December 2024 Annual Report

2024 Texas Association of School Boards

Annual Report

HONORING OUR PAST, FOCUSED ON THE FUTURE A special edition of

Texas Lone Star

Volume 42, Number 10 | December 2024

The Texas Association of School Boards promotes educational excellence for Texas schoolchildren through advocacy, visionary leadership, and high-quality services to school districts.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS 4 President’s Message 6 Editor’s Note 8 A Year in Review 16 A Year in Review: At A Glance 18 TASB 2024-25 Officers 20 TASB 2024-25 Directors 21 TASB Revenue and Expenses 22 Active Member Benefits 24 Advocate of the Year 26 Advocacy Agenda 32 LTASB Class of 2025 38 Executive Director’s Message 39 txEDCON24 100% Attendance 39 Key Events in 2025

A special edition of TASB’s Texas Lone Star magazine December 2024 • Volume 42 • Number 10 Dan Troxell • TASB Executive Director Tiffany Dunne-Oldfield • TASB Deputy Executive Director Laura Tolley • Managing Editor Shu-in Powell • Graphic Designer Lalo Garcia • Photographer 360 Press Solutions • Printer Contributors: Sylvia Wood, Sara Butler, Theresa Gage-Dieringer, Beth Griesmer, Mary Ann Lopez, Matt Mitchell, Denise Schulz, Zachary Roberts Texas Lone Star (ISSN 0749-9310) is published 10 times a year by the Texas Association of School Boards. Copyright © 2024 by the Texas Association of School Boards (TASB).

All rights reserved. Reproduction, adaptation, distribution, and exhibition in whole or in part are prohibited under penalty of law without the written license or permission of TASB. TASB Officers 2024-25 Rolinda Schmidt, President, Kerrville ISD Tony Hopkins, President-Elect, Friendswood ISD Mary Jane Hetrick, First Vice President, Dripping Springs ISD, Region 13B Dan Micciche, Second Vice President, Dallas ISD, Region 10C Sylvia Sánchez Garza, Secretary-Treasurer, South Texas ISD, Region 1B Armando Rodriguez, Immediate Past President, Canutillo ISD TASB Board of Directors 2024-25 Moises Alfaro, Mathis ISD, Region 2 Rose Avalos, Aldine ISD, Region 4A Carlos Bentancourt, Slaton ISD, Region 17 Lynn Boswell, Austin ISD, Region 13A Darlene Breaux, Alief ISD, Region 4B Steve Brown, Ector County ISD, Region 18 Marlene Bullard, Tornillo ISD, Region 19 Kevin A. Carbó, Mesquite ISD, Region 10D Justin Chapa, Arlington ISD, Region 11C Julie Cole, Hurst-Euless-Bedford ISD, Region 11A Thomas Darden, Cooper ISD, Region 8 Dynette Davis, Frisco ISD, Region 10E Angela Lemond Flowers, Houston ISD, 4D Rebecca Fox, Katy ISD, Region 4E Ginger Friesenhahn, East Central ISD, Region 20A Linda Gooch, Sunnyvale ISD, Region 10B Angie Hanan, Fort Bend ISD, Region 4G Carol Harle, Northside ISD-Bexar County, Region 20B Bryan Holubec, Thrall ISD, Region 13C Tricia Ikard, Maypearl ISD, Region 10A Mark Lukert, Wichita Falls ISD, Region 9 Raymond P. Meza, San Felipe Del Rio CISD, Region 15 Steven Newcom, Eagle Mountain-Saginaw ISD, Region 11D Nicholas Phillips, Nederland ISD, Region 5 Quinton "Q" Phillips, Fort Worth ISD, Region 11B Margaret Pruett, Victoria ISD, Region 3 Beth Prykryl, New Caney ISD, Region 6A Tony Raymond, Sabine ISD, Region 7 Keri Roberts, Goldthwaite CISD, Region 12 Alison Busse Savage, Lyford CISD, Region 1A Rich Sena, Boerne ISD, Region 20D Cindy Spanel, Highland Park ISD-Potter County, Region 16 David Sublasky, ESC 19, ESC Representative Greg Welch, Clyde CISD, Region 14

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PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

LOOKING BACK — AND AHEAD Service, advocacy, and an anniversary in 2024!

by Rolinda Schmidt

I

t seems like just days ago when Armando Rodriquez, now TASB’s Immediate Past President, passed the president’s gavel to me at Delegate Assembly during txEDCON24 in San Antonio.

Delegate Assembly is one of my favorite TASB experiences because it offers all members the opportunity to have a direct and equal voice in the determination of TASB priorities. We come together in one big room, united in a common purpose: to provide the best education possible to Texas students.

This meeting was officially established at the annual convention in 1966, and it is an important part of TASB’s history.

Throughout the year, we have been honoring TASB’s 75th anniversary in the pages of Texas Lone Star by writing about the positive impact the Association has had on Texas public schools.

Now, just two months later, we are at year’s end — a perfect time to reflect on not just this past year but those 75 years of rich TASB history as we prepare for the one ahead. This month’s magazine is a special edition that highlights important business information about TASB from the past year.

otal one for public education in Texas. TASB and its members are prepared. Together, we have spent this year building the Advocacy Agenda, which was voted on at Delegate Assembly and will guide our advocacy work during the next two years.

As TASB President, I am honored to advocate on behalf of all Texas public schools and tell lawmakers and others about the great work we are doing on behalf of our students. Texas public schools greatly benefit children, their families, communities, and the state’s economy.

TASB staff members have been working hard to prepare for the challenges ahead. But we also need your help in advocating for public schools. There is power in a united, amplified voice!

As I think about the past year, TASB’s anniversary, and the challenges ahead, I want to take a moment to thank you, our dedicated school board members.

Through the years, thousands of Texans have served tirelessly as locally elected school board members across our great state, dedicating countless hours overseeing budgets, programs, and proposals. They also patiently and intently listen to parents, teachers, and community members, and they advocate on behalf of their districts to local and state leaders, among many other responsibilities. I want to thank you for your service and commitment to Texas schoolchildren.

TASB has been a trusted partner to school boards every step of the way, offering services to enhance local governance and lessen the burden of government on school districts.

Upcoming legislative session

Many of us have an eye on the next legislative session, which begins in January. I think we can all agree it will be a piv4

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Photos by TASB Media Services

Dedicated service to schools

TASB leaders at the Texas Federal Advocacy Conference in Washington, D.C. Bottom row from left: Mary Jane Hetrick, First Vice President; Debbie Gillespie, TASB President 2022-23; and Dan Micciche, Second Vice President. Top Row: Rolinda Schmidt, TASB President; Tony Hopkins, President-Elect; Armando Rodriguez, Immediate Past President; and Dan Troxell, TASB’s executive director.

One way TASB helps you prepare for your role in advocating for your students is through weekly legislative reports prepared during the session and emailed to all School Board Advocacy Network members. TASB Governmental Relations staff track bills affecting public education and keep trustees and superintendents informed on important legislative news so you can successfully speak out on issues of importance to your school district and Texas public schoolchildren in general.

If you’re not already an SBAN member, I urge you to join. Go to tasb.org/advocacy/capitol-watch.

Honoring our work

I love quotes. I find them inspiring, and I often think of certain ones in my work as a school board member. One of my favorites is, "Your time is your life. That is why the greatest gift you can give someone is your time." It’s by Rick Warren, author of The Purpose Driven Life.

I imagine we can all agree that our time as a school board member is both exhausting and rewarding. There are no words to adequately convey the sense of wonder we feel when we are serving our students. It’s what keeps us going through the long hours and missed time with family and friends.

Watching our students achieve on so many levels fills our hearts and strengthens our commitment to excellence in education. Take a moment to reflect on how you spent your time this past year and consider what you might do differently in the coming year. The TASB leadership and staff are also reflecting on and exploring how we can best serve public education.

May each of you and your families have love, joy, and laughter this holiday season. I look forward to our continued work together in the new year.H Rolinda Schmidt, a Kerrville ISD trustee, is 2024-25 president of TASB.

From left: TASB President Rolinda Schmidt, a Kerrville ISD trustee, TASB Second Vice President Dan Micciche, a Dallas ISD trustee, Travis Weatherspoon, an assistant superintendent at Hearne ISD, and H.P. Cargile, a Loop ISD trustee, participate in a closing session activity at the 2024 Governance Camp in Galveston. issuu.com/tasb-org | December 2024 |

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EDITOR’S NOTE

HIGHLIGHTING OUR GOOD WORK Innovation, history, and more at TASB this year

by Laura Tolley

T

his special issue of Texas Lone Star, our annual report, is an opportunity to look back as we prepare for the year ahead. It’s devoted to providing our members with an overview of the exceptional programs, services, and solutions TASB offered this year.

We began the year with the launch of major projects at TASB, and as I reviewed the past 12 months, I realized that we didn’t stop. In January, the Association unveiled a new brand and launched a revamped website to coincide with the celebration of our 75th anniversary. The brand’s three distinct colors — yellow, blue, and gray — symbolize the cohesive groups at TASB that work together in their commitment to Texas public education and the state’s 5.5 million schoolchildren.

Now almost a year old, the revamped tasb.org with its modern look continues to offer improved navigation, a personalized member dashboard, and refreshed content. The branding and website efforts that TASB staff accomplished were huge, and the Association also leveraged the trusted expertise of our TASB Board of Directors for these projects. A group of five directors guided the development of the new TASB brand.

The new website was yet another investment in the Association’s digital infrastructure, part of its efforts to continuously innovate to better serve our members. TASB’s tradition of innovation is one of the driving factors behind the large portfolio of services and solutions the Association has developed and implemented over the years to benefit members and their districts.

Celebrating a milestone

Striving to serve is what TASB has been doing for decades and will continue to do for decades to come. To honor the Association’s 75th anniversary, Texas Lone Star launched a year-long project in January to highlight the positive impact TASB has had on public education in Texas through its highquality services, visionary leadership, and skilled advocacy.

We wrote about TASB’s early years, the evolution of services and programs, the Association’s expert board training programs, the creation of a governance structure that depends on trusted school leaders, and our advocacy efforts, to name a few topics.

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We looked back on the past 75 years — from the post-WWII era of our parents and grandparents to the new world of driverless vehicles and artificial intelligence technology — hoping to gain perspective on what’s to come.

The future holds opportunities and challenges, of course, but TASB’s foundational commitment remains the same: We support Texas public education because we know it’s vital to our children’s future, to the economic health of our individual communities, and the well-being of this great state. We support school board members across the state — from the Piney Woods of deep East Texas to the vast plains beyond the Pecos River.

