Oct 07, 2026 Board Meetings

[00:00:01]

GOOD EVENING

[1. Call to Order]

REED, AND OUR BOARD NORMS WILL BE READ BY MS. HORN. PLEASE STAND WITH ME. HEAVENLY FATHER, WE COME BEFORE YOU TONIGHT WITH GRATEFUL HEARTS, THANKFUL FOR THE OPPORTUNITY AND RESPONSIBILITY TO SERVE OUR STUDENTS, FAMILIES, TEACHERS, STAFF, AND COMMUNITY. LORD, WE RECOGNIZE THAT THE DECISIONS BEFORE US ARE NOT ALWAYS EASY.

THERE ARE TIMES WHEN OPINIONS DIFFER, EMOTIONS RUN HIGH, AND THE PATH FORWARD IS NOT ALWAYS CLEAR. TONIGHT WE ASK FOR YOUR WISDOM, GUIDANCE, AND GRACE AS WE NAVIGATE THESE DIFFICULT CONVERSATIONS AND DECISIONS. AND REMIND US, LORD, THAT WE CAN DISAGREE WITHOUT BEING DIVIDED, THAT WE CAN STAND FIRM IN OUR CONVICTIONS WHILE STILL SHOWING KINDNESS AND RESPECT, AND THAT WE CAN LISTEN TO UNDERSTAND RATHER THAN SIMPLY LISTEN TO RESPOND. HELP US TO SET ASIDE PERSONAL AGENDAS, PRIDE, AND FRUSTRATION. GIVE US THE HUMILITY TO RECOGNIZE THAT NO ONE PERSON HAS ALL THE ANSWERS AND THE COURAGE TO DO WHAT IS RIGHT, EVEN WHEN DOING SO IS DIFFICULT. FATHER, WE ASK THAT YOU BRING US PEACE AND UNITY, NOT ONLY TO THIS BOARD, BUT TO OUR COMMUNITY. WHERE THERE IS FRUSTRATION, BRING UNDERSTANDING, AND WHERE THERE IS DISTRUST, PLEASE HELP US TO REBUILD TRUST. WHERE THERE IS DIVISION, REMIND US THAT THE COMMON PURPOSE THAT BROUGHT US ALL HERE TODAY IS THE WELL-BEING, EDUCATION, AND FUTURE OF EVERY CHILD ENTRUSTED TO OUR CARE. MAY OUR WORDS TONIGHT BE THOUGHTFUL, OUR HEARTS BE OPEN, AND OUR DECISIONS BE GUIDED BY INTEGRITY, WISDOM, AND A GENUINE DESIRE TO SERVE.

ABOVE ALL, REMIND US THAT LEADERSHIP IS NOT ABOUT WINNING AN ARGUMENT OR PROVING A POINT. IT'S ABOUT SERVING OTHERS, MAKING DIFFICULT DECISIONS WITH GRACE, AND LEAVING THE DISTRICT BETTER THAN WE FOUND IT. WE ASK YOUR HAND UPON THIS MEETING, THIS BOARD, AND THIS ENTIRE MISD COMMUNITY.

IN YOUR HOLY NAME WE PRAY.

AMEN. OUR WE GOVERN NORMS ARE W, WORK AHEAD, WORK AHEAD TO HONOR EACH OTHER'S TIME BY READING OUR MATERIALS, KEEPING OUR COMMENTS BRIEF, AND AVOIDING REPEATING POINTS THAT HAVE ALREADY BEEN MADE. E IS FOR EVIDENCE-BASED DECISIONS, USING OBJECTIVE DATA AND FACTS RATHER THAN PERSONAL AGENDAS OR NEIGHBORHOOD RUMORS. G IS FOR GOALS AND POLICIES MADE AT A HIGH LEVEL AND TRUST THE SUPERINTENDENT TO HANDLE THE DAY-TO-DAY OPERATIONS. O IS FOR OFFER POSITIVITY ABOUT OUR DISTRICT, STAFF, AND FELLOW BOARD MEMBERS WHEN WE ARE OUT IN THE COMMUNITY. V IS VOTE FOR STUDENTS, WHICH IS VOTES AND DISCUSSIONS WITH STUDENTS, SUCCESS, AND WELL-BEING AT THE HEART OF EVERY CONVERSATION. E IS FOR THE EFFORT TO STAND BEHIND THE BOARD'S FINAL DECISION IN PUBLIC, REGARDLESS OF HOW WE INDIVIDUALLY VOTED IN THE MEETING. R IS RESPECTFUL LISTENING TO ONE ANOTHER WITH GENUINE CURIOSITY, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE HAVE DIFFERENT POINTS OF VIEW AND MAKE, AND NOT MAKE DISAGREEMENTS PERSONAL. AND THEN LAST IS N, NEVER SHARE SENSITIVE DETAILS ABOUT STAFF, STUDENTS, OR LEGAL MATTERS WITH ANYONE OUTSIDE OF OUR CLOSED SESSION. ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU, THREE TRUSTEES. THAT MOVES US TO ITEM NUMBER FOUR,

[4. Public Comments]

EACH SPEAKER SHOULD ADDRESS THE BOARD FROM THE PODIUM MICROPHONE AND STATE HIS OR HER NAME BEFORE SPEAKING. ALL SPEAKERS WILL BE LIMITED TO THREE MINUTES TO MAKE COMMENTS REGARDING ITEMS ON THE AGENDA UNLESS MODIFIED BY THE BOARD PRESIDENT BASED ON BOARD POLICY BED LOCAL.

COPIES OF PRESENTATIONS SHOULD BE MADE AVAILABLE TO ALL TRUSTEES AND THE SUPERINTENDENT. BOARD POLICY PROHIBITS THE DISCUSSION OF COMPLAINTS AGAINST DISTRICT EMPLOYEES DURING AN OPEN FORUM. ALL RIGHT, WITH THAT BEING SAID, GIVEN THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE MAKING COMMENTS, I'M GOING TO ASK, CALL PEOPLE UP THREE AT A TIME AND ASK THAT ALL THREE KIND

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AND THE FIRST THREE NAMES THAT I'M GOING TO CALL ARE MS. COURTNEY LACKEY WILSON. KERRY GONZALEZ AND RAUL GONZALEZ.

OKAY. YES, COURTNEY LACKEY WILSON 310 SOUTH SECOND AVENUE IN MANSFIELD. GOOD EVENING, DR. SPENCER AND MEMBERS OF THE BOARD.

FOR THOSE THAT DON'T KNOW, I SERVED ON THIS VERY BOARD FOR FIFTEEN YEARS. I WOULD LIKE TO START WITH FIRST MAKING A CORRECTION TO A SMALL PIECE OF DATA IN REGARDS TO ME. I AM ONE OF THOSE DOTS YOU SHOW ON YOUR MAP IN STATING THIS IS WHERE TRUSTEES HAVE LIVED WHILE SERVING. I ONLY LIVED IN MANSFIELD HIGH SCHOOL ZONE FOR THE FIRST TERM THAT ENDED IN 2014. AND FROM THERE, I HAVE LIVED IN THREE OTHER HIGH SCHOOL ZONES, WITH THE MOST RECENT BEING LEGACY HIGH SCHOOL, BASICALLY SERVING FROM FOUR OUT OF THE FIVE ZONES DURING EACH TERM. WHILE SERVING ON THE BOARD, I ALSO WORKED FOR A NEIGHBORING DISTRICT. I'VE BEEN ON THE BALLOT ABOUT TWELVE TIMES, LOSING TWICE, RUNNING UNOPPOSED TWICE, AND WITHSTANDING SEVERAL RUNOFFS. EACH AND EVERY ONE OF MY OPPONENTS GAVE IT A GOOD AND FAIR RUN, BUT THEY TOO, LIKE MYSELF, CAME FROM AREAS ACROSS THE DISTRICT. I SAY ALL THIS BECAUSE NEVER DID THE THOUGHT CROSS MY MIND THAT I SURE WISH I COULD ONLY SERVE SIX THOUSAND STUDENTS AND THEIR FAMILIES INSTEAD OF THIRTY-SIX THOUSAND. YOU SEE, WE APPARENTLY NEED A REMINDER RIGHT NOW THAT WE ARE IN THE BUSINESS OF EDUCATION AND PREPARING OUR NEXT GENERATIONS. WHILE SERVING, I'VE WORKED ALONGSIDE TWENTY-ONE OTHER TRUSTEES. IF YOU TAKE THE SIX OF YOU OUT OF THAT EQUATION, THAT LEAVES FIFTEEN THAT ARE NOT ME OR YOU TO SEEK GUIDANCE FROM. LET'S CALL IT WHAT IT TRULY IS, EDUCATION. HOW MANY TRUSTEES HAVE EACH OF YOU REACHED OUT TO? HOW MANY SUPERINTENDENTS HAVE YOU REACHED OUT TO? I HAVE ALWAYS WORKED WITH AND FOR STAFF AND TRUSTEES WHO TOOK PRIDE IN LEARNING MORE AND LEARNING FROM OTHERS. I THINK THAT IS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT HAS ME SO TAKEN BACK BY THIS BOARD'S ACTIONS. NOT ONLY DO YOU CONTINUE TO GO AGAINST YOUR PROMISE OF BEING GOOD STEWARDS OF TAXPAYERS' DOLLARS, BUT YOU CONTINUE TO DO AS YOU PLEASE AND WHAT PLEASES YOU INSTEAD OF WHAT IT SHOULD BE, AND THAT IS WHAT IS BEST FOR THE DISTRICT AS A WHOLE. I KNOW BETTER THAN ANYONE THAT YOU CANNOT PLEASE ALL THE PEOPLE ALL THE TIME, BUT YOU ARE EITHER CHOOSING TO TURN YOUR BACK TO THE MAJORITY OF THE PEOPLE AND THEIR WISHES FOR OUR COMMUNITY, OR YOU ARE COMPLETELY DISCONNECTED WITH WHAT THE TRUTH IS. YOU HAVE A TRUSTEE THAT WORKS IN THE INDUSTRY AND SERVES WITH YOU NOW, AND YOU'RE TAKING NO CONSIDERATION WHAT HE HAS ACTUAL WORKING KNOWLEDGE OF.

IN FACT, YOU AND YOUR ARROGANCE THINK SO LITTLE OF DR. JESSE CANNON II THAT YOU PLANNED A MEETING HE COULD NOT ATTEND.

YOU HELD TOWN HALLS THAT YOU CHOSE TO WRITE THE OUTCOME OF AND WERE NOWHERE CLOSE.

JUST THREE OF YOU WROTE A SURVEY, AND THAT IN ITSELF IS A NO-NO, BUT YOU WROTE A SURVEY AND AGAIN CHOSE WHAT THE OUTCOME SAID. IT IS SO DISHEARTENING WATCHING WHAT IS HAPPENING. YOU FORGET I'VE SAT IN THE BOARDROOM WITH YOU, AND I KNOW ALL TOO WELL WHERE THIS IS GOING. SO AS I, AS I SUSPECT THE PLAN IS, WHEN YOU GO TO CLOSED SESSION TONIGHT, PLEASE TAKE. OKAY. THANK YOU.

JUST LIKE IT WAS. TIME'S UP.

OKAY. THANK YOU. CAN I WRAP THE LAST UP? NEXT TO KERRY GONZALEZ, RAUL GONZALEZ, AND I FORGOT TO MENTION ARLINGTON.

HI, Y'ALL. MY NAME'S KERRY GONZALEZ, 2211 WOODMONT COURT, ARLINGTON, IN THE SUMMIT THEATER PATTERN. FORMER PARENT, STILL INVOLVED, TAXPAYER. THE SURVEY IS WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO ADDRESS. I APPRECIATE YOU ALL BEING HERE, ESPECIALLY THE ADMINISTRATION, THIS, AND SPECIAL BOARD MEETING.

THAT SURVEY WENT OUT TO, I BELIEVE, IT'S, IT'S STILL MAYBE A LITTLE BIT UP IN THE AIR, BUT MOSTLY PARENTS THAT HAVE STUDENTS STILL IN THE DISTRICT OR MAYBE THOSE WHO HAVE JUST MATRICULATED OUT. THOSE OF US WHO ARE JUST TAXPAYERS NOW THE VAST MAJORITY OF OUR PROPERTY TAXES GOES TO MANSFIELD ISD, AND WE WANT STUDENTS FIRST. WE HAVE SERVED IN THIS DISTRICT MS. MS. LACKEY WILSON SAID, WITH MANY, MANY SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS. WE KNOW OUR ELECTIONS WORK BECAUSE MANY OF YOU TOOK OUT, WE HAD THREE INCUMBENTS THAT LOST THEIR ELECTIONS BY LARGE MARGINS. ELECTIONS WORK. OUR AT-LARGE SYSTEM IS WORKING. I WON'T TAKE A WHOLE

[00:10:02]

BUT PLEASE LISTEN TO THE COMMUNITY. WE NEED TO BE UNITED AND NOT DIVIDED, AND OUR AT-LARGE SYSTEM HAS WORKED VERY WELL. AGAIN, PEOPLE DO COME AND GO, AND VERY SMALL PERCENTAGES OF OUR VOTING POPULATION WEIGH IN ON OUR SCHOOL BOARD ELECTIONS.

IT'S DIFFICULT TO GET PEOPLE TO WEIGH IN ON AN ELECTION, IT'S DIFFICULT TO GET PEOPLE TO RUN, SO THANK YOU FOR DOING THAT. I APPRECIATE IT, AND I HOPE YOU GUYS LISTEN TO THE ENTIRETY OF OUR COMMUNITY. THANKS SO MUCH. THANK YOU. SO AFTER COUNCILMAN GONZALEZ WILL HAVE SIERRA HAYNES, ANITA MOORE, AND TERRY MOORE. SIERRA HAYNES OF MANSFIELD, ANITA MOORE OF MANSFIELD, AND TERRY MOORE OF MANSFIELD. GOOD AFTERNOON, OR GOOD EVENING. I'M HERE AS A CITIZEN, NOT AS A CITY COUNCILMAN. I SERVED ON THE BOARD FOR TEN YEARS. I'M REALLY KIND OF DISAPPOINTED IN WHAT'S HAPPENING. I FEEL LIKE IT'S THE SAME MOVIE, BUT DIFFERENT ACTORS. YOU KNOW, MANY OF YOU TOOK THE PLEDGE TO NOT, TO LISTEN TO THE INDIVIDUALS, THE PEOPLE THAT ARE OUT THERE, AND I FEEL LIKE YOU'RE, YOU'RE JUST NOT LISTENING AND NOT FOLLOWING ON YOUR PROMISES. SO REMEMBER, THERE ARE ELECTIONS, AND THEY DO MATTER. I'M GONNA TALK ABOUT THE SURVEY THAT'S HERE, AND, YOU KNOW, THE SURVEY THAT Y'ALL ARE USING THAT SAYS THAT THEY'RE ASKING FOR SINGLE DISTRICT. MEMBERS, BUT WHEN YOU READ THE SURVEY THAT YOU ALL PUT TOGETHER, IT SAYS THE ROLE OF THE BOARD GOVERNANCE, AND YOU'RE ASKING QUESTIONS ABOUT THE BOARD, NOT ABOUT HOW THE SYSTEM WORKS.

AND ACCORDING TO ALL THESE, IT SAYS, YOU KNOW, THE BOARD MAKES IT CLEAR PRIMARY ROLES GOVERNING THE DISTRICT. MEAN, ONLY FORTY-EIGHT PERCENT AGREE.

THAT MEANS THE OTHER ONES DO NOT AGREE. THE BOARD WORKS EFFECTIVELY WITH THE SUPERINTENDENT TO LEAD THE DISTRICT, FORTY-SIX PERCENT. THE ONLY GREEN IS THE PROCESS FOR RUNNING FOR THE SCHOOL BOARD IS ACCESSIBLE TO COMMUNITY MEMBERS, WHICH IS SEVENTY PERCENT.

BUT IF YOU LOOK AT ALL THE STRONGLY AGREE, THEY'RE ALL IN THEIR FORTIES AND THIRTIES.

SO THAT BASICALLY MEANS THAT SOME OF YOU ARE NOT DOING YOUR JOB.

YOU'RE NOT GOING TO THE SCHOOLS. IF YOU FEEL LIKE SOME SCHOOLS ARE NOT BEING REPRESENTED, YOU NEED TO GO TO THOSE SCHOOLS. I WOULD ALWAYS GO TO THE SCHOOLS WHERE PEOPLE DIDN'T GO. I WENT TO GIDEON, I WENT TO D.P. MORRIS, I WENT TO KENNETH DAVIS, I WENT TO THOSE SCHOOLS. AND I STILL CONTINUE AS A CITY COUNCILMAN, AS A CITIZEN, GOING TO THOSE SCHOOLS. I JUST CAME BACK FROM D.P. MORRIS. I'VE BEEN TO HOLT. AND, AND THEY, A LOT OF THESE SCHOOLS TELL ME THEY DO NOT SEE YOU THERE.

TIMBERVIEW IS ONE OF THOSE.

YOU GUYS HAVE GOT TO STEP IT UP. I MEAN, CHANGING THE WAY THINGS WORK IS NOT GOING TO CHANGE OUTCOME. YOU GUYS HAVE TO CHANGE THE OUTCOME, BECAUSE YOU GUYS ARE THE ONES THAT MAKE A DIFFERENCE. YOU KNOW THE BOARD HOLDS ITSELF ACCOUNTABLE FOR ITS DECISIONS AND ACTIONS MEET THIRTY-SEVEN PERCENT.

THAT'S LOW. THAT'S EMBARRASSING. AND WHEN YOU LOOK AT THIS, THIS METRIC, YOU SHOULD HAVE SOME GREENS OVER HERE, AND THERE'S NO GREENS. I MEAN, WE HAD A MATRIX WHERE WE PUT THIS TOGETHER. OUR GOAL IS TO MAKE THESE ALL AS HIGH AS POSSIBLE. I'D BE EMBARRASSED TO BE ON THE BOARD TO SEE THIS. AND IF YOU SAW THIS, YOU SEE ALL THIS RED THAT'S ON HERE, IT'S INCREDIBLE. SO I JUST BEG THAT YOU PLEASE LISTEN TO THE PEOPLE. DON'T THINK YOU KNOW MORE THAN EVERYBODY ELSE.

AND YOU KNOW WHAT? IF, IF A COUNCIL MEMBER CALLS YOU OR TALKS TO YOU, BE RESPECTFUL.

DON'T BE RUDE AND, AND TALK. I JUST CAN'T BELIEVE HOW SOME OF YOU HAVE, WHEN I'VE REACHED OUT, HOW I'VE BEEN TREATED.

YOU KNOW, AND WHEN YOU'RE AROUND IN OTHER CITIES, REMEMBER, WE'RE ELECTED OFFICIALS. WE'RE NO DIFFERENT THAN ANYBODY ELSE IN THIS ROOM. WE ARE PUBLIC SERVANTS. YEAH, WE MIGHT, YOU ALL MIGHT HAVE A NAME TAG OR WHATEVER, BUT WHEN YOU GO ANYWHERE IN PUBLIC, ACT LIKE A PUBLIC SERVANT. DON'T ACT LIKE YOU'RE RUNNING THE PLACE BEING KING. YOU GOTTA BE LIKE THE REST OF US. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU. SIERRA HAYNES. GOOD EVENING, DR. SPENCER, PRESIDENT CRUTCHFIELD, AND MEMBERS OF THE BOARD. I AM A MANSFIELD ISD PARENT, A FORMER MIDDLE SCHOOL AND HIGH SCHOOL EDUCATOR, A CPA, AND A MEMBER OF THE MANSFIELD FINANCIAL FUTURE COMMITTEE. I WANT TO MAKE MY POSITION VERY CLEAR. I AM NOT FOR OR AGAINST SINGLE-MEMBER DISTRICTS AT THIS POINT. I'M AGAINST MOVING FORWARD WITH THEM RIGHT NOW BECAUSE I DO NOT BELIEVE SMDS ARE A FINANCIAL PRIORITY WHEN THIS DISTRICT IS SIMULTANEOUSLY TRYING TO ADDRESS A TWENTY MILLION DOLLAR DEFICIT. I ALSO WANT TO MAKE IT VERY CLEAR THAT THIS DEFICIT IS NOT UNIQUE TO MANSFIELD ISD.

DISTRICTS ACROSS TEXAS ARE FACING SIGNIFICANT FINANCIAL CHALLENGES BECAUSE OF THE STATE'S CONTINUED WILLFUL AND INTENTIONAL UNDERFUNDING OF PUBLIC EDUCATION. THAT MAKES THE DECISIONS WE MAKE WITH THE MONEY WE DO HAVE EVEN MORE IMPORTANT. I VOLUNTEERED FOR THE COMMITTEE BECAUSE I BELIEVE MY PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE COULD HELP IDENTIFY WAYS TO REDUCE SPENDING WHILE PROTECTING THE QUALITY EDUCATION OUR CHILDREN RECEIVE.

