Recap of Tonight's Board Meeting

Our Board held its regular monthly meeting tonight.  Here's a recap of the issues discussed and actions taken on tonight's Agenda.

• Trustee Theresa Kosmoski delivered the invocation.
• Our only special presentation was a presentation to the Board for being named the 2007 Region 4 Outstanding Board 2007 Region 4 Outstanding Board.  (For more information, see this prior post).
  
• We then had Citizens Participation which included several people who spoke about the potential bond issue and the Board's adoption of the Religious Viewpoints policy.
  
• We then held a Public Hearing on the after school child care.
• Each of the Board members then gave their liaison reports.
• We then received the District's Quarterly Energy Update which showed significant cost savings year-over-year.
• As part of our Board's work to revise the Board's Policies, we had first readings of BJA (Local) Superintendent: Qualifications and Duties, DEA (Local) Compensation and Benefits: Salaries, Wages, and Stipends, EIA (Local) Academic Achievement: Grading/Progress Reports to Parents, and EIB (Local) Academic Achievement: Homework.
• The Board adopted revisions to  Board/Superintendent Operating Procedure #25.
• The Board approved the Budget Status Summary with Budget Amendments as of July 31, 2007, and the Facility Improvement Program Monthly Status Report with Project Detail Changes as of July 31, 2007.
• The Board also approved the award of numerous contract awards, a change order for the new athletic facilities at Tully Stadium, and an agreement with Neighborhood Centers, Inc., for Head Start for 2007-2008, and the disposal of property.
• We concluded the meeting by approving the items on our consent agenda.

* Updated 8/29/07: Annette Baird, the Houston Chronicle reporter who covers Spring Branch, has posted 2 articles online discussing the Board meeting.  They can be found here and here, and I have copied them below after the jump.

Aug. 28, 2007, 11:28PM
SBISD area residents, staff display support for $597 million bond proposal

By ANNETTE BAIRD
Chronicle Correspondent

Dozens of residents and Spring Branch school district staff showed up in force at Monday's school board meeting to speak in favor of the district's $597 million bond proposal, expected to come before voters in November.

Edie Clark, a district teacher and president of the Spring Branch Education Association, said the district needs facilities that are healthy, safe, conducive to learning and that will accommodate all children, including those with handicaps.

"I speak in support of children," she said.

A couple of dissenters, including Harris County Tax Assessor-Collector Paul Bettencourt, said they were concerned the district would not be able to pay for the bond. Bettencourt, who also is an SBISD resident, said the proposed 10-cent property tax increase to fund the bond is well above other school districts.

The school board is scheduled to vote on whether to approve submitting the bond to voters in November at 8 a.m. Wednesday in the board room of the Administration Building, 955 Campbell Road.

The bond proposal calls for replacing 12 schools, overhauling other facilities, technology and systems upgrades, as well as new buses.

_________________________________________________________________

Aug. 28, 2007, 5:39PM

Religious Viewpoint supporters oppose Spring Branch ISD's policy on speech
Superintendent says legislation's model guidelines too restrictive

By ANNETTE BAIRD
Chronicle Correspondent

Supporters of recent state legislation that forbids school districts from interfering with students' religious speeches during school events urged trustees of the Spring Branch school district Monday to change its religious speech policy and adopt the model laid out in House Bill 3678.

Gov. Rick Perry officially signed the Religious Viewpoint Anti-Discrimination Act in June, which provides a model policy that school districts can adopt.

The model offers protection for a student's expression of religious viewpoint; guidelines for student speakers at graduation ceremonies and other events; freedom to organize religious groups and activities; and protection of religious expression in class assignments.

Kelly Coghlan, an Houston attorney who authored the bill and a longtime district resident, said if the district doesn't adopt what he described as the litigation proof model in the bill, known as the Religious Viewpoint Anti-Discrimination Act, the district opens itself to lawsuits.

''The model policy has been 10 years in the making," Coghlan said. ''It's been tested. Let's not go with something that is absolutely terrible."

 

District's decision

Trustees adopted a policy on religious speech last week that complies with the law but does not closely follow the model's policy, because Superintendent Duncan Klussmann said it was too restrictive.

''The issue is, 'Are we in compliance with the law?'," Klussmann said. ''I feel like we are in compliance, and we need to involve the principals and staff in our own policy. If the legislature wants to dictate local policy, why have local policy?"

The district's policy on student rights, responsibilities and expression tracks the language of H.B. 3678 and prohibits student speech that would constitute harassment or bullying.

However, Klussmann said the policy does not list specific forums where students can express their religious viewpoints as the model policy does.

For example, the model policy specifies that students can express their religious viewpoints during football games and morning announcements.

Klussmann said he takes issue with what he described as a "boilerplate" model policy and said every campus is different.

"Our policy allows us to develop a list that is tailored to each campus," he said. "We believe that this approach will maximize the public speaking opportunities for our students."

Klussmann said administrators in the district will consult with campus principals to prepare and distribute to students a list of school events where students will have an opportunity to speak openly.

''This allows us to go back and work regulations and develop the policy, which is the way it should be," he said.

Prior to adopting the new policy, trustees sought legal counsel.

 

Opposition expressed

Coghlan was among a half dozen people, including Harris County Tax Assessor-Collector and Spring Branch resident Paul Bettencourt, who vehemently opposed the district's policy during the citizen's address portion of the school board meeting.

Others said they wanted clarity.

Former Stratford High School teacher Cathy Patton said there is a lot of confusion and myths about student religious speech. Memorial High School senior Brittany Carameros echoed Patton and made a plea for the district to adopt the model policy.

''The students and faculty are not well-informed," Carameros said. ''It would help me to express my faith freely."

Board President Mike Falick said the district's policy is in compliance with state and federal law. He said the board won't revisit the issue unless a board member puts it on any future agendas.