This past year, Texas Lone Star honored TASB’s 75th anniversary with a series of history articles and archival photos that told the story of how the Association has long served its members and their districts.

Photos from TASB archives

In fact, we dedicated the TASB history project to Texas school members, past and present. We wanted to highlight the fact that school trustees are trusted volunteers devoted to their community. They contribute countless hours to helping provide the best education possible to their students. We are grateful for their leadership and service and in awe of the sacrifices they make to serve. It’s nothing short of a sacred task, and it’s of tremendous consequence to us all, but especially to the kids.

Serving our members with pride

For 75 years, TASB has been a committed partner in your efforts to make “going to school” the best experience it can be for your children.

I learned a lot from the TASB history project this year. I hope you enjoyed not only our stories from yesteryear but all the feature stories, columns, and other articles we provided in the pages of TLS. We also love to hear from you, whether it’s suggestions, story ideas, even complaints. You make us better, more responsive to your needs.

I want to wish all of you a wonderful holiday season and a happy new year! On behalf of the TASB staff members who contribute to the magazine, please know that all of us look forward to serving you in 2025!H Laura Tolley is managing editor of Texas Lone Star.

issuu.com/tasb-org | December 2024 |

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A YEAR IN REVIEW

TASB’S 2023-24 YEAR IN REVIEW As TASB marked its 75th anniversary this year, the Association continued its mission to provide high-quality services, visionary leadership, and skilled advocacy. TASB’s programs and services helped Texas school boards and their districts serve their students on many levels in the 2023-24 fiscal year. Here are highlights of those efforts.

SKILLED ADVOCACY AND TRUSTED GUIDANCE Board Development Services

TASB Board Development Services celebrated the relaunch of the Leadership TASB brand in early August. The new LTASB branding was designed to honor the program’s more than 30-year history and the more than 1,000 Master Trustees it has served. Now, the updated LTASB logo design and color palette have a direct connection to TASB. In June, LTASB also celebrated its latest cohort of Master Trustees. The LTASB Class of 2024 had 33 class members graduate during Summer Leadership Institute in Fort Worth.

The Master Trustees earned a total of 2,228 credit hours over the yearlong program, which included educational visits to districts and communities across Texas.

Texas Trustee Institute, which launched in fiscal year 202223, continued to provide an immersive learning experience for new trustees just beginning their board service. Sessions were offered at SLI and txEDCON24 with about 230 trustees in attendance at both events.

Board Officer Institute, which provides training for trustees who are in officer roles or interested in seeking a board officer role, was also offered during txEDCON24 and SLI. A total of 166 trustees attended the training sessions. BOI also offers trustees a six-week course twice a year, which provides additional oneon-one coaching.

During the 2023-24 fiscal year, Board Development Services and its consultants worked with 86 districts, providing in-person, in-district training for approximately 575 board members.

In addition, Board Development Services’ consultants also presented at the following non-TASB events: • TASA Midwinter Conference • Texas Caucus of Black School Board Members • Region 2 ESC Board Conference • Region 11 ESC Superintendent Conference • Texas School for the Deaf The TASB Online Learning Center continued to be a crucial resource for trustees and other district officials, offering them a simple way to access on-demand training and continuing education programing. In 2023-24, through the OLC: • 1,081 trustees from 386 districts completed virtual training.

• 419 nontrustee users (from an additional 176 districts) took courses in the OLC. • 1,500 learners and 562 districts were served.

• 3,072.5 credits were earned by trustees, and an additional 261 credits were earned by nontrustee users, for a total of 3,333.5 credits.

The top five OLC courses among trustees this year were: • Child Abuse Prevention: What Board Members Need to Know • Update from the 88th Legislature • Advocacy 101 • Advocacy 201: Knowing the Game • Understanding School Finance

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Tomball ISD students perform during the first general session at txEDCON24 in San Antonio.

The OLC launched several new courses during the year, including: • Update from the 88th Legislature • Resolving Conflict with Teammates • Developing a Growth Mindset • The Spring 2024 cohort of the online Board Officers Institute series The OLC made updates to the following courses, while also ensuring greater accessibility, such as screen-reader compatibility, for those taking the online trainings: • Child Abuse Prevention: What Board Members Need to Know • Superintendent Evaluations: A Comprehensive Guide • Understanding School Finance • Texas Open Meetings Act • Advocacy 101 • Advocacy 201: Knowing the Game • Ethics for the School Trustee OLC also hosted other new courses including Legal Spotlight Sessions 2023 and two courses offered by HR Services: Understanding the Fair Labor Standards Act and Supervisor’s Guide to Managing Employee Leave.

Community College Services

During this past year, Community College Services provided legal and policy education and resources to help the colleges respond to several significant legal changes. In addition to the FAQs published on TASB College eLaw and the monthly newsletter Community College Legal Update, the Community College Services attorneys and policy specialist provided training at several state and regional events, most significantly the Texas Association of Community College Attorneys Annual Conference presented in partnership with TASB, the UNT Higher Education Law Conference, and the Texas Association of Community College Business Officials Annual Conference.

Community College Services issued two updates to the

Photo by TASB Media Services

Community College Policy Reference Manual and the associated local policies. The team began work on a new policy localization project, bringing the total number of colleges that maintain their board local policies with Community College Services to 43 of the 50 community colleges.

Community College Services also launched a new service to its localized colleges, the Policy Review Session. Through PRS, Community College Services will help colleges keep their policy manuals up to date with law and best practices.

Governmental Relations

TASB’s 2024 Delegate Assembly, held Sept. 28, marked the end of the 2022-24 TASB Advocacy Agenda, which is a two-year action plan focusing on the priorities of the more than 1,000 local school boards in Texas. Before that meeting, TASB Governmental Relations had worked with trustees throughout the year to develop the 2024-26 Advocacy Agenda, which was adopted at Delegate Assembly.

The Advocacy Priority process began earlier this year when more than 500 trustees met at regional Grassroots Meetings to determine their regional priorities. About 100 trustees later participated in the Legislative Advisory Council meetings to refine those regional priorities into statewide priorities, and 30 boards also submitted more than 150 Advocacy Resolutions. The Advocacy Agenda approved in September will remain in effect until the 2026 Delegate Assembly.

TASB GR also hosted 66 school leaders in Washington, D.C., for the Texas Federal Advocacy Conference in February, where they learned about important federal education issues from leading policy experts. Trustees also had the opportunity to meet with their federal lawmakers and staffers to share specific examples of how federal laws are impacting local school districts and students.

Legal Services

TASB Legal Services hosted three Fall Legal Seminars with about 150 people attending. Legal Services attorneys also presented at numerous events, such as txEDCON24, the TASB Administrative Professionals Conference, Governance Camp, issuu.com/tasb-org | December 2024 |

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EXPERT SERVICES

the Spring Workshops, regional Grassroots Meetings, and the two Summer Leadership Institutes.

The online TASB School Law eSource, which had 48,823 views (from January to August) and contains more than 175 helpful documents and FAQs covering a range of topics, continues to grow. Legal Services reviewed more than 1,000 bills passed by the Texas Legislature and summarized around 240 bills in its Legislative Summary for School Officials. For members looking to stay on top of legal topics relevant to their district, Legal Services published 12 editions of the School Law Update newsletter, available free in the TASB Member Center.

In the past year, the legal team has received around 2,500 calls on topics ranging from the Texas Open Meetings Act to student discipline, and from employee leave questions to questions about school district purchasing.

Benefits CooperativeTM

The TASB Benefits Cooperative continued to offer school districts the TASB Benefits Health, Dental, and Vision Plans, as well as other valuable services such as healthcare consulting.

This year, the Benefits Cooperative helped more than 45 school districts make an informed decision about which health plan to choose for their employees and continued to help districts that are trying to decide whether to stay with their current health care provider or move to another one.

Photo by TASB Media Services

Policy Service TASB Policy Service had a productive year, adding two new districts as Policy Online® subscribers. To help districts stay current on legislative changes from the 88th session, Policy Service completed Updates 122 and 123. The latest update used paperless checking for the first time, which reduced the amount of paper used during a numbered update and enabled checking to take place remotely.

Policy Service worked with Legal Services to develop a policy to comply with the new rules from the State Board of Education on library collections. Policy Service provided a Policy Alert that informed districts of the new policy, which enabled member districts to adopt revised language in advance of Update 123.

The team also processed 1,765 district-initiated local updates and completed Policy Review Sessions for 76 districts.

Along with updates to the Model Student Handbook, Policy Service hosted interactive webinars to help members navigate these changes. A webinar on Policy Alerts to maintain district policy had more than 120 attendees and the Policy Primer for Principals webinar had 148 attendees.

Policy Service also provided in-person training and educational opportunities at the Summer Leadership Institute, multiple Spring Workshops, TASB Conference for Administrative Professionals, and more.

In addition, the quarterly Policy Spotlight newsletter kept members informed on different subjects, including aligning handbooks with policy, maintaining policy manuals, and artificial intelligence policies.

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BoardBook®

More than two-thirds of Texas school districts use BoardBook Premier to simplify preparing and managing their board meetings. BoardBook prioritizes the customer experience, and its annual customer survey revealed an 88% satisfaction rating.

During the 2023-24 fiscal year, BoardBook offered the expanded features and functionality of Tier 2 to all customers. The upgrade added access to automated electronic voting, expanded committee capabilities, and goal tracking. With this upgrade, BoardBook Premier continues to provide the best overall value and experience among online board management systems.

Executive Search Services

For the 2023-24 fiscal year, Executive Search Services assisted 21 districts in finding a new superintendent. Of the 21 districts, seven were large districts, nine were medium, and five were small. Mock interview workshops were held, one in February and one in July. Both events drew a total of 42 candidates. The ESS team participated in conferences, including those held by the Mexican American School Boards Association, National Association of Superintendent Searchers, Texas Council of Women School Executives, TASA Midwinter, Governance Camp, Summer Leadership Institute, and txEDCON24.

In addition, an ESS satisfaction survey was distributed to 21 districts after the superintendent search process. Fourteen districts responded, with each giving a 4.5 rating out of a 5-point satisfaction scale.

Facility Services

TASB Facility Services launched a new program in 2024 called ConnectED Texas. The wireless infrastructure program is designed to help enhance connectivity and strengthen cell service near school campuses and local communities.

During the May 2024 bond election, TASB Facility Services played a pivotal role in helping more than 15 districts pass their bonds. Part of this success is attributed to the Facility Dashboard, which offers a comprehensive facility assessment that districts

can use to communicate facility improvement needs to their local communities. Throughout the year, the Facility Services’ team and its range of services helped districts improve facilities, creating environments that support students’ growth and needs.

