Oct 24, 2023 Board Workshop

THE EFFORTS. SO I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO MEGAN TO START THIS.

[*This meeting was joined in progress*]

[1. Discussion regarding item update on special legislative session #3]

[00:00:02]

GOOD MORNING. CAN YOU GUYS HEAR ME? OKAY, SO WE'RE GOING TO WALK THROUGH THIS.

LIKE KIM SAID, THERE'S A LOT OF CONTEXT TO GIVE YOU.

AND THEN WE'LL GET TO KIND OF THE SPECIAL SESSION STUFF AND WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW.

BUT I WANTED TO START OFF WITH THE CONTEXT OF KIND OF OR LET'S KIND OF THIS IS WHAT WE'RE COVERING, I GUESS, HOW A BILL BECOMES A LAW.

THIS WILL BE REALLY BRIEF.

WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT THE DEPARTMENT AND HOW WE ENGAGE WITH THE COMMUNITY, WITH OUR PARTNERS AND WITH LEGISLATORS.

WE'RE GOING TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT OUR PRIORITY DEVELOPMENT AND THEN OUR ACTUAL SESSION PRIORITIES.

KIM'S GOING TO GO OVER A LITTLE BIT OF SCHOOL FINANCE 101 TO GIVE CONTEXT FOR THE SPECIAL SESSION BILLS.

AND WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT THOSE.

AND THEN OUR SPECIAL SPECIAL SESSION STRATEGY OR APPROACH.

SO FAR I HAVE PLACED AT EACH ONE OF YOUR SPOTS THIS BLUEPRINT.

I KNOW YOU GUYS GOT THESE BEFORE.

IF YOU WERE HERE BEFORE THE SESSION, YOU GOT THIS.

AND SO WE'VE KIND OF WALKED THROUGH THIS A LITTLE BIT, BUT I AM GOING TO ACTUALLY REFERENCE IT SEVERAL TIMES.

SO YOU CAN FOLLOW ALONG IN THIS.

AND YOU CAN TAKE THIS WITH YOU AND HAVE TWO COPIES AT HOME IF YOU HAD ONE BEFORE.

BUT THIS IS OUR BLUEPRINT THAT WE KIND OF TOOK GOING INTO THE SESSION.

THIS WAS LIKE, THIS IS HOW WE'RE GOING TO OPERATE.

THIS SESSION IS BASICALLY WHAT THIS IS.

BUT IF YOU LOOK ON THE SLIDES, YOU SEE A 24 CIRCLED AND SORT OF AN HOURGLASS TYPE THING THAT TELLS YOU WHAT PAGE WE'RE ON.

SO IF WE'RE REFERENCING SOMETHING ON THE SLIDES AND IT HAS ONE OF THOSE THINGS CIRCLED, YOU CAN ALSO GO FIND IT PROBABLY IN GREATER DEPTH.

OR I MEAN, IF IT'S NOT IN GREATER DEPTH, IT MIGHT BE EASIER TO SEE IN THE BOOK.

AND SO THAT'S JUST WHAT THOSE ARE AND WHAT THAT MEANS.

SO YOU CAN FOLLOW ALONG THERE.

SO THE HOW A BILL BECOMES A LAW? I DON'T WANT TO.

IT'S NOT QUITE AS SIMPLE AS OUR LITTLE FRIEND BILL ON THE SIDE AND SCHOOLHOUSE ROCK.

I JUST LOST MY SCREEN AND SCHOOLHOUSE ROCK WHERE IT SAYS, YOU KNOW, I'M JUST A BILL.

AND HE GOES OVER THIS LITTLE THING AND IT'S THREE MINUTES.

AND, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY THAT'S DESIGNED FOR A REALLY YOUNGER AUDIENCE AND IT'S NOT SUPER IN DEPTH.

BUT I WANTED TO PUT ALL OF THESE STEPS UP HERE SO THAT YOU GUYS COULD KIND OF SEE THE PROCESS.

LIKE AFTER A BILL IS JUST INTRODUCED, IT GETS READ ON THE FLOOR AND THEN IT GETS REFERRED TO A COMMITTEE.

AT THAT POINT, THE COMMITTEE MAY OR MAY NOT EVER CHOOSE TO HEAR IT.

SO LIKE I KIND OF WANT TO CALL OUT THIS IS A POINT WHERE A BILL COULD DIE.

AND THEN THEY IF THEY CHOOSE TO HEAR THE BILL, THEY HAVE TO HAVE PUBLIC TESTIMONY ON IT AND A HEARING.

AND THEN AGAIN, THEY DECIDE, ARE WE GOING TO JUST LEAVE THIS PENDING IN THE COMMITTEE, OR ARE WE GOING TO ACTUALLY VOTE IT OUT? SO THAT'S LIKE STEP TWO ON A PLACE WHERE A BILL COULD DIE, THEN YOU HAVE IN THE HOUSE IT GOES OUT TO THE CALENDARS COMMITTEE, AND THAT'S ANOTHER COMMITTEE THAT MAKES A DECISION.

ARE WE GOING TO PLACE THIS ON THE FLOOR ON THE ON THE HOUSE FLOOR, OR ARE WE GOING TO NOT HEAR THIS? AND SO THAT'S ANOTHER PLACE WHERE A BILL COULD POSSIBLY DIE.

AND SAME THING SORT OF HAPPENS IN THE SENATE, EXCEPT THE LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR DECIDES THAT.

AND SO HE CAN DECIDE, I'M NOT GOING TO PUT THIS ON THE FLOOR.

AND THEN YOU HAVE YOUR SECOND READING IN THE CHAMBER, AND THAT'S WHERE THEY GO OVER IT AND START ADDING AMENDMENTS.

AND IF PEOPLE ADD AMENDMENTS THAT GET APPROVED THAT OTHER PEOPLE DON'T LIKE, THIS IS ANOTHER PLACE WHERE A BILL COULD DIE, AND THEN THEY HAVE TO PASS IT AGAIN ON THIRD READING, AND THEN THEY GO THROUGH AND THEY VOTE ON IT AGAIN.

AND THEN IF THEY VOTE ON IT AGAIN, IT GETS WHAT'S CALLED ENGROSSED, WHERE IT PASSES OUT OF THAT FIRST CHAMBER.

AND THEN YOU REPEAT ALL OF THOSE EXACT SAME STEPS IN THE SECOND CHAMBER.

SO AGAIN, THERE'S LOTS OF STEPS WHERE A BILL COULD DIE, AND THEN IT RETURNS TO THE ORIGINAL CHAMBER.

IF THEY'VE MADE ANY KIND OF AMENDMENTS TO THE BILL IN THE SECOND CHAMBER, THE ORIGINAL CHAMBER HAS THE OPTION TO EITHER AGREE TO THOSE AMENDMENTS, OR THEY CAN GO TO WHAT'S CALLED A CONFERENCE COMMITTEE, WHERE SELECT MEMBERS FROM EACH CHAMBER WILL COME TOGETHER AND DECIDE ON WHAT THE BILL LOOKS LIKE, ANY AMENDMENTS, AND THEY HAVE TO HAVE A CERTAIN NUMBER OF THEM AGREE. AND THEN IT GOES BACK TO THE CHAMBERS.

AND THE CHAMBERS HAVE THE OPTION THEN TO ACCEPT IT AS IS AND VOTE IT OUT, OR TO NOT VOTE IT OUT.

AND SO IT COULD AGAIN, LOTS OF PLACES WHERE A BILL COULD DIE.

AND THEN IT GETS SENT TO THE GOVERNOR'S DESK WHERE EITHER HE VETOES IT WITHIN TEN DAYS, HE SIGNS IT WITHIN TEN DAYS, OR IF IT REMAINS UNTOUCHED WITHIN TEN DAYS, THEN IT JUST BECOMES LAW. AND SO I SAY ALL THAT TO SAY, THIS SYSTEM IS VERY MUCH BUILT TO KILL BILLS, NOT TO PASS BILLS.

THERE ARE A LOT MORE BILLS FILED EVERY YEAR THAN ACTUALLY END UP PASSING.

AND SO A LOT OF OUR RESPONSE AND GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS IS BASED ON KIND OF THIS REALITY.

THERE'S LOTS OF PLACES WHERE A BILL COULD DIE.

SO THAT'S AGAIN, JUST FOR CONTEXT.

AND SO THIS IS AN INTRODUCTION LOOKS A LITTLE DIFFERENT I KNOW OUR FRISCO GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS.

YOU HAVE ME OUR DIRECTOR OF GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS AND STRATEGIC ENGAGEMENT, AND I'LL BE REPORTING NOW TO KIM SMITH, WHICH MAKES A LOT OF SENSE AS THE CHIEF FINANCE AND STRATEGY OFFICER. SHE ALSO, OBVIOUSLY, YOU GUYS KNOW, MADE A LOT OF TRIPS WITH US TO AUSTIN.

SHE'S VERY INVOLVED, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO ANYTHING FINANCE RELATED.

SHE'S VERY INVOLVED IN THE LEGISLATIVE STUFF ALREADY.

SO THIS MADE A LOT OF SENSE, AND WE'RE GOING TO BE WORKING TOGETHER ON OUR GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS STUFF.

THE MISSION OF THE GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT IS KIND OF THREE PARTS, BUT IT'S REALLY TO ENGAGE OUR STAKEHOLDERS IN THE LEGISLATIVE PROCESS, AND IT ALL GOES BACK TO OUR STUDENTS. SO IT SEEMS FAR REMOVED.

[00:05:01]

WE ALSO HAVE STRATEGIES TO ENGAGE WITH OUR PARTNERS, AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT WHO THOSE ARE.

IT'S I MEAN, OVER 100.

I SAID OVER 100.

IT'S PROBABLY CLOSE TO 200 DISTRICTS ACROSS THE STATE THAT WE WORK WITH SOMETIMES.

AND THEN ALSO HOW WE ENGAGE WITH OUR LEGISLATORS AND OUR DIRECT WORK WITH THEM.

SO WE HAVE LOTS OF WAYS THAT WE ENGAGE WITH THE COMMUNITY.

OBVIOUSLY, SOCIAL MEDIA IS ONE OF THEM, AND ANYONE WHO'S WATCHING AT HOME CAN FOLLOW US ON GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS ON ALL OF THOSE SOCIAL MEDIAS.

I GUESS I NEED TO GET AN X LOGO NOW.

BUT WE ALSO HAVE A WEBSITE ON THE FRISCO ISD WEB PAGE, AND WE HAVE A LOT OF PUBLIC FACING RESOURCES.

THIS IS REALLY DESIGNED TO BE VERY, VERY TRANSPARENT IN EVERYTHING THAT WE DO.

NUMBER ONE, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE PEOPLE KNOW WHAT WE'RE DOING DOWN THERE.

THEY CAN SEE THE BILLS AS WE SUMMARIZE THEM.

WE TRY TO UPLOAD, UPLOAD OUR TESTIMONY AS SOON AS WE'VE GOT TESTIMONY, THOSE SORTS OF THINGS, SO PEOPLE KNOW AND THEY CAN FOLLOW ALONG WITH THE EDUCATION RELATED BILLS.

WE ALSO DO THIS BECAUSE A BIG PART OF OUR GOAL IS TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR COMMUNITY IS EDUCATED ON HOW MUCH THE STATE AFFECTS WHAT WE DO FROM A DAY TO DAY. SO I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT GETS LOST.

A LOT OF TIMES PEOPLE THINK THINGS ARE JUST LOCAL DECISIONS, AND THEN THAT'S ALL WE HAVE TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT.

WHEN IN REALITY SO MUCH OF WHAT WE DO IS DICTATED BY THE TEXAS EDUCATION CODE AND THE BILLS THAT COME OUT, WHICH IS WHY IT'S SUPER IMPORTANT FOR US TO BE INVOLVED.

AND WE JUST WANT PEOPLE TO KNOW IN OUR COMMUNITY, YOU KNOW, X, Y, Z WAS SOMETHING THAT CAME FROM THE STATE, GOOD OR BAD.

AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE A LEGISLATIVE DASHBOARD THAT DURING REGULAR SESSION IS UP AND MOVING WHERE PEOPLE CAN FOLLOW, YOU KNOW, HOW MANY BILLS HAVE BEEN FILED THAT ARE RELATED TO PUBLIC EDUCATION, THE BILLS THAT HAVE PASSED AT THAT POINT, WE SEPARATE THEM BY ISSUE, WE SEPARATE THEM BY PUBLIC ED AND NON PUB ED, AND YOU CAN KIND OF SCROLL AND GO AND CLICK INTO SOME THINGS.

SO IF YOU'RE SUPER INTERESTED IN SCHOOL FINANCE BILLS YOU CAN CLICK ON THOSE.

AND YOU CAN SEE ALL OF THE SCHOOL FINANCE BILLS THAT HAVE BEEN FILED.

AND SO THESE ARE SOME REALLY NEAT PUBLIC TOOLS THAT WE HAVE FOR OUR COMMUNITY.

THIS IS ALSO A TOOL THAT WE HAVE FOR OUR PARTNERS.

AND SO WE KNOW A LOT OF OTHER SCHOOL DISTRICTS USE THAT DASHBOARD AS WELL.

PROBABLY THE BIGGEST WAY THAT WE INTERACT WITH OUR COMMUNITY IS WITH OUR LEGISLATIVE LEADERSHIP COMMITTEE.

AND SO JUST TO REMIND YOU OF THE COMPOSITION, AND THIS IS WE ACTUALLY JUST HAD OUR FIRST MEETING WITH OUR LLC EARLIER THIS MONTH, AND THIS IS THE COMPOSITION OF THAT COMMITTEE.

WE'VE GOT TEN DIFFERENT STAKEHOLDER GROUPS ACROSS 12 DIFFERENT FEEDER PATTERNS.

AND THE STAKEHOLDER GROUPS RANGE FROM CLASSROOM TEACHERS AT ALL LEVELS, PRINCIPALS, STUDENTS, PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS LIKE OUR PTA AND OUR FRISCO EDUCATION FOUNDATION.

WE BROUGHT CHAMBER MEMBERS IN.

WE BROUGHT COMMUNITY MEMBERS THAT AREN'T INVOLVED IN FCF OR CHAMBER.

SO WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE, LIKE WHEN WE WERE THINKING THROUGH THIS, WHO ALL NEEDS TO BE REPRESENTED IN THIS PROCESS? AND THEN WE ALSO WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE PRETTY GEOGRAPHICALLY REPRESENTED AS WELL.

SO SOMETIMES WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT APPLICATIONS, WE MIGHT BE LOOKING AT SOMETHING LIKE, WE NEED SOME MORE PEOPLE FROM THE WEST SIDE OR THE EAST SIDE SO THAT WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT IT'S JUST GOOD.

LIKE I SAID, GEOGRAPHICALLY REPRESENTED.

I JUST WANT TO CHIME IN REALLY QUICK.

MEGAN'S GOING TO GO THROUGH WHAT THE LLC DOES AND KIND OF HOW THEY WORK, BUT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT MEGAN CAME UP WITH.

WHAT WAS IT FOUR YEARS AGO THAT WE STARTED THIS.

AND WE HAVE GOTTEN SO MUCH TRACTION WITH OUR WITH OUR LEGISLATORS, WITH OTHER LEGISLATORS AT THE STATE LEVEL THAT DON'T REPRESENT US WITH OTHER SCHOOL DISTRICTS, JUST BEING SO IMPRESSED WITH THE NUMBER OF STAKEHOLDERS THAT COME TOGETHER AND DEVELOP RECOMMENDATIONS FOR LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES.

EVERY TIME WE GO DOWN THERE AND WE TELL THEM HOW WE CREATED OUR LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES, THE FIRST THING THAT THEY SAY IS THAT THAT'S AMAZING THAT YOUR WHOLE COMMUNITY HAS, YOU KNOW, REPRESENTATION FROM YOUR WHOLE COMMUNITY HAS COME TOGETHER AND AGREED ON WHAT NEEDS TO BE ADVOCATED FOR IN YOUR COMMUNITY.

AND WE'VE HAD A NUMBER OF OTHER DISTRICTS REACH OUT TO US WANTING TO EMULATE THIS PROCESS BECAUSE IT'S JUST SO IMPRESSIVE TO LEGISLATORS.

SO I JUST WANTED TO SHARE THAT.

THE MISSION OF THE LEGISLATIVE LEADERSHIP COMMITTEE IS THREE PART.

ONE IS AN EDUCATIONAL PIECE.

WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY LEARN HOW LOCAL, STATE, AND FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IMPACTS FRISCO ISD.

LIKE I SAID, A BIG PART OF OUR DEPARTMENT'S GOAL IS TO MAKE SURE PEOPLE ARE EDUCATED ON THOSE THINGS TO CONNECT WITH PARENTS, TEACHERS, ADMINISTRATORS, TAXPAYERS AND STUDENTS AND EMPOWER THEM TO ENGAGE WITH THE FRISCO ISD COMMUNITY WE WANT THEM TO BE.

ONCE THEY LEARN ABOUT THIS, WE KIND OF WANT THEM TO BE AMBASSADORS IN THEIR SPHERES OF INFLUENCE.

AND THEN LASTLY, AND THIS IS OUR BIGGEST DELIVERABLE FROM THE LEGISLATIVE LEADERSHIP COMMITTEE THAT WE SPENT AN ENTIRE YEAR WORKING ON.

AND IT'S TO RECOMMEND LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES AND PROPOSALS FOR ADOPTION BY THE FRISCO ISD BOARD OF TRUSTEES, WHICH WE USUALLY COME WITH, COME TO YOU GUYS WITH ABOUT THE OCTOBER

[00:10:09]

AND SO THROUGHOUT THE SESSION, THIS THIS GROUP CAN BE A SOUNDING BOARD IF WE NEED TO GET QUICK FEEDBACK.

IF THERE'S A BILL THAT HAS BEEN FILED THAT WE THINK IT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO CHECK WITH OUR COMMUNITY ON, THIS IS A QUICK GROUP THAT WE CAN EMAIL, AND THEY KNOW THAT WE MIGHT SEND THEM SOMETHING AND NEED FEEDBACK WITHIN A DAY.

WE ALSO GIVE THEM REGULAR UPDATES, SO DURING LEGISLATIVE SESSION THEY GET UPDATES ON SPECIALS, THEY GET UPDATES, THEY GET OUR NEWSLETTERS.

SO THIS IS WE LIKE TO KEEP THEM VERY MUCH IN THE LOOP OF WHAT'S GOING ON WITH LEGISLATIVE RELATED ACTIVITY AND THEN TRIPS TO THE CAPITOL THIS PAST YEAR. AND WE'RE GOING TO THIS WILL PROBABLY LOOK DIFFERENT EVERY YEAR.

THE FIRST YEAR WE DIDN'T TAKE, I THINK WE TOOK SOME TEACHERS FROM THIS GROUP TO THE CAPITOL.

THE SECOND YEAR, WE PARTNERED WITH OUR FRISCO ISD COUNCIL OF PTAS, AND WE KIND OF THEY INVITED THE LLC ALONG, SO IT GAVE LLC MEMBERS AN OPPORTUNITY TO GO ENGAGE WITH LEGISLATORS WITH THEM.

AND SO, YOU KNOW, MAY OR MAY NOT LOOK DIFFERENT IN THE FUTURE YEARS.

WE ARE ALWAYS LOOKING AT, DID THAT WORK? CAN WE MAKE IT BETTER? AND THEN LASTLY, THEY GET MEETINGS WITH LEGISLATORS TOO.

USUALLY THE JANUARY WHERE A LEGISLATOR LEGISLATIVE SESSION HAS STARTED, WE WILL BRING IN OUR LEGISLATORS TO DO A Q&A.

AND SO THEY GET SOME FACE TIME WITH OUR LEGISLATORS.

AND THAT'S AGAIN WHEN KIM WAS TALKING ABOUT THIS.

EVERY SINGLE TIME WE BRING OUR LEGISLATORS INTO THIS GROUP, THEY'RE LIKE, WOW, I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU HAVE THIS MANY PEOPLE IN YOUR COMMUNITY THAT ARE INVOLVED IN LEGISLATIVE RELATED THINGS. SO WE LIKE THAT BECAUSE, AGAIN, WE LIKE OUR LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES TO BE REPRESENTATIVE OF WHAT OUR COMMUNITY WANTS.

BUT WE ALSO LIKE THAT BECAUSE THEN WE CAN GO DOWN AND SET OUR PRIORITIES IN FRONT OF A LEGISLATOR AND SAY, THIS WAS DEVELOPED BY OVER 100 PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY.

SO WE JUST WANT YOU TO KNOW THESE ARE THEIR STAKEHOLDERS AS WELL AS THERE ARE STAKEHOLDERS, REALLY.

UM. OUR CIVIC ENGAGEMENT AMBASSADORS IS ANOTHER WAY THAT WE ENGAGE WITH OUR COMMUNITY, AND THESE ARE OUR STAFF MEMBERS ON CAMPUSES ACROSS THE DISTRICT AND AT THEIR CAMPUS.

THIS WAS, I THINK IT WAS IN 2016 THAT THE BOARD PASSED A RESOLUTION THAT SUPPORTED A CULTURE OF VOTING.

AND SO THAT'S WHAT THIS IS ABOUT.

IT IS NON POLITICAL.

IT IS NEVER, EVER TELLING ANYONE HOW TO VOTE, BUT IT IS JUST KIND OF TRYING TO BOOST CIVIC ENGAGEMENT ALTOGETHER.

AND SO WE'VE GOT KIND OF A MOUTHPIECE, IF YOU WILL, ON EVERY CAMPUS WHERE THAT TEACHER HAS.

WE PROVIDE THEM WITH RESOURCES TO SHARE WITH THEIR CAMPUS ABOUT WHEN AND WHERE THEY CAN VOTE, THOSE SORTS OF THINGS SO THAT THEY CAN KIND OF BE THE EXPERT ON THEIR CAMPUS.

THEY ALSO GET LOOPED IN AND THEY GET OUR HONESTLY, ANYONE THAT WE CAN LOOP IN, LIKE IN THESE GROUPS THAT GETS IT'S A IT'S NOT A PUBLIC NEWSLETTER, BUT IT'S LIKE SOMETHING FOR OUR FOLKS THAT ARE FOLLOWING ALONG.

LIKE OUR LLC. WE LOOP IN OUR CIVIC ENGAGEMENT AMBASSADORS SO THAT THEY CAN KIND OF KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON AS WELL.

AND LAST YEAR, WE TOOK THIS GROUP TO THE CAPITOL WITH THE GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS STAFF TO MEET WITH FRISCO ISD DELEGATION AND DISCUSS IMPORTANT PUBLIC EDUCATION BILLS.

SO WE GOT TO TAKE THEM DOWN TO TALK TO OUR LEGISLATORS AS WELL.

AND WE USUALLY THESE TYPES OF TRIPS AND WE DO THE SAME THING WITH SUPERINTENDENTS.

STUDENT ADVISORY COUNCIL WILL WAKE UP AT 5 A.M.

AND WE'LL BE LIKE, OKAY, BUS IS LEAVING 530, AND WE'LL GET DOWN THERE IN THE DAY AND WE'LL COME BACK.