APPROXIMATELY 100 COMMUNITY MEMBERS ARE GIVING THEIR TIME TO THIS EFFORT, AND RECOMMENDATIONS ARE BEING, WE ARE BEING ASKED TO MAKE HAVE REAL CONSEQUENCES.

PEOPLE COULD LOSE THEIR JOBS, NEEDED POSITIONS COULD GO UNFILLED, CLASS SIZES COULD INCREASE, PROGRAMS THAT BENEFIT OUR CHILDREN COULD BE REDUCED OR ELIMINATED. THOSE ARE REAL CONSEQUENCES. SO I HAVE A HARD

[00:15:02]

THOSE ARE NOT ABSTRACT ISSUES.

THEY DIRECTLY AFFECT OUR STUDENTS, OUR FUNDING, COLLEGE READINESS, AND THE GOALS OF VISION 2030. SMDS DO NOT. IF A SCHOOL NEEDS ATTENTION, GO THERE. WHEN WE, WE DON'T NEED A NEW POLITICAL STRUCTURE TO DO SOMETHING OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS ALREADY HAVE THE ABILITY AND QUITE FRANKLY, THE RESPONSIBILITY TO DO. AND THIS BRINGS ME TO THE JULY 28TH BOARD MEETING. MS. HORN, YOU SPOKE ABOUT TRANSPARENCY, ACCOUNTABILITY, AND RESPONSIBLE STEWARDSHIP.

YOU SAID THE BOARD IS COMMITTED TO THE RESPONSIBLE STEWARDSHIP OF EVERY DOLLAR THIS COMMUNITY ENTRUSTED US, AND I AGREE WITH YOU. BUT RESPONSIBLE STEWARDSHIP REQUIRES CONSISTENCY AND HONESTY, AND I WILL BE HONEST, I'M FINDING IT VERY DIFFICULT TO RECONCILE YOUR STATEMENTS ON THAT DAY WITH HOW YOU'RE MOVING TODAY.

THAT EVENING, YOU CHASTISED THE COMMUNITY OVER THIRTY-TWO THOUSAND THREE HUNDRED NINETY-ONE DOLLARS AND FIFTY CENTS SPENT IN LEGAL FEES RELATED TO ALLEGATIONS BROUGHT BY COMMUNITY MEMBERS. YOU SAID THOSE EXPENSES REQUIRE REAL STAFF TIME, AND THOSE FUNDS WERE DIVERTED AWAY FROM EDUCATING OUR STUDENTS FOR WHAT YOU CHARACTERIZE AS UNNECESSARY EXPENSES. AND IF THAT IS UNNECESSARY EXPENDITURE BECAUSE IT TAKES AWAY RESOURCES FROM EDUCATING OUR STUDENTS, HOW DO YOU JUSTIFY A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS PLUS FOR SOMETHING THAT IS NOT IMMEDIATE EDUCATIONAL FINANCIAL PRIORITY? THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS.

MS. MOORE. GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS ANITA MOORE. I LIVE AT THREE MORNINGSIDE COURT IN MANSFIELD, THE EVIL EMPIRE.

GOOD EVENING, SUPERINTENDENT SPENCER, MADAM BOARD PRESIDENT AND BOARD MEMBERS. I COME TO SPEAK TO YOU TODAY REGARDING THE DISCUSSION THAT WE'RE ALL, IT'S THE ONLY THING ON YOUR AGENDA TONIGHT. IT IS UNFORTUNATE THAT A FULL AND COMPLETE BOARD IS NOT PRESENT, AND IT WAS KNOWN IN, YOU, YOU SCHEDULED THE BOARD MEETING, YOU KNEW THE SCHEDULE OF ALL THE BOARD MEMBERS, BUT YET SOMEONE IS NOT HERE. I, ALONG WITH MANY OTHERS, ATTENDED THE COMMUNITY TOWN HALL MEETINGS. IT'S ON SEPTEMBER TWENTY-NINTH, THIRTIETH, OCTOBER FIRST, I DID NOT ATTEND. AT THE SEPTEMBER TWENTY-NINTH MEETING, WE WERE TOLD BY THE SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS THAT ATTENDANCE THAT ANSWERS TO OUR WRITTEN QUESTIONS WOULD BE PUBLISHED ON THE MANSFIELD ISD WEBSITE.

WE WERE TOLD AGAIN ON THE COMMUNITY TOWN HALL ON SEPTEMBER THIRTIETH, AND I WAS TOLD THAT THAT SAME QUESTION WAS ASKED ON OCTOBER FIRST. AS OF TODAY, OCTOBER SEVENTH, NO SUCH UPDATE HAS BEEN PUBLISHED ON THE MANSFIELD ISD WEBSITE.

IN ADDITION, IT WAS NOTED THAT AT ALL THREE COMMUNITY TOWN HALL MEETINGS, THE MAP WAS INCORRECT. EXCUSE ME. THE MAP REFLECTED WHERE THE SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS RESIDE TODAY, NOT AT THE TIME THEY SERVED UP ON THE SCHOOL, THEY SERVED ON THE SCHOOL BOARD. AS OF TODAY, THE MAP HAS BEEN UPDATED.

HOWEVER, IT DOESN'T REFLECT WHAT THE STUDENT POPULATION OR THE DEMOGRAPHICS WERE WERE AT THE TIME THE SCHOOL, SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS SERVED.

IT ONLY SHOWS IT AS OF TODAY.

TO STATE AN ABSOLUTE PERCENT STUDENT PERCENTAGE TODAY AND NOT DURING THE TEN YEAR PERIOD IS MISLEADING AT BEST. INSTEAD OF PROVIDING ANSWERS AS PROMISED TO THE COMMUNITY, A SYNOPSIS WAS PUBLISHED ON MONDAY, OCTOBER FIFTH AT FOUR THIRTY PM AS AN ATTACHMENT TO YOUR AGENDA. EIGHT QUESTIONS OUT OF THREE DAYS OF PUBLIC QUESTIONING WERE PUBLISHED.

ONLY EIGHT. IN ADDITION, THE COMMENTS BY, IN YOUR SLIDE CALLED BY NIGHT IN FORMAT SLIDE, DEPICTS A FOR AND AGAINST CATEGORY.

SPEAKERS WERE ENCOURAGED TO ASK QUESTIONS, NOT GIVE THEIR OPINION WITHIN A THREE MINUTE TIMEFRAME. AND I DO HAVE THE QUESTIONNAIRE THAT YOU PUBLISH IN CASE YOU DON'T HAVE IT.

SOME BOARD MEMBERS TOOK ADVANTAGE OF THE THREE MINUTES AND DIDN'T ALLOW THE PUBLIC TO FINISH ASKING QUESTIONS.

IN ADDITION, THE WRITTEN FORMAT CARD ASKED FOR QUESTIONS, NOT AN OPINION. AS A RESULT, YOUR DATA'S FLAWED AND MISREPRESENTED TO THE PUBLIC.

REGARDING THE SPRING 2026 SURVEY, IT WAS DISCLOSED THAT THREE MEMBERS OF THE SCHOOL BOARD DEVELOPED THIS SURVEY WITH NO INPUT OR REVIEW BY THEIR FELLOW BOARD MEMBERS.

IN OUR CURRENT ENVIRONMENT, WHY WOULD YOU ISOLATE YOUR FELLOW BOARD MEMBERS? YOU'RE A TEAM, NOT A SEPARATE CLIQUE. THE SURVEY WAS DISTRIBUTED TO 03,000 PEOPLE WITH 1,062 RESPONSES. THE SURVEY WAS DELIBERATELY MISLEADING. ONE WAS TOLD TO RATE THE SCHOOL BOARD OVER A FIVE-YEAR PERIOD. OUR

[00:20:01]

KERRY MOORE. I LIVE AT THREE MORNINGSIDE COURT WITH MY LOVELY WIFE, ANITA.

AND I SERVED ON THE SCHOOL BOARD FROM 2006 TO 2015. SO I HAVE SOME QUESTIONS FOR YOU, AND I'LL ANSWER THEM FOR YOU. I ATTENDED LAST MONDAY'S MEETING. I ATTENDED THE TUESDAY NIGHT EVENT AT LEGACY. HOW WILL THIS EFFORT IMPROVE STUDENT OUTCOMES? IT DOESN'T. HOW CAN YOU JUSTIFY THE BOARD DEVELOPING AND IMPLEMENTING THE SURVEY? WHEN I WAS ON THE SCHOOL BOARD, WE NEVER DEVELOPED A SURVEY.

YOU DEVELOPED YOUR OWN. YOU CAN'T JUSTIFY THAT. HOW ARE YOU ADDRESSING THE BUDGET DEFICIT? YOU AREN'T. WE'RE RUNNING A DEFICIT THAT SHOULD BE A FOCUS OF YOUR DUTIES. HOW DOES THIS EFFORT DRIVE INCREASED ENROLLMENT IN A DECLINING POPULATION DISTRICT? IT DOES NOT. IT DIVIDES US. IT DOES THE EXACT OPPOSITE. WE'VE BEEN A DISTRICT OF DESTINATION FOR YEARS. WE ARE NO LONGER.

WHO WOULD DRAW THE NEW REPRESENTATIVE BOUNDARIES? SUPPOSEDLY THOSE BOUNDARIES ARE GOING TO BE PROTECTED FOR CURRENT BOARD MEMBERS.

THERE'S A CLUSTER OF BOARD MEMBERS LIVING IN A GIVEN AREA. HOW CAN THAT POSSIBLY BE DRAWN IN SOME FASHION THAT DOESN'T APPEAR TO BE GERRYMANDERING? AND WHEN MEMBERS LEAVE THE BOARD, THOSE BOUNDARIES ARE STILL IN PLACE. HOW WOULD THIS CHANGE MAKE IT MORE AFFORDABLE FOR POTENTIAL FUTURE SCHOOL BOARD CANDIDATES TO RUN? THAT WAS ONE OF THE ISSUES THAT WAS BROUGHT UP. IT DOESN'T. THAT'S A FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHT. YOU CAN'T LIMIT SPEECH. YOU CAN'T LIMIT CAMPAIGN SPENDING. HOW DID YOU DETERMINE THAT THE BOARD COULD LAUNCH THIS INITIATIVE? THAT ONE REALLY PUZZLES ME. WHEN I WENT ON THE BOARD, WE WERE RESPONSIBLE FOR HIRING AND FIRING THE SUPERINTENDENT, FOR APPROVING THE BUDGET, FOR SETTING THE TAX RATE, AND ADOPTING BOARD POLICY. HOW DID YOU POSSIBLY FIND THAT A GROUP OF SEVEN, AND IN THIS INSTANCE, FOUR, COULD CHANGE THE WAY THAT WE ELECT OUR REPRESENTATIVES? YOU BROUGHT UP COMMUNITY CONCERNS ABOUT REPRESENTATION. WE ARE A MINORITY MAJORITY DISTRICT. I LOOK AT THE BOARD AND I SEE THAT WE ARE INCREDIBLY WELL REPRESENTATIVE FROM A DIVERSIFICATION STANDPOINT.

SHOULD THE SCHOOL BOARD CHOOSE, THEY COULD COME OUT OF CLOSED SESSION TONIGHT AND TAKE THE POSITION THAT THEY LISTEN TO A PORTION OF THE COMMUNITY THAT EXPRESS CONCERNS, AND YOU HAVE. I ATTENDED THOSE MEETINGS. YOU CAN TAKE THE POSITION THAT YOU HELD PUBLIC FORUMS, YOU LISTEN TO THOSE CONCERNS, BUT AT THIS TIME THERE IS NO REASON TO MOVE FORWARD. YOU COULD TAKE THAT POSITION THAT THERE IS NO REASON TO MOVE FORWARD BASED ON THE FEEDBACK THAT YOU GOT AT THE MEETING LAST WEEK AND AT THE FORUMS. THE BOARD SHOULD STATE THAT THEY WISH TO REFOCUS ON CORE ISSUES THAT ARE VITAL TO REGAINING OUR POSITION AS A DISTRICT OF DISTINCTION.

IN DOING THAT, THE BOARD DEMONSTRATES THAT THEY LISTENED, CONSIDERED, AND ARE GOING TO TAKE APPROPRIATE STEPS TO SOLVE ONLY CONCERNS ANY CONCERNS IN A MORE POSITIVE MANNER.

BY DOING THAT, THE BOARD BEGINS TO HEAL THE DIVISION THAT CURRENTLY EXISTS WITHIN THE MISD. THAT APPROACH IS A WIN-WIN, A WIN-WIN FOR YOU AND A WIN-WIN FOR THE COMMUNITY. I HOPE THAT IS WHAT THE BOARD WILL DO.

TO TAKE A VOTE TONIGHT WITH ONE OF YOUR MEMBERS NOT HERE WOULD BE A TRAVESTY. I THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS.

ALL RIGHT, NEXT THREE. MR. GARY CARDINALE OF MANSFIELD, DESIREE THOMAS OF MANSFIELD, CYNTHIA DANIELS OF MANSFIELD.

DID I SAY CARDIN- IS CARDINALE, RIGHT? OKAY, GOT IT.

THANK YOU, DR. CRUTCHFIELD, SUPERINTENDENT SPENCER. I HAVE A QUESTION. I JUST RECEIVED TODAY AN OPEN RECORDS REQUEST THAT I FILED FOR THE SURVEY, AND I WANT TO THANK THE STAFF FOR GETTING THAT TO ME. BUT ON QUESTION TWENTY-FIVE OF THE SURVEY, THE QUESTION WAS, THE CURRENT ELECTION SYSTEM STRUCTURE SUPPORTS FAIR REPRESENTATION. FORTY-THREE PERCENT AGREED, THIRTY PERCENT DISAGREED, AND TWENTY-SEVEN WERE NEUTRAL.

SO THE THIRTEEN PERCENT SPREAD IN AN ELECTION IS LIKE A LANDSLIDE, RIGHT? SO I, I WISH YOU'D TALK ABOUT THAT A LITTLE BIT. RIGHT HERE IS THE MANSFIELD PARKS MASTER PLAN, THE CITY DEVELOPED IN 2020. THERE'S A COUPLE OF PEOPLE IN HERE, IN THIS AUDIENCE THAT WERE AROUND. SO WHY IS THIS SIGNIFICANT? YOU KNOW, IT'S A CITY DOCUMENT, NOBODY CARES ABOUT THAT, RIGHT? IT'S 179 PAGES, WHOSE REPORT FOCUSES ON EXTENSIVE PUBLIC INPUT AND CITIZEN ENGAGEMENT BEFORE ORGANIZING OR PUBLISHING OR VOTING TO ADOPT THIS PLAN.

THIS, THIS DOCUMENT'S ONLINE, BY THE WAY. IT INVOLVED TWENTY-NINE CITY LEADERS AND

[00:25:02]

ON PAGE SEVENTY-ONE THROUGH SEVENTY-THREE, IT DESCRIBES EXTENSIVELY DEMOGRAPHICS.

ON PAGE SEVENTY-SEVEN THROUGH ONE OH THREE, IT PROVIDED PUBLIC INPUT. IT, IT DISCUSSED ENGAGEMENT METHODOLOGY, STAKEHOLDER FEEDBACK, STAFF FEEDBACK. IT INCLUDES HOW MANY RESPONSES WERE RECEIVED, WHO WAS REACHED. THEY DID THIS IN PHASES, PHASES, EXCUSE ME.

IT WAS STRATEGIC. IS THAT WHAT YOU HAVE GOING ON HERE? ON PAGE EIGHTY-FIVE, IT PR, PR, DESCRIBES IN-PERSON EVENTS, POP-UP EVENTS, TWO HUNDRED AND FIFTY SOCIAL POSTS, WITH AN AVERAGE ENGAGEMENT OF OVER THREE THOUSAND RESIDENTS.

THINK ABOUT THAT. YOU DID ELEVEN HUNDRED. THREE THOUSAND.

EIGHT THOUSAND TWO HUNDRED AND FORTY EIGHT PEOPLE REACTED VIA ONLINE MEETINGS.

ON PAGES EIGHTY SEVEN THROUGH NINETY SIX, IT DESCRIBES IN DEPTH THE SURVEY RESULTS.

IT LISTS VARIOUS COMMENTS.

THEY COULD PROBABLY TELL YOU WHAT SOMEBODY HAD FOR LUNCH ONE DAY. IT WAS SO IN DEPTH. IT DESCRIBES METHODOLOGY AND ACTION PLANS.

IT EVEN ENGAGED TWO HUNDRED STUDENTS. DID YOU ENGAGE ANY STUDENTS, ANY HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS? I DOUBT IT. AND WHAT IS THREE MEMBERS PUSHING THE SINGLE-MEMBER DISTRICTS DONE, THREE TOWN HALL MEETINGS AND ELEVEN HUNDRED RESIDENTS GIVING FEEDBACK ON A SURVEY WHICH IS SUSPECT AT BEST. YOU HAVE A HUNDRED AND NINETY TWO FOLKS THAT LIVE WITHIN THIS DISTRICT AND YOU RELIED ON ELEVEN HUNDRED, LESS THAN ELEVEN HUNDRED RESPONSES.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU. DESIREE THOMAS, MANSFIELD, TEXAS. GOOD EVENING, DR. SPENCER, BOARD OF TRUSTEES, MASTER TRUSTEE, DR. REED. TO SAY THAT I AM FRUSTRATED AND EXTREMELY DISAPPOINTED IN HOW THE BOARD HAS CHOSEN TO ADDRESS THE CONCERNS OF LESS THAN THREE PERCENT OF THE COMMUNITY IS PUTTING IT MILDLY. I KNOW MANY OF YOU ATTENDED THE TOWN HALLS HO-HOSTED BY THE SCHOOL BOARD, AND I KNOW MANY COMMUNITY MEMBERS SPOKE OUT ABOUT THE CONCERN. I ALSO DO NOT BELIEVE THE STATISTICS BEING PRESENTED TONIGHT TRULY REFLECT HOW MANY MEMBERS OF THIS COMMUNITY HAVE CONCERNS OR OPPOSE MOVING FORWARD WITH A SINGLE MEMBER DISTRICTING.

WHAT I CONTINUE TO HEAR FROM OUR COMMUNITY IS THAT THEY DO NOT WANT TO BE DIVIDED. WHAT THEY WANT TO IS THEY WANT TO BE SEEN, THEY WANT TO BE HEARD, AND THEY WANT THEIR CONCERNS TO BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY. THAT REQUIRES THE SEVEN OF YOU TO ENGAGE, TO BE PRESENT, AND TO ACTUALLY LISTEN TO WHAT IS BEING SAID AND NOT SIMPLY HEAR WHAT YOU WANT TO HEAR. NO AMOUNT OF DRAWING LINES IS GOING TO CHANGE THAT. IF THE CONCERN IS THAT CERTAIN MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY FEEL UNDERREPRESENTED, THEN REPRESENTATION SHOULD BE ABOUT MORE THAN DRAWING A LINE ON A MAP. IT SHOULD BE ABOUT WHETHER ELECTED BOARD MEMBERS ARE ACTUALLY PRESENT IN OUR SCHOOLS, IN OUR COMMUNITIES THAT YOU WERE ELECTED TO REPRESENT. YOU ARE EITHER DOING THIS OR YOU ARE NOT. CHANGE STARTS WITH YOU.

YOUR BEHAVIOR, YOUR PRESENCE, YOUR WILLINGNESS TO ENGAGE IN THE COMMUNITY, AND THAT IS WHAT MAKES THE IMPACT. THAT IS WHAT MAKES THE DIFFERENCE.

EVERY ONE OF YOU, WHEN YOU PUT YOUR NAME ON THAT APPLICATION TO RUN FOR SCHOOL BOARD, MADE A PROMISE TO EVERY ONE OF OUR STUDENTS IN THIS COMMUNITY THAT YOU WOULD PUT THEM FIRST. HOW DO YOU DO THAT? BY ENGAGEMENT AND BEING PRESENT. THAT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY. THIS IS NOT, THERE ARE OTHER PRACTICAL ALTERNATIVES TO THIS, AND I'VE SAID IT BEFORE, INSTEAD OF SPENDING TIME, ENERGY, AND POTENTIAL SIGNIFICANT RESOURCES DRAWING LINES TO DIVIDE THIS COMMUNITY IN FEEDER PATTERNS, YOU HAVE FORTY-SEVEN CAMPUSES, SEVEN SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS, AND THAT'S SEVEN SCHOOLS APIECE.

THAT REQUIRE YOU TO ROTATE IT AROUND, THAT REQUIRES YOU TO HAVE RESPONSIBILITIES AND UNDERSTANDING OF YOUR COMMUNITY. I HAVE IT BROKEN DOWN RIGHT HERE. I EVEN HAVE PHOENIX AND SARAH K. JANDRUCKO ON HERE. I WILL SHARE THIS, AND I WON'T CHARGE YOU FOR MY CONSULTING.

