Feb 17, 2026 Educational Opportunities Committee

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ALL RIGHT. THE TIME IS NOW. 10:02 A.M. ON TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 17TH, 2026, AND THE EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES COMMITTEE WILL NOW BE CALLED TO ORDER. MADAM CLERK, WILL YOU PLEASE CALL THE ROLL? COUNCIL MEMBER.

CORE. COUNCIL MEMBER MCKEE. RODRIGUEZ. COUNCIL MEMBER.

MUNGUIA. COUNCIL MEMBER. CASTILLO HERE. COUNCIL CHAIR.

GALVAN HERE. SIR, WE HAVE A QUORUM. THANK YOU SO MUCH.

ALL RIGHT. FIRST THING ON THE AGENDA IS TO APPROVE THE MINUTES FROM THE LAST MEETING. DO WE HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE OR ANY CORRECTIONS TO THE MINUTES? ALL RIGHT.

[Approval of Minutes  ]

ALL THOSE OPPOSED THE MOTION. COUNCIL MEMBER.

AND THEN SECOND WITH. YEAH. ANY OPPOSED? ANY ABSTENTIONS? MOTION PASSES. ALL RIGHT. WE HAVE ONE ITEM TODAY COMPARED TO THE LAST COUPLE OF MEETINGS.

[Briefing and possible action on the following items  ]

I THINK WE ALL KNOW A LOT ABOUT IT, BUT OF COURSE FOR THE PUBLIC AND FOR US TO KIND OF MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ALIGNING AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE WITH THE ISDS, BUT WHAT THINGS ARE GOING ON IN THEIR WORLD. AND SO WE HAVE THE WONDERFUL JULIA GRIZZARD HERE TO PRESENT TODAY ABOUT THE OVERALL STATE OF K THROUGH 12 EDUCATION IN BEXAR COUNTY.

AND SO ALSO RECOGNIZED REALLY QUICKLY SOME FOLKS IN THE AUDIENCE, WE HAVE DOCTOR JAIME AQUINO AND DOCTOR KRAFT HERE FROM CISD, NORTHSIDE ISD, RESPECTFULLY, RESPECTIVELY. SO THEY'LL BE HERE AS WELL TO SHARE ANY COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS THAT WE MAY HAVE.

ALL RIGHT. TAKE IT AWAY. JULIA. DID I PUSH THIS? YES, I DO HELLO, EVERYONE. THANK YOU SO MUCH.

I GOT TRAINING ON THIS A I DON'T THINK I'VE EVER HAD TO RAISE A MICROPHONE BEFORE, BUT HERE WE ARE, A FIRST TIME FOR EVERYTHING. THANK YOU ALL FOR TAKING THE TIME TODAY TO LEARN ABOUT EVERYBODY'S FAVORITE TOPIC? SCHOOL FINANCE AND ACADEMIC ACCOUNTABILITY. RIGHT.

EVERYBODY'S SUPER EXCITED. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH.

WELL, BEFORE WE GET STARTED, JUST AS AS A AS AN FYI, IN CASE YOU'RE NOT FAMILIAR WITH BEXAR COUNTY EDUCATION COALITION WE ARE A COALITION OF THE AREA INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICTS. OUR FOCUS IS HELPING ALL OF OUR ISD'S WITH THEIR LEGISLATIVE AGENDAS, POLICY INITIATIVES AND GOVERNMENT RELATIONS SERVICES.

PART OF THAT IS ELEVATING WHAT'S GOING ON IN OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS, ADVOCATING ON THEIR BEHALF AND CONNECTING THEM TO A SIMILAR DISTRICTS, BUT ALSO LEGISLATORS THAT ARE CONCERNED WITH PARTICULAR POLICY INITIATIVES.

I'VE MADE A COUPLE OF ADJUSTMENTS COMPARED TO THE POWERPOINT THAT YOU ALL RECEIVED IN ADVANCE.

JUST ONE OF THOSE ADJUSTMENTS WAS INCLUDING AN AGENDA.

OH, THIS MIGHT BE THE NOT UPDATED POWERPOINT, BUT THAT'S OKAY.

THAT'S ALL RIGHT. IT WAS JUST A COUPLE OF ADJUSTMENTS AND I'LL TALK I'LL TALK THROUGH THEM.

SO THE FIRST THING IS HOW SCHOOLS ARE FUNDED.

AND IF YOU MISSED IT, THE DOLLAR SIGN MOVED. SO THAT WAS REALLY FUN.

NO, NOBODY. OKAY. I HAVE TO MAKE IT ENTERTAINING AND SOMEHOW, SOME WAY.

SO WHAT I THOUGHT WE'D DO FIRST IS TALK ABOUT SCHOOL FINANCE.

TALK ABOUT HOW THE HISTORY OF SCHOOL FINANCE, WHERE WE ARE IN TERMS OF HISTORICAL SPENDING TALK SOME OF THE DATA ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND HOW WE COMPARE TO OUR PEERS. BUT BUT WANTING TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT WE CENTER ON, YOU KNOW, THAT REALLY THE STATE OF PUBLIC SCHOOL FINANCE TODAY.

SO WE'RE. THIS IS PUBLIC SCHOOL FINANCE 101. THERE IS NO CONTINUING EDUCATION CREDIT.

BUT SEE ME AFTER CLASS AND MAYBE WE CAN GO THROUGH 201.

OKAY. SO FIRST THINGS FIRST. I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WHEN WE TALK ABOUT SOMETHING LIKE THE FSP, YOU ALL KNOW WHAT IT STANDS FOR. FOUNDATION SCHOOL PROGRAM IS OUR MAIN SOURCE OF FUNDING.

AS YOU ALL KNOW AND HAVE ACKNOWLEDGED, THE MAJOR SOURCE OF FUNDING FOR SCHOOLS IS FROM THE STATE.

NOW, IT'S PRIMARILY MADE UP OF STATE DOLLARS AND LOCAL DOLLARS, AND STARTING IN THE 2026 2027 SCHOOL YEAR, IT WILL BE AROUND $6,215 PER STUDENT. THAT IS WHAT WE CALL THE BASIC ALLOTMENT.

THAT IS THE STARTING AMOUNT FOR ALL OF OUR STUDENTS.

NOW, AS WE GET INTO CALCULATING THE ENTITLEMENT, WE'LL TALK ABOUT WHY YOU MIGHT HAVE HEARD DIFFERENT NUMBERS IN SOME OF THE MEDIA AND ETHER ABOUT PUBLIC SCHOOL FINANCE. BUT WHAT IS IN STATUTE, RIGHT.

WHAT IS IN LAW DECIDED BY STATE OR STATE LEGISLATORS IS 6100 AND OR $6,215.

SO HOW DOES THE STATE ALLOCATE THAT MONEY? FIRST OF ALL, THEY DID CALCULATE THE ENTITLEMENT.

AND THAT'S WHAT WE'LL TALK ABOUT ON THE NEXT SLIDE. SECOND IS THEY APPLY THE LOCAL SHARE THAT IS PROPERTY TAXES, THAT YOUR CONSTITUENTS PROBABLY TALK TO YOU QUITE A BIT ABOUT.

RIGHT. THAT'S THE MAJORITY OF PROPERTY TAXES GO TOWARDS OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS, BUT WE APPLY THAT LOCAL SHARE FIRST.

[00:05:06]

THE AMOUNT OF WATER THAT GOES INTO THE BUCKET FIRST IS FROM OUR LOCAL PROPERTY TAXES AND THEN FROM OUR STATE AID.

NOW THE ENTITLEMENT ACTUALLY DOES HAVE SOME REALLY GREAT, GREAT QUALITIES.

WE ARE ACTUALLY HIGHLY RATED IN TERMS OF EQUITY IN THE NATION.

WE'RE NOT RATED AND WELL RATED IN TERMS OF LEVEL OF FUNDING, BUT BECAUSE WE CALCULATE BASED ON CERTAIN STUDENT BASED CHARACTERISTICS, WE ACTUALLY ARE SOMEWHAT HIGHLY RATED ON EQUITY.

SO WE DO, FOR EXAMPLE, IF A STUDENT IS AN EMERGING BILINGUAL STUDENT, IF A STUDENT IS VIEWED AS AT RISK OR EDUCATIONALLY DISADVANTAGED.

IF THE STUDENT IS IN OUR SPECIAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS, THERE IS A SLIGHT ADJUSTMENT OR A BUMP TO THE AMOUNT OF FUNDING THAT THAT PARTICULAR STUDENT RECEIVES. WE ARE ALSO ONE OF SIX STATES THAT FUND BASED ON ATTENDANCE.

THERE ARE MANY DIFFERENT ISSUES, AS WE ALL SAW DURING COVID, RIGHT? WE DIDN'T HAVE STUDENTS IN SEATS, SO WE HAD TO CALCULATE IT IN SOME OTHER WAY.

BUT THERE ALSO IS SOME ABLEISM, RIGHT, THAT IS BUILT INTO A SYSTEM THAT BASES FUNDING WHETHER STUDENTS CAN SHOW UP IN THE CLASSROOM OR NOT. NOW THERE ARE SOME ADJUSTMENTS WITH VIRTUAL, BUT WE DO THINK ATTENDANCE, RIGHT. A MAJOR DRIVER ON THE SYSTEM IS HIGHLY CORRELATED TO MORE AT RISK AREAS, ESPECIALLY AREAS OF SAN ANTONIO.

SO WE WANTED TO KIND OF KEEP THAT IN MIND. WE'RE GOING TO COME BACK TO STUDENT ATTENDANCE.

AND THEN AFTER THAT, IF RIGHT, IF THERE IS ANY ROOM LEFT TO BE FILLED IN THE BUCKET, RIGHT? THE METAPHORICAL BUCKET, THEN, THAT COMES FROM THE STATE SHARE.

MAINLY THAT HAS TO DO WITH STATE SALES TAX. AND THAT'S WHERE ALSO OUR LOTTERY FUNDS COME.

IT'S A VERY MINOR PERCENTAGE THAT GOES INTO THE STATE AID.

THE MAJORITY OF THAT IS STATE SALES TAX. THERE HAS BEEN A LOT OF CONVERSATION AROUND ACTUALLY REMOVING PROPERTY TAX.

LEADERSHIP, STATE LEADERSHIP RIGHT NOW IS ACTUALLY BRINGING UP FOR CONVERSATION DURING THE LEGISLATIVE INTERIM.

IS IT POSSIBLE FOR US TO REMOVE PROPERTY TAXES? WELL, AS EARLY ESTIMATES SAY THAT IF WE WANTED TO REMOVE PROPERTY TAXES BUT KEEP SCHOOL FUNDING LEVELS THE SAME, WE WOULD NEED TO INCREASE OUR STATE SALES TAX BY ALMOST 30%.

SO I WOULD BUY A CAR NOW. DON'T WAIT. NO. IF WE DO.

RIGHT, INCREASE SALES TAX BY 30%. THAT MAKES A LOT OF EVERYDAY ITEMS, RIGHT? FAMILY NEEDS COST PROHIBITIVE. AND SO HOPEFULLY WE'LL SEE OVER THE NEXT FEW MONTHS, SOME OF THAT CONVERSATION CALMED DOWN.

NOW, WHAT HAS BEEN HAPPENING WITH PROPERTY TAXES AS A STATE? IN THE IF YOU JUST LOOKED AT HOW PUBLIC EDUCATION FINANCE HAS BEEN WORKING OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS, YOU MIGHT THINK THAT WE DON'T HAVE A VERY PROPERTY WEALTHY STATE, BUT ACTUALLY WE'RE DOING REALLY WELL.

WE HAVE EXPERIENCED STRONG GROWTH AS A STATE OVER THE LAST TEN YEARS, AND WE CONTINUE TO BEAT INITIAL ESTIMATES IN THE COMPTROLLER'S OFFICE BY HOW MUCH OUR PROPERTY TAXES AND PROPERTY VALUES INCREASE YEAR OVER YEAR.

SO YOU MIGHT BE THINKING, WELL, THAT'S GOOD NEWS FOR FOR DISTRICTS, RIGHT.

PROPERTY TAXES GO UP. AND SO THEREFORE DON'T PROP DON'T DISTRICTS REAP THE BENEFIT OF IT.

BUT IF WE GO BACK TO THE BUCKET METAPHOR, THE SIZE OF THE BUCKET DOES NOT CHANGE JUST BECAUSE THERE'S MORE WATER GOING INTO IT. RIGHT? THE SIZE OF THE BUCKET DOES NOT CHANGE JUST BECAUSE THERE'S MORE WATER GOING INTO IT.

THE ONLY THING THAT THIS INCREASES IS THE LOCAL SHARE, AND THAT ONLY DECREASES THE AMOUNT THAT THE STATE PUTS INTO THE BUCKET. IN FACT LAST SESSION OF THE PREVIOUS SESSION, BEFORE THAT, THE STATE ACTUALLY SENT $2 BILLION PER YEAR BACK TO GENERAL REVENUE BECAUSE PROPERTY TAXES HAD GROWN UP ACROSS THE STATE.

SO WE ALSO MIGHT SEE SOME OF THE PROPERTY TAX RATES LOWER AS A RESULT.

BUT AGAIN, IT KEEPS EVERYTHING THE SAME, THAT BUCKET THE SAME OVER TIME.

AND SO EVEN AS OUR, OUR CONSTITUENTS, YOUR RESIDENTS, RIGHT, ARE MAYBE SEEING THEIR PROPERTY TAX BILLS, SAY A SCHOOL NAME AND THE AMOUNT THAT AMOUNT DOES NOT NECESSARILY REFLECT AN ADDITIONAL INCREASE TO OUR SCHOOL DISTRICTS.

SO HOW ARE WE DOING AS A STATE? WHERE DOES THE INVESTMENT STACK UP? JUST AS AN ASIDE, WE HAVE SOME OF OUR PEERS LOUISIANA BEATS US BY AROUND $2,000, MISSOURI AROUND

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SO NATIONALLY, WE'RE FALLING BEHIND. IN FACT, WE ARE 43RD, DEPENDING ON WHO YOU ASK.

BUT WHOEVER YOU ASK, WE'RE ALWAYS IN THE BOTTOM TEN.

I KNOW PEOPLE ALWAYS DEBATE ABOUT, WELL, WHERE DID YOU GET THAT PIECE OF DATA? ASK ANYBODY. WE'RE ALWAYS IN THE BOTTOM QUARTILE OR THE OR THE BOTTOM TEN ACTUALLY IN EVERY DATA POINT.

NOW YOU WOULD THINK THAT MAYBE OKAY, MAYBE THE STATE IS GOING THROUGH SOME REVENUE CHALLENGES.

IS THERE SOMETHING ELSE DRAINING IN THE SYSTEM? WHAT'S GOING ON FOR US AS A STATE WHERE WE'RE NOT VALUING PUBLIC EDUCATION, WHERE WE EDUCATE THE MAJORITY, IN FACT, 98% OF OUR STATE'S CHILDREN. AND THAT DOESN'T SEEM TO BE THE CASE AT ALL.

IN FACT, WE'VE HAD RECORD BREAKING SURPLUSES IN THE LAST TWO SESSIONS ALONE.

WE HAD $33 BILLION IN 2023 AND $24 BILLION IN 2025.

THAT'S SURPLUS. THAT'S IN ADDITION TO THE AMOUNT THAT IS ALREADY GOING TO OUR APPROPRIATED BUDGET.

SO THAT'S ON TOP OF IN FACT, WE ARE HAVING SO MUCH MONEY IN THE SYSTEM THAT WE HAVE A RAINY THE RAINY DAY FUND IS ACTUALLY GOING TO HIT ITS CONSTITUTIONAL LIMIT.

AND THAT'S THE FIRST TIME THAT'S HAPPENED SINCE 1980.

AND SO THAT IS A NEW INTERESTING HIGH FOR THE RAINY DAY FUND, WHERE AGAIN, WE'VE HAD MANY RAINY DAY IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS, BUT NONE OF IT HAS BEEN SHARED WITH US FROM THE EDUCATION OR THE EMERGENCY.

THE RAINY DAY FUND. OKAY, SO LET'S TALK ABOUT YOU, SAID JULIA.

WE'VE TALKED ABOUT HOW BASICALLY HOW SCHOOL FUNDING WORKS.

WE'VE TALKED ABOUT GENERALLY HOW WE COMPARE. LET'S TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HISTORICAL ANALYSIS OF BASIC ALLOTMENT.

HAVE YOU ALL SEEN ANY INCREASES. ITS AT 6000 NOW.

WAS IT AT 3000 A FEW YEARS AGO. AND UNFORTUNATELY NO MY FRIENDS IT WAS NOT.

HERE IS THE GROWTH OF THE BASIC ALLOTMENT OVER THE LAST 15 YEARS.

AND NOW THERE ARE A COUPLE OF THINGS HAPPENED TO US, RIGHT AS A COUNTRY DURING THIS TIME.

WHAT HAPPENED TO US IN 2020? YEAH. COVID, RIGHT.

WE HAD LARGE SHUTDOWNS FOR THE STATE OF TEXAS, SINCE WE DO FUND ON ATTENDANCE, WE ACTUALLY HAD A GREAT DEAL OF OUR FUNDING CUT.

IT DIDN'T APPEAR TO THAT BECAUSE TEXAS FILLED THE GAP WITH FEDERAL FUNDING.

BUT WHILE THE REST OF THE COUNTRY WAS ENJOYING, AND I WOULD SAY ENJOYING, BUT THE REST OF THE COUNTRY WAS GETTING ADDITIONAL FEDERAL FUNDS FROM ESSER TWO THAT WAS ACTUALLY FILLING A HOLE THAT THE STATE CREATED, SAYING THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE ATTENDANCE IN SCHOOLS.

SO WE DIDN'T SEE AN INCREASE IN FUNDING EITHER.

AND IN FACT, THIS LAST SESSION, AGAIN, WHERE WE HAD BILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN SURPLUS AMOUNTS, WE SAW AN INCREASE IN THE BASIC ALLOTMENT OF $55.

NOW BY SEVERAL DIFFERENT GROUPS, DEPENDING ON WHO YOU ASK.

IF YOU HAD TRACKED THE BASIC ALLOTMENT TO INFLATION STARTED IN 2019, THE BASIC ALLOTMENT SHOULD HAVE INCREASED AROUND 12 TO $1500. AND THAT'S A LITTLE DIFFERENT. I'M NO MATHEMATICIAN, BUT I THINK IT'S A LITTLE BIT BIGGER THAN 55, AND SO WE WERE NOT OVERLY PLEASED WITH THAT LEVEL OF SUPPORT.

IF YOU HAVE SEEN SOME NEWSPAPER HEADLINES ABOUT, WELL, HEY, I THOUGHT THERE WAS SOME HISTORIC INVESTMENT IN PUBLIC EDUCATION THIS LAST LEGISLATIVE SESSION, AND YOU WOULD BE RIGHT. $8.5 BILLION WENT INTO THE SYSTEM.

4.2 OF THAT WENT DIRECTLY TO OUR TEACHERS, WHICH IS WONDERFUL.

OUR TEACHERS DESERVE A PAY RAISE. HOWEVER, SCHOOL DISTRICTS ARE JUST LIKE OUR HOMES, JUST LIKE OUR BUSINESSES.

WE HAVE EXPERIENCED UTILITY INCREASE, INSURANCE COSTS HAVE DOUBLED, SOMETIMES TRIPLED.

WE HAVE NUTRITIONAL SERVICE, BUS DRIVERS AND INCREDIBLE STAFF THAT ALSO DESERVE THE KINDS OF INCREASE THAT WE SAW ACROSS THE BOARD FOR OUR TEACHERS AND I WOULD VALUE OUR TEACHERS, EVEN DESERVED MORE THAN WAS INCLUDED IN THE BILL.

SO IT WAS HISTORIC, BUT THE INVESTMENT IN WHERE WE NEED THAT INVESTMENT TO GO INTO WAS NOT FELT IN THE OPERATIONS OF OUR DAY TO DAY PUBLIC SCHOOLS. NOW, YOU MIGHT SAY, OKAY, JULIA, THIS IS YOUR CHART.

I DON'T KNOW WHERE THIS IS FROM. FAIR. LET'S TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT THE TEXAS COMPTROLLER SAID OVER THE LAST TEN YEARS AS WELL.

THE REALLY THE THE LINE I WANT YOU TO PAY ATTENTION TO IS THE LINE WITH THE WITH THE DIAMOND.

HERE IS WHERE WE HOLD THE AMOUNT OF FUNDING FOR OUR SCHOOLS CONSTANT WHEN IT COMES TO INFLATION.

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THAT THE COUNTRY DEALT WITH, LET'S SAY, FOR WHATEVER REASON, YOU'RE NOT SURE ABOUT THE COMPTROLLER, ACTUALLY, THE LBB, THE LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD, LET'S ACTUALLY LOOK AT TEXAS EDUCATION AGENCY, AGENCIES, EXCUSE ME, TEXAS EDUCATION AGENCIES DATA.

AND IT ALSO TELLS A SIMILAR STORY. THE NUMBERS ARE QUITE SMALL, BUT IF YOU LOOK AT THE PURPLISH LINE OR THE ONLY LINE ON THE GRAPH THAT IS THE THE DOLLARS HELD ARE ADJUSTED FOR THE TEXAS CONSUMER PRICE INDEX.

AND AS WE CAN SEE, IF YOU GO DOWN INTO THE CHART, YOU CAN SEE THAT ACTUALLY THE AMOUNT PER STUDENT, RIGHT, IS STILL GOING DOWN WITH THE IMPACTS OF INFLATION.

NOW, IF WE WERE HERE FOR ANOTHER THREE HOURS TO TALK ABOUT ALL OF THE WONDERS OF THE TEXAS SCHOOL FINANCE SYSTEM, WE MIGHT GET INTO SOMETHING CALLED THE GOLDEN PENNIES.

