Lazarus Carter

The meeting commenced with opening remarks and a proclamation from the Mayor of Hearn declaring January 2026 as School Board Recognition Month, expressing appreciation for the board members' dedication and support for students and staff. Representatives from Hearn Secondary School and the Elementary Campus delivered thanks and tokens of appreciation for the board's leadership and guidance. The executive team also recognized the board, presenting tokens of appreciation and referring to the board as the 'board of the year.' Bond progress updates included the completion and signing off on the football field and dressing rooms/concession stands project, with the new gymnasium connected to the elementary campuses scheduled to open soon. The HBAC project is preparing to go out for bids. Enrollment and attendance figures were reported as steady, with ongoing focused efforts to improve attendance rates. Updates were provided on the formalization of a donation process, noting a scholarship fund donation and a significant in-kind donation (estimated at nearly $49,000 value) from a company that provided asphalt milling and striping services for a bond project facility. Discussions also touched upon coordinating staff attendance for the Governor's Camp in February and the status of the after-school program grant extension.

The meeting commenced with the invocation and pledge. Key discussion points included updates on the calendar, noting upcoming breaks, School Board Recognition Month in January (with a meeting scheduled for January 22nd), and the Governor's Camp GSON conference in March. The superintendent provided an update on enrollment and attendance efforts, noting that focus is being placed on proactive family contact and considering truancy charges only after implementing supportive measures for complicated cases like homelessness. Discussion also covered the management of donations to ensure proper procedures are followed, including criteria for acceptance and acknowledgment letters. Furthermore, planning for the next academic year involved addressing changes in the ACE (After School Program) guidelines, which mandate service hours from 4 PM to 6 PM for grant compliance, potentially affecting early release days. The football realignment for the upcoming season was also noted. The finance report detailed October financial statements, investment reports, grant reports, and check payments, noting the crossover of two months of data due to calendar timing. The tax assessor collector report showed the certified roll was very close to the July estimate. A significant portion of the meeting involved a board monitoring report on Results-Driven Accountability (RDA), discussing academic achievement, post-secondary readiness, and specialized education tracking, emphasizing the importance of attendance for state funding calculations.

This document outlines Hearne ISD's parental engagement policy, detailing how parents are involved in policy development and school improvement. It establishes three core goals: to foster effective parental engagement strategies and support partnerships among schools, parents, and the community to improve student achievement; to provide coordination, technical assistance, and support to schools for planning and implementing effective parental engagement; and to evaluate the effectiveness of the parental engagement policy, identifying and addressing barriers to participation.

This plan outlines strategies to foster effective parental engagement and support partnerships between schools, parents, and the community to improve student achievement. Key goals include developing Pre-K specific parent involvement activities, evaluating the plan's effectiveness in collaboration with families, and coordinating parent engagement activities to build home-school relationships and provide family support. The plan aims to address quality, equity, and accessibility, ensuring all parents, including those with disabilities or limited English proficiency, have equal access to information and resources.

The meeting included discussions and updates on various topics. The board discussed the candidate notice for the ISD school board trustee election, which is scheduled to take place in May. The Heras board monitor report provided an update on the Effective Schools Framework (ESF) process at the junior high school, including the on-site visit and submission of deliverables. The secondary school had its diagnostic visit, and the district has applied for a lasso opportunity to support ongoing and new initiatives at the secondary level. The local classroom review results were shared, highlighting strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities for growth.