TO EVERYONE ELSE TO UNDERSTAND SOMETHING IMPORTANT ABOUT THE MAPS AND THE LINES BEING DRAWN IS THEY'RE NOT GONNA BE NICE, CLEAN DIVISIONS THROUGH FEEDER PATTERNS. IT IS NOT THAT SIMPLE. YOU'RE GOING TO FIND THAT FEEDER PATTERNS ARE, COULD BE DIVIDED, AND YOU COULD HAVE ONE SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER REPRESENTING YOUR HIGH SCHOOL AND ANOTHER REPRESENTING YOUR ELEMENTARY. YET BECAUSE OF THE LINE, THE WAY THE LINES ARE BEING DRAWN, THERE'S THE, YOU'RE ONLY GOING TO BE ABLE TO VOTE FOR ONE SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER.

THAT IS VERY DIFFERENT KIND OF REPRESENTATION THAN WHAT THE BOARD MEMBERS WHO ARE ACCOUNTABLE TO AND ENGAGED IN THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY. I AM ASKING THE SEVEN OF YOU TO

[00:30:01]

THANK YOU. THANK YOU. AFTER MRS. DANIELS, IT'LL BE KELLY MCCOLLUM OF GRAND PRAIRIE, KRISTEN FLEMINGWOOD OF MANSFIELD, AND TAMMY HARLAN OF MANSFIELD. IT IS MY TURN, RIGHT? SORRY, I COULDN'T HEAR OVER THE CLAPPING. MS. DANIELS, YOU. OH, OKAY. GOOD EVENING, DR. SPENCER, DR.

CRUTCHFIELD, AND TRUSTEES. MY NAME IS CYNTHIA DANIELS, AND I'M HERE TO URGE YOU TONIGHT I'M HERE TONIGHT TO URGE YOU TO VOTE YES ON ADOPTING SINGLE-MEMBER DISTRICTS UNDER A HYBRID MODEL. FIRST, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HOSTING THE TOWN HALLS. I FOUND THEM DEEPLY INFORMATIVE. AND ONE MAJOR TAKEAWAY THAT WAS CLEAR TO ME WAS THAT THIS SWITCH ISN'T REALLY ABOUT STUDENT OUTCOMES, BECAUSE THERE'S REALLY NO WAY TO GUARANTEE THAT WHETHER WE STAY AT-LARGE OR GO TO SINGLE-MEMBER DISTRICTS.

IT'S ABOUT VOTING RIGHTS, REPRESENTATION, AND EQUITY.

SINGLE-MEMBER DISTRICTS ENSURE STRONG REPRESENTATION FOR MARGINALIZED GROUPS, DIRECT ACCOUNTABILITY TO LOCAL CONSTITUENTS, HIGHER VOTER PARTICIPATION, AND LOWER CAMPAIGN COSTS, SO EVERYDAY COMMUNITY MEMBERS CAN ACTUALLY AFFORD TO RUN.

MANSFIELD ISD IS MASSIVE, NINETY-FOUR SQUARE MILES, SPANNING EIGHT CITIES, MULTIPLE COUNTIES, FORTY-NINE SCHOOLS, AND NEARLY THIRTY-SIX THOUSAND STUDENTS. CRUCIALLY, OVER FORTY-NINE PERCENT OF OUR STUDENTS LIVE OUTSIDE THE CITY OF MANSFIELD, YET HISTORICALLY AND CURRENTLY THE VAST MAJORITY OF OUR BOARD MEMBERS RESIDE WITHIN THE CITY OF MANSFIELD. I KNOW THE VAST GEOGRAPHIC REALITY OF THIS DISTRICT PERSONALLY BECAUSE I'VE WALKED MANY MILES CAMPAIGNING FOR SCHOOL BOARD CANDIDATES OVER THE PAST TWO YEARS.

RECENTLY, I'VE WATCHED FORMER TRUSTEES, CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS, AND THE MAYOR ACTIVELY RALLY AGAINST SINGLE-MEMBER DISTRICTS, WHICH IS AN OVERSTEP IN MY OPINION THAT NONE OF THE OTHER CITIES IN OUR DISTRICT HAVE TAKEN.

OPPONENTS CLAIM SINGLE-MEMBER DISTRICTS WILL BE DIVISIVE, LOWER PROPERTY VALUES, OR LEAD TO A SHORTAGE OF CANDIDATES, BUT I HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO FIND ANY DATA THAT SUPPORT THAT. THE DISTRICT IS ALREADY DIVIDED, AND AT-LARGE REPRESENTATION ONLY WORKS FOR SOME, NOT ALL. CANDIDATES RUN FROM EVERY CORNER OF THIS DISTRICT, AND AS FOR PROPERTY VALUES, MY BEST FRIEND LIVES IN LOUISVILLE, ISD, A SINGLE-MEMBER DISTRICT, AND HER PROPERTY VALUE HAS TRIPLED SINCE 2010. IT SADDENS ME TO SEE SO MUCH OUTRAGE NOW, EVEN TO THE POINT OF PEOPLE SAYING THOSE OF US FOR SINGLE-MEMBER DISTRICTS ARE THE DISTRICT. WHERE WAS THIS LEVEL OF PASSION AND OUTRAGE TO PROTECT TRANS AND LGBTQ PLUS KIDS, DEFEND OUR BOOKS AND LIBRARIANS, OR STAND UP FOR IMMIGRANT CHILDREN? WHERE WAS THIS OUTRAGE WHEN A BELOVED ART TEACHER WAS PLACED ON ADMINISTRATIVE LEAVE SIMPLY FOR MENTIONING HER FIANCE, FORCING TAXPAYERS TO PUT THE BILL FOR THE LAWSUIT SHE WON? WHERE WAS THE OUTRAGE WHEN AN ELIGIBLE CANDIDATE REMAINED ON THE BALLOT AND PULLED OVER FOUR THOUSAND VOTES? I KNOW THIS IS A HEAVY DECISION, AND NO OUTCOME WILL MAKE EVERYONE HAPPY, BUT TO OUR BROADER COMMUNITY, PLEASE ASK YOUR QUESTIONS, SHARE YOUR FEEDBACK, BUT PLEASE BE KIND. STOP THE PERSONAL ATTACKS ON TRUSTEES AND LEAVE THEIR CHILDREN OUT OF IT. AS SOMEONE WHO HAS EXPERIENCED UGLY PERSONAL ATTACKS FOR SERVING ON A PAST COMMITTEE, I KNOW FIRSTHAND THAT PERSONAL ATTACKS ARE WHAT TRULY DIVIDE OUR DISTRICT. SO I'M ASKING YOU TO PLEASE VOTE YES ON SINGLE-MEMBER DISTRICTS TO GIVE EVERY FAMILY IN MISD A TRUE VOICE. THANK YOU. KELLY MCCOLLUM, GRAND PRAIRIE. GOOD EVENING.

THROUGHOUT THE CONVERSATION REGARDING SINGLE-MEMBER DISTRICTS, FOUR MEMBERS OF THE BOARD HAVE USED THE COMMUNITY SURVEY AS JUSTIFICATION. YOU SHOULD CONSIDER THE RESULTS IN THEIR ENTIRETY AND GIVE THE SAME WEIGHT TO ALL OF ITS FINDINGS. YOUR OWN ANALYSIS MAKES CLEAR THAT REPRESENTATION IS NOT THE MOST SIGNIFICANT CONCERN IDENTIFIED BY RESPONDENTS. WHEN ASKED WHETHER THE STRUCTURE OF THE BOARD EFFECTIVELY REPRESENTS THE COMMUNITY, THIRTY-SIX PERCENT DISAGREED.

BUT WHEN RESPONDENTS WERE ASKED DIRECTLY WHETHER THE CURRENT ELECTION STRUCTURE SUPPORTS FAIR REPRESENTATION, ONLY THIRTY PERCENT DISAGREED.

MORE IMPORTANTLY, THE SURVEY SHOWS THAT RESPONDENTS EXPRESSED GREATER DISSATISFACTION WITH THE BOARD'S PERFORMANCE THAN WITH THE CURRENT ELECTION STRUCTURE.

FORTY-TWO PERCENT DISAGREED WHEN ASKED WHETHER THE BOARD LISTENS TO AND CONSIDERS COMMUNITY INPUT, COMPARED WITH ONLY THIRTY-THREE WHO AGREE.

THIS QUESTION HAD THE LEAST AMOUNT OF AGREEMENT ON THE ENTIRE SURVEY. LET ME STATE THAT AGAIN. THE QUESTION WITH THE LOWEST PERCENT AGREEMENT WAS WHETHER THE BOARD LISTENS TO AND CONSIDERS COMMUNITY INPUT. FORTY-ONE PERCENT DISAGREED THAT THE BOARD CONSIDERS THE NEEDS OF ALL STUDENTS AND FAMILIES EQUITABLY. FORTY PERCENT DISAGREED THAT THEY TRUST THE BOARD TO ADVOCATE IN THE BEST INTEREST

[00:35:05]

THE DISTRICT'S OWN ANALYSIS CLASSIFIES THIRTY PERCENT OR GREATER DISAGREEMENT AS NEEDING IMMEDIATE IMPROVEMENT.

BY THAT STANDARD, NUMEROUS AREAS OF BOARD PERFORMANCE REQUIRE IMMEDIATE IMPROVEMENT. DOES REPRESENTATION DES- DESERVE DISCUSSION? ABSOLUTELY. BUT THIS SURVEY DOES NOT ESTABLISH THAT AT-LARGE ELECTIONS IS WHAT IS CAUSING RESPONDENTS' CONCERNS REGARDING REPRESENTATION, NOR DID THE SURVEY DIRECTLY ASK WHETHER MISD SHOULD REPLACE AT-LARGE WITH SINGLE-MEMBER DISTRICTS.

IF THE BOARD CONSIDERS THIS SURVEY RELIABLE ENOUGH TO JUSTIFY CHANGING THE STRUCTURE BY WHICH TRUSTEES ARE ELECTED, THEN YOU MUST GIVE AT LEAST EQUAL WEIGHT TO THE MORE NEGATIVE FINDINGS CONCERNING YOUR OWN GOVERNANCE.

WHAT ACTIONS WILL YOU TAKE TO ADDRESS THE 42 PERCENT WHO DO NOT BELIEVE THAT YOU LISTEN TO COMMUNITY INPUT? ULTIMATELY, THERE'S A GLARING IRONY THAT THIS BOARD IS FAILING TO ACKNOWLEDGE. YOU'RE USING COMMUNITY FEEDBACK TO PURSUE A SOLUTION THE COMMUNITY WAS NEVER ACTUALLY ASKED WHETHER IT WANTED, WHILE THE SINGLE LOWEST RATED SURVEY ITEM IS WHETHER THE BOARD LISTENS TO AND CONSIDERS COMMUNITY INPUT.

THAT BRINGS ME TO MY FINAL QUESTION. ONLY FORTY-THREE PERCENT OF RESPONDENTS AGREED THAT THEY TRUST THE BOARD. THANK YOU.

AND PLEASE SAY YOUR NAME SO I CAN CHECK YOU OFF. KRISTEN FLEMINGWOOD. I LIVE IN MANSFIELD. I'M A FOUR, GAINFULLY EMPLOYED CHILDREN THAT GRADUATED FROM MISD. WE LOVE OUR DISTRICT. WE HAVE AN AMAZING DISTRICT, AND I HOPE WE CAN KEEP THE MOMENTUM GOING.

I'M NOT HERE TO REHASH THE NUMBERS OR TO SAY ANYTHING NEGATIVE AT THIS POINT, BECAUSE I THINK IT'S ALL BEEN SAID. YOU DON'T NEED TO HEAR ANY MORE OF THAT, BUT I'M HERE TO ASK THE BOARD NOT TO GO FORWARD ON THIS PATH. IF THERE ARE ISSUES WITH THE AREAS NOT BEING REPRESENTATIVE, REPRESENTED, WE ABSOLUTELY NEED TO EXPLORE THIS. WE NEED TO ADDRESS, NEED TO ADDRESS IT, BUT DO WE NEED TO CHANGE THE WHOLE SYSTEM? ABSOLUTELY NOT. THERE ARE WAYS TO ADDRESS THAT WILL TAKE, THAT WON'T TAKE A TON OF MONEY. I ENCOURAGE THE BOARD TO EXPLORE THESE AVENUES BEFORE SPENDING FUNDS WE DON'T HAVE RIGHT NOW. I, AND I'M SURE EVERYBODY IN THIS ROOM AS WELL, WOULD BE HAPPY TO HELP IN ANY WAY WE CAN TO MAKE SURE EVERYBODY FEELS HEARD AND REPRESENTED. BE THAT ON A COMMITTEE OR BOOTS ON THE GROUND, I'LL ABSOLUTELY SERVE IN ANY WAY I CAN. AND THIS DECISION HAS A POTENTIAL TO DIVIDE OUR DISTRICT EVEN FURTHER IN A TIME WE REALLY NEED TO WORK TOGETHER. WE'RE BETTER TOGETHER. PLEASE DO RIGHT BY OUR KIDS AND FOCUS ON THEM. THIS IS NOT THE BIGGEST ISSUE WE FACE AT THIS TIME. I DO APPRECIATE ALL YOU DO SERVING OUR CITY, AND I KNOW IT'S NOT EASY.

LET'S KEEP THIS GOING FORWARD UNITED, NOT DIVIDED. THANK YOU.

TAMMY HARLAN, MANSFIELD, TEXAS. FIRST OF ALL, I WANT TO THANK YOU GUYS FOR COMING TONIGHT. I WENT TO ALL THREE COMMUNITY MEETINGS. I ASKED ONE QUESTION. FOUR OUT OF SEVEN OF YOU WERE GRATEFUL, YOU ANSWERED CAME AWAY WITH SOME REALLY ENLIGHTENED.

DR. REED TOOK US TO CHURCH. I WANT TO SAY IF, IF REPRESENTATION IS THE PROBLEM, CLONE HER. EVERYBODY I KNOW IN SCHOOLS IN THIS DISTRICT SAY DR. REED IS THERE. DR. REED DOESN'T LIVE IN MAN, IN ARLINGTON, BUT SHE'S IN THE ARLINGTON SCHOOLS. I HAVE FRIENDS WHO TEACH THERE. THEY TELL ME DR.

REED'S EVERYWHERE. MY FRIENDS WHO HAVE KIDS AT TIMBERVIEW, DR. REED'S THERE. IF SHE CAN BE THERE, YOU ALL CAN BE THERE.

ONE, ONE MEMBER OF THIS BOARD WALKED OUT OF THE COMMUNITY MEETING AND THE PERSON ACTUALLY SAID, I DIDN'T, WASN'T HIRED TO GO TO THE SCHOOLS. I WAS HIRED TO SUPERVISE THE SUPERINTENDENT.

THAT PERSON DOESN'T PLAN TO GO TO SCHOOLS AND YOU'RE GOING TO GIVE, CUT IT UP INTO PIECES AND EXPECT THAT PERSON TO TAKE CARE OF SCHOOLS.

THAT'S GONNA BE A PROBLEM. IF YOU CUT IT INTO SEVEN PIECES OR FIVE PIECES, AND WE HAVE TO CLOSE SOME SCHOOLS BECAUSE OF A TWENTY MILLION DOLLAR GAP, WHO'S GONNA, WHO'S GONNA REPRESENT, WHERE ARE YOU GONNA PUT THEM? YOU GUYS HAVE SO MUCH POWER, AT LEAST YOU THINK YOU DO, BUT YOU DON'T LISTEN. SOME OF YOU COULDN'T EVEN ANSWER THE QUESTION, OR WOULDN'T. I THINK YOU FO, YOU NEED TO REFOCUS ON WHAT'S IMPORTANT. YOU TALK ABOUT THE KIDS. ONE DISTRICT, ONE MISSION, ONE HEART. THAT'S FOR THE KIDS. IF, IF YOU, IF WE WEREN'T A SCHOOL DISTRICT, YOU ALL WOULDN'T BE SITTING UP THERE. DO THE JOB YOU WERE ELECTED TO DO, AND LISTEN TO THE PEOPLE WHO ELECTED YOU, BECAUSE AS YOU ALL SAID, ELECTIONS HAVE CONSEQUENCES.

YOU TALK ABOUT IT'S EXPENSIVE.

I'VE LOOKED AT THE FINANCIAL REPORTS FROM ALL OF YOUR CAMPAIGNS.

[00:40:01]

THE REST OF YOU SPENT A PRETTY AVERAGE AMOUNT OF MONEY, AND YOU RAN AT-LARGE. YOU GOT A LOT OF VOTES. PEOPLE PUT A LOT OF TRUST INTO YOU, BUT YOU'RE TEARING THAT TRUST APART PIECE BY PIECE. AND IN THE END, THE ONLY ONES THAT ARE GONNA BE HURT BY IT ARE THE STUDENTS AND THE TEACHERS, BECAUSE COME THE TIME THAT THIS FINANCIAL COMMITTEE COMES TO YOU AND YOU HAVE TO MAKE SOME TOUGH DECISIONS, THAT'S WHERE YOU'RE GONNA, THE RUBBER'S GONNA MEET THE ROAD.

AND IF SINGLE-MEMBER DISTRICTS, YOU THINK THAT'S GONNA FIX THAT, IT'S NOT. TAKE THE TIME, LISTEN TO THE PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, THEY CALL SOME OF Y'ALL MANSFIELD POWER BROKERS, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS, I'M NOT ONE. I'M A MOM OF A KID THAT GOES TO LAKE RIDGE HIGH SCHOOL WHO LOVES TO RUN AND LOVES HIS SCHOOL, AND THAT'S MY FOCUS. MY FOCUS ISN'T THIS, BUT YOUR FOCUS IS DISTORTED.

PLEASE TAKE A STEP BACK AND THINK ABOUT THE ONE THING THAT'S IMPORTANT, THE KIDS, BECAUSE WITHOUT THEM, YOU GUYS DON'T HAVE A REASON TO SIT UP THERE. ALL RIGHT.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THAT, MS. HARLAN. NEXT THREE I HAVE IS NATHAN CASTLES OF MANSFIELD, ANDY TAYLOR OF BRENHAM, TEXAS, AND JOANNA CARDOZA OF ARLINGTON. GOOD EVENING, NATHAN CASTLES. I ATTENDED ONE OF THE TOWN HALLS LAST WEEK, AND I LEFT WITH MORE QUESTIONS THAN WHAT I WALKED IN WITH.

THE BIGGEST QUESTION ANSWERED WAS THE COMMITTEE OF THREE WAS THE ONE THAT WROTE THE POORLY WRITTEN SURVEY. HONESTLY, WHY WASN'T THE ENTIRE BOARD A PART OF THIS? WAS THIS SURVEY A REFLECTION OF YOUR ABILITIES OR YOUR SOME TRUSTEES BELIEVE IT'S NOT YOUR JOB TO SPEND TIME IN THE SCHOOLS, WHICH MAKES WANTING SINGLE DISTRICT EVEN MORE ODD. THOSE REPRESENTED BY TRUSTEES WHO DON'T THINK IT'S THEIR JOB LOSE HAVING A TRUE VOICE. YOU RAN ON TICKETS OF TRANSPARENCY AND UNITED COMMUNITY, BUT YOU'RE NOT TRANSPARENT, AND THIS ISSUE SEEMS TO BE THE ONLY ONE THAT YOU'VE UNITED THE COMMUNITY ON. YOU WANT TO CELEBRATE YOUR QUALIFICATIONS WHILE NOT BEING INVOLVED? THAT'S LIKE HAVING A LUXURY CAR THAT YOU LEAVE IN THE GARAGE.

MS. HORN WANTS TO SIT AND TELL US CITIZENS NOT TO QUESTION THE BOARD. THAT SOUNDS LIKE SOMEBODY WHO CAN'T TAKE CRITICISM FOR THE ACTUAL WORK YOU ALL ARE DOING, WHILE THE WOMAN SHE REPLACED NEVER DID THAT WHILE HAVING HER PERSONAL LIFE AND FAMILY PUT UNDER A MICROSCOPE. MS. HORN, WHERE WAS YOUR OUTRAGE FOR WASTED TAXPAYER MONEY WHEN PEOPLE FORWARDED TEXT MESSAGES BETWEEN TRUSTEES AND THEIR PASTORS? WHAT DOES THAT HAVE TO DO WITH THE SCHOOL DISTRICT? WHERE IS IT ONLY ON YOUR WATCH THAT WE SHOULD NOT SPEAK AS A COMMUNITY? INSTEAD OF A SINGLE DISTRICT BOARD, EACH OF YOU SHOULD COMMIT TO ONE TWO TO THREE HOUR VISIT AT A DIFFERENT SCHOOL DURING AN EIGHT MONTH PERIOD THAT'S FIFTY SIX VISITS, OPPORTUNITIES FOR ADMINISTRATORS, TEACHERS, AND EVEN STUDENTS TO SPEAK WITH YOU.

