Friday, May 26

• State budget writers strike deal on $321.3 billion two-year spending proposal, Texas Tribune
• Texas budget cuts taxes, plays up border, mental health, parks, school safety. ESAs?, Dallas Morning News
• MAP: Which school districts have increased teacher pay for the 2023-24 school year?, KXAN Austin
• Austin ISD officials say focus on vouchers has overshadowed needs of Texas public schools, KUT Austin
• USDE Shares Insights and Recommendations for Artificial Intelligence, U.S. Department of Education
• Crockett ISD Gives Fitting Farewell to Longtime Trustee, Messenger-News Grapeland

More news...

The Governance and Management Library is here! Visit Policy Online^® to view this new feature that includes model publications and policy resources.

Available Now:

• The 2023-24 Annual Review of Key Policies and Employee Notification Policy Alerts

Coming Soon:

• We will begin sending Update 121 packets to districts in late May
• Update 67 of the Regulations Resource Manual will be available in late May
• 2023-24 Model Student Handbook and the Model Student Code of Conduct will be available in July

For more, see Policy Service’s Publication Information page.

Check out Policy Spotlight, our quarterly newsletter that provides articles on timely policy issues. Sign up to start receiving the newsletter. View all the previous policy articles in the Member Center.

• Deadlines for May 6, 2023 School District Trustee Elections (pdf)
• Mid-Year Pay Increases of School District Employees (pdf)
• Social Media Guidelines for School Board Members (pdf)

Teacher Job Satisfaction on the Rise
Teacher satisfaction appears to be on the rise after hitting a record low last year.

Human Trafficking Signage Requirements
The requirements for schools to post signs regarding human trafficking penalties have been amended by Senate Bill 2069 of the 88th Legislative Session of the Texas Legislature, which has been filed without the Governor’s signature.

Updating Your Employee Handbook
The TASB 2023 Model Employee Handbook and the Community College model, updated with the most recent guidance and legal requirements, are now available in TASB HR Services HR Resources and can be used by members to create a custom, localized employee handbook.

Read all HRX articles

Venus ISD Names Lone Finalist

On May 25, the Venus ISD Board of Trustees named Patrick Torres as the lone finalist for the position of superintendent. Torres currently serves as superintendent in Denver City ISD.

McGregor ISD Names Lone Finalist

On May 9, the McGregor ISD Board of Trustees named Travis Mutscher as the lone finalist for the position of superintendent. Mutscher currently serves as area superintendent in Round Rock ISD.

Giddings ISD Hires New Superintendent

On May 4, the Giddings ISD Board of Trustees voted to hire Raymond DeSpain as the district’s new superintendent. DeSpain most recently served as the superintendent in Irion County ISD. 

Robstown ISD Hires New Superintendent

On April 26, the Robstown ISD Board of Trustees voted to hire Marc Puig as the district’s new superintendent. Puig most recently served as the Senior Governance Advisor for the Texas Education Agency. 

Pawnee ISD Hires Executive Search Services

On April 18, the Pawnee 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.

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