SO IT'S A LONG DAY, BUT IT'S REALLY FUN.

THEN THE SUPERINTENDENTS STUDENT ADVISORY COUNCIL IS ANOTHER WAY THAT WE GET TO INTERACT WITH OUR COMMUNITY.

YOU GUYS PROBABLY KNOW THIS.

THEY MEET ONCE, PROBABLY EVERY MONTH.

BUT IN A LEGISLATIVE YEAR, WE'LL TAKE TWO, MAYBE THREE OF THOSE MEETINGS LEADING UP TO A LEGISLATIVE SESSION OR MAYBE WITHIN THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION.

AND WE TALK TO THE KIDS ABOUT HOW A BILL, LIKE HOW A BILL BECOMES A LAW, WE SPEND A LITTLE BIT MORE TIME ON IT THAN WE DID TODAY.

BUT HOW A BILL BECOMES A LAW, WE TAKE THEM THROUGH LIKE THE RESOURCES ON HOW THEY COULD BE ENGAGED.

WE SHOW THEM THE FREE RESOURCES WHERE THEY COULD ACCESS ANY TYPE OF BILL.

WE SHOW THEM OUR RESOURCES WHERE THEY COULD ACCESS EDUCATION RELATED BILLS, AND THEN WE TAKE THEM DOWN TO AUSTIN AND WE GIVE THEM, WE SAY, YOU KNOW, BRING SOMETHING THAT YOU'RE PASSIONATE ABOUT, AND YOU GET TO GO TALK TO YOUR LEGISLATORS ABOUT IT.

AND THEY BASICALLY MAKE AN ELEVATOR PITCH.

AND WE'VE HAD LEGISLATION ACTUALLY DRAFTED OUT OF THIS TRIP.

ONE OF OUR LOCAL DELEGATES, REPRESENTATIVE SHAHEEN, LIKED AN IDEA.

I THINK IT WAS SHAHEEN. I'M I'M LIKE BLANKING ON THIS.

HE LIKED AN IDEA.

AND SO HE FOLLOWED UP AND SAID, HEY, IS THERE A WAY THAT I CAN GET IN TOUCH WITH THAT STUDENT? BECAUSE I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO ACTUALLY DRAFT A LEGISLATION ON THAT TOPIC THAT HE WAS INTERESTED IN.

SO THAT WAS REALLY COOL FOR THE STUDENT.

IT DIDN'T PASS BECAUSE AGAIN, IT'S BUILT TO KILL BILLS, NOT NECESSARILY TO PASS THEM.

SO MOST BILLS THAT ARE FILED WILL NOT PASS.

BUT BUT IT WAS A REALLY COOL EXPERIENCE FOR THAT STUDENT OBVIOUSLY TO HAVE LIKE HELPED TO DRAFT LEGISLATION.

THEY'RE ALWAYS VERY, VERY IMPRESSED WITH OUR STUDENTS.

IT'S ONE OF THOSE EXPERIENCES WHERE YOU GO DOWN AND YOU'RE LIKE, MY FUTURE IS IN GREAT HANDS BECAUSE THESE STUDENTS ARE JUST, LIKE I SAID, REALLY, REALLY IMPRESSIVE.

[00:15:05]

WHEN WE FIRST STARTED THIS DEPARTMENT, IT WAS WE STARTED TO LOOK AROUND AND GO, OKAY, WELL, WHO ARE OUR FRIENDS, IF YOU WILL, IN OTHER DISTRICTS? WHERE ARE OUR OTHER GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS PEOPLE SO THAT WE CAN TOUCH BASE? AND WE QUICKLY REALIZED THAT THERE AREN'T VERY MANY LARGER DISTRICTS LIKE US TEND TO HAVE A PERSON, BUT SMALLER DISTRICTS CERTAINLY DON'T HAVE PEOPLE THAT ARE DEDICATED JUST TO GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS.

AND SO WE THOUGHT, WELL, IT BENEFITS US TO, YOU KNOW, MAKE CONNECTIONS AND LEARN FROM OTHER DISTRICTS.

BUT ALSO WE WANTED TO BRING SMALLER DISTRICTS INTO THE FOLD AND GIVE THEM SOME RESOURCES, TOO.

SOMETHING DR. WALDRIP SAID FROM THE BEGINNING IS A RISING TIDE LIFTS ALL BOATS.

AND SO WHEN WE'RE TALKING PUBLIC EDUCATION IN TEXAS, MOST OF IT IS GOING TO BENEFIT ALL OF US.

THE WORK THAT WE DO IS GOING TO BENEFIT ALL SCHOOL DISTRICTS, SO WE'RE CONSTANTLY GIVING THINGS AWAY FOR FREE TO OTHER SCHOOL DISTRICTS SO THAT THEY CAN JUST KIND OF FOLLOW ALONG.

AND IT WORKS OUT REALLY WELL FOR US, TOO.

WHEN WE TURN AROUND AND WANT TO DO KIND OF A COORDINATED EFFORT, WE HAVE THIS HUGE GROUP OF CONTACTS THAT WE REACH OUT TO.

SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT CAME OUT OF THIS IS A NETWORK THAT WE CALL THE NORTH TEXAS PUBLIC SCHOOLS LEGISLATIVE NETWORK, AND THIS IS REGIONS TEN AND 11 IS WHAT WE DECIDED ON. WE HAVE INVITED PRETTY MUCH EVERY SCHOOL DISTRICT IN REGION TEN AND 11 TO THESE SORTS OF EVENTS.

IT STARTED WITH AN EVENT WITH A POST LEGISLATIVE WORKSHOP ABOUT ALL THE BILLS THAT PASSED IN 2019, AND THEN IT KIND OF JUST GEARED UP FROM THERE AND HAS GROWN FROM THERE.

AND WE'VE HAD OVER 150 DISTRICTS BE REALLY INVOLVED IN THIS.

WE REGULARLY PROVIDE THEM WITH RESOURCES AS IT RELATES TO LEGISLATIVE STUFF.

WE HAVE A WEBSITE ACTUALLY, THAT INCLUDES OUR BILL TRACKING REPORTS.

IT HAS OUR NEWSLETTERS.

THIS GROUP GETS OUR NEWSLETTERS.

DURING THIS PAST LEGISLATIVE SESSION, WE HAD A BIWEEKLY CONFERENCE CALL.

AND I THINK AT ONE POINT WE STARTED DOING IT WEEKLY.

AND SO ANYONE WHO COULD JUMP ON WOULD JUMP ON THE CALL.

AND WE JUST KIND OF GO OVER, THIS IS WHAT'S HAPPENING, KIND OF GIVING MOST OF THE PEOPLE IT WAS US GIVING THEM AN UPDATE.

SOMETIMES SOME OF OUR PARTNERS WHO ARE ALSO REALLY INVOLVED WOULD COME IN AND SAY, I HEARD THIS.

SO IT WAS A REALLY GOOD CONNECTION POINT FOR PEOPLE WHO HAVE A DELEGATION THAT LOOKS DIFFERENT FROM OURS, THAT MAYBE WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF FACE TIME WITH, AND SO WE WERE ABLE TO HEAR FROM THEM WHAT THEY WERE HEARING FROM THEIR DELEGATION.

SO IT'S A REALLY GOOD NETWORK.

WE PROVIDE BILL ALERTS TO THIS GROUP.

SO IF THERE'S SOMETHING WHERE SOME KIND OF JOINT ACTION MIGHT BE BENEFICIAL FOR SOME PROPOSED LEGISLATION, WHEREVER IT IS IN THE PROCESS, WE WOULD REACH OUT TO THIS GROUP AND SAY, HEY EVERYONE, REACH OUT RIGHT NOW.

THIS BILL IS ABOUT TO DIE.

WE ACTUALLY DID THIS ON, I WANT TO SAY, AT THE END OF THE 87TH SESSION, ONLINE LEARNING WAS A BILL THAT WAS CAUGHT UP AND WE WERE LIKE, IT'S NOT MOVING. WE DON'T REALLY KNOW WHY.

WELL, SOMEONE IN THIS NETWORK SAID, HEY, I HEARD FROM SO-AND-SO, THIS IS WHY IT HAPPENED.

AND THEN WE IMMEDIATELY ORGANIZED A JOINT LETTER TO TRY TO GET THEM TO TAKE A LOOK AT THAT BILL AGAIN, SO THAT THEY WOULD FUND ONLINE LEARNING.

AND, YOU KNOW, ALMOST IMMEDIATELY AFTER THEY DID TAKE IT UP AND THEY WERE CONSIDERED IT AGAIN, AND IT MOVED THROUGH THE PROCESS.

AND SO WHILE I CAN'T SAY DEFINITELY IT HAD TO DO WITH US, I LIKE TO SAY I LIKE TO THINK THAT WE HAD A PART IN THAT BECAUSE I WANT TO SAY WE HAD 130 DISTRICTS SIGN ON TO THAT LETTER, AND WE'VE HAD BIGGER ONES SINCE THAT.

WE'LL DO COORDINATED TRIPS WITH THIS GROUP.

A LOT OF PEOPLE, AGAIN, EVEN IN OTHER DISTRICTS WHO ARE INVOLVED WITH THE LEGISLATIVE SIDE OF THINGS, HAVEN'T BEEN TO AUSTIN, HAVEN'T TESTIFIED, DON'T REALLY KNOW THE LAY OF THE LAND. AND SO THE LAST TIME THAT WE WENT WITH THIS GROUP, THAT'S KIND OF WHAT IT WAS.

WE WANTED PEOPLE TO FEEL COMFORTABLE GOING WITH OTHER PEOPLE WHO KIND OF KNEW WHAT THEY WERE DOING, COULD NAVIGATE THE CAPITOL, BOTH, YOU KNOW, PHYSICALLY, LIKE WHERE IN THE EXTENSION AM I GOING TO GO TO GO TO THIS THING? AND THEN ALSO LIKE, THIS IS HOW YOU TALK TO YOUR LEGISLATORS, THIS IS HOW THEIR OFFICE, THIS IS WHO YOU WANT TO REACH OUT TO.

SO THOSE SORTS OF THINGS SO THAT THEY COULD GET EXPERIENCE DOING THE THINGS THAT WE'VE DONE QUITE A BIT, AND THEN ALSO THE WORKSHOPS.

AND THAT'S PROBABLY THE BIGGEST INVOLVEMENT THAT WE HAVE.

WE WE DO WORKSHOPS PERIODICALLY THROUGHOUT.

WE KIND OF HAVE A TWO YEAR LEGISLATIVE CYCLE THAT WE FOLLOW.

AND RIGHT BEFORE THE SESSION, WE'VE DONE THIS FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS, AND THIS IS WHERE WE'VE HAD OVER 100 DISTRICTS SHOW UP.

WE'VE DONE A CONFERENCE, A TWO DAY CONFERENCE WHERE WE'LL HAVE SPEAKERS.

WE INVITE OTHER DISTRICTS TO TAKE ON DIFFERENT TOPICS, AND THEN WE WOULD TAKE ON SOME TOPICS.

AND IT'S A LOT OF LEARNING, AND WE GOT A LOT OF REALLY GOOD FEEDBACK FROM THE DISTRICTS THAT JOINED THAT.

BEFORE WE MOVE ON, I JUST I WANT TO TAKE ANOTHER SECOND TO BRAG ON MEGAN AND THIS NETWORK A LITTLE BIT FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE BOARD.

I DON'T KNOW THAT I COULD EXPRESS HOW MUCH WORK THIS IS ON THE GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT, WHICH IS A DEPARTMENT OF ONE, TO CREATE THIS GRASSROOTS EFFORT.

[00:20:02]

AND SO THERE ARE OTHER ORGANIZATIONS THAT THAT WE'RE A PART OF THAT THOSE DISTRICTS CAN BE A PART OF THAT ARE STATEWIDE ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE THAT ARE VERY HELPFUL IN TERMS OF TRACKING WHAT'S GOING ON AND GIVING, YOU KNOW, MESSAGING AND THAT KIND OF THING.

BUT THIS EFFORT HAS BEEN JUST SO BENEFICIAL FOR US TO HAVE THIS COORDINATED EFFORT TO TALK TO LEGISLATORS ACROSS THE STATE ABOUT WHAT'S IMPORTANT TO PUBLIC EDUCATION AND THE THINGS THAT WE NEED.

IT'S REALLY SET FRISCO ISD UP AS A LEADER IN THE GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS AREA.

AND, YOU KNOW, IT SOUNDS LIKE AN AWESOME THING WHEN MEGAN TALKS ABOUT IT, BUT I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ALL UNDERSTAND HOW MUCH IT HAS SET US APART AS A LEADER AND HOW MUCH KIND OF EFFORT AND WORK AND HOW BENEFICIAL IT HAS BEEN FOR ALL THOSE OTHER DISTRICTS.

KIM, IF I COULD FOR A SECOND I WAS AT A MEETING OF URBAN AND SUBURBAN SUPERINTENDENTS LAST WEEK.

I HAD THREE. FROM SUPERINTENDENTS IN THAT GROUP COME UP TO ME AND SHARE HOW THANKFUL THEY WERE THAT WE HAD THIS GOING AND FRISCO, AND HOW THANKFUL THEY WERE THAT WE WERE WILLING TO SHARE OUR RESOURCES AND INVOLVE THEM IN THIS PROCESS THAT HAD HELPED THEM TREMENDOUSLY.

SO I WAS GETTING FEEDBACK IMMEDIATELY FROM THOSE FOLKS AS WELL.

ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT WE PROVIDE IS THIS THAT WE GAVE YOU GUYS THIS BOOK.

I DON'T HAVE EXTRA COPIES OF THESE, SO I DIDN'T BRING THESE, BUT THESE BOOKS THAT WE PROVIDE AFTER THE SESSION AND WE DO THEM.

WE GOT IT DONE PRETTY QUICKLY.

AND A LOT OF DISTRICTS WERE LIKE, CAN I BUY THAT? I WANT THE HARD COPY.

AND WE GAVE IT TO EVERYONE THAT CAME TO OUR CONFERENCE AFTERWARDS.

AND SO THEY GOT THE COPY AND THEY WERE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THE COPY, WHICH WAS REALLY NEAT.

BUT I HAVE HAD GONE TO CONFERENCES AND PEOPLE HAVE SAID, OH, YOU'RE THE ONES WHO DO THE BOOK.

AND I'M LIKE, YEAH, THAT'S US.

WE DO THE BOOK. SO WE REALLY, TRULY, WHEN WE TALK TO OTHER DISTRICTS, WE TRY NOT TO MAKE THEM FEEL WEIRD ABOUT ASKING US FOR THINGS, FOR GIVING THEM FREE THINGS. WE TELL THEM, I'M SERIOUS.

PART OF OUR GOAL IS TO PROVIDE RESOURCES.

SO WE WANT YOU TO FEEL COMFORTABLE ASKING US.

EVEN IN THE PAST MONTH, I HAVE HAD COFFEE AND A PHONE CALL WITH TWO DISTRICTS WHO WERE TRYING TO SET UP A GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT, AND WE'RE LIKE, I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU'RE WILLING TO SHARE EVERYTHING.

AND I WAS LIKE, ABSOLUTELY. I'M WILLING TO SHARE EVERYTHING.

LIKE, YOU KNOW, YOU DON'T HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT IF THIS, THAT OR THE OTHER WORKS.

I'M JUST GOING TO SIT DOWN WITH YOU AND GIVE YOU EVERYTHING WE'VE GOT.

AND I'M LIKE, I'LL SEND YOU A RESOURCE FOR THAT.

I'LL SEND YOU A RESOURCE FOR THAT.

SO WE REALLY, TRULY TRY TO TELL THEM, DON'T FEEL WEIRD.

YOU'RE NOT PLAGIARIZING.

TAKE OUR STUFF. DO WITH IT WHAT YOU WANT.

SO. THE EDUCATION WORLD LOVES FREE THINGS THEY LOVE.

THEY LOVE TAKING THINGS FROM OTHER PEOPLE THAT SO WHEN WE GIVE THEM THAT LICENSE TO DO IT, I THINK THEY FEEL REALLY GOOD ABOUT IT.

OTHER PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS WE WORK WITH ARE LISTED HERE FRISCO COUNCIL OF PTAS TASB TEXAS SCHOOL COALITION.

WE TALK TO THEM. TALK TO THEM QUITE A BIT.

FAST GROWTH SCHOOLS RAISE YOUR HAND.

TEXAS. THESE ARE GROUPS THAT WE WE TEXT WITH ALL THE TIME.

LIKE THEY'LL SHOOT US INFORMATION AND SAY, HEY, WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THIS KIND OF THING? BUT WE THEY DO A LOT OF THE SAME STUFF THAT WE DO.

IN SOME WAYS WE MIGHT BE A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT BECAUSE WE'RE A SCHOOL DISTRICT.

BUT AGAIN, THESE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE.

WE WILL HAVE THESE PEOPLE COME AND SPEAK AT OUR CONFERENCES.

WE'LL WORK WITH THEM WHEN WE'RE IN AUSTIN.

MAYBE WE'LL SHARE SUMMARIES WITH THESE GROUPS.

BUT THERE'S A LOT OF BACK AND FORTH WITH THESE GROUPS AS WELL.

AND THEN WE ALSO IT HAS REALLY JUST GROWN BECAUSE I THINK PEOPLE ARE REALIZING, OH, THIS IS BETTER WHEN YOU WORK TOGETHER.

AND SO WE ALSO HAVE THIS INFORMAL STATEWIDE NETWORK OF DISTRICTS WHERE WE'RE THE NORTH TEXAS PUBLIC SCHOOLS LEGISLATIVE NETWORK IS REALLY, TRULY, RIGHT NOW, AT LEAST JUST NORTH TEXAS. WE'VE ONLY REACHED OUT TO REGIONS TEN AND 11 JUST BECAUSE WE WANTED THEM TO PHYSICALLY BE ABLE TO DRIVE SOMEPLACE.

WE ALSO TALK WITH A LOT OF OTHER DISTRICTS ACROSS THE STATE, SO WE REGULARLY WORK WITH DALLAS ISD, AUSTIN ISD, SAN ANTONIO, RICHARDSON, NORTHEAST, NORTHSIDE, DUNCANVILLE, MESQUITE, AND DENTON.

AND THIS GROUP RIGHT NOW, ESPECIALLY DURING THE SPECIAL IS SPECIAL HAS HAD LIKE A WEEKLY MEETING WHERE WE HOP ON AND WHAT DID YOU HEAR? WHAT HAVE YOU HEARD? WHERE ARE WE NOW? WHAT ARE WE DOING? WE HAVE IT WAS WITH THIS GROUP THAT WE WORKED ON, THAT LEGISLATIVE TOOLKIT AND THAT MESSAGING THAT WE SENT YOU GUYS A FEW WEEKS AGO PRIOR TO THE SESSION STARTING.

AND WE HAVE JUST THIS ONGOING EMAIL THREAD, BASICALLY WITH THIS GROUP SO THAT WE'RE CONSTANTLY IN THE LOOP SHARING RESOURCES AND SHARING INFORMATION.

AND THEN LASTLY THIS GOES TO BOTH.

LIKE I MENTIONED OUR NEWSLETTERS BEFORE, THIS GOES BOTH TO OUR COMMUNITY FOLKS WHO ARE INVOLVED.

IT'S NOT A PUBLIC THING THAT GETS BLASTED OUT, BUT IT'S FOR OUR LLC, FOR OUR CIVIC ENGAGEMENT AMBASSADORS BECAUSE THEY HAVE THE CONTEXT FOR THIS TYPE OF STUFF.

[00:25:04]

IT GOES TO OTHER SCHOOL DISTRICTS WHO HAVE ASKED US TO BE.

WE'VE HAD SUPERINTENDENTS IN REGION SEVEN.

WE RECENTLY WENT THERE TO PRESENT TO A GROUP OF SUPERINTENDENTS THERE ABOUT THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION, AND THEY ASKED, YOU KNOW, HOW CAN WE SIGN UP FOR THESE THINGS? AND SO THE NEWSLETTER IS GROWING, BUT IT IS TARGETED TOWARD SUPERINTENDENTS OR OTHER PEOPLE IN GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS IN OTHER DISTRICTS AND ALSO OUR LEGISLATIVE LEADERSHIP COMMITTEE.

BUT WE DO THOSE.

WE DO THEM WEEKLY.

THIS PAST, WE DID THEM BI WEEKLY IN THE 87TH SESSION, AND THEN IN THE 88TH.

WE DID THEM WEEKLY AND THEN THEY'VE GONE OUT A COUPLE TIMES NOW, THE TWO WEEKS THAT WE'VE HAD, THE SPECIAL LAST GROUP THAT WE ENGAGE WITH, OBVIOUSLY ON A REGULAR BASIS, YOU WOULD HOPE AS GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS, WE'RE ENGAGING WITH OUR LEGISLATORS.

BUT THE LAST GROUP THAT WE ENGAGE WITH IS OUR LEGISLATORS.

AND I WILL SAY PRIOR TO US SETTING UP OUR DEPARTMENT IN THE WAY THAT WE DID, I WILL SAY THAT YOUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS KIND OF HAD A REPUTATION IN AUSTIN OF BEING EDUCRATS, BEING LABELED AS EDUCRATS, OR EVEN WHINERS, OR I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'VE HEARD THE TERM WASPS. THEY ROLLED THEIR EYES WHEN SCHOOL DISTRICT PEOPLE CAME ALONG BECAUSE THEY FELT LIKE THEY WERE ALWAYS JUST WHINY.

AND THERE WAS THIS VERY HOLD YOUR FEET TO THE FIRE.

YOU'RE EITHER PUBLIC ED OR YOU'RE NOT VERY HARD LINE APPROACH TO ENGAGING WITH LEGISLATORS.

AND I WILL SAY WE'VE ADOPTED KIND OF A DIFFERENT APPROACH, AND WE'VE HAD DISTRICTS ACROSS THE STATE THAT ARE ASKING US AND ADOPTING THIS SAME METHODOLOGY AND APPROACH, BECAUSE THEY HAVE SEEN SPECIFICALLY HOW EFFECTIVE IT IS.

SO THE FIRST THING THAT WE DO, AND WE DO THIS WHEN WE FIRST INTRODUCE OURSELF TO AN OFFICE, OR MAYBE THERE'S NEW STAFF IN AN OFFICE BECAUSE THAT HAPPENS OFTEN.

THERE'S HIGH TURNOVER WITH STAFF.

WE APPROACH THEM AND WE SAY THIS IS WHO WE ARE, THIS IS WHAT WE DO.

AND THE FIRST THING WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY KNOW IS THAT WE ARE A RESOURCE TO THEM.

I WILL STRAIGHT UP TELL THEM, IF YOU ARE LOOKING AT AN EDUCATION RELATED BILL, I PROMISE YOU WE'VE READ IT, I PROMISE YOU WE'VE SUMMARIZED IT.

AND SO IF YOU WANT A PERSPECTIVE OF A SCHOOL DISTRICT ON THIS BILL, YOU CAN CALL US AND WE WILL TELL YOU WHAT OUR THOUGHTS ARE.

