONE.
UNFORTUNATELY, THAT WOULD BE A GOOD IDEA.
LIKE THERE WOULD BE THE THREE LANES, SO YOU COULD KEEP ONE FOR GOING STRAIGHT BACK TO LEHMAN.
I MEAN, IDEALLY, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW.
JUST THINKING. YES, MA'AM. I THINK FOR I THINK WE'RE COMING CLOSE TO AN END OF THIS CONVERSATION AND THAT BUT SOMETHING AGAIN, I WANT TO REITERATE AND SAY IS THAT OUR TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT AND OUR TEAM AND OUR BUS DRIVERS, THANK YOU FOR ALL THAT YOU ARE DOING.
I THINK GRACE AND MERCY ARE ONE OF THOSE THINGS.
SCARCITY OF RESOURCES THAT WE HAVE RIGHT NOW.
AND THE COMMENTS ON IT WERE HOW HORRIBLE SMARTTAG WAS AND HOW IT'S THE WORST THING EVER AND ALL THAT STUFF AND HOW LIKE, IT'S JUST THE WORST THING WE EVER DID TO THEM AND ALL THAT.
BUT I'M LIKE, WE'RE GETTING THE SAME THING NOW.
BUT WE'RE HEARING HOW GOOD SMART TAG WAS COMPARED TO THIS.
AND I'M LIKE, WHY ARE WE REMEMBERING WHAT WE SAID LESS THAN A YEAR AGO? AND THEN WHAT? WE'RE WE'RE FORGETTING THAT SMART TAG DIDN'T HAVE AN APP.
AND SO PEOPLE ARE SAYING THAT SMART TAG HAD A GREAT APP WHEN SMART TAG DIDN'T HAVE AN APP.
AND SO THERE'S A LOT OF STUFF THAT WE'RE SPITTING AND SAYING ON FACEBOOK THAT IS NOT FAIR, BECAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF CIRCUMSTANCES THAT OUR TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT AND OUR SCHOOL AND OUR STAFF AND THE LEADERSHIP IS TRYING TO WORK THROUGH THE INFRASTRUCTURE AND OTHER THINGS THAN THE GROWTH THAT WE HAVE NO SAY IN, AND THE AMOUNT OF PEOPLE AND THE SHEER CARS THAT ARE ON THE ROADS THAT I'M SORRY, WE'RE COMMUNICATING THAT YOUR BUSSES ARE LATE, BUT YOUR BUS IS STILL GOING TO BE LATE BECAUSE OF THE SHEER VOLUME OF PEOPLE.
SO TO OUR TRANSPORTATION, TO OUR OUR LEADERSHIP, OUR CABINET THAT IS FIELDING THESE CALLS.
SO FOR THE PUBLIC, WE HAVE LIMITED RESOURCES.
WE CANNOT HAVE DEVELOPERS THAT WILL CREATE A TOP TIER APP LIKE FACEBOOK DOES.
SO AS WE'RE GOING THROUGH THESE STEPS AND FOR THE COMMUNITY'S SAKE, WE HAVE LIMITED RESOURCES.
SO THAT'S ALL I THAT'S MY CLOSING PART.
[00:55:06]
SO I I DITTO WHAT PRESIDENT SAID, YOU KNOW, ESPECIALLY OUR TRANSPORTATION STAFF DEALING WITH ALL THE FEEDBACK AND STILL GETTING UP AND COMING IN EVERY DAY AND DOING THE BEST YOU CAN AND WORKING ON SATURDAYS AND SUNDAYS IS GREATLY APPRECIATED.I ALSO WANT TO THANK THE BOARD BECAUSE I ASKED FOR THEM TO HAVE THIS, THIS MEETING SO WE CAN HAVE A CONVERSATION PUBLICLY ABOUT YOU KNOW, WE WANT TO CREATE A SYSTEM OF EXCELLENCE IN LAMAR C ISD. SO THERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT WE COULD HAVE CONTROLLED LAST WEEK WHERE WE DROPPED THE BALL.
AND SO BUT AS THE PRESIDENT SAID, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GOING TO COMMUNICATE BETTER WITH PARENTS, BUT IT STILL DOESN'T MEAN THE BUS IS GOING TO BE ON TIME BECAUSE YOU SAW THE TRAFFIC THERE, YOU KNOW, AND EVEN THOUGH AS THIS MORNING IT WAS A LITTLE BIT BETTER, THERE WAS STILL ABOUT FOUR BUSSES SITTING IN THAT TRAFFIC.