AND IF YOU'D LIKE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE GOLDEN PENNIES, WHICH I KNOW I CAN SEE IN YOUR FACES, YOU'RE ALL ANXIOUS TO LEARN ABOUT THEM. HAPPY TO MEET ANY TIME.

BUT A SECOND PART. WE'VE TALKED ABOUT MAINTENANCE AND OPERATION FUNDING FOR THE MOST PART.

A SECOND PART OF OUR FUNDING HAS TO DO WITH FACILITIES, BUT ALSO WHAT'S CALLED ENRICHMENT FUNDING AND ENRICHMENT FUNDING, WITHOUT GOING TO THE ADDITIONAL WHERE IT COMES FROM OR WHAT IT'S BASED ON, RIGHT, WAS INTENDED TO BE UTILIZED TOWARDS, YOU GUESSED IT, ENRICHMENT PROGRAMS. HOWEVER, WITH THE LACK OF ADDITIONAL FUNDING FROM THE STATE, WE'RE SEEING MORE AND MORE ENRICHMENT FILL THE GAPS.

AND LET ME GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE OF A VERY LARGE GAP THAT TEXAS HAS EXPERIENCED OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS, AND IT IS FOR OUR MOST VULNERABLE STUDENTS POPULATION IN THE STATE OF TEXAS, OUR STUDENTS WHO ARE IN SPECIAL EDUCATION.

IF YOU WERE FOLLOWING PUBLIC EDUCATION ABOUT TEN YEARS AGO, YOU KNOW THAT TEXAS WAS UNDER FEDERAL INVESTIGATION FOR LIMITING THE AMOUNT OF SPECIAL EDUCATION STUDENTS IN THE SCHOOL DOOR. IN FACT, OUR SCHOOL DISTRICTS WERE PENALIZED IF THEY WERE GOING ABOVE A PARTICULAR PERCENTAGE OF SPECIAL EDUCATION ON THEIR CAMPUSES, THAT PERCENTAGE WAS 8.5%.

NATIONAL AVERAGE OF STUDENTS NEEDING SPECIAL EDUCATION SERVICES IS 11%.

THAT NUMBER IS PROBABLY CLOSER TO 13% NOW. SO IN ADDITION TO THAT REALLY PUTTING PRESSURE ON THE SYSTEM, WE HAVE A SCHOOL FUNDING SPECIAL EDUCATION FUNDING FORMULA THAT UNDERFUNDS OUR SCHOOL DISTRICTS BASED ON WHAT OUR SCHOOL DISTRICTS ARE FEDERALLY REQUIRED TO DO. SO THE GRAPH THAT YOU SEE IN FRONT OF YOU, THE YELLOW BARS, ARE WHAT IS REQUIRED BY FEDERAL SPECIAL EDUCATION LAW.

THIS IS WHAT OUR SCHOOL DISTRICTS HAVE TO AND SHOULD, RIGHT SHOULD IMPLEMENT FOR OUR MOST VULNERABLE CHILDREN ON OUR CAMPUSES.

AND THE BLUE BAR IS WHAT TEXAS ACTUALLY FUNDS.

AND SO WHEN YOU DO SEE QUOTE UNQUOTE ENRICHMENT FUNDING OR DISTRICTS HAVING ADDITIONAL RESOURCES.

MUCH OF THAT IS NOW GOING INTO FILLING GAPS LIKE THIS, AS WELL AS TRANSPORTATION, WHICH THE STATE PAYS AROUND 10 TO 15%, AS WELL AS SCHOOL SAFETY, WHICH, BY THE WAY, OUR SCHOOL DISTRICTS SPEND ABOUT $100 PER STUDENT OR MORE WE RECEIVE AROUND.

I THINK IT'S 20 NOW FROM THE STATE. AND SO WE HAVE SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF OF GAPS THAT WE'RE FILLING WITH ANY ADDITIONAL FUNDING THAT YOU'RE SEEING IN THE SYSTEM.

SO NOW AGAIN, WITHOUT GOING INTO THE SPECIFICS OF HOW THE FORMULA WORKS, BUT AS MANY OF YOU ALL KNOW, I'M HAPPY TO TALK ABOUT IT ANY TIME. LET'S LOOK AT SCHOOL DISTRICT BUDGETS ACROSS THE STATE TO SEE HOW THEY'VE HELD UP.

HERE IS WHAT TEY REPORTED ON THIS LAST LEGISLATIVE SESSION.

WHEN IT CAME TO NUMBER OF SCHOOL DISTRICTS REPORTING DEFICIT FUNDING.

SO OFTENTIMES WE HAVE IN THE A KIND OF MORE MEDIA SPACE.

SOME CONVERSATIONS AROUND, OH, THIS DISTRICT IS THIS MUCH BEHIND OR $32 MILLION BEHIND.

THIS IS NOT UNIQUE TO SAN ANTONIO. THIS IS A STATEWIDE SYSTEMIC UNDERFUNDING OF OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

AND HERE YOU SEE IT IN THE NUMBERS ACROSS THE STATE OF TEXAS.

AND NOW AS WE GET INTO SOME QUESTIONS AROUND SCHOOL CLOSURES AND ITEMS THAT HAVE HAPPENED ACROSS THE REGION, WE ALSO DON'T OFTEN TALK ABOUT FACILITIES FUNDING.

[00:20:01]

WE WANT TO TALK ABOUT BOOKS AND WHAT'S GOING ON IN CLASSROOMS AND TEACHER PAY AND COMPLETELY AGREE.

HOWEVER, IN AN HISTORIC CITY THAT HAS CERTAIN BUILDINGS THAT ARE ACTUALLY OLDER THAN THE DISTRICTS THEMSELVES, WE DO NEED TO BRING UP THE FACT THAT IN 1999, 91% OF TEXAS STUDENTS ATTENDED SCHOOL DISTRICTS THAT WERE ELIGIBLE FOR INSTRUCTIONAL FACILITIES ALLOTMENT. THAT'S AN IFA OR THE EDUCATIONAL DEBT ALLOTMENT.

THAT'S THE STATE SUPPORT PAYING BACK SCHOOL DISTRICTS TAKING ON LARGER PROJECTS.

AS OF THE 2021 2022 SCHOOL YEAR, THAT NUMBER OF STUDENTS HAS DECLINED TO 16%.

IN FACT, THE MAJORITY, I THINK ALMOST ALL OF OUR SCHOOL DISTRICTS IN THE AREA NO LONGER QUALIFY AND ALSO HAS NOT SEEN ANY ADDITIONAL FUNDING INTO THAT FUND SINCE THE 2017 SCHOOL YEAR. SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE STATE OF SCHOOL FINANCE, I KNOW THAT THERE IS NOT A YEAR THAT PUBLIC SCHOOLS HAVE SAID, OH YEAH, WE'RE GOOD.

WE ARE ALL GOOD TO GO, RIGHT? THAT IS NOT SOMETHING THAT WE, YOU KNOW, KNOW AND UNDERSTAND AS A SOCIETY.

WE ALWAYS HAVE PUBLIC SCHOOLS IN NEED OF ADDITIONAL FUNDING AND ADDITIONAL SUPPORT.

HOWEVER, AS YOU CAN SEE OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS, REALLY THE LAST DECADE, THIS HAS BECOME MORE OF A RED ALERT FOR OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS IN TERMS OF THE STATE OF SUPPORT FROM THE THE STATE AND FROM SOME OF THE ADDITIONAL FUNDING THAT WE'RE SEEING IN THE SYSTEM.

AND I KNOW THAT OUR FAMILIES ARE FEELING THAT YOU ALL ARE FEELING THAT AS YOU'RE GOING THROUGH A DIFFICULT BUDGET SEASON.

BUT WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT BIG PROJECTS CHANGES, THINGS THAT ARE GOING ON FOR SCHOOL DISTRICTS, THIS IS THE KIND OF THESE ARE THE REASONS THAT YOU'RE FEELING THAT INTENSIFIED, RIGHT? STRESS AND CAPACITY. OUR SCHOOL DISTRICTS HAVE DONE MORE WITH LESS IN THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS THAN I'VE EVER SEEN, AND I'VE SPENT THE LAST 20 YEARS IN SIMILAR ROLES AROUND EDUCATION AND PUBLIC SCHOOL FINANCE.

THE LAST THING I'LL SAY BEFORE I GO ON TO SCHOOL CLOSURES AND THEN I'LL LEAVE IT TO THE CHAIR IF YOU WANT TO TAKE A BREAK FOR QUESTIONS, OR I CAN GO INTO SCHOOL CLOSURES. IS THAT YOU KNOW, AGAIN WHILE IT SEEMS LIKE THIS IS A MATTER OF JUST BUDGETING CORRECTLY.

AS ONE SUPERINTENDENT SAID, THE THE WERE WORE DOWN TO THE NUB AND THE NUB IS ALL GONE.

AND THAT'S THE MOST TEXAS PHRASE I'VE EVER HEARD IN MY LIFE.

BUT THAT IS THE KIND OF ISSUE THAT WE'RE DEALING WITH IN PUBLIC SCHOOL FINANCE.

BUT AGAIN, IF I CAN GO ON OR IF YOU WANT ME TO TAKE A BREAK TO TALK MORE THROUGH QUESTIONS, DO MY COLLEAGUES WANT TO HAVE ANY QUESTIONS AT THIS MOMENT, OR DO YOU WANT TO KEEP GOING THROUGH THE PRESENTATION? KEEP GOING.

KEEP GOING. WE'RE ALL GOOD TO GO. SWEET. I'M GOOD, I'M GOOD.

NO. I'M FINE. OKAY, SO LET'S TALK ABOUT THE IMPACT AROUND SCHOOL CLOSURES.

I I'VE GOT A BRIEF OVERVIEW SLIDE ON REALLY THE STATE OF HOW MANY SCHOOL CLOSURES WE'VE SEEN OVER THE LAST TEN PLUS YEARS. HOWEVER, I WOULD BE REMISS WITHOUT CITING THE EXPRESS-NEWS RECENT REPORT THAT THEY DID ON SCHOOL CLOSURES AND SOME OF THE BACKGROUND AS TO WHAT THEY SEE GOING ON ACROSS NEIGHBORHOODS AND HOW OUR FAMILIES ARE DEALING WITH IT.

AND THEY ACTUALLY HAVE A REALLY ROBUST REPORT AND DATA SET OVER WHICH SCHOOL DISTRICTS WERE CLOSED.

THE CHARTER SCHOOLS, I DO WANT TO SAY I DID INCLUDE THE CHARTER SCHOOLS AS IT WAS INCLUDED IN THAT DATA SET.

THAT IS NOT TO YOU KNOW, COMMUNICATE A PERCENTAGE.

IT'S JUST HOW MANY CHARTER SCHOOLS THOSE ARE INDIVIDUAL DISTRICTS CLOSED FOR DIFFERENT REASONS, JUST LIKE WE SEE ACROSS OUR ISDS. WE ACTUALLY ALSO HAD JUDSON ANNOUNCED LAST NIGHT THAT THEY ARE CLOSING ONE OF THEIR MIDDLE SCHOOLS.

SO THAT WAS IN ADDITION TO THE SCHOOLS THAT ARE ON THIS PARTICULAR CHART NOW, BECAUSE THIS DATA ENCAPSULATES THE LAST 12 YEARS, NOT ALL OF THESE CLOSURES ARE RELATED TO FUNDING.

BUT WHAT WE'VE SEEN OR ENROLLMENT, I SHOULD SAY SOME OF THEM WERE ACADEMIC REASONS, BUT THEY WERE, I THINK, LESS THAN 1% OF THE NUMBER OF DISTRICTS THAT ARE ON THAT LIST.

BUT WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO IS TALK ABOUT SAN ANTONIO ISD AS A CASE STUDY OF HOW THEY HAVE HANDLED THESE CLOSURES AND TALK ABOUT THE KINDS OF TIMELINE, INPUT AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT THAT OUR SUPERINTENDENTS AND THEIR TEAMS ARE GOING THROUGH WITH THEIR FAMILIES AS A WAY TO MAKE THESE DECISIONS.

THE BEST CASE AND THE WORST SCENARIO, RIGHT, FOR NEIGHBORHOODS ACROSS SAN ANTONIO.

SO SAN ANTONIO ISD, AS YOU ALL KNOW, HAVE HAS GONE THROUGH A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT PHASES AND ITERATIONS OF CLOSURES.

AND I AND I ASKED DOCTOR AQUINO IF I MISS ANYTHING TO COME UP AND ADD ANYTHING OR IF I SAY ANYTHING JUST TO THROW SOMETHING IN MY GENERAL DIRECTION TO MAKE ME TO STOP.

[00:25:08]

THERE WAS A LINE, RIGHT, OR A MAX AMOUNT OR A MEDIAN COMPARED TO OTHER CAMPUSES.

AND I DON'T THINK THAT THIS WOULD BE A SAME NUMBER IF WE WERE IN VERMONT.

RIGHT. THAT PAYS $24,000 PER STUDENT, OR ILLINOIS, WHICH IS $20,000 PER STUDENT, VERSUS OUR TEXAS, WHICH LOCAL STATE FUNDING IS AROUND 10,000, $11,000 PER STUDENT.

AND SO IT HAS TO BE A PART OF THE CONVERSATION.

IN ADDITION, YES, DEMOGRAPHICS OR THE DEMOGRAPHERS DO TELL US ENROLLMENT IS GOING DOWN, ALTHOUGH THEY'RE SAYING IT'S KIND OF PLATEAUED OUT.

WE ARE DEALING WITH HOUSING STOCK AND DIFFERENCES IN IN URBAN CENTERS VERSUS SUBURBAN RIGHT OUTGROWTH, BUT THIS IS A DEFINITELY A PART OF THIS CRITERIA.

I WOULD IMAGINE THAT IF WE COULD AFFORD TO KEEP CERTAIN DISTRICTS OR CERTAIN CAMPUSES OPEN AND AFFORD TO DO THAT, BOTH RIGHT, IN TERMS OF COST OF FACILITY AND COST OF RUNNING THE SCHOOLS, THAT CONVERSATION WOULD HAVE BEEN DIFFERENT.

BUT GIVEN THE FACTORS RIGHT WITH IN THE SYSTEM, SAN ANTONIO ISD PROCEEDED WITH WHAT I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE HOPEFULLY WILL STUDY IN LATER YEARS ABOUT BEING A REALLY INTENTIONAL AND CAREFUL ENGAGEMENT WITH THEIR COMMUNITY.

SO THEY DID RIGHTSIZING WITH HEART AND PART OF THE REPURPOSING AND THE AND THE AND GOING THROUGH THIS PROCESS WAS DOING A TON OF MEETINGS, SCHEDULING ANY MEETING WITH ANNA ALICIA DURING THIS TIME WAS CLOSE TO IMPOSSIBLE BECAUSE SHE WAS GOING A MILLION MILES A MOMENT EVERY SINGLE DAY ALONG WITH DOCTOR AQUINO, BUT IT WAS OVER THREE MONTHS AND 40 MEETINGS.

A TON OF FEEDBACK FROM THE COMMUNITY. ONE OF THE BIGGEST PIECES OF FEEDBACK THAT I WANT TO POINT OUT, AND I DO THINK THAT IT'S COME UP IN THIS COMMUNITY OR THIS COMMITTEE A COUPLE OF TIMES ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THE BUILDINGS.

RIGHT. WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH THE BUILDINGS THAT ARE NO LONGER BEING UTILIZED AS A SCHOOL? AND YOU CAN SEE IN THIS SLIDE AS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS FROM THE COMMUNITY, IS TO NOT SELL THE FACILITIES, TO FIND A WAY TO REPURPOSE THE FACILITIES TO BENEFIT THE COMMUNITY AROUND THEM.

SO MANY OF THE NEIGHBORS, SO MANY OF THE COMMUNITIES SAY WE ARE LOSING SOMETHING.

THAT IS A A TREMENDOUS RESOURCE FOR US, RIGHT? WE SERVE AROUND 95% OF YOUR FAMILIES IN YOUR SCHOOL AGE.

CHILDREN GO THROUGH OUR ISDS AND THEY ARE COMING TO OUR CAMPUSES ON OUR PROPERTY ONCE A DAY.

WE ARE TALKING TO PARENTS. WE ARE TALKING TO GRANDPARENTS, AUNTS, UNCLES AND SISTERS.

AND SO PART OF LOSING THOSE BUILDINGS IS NOT JUST LOSING A SCHOOL, BUT LOSING A NEIGHBORHOOD SPACE.

AND SO PART OF THAT CAME THROUGH A NEW COMMUNITY PANEL IMPLEMENTING THEIR COMMUNITY PANEL TO DETERMINE WHAT COULD HAPPEN RIGHT. WITH THE PARTICULAR BOARD.

SO IT WAS THE FACILITIES REPURPOSING PANEL CREATED IN 2024.

AND ANYTHING THAT THE SUPERINTENDENT, DOCTOR AQUINO DID WAS DONE RIGHT WITH COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.

IN ADDITION, THERE WAS AN OUTSIDE ORGANIZATION HELPING THEM DO A CONTINUED REVIEW THROUGH A GRANT WITH THE SAN ANTONIO BOARD OF REALTORS.

AND IN ADDITION TO GOING THROUGH ALL THESE MEETINGS, CREATING THIS PANEL, HAVING THIS ROBUST EVALUATION, THEY ALSO DID AN ADDITIONAL SURVEY ON HOW THESE FACILITIES SHOULD BE REIMAGINED.

WE SAW THEY SAW CLOSE TO I HAVE HUNDRED RESPONSES ABOUT WHAT THE FAMILIES WANTED TO DO WITH THESE PARTICULAR BUILDINGS. AND ON THE NEXT SLIDE, YOU'LL SEE THE RESULTS THAT THEY RECEIVED.

A TON OF GREAT FEEDBACK, I THINK, NOT ONLY FOR THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, BUT ALSO FOR US AS A COMMUNITY ABOUT THE KINDS OF RESOURCES THAT OUR FAMILIES WANT IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS. AS YOU CAN SEE, WE HAVE A CALL OUT FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD FOR MORE GREEN SPACES FOR MENTAL HEALTH, AFFORDABLE HOUSING, AND FINE ARTS PROGRAMS. AND SO, AS SAN ANTONIO IS GOING THROUGH NOW EVALUATING THESE FACILITIES AND EVALUATING THE SPACES AND EVALUATING THE RFP, THEY ARE KEEPING ALL OF THESE THINGS THE COMMUNITY VOICE IN MIND.

AND SO I THINK IT'S REALLY THE WAY THAT THEY HAVE REALLY ENGAGED.

BUT PART OF THAT TAKES TIME, RIGHT. PART OF THAT COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT TAKES TIME.

[00:30:06]

THAT REALLY STARTS RIGHT WITH TALKING NEIGHBOR TO NEIGHBOR ABOUT WHAT THEIR BIGGEST PRIORITIES AND CONCERNS ARE.

BUT I WILL STOP THERE. I'M GOING TO GO ON TO EVERYBODY'S SECOND FAVORITE TOPIC.

MAYBE ACADEMIC ACCOUNTABILITY. NO. THAT'S RIGHT.

SO I'VE GOT ONE TAKER. BUT BEFORE I DO THAT, I WANTED TO STOP AND SEE IF DOCTOR AQUINO WANTED TO ADD ANYTHING AND THEN OF COURSE, OPEN IT UP FOR QUESTIONS. GOOD MORNING EVERYONE.

I JUST WANT TO ADD ONE POINT BECAUSE WE HAVE CHANGED IN TERMS OF PERSPECTIVE.

WHEN JULIA SAID THAT ORIGINALLY IN ALL THE COMMUNITY MEETINGS, WE SAID THAT WE WERE NOT GOING TO SELL ANY OF OUR PROPERTIES.

SO NOW THE BOARD AND I ARE CONSIDERING SOME OF THOSE PROPERTIES THAT WE BASE ON OUR LANDSCAPE ANALYSIS, KNOW THAT WE MIGHT NOT USE EVER AS A SCHOOL, THAT WE MIGHT SELL THEM.

ORIGINALLY, WE DID NOT WANT TO SELL OUR PROPERTY BECAUSE IF THERE'S AN ENROLLMENT GROWTH IN THE FUTURE, SAIC WOULD NEVER BE IN A POSITION TO PURCHASE THE LAND AND BUILD A BUILD A SCHOOL.

BUT WE NEED TO ACTUALLY WE JUST HAVE TOO MANY IN OUR PORTFOLIO, AND WE DON'T HAVE THE RESOURCES OR THE FUNDS FOR PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE FOR OUR BUILDINGS.

SO WE ARE THINKING ABOUT SELLING SOME OF THOSE PROPERTY THAT WILL GIVE US A ONE TIME FUNDING THAT WOULD HELP US WITH THE FACILITY, FACILITY MAINTENANCE. SO THAT'S THE REASON WHY WE ARE IN ADDITION TO THAT, WE LEARNED THROUGH THE FIRST RFP THAT THE PANEL PUT TO LEASE ANY OF OUR BUILDINGS THAT MANY OF THE PEOPLE WHO WERE INTERESTED ONCE THEY WALKED THE BUILDING, THE BUILDINGS THAT, OH MY GOD, NO, THERE'S A LOT OF REPAIRS LIKE THIS WILL BE UNLESS THE DISTRICT WAS GOING TO DO A BOND FOR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT, AND WE CAN'T. WE CAN'T DO THAT BECAUSE WE HAVE NEEDS IN OUR IN OUR EXISTING SCHOOLS WHERE STUDENTS ARE ATTENDING.

SO MANY OF THEM ARE LIKE, NO, WE'RE NO INTEREST.

WHAT TELLS YOU THE INFRASTRUCTURE CHALLENGE THAT WE HAVE? THE AVERAGE AGE OF THE BUILDINGS, SAIC IS 68 YEARS, WHICH IS WAY ABOVE OUR SURROUNDING DISTRICT.