SOMETIMES OUR THOUGHTS ARE, YOU KNOW, DOESN'T MATTER ONE WAY OR ANOTHER.

IT DOESN'T REALLY AFFECT US VERY MUCH.

SOMETIMES WE WILL EXPRESS TO THEM, YOU KNOW, THIS IS THE EFFECT AND IT MIGHT BE POSITIVE, IT MIGHT BE NEGATIVE.

BUT WE'RE VERY JUST WE TELL THEM WE'RE HERE TO BE A RESOURCE.

AND SO THAT MAKES IT TO WHERE PEOPLE ARE CALLING US AND ASKING US.

WE HAVE HAD OFFICES THAT PROACTIVELY, EVEN BEFORE THEY FILED A BILL, SAID, HEY, I WANT YOUR FEEDBACK ON THIS.

I KNOW YOU GUYS ARE IN THE WEEDS ON THIS, AND A LOT OF TIMES IT'S VERY TIME SENSITIVE.

IF THEY'RE DOING SOMETHING WITH A BILL, THEY HAVE IT FOR ALL OF FIVE SECONDS BEFORE THEY HAVE TO TURN AROUND AND DO SOMETHING WITH IT.

SO THEY APPRECIATE THAT THEY CAN CALL A DISTRICT THAT IS PROBABLY ALREADY READ THE BILL AND PROBABLY ALREADY SUMMARIZE THE BILL, AND THEY CAN GET FEEDBACK REALLY, REALLY QUICKLY.

ANOTHER THING IS THAT WE ALWAYS TRY TO BE SOLUTION ORIENTED.

THERE WAS A THOUGHT THAT YOU COULD NEVER MAKE A BILL BETTER, THAT YOU COULD ONLY JUST KILL A BILL, YOU HAD TO KILL THE BILL.

AND WE'VE KIND OF TAKEN THIS APPROACH TO SAY, WELL, WHAT CAN YES, RIGHT NOW, AS THIS BILL STANDS, THERE WILL PROBABLY BE SOME REALLY NEGATIVE CONSEQUENCES FOR SCHOOL DISTRICTS.

BUT WHAT CAN WE TWEAK IN IT? BECAUSE THEY'RE REALLY PROUD OF THEIR LEGISLATION AND THEY WANT THEIR LEGISLATION TO PASS.

AND SO IF WE CAN GO TO THEM AND SAY, LOOK, THIS IS THE EFFECT THAT IT HAS ON US RIGHT NOW, BUT IF YOU TWEAK THESE FEW THINGS, THEN IT WON'T HAVE THAT SAME EFFECT.

SOMETIMES IT'S AS SIMPLE AS A CONVERSATION OF, HEY, WHAT WAS YOUR WHAT WAS YOUR GOAL WITH THIS LEGISLATION? I CAN REMEMBER A TIME WHERE WE ACTUALLY SAT DOWN WITH SOMEONE.

THERE WAS A BILL AND I CAN'T REMEMBER.

THIS WAS MAYBE TWO SESSIONS AGO WHERE THE BILL WAS GOING TO COST AN ASTRONOMICAL AMOUNT OF MONEY FOR SCHOOL DISTRICTS, OF COURSE, UNFUNDED, BUT IT DIDN'T SEEM LIKE THAT'S WHAT THEY WERE TRYING TO DO.

IT WAS IT SEEMED LIKE A REALLY WELL-MEANING BILL.

SO WE CALLED THE OFFICE AND WE SAID, WHAT ARE YOU TRYING TO DO WITH THIS BILL? AND THEY WERE LIKE, OH, WELL, WE JUST WANT TO DO, YOU KNOW, AND IT WAS THIS REALLY LITTLE THING.

AND, AND WE WERE ABLE TO SAY, WELL, ACTUALLY, THE WAY THAT YOU'VE WRITTEN IT, IT LOOPS IN A LOT MORE PEOPLE THAN YOU WERE TRYING TO CAPTURE.

AND IT COST DISTRICTS A LOT MORE.

AND THEY WERE LIKE, OH YEAH, NO, THAT'S NOT WHAT I'M TRYING TO DO.

AND SO WE WERE ON THE PHONE WITH THEIR CHIEF OF STAFF, AND WE WANTED TO KIM'S OFFICE AND SAID, OKAY, THIS IS WHAT THEY'RE TRYING TO DO.

AND WE WERE LOOKING AT THE BILL AND AND IT WAS LIKE, IF YOU LITERALLY TWEAK THIS ONE WORD, THAT WILL CHANGE THE ENTIRE LIKE EFFECT OF THE BILL, WHERE IT WILL ACCOMPLISH WHAT THEY WANT TO ACCOMPLISH, AND IT WILL NOT HAVE THE NEGATIVE EFFECTS ON THE DISTRICT.

AND SO THEY WERE THEY TOOK THAT CHANGE AND THEY MADE THAT CHANGE.

AND THAT BILL DIDN'T END UP PASSING.

BUT IT WAS ONE OF THOSE EXAMPLES WHERE US BEING A RESOURCE AND US BEING SOLUTION ORIENTED REALLY, REALLY WORKED IN OUR FAVOR.

ANOTHER THING THAT WE TRY TO DO IS TO BE MINDFUL OF POLITICAL REALITIES WHERE, LIKE I SAID, THERE'S BEEN THIS KIND OF YOU'RE EITHER PRO ED OR YOU'RE NOT PRO ED LIKE, AND

[00:30:05]

THERE'S NO REASON TO VOTE ANY DIFFERENT WAY ON THIS BILL.

AND THAT JUST HASN'T BEEN OUR APPROACH, BECAUSE WE TRY TO BE MINDFUL WHEN WE ARE TALKING TO SOMEONE OF MAYBE THE PARTY THAT THEY'RE IN AND THE PLATFORM THAT THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO BE THERE REPRESENTING, EVEN WHEN IT COMES TO THINGS LIKE HOW THEY MIGHT VOTE ON A BILL THAT'S EDUCATION RELATED AND NOT REALLY RELATED TO A PARTY.

WE'VE GOTTEN SOME INSIDE INFORMATION, AND WE JUST TRY TO UNDERSTAND THIS TO WHERE IT'S LIKE, WELL, I DO AGREE THAT THIS IS PROBABLY.

HOW IT SHOULD BE, BUT MAYBE THEY ARE VOTING A CERTAIN WAY BECAUSE THEY FEEL LIKE THEIR CONSTITUENTS BELIEVE THAT.

OR MAYBE THEY'RE VOTING A CERTAIN WAY BECAUSE IN SOME INSTANCES THEY MIGHT HAVE BEEN TOLD, WELL, AND THIS IS SOME INSIDE INFORMATION THAT WE GOT FROM A SENATOR WHO SAID, WELL, I WANTED TO FILE A BILL ON X, Y, Z.

BUT I WAS TOLD IF I DID THAT, THEN I WOULD BE KICKED OFF OF THIS COMMITTEE THAT I'M ON.

AND SO WHERE WE KNOW THEY HAVE TO KIND OF CONSIDER THOSE THINGS.

AND SO WE JUST KIND OF IT'S NOT THAT WE AGREE WITH WHAT ULTIMATELY ENDED UP HAPPENING OR THAT WE LIKE THE WAY, BUT WE'RE JUST TRYING TO BE MINDFUL LIKE THAT.

THIS IS THE REALITY THAT THEY LIVE IN, THAT THEY HAVE TO LIVE UNDER THIS COMPROMISE CONSTANTLY AND THEY HAVE TO BALANCE THINGS.

AND IF THEY VOTE THIS CERTAIN WAY ON THIS BILL, THEN IT MIGHT BE THAT SOMEONE MAKES IT TO WHERE NONE OF THEIR BILLS PASS, WHICH IS ACTUALLY, I DON'T KNOW, SOMETHING TO TAKE IN MIND, ESPECIALLY WITH THE SENATE.

IN THE HOUSE, THE SPEAKER WHO PRESIDES OVER THE HOUSE IS ELECTED BY HIS FELLOW MEMBERS.

AND SO HE'S IN A WAY ACCOUNTABLE TO THE FELLOW MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE.

AND THAT'S NOT THE WAY IT WORKS IN THE SENATE AND THE SENATE.

THE LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR PRESIDES, AND HE'S A STATEWIDE ELECTED OFFICE.

AND SO HE IS NOT BEHOLDEN IN ANY WAY, SHAPE OR FORM TO ANY SENATORS.

AND SO HE DOESN'T HAVE TO KIND OF, YOU KNOW, COMPROMISE WITH THEM IF IT'S SOMETHING THAT HE WANTS.

AND A LOT OF WAYS HE CAN SAY, WELL, YOU KNOW, IF YOU'RE NOT GOING TO DO IT THE WAY THAT I WANT TO DO IT, IF YOU DECIDED TO DO THIS, I'M NOT SAYING THIS HAPPENS ALL THE TIME OR BUT IF HE WANTED, HE COULD SAY, WELL, NONE OF YOUR BILLS ARE GOING TO MAKE IT TO THE FLOOR.

SO THEY HAVE TO KIND OF BALANCE THOSE THINGS.

AND SO WE JUST TRY TO KEEP THAT IN MIND WHEN WE ARE HAVING CONVERSATIONS WITH THEM.

WE ALSO ATTEMPT AS MUCH AS WE CAN TO AVOID ANY KIND OF PUBLIC CONFLICT.

WE TRY TO MAKE OURSELVES AVAILABLE TO ALL OF OUR LEGISLATORS IF THEY HAVE ANY KIND OF ISSUE, OBVIOUSLY, ESPECIALLY OUR DELEGATION, IF THEY HAVE ANY KIND OF ISSUES TO REACH OUT TO US, THEIR CHIEF OF STAFF HAS OUR PHONE NUMBERS.

THEY KNOW THAT THEY CAN CALL US AT ANY TIME, AND THEN WE CAN TRY TO ANSWER SOME QUESTIONS FOR THEM OR GET INFORMATION FOR THEM IF THEY HAVE IT.

IF THEY WANT TO GET MORE CONTEXT FOR SOMETHING THAT THEY NOTICED, OR THAT MAYBE A CONSTITUENT OF THEIRS BROUGHT TO THEM, WE CAN PROVIDE THEM WITH MORE CONTEXT.

AND SO THOSE ARE THOSE ARE SOME THINGS THAT WE TRY TO DO WITH AVOIDING THE PUBLIC CONFLICT.

AND WE ALSO TRY TO BUILD RELATIONSHIPS WITH STAFF.

STAFF IS THE BOOTS ON THE GROUND AND THE OFFICES LEGISLATORS OFTENTIMES.

AND I THINK SOME PEOPLE SEE THIS AND THEY'RE LIKE, SERIOUSLY, YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE DOING ALL DAY.

BUT LEGISLATORS WILL OFTENTIMES BE GIVEN FROM THEIR STAFF LIKE A LITTLE CARD.

AND IT'S LIKE, HERE'S YOUR DAY'S ACTIVITIES.

AND THEY ARE RUNNING FROM ONE THING TO THE NEXT, AND THEIR STAFFS ARE THE ONES WHO ARE IN THE WEEDS ON THE BILLS AND READING THROUGH THINGS.

AND THEN THEY HAVE MEETINGS TO UPDATE THE LEGISLATOR AND ALL OF THOSE THINGS.

AND SO REALLY BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS WITH STAFF, ESPECIALLY US AS STAFF, IS SUPER IMPORTANT BECAUSE THAT MAKES IT TO WHERE THEY TAKE OUR CALLS.

THEY KNOW WHO WE ARE, THEY'LL TAKE MEETINGS WITH US, THOSE SORTS OF THINGS.

IT'S NOT UNCOMMON IF PEOPLE DON'T KNOW WHO YOU ARE BECAUSE THEY ARE SO BUSY AND THEY HAVE SO MANY MEETINGS.

IF YOU'RE GOING DOWN TO AUSTIN AND YOU JUST WALK INTO INTO AN OFFICE, A LOT OF PEOPLE MIGHT JUST EXPECT, I WANT A MEETING WITH MY LEGISLATOR.

YOU'RE MY LEGISLATOR. I SHOULD BE ABLE TO MEET WITH YOU.

AND WHILE THEY'RE PROBABLY IN A COMMITTEE HEARING OR SOME SORT OF OTHER MEETING, SO YOU MIGHT BE END UP MEETING WITH A STAFF MEMBER.

WELL, THEIR STAFF IS REALLY BUSY TOO.

SO IF YOU JUST POP IN AND THEY HAVE NO IDEA WHO YOU ARE, YOU MIGHT HAVE A MEETING, BUT IT MIGHT BE WITH THE PERSON WHO'S SCHEDULES BILLS.

I MEAN, NOT SCHEDULES BILLS, WHO MAKES THE SCHEDULE FOR THE LEGISLATOR AND REALLY JUST TAKES CALLS AND FORWARDS MESSAGES AND THOSE SORTS OF THING.

AND THEY'LL BE LIKE, YES, SOUNDS GOOD, SOUNDS GOOD.

AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S LIKE, YOU KNOW, THAT THAT IS PROBABLY NOT GOING TO GO ANYWHERE BECAUSE THAT'S NOT THE STAFF MEMBER WHO IS ESPECIALLY LOOKING AT EDUCATION STUFF.

SO WE TRY TO TALK TO THEIR CHIEF OF STAFF.

WE TALK TO THEIR TO THEIR FOLKS WHO ARE STAFFING EDUCATION STUFF.

SO WE PICK SPECIFICALLY.

WE MAKE SURE THAT THEY KNOW US.

WE MAKE SURE THAT THEY KNOW THAT WE'RE A RESOURCE FOR THEM.

BUT SOME OTHER REALLY COOL THINGS THAT THIS HAS KIND OF GOTTEN US.

I WANTED TO KIND OF GO BACK AND WE'VE TALKED ABOUT A FEW OF THESE BEFORE, BUT HAVING GOOD RELATIONSHIPS WITH OUR OFFICES HAS REALLY WORKED OUT VERY WELL FOR US.

THERE ARE OFTEN TIMES THAT WE ARE INVITED TO TESTIFY, SO THEY THINK, OH, I THINK FRISCO ISD WILL HAVE A REALLY GOOD, YOU KNOW, OUTLOOK ON THIS.

AND SO THEY'LL INVITE US TO TESTIFY.

LIKE I SAID EARLIER, OFFICES MIGHT PROACTIVELY REACH OUT TO US IF THEY HAVE A BILL.

SOMETIMES THEY WILL GIVE US INTEL.

[00:35:01]

THEY'LL GIVE US SOME INTEL SO THAT WE CAN KNOW WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH THE BILL, AND THEN WE CAN REACT APPROPRIATELY.

LIKE I SAID, WE CAN GET MEETINGS WITH THE APPROPRIATE PERSON IN THE OFFICE WHEN WE NEED TO BECAUSE WE HAVE GOOD RELATIONSHIPS WITH THEM.

THEY WORK WITH US ALL THE WAY TO THE OTHER END OF THINGS, WHERE THESE ARE REALLY HUGE THINGS.

I THINK WE MIGHT EXPRESS SOME OPINIONS ABOUT A BILL AND WANT TO HAVE A MEETING WITH IT.

AND WE'VE SAT DOWN WITH A STAFF MEMBER BEFORE AND THEY LITERALLY BROUGHT UP A.

LIKE AN ELECTRONIC COPY OF THE BILL, AND WE WERE READING THROUGH IT LINE BY LINE, AND THEY WERE ERASING THINGS AND REPLACING IT WITH THINGS.

THAT WOULD BE IT'S LIKE THE WAY YOU'VE GOT IT WRITTEN HERE.

IS THIS WHAT YOU'RE TRYING TO DO? WELL, NO, NOT REALLY. AND IT'S LIKE, WELL, THIS IS THE EFFECT OF THAT.

IF THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE TRYING TO DO, THEN LEAVE IT AS IS.

BUT AND THEN THEY WOULD SAY, WELL, NO, THAT'S NOT WHAT I'M TRYING TO DO.

AND THEN WE'RE LIKE, OKAY, WELL THEN CHANGE IT THIS WAY AND IT'LL MAKE IT EASIER FOR DISTRICTS TO IMPLEMENT.

IT WON'T BE AN UNFUNDED MANDATE, THOSE SORTS OF THINGS.

AND SO THEY'RE LITERALLY REWRITING THE BILL IN FRONT OF US BASED ON FEEDBACK THAT WE'RE GIVING THEM.

SO IT'S IT'S MAKING THAT BILL BETTER.

AND THEN ONE OF THE COOLEST THINGS I FEEL LIKE I REMEMBER IS I THINK THIS WAS ALSO DURING THE 87TH SESSION WE HAD THERE WAS A REALLY BIG BILL THAT WAS GETTING A LOT OF ATTENTION, BUT THERE WAS ONE LINE IN THERE THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE SEEMED TO MISS, AND THE WAY THAT THE LINE WAS WRITTEN, IT WOULD HAVE EFFECTIVELY WIPED OUT OUR ISCM PROGRAM, WHICH IS AN AMAZING PROGRAM.

AND I WAS I WAS FREAKING OUT AND I WAS LIKE, OH MY GOSH, THIS CANNOT THIS CANNOT GO THROUGH THE WAY IT IS.

AND IT WAS ON THE FLOOR OF THE SECOND CHAMBER.

PEOPLE WERE OFFERING UP AMENDMENTS AND WE WERE TRYING TO REACH OUT TO SEVERAL PEOPLE, THE AUTHOR OF THE BILL, ALL OF THESE THINGS, TRYING TO SAY, HEY, YOU CAN'T LIKE IF THIS IS THE WAY IT IS. AND SOME PEOPLE WOULD JUST RESPOND AND SAY, WELL, THAT'S NOT THE INTENT OF THE BILL.

AND WE WERE LIKE, WELL, I KNOW IT'S NOT THE INTENT, BUT DON'T MAKE IT THE LAW EITHER.

LIKE IF YOU PASS IT THE WAY IT IS, EVEN THOUGH IT'S NOT THE INTENT, THAT'S THE WAY THE LAW IS GOING TO READ AND IT'S GOING TO KILL OUR ESM PROGRAM.

AND SO WE ACTUALLY HAD REPRESENTATIVE SHAHEEN AND REPRESENTATIVE PATTERSON TEXTING US SAYING, YOU KNOW, IS THIS OKAY? THEY SENT US A PICTURE. THEY WERE ON THE FLOOR OF THE HOUSE AND THEY WERE CAUCUSING.

YOU HAD THEM CAUCUSING IN THE CORNER, AND WE WERE WATCHING IT LIVE ON TV, AND THEY WERE OVER THERE.

THEY WERE DRAFTING AN AMENDMENT AND THEY SENT ONE AND THEY SAID, WHAT IF WE SAY THIS? AND I WAS LIKE, OH, SORRY, THAT DOESN'T REALLY FIX IT.

LIKE YOU HAVE TO SAY EITHER THIS, THAT OR THE OTHER AND IT WILL DO WHAT YOU WANT IT TO DO WHILE ALSO NOT KILLING ESM BECAUSE I DON'T THINK THEY WANTED TO KILL ESM EITHER.

AND SO THEY WOULD. THEY DRAFTED ANOTHER AMENDMENT AND THEY AND I HAVE THIS REALLY COOL PICTURE THAT THEY SENT WHERE THEY'RE HOLDING IT AND THEY'RE LIKE, HERE'S THE AMENDMENT.

IS THIS GOOD? AND I WAS LIKE, YES, THAT WILL BE GOOD.

THAT WILL NOT KILL OUR ESM PROGRAM.

AND SO THEY TAKE IT BACK AND THEY GOT THAT AMENDMENT ADOPTED.

AND SO WHEN THE BILL PASSED, IT DIDN'T KILL ESM.

SO THAT WAS A REALLY COOL ONE THAT WE THOUGHT WAS JUST THIS IS WHEN YOU BUILD REALLY GOOD RELATIONSHIPS WITH YOUR OFFICES DESPITE, YOU KNOW, THAT POLITICALLY THEY MIGHT BE IN A DIFFERENT PLACE OR WE DISAGREE ON SOME THINGS, WE WILL GO INTO AN OFFICE KNOWING WHERE THEY STAND ON SOMETHING, AND WE PROBABLY DON'T TALK TO THEM ABOUT THAT VERY MUCH BECAUSE WE KNOW THEY'RE NOT WILLING TO BUDGE.

BUT THERE ARE A TON OF OTHER WAYS WHERE WE COULD BUILD BRIDGES WITH THEM, AND WE COULD HAVE CONVERSATIONS WITH THEM ABOUT OTHER THINGS, BECAUSE THERE'S MORE THAN ONE THING THAT AFFECTS PUBLIC EDUCATION.

SO THIS HAS JUST BEEN REALLY, REALLY GREAT FOR US.

AND SO I KNOW I'VE SPENT A LOT OF TIME ON THIS SLIDE, BUT I REALLY WANTED TO DRIVE IT.

ON HOW HELPFUL THAT THAT HAS BEEN.

MEGAN, BEFORE YOU LEAVE THIS SUBJECT, THIS TOPIC, WE NEED TO STRESS THAT WE'RE NOT JUST TALKING ABOUT.

THE LEGISLATORS THAT REPRESENT FRISCO ISD.

YOU HAVE CONTACTS WITH LEGISLATORS ACROSS THE STATE.

THESE ARE WITH BILL AUTHORS, REGARDLESS OF WHERE THEY MAY BE, OR OFFICES OF LEGISLATORS, SENATORS AND REPRESENTATIVES, REGARDLESS OF WHO IT IS.

SO THIS IS JUST NOT THE YOU'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT RELATIONSHIPS AND KNOWING THESE PEOPLE AND GOING IN OFFICES, LIKE WE SAT IN THE LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR'S OFFICE AND TALKED TO THEIR STAFF, WE HAVE BEEN ACROSS THE BOARD DOWN THERE IN AUSTIN, SO I DON'T THINK WE CAN STRESS THAT ENOUGH THAT THIS IS JUST NOT A LOCALIZED ADVOCACY EFFORT COMING FROM FRISCO ISD.

THIS REACHES ACROSS THE STATE.

YEAH. AND WE TRY TO OBVIOUSLY, WE TALK TO OUR DELEGATION, BUT WE TRY TO FOCUS ON OUR EDUCATION COMMITTEES, THE PEOPLE WHO ARE OBVIOUSLY REALLY INVOLVED IN THE DRAFTING OF EDUCATION RELATED STUFF.

THE CHAIRS OF THOSE COMMITTEES, ANY KIND OF BIG PLAYERS IN THIS WORLD, THE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEES WILL HAVE CONVERSATIONS WITH THEM.

AN AUTHOR OF THE BILL, LIKE DR.

WALDRIP WAS SAYING. SO IT'S ALL OVER THE PLACE.

WE'VE I THINK WE HAD IN THIS BOOK THE OFFICES THAT WE WORKED WITH SIGNIFICANTLY THIS SESSION.

GOSH, I'M GOING TO TRY TO FIND THE PAGE NOW, KIM, YOU HAVE YOUR HAND ON THE MIC.

DO YOU WANT TO CHIME IN WHILE I FIND THIS PAGE? SURE. I WAS JUST GOING TO SAY, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS MEGAN TALKED ABOUT BEING A RESOURCE AND YOU GUYS ALL HAVE THIS ONE PAGER SITTING IN FRONT OF YOU.

