January 22, 2021

• Millions in local school funding hinge on TEA decision, KWTX Waco
• Many large North Texas districts reporting more COVID-19 cases in January than last month, WFAA
• Texas Education Agency Moving Forward With STAAR Testing This Spring, With Exceptions, CBS DFW
• Op/Ed: Dallas business leaders must invest in online education that will close the digital divide, Dallas Morning News
• Texas House and Senate propose similar spending amounts in preliminary budgets, Texas Tribune
• Dallas ISD Launching Innovative Programs Next School Year, NBC DFW
• President Biden rolls out his plan to reopen schools, CNBC

more news...

Available in the Policy Service Resource Library:

• Policy Manual Update Resources for Update 116, including an Overview Video and Legal Issues memo.
• Update 116 to the Policy Reference Manual, including annotated versions of the Legal policies in recent Updates.
• Update 62 of the Regulations Resource Manual, including sample administrative procedures and forms that correlate with Update 116.
• Update 116 Preview: New—Local Policy Overview is replacing Vantage Points.
• New Annual Review of Key Policies Policy Alert for the 2020-21 school year which identifies policies and exhibits that most commonly need revisions.
• New Employee Notification Policy Alert for the 2020-21 school year which helps districts comply with state and federal laws that require certain information to be distributed to employees.

Visit our Frequently Asked Questions or call us at 800.580.7529 if you have any questions.

Coming soon:

• A new version of the Model Student Code of Conduct will be available by the end of July 2021.
• A new version of the Model Student Handbook will be available in May 2021.

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.

Pay Structures Matter
Pay structures are a critical tool for ensuring pay levels for jobs within an organization are externally competitive and internally fair, form the underlying framework of pay systems, and define the link between employee pay and job value.

Experienced HR Mentors Needed
At the 2020 HR Academy, HR Services introduced HR Mentorship Connections, a new program designed to connect novice HR staff with experienced HR professionals willing to serve as a mentor.

COVID-19 Vaccinations and Employee Medical Inquiries
As COVID-19 vaccines become available some educational entities are asking TASB HR Services how to respond to requests for employee medical information.

Read all HRX articles

Taft ISD Hires Executive Search Services

On January 12, the Taft 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.

United ISD Hires Executive Search Services

On January 5, the United 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.

Queen City ISD Hires New Superintendent

On January 4, the Queen City ISD Board of Trustees voted to hire Darrian Dover as the district’s new superintendent. Dover most recently served as the superintendent in Meadow ISD.

Cotulla ISD Hires Executive Search Services

On December 15, the Cotulla 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.

Sam Rayburn ISD Hires New Superintendent

On November 16, the Sam Rayburn ISD Board of Trustees voted to hire Lance Campbell as the district’s new superintendent. Campbell most recently served as the superintendent in Lone Oak ISD.

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