AND OUR BUILDINGS WERE BUILT TO LAST. SCHOOLS WERE BUILT TO LAST 50 YEARS.

SO WE'RE OVER 18, 18 YEARS AND WE DON'T HAVE ANY MONEY FOR PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE.

AND I WOULD SAY AND BY SAYING THIS, NO SUPERINTENDENT OR PRINCIPAL FOR THAT MATTER SHOULD BE IN A POSITION TO BE FORCED TO DECIDE WHETHER I HIRE A LIBRARIAN, OFFER SUPPORT OF MENTAL HEALTH OR DO PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE OR INCREASE? BUT THAT'S THE POSITION THAT WE FACE ON A ON A DAILY BASIS.

AND THIS IS MY FIFTH YEAR BUDGET DEVELOPMENT THAT I'M, I'M GOING IN FOR NEXT YEAR.

AND THIS IS THE FIRST DISTRICT I'VE SERVED AS DEPUTY SUPERINTENDENT AND FOR DISTRICT BEFORE COMING HERE.

THIS IS THE FOURTH DISTRICT THAT FOR FIVE CONSECUTIVE YEARS I'VE HAD TO CUT AND MAKE CUTS, CUTS WHICH REALLY HURT OUR STUDENTS AND OUR FAMILIES.

I'M SORRY. JUST BEFORE YOU SAID I'M SORRY. JUST A QUICK QUESTION.

DO YOU HAVE THE AVERAGE COST OF WHAT IT WOULD BE TO REHAB A SCHOOL OR TO DO THE PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE ON TOP OF YOUR HEAD? IF NOT, WE CAN GET IT LATER, BUT TO ONE OF OUR EMPTY BUILDINGS.

CORRECT? IT DEPENDS ON THE BUILDING AND THE BUILDING ITSELF.

SO EACH OF THEM ARE DIFFERENT. WE ACTUALLY HAVE A FACILITY CONDITION ASSESSMENT.

SO WE WILL WE ARE ABLE TO TELL YOU OF THE BUILDINGS WOULD HAVE ACTUALLY, SOME OF THEM SAID OUR ARCHITECT AND ENGINEER HAVE RECOMMENDED THAT IT WOULD BE CHEAPER TO ACTUALLY DEMOLISH AND START FROM THE GROUND UP THAN IT IS TO, TO, TO RENOVATE. BUT YES, WE CAN GIVE YOU THAT NUMBER PER SCHOOLS AND, AND IT VARIES.

SOME GOES FROM 30 MILLION TO 60 MILLION. SO BUT IT RANGES RIGHT.

OKAY. THANK YOU. THAT'S HELPFUL. WERE THERE ANY QUESTIONS FROM MY COLLEAGUES. WHILE DOCTOR KINO HAS THE FLOOR. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ON THIS TOPIC AT THE MOMENT? YEAH, JUST REAL QUICK. I DON'T KNOW IF YOU OR JULIA WANT TO ADD A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE HOW YOU GUYS CAN TRY TO INCREASE LOCAL FUNDING FOR YOUR BUILDINGS, LIKE, WHAT ARE THE OPTIONS THAT YOU HAVE IN TERMS OF BOND ELECTIONS AND IN TERMS OF INCREASING THE THE TAX DOLLARS? SO THE ONLY FOR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT IS THROUGH BOND THROUGH A BOND ELECTION.

ACTUALLY, MY BOARD CALL FOR A BLUE RIBBON TASK FORCE THAT IS ANALYZING AS TO WHETHER WE ARE GOING TO

[00:35:10]

BUT I JUST WANT TO BE CLEAR ABOUT ONE THING. WITH THE BOND, IT IS ONLY FOR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT, NOT FOR PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE. SO RIGHT NOW, I WILL TELL YOU, OUR ARCHITECTS AND ENGINEERS ESTIMATE THAT IF WE DON'T INVEST TODAY IN PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE IN THREE YEARS, THE COST OF THE REPAIR OR BUILDING NEW BUILDING WILL BE ALMOST $1 BILLION, LIKE THREE QUARTERS OF $1 BILLION BECAUSE OF THE LACK OF PREVENTATIVE PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE. AND THERE ARE OTHER STATES THAT WHERE I WORK, WHERE THERE'S AN ALLOCATION, THERE'S AN ALLOCATION SEPARATE FROM THE BASIC ALLOTMENT FOR ACTUALLY FACILITY FACILITY MAINTENANCE. SO. YEAH.

SO OUR ONLY ONLY ISSUE IS GOING THROUGH A BOND, BUT THE BOND DOES NOT ALLOW US TO DO ANY PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE THAT COMES FROM OUR GENERAL FUND DOLLARS, WHICH MEANS I'M TAKING THAT MONEY AWAY FROM THE CLASSROOM TEACHER SALARY AND SUPPORT IN SCHOOLS.

ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FROM THE COMMITTEE? GO AHEAD.

JUST ONE QUICK SECOND. I KNOW YOU MENTIONED JUST THE GOLDEN PENNY A LITTLE BIT. CAN YOU TELL US WHICH DISTRICTS ACTUALLY HAVE AND HAVE BEEN ABLE TO ACQUIRE THAT? YEAH. SO ALL OF OUR DISTRICTS HAVE BOTH GOLDEN AND COPPER PENNIES.

IT'S A PART OF ENRICHMENT FUNDING, NOT JUST FOR MAINTENANCE AND OPERATION, BUT ALSO FOR INSTRUCTIONAL FACILITIES.

IT'S ONE OF IT'S ACTUALLY ONE OF THE DRIVERS OF AN EQUITY IN THE SYSTEM CURRENTLY.

I WON'T GO INTO COPPER PENNIES. ACTUALLY, SORRY, I HAVE TO.

COPPER PENNIES ARE HELD AT A PARTICULAR LEVEL BY THE STATE OF TEXAS.

SO BASED ON PROPERTY TAX BILLS ARE AMOUNT. SO FOR EXAMPLE, IF I HAVE $100 WORTH OF PROPERTY AND THAT GOLDEN PENNY AMOUNT IS CAPPED AT $0.10.

RIGHT. BUT I'M ONLY BRINGING IN EIGHT. THE STATE IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE REMAINING TWO.

RIGHT. THAT'S THE COPPER PENNY. IF I'M ONLY BRINGING IN EIGHT, THE STATE IS RESPONSIBLE FOR BRINGING IN TWO.

NOW, IF I AM A MORE WEALTHY AREA AND I'M BRINGING IN $0.15, I ACTUALLY HAVE TO SEND $0.05 BACK TO THE STATE. RIGHT? RECAPTURE. RIGHT. ROBINHOOD IS ANOTHER WAY OF SAYING THAT ALTHOUGH ROBINHOOD'S NOT VERY JUSTICE MINDED ANYMORE BECAUSE IT JUST GOES BACK TO GENERAL REVENUE, IT DOESN'T ACTUALLY GO TO DISTRICTS THAT NEED IT AFTER A COURT CASE IN THE EARLY 2000.

SO THAT'S A COPPER PENNY. IT'S HELD AT A PARTICULAR LEVEL, THE GOLDEN PENNY.

HOWEVER, WHILE IT IS HELD AT A LEVEL IN ORDER TO GET SCHOOL DISTRICTS TO SIMILAR LEVELS, SO LET'S SAY IT'S HELD AT $0.30, RIGHT? AND I AS A DISTRICT CAN BRING IN 18. RIGHT.

THE SCHOOL DISTRICT OR THE SCHOOL DISTRICT CAN BRING IN 18.

THE STATE IS RESPONSIBLE FOR FILLING IN THE REMAINING 12% OR $0.12, RIGHT? HOWEVER, HERE'S WHERE THE INEQUITY HAPPENS. IF I AM A VERY WEALTHY DISTRICT AND I CAN BRING IN A DOLLAR, I GET TO KEEP THE WHOLE DOLLAR. AND SO WHILE DISTRICTS CAN ONLY BRING IN RIGHT UP TO WHATEVER THE AMOUNT IS, WE HAVE DISTRICTS THAT HAVE VERY WEALTHY PROPERTY VALUE THAT ARE IN OIL RICH PARTS OF WEST TEXAS THAT HAVE A VARIETY OF REASONS AS TO WHY THEY HAVE HIGH PROPERTY VALUE.

THEY GET TO KEEP THAT DIFFERENCE. AND SO AGAIN, THAT'S CALLED THE ENRICHMENT DOLLARS.

IT WAS ORIGINALLY MEANT TO GO INTO, AGAIN, ENRICHMENT PROGRAMS. BUT BECAUSE OUR BASE FORMULA HAS CREATED SO MANY HOLES, A LOT OF THAT ENRICHMENT FORMULA IS GOING BACK INTO FILLING THOSE GAPS.

IN FACT, IN A RECENT STUDY THAT WE DID AS A PART OF THE WITH THE TEXAS SCHOOL SPECIAL EDUCATION ADMINISTRATORS, TCS, THAT'S NOT WHAT IT STANDS FOR, BUT IT'S SCHOOL EDUCATION ADMINISTRATORS.

THE VAST MAJORITY OF DISTRICTS ARE ACTUALLY SPENDING THEIR ENRICHMENT DOLLARS ON FILLING THAT SPECIAL EDUCATION FUNDING GAP.

IT'S ONE MAJOR SOURCE OF STRESS, ESPECIALLY FOR OUR SMALLER SCHOOL DISTRICTS OR MORE RURAL SCHOOL DISTRICTS, WHERE IF YOU HAVE A STUDENT COMING IN THAT HAS A HIGH LEVEL OF NEED, RIGHT.

IT COULD DRAMATICALLY CHANGE YOUR BUDGET DOLLARS AND REALLY FOR FOR LARGER SCHOOL DISTRICTS AS WELL.

THANK YOU FOR THAT. IS THAT HELPFUL? SORRY. YES.

TO GO OUT FOR FOR MORE COPPER AND GOLD AND PENNY.

[00:40:01]

IN 2019, IT WAS GRANTED THAT THAT SCHOOL DISTRICTS COULD GO OUT FOR ADDITIONAL GOLDEN PENNIES WITH THE VOTE OF A SCHOOL BOARD.

BUT YES, NOW, IF YOU WANT TO GO OUT FOR ADDITIONAL PENNIES, IT DOES TAKE WHAT'S CALLED A VOTER APPROVED TAX RATIFICATION ELECTION.

SO YOU'LL HEAR THE TERM VADER OFTEN. SO DOCTOR AQUINO MENTIONED THE BOND BOND AS HE SAID, ONLY GOES TO FACILITIES.

YOU'RE SEEING THE VADER AS A PART OF KIND OF THE UNDERLYING MAINTENANCE AND OPERATION FUNDING.

DID I GET THAT OKAY IN NOVEMBER AND SORRY, NOVEMBER ONLY.

YES. OH, AND THAT'S THE OTHER THING IS THAT VADER.

THANK YOU, DOCTOR KRAFT. CAN ONLY BE ELECTED IN NOVEMBER.

DOCTOR KRAFT, IS THERE ANYTHING THAT YOU WANTED TO ADD? JUST. I KNOW WE WERE TALKING MORE ABOUT RSD'S ROLE WITH THE COMMUNITY, BUT ARE THE SCHOOL CLOSURES? BUT IS THERE ANYTHING YOU WANT TO ADD ON NORTHSIDE'S FRONT? ABSOLUTELY.

IF YOU'RE GOING TO OFFER THE MIC, I'LL TAKE IT. WELL, YOU KNOW, FIRST AND FOREMOST, THANK YOU FOR ENGAGING IN THIS VERY IMPORTANT DIALOG.

I WANT TO COMPLIMENT MY COLLEAGUE, DOCTOR AQUINO.

ANNELIESE. THESE ARE REALLY DIFFICULT CONVERSATIONS.

IN FACT HAVING BEEN A SUPERINTENDENT GOING ON 17 YEARS.

DON'T TELL ANYBODY. HIRE ME. I DON'T KNOW THAT THERE IS A MORE DIFFICULT, CHALLENGING CONVERSATION TO HAVE WITH YOUR COMMUNITY AND EVEN YOUR BOARD.

IT TAKES A LOT OF COURAGE, AND I'LL TELL YOU THAT I THINK DOCTOR AQUINO HAS DONE A PHENOMENAL JOB.

YOU KNOW, IT'S IMPOSSIBLE TO PLEASE EVERYONE.

ANYTIME YOU START TALKING ABOUT REPURPOSING OR PARTICULARLY CLOSING A CAMPUS TO GARNER THE THE EFFICIENCIES THAT HE'S DESCRIBED.

IT'S GUT WRENCHING WORK. AND SO AGAIN, I MEAN, I THINK YOU ALL ARE DOING A PHENOMENAL JOB.

WE'RE ALSO ENGAGING IN THESE CONVERSATIONS. THE ONE THING ABOUT THAT I'LL ADD STATE LAW ACTUALLY REQUIRES IF THE DISTRICT, IF THE BOARD ELECTS OR, OR DECLARES PROPERTY, BE EXCESS TO THE NEEDS THOSE, THOSE PROPERTIES ACTUALLY HAVE TO FIRST AND FOREMOST BE OFFERED FOR PURCHASE TO CHARTER SCHOOLS.

SO THAT'S JUST SOMETHING ALSO TO KIND OF KEEP IN MIND THIS WAS LEGISLATED SEVERAL SESSIONS AGO THAT IT MAKES IT EVEN MORE DIFFICULT PARTICULARLY IF YOU'VE INVESTED OR THE COMMUNITY HAS INVESTED IN CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS THROUGH BONDS THAT YOU NOW HAVE TO REALLY THINK, WELL, DO WE TURN THIS OVER? BECAUSE IT'S NOT LIKELY, EVEN THOUGH WE CAN TALK MARKET VALUE, AND I DON'T WANT TO REALLY GET INTO THE DETAILS OF REAL ESTATE.

BUT IT'S NOT LIKELY THAT YOU'RE GOING TO REAP THE, THE FULL COST IN MANY CASES OF THOSE RENOVATIONS AND WHAT THE COMMUNITY HAS, HAS APPROVED. WE, LIKE I SAY, ARE ENGAGING IN WHAT WE'RE REFERRING TO AS OPTIMIZATION.

WE'RE LOOKING AT PROGRAMMATIC AND PROGRAMMATIC NEEDS, POTENTIALLY REPURPOSING, PARTICULARLY SOME OF OUR SMALLER ELEMENTARY CAMPUSES.

WE NOW HAVE SEVEN THAT ARE HOVERING AT OR BELOW 300 STUDENTS.

AND SO, AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, WE LOOK AT EFFICIENCIES AND PARTICULARLY AGING NEIGHBORHOODS, AGING FACILITIES.

THESE ARE THE CONVERSATIONS THAT WE'RE ALSO ENGAGED IN.

ALSO TALKING ABOUT THE VADER, VERY BRIEFLY WE'RE PRETTY IN DEPTH IN THE CONVERSATION ABOUT, YES, LOOKING AT LIFECYCLE REPLACEMENT AND BOND NEEDS, BUT WE'RE ALSO LOOKING AT A THREE GOLDEN PENNY VADER IN NOVEMBER.

NOW WE'RE WORKING TO TRY TO MAINTAIN A FLAT TAX RATE SO THAT THE OUR COMMUNITY AND HOMEOWNERS DON'T SEE AN INCREASE IN THE TOTAL TAX RATE.

BUT THIS IS CHALLENGING. AND THE VADER, JUST TO PUT IT IN DOLLARS AND CENTS FOR EACH GOLDEN PENNY, LIKE I SAY, WHICH WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO ASK THE COMMUNITY FOR APPROVAL OF THREE EACH GOLDEN PENNY WOULD GARNER ABOUT $15 MILLION, WHICH IS A MAXIMUM STATE YIELD AS A RESULT. BEYOND THAT, AS JULIA ALREADY ARTICULATED WE DON'T SEE AS GREAT A STATE YIELD.

AND SO YOU HAVE TO REALLY ASK YOURSELF, IS IT FAIR TO TRY TO INCREASE TAXES ON YOUR COMMUNITY WHEN YOU DON'T, YOU DON'T REALIZE THE FULL MAXIMUM YIELD OF STATE FUNDING.

SO I KNOW THAT WAS A LOT. BUT AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO ENGAGE IN THESE CONVERSATIONS.

THANK YOU, DOCTOR CRAWFORD. ALL RIGHT. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS BEFORE WE MOVE ON TO ACCOUNTABILITY? ALL RIGHT. JULIA. OKAY. LET ME TAKE ONE. TAKE THE WATER WITH YOU WHEN YOU GO SIT DOWN.

THAT'S A PRO TIP. I JUST ALSO WANTED TO APOLOGIZE.

[00:45:03]

I APOLOGIZE AGAIN. THAT WAS SOME WONDERFUL TECHNICAL COLLABORATION.

SO I REALLY APPRECIATE YOU ALL. I, I THINK ALEX AND ROGER ARE JUST NEVER GOING TO INVITE ME BACK.

THERE'S, LIKE, GET OUT OF HERE WITH YOUR CHANGES, LADY.

OKAY, SO SO LET'S TALK ABOUT HOW HOW SCHOOLS ARE GRADED.

AND THIS IS NOT BECAUSE I WANT YOU TO TAKE A NAP.

IT IS BECAUSE I THINK THAT IN SOME OF THE CONVERSATIONS AROUND SCHOOL CLOSURES AND AROUND DATA, WE'VE HAD SOME REPORTS THAT HAVE BEEN PUT OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY.

ABOUT WE DIDN'T HAVE ANY DATA FOR TWO YEARS OR SCHOOL DISTRICTS WERE AFRAID OF A THROUGH F.

THERE'S BEEN SOME CONVERSATION AROUND A DIFFERENT VIEWS OF OF THE STATE OF READING AND MATH FOR OUR STUDENTS.

AND LET ME BE CLEAR, I THINK THAT THE TWO SUPERINTENDENTS BEHIND ME CAN AGREE.

WE HAVE A LOT OF WORK TO DO, RIGHT? WE HAVE A LOT OF WORK TO DO IN OUR SPACES.

BUT OUR CURRENT ACCOUNTABILITY SYSTEM, WHILE WE DO WANT TO BE OUR SCHOOL DISTRICTS, DO WANT TO BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE.

THE WAY THAT OUR SCHOOLS ARE GRADED DO NOT REFLECT THE KIND OF AMAZING WORK THAT IS GOING ON IN OUR SCHOOL DISTRICTS.

I ALSO WANT TO SAY THAT IN TERMS OF COMPARING SAN ANTONIO TO DALLAS, I THINK YOU ALL KNOW REALLY BETTER THAN ANYBODY THE KIND OF POVERTY AND DEEP POVERTY THAT A LOT OF OUR RESIDENTS EXPERIENCE.

AND IT IS A DIFFERENT KIND, RIGHT, THAN WE SEE IN DIFFERENT AREAS OF THE STATE.

SO I'M GOING TO VERY, VERY HIGH LEVEL IT, I PROMISE, BUT AT ITS VERY BASE LEVEL, THERE ARE THREE ELEMENTS IN OUR SCHOOL FINANCE SYSTEM SCHOOL, OUR STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT. WHAT A STUDENT GETS AT THE END OF A SCHOOL YEAR, STUDENT PROGRESS, WHICH IDEALLY YOU WOULD WANT FROM THE BEGINNING TO THE END OF THE SCHOOL YEAR.

BUT OUR CURRENT SCHOOL PROGRESS IS YEAR OVER YEAR, NOT PRE TO POST.

RIGHT. SO IT'S YEAR OVER YEAR AND SOMETIMES EVEN LARGER GAPS THAN THAT CAN EXIST.

AND THEN 30% OF WHAT'S CALLED CLOSING THE GAPS AND CLOSING THE GAPS IS A COLLECTION OF A LOT OF DIFFERENT DATA POINTS BASED ON STUDENT DEMOGRAPHICS.

ARE WE DOING RIGHT BY OUR MOST VULNERABLE STUDENTS ON OUR CAMPUSES? STARTING IN 20 2120, NO, 2019 WE SWITCHED TO OFFICIALLY SWITCH TO AN A THROUGH F SYSTEM. WE ARE ONE OF, I THINK, EIGHT STATES THAT DO AN A THROUGH F SYSTEM.

THERE IS A LOT OF DATA ON THE PSYCHOLOGICAL IMPACT ON CAMPUSES OF AN A THROUGH F SYSTEM, AND WHAT GRADES COMMUNICATE TO THE PUBLIC VERSUS THE STUDENTS THAT ATTEND THAT PARTICULAR CAMPUS.

I HIGHLY RECOMMEND GOING INTO DEPTH ON SOME OF THAT.

HAPPY TO SHARE RESOURCES. BUT AGAIN, WE HAVE THE SYSTEM.

SO OUR OUR DISTRICTS WILL CONTINUE TO DO THE BEST BY OUR STUDENTS.

NOW WHAT IS THE SYSTEM MADE UP OF? AND THIS IS MY MY YOU'LL SEE MY LOVE OF POWERPOINT ANIMATION COME OUT.

IN THIS PRESENTATION. BUT HERE WE HAVE IT. IT'S BASE LEVEL FOR OUR ELEMENTARY AND MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS.

RIGHT. REALLY STARTING IN THIRD GRADE. RIGHT.

IT'S THE FIRST YEAR THAT THOSE STUDENTS ARE OFFICIALLY STATE TESTED.

TWO ARE EIGHTH GRADERS. 100% OF THE SCORES FOR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL STUDENTS, FOR MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS IS BASED ON ONE TEST ON ONE TEST DAY. LET ME JUST. I JUST WANT US TO SIT WITH THAT FOR A SECOND.