WITH FORTY NINE CAMPUSES, THAT LEAVES SEVEN VISITS FOR THE LOWEST PERFORMING SCHOOLS TO GET EXTRA TIME WITH YOU.

THERE ARE OTHER OPTIONS IN THIS, AND THE QUESTION IS, WHY IS THIS THE ONLY ONE THAT Y'ALL ARE CONSIDERING? IS THIS ABOUT PROTECTING YOURSELF AS A TRUSTEE OR DOING WHAT'S BEST FOR THE DISTRICT. I CAN PROMISE YOU THIS COMMUNITY WOULD PREFER TO PUT UNDERQUALIFIED WORKERS IN YOUR SEATS THAN QUALIFIED NON-WORKERS. GOOD EVENING, BOARD PRESIDENT JANDEL CRUTCHFIELD, SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS, DR. SPENCER. MY NAME IS JOANNA CARDOZA. I AM HERE TONIGHT TO SPEAK IN SUPPORT OF SINGLE-MEMBER DISTRICTS AS AN ARLINGTON TAXPAYER, A VOTER, A DEDICATED PAST SUMMIT HIGH SCHOOL PARENT, AND MISD VOLUNTEER, ARLINGTON'S VOICE MATTERS. THIS IS NOT THE FIRST TIME THAT I HAVE BEEN HERE ADVOCATING FOR MY COMMUNITY, WHETHER IT HAS BEEN PROGRAMS FOR OUR FEEDER PATTERN, SUCH AS THE STEM ACADEMY THE FINE ARTS ACADEMY, I WAS ACTUALLY ON THE COMMITTEE AND VISITED SEVERAL OTHER SCHOOLS TO BRING PROGRAMS TO OUR FEEDER PATTERN AS WE SAW THAT WAS A NEED.

BEFORE I BEGIN MY COMMENTS, I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO NOTE THAT ALTHOUGH I DO RESPECT MY CITY COUNCIL MEMBER, MY ARLINGTON CITY COUNCIL MEMBER, I WOULD LIKE TO, FOR YOU ALL TO TAKE NOTE THAT HE DID CHOOSE TO RUN IN A SINGLE-MEMBER

[00:45:02]

TO ENSURE EVERY CHILD IN OUR DISTRICT HAS ACCESS TO A QUALITY EDUCATION, WE MUST ADDRESS MORE THAN ACADEMIC NEEDS IN SOME MISD SCHOOLS AND SOCIAL, LANGUAGE, AND LEARNING BARRIERS. WE HAVE CHILDREN THAT ARE COMING HUNGRY TO SCHOOL. THANKFULLY WITH THE HELP OF TEACHERS AND PARENTS AND VOLUNTEERS AT SUMMIT HIGH SCHOOL, WE WERE ABLE TO OPEN UP A FOOD PANTRY TO HELP ADDRESS THE NEEDS OF STUDENTS AT THAT SCHOOL. WE HAVE STUDENTS WITHOUT A ROOF OVER THEIR, WITHOUT A ROOF OVER THEIR HEAD THAT COME TO SCHOOL. THE DISTRICT MUST ENSURE THAT EVERY TEACHER, STAFF MEMBER, SUPPORT STAFF, AND ADMINISTRATOR HAS THE SAME SUPPORT AND EQUITABLE INVESTMENT IN THEIR HOME SCHOOL, NO MATTER IN WHICH CITY WITHIN MISD IT IS LOCATED. NO SCHOOL EMPLOYEE SHOULD HAVE TO ASK FOR COPY PAPER DONATIONS FROM THE COMMUNITY, COMMUNITY BECAUSE THEIR SCHOOL DOES NOT HAVE THE FUNDS. SUMMIT, SUMMIT FEEDER PATTERN HAS HAD ONE OF THE SCHOOLS THAT HAS STRUGGLED A LOT, WHICH IS GLENN HARMON, LUCKILY THEY ARE NOW OFF THE TEA TAKEOVER LIST. BUT IT'S CONCERNING BECAUSE WE HAVE OTHER SCHOOLS THAT HAVE THAT SAME OP SAME NEEDS, SAME OPPORTUNITY BUT I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE NOT PUTTING A BAND-AID OVER THOSE NEEDS AND MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE TAKING ACTION TO ADDRESS THOSE NEEDS. THIS IS NOT JUST ABOUT REPRESENT, REPRESENTING STUDENTS AND SCHOOL STAFF. IT'S ALSO ABOUT ELECTED MEMBERS BEING INVOLVED WITH AND CONNECTED TO THE COMMUNITY TO BE ABLE TO ADVOCATE WITH GOVERNMENT ENTITIES FOR RESOURCES. THEY NEED TO BE KNOWLEDGEABLE ABOUT ORGANIZATIONS WHO ARE DOING WORK IN THE COMMUNITY TO ADDRESS SOCIAL BARRIERS OR INTERCONNECT WITH BUSINESSES FOR STUDENTS OPPORTUNITY. MY COUNCIL MEMBER KNOWS VERY WELL THAT I'M VERY VOCAL WITH OUR CITY OF ARLINGTON COUNCIL, BECAUSE SOMETIMES I FEEL LIKE OUR ARLINGTON STUDENTS THAT GO TO MANSFIELD ISD ARE LEFT OUT.

OF OPPORTUNITIES THAT ARLINGTON ISD STUDENTS HAVE, AND IT'S A LOSS FOR IT'S A LOSS OF, OKAY.

THAT'S IT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS ANDY TAYLOR. I'M HERE BECAUSE I'M A REDISTRICTING LAWYER.

I'VE BEEN DOING THIS FOR ALMOST FORTY YEARS. I'VE DRAWN CONGRESSIONAL PLANS ABOUT A HALF DOZEN TIMES. I'VE DONE PLANS FOR THE STATE SENATE, FOR THE STATE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, AND FOR THE LEGISLATIVE REDISTRICTING BOARD. I WANT TO TELL YOU THAT WHAT YOU'RE CURRENTLY CONTEMPLATING SUFFERS FROM THREE SIGNIFICANT PROBLEMS. FIRST, YOUR TIMING IS BAD.

SECOND, YOUR POLITICS ARE BAD.

AND THIRD, YOUR LEGAL STRATEGY IS BAD, AND I WANT TO EXPLAIN WHY. SO HAVING DONE THIS MYSELF IT'S NOT AS SIMPLE AS JUST GETTING A DEMOGRAPHER TO WRITE SOMETHING UP AND COME UP WITH SEVEN PRETTY SINGLE-MEMBER DISTRICTS.

AFTER YOU DRAW THEM UP, YOU'VE GOT TO DO WHAT'S CALLED A, A BIVARIATE REGRESSION ANALYSIS.

YOU'VE GOT TO BRING IN ELECTION LAWYERS WHO ARE GOING TO LOOK AT IT, THEY'RE GOING TO TAKE POT SHOTS AT IT, YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO GO THROUGH AN ELECTION ANALYSIS, YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO LOOK AT VOTING PATTERNS. ALL OF THOSE THINGS TAKE TIME, PLUS YOU'RE GOING TO NEED COMMUNITY INPUT SO YOU CAN MAKE CHANGES. THERE'S NO WAY YOU CAN DO THAT BETWEEN NOW AND THE END OF THIS YEAR, SO THE TIMING IS BAD. SECOND, THE POLITICS. IF YOU TRULY WANT TO FIND OUT WHAT THE COMMUNITY WANTS, THERE'S A WAY TO DO IT.

THERE'S A WAY TO GET SINGLE-MEMBER DISTRICTS.

THERE'S A SECTION OF THE ELECT EDUCATION CODE, IT'S SECTION ELEVEN POINT OH FIVE TWO. IT GIVES THE CITIZENS A RIGHT TO PETITION YOU. AND IF THEY GET ENOUGH SIGNATURES AND PETITION YOU, YOU DON'T HAVE A CHOICE. YOU HAVE TO CALL AN ELECTION, BUT IT'S NOT JUST SEVEN PEOPLE MAKING THE DECISION OR EVEN FIFTEEN THOUSAND WHO MIGHT SIGN THAT PETITION. IT'S THE ENTIRE REGISTERED VOTER BASE FOR THIS DISTRICT THAT GETS TO VOTE AT THE ELECTION. AND SO PURE DEMOCRACY WOULD DICTATE THAT THE RIGHT POLITICAL WAY TO DO THIS IS TO ASK EVERYONE TO WEIGH IN. AND IF THE ELECTORATE SAYS THEY WANT IT, THEN THEY WANT IT.

BUT IF THEY DON'T, THEY DON'T.

I WOULD SUGGEST THAT SEVEN PEOPLE REPLACING A HUNDRED AND THIRTEEN THOUSAND POTENTIAL VOTING PEOPLE IS A BAD POLITICAL DECISION. LASTLY, IT'S A BAD LEGAL STRATEGY.

YOU'RE IN THE MIDDLE OF A, OF A CENSUS. YOU, THE, THE CENSUS IS EVERY TEN YEARS.

YOU'RE, YOU'RE SIX YEARS INTO A CENSUS. ALL THE NUMBERS ARE GONNA CHANGE. AND THERE'S A TON OF LEGAL STUFF ABOUT, WELL, HOW DO WE PREDICT VOTING PATTERNS IN THE SIXTH YEAR WHEN

[00:50:02]

THE LAST ONE WILL BE I'M SHARON RICHARD. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. MY NAME IS AFTAB SIDDIQUI, AND I'M A RESIDENT OF SOUTH ARLINGTON. MANY OF THE CHILDREN IN OUR COMMUNITY AND NEIGHBORHOOD COME TO MISD SCHOOLS, AND OVER THE YEARS, WE HAVE SEEN THAT THERE SEEMS TO BE MORE FOCUS ON THE STUDENTS OF MISD IN RE- IN COMPARISON TO THE OTHER PEOPLE, OTHER STUDENTS WHO ARE COMING FROM SO MANY OTHER CITIES.

FRANKLY SPEAKING, ARLINGTON, GRAND PRAIRIE, BURLESON, FORT WORTH, CEDAR HILL, KENNEDALE, AND AN INCORPORATED AREA IN RENDON. AND I KNOW THAT THE BOARD HAS BEEN TRYING TO REALLY WORK VERY HARD, AND I APPRECIATE THE BOARD BOARD'S EFFORTS, BUT I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO SAY TO THE BOARD, THANK YOU FOR REALLY THINKING ABOUT FEEDER REPRESENTATION BECAUSE IT'S A NINETY-FOUR SQUARE MILE AREA, AND YOU HAVE A BUNCH OF SCHOOLS, TWENTY-FIVE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS, SEVEN INTERMEDIATE SCHOOLS, SEVEN MIDDLE SCHOOLS, SIX HIGH SCHOOLS, AND FOUR ALTERNATIVE SPECIALIZED CAMPUSES. SO I THINK THAT IT IS IMPORTANT FOR ALL OF US TO COME TOGETHER AND TRY TO DO THE BEST FOR OUR CHILDREN, AND ALL THE CHILDREN SHOULD BE HAVING THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE THE SAME KIND OF GOOD EDUCATION THAT EVERY, THAT THEY ALL DESERVE. AND I'M SURE THAT THE BOARD WILL BE ABLE TO COME TO A GOOD DECISION, AND TALKING ABOUT THREATS OF A LAWSUIT. LAWSUITS COME AND GO, FRANKLY SPEAKING, AND THERE ARE, THERE HAVE BEEN MANY OTHER ISDS WHICH HAVE REALLY FACED LAWSUITS ON THE MATTER OF LACK OF FAIRER REPRESENTATION. SO I DO THINK THAT THERE'S NO NEED FOR ANY THREATS OR ANYTHING, BUT WE ALL NEED TO GET, GET TOGETHER AND WORK TOGETHER.

AND AND ONCE AGAIN, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR GIVING US THE OPPORTUNITY.

THANKS. ARE YOU READY FOR ME? YES. OKAY. DIDN'T WANT TO INTERRUPT. GOOD EVENING. I'M KAREN MARCUCCI. I'M FROM MANSFIELD. GOOD EVENING, TRUSTEES AND SUPERINTENDENT.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE. I REALLY APPRECIATE THE WORK THAT YOU GUYS DO, AND I REALLY APPRECIATE THE FACT THAT YOU LISTENED TO OUR COMMUNITY LAST WEEK.

BUT AFTER REVIEWING THE PRESENTATION FOR TONIGHT, I STILL HAVE ONE BIG QUESTION THAT IS UNANSWERED. WHAT SPECIFIC PROBLEM HAS MANSFIELD ISD IDENTIFIED THAT SINGLE-MEMBER DISTRICTS WOULD SOLVE? THAT QUESTION IS IN YOUR OWN PRESENTATION TONIGHT. WHAT PROBLEM WOULD SINGLE-MEMBER DISTRICTS SOLVE, AND WHAT ALTERNATIVES WERE CONSIDERED? THE RESPONSE POINTS TO THREE D-RATED CAMPUSES IN ARLINGTON, BUT NO EVIDENCE IS PRESENTED THAT THE AT-LARGE SYSTEM CAUSED THOSE RESULTS OR THAT CHANGING IT WOULD IMPROVE THEM. THE PRESENTATION ITSELF SAYS ELECTION STRUCTURE HAS NOT DIRECTLY LINKED TO STUDENT OUTCOMES IN RESEARCH LITERATURE. I'M JUST VERY CONFUSED BY THIS. TONIGHT'S

[00:55:02]

THE BOARD IS NOT REQUIRED TO PUT THIS TO A VOTE, ALTHOUGH IT DOES SOUND LIKE A GOOD IDEA NOW THAT I'VE LISTENED TO PUBLIC COMMENTS.

BUT IT'S YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO DEFINE THE PROBLEM. OKAY? IT'S, IT'S YOURS. YOU NEED TO HELP US FIGURE OUT WHAT'S GOING ON HERE.

AND, AND YOU GUYS ARE THE ONES THAT ARE IN CHARGE OF THIS.

IT'S NOT, YOU HAVEN'T GIVEN THIS TO US.

THE PRESENTATION SHOWS THAT PEOPLE DISAGREE ABOUT A PROPOSED SOLUTION, BUT THIS IS NOT THE SAME THING AS SHOWING THAT THERE IS A PROBLEM. THE PRESENTATION NOTES THAT OTHER DISTRICTS ADOPTED SINGLE-MEMBER DISTRICTS AFTER VOTING RIGHTS LAWSUITS.

IF LEGAL RISK IS THE REASON FOR THE CHANGE, SAY SO PLAINLY AND LET US KNOW ABOUT THIS LAWSUIT. IF IT'S NOT, THIS IS A VOLUNTARY CHANGE, AND THE BOARD SHOULD BE ABLE TO JUSTIFY IT. I'M NOT SAYING THAT SINGLE-MEMBER DISTRICTS COULD NEVER BE APPROPRIATE. I'M JUST ASKING THAT THE PROCESS COME FIRST. SO HERE'S THREE THINGS THAT I WOULD LEAVE YOU WITH. I ASK THE BOARD TO DO THE FOLLOWING THINGS.

FIRST, STATE IN WRITING THE SPECIFIC PROBLEM YOU BELIEVE THIS WOULD SOLVE. SECOND, PUBLISH THE EVIDENCE THAT THIS PROBLEM EXISTS AND THE ALTERNATIVES THAT YOU'VE CONSIDERED. AND THIRD, ADOPT MEASURABLE GOALS SO THE COMMUNITY CAN JUDGE WHETHER ANY OF THE CHANGES WORKED.

UNTIL THEN, THE CASE FOR CHANGE HAS NOT BEEN MADE.

THE COMMUNITY DESERVES A BOARD THAT DOESN'T SPEND ITS TIME AND MONEY ON A SOLUTION BEFORE IT HAS DEFINED THE PROBLEM. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. HELLO, I'M IRA CASTLES. I MOVED HERE THIRTY-SIX YEARS AGO FOR THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, THE SAME REASON MOST PEOPLE IN THIS ROOM DID.

UNTIL THIS CURRENT BOARD, I'VE ALWAYS FELT REPRESENTATIVE IN BOTH MANSFIELD AND ARLINGTON WHEN I'VE LIVED IN CITIES. THE RECENT SURVEY HAS MASSIVE RED FLAGS. FIRST, IT ASKED US TO RATE THE BOARD OVER THE PAST FIVE YEARS. AS THE DATA SHOWS, THE NUMBER, THAT IS THE NUMBER THIRD RESPONSE. WHICH BOARD ARE WE RATING? RESPONDERS RIGHTLY NOTED THAT THE BOARD CHANGED SUBSTANTIALLY CREATING FLAWED SURVEY DESIGN. SECOND, THE SURVEY WASN'T SENT TO ALL MISD TAXPAYERS. IT WAS ONLY SENT TO CURRENT PARENTS REGISTERED IN TEXT MESSAGING OR EMAILS.

LET'S READ SOME OF THE DATA.

AREAS OF AGREEMENT, TRUST, INTEGRITY, AND ACCOUNTABILITY CONCERNS.

BY FAR, THE MOST CONSISTENT AND FORCEFUL THEME ACROSS ALL SECTIONS OF THIS SURVEY CONCERNS ALLEGATIONS OF RESIDENCY AND FINANCIAL INTEGRITY AGAINST A BOARD OFFICER.

RESPONDENTS REPEATEDLY CITED THIS ISSUE AS THE REASON THEY CANNOT TRUST THE BOARD TO ACT WITH INTEGRITY REGARDLESS OF THEIR VIEW ON BOARD ACTIONS. SOME OF THE COMMENTS FOLLOWED, THERE IS SO MUCH RESEARCH, WHY DO WE HAVE TO PUT SOMEONE AS PRESIDENT OF THIS BOARD WHO ACTIVELY LIED FOR FINANCIAL PERSONAL GAIN? THE FACT IS THEY DID NOT HAPPEN, AND THE BOARD ONLY THEN ADVANCED THEIR PERS- OWN PERSONAL BELIEFS AND AGENDA.

IT'S NOT ETHICAL TO HAVE SOMEONE WHO ALLEGEDLY COMMITTED FRAUD LEAD THE BOARD. THIS LEADS TO DISTRUST. ONE OF THE, ON THE ABBREVIATION SUMMARY, IT SAYS, A RECENT BOARD OFFICER SERVED NUMBER ONE REASON OF DISTRUST, NUMBER ONE CONCERN ON THE SURVEY, A RECENT BOARD OFFICER, RESIDENCE ELIGIBILITY DISPUTE, AND OTHER DISTRICT INTERNAL REVIEWS OF WHERE THE MOST CITED REASONS FOR LOW TRUST ACROSS THE COMMUNICATION, REPRESENTATION, ADVOCACY, AND ESPECIALLY ACCOUNTABILITY.

THIS IS FROM YOUR OWN SURVEY THAT YOU WROTE. MS. CRUTCHFIELD, YOU CAMPAIGNED TO MAKE DATA-BASED DECISIONS.

HOW DID YOU CONCLUDE FROM THIS DATA THAT THE BIGGEST CONCERNS WERE SINGLE-MEMBER DISTRICTING AND PACS? THAT DATA CLEARLY SHOWED CITIZEN CITIZENS' PRIMARY CONCERN IS YOU, THE ETHICS, YOUR TRUSTWORTHINESS, AND YOUR ACCOUNTABILITY. MS. HORN, INSTEAD OF ATTACKING CITIZENS FOR SUBMITTING LEGAL PUBLIC INFORMATION REQUESTS, MAYBE YOU SHOULD BE QUESTIONING MRS. CRUTCHFIELD WHY SHE STATED AND SIGNED A NOTARIZED LEGAL DOCUMENT AND EXPLAIN HER PLANS TO REIMBURSE THE DISTRICT FOR THE ATTORNEY FEES THAT WERE SPENT PROVING HER RESIDENCY.

AND LET'S NOT FORGET ABOUT THE SEVEN HUNDRED AND FIFTY THOUSAND DOLLARS SHE OWES TAXPAYERS FOR PPP AND EIDL LOANS. WE HAVE PRAYED FOR THIS DISTRICT AND WE HAVE TRUE, AND WE KNOW THE TRUTH, AND IT'S BEING REVEALED. GOD ALWAYS ANSWERS PRAYERS. HE KEEPS AT LEAST ONE, AND YOU'VE KEPT AT LEAST ONE CAMPAIGN PROMISE.

