Texas Association of School Boards (TASB)

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Register now for the TASA/TASB Legislative Conference
TASB and the Texas Association of School Administrators (TASA) are hosting the TASA/TASB Legislative Conference on Tuesday, February 26, 2019 in Austin at the Sheraton Austin Hotel at the Capitol. Governmental relations staff from TASA and TASB will provide an update on legislative activities and proposed bills, preparing attendees to meet with legislators and staff later that day. In addition, key legislators and political observers will be invited to share their insights with attendees. School board members will earn training credit for attending this free conference. Learn more and register.

Trustees adopt TASB legislative agenda
School board members from around the state, serving as their districts’ official delegates to the TASB Delegate Assembly, adopted the TASB 2018-2020 Advocacy Agenda on Saturday, September 29 during the TASA/TASB Convention in Austin. The Agenda will guide TASB’s advocacy efforts during the 86th Legislature and will ensure that school district voices are represented at the Capitol and elsewhere. Learn more.

Stay Up to Date on Legislative News
Subscribe to TASB's Legislative Report, a weekly e-newsletter, and Legislative Update, published daily during the legislative session, to keep up with all the activities at the state and national capitols.

February 15, 2019

Texas' school finance system is unpopular and complex. Here's how it works., Texas Tribune
Commentary: Property tax reform is sorely needed in Texas, Austin American-Statesman
Texas school district makes big, expensive changes to security after nearby school shooting, KXXV, Central Texas
New tools released to help 8th graders select high school tracks, KXAN Austin
Commentary: Gov. Abbott: Fulfilling the promise of Texas begins with education funding, Dallas Morning News
House committee hears from bevy of witnesses with school finance history, Texas AFT
School Readiness Study Moves Forward with More Funding, Findings, UT Dallas News Center
Hewitt: Special education students get ready to open a coffee shop, KXTX 10, Woodway
Ira ISD wins $10k in Powerade video competition, Big Country
San Antonio ISD’s dual credit program gets $1.5 million donation, My San Antonio

More news...

Resources available in the Policy Service Resource Library:

Update 112 to the Policy Reference Manual. See Recent Updating Activities for annotated update packets.
Revised Policy Manual Update Resources for Update 112 that include Vantage Points, Local Policy Overview video, Legal Issues, and more.
Update 58 to the Regulations Resource Manual, which correlates with Update 112.
New Legal Services' Policy Development Tips, which identify policy-related legal concerns and possible solutions.
Policy Alerts for N ew Rules on Unauthorized Persons and Revised Credit-by-Examination Rules.

Coming Soon:

The 2019–20 Model Student Handbook, which will be released in May 2019.
An updated Model Student Code of Conduct, which will be released by early July 2019.

For more information from Policy Service...

TASB Legal Services' Deadlines for May 4, 2019 School District Trustee Elections (pdf) provides important dates and deadlines applicable to school districts preparing for the May 4, 2019 trustee election.
TASB Legal Services' article Visitors to School Property and School Events (pdf) provides guidance related to school visitors, including visitor screening, sex offenders, prohibited activities, and excluding disruptive parents and others from school property or school events.
TASB Legal Services' document Guidelines for Responding to Allegations of Educator Misconduct (pdf) was developed in collaboration with representatives from school districts, law enforcement, TEA, SBEC, the Texas Department of Family Protective Services, and other entities. The Guidelines provide considerations for school districts to develop plans with local authorities for responding to allegations of sexual harassment, improper relationships, and child abuse.
Last month's most-viewed eSource page: Governance—Districts of Innovation.

TxCEE Offering Workshop on Student Learning Objectives
TxCEE is providing a one-day workshop to help administrators understand Student Learning Objectives.

5 Things Districts Need to Know about Section 125 (Cafeteria) Plans
Section 125 of the Internal Revenue Code allows employees to purchase certain insurance pre-tax. Here are answers to some common questions districts ask about this type of plan.

New Research: Schools with Disadvantaged Students Have Lower-Quality Principals
A recent study found schools with the highest numbers of disadvantaged students also had the least experienced, lowest-rated principals.

Read all HRX articles

Whitewright ISD Names Lone Finalist

On February 18, the Whitewright ISD Board of Trustees named Brian Garner as the lone finalist for the position of superintendent. Garner currently serves as superintendent in Riesel ISD.

Santa Rosa ISD Names Lone Finalist

On February 13, the Santa Rosa ISD Board of Trustees named Angela Gonzalez as the lone finalist for the position of superintendent. Gonzalez currently serves as superintendent in Ramirez CSD.

Sanger ISD Hires Executive Search Services

On February 11, the Sanger ISD Board of Trustees voted to hire TASB Executive Search Services (ESS) to conduct a search for a new superintendent.

Point Isabel ISD Names Lone Finalist

On February 4, the Point Isabel ISD Board of Trustees named Theresa Alarcon as the lone finalist for the position of superintendent. Alarcon currently serves as area assistant superintendent in Brownsville ISD.