HR Services

TASB HR Services continued to provide members with a wide range of resources and services they need to do their jobs. Those efforts in 2023-24 included the following: Texas Education Agency Grant Work • In 2023-24, HR Services finished the second year of the Strategic Compensation Fellowship Grant with TEA and Region 15 ESC. This past year, HR Services conducted 22 projects for 15 districts, including 11 that were small and rural districts with enrollment under 2,000 students.

All consulting services projects • Project count 287 (2023-24) 272 (2022-23) 250 (2021-22) Total increase of 37 projects over the two-year period or a 15% increase ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆

Staffing reviews • Conducted 67 staffing reviews in 2023-24, up from 44 in 2022-23, or a 52% increase over 2022-23 and a 109% increase over the 32 projects conducted in 2021-22.

Employee opinion surveys • Experienced an 89% increase in the number of employee climate surveys conducted in 2023-24 (17) over 2022-23 (9).

Other HR consulting • Expanded consulting services to provide new specialized services to district HR staff and campus leaders, such as leave management consulting, master schedule analyses, HR and payroll process mapping, and specialized compensation consulting. HR Services staff provided members with consulting services that met their unique needs in a cost-effective and time-sensitive manner.

Training and resources • Partnered with the Teacher Retirement System to share information at Summer Leadership Institiute about the healthcare landscape in Texas and provide ideas for managing costs while offering quality benefits. This partnership will continue into 2024-25 as HR Services shares information with public schools about employee benefits.

• In February, TASB launched a new website specifically for community college members.

HR Services provided a College HR Services Resource Library housing an expansive collection of resources, including forms, templates, model employee handbook, and model job descriptions.

HR Services also added 75 new items to the College HR Services Resource Library and produced content specifically for the college news and insights page.

• HR Services produced 168 articles for the HRX newsletter, maintaining its commitment to providing human resources staff with timely news and information throughout the transition to the new tasb.org.

• HR Services staff collaborated with other organizations to provide guidance to TEA to create the Texas content competency worksheet for special education teachers of record that will replace the High Objective Uniform State Standard of Evaluation worksheet starting with the 2025-26 school year.

HRDataSourceTM • Participation in HR Services’ salary surveys is at a five-year high. For HR surveys, participation is at a two-year high.

• Added two new benchmarks to HRDataSource District Personnel salary report (Director of Safety and Security and Security Guard-Armed).

• Created and implemented a new HRDataSource report for members with new HR survey data on vacancies and strategic staffing.

HR Services Survey Participation Rate 2023-24 HR Services Survey

Participation Rate 2023-24

TASB/TASA Superintendent Survey

74%

Extra-Duty Stipend Survey

District Personnel Salary Survey

58%

Community College Salary Survey

70%

Community College Salary Survey

Extra-Duty Stipend Survey

57%

HR Surveys

51%

HR Surveys

District Personnel Salary Survey TASB/TASA Superintendent Survey 0%

10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%

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SAVE THE DATE!

ARE HEADING YOUR WAY IN 2025!

Lubbock

Region 17

March 26

Wichita Falls

Region 9

March 27

Dublin

Region 11

April 1

Kingsville

Region 1 and Region 2

April 3

Houston

Region 4

April 9

San Angelo

Region 15

April 10

Gonzales

Region 3 and Region 13

April 17

Nacogdoches

Region 7

April 22

Huntsville

Region 6

April 24

Uvalde

Region 20

April 29

El Paso

Region 19

May 6

Alpine

Region 18

May 7

Abilene

Region 14

May 8

Commerce

Region 10

May 13

Waco

Region 12

May 15

Canyon

Region 16

May 21

Visit tasb.org/spring-workshops for more information.

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School Medicaid Services

This year marked 30 years of TASB’s work guiding Texas school districts through the dynamic terrain of school Medicaid. With this milestone and to better reflect the team’s deep expertise and the wide range of services offered, TASB Special Education Solutions changed its name to TASB School Medicaid Services.

The team also held its annual SHARS Conference, where more than 250 education professionals from across the state gathered virtually to discuss updates and best practices with peers and program experts. Through events and additional outreach, TASB School Medicaid Services actively supported districts as they navigated the ongoing changes within the School Health and Related Services program.

Student Solutions

BuyBoard®

The Local Government Purchasing Cooperative, BuyBoard, set yet another record in 2023-24, with more than $2 billion in purchases made by cooperative members. This was an increase of more than 17% from the previous fiscal year’s total.

Another record set was the $13 million in rebates that went to 1,375 cooperative members — the largest number of Texas members to receive rebates since BuyBoard’s inception.

Energy CooperativeTM

TASB Energy Cooperative signed up 14 members in the electricity program, consisting of individual electricity contracts.

This brought the total contracted volumes to 1,661,277 MWh on an annual basis for a 2% increase year over year, a positive return given the extreme volatility in pricing.

Texas had a relatively cool summer, resulting in a dip in electricity prices. Members had the opportunity to take advantage of those low long-term contracting prices through November 2024.

TASB Energy Cooperatives fuel program members purchased gasoline, diesel, and propane products amounting to 5.9 million gallons under the fixed-rate and spot programs. The spring fuel pool was a success, with 50 members participating and 2.7 million gallons purchased. Continued high levels of domestic production combined with weaker demand in China led to downward pressure for fuel prices during the summer months.

Photo by TASB Media Services

TASB Student Solutions continued to empower special population teams, serving more than 300 program members, including districts, shared service agreements, charter schools, and education service centers in special education, Section 504, emergent bilingual, and gifted and talented programs.

This past year, Student Solutions undertook the critical task of updating special education operating procedures, which included significantly more revisions than in previous years. By updating these complex procedures and helping districts customize them, Student Solutions relieved the burden on districts, saving them time and reducing stress, so those teams could focus on student success.

Additionally, Student Solutions increased the number of services provided to districts, offering full program reviews, workload staffing analyses, and capacity building, which includes professional development and executive coaching.

KEY PROGRAMS

Beth Griesmer, a TASB senior communications specialist, addresses attendees at the Conference for Administrative Professionals, held in Austin in October.

issuu.com/tasb-org | December 2024 |

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First Public®

First Public, a subsidiary of TASB, is the administrator of the Lone Star Investment Pool and the TASB Benefits Cooperative, which offer investment and benefits management services to school districts, municipalities, higher education, and other local governments across Texas. Both programs reported exciting growth and innovation during the 2023-24 fiscal year.

Lone Star Investment PoolTM

Providing competitive investment pool rates for school districts continued to be the guiding principle of the Lone Star Investment Pool. The pool reached $20.39 billion in average annual assets, ($2 billion higher than the previous year), and had its 11th consecutive year to see an all-time high-peak balance of $26.1 billion in February 2024.

Risk Management Fund

In 2024, the TASB Risk Management Fund celebrated 50 years of serving the risk management needs of school districts, community colleges, education service centers, and other public education entities across Texas.

According to its most recent member survey, more than 98.8% of its members are satisfied with their Fund membership and highly rank its claims handling and customer service. With more than 1,000 members and a 98% retention rate, the Fund continues its commitment to comprehensive and responsive risk solutions as one of the oldest, most successful, and largest risk pools in the nation.

This year, the Fund focused on providing resources and training opportunities to its members. In April, the Fund held its 2024 Conference, where members connected with TASB staff and each other. The conference also provided training to members on how to understand and manage a variety of risks.

Along with the conference, the Fund developed new materials to support members on key issues, including school-based law enforcement and cybersecurity.

In 2023, the Fund committed to technological enhancements that benefit members through improved processes and usability. Those enhancements included UC Connection, a new unemployment wage submission application for Unemployment Compensation program members, which has improved the member experience through features like automatically accepting wage files, alerting users to correct submission errors, and submitting wage files on behalf of multiple members.

During a year of challenges for districts and public educational entities, the Fund maintained its financial strength and ability to remain flexible, adaptable, and relevant for its members.

ENHANCED LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES Governance Camp

The 2024 Governance Camp, held Feb. 29-March 2, had more than 700 attendees, including nearly 250 students, who gathered in Galveston to share stories, learn from each other, and make new friends from across the state. There also was a pre-conference event that focused on harnessing the power of stress to build high-functioning boards. The Camp featured more than 40 governance and leadership sessions and a full day of Student Voice sessions and exhibits. Student exhibitors also shared their educational experiences in a round-robin style conversation dubbed a pep rally. The Student Voice Scholarship Panel on Friday was one of the highlights of the event.

Attendees pack a general session at Summer Leadership Institute in San Antonio.

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Photo by TASB Media Services

Spring Workshops

TASB has co-hosted these regional events with local universities, school districts, and education service centers since the Association was formed in 1949.

In 2024, staff worked with various site coordinators to deliver 14 in-person Spring Workshops between March and May. From El Paso to Wichita Falls, and Lubbock to Kingsville, almost 600 trustees and administrators from across the state participated and reported more than 1,200 hours of continuing education credit.

Summer Leadership Institute

More than 3,000 new and veteran education leaders attended Summer Leader-

ship Institute in San Antonio, June 12-15, or Fort Worth, June 19-22, to strengthen their governance, leadership, and teamwork skills so they can better serve their communities and improve student outcomes. General session speakers for both locations were Sarita Maybin, international speaker and communication expert; Jamie Vollmer, defender and promoter of public education; and Anthony Robles, three-time wrestling All American 2011 NCAA Division I National Champion, a two-time ESPY Award recipient, and the author of Unstoppable. At each location, attendees had the opportunity to attend more than 100 sessions as well as the required Evaluating and Improving Student Outcomes/Senate Bill 1566 training.

Get ready for tax season 2025.

txEDCON24

The largest convening of Texas public education decision makers gathered in San Antonio for txEDCON24 at the Henry B. González Convention Center Sept. 27-29. A total of 5,000 school board members, superintendents, and other education leaders from across Texas came together for informative sessions, spirited panel discussions, and inspirational student performances by Tomball ISD during Friday’s general session, and

by Canutillo, El Paso, Fabens, Socorro, and Ysleta ISDs on Saturday.

Highlights included inspiring presentations by Jose Hernandez, astronaut, CEO, engineer, scientist, and author; John Maxwell, author, speaker, coach, and leader; and Nancy Giordano, exponential strategist, business futurist, and author. With more than 150 concurrent sessions, attendees had the opportunity to learn about a wide variety of topics, including school safety, teacher recruitment and retention, student academic performance, and district culture, to name a few.

Of those who responded to the txEDCON24 evaluation, 87% indicated they felt better prepared to serve the public schoolchildren of Texas, 85% felt energized about working with their board and superintendent, and 87% said they felt inspired to improve student learning in their district.