YOU BROUGHT THIS COMMUNITY TOGETHER. IT'S JUST NOT IN THE WAY YOU THOUGHT IT WAS GOING TO BE. GOD WINS. AND THIS,

[01:00:03]

SPENCER, DR. CRUTCHFIELD, AND BOARD. MY NAME IS SHARON RICHARD. LAST WEEK I SPOKE ABOUT THE MANSFIELD POWER BROKERS BEING UPSET ABOUT CHANGE AND HAVING TO SHARE POWER, AND WE'RE SEEING THAT PLAY OUT IN REAL TIME WITH THE ATTORNEY FROM THE GLOBAL LAW FIRM THAT THEY'VE RETAINED, WHO WAS SENT HERE TO THREATEN US. MAYBE THE MONEY SPENT ON THAT RETAINER COULD GO TO STUDENTS SINCE PEOPLE SEEM TO BE SO CONCERNED ABOUT STUDENTS NOT HAVING THE RESOURCES. ALSO IN AN UN- UNPRECEDENTED MOVE, THE MANSFIELD CITY COUNCIL WAITED UNTIL SCHOOL DISTRICT AFFAIRS LAST WEEK DURING PUBLIC COMMENTS AND TOWN HALLS. WE SAW ALL THESE POWER BROKERS SHOW UP EXTREMELY ANGRY, SHOUTING, SHOWING VERY LITTLE DECORUM, AND WHAT I FOUND INTERESTING ABOUT THOSE WHO APPEARED THE ANGRIEST, THEY DO NOT HAVE STUDENTS IN MISD. THE VEIL HAS BEEN LIFTED TO EXACTLY HOW THINGS HAVE WORKED WITH A SMALL BUT POWERFUL GROUP MAKING DECISIONS. ANOTHER THING I FOUND INTERESTING WAS THESE PEOPLE MENTIONING UNITY. I DON'T THINK IT WAS VERY UNIFIED WHEN SOME OF THESE SAME FOLKS THAT INCLUDE FORMER TRUSTEES MADE SOME OF THE MOST VILE COMMENTS WHEN THEIR CHOSEN CANDIDATE WASN'T SELECTED AS SUPERINTENDENT. OUT OF RESPECT FOR DR. SPENCER, I WILL NOT MENTION ANY OF THOSE THINGS THAT WERE SAID.

IN FACT THOSE PEOPLE THOUGHT THAT THEY COULD BULLY THIS DULY ELECTED BOARD INTO DOING THEIR BIDDING, BIDDING SPEAKS VOLUMES AND REVEALS JUST HOW THE MANTLE OF POWER BROKERS OPERATE. HAVE THE AUDACITY TO NOT DO WHAT THEY SAY, THEY WILL BE LOUD AND THEY WILL THREATEN LAWSUITS. A PREVIOUS BOARD ALLOWED AN INELIGIBLE CANDIDATE ON THE BA- ON THE BALLOT, EVEN GOING SO FAR AS INSTRUCTING TARRANT COUNTY ELECTIONS TO PUT HIM BACK AFTER THEY REMOVED HIM BECAUSE THEY KNEW HE WASN'T ELIGIBLE. THIS IS PROBABLY ONE OF THE BIGGEST STAINS ON THE DISTRICT, AND I DON'T RECALL ANY OF THESE POWER BROKERS OR FORMER BOARD MEMBERS SPEAKING OUT ABOUT THAT, AND THAT'S PROBABLY BECAUSE MANY OF THEM SUPPORTED HIM.

RATHER THAN TRYING TO CONTROL THIS BOARD, MAYBE THE PREVIOUS ONES THAT OVERSAW THE DROP FROM AN A TO A B RATED DISTRICT SHOULD DO SOME SELF-REFLECTION ABOUT HOW THEY COULD HAVE BETTER ADVOCATED FOR THOSE D AND F RATED CAMPUSES IN ARLINGTON. AND TO BE CLEAR, ATTENDING EVENTS AND PHOTOS, PHOTO OPS HAVE ZERO TO DO WITH REPRESENTATION. UNITY IS NOT BEATING SOMEONE'S SUBMISSION UNTIL THEY DO WHAT YOU SAY.

THERE'S ALSO BEEN MENTION ABOUT A DIVIDED BOARD BECAUSE OF THE 4-3 VOTE. I DON'T THINK THAT'S DANGEROUS. I THINK ALL UNANIMOUS VOTES ARE DANGEROUS.

THAT SIGNALS GROUPTHINK. ALL OF YOU ARE WELL-EDUCATED, RESPECTED MEMBERS IN YOUR OWN PROFESSIONS, AND YOU ALL HAVE THE CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS TO MAKE YOUR OWN DECISIONS, AND SO WHEN I SEE A DIVIDED VOTE, TO ME THAT SIGNALS PEOPLE HAVE THEIR OWN OPINIONS AND THEY'RE NOT SWAYED FROM THOSE. AND AGAIN, I'D LIKE TO SAY THAT JUST BECAUSE YOU THINK YOU HAVE THE PULSE OF THE COMMIT, THANK YOU.

THANK YOU. MADAM PRESIDENT, THAT COMPLETES THE PUBLIC COMMENTS PORTION. ALL RIGHT.

THANK YOU, SECRETARY THOMAS, FOR ORGANIZING THAT FOR US.

APPRECIATE THAT. THANK YOU FOR EVERYBODY THAT'S HERE THAT SHARED PUBLIC COMMENTS AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT THIS AGAIN AT THE PRESENTATION, BUT JUST EVERYBODY THAT'S BEEN WITH US ALL LAST WEEK AT ANY

[5. Closed Session (Part 1 of 2)]

AND SO WE WILL ADJOURN TO CLOSED SESSION AT 7.03. ALL RIGHT, EVERYONE, THANKS

[6. Reconvene (Part 1 of 2)]

[7. Open Session Topic]

SO MR. THOMAS WILL START THIS PRESENTATION, FOLLOWED BY MS. HORN AND THEN MYSELF, SO I'LL ADVANCE ON YOUR SIGNAL. READY? RIGHT.

RIGHT. THANK YOU, PRESIDENT CRUTCHFIELD. SO INPUT WAS GATHERED THE QUESTION WAS ABOUT THE BOARD EXPLORING THE ELECTING TRUSTEES BY SINGLE-MEMBER DISTRICTS OR KEEPING THEIR LARGE ELECTION SYSTEM. THE INPUT, WE RECEIVED SPOKE IN PUBLIC COMMENT OVER FOUR NIGHTS AND WRITTEN COMMENTS THAT RECORD EACH COMMENTER'S FEE, FEEDER PATTERN AND STAKEHOLDER ROLE.

IN THIS SUMMARY, IT'S GOING TO REPORT OUT WHAT WAS SAID AND DOESN'T ARGUE FOR EITHER OPTION. SO COMMENTS EVERY ENTRY WAS COUNTED AND A

[01:05:02]

NOW, IT DOESN'T ROUND UP TO, AND DR. CRUTCHFIELD CAN KIND OF ALLUDE TO A WHY IT DOESN'T TOTAL UP TO... YEAH, SO ON THE SLIDES IT JUST SHARES THAT NINE OF THE ENTRIES DON'T HAVE A RECORDED STANCE AND ALSO DIDN'T HAVE A QUESTION, SO THEY'RE NOT REFLECTED IN THAT TOTAL NUMBER.

IN THAT PERCENTAGE. OKAY, GREAT. THANK YOU. AND SO WHEN WE LOOKED AT THE SPEAKERS, WE NOTICED THAT, WHEN WE LOOKED AT INFORMATION, WE NOTICED THAT THERE WERE THIRTEEN REPEAT, REPEAT SPEAKERS, AND SO WE ONLY COUNTED THOSE PEOPLE WHO SPOKE AT MULTIPLE NIGHTS ONE TIME, AND SO WHEN WE FILTERED OUT THAT DATA, IT CAME UP TO BE FORTY-SIX WHO SPOKE FAVORABLY OF SINGLE-MEMBER DISTRICTS, FORTY WHO WERE AGAINST THAT'S DISCOUNTING THE PEOPLE WHO SPOKE MULTIPLE TIMES, AND THEN THIRTY-FOUR WHO HAD NEUT, WERE NEUTRAL, HAD QUESTIONS ONLY. SO THAT KINDA SHAKES OUT THE FEEDBACK THAT WE RECEIVED FROM THE NIGHTS IN QUESTION.

GREAT, AND YOU'LL SEE AGAIN WITH THE REPEATS REMOVED, THERE'S STILL SEVEN THAT WE WEREN'T ABLE TO SHOW IN THESE COUNTS, SO THAT'S THE REMAINING ENTRIES THAT WOULD GET YOU TO THAT HIGHER PERCENTAGE. AND THEN THIS SLIDE JUST KINDA SUMMARIZES HOW EACH TONIGHT WENT SPECIFICALLY FROM THE BOARD MEETING ON MONDAY TO THE THREE NIGHTS AFTER.

AGAIN, FOR, AGAINST, ANY THAT WERE JUST NEUTRAL OR QUESTIONS AND THEN THE ONES THAT SOMEBODY TURNED SOMETHING IN, BUT THERE WAS JUST NO OTHER COMMENT ON IT OUTSIDE OF THEIR CONTACT INFORMATION.

WE CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.

THAT JUST IS A TABLE AND EVERYTHING. SO FROM THE COMMENTS, CARDS, QR CODES THE THEMES AND SUPPORT THAT THEY WERE ASKED US TO CONSIDER OR THAT PEOPLE WERE PERSONALLY CONSIDERING WAS OUT OF REPRESENTATION, CONSIDERING THAT EVERY CITY AND COMMUNITY IN THE DISTRICT WOULD HAVE A TRUSTEE TIED TO THEIR AREA.

CAMPUS VISIBILITY SPEAKERS CITED D AND F RATED CAMPUSES THAT THEY FELT RECEIVED LESS TRUSTEE ATTENTION. MANY PEOPLE OR PEOPLE DISCUSSED A HYBRID OPTION. SEVERAL SPEAKERS SUGGESTED MIXING SINGLE MEMBER AND AT-LARGE SEATS, SUCH AS A 5-2 OR A 6-1. THEY ALSO, ACCOUNTABILITY ALSO CAME UP.

FAMILIES WOULD KNOW WHICH TRUSTEE REPRESENTS THEM AND COULD REACH THEM DIRECTLY.

ACCESS TO RUN SMALLER AREAS COULD LOWER CAMPAIGN COSTS FOR PARENTS, TEACHERS, OR RESIDENTS. AND THEN LASTLY LANGUAGE AND CULTURE, JUST WITH THE MULTILINGUAL AND IMMIGRANT FAMILIES THEY ASKED FOR A TRUSTEE WHO KNOWS THEIR NEEDS.

AND THEN THE BIGGEST THEMES IN OPPOSITION WERE EVIDENCE ON OUTCOMES. SPEAKER ASKED WHAT DATA SHOWS IMPROVED STUDENT OUTCOMES IN OTHER DISTRICTS.

COST AND BUDGET, CONCERNS ABOUT SPENDING, POSSIBLE LITIGATION COSTS, AND THE BUDGET DEFICIT.

ELECTIONS CONCERNS ABOUT TURNOUT, UNCONTESTED RACES, AND OUTSIDE MONEY IN SMALLER DISTRICTS. THE SURVEY SCOPE, SPEAKERS QUESTIONED THE SURVEY SIZE, TIMING, AND DISTRIBUTION.

DISTRICT-WIDE SERVICE SOME SAID EVERY TRUSTEE SHOULD SERVE THE WHOLE DISTRICT AND NOT ONE AREA AND THAT THE PROCESS AND ALTERNATIVES REQUESTS FOR OTHER SOLUTIONS, A PUBLIC VOTE, OR MORE TIME BEFORE DECIDING. SO SOME, TO DIG IN A LITTLE BIT MORE SPECIFICALLY TO QUESTIONS THAT WERE RAISED WHAT PROBLEM WOULD SINGLE-MEMBER DISTRICTS SOLVE, AND WHAT ALTERNATIVES WERE CONSIDERED? MORE THAN HALF OF MISD STUDENTS LIVE OUTSIDE OF MANSFIELD CITY LIMITS, INCLUDING APPROXIMATELY 30% WHO LIVE IN ARLINGTON, AND HISTORICALLY, QUESTIONS OF EQUITY FOR SCHOOLS OUTSIDE OF MANSFIELD HAVE BEEN RAISED DUE TO LOWER STUDENT OUTCOMES FOR THOSE SCHOOLS. MORE SPECIFICALLY, THERE ARE CURRENTLY THREE D-D-RATED CAMPUSES LOCATED IN THE CITY OF ARLINGTON. CAN THE FULL SURVEY RESULTS AND METHODS BE SHARED? SO TYPICALLY, SURVEY RESULTS HAVE NOT HISTORICALLY BEEN RELEASED TO THE PUBLIC.

INSTEAD, AGGREGATED DATA IS PRESENTED, AS HAS BEEN DONE AT TOWN HALLS AND PUBLISHED ON THE WEBSITE. AND WHEN WILL MAPS BE SHARED, AND WHEN WILL THAT, WILL THE BOARD DECIDE? ANY FUTURE MAPS WILL BE SHARED WITH THE PUBLIC, AND ANY DECISION THAT IMPACTS THE CURRENT ELECTION CYCLE WILL BE MADE BEFORE JANUARY 1ST, 2027.

THANK YOU. SO THIS IS A COMMON QUESTION AS WELL. WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF NO ONE RUNS IN A DISTRICT? AND DO CURRENT TRUSTEES KEEP THEIR SEATS? SO CURRENTLY IF NO ONE RUNS AN, AN AT-LARGE SEAT WHICH IS THE CURRENT STRUCTURE OF THE BOARD A VACANCY WOULD OCCUR. THE REMAINING TRUSTEES CAN FILL THAT VACANCY BY APPOINTMENT UNTIL THE NEXT ELECTION,

[01:10:02]

THAT'S NOT REALLY ASSOCIATED WITH THIS PROCESS. SOME DISTRICTS HAVE NINE SEATS OR SEVEN, BUT IT'S NOT RELATED TO THE ELECTION STRUCTURE CHANGE, CAUSE VOTERS DECIDE IS A POINT WE HEARD IN PUBLIC COMMENTS TONIGHT AND THROUGHOUT. AND SO THE CODE THAT WE ARE, WE HAVE INITIATED WITH THIS PROCESS IS THE BOARD'S OWN MOTION AS THE, THE IMPETUS FOR THE SWITCH AND NOT VOTERS DECIDING. AND SO WHY DID OTHER DISTRICTS APPOINT, ADOPT SINGLE-MEMBER DISTRICTS? MANY OTHER DISTRICTS THAT ADOPTED SINGLE-MEMBER DISTRICTS WERE AFTER VOTING RIGHTS VIOLATION LAWSUITS, AND SO SEVERAL OF THEM IN NORTH TEXAS. AND I'M NOT SURE, I THINK AT THE TOWN HALLS WE SHARED SOME OF THOSE DISTRICTS THAT ARE SINGLE MEMBER VERSUS THAT LARGE. ONE THING I WANTED TO CAN YOU GO BACK A SLIDE? ONE THING WORTH MENTIONING THAT THE FIRST QUESTION HAS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES. I LEARNED THIS OVER THE LAST TEN YEARS. WE'VE HAD VACANCIES FILLED BY NOMINATION AND BY SPECIAL ELECTIONS SEVERAL TIMES OVER THE LAST TEN YEARS. AND INTERESTING FACT ABOUT SINGLE-MEMBER DISTRICTS THE AVERAGE DISTRICT, I'M SORRY, THE AVERAGE SCHOOL DISTRICT SIZE IN THE STATE OF TEXAS IS ABOUT FOUR THOUSAND STUDENTS, A LITTLE BIT OVER THAT. SO MOST OF WHICH ARE AT-LARGE FOR THAT REASON. ALL RIGHT. I DON'T THINK I ASKED THIS QUESTION YET. HOW WOULD SWITCHING TO SINGLE-MEMBER DISTRICTS IMPACT STUDENT OUTCOMES? AND SO THERE'S VERY LIMITED RESEARCH THAT DEMONSTRATES A CAUSAL LINK, MEANING THE STRUCTURE OF YOUR ELECTIONS, EITHER AT-LARGE OR SINGLE-MEMBER DISTRICT, CAUSES ANY DIRECT IMPACT ON STUDENT OUTCOMES. THEY'RE DRIVEN BY A LONG LIST OF OTHER DECISIONS, AND THERE'S AN INDIRECT LINK.

TO STUDENT OUTCOMES. AND SO THE COSTS GREAT QUESTION THAT WE CONTINUALLY HAS COME UP CURRENTLY BILLED ABOUT ELEVEN THOUSAND DOLLARS TO THE LAW FIRM, A TOTAL APPROXIMATE CHANGE WOULD BE ABOUT THIRTY THOUSAND AND SO INCLUDING POTENTIAL LITIGATION.

OKAY, SO THE POTENTIAL LITIGATION THAT IS KNOWN IS ACTUALLY AGAINST DISTRICTS WHO HAVE A CURRENT AT-LARGE ELECTION STRUCTURE. THE RECENT EXAMPLE IN LEWISVILLE ISD WHERE THEY SETTLED AROUND FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS IN THEIR LAWSUIT AGAINST THEIR AT-LARGE ELECTION SYSTEM.

RIGHT. AND SO POTENTIAL NEXT STEPS ANY DRAFT OF DISTRICT MAPS, I THINK PEOPLE HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT TIMING, AND SO WHEN WOULD ALL OF THIS HAPPEN? IF WE WERE MOVING FORWARD MAPS COULD BE DRAWN BEFORE DECEMBER OF THIS YEAR, FINAL DECISION AGAIN, WHICH NOT HAS, HAS NOT BEEN MADE WOULD BE BEFORE JANUARY 1ST. AGAIN, THE APPROXIMATE COSTS ARE THERE FOR PEOPLE TO CONSIDER. AND SO... IS THAT SUPPOSED TO SAY DECEMBER 2026? YES. THAT'S 2027. YES. THANKS FOR CATCHING THAT. SO YEAH, DECEMBER 2026. AND SO I'LL LEAVE IT THERE AND I'LL SHARE KIND OF MORE AT THE END OF MY COMMENTS, BUT I WANT TO OPEN IT UP TO TRUSTEES FOR ANY ADDITIONAL COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS TO THE RIGHT. DR.

REED. YES, THANK YOU. I WANTED TO READ TRUSTEE JESSE CANNON II SENT ME A STATEMENT, HE APOLOGIZED THAT HE WOULD NOT, THAT HE COULD NOT BE HERE TODAY. HE HAD A PRIOR OBLIGATION THAT WAS ON THE SCHEDULE. SO IF YOU WILL, MAY I READ WHAT HE SENT ME TO READ FOR HIM? YEAH. MAY I BE MAY I TAKE A FIVE MINUTE RECESS SO THAT I CAN CALL JUST TO RETURN INTO ENSURE THAT I'M IN PROPER ORDER TO READ JESSE CANNON'S SECOND STATEMENT.

YES, I'LL CALL THE RECESS UNLESS THERE'S ANY OTHER OBJECTIONS. I HAVE FIVE MINUTES. THANK YOU ALL FOR WAITING. WE'RE BACK, AND SO DR. REED IT IS 9:47 AND

[01:15:07]

I REGRET THAT I CANNOT BE THERE TONIGHT. I HAD A PRIOR OBLIGATION THAT WAS SCHEDULED BEFORE THIS MEETING WAS PLACED ON THE CALENDAR LAST WEEK. AND HIS STATEMENT IS, AS A PUBLIC SCHOOL EDUCATOR, I HAVE OFTEN WONDERED, HOW DID WE GET HERE? AND HOW DO WE GET TO A PLACE WHERE PUBLIC EDUCATION IS SO OFTEN DEMONIZED WHEN EVERY DAY ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND RIGHT HERE IN MANSFIELD ISD, TEACHERS, STAFF, ADMINISTRATORS, AND STUDENTS ARE DOING INCREDIBLE WORK.

BEFORE BECOMING A BOARD MEMBER, WE TALKED ABOUT WHAT WE WOULD DO IF WE WERE ELECTED. I REMEMBER SAYING, QUOTE UNQUOTE, WE NEED TO MAKE THE MAIN THING THE MAIN THING AGAIN. THAT MEANS PUTTING PERSONAL AGENDAS AND PARTISAN POLITICS ASIDE AND FOCUSING ON OUR STUDENTS, OUR SCHOOLS, AND OUR STAFF. I'M NOT POINTING FINGERS AT EITHER SIDE, BUT SOMETHING HAS TO GIVE. WE HAVE TOO MUCH AT STAKE TO ALLOW A CONVERSATION ABOUT SINGLE-MEMBER DISTRICTS TO BECOME A DISTRACTION. I HAVE YET TO HEAR HOW THIS CHANGE IMPROVES STUDENT OUTCOMES.

