Ruben Amezcua

The meeting commenced with recognitions, including the Northside Citizenship Award presentation to John Gomez for saving a student's life, and presentations from various organizations honoring the Board for Board Appreciation Month. The Superintendent's Report covered the Board Luncheon, the 25th anniversary of Raba Elementary, a STEM lab activity at Glass Elementary, collaboration on the second annual School Connect Summit, and a video featuring school bus drivers. Board members reported on securing new traffic signals and school zone flashers at Jay High School, a new in-person tutoring pilot program for AVID students at Ross Middle School in partnership with Alamo Colleges District, gratitude for mental health workers, recent fine arts performances, the Holmes High School scholarship night, and updates on the Greater San Antonio Reading Challenge and the Juvenile Justice Jeopardy event. Key actions included approving the Consent Agenda, which involved various bids and policy reviews, though one policy item was pulled for separate reading. The Board also discussed plans to establish a Virtual Academy for grades 9-11 starting in the 26-27 school year and received a mid-year progress update. Financially, the Board approved the Annual Comprehensive Financial Report (ACFR) audit for Fiscal Year 2025, which received an unmodified opinion, and approved the selection of a Health & Wellness Benefits Consultant. Discussions covered District Optimization efforts and proposed changes to Board Operating Procedures and Internal Organization, including committee assignments. The Board convened in executive session to discuss the TxSSC intruder and detection audit, the Superintendent's Evaluation (deferred until February), and several personnel appointments (Assistant Principal, Assistant, Academic Dean, and Director appointments), which were brought back to open session for approval. The meeting concluded with the adjournment after necessary actions were taken in open session following the executive session.

The Superintendent reported on numerous district milestones, including the Marshall HS 75th Anniversary, participation in the School Connect Summit, acceptance into the Teacher Incentive Allotment (TIA) program, the awarding of CAST Teach scholarships, record fundraising at the NEF Clay Shoot, and high artistic achievement in the Visual Arts Scholastic Event (VASE). Trustees provided detailed reports covering recognitions for staff accomplishments in Fine Arts and Special Education, collaboration with the City Council on mental health awareness, and highlights from various school events such as PTA Founders Day and campus Open Houses. Key actions included the swearing-in of the new Chief of Police, Richard B. Palomo. The Board held a public hearing on the Texas Academic Performance Report (TAPR). The Trustees unanimously voted against adopting a measure for designated prayer time. The Board reviewed the timeline for a potential bond and Voter-Approval Tax Rate Election (VATRE), possibly for the November 2026 ballot, and reviewed survey results regarding the potential renaming of Colonies North Elementary School. Finally, several administrative appointments and contracts for facilities improvements, including various roof, flooring, and HVAC replacements, were approved, along with bids for goods and services.

The Northside Independent School District's document presents progress on and proposed targets for its House Bill 3 (HB 3) goals. These five-year goals focus on early childhood literacy, early childhood math, and college, career, and military readiness. Specific targets include increasing 3rd grade STAAR reading proficiency to 57%, 3rd grade STAAR mathematics proficiency to 53%, and College, Career, and Military Ready (CCMR) rates to 70% by the end of the 2029-2030 school year.

This plan outlines Northside ISD's strategy to transition toward full compliance with Texas House Bill 2 (HB2) certification requirements for teachers in core content areas. It details a two-phase approach: ensuring all currently uncertified core content teachers complete certification by Fall 2029 through a mandatory timeline and EPP partnership, and systematically reducing future uncertified hires, aiming for full elimination by the 2029-2030 school year. The plan leverages a four-year transition period to stabilize the workforce, retain staff, and utilize state-funded incentives for certification.

This document outlines campus improvement performance objectives for elementary, middle, and high school campuses for the 2025-2026 school year. The plan focuses on increasing student achievement in subjects like Math, Reading, and Science, as measured by STAAR and MAP assessments. Key objectives also include enhancing student growth, improving overall student and staff attendance rates, increasing high school credit attainment, and reducing student discipline incidents and tardies. Specific targets are set for various student groups across different grade levels.