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issuu.com/tasb-org | December 2024 |

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A YEAR IN REVIEW: AT A GLANCE

2023-24 YEAR IN REVIEW: AT A GLANCE Throughout the year, TASB has been honored to serve its members through a range of services, programs, and events. Here are a few highlights of the 2023-24 year at the Association.

NEW

TASB unveiled a new brand in January to coincide with the celebration of its 75th anniversary and the debut of its revamped website. The brand was designed to translate seamlessly to the new tasb.org, which includes a simplified design, improved navigation, personalized member dashboard, and refreshed content.

This year, TASB Risk Management Fund celebrated 50 years of helping Texas school districts cope with myriad issues, from workplace injuries to severe weather. Launched in 1974, the Fund today provides a range of comprehensive coverage. It also offers loss prevention resources, training, and grant programs, among other services.

Beginning in January, Texas Lone Star honored TASB’s 75th anniversary with a year-long history project. In each issue, the magazine wrote about the positive impact the Association has had on Texas public schools through high-quality services, visionary leadership, and skilled advocacy.

TASB held its annual Spring Workshops in locations across the state to bring insightful and relevant training opportunities closer to home for school board members. These workshops allow board members to earn continuing education credits, receive critical legislative updates, and expand their networks with other education leaders from neighboring districts.

During the first months of the year, hundreds of trustees from across the state took part in TASB’s regional Grassroots Meetings, an important aspect of the Association’s advocacy process. At the meetings, trustees heard updates on the Texas Legislature and discussed many of the important issues facing Texas public schools and students as they worked to identify the most critical items to include in their regional lists.

More than 700 people attended TASB’s Governance Camp in March, including nearly 250 students. The attendees gathered in Galveston to share stories, learn from each other, and make new friends from across the state.

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| December 2024 | issuu.com/tasb-org

In April, Bobby Blount, a longtime Northside ISD school board member and president of the Texas Caucus of Black School Board Members, was named the 2024 recipient of TASB’s James B. Crow Innovation in Governance Award. The award was established in 2022 in honor of its namesake, who retired as TASB executive director in 2021.

More than 3,000 new and veteran education leaders attended Summer Leadership Institute in San Antonio, June 12-15, or Fort Worth, June 19-22, to strengthen their governance, leadership, and teamwork skills so they can better serve their communities and improve student outcomes.

TASB HR Services celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2024. Back in 1984, changes mandated

by House Bill 72 impacted many aspects of public school operations, including human resources. New state and federal regulations left schools scrambling to comply, and TASB met this challenge with the creation of a new service — HR Services, which is a respected and reliable HR resource for educational entities across the state.

TASB announced in June it earned 25 awards from the National School Public Relations Association in the 2024 School Communications Awards program, including 13 Awards of Excellence. The annual awards recognize its members and communications departments for their efforts and expertise in school-related public relations efforts.

TASB’s Delegate Assembly met during txEDCON24 to vote on the future direction of the Association. About 350 Delegates, who came from across the state and represented the vast spectrum of Texas schools, elected TASB leadership, approved changes to the Association’s bylaws, and adopted the 2024-26 Advocacy Agenda that will direct TASB’s legislative efforts during the 2025 legislative session.

More than 100 people gathered in Austin for TASB’s Conference for Administrative Professionals in October. The two-day conference, which is also held in February, is designed especially for administrative support personnel at the district level.

The Leadership TASB Class of 2025 of 34 members was approved at the TASB Board’s July meeting. A committee made up of LTASB Alumni recommended the class members and presented the selections to the TASB Board’s Member Services Committee for approval.

In San Antonio, txEDCON24 attracted 5,000 school board members, superintendents, and other education leaders from across Texas who came together for informative sessions, spirited panel discussions, and inspirational student performances by Tomball ISD during Friday’s general session and by Canutillo ISD on Saturday featuring students from El Paso, Fabens, Socorro, and Ysleta ISDs.

issuu.com/tasb-org | December 2024 |

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2024 -25 TASB OFFICERS

2024-25 TASB OFFICERS Rolinda Schmidt President

Schmidt has served on the Kerrville ISD Board since 1996 and has held the positions of board president, vice president, and secretary.

Before serving as a trustee, she was involved in campus PTOs and was a board member and volunteer for the Kerrville Public School Foundation. Schmidt is actively involved in local youth education programs, including the Salvation Army Boys and Girls Club, Rotary Club Foreign Exchange Student Program, Head Start, and the Kerrville ISD sixth-grade outdoor education program. She was named Families and Literacy’s 2014 Champion of Education.

Schmidt has a bachelor’s degree in social services from San Jose State University. She is a managing partner in her family-owned and family-operated commercial real estate development and management company.

She is a graduate of the Leadership TASB program and a member of the School Board Advocacy Network.

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Tony Hopkins President-Elect

Hopkins has served on the Friendswood ISD Board since 2008 and was elected to his fourth four-year term in 2020.

Hopkins currently serves as board president. He is a Leadership TASB graduate. Hopkins has served on the TASB Board since March 2018.

Hopkins was the president of the Gulf Coast Area Association of School Boards for 2019-20 and 2020-21 and is active in the TASB grassroots process. He is president of Four Creek Investments LLC, an independent energy consulting and investment firm, and serves as chief financial officer of 11 companies.

Hopkins earned a bachelor’s degree from Lamar University and a master’s degree from Rice University.

Mary Jane Hetrick First Vice President

Mary Jane Hetrick is in her fourth term on the Dripping Springs ISD Board of Trustees, currently serving a second year as vice president after serving two years as president. She is a 2017 Leadership TASB graduate.

She received a bachelor’s in business administration from The University of Texas-Pan American (now UT-Rio Grande Valley), a master’s in public administration and certificate in nonprofit management from Auburn University at Montgomery (AUM), and a doctorate in public administration and public policy from Auburn University.

Hetrick’s professional experience includes working as an adjunct professor for AUM, TROY University, and Austin Community College. In 2014, she founded a nonprofit consulting business.

Active in her community, Hetrick was honored by the Dripping Springs Chamber of Commerce with the Hometown Hero award in 2020. She serves on the Dripping Springs Education Foundation Board, as president of the Foster Village Board, and as co-founder and vice president of Patriots’ Hall of Dripping Springs.

Dan Micciche Second Vice President

Micciche was elected to the Dallas ISD Board in 2012. He recently retired from the law firm of Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld. He joined the firm after his graduation from law school in 1981. During his time with Akin Gump, he started and chaired a school partnership program with James W. Fannin Elementary School in Dallas. The program won the State Board of Education’s highest award for community partnerships in 2011. He received the No Kid Hungry Award from Share Our Strength in 2014 and The Closing the Gap Award from Leadership ISD in 2017.

He received his undergraduate degree from Stony Brook University in New York and his law degree from the University of Chicago Law School. He has been recognized by D Magazine as one of the Best Lawyers in Dallas and by Texas Monthly as a Super Lawyer.

Micciche’s civic and charitable activities include serving on the boards of the American Red Cross Dallas, Texas C-BAR (Community Building through Attorney Resources), and American Foundation for the Blind-Southwest Region. He previously served on the School Finance Task Force of the Greater Dallas Chamber and the State Bar of Texas Board. He was a member of the Comptroller’s Tax Advisory Group under three different comptrollers.

Sylvia Sánchez Garza Secretary-Treasurer

Sánchez Garza has served on the South Texas ISD Board since 2008 and is currently the board vice president. She has also served on the Education Foundation of South Texas ISD since 2004. She is a 2012 Leadership TASB graduate.

Active in her community, she currently serves on the South Texas Literacy Coalition Board and is the co-founder of the Annual Mayor Joe V. Sanchez Memorial Book Festival. Sánchez Garza is a member of the Mexican American School Boards Association and the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials.

She has a doctorate in leadership studies from Our Lady of the Lake University’s School of Business and Leadership, master’s in educational administration from Lamar University, master’s in creative writing, and bachelor’s in English from The University of Texas–Pan American.

Sánchez Garza and her husband own B.I.C. Development and Garco Ranch Communities. She is the author of three books and is featured in three anthologies. Her books have won several literary awards. She is a member of the Authors Guild, Texas Authors, and the Writer’s League of Texas. Her latest young adult novel, Ghost Brother, is published by Piñata Books.

Armando Rodriguez TASB Immediate President

Rodriguez is serving his fifth term on the Canutillo ISD Board, where his fellow trustees have elected him as president, vice president, and secretary. He has the distinction of being one of the youngest people ever to be elected to office in El Paso County. Rodriguez is a Leadership TASB graduate and Master Trustee.

A graduate of Canutillo High School and The University of Texas at El Paso, Rodriguez is one of the founding members of the Canutillo Alumni Foundation for Education — the only organization specifically designed to award scholarships to Canutillo graduates.

Rodriguez’s work on behalf of students extends beyond El Paso. He is involved with a variety of education and community boards in Texas and nationally. He currently serves on the board of the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials.

Other previous leadership positions include serving on the National School Boards Association Board of Directors, as chair of the National Hispanic Council, and as secretary of the National School Boards Action Center. Rodriguez has also served as president of the Mexican American School Boards Association and president of the Far West Texas School Boards Association.

Professionally, he is the business development manager of Hellas Construction, Inc. issuu.com/tasb-org | December 2024 |

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TASB BOARD OF DIRECTORS 2024 -25

TASB BOARD OF * DIRECTORS 2024-25 REGION 1A Alison Busse Savage, Lyford CISD

REGION 10B Linda Gooch, Sunnyvale ISD

REGION 1B Sylvia Sánchez Garza, South Texas ISD (TASB Secretary-Treasurer)

REGION 10C Dan Micciche, Dallas ISD (TASB Second Vice President)

REGION 2 Moises Alfaro, Mathis ISD

REGION 10D Kevin A. Carbó, Mesquite ISD

REGION 3 Margaret Pruett, Victoria ISD

REGION 10E Dynette Davis, Frisco ISD

REGION 4A Rose Avalos, Aldine ISD

REGION 11A Julie Cole, Hurst-Euless-Bedford ISD

REGION 4B Darlene Breaux, Alief ISD

REGION 11B Quinton “Q” Phillips, Fort Worth ISD

REGION 4D Angela Lemond Flowers, Houston ISD

REGION 11C Justin Chapa, Arlington ISD

REGION 4E Rebecca Fox, Katy ISD

REGION 11D Steven Newcom, Eagle MountainSaginaw ISD

REGION 4G Angie Hanan, Fort Bend ISD REGION 5 Nicholas Phillips, Nederland ISD REGION 6A Beth Prykryl, New Caney ISD REGION 7 Tony Raymond, Sabine ISD REGION 8 Thomas Darden, Cooper ISD REGION 9 Mark Lukert, Wichita Falls ISD REGION 10A Tricia Ikard, Maypearl ISD

REGION 17 Carlos Bentancourt, Slaton ISD

REGION 12 Keri Roberts, Goldthwaite CISD

REGION 18 Steve Brown, Ector County ISD

REGION 13A Lynn Boswell, Austin ISD

REGION 19 Marlene Bullard, Tornillo ISD

REGION 13B Mary Jane Hetrick, Dripping Springs ISD (TASB First Vice President)

REGION 20A Ginger Friesenhahn, East Central ISD

REGION 13C Bryan Holubec, Thrall ISD REGION 14 Greg Welch, Clyde CISD REGION 15 Raymond P. Meza, San Felipe Del Rio CISD * There are vacancies for Regions 4C, 4F, and 6B.

