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[Community Input Meeting on November 3, 2025.]
IT IS UNBELIEVABLY NOVEMBER 3RD, 2025 AT 6:30 P.M..WE HAVE ALL SEVEN TRUSTEES PRESENT AND IN PERSON.
FIRST, BEFORE WE BEGIN, I JUST WANT TO WELCOME EVERYBODY TO HERITAGE HIGH SCHOOL.
I LOVE THE OPPORTUNITY THAT WE HAVE GOTTEN HERE TO HAVE THESE COMMUNITY NIGHTS IN OUR HIGH SCHOOLS.
AND SO WITH THAT I NOW CALL ON MISTER TRUSTEE MADDOX.
THANK YOU, MISTER PRESIDENT. THE BOARD WELCOMES COMMENTS REGARDING ANY ITEM RELATED TO DISTRICT, BUSINESS OR GOVERNANCE FROM CITIZENS WHO HAVE COMPLETED PUBLIC COMMENT CARDS THIS EVENING, WHICH ARE ACCEPTED UNTIL THE BEGINNING OF THE MEETING AND ARE NOT TRANSFERABLE TO OTHER SPEAKERS. PLEASE BE ADVISED THAT THE INFORMATION SHARED IN PUBLIC COMMENT IS NOT AN ENDORSEMENT OF THE INFORMATION SHARED BY THE PRESENTER AND SOLELY PROVIDES THE OPINION OF THE INDIVIDUAL SPEAKER, NOT THE DISTRICT.
EACH SPEAKER WILL HAVE THREE MINUTES TO ADDRESS THE BOARD REGARDING ITEMS RELATED TO THE DISTRICT, BUSINESS OR GOVERNANCE. SPEAKERS WILL BE CALLED IN THE ORDER IN WHICH EACH INDIVIDUAL SIGNED UP TO SPEAK. IF YOU HAVE A SPECIFIC CONCERN RELATED TO AN EMPLOYEE OF THE DISTRICT OR A SPECIFIC STUDENT ISSUE, YOU SHOULD UTILIZE THE DISTRICT'S GRIEVANCE PROCEDURE PROVIDED IN BOARD POLICY DGBA LOCAL, FNG LOCAL, AND GF LOCAL. EACH GRIEVANCE PROCEDURE ALLOWS FOR AN INDIVIDUAL TO ADDRESS GRIEVANCE WITH THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES.
ADDITIONALLY, IF THERE ARE FIVE OR MORE INDIVIDUALS THAT WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK ON THE SAME TOPIC, YOU MAY CHOOSE TO APPOINT AN INDIVIDUAL TO SPEAK ON BEHALF OF THE GROUP.
MR. PRESIDENT. WE HAVE, I BELIEVE, FOUR SPEAKERS LINED UP FOR THIS EVENING.
I WILL CALL YOU UP IN THE ORDER OF WHICH YOU HAVE SIGNED IN.
AND I WILL CALL THE SPEAKER UP AND FOLLOWED BY THE NEXT PERSON TO KIND OF GET READY.
SO WITH THAT, WE'LL BEGIN WITH MISS LESLIE BRADY, FOLLOWED BY MICHAEL MORGAN.
MISS BRADY, COME ON UP. GOOD EVENING. MILLSAP.
FORT WORTH. GARLAND. ALLEN. ANNA. LITTLE ELM.
DENTON. MCKINNEY. PROSPER. CELINA. WHAT DO THESE TEN NORTH SCHOOL DISTRICTS, NORTH TEXAS SCHOOL DISTRICTS HAVE IN COMMON WITH FRISCO ISD? ALL HAD AT LEAST ONE EDUCATOR OR EMPLOYEE ARRESTED JUST THIS YEAR, MADE AFTER ALLEGATIONS OF PHYSICAL AND SEXUAL ABUSE AGAINST STUDENTS.
ACCORDING TO YOUR POLICIES AND THE TEXAS EDUCATION CODE, YOU ALL, AS THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES, SHOULD HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED OF THIS TEACHER'S ARREST SIX MONTHS AGO.
WHAT STEPS AND ACTIONS HAVE YOU TAKEN OVER THE PAST SIX MONTHS TO ENSURE STUDENT SAFETY FROM EDUCATOR MISCONDUCT AND ABUSE? AND IF BY CHANCE YOU ARE NOT AWARE OF THE EDUCATORS ARREST PER THE TIME FRAME AND MANNER OUTLINED IN YOUR POLICIES, WHAT ACTIONS HAVE YOU TAKEN TO ENSURE THAT FUTURE REPORTING IS FULLY COMPLIANT AND INDIVIDUALS WITH REPORTING RESPONSIBILITIES ARE HELD ACCOUNTABLE IF OR WHEN REPORTING DOES NOT OCCUR AS PRESCRIBED BY LAW? I HAVE REVIEWED SEVERAL MONTHS OF YOUR PAST BOARD MEETING, MEETING AGENDAS AND MINUTES, AND IT APPEARS THAT EACH QUARTER THE INTERNAL AUDIT DEPARTMENT ACTIVITY IS REVIEWED.
