Sep 12, 2024 Board of Trustees

AYE. ANY OPPOSED? IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? MOTION CARRIES SEVEN ZERO.

NOW WE WILL MOVE FORWARD FOR CONSIDERATION.

[10.A. Resolution for Pay During Emergency Closure Due to Contamination of the Water Supply]

CONSIDER APPROVAL OF ACTION AGENDA ITEMS. MADAM PRESIDENT, YES, I MOVE THAT WE APPROVE THE RESOLUTION FOR PAY DURING EMERGENCY CLOSURE DUE TO CONTAMINATION OF THE WATER SUPPLY.

MADAM PRESIDENT, SECOND.

I HAVE A MOTION FROM TRUSTEE LILES.

SECOND, FROM TRUSTEE BROOKS.

AYE. ANY OPPOSED? ANY DISCUSSION? MOTION CARRIES SEVEN ZERO.

ALL RIGHT. ACTION ITEM B, OUT-OF-STATE TRAVEL TO THE NATIONAL ORCHESTRA FESTIVAL IN ATLANTA, GEORGIA.

[10.B. Out-of-State Travel to the National Orchestra Festival in Atlanta, Georgia]

YES. TRUSTEE BROOKS, I MOVE THAT THE BOARD APPROVE THE TRAVEL TO ATLANTA, GEORGIA.

SECOND. ALL RIGHT.

I HAVE A MOTION FROM TRUSTEE BROOKS.

A SECOND FROM TRUSTEE PARRA.

AYE. ANY OPPOSED? ALL RIGHT. ANY DISCUSSION.

MOTION CARRIES SEVEN ZERO.

NOW WE'LL MOVE FORWARD TO ACTION ITEM C OPTIONS FOR GRADUATION CEREMONIES IN 2025.

[10.C. Options for Graduation Ceremonies in 2025]

MADAM PRESIDENT, YES, I MAKE A MOTION THAT WE GIVE THE DISTRICT THE ABILITY TO USE GLOBE LIFE FIELD AS AN OPTION PENDING THE DATE BEING APPROVED. BUT IF SOMETHING SHOULD FALL THROUGH THE SECOND OPTION OF GOING WITH UGA COLLEGE PARK.

SECOND, I GOT A MOTION FROM TRUSTEE LILES, A SECOND FROM TRUSTEE PARRA.

AYE. ANY OPPOSED? ANY DISCUSSION? MOTION CARRIES SEVEN ZERO.

WE WILL NOW MOVE FORWARD TO ACTION ITEM.

[11.A. Proposed HB 3 Board Goals]

INFORMATION AND DISCUSSION ITEM.

PROPOSED HOUSE BILL THREE GOALS.

[00:25:01]

OUR PRESENTER IS DOCTOR.

DOCTOR ANGELA HERRON, CHIEF TEACHING AND LEARNING OFFICER AND DOCTOR MISSY STEGER, CHIEF DATA AND INFORMATION SYSTEMS OFFICER.

LET'S WELCOME THEM BOARD, PLEASE.

BOARD PRESIDENT AMBER MOFFATT, ACTING SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS TRACY RAE AND MEMBERS OF THE BOARD.

GOOD EVENING. IT IS MY PLEASURE TO PRESENT TO YOU THIS EVENING, ALONG WITH DOCTOR MISSY STEGER, OUR GPISD PROPOSED BOARD GOALS FOR THE 2024-2029 SCHOOL YEAR.

PRIOR TO REVIEWING THESE PROPOSED GOALS, I WANTED TO PROVIDE SOME CONTEXT TO THIS PRESENTATION.

DURING THE 86TH LEGISLATIVE SESSION, HOUSE BILL THREE WAS PASSED AND THE BILL REQUIRED ALL SCHOOL BOARDS ACROSS THE STATE OF TEXAS TO ADOPT BOARD GOALS RELATED TO STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT.

WITHIN HOUSE BILL THREE, THE STATUTE REQUIRES SCHOOL BOARDS TO ADOPT DETAILED PLANS RELATED IN CONJUNCTION WITH THEIR MANAGEMENT TEAMS RELATED TO STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT FOCUSED ON THREE AREAS.

THE FIRST AREA IS EARLY CHILDHOOD LITERACY PROFICIENCY.

THE SECOND AREA IS EARLY CHILDHOOD MATHEMATICS PROFICIENCY AND THE THIRD BEING COLLEGE CAREER AND MILITARY READINESS.

SO TONIGHT YOU WILL HEAR OUR PROPOSED FIVE YEAR GOALS AS REQUIRED BY HOUSE BILL THREE.

THESE GOALS WERE DEVELOPED COLLABORATIVELY WITH MEMBERS FROM VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS ACROSS OUR DISTRICT, INCLUDING SCHOOL LEADERSHIP, TEACHING AND LEARNING, ASSESSMENT AND ACCOUNTABILITY, AS WELL AS STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES.

ALSO, AS A REMINDER, THE ONE YEAR GOALS IN THIS PRESENTATION WAS INCLUDED IN OUR DISTRICT IMPROVEMENT PLAN THAT WAS PRESENTED AND APPROVED DURING THE AUGUST BOARD MEETING AND FINALLY, THE PERCENTAGES THAT YOU WILL SEE IN OUR PRESENTATION ARE BASED ON THE SECOND HIGHEST LEVEL PASSING RATE FOR THE STATE STAR AND EOC EXAMS. SO WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, I WOULD LIKE TO BRING TO THE PODIUM DOCTOR MISSY STEGER.

HI. GOOD EVENING, PRESIDENT MOFFAT [INAUDIBLE] MEMBERS OF THE BOARD.

WE WANTED TO BRING FORWARD THESE GOALS FOR YOU, AS DOCTOR HERREN ALLUDED TO.

WE'VE SPOKEN MANY TIMES ABOUT THE THREE LEVELS OF PASSING, IF YOU WILL, STAR THE MOST, THE LOWEST LEVEL OF PASSING BEING THE APPROACHES GRADE LEVEL MEETS.

GRADE LEVEL IS SUBSTANTIAL PERFORMANCE.

THE SECOND HIGHEST LEVEL AND THEN THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF ACHIEVEMENT IS MASTER'S GRADE LEVEL AND AS DOCTOR HERREN SAID, OUR GOALS THIS EVENING ARE FOCUSED ON THAT SECOND HIGHEST LEVEL THAT MEETS TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR STUDENTS HAVE A STRONG FOUNDATION.

THE FIRST GOAL IS OUR EARLY CHILDHOOD LITERACY, AND THIS IS BASED ON OUR STUDENTS PERFORMING AT THAT MEETS GRADE LEVEL OR HIGHER PERFORMANCE ON THE STAR THIRD GRADE READING LANGUAGE ARTS ASSESSMENT.

THAT'S THE FIRST YEAR THAT THE STAR IS ADMINISTERED TO THE STUDENTS AS PRESENTED AND APPROVED IN OUR DISTRICT IMPROVEMENT PLAN IN 2024. THIS LAST SPRING, THAT RATE IN GPISD WAS 35%, AND THE ONE YEAR GOAL THAT WAS INCLUDED IN THE PLAN WAS TO INCREASE THAT PERCENTAGE BY THREE THREE PERCENTAGE POINTS.

AND THEN WE WANT TO MAINTAIN THAT MOMENTUM AND LET ME BACK UP, IF I CAN, TO MAKE THAT AT LEAST 3%, A MINIMUM OF 3%, AND THEN MAINTAINING THAT THAT RATE FOR THE NEXT FIVE YEARS WOULD HAVE US BE AT A MINIMUM RATE OF 50% BY THE YEAR 2029. THE SECOND GOAL, VERY SIMILARLY BASED, IS OUR EARLY CHILDHOOD MATHEMATICS, WHICH AGAIN IS THAT MEETS GRADE LEVEL PERFORMANCE ON THE THIRD GRADE MATH.

STAAR ASSESSMENT AGAIN IS PRESENTED IN THE DISTRICT IMPROVEMENT PLAN.

THAT RATE WAS 34% IN 2024 WITH A 3% MINIMUM OF 3% PERCENTAGE POINT INCREASE IN 2025.

[00:30:08]

AGAIN MAINTAINING THAT MOMENTUM, MAINTAINING THAT PACE WOULD SET US TO BE ON TARGET TO BE AT A MINIMUM OF 49% BY THE YEAR 2029. IT'S NO COINCIDENCE THAT WE START WITH OUR EARLIEST, AND THEN THE THIRD GOAL IS OUR COLLEGE CAREER MILITARY READINESS, OF WHICH WE'VE HAD QUITE A BIT OF CONVERSATION, A LOT OF GOALS, A LOT OF FOCUS ON THAT COLLEGE READINESS AND WE KNOW THAT THAT COLLEGE READINESS CAN'T COME WITHOUT THAT STRONG FOUNDATION AND THAT'S WHY WE SET THE GOALS FROM FROM THIRD GRADE ALL THE WAY UP TO OUR COLLEGE CAREER READINESS.

JUST A REMINDER, WHEN WE LOOK AT OUR COLLEGE CAREER READINESS, IT'S REPORTED A YEAR A YEAR LATER BECAUSE OF THE REPORTING TIMELINES.

SO 2024 DATA WAS ACTUALLY REPORTED ON THE CLASS OF 2023-2025 WILL BE BASED ON OUR CLASS OF 24 THAT ACTUALLY GRADUATED THIS LAST JUNE, SO WE CAN NO LONGER IMPACT THAT CCMR RATE.

SO IN OUR DISTRICT IMPROVEMENT PLAN, WE SET OUR GOAL FOR OUR CURRENT SENIOR CLASS CLASS OF 2025, THAT WILL BE REPORTED IN 26 TO INCREASE FROM 76% TO AT LEAST 80% AND THEN AGAIN, MAINTAINING THOSE SAME INCREASES YEAR OVER YEAR WOULD HAVE US BUY THE CLASS OF 2028 AT A MINIMUM OF 92% OF OUR STUDENTS GRADUATING WITH THOSE COLLEGE CAREER MILITARY READINESS INDICATORS AND WITH THAT, I'D LIKE TO TURN IT BACK OVER TO MY COLLEAGUE, DOCTOR HERREN.

SO AT THIS POINT, WE WOULD LIKE TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.

WE WOULD LIKE FOR YOU TO TAKE THE TIME OVER THE NEXT FEW WEEKS TO REVIEW THESE GOALS AND PROVIDE FEEDBACK WITH THE HOPES THAT WE'LL MAKE THOSE CHANGES AND HAVE AN ACTION ITEM FOR YOU IN OCTOBER.

SO AT THIS TIME, WE OPEN IT UP TO ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE.

I DON'T HAVE ANY QUESTIONS.

I JUST HAVE A COMMENT. I WANT TO THANK BOTH OF YOU FOR PROVIDING THIS INFORMATION TONIGHT.

IT FEELS GOOD TO GET OUR FOCUS ON KIDS WHERE IT SHOULD BE.

ANY QUESTIONS? TRUSTEE ESPINOSA? NO. OKAY. ANY QUESTIONS? COMMENTS. I TOO, WANT TO THANK YOU ALL FOR THE WORK THAT YOU'VE PUT INTO THIS.

IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE DO MAINTAIN FOCUS ON OUR STUDENTS IN ADDITION TO WITH HOUSE BILL THREE AND THE REQUIREMENTS THAT THE STATE IS PUSHING FORTH FOR OUR STUDENTS TO BE ABLE TO PERFORM AT A CERTAIN LEVEL.

I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT WE CONTINUE TO CLOSE THOSE GAPS WITH OUR STUDENTS, MEET THEM WHERE THEY ARE, AND CLOSE THOSE GAPS.

SO THANK YOU BOTH. THANK YOU.

[INAUDIBLE]. WE WILL NOW MOVE TO ITEM B BUS PURCHASES.

[11.B. Bus Purchases ]

WE HAVE OUR PRESENTER MR. JOE FALCON, CHIEF OF OPERATIONS.

THANK YOU SIR. IT'S WONDERFUL HAVING A CHIEF AS A COLLEAGUE TO HELP YOU OUT.