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REGION 16 Cindy Spanel, Highland Park ISD-Potter County

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REGION 20B Carol Harle, Northside ISD-Bexar County REGION 20D Rich Sena, Boerne ISD ESC 19, ESC REPRESENTATIVE David Sublasky

TASB REVENUE AND EXPENSES

TASB STATEMENT OF ACTIVITIES FOR THE YEAR ENDING AUGUST 31, 2024 Revenue

Percent of Total

TASB Membership Fees

$ 4,800,116

5%

Risk Management Services

32,506,879

34

First Public

9,783,543

10

Business Services

26,074,514

27

Member Services

6,314,590

6

Policy and Legal Services

7,813,046

8

Communications, Marketing, and Events

3,921,230

4

Royalties

4,614,426

5

Other

754,213

1

$ 96,582,557

100%

Total Revenue

Expenses Employee Compensation and Benefits Purchased and Contract Services Supplies and Materials

Percent of Total $ 60,164,528

66%

17,495,985

19

1,129,467

1

Other Operating

6,793,821

8

Depreciation and Amortization

5,481,929

6

$ 91,065,730

100%

Total Expenses

Change in Net Assets from Operations

5,516,827

Non-Operating Activities: Net Investment Income

6,263,402

Change in Net Assets

$ 11,780,229

TASB has expendable net assets of 52.1 percent of annual operational expenditures as of August 31, 2024.

Financial statement information is subject to completion of TASB’s annual financial statement audit and TASB Board approval.

issuu.com/tasb-org | December 2024 |

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TASB ACTIVE MEMBER BENEFITS

BENEFITS OF ACTIVE MEMBERSHIP TASB was established in 1949 to serve Texas school boards across the state, so they have the solutions, products, training, and insights to operate with efficiency and excellence on behalf of their districts and communities.

Being a TASB Active Member offers many exclusive benefits designed to help districts save taxpayer money and keep resources in the classroom where they belong.

When your school board or education service center board joins TASB, you’ll also enjoy the advantages of being part of a nonprofit, nonpartisan, member-led organization that is accountable to school board trustees and public education leaders from across the state.

Expert Legal Assistance

• Access by phone to a team of school law attorneys • Timely legal updates through eSource, a comprehensive online legal resource • Seminars, trainings, and legislative summaries to help keep you informed and in compliance • Additional opportunities to participate in subscription-based services, including our exclusive Legal Research Library

Strong Advocacy Network

• Member-led development of TASB Advocacy Agenda through grassroots process at local, regional, and state level • Access to specialized tools, training, and legislative alerts to help advance and strengthen public education • Subscription to The Legislative Report, an e-newsletter dedicated to the latest happenings at the Capitol • Exclusive invitation to join the School Board Advocacy Network and attend members-only legislative conferences in Texas and Washington, D.C.

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Quality Professional Development

• Member access and member rates to signature training events, including Governance Camp, Summer Leadership Institute, and txEDCON • Training opportunities close to home with regional Spring Workshops and other specialized programs including Fall Legal Seminars • Access to the Online Learning Center, with 35 ondemand classes to fit your schedule • Other opportunities for leadership development with specialized programming for trustees of all experience levels through Texas Trustee Institute, Board Officer Institute, and Leadership TASB • Customized board development programs built to meet training and team-building needs • Easy tracking and simplified reporting of continuing education credits through our proprietary digital tool, myCEC

Trusted Expertise, Resources, and Publications

• Members-only access to digital updates and resources on tasb.org • Specialized publications on trending public education issues and foundational board governance topics • Assigned field representative who understands your district and region • Free subscription to the award-winning Texas Lone Star magazine for up to 10 district contacts • Monthly e-newsletter subscription to The Star on timely topics and training opportunities

Member Voice and Governance

• Opportunity to take part in TASB’s Delegate Assembly and Grassroots Meetings to help chart the future of public education and the Association • Options to enhance leadership skills through statewide service on the TASB Board of Directors, offering regional representation and networking opportunities • Confidence that you’re joining a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization with more than 75 years of stability, success, and experience

Recognition and Accolades

• Invitation to submit nominations for prestigious Superintendent of the Year Award to honor outstanding public education leadership • Toolkits and resources to celebrate School Board Recognition Month and Media Honor Roll • Access to student programs and scholarships

TASB Risk Management Fund

TASB MEMBERS GET MORE Elective programs, services, and products In addition to the extensive benefits of a basic TASB membership, those that join the Association have exclusive access to elective programs, services, and products designed to meet the unique needs of school districts.

Some services are offered separately, allowing members to select the services that best fit their local needs. Members may choose to take advantage of additional fee-based programs like Policy Service, Executive Search Services, HR Services, School Medicaid Services, Student Solutions, and Facility Services.

A TASB membership also opens the door to potential participation in affiliated entity programs, such as the BuyBoard®, TASB Risk Management Fund™, TASB Benefits Cooperative™, and TASB Energy Cooperative™, based on their eligibility criteria.

Participation in the Lone Star Investment Pool™, a TASB affinity program, does not require TASB membership.

• The largest and oldest risk pool in Texas serving school districts and other educational entities • Access to comprehensive and competitive risk solutions and services • Accountable leadership made up of school board trustees and administrators • Timely training, resources, and insights to mitigate risk

TASB Energy Cooperative

• Competitive, fixed electric and fuel rates to increase budget certainty • Simplified procurement of energy products • Member governed by leaders of school districts and other governmental entities • Dedicated and responsive customer service

Policy Service

• Policy Alerts and updates to publications in the Governance and Management Library • Access to Policy Online®, a digital and accessible platform for your policy manual • Dedicated consultant to assist with local policy updates that meet the needs of your district • Specialized training webinars, e-newsletter subscription, and best-in-class policy expertise

HR Services

• Salary and HR surveys, and access to TASB HRDataSource™️ • Consulting services including compensation studies, HR and staffing reviews, and employee opinion surveys • Access to the extensive HR Services Resource Library • Specialized publications and products • Access to trainings, webinars, and events

BuyBoard

• A trusted, compliance-focused procurement process that streamlines purchasing • Competitive pricing, reduced administrative costs, and high-quality service • Potential for annual member rebates • Access to everything from school buses to pencils

Facility Services

• Facility assessments and long-range planning • Environmental management and compliance for asbestos, lead, and air quality • Integrated pest management • Training, consulting, and staffing analysis • Innovative program from exclusive outside provider to increase cellular connectivity

Executive Search Services

• Strategic planning and leadership profiles • Customized searches to fill key leadership roles • Community engagement, transition services, and team building • Satisfaction guaranteed

TASB Student Solutions

• Customizable special education model operating procedures • Online and local training opportunities • Access to online portal to streamline tracking and compliance • Customizable Section 504 model operating procedures • Program review and resources for special populations

TASB School Medicaid Services • Access to exclusive SMART Solutions™ software • Annual SHARS conference and online training opportunities • Compliance and billing support • Subscription to quarterly SHARS Matters e-newsletter

TASB Benefits Cooperative

• Strong benefit plans to recruit and retain employees • Voluntary options to extend your benefits packages • Strength in numbers with more than 70,000 school employees enrolled to date • Consulting services to evaluate district options

BoardBook® Premier

• Online access to meeting information and document management • Intuitive navigation and streamlined features for ease of use • Flexible range of permission options for all users • Seamless cloud-based interaction

issuu.com/tasb-org | December 2024 |

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ADVOCATE OF THE YEAR

ADVOCATE OF THE YEAR From serving his country to serving his district

by Matt Mitchell

Q: What got you into advocating for Texas public schools and your district?

In the Marine Corps, we had a term known as ‘voluntold’— basically, you’re being volunteered by somebody else. My getting involved was kind of like that. It was almost an accident, to be honest. But at the end of the day, being voluntold is about how you embrace what you’re doing.

A couple years ago when I was starting out, I went up to San Antonio for a Grassroots Meeting, not really knowing what to expect, and I ran into Rolinda Schmidt, who was the Region 24

| December 2024 | issuu.com/tasb-org

Photo by TASB Media Services

A

lex Kotara has been serving others for much of his adult life, well before he became a trustee for his hometown district of Karnes City ISD — and TASB’s 2023-24 Advocate of the Year.

After graduating high school in 1997 and then attending Texas A&M University, Kotara’s life of service took off when he joined the Marine Corps. He spent the next 10 years as an infantry assaultman deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan before transitioning to a role as an air traffic controller. This next career phase would lead Kotara to help provide humanitarian aid and disaster recovery work in Japan, Thailand, the Philippines, and Nepal.

Kotara moved back to South Texas in 2016 to settle down with family, where he is now a member of several charity and service organizations, and the Karnes City ISD Board of Trustees.

Just as he once served his country, Kotara now serves the school district in the South Texas town he is proud to call home.

Kotara was named Advocate of the Year at txEDCON24, where the award has been presented annually since 2021. This honor recognizes trustees who go above and beyond to speak up strongly for Texas public schools.

“Alex is a tremendous advocate for the students of Karnes City and those across Texas,” said Dax González, division director of TASB Governmental Relations. “He has worked at the local, state, and federal levels to improve educational outcomes for children with his common-sense approach to advocacy and has brought others along with him.”

Texas Lone Star talked to Kotara about his efforts to advocate for public education in Texas.

Kelly Rasti, associate executive director of TASB Governmental Relations, presents Karnes City ISD Trustee Alex Kotara with the 2023-24 Advocate of the Year Award during Delegate Assembly at txEDCON24 on Sept. 28.