[00:40:01]

WELL, TWO PAGES, IF YOU COUNT THAT IT'S FRONT AND BACK THAT WE CREATED DURING THE REGULAR SESSION TO TALK ABOUT THE IMPACT OF INFLATION ON PUBLIC EDUCATION FUNDING AND THE NEED FOR AN INCREASE IN THE BASIC ALLOTMENT, WHICH WE'LL TALK ABOUT HERE IN A FEW MINUTES, AND THE NEED TO INDEX THAT TO INFLATION.

AND WE SPENT A DAY AT THE CAPITOL DELIVERING THIS ONE PAGER TO EVERY PUBLIC EDUCATION COMMITTEE MEMBER IN BOTH CHAMBERS, EVERY APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE MEMBER IN BOTH CHAMBERS AND OUR LOCAL DELEGATION.

MEGAN DREW US LIKE A FLOOR PLAN OF OFFICES BY FLOOR.

AND WE JUST RAN AROUND THE CAPITOL ALL DAY LONG TRYING TO GIVE THIS TO PEOPLE AND EDUCATE THEM, BECAUSE ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE FOUND IN WORKING WITH THESE OFFICES IS THAT A LOT OF TIMES, LEGISLATORS DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW SCHOOLS ARE FUNDED.

THEY DON'T UNDERSTAND THE IMPACT OF THESE BILLS ON PUBLIC EDUCATION.

IF THEY DON'T SERVE ON ONE OF THOSE EDUCATION COMMITTEES, THEY DON'T THEY DON'T KNOW THE SCHOOL FINANCE FORMULA.

THEY DON'T KNOW THE SITUATION THAT WE'RE IN AND THE THINGS THAT WE NEED.

AND SO THESE RESOURCES THAT WE CREATE AND WE PASS OUT ALL OVER THE CAPITOL HAVE PROVEN TO BE VERY VALUABLE.

WE HAD I STOPPED AT ONE OFFICE OF A LEGISLATOR THAT HONESTLY, I'D NEVER HEARD OF.

I THINK THEY WERE SOMEWHERE IN SOUTH TEXAS REPRESENTING SOUTH TEXAS AND THEIR CHIEF OF STAFF.

WITHIN 15 MINUTES OF ME DROPPING THIS OFF, I HAD LEFT MY CELL PHONE NUMBER AND HE CALLED MY CELL PHONE AND HE SAID, THERE'S SOME INFORMATION ON HERE THAT I HAD NO IDEA.

CAN YOU PLEASE WALK ME THROUGH YOUR ONE PAGER AND ANSWER MY QUESTIONS? AND WE SPENT ABOUT A HALF HOUR ON THE PHONE BECAUSE IT'S SOMETHING THAT HIS BOSS WAS VERY INTERESTED IN, BUT THEY REALLY JUST HADN'T HAD THE INFORMATION.

AND THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS THAT THEY REPRESENTED DIDN'T REALLY HAVE THE RESOURCES TO PROVIDE THIS TYPE OF THING TO THEM, EVEN THOUGH THEY'RE EXPERIENCING THE SAME THINGS THAT WE ARE. SO IT'S WE WE DO THINGS LIKE THAT EVERY SESSION AND IT'S PROVEN TO BE VERY VALUABLE.

UM, A LITTLE BIT ON OUR BILL TRACKING PLAN.

JUST SO YOU GUYS KNOW HOW WE APPROACH THE BILLS DURING THE SESSION.

THE FIRST YEAR THAT WE EXISTED AS A GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT, WE WERE SUMMARIZING EVERY SINGLE BILL THAT CAME THROUGH THAT WAS PUBLIC EDUCATION RELATED.

AND THEN AFTER THE SESSION, WE WERE LIKE 80% OF THOSE DIDN'T EVEN GET SCHEDULED FOR A HEARING.

WHY DID WE DO THAT? AND SO WE KIND OF JUST FOR LIKE, YOU KNOW, MANAGING OUR OWN RESOURCES, WE DECIDED WE'RE NOT GOING TO SUMMARIZE A BILL UNTIL IT'S SCHEDULED FOR A HEARING, BECAUSE UNTIL IT'S SCHEDULED FOR A HEARING, THAT BILL MIGHT AS WELL BE DEAD.

SO WE WILL REVIEW ALL THE BILLS AND TAG THEM AND CATEGORIZE THEM AT THE BEGINNING.

WE'RE NOT SUMMARIZING AT THAT POINT, BUT WE ARE KIND OF GETTING OUR EYES ON THEM.

WE SUMMARIZE BILLS THAT WE WILL LOOK AT HIGH PRIORITY BILLS.

SO IF THERE'S SOMETHING THAT IS TIED TO ONE OF OUR LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES, WE WILL GO AHEAD AND SUMMARIZE IT.

IF IT'S A STATE LEADERSHIP PRIORITY BILL, WE'LL GO AHEAD AND SUMMARIZE IT IN THE WAY YOU KNOW, THAT.

IS THAT YOUR BILL NUMBERS THAT ARE 30 AND BELOW ARE USUALLY YOUR STATE PRIORITY BILLS.

I SAY USUALLY IT'S ALWAYS WHICH THEY'RE MORE LIKELY TO MOVE THROUGH THE PROCESS BECAUSE THEIR PRIORITY BILLS AS TAGGED BY THE HOUSE OR SENATE, SENATE BILLS.

WE WOULD START SUMMARIZING WHEN WE HAD THE TIME A LITTLE BIT SOONER, BECAUSE YOUR SENATE COMMITTEES DURING THE REGULAR SESSION, YOUR SENATE COMMITTEES ONLY HAVE TO PROVIDE 24 HOURS NOTICE BEFORE THEY HAVE A HEARING.

SO WE WOULD TRY TO HAVE THOSE READY TO GO.

BUT YOUR HOUSE BILLS, UNLESS THEY WERE SCHEDULED, WE WERE ALMOST NEVER LOOKING AT THEM UNLESS THEY WERE A PRIMARY OR A HIGH PRIORITY BILL, BECAUSE THEY WOULD GIVE US A FIVE DAYS NOTICE. AND THEN SUMMARIES ARE UPDATED AS THEY PASS OUT OF THE ORIGINATING COMMITTEE, SOMETIMES AS THEY PASS OUT OF THE AS THE COMMITTEE, IF WE CAN IF WE CAN DO IT, BECAUSE YOU MIGHT HAVE IT.

EVERY ONE OF THOSE STEPS THAT I SHOWED YOU EARLIER, A NEW VERSION OF THE BILL AND THE BILL, BILL MIGHT END UP LOOKING REALLY DIFFERENT AT THE END THAN IT DID AT THE BEGINNING.

I WILL SAY FOR A SPECIAL SESSION, SINCE EVERYTHING IS SQUEEZED INTO 30 DAYS, SOMETHING THAT THEY CAN DO WHILE THE HOUSE IS REQUIRED TO PROVIDE FIVE DAYS NOTICE PER THE RULES, THEY CAN ALWAYS JUST SUSPEND THE RULES AND DECIDE TO HAVE A HEARING TOMORROW.

AND SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE WOULD JUST HAVE TO BE PREPARED FOR WHERE IT'S LIKE, OKAY, THIS WE MIGHT HAVE TO GO DOWN AT A DROP OF A HAT, WE MIGHT GET OUR FIVE DAYS NOTICE AND WE MIGHT NOT. SO THAT'S JUST SOMETHING THAT WE ALWAYS HAVE TO CONSIDER.

AND THEN PRIORITIZING LEGISLATION.

AND THIS ONE I ACTUALLY WILL HAVE YOU GUYS OPEN UP YOUR BOOK TO PAGE 23.

IF YOU HADN'T, PLEASE OPEN YOUR BOOK WITH ME TO PAGE 23.

UM, PRIORITIZING LEGISLATION.

THIS GOES THROUGH EACH OF OUR PRIORITIES AND HOW WE IDENTIFIED WHAT IT TAKES, IF YOU WILL, TO GET TO THAT PRIORITY.

SO I REALLY JUST WANT TO FOCUS ON PRIORITY ONE.

AM I SKIPPING? THIS IS CHALLENGING FOR ME.

THERE WE GO. SO PRIORITY ONE AND THIS IS THE SAME THING THAT IT SAYS ON THE SCREEN, BUT IT MEETS TWO OF THE CRITERIA BELOW.

AND THESE ARE BASICALLY WHEN WE SAY HIGH PRIORITY, IT DOESN'T MEAN IT'S A BILL THAT WE LOVE OR HATE ESPECIALLY, IT MEANS THAT IT'S A BILL THAT'S GOING TO HAVE REQUIRE SIGNIFICANT DISTRICT RESOURCES.

AND SO THAT'S WHAT WE KIND OF OUTLINED HERE.

[00:45:01]

THOSE LOW NUMBERED BILLS OR AGAIN, BILLS THAT WOULD REQUIRE CHANGES IN DISTRICT POLICY, PRACTICE OR PROCEDURES THAT WOULD REQUIRE SIGNIFICANT RESOURCES TO IMPLEMENT OR WOULD SIGNIFICANTLY IMPACT THE DISTRICT, AND ALSO ANY KIND OF BILLS THAT ARE GARNERING SIGNIFICANT PUBLIC ATTENTION, CONTROVERSY OR DEBATE.

AND THE ONLY REASON THAT WE SOMETIMES MAKE SURE THAT WE PAY ATTENTION TO THOSE IS BECAUSE WE'VE HAD BILLS GO THROUGH THAT WE WEREN'T TALKING WITH LEGISLATORS ABOUT MAYBE THEY DIDN'T AFFECT US VERY MUCH, BUT THEY GOT A LOT OF NEWS COVERAGE.

AND THERE WAS A BILL SPECIFICALLY THAT I REMEMBER FROM A COUPLE OF SESSIONS AGO THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE WERE GETTING REALLY WORKED UP ABOUT, AND YOU HAD BOTH SIDES OF THE AISLES PUBLISHING THESE STORIES ON WHAT THE BILL DID.

AND I READ ARTICLE AFTER ARTICLE THAT WAS SUMMARIZING THE BILL, AND I WAS LIKE, EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THESE IS MISREPRESENTING THE BILL.

EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THESE IS WRONG.

AND IT'S LIKE WE HAD READ AND SUMMARIZED EVERY ITERATION OF THE BILL, AND THEY BOTH SIDES WERE USING THAT BILL TO KIND OF DRUM UP THEIR BASE AND GET THEM FREAKED OUT AND GET THEM WORRIED. YOU KNOW, IT'S POLITICS, RIGHT? AND SO OUR JOB, WE FELT LIKE AND THAT WAS TO MAKE SURE PEOPLE JUST KNEW EXACTLY WHAT THE BILL WAS.

SO IT WASN'T WE WEREN'T TALKING TO OFFICES.

SOMETIMES IF IT'S, YOU KNOW, VERY POLITICAL, WE'RE NOT NECESSARILY TALKING TO OFFICES IF IT'S REALLY CONTROVERSIAL, EXCEPT THAT WE DO WANT OUR COMMUNITY TO KNOW WHAT THE BILL DOES. AND SO THERE WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS GETTING A LOT OF PEOPLE REALLY WORKED UP.

AND WE KIND OF FELT LIKE WE HAD TO TALK THEM OFF A LEDGE AND SAY, THAT IS NOT WHAT THIS BILL DOES.

THIS IS WHAT THIS BILL DOES.

AND IT, IN FACT DOESN'T CHANGE ANYTHING IN PRACTICE THAT WE DO.

AND SO THAT'S WHY WE PAY ATTENTION TO THOSE.

BUT THOSE THAT'S OUR HIGH PRIORITY.

AND AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, IT GOES DOWN AS FAR AS WE'RE KIND OF TRYING TO MEASURE, LIKE WHAT KIND OF RESOURCES WOULD IT TAKE TO IMPLEMENT OR WHAT HOW WOULD IT IMPACT THE DISTRICT.

AND AS YOUR PRIORITIES GO DOWN, THAT'S HOW THEY CHANGE IN DEFINITION.

AND SO I WANTED TO SHOW YOU GUYS KIND OF THIS WAS OUR GUIDING RESPONSE MATRIX.

AND THE CHECK MARK, I'M MISSING A CHECK MARK AT THE BOTTOM RIGHT OF MY PRESENTATION.

AND I DON'T KNOW WHY, BUT IT'S CORRECT IN THE BOOK.

AND SO YOU CAN KIND OF SEE WHAT WE'VE GOT HERE ARE THIS IS OUR RESPONSES ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE.

AND THEN OUR KIND OF LEVEL OF LIKE MOBILIZATION IF YOU WILL.

THAT WAS THE BEST WORD WE COULD THINK OF.

SO IT WAS LIKE WE'VE GOT OUR NORMAL READINESS WHICH CALLS FOR OUR STANDARD RESPONSE, INCREASED READINESS, WHICH IS WHERE WE'RE LOOKING AT PRIORITY THREE BILLS THAT MIGHT BE SCHEDULED FOR A HEARING OR ON THE FLOOR AND THEN MOBILIZE WHEN WE START TO KIND OF, OKAY, GO, WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO NOW WHERE IT'S A PRIORITY TO BILL SCHEDULED FOR A HEARING OR IT'S ON A FLOOR CALENDAR DEPLOY.

AND LIKE WE JUST STOLE THESE PHRASES FROM WHAT WAS THAT? I CAN'T REMEMBER, BUT YOU GUYS GET THE IDEA.

IT INCREASES AS YOU GO ALONG AND YOU GUYS CAN IF YOU WANT TO DRAW YOUR ATTENTION TO THE BOTTOM RIGHT.

LIKE WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A JOINT ACTION WITH OTHER DISTRICTS THAT WOULD NEED A PRIORITY ONE BILL THAT EITHER MIGHT DIE OR IS SCHEDULED FOR A FOR THE FLOOR IN THE SECOND CHAMBER, LIKE IT'S THE VERY END OF THE PROCESS AND IT'S EITHER ABOUT TO DIE OR IT'S SOMETHING THAT LIKE THAT WE REALLY LIKE AND THAT WE WANT TO GO THROUGH.

AND SO YOU'LL SEE, THAT'S WHEN WE MIGHT CONSIDER DOING THIS JOINT JOINT LETTER WE'VE DONE.

I THINK WE DID TWO OF THOSE IN THIS PAST YEAR.

WE TRY TO DO THAT REALLY, REALLY SPARINGLY BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT IF WE'RE SENDING A JOINT LETTER EVERY OTHER WEEK, THEN OUR JOINT LETTER LOSES THE WEIGHT.

AND SO WE KEEP THOSE IN OUR BACK POCKET FOR A REALLY BIG THING.

LIKE I SAID, THAT'S WHAT WE DID FOR THE ONLINE LEARNING.

BUT YOU GUYS CAN SEE AS IT GOES ON, LIKE WE'RE GOING TO NOTIFY OUR DISTRICT NETWORK IF A PRIORITY ONE BILL IS SCHEDULED OR IF IT MIGHT DIE.

WE'RE ALSO GOING TO NOTIFY PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS THOSE TYPES OF THINGS.

WE MIGHT TRY TO GO DOWN THERE AND TALK TO SOME PEOPLE.

SO THIS WAS IT WAS KIND OF A LOOSE GUIDE BECAUSE THERE ARE SO MANY BILLS, THERE'S SO MANY THINGS HAPPENING, BUT YOU CAN KIND OF GET THE IDEA THAT OUR RESPONSE INCREASES DEPENDING ON THE PRIORITY OF THE BILL AND THOSE SORTS OF THINGS.

SO I KNOW THAT'S KIND OF COMPLICATED, COMPLICATED, BUT THAT WAS THE SIMPLEST WAY WE COULD ORGANIZE THAT, OUR LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES.

I'M NOT GOING TO READ OVER THESE, BUT I DID JUST WANT TO MENTION THAT THESE ARE THE 88TH LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES, AS THEY WERE RECOMMENDED BY OUR LEGISLATIVE LEADERSHIP COMMITTEE, AND THEY ARE THE PRIORITIES THAT WERE ADOPTED, ADOPTED BY THE BOARD UNANIMOUSLY IN OCTOBER OF 2021, RIGHT BEFORE NOPE 2022, RIGHT BEFORE THE 2023 SESSION STARTED.

AND SO THESE ARE OUR 88TH LEGISLATIVE SESSION PRIORITIES.

SO WE'RE STILL OPERATING THROUGH THE SPECIAL SESSION UNDER THESE PRIORITIES THAT.

WERE DRAFTED BY THE LLC AND ADOPTED BY THE BOARD.

AND SO ANYTHING THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT SINCE WE'RE STILL IN 88.

SPECIAL SESSION THREE, IT'S THESE PRIORITIES THAT KIND OF GUIDE OUR INTERACTION WITH THE BILLS AND WITH THE LEGISLATORS.

AND THEN THE ONLY ONE THAT I WOULD REALLY KIND OF HONE IN ON BECAUSE I DON'T WANT TO GO OVER, LIKE I SAID, EVERY SINGLE LITTLE ONE IS.

I'LL BRING IT UP ACTUALLY HERE IN A SECOND.

I HAVE IT ON A DIFFERENT SLIDE, BUT A LITTLE.

[00:50:03]

THERE WAS A VERY LOW PASSAGE RATE FOR YOUR EDUCATION RELATED BILLS.

AND SO THERE WAS NO INCREASE IN FUNDING.

THERE WAS NO EXTENSION OF VIRTUAL LEARNING.

SO THERE WAS NO LONGER FUNDED BECAUSE THAT BILL EXPIRED.

AND SO THEY WERE THE EXPIRATION ON THE BILL FROM THE PREVIOUS YEAR BASICALLY REQUIRED THE LEGISLATURE TO GO BACK AND RECONSIDER IT AND LOOK AT IT AND SAY, DO WE LIKE THIS? AND THEY DIDN'T. AND SO IT DIDN'T FUND YOUR ONLINE LEARNING ANYMORE.

AND THEY ALSO HAD NO PROPERTY TAX RELIEF DURING THE REGULAR SESSION.

AND THEN YOU HAD A LOT OF MONEY THAT WAS ALLOCATED IN SOME WAY OR ANOTHER TO PUBLIC EDUCATION, BUT IT WENT UNSPENT BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T PASS BILLS TO SPEND IT.

YOU HAVE A BUDGET BILL THAT SAYS, OKAY, THIS IS HOW WE'RE GOING TO SPEND ALL OF OUR MONEY.

IF YOU PASS BILLS TO SPEND IT THIS WAY, AND THEN YOU HAVE TO PASS THE SEPARATE BILLS TO SPEND IT THAT WAY.

SO ALMOST 4 BILLION FOR SCHOOL FUNDING INCREASES WAS PASSED IN THE REGULAR SESSION, BUT THEY DIDN'T PASS A BILL TO SPEND IT, SO WE DIDN'T GET ANY MONEY.

500 MILLION WAS SET ASIDE FOR EDUCATION SAVINGS ACCOUNTS.

BUT AGAIN, THAT DIED.

SO THAT DIDN'T GO TOWARD THAT DURING THE REGULAR.

IT'S WHAT THEY'RE OBVIOUSLY CONSIDERING NOW ALMOST 50 MILLION FOR VIRTUAL EDUCATION.

AGAIN, THEY LET THAT DIE.

AND SO THERE WAS NO FUNDING FOR VIRTUAL EDUCATION THIS YEAR OR THERE HASN'T BEEN.

AND THEY STILL CAN PASS A BILL DURING THESE SPECIALS.

AND IT WOULD STILL PULL FROM THIS MONEY THAT THEY'VE ALREADY ALLOCATED FOR IT.

AND THEN YOU'VE GOT 12.3 BILLION THAT THEY HAD FOR PROPERTY TAX RELIEF, AND THAT THEY ACTUALLY DID FIGURE OUT THEY CAME BACK IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE REGULAR SESSION, HAD A FIRST SPECIAL, COULDN'T AGREE ON AN APPROACH TO PROPERTY TAX.

HAD A SECOND SPECIAL.

FINALLY AGREED.

AND I WANT TO SAY ABOUT THIS TOO.

A LOT OF PEOPLE LUMP THIS IN AND SAY PROPERTY TAX RELIEF IS PUBLIC EDUCATION SPENDING SPENDING.

I MIXED FUNDING AND SPENDING TO SPENDING PUBLIC EDUCATION SPENDING OR FUNDING.

AND IT'S REALLY NOT OUR PROPERTY TAX RATES.

YOUR RATE MIGHT GO DOWN, BUT THAT JUST MEANS IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT WE'RE COLLECTING LESS.

THANK GOODNESS THE STATE IS GOING TO COME IN AND MAKE UP THE DIFFERENCE.

BUT IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT A DISTRICT IS INCREASING ANY REVENUE.

SO IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT WE ARE GETTING ANY MORE MONEY.

SO LOTS OF LEGISLATORS, AGAIN, IF THEY DON'T REALLY UNDERSTAND HOW THAT WORKS, A LOT OF LEGISLATORS AND I REALLY, TRULY THINK THEY BELIEVE IT JUST BECAUSE THEY DON'T KNOW HOW THIS WORKS. BUT A LOT OF LEGISLATORS ARE SAYING WE PUT $12.3 BILLION INTO EDUCATION WHEN WE WHEN WE BOUGHT DOWN PROPERTY TAX RATES.

AND SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE TRY TO CORRECT THAT MISCONCEPTION AMONG LEGISLATORS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS ALIKE.

SO THAT WAS A BIG SET UP FOR TALKING ABOUT THIS SPECIAL SESSION.

AND I KNOW SOME OF THAT WAS STUFF YOU GUYS ALREADY KNOW, BUT I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO REMIND EVERYBODY HOW HOW OUR GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS PROCESS WORKS, HOW WE.

DIVIDE OUR RESOURCES OR HOW WE USE OUR RESOURCES, BECAUSE OUR RESOURCES FOR GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS AND FOR LEGISLATIVE ADVOCACY ARE LIMITED.

AND SO I THOUGHT IT WAS IMPORTANT FOR MEGAN TO KIND OF GO BACK OVER HOW WE OPERATE, HOW WE PRIORITIZE BILLS, WHAT OUR STRATEGY IS FOR THOSE HIGH PRIORITY BILLS.

BECAUSE IN THIS SPECIAL SESSION, WHICH I'M GOING TO GIVE A QUICK SCHOOL FINANCE REFRESHER AS A SETUP FOR THE SPECIAL SESSION.

BUT IN THIS SPECIAL SESSION, KEEP IN MIND NONE OF OUR LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES ARE PART OF THIS SPECIAL SESSION.

NONE OF THEM ARE ON THE GOVERNOR'S CALL.

SCHOOL VOUCHERS ARE ON THE GOVERNOR'S CALL.

THAT WAS NOT ONE.

IF YOU GO BACK TO THOSE 11 PRIORITIES WE HAVE, THERE WAS NOT A SINGLE PRIORITY RELATED TO SCHOOL VOUCHERS.

SO SO NONE OF OUR PRIORITIES ARE ON THE CALL.