INCREASES SUPPORT FOR OUR SCHOOLS OR FIXES THE ISSUE WE ARE CURRENTLY FACING AS A DISTRICT. SO I HAVE TO ASK, WOULD A CHANGE OF THIS MAGNITUDE ACTUALLY SOLVE THE PROBLEMS WE HAVE TODAY? OUR COMMUNITY CHOSE MANSFIELD ISD BECAUSE OF THE REPUTATION OF OUR SCHOOLS. AS TRUSTEES, WHAT ARE WE DOING TO STRENGTHEN THAT REPUTATION? WE HAVE A NEW SUPERINTENDENT WHO IS A PRODUCT OF MANSFIELD ISD AND HAS HAD A SUCCESSFUL START. ARE WE DOING EVERYTHING WE CAN TO SUPPORT HER, OR ARE WE CREATING ADDITIONAL WORK AND DISTRACTIONS FOR HER AND HER TEAM? THE LEVEL OF COMMUNITY RESPONSE TO THIS ISSUE SHOULD ALSO CAUSE US TO PAUSE. THE EMAILS, SOCIAL MEDIA DISCUSSION, AND ATTENDANCE AT TOWN HALLS HAVE FAR EXCEEDED WHAT WE EXPERIENCED. DURING THE SUPERINTENDENT SEARCH. I HAVE GOOD NEWS, THOUGH. WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO COURSE CORRECT. WE WERE NOT ELECTED TO REDESIGN THE BOARD. WE WERE ELECTED TO SERVE THE STUDENTS, TEACHERS, STAFF, AND SCHOOLS OF MANSFIELD ISD, AND THEY DESERVE OUR FULL ATTENTION. IT IS TIME TO MAKE THE MAIN THING THE MAIN THING AGAIN. THAT'S THE END OF THE STATEMENT.

THANK YOU. AND THEN DR. REED AND THEN MS. NEWSOM OR MR. THOMAS ON THE RIGHT, IF YOU GUYS HAVE ANY FURTHER COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS. OH, SURE. I THINK WHAT I WANTED TO, I WANTED TO REITERATE IS THAT I WANT US TO REALLY TAKE UNDER CONSIDERATION ALL OF THE COMMENTS AND THE QUESTIONS THAT OUR STAKEHOLDERS STATED AT ALL THREE TOWN HALLS. I KNOW THAT WE ARE PREPARING TO PLACE THE ANSWERS TO THE VARIANT QUESTIONS THAT THEY ASKED AT THE TOWN HALL SO THAT THERE IS CLARITY AND UNDERSTANDING AS WE GO THROUGH THIS PROCESS. I'D LIKE TO ALSO ENGAGE US IN AN OPPORTUNITY TO CREATE A BIT OF FAIRNESS BECAUSE I DON'T BELIEVE, AND I WASN'T, I WILL BE VERY TRANSPARENT, I WAS NOT AWARE THAT WE WERE TAKING DATA FROM THE TOWN HALLS, AND THAT, I BELIEVE, SHOULD HAVE BEEN STATED AT THE BEGINNING OF THE TOWN HALLS FOR ALL OF OUR CITIZENS TO HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO KNOW IF YOU SPEAK, THAT WILL BE PROVIDED FOR ALL OF US TO ENSURE THAT WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK ON THAT, ON YOUR VOTE OR YOUR POSITION ON THIS MATTER. NOT HAVING THAT INFORMATION A LOT OF THEM PROBABLY THOUGHT IT WAS INFORMATIONAL, WE'RE GONNA LISTEN, SOMEONE ELSE IS SAYING THE SAME THING I WOULD SAY, BUT I THINK IT'S VERY HELPFUL IF WE HAVE AN EQUITABLE PROCESS WHERE EVERYONE KNOWS WHAT THE PROCESS IS. AND SO I'D LIKE, I'M NOT SAYING IT HAS TO BE A REDO, BUT I THINK WHAT WE COULD DO IS LEARN FROM THIS OPPORTUNITY, FROM THE EXPERIENCE WE'VE HAD WITH THE TOWN HALLS, AND PROVIDE OUR STAKEHOLDERS, EVEN OUR STUDENTS, TO COME IN AND LET US KNOW WHAT THEY THINK ABOUT IT. I JUST WANNA MAKE CERTAIN THAT WE'RE DOING WHAT

[01:20:02]

THANK YOU. THANKS. ANYONE ELSE? AM I RIGHT? MS. NEWSOM. I FEEL PRETTY PASSIONATE ABOUT THIS, AND SO I MADE SURE THAT I WROTE DOWN MY THOUGHTS SO THAT I DIDN'T STRAY OR RAMBLE ON, BECAUSE I'M REALLY GOOD AT THAT. WHAT I DID DO IS WHEN WE GOT THE SURVEY DATA, I TOOK THAT RAW DATA AND I REALLY ANALYZED THAT FOR MYSELF AND DID MY OWN NUMBERS AND GOT, GOT RESULTS THAT COULD SEE THE SURVEY MORE GLOBALLY FOR WHAT I BELIEVE IT COULD BE INTENDED FOR AND USED. SO WHEN WE CONDUCTED THIS SURVEY I DID SPEND A GREAT DEAL OF TIME REVIEWING IT. I ALSO READ EVERY SINGLE WRITTEN COMMENT OF EVERY SINGLE SURVEY, AND I THINK THAT'S REALLY, REALLY IMPORTANT. AND ONE RESULT PARTICULARLY STOOD OUT TO ME, AND THAT WAS THAT THIRTY-THREE PERCENT OF THE RESPONDENTS FELT THAT THE BOARD LISTENS TO THEM AND CONSIDERS COMMUNITY INPUT, WHILE NEARLY FORTY-TWO DISAGREED. AND THAT SHOULD CONCERN EVERY ONE OF US. THE SURVEY ALSO ASKED WHETHER OR NOT OUR CURRENT AT-LARGE BOARD DISTRICT STRUCTURE EFFECTIVELY REPRESENTED OUR COMMUNITY, AND THE RESULTS WERE FAIRLY DIVIDED, ABOUT THIRTY-NINE AGREED, THIRTY-SIX DISAGREED, AND TWENTY-FIVE PERCENT WERE NEUTRAL. BUT TO ME, THIS DOESN'T REPRESENT A CLEAR MANDATE FOR CHANGE. IT MERELY REPRESENTS A REASON TO CONTINUE LISTENING TO THE COMMUNITY, AND WE HAVE. SO THEN WE HELD THREE COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS AT APPROXIMATELY SIXTY TO SEVENTY PEOPLE ATTENDING EACH MEETING, AND WE HEARD FROM PARENTS, TAXPAYERS, COMMUNITY MEMBERS, AND MORE THAN TEN FORMER MISD TRUSTEES.

AND FROM WHAT I'VE PERSONALLY OBSERVED, THERE WAS ABOUT SEVENTY PERCENT THAT SPOKE IN OPPOSITION TO MOVING FORWARD TO SINGLE-MEMBER DISTRICTS. WE HAVE ALSO HEARD PUBLIC OPPOSITION FROM OUR MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF OUR CITY COUNCIL, AND THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT WE MAKE DECISIONS SIMPLY BY COUNTING WHO COMES TO A MEETING OR WHO SPEAKS THE LOUDEST. THAT'S NOT GOVERNANCE, BUT IT DOES MEAN THAT THEIR VOICES SHOULD MATTER. AND THAT'S ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT BECAUSE WE INVITED THEM TO PARTICIPATE. WE CANNOT ASK PEOPLE TO COMPLETE SURVEYS, ATTEND COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS, LEAVE THEIR HOMES AND FAMILIES, AND SPEND THEIR EVENINGS TALKING TO US, AND THEN CREATE THE PERCEPTION THAT THE DECISION WAS ALREADY MADE.

THAT WOULD REINFORCE EXACTLY WHAT OUR SURVEY TOLD US WE NEED TO IMPROVE. I'M ALSO CONCERNED ABOUT THE TIMING AND THE PRIORITIES. OUR FINANCIAL FUTURES COMMITTEE IS HAVING DIFFICULT CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THE FINANCIAL FUTURE OF OUR DISTRICT, AND WE MAY BE FACING RESTRUCTURING, STAFFING REDUCTIONS, AND EVEN DIFFICULT DECISIONS INVOLVING CLOSURES OF SCHOOLS. AT THIS TIME, I BELIEVE EVERY DOLLAR MATTERS.

AND BEFORE I CAN SUPPORT SPENDING DISTRICT RESOURCES TO CHANGE OUR ELECTORAL SYSTEM, I WOULD NEED TO SEE COMPELLING EVIDENCE THAT WE HAVE, HAVE A PROBLEM REQUIRING A SOLUTION THAT SINGLE-MEMBER DISTRICTS WILL ACTUALLY SOLVE THE PROBLEM AND THAT MAKING THIS CHANGE SHOULD BE A PRIORITY OVER THE SIGNIFICANT FINANCIAL AND EDUCATIONAL CHALLENGES IN FRONT OF US. I HAVE NOT SEEN THAT EVIDENCE. AND I BELIEVE THERE ARE ISSUES IDENTIFIED IN THE SURVEY THAT DESERVE OUR ATTENTION MORE URGENTLY.

STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT, DISCIPLINE IN CLASSROOM SAFETY, SPECIAL EDUCATION, TEACHER AND STAFF SUPPORT, FINANCIAL STEWARDSHIP, TRANSPARENCY, AND REBUILDING THE TRUST WITH OUR COMMUNITY. SO BASED ON THE INFORMATION BEFORE ME, I DO NOT SUPPORT MOVING MISD TO SINGLE-MEMBER DISTRICTS.

THIS ISN'T ABOUT PROTECTING A BOARD SEAT OR RESISTING CHANGE.

IT'S ABOUT LISTENING, EVIDENCE, PRIORITIES, AND RESPONSIBLE STEWARDSHIP.

WE ASK OUR COMMUNITY TO TRUST US, TO TELL US WHAT THEY THINK.

NOW WE'VE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO SHOW THEM THAT WE'RE LISTENING.

THANK YOU. MR. TRUMP, DID YOU HAVE ANYTHING? YES. SO I COOK A LOT. YEAH, I DO. I COOK. I LIKE TO COOK. AND IN COOKING, SOMETIMES YOU, YOU BOIL WATER AND YOU HAVE A CHOICE. YOU CAN TAKE THE WATER OFF WHEN THE FIRST BUBBLE COMES UP, CAUSE IT'S AT NINETY-NINE POINT NINE DEGREES. OR YOU CAN WAIT UNTIL IT GOES TO A ROLLING BOIL, OR YOU CAN LET IT BUR-BOIL ALL THE WAY OUT AND BURN YOUR POT. I'VE DONE THAT BEFORE. I'M SURE OTHER PEOPLE HAVE TOO. BUT THE BOTTOM LINE IS THAT WHEN, IN THIS INSTANCE HERE, TYPICALLY, MANSFIELD ISD HAS A HABIT OF WAITING TILL THE WATER COMES TO A ROLLING BOIL BEFORE WE RESPOND. AND THAT'S HOW WE GOT HERE

[01:25:01]

SO THOSE PEOPLE WOULD THEN HAVE A VOICE. SO I THINK WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW I THINK THE WATER'S GETTING HOT. THERE'S BEEN LITIGATION ALL OVER THE PLACE REGARDING UNFAIRNESS OR FAILURE TO FEEL REPRESENTED.

AND I THINK RIGHT NOW WHAT WE'RE DOING IS MOVING FORWARD TO SEE WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE AND WHAT IT FEELS LIKE.

AND I DON'T THINK IT WILL DIVIDE. I THINK IT'S BEING TOTALLY MISCHARACTERIZED BECAUSE AT THE END OF THE DAY, THE BOARD WILL VOTE ON ONE BUDGET. THE BOARD WILL VOTE ON STAFFING AS A WHOLE.

ONLY THING IT'LL DO IS ADD SOME ADVOCACY TO THOSE CAMPUSES AND TO THOSE PARENTS WHO DON'T FEEL SEEN OR HEARD. AND IT, AND BY ALL MEANS, BY, BY EVERY STRETCH OF THE IMAGINATION, IF I'M NOT DOING, IF WE GO TO SINGLE MEMBER, AND IF I'M NOT DOING WHAT I'M SUPPOSED TO DO, GUESS WHAT? THEY'LL FIRE ME. AND I'M OKAY WITH THAT BECAUSE THAT MEANS THAT I'M NOT DOING A JOB AND SOMEBODY ELSE THEY FEEL CAN DO IT BETTER AND REPRESENT THEIR COMMUNITY BETTER. SO THAT BEING SAID I JUST WANTED TO KIND OF PUT THAT OUT THERE. I THINK IT'S A GOOD CONVERSATION. I, I'M, I'M GLAD THAT, YOU KNOW, WHEN I VOTED FOR, WHEN WE VOTED FOR THIS WHOLE THING, WE PUT THE RESOLUTION OUT, THERE'S A MISUNDERSTANDING OF WHAT A RESOLUTION IS OR DOES, AND I CLARIFY THAT NOW. A RESOLUTION CAN, YOU KNOW, RECOGNIZE SOMEBODY, BUT IT CAN ALSO COMMUNICATE INFORMATION.

AND WITH THE RESOLUTION THAT WE VOTED ON, WE WERE SPLIT FOUR-THREE, WE VOTED TO COMMUNICATE TO THE PUBLIC AND TO THE SUPERINTENDENT AND HER STAFF, HEY, THIS IS WHAT WE'RE ASKING YOU TO DO, THIS IS HOW WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT. AND WE PUT IT FRONT FACING, AND GUESS WHAT IT DID? IT LET PEOPLE KNOW, AND PEOPLE CAME OUT, STATED THEIR POSITION, AND WE HEAR YOU, AND WE UNDERSTAND YOU, AND WE APPRECIATE IT.

EVERYBODY WHO'S CONTRIBUTED IN ANY SHAPE, FORM, OR FASHION, THE EMAILS, THE TEXTS, THE CALLS, WE APPRECIATE IT, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT IT'S ABOUT.

SO THAT'S PRETTY MUCH ALL I HAVE. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT, THANKS. MS. GOOCH, I MISSED A QUESTION. I HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS. ONE IS, WHAT DOES SUCCESS LOOK LIKE? IF WE'RE GONNA MARCH DOWN THIS ROAD, WHAT DO, WHAT DO WE BELIEVE SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE? GOOD QUESTION. ANYBODY HAVE YOU WANNA TAKE UP WITH ONE? YEAH. I THINK A GOOD INDICATOR OF ONE OF MY HOPES IS THAT THERE WOULD CONTINUE TO BE A YEARLY SURVEY. I WOULD HOPE THAT COMMUNITIES THAT CURRENTLY ARE BEING OUTSPOKEN ABOUT NOT BEING HEARD OR CONSIDERED.

THERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF CONFLATING THAT'S HAPPENING THAT SINGLE-MEMBER DISTRICTS IS GONNA KIND OF WHAT MR. THOMAS WAS SAYING, FORCE RESOURCES TO ONE SCHOOL, FORCE THINGS THAT THEY MAY NOT BE GETTING, AND THAT'S NOT WHAT THIS PROCESS IS TO ME. SINGLE MEMBER DISTRICT SPEAKS TO WHAT PERSPECTIVES ARE GUARANTEED TO BE HEARD IN THE ROOM BEFORE MAJOR DECISIONS FOR THE WHOLE DISTRICT IS MADE.

AND SO I SEE A BIG OUTCOME BEING THAT THE VOICES THAT WE DO HEAR SAYING MY SCHOOL WASN'T CONSIDERED, WE ARE NOT Y'ALL AREN'T AWARE OF HOW THIS AFFECTS OUR COMMUNITY, THAT THEY WOULD START TO SAY THAT THEY FEEL HEARD.

AND I THINK ANOTHER GOOD SIGN AFTER THIS WOULD BE ARE OUR TRUSTEES SPREAD OUT? CAN WE SAY THAT THEY ARE ALL OVER AND IN THE DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE DISTRICT TO MAKE SURE THAT WHEN THEY ARE IN THE ROOM AND THEY'RE WITH US AS A BOARD CORPORATE THEY CAN REALLY SPEAK TO WHAT IS HAPPENING IN THEIR DISTRICT. ANYBODY ELSE? I, I DON'T KNOW THAT THAT. TELLS ME WHAT SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE. SO CAN YOU BE MORE CLEAR ABOUT WHAT IT IS? IS IT, IS IT, WHAT WOULD THE, HOW WOULD WE, HOW WOULD WE MEASURE WHAT THAT

[01:30:03]

SO WOULDN'T AN OPTION BE TO SET UP SOME KIND OF TRUSTEE WORKSHOP, WORKSHOP, CONNECTION, LISTENING CIRCLES, I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU WANNA CALL IT, SO WE ALL GOT ASSIGNED, YEAH, WE ALL GET ASSIGNED HOWEVER MANY THEY ARE, THEY CAN BE ONE, TWO IN EACH FEEDER PATTERN, THEY CAN BE TWO IN EACH CITY, HOWEVER WE WANNA DO THAT. AND WE'RE NOT THERE TO SHOW UP AND BE A PART OF THEIR, THEIR HOLIDAY PARADE. WE'RE THERE TO SIT THERE AND TALK AND EXCHANGE INFORMATION WITH THE STAFF ON THAT CAMPUS, AS WELL AS THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND ENGAGE WITH STUDENTS THAT NEED, IF THEY'RE OLD ENOUGH FOR, FOR THOSE KIND OF CONVERSATIONS. I MEAN, WE ALSO CAN SUPPORT THEM IN MANY WAYS, BUT I FEEL LIKE THAT WOULD BE A VERY TANGIBLE WAY TO ENSURE THAT CAMPUSES WERE HEARD. AND THAT ONE DOESN'T COST US ONE DOLLAR.

AND I FEEL LIKE WE COULD MEASURE THAT BY SAYING, WE'RE GOING TO MAKE A PROMISE TO YOU AND WE'RE GOING TO GO OUT, WE'RE GOING TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERY QUARTER YOU AT YOUR CAMPUS, YOU HAVE A, A BOARD MEMBER MEETING, YOU HAVE A TRUSTEE CONNECTION, WHATEVER, WHATEVER THING WE WANT TO CALL THAT. AND WE HAVE TOPICS, WE CAN EXCHANGE INFORMATION, WE CAN LET STUFF COME FROM THE TOP DOWN AND WE GET TO HAVE A BACK AND FORTH CONVERSATION INSTEAD OF SITTING IN ON THE DAIS, RIGHT? OR WE CAN TALK TO THESE PEOPLE, AND THAT'S A CONSIDERATION FOR SOMETHING THAT DOESN'T COST ANY MONEY, AND WE WOULD ALSO MAKE SURE THAT NOW THEY'RE, THEY'RE, THEY'RE HAVING THE CONVERSATION, BECAUSE I THINK WHAT, WHAT MOST OF US KNOW THAT HAVE BEEN ON THE BOARD IS WE ARE CONSTANTLY GETTING PHONE CALLS AND TEXTS AND SPENDING TIME AND TALKING TO PEOPLE IN NEIGHBORHOODS AND PARKS AND AT EVENTS AND AT COMMUNITY EVENTS ALL THE TIME AND WE, WE HEAR THAT INFORMATION. AND SO AND THAT HAS BEEN BROUGHT UP, BUT IF WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT IT'S A LITTLE MORE VISIBLE INSTEAD OF AT THE GROCERY STORE OR AT THE PARK AND THINGS LIKE THAT WHERE WE TALK TO PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY, THEN WE PUT IT ON PAPER AND ON THE, ON THE CALENDAR AND WE'RE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE. AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT PARENTS AND MEMBERS CAN COUNT ON. SO EVEN IF YOU DON'T HAVE KIDS IN THE DISTRICT, YOU STILL ARE A TAXPAYER PAYER AND YOU CAN STILL COME AND TALK TO US AT THESE, IN THESE COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS. ENGAGEMENTS. SO THAT'S A GREAT POINT, MS. GOOCH WHERE YOU STATED WHAT DOES SUCCESS LOOK LIKE TO THE BOARD, AND THAT'S WHY I DID INTERJECT WITH MS. NEWSOM, AND I SAID MAYBE WE COULD DO A BOARD WORKSHOP TO DEFINE WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE TO US. AND DOES THAT THEN COMPARE THAT TO WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE TO THE PEOPLE WE SERVE? THAT WOULD BE THE STUDENTS AND THEIR FAMILIES, THE DISTRICT, AS WELL AS ALL OF THOSE WHO ARE SERVING THE STUDENTS. SO I THINK IF, IF THAT IS WHERE WE START, I THINK THAT'S A GREAT PLACE TO START. THEN WE WOULD BE HOLDING OURSELVES ACCOUNTABLE TO THE DEFINITION THAT HAS BEEN FI- DEFINED BY THE ENTIRE GROUP, MEANING ALL OF MISD. IF WE ARE, IF WE WANT TO BE AN ADVOCATE, WE WANT TO BE REPRESENTATIVE, WE WANT TO REPRESENT THE DISTRICT, AND MS. GUTZ, IN MS. GUTZ'S QUESTION, HOW DO WE DEFINE SUCCESS, THEN WE WOULD HAVE THAT DEFINITION, AND WE'D COME TO THE TABLE TOGETHER AND WALK AWAY, EXCUSE ME, WALK AWAY WITH THAT DEFINITION. I THINK THAT'S

[01:35:01]

BUT IT REALLY HAD NO TEETH. IT WAS US HOLDING EACH OTHER ACCOUNTABLE. WELL, THIS SCORECARD NOW IS YOU'VE GOT THE PEOPLE THAT YOU GOT TO LOOK AT EVERY DAY AND THE SCHOOLS THAT YOU NEED TO BE GOING TO SAYING, HEY, JOE AIN'T, I'M NOT GOING TO SAY MY NAME, BUT JOE AIN'T COMING TO OUR SCHOOLS BECAUSE I'M COMING TO SCHOOL. OR WE'RE NOT SEEING THEM. WE'RE NOT GETTING THE FEEDBACK. WE, YOU'RE NOT HAVING TOWN HALLS. SO WE CAN ACTUALLY DO AND HAVE ACCOUNTABILITY THAT HAS TEETH BECAUSE THE VOTERS WILL HAVE THE TEETH. AND THAT'S ULTIMATELY WHAT IT KIND OF BOILS DOWN TO. AND ALSO IT WOULD LOOK LIKE MORE RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE PRINCIPALS, NOT TO SAY THAT WE'RE GOING, THAT'S SUPER THIN, BUT WE'RE JUST HAVING THOSE RELATIONSHIPS AND BEING ABLE TO GIVE THAT FEEDBACK THAT MAYBE THEY AREN'T APT TO TELL THE SUPERINTENDENT OR, YOU KNOW, OTHER PEOPLE IN THE DISTRICT. I THINK THAT'S A GREAT POINT. I THINK, OH, I WAS JUST GOING TO, OKAY, MORE FOLLOW-UP. I THINK Y'ALL ARE GOING TO RESPOND IN THERE. I'M TRYING TO REMEMBER WHICH POINT.