BOARD PRESIDENT MOFFAT.

ACTING SUPERINTENDENT [INAUDIBLE].

BOARD OF TRUSTEES. GOOD EVENING.

TONIGHT'S INFORMATION ITEM IS ABOUT THE BUS PURCHASE REQUEST AND REFRESH PROGRAM.

ACTUALLY, THIS IS GOING TO BE JUST A VERY SMALL SAMPLE OF THE REFRESH PROGRAM.

WE'RE JUST GOING TO DISCUSS THE BUSSES THAT WE WANT TO REPLACE RECOMMENDED REPLACE THIS YEAR.

SO IF YOU LOOK AT THIS PAGE THIS IS THE GENERAL EDITOR EDUCATION BUS OR GEN ED BUS LISTING.

IF WE GO FROM LEFT TO RIGHT, YOU'LL LOOK AT THE FIRST COLUMN.

IT'S THE UNIT BUS NUMBERS.

NEXT COLUMN IS THE MANUFACTURING YEARS, THE MAKE THE MODEL CURRENT MILES AND PARTS AND LABOR COSTS AND THOSE ARE COSTS FOR THE LIFE OF THE BUS. THESE BUSSES ARE 15 TO 16 YEARS OLD AND THE BIGGEST ISSUE WE HAVE WITH THESE BUSSES ARE THE ENGINES.

THE ENGINES ARE BASICALLY OBSOLETE.

BASICALLY WHAT THAT MEANS IS THAT IT'S DIFFICULT TO OBTAIN PARTS, AND WHEN WE CAN FIND PARTS, IT TAKES WEEKS TO GET THEM TO US.

IN THE MEANTIME, THESE BUSSES ARE OUT OF OPERATION.

WE'RE HAVING TO DOUBLE UP OTHER EXISTING BUSSES BECAUSE WE HAVE NO BACKUP BUSSES, SO WE HAVE TO DOUBLE UP THE BUSSES WITH THE ROUTES AND THE STUDENTS AND UNFORTUNATELY THAT CAN CREATE STUDENTS GETTING TO SCHOOL LATE AND ALSO GETTING BACK TO THEIR BUS STOPS LATE.

THE LEAD TIME FOR NEW BUSSES IS APPROXIMATELY 6 TO 9 MONTHS.

ALSO, I DID MENTION THAT THERE ARE ALSO EMISSION AND TRANSMISSION ISSUES WITH THESE BUSSES AS WELL.

IF APPROVED NEXT MONTH, WE'RE LOOKING TO KEEP AT LEAST ONE OF THESE BUSSES AS A BACKUP.

[00:35:01]

WE WILL KEEP TWO FOR PARTS AND THEN WE WILL PUT ONE THROUGH AUCTION.

THE LAST SLIDE YOU'LL SEE OUR SPECIAL EDUCATION BUSSES.

SAME FORMAT.

IF YOU WILL LOOK AT THE FIRST COLUMN THAT'S LABELED UNIT.

YOU'LL SEE THREE BUSSES ON THERE, 357, 350 AND 351 THAT HAVE SPARE NEXT TO THEM.

THOSE BUSSES ARE NOW OUT OF COMMISSION.

THOSE BUSSES HAVE HAD HYDRAULIC ISSUES AND THE LIFTS, THE WHEELCHAIR LIFTS ARE NOW ALL COMPLETELY OUT.

THEY ARE ALSO SHOWING SOME WEAR AND CRACKS ON THE FRAME.

SO WE ARE NOT USING THOSE BUSSES AT ALL.

OUR OTHER BUSSES ON THIS LIST ARE ALSO HAVE SOME ISSUES WITH WHEELCHAIR LIFT REPAIRS.

THERE'S ALSO CONCERNS ABOUT JUST THE AGE AND THE GETTING THE PARTS FOR THESE BUSSES, AS WELL AS OVERHEATING AND OUTDATED AIR CONDITIONING.

AGAIN, THESE BUSSES ARE ALSO LEAD TIME FOR NEW BUSSES IS 6 TO 9 MONTHS.

AGAIN IF WE, IF THIS IS APPROVED NEXT MONTH, WE WILL KEEP TWO BUSSES AS SPARE BACKUP BUSSES.

WE'LL KEEP ONE FOR PARTS, AND THEY WILL AUCTION TWO OF THEM.

TWO OF THEM OFF AND I'LL ENTERTAIN ANY QUESTIONS THAT THE BOARD MAY HAVE WHEN YOU AUCTION BUSSES OFF.

HOW MUCH DO YOU TYPICALLY RECOVER FROM THOSE IF THEY'RE WELL FOR SPECIAL ED.

IF THEY'RE NOT, IF THEY'RE RUNNING 1800 UP TO $1,800, IF THEY HAVE TO BE TOWED OFF 1250 AND FOR REGULAR ED GEN ED. EXCUSE ME.

IT'D BE 1400 IF THEY'RE NOT RUNNING IN 2000.

IF THEY'RE RUNNING. OKAY.

ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? [INAUDIBLE] WHEN THE BUSSES HAVE TO BE REPAIRED? GENERALLY. HOW LONG ARE THEY OUT OF COMMISSION? HOW LONG ARE WE WITHOUT THE USE OF THESE BUSSES FOR OUR CHILDREN? WELL IT DEPENDS IT DEPENDS ON WHAT THE ISSUE IS.

IF IT'S SOMETHING MINOR, IT COULD BE WE HAVE WONDERFUL MECHANICS AND SOMETIMES IT CAN BE JUST A DAY OR TWO.

BUT YOU HAVE TO KEEP IN MIND THAT THEY'RE WORKING OUT OF A VERY OLD BAY AREA.

WE ONLY HAVE A BAY FOR THREE BUSSES.

REALLY? JUST TWO? BECAUSE THAT THIRD ONE IS FOR OUR WHITE FLEET.

SO WE CAN ONLY LOOK, WE CAN ONLY GET TWO BUSSES AT A TIME.

SO IF WE HAVE MORE THAN TWO BUSSES, THEN OUR QUEUE GETS BACKED UP AND WE'RE HAVING TO WAIT AND AGAIN, IF THEY'RE IN THERE FOR LONG PERIODS OF TIME, WE HAVE NO BACKUP BUSSES.

SO THAT COULD PUT US IN A BIT OF A BIND AND HOW MANY? I KNOW YOU SAID TWO SPED BUSSES.

HOW MANY GEN ED BUSSES ARE YOU PLANNING ON KEEPING? ONE AND THAT CAN RANGE FROM 2 TO 4000 IF YOU AUCTION THAT ONE OFF.

CORRECT? NO, MA'AM.

1400. 1400 TO WHAT TO 2000? 2000. IF THEY'RE RUNNING 1400.

IF THERE HAVE TO BE TOWED OFF.

MADAM PRESIDENT. YES.

MR. FALCONE, IN THE INFORMATION THAT YOU GAVE US, I BELIEVE IT WAS AT OUR LAST MEETING.

IT LOOKS LIKE SOME OF THIS HAS CHANGED.

SO. BECAUSE, FOR EXAMPLE, I'VE GOT MORE IN THE RED AND WHAT YOU PREVIOUSLY GAVE THEN.

NOW WHAT WE'RE SEEING ON THIS AND JUST IN THE SPECIAL ED BEST CATEGORY ALONE.

WHAT CHANGED THERE? WHY DO WE HAVE MORE OR LESS IN THE RED NOW? LESS IN THE RED AND CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, THE RED IS WHAT YOU'RE SAYING NEEDS TO BE REPLACED.

THE YELLOW IS COMING TO BE REPLACED IN THE WHITE IS.

WE'RE GOOD. OKAY. CORRECT. SO AND THE INFORMATION THAT WE RECEIVED LAST MONTH, THERE IS MORE IN THE RED THAN THERE IS NOW THAT YOU'RE REQUESTING ONE, TWO, THREE, FOUR, FIVE TO BE REPLACED. AND THERE WAS MORE BEFORE.

SO I'M JUST CURIOUS, DID WE DO A REEVALUATION? WE DID.

ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT SPECIFICALLY THE GEN ED OR THE.

I'M TALKING ABOUT SPECIAL ED JUST RIGHT NOW.

THERE ARE DIFFERENCES IN GEN ED, TOO, BUT I IMAGINEM THE ANSWER IS GOING TO BE THE SAME WE DID.

WE ALSO HAD SOME BUSSES.

WE HAD THE BUSSES THAT WERE JUST RECEIVING THIS YEAR.

SO WE ADDED THOSE INTO THE MIX.

SO WE HAD TO MAKE SOME ADJUSTMENTS.

BUT RIGHT NOW WE ARE JUST DOWN TO ONE, TWO, THREE, FOUR, FIVE.

OKAY. SO WHAT WOULD REQUIRE, WHAT WOULD HAVE CHANGED? LIKE WHAT WOULD HAVE BROUGHT SOMETHING OUT OF THE RED NEEDING TO BE REPLACED AND PUT IT INTO ANOTHER CATEGORY? THAT I COULDN'T ANSWER.

I'LL HAVE TO CHECK WITH OUR DIRECTOR OUT OF THE BUSSES THAT YOU'RE WANTING TO REPLACE.

SO THE FIVE SPECIAL ED BUSSES AND THE FOUR GENERAL ED BUSSES, HOW ARE THOSE IN COMMISSION CURRENTLY? ARE THEY OUT OF COMMISSION CURRENTLY? THEY'RE ALL IN COMMISSION WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE THREE THAT I MENTIONED THAT HAVE GOT SPARES.

YES, MA'AM. OKAY AND DO WE HAVE ENOUGH BUSSES TO TRANSPORT OUR SPECIAL ED STUDENTS CURRENTLY, EVEN WITH THOSE THREE OUT OF COMMISSION? YES. JUST BARELY.

YES, MA'AM. WHEN YOU SAY JUST BARELY, WHAT DO YOU MEAN? WELL, SOMETIMES WE GET AN ADDITIONAL STUDENT THAT IS ADDED TO THE SPECIAL ED PROGRAM.

SO WE, YOU KNOW, WE ADD THAT TO THE ROUTING.

YOU HAVE TO ADD A WHOLE NOTHER BUS FOR ONE STUDENT.

NO, JUST ADD THEM TO THAT WHATEVER ROUTE THAT THEY MAY BE ABLE TO GET ON.

[00:40:02]

OKAY. BUT RIGHT NOW YOU'VE GOT SO MAYBE WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IS THAT THERE'S NOT ENOUGH ROOM.

LIKE IF WE GET ANOTHER STUDENT AND YOU'RE NOT GOING TO HAVE ENOUGH BUSSES, IS WHAT YOU'RE TELLING ME? YES, MA'AM. OKAY AND THEN SHOULD THE BOARD CHOOSE TO PURCHASE THESE TEN BUSSES, WHAT NEXT YEAR ARE YOU GOING TO BRING BACK TO US FOR PURCHASE? WELL, WE'D HAVE TO REEVALUATE OUR REFRESH PROGRAM AND JUST SEE WHERE THEY LINE OUT AND ANY CONTINUING ISSUES THAT WE MAY HAVE.

BUT RIGHT NOW LIKE, WE WOULD HAVE TO I WOULD HAVE TO RECONVENE WITH THE DIRECTOR AND THE STAFF TO, TO LOOK AT THAT.

OKAY. BECAUSE MY CONCERN IS WHAT WE HAVE IN THE FOLDER.

WE STILL HAVE BUSSES IN THE RED AND SO VERSUS WHAT WE WERE GIVEN TONIGHT AND SO I'M TRYING TO UNDERSTAND THE SEVERITY HERE AND ALSO BE FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE AT THE SAME TIME UNDERSTANDING THAT OUR KIDS.

NEED BUSSES. NOBODY UP HERE DISAGREES WITH THAT.

WE JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE SPENDING OUR MONEY WISELY AND MAKING SURE THAT THIS ISN'T SOMETHING THAT COULD BE REPAIRED.

VERSUS PURCHASED.