HOWEVER, WE ARE ADEQUATELY FUNDING PUBLIC SCHOOLS IS SOMETHING THAT'S A PRIORITY TO US.

AND SCHOOL VOUCHERS DOES AFFECT THE STATE'S ABILITY TO DO THAT.

AND SO THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS THAT WE THOUGHT IT WAS IMPORTANT FOR US TO TALK ABOUT THIS AND FOR US TO TALK ABOUT WHAT IS ON THE CALL FOR THE SESSION IN CONTEXT WITH WHERE OUR PRIORITIES ARE.

SO, KIMBERLY, I'M SORRY.

FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU, MEGAN, FOR THE PRESENTATION.

I KNOW THAT YOU WANT TO GO THROUGH THE SCHOOL FINANCE REFRESHER, BUT CAN WE KIND OF SHIFT IT SO THAT WE CAN TALK ABOUT THE SPECIAL SESSION, SPECIFICALLY SB ONE AND TWO? YES. SO THIS IS THIS IS THIS SCHOOL FINANCE REFRESHER IS EXPLAINING TO YOU OUR OUR STANCE ON SB ONE AND TWO.

SO IT'LL BE QUICK I PROMISE.

OKAY. THANK YOU.

SO AS A REMINDER, REVENUE IN FRISCO ISD IS 84% FROM IT COMES FROM THE SCHOOL FUNDING FORMULA.

OKAY. SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE SCHOOL FUNDING FORMULA AND THE BASIC ALLOTMENT SPECIFICALLY BEING IMPORTANT, IT IMPACTS THE GREAT MAJORITY

[00:55:03]

THE FUNDING FORMULA.

YOU GUYS ALL KNOW THIS.

IT'S A SERIES OF WEIGHTED ALLOTMENTS.

IT CAN BE BOILED DOWN TO OUR WEIGHTED AVERAGE DAILY ATTENDANCE TIMES, THE BASIC ALLOTMENT.

AND THAT'S OUR FORMULA ENTITLEMENT.

AND WE FILL UP.

IT'S LIKE FILLING WATER IN A GLASS.

WE FILL THAT UP FIRST WITH PROPERTY TAXES AND THEN THE STATE KICKS IN.

THE REST WE WE DO OPERATE, THOUGH, AS A PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT ON ESSENTIALLY A FIXED INCOME.

THAT BASIC ALLOTMENT FIXES US.

WE ONLY GET SO MUCH MONEY PER STUDENT ATTENDING SCHOOL, NOT EVEN ENROLLED IN SCHOOL, ATTENDING SCHOOL.

AND IF WE WE DON'T GET A BIGGER GLASS, RIGHT? SO UNLESS THE STATE PASSES A LAW, WE DON'T GET A BIGGER GLASS.

WE'RE ON A FIXED INCOME.

THIS IS SOMETHING THAT YOU GUYS DON'T SEE VERY OFTEN.

AND THIS AGAIN, IS ONE OF THE REASONS WHY WE TALK SO MUCH.

AND WE'RE GOING TO TALK WHEN WE TALK ABOUT SB TWO.

AND ALSO THE HOUSE BILL THAT WAS FILED ABOUT THE BASIC ALLOTMENT AND THE IMPORTANCE OF PUTTING MONEY IN THE BASIC ALLOTMENT.

THE FUNDING FORMULA IS SET UP TO BE AN ALLOTMENT FOR BASIC PROGRAMS. SO A BASIC ALLOTMENT.

AND YOU CAN SEE THE BREAKDOWN HERE OF OUR 2023 BUDGET, ALL THE DIFFERENT REVENUE ASSOCIATED WITH THE FORMULA.

SO IT'S A BASIC ALLOTMENT FOR EVERY STUDENT IN ATTENDANCE.

AND THEN IT'S ALSO THE SERIES OF OTHER SPECIAL ALLOTMENTS BASED ON WHERE A KID IS BEING SERVED.

THE ONES HIGHLIGHTED IN YELLOW ARE NOT SUSTAINABLE ALLOTMENTS FOR US RIGHT NOW.

SO THAT'S WHY THEY'RE HIGHLIGHTED DIFFERENTLY.

DYSLEXIA. THERE'S A LAW THAT WAS PASSED WHERE DYSLEXIA STUDENTS NOW HAVE TO BE SERVED UNDER SPECIAL EDUCATION.

AND SO THAT'S GOING TO HAVE SOME CHANGES AND SOME IMPLICATIONS ON OUR FUNDING FOR THE DYSLEXIA POPULATION.

THAT'S WHY IT'S HIGHLIGHTED YELLOW.

THE FAST GROWTH ALLOTMENT IS BASED ON US BEING FAST GROWTH.

AND AS WE SLOW DOWN IN GROWTH, THAT'S NOT A SUSTAINABLE SOURCE OF FUNDING.

THE CMR COLLEGE CAREER MILITARY READINESS, THAT'S AN OUTCOMES BASED BONUS.

SO THAT'S BASED ON GRADUATES FROM THE PREVIOUS YEAR.

SO THAT'S NOT NECESSARILY A SUSTAINABLE SOURCE OF FUNDING.

AND THEN THE NFA WHICH IS NEW INSTRUCTIONAL FACILITIES.

THAT'S MONEY THAT WE GET TO HELP OPEN NEW SCHOOLS, WHICH AGAIN IS NOT SUSTAINABLE.

WE ONLY GET THAT MONEY WHEN WHEN WE OPEN A NEW SCHOOL.

SO SO THAT'S HOW OUR TIER ONE FUNDING IS, IS MADE UP.

AND SO WHEN THE STATE COMES IN AND SAYS, I WANT TO PUT MONEY INTO ONE OF THESE ALLOTMENTS, THAT'S MEANT MONEY MEANT TO BE SPENT ON THAT SPECIFIC GROUP OF STUDENTS. IT'S NOT FLEXIBLE FUNDING FOR THE SCHOOL DISTRICT.

IT DOESN'T ALLOW US TO ADDRESS THINGS LIKE INFLATION BECAUSE IT TIES OUR HANDS IN WHERE WE CAN SPEND IT.

CAN I ASK YOU A QUESTION? YEAH. DO WE HAVE YOU SHOW THAT THE FUNDS GO INTO CERTAIN BUCKETS, SO TO SPEAK? ARE WE GIVEN ANY MONEY THAT YOU CAN JUST DO? WHAT WHAT'S BEST FOR THE DISTRICT? YES. SO THE BASIC PROGRAMS THAT TOP LINE, THE BASIC ALLOTMENT, THE BASIC PROGRAMS, THAT'S THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT WE GET FOR EVERY STUDENT ATTENDING SCHOOL.

SO THE MAJORITY OF THE FUNDING FORMULA DOES COME FROM THAT BASIC ALLOTMENT.

BUT A LOT OF TIMES WHEN LEGISLATORS FILE BILLS TO PUT MONEY INTO PUBLIC EDUCATION, THEY'RE DOING IT IN THESE SPECIAL ALLOTMENTS RATHER THAN IN THAT BASIC ALLOTMENT.

SO WHEN WE ADVOCATE FOR INCREASING THE BASIC ALLOTMENT, WE'RE ADVOCATING FOR PUTTING THE MONEY INTO THE MOST FLEXIBLE PART OF THE FUNDING FORMULA, WHICH DOES GIVE US LOCAL DISCRETION ON WHERE TO SPEND IT.

IF THEY PUT IT INTO, SAY, CTE PROGRAMS OR THE BILINGUAL PROGRAM, IT IT'S MEANT TO BE SPENT.

THERE ARE MINIMUM SPENDING REQUIREMENTS ASSOCIATED WITH THAT MONEY, WHICH TAKES AWAY THE FLEXIBILITY THAT WE HAVE LOCALLY TO SPEND WHERE WE NEED IT.

SO THEY TELL YOU TO DO THAT AND THEY DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT YOUR DISTRICT'S NEEDS SPECIFICALLY ARE.

IN OTHER WORDS, THEY'LL SAY, HEY, WE'RE GOING TO SPEND EXTRA $2 MILLION ON DYSLEXIA, RIGHT? AND I HAVE A SLIDE HERE IN A SECOND.

I'LL JUST I'LL JUST FAST FORWARD FOR A SECOND ABOUT.

OUR SPECIAL ALLOTMENT.

SO THIS IS FROM LAST YEAR, YOU CAN SEE.

JUST OUR ALLOTMENT.

THIS IS FOR FRISCO SPECIFICALLY OUR ALLOTMENT VERSUS WHERE WE SPEND.

THIS IS ACTUALLY BACKWARDS.

SO THE BLUE IS THE ALLOTMENT.

THE RED IS WHERE WE SPEND.

SO IGNORE THE THE KEY THERE.

WE'LL FIX THAT. BUT YOU CAN SEE WE NEED A LOT MORE MONEY IN SPECIAL EDUCATION THAN WE ACTUALLY RECEIVE, BECAUSE IT COSTS SIGNIFICANTLY MORE TO FUND SPECIAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS THAN WE RECEIVE IN THOSE ALLOTMENTS.

HOWEVER, IN CTE, WE'RE VERY EFFICIENT WITH OUR CTE SPENDING BECAUSE WE HAVE A CENTRALIZED CTE CENTER, AND THAT THAT CREATES A LOT OF SPENDING EFFICIENCIES.

BUT WE RECEIVE MORE IN CTE FUNDING THAN WE ACTUALLY THAN WE NEED.

[01:00:02]

BUT ANOTHER ONE WAS TO PUT MONEY INTO THE BASIC ALLOTMENT, BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE WE GET THE MOST FLEXIBLE FUNDING.

THIS IS A SLIDE THAT I'VE HAD FOR YEARS, JUST KIND OF SHOWING WHAT I CALL THE FUNDING ROLLER COASTER.

THIS IS THE PERCENT CHANGE IN FORMULA REVENUE PER ENROLLED STUDENT OVER OVER A LONG PERIOD OF TIME.

AND YOU CAN SEE THAT WE'RE KIND OF THIS ILLUSTRATES THAT WE'RE AT THE MERCY OF THE LEGISLATURE, RIGHT.

EVERY TWO YEARS, DEPENDING ON WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE STATE, THEY'LL TWEAK THE FUNDING FORMULA BASED ON EITHER HOW MUCH MONEY THEY HAVE AVAILABLE OR WHERE THEY'RE HEARING THE MOST NEED.

AND SO OUR FUNDING CAN CAN.

INCREASE AND DIP, JUST SORT OF AT A WHIM.

ANOTHER WAY TO LOOK AT THIS IS WHAT IS OUR FORMULA FUNDING PER ENROLLED STUDENT OVER TIME.

AND YOU CAN SEE THAT LINE IS PRETTY FLAT.

SO WHEN I TALK ABOUT US BEING ON A FIXED INCOME, WE REALLY ARE ON A FIXED INCOME.

WE GET THE SAME AMOUNT OF MONEY ROUGHLY PER STUDENT EVERY YEAR.

AND WHEN YOU ADJUST THAT FOR INFLATION, YOU CAN SEE THE LINE REALLY IS DECREASING.

IT'S NOT EVEN FLAT.

THIS IS THE IMPACT OF INFLATION ON FRISCO ISD'S FUNDING.

SO OUR BASIC ALLOTMENT AT THE STATE LEVEL HAS BEEN $6,160 SINCE 2019, WHEN HOUSE BILL THREE WAS PASSED.

IF YOU INCREMENTALLY WERE TO INCREASE THAT AMOUNT FOR INFLATION EVERY YEAR FOR THE PAST FOUR YEARS, YOU CAN SEE THE IMPACT THERE.

IN ORDER FOR US TODAY, ACTUALLY THIS IS AS OF MAY 2023, IN ORDER FOR US TO HAVE THE SAME BUYING POWER THAT WE HAD IN MAY OF 2019, THAT BASIC ALLOTMENT NEEDS TO BE ALMOST $1,200 HIGHER THAN IT IS RIGHT NOW.

AND YOU CAN SEE IF YOU MULTIPLY THAT OUT TIMES FRISCO ISD'S WEIGHTED AVERAGE DAILY ATTENDANCE.

THAT'S A LOT OF MONEY THAT WE'RE MISSING OUT ON EVERY YEAR BECAUSE OF INFLATION.

SO WE'RE ON A FIXED INCOME HAVING TO PAY HIGHER PRICES FOR GOODS AND SERVICES, HAVING TO MAINTAIN COMPETITIVE SALARIES WITHOUT THE FUNDING TO DO THAT. TO PUT THIS IN PERSPECTIVE, IF WE HAD BEEN ADJUSTED FOR INFLATION EVERY YEAR FOR THE PAST FOUR YEARS, WE COULD HAVE AFFORDED TO GIVE OUR STAFF A 4% RAISE EVERY YEAR FOR THE PAST FOUR YEARS.

BUT BECAUSE WE'RE NOT ADJUSTED FOR INFLATION, WE DON'T HAVE THAT ADDITIONAL REVENUE EVERY YEAR TO BE ABLE TO PAY HIGHER PRICES FOR GOODS AND SERVICES AND GIVE OUR STAFF MEANINGFUL RAISES.

AND YOU GUYS KNOW THAT BECAUSE WE TALK ABOUT THAT IN THE BUDGET EVERY YEAR.

I ALREADY WENT OVER THE SPECIAL ALLOTMENT, SO I'LL SKIP OVER THAT.

SO WHAT WOULD IT TAKE TO BE ADEQUATELY FUNDED? THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE DISCUSSED IN OUR LEGISLATIVE SUBCOMMITTEE MEETING LAST WEEK.

ADEQUATE FUNDING IS A LITTLE BIT SUBJECTIVE, DEPENDING ON WHICH DISTRICT YOU TALK TO OR WHICH STATEWIDE ORGANIZATION YOU TALK TO.

BUT ESSENTIALLY ADEQUATE FUNDING WHEN I TALK ABOUT IT IS WHAT WOULD IT TAKE TO TO MAKE THE BASIC ALLOTMENT GIVE US THE SAME BUYING POWER THAT WE HAD IN 2019? SO THAT EXTRA $155 INDEXING THE BASIC ALLOTMENT TO INFLATION GOING FORWARD, ADJUSTING SPECIAL ALLOTMENT RATES TO BETTER MATCH THE ACTUAL COST OF SERVING THOSE POPULATIONS, AND THEN PROVIDING FLEXIBILITY IN THE FUNDING FORMULA FOR US AND OTHER DISTRICTS TO SPEND ACCORDING TO OUR LOCAL NEEDS AND PRIORITIES.

AND DEPENDING ON WHO YOU ASK, THAT ESTIMATED STATEWIDE STATEWIDE NEED IS ANYWHERE BETWEEN 18 AND $40 BILLION.

SO $18 BILLION IS WHAT IT WOULD TAKE TO TO DO THOSE FIRST TWO BULLET POINTS, PLUS ADDRESS THE FUNDING GAP IN SPECIAL EDUCATION.

THAT'S AN ESTIMATED $18 BILLION.

HOWEVER, THE NATIONAL CENTER FOR EDUCATION STATISTICS ESTIMATES THAT STATEWIDE WE ARE.

HOLD ON. I WROTE THIS DOWN AND I WANT TO SAY IT CORRECTLY.

UM. WE ARE $3,500 PER STUDENT, UNDERFUNDED WHEN COMPARED TO THE NATIONAL AVERAGE.

SO THAT $40 MILLION COMES FROM THAT STATISTIC.

SO IF YOU IF YOU DEEM ADEQUATE FUNDING TO BE MATCHING THE NATIONWIDE AVERAGE IN FUNDING PER STUDENT, THEN YOU WOULD NEED ALMOST $40 PUT INTO PUBLIC EDUCATION AT THE STATE LEVEL IN ORDER TO GET US TO THAT TO THAT POINT.

OKAY. SO SWITCHING GEARS RIGHT.

THIS ACTUALLY IS GOING TO TAKE LESS LONG THAN YOU THINK.

THE THE SPECIAL SESSION OVERVIEW HERE.

BUT I DID WANT TO DRAW A QUOTE FROM THE GOVERNOR TO YOU GUYS THAT IS KIND OF DICTATING EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENS DURING THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION.

HE SAID, I WANT TO MAKE SURE WE PROVIDE A CARROT TO MAKE SURE THIS LEGISLATION GETS PASSED, ABBOTT SAID OF VOUCHERS.

[01:05:07]

SO CURRENTLY FULLY FUNDING EDUCATION ISN'T ACTUALLY ON THE CALL.

SO WE FEEL LIKE THIS FALLS UNDER OUR SCHOOL FINANCE PRIORITY TO INCREASE THE BASIC ALLOTMENT AND THEN TO INDEX THAT BASIC ALLOTMENT TO INFLATION.

SO EVEN THOUGH, LIKE KIM SAID, EDUCATION FUNDING ISN'T ON THERE.

OUR APPROACH TO THIS IS THAT UNTIL YOU'RE FULLY FUNDING EDUCATION, THAT WE SHOULDN'T BE TALKING ABOUT FUNDING PARALLEL SYSTEMS WITH PUBLIC MONEY, BECAUSE WE HAVEN'T FULLY FUNDED WHAT WE'VE GOT RIGHT IN FRONT OF US.

AND SO WHAT'S ACTUALLY ON THE GOVERNOR'S CALL, AND THIS IS LINKED FOR YOU GUYS WHEN YOU ACTUALLY GET IT AFTERWARDS, BUT IT'S EDUCATION FREEDOM OR EDUCATION SAVINGS ACCOUNTS, BORDER SECURITY, PUBLIC SAFETY AND ENDING COVID 19 RESTRICTIONS.

SO THE STATE PRIORITY LEGISLATION, WE'RE GOING TO GO OVER THREE BILLS TODAY THAT HAVE BEEN FILED THAT ARE PUBLIC EDUCATION RELATED.

AND I'M GOING TO KIND OF JUST LET YOU KNOW WHERE THEY ARE AND WHAT THEY INCLUDE.

AND THEN KIND OF WHERE WE ARE ON THOSE AS FAR AS LIKE WHAT IS OUR STRATEGY HERE MOVING FORWARD? SO SP1 AND SP2 WERE PASSED OUT OF THE SENATE.

SO SB TWO IS EDUCATION FUNDING.

SO EVEN THOUGH IT'S NOT ON THE CALL, IT HAS BEEN FULLY PASSED OUT OF THE SENATE.

SO SB ONE IS YOUR EDUCATION SAVINGS ACCOUNT BILL, WHERE IT HAS $8,000 GOING TO.

STUDENTS WHO APPLY FOR AND RECEIVE.

IT IS LIMITED BY FUNDING, BUT IT WOULD BE ELIGIBLE.

STUDENTS INCLUDE STUDENTS THAT WERE ENROLLED IN PUBLIC SCHOOL FOR 90% OF THE PRECEDING SCHOOL YEAR, ARE ENROLLED IN PRE-K OR KINDERGARTEN FOR THE FIRST TIME, AND THEY WOULD STILL HAVE TO MEET THOSE SAME PRE-K REQUIREMENTS THAT WE HAVE ATTENDED A PRIVATE SCHOOL FULL TIME THE PREVIOUS YEAR, OR WERE HOME SCHOOLED THE PREVIOUS YEAR, AND THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS ADDED ON IN A FLOOR AMENDMENT.

SO A LOT OF SUMMARIES RIGHT NOW ARE LEAVING THAT PIECE OUT, SO IT EXPANDS IT QUITE A BIT.

IT REQUIRES A LOTTERY SYSTEM THAT PRIORITIZES LOW INCOME STUDENTS AND ALSO CREATES A HOLD HARMLESS FOR DISTRICTS WITH 5000 OR LESS STUDENTS, SO THAT THEY FEEL A LITTLE BIT LESS OF AN EFFECT. IF STUDENTS ARE LEAVING THOSE DISTRICTS.

I WILL SAY THIS IS MORE LIMITED THAN PROBABLY WHAT THE GOVERNOR WOULD HAVE IN MIND.

HE SAYS HE WANTS IT OPEN TO ALL, AND IF WE KIND OF ADD IT UP, IF WE LOOKED AT ALL OF THE STUDENTS WHO WERE CURRENTLY ELIGIBLE OR WHO ARE CURRENTLY NOT IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS, BASICALLY THEY COULD GO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS, THAT IT ADDS UP TO $8 MILLION A YEAR.

AND SO THAT WOULD BE A LOT.

BUT SB TWO IS OUR FUNDING BILL, AND IT ADDS AN ADDITIONAL $75 TO THE BASIC ALLOTMENT.

IT WOULD HAVE A $3,000 TEACHER INCENTIVE ALLOTMENT THAT WOULD START THIS YEAR.

AND THEN THEY FUND THAT MOVING FORWARD.

IT DOESN'T GO UP 3000 EVERY YEAR.

IT'S JUST THE 3000 THAT THEY GIVE US.

WE DON'T HAVE TO MAKE THAT UP NEXT YEAR.

IT DOUBLES THE SCHOOL SAFETY ALLOTMENTS AND IT ALSO EXPANDS THE TEACHER INCENTIVE ALLOTMENT QUITE A BIT.

IT INCREASES SOME OF THOSE AMOUNTS.

IT ADDS ANOTHER IT ADDS ANOTHER DESIGNATION LEVEL.

I JUST WANT TO POINT OUT THAT THE 8 TO $9 BILLION THAT IT WOULD COST TO FULLY FUND AN OPEN SCHOOL VOUCHER PROGRAM IS DOUBLE WHAT THE STATE APPROPRIATED FOR PUBLIC EDUCATION IN NEW MONEY DURING THE REGULAR SESSION THAT THEY HAVE NOT YET GIVEN US BECAUSE THEY CAN'T PASS A BILL TO SPEND IT.

SO JUST FOOD FOR THOUGHT.

SO WE SAW THESE BILLS COME THROUGH THE SENATE BILLS AND, YOU KNOW, ALL SURPRISED TO SEE THE FUNDING BILL BECAUSE IT'S NOT ON THE CALL.

SO WE'RE ALL WAITING. AND IS HE GOING TO CHANGE THE CALL? THE GOVERNOR CAN UPDATE THE CALL AT ANY TIME.

IF HE DOESN'T UPDATE THE CALL, YOU CAN BASICALLY KILL A BILL REALLY EASILY BECAUSE THEY CALL WHAT'S CALLED A POINT OF ORDER AND SAY, WELL, IT'S NOT FOLLOWING THE RULES, IT'S NOT ON THE CALL. AND SO THEY CALL THIS POINT OF ORDER AND THEN IT GETS PULLED DOWN.

SO IT DID PASS OUT OF THE SENATE THOUGH.

AND AND WE WERE KIND OF FOLLOWING THESE.

THEY WERE HEARD IN ONE OF THEM WAS HEARD IN THE EDUCATION COMMITTEE, THE FUNDING ONE.

AND THE ONE WAS HEARD IN THE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE.

WE DID DECIDE NOT TO TESTIFY ON THESE, BECAUSE IT WAS PRETTY UNDERSTOOD FROM ALL OF OUR CONTACTS THAT THE SENATE IS A FOREGONE CONCLUSION THAT THESE ARE THE BILLS THAT THEY HAVE, AND THESE ARE THE BILLS THAT THEY'RE GOING TO OFFER, AND THEY'RE NOT NEGOTIATING WITH ANYONE THAT THIS IS THIS IS IT.