TO YOUR POINT, MRS. SUM, NAMING ALL THE THINGS WE ALREADY DO AND WE DON'T ALREADY DO THEM.

OH. I'M SORRY, EVERYONE. POINT OF ORDER FOR MYSELF. LET'S LET MS. HORN FINISH. A, A LOT OF US, I WOULD EVEN SAY ALL OF US, MOST OF US, ARE ON CAMPUSES. WE ARE IN THE COMMUNITY. WE ARE TALKING TO PEOPLE. THERE ARE SURVEYS. PEOPLE COME HERE. AND I WOULD SAY IN DOING THAT WE STILL HAVE A THIRD OF OUR PEOPLE IN THE SURVEY AND AT TOWN HALLS SAYING THAT THEY STILL DON'T FEEL HEARD. AND SO I THINK WHAT THIS STRUCTURE CAN DO IS PUT THE RIGHT PEOPLE IN THE ROOM AND GIVE VOTERS A WAY TO HOLD THEM ACCOUNTABLE. YOU OFFERED ME SAY THIS. A BOARD CAN SAY IT SERVES EVERY COMMUNITY, AND I THINK THAT WE BELIEVE THAT WE ARE, BUT IN A DISTRICT AS LARGE AND VARIED AS OURS, HOW DO WE ACTUALLY KNOW THAT'S HAPPENING? AND I JUST FEEL LIKE THIS ADDS A LITTLE BIT MORE OF A GUARANTEE THAT NO COMMUNITY GETS LEFT OUT OF THE BOARDS TOGETHER BY ACCIDENT. AND SO I JUST THINK IT'S A STRUCTURAL WAY TO MAKE SURE ALL STUDENTS IS TRUE IN PRACTICE, NOT JUST IN THEORY. DR. REED, I'LL LET YOU, IF YOU STILL HAVE SOMETHING AND THEN I WANNA RESPOND TO MS. GOOCH'S FIRST QUESTION, AND THEN I THINK SHE MAY HAVE ANOTHER QUESTION.

SO, OKAY, DO YOU WANNA LET MS. GOOCH GO FIRST, CAUSE WE WERE TALKING ABOUT HER QUESTION. YEAH.

OKAY. NO, NO, NO. OKAY. SO I WAS GONNA SAY TO TRUSTEE THOMAS'S POINT AND TO MS. HORNE'S POINT, IN TERMS OF GETTING THOSE PEOPLE IN THE ROOM OR GETTING TOGETHER, WE COULD TARGET THAT AREA. IF THAT IS, IF THAT IS OUR AREA THAT WE NEED TO FOCUS ON, LET'S TARGET, NOT THAT WE'RE FOCUSING, NOT FOCUSING ON THE OTHER AREAS, LET'S DO THAT. I WOULD LIKE TO PURSUE OPTIONS THAT WILL NOT HURT US FINANCIALLY FIRST. I THINK WE ONE OF OUR RESPONSIBILITIES IS TO ADOPT A BUDGET, AND WE'VE ADOPTED A, A DEFICIT BUDGET. IT'S NEARLY TWENTY MILLION DOLLARS. AND DR. SPENCER AND HER TEAM HAVE A FINANCIAL FEATURES COMMITTEE, AND THEY'RE DOING GREAT WORK VERY QUICKLY, AND WE APPRECIATE THAT.

HOWEVER, I DON'T WANT TO ADD TO THE DEFICIT, AND I DON'T WANT TO MAKE DECISIONS THAT ARE NOT WISE IN TERMS OF A NEED.

FOR EXAMPLE, WE'VE HEARD IT SINCE I'VE BEEN ON THE BOARD, I'VE BEEN ADVOCATING FOR SPECIAL EDUCATION. WE NEED SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHERS, WE NEED PARENTS. I BELIEVE IF WE TAKE A LOOK AT THE DATA THAT WE HAVE FROM THE COMMUNITY, THEN WE WOULD ALL AGREE THAT WE COULD USE THAT MONEY IN A MUCH BETTER WAY BY HIRING THOSE SPECIAL EDUCATION PARENTS, THE, THE TEACHERS, AND IN OTHER WAYS. IN FACT, I BELIEVE IF WE TAKE A LOOK AT THE DATA, THEN WE WOULD LOOK, WE WOULD SEE THAT WE'RE DOING A GOOD JOB, BUT WE COULD BE DOING BETTER. I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I'M SPECIFICALLY FOCUSING ON IS WHETHER IT WAS THIRTY-SEVEN PERCENT THAT AGREED THAT WE,

[01:40:02]

SPENCER. BUT I DEFINITELY DON'T WANNA TAKE ANY MONEY AWAY FROM THE KIDS. I WANNA MAKE CERTAIN THAT WE DO WHATEVER WE CAN TO UNDERGIRD THE WORK THAT THE TEACHERS ARE DOING AND TO ENSURE THAT WE STILL MAINTAIN GOOD STUDENT OUTCOMES TO ENSURE GREAT STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT. SO I DON'T WANT TO DO THAT. LET'S BE FINANCIALLY RESPONSIBLE IS WHAT I'M ASKING. SO LET'S TRY OTHER ALTERNATIVES, WHICH MEANS WE'RE MAKING A DECISION BECAUSE YOU'RE SAYING THE, THE AREA WE NEED TO FOCUS ON IS ARLINGTON. LET'S MAKE A DECISION. HOW DO WE DO THAT? AND THEN CONTINUE LOOKING INTO THIS PARTICULAR PROPOSAL.

MR. THOMAS, DID YOU HAVE SOMETHING FOR MS. KUCH'S QUESTION? JUST, JUST ONE LAST THING. AND THE THE OUTCOME OR GOING BACK TO SOMETHING ELSE, I JUST WANT TO BRING UP ONE OTHER POINT IT ALIGNS WITH YOUR QUESTION. IF WE DO NOT MAKE A MOVE NOW, JUST KNOW THE, THAT NUMBERS, MEN LIE, WOMEN LIE, NUMBERS DON'T LIE.

WE'RE AVERAGING ABOUT 2.3 NEW TRUSTEES EVERY ELECTION CYCLE.

SO IN TWO YEARS, IN, IN TWO ELECTION CYCLES, POSSIBLY YOU'LL HAVE FOUR NEW TRUSTEES AND EVERYTHING WE SAID WE'RE GOING TO DO WILL GO AWAY. AND THAT'S A RISK WE RUN. OKAY, SO I JUST WANTED TO BRIEFLY RESPOND TO YOUR QUESTION. I'VE, I'VE BEEN LISTENING. IT SOUNDS LIKE THERE COULD BE SEVERAL THINGS, BUT I THINK A LOT OF WHAT WE ALREADY HAVE ARE MEASURES THAT COULD BE USED FOR SUCCESS. SO OBVIOUSLY REPRESENTATION, EVERYBODY'S ABLE TO IDENTIFY A TRUSTEE, LIKE THAT COULD BE A TEST. WHO IS YOUR TRUSTEE FOR YOUR PARTICULAR DISTRICT? THEN OUR TRUSTEES HAVING THOSE CONNECTIONS, I THINK ACROSS THE BOARD WE'VE TALKED ABOUT CONNECTIONS, RIGHT? AND SO BUILDING THOSE RELATIONSHIPS. BUT I THINK BEYOND THAT, IT IS US BRINGING THOSE FORWARD TO DELIBERATIONS, RIGHT? I THINK THAT IS A KEY MISSING PIECE. AND SO IN OUR GOVERNANCE STRUCTURE, RIGHT, WHEN WE'RE VOTING ON A BUDGET, THAT DEEPER KNOWLEDGE AND CONNECTION OF A DISTRICT SHOULD BE ABLE TO BE COMING INTO PLAY. AND THAT, RIGHT, BECAUSE WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT STUDENT OUTCOMES, RIGHT? WHEN THERE ARE POLICY DECISIONS THAT ARE INFORMED BY WHAT'S HAPPENING IN A DISTRICT, WHEN THERE ARE RESOURCE ALLOCATIONS, RIGHT BUDGET ADOPTIONS, AS ONE BOARD, WE'RE MAKING A DECISION, BUT WITH GREATER KNOWLEDGE, THOSE THINGS DO IMPACT STUDENT OUTCOMES, RIGHT? AND SO I THINK IN THE SLIDE, THERE'S NOT RESEARCH THAT DEMONSTRATES A CAUSAL DIRECT LINK.

BUT THERE IS THAT INDIRECT LINK TO REPRESENTATION THAT GOVERNANCE FOLLOWED BY STUDENT OUTCOMES, AND WE HAVE AMAZING CURRICULUM INSTRUCTION AND DATA LEADERS THAT CAN SHOW US WHAT THE BASELINE DATA IS FOR OUR STUDENTS AND SHOULD WE MAKE A CHANGE, WHAT THOSE OUTCOMES ARE AFTER THAT. SO DID YOU HAVE ANOTHER QUESTION? ONE MORE QUESTION I PROCESS AS WELL.

SHOULD WE MOVE IN THIS DIRECTION AND MOVE TO SINGLE DISTRICTS? WHAT ACCOUNTABILITY MEASURES WOULD ENSURE THAT BOARD MEMBERS REPRESENT THE INTERESTS OF THEIR INDIVIDUAL DISTRICTS WHILE THEY CONTINUE TO GOVERN IN THE BEST INTEREST OF THE LARGER DISTRICT? AGAIN, I THINK THAT'S A GREAT PLACE TO START. SO WE HAD A, A BOARD WORKSHOP. WE COULD POSE ALL OF THESE QUESTIONS PRIOR TO, WE COULD COME TOGETHER AND ANSWER ALL OF THESE QUESTIONS SO THAT THEY WOULD BE CLEARLY DEFINED, AND THEN WE COULD CREATE A RUBRIC BY WHICH WE WOULD FOLLOW IN TERMS OF REPRESENTATION, IN TERMS OF ADVOCACY, AND IN TERMS OF BEING PRODUCTIVE IN FOLLOWING THOSE DIFFERENT AREAS ON THAT RUBRIC. AND SO I AM SUGGESTING THAT WE TRY TO DO, I LOVE THE FACT THAT YOU ASKED THOSE QUESTIONS, MS. GOOCH, BECAUSE I THINK THOSE ARE, THAT'S A GREAT PLACE TO START NOW, SO THAT WE CAN HAVE VERY CLEAR DEF, A VERY CLEAR DEFINITION OF REPRESENTATION, OPERATIONAL REPRESENTATION

[01:45:02]

ALSO, YOU TALKED ABOUT OR ACTUALLY, DR.

CRUTCHFIELD, YOU TALKED ABOUT TRACKING STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT, AND SO STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT, IF WE BELIEVE THAT THIS IS GOING TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE FOR STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT, THEN PART OF THAT RUBRIC WOULD SHOW THAT NOW AS WELL, WHAT THAT WOULD LOOK LIKE, SO THAT WE COULD TRACK THOSE ALONG THE WAY. BECAUSE WE REALLY, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DON'T LOSE FOCUS OF THE VERY IMPORTANT WORK OF STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT, AND THAT REALLY IS THE GOAL OF THE BOARD AND MAKING SURE THAT THIS RUBRIC AND THE ACTIONS THAT WE'RE DOING IT, AND WHATEVER WE'RE, WE'RE DOING IS, IS MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE DOING THAT. RIGHT NOW, THERE'S A, YOU KNOW TRYING TO HIT THE ENTIRE DISTRICT, BUT IF WE WERE HOLDING PEOPLE AND WE WERE SCHEDULING OUT THESE CONVERSATIONS AND COMMUNITY EXCHANGE TIMES WITH FOLKS, THEN ALL OF THOSE THINGS ARE MEASURABLE.

WHAT WE'RE WE'RE DOING THIS EVERY MONTH. EVERYBODY'S HAVING A THING. THERE'S TWO A MONTH ACROSS THE DISTRICT, WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE. I THINK THAT DR.

SPENCER SHARED IN THE BEGINNING OF, OF HER TIME HERE AND THEN HER HUNDRED DAY REPORT ABOUT HOW IMPACTFUL HER, HER MEETINGS WERE AS SHE TRAVELS CAMPUS TO CAMPUS, COMMUNITY GROUPS, ROTARY, ALL THE THINGS AND HOW IMPACTFUL THAT HAS BEEN FOR HER TO SIT AND REALLY TAKE THAT TIME WITH THOSE GROUPS AND REALLY SEEK THAT KNOWLEDGE.

AND SO I THINK THAT US DOING SOMETHING VERY SIMILAR AND KIND OF FOLLOWING THAT PATH AND DIRECTION OF WHAT SHE'S DOING, EVEN ASKING THE SAME QUESTIONS, I, I FEEL LIKE HER QUESTIONS WERE REALLY SIMPLE. THEY WERE PURE, AND THEY REALLY OPENED IT UP TO GET TO WHAT THE, THE MEAT OF WHAT, WHAT PEOPLE WANTED TO SAY. IT KIND OF GAVE THEM AN OPPORTUNITY TO SAY WHAT THEY WANT TO SAY.

AND I THINK THAT'S REALLY, REALLY IMPORTANT. WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE, WE'RE DOING ALL THOSE THINGS FOR THOSE FOLKS TO GIVE THEM THOSE OPPORTUNITIES, BUT THAT VERY CLEARLY WOULD DEFINE WHAT WE'RE DOING, AND WE WOULD HAVE SOMETHING MEASURABLE, AND THEN WE WOULD KNOW EXACTLY WHAT IT LOOKED LIKE AND WHAT WE WERE DOING.

CAN YOU SAY YOUR QUESTION ONE MORE TIME? WHAT ACCOUNTABILITY MEASURES WOULD ENSURE THAT BOARD MEMBERS REPRESENT THE INTERESTS OF THEIR INDIVIDUAL DISTRICTS WHILE CONTINUING TO GOVERN IN THE BEST INTERESTS OF THE WHOLE DISTRICT? YEAH. I THINK WITH, WHEN TALKING SPECIFICALLY ABOUT SMD, I KNOW WE'VE TALKED ABOUT POSSIBLY EVEN A HYBRID SYSTEM. I THINK, I DON'T THINK THAT FRAGMENTS THE BOARD. I THINK IT JUST MEANS THAT, LIKE, THE COLLECTIVE KNOWLEDGE OF THE WHOLE DISTRICT GETS DEEPER AND MORE GROUNDED. I DON'T THINK IT THINS ANY OF THAT. SO A BOARD IS MADE UP OF PEOPLE WHO EACH KNOW THEIR PART OF THE DISTRICT INTIMATELY.

AND SO CAN BE MORE UNIFIED IN PRACTICE THAN SEVEN PEOPLE CLAIMING TO REPRESENT EVERYONE EQUALLY, EVEN THOUGH WHILE THAT IS OUR INTENT, I DON'T KNOW HOW WELL I COULD ANSWER SOMETHING VERY SPECIFIC ABOUT A CERTAIN AREA OF THE DISTRICT. AGAIN, LIKE I SAID BEFORE, I BELIEVE THAT IS ALL OF OUR INTENT AND WHAT WE WORK TOWARDS, BUT I THINK THIS PROCESS ONE GIVES THOSE COMMUNITIES SOMEONE TO HOLD ACCOUNTABLE. SO, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, I WOULD SAY, I GUESS I WOULD REFRAME SLIGHTLY BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW IF ANYBODY IS SAYING THAT ONE SPECIFIC ELECTION SYSTEM CAN GUARANTEE HOW SOMEONE CHOOSES TO GOVERN. AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE ARE STILL ALL SEVEN INDIVIDUALS.

BUT I DO THINK TO GOVERN WELL, LOTS OF THINGS WORK TOGETHER. AND SO WE ALL TAKE THE SAME OATH AND WE ARE THE, WE ALL HAVE THE SAME AUTHORITY, LIKE AS A FULL BOARD. NO SINGLE TRUSTEE CAN DIRECT RESOURCES OR MONEY OR STAFF TO ANY ONE LOCATION. THAT WOULDN'T START HAPPENING. ALL OF OUR VOTES ARE PUBLIC AND ON THE RECORD. I JUST THINK TRUSTEES ELECTED FROM A DISTRICT GET TO ANSWER TO THE VOTERS THERE, AND AT-LARGE TRUSTEES WOULD KEEP GETTING TO ANSWER TO THE WHOLE DISTRICT WHEN THAT COMES AROUND. AND AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE ARE GOVERNING TOGETHER. I JUST THINK THE COLLECTIVE KNOWLEDGE OF THE PEOPLE MAKING THOSE DECISIONS WILL BE DEEPER AND MORE KNOWLEDGEABLE THAN OURS. ALL RIGHT. AND SO YOUR QUESTION IS ABOUT ACCOUNTABILITY IF WE WERE TO MOVE TO THIS SYSTEM, TO A DISTRICT AND THE, TO A SINGLE-MEMBER DISTRICT AND THE ENTIRE DISTRICT. AND SO I THINK TO AN INDIVIDUAL DISTRICT, IT IS BEING ABLE

[01:50:03]

THERE'S AN, AN EQUITY GAP, A PERFORMANCE GAP. THE ACCOUNTABILITY IN THAT DISTRICT IS, HEY, WE SHOULD BE SEEING A CHANGE WITH YOU AS OUR SINGLE MEMBER TRUSTEE. BUT THAT SAME TRUSTEE THEN IS ACCOUNTABLE FOR THE STUDENT-WIDE OUTCOMES IN MISD. AND SO TO ME, THAT LOOKS LIKE SOMETHING THAT I'M NOT SURE WE HAVE YET COULD BE A BOARD EVALUATION, RIGHT? AND SO THE IDEA, AGAIN, OF THE OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE AND THIS IDEA OF A SURVEY OF HOW WE'RE DOING IS THAT PIECE THAT THE DISTRICT CAN THEN SAY, WE'RE STILL LOOKING AT THESE, HERE ARE SOME AREAS TO GROW.

SO THE ACCOUNTABILITY PIECE, RIGHT, WHERE YOU'RE SEEING OUTCOME MEASURES, WITHIN A DISTRICT AND THEN AS A WHOLE I THINK THOSE ARE SOME MEASURABLE THINGS.

AND SO I THINK, IF YOU HAVE ANY OTHER COMMENTS, NO, ALL RIGHT, GREAT. AND SO THEN WE WERE ON MS. HORN, AND THIS WAS BACK TO THE, JUST THE GENERAL COMMENTS AFTER THE PRESENTATION. WE'VE BEEN TALKING A WHILE. I DON'T KNOW IF I HAVE ANY SPECIFIC QUESTIONS. I THINK WE HAVE ALL SAID A LOT. I WILL SAY THAT SOMETHING THAT WAS REALLY IMPORTANT FOR ME TO LEARN IN THIS PROCESS, FROM THE SURVEY RESULTS TO HOW THE TALL AND HOWLS WENT LAST WEEK SOMETHING THAT I HAVE REFRAINED FROM SAYING UNTIL WE'VE GONE THROUGH THE PROCESS IS I CAN SPEAK FOR MYSELF PERSONALLY IN LIKE WHAT I HAVE EXPERIENCED.