COULD ANY OF THESE BE REPAIRED TO HAVE A LONGER LIFE VERSUS STRAIGHT OUT PURCHASE AND MOVE THE PURCHASE DATE TO NEXT YEAR? ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT THE ONES IN THE RED FOR EITHER.

OR CATEGORY THAT WE DISCUSSED TONIGHT? SURE. NO.

SO THOSE ARE DIRE.

NEED CANNOT BE REPLACED.

OKAY. ALL RIGHT AND I KNOW THAT WE HAD DISCUSSION PREVIOUSLY AND THE ORIGINAL TEN BUSSES WERE GOING TO BE ALL GEN ED BUSSES AND SO AFTER BECAUSE WHAT I TOOK IT UPON MYSELF TO I KNEW WE WERE GETTING THREE SPED BUSSES THIS YEAR WHICH WE'VE RECEIVED TWO AND WE'RE STILL GOING TO WE STILL HAVE ONE COMING AND I THOUGHT THAT WE WOULD BE OKAY, AND THAT WE COULD JUST GO WITH THE GEN ED BUSSES AND THEN IT WAS BROUGHT TO MY ATTENTION.

SOME OF THE CONCERNS WITH THESE SPED BUSSES.

SO THAT'S WHY I MADE THE ADJUSTMENTS AND BROUGHT FIVE SPED BUSSES AND THEN JUST WENT WITH 4 GEN ED BUSSES RATHER THAN OUR INITIAL DISCUSSION.

IT WAS GOING TO BE 10 GEN ED BUSSES, RIGHT? I HAVE A QUESTION. NO, I JUST HAVE ONE MORE.

MADAM PRESIDENT, IN OUR BUDGET WORKSHOP, YOU ALSO MENTIONED WANTING TO REFRESH.

REFRESH Y FLEET.

IS THAT OFF THE TABLE NOW OR IS THAT SOMETHING THAT YOU PLAN TO BRING US IN A FUTURE MONTH? I MAY HAVE TO DEFER THAT TO ACTING SUPERINTENDENT RAY.

DO YOU NEED TO REPLACE WHITE? YES, MA'AM. THERE IS A NEED.

YES, AS DIRE AS THE BUSSES? THEY'RE NOT AS BAD, BUT THEY'RE IN NEED OF REPLACEMENT JUST BECAUSE OF COSMETIC OR.

NO, IT'S BECAUSE I KNOW THE LAST TIME WE TALKED, IT WAS SOMETHING TO DO WITH WHAT? THE LOGO BEING ON THE OUTSIDE.

WELL, THAT WAS JUST WHEN I TO REFERENCE AS YOU SEE HIM ON THE ROAD.

OKAY. YEAH. BUT NO, THEY HAVE MECHANICAL ISSUES AS WELL.

OKAY. THANK YOU, MADAM PRESIDENT.

MY QUESTION WAS ABOUT SO THE TEN BUSSES THAT YOU'RE REFERRING TO ARE THE NEW TEN BUSSES THAT YOU'RE ASKING ABOUT.

NOT THE TEN BUSSES THAT WE PURCHASED LAST YEAR.

YES, MA'AM. OKAY.

WHEN WE PURCHASED THE TEN BUSSES LAST YEAR, WERE THOSE ALL GEN ED? OR THERE WAS A MIXTURE OF GEN ED AND SPECIAL ED? THEY'RE ALL GEN ED. OKAY.

I THOUGHT WE HAD THREE SPECIAL ED.

WELL, THAT WAS OUTSIDE OF THOSE TEN.

SO ACTUALLY WE GOT WE GOT TEN GEN ED BUSSES AND THEN 3 SPED CAME AFTER THAT.

BUT IT WASN'T PART OF THOSE INITIAL DISCUSSIONS OF THE TEN GEN Z.

ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR DISCUSSION? THANK YOU, MISTER PARKER. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU. WE WILL NOW MOVE FORWARD TO OPEN FORUM FOR NON-AGENDA ITEMS FROM CITIZENS, AND WE RECEIVED 18

[12. OPEN FORUM FOR NON-AGENDA ITEMS]

CARDS AND BEFORE YOU MAKE YOUR WAY TO THE FRONT, PLEASE ALLOW ME TO READ THE FOLLOWING.

STATE LAW PROHIBITS BOARD MEMBERS FROM RESPONDING TO SPEAKERS IN PUBLIC FORUM UNLESS THE TOPIC REGARDS A MATTER SPECIFICALLY POSTED ON TONIGHT'S AGENDA.

THE BOARD WILL CAREFULLY CONSIDER ANY CONCERNS EXPRESSED.

SPEAKERS WILL LIMIT THEIR COMMENTS TO THREE MINUTES.

PLEASE KEEP ALL PUBLIC COMMENTS RELATED TO SCHOOL DISTRICT GOVERNANCE AND OPERATIONS.

EACH GRIEVANCE PROCEDURE ALLOWS FOR AN INDIVIDUAL TO REDRESS GRIEVANCES WITH THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES.

HAVING STATED THAT, PLEASE COME FORWARD, STATE YOUR NAME AND YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES TO ADDRESS THE BOARD.

THE FIRST PERSON OPEN FORUM PARTICIPANT REQUEST THAT WE HAVE IS MR. ED GRAY.

GOOD AFTERNOON, MADAM PRESIDENT.

INTERIM SUPERINTENDENT, TRUSTEES.

[00:45:01]

MY NAME IS ED GRAY.

I RESIDE AT 524 JENNIFER TRAIL, GRAND PRAIRIE, TEXAS.

I AM A FORMER GRAND PRAIRIE EDUCATION FOUNDATION MEMBER.

I'M HERE TODAY TO SPEAK ON THE PAST SELECTION PROCESS THAT HAS EMBARRASSED THE CITY OF GRAND PRAIRIE AND THE GRAND PRAIRIE INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT.

I'M HERE NOT TO SPEAK AGAINST ANYONE.

I'M NOT HERE TO BE ON A WITCH HUNT AGAINST ANYONE.

BUT I'M HERE TO ASK FOR TRANSPARENCY FROM THE SCHOOL DISTRICT.

TODAY, I SPEAK TO YOU ON THE BEHALF OF PEOPLE THAT ARE EMBARRASSED ABOUT THE SITUATION THAT WE ARE IN TODAY.

WITHIN THREE MONTHS, WITHIN THE TIME PERIOD IN WHICH OUR STUDENTS HAVE NOT EVEN RECEIVED A PROGRESS REPORT, WE HAVE NOW PUT IN A POINT WHERE A SUPERINTENDENT WAS PLACED ON ADMINISTRATIVE LEAVE.

THIS IS NOT GOOD FOR THIS DISTRICT AND IT'S NOT GOOD FOR OUR CHILDREN.

WE HAVE TO DO BETTER THAN THIS.

WE DEMAND BETTER THAN THIS.

AS I TAKE MY SEAT, I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO SPEAK OUT AGAINST WORDS THAT ARE USED IN A TRUMPIAN MANNER.

WORDS THAT ARE USED IN WHICH TRUSTEES WILL GO AGAINST EACH OTHER AND SPEAK AGAINST EACH OTHER, INSTEAD OF TURNING TO EACH OTHER AND MAKING US ALL BETTER FOR OUR CHILDREN.

WE MUST NOT USE WORDS SUCH AS WITCH HUNT IN A TIME IN WHICH WE NEED TO COME TOGETHER TO BUILD OUR COMMUNITY, TO MAKE OUR TEST SCORES BETTER, TO MAKE OUR SCHOOLS BETTER.

WE MUST DO BETTER AND THE CITIZENS OF GRAND PRAIRIE AND OUR STUDENTS AND GRAND PRAIRIE DEMAND BETTER.

THANK YOU. I APPRECIATE YOUR TIME.

THE NEXT PERSON WE HAVE IS MARISOL PEREIRA.

I'M SORRY IF I MISPRONOUNCED YOUR LAST NAME.

PEREIRA. PEREIRA? OKAY. [SPANISH] . HELLO. MY NAME IS MARISOL PEREIRA.

[SPANISH]. IN GRAND PRAIRIE.

I'M SORRY. I'VE BEEN LIVING IN THE.

I'VE HAD MY DAUGHTER IN THE DISTRICT FOR 17 YEARS, AND I'VE BEEN LIVING IN GRAND PRAIRIE FOR 20 YEARS.

I'M HERE BECAUSE OF THE DECISION YOU'VE MADE TOWARDS THE SUPERINTENDENT.

I DON'T THINK IT'S BEEN FAIR.

THE, SITUATION THAT HE'S IN AND, [SPANISH]. AND THE TREATMENT HAS NOT BEEN EQUAL TO HIM, TO THE TREATMENT THAT YOU GAVE THE FORMER SUPERINTENDENT THAT TOOK 600 AND WHAT WAS THE AMOUNT? $660,000 FROM THE DISTRICT.

[SPANISH] . IT WAS NEVER PUBLISHED.

THAT THE SUPERINTENDENT WAS GONE IN THE LAST.

THE OTHER TIME AND NOW IT'S NOT THE SAME TREATMENT [SPANISH]. LET ME BRING THE OTHER TRANSLATOR.

OKAY. LET ME HELP HER OUT AND I WANT

[00:50:03]

TO CLARIFY. IT WASN'T THE SUPERINTENDENT, IT WAS THE CFO THAT WAS INVESTIGATED AND WAS ARRESTED.

SO LET ME CLARIFY.

I'M JUST I'M GOING TO INTERPRET BUT ALSO CLARIFY TO MARISOL THAT IT WAS NOT THE SUPERINTENDENT.

[SPANISH]. YOUR TIME IS UP.

YES. NO.

SHE GOT THREE MINUTES AND THE BUZZER [INAUDIBLE].

THE SPANISH AND ENGLISH THE SAME TIME.

CAN YOU GET TWICE AS MUCH TIME? YES. YEAH.

OKAY. [SPANISH].

THE SUPERINTENDENT.

AS SOON AS HE CAME IN, HE WAS IN EVERY ACTIVITY.

AS SOON AS THE SUPERINTENDENT GOT HERE, HE WAS IN EVERY ACTIVITY AT GRAND PRAIRIE HIGH SCHOOL AND ELEMENTARY [SPANISH].

AND AT THE ELEMENTARY [SPANISH] AND HONESTLY I DIDN'T SEE ANY SUPERINTENDENT PREVIOUSLY THAT HE THAT THEY WERE IN PRESENT LIKE HE WAS [SPANISH]. I MADE A COMPLAINT AGAINST THE DIRECTOR AND RIGHT AWAY HE LISTENED AND HE MADE DID SOMETHING ABOUT IT.[SPANISH].

AND WHAT YOU ALL DID, YOU JUST CHANGED HER TO A DIFFERENT CAMPUS AND SHE'S STILL WORKING IN THIS DISTRICT.

OKAY. [SPANISH].

YOU ALL DON'T EVEN HAVE PROOF.

WHY DID YOU PUT THIS SUPERINTENDENT IN ADMINISTRATIVE LEAVE.

YOU DON'T EVEN HAVE PROOF.

[SPANISH]. I PROVIDED EVIDENCE THAT THIS DIRECTOR WAS NOT DOING HER JOB.

AND YOU ALL DIDN'T EVEN DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT AND YOU ALL DIDN'T EVEN MAKE IT PUBLIC.

[SPANISH]. AND THERE'S NO EVEN NO EVIDENCE AND YOU ALL AREN'T EVEN GIVING US THE ALLEGATIONS OR WHY YOU ALL ARE PUTTING HIM ON ADMINISTRATIVE LEAVE.

[SPANISH] AND YOU MADE A MEETING WITH US, PARENTS OF WHAT WE WANTED IN A SUPERINTENDENT, AND WE GAVE YOU THE INFORMATION.

[SPANISH] AND YOU PUT HIM ON ADMINISTRATIVE LEAVE AND YOU DIDN'T EVEN TELL US WHY YOU PUT HIM ON ADMINISTRATIVE LEAVE.

[SPANISH]. WHY CAN HE BE CONTINUE DOING HIS JOB WHILE HE IS ON INVESTIGATION? THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MISS PEREIRA.