AND WE HAVE PRETTY GOOD CONTACTS IN THE IN THE SENATE EDUCATION COMMITTEE'S OFFICE.

THEIR CHIEF OF STAFF IS REALLY AWESOME.

SHE HAS A BACKGROUND IN EDUCATION.

AND SHE WILL TELL US STRAIGHT FORWARD, YEAH, MY BOSS ISN'T GOING TO GO FOR THAT KIND OF THING.

SO SHE KEEPS US IN THE LOOP ON THOSE SORTS OF THINGS.

AND WE DECIDED NOT TO GO DOWN.

I DON'T THINK ANY DISTRICTS TESTIFIED FOR SB ONE THAT WE WORK WITH.

I KNOW THAT A FEW ORGANIZATIONS DID GO DOWN AND TEST IN SUPPORT OR TESTIFY IN SUPPORT OF.

ME TOO. BUT THEN WE SAW THIS.

AND THIS TOOK A LONG TIME.

GO AHEAD. WAS THERE TESTIMONY, ONE WAY OR THE OTHER AT ALL FROM DISTRICTS ON EITHER SP ONE OR SP TWO? I, I'M SURE SOME WERE IN THE SPECIAL SESSION.

IN THE SPECIAL. I WATCHED THE HEARINGS.

[01:10:01]

I CAN'T REMEMBER EXACTLY IF DISTRICTS WENT DOWN.

OKAY, THANKS. WHEN IT CAME THROUGH WITH THE HOUSE SIDE.

AND THAT'S NOT TO SAY THAT THEY DIDN'T.

I JUST DON'T KNOW, BECAUSE THERE WAS QUITE A BIT OF TESTIMONY FOR THE HOUSE SIDE.

THIS TOOK A LONG TIME FOR THIS BILL ACTUALLY TO BE FILED.

WE WERE PRETTY SURPRISED HOW LONG IT TOOK.

BUT THIS IS A ALMOST 200 PAGE BILL, AND IT'S LIKE THEY TOOK A LOT OF BILLS FROM THE REGULAR SESSION AND SMOOSHED THEM ALL TOGETHER IN HERE, AND IT DOES SOME SIMILAR THINGS AS THE SENATE'S VERSION. IT DOES SOME DIFFERENT THINGS.

AND I'M NOT GOING TO GO THROUGH EVERY SINGLE LITTLE POINT HERE, BUT SOME OF THE HIGH POINTS ARE THAT IT DOES INCREASE THE BASIC ALLOTMENT BY $75 IN THE OR BY $30, EXCUSE ME, IN THE FIRST YEAR, AND THEN $340 IN THE SECOND YEAR, IT DOES ACTUALLY INDEX IT TO INFLATION, THE AVERAGE INFLATION OVER THE LAST TEN YEARS.

AND SO EVERY TWO YEARS THEY WOULD GO IN AND UPDATE IT BASED ON INFLATION.

IT PROVIDES A ONE TIME $4,000 RETENTION STIPEND FOR FULL TIME TEACHERS, LIBRARIANS, COUNSELORS AND NURSES.

THE SENATE'S VERSION DIDN'T INCLUDE THOSE EXTRA GROUPS OF LIBRARIANS, COUNSELORS AND NURSES.

AND IT'S $2,000 IF THEY'RE PART TIME.

HOWEVER, THE HOUSE SIDE DOESN'T FUND THIS GOING FORWARD, SO IT REALLY IT TRULY IS JUST KIND OF A ONE TIME STIPEND.

IT DOES CREATE AN EDUCATION SAVINGS ACCOUNT, AND THE AMOUNT OF 75% OF THE ESTIMATED STATEWIDE AVERAGE.

SO IT'S NOT $8,000 ACROSS THE BOARD.

THEY'RE LIKE, OKAY, HERE'S THE STATEWIDE AVERAGE FOR THE BASIC ALLOTMENT OR THE STATEWIDE AVERAGE THAT A SCHOOL DISTRICT RECEIVES.

AND WE'RE GOING TO NEVER DO 75, MORE THAN 75% OF THAT NUMBER.

AND SO IT CAN GROW OVER TIME AS THE AVERAGE FUNDING PER STUDENT GROWS OVER TIME.

BUT IT'S NEVER GOING TO BE MORE THAN 75.

AND THEN IT LIMITS IT TO 25,000 STUDENTS.

AND THEN EACH YEAR IT CAN ONLY GROW BY 25,000 STUDENTS.

SO IT COULD BE AS BIG AS 75,000 IN 3 YEARS.

OR IT'S, YOU KNOW, IT CAN ONLY AGAIN GROW BY THAT.

SO IT COULD BE A LITTLE LESS DEPENDING ON HOW MANY PEOPLE TAKE ADVANTAGE OF IT IN THE FIRST YEAR.

THIS DOES SPEAK TO THE ACCOUNTABILITY STANDARDS AND REQUIRES THE COMMISSIONER TO USE PREVIOUS ACCOUNTABILITY STANDARDS UNTIL THE 2526 SCHOOL YEAR.

IT UPDATES SOME OF THE ALLOTMENTS, AND SO THIS DOES A LOT MORE.

IT ADDS PRE-K ADA TO THE EDUCATION ALLOTMENT OR EARLY EDUCATION ALLOTMENT.

EXCUSE ME. IT ALSO EXPANDS TEACHER INCENTIVE ALLOTMENT.

AND SO WHERE WE ARE ON THIS ONE THOUGH, AND ACTUALLY I'VE ALSO LINKED A GIANT SUMMARY BY TASBO THAT IS LIKE 185 LINE SUMMARY ON ON EXCEL.

SO YOU GUYS CAN ACTUALLY CLICK THROUGH AND SEE EVERY SINGLE LITTLE THING THAT IT DOES.

BUT THE GOVERNOR OR THE DID I PUT THIS IN HERE? CAN I ASK YOU SOMETHING, MEGAN.

YES. TO PUT THIS IN CONTEXT, IF YOU GO BACK TO THE SCREEN, IT SAYS IT INCREASES OUR BASIC ALLOTMENT FROM $30 IN 2024 TO 340.

DOES THAT ADEQUATELY TAKE CARE OF WHAT WE NEED? I THINK WE HAD THIS DISCUSSION IN THE COMMITTEE.

COULD YOU ADDRESS REMEMBER THE SLIDE THAT I WENT OVER A FEW MINUTES AGO IN ORDER TO TO GET US BACK TO 2019 BUYING POWER, WE WOULD NEED ALMOST $1,200 IN THE BASIC ALLOTMENT TODAY, AND THEN IT WOULD NEED TO BE INDEXED TO INFLATION GOING FORWARD, BECAUSE THAT AMOUNT HAS GROWN FROM $1,000 TO ALMOST $1,200 JUST IN JUST SINCE THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION, THE REGULAR SESSION BEGAN.

SO NO, IT DOES NOT GET US WHERE WE WOULD NEED TO BE.

AND I WILL ADD TO, YOU KNOW, WITH YOUR QUESTION ABOUT FLEXIBILITY IN THE BASIC ALLOTMENT, USUALLY THAT IS THE MOST FLEXIBLE PLACE IN ORDER TO PROVIDE SCHOOLS FLEXIBILITY WITH FUNDING IS THE BASIC ALLOTMENT.

BUT THIS ONE ACTUALLY INCREASES.

IN CURRENT STATUTE, YOU WOULD HAVE TO SPEND ANY INCREASE THAT YOU GET IN THE BASIC ALLOTMENT.

YOU HAVE TO SPEND 30% OF THAT ON COMPENSATION.

SO WHICH IS USUALLY NOT DIFFICULT I THINK, BECAUSE AROUND 80% OF OUR BUDGET IS COMPENSATION ANYWAY.

BUT IT'S COMPENSATION FOR A SPECIFIC GROUP.

IT'S COMPENSATION FOR YOUR TEACHERS AND STUFF LIKE THAT.

THIS BILL INCREASES AND SAYS NOW 50% OF THE INCREASE IN COMPENSATION WOULD HAVE TO BE SPENT ON OR, I'M SORRY, 50% OF THE INCREASE IN YOUR BASIC ALLOTMENT WOULD HAVE TO BE SPENT ON COMPENSATION, THAT IS FOR NON ADMINISTRATIVE EMPLOYEES.

AND SO IT DOES REDUCE THE FLEXIBILITY A TINY BIT.

AGAIN IT'S NOT SUPER DIFFICULT BECAUSE 80% OF OUR BUDGET IS COMPENSATION ANYWAY.

BUT YOU'VE ALSO GOT THIS RETENTION STIPEND.

AND WE'RE NOT SURE LIKE THAT'S NOT GOING TO COUNT TOWARD THE BASIC ALLOTMENT.

AND SO IT'S UNCLEAR WHETHER OR NOT THAT COULD COUNT TOWARDS OUR 50% OF INCREASE IN FUNDING FROM YEAR TO YEAR.

AND SO THERE'S SOME QUESTIONS THERE.

BUT ULTIMATELY IT REDUCES FLEXIBILITY A LITTLE BIT.

THE OTHER ISSUE IS, YOU KNOW, MANY, MANY DISTRICTS ACROSS THE STATE HAVE ADOPTED DEFICIT BUDGETS.

IT'S LIKE WE HAVE. SO TYING OUR HANDS IN ANY WAY WHEN PROVIDING ADDITIONAL FUNDING DOESN'T HELP OUR ABILITY TO GET OUT OF A DEFICIT BUDGET.

WE WE DEFINITELY WOULD PRIORITIZE PUTTING ADDITIONAL FUNDING TOWARDS COMPENSATION BECAUSE LIKE MEGAN SAID, 85% OF OUR BUDGET IS PAYROLL.

BUT BUT ANYTIME THE LEGISLATURE RECOMMENDS ADDITIONAL FUNDING THAT TIES OUR HANDS IN ANY WAY DOESN'T HELP US TO ACCOMPLISH THE THINGS THAT WE NEED TO ACCOMPLISH LOCALLY, JUST LIKE

[01:15:08]

MEGAN MAY BE GETTING TO THIS POINT, BUT THE THING THAT I WANT TO POINT OUT ABOUT THIS LEGISLATION, AS WELL AS THE SENATE LEGISLATION, BOTH OF THEM HAVE SCHOOL FUNDING IN THEM.

SCHOOL FUNDING IS NOT ON THE CALL.

NEITHER ONE OF THESE BILLS CAN PASS IN THIS SPECIAL SESSION UNLESS IT'S ON THE CALL.

SO THEY'RE ESSENTIALLY LIP SERVICE, I GUESS, FROM THE LEGISLATURE SAYING, YOU KNOW, WE WANT TO PUT MONEY HERE, BUT WE CAN'T UNTIL THE GOVERNOR PUTS IT ON THE CALL FOR A SPECIAL SESSION.

SO I DON'T KNOW THAT EITHER OF THESE BILLS ARE GOING ANYWHERE AT THIS POINT.

THERE'S A LOT OF TALK ON SOCIAL MEDIA AND IN THE COMMUNITY ABOUT THEM.

BUT THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS, NOTHING'S GOING TO HAPPEN WITH EITHER ONE BEFORE THIS SPECIAL SESSION ENDS.

KIM, QUICK QUESTION ON THAT POINT, THOUGH.

THE FACT THAT IT'S NOT ON THE CALL AND THAT WE HAVE AN SB2 NOTWITHSTANDING AND NOT BEING ON THE CALL, COME OUT.

WE HAVE AN HB ONE ADDRESSING IT.

COME OUT.

YEAH. IS IT POSSIBLE? I MEAN, ISN'T IT POSSIBLE THAT IT.

THESE CAN ADVANCE AND THE GOVERNOR COULD SIGN SOMETHING.

AMEND THE CALL ON THE FLY.

PERHAPS. I DON'T KNOW THE PROCEDURE AT THE LATE STAGE THERE, BUT THE CONCERN I HAVE ABOUT JUST GIVING IT LIP SERVICE IS IT COULD VERY EASILY JUST BE LIP SERVICE.

AND THE GOVERNOR COULD SAY, IT'S NOT ON MY CALL AT THE VERY END WE'RE DONE.

BUT. THE FACT THAT THESE ARE OUT THERE.

I MEAN, IT'S POSSIBLE THAT MAY NOT HAPPEN.

ISN'T THAT FAIR? I WOULD SAY THERE'S A VERY, VERY SMALL CHANCE.

AND I WILL SAY TOO, AND THIS IS COMING FROM WELL, THIS WAS A PUBLIC QUOTE.

CHAIRMAN BRAD BUCKLEY OF THE HOUSE PUB COMMITTEE, WHO IS THE THE AUTHOR OF THIS BILL, HAS BEEN ASKED, WELL, WHAT ABOUT A HEARING? IS IT GOING TO BE SCHEDULED FOR A HEARING BECAUSE HE'S THE ONE WHO WOULD DECIDE TO PUT IT ON A HEARING, AND IT OBVIOUSLY CAN'T MOVE FORWARD WITHOUT A HEARING.

HE SAID, WELL, WE CAN'T DO ANYTHING UNTIL THE GOVERNOR EXPANDS THE CALL.

AND SO HE'S ESSENTIALLY SAID NOW PUBLICLY, I'M WAITING ON THE GOVERNOR TO DO HIS PART.

AND SO SO AGAIN, WE'RE KIND OF WAITING, LIKE IF THE CALL GETS EXPANDED, IS THIS GOING TO HAVE A HEARING IN FIVE SECONDS? SO ON ONE HAND, WE'RE TRYING TO BE READY ON WHAT COULD HAPPEN WITH THIS.

BUT WE HEAR FROM OUR CONTACTS IN AUSTIN, FROM OFFICES IN AUSTIN, ALSO FROM OUR OTHER SCHOOL DISTRICTS WHO ARE TALKING TO THEIR CONTACTS, WHO ARE IN AUSTIN IN DIFFERENT OFFICES THAT ESSENTIALLY THEY'RE EVERYTHING IS DEAD ON ARRIVAL, THAT THIS IS OUT THERE, BUT THAT THEY'RE AT A GRIDLOCK RIGHT NOW AND THAT IT'S NOT HAPPENING.

AND SO WHAT WE UNDERSTAND IS THAT IT'S VERY, VERY UNLIKELY THAT THE GOVERNOR IS GOING TO EXPAND THE CALL.

AND UNLESS THE GOVERNOR EXPANDS THE CALL.

REPRESENTATIVE BUCKLEY IS NOT GOING OR CHAIRMAN BUCKLEY IS NOT GOING TO PUT THIS ON A HEARING.

AND SO BASICALLY, THE PEOPLE THAT WE'RE HEARING FROM AND THESE ARE OFFICES THAT WE TALK TO, PEOPLE THAT ARE ON THE EDUCATION COMMITTEES, THE WORD NOW AND I SAY THE WORD BECAUSE I WILL HEAR A RUMOR FROM ONE SIDE, AND THEN I WILL HEAR A RUMOR THAT SUPPORTS THE OPPOSITE THING.

AND SO UNLESS WE HEAR THAT THIS WAS STRAIGHT OUT OF A REPRESENTATIVE'S MOUTH, THAT WAS ON THE COMMITTEE, WHICH ACTUALLY THIS WAS, BUT THEY SAID NOTHING'S HAPPENING THIS SESSION, NOTHING IS GOING TO PASS THIS SESSION.

AND SO THAT COULD MEAN, YOU KNOW, THE GOVERNOR HAS TALKED ABOUT HOW HE WILL PROBABLY CALL ANOTHER SPECIAL.

AND SO THIS COULD MEAN ANOTHER SPECIAL IN NOVEMBER.

IT COULD MEAN THAT HE WAITS UNTIL THE SPRING.

AND MAYBE, YOU KNOW, SOME PEOPLE HAVE SAID HE MIGHT DO IT RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF PRIMARIES, OR SOME PEOPLE SAID HE MIGHT WAIT UNTIL AFTER.

AND SO IT'S KIND OF A MATTER NOW OF WAITING ON WHAT IS THE GOVERNOR GOING TO DO.

BUT THE UNDERSTANDING OF ACTUAL REPRESENTATIVES WHO ARE ON THE HOUSE COMMITTEE IS THAT THESE BILLS ARE BOTH DEAD THIS SESSION, THAT NOTHING'S GOING TO PASS.

I COULD SEE THEM MAYBE ADJOURNING EVEN FAIRLY SOON, AND THEN HE WOULD HAVE TO CALL ANOTHER ONE IN ORDER FOR THESE TO GO SOMEWHERE.

SO THAT'S KIND OF WHERE WE ARE ON THOSE TWO THINGS.

JUST A COUPLE OF ADDITIONAL POINTS ON THAT.

ANYBODY CAN FILE ANY BILL DURING A SPECIAL SESSION, WHETHER OR NOT IT'S RELATED TO THE CALL.

RIGHT. AND SO WE ALSO THERE WAS ALSO A BILL FILED BY A COUPLE OF HOUSE MEMBERS THAT WOULD FULLY FUND, I THINK, TO THE TUNE OF $40 BILLION, FULLY FUND PUBLIC EDUCATION AND A WHOLE LOT OF WAYS DOING PRETTY MUCH ALL THE THINGS THAT WE AND OTHER DISTRICTS ASK.

NOW, THAT BILL WON'T GO ANYWHERE BECAUSE IT WASN'T AUTHORED BY THE CHAIRMAN OF THE EDUCATION COMMITTEE, BUT IT WAS IT WAS A STATEMENT THAT WAS MADE.

RIGHT. AND SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT JUST BECAUSE WE BELIEVE THESE BILLS WILL DIE, DOESN'T MEAN THAT WE'RE NOT TALKING TO OFFICES ABOUT THEM, DOESN'T MEAN THAT WE'RE NOT TALKING WITH OUR OTHER THE OTHER DISTRICTS THAT WE REGULARLY WORK WITH ABOUT, YOU KNOW, OUR ABILITY TO MOBILIZE QUICKLY

[01:20:06]

BUT UNTIL IT GETS SCHEDULED FOR A HEARING, THERE'S NOT A WHOLE LOT THAT WE COULD DO WITH IT.

AND THERE'S IT WOULDN'T BE WORTH US PUTTING A WHOLE LOT OF RESOURCES IN OUTSIDE OF JUST TALKING TO THOSE OFFICES AND WORKING WITH OUR OTHER DISTRICTS TO BE READY. SO ANYWAY, THAT'S THAT'S KIND OF WHERE WE ARE AT THIS POINT.

WE ARE KIND OF, YOU KNOW, MAINTAINED READINESS ALL THROUGH THE SPECIAL SESSION THAT IF SOMETHING GETS SCHEDULED FOR A HEARING IN THE HOUSE, READY AT THE DROP OF A HAT, LIKE I'VE BEEN PREPARED TO LIKE, WELL, AT ANY DAY NOW, WE MIGHT HAVE TO GO TO AUSTIN IN THE MORNING, YOU KNOW, OR TONIGHT OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT SO THAT WE COULD TESTIFY.

SO WE ARE CONSTANTLY LIKE, OKAY, IF SOMETHING HAPPENS, WE'RE READY.

BUT RIGHT NOW, AS FAR AS AND IT'S STILL WELL, THIS IS KIND OF OUR STRATEGY, IF YOU WILL.

RIGHT NOW, IT STILL SAYS PRIORITIZING LEGISLATION AT THE TOP, BECAUSE I COPIED A SLIDE AND FORGOT TO CHANGE THE HEADING.

BUT THIS IS REALLY OUR STRATEGY RIGHT NOW.

AND RIGHT NOW IT'S JUST WAIT.

AND LIKE I SAID, WE CAN'T DO ANYTHING UNTIL THE GOVERNOR EXPANDS THE CALL IS WHAT WHAT CHAIRMAN BUCKLEY HAS SAID.

SO WE'RE KIND OF WAITING.

WE'RE AGAIN, WE HAVE CONTACTS WHO ARE PRETTY CLOSE TO HIM ON THE EDUCATION COMMITTEE THAT ARE KEEPING US KIND OF IN THE LOOP A LITTLE BIT AND THEN MAYBE GO TO AUSTIN. SO IF THE CALL IS EXPANDED AND HB ONE IS SCHEDULED FOR A HEARING, WE DO PLAN TO TRAVEL TO THE CAPITOL TO TESTIFY AND HAVE MEETINGS WITH SOME KEY LEGISLATORS THAT WE HAVE IDENTIFIED.

IT'S ALSO TO CONTINUE SHARING RESOURCES WITH OTHER DISTRICTS AND OTHER PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS.

SO WE CREATED AGAIN, YOU GUYS GOT AN EMAIL A FEW WEEKS AGO.

I THINK OF OUR THIS GRAPHIC THAT HAS AND WE ALL THESE MESSAGES, ALL THESE KEY MESSAGES THAT WE.

WORKED WITH THOSE OTHER DISTRICTS THAT WERE ON THE SLIDES TO CREATE.

AND SO WE WILL CONTINUE SHARING THAT INFORMATION AND AND REALLY STILL EDUCATING OUR COMMUNITY THAT WE'RE AT A STANDSTILL, THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE WAITING ON THEM TO FUND US.

WE DON'T HAVE FUNDING. BUT ALSO, YOU KNOW, IT'S BEEN VERY PUBLICLY STATING THAT FUNDING.

STATED THAT FUNDING IS NOT GOING TO PASS UNTIL EDUCATION SAVINGS ACCOUNTS PASSES.

AND SO WE'RE KIND OF JUST WAITING THAT OUT.

BUT STILL, LIKE I SAID, EDUCATING OUR COMMUNITY AND THEN ALSO PREPARING FOR ANOTHER SPECIAL.

HONESTLY, I THINK RIGHT NOW, ESPECIALLY IN THE CONVERSATIONS THAT WE'VE HAD WITH SOME OF OUR OTHER DISTRICTS, THAT I SAID THAT WE HAVE THOSE INFORMAL CONVERSATIONS.

EVERYONE'S LIKE, WELL, WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO? AND I THINK THE AGREEMENT IS, WELL, WE WAIT UNTIL THE NEXT SPECIAL IS CALLED.

THAT'S KIND OF WHERE WE ARE NOW.

WE'RE READY. IF THE CALL WERE TO BE EXPANDED, WE'RE READY TO GO.

WE'RE READY TO TALK TO SOME FOLKS.

BUT AS FOR RIGHT NOW, AS FAR AS FIGURING OUT STRATEGY, WE'RE KIND OF SAVING A LOT OF OUR ENERGY AND A LOT OF OUR RESOURCES FOR THE NEXT SPECIAL SESSION TO SEE IF SOMETHING MIGHT ACTUALLY BE ABLE TO PASS OUT OF THE NEXT SPECIAL.

SO IF IT DOES GET.

IF IT DOES GET.

A HEARING, WHICH I THINK IS THE STAGE ON YOUR PRIOR SLIDE, IS THAT I GUESS I ASSUME IT'S BEEN REFERRED AT THAT POINT TO A COMMITTEE.