ALL THE THINGS. IF YOU HAVE CHILDREN IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

WELL, YES, THEY'RE PROBABLY TALKING ABOUT THE STAR TEST THAT THE DAY THEY TOOK THE STAR TEST. BUT THE MAJORITY OF THINGS YOU'RE HEARING ABOUT AT OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS ARE PROBABLY NOT TESTING, PROBABLY LIKE, I DON'T WANT TO DO TESTING, BUT YOU'RE HEARING ABOUT PEERS, YOU'RE HEARING ABOUT THEIR TEACHERS, YOU'RE HEARING ABOUT THEIR COUNSELORS, YOU'RE HEARING ABOUT THEIR PROGRAMS. BUT WE CURRENTLY EVALUATE OUR ELEMENTARY AND OUR MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS IN SCHOOLS BY ONE TEST ON ONE TEST DAY. NOW, FOR OUR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS, WE DO CONSIDER OTHER ELEMENTS.

I'LL TALK ABOUT THOSE IN JUST A SECOND. BUT ALL TOGETHER, IN TERMS OF THE THE SCORES, HERE IS WHAT THE CALCULATION FOR THAT A THROUGH F LOOKS LIKE. EITHER YOU CAN DO THE ACHIEVEMENT SCORE OR THE PROGRESS SCORE.

YOU ALL EVERYBODY HAS TO DO THE CLOSING THE GAP SCORE THAT'S RELATED TO A FEDERAL RULE.

AND THAT POPS OUT YOUR A THROUGH F SCORE. NOW THAT'S FROM OVER 6000 DATA CELLS BY THE WAY.

THIS IS MAKING IT SEEM VERY SIMPLE. BUT OUR ACCOUNTABILITY AND TESTING PEOPLE ARE JUST EXCEL WHIZZES.

IN ORDER FOR OUR SCHOOL DISTRICTS TO EVEN CLOSE TO ESTIMATE HOW T IS GOING TO GRADE SCHOOL DISTRICTS.

[00:50:06]

WHO COUNTS? WHO DOESN'T COUNT? SEE ME AFTER CLASS FOR THAT INTERESTING TIDBIT.

I DO WANT TO POINT OUT FOR ACHIEVEMENT WE ALSO HAVE WHAT'S CALLED DEAD DATA OR LAGGING DATA AS WELL.

SO WE'RE USING STAR SCORES FROM THAT YEAR, FROM THAT PARTICULAR SCHOOL YEAR AND COLLEGE CAREER MILITARY READINESS.

THAT'S WHAT THAT CMR STANDS FOR. COLLEGE CAREER MILITARY READINESS SCORES FROM THE PRIOR YEAR.

SO THOSE STUDENTS HAVE TAKEN THOSE TESTS. THEY'VE GRADUATED.

THEY'VE MOVED ON HOPEFULLY TO A WONDERFUL COLLEGE OR POST-SECONDARY PROGRAM OR WHATEVER MAKES THEM HAPPY IN LIFE.

AND GRAD SCORES FROM ALSO THE PRIOR YEAR, RIGHT.

OKAY. NOW, JUST AS AN ASIDE, MANY OF YOU ALL HAVE ASKED ME AND SUPERINTENDENTS ABOUT WAYS TO HELP WHEN IT COMES TO ACCOUNTABILITY.

WHAT ARE WAYS THAT WE CAN LEAN IN? I DO THINK THAT THIS IS A GREAT EXAMPLE IN THE HIGH SCHOOL REALM OF WHERE WE SEE READY TO WORK AND A LOT OF OTHER PARTNERSHIPS AND SUPPORTING THOSE PARTNERSHIPS BETWEEN ALAMO COLLEGES AS WELL AS OUR COLLEGE PARTNERS AND A LOT OF PROGRAMS GOING ON ACROSS THE, THE, THE STATE AND THE REGION ARE VERY, VERY HELPFUL TO OUR DISTRICTS.

AND WE CONTINUE TO APPRECIATE THOSE PARTNERSHIPS.

SO JUST AS AN ASIDE, BEFORE WE MOVE AWAY FROM STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT, NOW, AS WE HAVE HEARD, OR IF YOU'VE READ ARTICLES ABOUT ACCOUNTABILITY, YOU SAID THESE DATA POINTS HAVE BEEN MISSING FOR TWO YEARS, SO WHY HAVE THEY BEEN MISSING? WHY DID OUR MANY OF OUR SCHOOL DISTRICTS, SOME OF THEM FROM THIS REGION, DECIDE TO SUE THE STATE TO SAY, HEY, HOLD ON A SECOND.

THAT'S NOT THE THE BEST WAY TO CALCULATE THAT DATA.

OR WE THINK THAT YOU HAVE ACTUALLY BROKEN THE LAW IN TERMS OF TIMING.

I LIKE TO COMPARE THIS AND THIS WAS STOLEN FROM A SUPERINTENDENT WHO USED THIS EXAMPLE AS HOW WE CALCULATE OUR TAXES.

WE ARE ALL FAMILIAR WITH OUR TAXES AND CALCULATING OUR TAXES, OR HANDING AN ACCOUNTANT TO SAY, PLEASE DO THE THING. BUT THE IDEA IS THOSE TAXES ARE BASED ON.

RIGHT, A TAX CODE THAT IS ESTABLISHED. WE ESTABLISH THE CODE, THE RULE BOOK.

RIGHT. WE GO THROUGH THE TAX YEAR, THE ACCOUNTANT OR THE PERSON UTILIZES THAT ESTABLISHED RULE BOOK, AND THEN THE PAYMENT OR THE REFUND IS DETERMINED BY THAT ESTABLISHED CODE, RIGHT? MANY PEOPLE COMPARE THIS TO A SPORTS METAPHOR.

I DIDN'T WANT TO TRY TO ATTEMPT THAT, BUT I CAN, RIGHT? RULE BOOK PLAYED THE GAME RIGHT, AND THEN WE EVALUATE WHAT THE SCORE IS.

HERE'S WHAT HAPPENED TO OUR SCHOOL DISTRICTS IN 2023, AND WHY WE SAW THIS LAG, AND WHY WE CONTINUE TO NOT WANT TO EMPHASIZE OUR A THROUGH F SCORES, EVEN THOUGH WE DO WANT TO BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE. BUT WE WANT TO TELL YOU AND WHAT WE WANT TO HAVE A LOT OF SCHOOLS DOING COMMUNITY BASED ACCOUNTABILITY INSTEAD.

SO HERE'S WHAT HAPPENED IN 2022. WE HAD SENIOR TAKE THEIR ASSESSMENTS AND GRADUATED.

RIGHT. THEY'RE GONE. CONGRATULATIONS. CLAPPING, PROMENADE, ETC..

RIGHT. THEY'RE THEY'RE OFTEN TO THEIR WORLD. WE THEN GO THROUGH THE 2022 2023 SCHOOL YEAR.

IN MARCH OF THAT SCHOOL YEAR, STUDENTS TAKE THE STAR ASSESSMENT.

THAT IS A THIRD EIGHTH. RIGHT. WE'VE GOT OUR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS TAKING SOME OF THEIR END OF COURSE EXAMS. WE THEN ONLY THEN DO WE GET A COPY OF THE RULE BOOK.

SO MAY OF 2023, WE GET A COPY OF THE RULE BOOK THAT WOULD HAVE APPLIED OR THAT DOES APPLY TO THE SENIORS IN MAY OF 2022.

AND BY THE WAY, THAT RULE BOOK WAS NOT FINALIZED AT THAT TIME.

THAT WAS A PRELIMINARY RULE BOOK. SO AT THAT POINT, WE DIDN'T EVEN HAVE CUT SCORES BECAUSE CUT SCORES WERE BEING RAISED ACROSS THE BOARD, SO WE DIDN'T HAVE CUT SCORES. AS OF MAY 2023, WE DO HAVE A FINALIZED ACCOUNTABILITY MANUAL AS OF SEPTEMBER 2023.

AND THEN WE SEE STAR SCORES, RIGHT? PRELIMINARILY RELEASED IN SEPTEMBER 2023, AGAIN UTILIZING DATA FROM SENIORS WHO HAVE SINCE LEFT RIGHT, THEY'VE SINCE LEFT.

THEY'RE GONE. AND SO IN ADDITION TO SOME OF THOSE CHANGES FOR DEAD DATA WE SEE IN THIS NEW RULE BOOK, AFTER THE PLAYERS HAVE LEFT THE FIELD, RIGHT AFTER WE'VE SPENT THE MONEY OR THE INVESTMENTS, THE TAX METAPHOR, WE SEE CUT POINTS MOVING FROM 60% TO 88%.

AND WE'RE FINE WITH RAISING THE BAR, BUT WE'D LIKE TO RAISE THE BAR FOR THE STUDENTS THAT WE ARE CURRENTLY SERVING. RIGHT.

CUT POINTS WERE RAISED ACROSS THE SUBJECTS, AND WE ALSO SEE CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION.

THAT CTE REQUIREMENTS INCREASED. SO THE ASSESSMENTS HAD BEEN TAKEN, BUT THE RULES WERE FINALIZED A YEAR LATER.

[00:55:08]

THEY HAVE A ROBUST DATA SET. THEY HAVE EXTENDED A LOT OF THEIR DATA AVAILABILITY TO ACROSS THE STATE.

IT'S A GREAT RESOURCE, BUT THEY ARE A DALLAS BASED NONPROFIT.

THEY HAVE A LOT OF GREAT DATA SETS THAT FOCUS ON DALLAS EDUCATION AND OPPORTUNITY INDEX, SPECIFICALLY AS AN ASIDE.

BUT AS YOU CAN SEE HERE, I'VE FOCUSED ON SOME OF THE DISTRICTS FROM REALLY WITHIN THE 410 LOOP.

WE HAVE DISTRICTS. IF YOU'RE JUST LOOKING AT THIS AS A GENERAL IMPRESSION, AND I KNOW THE KIND OF COLORS BLEND TOGETHER, WE SEE SOME PRETTY, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, IT'S NOTHING TO LIKE, YOU KNOW, THROW A PARADE.

BUT I THINK ESPECIALLY COMING OUT OF THAT SIGNIFICANT DIP OUT OF COVID, TO SEE THIS KIND OF INCREASE FOR OUR STUDENTS IS SOMETHING THAT WE WE SHOULD BE HIGHLIGHTING, RIGHT? THIS IS WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT.

AVERAGE, ALL SUBJECTS, ALL GRADES. SO YOU LOSE SOME DETAIL IN AVERAGE ALL SUBJECTS, ALL GRADES.

YOU LOSE SOME DETAIL IN A THROUGH F. BUT THAT'S ANOTHER CONVERSATION RIGHT.

SO HERE'S WHAT WE SEE IN INDIVIDUAL DISTRICTS.

NOW WHEN WE LOOK AT THOSE DISTRICT SCORES OH I'VE INCREASED IT FOR YOU IN THE MAGIC OF POWERPOINT ANIMATION.

NOW HERE'S WHAT WE LOOK AT WHEN IT LOOKS THROUGH A THROUGH F.

DOES THAT TELL YOU. RIGHT. REALLY ANYTHING ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON IN TERMS OF THE HEALTH OF OUR DISTRICTS WHERE WE HAVE MANY DISTRICTS IMPROVING PRETTY MARKEDLY, AND IF YOU LOOK IN AGAIN, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND GOING ON TO THEIR DATA TABLE AND YOU CAN GO INTO EACH INDIVIDUAL GRADE.

YOU CAN GO INTO DIFFERENT SUBJECTS, YOU CAN GO INTO DIFFERENT CAMPUSES, BUT YOU SEE SOME PRETTY SIGNIFICANT JUMPS.

YET THE GRADES NOT MOVING. IN FACT, FOR ONE OF OUR DISTRICTS, EAST CENTRAL IMPROVED PRETTY SIGNIFICANTLY AND THEY REMAINED AT A C THE ENTIRE TIME. SO THERE WAS SOME MOVEMENT AROUND. BUT THIS DOES NOT REALLY FULLY GIVE YOU A SENSE OF WHAT'S GOING ON INSIDE OUR CLASSROOMS. WHAT I HIGHLY RECOMMEND IS CONTINUING TO. I KNOW MANY OF YOU ALL ATTENDED OUR LAST SCHOOL TOUR.

THERE ARE COMMUNITY BASED ACCOUNTABILITY METRICS.

THERE ARE GOING TO BE MORE QUALITATIVE DATA CONTINUED TO BE INCLUDED ON TEXAS SCHOOLS.

GOV. BUT MANY OF OUR SCHOOL DISTRICTS CONTINUE TO ENGAGE WITH OUR PARENTS AND OUR COMMUNITY ABOUT WHAT'S IMPORTANT TO THEIR PARENTS AND THEIR COMMUNITY AND REPORT OUT TO THEM INDIVIDUALLY. OKAY. FOR MY LAST SESSION SECTION, RATHER, I REALLY JUST WANTED TO TALK ABOUT A GENERAL DISCUSSION POINT ABOUT HOW WE THINK SAN ANTONIO COULD PROVIDE AND I SHOULD SAY COULD CONTINUE TO PROVIDE YOU ALL DO SO MUCH OR DO A LOT FOR OUR SCHOOL DISTRICTS NOW CONTINUING TO PARTNER WITH US AND SUPPORT, ESPECIALLY THE FOLKS IN THIS ROOM THAT DO AMAZING BACK TO SCHOOL EVENTS AND CONTINUE TO ENGAGE WITH OUR OUR SCHOOL CAMPUSES.

SO I THOUGHT I'D START JUST AT LEAST A DISCUSSION IN SOME OF THE THINGS THAT I'VE HEARD FROM WORKING WITH THE SUPERINTENDENTS ABOUT WHERE MAYBE THERE ARE SOME STRESSORS.

SO BEFORE WE DO THAT, I, I WANTED TO BE A TEACHER, BUT I REALIZED I HAVE NO PATIENCE AND I HATE GETTING UP EARLY.

SO I TAKE IT OUT ON YOU ALL IN MY PRESENTATION.

SO I'LL DO A QUICK EXERCISE. I WANT YOU TO TAKE 10S JUST TO WRITE DOWN YOUR THOUGHTS.

AN AUDIENCE YOU'RE NOT IMMUNE. JUST TAKE DOWN 10S WRITE DOWN YOUR THOUGHTS.

WHAT ARE YOU THINKING ABOUT? WHAT'S GOING ON IN YOUR HEAD? 10S IS ALSO A VERY LONG TIME.

IT'S VERY AWKWARD, BUT IT'S IMPORTANT.

OKAY. THAT'S 10S. NOW, I HAVE NO EGO ATTACHED TO THIS, BUT HOW MANY OF YOU ALL WROTE DOWN JULIA'S REALLY THE THE GREATEST PRESENTER, RIGHT? DID YOU WRITE DOWN ANYTHING ABOUT SCHOOL FINANCE? NO. HOW MANY PEOPLE WROTE ABOUT THAT? THEY WERE HUNGRY, RIGHT? OR THAT THEY HAD THEY WANTED TO REMEMBER AN ERRAND THAT THEY HAD TO RUN OR SOMETHING THAT HAPPENED THIS MORNING. RIGHT. AND THIS IS EVEN THOUGH WE TEND TO PARSE OUT ADULT LEARNERS AND STUDENT LEARNERS, WE ARE ALL LEARNERS AND WE LEARN IN VERY SIMILAR WAYS.

AND SO IF YOU ALL TOOK AN EDUCATION CLASS IN COLLEGE OR SINCE THEN, OR LEARNED ABOUT MASLOW'S HIERARCHY OF NEEDS, SO MUCH OF WHAT WE SEE OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM IMPACTS INSIDE THE CLASSROOM, RIGHT? OUR BRAINS ARE GOING ON NO MATTER WHAT. NOW, IN ORDER TO REALLY INTERNALIZE WHAT YOUR WONDERFUL PRESENTER IS SAYING, YOU ALL HAD TO FEEL COMFORTABLE IN YOUR SPACE IN THIS ROOM IN ORDER TO INTERNALIZE EVEN PARTS OF THAT.

AND SO WHEN WE HAVE STUDENTS WHO ARE GOING THROUGH SIGNIFICANT BOUTS OF TRAUMA WHERE WE'RE SEEING SIGNIFICANT INCREASES OF FOOD INSECURITY, WE HAVE ACTUALLY TEACHERS WHO ARE NOT HOUSING SECURE RIGHT NOW BECAUSE OF THE LEVEL OF SUPPORT FOR OUR TEACHERS.

[01:00:03]

READY TO LEARN DURING THE SCHOOL DAY. THERE ALSO ARE SOME ADDITIONAL JUST THINGS TO THINK ABOUT.

SO FEE WAIVERS. THERE ARE SETS OF FEES RIGHT NOW THAT OUR SCHOOL DISTRICTS ARE BEING CHARGED.

I BELIEVE MOST OF THEM, OR MANY OF THEM ARE TO JOIN APD'S RADIO FREQUENCIES.

AND ALSO AND THIS IS EVERYBODY IS MISSING PERSONNEL.

THIS IS NOT A SLIGHT AGAINST SAPD OR ANY OF OUR IN BEXAR COUNTY.

EVERYBODY IS MISSING PERSONNEL. BUT IN THE QUESTION OF HOW DO WE SUPPORT SCHOOL DISTRICT BUDGETS WITHIN A CITY CAPACITY, CAN WE TALK ABOUT WHERE SOME OF THESE FEES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OVERLAP? AND THERE ARE INCIDENTS WHERE WE DO HAVE, FOR EXAMPLE, HARLANDALE PD IS DOING OVERNIGHT PATROLS AND PATROLLING THE TROLLING THE NEIGHBORHOOD OFTENTIMES IN THEIR COMMUNICATION WITH SAPD. AS I UNDERSTAND IT, THEY SAY, HEY, YOU'VE GOT THAT, AND I GET THAT RIGHT. THAT'S EFFICIENCY IN TERMS OF POLICE PATROL.

BUT CAN WE LOOK AT HOW WE WORK TOGETHER AND EFFICIENTLY SPEND SOME OF THOSE SAFETY RESOURCES IN ORDER TO AT LEAST MAYBE EVEN TEMPORARILY GIVE STUDENTS OR GIVE OUR SCHOOL DISTRICTS SOME OF THOSE SOME OF THAT FUNDING BACK INSTEAD OF SENDING IT TO THE CITY.

AGAIN, A HUMBLE SUGGESTION, A WAY TO START SOME OF THE CONVERSATION.

THE OTHER THING THAT WE SEE IS BACK TO SCHOOL EVENTS.

WHILE THEY ARE AMAZING AND HELP SO, SO MANY STUDENTS, THEY ARE LARGELY COUNCIL DEPENDENT.

BUT IF WE LOOKED AT WAYS TO MAKE THAT KIND OF SUPPORT SYSTEMIC RIGHT AND INTENTIONAL AND EQUITABLE ACROSS THE CITY WE COULD LOOK TO SEE WHERE OUR GREATEST NEEDS ARE IN TERMS OF SCHOOL SUPPLIES IN TERMS OF SUPPORT FOR OUR CLASSROOMS, ESPECIALLY AS OUR TEACHERS, RIGHT, ARE STILL BRINGING IN ALL OF THESE WONDERFUL EXTRAS FOR THEIR CLASSROOMS, LARGELY ON THEIR OWN DIME. THERE ARE I'LL PUT YOU ON THE NEXT SLIDE, SOME SOME RESEARCH AROUND HOW COMMUNITY SUPPORT AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT CAN IMPACT ATTENDANCE PRETTY SIGNIFICANTLY. BUT IN THAT INFRASTRUCTURE CONVERSATION, AND THANK YOU TO DOCTOR CORPS FOR REALLY ENGAGING IN SOME OF THE SAFE PATHWAYS PROJECTS AND STARTING TO PILOT SOME OF THAT OUT. AND AND THE INTEREST FROM THE COMMITTEE ON HOW WE EXPAND THAT ACROSS THE CITY.

ARE WE MAKING SURE THAT ALL OF OUR PATHWAYS TO SCHOOL DISTRICTS ARE SAFE AND WELL LIT? AS A REMINDER, MANY OF OUR STUDENTS SHOW UP EARLY BECAUSE BREAKFAST IS THE ONLY OFTENTIMES THE ONLY FOOD THAT THEY'RE GETTING DURING THE DAY.

SO THEY'RE SHOWING UP OFTENTIMES WHEN IT IS DARK OUTSIDE STILL, OR THEY'RE STAYING AFTER SCHOOL AND THEY'RE GOING HOME WHEN IT MIGHT BE DARK OUT, DEPENDING ON THE TIME CHANGE. SO DO WE HAVE WELL LIT PATHS THAT ARE ON QUALITY SIDEWALKS? THE WONDERFUL THING ABOUT SAN ANTONIO IS YOU ALL HAVE INCREDIBLE AMOUNTS OF DATA.

AS WE'VE LEARNED WHERE WE CAN START TO SAY, OKAY, IF I HAVE SOME SIDEWALK BUDGET, CAN I FOCUS AND BE INTENTIONAL ABOUT THE SIDEWALK, SPECIFICALLY AROUND OUR SCHOOL DISTRICTS? AND THE LAST THING, BUT PROBABLY ONE OF THE MOST CLOSEST TO TO MY HEART IS AROUND ADVOCACY.

AS I'VE TALKED ABOUT, THE MAJORITY OF OUR FUNDS FOR OUR SCHOOL DISTRICTS ARE A STATE RESPONSIBILITY.

BUT ADVOCACY CAN BE A COMMUNITY RESPONSIBILITY.

IT MEANT SO MUCH TO OUR TO OUR TEACHERS AND OUR ADMINISTRATORS WITH COUNCILWOMAN CASTILLO CAME UP.

NOT JUST LAST SESSION, BUT THE SESSION BEFORE TO SPEAK ABOUT THE IMPACT OF VOUCHERS.

MANY OF YOU ALL HAVE ALSO SPENT TIME IN AUSTIN AND ADVOCATED ON OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS BEHALF.

THAT PRESENCE IN THE CAPITOL AS WE ARE CONTINUING TO BE UNDERFUNDED AND CONTINUING TO HAVE UNFUNDED MANDATES, OF WHICH WE HAD MANY PUT UPON US. THIS LAST SESSION DOES MEAN A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT.