OKAY THE NEXT PERSON WE WILL HAVE UP FORWARD IS ALFRED ADELE CASTILLO AND IN ORDER FOR THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES TO BE ABLE TO HEAR WHAT'S BEING SAID, THE CLAPPING AND THE CHEERING IS INTERRUPTING THEIR TIME AND WHAT WE CAN HEAR.

SO I JUST WANT TO MAKE MENTION OF THAT.

THANK YOU. WELCOME.

MR. GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS ALFRED ADELE CASTILLO.

I'VE LIVED IN GRAND PRAIRIE, MY WIFE AND I, FOR 40 YEARS.

WE'VE HAD A LOT OF GOOD EXPERIENCES WITH GRAND PRAIRIE INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT.

WE HAVE THREE KIDS THAT ARE NOW ADULTS.

THEY ALL GRADUATED FROM GRAND PRAIRIE.

SOUTH GRAND PRAIRIE HIGH SCHOOL AND THE BEAT CONTINUES.

WE HAVE A GRANDSON THAT NOW IS AT GRAND PRAIRIE HIGH SCHOOL.

SO WE WANT WHAT YOU'VE BEEN DOING TO CONTINUE TO BE VERY GOOD AS IT HAS BEEN.

THE REASON I'M HERE IS KIND OF WHAT YOU'VE BEEN HEARING.

I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY, ACTUALLY, THE PLEASURE TO MEET THE SUPERINTENDENT THAT WAS HIRED IN MAY.

I TALKED TO HIM. HE WAS VERY EXCITED TO GET GOING ON THE JOB OF DOING THE BEST HE COULD FOR THE KIDS AT GRAND PRAIRIE INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT AND SO I WAS EXCITED.

[00:55:04]

MY WIFE WAS EXCITED.

ALL OF US WERE EXCITED AND I HEARD A LOT OF GOOD THINGS.

THEY BASICALLY THAT ALL OF YOU HAD VOTED TO HIRE HIM IN MAY.

IS THAT CORRECT? IT WAS UNANIMOUS.

IS THAT CORRECT? YES. OKAY AND SO, LIKE I SAID, I SAW GRAND PRAIRIE GOING IN A GOOD DIRECTION.

OF COURSE, WHAT I THEN HEARD JUST RECENTLY, AND I THINK OTHER PEOPLE HAVE SAID IT'S BEEN LIKE THREE MONTHS.

IT WAS VERY QUICKLY.

HE'S NOW BEEN SUSPENDED.

SO I GUESS I'M KIND OF CONFUSED.

YOU ALL UNANIMOUSLY HIRED HIM, AND NOW YOU'VE SUSPENDED HIM.

SO I GUESS A LITTLE MORE TRANSPARENCY AS TO WHY WOULD BE APPRECIATED AND I THINK RESOLUTION OF WHATEVER IT IS THAT YOU SUSPENDED HIM FOR.

HOPEFULLY THAT CAN BE RESOLVED AND I'M HOPING THAT HE WILL BE REINSTATED SO HE CAN DO WHAT YOU HAVE BACK HERE, WHICH IS AWESOME.

YOU HAVE KIDS KIND OF, YOU KNOW, POINTING TO THE STARS, RIGHT? REALLY TRYING TO DO THE BEST THAT THEY CAN.

SO I THINK HE WANTED TO DO THAT.

SO IF YOU, YOU KNOW, HOPEFULLY HE CAN BE REINSTATED AND WE CAN CONTINUE THAT.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

THANK YOU, MR. CASTILLO.

NOW WE WILL HAVE LUPE DEL CASTILLO COME FORWARD.

LUPE DEL CASTILLO.

I'M HERE FROM GRAND PRAIRIE.

I USUALLY LIKE TO STAY IN THE BACKGROUND, BUT I'M GOING TO TELL YOU SOMETHING.

EVERYONE HERE VOTES.

YOU'RE HERE TO HELP US.

OUR CHILDREN, OUR GRANDCHILDREN.

I'VE KNOWN GLORIA FROM THE MOMENT I MOVED TO GRAND PRAIRIE.

I SAW HER WORK SUPER HARD TO GET WHERE SHE IS, AND SHE ALWAYS ENCOURAGED ME TO VOTE AND GUESS WHAT? I VOTE NOW.

YOU ALL BROUGHT MR. JORGE ARREDONDO TO US.

ALL HISPANICS, WHITES, BLACKS, WHATEVER YOU WANT TO SAY.

HE'S HERE AND THIS WOMAN HERE ALWAYS THINKS OF THE COMMUNITY.

I SUPPORT HER, WE NEED HER.

WE NEED MR. ESPINOSA AND WE NEED YOU TOO, EVEN IF WE DON'T AGREE.

WE NEED TO COME TOGETHER.

THE SOONER THE BETTER.

THE NEXT SPEAKER WE HAVE IS ESMERALDA RODRIGUEZ.

GOOD EVENING, MADAM PRESIDENT.

SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS.

IT'S AN HONOR, A PRIVILEGE TO BE HERE.

I'VE BEEN HERE FOR 39 YEARS AT 1322 CLARK TRAIL.

I AM A PRETTY.

WHAT CAN I SAY? OOH. PRETTY UPSET.

SHOCKED. TRYING TO KEEP EMOTION OUT OF THIS PRESENTATION, BUT IT'S PRETTY HARD.

I WAS VERY EXCITED TO SEE DOCTOR ARREDONDO BE BROUGHT HERE.

YOUR SEVEN ZERO VOTED TO BRING HIM HERE.

I WAS VERY EXCITED.

HIM BEING OUT AND ABOUT IN THE COMMUNITY, BEING VERY ACCESSIBLE, VISITING ALL THE CAMPUSES.

YOU KNOW, HE BROUGHT A LOT OF EXCITEMENT VISITING CAMPUSES AND WHATNOT.

THE BOTTOM LINE IS THIS.

YOU ALL VETTED HIM, PAID $30,000 OR WHATNOT FOR AN AGENCY TO VET HIM FOR YOU GUYS AND YOU ALL I KNOW I SPOKE TO EMILY SEVERAL OR A WEEK OR SO AGO, AND SHE.

I KNOW YOU TOLD ME EMILY YOU WORKED VERY HARD TO TO GET HIM HERE, AND HE WAS VETTED.

SO WHAT'S THE DEAL? I DON'T UNDERSTAND THE DISCREPANCY VERSUS HIM AND THE OTHER SUPERINTENDENTS.

WHY HE CANNOT.

WHY CAN WE NOT BRING HIM BACK AND BE REINSTATED AND DO THE JOB THAT HE'S GETTING PAID OVER $300,000 TO DO A JOB AND LET US

[01:00:09]

FOCUS ON STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT AND SAFETY OF ALL OUR STUDENTS AND STAFF.

WE HAVE 13 CAMPUSES LAST YEAR THAT WERE RATED D AND F, AND THE YEAR BEFORE 11 CAMPUSES.

HOW DOES HOW DO US TAXPAYERS NOT KNOW THIS INFORMATION? WHERE IS THAT TRANSPARENCY? ALL OF YOU RAN ON TRANSPARENCY.

ALL OF YOU.

TERRY, YOU'VE BEEN HERE 28 YEARS ON THIS SCHOOL BOARD.

WHERE IS THE TRANSPARENCY OF THAT? YOU KNOW, I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW THIS INFORMATION AND I COME TO A LOT OF SCHOOL BOARD MEETINGS.

I ONLY OVERHEARD THAT.

I JUST YOU CAN'T SAY BOARD MEMBERS NAMES.

YOU CAN LOOK THEM, BUT YOU CAN'T SAY BOARD MEMBERS NAMES.

OKAY, WELL, ALL OF YOU ARE SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS.

THAT'S GOOD. I MEAN, HELLO.

I MEAN, WE NEED ALL OF YOU.

I LOVE ALL OF YOU.

I RESPECT ALL OF YOU ALL, YOUR SERVICE.

BUT LET'S GET IT TOGETHER.

WE NEED MORE TRANSPARENCY AS TAXPAYERS.

WHY CAN WE NOT HAVE HIM BE DOING HIS JOB WHILE YOU ALL FINISH THIS INVESTIGATION TO FREE TO BE JUST AND SWIFT? SERIOUSLY? COME ON.

IT CAN BE DONE.

WE HAD IT BEFORE WHEN WE HAD 660,000 RUN OUT OF THIS BUILDING, AND NOBODY WAS PUT ON ADMINISTRATIVE LEAVE.

LET'S DO IT.

I NOW CALL FORTH THE NEXT PARTICIPANT.

MAGGIE WALTERS.

GOOD EVENING, BOARD MEMBERS.

I KNOW A LOT OF YOU AND I HAVE SUPPORTED YOU SOME OF YOU IN DIFFERENT CAPACITIES.

MY NAME IS MAGGIE WALTERS, AND GRAND PRAIRIE IS MY HOME.

I'M FROM 3944 HOLLY HILL STREET.

I AM THE MOTHER OF FIVE AMAZING CHILDREN, ALL OF THEM PRODUCT OF GRAND PRAIRIE ISD.

I AM HERE TODAY BECAUSE I WANT TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT OUR KIDS.

OUR BABIES DREAM SO MANY WONDERFUL DREAMS BECOMING A POLICE OFFICER, AN ASTRONAUT, A DOCTOR, A TEACHER. RIGHT NOW WE HAVE A SHORTAGE OF TEACHERS, LATINO TEACHERS AND THEN YOU SEE SOMEBODY THAT LOOKS LIKE YOU AS A SUPERINTENDENT AND YOUR KIDS CAN START DREAMING AND THESE.

THIS HITS ME A LITTLE BIT BECAUSE OUT OF THOSE FIVE BABIES, NUMBER FOUR HAS DECIDED TO GO INTO EDUCATION.

THAT MEANS THEY WERE DOING SOMETHING RIGHT.

LET'S NOT STOP THAT.

LET'S LET THESE BABIES DREAM.

JUST LIKE THE LITTLE GIRLS AND THE 60 DREAM OF A BLACK BARBIE.

JUST LIKE SOMEBODY IN THE 80S DREAM OF HOT CHEETOS AND THEY MADE IT A DREAM.

CAN WE GIVE THEM THAT DREAM? CAN THEY HAVE THAT PERSON? I THINK YOU GUYS DID GREAT.

I HAVE READ HOW HARD YOU LOOK FOR SOMEBODY TO COME IN AND MAKE THIS DISTRICT SHINE ONE MORE TIME.

I HEARD OF EVERYTHING THAT YOU HAVE DONE.

I HEARD OF YOUR HARD WORK.

I ALSO KNOW YOU DON'T GET PAID TO DO THIS.

YOU ARE ELECTED BECAUSE WE BELIEVE ON THE PROMISES THAT YOU'VE GIVEN US.

PLEASE GIVE OUR BABIES SOMETHING TO BELIEVE.

BRING THE PERSON BACK THAT YOU GUYS BELIEVED IN AND IF FOR SOME REASON HE CANNOT COME BACK, TELL US WHY.

SO THAT WE CAN HAVE ANSWERS FOR OUR KIDS, FOR THE ONES THAT ARE STILL IN SCHOOL AND SOME CONDITIONS THAT THEY COULD BE BETTER AND FOR THE ONES THAT HAVE GRADUATED AND THEY'RE LOOKING TO THEIR COMMUNITY TO COME BACK AND GIVE BACK, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT WE'RE SUPPOSED TO BE DOING.

IT'S NOT. YES. UNTIL THEY GRADUATE.

IT'S FOR THEM TO SEE YOU.

SOME OF YOU WENT TO SCHOOL IN GRAND PRAIRIE ISD, I'M SURE, AND YOU SEE IT AND SOME OF YOU STILL HAVE FAMILY HERE.

GRANDKIDS. GIVE THEM THAT DREAM BACK.

I BELIEVE THAT YOU CAN DO IT AND I AM VERY POSITIVE THAT I KNOW THAT YOU GUYS ARE GOING TO DO THE RIGHT THING BECAUSE YOU WANT OUR BABIES TO CONTINUE TO DREAM.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU.