OKAY. IF IT DOES GO IN AND I'M GOING BACK TO ONE OF YOUR OLD SLIDES, MEGAN WITH THE ONE WITH OH SORRY, THE BILL CHARACTER ON IT, THE STAGES OF THE BILL.

SO DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT RIGHT NOW. BUT WHEN YOU SAY ON THIS ONE THAT IT GETS IT GOES TO HEARING WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, IS THAT IT IT IT ADVANCES TO A COMMITTEE FOR HEARING.

AND AT THAT STAGE WE WOULD ENGAGE, WE WOULD PARTICIPATE, THAT KIND OF THING.

IF THAT WAS TO HAPPEN NEXT WEEK, WE'D BE THERE, I PRESUME.

YEP. OKAY. AND IT COULD HAPPEN.

I MEAN, I COULD BE WAY WRONG.

I WOULD PUT EVERY DOLLAR I HAVE THAT EVERYTHING'S DEAD THIS SESSION, AND I WOULD FEEL LIKE THAT'S NOT A VERY RISKY BET FOR MYSELF.

OKAY, FAIR. BUT I COULD BE VERY POOR IF SOMETHING CHANGES.

AND, YOU KNOW, IF SOMETHING CHANGES DRASTICALLY THAT WE'RE JUST NOT EXPECTING, THAT CAN ALWAYS HAPPEN.

SO LIKE I SAID, WE'RE READY.

LIKE AT THE DROP OF A HAT.

IF SOMETHING CRAZY HAPPENS THIS AFTERNOON AND THE GOVERNOR EXPANDS THE CALL, WE'RE GOING TO GO, OKAY, WE'RE GOING TOMORROW.

YOU KNOW, IT'S PROBABLY I'LL WE'LL WAIT FOR THEM TO ACTUALLY SCHEDULE IT AND TELL US WHEN THE HEARING IS GOING TO BE, BECAUSE WE WANT TO MAKE SURE WE'RE THERE FOR THE HEARING.

BUT IN ADDITION TO TESTIFYING, WE'RE GOING TO GO DOWN AND TALK TO SOME OFFICES OF SOME FOLKS THAT ARE PROBABLY ON THAT EDUCATION COMMITTEE OR WHO HAVE SOME PULL AND BE SHARING SOME THINGS LIKE THIS AND SAY, IF YOU REALLY WANT TO HELP EDUCATION, THESE ARE SOME THINGS YOU NEED TO BE LOOKING AT.

AND SO WE ARE READY.

WE DON'T THINK ANYTHING'S GOING TO HAPPEN.

SO WE'RE KIND OF SAVING A LOT OF OUR RESOURCES FOR THE NEXT SPECIAL.

THAT IS PROBABLY AND LIKELY GOING TO BE CALLED.

BUT WE'RE NOT WE'RE NOT JUST SITTING HERE WAITING UNTIL THE NEXT SESSION AND THEN DECIDING WE'RE NOT GOING TO DO ANYTHING.

SO I ALWAYS END WITH THAT.

BUT, MEGAN, WHEN DOES THIS SPECIAL SESSION END? WHAT'S THE END DATE? I THINK THE END DATE IS THE SEVENTH.

I HAVEN'T COUNTED OUT EXACTLY 30 DAYS.

I DON'T KNOW THAT IT'LL MAKE IT TO 30 DAYS.

IF THEY DECIDE THAT THEY'RE GOING, ONE OF THE CHAMBERS MIGHT GO, WELL, WE'VE DONE WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO.

ADJOURN. SEE YOU NEXT TIME.

SO THAT COULD HAPPEN.

BUT I WANTED TO ALSO POINT OUT SOME ADDITIONAL RESOURCES THAT WE HAVE, ESPECIALLY WITH CIVIC ENGAGEMENT.

WE'RE ALWAYS PUSHING THIS INFORMATION OUT ABOUT WHEN AND WHERE YOU CAN VOTE, BUT SOMETHING WE ARE PUSHING OUT AND THAT WE ALWAYS PUSH OUT TO OUR STAFF.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES ARE THE SECRETARY OF STATE'S EXPLANATION STATEMENTS FOR THE NOVEMBER 7TH CONSTITUTIONAL ELECTION.

[01:25:02]

AND THAT'S A REALLY GOOD RESOURCE.

THAT EXPLAINS IT IN LAYMAN'S TERMS TO KNOW WHAT THESE PROPOSITIONS ARE ACTUALLY DOING.

WE ALSO HAVE DO'S AND DON'TS THAT WE PASS, THAT WE GIVE TO OUR STAFF EVERY SINGLE YEAR, PROBABLY EVERY SINGLE ELECTION, SO THAT THEY KNOW WHAT THEY ARE AND AREN'T ALLOWED TO DO WITH THEIR OWN TIME, WITH SCHOOL RESOURCES, THOSE SORTS OF THINGS.

AND THEN ALSO THE ATTORNEY GENERAL'S FAQ ABOUT THE ROLE OF TEXAS INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND POLITICS AND ELECTIONS, WHICH IS BASICALLY AN EXPANDED VERSION OF THE DO'S AND DON'TS, WHICH I JUST TOOK FROM THAT.

SO AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO MENTION, TOO, FOR THE CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT ELECTION, THERE IS AN AMENDMENT THAT DIRECTLY BENEFITS OUR RETIRED TEACHERS.

SO I WANT TO DRAW EVERYONE'S ATTENTION TO THAT SPECIFIC.

OUT OF THE 14, THERE ARE MANY THAT ARE IMPORTANT, BUT THAT ONE IN PARTICULAR IS VERY IMPORTANT FOR PUBLIC EDUCATION.

THERE'S ALSO THERE'S ALSO ONE TO INCREASE THE HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION FOR PROPERTY TAXES.

AND WHEN WE CALCULATED OUR OUR TAX REVENUE THIS YEAR, WE ASSUMED THAT THAT CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT WOULD PASS TAKES IT FROM $40,000 TO $100,000.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATIONS AND FOR THE INFORMATION THAT YOU PROVIDED REGARDING THIS SPECIAL SESSION.

BOARD. I'LL OPEN FOR QUESTIONS AT THIS TIME.

SO I HAVE ONE QUESTION RELATED TO THE PRESENTATION.

THERE WAS A SLIDE ABOUT THE $1,200 INCREASE COMPARED TO 2019, MAYBE 1155.

I JUST WANTED TO UNDERSTAND, DO WE NEED THE 284 OR DO WE NEED 1155? SO THAT'S A YEAH, THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION.

WE NEED $1,155 MINIMUM.

SO THAT'S WHAT I DID WAS I JUST BROKE DOWN THE THE IMPACT OF INFLATION YEAR BY YEAR OVER THE LAST FOUR YEARS.

BUT IN TOTAL TODAY, IF TO GET US THE SAME BUYING POWER WE HAD IN 2019 WHEN H THREE WAS PASSED, WE WOULD NEED $1,155.

ALL RIGHT. AND THEN THE SECOND QUESTION IS WHAT IF $30 HAPPENS AS PER SB ONE? THEN WHAT WILL BE THE IMPACT ON OUR DEFICIT BUDGET? A $30 INCREASE IN THE BASIC ALLOTMENT GETS US ABOUT $5 MILLION, I THINK.

AND AGAIN, IF IT PASSES, IF A BILL WERE TO PASS WITH THE LANGUAGE THAT'S CURRENTLY IN HB ONE, THAT IT WOULD REQUIRE US TO SPEND HALF OF THAT INCREASE ON COMPENSATION, NON ADMINISTRATIVE COMPENSATION.

SO THAT DOESN'T REALLY IMPACT OUR DEFICIT AT ALL.

THIS IS ARCHAMBAULT.

I ALSO THINK, TOO, THAT IT'S WHEN WE TALK ABOUT HOW IT WILL IMPACT THE DEFICIT BUDGET.

THAT'S ASSUMING THAT THE ISSA PROVISION IS NOT A PART OF THAT, BECAUSE WE HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THAT WILL LOOK LIKE.

SO $30 PER STUDENT ALLOTMENT AND THEN TAKING OUT 8000 PER STUDENT THAT WE LOSE, WE JUST DON'T.

IT'S REALLY HARD TO ESTIMATE WHAT THAT NUMBER WILL LOOK LIKE.

RIGHT? IT'S VERY HARD TO ESTIMATE HOW MANY STUDENTS WE WOULD LOSE IF AN EDUCATION SAVINGS ACCOUNT BILL WAS PASSED.

I CAN TELL YOU WE HAVE OVER THE PAST FIVE YEARS, I THINK WE'VE LOST ABOUT 3500 STUDENTS TO EITHER HOME, SCHOOL, CHARTER SCHOOL OR PRIVATE SCHOOL. NOW, WE'VE HAD GROWTH TO OFFSET THAT LOSS IN STUDENTS, SO IT'S DIFFICULT TO ESTIMATE WHAT THAT WOULD DO.

RIGHT. AND WE HAVEN'T TALKED A LOT TODAY ABOUT THE IMPACT OF LOSING STUDENTS ON OUR BUDGET, BECAUSE OUR MESSAGE REALLY IS WE NEED TO FOCUS ON FULLY FUNDING EDUCATION SO THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO EDUCATE THE STUDENTS THAT WE HAVE TODAY.

IF WE DON'T FULLY FUND EDUCATION, PUBLIC EDUCATION, THEN ANY STUDENT THAT WE LOSE WILL HAVE AN IMPACT ON THE STUDENTS THAT STAY.

THE FUNDING FOR FOR LOSING THOSE STUDENTS WOULD HAVE AN IMPACT ON THE STUDENTS THAT STAY.

AND THAT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT WE.

WE SHOULD HAVE TO DEAL WITH OR WANT TO HAVE TO DEAL WITH.

DO YOU ALL ANTICIPATE THAT IF THERE IS A SPECIAL SESSION CALLED THAT IT WILL BE IN NOVEMBER? OR DO YOU I MEAN, WHAT ARE YOU HEARING FROM AUSTIN? IT IS ALL OVER THE PLACE.

I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE THINK THAT ONE WILL IMMEDIATELY HAPPEN IN NOVEMBER.

BUT THERE'S ALSO THE ARGUMENT OF WHAT DOES THE GOVERNOR THINK IS GOING TO CHANGE FROM OCTOBER TO NOVEMBER, WHERE HE COULD ACCOMPLISH A GOAL IN NOVEMBER THAT HE COULDN'T GET ACCOMPLISHED IN OCTOBER.

AND SO THAT'S WHERE YOU HAVE PEOPLE COMING IN SAYING, WELL, I DON'T THINK IT'S GOING TO BE UNTIL AFTER THE PRIMARIES TO SEE IF THERE ARE SOME DIFFERENT FOLKS IN THE HOUSE TO SEE IF THEY COULD ACCOMPLISH SOMETHING DIFFERENT.

BECAUSE WHAT WE HEAR IS THAT THE PEOPLE WHO ARE MAINTAINING THEIR STANCE ON, ON VOUCHERS AND PUBLIC EDUCATION ARE MAINTAINING THAT. SO IT'S LIKE IT'S NOT GOING TO HAPPEN NOW.

AND THE FOLKS THAT WE HEARD THAT IT WAS DEAD THIS SESSION SAID IT'S NOT GOING TO PASS.

[01:30:02]

SO THEY MIGHT BE HINTING THAT IT'S THERE'S GOING TO BE A SPECIAL SESSION CALLED IN NOVEMBER.

BUT THEY'RE ALSO SAYING IT'S NOT GOING TO BE PASSED THEN.

SO I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHERE THE STRATEGY FROM THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE IS IF THEY THINK SOMETHING'S GOING TO BE DIFFERENT IN NOVEMBER, IF THAT MAKES SENSE.

SO IT'S HARD TO KNOW.

AND IF THE IF THE CALL, LET'S SAY THERE IS ONE CALLED IN NOVEMBER, MAYBE AFTER THE PRIMARIES IF THE CALL IS EXPANDED TO INCLUDE FUNDING TO INCLUDE PUBLIC SCHOOL FUNDING.

DO YOU ALL ANTICIPATE THAT THE ONLY WAY THAT THAT PASSES IS IF THERE'S A COMPANION PIECE TO THAT BILL THAT HIGHLIGHTS ESSAY AS PART OF LIKE, YOU HAVE TO VOTE FOR THIS IN ORDER TO GET THE OTHER LIKE THEY'RE TRYING TO DO WITH SB ONE AND TWO RIGHT NOW.

LIKE, DO YOU THINK THERE'S ANY CHANCE OF HAVING NOT ONE DEPEND ON THE OTHER, OR IS THAT JUST WHAT WE'RE FACING FOR THE SPECIAL SESSION? EVEN IF THEY ARE IN SEPARATE BILLS? WE HAVE VERY MUCH BEEN TOLD ONE DOESN'T PASS WITHOUT THE OTHER.

SO WE WERE SURPRISED, ACTUALLY, TO SEE THAT THE SENATE FILED TWO SEPARATE BILLS.

AND I THINK MAYBE IT WAS LIKE A, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE HAVE BEEN CALLING TO SAY YOU NEED TO YOU NEED TO CONSIDER THESE THINGS SEPARATELY.

AND SO MAYBE THEY WERE JUST KIND OF LISTENING TO THAT AND SAYING, OKAY, BUT WE WERE HEARING ON THE BACK END THAT EVEN THOUGH THOSE EVEN THOUGH THOSE WERE FILED SEPARATELY, THAT THEY WERE VERY MUCH TOGETHER.

AND THEN WE THOUGHT IT WAS VERY INTERESTING ON THE HOUSE SIDE THAT THEY DIDN'T FILE THEM SEPARATELY.

WE HEARD THAT THEY HAD THEM SEPARATELY INITIALLY, AND THAT THEY WERE TOLD BY SOMEONE TO PUT THEM IN THE SAME BILL, AND SO THAT THAT'S WHAT KIND OF CAUSED THE DELAY OF HOW LONG IT TOOK TO GET HB ONE OUT.

AND SO, YOU KNOW, IF THEY'RE FILED SEPARATELY, I THINK THERE MIGHT BE SOME THINGS WHERE YOU COULD GET ONE WITHOUT THE OTHER.

BUT I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT, WHETHER THEY'RE FILED SEPARATELY OR NOT, ARE NOT GOING TO PASS ONE UNLESS THE OTHER ONE GETS PASSED.

AND THE GOVERNOR HAS SAID AS MUCH.

RIGHT? I MEAN, WE HAD THE QUOTE ON THE SCREEN OF USING FUNDING FOR PUB ED AS A CARROT TO GET VOUCHERS PASSED.

SO I DON'T KNOW, OUTSIDE OF IT JUST NOT HAPPENING.

I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GOING TO CHANGE HIS MIND ABOUT THAT.

AND I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, WE CAN LOOK AT THE PROVISIONS THAT THE HOUSE HAS PUT FORWARD AND THAT IS POTENTIALLY WHAT WE'RE GOING IF THE CALL IS EXPANDED.

THOSE ARE THE PROVISIONS THAT WE'RE GOING TO POTENTIALLY BE MET WITH.

SO OUR ADVOCACY POINTS OBVIOUSLY NEED TO I MEAN, THEY'LL ALWAYS STAY THE SAME BECAUSE IT'S WHAT'S BEST FOR PUBLIC EDUCATION.

BUT AS FAR AS THAT TOP PROVISION THAT TALKS ABOUT THE $30 ALLOTMENT FOR THE UPCOMING YEAR, AND THEN 340 FOR THE SECOND YEAR OF THE BIENNIAL BIENNIUM, IS THAT FUNDING CARRYING OVER, OR IS THAT JUST FOR THE NEXT TWO YEARS, THE PROVISION IN HB ONE WOULD INDEX THAT AMOUNT TO INFLATION BEGINNING IN THE SECOND YEAR OF THE NEXT BIENNIUM? OKAY. SO YOU WOULD HAVE A IF IT IF A BILL PASSED AS WRITTEN, YOU WOULD HAVE A $30 INCREASE FOR THE FIRST YEAR, THEN THE $340 INCREASE FOR THE SECOND YEAR, IT WOULD STAY THE SAME FOR THE THIRD YEAR, AND THEN IT WOULD BE INDEXED TO THE TEN YEAR INFLATION RATE IN THE FOURTH YEAR.

OKAY. SO IT'S NOT IT'S NOT A ONE TIME TWO YEAR SHOT.

AND THEN WE GO WE GO BACKWARDS.

WELL I MEAN IT ACTUALLY CHANGES THE BASIC ALLOTMENT WHICH IS SET IN STATUTE.

SO THEY WOULD HAVE TO TO REDUCE IT.

THEY WOULD HAVE TO GO BACK AND CHANGE.

GO BACK AND CHANGE IT OKAY.

YEAH. OKAY.

THANK YOU, MR. LOWE. YES.

MEGAN, I HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS.

ONE IS YOU WERE YOU'RE BETTING THAT THEY'RE NOT GOING TO PASS ANYTHING THIS YEAR? I MEAN, THIS SPECIAL SESSION, WHAT WOULD YOU BET THAT WE'RE GOING TO GET THE MONEY THAT WE NEED AT SOME POINT THROUGHOUT IN MULTIPLE SPECIAL SESSIONS? AS MANY AS WE HAVE TO GET THESE THINGS DONE, WHAT ARE THE CHANCES WE'RE GOING TO GET THE 1155? I BELIEVE IT WAS.

I DON'T KNOW THAT I COULD SPEAK TO THE CHANCES, BUT I DO WANT TO SPEAK TO THE FACT THAT THEY HAVE THE MONEY.

WE HAVE TALKED ABOUT THIS QUITE A BIT, THAT THERE WAS A RECORD SURPLUS OF ABOUT $30 MILLION.

AND THAT WAS ONE TIME MONEY.

BUT WE'VE ALSO TALKED WITH OUR GROUPS THAT WE TALK REGULARLY WITH THAT THERE IS A REVENUE INCREASE THAT IS MUCH, MUCH GREATER, WHICH IS ONGOING MONEY.

A REVENUE INCREASE THAT THE COMPTROLLER DIDN'T EXPECT THAT HAS GONE UP.

EVEN HE'S RECALCULATED IT SINCE JANUARY WHEN THE SESSION STARTED, BECAUSE IT'S CHANGED SO MUCH.

SO THAT'S ALMOST UPWARDS OF NOW $30 MILLION ANNUALLY IN REVENUE.

AND SO I KNOW THERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT ARE SUBJECT TO CONSTITUTIONAL SPENDING CAPS.

BUT THE IDEA THERE ARE LOTS OF WAYS ALSO TO SPEND OUTSIDE OF THOSE CONSTITUTIONAL SPENDING CAPS.

THERE'S JUST KIND OF SOME THINGS, SOME HOLES THAT THEY HAVE HOOPS THAT THEY HAVE TO JUMP THROUGH, BUT THEY HAVE THE MONEY.

AND THIS IS NEW.

AND WE TALK ABOUT THIS BEING A ONCE IN A GENERATION OPPORTUNITY FOR THEM TO REALLY MAKE US WHOLE BECAUSE THEY HAVE THE MONEY, BECAUSE THEIR REVENUE IS UP SO MUCH BECAUSE OF SALES TAX, BECAUSE OF PROPERTY TAX AND ALL OF THOSE THINGS.

[01:35:03]

WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO DO SOMETHING.

AND MY QUESTION WAS, DO YOU THINK IT'S A GOOD CHANCE THAT IT COME THROUGH AND WE'LL BE MADE WHOLE AND WE'LL BE ABLE TO PROCEED BASED ON HAVING A CERTAIN HAVING ALL THE MONEY WE NEED. AND IF YOU THINK THAT THAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN, WE'LL GO ONE COURSE.

BUT IF WE DON'T THINK THAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN, IF WE'RE GOING TO GET, SAY THAT $340 INCREASE IN THE ALLOTMENT, WHAT ARE OUR I MEAN, ARE WE OPERATING? AND WE'VE DONE A GREAT JOB, FIRST OF ALL, OF BEING THE FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE DISTRICT.

I MEAN, OF ANY OTHER CRITICISM YOU CAN SAY WE HAVE ALWAYS MAINTAINED WORKED WITHIN OUR BUDGET, EXCEPT FOR THIS YEAR, AND THERE HAVE BEEN EXTRAORDINARY THINGS THAT HAVE HAPPENED THAT HAVE CREATED THAT ENVIRONMENT.

MY QUESTION IS.

WE DON'T GET THE MONEY.

ARE THERE ANY PLACES IN THE BUDGET IN WHAT WE DO, WHERE WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO WE CAN SKIP AND HAVE.

IT'LL HAVE A MINIMAL IMPACT ON THE STUDENTS.

ARE THERE PLANS ON YOUR PART TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT WITH THE LEAST AMOUNT OF IMPACT ON OUR STUDENT POPULATION? SO THE CONVERSATION BETWEEN WHAT CAN HAPPEN AT THE STATE LEVEL AND OKAY, SORRY, BECAUSE THIS SPECIAL MEETING IS SPECIFICALLY ON LEGISLATION.

SO ARE WE IN LINE WITH THAT.

YEAH. OKAY. SO THE THE CONVERSATION BETWEEN WHAT WHAT THE STATE COULD DO AND THEN WHAT WE WOULD DO WITH THE FUNDS ARE KIND OF TWO SEPARATE CONVERSATIONS.

RIGHT. SO WE'RE WE HAVE OUR BUDGET DISCUSSIONS ASSUMING THE STATE DOESN'T DO ANYTHING BECAUSE THAT'S THE MOST CONSERVATIVE TAKE.

RIGHT. WE'RE WE'RE NOT GOING TO PLAN A BUDGET HOLDING OUR BREATH THAT THE STATE'S GOING TO FILL THAT GAP FOR US.

AS FAR AS WHAT ARE THE CHANCES THAT THE STATE DOES SOMETHING AND DOES OUR MESSAGE AT THE STATE LEVEL CHANGE DEPENDING ON THEIR APPETITE TO DO SOMETHING? I THINK OUR MESSAGE IS CONSISTENT.

THE STATE HAS THE MONEY.

THIS IS THE NEED.

THERE YOU GO.

WILL WE WORK WITH WHAT THEY GIVE US? OF COURSE WE WILL, BECAUSE WE HAVE TO.

EVERY SESSION WE, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER PASSES, WE HAVE TO WORK WITHIN THOSE, THOSE MEANS.

BUT THE MESSAGE DOESN'T CHANGE BASED ON THEIR THEIR APPETITE TO PASS LEGISLATION BECAUSE THE MESSAGE IS PRETTY CONSISTENT.

YOU HAVE YOU HAVE THE MONEY TO DO IT.

AND THIS IS WHAT'S NEEDED TO GET US BACK TO 2019 SPENDING LEVELS.

JUST TO BE CLEAR, OUR OUR BUDGET PLANNING IS BASED ON WORST CASE SCENARIO THAT NOTHING CHANGES, RIGHT? RIGHT. LIKE I SAID, WE WE WE DON'T HOLD OUR BREATH FOR THE STATE.

OUR BUDGET PLANNING IS ALWAYS BASED ON CURRENT LAW HAS BEEN FOREVER.