YOUR WEBSITE LISTS THE AUDIT PLANS FOR EACH YEAR, AND BACKGROUND CHECKS AND FINGERPRINTS WERE SELECTED AS AN AREA OF FOCUS FOR FISCAL YEAR 2023. WHEN CLICKING ON THE FISCAL YEAR 2023 RECOMMENDATION TRACKING INFORMATION, THERE ARE FOUR ITEMS RELATED TO BACKGROUND CHECKS AND FINGERPRINTING.
THIS WAS FROM AN AUDIT THAT WAS COMPLETED ON FEBRUARY 10TH OF 2023.
THIS RECOMMENDATION IS REDACTED, BUT IT IS. IS IT ACCEPTABLE THAT A RECOMMENDATION AROUND BACKGROUND CHECKS AND FINGERPRINTING IS STILL NOT COMPLETED ALMOST THREE YEARS AFTER IT WAS IDENTIFIED? TO KNOW EVERY STUDENT BY NAME AND NEED IS YOUR MISSION.
WHAT STUDENTS NEED TODAY IS TO FEEL SAFE AT SCHOOL.
AS MUCH AS I APPRECIATE EVERYTHING THIS DISTRICT HAS TO OFFER STRONG ACADEMIC CURRICULA, AWARD WINNING MUSIC PROGRAMS, PHENOMENAL ATHLETIC ACTIVITIES, A CUTTING EDGE CTE CENTER, SOLID GRADUATION RATES, AND HIGH SCORES ON STANDARDIZED TESTS.
NONE OF THESE MATTERS IF STUDENTS HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT GETTING ABUSED BY A TEACHER OR STUDENT OR SCHOOL EMPLOYEE, AND CONTINUED FAILURES BY ADMINISTRATORS, DISTRICT EMPLOYEES, AND DISTRICT LEADERS AFTER THE INCIDENT.
EDUCATOR MISCONDUCT HAS GOT TO STOP, AND IT BEGINS WITH THOROUGH AND ROBUST BACKGROUND CHECKS, COMPREHENSIVE ONBOARDING PROCESSES, FULL COMPLIANCE WITH LAWS AROUND REPORTING STRICT ACTION BY GOVERNMENTAL AGENCIES WHEN REPORTS ARE MADE FAIR AND COMPLETE,
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INVESTIGATIONS BY TRAINED PROFESSIONALS. TRANSPARENCY TO PARENTS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS, AND HAVING TRUSTED ADULTS THAT STUDENTS CAN GO TO.I LOOK FORWARD TO YOUR ANSWERS. I WOULD BE REMISS IF I DIDN'T TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO THANK THE TEACHERS, THE VAST MAJORITY THAT WOULD NEVER HARM A CHILD.
I KNOW THAT MOST TEACHERS, MUSIC DIRECTORS, AND COACHES SHOW UP EVERY DAY, GIVE 100%, TEACH WITH EXTREME PATIENCE, AND ARE DEDICATED TO WHAT THEY DO. THEY SHARE OUR CHILDREN BOTH IN WORD AND ACTION, HOW THEY ARE CARED FOR.
I VIEW IT AS A PRIVILEGE THAT MY CHILDREN HAVE THESE TRUSTED ADULTS IN THEIR LIVES.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU MISS BRADY FOR YOUR CONCERNS AND COMMENTS.
MISTER MICHAEL MORGAN, FOLLOWED BY MISTER STEPHEN SMITH.
GREETINGS, EVERYBODY. WELL, I'M HERE TO SPEAK ON BEHALF OF AN AN ELECTIVE COURSE OFFERED BY THE STATE OF TEXAS CALLED THE BIBLE AND ITS INFLUENCE ON WESTERN CIVILIZATION.
AND I BELIEVE THIS IS SOMETHING THAT COULD BE POWERFUL IN OUR SCHOOLS.
THE THING THAT EVERYBODY USED FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES WAS THE BIBLE.
AND SINCE FROM 1620 TO 1963, THE BIBLE WAS IN THE SCHOOL AS A TEXTBOOK.
HISTORY, ENGLISH, YOU NAME IT. DURING THAT TIME, THINGS WEREN'T PERFECT, BUT THEY WENT WELL. THERE WAS DIDN'T SEEM TO BE AS MUCH VIOLENCE AS THERE IS TODAY.
DISCIPLINE WAS BETTER IN THOSE TIMES. JUST THINGS SEEMED BETTER.
WAS IT BECAUSE OF THE BIBLE AND PRAYER WAS IN THE SCHOOL? YOU CAN MAKE SOME ARGUMENT THAT YES, IT WAS. BUT SINCE 1963, EDUCATION HAS SUFFERED WITHOUT THE BIBLE IN THE PUBLIC CLASSROOM, WITHOUT PRAYER, IN THE SCHOOL, DISCIPLINE HAS BEEN WELL, IT'S GOTTEN WORSE.
VIOLENCE IN THE SCHOOL? OBVIOUSLY WORSE. CAN THE BIBLE TOTALLY CHANGE OUR SCHOOLS? PROBABLY NOT. AND I'M NOT SAYING WE NEED TO MAKE THE BIBLE THE CENTER PLACE OF THE SCHOOL.
THE STATE PASSED A CLASS, AN ELECTIVE, A HISTORY OR ENGLISH ELECTIVE, THE BIBLE AND ITS INFLUENCE ON WESTERN CIVILIZATION WHERE THE BIBLE WAS PROMINENT. YES, THE BIBLE CAN BE PROMINENT IN OUR SCHOOL.
YES. THE CONSTITUTION SAYS THE GOVERNMENT SHALL NOT MAKE A CHURCH WITHIN ITSELF.
THAT'S WHY THE PEOPLE CAME HERE FOR FREEDOM OF RELIGION.
I'M NOT ADVOCATING THE BIBLE BE AGAIN THE CENTER OF THE SCHOOL, BUT THE BIBLE IN THE SCHOOL PROBABLY WILL HELP EVEN JUST THE SLIGHTEST TO REDUCE SOME OF THAT VIOLENCE TO DISCIPLINE PROBLEMS. KIDS WILL TALK. THEY WILL KNOW THAT THAT CLASS IS IN THERE, AND THINGS WILL BEGIN TO GET OUT THAT THE BIBLE SAYS THIS.
BUT THE CLASS, IF YOU TRY IT, I THINK IT'LL WORK.
IT'S AN ELECTIVE FOR PEOPLE THAT WANT TO SEE SOMETHING DIFFERENT IN THE SCHOOLS.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. MORGAN. AND DID YOU HAVE SOME MATERIALS FOR THE BOARD? OKAY. THANK YOU SIR. MR. STEVEN SMITH, FOLLOWED BY AND I APOLOGIZE.
I'M GOING TO MESS UP THE LAST NAME. [INAUDIBLE] I CAN BE CORRECTED WHEN YOU COME UP.
OKAY. OKAY. MR. SMITH, GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS STEVEN SMITH.
I'M WITH BIBLE IN THE CLASSROOM, INC., AND I'M HERE TO LET YOU KNOW A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T KNOW THAT THE BIBLE HAS BEEN APPROVED AND IS BEING TAUGHT IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS RIGHT NOW. THE STATE OF TEXAS YEARS AGO, VOTED AND PASSED A LAW THAT MANDATES THAT THE BIBLE AND ITS INFLUENCE ON WESTERN CIVILIZATION IS TO BE TAUGHT TO PUBLIC HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS.
WHY DID THEY DO THAT? THEY FELT THAT IF STUDENTS UNDERSTAND THAT THE BIBLE IF STUDENTS UNDERSTOOD HOW THE BIBLE INFLUENCES THEIR CULTURE, THEY'D BE BETTER PREPARED FOR COLLEGE ENTRANCE EXAMS, COLLEGE, AND ULTIMATELY LIFE ITSELF.
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THAT'S WHY THEY PASSED THE LAW RIGHT NOW. THAT'S NOT ALL.THEY ALSO APPROVED THIS TEXTBOOK AS A CURRICULUM FOR A TEACHER TO FOLLOW.
AND IN HERE IT WALKS THE STUDENTS THROUGH THE BOOKS OF GENESIS, THROUGH REVELATION, AND HOW EACH OF THE BOOKS HAS INSPIRED PERHAPS A MOVIE BOOK, A SONG, ETC.. AND THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE GOING TO LEARN, IS HOW THE BIBLE ACTUALLY INFLUENCES THE CULTURE.
THE CONVERSATION CARRIES OUT OF THE CLASSROOM, INTO THE HALLS AND INTO THE CAFETERIA.
SO IT'S A VERY POWERFUL INFLUENCE IN THE SCHOOLS ITSELF.
MICHAEL IS AN ACCOUNT MANAGER. HE'S ONE OF THREE ACCOUNT MANAGERS IN OUR ORGANIZATION.
HIS TERRITORY IS THIS AREA. EACH OF THEM HAS A TERRITORY.
THEY HAVE DONE WHAT NOBODY THOUGHT COULD BE DONE.
AND THERE'S 30 CLASSES ACTUALLY BEING TAUGHT THIS SCHOOL YEAR.
AND THE REASON WE DO THIS IS BECAUSE WE HAVE A HEART FOR THE NEXT GENERATION.
WE LOVE THIS COUNTRY, AND WE KNOW THAT'S WHERE THE FUTURE IS.
I KNOW YOU HAVE THE SAME, SAME HEART FOR THE NEXT GENERATION AND YOU LOVE THIS COUNTRY.
SO PLEASE, IF YOU WOULD OFFER THIS TO THE FRISCO STUDENTS THIS JANUARY, THEY'LL LOVE IT.
THANK YOU, MR. SMITH. MISS JANICE CUEVA. GOOD EVENING.
GOOD EVENING. THIS IS MY FIRST TIME HERE. I'M NOT REALLY WELL PREPARED.
I'M NOT SURE IF IT'S YOU, PETER. OTHERS. I KNOW YOU CAN GO AHEAD, BUT YES, WE RECEIVED YOUR EMAIL.
WE BELIEVE THAT THE EMERSON WAS NOT JUDGED FAIRLY, SO WE HAD THREE SCORES FOUR, SIX AND 18. SO KIDS PERFORM IN THE RAIN. THEY REALLY DID A GOOD JOB AND WE BELIEVE THEY DESERVED BETTER. THE JUDGE WHO GAVE US 18 REALLY THE SCORE WAS INCONSISTENT.
IT'S REALLY HARD TO BELIEVE THAT IT'S A FAIR SCORE.
SO WE JUST WANT TO KNOW IF THERE IS LIKE POSSIBLE AUDIT OR MAYBE MAYBE JUSTIFICATION, MAYBE EXPLANATION, MAYBE WE CAN EVEN, YOU KNOW, FIND THIS JUDGE AND INVITE HIM TO EMERSON AND TALK TO HIM AND FIND OUT WHAT WAS THE REASON FOR THAT HARSH JUDGING, BUT IT'S DEFINITELY OUT OF LINE. IT'S NOT LIKE 8 OR 10 OR 12 OR 15.
IT'S 18. AND AS SOON AS WE GOT THAT NUMBER, WE WERE COMPLETELY OUT OF FINALS IMMEDIATELY.
IF IT WAS 16, WE WOULD STILL MAKE IT TO FINALS.
WE BELIEVE IT SHOULD BE HIGHER, BUT EVEN IF HE PICKED 16, WE WOULD MAKE ANOTHER FINALS.
SO THE SCORE THAT HE ASSIGNED TO THE PERFORMANCE WAS SO LOW THAT IT SEEMS LIKE IT WAS DONE ON PURPOSE. SO I'M NOT SUGGESTING ANYTHING. I DON'T KNOW, BUT I'M JUST ASKING IF YOU COULD PROBABLY SEE THAT, SEE DEEPER INTO THIS SITUATION AND MAYBE FIND OUT THE REASONS BECAUSE WE JUST BELIEVE OUR KIDS DESERVE NO THAT THE FAIR JUDGMENT IS POSSIBLE HERE IN FRISCO ISD.
THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU, MISS CUEVA. AND I WILL SAY, I KNOW ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD, WE'RE VERY PROUD OF THE EMERSON MARCHING BAND AND ALL THE MARCHING BANDS WHO DID VERY, VERY WELL AT THE COMPETITION OVER THE LAST WEEK OR TWO AND ARE COMING UP FOR STATE THIS WEEK AND NEXT.
AND SO VERY GRATEFUL FOR YOU AND AND FOR EVERYONE THERE.
YES. AND I AND I'M VERY GRATEFUL FOR THE OPPORTUNITY.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND FOR LISTENING TO ME.
UNFORTUNATELY, THIS IS NOT THE FIRST TIME HAPPENING TO US.
ALL RIGHT. SO WE WOULD APPRECIATE. HELP. YOU BET.
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BUT WE WILL HAVE ANOTHER I DON'T KNOW, DO WE KNOW WHERE THE NEXT COMMUNITY NIGHT IS? AT FRISCO HIGH.VERY COOL. SO KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR THAT COMING UP DOWN THE PIKE.
AND AND Y'ALL HAVE A Y'ALL HAVE A WONDERFUL EVENING.
WITH THAT, I'LL CONCLUDE TONIGHT'S COMMUNITY INPUT NIGHT. IT IS 6:46 P.M..
Y'ALL HAVE A WONDERFUL EVENING.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.