20 director at the time. We started talking, and she said I needed to run for the Legislative Advisory Council, which I knew nothing about. I threw my name into the hat for my region and talked my way into it, and then went to my first LAC meeting the following April. As I started working with the rest of the LAC through wordsmithing and agenda building processes, I realized it was something I found really interesting and worthwhile.

Q: What’s been your biggest highlight these past few years in your advocacy work?

One of the biggest things for me has been continuing to build and develop a strong relationship with my congresswoman, Rep. Monica De La Cruz. I first came into contact with her office two years ago while working on an issue that would affect the Foundation School Program and the state’s Bond Guarantee Program for school districts. It needed to be addressed at the federal level, so on a Friday afternoon, I reached out to her office through someone I knew on her staff, and by the following Monday morning, she had signed onto federal legislation to address the issue.

This demonstrated how few people it actually takes to keep things moving and how simple the advocacy process can be. Getting in there and seeing how quickly things can get done when people really push is what sold me on doing this work.

Q: What are your approaches to advocacy?

I view my approach to advocacy as pragmatic. I think oftentimes, within the political process, people end up voting against their own interests. This is why grassroots efforts are important. You can’t just blanket sweep a commercial out there to hit everyone in the county and in 10 seconds give them a tagline to hang on to. You really have to get out there in the community and make sure people understand these issues and the impact on their lives. It can be an uphill battle because education takes time, but you just have to show people the common sense of the things they’re voting for or against.

Photos courtesy of Alex Kotara

Q: What advice do you have for other trustees who want to up their advocacy efforts?

It’s easy to get involved, so just jump in. In today’s age of technology and Kotara meets with U.S. Rep. Monica information flow, it doesn’t take an act of Congress to meet with your conDe La Cruz, R-Texas, to discuss issues affecting Texas public schools. gressperson, representative, or state senator. They’re very approachable. Not only that, but all our state’s legislative hearings are Kotara stands outside U.S. Sen. John Cornyn’s (R-Texas) office during broadcast and are easy to tune in to. You can watch the Texas Federal Advocacy Conference, which was held in February in the streams online and keep tabs on the agendas as Washington, D.C. they’re posted. It’ll make you more aware of what’s going on and where we need to be working.

There are always groups out there to get involved in — like the School Board Advocacy Network, Texans for Public Education, and Raise Your Hand Texas — that might align with what you’re advocating for. Join these groups and let them do some of the legwork for you in arranging meetings with lawmakers and other advocates.

Q: Why do you think advocating is important and what do you enjoy about it?

I grew up in a small community where I was very involved early on in things that were serviceminded, which then led to a career in the Marine Corps. I’ve always taken more enjoyment out of doing things for others, and serving my district falls in line with that.

It takes somebody to speak up and do the work on behalf of our schools, but the public education community has a hard time doing that.

Our teachers and administrators are full-time employees, and you also don’t want to pull kids out of classrooms; the advocacy shouldn’t fall to them.

Being a trustee is a volunteer position, and when you do the work, you’re doing it on behalf of something greater. We advocate for our schools, so they don’t have to. It brings me a little bit of pride in doing the work, and a whole lot more pride in seeing the effects it has on our schoolchildren and communities.H Matt Mitchell is a staff writer for Texas Lone Star.

Kotara and fellow Karnes City ISD board members recognize elementary school students who participated in a University Interscholastic League speaking competition.

issuu.com/tasb-org | December 2024 |

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TASB’S ADVOCACY AGENDA

TASB’S ADVOCACY AGENDA TASB’s 2024-26 Advocacy Agenda was adopted Sept. 28 at Delegate Assembly, held in San Antonio during txEDCON24. At the annual meeting, Delegates representing school boards from across Texas amended the Cornerstone Principles and adopted new Priorities and Resolutions. The Advocacy Agenda serves as a guide for TASB’s advocacy efforts for Texas public schools. It will remain in effect until the 2026 Delegate Assembly adopts the next one, and the 2025 Assembly will have the opportunity to amend the agenda after the 2025 legislative session. Following is the full 2024-26 Advocacy Agenda.

CORNERSTONE PRINCIPLES • Excellence in student achievement for all Texas students and effective accountability • Locally elected nonpartisan trustees who govern public schools committed to efficient, effective, and studentfocused school governance • Safe and secure schools that foster the physical, mental, and emotional well-being of students and staff • Fulfillment of public schools’ unique constitutional duty to educate every child with sufficient and equitable funding to provide an exceptional education • Strong family and community engagement to create optimal opportunities for each child • Preventing the diversion of public funds through vouchers, tax credits, education savings accounts, and other mechanisms • Promotion of equity, intentional eradication of systemic racism, and the recognition of all cultures and races that have contributed to the rich history of Texas and the United States to include support for diversity and cultural awareness initiatives throughout the state

ADVOCACY PRIORITIES TASB values the students, parents, legal guardians, teachers, staff, taxpayers, and locally elected trustees who form the public education community in Texas. We support the continuous improvement of public schools and believe decisions related to education should be made through the lens of educational opportunity, meaningful accountability, and clear expectations.

By partnering with legislators and other key decisionmakers on the following priorities, we will enhance educational 26

| December 2024 | issuu.com/tasb-org

outcomes and experiences for students, continue to provide an educated workforce, and, in turn, bolster the economic prosperity of our state.

Invest in Students

TASB calls upon the Texas Legislature to fulfill its constitutional obligation to invest in students. The State of Texas will: • Support students and properly resource all public school classrooms by increasing the basic allotment, biennially adjusting it for inflation, moving to an enrollment-based funding model, and ensuring all state requirements are completely funded • Invest in teacher recruitment and retention • Ensure all schools that receive state funding are held to the same transparency requirements, accountability standards, and enrollment practices as public schools • Create transparency in the recapture system to ensure local tax dollars intended for public schools are used for public schools

Empower Local Communities

TASB calls upon the Texas Legislature to empower communities to govern their schools by removing barriers that limit school board members from fulfilling their duties. Also, locally elected trustees must have the authority and flexibility to: • Access and review updates — in a timely manner — to manage a meaningful, consistent, and transparent state accountability system • Protect students and staff by implementing safety measures — completely supported by state funding — that meet the unique needs of their campuses and communities, including flexibility to address mental health needs and student behavior • Advocate for their students and schools

ADVOCACY RESOLUTIONS Accountability and Assessment

Photo by TASB Media Services

TASB advocates for the Texas Legislature to direct the Texas Education Agency (TEA) to cease making changes to STAAR tests and cut scores to allow districts to use the data to determine growth. In addition, TASB advocates for the Legislature to direct TEA to cease making changes to the accountability standards for a minimum of five years.

TASB advocates for opposition to any efforts by the Texas Education Agency to escalate from a monitor or conservator to a state takeover by establishing a board of managers that does not clearly set goals and a path to return local governance back to the community as quickly as possible. TASB urges the Texas Legislature and/or the governor to require the commissioner of education to add transparency to these state measures; hold the agency accountable to the students, parents, and local community; and add language that returns governance to a locally elected board of trustees, accountable to voters and the community, as quickly as possible.

TASB advocates for creating college, career, and military readiness-like accountability indicators for middle schools.

TASB advocates for a grace period of at least one year in the assignment of campus and district ratings following significant changes to STAAR/end-of-course exams and/or the state accountability system.

TASB advocates for state policy to match federal regulations regarding students’ ability to test in their native language.

TASB advocates for an accountability system that does not apply the same sanctions to campuses and districts that receive a D-rating over three consecutive years as the sanctions applied to F-rated campuses.

TASB advocates for reforms to the state’s accountability system to reduce the overreliance on standardized testing, incorporate a broader range of student performance indicators, and release the state accountability manual in a reasonable amount of time before the school year begins to ensure districts can adequately prepare and comply with new standards.

TASB advocates for a repeal of the A-F accountability system and supports the creation of an accountability system that incorporates fair measures of achievement based on state and local standards and reduces testing to those required by federal law.

TASB advocates for a more targeted approach to interventions by the Texas Education Agency.

TASB advocates for a statewide workgroup to develop

Trish Bode, a Leander ISD trustee, asks a question at Delegate Assembly, held this fall in San Antonio. issuu.com/tasb-org | December 2024 |

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Charter Schools and Privatization of Public Education

TASB advocates for a moratorium on charter expansion to avoid cuts to public school districts.

TASB opposes legislation that marries teacher pay, public education funding, accountability, or assessments to vouchers, education savings accounts, or any such diversion of state funding in any form from public schools, which serve all students and are held to rigorous state and federal standards, to private entities.

TASB advocates for legislation aligning the charter expansion process to the initial authorization process. Likewise, TASB advocates for detailed processes and procedures; effective, open communication, such as notice requirements in charter applications and amendment requests, including specific locations of proposed new campuses, sufficient notice, and opportunity for analysis and public comment; and a fiscal note including a charter’s cost to the state, impact on local districts, and cost of anticipated enrollment growth over 10 years.

TASB advocates for legislation that mandates charter schools adopt enrollment practices that encourage them to serve a population of students similar to the area in which the school is located and to comply with the elements of Texas Education Code Chapter 37. Likewise, legislation should be explored that would require charter schools to accept students regardless of documented histories of special education and behavioral or attendance concerns.

Delegate Assembly, TASB's official membership meeting, was held this fall at txEDCON24 in San Antonio.

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Governance

TASB advocates for the Texas Legislature to allow school district bond and voter-approval tax ratification propositions to include ballot language that accurately informs voters of what the measure seeks to accomplish.

TASB advocates for the Texas Legislature to limit the ability of other districts to operate in-person educational programs within the boundaries of another district without that district’s permission.

TASB advocates for retaining the district of innovation law.

TASB advocates against legislation that allows for the uncontrolled establishment or expansion of virtual education programs in a district without permission.

TASB advocates for a statement of impact describing the effect to state funding of public education for any legislation pertaining to property tax relief, including both immediate and long-term impacts.

TASB advocates for the Legislature to create a statutory discount rate for electricity for school districts.

TASB opposes legislation that increases ballot language requirements, limits dates upon which elections may be held, or creates additional requirements for voter-approved tax rate elections and bond elections, such as voter turnout thresholds.

Instructional Materials and Curriculum

TASB advocates for the Texas Legislature to require that the State Board of Education streamline the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills to limit standards for each subject at each grade level to what can be taught before state-mandated tests within the given school year.

Photo by TASB Media Services

a new accountability system that appropriately measures all factors of an effective education and makes use of the options and flexibility offered by the Every Student Succeeds Act.

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in

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TASB advocates for expansion of materials approved through the new Instructional Materials Review and Approval process and more local decision making and flexibility in the selection of instructional materials that receive funding at the higher level.

