Monday, May 10

• White House, lawmakers push to get kids back into the classroom, KXAN
• University of St. Thomas offering free tuition to first 500 students who apply, ABC 13
• Texas GOP’s voting restrictions bill could be rewritten behind closed doors after final House passage, Texas Tribune
• Analysis: Republican Texas legislators, like the governor, take a right turn, Texas Tribune
• Opinion: When economic growth does nothing for local schools, Dallas Morning News
• Nederland ISD providing summer breakfast, lunch for kids, Pan News

more news...

Available Now!

• The 2021 edition of the Model Student Handbook

Coming in May!

• Late-May to June – Update 117 packets will be mailed to districts. View the Preview of Local policies being revised

Coming this Summer!

• July 12 – The 2021-22 edition of the Model Student Code of Conduct and the post-legislative Model Student Handbook
• Also in July – Annual Review of Key Policies and Employee Notification Policy Alerts for the 2021-22 school year

Introducing Policy Spotlight!

• Our quarterly newsletter provides articles on timely policy issues. Missed it? Sign Up to receive the next edition. View the most recent policy articles in the Member Center

For more, see Policy Service’s Publication Information page

• TASB Legal Services' article Responding to the Risk of Infectious Disease in Public Schools (pdf) addresses questions regarding communications, health screening, attendance, and employment matters in times of infectious disease, like Ebola, coronavirus, or pandemic flu.
• TASB Legal Services' Deadlines for May 1, 2021 School District Trustee Elections (pdf) provides important dates and deadlines applicable to school districts preparing for the May 1, 2021 trustee election.
• TASB Legal Services' School District Budget and Tax Rate Adoption in 2020 (pdf) is a step-by-step guide to budget and tax rate adoption for school districts.
• TASB Legal Services' School District Voter-Approval Tax Rate Elections in 2020 (pdf) provides information for ordering and holding a voter-approval tax rate election (VATRE).
• TASB Legal Services' HB 2840 - Public Comment and Testimony at Board Meetings (pdf) provides basic information about House Bill 2840, effective September 1, 2019, that affects how school boards must address public comments from citizens during board meetings.

Teacher Certification: Part 6—Exceptions and Waivers
Districts have two types of waivers available to hire an individual who doesn’t meet permit or certification criteria: the teacher certification waiver and the bilingual exception and English as a Second Language (ESL) waiver.

Contingent Pay Increases
Many districts are considering pay increases for 2021–2022 that may occur after the start of the school year because they’re contingent on availability of funding—either from student enrollment increases or from passage of a voter-approved tax ratification election (VATRE).

FML for Spring and Summer Births
A common family and medical leave (FML) question is whether a 10-month employee who has a baby late in the spring or over the summer can take family and medical leave (FML) at the beginning of the school year to bond with the baby.

Read all HRX articles

Banquete ISD Names Lone Finalist

On May 6, the Banquete ISD Board of Trustees named Stacy Johnson as the lone finalist for the position of superintendent. Johnson currently serves as Executive Director of Leadership in Ector County ISD.

Fort Stockton ISD Names Lone Finalist

On May 5, the Fort Stockton ISD Board of Trustees named Gabriel Zamora as the lone finalist for the position of superintendent. Zamora currently serves as superintendent in Olfen ISD.

Matagorda ISD Hires Executive Search Services

On April 22, the Matagorda ISD Board of Trustees voted to hire TASB Executive Search Services (ESS) to conduct a search for a new superintendent. Details and updates will appear on our searches page as things progress.

Taft ISD Hires New Superintendent

On April 20, the Taft ISD Board of Trustees voted to hire Irene Garza as the district’s new superintendent. Garza most recently served as professor for superintendent and principal certification programs at Stephen F. Austin in Nacogdoches, TX.

United ISD Names Lone Finalist

On April 19, the United ISD Board of Trustees named David Gonzalez as the lone finalist for the position of superintendent. Gonzalez currently serves as Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction in United ISD.

Further details about all search activities can be found on the ESS website.