Spring Branch ISD Featured News

Agenda
Video

Opening Remarks

Dr. Muri reminded the public of the remaining Legislative Town Halls, where he and Trustees will talk about the latest from the Texas Legislature.
Schedule

Character Without Question

Trustees recognized the 51 SBISD students selected as having Character Without Question. Students are chosen through a nomination and interview process based on a long-term commitment to honesty and integrity, responsibility and dependability, respect, perseverance and effort, courage, caring and kindness, and citizenship and civic virtue.
Photo Gallery 1
Photo Gallery 2
Event Program
News Story (with list of recipients)

Joint Public Hearing on Texas Academic Performance Report

Trustees conducted a joint public hearing with the District Improvement Team (DIT) on the 2017-18 Texas Academic Performance Report (TAPR), with a presentation by Executive Director for Assessment and Compliance Keith Haffey. Trustee Karen Peck noted that TAPR is driven by the STAAR and mentioned a recent Texas Monthly article that pointed out problems with the state accountability exam, most notably in reading passages that have been found to be two-grade levels above the grade being tested. Trustee Chris Vierra said that she was troubled that any child had been told that they were behind in learning because of a faulty exam. There were no public comments.
TAPR Presentation
Texas Monthly article

Adoption of Policy

Trustees unanimously approved on third reading board policy FNA (Local) Student Rights and Responsibilities, Student Expression. Policy Liaison Karen Peck said that no amendments had been received.
FNA (Local) Student Rights and Responsibilities, Student Expression

2019-20 Enrollment Projections

Trustees unanimously approved enrollment projections for the 2019-20 school year. The projections were presented at the Feb. 11 workshop meeting.
Enrollment Projection Presentation from Feb. 11

Resolution Authorizing the Redemption of Bonds

Trustees unanimously approved a resolution authorizing the district to redeem a series of variable rate bonds from the 2007 bond program. Associate Superintendent for Finance Karen Wilson said that $5 million in variable rate bonds will be paid off this year.
Resolution

Resolution Authorizing the Defeasance of Bonds

Trustees also unanimously approved a resolution authorizing the district to defease, or basically pay off, nearly $20 million in bonds from the 2007 bond program. Wilson said that taken together with the redemption of some variable bonds (see above) that the district will pay off nearly $25 million in debt this year, saving nearly $3 million in interest.
Resolution

Consent Agenda

Trustees unanimously approved the consent agenda, a group of agenda items considered routine and that are considered as a whole. Trustees have the privilege to remove items from the consent agenda for individual consideration. No items were pulled.
Consent Agenda

Report on Public Comments on Potential DoI Exemptions

Trustees heard a report on public comments about several potential District of Innovation exemptions that would “deepen the pool” for instructors in Career and Technical Education (CTE), dual credit and special education. Executive Director of Student Support Services Lance Stallworth said that 251 parents, community members and staff provided comment on SBISD’s District of Innovation webpage, with 67 percent supporting the exemptions, 18 percent opposing the exemptions and 15 percent asking questions or providing recommendations.
DOI Exemption Comments Presentation
 

Educational Technology Update

Trustees heard an update on educational technology from Director of Educational Technology Stephanie Sandifer, who said that SBISD educational technology supports instruction through the “big buckets” of transformative technology integration, professional learning, technology applications, computer science and virtual school. She said that technology doesn’t replace classroom instruction but augments it and that SBISD is “future ready” with integrated technology.
Educational Technology Presentation

Closing Remarks

Dr. Muri told Trustees that he had learned that day (Feb. 25) that the Verizon Foundation had committed $1.6 million to continue the Verizon Innovative Learning Schools (VILS) program at Northbrook Middle School, YES Prep Northbrook Middle School and Spring Woods Middle School.

The next meeting of the SBISD Board of Trustees is a workshop on Monday, March 4, 2018, at 6 p.m. at the Wayne F. Schaper Sr. Leadership Center, 955 Campbell, 77024.