THE NEXT PARTICIPANT WE HAVE IS MISS THERESA VARGAS ROBLES.

PLEASE COME FORWARD. YES I HAVE MINE WRITTEN DOWN.

GOOD EVENING.

MY NAME IS TERESA VARGAS ROBLES AND I AM A PROUD PARENT OF GRANBURY ISD.

[01:05:03]

I HAVE BEEN A RESIDENT OF THE CITY OF GRAND PRAIRIE SINCE 2005, BUT RECENTLY MOVED TO CITY HALL, TEXAS BECAUSE I BELIEVE IN THE DISTRICT.

I RE-ENROLLED MY DAUGHTER AS AN OUT OF DISTRICT STUDENT.

SHE ATTENDED GARNER FINE ARTS ACADEMY AND GRAND PRAIRIE FINE ARTS FOR MIDDLE SCHOOL.

SHE IS CURRENTLY ENROLLED IN AN EARLY COLLEGE PROGRAM AT SOUTH.

WE PROUDLY HAVE THREE CHILDREN AND ONE GRANDDAUGHTER, ALL WHO GRADUATED FROM SOUTH.

I AM SHARING THIS PERSONAL INFORMATION WITH YOU TONIGHT BECAUSE WE ARE INVESTED IN GRAND PRAIRIE ISD.

I HAVE FAITH IN EVERYONE WHO HOLDS A SEAT ON THE SCHOOL BOARD OF TRUSTEES DURING A SPECIAL MEETING HELD ON SEPTEMBER 4TH.

GRAND PRAIRIE INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT BOARD OF TRUSTEES VOTED TO PLACE DOCTOR JORGE ARREDONDO ON PAID ADMINISTRATIVE LEAVE PENDING AN UNEXPLAINED EXPLAINED INVESTIGATION. IF YOUR REASONING FOR PUTTING DOCTOR ARREDONDO ON ADMINISTRATIVE LEAVE WITH PAY TO PROTECT OUR DISTRICT IS IN FACT A TRUE STATEMENT, THEN WE DESERVE ANSWERS.

IN THE SHORT MONTHS OF BEING GRAND PRAIRIE INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT, EXCUSE ME, IN THE SHORT MONTHS OF BEING GRAND PRAIRIE SUPERINTENDENT, I HAVE SEEN CHANGES FOR THE BETTER.

I'VE WITNESSED ON GRAND PRAIRIE SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS OF PRINCIPALS BEING MOVED FOR THE SAKE OF OUR CHILDREN EDUCATION.

ISN'T THIS WHAT WE PAY HIM TO DO? IT IS PUBLIC RECORD THAT GPISD HAS 13 OR MORE FAILING SCHOOLS IN OUR DISTRICT.

WE, THE PARENTS, HAVE EVERY RIGHT TO KNOW WHAT THIS PENDING INVESTIGATION ENTAILS.

WHAT COULD BE SO WRONG THAT THE BOARD FINDS IT SO HARD TO DISCLOSE? IT HAS BEEN MADE PUBLIC RECORD THAT DOCTOR ARREDONDO WAS THE SOLE RUNNER IN HIS RUNNING AND HIS HIRING PROCESS.

THAT IN ITSELF SPEAKS VOLUMES.

IT WAS ALSO MADE PUBLIC THAT THE DISTRICT PAID OVER 20,000 OR MORE IN THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS.

ARE THESE DISTRICT FUNDS A WASTE? I HAVE FAITH THAT YOU WILL DO THE RIGHT THING BY REVOKING YOUR DECISION AND PLACING DOCTOR ARREDONDO ON PAID ADMINISTRATIVE LEAVE.

I MADE A COURAGEOUS DECISION DECISION TO COME HERE TONIGHT IN PERSON TO VOICE MY SINCERE CONCERNS RESPECTFULLY.

IN MY OPINION, POSTING ON SOCIAL MEDIA DOES ABSOLUTELY NOTHING.

THE LAST FEW WEEKS HAVE BEEN NOTHING BUT NEGATIVITY TOWARD THIS GREAT DISTRICT.

I ASK THAT YOU TAKE MY CONCERN INTO CONSIDERATION AND RELEASE MORE INFORMATION ON THIS ONGOING INVESTIGATION.

THANK YOU AND GOD BLESS OUR DISTRICT.

NEXT WE WILL HAVE DANIEL BECERRA.

[SPANISH]. YOU NEED A TRANSLATOR.

LOUIS, WE NEED SIX MINUTES ON THE.

THANK YOU. I WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK IN MY FIRST LANGUAGE.

THANK YOU. [SPANISH].

THE HUMAN BEINGS. [SPANISH].

WE HAVE TWO RIGHTS. [SPANISH].

EDUCATION AND HEALTH.

AND THE CITY OF GRAND PRAIRIE.

HE HAS PUT IT IN YOUR HANDS.

THE MOST IMPORTANT. OUR KIDS, OUR SONS.

THE EDUCATION OF OUR KIDS.

[SPANISH], THE HISPANIC COMMUNITY.

HAVING 70% OF THE STUDENT POPULATION.

[SPANISH]. IN THE SCHOOL DISTRICT OF GRAND PRAIRIE.

[SPANISH]. WE ARE REALLY CONCERNED.

[SPANISH]. BECAUSE WE HAVE DECIDED [SPANISH].

THE OPPORTUNITY OF HAVING, BY THE FIRST TIME UN SUPERINTENDENT LATINO, A LATINO SUPERINTENDENT.

[SPANISH]. THAT WE HAVE THE CONSCIOUS.

[SPANISH] THAT HE HAS COME TO MAKE A CHANGE.

[SPANISH]. IN OUR STUDENTS.

AND WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY. [SPANISH].

OF BELIEVING.

[SPANISH]. THE SAME THING THAT YOU BELIEVE.

OFTEN WE CANNOT FEEL OFFENDED.

[SPANISH]. THAT YOU HAVEN'T, YOU HAVE TAKEN SOMETHING OPPOSITE TO THAT.

[SPANISH]..

THE LATINO COMMUNITY HAS RECOGNIZED THE COMMUNITY OF [SPANISH].

MONTH OF CELEBRATION.

WE HAVE FOUND THIS THIS OPPORTUNITY THAT, YOU GAVE US.

[SPANISH]. WE WANT THE BOARD.

[SPANISH] TO KNOW.

[SPANISH] THIS BUSINESSMAN'S IN GRAND PRAIRIE.

[SPANISH]. STUDENTS.

[SPANISH]. GRANDPARENTS.

[SPANISH], PARENTS.

[01:10:01]

[SPANISH] AND YOURSELF.

[SPANISH] THAT WE ARE TRANSPARENT AND COME AND BRING BACK.

[SPANISH] THAT DREAM THAT WE HAVE THE LATINOS.

[SPANISH] FOR YEARS.

SORRY, YOU CAN'T MENTION TRUSTEES NAMES IN YOUR [SPANISH]? IF ANY OF YOU [SPANISH].

I WOULD LIKE FOR YOU ALL TO MENTION THE 13 CAMPUS THAT HAVE PROBLEM ISSUES.

[SPANISH] THAT ANY OF YOU [SPANISH] TRUST [SPANISH]? WHICH CAMPUSES ARE IN A BAD SHAPE? [SPANISH].

YOU MENTIONED THE 13 CAMPUSES THAT ARE IN BAD SHAPE.

[SPANISH]. ALL THE PEOPLE BEHIND ME IS [INAUDIBLE].

[SPANISH]. AND WE WOULD LIKE.

70% OF THE STUDENTS IN OUR DISTRICT [SPANISH].

ACHIEVED THE DREAM OF BECOMING [SPANISH], THANK YOU.

I WOULD NEED A TRANSLATOR FOR THIS NEXT INDIVIDUAL AS WELL.

CLAUDIA FLORES, PLEASE COME FORWARD.

LUIS, CAN YOU PUT SIX MINUTES UP, PLEASE? [INAUDIBLE] TRANSLATE, PLEASE.

[SPANISH]. GOOD AFTERNOON HONORABLE OF THIS BOARD MEMBERS.

[SPANISH]. I'M A BUSINESSWOMAN.

[SPANISH]. I'M A MOTHER.

VERY SOON I WILL BE A GRANDMA.

ALL MY LIFE I HAVE BELIEVED THAT DREAMS CAN COME TRUE.

[SPANISH]. WHERE ARE MY TAXES? [SPANISH].

I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW.

MY BUSINESS. [SPANISH].

ARE IN GRAND PRAIRIE.

THE METROPLEX HAS MANY CITIES.

AND I WILL NEVER MOVE MY MONEY OUT OF GRAND PRAIRIE [SPANISH]. I HAVE PAID MY MONEY TO THE [INAUDIBLE] GRAND PRAIRIE FOR MORE THAN 100 PEOPLE.

MANY OF THE PEOPLE THAT LIVE HERE KNOW THAT.

I THINK YOU ALSO KNOW THAT [SPANISH].

MORE THAN $300,000 ARE AT HOME WITHOUT DOING WHAT THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO BE DOING.

[SPANISH] I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHERE IS MY MONEY? [SPANISH] SUPERINTENDENT.

WHAT IS HE SUPPOSED TO BE DOING? [SPANISH] HE CAME TO IMPROVE THE SCHOOL DISTRICT.

I DON'T WANT I'M NOT HERE TO ATTACK YOU.

[SPANISH]. I WANT TO SUPPORT YOU.

IT'S NOT ONLY ONE BUSINESS THAT I HAVE RIGHT HERE.

I HAVE MANY BUSINESSES.

AND I DON'T WANT TO MOVE THEM OUT OF GRAND PRAIRIE.

[SPANISH]. DO NOT DISAPPOINT US.

REMEMBER, ONCE IN A WHILE YOU'RE GOING TO NEED OUR VOTES.

[SPANISH]. OH, IT'S NOT TRUE? [SPANISH].

YOU'RE GOING TO WANT THOSE VOTES.

NOT EVERYTHING IS FOR ETERNITY.

[SPANISH]. YOU'RE GOING TO NEED AGAIN FROM THIS COMMUNITY.

[SPANISH], PLEASE.

PLEASE PUT BACK THE MONEY TO WORK IN FAVOR OF OUR STUDENTS.

[SPANISH]. I WOULD LOVE TO TAX TO PAY TAXES.

[SPANISH] BUT I WANT TO KNOW WHERE THAT WHERE THE MONEY IS INVESTED.

[SPANISH]. [INAUDIBLE] ALWAYS BEING IN AGREEMENT WITH MR. DANIEL BECERRA [SPANISH] THAT OUR KIDS, THEY'RE GOING TO KNOW THAT WE HAVE A HISPANIC SUPERINTENDENT [SPANISH] AND THEY ALSO ARE GOING TO DREAM OF BECOMING A SUPERINTENDENT ONE DAY.

[SPANISH]. PLEASE HELP THEM ACHIEVE THAT DREAM.

I WOULD LIKE TO SAY THAT MY LAST WORDS[SPANISH].

[01:15:04]

THERE ARE SOME MEN THAT FIGHT, AND THEY'RE GOOD.

BUT SOME MEN FIGHT FOR THE ENTIRE LIFE AND THEY ARE EVEN BETTER.

I WOULD LIKE TO SEE YOU AGAIN IN ANOTHER CIRCUMSTANCES.

[SPANISH] EVENTS.

YOU KNOW, I HAVE MANY VENUES FOR EVENTS, SO THEY ARE AVAILABLE FOR YOU ALL.

BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, I HAVE DONATED A LOT OF THIS FOR FOR YOU ALL WITHOUT ASKING FOR ANY PAYBACK.

[SPANISH]. FOR THE SIMPLE MEANING OF HELPING YOU ALL.

[SPANISH]. I ALSO PARTICIPATED ACTIVELY ON DONATING 10,000 BACKPACKS FOR OUR STUDENTS.

[SPANISH]. WE'RE GOING TO DOUBLE THAT AMOUNT NEXT YEAR.