OFTENTIMES, WE LOOK AT THE POLITICAL OUTLOOK AND SAY, SHOULD WE DO IT? BUT IT'S REALLY ABOUT THE COMMUNITY AND THE COMMUNITY SUPPORT THAT THAT COULD OFFER.

AND SO AS YOU ALL ARE BUILDING YOUR 90TH LEGISLATIVE AGENDA, WE HAVE BEEN WONDERFUL PARTNERS WITH YOU ALL IN BUILDING THAT LEGISLATIVE AGENDA.

BUT THIS COMMITTEE COULD BE REALLY ESSENTIAL IN ENSURING THAT EDUCATION FUNDING BECOMES A PART OF A PRIORITY FOR THE COMMUNITY.

NOW AGAIN, SIDEWALKS ARE NOT THE THE MOST FUN THING TO TALK ABOUT, BUT IN A STATE THAT STILL FUNDS BASED ON ATTENDANCE,

[01:05:02]

SO I DID WANT TO INCLUDE FUNDING LEVELS AND ALSO SHARE THAT EACH PERCENTAGE POINT IMPROVEMENT EQUATES TO ABOUT 380 MILLION IN ADDITIONAL FUNDING STATEWIDE.

I THINK EACH PERCENTAGE FOR SAN ANTONIO IS ABOUT 1,000,003.1 3.1.

JUST KIDDING. I WAS OFF $3.1 MILLION FOR OUR SAN ANTONIO, SAN ANTONIO ISD AND AN INCREASE IN ATTENDANCE.

I'VE INCLUDED SOME RESOURCES NOT ONLY ABOUT COMMUNITY INPUT AND QUALITY OF FACILITIES, BUT ALSO SOME OF THE NEW RESEARCH THAT'S COMING OUT AROUND POVERTY AND BRAIN DEVELOPMENT AND SOME OF THE NEGATIVE IMPACTS ON CHILDREN'S BEHAVIOR AND THEIR ABILITY TO ACTUALIZE IN THE CLASSROOM.

IF YOU GO INTO SOME OF THESE RESOURCES THERE, THERE'S GOOD NEWS HERE AND THAT THERE IS SOME STARK IMPROVEMENT THAT MANY COMMUNITIES ARE SEEING WHEN IT COMES TO INVESTING IN THINGS LIKE HEAD START A DOMESTIC VIOLENCE PREVENTION CAMPAIGNS, WHICH YOU ALL CONTINUE TO INVEST IN. THERE ARE, OF COURSE, ADDITIONAL SUPPORT FOR YOUNG FAMILIES AND EARLY CHILDHOOD.

SO THERE ARE WAYS THAT YOU ALL CAN CONTINUE TO INVEST AND HAVE A PRETTY SIGNIFICANT IMPACT IN THE CLASSROOM.

AND WE DON'T WANT TO UNDERCUT THE AMOUNT THAT CAN BE IMPACTFUL WHEN IT COMES TO SCHOOL FACILITIES.

I DO, I HAVE A I'M NOT GOING TO SHARE THE VIDEO TODAY.

I WILL SEND IT TO YOU ALL AFTER THE FACT. BUT THERE IS A GROWING ALSO ORGANIZATION HERE IN SAN ANTONIO CALLED SCHOOL CONNECT.

IT STARTED IN ARIZONA. AND THANKS TO THEIR LOVE, YOUR SCHOOL DAY THAT THEY WENT TO ONE PARTICULAR CAMPUS THAT WAS REALLY SUFFERING FROM A HIGH AMOUNT OF TEACHER ATTRITION AS WELL AS SCORES THAT CONTINUE TO HAVE THEM IN STATE JEOPARDY. AFTER LOVE YOUR SCHOOL DAY AFTER REPEATED YEARS OF LOVE YOUR SCHOOL DAY, INCLUDING CLEANING UP LITTER, LITTER, GRAFFITI PAINTING RIGHT SIDEWALKS AND MAKING SURE THAT THERE ARE SAFE PATHWAYS TO SCHOOL.

THE SCHOOLS SHOWED MARKED IMPROVEMENT. SOMEWHAT SIMILAR TEACHERS AND LEADERSHIP OVER THAT SAME TIME AS WELL.

WITH THAT, I'M HAPPY TO ADDRESS ANY QUESTIONS, BUT AGAIN, JUST WANTED TO THANK YOU ALL FOR SPENDING YOUR TIME ON THESE TOPICS AND HAPPY TO CONTINUE TO BE A RESOURCE AS YOU CONTINUE TO LEARN ABOUT ALL THINGS PUBLIC EDUCATION.

THANK YOU SO MUCH, JULIA. I KNOW IT WAS A LONG PRESENTATION FOR EVERYBODY, AND WE HAVE A COUPLE OF QUICK THINGS WE WANTED TO ADD. I KNOW ALEX IS GOING TO JUMP IN, BUT I WANTED TO JUST, YOU KNOW, MAKE SURE WE'RE ALL ON THE SAME PAGE.

OF COURSE, THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS THAT PUBLIC SCHOOLS NEED, AND WE ALL KNOW THAT.

I THINK THIS COMMITTEE REALLY KNOWS THAT. AND SO JUST ALWAYS THINKING ABOUT WHAT WAYS THAT OUR CITY CAN PROVIDE RECOMMENDATIONS TO OUR COUNCIL TO INSTITUTIONALIZE AND FORMALIZE ANY KIND OF FUNDING RECOMMENDATIONS, ANY KIND OF PROGRAMMATIC ADJUSTMENTS THAT WE HAVE AT THE CITY LEVEL IS THE BIG FOCUS FOR WHAT WE CAN TALK ABOUT OR WHAT WE'LL TALK ABOUT TODAY, BUT ALSO ANYTHING ELSE YOU ALL HAVE IN MIND. BUT GO AHEAD ALEX. THANK YOU.

CHAIR AND I, I KNOW THE SLIDE NUMBERS MIGHT HAVE CHANGED A LITTLE BIT, BUT I WANTED TO PROVIDE A LITTLE BIT OF CONTEXT AROUND ONE OF THE SLIDES THAT REFERENCED THE CURRENT STRESSORS THAT SCHOOLS ARE EXPERIENCING.

SO WE ACTUALLY HAVE CRAIG HOPKINS, OUR CHIEF INFORMATION OFFICER, AND CHIEF BOBBY BLANTON FROM SAPD THAT CAN SHARE SOME CLARITY REGARDING THE PUBLIC SAFETY RADIO SYSTEM AND OUR PATROL FUNCTIONS. AND I JUST WANTED THEM TO TO PROVIDE THE COMMITTEE SOME OF THAT CONTEXT RIGHT NOW, AS YOU ALL ARE GOING TO START DISCUSSING THIS AS WELL. CHIEF AND I WERE DANCING.

WHO WAS GOING TO GO FIRST, SO THAT'S GREAT. SO MY NAME IS CRAIG HOPKINS.

I'M THE CHIEF INFORMATION OFFICER FOR THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO.

AND THAT FIRST BULLET UNDER FEE WAIVERS, WE SAW THE ITEM ABOUT SAPD REQUIRES SCHOOLS TO BUY INTO RADIO FREQUENCIES ON SPECIFIC RADIO EQUIPMENT.

THE IT SHOP IS ACTUALLY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE RADIO SYSTEM.

THAT'S WHY I'M HERE TALKING TO YOU TODAY. AND BOTH THE CITY, COUNTY AND CPS ENERGY ARE CO-OWNERS OF WHAT WE CALL OURS, THE RADIO SYSTEM TODAY. A COUPLE OF THINGS I JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY.

ONE IS THAT THERE IS A $22 FEE PER RADIO PER MONTH FOR ANYBODY WHO ATTACHES ONTO THE RADIO SYSTEM.

THAT IS, WE CALL THAT OUR TENANT FEE FOR ANYBODY WHO USES OUR SYSTEM.

IT'S A 27 TOWER SYSTEM THAT WE SPENT ABOUT $85 MILLION BUILDING.

WE SPEND ABOUT ALMOST $2 MILLION A YEAR TO MAINTAIN.

AND SO THE MAINTENANCE, THE $22 FEE IS USED TO COVER THE MAINTENANCE OF THE SYSTEM FOR THOSE WHO USE IT.

THE OTHER THING I WANTED TO POINT OUT IS THAT TO BE ON THE SYSTEM, THE RADIOS DO REQUIRE A MINIMUM SPECIFICATION.

THEY HAVE TO BE A CERTAIN TYPE OF RADIO, BUT WE DON'T SPECIFY THE RADIO ITSELF.

[01:10:02]

THAT'S THE MINIMUM REQUIREMENT IN ORDER TO WORK ON THE SYSTEM.

BUT WE DON'T SAY YOU HAVE TO BUY THE SAME RADIO THAT SAPD USES OR ANYBODY ELSE, AS LONG AS IT MEETS THAT MINIMUM REQUIREMENT.

SO THE DISCRETION OF THE TENANT, ANY TENANT CAN COME IN WITH A RADIO THAT MEETS THAT REQUIREMENT.

AND THEN THE LAST THING I JUST WANTED TO POINT OUT IS THERE IS THE ABILITY TO COMMUNICATE DIRECTLY WITH SAPD ON THE SYSTEM.

AND THAT'S PART OF THE VALUE OF THIS IS THE INTEROPERABILITY ACROSS AGENCIES.

BUT IN ORDER TO DO SO YOU ALSO HAVE TO BE ENCRYPTED.

SO IT'S AN EXTRA REQUIREMENT WE DO FOR THOSE TENANTS WHO WANT TO COMMUNICATE DIRECTLY WITH PD.

SO I JUST WANTED TO SPECIFY A FEW OF THOSE THINGS THAT ARE AROUND THAT AND OPEN ANY QUESTIONS IF ANYTHING COMES BACK.

BOB, YOU WANT TO DO THE SECOND ONE. THANK YOU. GOOD MORNING CHAIR.

COMMITTEE. ROBERT BLANTON, ASSISTANT CHIEF, SAPD.

I'LL ADD SOME CONTEXT TO TO THE OPERATIONAL ASPECTS OF THE COORDINATION AND COOPERATION BETWEEN SAPD AND OUR LOCAL SCHOOL DISTRICT POLICE DEPARTMENTS.

WE HAVE A GREAT ROBUST RELATIONSHIP WITH THOSE DEPARTMENTS.

WE WORK TOGETHER, WE WE TRAIN. WE'VE HAVE FACILITIES LENT BY SCHOOL DISTRICTS SO WE CAN DO SORT OF THE UNFORTUNATE REALITY OF OF CRITICAL RESPONSE TRAINING RELATED TO, YOU KNOW, CERTAIN EVENTS.

AND WE ALSO HAVE SOME PROGRAMS THAT WE'VE DEVELOPED THROUGH OUR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, LIKE HANDLE WITH CARE, THAT SEEKS TO NOTIFY STUDENTS RESPECTIVE SCHOOL OF ANY TRAUMA THAT THEY MAY BE EXPERIENCED THAT SAPD IS AWARE OF.

AND SO THE SCHOOL DISTRICT CAN, WHEN THEY RETURN, LOOK TO PROVIDE WELLNESS SUPPORT OR UNDERSTAND WHY THEY MAY BE BEHAVING DIFFERENTLY.

SAME THING WITH SUCCESS THROUGH RESPECT. THAT'S A PROGRAM WE HAVE THAT WITH THE ADOLESCENT AGE KIDS SEEKS TO KIND OF CREATE POSITIVE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN LAW ENFORCEMENT AND STUDENTS AS THEY, AS THEY GROW.

SAME WITH SERIOUS CRIMES THAT MAYBE HAPPEN WITHIN THE SCHOOL DISTRICT'S JURISDICTION WILL PROVIDE INVESTIGATIVE SUPPORT, EVIDENTIARY PROCESSING, ANYTHING THAT THEY MAY NEED THAT MAYBE THEY DON'T HAVE THE RESOURCES TO ACCOMPLISH.

AND ALSO, WITH OUR FUSION CENTER AND OUR MENTAL HEALTH UNIT WE DO SOME THREAT ANALYSIS TO LOOK FOR POTENTIAL THREATS THAT MAY BE OUT THERE IN SOCIAL MEDIA OR OTHER AREAS, AND WE'LL COORDINATE AND ASSIST WITH INVESTIGATIONS RELATED TO SCHOOL THREATS AND STUFF LIKE THAT.

AND I'LL SPEAK ON THIS JUST BRIEFLY AS IT RELATES TO KIND OF THE PATROL ASPECT.

AND IF I SAY ANYTHING INCORRECT, PLEASE CORRECT ME.

BUT I THINK THERE WAS SOME ADDITIONAL MANDATES PLACED ON SCHOOL DISTRICTS BY THE STATE IN RECENT LEGISLATION RELATED TO CAMPUS SAFETY.

AFTER THE UVALDE INCIDENT. AND SO I DON'T THINK ANY OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICT REPRESENTED HERE TODAY, BUT THERE WERE SOME SCHOOL DISTRICTS THAT NOTIFIED US THAT BECAUSE OF THOSE MANDATES, THEY NEEDED TO SHIFT SOME OF THEIR LAW ENFORCEMENT RESOURCES TO COVER SCHOOLS AND OR EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES AS WELL.

AND SO WE NOW THEN ABSORB THEY MOVE SOME OF THEIR OVERNIGHT PATROL PRESENCE TO THE DATE OR THE WHEN THOSE ACTIVITIES OCCUR.

AND SO NOW WE'LL TAKE OVER RESPONDING TO THOSE SCHOOLS AT NIGHT IF THERE'S BURGLAR ALARMS OR ANY PUBLIC SAFETY ISSUE OR CONCERN.

AND I WAS REMISS I FORGOT ONE THING TO THAT CENTRAL SAFE OFFICERS ORGANIZED AN INAUGURAL FIVE K.

AND THANK YOU, COUNCILWOMAN CASTILLO, FOR RECOGNIZING THOSE GUYS.

THEY DID A GREAT JOB. AND THE PROCEEDS BENEFITED SOME STUDENTS AND TEACHERS THERE IN CISD.

SO THERE IS A STRONG RELATIONSHIP. WE SUPPORT EACH OTHER JUST LIKE WE DO ANY OTHER POLICE DEPARTMENT.

SO YEAH, WE WE WE DO TAKE ON SOME RESPONSIBILITIES WHEN, WHEN THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS AREN'T AVAILABLE.

AND AND I THINK THEIR PRIMARY FOCUS IS CAMPUS SAFETY AND FOR THEIR STUDENTS AND AND TEACHERS EMPLOYEES.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU, CHIEF LINTON AND CRAIG, I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT.

WE'LL START WITH COUNCIL CONVERSATION. I KNOW COUNCILOR CASTILLO GO FIRST. YEAH. THANK YOU. CHAIR. CRAIG.

THANK YOU, CHIEF MARTIN AS WELL. AND, CRAIG, I HAD A QUESTION REGARDING THE SAPD REQUIRING SCHOOLS TO BUY INTO THE RADIO FREQUENCIES.

CAN YOU RESTATE THE COMPONENT ABOUT CPS ENERGY? THEY HELPED PAY FOR THE CONSTRUCTION. SO THE SYSTEM WAS BUILT WITH THREE PARTNERS.

COUNTY, CITY AND CPS ENERGY WERE THE WERE THE OWNERS OF THE SYSTEM, IF YOU WANT TO THINK OF IT THAT WAY.

AND RIGHT NOW, THERE'S OTHER POLICE DEPARTMENTS, AS WELL AS SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND OTHER AGENCIES CAN BE TENANTS ON THE SYSTEM AS THE OWNERS.

AND WOULD YOUR DEPARTMENT HAPPEN TO HAVE A BREAKDOWN IN TERMS OF COSTS ASSOCIATED BY ISD AND HOW MUCH EACH IS PAYING FOR THE UTILIZATION OF THE RADIO FREQUENCIES? RIGHT. SO WE KNOW THE MONTHLY COST FOR EVERY TENANT, WHICH IS THE $22 PER RADIO PER MONTH,

[01:15:01]

SO DO WE KNOW, BASED OFF OF HOW MANY RADIOS AND WHAT THE COST IS ASSOCIATED? WE KNOW EVERY RADIO ON THE SYSTEM AND EVERYBODY IS ATTACHED.

CAN YOU SHARE WHAT THAT TOTAL COST IS WITH US? OFFLINE IF YOU HAVE IT. I'M CURIOUS IF THERE WOULD BE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK WITH CPS ENERGY, MAYBE IN TERMS OF THE COST ASSOCIATED FOR THE INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICTS.

BUT FIRST I WANT TO UNDERSTAND LIKE WHAT IS THE TOTAL COST BASED OFF OF HOW MANY RADIOS EACH SCHOOL DISTRICT HAS? SO THE ANSWER IS YES, BUT PART OF OUR BUDGETING PROCESS AS WELL, THAT IS REVENUE INTO THE CITY ON THE ON THE SYSTEM THAT COVERS THE EXPENSES WE HAVE.

SO THAT'S PART OF OUR BUDGET CYCLE. YES. OKAY.

I APPRECIATE THAT INFORMATION. THANK YOU CRAIG. AND ARE WE GETTING TO GENERAL CONVERSATION? OKAY. JUST WANTED TO THANK JULIA DOCTOR KRAFT AND DOCTOR AQUINO FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP DURING THESE TURBULENT TIMES. AS I'M HEARING THE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT SCHOOL CLOSURES AND THE DISREPAIR OF SPECIFIC BUILDINGS.

RIGHT. I THINK ABOUT PUBLIC HOUSING. RIGHT. AND WHAT WE'VE SEEN ALL THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY IS JUST MUCH OF OUR PUBLIC HOUSING STOCK IN DISREPAIR.

AND THEN OFTENTIMES WHAT WE SEE IS THE DEMOLITION OF THOSE STRUCTURES.

AND THEN IT'S TURNED INTO A PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP OR COMPLETELY PRIVATE. AND ULTIMATELY, IT'S NOT BECAUSE OF THE HOUSING AUTHORITY OR THE INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT.

IT HAS A LOT TO DO WITH THE STATE AND FEDERAL FEDERAL RESTRICTIONS AND FUNDING MECHANISMS. BUT AS I'VE MENTIONED, THESE ARE VERY TOUGH CONVERSATIONS TO NAVIGATE, AND I'VE VALUED THE WAYS IN WHICH BOTH OF YOU ALL HAVE NAVIGATED THESE CONVERSATIONS.

UNFORTUNATELY, I ALWAYS SHARE THAT FOUR OUT OF THE FIVE INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICTS IN DISTRICT FIVE HAVE VOTED TO CLOSE SCHOOLS WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY.

AND YOU KNOW, WHEN JULIA GAVE US OUR EXERCISE ABOUT, YOU KNOW, TO WRITE WHAT YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT, I JOTTED DOWN JUST INTERVIEWS, INCARCERATION AND POVERTY.

RIGHT. BECAUSE OFTENTIMES WHEN THE SCORE GRADES, THE SCORES COME OUT RATHER WE ALWAYS GET REACHED OUT FOR INTERVIEWS.

AND DISTRICT FIVE MAKES UP FOR THE LARGE AMOUNT OF FAILED SCHOOLS.

AND THE QUESTION ALWAYS IS, WHY DO YOU BELIEVE THAT IS.

AND WHEN I HIGHLIGHT. OKAY. WHAT? SHOW ME THE POOREST CENSUS TRACTS.

RIGHT. AND YOU OFTEN SEE BASED OFF OF THAT WHAT THE SCORE LEVELS ARE FOR EACH SCHOOL AND SCHOOL DISTRICT.

SO YOU KNOW, TO JULIA'S POINT, WE KNOW OFTENTIMES STANDARDIZED TESTING ISN'T AN APPROPRIATE IS NOT AN APPROPRIATE MEASUREMENT OF STUDENT CREATIVITY SOCIAL SKILLS, SO ON AND SO FORTH. BUT ULTIMATELY, AS LAID OUT IN TERMS OF THE CURRENT STRESSORS, I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THESE ARE MANY ITEMS THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO WORK AROUND PARTICULARLY AROUND THE LEGISLATIVE AGENDA, AS COUNCIL GETS BRIEFING ON WHAT THE CITY'S PRIORITIES ARE AND COUNCIL PRIORITIES.

I THINK CHAIR, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT WE HAVE A CONVERSATION AND BRING BACK THE SUPERINTENDENTS ANGELIA TO SHARE.

WHAT ARE THOSE LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES AND HOW CAN WE GO ADVOCATE ALONGSIDE YOU ALL AND ALSO MAKE OUR ROUNDS WITH OUR STATE LEGISLATORS? IN TERMS OF INFRASTRUCTURE, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT I'D LIKE TO CONTINUE TO WORK WITH OUR SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS AND OUR SCHOOL DISTRICTS, PARTICULARLY AROUND THE INTERSECTION WITH SCHOOL CLOSURES. FOR EXAMPLE, THERE'S ONE SCHOOL, WE JUST PUT A NEW INFRASTRUCTURE FLASHING BEACON, AND IT'S A SCHOOL SET TO BE CLOSED. AND I'M ASKING PUBLIC WORKS, LIKE, YOU KNOW, IF KIDS ARE NOT GOING TO BE PICKED UP FROM THERE AFTER CLOSURE, HOW CAN WE MOVE THAT INFRASTRUCTURE TO ANOTHER SCHOOL? BECAUSE IT'S VERY EXPENSIVE. AND OF COURSE, THE SAFETY COMPONENT IS WHAT'S MOST IMPORTANT.

YOU KNOW, AGAIN, GOING BACK TO THE CONVERSATION ABOUT SCHOOL CLOSURES AS YOU ALL HAVE MENTIONED, IN TERMS OF EFFICIENCIES, MY MAIN CONCERN IN WHAT I HAD JOTTED DOWN, AND I UNDERSTAND CHARTER SCHOOLS HAVE THE RIGHT OF FIRST REFUSAL.