SO EVEN DURING A REGULAR SESSION, EVEN IN 2019 WHEN HOUSE BILL THREE WAS IN THE WORKS AND AND THEY PASSED IT, THERE WERE AS WE WERE BUILDING OUR BUDGET, WE WEREN'T PLANNING FOR THAT EXTRA REVENUE UNTIL THE DAY THAT IT PASSED, BECAUSE WE ALWAYS BASE OUR BUDGET ON CURRENT LAW.

NOW, WE HAD SCENARIOS THAT WE COULD WORK IN AT THE LAST MINUTE, RIGHT? IF IT DID PASS. BUT WE WE ALWAYS PLAN BASED ON CURRENT LAW, AS IF NOTHING IS CHANGING.

THANK YOU. AND I'LL ADD TO LIKE OUR ADVOCACY EFFORTS, I DON'T THINK WE CAN EVER REALLY BASE OUR ADVOCACY EFFORTS ON THEIR APPETITE TO PASS SOMETHING, BECAUSE THERE HAVE BEEN SOME THINGS THAT WERE LIKE FOR SURE GOING TO PASS, AND THEN THEY DIDN'T FOR SOME REASON AT THE VERY END.

AND IT SURPRISED EVERYONE.

OUR ADVOCACY EFFORTS MIGHT CHANGE IF THEIR BUDGET LOOKED DIFFERENT.

WE MIGHT HAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE CONSERVATIVE OF AN ASK, BUT THE FACT THAT WE KNOW THAT THEY ACTUALLY HAVE THE MONEY TO DO IT IS WHY WE WILL PROBABLY NOT LET OUR FOOT OFF THE GAS AS FAR AS THIS IS WHAT WE NEED.

SO 340 IS BETTER THAN ZERO, BUT WE'RE ALSO GOING TO CONTINUE TALKING ABOUT WHAT WE NEED BECAUSE WE KNOW YOU HAVE THE MONEY, IF THAT MAKES SENSE.

SO OUR ADVOCACY EFFORTS AREN'T DRIVEN BY WE CAN'T POSSIBLY PREDICT WHAT THEY'RE GOING TO DO.

SO THAT'S THAT DOESN'T REALLY CHANGE EITHER.

MR. HALE, I WANT TO FIRST BEGIN, AND I HAVE SEVERAL QUESTIONS, AND TO BE RESPECTFUL OF TIME, I'LL TRY TO GET THROUGH THEM PRETTY QUICKLY, BUT I WANT TO COMPLIMENT MEGAN AND KIM ON THE PRESENTATION TODAY.

IT'S ON MY LIMITED TIME ON THE BOARD.

I AM REPEATEDLY IMPRESSED WITH THE QUALITY OF WORK I THINK YOU ALL PUT OUT AND GIVE TO US AS A BOARD SO THAT WE CAN PROCESS IT IN A WAY THAT MAKES SENSE, AND THE STAKEHOLDERS THAT MAY BE WATCHING CAN AS WELL COMPLIMENT ON THE ORGANIZATION OF THE LLC, THE LEGISLATIVE LEADERSHIP COMMITTEE, ITS COMPOSITION OF STAKEHOLDERS IS.

AGAIN TO BE COMMENDED.

[01:40:02]

OBVIOUSLY. EXCELLENT.

JUST THE OVERALL INITIATIVE AND WORK MY FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, PLEASE KEEP DOING WHAT YOU'RE DOING.

I THINK IT'S NEEDED NOW MORE THAN EVER, GIVEN THE WIDE RANGING IMPACT FUNDING FROM THE STATE HAS ON US AS A DISTRICT. I AS A BOARD MEMBER, CAN'T THINK OF ANYTHING MORE IMPORTANT THAN THIS BECAUSE IT TOUCHES ON EVERY ASPECT OF OF WHAT YOU ALL DO.

SO KEEP DOING.

I KNOW DEALING WITH POLITICS AND THE COUNTLESS DYNAMICS AT PLAY IN POLITICS IS NOT EASY.

I KNOW WE DON'T GET TO HOLD ALL THE CARDS.

SO AGAIN, TO BE COMMENDED, I WILL SAY WE AS A DISTRICT, WE'RE OBVIOUSLY A VERY LARGE AND INFLUENTIAL DISTRICT.

I'M A BELIEVER THAT WE AND OUR STAKEHOLDERS, NAMELY OUR PARENTS, DEMAND THE ATTENTION OF OUR LAWMAKERS AND WHAT OUR VIEWS ARE.

AND WHEN FUNDING DOES NOT COME THROUGH, THAT THERE WILL BE CONSEQUENCES TO THAT IF THERE ARE SHORTFALLS IN THE FUNDING.

TO MISTER LO'S POINT, WHAT ARE THOSE CONSEQUENCES? I THINK PART OF OUR JOB IS TO MAKE THAT CRYSTAL CLEAR AS TO WHAT ADEQUATE FUNDING MEANS TO US, AND IF THAT DOES NOT HAPPEN, WHAT THE CONSEQUENCES ARE, PARTICULARLY SINCE WE ARE IN ADVANCE OF A BUDGET, WE KNOW SIX OR 7 OR 8 MONTHS AWAY.

I INTEND TO DO EVERYTHING I CAN TO HELP MAKE, TO HELP WORK WITH ALL INVOLVED, AND TO HELP MAKE THAT CLEAR.

I ALSO WANT TO JUST SAY I COULDN'T AGREE MORE WITH THE ATTITUDE OF BEING SOLUTIONS ORIENTED.

POLITICS IS TOUGH.

FUNDING IS TOUGH.

THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT PULLS AT IT.

I THINK THE BEST THING WE AS A DISTRICT CAN BE IS SOLUTIONS ORIENTED.

AND SO HAVING THAT APPROACH, WORKING WITH ALL THE DIFFERENT PEERS AND THE LEGISLATURES THROUGHOUT THE STATE, I THINK IS IS EXACTLY THE RIGHT APPROACH.

I DO HAVE A COUPLE QUESTIONS.

OBVIOUSLY, THIS IS AN EVOLVING PROCESS.

SO AND YOU GUYS HAVE OBVIOUSLY ANSWERED A LOT OF THEM.

ONE OF THE QUESTIONS I HAVE RELATES TO THE TO.

WHAT DOES THE TO DO PROVIDE? DO THEY DO SOME TYPE OF ANALYSIS OR CALCULATIONS? IF YOU KNOW AND THIS IS SOMETHING WE CAN FOLLOW UP WITH LATER IF NEED BE.

BUT WHAT DO THEY DO AS TO WHAT ALLOTMENTS SHOULD BE? WHAT TYPE OF FUNDING ENROLLMENTS NUMBERS SHOULD BE? IS THERE ANY COMPARISON? DO YOU ALL RESOURCE THAT AT ALL? SO THE TO THE COMMISSIONER AND OTHER MEMBERS OF STAFF WILL REGULARLY TESTIFY.

FOR THE LEGISLATURE IN DIFFERENT HEARINGS ABOUT DIFFERENT BILLS AND THE COST OF DIFFERENT THINGS.

SPECIFICALLY, ANYTIME THERE IS SCHOOL FINANCE LEGISLATION, SOMEONE FROM TIA WILL GENERALLY TESTIFY TO TALK ABOUT THE IMPACT OF THAT LEGISLATION ON FUNDING AS A WHOLE ACROSS THE STATE.

AS FAR AS THE QUESTION ABOUT IS ANYBODY CALCULATING THE ACTUAL COST OF EDUCATING THE DIFFERENT SUBPOPULATIONS OF KIDS, THERE WAS SOME WORK DONE ON THAT.

IN THE INTERIM.

BEFORE THE 88TH SESSION, THERE WAS A COMMITTEE ON SCHOOL FINANCE THAT LOOKED AT A LOT OF THOSE THINGS.

THEY CAME OUT WITH A VERY LONG LIST OF RECOMMENDATIONS, SOME OF WHICH ADDRESSED FUNDING THE DIFFERENT ALLOTMENTS.

SO I DON'T KNOW THAT TIA DOES REGULAR WORK ON LOOKING AT THE ACTUAL COSTS, BUT WHAT I CAN SAY IS WE AND EVERY OTHER DISTRICT ACROSS THE STATE REPORT OUR FINANCIAL INFORMATION TO TIA BASED ON THOSE ALLOTMENTS.

SO WE REPORT HOW MUCH WE SPENT ON SPECIAL EDUCATION OR ON CAREER AND TECHNOLOGY, OR ON THE BILINGUAL PROGRAM, AS DOES EVERY OTHER DISTRICT IN THE STATE.

SO YOU CAN YOU CAN VERY QUICKLY AND EASILY LOOK UP HOW MUCH STATEWIDE DISTRICTS ARE SPENDING ON THOSE PROGRAMS. NOW, THE QUESTION IS, IS THAT ADEQUATE SPENDING OR IS THAT THEY'RE SPENDING BECAUSE THOSE ARE THE RESOURCES THAT THEY HAVE.

SO THAT'S WHERE YOU DON'T KNOW UNLESS YOU TALK TO EVERY SINGLE DISTRICT HOW OUR LEGISLATORS RESOURCE THE TO IN THAT REGARD.

I MEAN, IS THAT I GUESS IT'S TWO PARTS.

AND MAYBE THIS IS A COMBINATION OF MEGAN TOO IS DO YOU KNOW HOW THEY RESOURCE THE TIA FOR THAT DATA? IS THAT SOMETHING THEY RELY ON WHEN THEY'RE MAKING SOME OF THESE DECISIONS AND COMPILING SOME OF THESE BILLS? LIKE HIM SAID, THEY HAVE THE TO COME TESTIFY WHEN IT PERTAINS TO A SPECIFIC BILL, AND THEY PROBABLY WERE WORKING WITH THE DEA AND THE COMMISSIONER WITH THEIR WITH THEIR COMMISSION ON FUNDING.

BUT I THE AMOUNT OF FUNDING THAT'S APPROPRIATED IN THESE ALLOTMENTS IS, FOR THE MOST PART, OUR UNDERSTANDING IS THAT IT'S JUST BASED ON THE MONEY THAT THEY HAVE AND NOT

[01:45:07]

AND SO IT'S A MATTER OF JUST APPROPRIATIONS.

THEY SAY WE HAVE THIS MUCH MONEY TO SPEND.

YOU KNOW WHAT? WE FEEL LIKE WE'RE A LITTLE BIT UNDER ON COMPENSATORY EDUCATION FUNDING.

AND SO WE'RE GOING TO INCREASE THAT A LITTLE BIT.

AND SO IT'S NOT REALLY THEY HAVEN'T IN THE PAST AT LEAST GONE AND SAID WE'RE GOING TO TRY TO ALIGN THESE THINGS A LITTLE BIT BETTER.

I DO THINK THAT PIECES OF LIKE HB ONE DO THAT WHERE THEY'RE TRYING TO INCREASE SOME OF THE ALLOTMENTS, BUT I'M JUST TRYING TO UNDERSTAND REALLY, I GET IT, AND I'M JUST TRYING TO UNDERSTAND THE METRICS BY WHICH LEGISLATORS, SOME OF OUR DELEGATION, SOME ELSEWHERE, MIGHT BE RELYING UPON SO THAT I CAN BETTER UNDERSTAND THAT.

I MEAN, THEY WILL GET INFORMATION FROM TIA IN IN ANY EDUCATION COMMITTEE HEARING THAT HAS A FUNDING IMPACT, THEY'LL GET THAT INFORMATION, HOW MUCH EACH INDIVIDUAL LEGISLATURE LOOKS AT THAT INFORMATION, I REALLY DON'T KNOW.

THAT'S ONE REASON THAT WE ALSO TRY TO PUT TOGETHER THAT INFORMATION.

AND WE SHARE, YOU KNOW, LIKE THESE ONE PAGE TEMPLATES WE SHARE THESE WITH, WITH OTHER DISTRICTS ACROSS THE STATE SO THAT EVERY DISTRICT CAN PUT THEIR INFORMATION INTO PERSPECTIVE FOR THEIR LEGISLATIVE DELEGATION AND FOR OTHER LEGISLATORS THAT THEY TALK TO.

BECAUSE SOMETIMES YOU NEED A DISTRICT SPECIFIC EXAMPLE VERSUS LOOKING AT STATEWIDE DATA.

SO WE WE TRY TO MAKE SURE THAT THE LEGISLATORS HAVE THE RESOURCES TO RELY ON BOTH.

SO THEY GET THE INFORMATION FROM TIA.

I CAN'T SPEAK TO HOW MUCH THEY ACTUALLY LOOK AT IT.

OKAY. THE NEXT QUESTION I HAVE, AND I'LL JUST KIND OF GROUP THIS SINCE I KNOW WE'RE RUNNING SHORT ON TIME, IS.

MY UNDERSTANDING IS.

WE I'M GOING TO TALK BASIC ALLOTMENT AND THEN JUST KIND OF THE PLUS PLUS I KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF OTHER ADD ONS, SPECIALTY TYPE FUNDING WHICH WE SAW MOST RECENTLY LIKE FOR SAFETY AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE.

AND WHAT I'D LIKE TO REALLY GET US TO, AND I'M NOT SAYING RIGHT AT THIS MOMENT, BUT IS THE CLARITY AS TO WHAT ADEQUATELY FUNDED IS IN REAL TIME WITH WHERE THESE SESSIONS ARE GOING.

AND SO AS WE SIT HERE NOW, MY UNDERSTANDING IS WE ARE WE ARE SEEKING SOME.

1155 SO LET'S CALL IT BETWEEN 1000 AND $1200 IN BASIC ALLOTMENT, ADDS THE.

AND THAT'S SIMPLY TO GET US CAUGHT UP FOR INFLATIONARY ADJUSTMENTS SINCE 2019 IS MY UNDERSTANDING.

NOW THE NUMBERS MR. PONANGI TALKED ABOUT BY YEAR, THE 1155, JUST FOR CLARITY, IS THE AGGREGATE OF THOSE YEARS.

SO SO THAT'S WHY THAT NUMBER IS SO HIGH RIGHT THERE.

YEP. OKAY. SO WHAT WE HAVE FROM THE SENATE IS $75 TO THE BASIC ALLOTMENT PIECE FROM THE HOUSE.

WE HAVE A TWO STEP SYSTEM BEGINNING WITH 30 AND THEN 340.

WHERE THIS GETS MUDDIED UP TO ME IS ALL THE OTHER ADD ONS.

BECAUSE IF YOU TAKE A $1,200 BASIC ALLOTMENT NUMBER, I'M JUST ROUNDING 1155 UP.

LET'S JUST TAKE $1,200 BASIC ALLOTMENT AND YOU INDEX IT FOR INFLATION, WHICH IS ONE OF THE POSITIVES.

HOW THEY DO THAT ASIDE, IS ONE OF THE POSITIVES.

OBVIOUSLY IN HB ONE, THERE'S STILL A GAP THERE OF WHAT, $8,900 IN THE BASIC ALLOTMENT? THAT'S A SIGNIFICANT GAP.

I'D LIKE TO REALLY.

I'D LIKE TO REALLY HAVE SOME TYPE OF MECHANISM OR CLARITY AS TO HOW WE'RE ABLE TO PROVIDE UNDERSTANDING AS TO WHAT THE PLUS PLUSES AFFECT THAT GAP. BECAUSE I THINK ONE OF THE ARGUMENTS THAT GETS OUT THERE IS, WELL, THERE IS A BIG DIVIDE IN THE BASIC ALLOTMENT NUMBER, WHETHER IT'S 1000 OR 1200 TO 75 OR 300.

THAT'S STILL A BIG NUMBER DIFFERENCE.

BUT WHAT MUDDIES IT UP IS ALL THESE PLUS PLUSES.

THERE'S ALL THESE SPECIAL ADDS.

AND SO AND THOSE ARE ALWAYS CHANGING RIGHT.

AND SO THEY'RE CHANGING IN THE BILLS THEMSELVES IN THE SPECIAL SESSION THREE.

AND SO I'M WONDERING HOW DO WE HOW DO WE RESPOND TO THAT ALMOST IN REAL TIME AND BE ABLE TO PROVIDE CLARITY WITH WELL, THIS 300? I'LL JUST GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE WITH HB ONE, THIS TWO STEP BASIC ALLOTMENT ADJUSTMENT HAS OTHER PLUS PLUSES IN IT.

THERE'S A SPECIAL EDUCATION PIECE.

THERE'S A ONE TIME TEACHER PIECE.

HOW DO WE FOLD THAT IN IF WE WERE LOOKING AT JUST A BASIC ALLOTMENT NUMBER? HOW DO WE FOLD THAT IN IN A REASONABLE WAY? DOES THAT QUESTION MAKE SENSE? I SEE WHERE YOU'RE GOING WITH IT.

SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE WILL DO DURING A REGULAR SESSION OR DURING A SPECIAL SESSION, IF A BILL GETS TRACTION.

SO IT TAKES TIME AND EFFORT.

AND SO WE WON'T DO IT FOR EVERY FUNDING BILL.

[01:50:02]

BUT LET'S SAY THIS BILL, LET'S SAY HB ONE GETS SCHEDULED FOR A HEARING.

ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE WILL DO BEFORE WE GO DOWN AND TESTIFY OR TALK TO PEOPLE IS WE WILL LOOK AT THE TOTAL IMPACT OF ALL OF THE THINGS IN THAT BILL ON OUR FINANCIAL SITUATION. SO WE WILL WE'LL GO RERUN OUR SCHOOL FINANCE FORMULA WITH THE INCREASE IN THE BASIC ALLOTMENT, WITH THE CHANGES TO THE SPECIAL ED FUNDING, WITH THE CHANGES TO THE SAFETY AND SECURITY ALLOTMENT, WE'LL LOOK AT THE TOTAL IMPACT.

DOING THAT WILL ALLOW US ALSO TO SEE IF IF THE SAFETY AND SECURITY ALLOTMENT, FOR EXAMPLE, INCREASES, THAT MEANS MORE.

WE'RE SPENDING LESS OF OUR BASIC FUNDING ON SAFETY AND SECURITY BECAUSE WE HAVE DEDICATED FUNDING FOR IT.

SO IT SORT OF FREES UP A LITTLE BIT OVER HERE.

IT DOESN'T FULLY TAKE CARE OF ALL OF OUR NEEDS, BUT IF THIS INCREASES A LITTLE, MAYBE IT FREES UP SOME MONEY OVER HERE FOR US TO DO OTHER THINGS.

SO WE WILL LOOK AT THAT WHOLE PICTURE.

AND WHEN WE TALK TO LEGISLATORS, WHEN WE ESTABLISH OUR TALKING POINTS ABOUT THE BILL SPECIFICALLY, WE'LL TALK ABOUT ALL THOSE THINGS AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT THE PROS AND CONS.

IT'S THE SAFETY AND SECURITY ALLOTMENT INCREASE IS BENEFICIAL BECAUSE X, Y, Z.

IT DOES HELP US FREE UP SOME MONEY HERE.

HOWEVER, YOU KNOW WE'RE STILL WE STILL HAVE THIS GAP.

AND SO SO WE'LL WE'LL DO WHAT WE CALL A RUN, WHICH IS JUST RUNNING ALL OF THE CHANGES THROUGH THE FINANCE FORMULA.

AND WE'LL DO THAT DURING THE REGULAR SESSION OR A SPECIAL SESSION FOR ANY FINANCE BILL THAT'S, THAT'S FILED THAT WE'RE TESTIFYING ON.

YEAH. AND I GUESS MY ASK WOULD BE JUST TRY TO FIND SOME WAYS TO PROVIDE EXTRA CLARITY OR ADDITIONAL CLARITY TO US ON THAT, BECAUSE TO ME, IT'S IMPORTANT TO KNOW IF WE ARE REALLY ARGUING BETWEEN.

30 AND 1200.

OR IS IF YOU DO ALL THE PLUS PLUSES, ARE WE REALLY SOMEWHERE IN BETWEEN? THEY'RE NOT IN A PERFECT SITUATION.

BUT WE'RE YOU KNOW, WE KNOW WHERE THE GOALPOSTS ARE, RIGHT.

AND YOU CAN'T.

UNFORTUNATELY, WE DON'T HAVE A SYSTEMS WHERE IT'S JUST ONE NUMBER THAT WE'RE COMPARING APPLES TO APPLES.

AND SO THAT CLARITY I THINK IS IMPORTANT FOR A LOT OF REASONS BECAUSE IT HELPS US WITH ADVOCACY.

IT HELPS US WITH CLARITY.

IT HELPS US WITH KNOWING WHAT WE NEED.

AND. IT'S COMPLICATED, I GET IT.

I JUST I GUESS THE ASK IS, IS I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE SOME ABILITY TO BE ABLE TO UNDERSTAND IN AN EVER CHANGING SPECIAL SESSION ENVIRONMENT, PARTICULARLY WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE.

AND I JUST DON'T KNOW HOW YOU DO THAT, GIVEN THAT THERE'S BASIC ALIGNMENT BA AND THEN THERE'S ALL THESE PLUS PLUSES AND AND THAT TO ME IS USED, CAN BE USED AGAINST US WHEN WE'RE TRYING TO ADVOCATE FOR WHAT ADEQUATE FUNDING IS.

AND WE SEE THIS BIG BASIC ALLOTMENT NUMBER.

WELL, WHEN YOU HAVE ALL THESE OTHER PLUS PLUSES AND YOU HAVE, LIKE YOU SAID, THE BILLS 184 PAGES LONG, MY UNDERSTANDING.

AND SO A LOT OF GOOD STUFF IN THERE.

HOW DOES THAT REALLY FACTOR? I MEAN, A LOT OF STUFF THAT THAT WE DON'T AGREE WITH OBVIOUSLY TOO.

BUT HOW DOES THAT FACTOR IN AND LEVEL OUT IN A CLEAR WAY THAT WE CAN THEN GO ADVOCATE? SO AGAIN, I KNOW IT'S COMPLICATED AND I'M THANKFUL, BUT THAT WOULD BE AN ASK.

AND I KNOW IT'S SPECIAL SESSION AND THINGS MOVE FAST.

BUT JUST WHATEVER WE CAN DO TO HELP ON THAT FRONT WOULD BE MY REQUEST.

WE HAVE FOUR MINUTES OKAY.

AND I'M DONE WITH THAT. SO THANK YOU.

WARD. ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS? KIMBERLY, YOU ALL HAVE ANYTHING? MEGAN. OKAY.

THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR TIME.

THANK YOU FOR THIS INCREDIBLE PRESENTATION AND GIVING US DETAILED INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT WE NEED TO BE FOCUSING ON AS IT RELATES TO PUBLIC EDUCATION, ESPECIALLY ADVOCACY ON OUR PART AS TRUSTEES.

WE REALLY APPRECIATE ALL THAT YOU ALL DO FOR THE DISTRICT.

I KNOW THAT US GOING DOWN ALONGSIDE YOU IN SOME CIRCUMSTANCES IS NOT EVEN A FRACTION OF WHAT YOU ALL HAVE TO DO ON A REGULAR BASIS.

SO WE REALLY DO APPRECIATE YOU AND ALL THAT YOU DO.

AND WITH THAT, IF I CAN JUST SEE THE TIME.

AT 1102, I WILL ADJOURN.

THANK YOU.

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.