AND WHAT PEOPLE HAVE MENTIONED TO ME AND WHAT THEY HAVE SAID TO ME, AND WHEN WE'RE CAMPAIGNING AND WE'RE KNOCKING ON DOORS AND WE'RE TALKING TO THESE FAMILIES AND COMMUNITIES WHO DON'T TYPICALLY SHOW UP TO BOARD MEETINGS, WHO CAN'T MAKE IT TO EVERY EVENT OR OPPORTUNITY OR TOWN HALL TO DO IT. SOME OF OUR FAMILIES ARE WORKING SO MANY JOBS JUST TO BE ABLE TO PAY BILLS AND PROVIDE FOR THEIR FAMILY. AND SO I KNOW HOW WE HEAR, WHAT WE HEAR IS OBVIOUSLY GOING TO BE CONSIDERED AND SCRUTINIZED AND TALKED ABOUT, BUT FOR ME TO BE ON RECORD SAYING IS NOT JUST THOSE PEOPLE THAT I'VE TALKED TO INDIVIDUALLY. BECAUSE, AGAIN, THOSE OF YOU THAT HAVE TEXT MESSAGED AND EMAILED AND CALLED THAT ARE AGAINST SINGLE-MEMBER DISTRICT, YOUR PERSPECTIVE ALSO THANK YOU FOR SHARING THAT WITH ME. I HEAR YOU. I AM NOT HERE TO DISCREDIT IT. THE THING THAT HAS KIND OF THROWN ME AS A COMMUNITY AT-LARGE, AS IN MY SD IS HOW MANY TIMES I HAVE HEARD, I FEEL REPRESENTED, THEREFORE, THERE'S NO PROBLEM. I FEEL FINE. MY KIDS ARE FINE.

THERE'S NO ISSUE HERE. AND WHAT'S REALLY ALARMING FOR ME IS WHEN PEOPLE SAY THAT THEY'VE BEEN IN A ROOM WHERE SOMEBODY JUST GOT UP AND SAID THAT WAS THEIR PERSPECTIVE, THAT THAT WAS THEIR EXPERIENCE, THAT THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS HURTING THEM OR THEIR CHILD. AND SO WHEN WE CONSIDER THIS WE ARE NOT CLAIMING THAT A MAJORITY OF OUR DISTRICT FEELS UNHEARD OR NOT REPRESENTED. WE LITERALLY HAVE STAT-STATUED ON PEOPLE WHO DID RESPOND THAT OVER THIRTY PERCENT, THIRTY-SIX PERCENT, THIRTY-NINE PERCENT, IN SOME WAY, FEEL LIKE WE DON'T LISTEN TO THEM OR FEEL LIKE THAT THEY'RE NOT RE- REPRESENTED.

AND TO MUSCOOCH'S POINT, WHILE SHE SEES THAT IN THE LENS OF WHERE SHE IS LEANING, I SEE THAT THROUGH THE LENS OF HOW I AM LEANING. I THINK OVER A THIRD OF OUR COMMUNITY, WHEN GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO TALK, SAYING THAT THEY DO NOT FEEL LIKE THEY ARE FULLY CONSIDERED IN DISTRICT-WIDE DECISIONS, I DON'T THINK WE CAN BLOW PAST THAT. I DON'T THINK WE CAN LOOK AT THEM AND SAY YOU'RE NOT A MAJORITY. BY DEFINITION, THAT IS HOW PEOPLE ON THE MARGINS FEEL. THAT IS HOW PEOPLE IN THE MINORITY FEEL. THEY'RE NEVER GOING TO BE THE MAJORITY. AND WE ARE PROUD OF THIS DISTRICT, MANSFIELD ISD, OUR STAFF, CENTRAL LEADERSHIP, TO THE TEACHERS, TO THE PEOPLE IN THE OFFICE, TO OUR, EVERYBODY WORKS SO HARD. THE TRANSPORTATION TEAMS, NOBODY IS DISCREDITING THAT EITHER. WE SHOULD BE PROUD OF OUR RATING AND OUR, OUR DISTRICT GOAL,

[01:55:03]

AND FOR THE INDIVIDUAL FAMILIES THAT ARE STILL IN AREAS WITH STRUGGLING SCHOOLS, WITH STRUGGLING BABIES WHO ARE REALLY STRUGGLING AT SCHOOL, THAT'S, THEY GET LOST IN AVERAGES. AND SO I THINK A FAIR LOOK AT HOW THIS COULD PLAY OUT.

NOBODY IS PROMISING THIS IS GOING TO LIKE SAVE THE WORLD AND EVERY CAMPUS NEXT YEAR IS GOING TO BE A NINETY FIVE.

NOBODY IS TRYING TO CLAIM THAT. NOBODY IS SAYING THAT WE HAVE ALL THESE DATA POINTS THAT GUARANTEE THIS OR GUARANTEE THAT. WHAT WE ARE SAYING IS THE PEOPLE UP HERE ON THIS DAIS, WE DO DECIDE BUDGET. WE DO DECIDE FUNDING. WE DO DECIDE RESOURCE ALLOCATION. WE HELP DECIDE STAFFING WHEN WE HAVE TO VOTE ON THINGS. WE HEAR THE CONCERNS AND THE GRIEVANCES THAT COME UP THIS WAY. WE DECIDE ON POLICY. WE DECIDE ON REZONING. WE DECIDE ON THE REALLY HARD DECISIONS THAT ARE GOING TO BE COMING FROM THE FINANCIAL FUTURE COMMITTEE, NOT JUST IN THE NEXT YEAR, BUT FOR YEARS TO COME WITH THE DAMAGE THAT IS HAPPENING IN PUBLIC EDUCATION. AND SO AT THE END OF THE DAY, WHILE OUR A CAMPUSES ARE GREAT, OUR B CAMPUS, ALL OF OUR CAMPUSES ARE GREAT, I WOULD HOPE THAT IF A THIRD OF OUR COM- OF OUR COMMUNITY WHO WAS ABLE TO PARTICIPATE SAID THAT THEY DON'T FEEL CONSIDERED IN THOSE DECISIONS, IF THERE IS ANOTHER OPTION THAT WE COULD SEE THAT IT COULD HELP IT, I WOULD LIKE TO AT LEAST EXPLORE IT. ARE THERE MAPS THAT ARE POSSIBLE TO DO THIS? I JUST KNOW THAT I AM NOT WILLING TO LOOK AT THE THIRTY-NINE PERCENT, THE THIRTY-SIX PERCENT, AND SAY, SORRY, YOU'RE NOT THE MAJORITY, SO IT'S JUST GONNA KEEP BEING BUSINESS AS USUAL. I LOVE THE IDEAS, AND I THINK THEY'RE ALL GREAT, AND WE CAN DO THEM IN A SINGLE-MEMBER DISTRICT SETUP, WE CAN DO IT IN A HYBRID SETUP, WE COULD DO IT IN AN AT-LARGE SETUP, BUT WE HAVEN'T TO THE EXTENT THAT IT HAS AFFECTED THESE PEOPLE THAT ARE STILL STRUGGLING WITH THEIR KIDS IN OUR DISTRICT. AND SO I JUST, HEARING A LOT OF THE COMMENTS TONIGHT, I JUST WANTED TO MAKE THAT REALLY CLEAR THAT NOBODY IS SAYING YOUR PERSPECTIVE IS WRONG OR WE'RE NOT LISTENING TO IT. IT'S JUST THAT WE HAVE BEEN HEARING THAT THOSE OTHER PEOPLE'S PERSPECTIVES SHOULD NOT BE COUNTED AS MUCH, AND THAT'S THAT'S WHAT WE'RE HERE TO BE CONSIDERING AT THIS TIME. THAT'S A QUESTION. YEAH, MAY I SAY SOMETHING? OKAY. WE DO HAVE A SUCCESS MODEL. THAT SUCCESS MODEL IS CALLED ENGAGE MANSFIELD. WE TOOK A FULL YEAR AND MONTHS, ABOUT, I KNOW, TWELVE, TWELVE, SIXTEEN MONTHS AS A BOARD TO DECIDE WITH A COMMITTEE, FIRST OF ALL, DRAFTED SIX PRIORITIES. THE COMMITTEE BROUGHT IT TO THE ENTIRE BOARD BECAUSE WE DON'T MAKE DECISIONS JUST IN A COMMITTEE. AND THEN WE DECIDED ON THOSE SIX PRIORITIES, THE LANGUAGE WE WOULD USE.

THEN AFTER DECIDING ON THAT, WE DECIDED WITH THE HELP OF MR. WILLIAMS, I DON'T WANT TO MISS THAT OPPORTUNITY, SO THANK YOU, MR. WILLIAMS. WE DECIDED THAT WE NEEDED THE COMMUNITY'S SUPPORT, THEIR INPUT, THEIR BUY-IN, THEIR VOICES. SO THEN WE CREATED, MR. WILLIAMS AND HIS TEAM CREATED THE LEGISLATIVE LEADERSHIP COMMITTEE. THEY TOO KNOW ALL SIX PRIORITIES. WE COME AND WE MEET WITH THEM PERIODICALLY, BUT THEY MEET ALONE TALKING ABOUT THOSE SIX PRIORITIES.

NOW THIS IS A MODEL THAT WORKS.

WE KNOW THIS, BECAUSE WE'VE DONE THE WORK.

FROM THOSE SIX PRIORITIES AND THE LEGISLATIVE LEADERSHIP COMMITTEE, THEN WE STARTED IDENTIFYING DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS, DIFFERENT COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS, SOCIETIES, WE SAY WE WILL MEET YOU WHEREVER YOU ARE. EVEN IF IT'S AT YOUR HOUSE. THAT'S, THAT'S HOW DESPERATE AND SERIOUS WE SAY WE ARE WITH THE LEGISLATIVE, WITH OUR ENGAGED MANSPEEL. WE CREATED A WEBSITE. WE'VE DONE PART OF THAT. SO I'M JUST SIMPLY SAYING WE HAVE A MODEL THAT WORKS. WE JUST NEED TO REFURBISH THAT SAME MODEL AND NOT USE ANY MORE MONEY BECAUSE WE REALLY CANNOT AFFORD IT. WE REALLY CAN'T AFFORD IT. SO, AND YOU, YOU'VE BEEN ON THE, THE, THE COMMITTEE FOR TWO YEARS, RIGHT, RIGHT, MS. HORNE? SINCE I'VE BEEN ON BOARD.

SINCE YOU'VE BEEN ON THE BOARD. YOU HELPED TO SHAPE, TO COIN THOSE LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES. YOU'VE BEEN TO THE SAME, WE JUST LEFT TIMBERVIEW HIGH SCHOOL WHERE WE WERE TALKING

[02:00:01]

TO IDENTIFY THE DATA. SO THAT WOULD BE A MEASURED OUTCOME.

BUT ALONG THE WAY, WE'VE HAD SMALL MEASURED OUTCOMES. AT THE PTA COUNCIL THE OTHER DAY, I DON'T KNOW, WE HAD MORE THAN FIFTY PEOPLE.

AT THE, THE LEGISLATIVE LEADERSHIP COMMITTEE, PEOPLE SIGNED UP, AND PEOPLE WERE CALLING ALL OF US SAYING, I WANNA BE ON THAT COMMITTEE. SAME THING WITH THE FINANCIAL FUTURES. SO WE HAVE A MODEL THAT WORKS. WE JUST NEED TO WORK IT. AND LET'S MEET THE PEOPLE WHEREVER THEY ARE, AND FIND OUT WHERE WE ARE FALLING SHORT TO MEET THEIR NEEDS AS REPRESENTATIVES IN THEIR VARYING COMMUNITIES.

YEAH. IF I COULD I AGREE WITH EVERYTHING YOU JUST SAID.

ON BEING ON ADVOCACY COMMITTEE WITH YOU, THE LEGISLATIVE LEADERSHIP COMMITTEE LOTS OF WORK TO BE PROUD OF, AND IT HAS BEEN A REALLY BIG DEAL.

YES, PRIORITIES WERE DECIDED.

IT CAME TO THE BOARD, AND WE VOTED. THAT'S WHAT WE WOULD BE DOING HERE. THE COMMITTEE IS NOT GOING TO MAKE A FINAL DECISION ON SINGLE-MEMBER DISTRICT BY ITSELF. BUT THE COMMITTEE, THE ADVOCACY COMMITTEE, THE LEGISLATIVE LEADERSHIP COMMITTEE, WHICH PEOPLE STILL HAD TO VOLUNTEER WHO HAD THE AVAILABILITY, THEY STILL HAVE TO COME TO US. AND YES, WE WILL GO TO PEOPLE. THEY STILL HAVE TO KNOW ABOUT IT AND ASK US TO COME.

AND WE ARE USING RESOURCES FOR THIS INITIATIVE, NOT JUST MR. WILLIAMS' TIME, BUT ALL THE STAFF PEOPLE THAT ARE THERE AT THE LEGISLATIVE LEADERSHIP COMMITTEE MEETINGS, ALL OF THE CONTENT THAT WE'RE PUSHING AND CREATING TO EXPLORE IF SOMETHING IS A GOOD IDEA AND SO THAT WE HAVE ALL THE GOOD FACTS AT THE TABLE. IT DOES COST MONEY INITIALLY, AND THEN, YES, NEXT, FINAL STEPS ARE USUALLY A VOTE.

EVEN GOING TO AUSTIN AND STUFF IS GOING TO BE GREAT, AND SO LIKE I SAID, I AGREE WITH EVERYTHING YOU SAID ABOUT ADVOCACY COMMITTEE. I JUST DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS SUPER STRAYING FROM THAT MODEL.

BUT I THINK, MS. HORN, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT SHE'S TALKING ABOUT IS SHE'S TALKING ABOUT THE MODEL OF THE COMMITTEE WORK AND THE WAY WE PROCESS A PROBLEM AT HAND WHEN WE FIND A PROBLEM.

WE EITHER SURVEY AND FIND A PROBLEM, AND THEN WE TAKE THE PROBLEM, WE TAKE IT TO THE COMMUNITY, WE A COMMITTEE, I MEAN AND WE TALK ABOUT THAT, WE TAKE ACTION ITEMS OUT OF IT AND THEN WE FIGURE OUT A WAY TO EVEN PUSH INTO THE COMMUNITY AND PUSH INTO THE SCHOOLS, RIGHT? SO THESE ADVOCACY, ENGAGE, MANSFIELD PRESENTATIONS, THEY'RE IN SCHOOLS, THEY'RE IN COMMUNITY PLATFORMS, THEY'RE AT HOA PRESENTATIONS, THEY'RE AT THE ROTARY CLUB, THEY'RE, THEY'RE AT THESE PLACES WHERE WE CAN SPEAK TO MORE PEOPLE THAT MAY NOT BE COMING HERE TO SPEAK TO US, RIGHT? AND SO THAT'S, THAT'S KIND OF HER POINT. WE ALREADY HAVE A REALLY GOOD MODEL OF THE WAY WE DO THIS AND THE WAY WE FIND SOLUTIONS TOGETHER, RIGHT? AND SO I WILL SAY, THOUGH, IT, THE REASON WHY THAT WORKS IS BECAUSE IT'S NOT GONNA ENTAIL THE COST OF ANY MORE LEGAL FEES OR THE TWENTY THOUSAND DOLLAR DRAWING MAPS EXERCISE, RIGHT? AND SO THAT'S, THAT'S OUR PROBLEM. AND MAY I JUST SAY, ONE, ONCE, MULTIPLE SUCCESSES, BECAUSE WE ALL ANSWERED, MS. GOOCH AND YOU AND I ANSWERED QUESTIONS FROM THE PTA. BEFORE I LEFT, BEFORE WE LEFT, ONE OF THE PTA MOMS FROM SUMMIT SAID, WE WANT THIS AT OUR, AT OUR CAMPUS. WHEN CAN YOU COME? AND I IMMEDIATELY TEXTED DR. MR. WILLIAMS AND SAID, WE NEED TO MAKE THE, HE SAID, LET'S DO IT. SO IT'S, THIS MODEL WORKS IS ALL I'M SAYING.

LET'S TRY THIS MODEL, AND I'M CERTAIN IT'S GOING TO WORK. SO WE HAVE ALL BEEN JUMPING IN. I LOVE THE ANSWERING QUESTIONS. LET ME

[02:05:01]

YEAH YOU'RE RIGHT. I FEEL THAT WE ARE FOLLOWING THE SAME MODEL. THE MERE FACT THAT I THOUGHT, I DON'T RECALL PICKING THE SIX PRIORITIES, BUT I WAS TOLD THAT THESE ARE THE PRIORITIES THAT CAME OUT OF COMMITTEE. THIS IS WHAT WE'RE DOING. I WAS TOLD THERE'S A WEBSITE. I WAS TOLD, HERE'S WHERE YOU NEED TO SHOW UP TO DO YOUR VIDEO.

AND I DID MY VIDEO AND I READ MY SCRIPT. I, THEY CALLED ME ONE TAKE JAKE, CAUSE IT TOOK ME ONE TAKE TO GET MY VIDEO DONE. AND YEAH, SO THIS IS VERY SIMILAR IN THAT FASHION. AND THEN YEAH, SO I, I'M JUST NOT DRAWING THE PARALLELS CAUSE THE COMMIT, THE COMMITTEE WORK CAME OUT AND WE'VE DONE IDENTICALLY THE SAME THING. AND CURIOUSLY ENOUGH, HOW MUCH HAVE WE SPENT SO FAR ON ENGAGE? I'M ASSUMING WE'D HAVE TO LOOK AT, HUH? WE'D HAVE TO LOOK AT OUR BUDGET. I'D JUST LIKE TO KNOW. YEAH. OKAY. ALL RIGHT.

SO WE ARE WRAPPING UP. BOTH SIDES HAVE SPOKEN INITIALLY.

WE'VE DONE A LOT OF BACK AND FORTH. SO WE ARE GOING TO WRAP UP OUR DISCUSSION. AND SO AGAIN, JUST A COUPLE OF THANK YOUS TO MY FELLOW TRUSTEES WHO DID SPEND MAYBE AT MINIMUM TWO NIGHTS LAST WEEK EITHER AT A BOARD MEETING, AT A HEARING, OR AT A TOWN HALL. SO THANK YOU ALL. THANK YOU TO THE STAFF THAT HELPED US TO BE ABLE TO PULL OFF THE TOWN HALLS. AND AGAIN, THANK YOU TO COMMUNITY MEMBERS FOR SHOWING UP, FOR PARTICIPATING ONLINE, HOWEVER YOU DECIDED TO PARTICIPATE. I WANT TO POTENTIALLY JUST TAKE SOME OF THE, THE HEAT AND THE PRESSURE DOWN WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A LOT OF THINGS. I THINK PEOPLE ARE QUICK TO JUDGE MOTIVES AND THAT'S, THAT'S FINE. BUT THE WORK OF THE BOARD, RIGHT, WE ARE NOT DOING OUR OWN WORK.

AND SO I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT JUST TO CALL OUT THAT THE GOOD WORK OF OUR STAFF MATTER, THEN I KNOW I APPRECIATE IT, AND SO WE WANT TO BE SURE THAT WE ARE UPLIFTING THE WORK THAT THEY DO AND NOT NECESSARILY TRYING TO SAY THERE'S ANYTHING NEFARIOUS ABOUT THE WORK, THE RESULTS, THE THINGS THAT WE'RE PRESENTING AND SHOWING. AND SO I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THAT AS WE MOVE FORWARD THROUGH THE PROCESS FOR, FOR ME, JANDEL CRUTCHFIELD HERE, I THINK WE HAVEN'T VOTED TO MOVE TOWARDS SINGLE-MEMBER DISTRICTS, AND SO WE'RE STILL EXPLORING.

AND I THINK FOR EVERYTHING THAT WE'VE HEARD ON BOTH SIDES, I THINK THE EXPLORATION IS WARRANTED AND SHOULD STILL CONTINUE, AND I LOVE THE DIALOGUE. I THINK STRONG DIALOGUE, DISAGREEMENTS MATTERS, AND A LOT OF TIMES YOU GET A BETTER PRODUCT AT THE END WHEN THERE IS DISAGREEMENT.

AND SO I THINK WE CONTINUE TO HAVE THE CONVERSATION. A LOT HAS BEEN SAID, AGAIN, ABOUT REPRESENTATION, ABOUT STUDENT OUTCOMES. I THINK ULTIMATELY, AS WE SERVE ON THIS BOARD WE ARE, I BELIEVE ABOUT EACH ONE OF MY FELLOW TRUSTEES THAT THEY DO WANT STUDENT OUTCOMES IN THIS DISTRICT TO BE GREAT, AND SO I'M NOT GOING TO DEMONIZE THEM JUST BECAUSE THEY THINK DIFFERENTLY THAN I DO AND SO I WANT TO LEAVE IT RIGHT THERE. AND THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE TONIGHT. SO IF IF THERE ARE NO OBJECTIONS, WE

[5. Closed Session (Part 2 of 2)]

AND THAT IS AT TEN FORTY ONE.

[6. Reconvene (Part 2 of 2)]