GRACIAS. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

THE NEXT PARTICIPANT WE HAVE IS CONNIE RAMOS KAWHI.

AND I APOLOGIZE IF I MISPRONOUNCED YOUR NAME.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR LETTING ME BE HERE THIS EVENING.

MY NAME IS CONNIE RAMOS [INAUDIBLE] IT'S [INAUDIBLE], IT'S HAWAIIAN.

OKAY. OKAY. I'M HERE.

I AM FROM SOUTH TEXAS.

BORN AND RAISED.

SO WHEN THE SUPERINTENDENT WAS GOING TO COME TO GRAND PRAIRIE, I CALLED MY FAMILY IN SOUTH TEXAS AND ASKED ABOUT DOCTOR ARREDONDO AND MY FAMILY SAID THAT GRAND PRAIRIE SHOULD BE PROUD TO HAVE AN HONORABLE MAN LIKE MR. ARREDONDO, WHO IS WILLING AND ABLE TO ALWAYS BE THERE FOR THE COMMUNITY, FOR THE STUDENTS AND FOR THE PARENTS OF THIS COMMUNITY.

SO I AM ASKING FOR YOU ALL TO SERIOUSLY CONSIDER BRINGING HIM BACK SO HE CAN CONTINUE TO DO WHAT HE WAS VETTED TO COME AND DO, AND THAT IS TO MOVE THIS DISTRICT FORWARD.

THE NEXT PARTICIPANT WE HAVE IS MISS ANGELA LUCKY.

GOOD EVENING. GPISD BOARD PRESIDENT AMBER MOFFAT AND ACTING SUPERINTENDENT TRACY RAY AND GPISD TRUSTEES.

I MUST SAY, AS AN UNDERGRADUATE OF GPISD WITH CLASS OF 1983, I'M ASHAMED OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICT AND ANY BOARD TRUSTEES THAT HAVE INTENTIONALLY MISLED THE PUBLIC WITH HALF INFORMATION AND HAVE OUR CITY IN AN UPROAR.

I WOULD SAY 13 FAILING SCHOOLS IS A REAL BIG DEAL AND CRITICAL WHEN HIRING A SEARCH FIRM FOR A SUPERINTENDENT POSITION TO LEAD THE DISTRICT ON A SUCCESS PATH FOR OUR STUDENTS, AND FINDING A NEW SUPERINTENDENT USING THE SCHOOL DISTRICT ATTORNEY.

EXPERIENCED BOARD MEMBERS, THE OUTGOING SUPERINTENDENT, AND A PROFESSIONAL SEARCH FIRM ARE ALL INVOLVED IN THE HIRING PROCESS.

HOW IS IT TODAY THAT TAXPAYERS ARE ABLE TO GOOGLE AND FIND MORE INFORMATION ON THE NEWLY HIRED SUPERINTENDENT THAT WAS NOT DISCLOSED TO ALL BOARD MEMBERS? I DO NOT KNOW WHY THE SUPERINTENDENT IS PLACED ON ADMINISTRATIVE LEAVE, BUT IT MUST BE SERIOUS FOR THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY TO RECOMMEND TO PLACE THE SUPERINTENDENT ON LEAVE TO CONDUCT AN INVESTIGATION.

I SUPPORT DUE PROCESS FOR THE SUPERINTENDENT.

I'M ASKING THIS BOARD TO BE TRANSPARENT AND LET THE TAXPAYERS KNOW WHAT YOU KNOW.

WHICH BOARD MEMBERS LED THIS EFFORT ON GETTING THIS SEARCH FIRM.

GETTING THE SEARCH FIRM CONTRACT.

AT THIS STAGE AND THE OVERFLOW IN ATTENDANCE TONIGHT.

HOW ABOUT THE BOARD? BE TRUTHFUL, TRANSPARENT AND LET THE TAXPAYERS KNOW THE ALLEGATIONS AGAINST THE SUPERINTENDENT.

I DO NOT SUPPORT ANY STAFF OF GPISD MAKING IDLE THREATS AGAINST SCHOOL BOARD PRESIDENT AMBER MOFFETT, WHICH LED TO GRAND PRAIRIE POLICE BEING INVOLVED. PLEASE BRING BACK INTEGRITY AND TRANSPARENCY BACK TO GRAND PRAIRIE.

IF YOU GRADUATED FROM GPISD, PLEASE STAND.

I WANT TO SAY I HAD A MEETING WITH THE SUPERINTENDENT IN REFERENCE TO THE DISTRICT AND MY MEETING.

[01:20:06]

MY MEETING WENT WELL.

I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S ANY OTHER CIVIC ORGANIZATION.

TOOK THE TIME TO GET ON HIS APPOINTMENT TO MEET WITH THEM, BUT I WANT TO GO ON RECORD THAT THE GRAND PRAIRIE NAACP DID MEET WITH THE SUPERINTENDENT.

THANK. THE NEXT PERSON I CALL FORTH IS ARACELI MERCADO.

PLEASE FORGIVE ME IF I MISPRONOUNCE YOUR NAME.

ARACELI MERCADO.

GOOD AFTERNOON.

I THINK MOST OF THE THINGS I WAS PLANNING TO SAY SOMEBODY ELSE SAY BEFORE I COME IN FOR THE SAME REASON THIS NIGHT.

PART OF THIS CITY FOR OVER 20 YEARS.

I'M A BUSINESSWOMAN.

I'M A CITIZEN.

PART OF THE COMMUNITY WORKING TOGETHER FOR THE 12 YEARS.

TOGETHER WITH THE POLICE DEPARTMENT ISD, THE CITY OF GRAND PRAIRIE.

I'M REALLY DISAPPOINTED THAT THIS SAME PEOPLE.

YOU GUYS CHOSE DOCTOR ARREDONDO TO BE SUPERINTENDENT FOR THIS CITY AND SOME OF THESE PEOPLE THINKING THEY HAD THE RIGHT TO PUT THIS GUY ON LEAVING FOR NO REASON, EXPLAINING TO THE TAXPAYER, I'M A TAXPAYER, I OWN A HOUSE HERE.

I'M A BUSINESS OVER HERE, AND I DON'T THINK IT'S RIGHT.

YOU'RE TALKING FEW MINUTES AGO ABOUT SPENDING MONEY ON BUSSES, BUT YOU DON'T.

YOU DON'T THINK ABOUT THE MONEY YOU'RE SPENDING TO DOING THIS TO OUR DISTRICT WHEN WE HAVE 13 SCHOOLS FAILING EVERY TIME I SELL A HOUSE.

TALKING ABOUT THE GREAT GRAND PRAIRIE ISD.

MAYBE I WAS WRONG.

MAYBE ALL THIS TIME THINKING THAT YOU GUYS DOING YOUR JOB AND I'M DOING MY JOB.

IT'S SO SAD FOR ME THAT WE'RE PUTTING THIS GUY ON THIS SITUATION WHEN IT'S NOT ONLY PROFESSIONAL, IT'S ALSO PERSONAL.

BECAUSE A LOT OF THINGS SAYING ON THE SOCIAL MEDIA ABOUT HIM.

NOBODY KNOW AND I THINK AS A PAY TAXPAYERS, WE GIVE YOU GUYS TOO MUCH POWER TO SPEND OUR MONEY.

WE REALLY THINK WE NEED AN ANSWER.

THIS CITY DESERVES THE OPPORTUNITY.

THE DOCTOR ARREDONDO WORKED FOR OUR KIDS AND TO HAVE A BETTER DISTRICT.

THE DISTRICT THAT WE DREAM SO MANY TIMES.

I ALSO PART OF THE UNIDOS GROUP WHO COLLECT ALL THE GROUP ON THE COMMUNITY.

10,000 BACKPACKS THIS YEAR.

WE'RE PLANNING TO DO IT NEXT YEAR FOR 20,000, BECAUSE WE WANT TO PROVIDE IT FOR EVERY SINGLE KID ON THE SCHOOL.

BUT MAYBE WE DO IT WRONG BECAUSE WE'RE WORKING FOR THE COMMUNITY, AND YOU'RE SPENDING THE MONEY TRYING TO FIND OUT SOMETHING THAT YOU GUYS KNOW IS NOT THERE AND I DON'T THINK IT'S RIGHT.

QUESTION. IF WE DO AS A COMMUNITY, WE'RE DOING THE RIGHT THING.

CHOOSE THIS KIND OF PEOPLE.

WHEN TWO MONTHS LATER DECIDE THE DECISION THEY TAKE FOR MONTHS, I WAS WRONG.

AS A TAXPAYER, I NEED AN ANSWER.

I DON'T KNOW IF WE NEED TO ASK SOMEBODY ELSE.

WE NEED TO ASK THE CITY.

WE NEED TO ASK THE STATE [INAUDIBLE].

THAT THE NEXT PERSON I CALL FORTH IS [INAUDIBLE] RICHIE. MADAM PRESIDENT.

ACTING SUPERINTENDENT.

MY NAME IS [INAUDIBLE] RITCHIE, AND IT'S PAST MY BEDTIME, SO I'LL HURRY UP ALONG HERE.

I HAVE LIVED IN GRAND PRAIRIE FOR OVER 33 YEARS.

MY HUSBAND WAS TRANSFERRED HERE WITH THE NAVY FOR HIS LAST DUTY STATION.

HE RETIRED 30 YEARS AGO FROM THE NAVY.

HE RETIRED 21 YEARS WITH TARRANT COUNTY COLLEGE AFTER THAT.

SO WE HAVE BEEN IN THIS DISTRICT FOR A LONG TIME.

OUR DAUGHTER WENT THROUGH SCHOOL COMPLETELY IN GRAND PRAIRIE ISD, WITH ONLY HALF A YEAR IN SAN DIEGO, WHERE SHE WAS BORN.

[01:25:04]

THE LAST TIME I WAS AT A SCHOOL BOARD MEETING WAS 21.5 YEARS AGO, AND THAT WAS WHEN DOCTOR BARBOSA DECIDED THAT THE SOUTH GRAND PRAIRIE CHEYENNES COULD NOT GO ON THEIR SPRING TRIP TO COMPETE IN SOUTH PADRE ISLAND, AND THE EXCUSE WE WERE GIVEN WAS BECAUSE THE WAR WAS GOING ON.

THE IRAQ WAR WAS GOING ON AND I SAID TO DOCTOR BARBOSA, I SAID TO THE MEDIA, WHAT DID THE PRESIDENT TELL US JUST A FEW DAYS AGO? GO ON WITH OUR LIVES.

WE WENT ON WITH OUR LIVES.

THE GIRL WENT GIRLS WENT ON THE TRIP.

I WENT ON THE TRIP WE HAD.

WE DID NOT HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO REPRESENT SOUTH GRAND PRAIRIE HIGH SCHOOL.

THAT WAS ONE STIPULATION, BARBOSA SAID.

FINE, WE CHANGED OUR NAME.

WE CAME HOME WITH 11 TROPHIES.

ONE SPECIAL AWARD WAS TO THE PARENTS.

FOR STANDING UP AND DOING THE RIGHT THING.

THEN YOU GO ON AND YOU GET SUSAN HALL.

YEAH AND I FEEL SO SORRY THAT SHE PASSED AWAY.

THEN YOU GET LINDA ELLIS, WHO RIPPED THIS CITY OFF BIG TIME WITH THAT HOUSE THAT SHE HAD AND PAID VERY LITTLE IN RENT THAT HAD A POOL.

HOW MANY OF OUR STUDENTS HAVE A POOL? THE LAST THING I WANT TO SAY IS A ARTICLE.

NOVEMBER 3RD, 2022 MACKENZIE SCOTT, THE BILLIONAIRE PHILANTHROPIST KNOWN FOR HER IMPROMPTU MULTIMILLION DOLLAR DONATION, DONATED $16 MILLION TO GRAND PRAIRIE ISD.

WHERE'S THE MONEY? WHERE'S THE MONEY? WE HAVE NO IDEA WHAT YOU HAVE DONE WITH THAT $16 MILLION.

WE DESERVE TO KNOW.

WE ALSO DESERVE TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENED WITH THIS SUPERINTENDENT.

TRANSPARENCY IS RICH.

THANK YOU. I NOW CALL FOR HAROLD. GEORGE.

GOOD AFTERNOON, MADAM PRESIDENT AND THE BOARD.

MY NAME IS HAROLD GEORGE, AND I'M GLAD TO BE HERE AND I WORK FOR THE GRAND PRAIRIE TRANSPORTATION BUS BARN AND THIS IS MY SECOND YEAR HERE. I LOVE MY KIDS.

I LOVE WHAT I DO, MY JOB.

I LEFT 32 YEARS OF DRIVING AN 18 WHEELER TO COME HERE.

MY WIFE CAME HERE FIRST AND I FOLLOWED HER AS A PACKAGE.

SO I WOULD LIKE TO STAY HERE AND I AND SECOND OF ALL, I HAD A DIALOG WITH DOCTOR JOSE ARREDONDO, AND I TOLD HIM HIS LEADERSHIP IS CONTAGIOUS BECAUSE WHAT WE WHAT I TALK TO HIM AND AND HE TALKED TO ALL MY EMPLOYEES, I MEAN, NONE OF MY EMPLOYEES, MY COWORKERS AND I LIKE FOR Y'ALL TO GIVE FOR MY COWORKERS, A HAND BECAUSE THEY CAME WITH ME TODAY. THEY MORE OF THEM WANTED TO COME, BUT THEY WAS OUT DOING FIELD TRIPS AND OTHER DUTIES.

BUT IN THE WHOLE SENSE, I'M GOING TO BE HERE AND I WANT TO BE HERE AND I WAN Y'ALL SUPPORT.

100%. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

ALL RIGHT, NOW CALL FORTH BECKY ARCHULETA. HELLO.

GOOD EVENING. THIS IS MY FIRST SCHOOL BOARD MEETING, SO I'M KIND OF NERVOUS.

I'VE NEVER DONE THIS BEFORE, BUT I'M HERE AS A CONCERNED PARENT, SO I'VE LIVED IN GRAND PRAIRIE FOR 24 YEARS.

TWO OR, YOU KNOW, AS, LIKE EVERYONE ELSE.

AND I HEARD ON THE NEWS, JUST LIKE EVERYONE ELSE, THAT THE SUPERINTENDENT WAS SUSPENDED AND THAT YOU WERE PROTECTING HIS PRIVACY AND PROTECTING THE SCHOOL. BUT ARE YOU REALLY? BECAUSE THERE'S SO MUCH GOSSIP? EVERYONE'S THERE'S SO MANY THINGS.

THERE'S NEGATIVE STORIES ABOUT HIM.

IT'S SLANDEROUS. IT'S LIKE, WHAT DID HE REALLY DO?

[01:30:02]

I THINK JUST LIKE EVERYONE ELSE IS SAYING HERE.

BE TRANSPARENT.

YOU ASKED US ALL SUMMER LONG.

WHAT ARE WE LOOKING FOR? OR ACTUALLY ALL LAST YEAR.

WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR IN A SUPERINTENDENT? WHO SHOULD WE HIRE? WHAT SHOULD WE LOOK FOR? WE TELL YOU, YOU ACTUALLY HIRE THE GUY.

HE WAS SO EXCITING.

HE COMES TO OUR SCHOOL.

MY KIDS GO TO SOUTH GRAND PRAIRIE.

HE CAME TO THE MEETING, SPOKE TO ALL OF US AND HE WAS SO HE HAD SO MUCH PASSION, SO MUCH ENTHUSIASM.

HE GOT THE KIDS EXCITED.

MY KIDS ARE HERE BECAUSE THEY'RE HERE TO AS A LEARNING OPPORTUNITY.

THEY MET WITH DOCTOR ARREDONDO.

THEY SPOKE TO HIM.

HE WAS AMAZING.

HE'S A GOOD EXAMPLE.

BUT WE'RE NOT GOING TO KNOW THE TRUTH.

YOU HAVEN'T TOLD US ANYTHING.

THERE'S NO TRANSPARENCY.

ALL WE KNOW IS WHAT'S ON ONLINE AND AS YOU KNOW, SOCIAL MEDIA IS NOT ALWAYS A GOOD THING.

THERE'S SO MANY RUMORS, SO MUCH GOING ON.

IF HE DID SOMETHING THAT WAS TRULY BAD, THEN YES, HE DESERVES THE SUSPENSION.

DID HE DO SOMETHING TO CHILDREN? DID HE STEAL MONEY? WE DON'T KNOW.

ALL WE KNOW IS WHAT YOU KNOW.

YOU'RE PROTECTING HIM, BUT YOU'RE REALLY NOT.

PROTECT OUR STUDENTS.

DO SOMETHING FOR THEM.

HE SEEMS TO BE REALLY EXCITED.

I KNOW AS PEOPLE, WE DON'T LIKE CHANGE.

MAYBE HE WAS MAKING TOO MANY CHANGES.

MAYBE THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT YOU DIDN'T WANT.

YOU WEREN'T PREPARED FOR.

BUT HE BROUGHT PASSION TO THE CHILDREN AND I'M SPEAKING FOR MY TWO KIDS AND TO BE HONEST, I PUT MY KIDS IN PRIVATE SCHOOL BECAUSE I WAS AFRAID OF GRAND PRAIRIE ISD.

THEY'VE BEEN IN PRIVATE SCHOOL THEIR ENTIRE LIVES, EXCEPT FOR NOW THAT THEY'RE AT SOUTH GRAND PRAIRIE.

I WAS LIKE, YOU KNOW WHAT? THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, EVERYONE'S SAYING GOOD THINGS ABOUT THEM.

LET ME GO AHEAD AND PUT MY TRUST IN MY PRECIOUS CHILDREN THAT I HAD A HARD TIME HAVING.

I PUT THEM THERE.

THEY'RE DOING REALLY WELL, AND I'M EXCITED.

THIS MAN, HE'S HISPANIC, HE'S WELL EDUCATED, HE'S WELL-SPOKEN, HE'S VERY PASSIONATE AND THEN WHAT DO I TELL THE KIDS? OH, HE'S SUSPENDED BECAUSE, I DON'T KNOW, SUSPICIOUS THINGS, I GUESS.

WHAT DO YOU SAY TO YOUR TO OUR CHILDREN.

FIX THE FAILING SCHOOLS.

LEAVE THE SUPERINTENDENT TO LEAD.

CHANGE IS GOOD.

YES. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME I CALL FORTH MARCELLA PEREZ.

GOOD EVENING, MADAM PRESIDENT.

BOARD OF TRUSTEES, MY NAME IS MARCELLA PEREZ AND I AM A GPISD PARENT.

BOTH OF MY CHILDREN HAVE ATTENDED GPISD SCHOOLS THEIR ENTIRE LIVES AS SPECIAL EDUCATION STUDENTS.

I HAVE SERVED AS A VOLUNTEER IN THE DISTRICT IN VARIOUS CAPACITIES, AND HAVE COME TO BUILD MANY RELATIONSHIPS WITH ADMINISTRATORS, TEACHERS, AND PARAPROFESSIONALS, MANY IN THIS BUILDING AS WELL.

WHILE I HAVE HAD MY SHARE OF SITUATIONS TO ADVOCATE FOR WITH BOTH OF MY CHILDREN.

I HAVE MADE IT MY PRIORITY TO TAKE THE APPROPRIATE STEPS TO NAVIGATE PROTOCOLS FOR PROPER CONFLICT RESOLUTION.

WITH THAT SAID, I COME HERE TODAY TO EXPRESS MY SUPPORT FOR THE SCHOOL BOARD OF TRUSTEES AND THEIR DECISIONS TO DO WHAT IS BEST IN THE BEST INTEREST OF OUR DISTRICT AND STUDENTS.

WHILE THE CURRENT CIRCUMSTANCES ARE NOT IDEAL, IT HAS BEEN VERY DIFFICULT TO HEAR EXTREMELY DAMAGING AND ACCUSATORY, ACCUSATORY STATEMENTS ABOUT OUR DISTRICT, IN THE MEDIA AND ON SOCIAL PLATFORMS AT A TIME WHEN OUR COMMUNITY NEEDS TO BECOME UNIFIED AND MENDED.

THE OPPOSITE IS TAKING PLACE.

WHILE TRUE INJUSTICE EXISTS IN OUR WORLD AND OUR COMMUNITIES.

IT IS EXTREMELY DAMAGING TO THE INTEGRITY OF OUR DISTRICT AND CITY TO MAKE ACCUSATIONS THAT DIVIDE OUR COMMUNITY AND PUT OUR DISTRICT AND CITY IN A NEGATIVE LIGHT ON THE REGIONAL, STATE AND NATIONAL LEVEL.

I PRAY AND HOPE THAT MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY KEEP THIS IN MIND, AND KEEP THE MANNER IN WHICH OUR CHILDREN OBSERVE OUR BEHAVIOR, LANGUAGE AND ACTIONS TOWARDS ONE ANOTHER IN PUBLIC AND ON SOCIAL PLATFORMS BECAUSE THEY ARE THE WHY BEHIND WHY WE ARE ALL HERE.

IN OUR LAST OPEN FORUM PARTICIPANT FOR THE NIGHT, AMBER LUCKY.

GOOD EVENING, MADAM PRESIDENT, BOARD OF TRUSTEES AND INTERIM SUPERINTENDENT.

MY NAME IS AMBER LUCKY.

I LIVE IN MAR-A-LAGO AND ON THE GRAND PRAIRIE SIDE, I'M A PARENT OF AN ELEMENTARY STUDENT IN THE DISTRICT THAT IS UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF SPECIAL EDUCATION DEPARTMENT.

AS WE KNOW, THEY TEND TO INVOLVE THE LEAST OF THESE, WHERE THEY ARE ALWAYS THE LAST TO BE CONSIDERED IN DECISION MAKING, IF AT ALL.

[01:35:05]

PREVIOUSLY, WE WERE IN THE DESOTO ISD DURING A TIME WHERE THERE WAS EXTREME TURMOIL WITH THE SUPERINTENDENT.

THAT LEFT A LOT OF UNANSWERED QUESTIONS AND WASTED TAX DOLLARS WITH THE ADDITION OF TEA BEING CALLED IN, THAT SUPERINTENDENT WAS VERY ACTIVE, ATTENDING EVENTS AND VERY VISIBLE.

SO SMOKE AND MIRRORS.

IT JUST REALLY DOESN'T MEAN ANYTHING TO ME.

I BELIEVED IN THE GRAND PRAIRIE ISD, SO WE TRANSFERRED INTO THE DISTRICT.

NOW WE'VE BEEN HERE FOR THREE YEARS, AND I'LL ADMIT, I DON'T KNOW THE SPECIFIC DETAILS OF WHAT HAPPENED WITH THE SUPERINTENDENT THAT HAS BEEN PLACED ON LEAVE.

HOWEVER, I AM DEEPLY DISTURBED BY THE LAST SPECIAL CALLED SCHOOL BOARD MEETING WHERE IT WAS MENTIONED THAT THERE WAS A WITCH HUNT GOING ON AND SEVERAL QUESTIONS WERE LEFT UNANSWERED.

WHAT I DO KNOW IS IT TOOK ME LESS THAN FIVE MINUTES TO DO A GOOGLE SEARCH TO DISCOVER SOME UNNERVING THINGS THAT TOOK PLACE IN PREVIOUS DISTRICTS UNDER THEIR LEADERSHIP THAT WERE BASED ON FACTS, NOT EMOTIONS.

WHAT I DO KNOW IS MY SON AND HIS CLASSMATES LOST SEVERAL TEACHERS AND TA'S WHERE THEY WERE MOVED TO OTHER SCHOOLS.

WHAT I DO KNOW NOW IS THAT WE HAVE 13 FAILING SCHOOLS.

WE ALL SHOULD KNOW THAT ALL OF THIS DISRUPTION TO OUR CHILDREN HAS CAUSED INCONSISTENCY AND THEY NEED CONSISTENCY.