School Finance

Photo by TASB Media Services

TASB advocates for amending school finance to increase funding investments to place Texas in the top quartile nationally for its state’s per-student allocation for public education in order to compensate teachers and reduce class sizes for optimal instruction and learning.

TASB advocates for an increase in the bilingual education allotment.

TASB advocates for the reimplementation of the Cost of Education Index into school funding formulas.

TASB advocates for legislation that would ensure that all federal funding for Texas schools reaches Texas schools as intended, without interference or delay from the state, and prohibit the use of such funds to supplant state funding obligations.

TASB advocates for legislation requiring examination of student enrollment trends and inflation in order to adjust the basic allotment and Tier-One student-based allotments to adequately fund the educational needs of all students and increase pay for teachers and staff.

TASB advocates for requiring all recapture dollars to be spent on Texas public school districts by establishing a separate, dedicated, transparent fund, ending the practice of the state

Berlin Bradford, a Coldspring-Oakhurst CISD trustee, speaks at Delegate Assembly.

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supplanting its investment in education with recapture dollars and preventing the use of recaptured tax dollars for charter schools, private schools, or any other project that is not related to public school districts.

TASB advocates for providing considerations, accommodations, and relief for fast-growth school districts to include increasing the capacity of the Fast Growth Allotment to acknowledge the growing statewide need and to reduce or eliminate proration.

TASB advocates for the Legislature to assess, analyze, and make recommendations to improve the process and timeline associated with the receipt of certified property values and the mandated approval of school district budgets. Any discrepancies or deficiencies should be covered by the state and not impact school district budgets.

TASB advocates for a study of the recapture system to examine whether the current operation of the system aligns with the original goals when created in 1993.

TASB advocates for a study of the impact of recapture on housing affordability.

TASB supports instituting a formula to determine the amount of recapture paid by districts that takes into account the demographics of the student population.

School Safety

TASB calls upon the Texas Legislature to supplement property insurance for Texas schools to help safeguard our educational institutions from unforeseen damages and disasters, ensuring that funds remain focused on student learning and achievement.

TASB advocates for an increase in the school safety allotment to fully fund the mandates approved under House Bill 3, which include an armed security officer at each campus during the school day.

TASB advocates for updating the Texas Education Code to allow school districts to exercise discretion in making disciplinary decisions regarding vaping-related offenses.

TASB advocates for establishing a criminal offense for openly carrying a firearm on or within 300 feet of district property with the intent or effect of creating a disruption to the educational environment.

TASB advocates for legislation that prohibits a smoke shop being located within 300 feet of a public school or 1,000 feet upon a school board’s request to local authorities.

Special Education

TASB advocates for the increase of special education funding at the state level and full funding and modernization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act at the federal level.

TASB advocates for special education funding formula

revisions to focus on student needs rather than the amount of time spent in a particular classroom setting.

Students

TASB advocates for increased funding and support for research initiatives aimed at identifying the underlying factors contributing to the persistent underperformance and disparities experienced by certain student groups, particularly those from impoverished areas.

TASB advocates for the Texas Legislature to support the learning of all students — especially early learners — with full funding for statewide, universal, high-quality, full-day prekindergarten programs to include transportation, facilities, and strengthened mixed-delivery programs made in partnership with public school districts for prekindergarten-3 and prekindergarten-4.

TASB advocates that the Texas Legislature support the learning of all students by continued funding of public education for all children living in the state regardless of immigration status.

TASB advocates for adequate funding and support aimed at school districts providing a whole child learning experience for better student educational outcomes. This includes policies intended to meet the basic needs of children and families with a robust safety net that creates a foundation for student success across the board.

TASB advocates for adequate funding to provide students and staff with more robust mental health support, such as additional counselors, nurses, and psychiatrists; expansion of programs and resources with local mental health authorities; and campus collaborative efforts with nonprofit organizations to provide mental health services to students, staff, and families.

Teachers and Staff

TASB advocates for the development of incentive programs by colleges and universities and grant programs from the Texas Education Agency to facilitate collaboration between school districts and higher education institutions on recruiting and graduating additional licensed professional counselors, preferably bilingual, to meet the needs of students significantly impacted by stressors related to the pandemic.

TASB advocates for increased and sustainable funding to support ongoing teacher residency programs and new/novice teacher induction years support.

TASB advocates for increases in teacher and staff salaries in rural areas to raise the number of highly qualified personnel.

TASB advocates for removing restrictions regarding the use of TRS retirees to allow districts to address staff shortages by employing retirees without financial penalty.

TASB advocates for increasing the state contribution to healthcare premiums and allowing school systems to select multiple healthcare plans to meet teachers’ needs.H

Forward Together.

For 50 years, the TASB Risk Management Fund has helped Texas public schools navigate uncertainties and mitigate risks. As we move forward, that commitment to our members remains.

tasbrmf.org

issuu.com/tasb-org | December 2024 |

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LTASB CLASS OF 2025

TRUSTEES IN TRAINING Leadership TASB Class of 2025 launches

by Mary Ann Lopez

C

ontrollers in hand and eyes fixed on a video game, a group of students were guiding and encouraging curious school board trustees who were eager to learn more about gaming strategy and esports. Thanks to their student counterparts, trustees in the new Leadership TASB Class of 2025 were having fun while learning about an innovative program.

The game play might have appeared to be just for fun, but as the students and teachers at Fort Sam Houston ISD’s Robert G. Cole Middle and High School in San Antonio shared, the RGC Esports club offers students another way to explore technology and build inclusivity while also providing career exploration opportunities.

“This program, doing it as a club, you’ve got kids who may not belong to any other club, this is a place of belonging,” said Sara Burleson, a school board trustee from Midland ISD and an LTASB class member. Burleson noted the program was a way for students to build connections and gain access to technology and learn about future career paths. And while some folks may not fully understand esports, Burleson thought from an educational and technological perspective, it was worthy of exploration.

’Boots on the ground’

The esports program was just the first of many classroom stops that the 34 members of the newest LTASB cohort will be making over the next year as part of the program’s efforts to provide participants with an in-depth exploration of leadership skills and immersive experiences. The group will examine best practices and research-based techniques for leading school improvement efforts through policy, collaboration, and community engagement.

The group had its first meeting in September at txEDCON24, where members had an introduction to the LTASB program before embarking on their first field trips, touring two of Fort Sam Houston ISD’s campuses in the morning, followed by an afternoon visit to Randolph Field ISD. Both districts are located on military bases, which provided the trustees with a unique experience and view into innovative programming.

The cohort normally holds its inaugural meeting during txEDCON, where they get an introduction to the norms and expectations of the program, and then begin bonding and connecting, which is integral to the LTASB experience, said Robert Long III, division director of Board Development Services and LTASB program manager.

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Trustees from the LTASB Class of 2025 are greeted by students from Robert G. Cole Middle and High Schooll in San Antonio.

“This year, we started the program off strong and integrated field trips in our inaugural weekend,” Long said. “The trustees wanted to get boots on the ground and see how districts on military bases do things. It was the perfect way to capture the importance of this work they will be doing.”

Visiting the campuses gave the trustees a chance to explore the unique challenges that the districts face and allowed them to see the innovative solutions they use to address these situations, he said.

Because the district is on a military base, it is not able to collect property taxes or hold bond elections, which can pose

Trustees from the LTASB Class of 2025 are greeted by students from Robert G. Cole Middle and High School in San Antonio.

Photos courtesy of Mary Ann Lopez

A group of trustees observe students working on a STEM project during a visit to Fort Sam Houston Elementary School in San Antonio.

Janet Spurlock, an Alief ISD school board member, plays a video game with students during a tour of Robert G. Cole Middle and High School in San Antonio.

challenges for funding programs or projects, officials with Fort Sam Houston ISD explained during the campus tour. The district is one of three military school districts in Texas, all located in San Antonio, and it serves roughly 1,630 students. The district relies heavily on grants and other funding, such as Department of Defense Education grants, to support its needs.

Student leadership

During the visit, trustees split into small groups to tour the campus, stopping in classrooms and learning about programs directly from students. One group of trustees met with student

cadets in the JROTC program, who explained that the school created the Leadership and Character Development Corps, which is geared toward supporting middle school students.

Because students may relocate many times, the district has built systems that support the school culture and address students’ high mobility. The LCDC program allows the older students to gain leadership skills while they mentor those who are younger. The goal is to help students maintain connections and to acclimate more easily.

Burleson said she was really impressed with the program and the student leaders, adding that she thought a similar program could benefit students in her district in West Texas.

“I know in our district we have a lot of movement, though not military,” she said. “To take some of this learning from a school that does have movement, taking the students where they are, building those leadership skills in them and ... having mentors for them when they come in. I thought that was really good.”

Even though the district has a large number of students who may transfer in or out, it still has high expectations for academic achievement.

Positive planning

Mina Schnitta, Fort Sam Houston ISD’s assistant superintendent for teaching and learning said, “Our mobility is not an excuse for us.”

To support its teachers, the district focuses on instructional coaching and also ensures that teachers in every core area meet with their professional learning communities and have a planning period every day, Schnitta said. One positive result of the increased focus on planning and instruction is that the high school was able to improve its college, career, and military readiness scores from 67% last year to 91% today, she said.

The LTASB group finished its morning enjoying a lunch that the school’s culinary arts students prepared. issuu.com/tasb-org | December 2024 |

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Networking and collaboration

During the field trip, Robert Anderson from West Rusk County Consolidated ISD said he was getting acclimated to LTASB and enjoying the program. Coming from an East Texas district with 1,030 students, he said he felt blessed that his district didn’t have to contend with some of the challenges larger districts were facing. But he agreed one area posing a challenge to most districts was budgets.

“You know, one of them [LTASB members] told me they had like a $340 million annual budget, whereas ours is like $14 million,” Anderson said. “But still, you have to stretch that money to cover all the different expenditures.”

Anderson said he’d applied to LTASB at the urging of a fellow board member, Will Sudweeks, who had participated as a member of the Class of 2019.

“He began talking to me about it, trying to coach me into it,” Anderson said. “Finally, I just decided to hook up. Hopefully, it will help me to grow to be a better leader, a better communicator, and overall, a better board member.”

He isn’t alone. Many of the other participants said they applied because they heard it would be a great opportunity to build a network while also gaining skills to be more effective leaders.

Leadership TASB was developed and designed by school board members for school board members in 1993 as part of TASB's goal to provide visionary leadership to Texas school boards. Since its founding, LTASB has developed into the

premier school board training program in the state with more than 1,000 alumni Master Trustees.