AND SO IF A BUS IS LATE TO THE FIRST ONE, IT'S JUST GOING TO SNOWBALL TO THE LAST ONE.
AND SO SO WE HAD TO CONTROL THE THINGS WE CAN CONTROL.
WHAT THAT MEANS IS STAY OUT OF THE COMMENTS.
AND IF YOU KEEP READING THOSE COMMENTS, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN YOU CAN INTERNALIZE THOSE THINGS, RIGHT? BECAUSE PEOPLE GET OUT THERE AND SOME PEOPLE HAVE BAD INTENTIONS AND FOR SOME PEOPLE, RIGHT, JUST SO THEY CAN HURT.
BUT IF YOU PUT IT ON FACEBOOK AS AN ANONYMOUS PERSON, APPRECIATE THE INPUT.
AND SO MY ADVICE TO THE STAFF ESPECIALLY RIGHT NOW, TRANSPORTATION STAFF, OUR BUS DRIVERS OUR BUS, OUR SUPERVISORS, OUR ROUTERS, OUR DIRECTORS, OUR CHIEFS.
STAY OUT OF THE COMMENTS BECAUSE YOU'RE NEVER GOING TO BE GOOD ENOUGH.
AND WE KNOW WE'RE A SYSTEM OF EXCELLENCE, BUT STAY OUT OF THE COMMENTS.
AND SO I APPRECIATE EVERYBODY FOR TAKING TIME TONIGHT TO HAVE THIS DISCUSSION.
AND THE LAST THING IS ANOTHER REASON WHY I ASKED FOR THIS MEETING TO BE HELD IS BECAUSE RIGHT NOW WE'RE DEALING WITH THE PURPLE TRACK, BUT WE KNOW LAMAR IS A HYPER GROWTH SCHOOL SYSTEM. THAT MEANS WE WILL HAVE THE PURPLE TRACK ON THE MAROON TRACK, ON THE GOLD TRACK, ON THE SILVER TRACK.
BECAUSE OUR INFRASTRUCTURE RIGHT IS IS IS NOT MOVING AS FAST AS THE PEOPLE ARE MOVING IN.
AND SO THAT'S WHY DOCTOR MAXWELL IS HERE TO BE THAT LIAISON TO HELP US HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS.
I MEAN, HE LOVES HE LOVES THE MARSHALL ISD.
WE HAD A SIT DOWN CONVERSATION WITH HIM.
AND OUR CHIEF OF POLICE AND OUR POLICE OFFICERS.
AND SO WE'RE GOING TO DO SOME THINGS AS A CITY AND AS A DISTRICT TO HELP US COPE WITH THIS.
IT'S NOT JUST A SCHOOL DISTRICT PROBLEM.
IT'S NOT JUST A COUNTY PROBLEM.
IT'S GOING TO TAKE ALL OF US TO FIX THIS AND MAKE SURE WE'RE ON THE SAME PAGE TO GET THIS DONE.
BUT I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT WE'RE WORKING ON IT.
WE SEE IT AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO COME BACK WITH SOME OPTIONS.
SOME OF THE OPTIONS WE BRING BACK MAY HURT.
WE GET A LOT OF FEEDBACK ON FACEBOOK, I'M SURE, ABOUT SOME OPTIONS.
AND YOU KNOW, HOWEVER, THE WORST THING EVER.
BUT AGAIN, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO DO SOME THINGS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE SET US UP FOR THE FUTURE.
SO I APPRECIATE YOU, GREG AND JOHN AND YOU AND YOUR CREW.
I SEE MARTIN BACK THERE AND SOME BUS DRIVERS IN HERE.
SO I APPRECIATE ALL YOU GUYS AND LADIES FOR WHAT YOU DO.
[4. CLOSED SESSION]
WE ARE ADJOURNING TO CLOSED SESSION PURSUANT TO TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE SECTIONS 551.071551.072551.074 AND 551.082. THE OPEN MEETINGS ACT TO DISCUSS PERSONNEL AND LAND ACQUISITION OR CONSULTATION WITH OUR ATTORNEY.WE ARE NOW BACK IN OPEN SESSION.
THE MEETING IS ADJOURNED AT 6:43 P.M..
NO.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.