BUT HAVE Y'ALL'S LEGAL TEAMS EXPLORED WHAT A POTENTIAL COVENANT COULD LOOK LIKE IN TERMS OF IF THE PROPERTY IS NOT SOLD TO A CHARTER SCHOOL A NONPROFIT PURCHASE IT. HOWEVER, THE NONPROFIT CAN NO LONGER CONTRIBUTE TOWARDS MAINTENANCE, SO THEY HAVE TO PUT IT BACK ON THE MARKET. IF YOU ALL COULD CONSIDER A COVENANT THAT IT NOT THEN BE SOLD TO A CHARTER SCHOOL.

SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I'M HOPEFUL THAT Y'ALL COULD EXPLORE, BECAUSE THAT'S ONE OF THE CONCERNS THAT WE HAVE IN OUR COMMUNITY. AND A QUESTION THAT WE OFTEN HAVE BUT FOR THE MOST PART, JUST REALLY GRATEFUL FOR YOUR WORK AND LEADERSHIP OF Y'ALL'S RESPECTIVE SCHOOL BOARDS.

I KNOW IN DISTRICT FIVE YOU ALL HAVE YOUR WORK CUT OUT FOR YOU ALL.

BUT I LOOK FORWARD TO COLLABORATING ON HOW WE CAN CONTINUE TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR OUR FAMILIES, WHETHER IT'S WORKFORCE TRAINING ENSURING THAT WE'RE PROVIDING SECOND CHANCES FOR MANY OF OUR STUDENTS WHO HAVE INCARCERATED PARENTS.

THAT'S WHY THEY'RE LIVING WITH THEIR GRANDPARENTS. AND JUST OVERALL IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR OUR CONSTITUENCIES.

THIS IS A LOT TO COVER, A LOT TO DO. BUT I'M HERE TO SUPPORT YOU ALL IN THAT MISSION.

THANK YOU. CHAIR. THANK YOU, COUNCILOR CASTILLO.

COUNCILOR MCGILL. THANK YOU. JULIA. THAT WAS A GREAT PRESENTATION.

I WAS LIKE, WOW, THAT'S A LOT OF GREAT INFORMATION THAT WE WE NEED TO KNOW ABOUT.

AND I WANT TO THANK THE SUPERINTENDENTS FOR TAKING TIME OUT OF THEIR BUSY SCHEDULE TO BE HERE AND HELP US UNDERSTAND SOME THINGS, WHICH I THINK IS VERY IMPORTANT. SO I'LL SHARE WHAT I WAS THINKING TOO, WHEN JULIA HAD US DO THAT EXERCISE, I PUT DOWN JUST THE GREAT NEED OF THE DISTRICTS IN CONSIDERATION WITH THE LACK OF FUNDING,

[01:20:05]

IT'S JUST SITTING THERE DOING NOTHING. AND YET WE HAVE SCHOOLS THAT NEED HELP.

WE HAVE STUDENTS THAT NEED ASSISTANCE. WE HAVE UNDERFUNDING FOR SPECIAL NEEDS CHILDREN.

AND SO I THINK IT'S A REAL SHAME THAT THE STATE KEEPS THAT AND DOESN'T DISTRIBUTE THAT WHEN IT'S ALREADY PAID FOR.

SO THAT'S CERTAINLY GOING TO BE, I THINK, A TOP PRIORITY FOR THE CITY WHEN WE GO TO THE STATE LEDGE AGAIN.

AND IT'S A BIPARTISAN ISSUE. RIGHT. BUT IT'S IT'S KIND OF LIKE HOW DO WE DO THAT? AND JULIE, I'M NOT SURE. CAN YOU YOU'VE BEEN AT THE STATE MANY, MANY TIMES MANY SESSIONS.

WHAT ARE SOME, YOU KNOW, RELUCTANCE. WHAT'S THE RELUCTANCE ON THE STATE, ON THE PART OF THE STATE TO INCREASE THE PER PUPIL ALLOTMENT FROM THE FUNDING? GREAT QUESTION. SO TWO REALLY TWO THINGS THAT ARE STRESSORS ON THE SYSTEM.

ONE IS THERE IS A POLICY DIRECTION THAT WE SEE THAT INSTEAD OF GIVING DISTRICTS LOCAL CONTROL OVER HOW THEY SPEND THEIR DOLLARS CURRENT POLICY MAKERS ARE ATTACHING DOLLARS TO VERY SPECIFIC PROGRAMS. AND IN FACT, WE WENT THROUGH THIS LAST LEGISLATIVE SESSION AND PUTTING TOGETHER HOUSE BILL TWO WHICH WAS THE $8.5 BILLION. AND WE KEPT POINTING OUT, HEY, WE'RE MISSING THESE INDIVIDUALS IN PAY OR WE'RE MISSING SUPPORT FOR OUR, YOU KNOW, MAINTENANCE AND OPERATION. AND SO THE ONLY WAY THAT WE SAW ADJUSTMENT AND ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF THAT NEED WERE THROUGH ADDITIONAL ADDED ALLOTMENTS. SO THAT'S THE DIRECTION THAT WE SEE HAPPENING AT THE STATE IS THAT VERY PARTICULAR PROGRAMS ARE BEING FUNDED. ONE OF THOSE AS AN EXAMPLE IS THE TEACHER INCENTIVE ALLOTMENT.

NORTHSIDE IS JUST ABOUT TO IMPLEMENT SAN ANTONIO AS ONE OF THE FIRST TO IMPLEMENT THAT PAYS TEACHERS BASED ON A VARIETY OF THINGS, THE DISTRICT POINTS OUT. NOW, STATEWIDE, THAT PROGRAM MAKES UP, I WANT TO SAY LIKE 5 TO 8% OF TEACHERS.

IT'S IT'S ABOUT 10%. IT'S LESS THAN TEN AS ACROSS THE STATE.

IT IS GROWING EXPONENTIALLY BECAUSE OFTENTIMES IT'S IT'S A WAY TO GET YOUR TEACHERS TO A SIX FIGURE SALARY.

HOWEVER IT'S A SMALLER PERCENTAGE OF TEACHERS OVERALL.

THAT PROGRAM WAS GIVEN 3 BILLION ADDITIONAL DOLLARS, RIGHT.

AND SO THAT'S A PARTICULAR PROGRAM THAT WAS GIVEN THOSE DOLLARS ATTACHED TO A PARTICULAR PROGRAM, BUT NOT GIVEN TO ALL DISTRICTS OR INCREASE THE BASIC ALLOTMENT.

SO WE SEE A LOT OF THAT VERY SPECIFIC FUNNELS INTO VERY PARTICULAR PROGRAMS. OUR, THE STAFF RETENTION ALLOTMENT, FOR EXAMPLE, WHICH IS ANOTHER THING WHEN WE SAID, HEY, WE NEED TO PAY OUR BUS DRIVERS, WE NEED TO PAY NUTRITIONAL SERVICES, COUNSELORS, LIBRARIANS.

THEY SAID, OKAY, WELL, WE'LL DO A STAFF RETENTION ALLOTMENT.

THAT'S STAFF RETENTION ALLOTMENT WORKED OUT TO BE ABOUT $45 INCREASE IN SALARIES.

THAT'S WHAT THEY PUT IN. SO WE'VE SATISFIED THAT CHECKED.

RIGHT. BUT IT WASN'T THE AMOUNT OF FUNDING THAT IS REFLECTIVE OF THE CURRENT ENVIRONMENT.

SO THAT'S ONE. THE SECOND THING IS IS WE HAVE THERE ARE PARTICULAR STATS THAT ARE SHARED OFTEN AT THE STATE LEVEL. ONE OF THEM THAT MAKES THE ROUNDS PRETTY REGULARLY IS SCHOOL DISTRICTS ARE AT AN ALL TIME HIGH.

WE'VE GIVEN SCHOOL DISTRICTS AN INCREDIBLE INCREASE IN FUNDING.

THEY'RE AT $15,000 PER STUDENT, RIGHT? THE OFTENTIMES WE'LL SEE A SLIDE THAT WILL HAVE A PIE CHART AND IT'LL SAY 15,000.

ALL THE ARROWS ARE GOING UP LIKE WE'VE INCREASED ALL OF THE THINGS. BUT IF YOU'RE A IF YOU'RE AN ELECTED OFFICIAL AND YOU HAVE TO LOOK AT THAT, AS YOU ALL KNOW, YOU HAVE TO DO SO MUCH IN A DAY.

YOU'RE LOOKING AT THAT SCREEN, YOU'RE SAYING, OKAY, 15,000, ALL THE ARROWS ARE GOING UP.

IT'S GREAT NEWS. WE'RE DOING GREAT, RIGHT? YOU'RE TRUSTING THAT THE APPEARANCE OF THAT.

BUT IF YOU LOOK IN THE DATA AND WHAT IS REPORTED IN THAT 15,000, IT INCLUDES TEACHER RETIREMENT PAYMENTS.

IT INCLUDES THE TEXAS EDUCATION AGENCY OPERATING BUDGET.

IT INCLUDES FEDERAL FUNDING, WHICH IS SINCE EXPIRED.

IT INCLUDES THE COST OF SPECIAL PROGRAMS AND SPECIAL SCHOOLS LIKE SCHOOLS FOR THE DEAF THE OUR JJAEP CENTERS.

ALL OF THESE ARE ARE WORTHY, OF COURSE, PROGRAMS TO FUND, BUT IT'S NOT REFLECTIVE OF WHAT WE HAVE GOING ON IN OUR OUR NEIGHBORHOOD SCHOOL DISTRICTS.

THAT IS SAID TO BE CLOSER TO THE 10,800, THAT NUMBER THAT I SHARED EARLIER.

RIGHT, WHICH THE BASIC ALLOTMENT PLUS ADDITIONAL ENTITLEMENTS.

BUT AGAIN, WHEN YOU'RE IN AN ELECTED OFFICIAL AND YOU'RE NOT FAMILIAR, RIGHT, WITH SCHOOL FINANCE,

[01:25:06]

YOU'RE YOU'RE LOOKING AT THAT STAT AND TAKING IT AT FACE VALUE.

AND IT LOOKS LIKE WE'RE CONTINUING TO GET MORE DOLLARS.

PART OF THAT CONTINUING TO GET MORE DOLLARS ALSO HAS TO DO WITH THE LARGE PROPERTY TAX BREAKS THAT WE'VE RECEIVED AS A STATE, RIGHT. SO LAST SESSION THERE WAS AN $18 BILLION PROPERTY TAX BREAK BILL IS WHAT IT SAID.

LARGEST PROPERTY TAX BREAK THAT WE'VE SEEN IN THE STATE OF TEXAS.

WELL, WHERE IS THE LARGEST AMOUNT OF OF DOLLARS IN THE SYSTEM FROM PROPERTY TAXES.

IT'S IN EDUCATION. SO HOW DO YOU DISPLACE $18 BILLION OF INDIVIDUALS PROPERTY TAX? GO BACK TO THAT METAPHOR OF THE BUCKET. RIGHT.

YOU AS A STATE OR THE STATE? NOT YOU, BUT THE STATE.

RIGHT. PUTS MORE WATER IN. WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE FORMULA THAT LOOKS LIKE THE STATE IS PUTTING MORE MONEY INTO EDUCATION, BUT IT'S NOT ACTUALLY CHANGING THE SIZE OF THAT BUCKET.

RIGHT. IT'S JUST PUTTING MORE WATER INSIDE. SO THERE ARE THOSE FACTORS THAT MAKES IT SEEM LIKE, HEY, WE'RE DOING FINE, RIGHT? BUT I THINK THE IMPORTANT THING AND WHY THIS CONVERSATION, WHY THIS COMMITTEE IS SO CRITICAL, IS BECAUSE WHAT WE SEE IS WHEN WE HAVE COMMUNITY LEADERS THAT ARE CLOSER TO OUR SCHOOL DISTRICTS, THAT UNDERSTAND WHAT'S GOING ON IN OUR CLASSROOMS, THEY KNOW THAT THAT'S NOT THE REALITY, RIGHT? YOU KNOW, AS A FORMER SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER, YOU KNOW, IN SEEING THAT FIRSTHAND, RIGHT.

AND THAT'S HOW YOU GET PAST THE AVERAGES RIGHT ARE THE LARGE PIE CHARTS THAT HAVE ALL THE ARROWS YOU GET TO WHAT IS ACTUALLY GOING ON IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD SCHOOLS.

AND I DID WANT TO JUST SHARE THE THE FEE WAIVERS, JUST AN IDEA OF LIKE A HERE'S A THING THAT I CONTINUE TO HEAR ABOUT FROM OUR DISTRICTS OF LIKE, WELL, HERE ARE THINGS THAT WE HAVE TO TO PAY IN.

AND HERE'S WHAT, HERE'S WHAT COMES UP WHEN WE HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS.

I HOPE THAT ANSWERED YOUR QUESTION. YES. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

YEAH. AND THERE'S A I'M JOINED BY ANOTHER FORMER SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER HERE TOO.

SO YES, THIS IS KIND OF WHERE WE END UP, I GUESS RIGHT AFTER WE DO THAT.

YEAH. BUT BUT NO, THAT WAS VERY INFORMATIVE. I APPRECIATE THAT.

AND YEAH, WHEN I WAS AT WHEN I FIRST GOT TO CITY COUNCIL AS AN INTERN AND A STAFFER SOUTH SAN WAS ACTUALLY GOING THROUGH THEIR SCHOOL CLOSURES, AND THAT WOULD PROBABLY WOULD IMAGINE THEY WERE ONE OF THE FEW FIRST DISTRICTS IN THE AREA TO START MASS CLOSURES.

AND IT WAS A VERY DEVASTATING CONVERSATION FOR THE COMMUNITY.

I HAD NOT SEEN ENGAGEMENT LIKE THAT SINCE AND IT WAS VERY DIFFICULT.

AND I APPRECIATE WHAT YOU'VE KIND OF GONE THROUGH THAT.

DO YOU HAVE A BETTER PLAN OF ACTION? YOU KNOW, BACK THEN THEY WERE CONSULTANTS AND SUITS AND THEY WERE SAYING, YOU KNOW, BASED ON THESE NUMBERS, WE NEED TO CLOSE THESE SCHOOLS.

AND, YOU KNOW, THESE SCHOOLS ARE SO HISTORIC TO THE COMMUNITY.

THEY'RE PLACES THAT PEOPLE GO TO ESPECIALLY WHEN THEY DON'T FEEL CONNECTED TO THE CITY.

YOU KNOW, THAT THE SCHOOL DISTRICT IS THEIR IS THEIR HOME, AND IT'S AN EMPLOYER TO SO MANY PEOPLE IN THAT AREA.

SO IT'S VERY, VERY SENSITIVE DISCUSSION. AND I KNOW THAT THOSE CONVERSATIONS ARE ONGOING.

WE SAW JUDSON LAST NIGHT IN A VERY TUMULTUOUS BOARD MEETING.

TALK ABOUT THAT. AND SO I KNOW IT'S NOT GOING TO STOP, BUT WE HAVE TO HAVE A REALLY A BETTER CONVERSATION WITH THE COMMUNITY WHEN THESE THINGS COME UP AND ALSO IN ADVANCE. RIGHT. I THINK IT'S FAIR FOR SCHOOL DISTRICTS TO SAY, YOU KNOW, IF WE DON'T GET THIS, THAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR THIS TAX INCREASE, YOU KNOW, THESE THINGS ARE ON THE CHOPPING BLOCK AND BE VERY TRANSPARENT WITH THE PUBLIC THAT IF WE DON'T PAY MORE LOCALLY, WE WILL SEE MORE CLOSURES HAPPEN.

YEAH. AND I THINK YOU, YOU KNOW, AND I CAN'T SPEAK FOR EVERY INDIVIDUAL DISTRICT AND THE KINDS OF COMMUNICATION THAT THEY'RE DOING, ESPECIALLY SOUTH SAN, WHICH WAS SEVERAL YEARS BACK.

BUT WHAT I CAN, CAN SAY IS THERE ARE LIMITS. DURING THAT CAMPAIGN, I WANT TO PUT IN AIR QUOTES ABOUT REALLY WHAT OUR DISTRICTS CAN DO.

AND ESPECIALLY IN THE LAST FEW YEARS, WE'VE HAD LEGAL QUESTIONS BROUGHT UP QUITE OFTEN ABOUT WHAT OUR WHAT OUR DISTRICTS ARE STEPPING IN AND OUT OF IN TERMS OF WHEN IT COMES TO TALKING ABOUT A BOND OR A VADER.

AND SO THAT IS REALLY WE'VE SEEN THAT'S ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF POTENTIAL COMMUNITY, YOU KNOW, COMMUNITY RESOURCE INEQUITY. RIGHT. WHICH COMMUNITIES HAVE THE, THE DOLLARS AND THE FAMILIES TO CREATE OFTEN, WHICH OFTEN THEY DO PACS, RIGHT, RUN BY PARENT OR COMMUNITY ORGANIZERS.

AND SO AND WHICH ONES HAVE PARENTS WHO HAVE THREE JOBS OR TWO JOBS AND JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THEIR KIDS SCHOOL IS DOING REALLY WELL.

AND SO THAT'S ANOTHER STRESS IN THE SITUATION.

AND, AND THE SYMPTOMS OF IF WE ARE GOING OUT THERE WITH CERTAIN TACTICS TO SAY, IF YOU DON'T VOTE YES.

RIGHT. HERE'S WHAT HAPPENED. THAT'S NOT SOMETHING OUR SCHOOL DISTRICTS CAN CAN SAY, AS YOU KNOW, I KNOW THAT YOU KNOW, THAT I THINK THAT'S A PART OF THE ISSUE THAT WE'VE HAD OFTEN IN HAVING THESE DELICATE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT A WIDE VARIETY OF

[01:30:08]

YEAH. WHEN WE WHEN I WAS IN SCHOOL, WE TRIED TO DO THAT AT SOUTHSIDE AND WE HAD TO HAVE A CAMPAIGN SEPARATE, RIGHT. AND SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS HELPED PUT MONEY INTO THAT BECAUSE WE COULDN'T FUNDRAISE. WELL AND WE STILL LOST BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY WORKED AND PEOPLE WHO DIDN'T OR WERE VERY RETIRED WERE CAMPAIGNING AGAINST IT HEAVILY.

RIGHT. SO WE LOST THAT ELECTION. BUT I THINK YOU HAVE A REALLY GOOD POINT ABOUT THE CITY SUPPORTING WHERE WE CAN AROUND FOLKS.

YOU KNOW, COUNCILMAN GALVAN AND I WENT TO JOHN JAY WHERE THERE WAS A HORRIBLE TRAGEDY. AND WE ARE WORKING TOGETHER TO GET MONEY TO PUT A HOT CROSSING THERE.

I'M WORKING WITH SOUTH SAN TO RELOCATE A HOT CROSSING THAT WAS NEXT TO THE FORMER HOSPITAL, WHICH IS CLOSED NOW CLOSER TO THEIR ENTRANCE ON BARR LIGHT.

SO THAT'S MORE, YOU KNOW, WHERE KIDS ARE CROSSING.

SO I THINK, YOU KNOW, WE TRY OUR BEST IN THOSE SITUATIONS.

AND I WILL SAY, THANKFULLY, NOW SCHOOL DISTRICT BUDGETS ARE MORE TOP OF MIND AT THE CITY WHEN WE DO THINGS RIGHT.

I KNOW IT WAS A HUGE DISCUSSION WITH THE ELECTION CHANGE.

I UNDERSTAND THAT WE'RE ALSO AND I MENTIONED IT THEN WE'RE ALSO GOING TO TALK ABOUT SAWS AND CPS RATE INCREASES.

RIGHT. AND THAT AFFECTS YOU ALL. SO I'LL BE LOOKING TO YOU ALL ALSO TO GET SOME RESPONSE ABOUT THE PROPOSED RATES INCREASED AND HOW THAT WILL AFFECT YOUR BOTTOM LINE, BECAUSE I WANT THE REST OF MY COLLEAGUES TO UNDERSTAND THAT AS WELL, WHEN, IF THEY SUPPORT THAT, THAT THAT'S A REAL ISSUE WITH THAT. SO AND I'D BE HAPPY TO TALK ABOUT OUR HISTORY OF TALKING WITH OUR CPS AND OUR COLLEAGUES.

OFTEN WHEN THOSE RATE CHANGES COME UP WE OFTEN WORK WITH OUR CHAMBERS, BUT ALSO DIRECTLY WITH THOSE AGENCIES TO REALLY TALK ABOUT THE TIMING AND THE IMPACT ON OUR SCHOOL DISTRICTS. SO WE ARE OFTEN ENGAGED IN THOSE CONVERSATIONS, BUT WOULD LOVE ADDITIONAL HELP ON WHAT THE IMPACT IS TO SCHOOL DISTRICTS.

SURE. YEAH. AND I JUST WANT TO SAY I LOVE MY DISTRICTS THAT ARE IN D4.

SO I'VE GOT NORTHSIDE. I WENT TO VALLEY HIGH ELEMENTARY, I TALKED TO THE SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER A LOT, MR. SALCEDO, AND TALK ABOUT HOW WE CAN HELP. I LOVE SOUTHWEST.

SOUTH SENSE, ALWAYS NEAR AND DEAR TO MY HEART.

AND WE I AM TRYING TO MAKE CONSCIOUS EFFORTS TO WORK WITH THESE DISTRICTS IN A POSITIVE WAY THAT LETS FOLKS KNOW IT'S GOOD TO INVEST THERE.

IT'S GOOD TO SEND YOUR KIDS HERE. THERE'S POSITIVE THINGS HAPPENING. SO WE TRY TO UPLIFT OUR DISTRICTS WHEREVER WE CAN.

AND SO I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK AND THE COUNCILMAN FOR PUTTING THIS ON THE AGENDA.