Trustees will have three more field trips. They will be traveling to El Paso, Austin, Brazos, and the Research Valley, and concluding the program presenting their final capstone projects prior to graduation in Fort Worth in June 2025 during Summer Leadership Institute.

Lisa Kallies from Crosby ISD, which is located northeast of Houston, has been on her board less than two years. She was initially hesitant to apply since she is still new to her board. She pictured the participants as trustees who had been serving for quite some time. But after hearing about the benefits of the program from an LTASB graduate on her board, she took the chance.

“I started thinking how nice it would be to just have a network of people who do what I do because you just kind of know what is going on in your area, and even then you communicate real briefly with your own board,” she said, adding that being able to connect with other trustees who she could bounce ideas off would make her feel like she wasn’t on an island.

Along with building a supportive network, Kallies said she was most excited to “just really learn how to be an effective trustee. It is going to exponentially speed up what might otherwise take me years to figure out.”H Mary Ann Lopez is a staff writer for Texas Lone Star.

Accepting submissions Feb. 3 through March 7, 2025.

Your district could win $5,000!

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tasb.org/student-video-contest

Jennifer E. Alfaro-Arguelles

Dawn Champagne

Ginger Collier

Robert Anderson

Sara Burleson

Emilio Carrasco

Rio Hondo ISD

West Rusk County CISD

Midland ISD

East Central ISD

Carmen Correa

Sylvia De La Garza

Conception (Connie) Esparza

Amber Feller Landrum

Courtney Gore

Elvia Guadian

Jean Hinchen Williams

Lisa Lobb

Katy ISD

Lake Dallas ISD

Spring ISD

Melody Fowler

Richard Garcia Jr.

Melissa Gonzales

Plainview ISD

Aldine ISD

Arlington ISD

Fort Bend ISD

Gregory-Portland ISD

Granbury ISD

Del Valle ISD

Russ Johnson

Lisa Kallies

Amanda Kington

Jeffrey A. Larson

Lloyd W. Lietz

Round Rock ISD

Henderson ISD

Lorena ISD

Crosby ISD

Pecos-Barstow-Toyah ISD

Clear Creek ISD

Three Way ISD

Irving ISD

Kimberly McAdams

Francisco Javier Oaxaca

Marco Romero Ortiz Taylor ISD

Bill Parker

Allen ISD

Ranna Raval

Coppell ISD

Lauren C. Rothe

Lumberton ISD

Janet B. Spurlock

Mary L. Thomas

Mary Belle Unger-Robles

Michael Valdez

Viola Zamarripas Vela

Alex Ybarra

College Station ISD

Alief ISD

McKinney ISD

Manor ISD

Southside ISD

Edgewood ISD-Bexar Lyford CISD Channelview ISD County issuu.com/tasb-org | December 2024 | 35

TASB CONFERENCE FOR

Administrative Professionals 2024-25

Feb. 20-21, 2025

Register at tasb.org.

Download everything you need to celebrate at tasb.org/sbrm: • Social media posts • Certificates • Proclamations • And more

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| December 2024 | issuu.com/tasb-org

Board Members:

MAP YOUR JOURNEY TO SUCCESS TASB supports trustees at every point along the board leadership journey, offering training and programs to excel at board governance.

Foundational Training Find on-demand courses for new trustees, including the Top 10 Things to Know bundle of essential courses, in the Online Learning Center.

New Trustees

onlinelearning.tasb.org Texas Trustee Institute TTI offers a comprehensive program to build skills, dive into governance, and develop a leadership network.

ENGAGE Experienced Trustees

Key offerings: Texas Open Meetings Act, Board Governance, Consensus Building.

Coming soon!

EXPAND Master Trustees Leadership TASB For experienced trustees, meet with innovative districts and leaders, while learning what makes them successful. LTASB’s one-of-a-kind experience will expand your view of education leadership.

Learn more! leadershiptasb@tasb.org

Whole Board Training Need support with your superintendent evaluation process? Board Development Services’ consultants are here to help! Get training tailored to your district’s needs.

Board Officer Institute For veteran trustees and board officers, BOI imparts knowledge and tools for effective and efficient meetings.

Key offerings: Important Tools for Meeting Preparation, Effective Meetings, Focused and Productive Board Discussions.

Coming soon!

EXPLORE

Continuing Education With the Online Learning Center, you can find courses to support your board service, including: Preparing for Superintendent Evaluation, Board Officers Forum, and Advocacy 101 and 201. onlinelearning.tasb.org

board.dev@tasb.org

For additional information on any of these offerings: 800-580-8272, ext. 2453 • board.dev@tasb.org onlinelearning.tasb.org issuu.com/tasb-org | December 2024 |

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EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR'S MESSAGE

STRENGTH IN NUMBERS TASB’s 75th anniversary ends with success, stability

I

n case you missed it, 2024 marked TASB’s 75th anniversary — three-quarters of a century of steadfast service to our members across Texas.

Over the past year, we highlighted key moments in TASB’s long history of working on behalf of you and your school districts in these very pages of Texas Lone Star magazine. We explored the origins of key programs and solutions, such as Legal Services and Policy Service, and we highlighted the evolution of signature events and trainings, among other topics.

Having been the executive director of TASB for only a short time relative to its long history, I not only learned a lot about the Association that I am so privileged to lead, but I also developed a deeper understanding about what makes this organization so unique.

Amid tremendous changes over the past 75 years in school law and policy, TASB has never lost sight of our core mission and values, which puts educational excellence at the heart of everything we do. This focus has only been possible because of the ongoing support of our members — Texas school boards. Thank you for your vision, your leadership, and your commitment to creating a stronger, brighter future for our students — all 5.5 million.

Big improvements to help members

Not only did we celebrate our 75th anniversary this year, but we also made some big improvements that will help carry us into the future, including new branding, enhanced websites, and digital infrastructure improvements, as well as other technology investments to enhance the member experience.

Being able to innovate has been one of the reasons for TASB’s success and stability over the years, and it will be key to navigating whatever challenges lie ahead. Just as important will be the work we do to build trust and support for public education in Texas. Those efforts, of course, start with you — the more than 7,000 elected school board trustees who are each a vital voice in this Association and in your school communities.

For trustees newly elected in November, I want to welcome you to TASB and to your important role on your school boards.

Your volunteer service is the backbone of good governance at the local level, and it is also our inspiration. Rest assured, you can rely on TASB to provide high-quality programs, services, and training to support you in your work, just as we have been doing since our inception in 1949.

As we look ahead to 2025, I know we all share a common 38

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TASB Executive Director Dan Troxell

Photo by TASB Media Services

by Dan Troxell

goal: Ensure our public schools have the state funding they need to provide the best education possible for our students so they can graduate prepared for careers, college, and the military.

Advocating for public education

This upcoming legislative session will be paramount in determining the future of public education in Texas. In September, hundreds of trustees came out to TASB’s Delegate Assembly to consider and approve our 2024-26 Advocacy Agenda to help guide our work at the Capitol and beyond. I would encourage you to take a moment to review those member-approved priorities and resolutions on pages 26-31.

In the coming months, you will be hearing a lot more about what TASB is doing on your behalf to advocate in support of our public schools in Austin and Washington, D.C. We also hope you’ll actively partner with us in this advocacy work so that state lawmakers have no doubt that we are all committed in support of our public schools.

There’s strength in numbers, and TASB’s long history is a testament to the power of what is possible when we’re all working together, united in our mission to promote educational excellence for Texas public schoolchildren through advocacy, visionary leadership, and high-quality services to school districts.

Let’s amplify that message in 2025 so everyone knows what’s at stake. We are not just advocating for public education; we are advocating to keep Texas strong by investing in the schools that are teaching the children of today to be the leaders of tomorrow.H Dan Troxell is executive director of TASB.

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE 100% ATTENDANCE TEAMS AT txEDCON24!

TASB applauds the 69 Texas school districts listed below that sent 100% of their leadership teams to txEDCON24 in San Antonio.

Academy ISD

Community ISD

Lockhart ISD

Roosevelt ISD

Aldine ISD

Crowley ISD

Los Fresnos CISD

San Elizario ISD

Alvin ISD

Deer Park ISD

Lubbock ISD

Schertz-Cibolo-Universal City ISD

Anton ISD

Dripping Springs ISD

Mansfield ISD

Seagraves ISD

Arlington ISD

Eastland ISD

McKinney ISD

Southwest ISD

Beaumont ISD

Florence ISD

Mesquite ISD

Springtown ISD

Beeville ISD

Fort Hancock ISD

Milford ISD

Taylor ISD

Bellville ISD

Fort Stockton ISD

Nederland ISD

Tomball ISD

Belton ISD

Friona ISD

New Braunfels ISD

Trenton ISD

Boerne ISD

Galena Park ISD

North Lamar ISD

Troy ISD

Boys Ranch ISD

Gregory-Portland ISD

Northside ISD-Bexar County

United ISD

Bronte ISD

Hearne ISD

Northwest ISD

Wall ISD

Bruceville-Eddy ISD

Holland ISD

Pampa ISD

West Rusk County CISD

Burkburnett ISD

Hudson ISD

Pewitt CISD

White Settlement ISD

Burnet CISD

Irving ISD

Plainview ISD

Whitney ISD

Calvert ISD

Klein ISD

Port Aransas ISD

Cedar Hill ISD

Levelland ISD

Poth ISD

Clear Creek ISD

Little Elm ISD

Ricardo ISD

KEY EVENTS IN 2025 School Board Recognition Month January 89th Texas Legislature convenes (Austin) Jan. 14 Texas Federal Advocacy Conference (Washington, D.C.) Jan. 27-28 TASA | TASB Legislative Conference (Austin) Feb. 18 TASB Conference for Administrative Professionals (Austin) Feb. 20-21

TASB Governance Camp, Powered by Student Voice (Galveston) March 5-8 TASB Spring Workshops (Locations around state) March-May TASB Summer Leadership Institute June 11-14 (San Antonio) June 18-21 (Fort Worth) txEDCON25 (Houston) Sept. 12-14

issuu.com/tasb-org | December 2024 |

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NONPROFIT ORG US POSTAGE PAID AUSTIN TEXAS PERMIT NO 1422

Texas Association of School Boards P.O. Box 400 Austin, Texas 78767-0400

MARCH 5-8, 2025

GALVESTON ISLAND CONVENTION CENTER

MARK YOUR CALENDARS AND REGISTER EARLY FOR THE BEST RATES! Registration and housing open Jan. 14.

APPLICATIONS ARE STILL OPEN FOR SESSION PRESENTERS AND STUDENT SCHOLARSHIPS. Share with your district and apply by Jan. 10.

Visit tasb.org/gov-camp for more information.

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS