Friendswood Independent School District

This document outlines the Friendswood Independent School District's $81,525,000 bond proposal for the May 2, 2026 election. Developed following community feedback and analysis of a previously defeated 2025 bond, the proposal features four propositions. These propositions address critical infrastructure upgrades, lifecycle replacements, safety enhancements, the construction of a new Westwood Elementary campus, renovation and expansion of the career and agricultural science center, and comprehensive district-wide technology improvements. The plan prioritizes essential projects based on community input and aims to reduce the potential tax impact.

This document outlines the proposed renewal and amendment of the Friendswood Independent School District's District of Innovation Plan for 2026-2031. The plan seeks to enhance local control and operational flexibility by obtaining exemptions from specific Texas Education Code requirements. Key areas of innovation include district-level planning and decision-making, teacher certification, school calendar flexibility, attendance for credit, class size regulations, course syllabi posting, universal GPA weighting, and probationary contracts. The overarching vision is to enable the district to make locally-driven decisions that best serve students, staff, and the community.

This document outlines the Friendswood Independent School District's District of Innovation Plan, renewed and amended for 2021-2026. The plan aims to enhance local control by seeking exemptions from specific Texas Education Code requirements related to district-level planning and decision-making, teacher certification and appraisal, instructional calendar, class credit attendance, student-teacher ratios, student discipline, and group health benefits. This approach allows the district to implement tailored solutions to better serve its students and employees.

The meeting began with the establishment of a quorum and a recess to an executive session, followed by reconvening to open session which included an invocation, the Pledge of Allegiance, and the Pledge to the Texas Flag. Recognitions were given to individuals from Cline Elementary and various competitive groups from Friendswood High School, Friendswood Junior High, and the district, including BPA, Wrestling, Swim and Dive, Academic Decathlon, and Science Fair participants. The consent agenda included the approval of minutes for meetings held on February 9, 2026, and February 23, 2026, as well as the approval of District and Campus 5-Year College, Career, and Military Readiness (CCMR) Goals for 2026-2031. Action items involved the approval of one-year term contracts for various executive directors, coordinators, directors, and other personnel for the 2026-2027 school year, and the approval of one-year probationary contracts and two-year contracts for administrators for the 2026-2028 school years. Information items covered an update on Board/Superintendent Goal 2 regarding Special Education, a discussion guiding the Board on budget priorities, and a review of the District of Innovation Renewal and Amended Plan.

The Board Workshop included an executive session. Information items covered the Annual Review of College, Career, and Military Readiness (CCMR), detailing growth in AP scholars, National Merit Achievements, and Dual Credit enrollment, as well as CTE data and testing options. The Board also received a presentation on Bond Election ethics. For the 2026-2027 budget, the Board was asked to consider priorities for the administration to review for the subsequent workshop. Action items included the approval of Millennium Project Solutions, Inc. as the Construction Manager at Risk for foundation projects at Friendswood High School and the Administration Building, approval for the submission of a Remote Homebound Instruction Waiver for a general education student requiring remote service due to hospitalization, and approval of proposed library book purchases.