THANKS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN COUNCIL MEMBER. THANK YOU SO MUCH, CHAIR.

THANK YOU FOR AGENDIZE THIS DISCUSSION. AND THANK YOU TO JULIA AND SUPERINTENDENTS AND ALL OF THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS THAT ARE HERE.

THIS IS SUCH AN IMPORTANT DISCUSSION. MANY OF YOU ALL KNOW I TALK ABOUT THIS A LOT, BUT IT'S ACTUALLY WHY I RAN TO BE ON COUNCIL.

AND I IF YOU'VE ALSO KNOWN ME SOMEONE THE OTHER DAY WAS LIKE, WOW, YOU REALLY DO JUST BLEED KIDS LIKE, YES, THAT'S THAT'S THE WRONG PHRASE, LIKE BLEED PUBLIC.

LIKE I REALLY CARE, I REALLY CARE AND IT AND SOMETIMES THERE'S CONFUSION ABOUT WHAT I REALLY CARE ABOUT BECAUSE OF MY BACKGROUND AND THE SUPPORT THAT I'VE PROVIDED FOR SCHOOLS. BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, THE THING THAT WE KNOW IS IF OUR KIDS ARE NOT GIVEN A PROPER PUBLIC SCHOOL EDUCATION, WHICH IS THE THING THAT OUR COUNTRY WAS FOUNDED UPON, WE WILL NOT HAVE A DEMOCRATIC ELECTORATE THAT IS ABLE TO ENGAGE IN ELECTING US AS OFFICIALS. THAT IS THE FOUNDATION OF OUR COUNTRY AND WE ARE FAILING.

AND YOU SAID, WRITE DOWN WHAT YOU WERE, AND I JUST WRITE DOWN.

I WROTE DOWN ANNOYED AND I WAS, AND IT'S HARD NOT TO BE RIGHT BECAUSE IT'S A CHICKEN AND EGG SITUATION.

AND COUNCIL MEMBER SAID, LIKE, WHAT'S WHAT ARE THEY SAYING? RIGHT? AND FOLKS ARE SAYING, OH, WELL, OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS ARE FAILING, SO WE'RE GOING TO NOT FUND THEM. BUT WE TALKED ABOUT THIS. WE HAD A GREATER SAT X PRESENTATION LAST WEEK, AND WE WERE LOOKING AT THE METRICS OF OUR CITY. AND THE THING THAT WE SAW WAS THAT THINGS WE HAVE INVESTED IN, WE SEE GROWTH. WE'VE INVESTED IN MULTIFAMILY, AFFORDABLE HOUSING THROUGH OUR HOUSING BOND LAST TIME, AND WE'VE SEEN GROWTH IN THAT AREA. WE'RE INVESTING IN JOBS COMING HERE.

AND SO WE'RE SEEING GROWTH. BUT THE THINGS WE ARE NOT INVESTING IN, WE'RE NOT SEEING GROWTH.

WHAT A SHOCKER. AND I, I ALSO KNOW I'VE DONE RESEARCH ON FINANCE.

AND A LOT OF PEOPLE WILL SAY INCREASING PUBLIC SCHOOL FINANCE DOESN'T CHANGE RESULTS.

AND THAT IS TRUE IN AREAS WHERE WE HAVE SEEN THAT IT DOESN'T ALWAYS.

BUT THE REASON WHY IS BECAUSE IT GOES DOWN TO THINGS LIKE THIS, RIGHT? YOU CAN SEE THAT THERE IS AN INCREASE IN FUNDING OVERALL.

AND YET THE THE FOLKS THAT REALLY NEED IT, THE THINGS THAT REALLY NEED ADDITIONAL SUPPORT, SPECIAL EDUCATION ARE LOWEST INCOME SCHOOL DISTRICTS AREN'T SEEING THAT BENEFIT.

AND SO IT'S EASY TO TRICK THE NUMBERS TO SAY, ARE WE PUTTING MORE DOLLARS IN? BUT IS IT ACTUALLY AFFECTING THE THINGS THAT MATTER MOST? SO I'LL JUST START WITH LIKE OVERALL ACCOUNTABILITY. THE FIRST YEAR I WAS A TEACHER, I WAS SO EXCITED.

I WAS LIKE, I'M GOING TO CREATE A LEARN TO LOVE TO READ BOOK CLUB IN MY CLASSROOM.

I WAS TEACHING ESL. MOST OF MY STUDENTS WERE ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE LIKE ME.

AND SO I WAS LIKE, WE'VE GOT TO LEARN TO LIKE, THIS IS GOING TO BE EXCITING. AND MY MENTOR, LIKE THE PERSON WHO WAS OBSERVING ME, CAME IN AND WAS LIKE, ABSOLUTELY NOT.

[01:35:01]

AND AT THAT TIME IT WASN'T EVEN STAR, BUT THE TEST PREP BOOK AND WAS LIKE, THIS IS HOW YOU'RE GOING TO TEACH.

YOU'RE GOING TO TEACH. MAIN IDEA YOU'RE GOING TO TEACH PLOT.

AND JUST BASICALLY THAT'S IT. AND IT WAS DEPRESSING.

SHE'S LIKE, AFTER MARCH THE 4TH OR WHATEVER THE DATE WAS, THEN YOU CAN SWITCH TO TEACH WHATEVER YOU WANT TO TEACH.

AND THAT IS LIKE THE CULTURE THAT THE ACCOUNTABILITY IS CREATED.

BUT I'VE ALSO BEEN SUPER TORN ABOUT THIS. LIKE I SPENT A COUPLE YEARS OF MY LIFE LOOKING THROUGH VERY DEEP DETAILS OF ACCOUNTABILITY IN OUR COMMUNITY, AND IT'S CHALLENGING. WHEN NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND WAS CREATED, WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR SCHOOLS AND OUR KIDS WERE GETTING WHAT THEY NEEDED, BUT WHAT WE CREATED WAS A SYSTEM THAT DOESN'T TELL US IF KIDS ARE ABLE TO READ AND CRITICALLY THINK OR BE CREATIVE, LIKE YOU MENTIONED. WHAT WE CREATED WAS A SYSTEM THAT JUST BLAMES ADULTS IN A BUILDING.

AND WHEN I WENT TO GO VISIT EDGEWOOD, YOU ALL KNOW I SPENT A LOT OF TIME IN EDGEWOOD AND I WAS VISITING A SCHOOL THERE BECAUSE I WAS WORKING WITH THE PRINCIPAL AND WANTED TO HELP EMPOWER THEM AT THE PRINCIPAL LEVEL TO MAKE THOSE DECISIONS THAT SUPERINTENDENT KINNEY MENTIONED.

AQUINO MENTIONED ABOUT HOW TO USE RESOURCES AND DOLLARS.

AND I WALKED THROUGH CLASSROOMS AND I WAS LIKE, THE TEACHERS IN THIS.

THE STUDENTS IN THE ROOMS WERE ENGAGED. THE TEACHERS WERE USING HIGH QUALITY CURRICULA.

THE PRINCIPALS WERE TRACKING DATA AND GIVING FEEDBACK IN THE MOMENT, LIKE ALL THE RIGHT THINGS THAT WE KNOW FROM A PEDAGOGY PERSPECTIVE.

AND THAT SCHOOL, ACCORDING TO OUR A THROUGH F SYSTEM, HAD BEEN FAILING FOR FIVE YEARS.

AND SO THEN WE THINK LIKE, IS THIS THE RIGHT SYSTEM? OR IF WE HAD TAKEN ALL THESE KIDS AND PUT THEM IN A MORE AFFLUENT AREA, OR SORRY, IF WE'D TAKEN ALL THE TEACHERS AND PUT THEM IN A MORE AFFLUENT AREA AND SWAPPED THOSE TEACHERS, WOULD THIS SCHOOL ALL OF A SUDDEN BE AN A? AND IT'S NOT BECAUSE WE'VE TRIED IT. I ACTUALLY INVESTED IN IT.

WE PUT MILLIONS OF DOLLARS INTO A TURNAROUND EFFORT AT TWO SCHOOLS IN CISD ON THE WEST SIDE, AND IT DIDN'T EVEN IF WE FLIPPED, ALL THE EDUCATORS IN THE BUILDING, GAVE THEM ALL THIS TRAINING.

THE RESULTS OF THAT SCHOOL DIDN'T CHANGE. SO IF WE COULD SIMPLY JUST CHANGE THE ADULTS IN A BUILDING, THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN WE WOULD HAVE FIXED PUBLIC ED A LONG TIME AGO.

IT IS A COMPLETELY SYSTEMIC ISSUE AND THE SYSTEM IS BROKEN AT ALL LEVELS.

AND THAT'S KIND OF WHY I'M JUST ANNOYED, BECAUSE SOMETIMES WHEN YOU'RE IN OUR SEAT, YOU'RE FEELING LIKE, HOW DO WE REALLY MAKE AN IMPACT.

SO ALL OF THAT TO SAY ON THE SCHOOL FINANCE PIECE, IT'S SO REAL.

AND I ALSO WANTED MY COLLEAGUES COMMENDED BOTH SUPERINTENDENTS.

I KNOW YOU GUYS ARE GOING THROUGH REALLY TOUGH TIME, BUT ALSO I KNOW THE EDGEWOOD ISD SUPERINTENDENT WHO'S NOT HERE.

THEY THEY HAD TO CLOSE SCHOOLS TOO. AND WHEN WE LOOK AT THE FINANCES, THE CHALLENGING PART IS, IS THAT WE KNOW LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS FOR OUR BUILDINGS WEREN'T BUILT FOR INNOVATIVE OR UNIQUE LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS FOR KIDS.

SO WHEN WE TRY TO IMPLEMENT SCHOOLS LIKE THAT, WHICH SOME SOME HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO ATTEND TO, IT DOESN'T ALWAYS FIT WITH A SCHOOL BUILDING THAT'S MEANT TO SERVE 6 TO 800 KIDS.

AND SO A LOT OF TIMES WHAT GETS AFFECTED IS THOSE SMALL SCHOOLS THAT ARE GREAT FOR SOME KIDS, BUT IT JUST DOESN'T MAKE THE NUMBERS WORK. EDGEWOOD ALSO ADOPTED A DEFICIT BUDGET, AND I TRIED TO WORK WITH LIKE I WHEN WE WERE WORKING THROUGH THE SCHOOL BUDGETS AND FINANCE. THE UNFUNDED UNFUNDED MANDATES ARE THE HARDEST PART.

LIKE WHY DOES EVERY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL NEED AN OFFICER? THAT'S A HUGE COST. IT COSTS ARE SO SIGNIFICANT.

ANYWAYS, I'M RANTING A LITTLE BIT, BUT FINANCE, SCHOOL FINANCE IS WHAT IT IS AND 100% LIKE.

THANK YOU COUNCILWOMAN CASTILLO FOR GOING UP. I WOULD LOVE TO GO UP NEXT TIME AND ADVOCATE TO YOU, BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE THE REAL CHANGE NEEDS TO HAPPEN.

AND UNFORTUNATELY IT IT IS ABOUT ELECTED AND HOW WE ARE ELECTED INTO THE ROLES THAT WE ARE AND WHAT WE TRULY TRULY VALUE AND CARE ABOUT AS A COMMUNITY. BUT I AS FAR AS LIKE THIS, I'D LIKE FOR YOU JUST TO TALK ABOUT LIKE, OKAY, SO THE OTHER THING I WAS TAUGHT IN MY FIRST YEAR OF TEACHING WAS YOU'RE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO SOLVE EVERYTHING, SO WORK ON YOUR LOCUS OF CONTROL. WHAT'S IN YOUR WHAT'S IN YOUR ABILITY TO DO IN YOUR POSITION RIGHT NOW, AND HOW CAN YOU AFFECT THAT. SO I'M DONE MY RANT ABOUT THE STATE AND I WANT TO FOCUS ON THIS SLIDE.

SO CAN YOU JUST TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE FIRST I KNOW.

THANK YOU, CRAIG AND OFFICER BLANTON, FOR COMING TO SPEAK ABOUT THE FEE WAIVERS COMPONENT, BUT CAN YOU JUST SHARE ANY OTHER LIGHT THAT YOU HAVE THAT THE IMPACT? AND I'D ALSO LIKE TO I KNOW COUNCILMEMBER CASTILLO ASKED FOR THE TOTAL COST.

THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL, BUT YEAH, ABSOLUTELY. AND I THE, THE PAY INTO IT, THAT WAS A VERY APPRECIATED IN TERMS OF THE AND ALSO THE SPECIFIC RADIO EQUIPMENT. I PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE SAID THE LEVEL OF RADIO EQUIPMENT THE LEGISLATION THAT THE ASSISTANT CHIEF MENTIONED WAS HOUSE BILL THREE FROM LAST SESSION, REQUIRING EVERY SINGLE CAMPUS TO HAVE AN ARMED PERSONNEL ON CAMPUS.

CERTAIN DISTRICTS ARE ASKED FOR A WAIVER BASED ON, YOU KNOW, COST OF PERSONNEL HOW THEY'RE DIVIDING UP THEIR SECURITY OFFICERS.

[01:40:09]

THEY SHOULD HAVE TWO OFFICERS. BUT AGAIN, THE WAIVERS SAID, LISTEN, WE HAVE THESE SCHOOLS COVERED, SO WE DON'T HAVE ONE BODY AT EVERY SINGLE CAMPUS, BUT WE HAVE COVERAGE.

BUT BASED ON THAT, AS THE ASSISTANT CHIEF MENTIONED, WE THEY'VE HAD TO SHIFT THE HOW THEIR PERSONNEL IS DISTRIBUTED THROUGHOUT THE DISTRICT. THE COST OF INCREASING FOR THOSE ADDITIONAL SECURITY OFFICERS WAS PRETTY SIGNIFICANT.

AND SO PREVIOUS WE HAVE HAD A ISD PD'S PATROL AGAIN, THE ENTIRE AREA.

AND THEY STILL DO. AND OFTENTIMES THEY WERE PATROLLING AT NIGHT, ESPECIALLY IN NEIGHBORHOODS THAT HAD REPEATED INCIDENTS OF COMPLAINT.

AND PLEASE CORRECT ME IF I'M SAYING ANYTHING INCORRECT.

AND SO IN LOOKING AT HOW THE DISTRICT IS SPENDING SECURITY FUNDING ON PARTICULAR ITEMS ONE OF THE COMMENTS FROM OUR DISTRICT OR FROM SOME OF OUR, OUR MEMBERS WAS CAN WE WORK WITH PD TO SAY, HEY, CAN THEY STEP IN AND DO THE NIGHT PATROLS? CAN WE SHARE THAT INFORMATION WITH THEM TO DO THE NIGHT PATROLS TO SAVE SOME ADDITIONAL DOLLARS? SO OUR POINT HERE IS, CAN WE AT LEAST HAVE A CONVERSATION ABOUT SOME OF THOSE SHARED COSTS? ARE THERE OTHER OPPORTUNITIES FOR US TO LOOK AT POINTS IN THE SYSTEM, GIVEN WHERE WE ARE AS PUBLIC EDUCATION, EVEN IF IT WAS TEMPORARY OR EVEN IF THE STATE WOULD, OR THE STATE EXCUSE ME, EVEN IF THE CITY WANTED TO SAY, HELP SUBSIDIZE OR SOMETHING ALONG THOSE LINES.

THOSE ARE REAL DOLLARS THAT GO DIRECTLY BACK INTO THE CLASSROOM, OR CAN GO BACK INTO OUR SAFETY BUDGET TO OFFSET AGAINST THE GAP THAT WE HAVE FROM THE STATE THAT WE DON'T RECEIVE THROUGH THE SCHOOL SAFETY ALLOTMENT.

THE OTHER THING THAT I DIDN'T MENTION ON THIS SLIDE THAT I THINK IS REALLY IMPORTANT, I'M EXCITED FOR YOUR NEXT MEETING. BECAUSE I AM A DATA NERD.

BUT DATA IS REALLY HUGE FOR OUR SCHOOL DISTRICTS.

AND REALLY JUST ACCESS TO SOME OF THESE COMMUNITY RESOURCES.

HOW ARE, FOR EXAMPLE, THE SIDEWALK PROJECT, RIGHT? WHAT DO THE SIDEWALKS LOOK LIKE AROUND ALL OF OUR CAMPUSES? WHERE ARE THE UPCOMING PROJECTS? SO OUR SUPERINTENDENTS AND OUR OUR FACILITY MANAGERS KNOW WHERE, HEY, THIS SIDEWALK IS GOING TO BE FIXED IN THE NEXT SIX MONTHS.

LET'S LET OUR FOLKS KNOW ABOUT IT. AND OFTENTIMES, NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS, AS A FORMER NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION PRESIDENT, RIGHT. YOU'RE COMMUNICATING WITH YOUR STAFF OFFICER AND YOU'RE MAKING COMMUNICATIONS WITH YOUR SCHOOL DISTRICT, AND YOU ALL ARE DOING THAT COMMUNICATION.

BUT MAYBE IF THERE WAS A PROACTIVE RIGHT SET OF DATA TO HELP WITH SOME OF THAT COMMUNICATION THAT COULD SAVE OUR FOLKS A LOT OF TIME.

THERE ARE ALSO, I THINK BECAUSE OF, AGAIN, AND I MAKE NO SECRET THAT SCHOOL DISTRICTS I LOVE YOU GUYS, BUT YOU'RE, YOU'RE KIND OF SOMETIMES HARD TO WORK WITH.

PURPOSEFULLY. RIGHT? PURPOSELY. THAT'S NOT I SAY THAT IN A JOKING MANNER, BUT THEY'RE PROTECTING OUR CHILDREN, RIGHT? AND THAT THAT'S OKAY. THAT'S ON PURPOSE AND THAT'S WHAT THEY SHOULD BE DOING.

BUT I DO THINK DATA RIGHT HELPING. WHERE ARE YOU GUYS INVESTING IN PARTICULAR PROGRAMS HELPS OUR SCHOOL DISTRICTS SAY, HEY, CAN I CONNECT WITH MY COUNCIL PERSON TO DO A SIMILAR EVENT? OR CAN I CONNECT WITH THIS NONPROFIT THAT IS A DELEGATE AGENCY THAT'S DOING THIS AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAM? CAN WE REPLICATE IT HERE IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD? SO SOME OF THAT PROACTIVE WORK THAT HELPS OUR SCHOOL DISTRICTS AS THEIR PARENT ENGAGEMENT OFFICERS, THEIR EXTERNAL COMMUNICATION RIGHT, ARE INVESTING IN WAYS TO HAVE MORE OF AN IMPACT ON THEIR FAMILIES.

DATA IS A REALLY POWERFUL TOOL FOR A LOT OF OUR FOLKS, ESPECIALLY AS A CENTRAL OFFICE, AND A LOT OF OUR ADMINISTRATORS AND OFFICES ARE BEING CUT.

THAT IS OFTEN THE FIRST TIME WE SEE THAT SCHOOL DISTRICTS HAVE TO ELIMINATE PARTICULAR POSITIONS.

SO WE HAVE A LOT OF FOLKS IN CENTRAL OFFICE AND ADMINISTRATIVE POSITIONS TAKING ON A MULTITUDE OF ROLES AND HATS.

SO ANY WAY TO MAKE SOME OF THAT ANALYSIS EASIER REALLY CAN SAVE US A LOT OF TIME AND MONEY.

I'LL SAY TWO THINGS AND THEN I'LL STOP. THE I COMMIT TO EXPLORING THE ISD PARTNERSHIP PIECE OF PUBLIC SAFETY SO WE COULD BRING THAT BACK AND LOOK AT WHAT THE COSTS ARE FOR THAT AND SEE HOW IF THERE'S A WAY WE CAN PARTNER ON THAT WE CAN AGENDIZE THAT AND WE'LL TRY TO DO FOR THE MARCH, IF NOT MARCH, APRIL MEETING. SO WE HAVE SOME DATA FOR THAT.

I THINK CRAIG'S GOING TO GET US SOME DETAIL ON THE FIRST BULLET THERE TO SEE WHAT THE COSTS ARE AND HOW WE CAN POTENTIALLY SUPPORT FOR THE INFRASTRUCTURE.

YOU ALL KNOW YOU SAID SIDEWALKS AREN'T SIDEWALKS ARE SO EXCITING TO ME.

BUT WE YOU OBVIOUSLY KNOW ABOUT THE PROJECT THAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON FOR THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS.

[01:45:02]

I ALSO I JUST FOUND OUT ABOUT THIS. I JUST WANTED TO QUICKLY SAY YOU TALKED ABOUT DATA AND WE TALKED TO ACTUALLY MARIA VARGAS GUSTS AT IN THE INTEGRATED PUBLIC SAFETY DEPARTMENT AT THE CITY, AND SHE HAS A WHOLE TEAM OF DATA SCIENTISTS.

AND I HAD ABSOLUTELY NO IDEA. SO SHE THEY HAVE DEFENDED THEY HAVE DEVELOPED A DRAFT DASHBOARD THAT HAS ALL THESE COMMUNITY METRICS.

AND WHAT WE'VE ASKED FOR THEM IS TO SAY, CAN YOU ADD A POINT ON THERE TO SHOW ALL OF OUR SCHOOLS AND USE THE METRICS, RATHER THAN ZIP CODE TO SHOW IT BASED ON SCHOOL? SO WHETHER IT'S A QUARTER MILE OR HALF MILE RADIUS AROUND THE SCHOOLS, SO WE CAN SEE THE IMPACT BY SCHOOL.

SO AND THEY HAVE THINGS ON THERE LIKE STRAY AND LOOSE DOGS, WHICH I HAVE SEEN IN SPECIFIC SCHOOLS ARE, ARE ARE A BIGGER CHALLENGE. THEY HAVE THINGS OBVIOUSLY THEY HAVE SOME INFRASTRUCTURE.

