Sara Borden

The meeting involved the opening of the session, followed by a report from the School Health Advisory Council (SHAC). Key discussions included a review of the SHAC Board Policy and Bylaws, an explanation of the Roles and Responsibilities of the SHAC, and a discussion regarding priority topics and quarterly benchmarks for the council's work. The committee also reviewed the proposed meeting calendar for the 2026-2027 school year. The only action items considered involved the possible approval of the SY26-27 SHAC Calendar and the approval of members for the SHAC Physical Activity and Fitness Sub-Committee.

The meeting addressed the presentation of the financial audit and the results of the federal programs compliance review. The audit firm subsequently finalized and issued the federal compliance report, which was previously delayed because federal compliance regulations had not been finalized at the time of the November board meeting. With both the financial audit opinion and the federal compliance opinion now issued, the board proceeded to approve the reports for submission to the Texas Education Agency (TEA) before the specified deadline.

The meeting included discussions and presentations on safety matters. Key topics involved a "Say Something" presentation, where clarifications were sought regarding information receipt speed, report credibility, potential student presentations, the definition of "teams," and campus go-live procedures. Another presentation covered student searches in Texas schools, prompting questions about handheld metal detector availability across all campuses. The committee entered a closed/executive session to deliberate on security matters, specifically Intruder Detection Audit (IDA) Findings for SY 2025/2026, HB 33 concerning ballistic shield requirements, and a Crisis Situation Report for SY 2025/2026.

The meeting agenda included opening items with remarks from the Vice President of the Board and Superintendent, followed by sections for public comment (written and oral). The consent agenda involves approval for several items, including minutes from previous meetings, the Employee Handbook for 2026-2027, and various policies such as Student Discipline, TPIA, and Nutrition/Physical Activity. Key discussion items include a Conservator Progress Report, Superintendent and Finance Updates (including financials year-to-date and FY27 budget status), and Academic Updates (Instructional Materials, UIL, and CCMR). A Public Hearing is scheduled for the Texas Academic Performance Report (TAPR) for 2024-2025. The agenda also lists several potential closed session topics covering legal counsel consultation, real property deliberation, and personnel matters. Open session follow-up includes potential action on a Service Agreement with Great Hearts Nova and a proposed resolution regarding prayer and Bible reading.

The board meeting commenced with the verification of a quorum. Presentations were delivered by Headmaster Mr. Broen of Irving Lower School, detailing the significant growth, cultural lift, and academic achievements following the school's relocation to a new facility, including the successful implementation of curricular realignments like Singapore Primary Mathematics. Following this, Upper School Headmaster Dr. Dyer spoke on the core mission focused on classical education, the pursuit of truth, goodness, and beauty, and the success of the Upper School, evidenced by significant college scholarship earnings and high faculty educational attainment. The meeting then moved to public comments, which included the reading of pre-submitted written comments and subsequent oral comments from registered virtual attendees regarding board member selection criteria.