THEY HAVE HEALTH METRICS ON THERE TOO. SO I THINK IF WE COULD BRING THAT TOGETHER, AND THEN THE THING THAT WE HAVE ALSO BEEN TALKING ABOUT IS LIKE, NOW THAT WE KNOW THIS DATA, SO WHAT? SO THE THING THAT I THINK WE HAVE TO FIGURE OUT IS LIKE, HOW DO WE SHOW THE INVESTMENT THAT WE'RE MAKING ON TOP OF THAT? BECAUSE WHAT WE SAW WITH SOME OF THE DALLAS WORK IS THAT IF YOU JUST SHOW WHERE ALL THE PROBLEMS ARE, IT FEELS VERY DEFICIT BASED. AND SO WE HAVE TO FIGURE OUT HOW WE ADD IN A LAYER ON THIS OF THIS IS WHAT WE'RE INVESTING IN.

THIS IS HOW MUCH WE'RE PUTTING IN ACES IN THIS AREA.

THIS IS HOW MUCH WE'RE PUTTING IN INFRASTRUCTURE ON THIS AREA.

AND I'M REALLY HOPEFUL THAT IF WE SHOW THAT IN TIME FOR THE BOND, THAT WE CAN DIRECT SOME OF OUR BOND FUNDING IN AND AROUND OUR SCHOOLS, LIKE HOW COOL WOULD IT BE TO SAY WE ARE FOCUSED ON THIS AREA FOR OUR BOND FUNDING, AND IT'S ALL OF THE ISSUES THAT ARE AFFECTING YOU KNOW, JT BRAC ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, WHICH WE KNOW IS IN ONE OF THE POOREST AREAS OF OUR TOWN.

AND SO THAT IT'S NOT JUST AN OVERLAY OF POVERTY, BUT IT'S ALSO AN OVERLAY OF INVESTMENT.

SO I CAN'T WAIT TO FOR THAT. THANKS, CHAIR. THANK YOU.

COUNCIL MEMBER. I DON'T THINK I HAVE ANYTHING DIFFERENT FROM WHAT MY COLLEAGUES HAVE SAID.

THE ONLY THING I WANTED TO TO ASK. SUPPORTIVE OF BOTH COUNCIL MEMBER EVERYONE'S REQUESTS.

I'LL JUST SAY THAT EVERYONE'S REQUESTS HERE. I DO WANT TO ASK A QUESTION TO TO JULIA.

WELL, THE THE FOLKS WHO PRESENTED TODAY JULIA AND THE SUPERINTENDENTS.

WHAT IS THE COMMUNICATION BETWEEN ISDS AND THE CITY LIKE, WHETHER IT'S ON, I KNOW, OF COURSE, WE HAVE A COMMUNICATION ON PUBLIC OR GENERAL BIG SAFETY EVENTS LIKE THE FREEZE. OF COURSE, WE HAVE COMMUNICATION ON THAT RECENTLY, BUT ALSO MORE SO IN DEPTH ABOUT ANY KIND OF CITY PROGRAMING, THE DATA COMPONENTS. RIGHT. WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE IN THE PAST? WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE NOW? WHAT THINGS.

WHAT'S THE STATE OF THAT? YEAH. SO SEEING AS I'M IN A CITY ROOM, I WILL DO THIS.

DIPLOMAT. NO, I WE'RE ASKING FOR THE REAL. KEEP IT 100.

OKAY? YEAH, I'LL KEEP IT 100. THAT'S WHAT THE.

THAT'S WHAT MY SON SAYS. NO, HE DOESN'T. HE DOESN'T SAY THAT.

AND HE WOULD BE VERY EMBARRASSED, BUT. SO I WILL START IN THE PAST WHERE ACTUALLY, ONE OF THE, THE MAJOR REASONS THAT BCEC FORMED WAS TO HELP WITH COMMUNICATION AS A REGION.

I WILL SAY WE GET A LOT OF JOKES ABOUT HOW MANY SCHOOL DISTRICTS DO WE HAVE? SO MANY SCHOOL DISTRICTS. YOU GUYS HAVE TEN TIMES AS MANY NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS.

AND AS A FORMER PRESIDENT, I GOT PLENTY OF COMMUNICATION.

YOU ALL FOUND MY CELL PHONE NUMBER JUST FINE.

AND SO I DO THINK FOR COMMUNICATION AND HAVING ELECTED OFFICIALS THAT ARE CLOSER TO WHAT'S GOING ON IN OUR SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS IN CLASSROOMS IS ACTUALLY QUITE BENEFICIAL.

AND THAT SHOWS OUT IN THE DATA. SO WE STARTED IN MARCH OF 2020.

WE WERE SET TO ANNOUNCE THAT. AND THEN COVID HAPPENED THE WAY THAT OUR SCHOOL DISTRICTS FOUND OUT THAT SCHOOL DISTRICTS WERE ON THE ACCEPTED LIST WAS THROUGH A PRESS RELEASE.

THE WAY THAT WE FOUND OUT THAT THE SCHOOL DISTRICT LATER WAS SUING THE STATE OR, EXCUSE ME, THAT THE CITY WAS SUING THE STATE WAS THROUGH A PRESS RELEASE.

SINCE THEN, THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, YOU ALL HAVE IMPROVED MARKEDLY IN TERMS OF COMMUNICATION AND COLLABORATION WITH US, AND WE'VE BEEN REALLY APPRECIATIVE OF THAT BECAUSE I THINK COMING FROM THOSE MOMENTS WHERE WE'VE HAD TO KIND OF PIVOT AND REACT VERY QUICKLY WE KNOW THAT YOU ALL ARE INVESTING IN REALLY PROACTIVE PROGRAMS AND PROACTIVE COMMUNICATION IN ANY WAY THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO FACILITATE THAT.

THE BETTER THE FACT THAT THIS COMMITTEE IS HERE AND EXISTS IN THESE CONVERSATIONS ARE ARE POPPING UP IS A TESTAMENT TO THAT.

THAT THAT QUESTION CAME UP. RIGHT. AND WE REALLY APPRECIATE THAT CONTINUED CONVERSATION ABOUT HOW WE BECOME MORE PROACTIVE COMMUNICATORS.

PART OF THAT IS ALSO DATA RIGHT. FOR YOU ALL YOU DO, YOU ALL HAVE MAKE SURE YOU HAVE ALL OF THE SUPERINTENDENTS CELL PHONE NUMBERS AND THAT YOU'RE ABLE TO GET AHOLD OF US IF YOU NEED PARTICULAR PIECES OF DATA OR INFORMATION.

HOW DO YOU FIND THAT? RIGHT? SCHOOL FINANCES, WE CAN SEE, IS NOT EASY.

BUT IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT WHAT THE LEVEL OF INVESTMENT IS, YOU HAVE A LITTLE POCKET NERD THAT YOU CAN JUST KIND OF CALL ON.

[01:50:05]

BUT I DO THINK PART OF HAVING THAT LIVE RIGHT SOURCE OF DATA ABOUT WAYS THAT WE ARE OVERLAPPING WOULD BE ESSENTIAL TO IMPROVING THAT COMMUNICATION. BECAUSE I DO THINK RIGHT NOW IN A VERY SAN ANTONIO AND FROM SAN ANTONIO FASHION, IT'S IT IS COMMUNICATING OFTEN IN SILOS. AND ALL WITH THE BEST AND MOST WONDERFUL INTENTIONS.

AND SO HAVING A CENTRAL PLACE FOR US TO LOOK AND REVIEW OF WHAT THE CURRENT STATE IS, I THINK WOULD HELP WITH A LOT OF THAT FUTURE COMMUNICATION AS TO HOW WE CONTINUE TO BOTH WORK ON BEHALF OF ALL FAMILIES IN SAN ANTONIO.

THANK YOU FOR THAT. THAT'S REALLY HELPFUL. I MEAN, I THINK WE'RE ALREADY HITTING ON THESE. WE HIT THESE OTHER PRESENTATIONS TOO. WE TALK ABOUT COMMUNICATION ON PROGRAMING FOR THE PARKS, COMMUNICATION PROGRAMING FOR HUMAN SERVICES, COMMUNICATION PROGRAMING FOR HEALTH DEPARTMENTS. THERE'S ALREADY THAT COMMUNICATION THERE, AND A LOT OF OUR SCHOOLS AND UNDERSTANDING A BIT MORE OF, YOU KNOW, IS IT CAPACITY FOR OUR OWN PROGRAMING THAT WE CAN'T REACH OTHER PLACES? IS IT COMMUNICATION? IS IT BOTH UNDERSTANDING THAT I THINK FROM OUR THE CITY SIDE WOULD BE HELPFUL JUST SO THAT WE KNOW WHERE WE'RE REALLY PUSHING THAT POINT ABOUT. HERE'S THE IMPACT THAT WE'RE MAKING, THE IMPACT THAT WE CAN'T MAKE UNLESS WE DO THIS KIND OF FUNDING AT OUR LEVEL OR ON THE OTHER LEVEL, WHICHEVER WAY IT NEEDS TO GO, I THINK IS HELPFUL.

I THINK THE SAME IS TRUE FOR EVEN URBAN DEVELOPMENT, RIGHT? WHEN WE TALK ABOUT PERMITTING, WE TALK ABOUT BOND INVESTMENTS. WE TALK ABOUT I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH IT WOULD GO WITH ZONING, BUT EVEN POTENTIALLY THAT.

RIGHT. TALKING ABOUT WHAT WHAT IS THAT COMMUNICATION LIKE ALREADY WITH THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS WOULD BE IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND. I KNOW NORTHSIDE ISD, WE TALKED A LOT IN THE NORTHSIDE LEADERSHIP ACADEMY ABOUT SOME OF THE NEW GROWING AREAS, RIGHT, THAT WE KIND OF WORKED TOGETHER OR THE SCHOOL DISTRICT WORKS TOGETHER WITH THE CITY A LITTLE BIT ON THAT KIND OF TRACKING, PERMITTING THINGS LIKE THAT. BUT ARE THERE WAYS IT CAN BE MORE PROACTIVE? ARE THOSE YOU CAN COMMUNICATE THOSE NEEDS A BIT BETTER? AND KIND OF IDEALLY OVERLAYING KIND OF INVESTMENTS THERE WOULD BE WOULD BE IDEAL.

BUT SO UNDERSTANDING WHAT THE BARRIERS ARE THERE IF IT'S PERSON TO PERSON COMMUNICATION, IF IT'S DIGITAL COMMUNICATION, IF IT'S JUST A DASHBOARD OF SOME KIND, WHATEVER THE NEEDS ARE, I THINK IT WOULD BE HELPFUL FOR US TO UNDERSTAND AS WE GO THROUGH WHAT I HOPE WILL BE AN APRIL CONVERSATION, BECAUSE I THINK IT WOULD BE FUN TO MAKE A FIESTA THEMED, BUT THAT'S BESIDES THE POINT. BUT A KIND OF CONVERSATION HERE WITH PARTNERS INVOLVED EITHER AT THE SAME TABLE OR WITH INPUT PROVIDED BEFOREHAND TO KIND OF FIGURE OUT WHAT THINGS ARE WE GOING TO RECOMMEND TO OUR SHARED COUNCIL BODY OR EVEN JUST WHAT THINGS CAN WE CAN WE TINKER WITH A LITTLE BIT MORE VERSUS PRESENTATION STYLE, A BIT MORE HANDS ON ACTIVITY IN SOME FORM TO FIGURE OUT WHAT CAN WE DO ON ZONING? WHAT CAN WE DO ON AFFORDABLE HOUSING? WHAT IS THIS COMMITTEE'S RECOMMENDATION TO ADJUST TO THEN IMPACT EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES DIRECTLY? ANYWAY, WE'LL HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS INDIVIDUALLY AS WELL, ABOUT WHAT YOU ALL WANT TO SEE FROM THAT. BUT THOSE ARE ALL MY COMMENTS. ANY OTHER LAST THINGS FROM THE COMMITTEE? GO AHEAD. COUNCILOR CASTILLO AND THEN COUNCILOR COREY, IF YOU'D LIKE TO.

THANK YOU. CHAIR, I WANTED TO BUILD UPON THE POINT THAT YOU BROUGHT UP IN TERMS OF DEVELOPMENT. FOR EXAMPLE, MYSELF AND COUNCILWOMAN MET WITH MR. SOTO OF HARLANDALE ISD TO TALK ABOUT THE WAYS IN WHICH THE CITY CAN HELP FACILITATE MULTIFAMILY DEVELOPMENT AROUND SPECIFIC ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS, BECAUSE ENROLLMENT LIKE YOU ALL IS A CONCERN.

BUT POINTING US TO PARCELS AND OR ISD PROPERTY WHERE THERE COULD BE OPPORTUNITY FOR MULTIFAMILY OR MIXED USE DEVELOPMENT, I THINK IS SOMETHING OF VALUE. AND I THINK A CONVERSATION THAT WE COULD CONTINUE TO HAVE, WHETHER IT'S RELATING TO SOME OF THE SCHOOLS THAT TO BE SOLD AND OR CLOSED, OR ARE THERE PARCELS OR COMMERCIAL SPACES AROUND SOME OF YOUR SCHOOLS WHERE YOU THINK IT'S RIPE FOR MULTIFAMILY DEVELOPMENT? THANK YOU CHAIR. THANK YOU, COUNCILOR MCCOY. THAT'S A GREAT POINT.

AND ONE THING I'LL ADD, I'M JUST GOING TO THROW THIS OUT. I'VE BEEN THINKING ABOUT THIS. IT'S KIND OF A CRAZY IDEA, BUT IF YOU ALL FOR THAT APRIL CONVERSATION, SINCE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HOW WE COULD REALLY BE HELPFUL, ONE THING I KNOW, AT LEAST FROM MY WORK WITH EDGEWOOD, IS THAT BUS DRIVERS IN GETTING TRANSPORTATION IS REALLY DIFFICULT FOR THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS.

SO WHAT WOULD IT LOOK LIKE FOR US TO HAVE, LIKE, A CITY WIDE TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM THAT YOU COULD BUY SERVICES FROM, AND WHETHER SOMETHING LIKE THAT WOULD ACTUALLY EVEN BE HELPFUL FOR THE SUPERINTENDENTS.

IF YOU ALL WANT TO, YOU CAN REALLY QUICKLY ANSWER OR YOU CAN BRING THAT BACK IN.

YES, THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL. YOU KNOW, TO ELABORATE A LITTLE BIT, WE'VE HAD CONVERSATIONS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT WOULD THE PARTNERSHIP PARTICULARLY WITH LIKE VIA LOOK LIKE? PARTICULARLY WITH SOME OF OUR AREAS THAT THE STUDENTS MAY LIVE WITHIN THE WALKOUT RANGE.

AND SO BECAUSE THERE ARE OBVIOUSLY SOME SAFETY CONCERNS I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE CHALLENGES THAT WE'VE ENCOUNTERED ARE JUST THE LOGISTICS AND HOW DO YOU ATTAIN THOSE EFFICIENCIES AND ALMOST IN A GUARANTEED RIDERSHIP.

WHICH I COMPLETELY UNDERSTAND. WE WORK REALLY HARD FROM A ROUTING STANDPOINT TO MAKE SURE WE'RE NOT DRIVING EMPTY BUSSES THROUGHOUT COMMUNITIES.

[01:55:06]

BUT YES, I THINK ABSOLUTELY. I THINK THAT THAT IS A VERY WARRANTED CONVERSATION.

THAT WOULD HOPEFULLY BENEFIT ALL ENTITIES INVOLVED.

AND I WOULD ADD TO THAT, HAVING BEEN A CHOICE DISTRICT AND WE PROVIDE TRANSPORTATION, IT IS VERY EXPENSIVE.

SO BECAUSE WE HAVE TO DO BUDGET CUTS, IT'S HARD TO TAKE SERVICES THAT PEOPLE ARE EXPECTING.

BUT IT IS BECOMING REALLY VERY, VERY DIFFICULT TO CONTINUE BEING A CHOICE DISTRICT IF WE HAVE TO PROVIDE TRANSPORTATION.

IN TERMS OF OF YOUR QUESTION ABOUT COMMUNICATION, I WILL TELL YOU, HAVING WORKED IN FOUR DIFFERENT CITIES, THIS IS MY FIFTH CITY. I INDIVIDUALLY, I'VE NEVER SEEN A CITY COUNCIL SO INVOLVED INDIVIDUALLY AS A BODY, AS A CITY. YOU KNOW, I DON'T I DON'T SEE THAT.

LIKE, I'M TELLING YOU, I LEARNED THINGS THAT THE CITY WAS CONSIDERING ON THE EXPRESS NEWS, AND I GET CALLED FROM MY BOARD, LIKE, HAS THE CITY TALKED TO YOU? LIKE. NO. SO IT PUT ME IN VERY CHALLENGING SITUATION IN TERMS OF OF THAT.

AND I WILL TELL YOU, TO BE HONEST, I WAS MY KIDS ARE YOUR KIDS.

THEY'RE NOT JUST MINE. THEY'RE YOUR KIDS. AND A CITY IS AS GOOD AS ITS PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

WHEN WE HAD THE HVAC COLLAPSE, I WAS EXPECTING AT LEAST THE CITY TO PICK UP THE PHONE AND TELL ME WE HAVE SOME HVAC TECHNICIANS LIKE MY COLLEAGUES. THE OTHER SUPERINTENDENTS DID BECAUSE I WAS IN A CRISIS AND I DIDN'T HAVE.

AND EVEN IF YOU DIDN'T HAVE JUST THE REACH OUT BECAUSE IT WAS OUR KIDS WHO SPENT THREE DAYS AT HOME.

IT WAS OUR PARENTS WHO COULDN'T GO, WHO COULDN'T GO TO WORK.

SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I'M ASKING AS A BODY, HOW CAN WE HAVE BETTER BETTER COMMUNICATION AND COUNCILWOMAN WHEN YOU DESCRIBE WHEN YOU WENT TO VISIT THE SCHOOL OF WHAT YOU SAW AND IT DOESN'T REFLECT IT IN THE ACCOUNTABILITY SYSTEM.

AND I HAD WHEN I WAS IN NEW YORK CITY, I SUPERVISED THE WEALTHIEST SCHOOLS, PUBLIC SCHOOL IN THE NATION AND THE UPPER EAST SIDE, BUT ALSO SUPERVISED THE POOREST PUBLIC SCHOOLS IN THE NATION IN THE SOUTH BRONX, ONE OF THE POOREST COUNTY IN THE NATION.

AND I CAN TELL YOU, I USED TO TELL THE STAFF AND THE UPPER EAST SIDE, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE JUST GETTING THE RESULTS BECAUSE OF YOUR POPULATION. BECAUSE I'VE SEEN BETTER TEACHING IN THE SOUTH BRONX.

AND LIKE YOU SAID, IF I MOVE THEM, WILL WE WILL WE GET THE RESULTS? AND I'M REALLY BIG ON ACCOUNTABILITY, BUT ON AN INTELLIGENT ACCOUNTABILITY SYSTEM, WHICH IS NOT WHAT WHICH IS NOT WHAT WE HAVE WHEN OUR ELEMENTARY ELEMENTARY, WE JUST WITH ONE TEST AND THE KIDS CAN FEEL BAD.

AND I'LL LEAVE YOU WITH THIS. THIS IS MY 40TH YEAR IN PUBLIC EDUCATION.

I'VE NEVER SEEN IT AS BAD AS I'M SEEING IT TODAY.

AND I HAVE ONE OF MY PRINCIPAL OF SAM HOUSTON HIGH SCHOOL, THE EAST SIDE, WHICH HE TRANSFORMED, AND SHE TELLS THE STORY ABOUT. SHE HAD TO ATTEND MANY FUNERALS OF STUDENTS AND FORMER STUDENTS.

BUT FOR THE FIRST TIME TWO YEARS AGO, SHE WAS ACTUALLY ASKED TO SPEAK IN THE FUNERAL.

AND SHE TELLS THE STORY THAT SHE'S TALKING AND SHE'S LOOKING AT THE COFFIN.

THIS KID WAS KILLED BECAUSE OF GUN VIOLENCE. AND SHE'S THINKING THAT I, AS YOUR PRINCIPAL, DO EVERYTHING POSSIBLE TO PREVENT YOU TO BE LAYING IN THAT COFFIN TODAY.

AND PROBABLY THE ANSWER WAS NOT ENOUGH, BUT NOT BECAUSE SHE DIDN'T HAVE THE SKILLS OR THE WILL, BUT BECAUSE OF THE LIMITED RESOURCES THAT THAT WE FIND OURSELVES.

AND NO PRINCIPAL SHOULD BE IN IN THAT PIECE. WE AND THE LAST POINT ON THE ACCOUNTABILITY SYSTEM.

LAST YEAR, WE PREVENTED FOUR ATTEMPTS OF SUICIDE IN OUR CAMPUSES.

FOR THE YOUNGEST WAS AN EIGHT YEAR OLD BOY AND ONE OF THE MIDDLE SCHOOL AT RATED F.

YOU ASKED THE MOTHER, WHAT DOES SHE THINK ABOUT THE SCHOOL? SHE SAID AN A+ COULD A SAFER LITTLE BOY. AND I CARE ABOUT STUDENTS BEING ABLE TO READ MATHEMATICIAN, CRITICAL THINKERS, SCIENTISTS OR MUSICIANS. BUT WE FIRST NEED THEM TO BE ALIVE.

[02:00:05]

AND I DON'T THINK OUR CHILDREN ARE DOING WELL UNFORTUNATELY.

AND WE ASK FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT IN MAKING SURE THAT ALL OF OUR KIDS HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SIT AROUND THIS TABLE AND BE YOU OR BETTER THAN US. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH, DOCTOR YOU KNOW,.

ON THAT NOTE, I THINK WE'LL WRAP THE COMMITTEE AT 12:03 P.M..

EDUCATION COMMITTEE IS OFFICIALLY ADJOURNED. THANK YOU ALL.

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.