I'M HIGHLY DISAPPOINTED THAT WE ARE NOW IN A DISTRICT THAT'S IN THE NEWS, ONCE AGAIN, NOT FOR GOOD REASONS AND NOW WASTING ADDITIONAL DOLLARS THAT WE DESPERATELY NEED.

I HOPE THE BOARD PROVIDES FULL TRANSPARENCY OF THE DETAILS OF WHAT'S GOING ON? EXPLAINS EXACTLY WHAT THE DISTRICT AND SUPERINTENDENT ON LEAVE NEED PROTECTION FROM.

PROVIDE A DATE ON WHEN THE INVESTIGATION RESULTS FROM THE LAW FIRM WILL BE SHARED AND THINKS OF THE SPECIAL EDUCATION CHILDREN, TEACHERS, TA'S, DIRECTORS, ADMINISTRATORS FIRST.

SOMETIMES WHEN MAKING DECISIONS VERSUS OFTEN NOT AT ALL.

I DO HOPE YOU ALL THINK OF ALL OF OUR CHILDREN IN THIS DISTRICT.

WE WILL NOW MOVE FORWARD TO COMMENTS FROM INDIVIDUAL BOARD MEMBERS AND A SUPERINTENDENT.

[13. COMMENTS FROM INDIVIDUAL BOARD MEMBERS AND SUPERINTENDENT UPDATE]

UPDATE IF MISS RAY HAS ANYTHING TO UPDATE US ON.

I WILL START TO MY LEFT WITH TRUSTEE NANCY BRIDGES AND BEFORE TRUSTEE BRIDGES STARTS, I JUST WOULD LIKE TO SAY TRUSTEE DAVID ESPINOSA HAD TO STEP OUT.

HE WILL BE ATTENDING THE MEXICAN AMERICAN SCHOOL BOARD ASSOCIATION CONFERENCE, AND SO HE HAD A FLIGHT TO CATCH.

TRUSTEE BRIDGES.

THANK YOU. FIRST OFF, I WANT TO SAY HOW HAPPY I WAS TO SEE THE MARIACHI BAND FROM GRAND PRAIRIE HIGH SCHOOL.

GRAND PRAIRIE HIGH SCHOOL IS MY ALMA MATER, AND I LOVE TO SEE KIDS DOING GOOD THINGS FROM FROM THAT SCHOOL AND THEY ARE, THEY WERE AWESOME.

ALSO, ESMERALDA, THANK YOU FOR OUR AWARDS TONIGHT, THE LIONS CLUB.

YOU ALWAYS MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE RECOGNIZED AND I DO APPRECIATE THAT AND I JUST HOPE EVERYONE TRUSTS U AND WE CAN FINALLY BRING ALL OF THIS CHAOS BACK TO ORDER.

SO THANK YOU FOR ATTENDING TONIGHT.

I ALSO WANT TO CONGRATULATE MR. GARCIA AND MARIACHI ALSO GRAND PRAIRIE HIGH SCHOOL.

TRUSTEE CARRILLO.

THANK YOU, MISS MOFFAT.

THEY DID A WONDERFUL JOB AND ESMERALDA, THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU DO FOR OUR COMMUNITY.

THE LIONS CLUB, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR OUR WONDERFUL AWARD.

THANK YOU AND I MEAN, YOU GUYS ARE OUT THERE EVERY SINGLE WEEK PROVIDING FOOD FOR THE COMMUNITY, DOING VISION TESTS FOR THE KIDS, DOING ALL SORTS OF THINGS FOR OUR COMMUNITY. SO THANK YOU FOR ALL THAT YOU DO.

I ALSO WANT TO THANK EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU THAT CAME HERE TONIGHT TO SPEAK.

I APPRECIATE SO MUCH SEEING ALL OF YOU HERE.

I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT I HOPE THAT ALL OF YOU COME BACK TO EVERY ONE OF OUR MEETINGS.

WE NEED YOU HERE FOR EVERY ONE OF OUR MEETINGS, BECAUSE EVERY TIME THAT WE MEET, WE HAVE SOME IMPORTANT BUSINESS THAT WE NEED TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT.

WE HAVE IMPORTANT ISSUES.

SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE TONIGHT AND LIKE NANCY SAID, OUR GOAL IS TO BRING THIS INVESTIGATION TO A EFFICIENT AND SWIFT CONCLUSION SO THAT WE CAN GET ON WITH THE BUSINESS.

WHAT WE WERE HIRED TO DO, WE WERE HIRED TO IMPROVE OUR STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT.

SO THAT'S WHAT WE WANT TO DO. WE WANT TO MAKE GRAND PRAIRIE ISD ONE OF THE BEST IN THE AREA, AND WE'RE HOPING THAT WE CAN GET THIS THING DONE AND CONCLUDED SOON, SO THAT WE CAN

[01:40:02]

GO ON WITH WHAT WE WERE SUPPOSED TO BE DOING.

STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT.

THANK YOU THANK YOU, TRUSTEE CARRILLO.

TRUSTEE PARRA. I WANT TO ECHO MISS CARRILLO'S COMMENTS.

I WANT TO THANK OUR STUDENT PERFORMERS THIS EVENING, AND DEFINITELY WANT TO THANK THE COMMUNITY FOR COMING OUT, VOICING YOUR CONCERNS.

WE LISTENED TO EVERYTHING YOU SAY AND WE TAKE IN EVERYTHING THAT YOU SAY.

SO I GREATLY APPRECIATE EVERYONE THAT CAME OUT TONIGHT.

I HOPE EVERYONE HAS A GREAT REST OF YOUR EVENING AND MAKES IT HOME SAFELY.

THANK YOU. TRUSTEE PARRA.

TRUSTEE BROOKS.

YES, MA'AM. [INAUDIBLE].

I KEEP FORGETTING TO PUSH THAT BUTTON.

THE STUDENT PERFORMERS YOU SAW JUST A LITTLE BIT OF THE AMAZING, TALENTED, WONDERFUL, BRILLIANT STUDENTS THAT WE HAVE IN THIS DISTRICT AND WHERE DO THEY GET THAT FROM? THE AMAZING, BRILLIANT, TALENTED TEACHERS AND SO ON IN THIS DISTRICT.

WE ARE A GREAT DISTRICT AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO BE A GREAT DISTRICT AND AGAIN, THESE KIDS FROM GRAND PRAIRIE HIGH.

AMAZING. ONE OTHER THING TO THE INTERPRETERS.

HE'S STILL BACK THERE.

WHEREVER HE WENT.

WHERE'S HE AT? COME BACK OUT HERE A SECOND.

WHAT AN AMAZING JOB THIS GUY DID TONIGHT.

YEAH. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

HOW ARE YOU? OH. THANK YOU.

THAT'S ALL. THANK YOU.

TRUSTEE BROOKS.

TRUSTEE LILES.

THANK YOU, MADAM PRESIDENT.

I TOO, WANT TO THANK THE MARIACHI FOR COMING AND PERFORMING.

AS I ALWAYS SAY, EVERY MONTH, THE STUDENTS BEING HERE IS THE BEST PART OF THE MEETING.

THERE WAS A LOT OF THINGS SAID TONIGHT AND AGAIN, I THINK I ECHO ANOTHER TRUSTEE'S COMMENT HERE.

I APPRECIATE EVERYBODY COMING.

I'M ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE.

I'VE SPOKEN AT A BOARD MEETING BEFORE I WAS ELECTED.

I SEE THE VALUE IN IT, AND I UNDERSTAND IT'S YOUR RIGHT TO DO, AND I APPRECIATE YOU TAKING THE COURAGE TO COME HERE AND DO IT.

I ALSO IT'S VERY APPARENT TO ME THAT WHAT IS BEING PROJECTED OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY VIA SOCIAL MEDIA AND THE MEDIA THAT IS HERE TONIGHT IS NOT THE TRUTH AND THAT WILL BE RECTIFIED SHORTLY, WE HOPE.

WE DID AGREE.

7-0 TO PUT IN DOCTOR ARREDONDO.

I LED THAT CHARGE AS PRESIDENT OF THAT BOARD AND I STAND BY THAT DECISION.

AND IF YOU'VE CALLED ME AND I'VE HAD CONVERSATIONS WITH NUMEROUS COMMUNITY MEMBERS YOU KNOW, WHERE I STAND ON THAT AND THAT'S SOMETHING I TAKE ACCOUNTABILITY FOR BUT I ALSO AM A PERSON WHO WILL TAKE ACCOUNTABILITY WHEN SOMETHING IS BROUGHT TO THE BOARD THAT MUST GO TO AN INVESTIGATION. I WILL DO THAT EVERY TIME AND IT IS TO PROTECT THE DISTRICT AND DOCTOR ARREDONDO, CONTRARY TO WHAT YOU BELIEVE, UNFORTUNATELY, THE FALSE NARRATIVE THAT'S OUT THERE IS WHAT'S CAUSING THE SLANDEROUS THINGS TO BE SAID ABOUT HIM AND HIS FAMILY, HIM SPECIFICALLY.

BUT I FEEL FOR HIM AND HIS FAMILY IN THIS MOMENT, BECAUSE NONE OF THAT SHOULD HAVE EVER BEEN DONE, BUT BECAUSE OF WHAT WAS ON SOCIAL MEDIA AND IN THE MEDIA, THAT'S WHAT'S CAUSED THAT, NOT US HAVING AN INVESTIGATION.

OUR INVESTIGATION IS TO DO DUE DILIGENCE AND TO MAKE SURE THAT WHAT IS PRESENTED TO US GETS DUE PROCESS.

I'M GOING TO OBVIOUSLY, WE AS A BOARD CANNOT AND SHOULD NOT MAKE ANY STATEMENTS UNTIL THIS INVESTIGATION IS COMPLETE AND THAT'S WHAT I'M CHOOSING TO DO AND I'M ALSO RESERVING JUDGMENT UNTIL THEN BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW, WE DON'T KNOW HOW THIS IS GOING TO END.

BUT EVERYBODY DESERVES DUE PROCESS IN THIS.

THE OTHER PART OF THIS IS THE ACCOUNTABILITY DATA THAT WAS PUT OUT THERE.

IT'S FALSE AND I'M GOING TO MAKE A RECOMMENDATION TO OUR BOARD PRESIDENT AND OUR ACTING SUPERINTENDENT, MISS RAY, THAT WE RELEASE OUR ACCOUNTABILITY DATA.

AS SOME OF YOU MAY NOT KNOW, WE ARE AN INVESTIGATION THAT WITH THE STATE AND TEA OVER HOW THEY COME TO THE ACCOUNTABILITY DATA.

THERE HAS BEEN A RESTRAINING ORDER PUT AGAINST TEA TO RELEASE DISTRICT'S ACCOUNTABILITY DATA.

DISTRICTS CAN LEGALLY RELEASE THEIR DATA ON THEIR OWN, AND THERE'S BEEN THREE DISTRICTS IN THE METROPLEX THAT HAVE DONE THAT ON THEIR OWN.

I'M ASKING THAT WE DO THAT BECAUSE 13 FAILING SCHOOLS IS NOT THE TRUTH, AND THE ONLY WAY THAT YOU CAN COMBAT A FALSE NARRATIVE IS WITH FACTS.

[01:45:01]

SO THAT'S MY RECOMMENDATION ABOUT OUR DATA.

THE SECOND THING I WANT, OR THE THIRD THING NOW I WANT TO MENTION, IS SOMEONE BROUGHT UP THE MACKENZIE SCOTT MONEY.

THAT IS A FORWARD FACING DOCUMENT ON OUR CONSENT AGENDA EVERY SINGLE MONTH.

IT IS TRANSPARENT.

YOU WILL SEE EVERY PENNY AND WHERE IT'S BEING SPENT THERE, WHERE IT'S BEING BUDGETED THERE.

IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT THAT MONEY, CALL ME.

I HAVE I, AS MISS ESME SAID, I SPOKE TO HER ABOUT THE BUDGET.

I AM THE FINANCE BRAIN.

I HAVE THAT BACKGROUND SO I UNDERSTAND IT.

IT'S A BEAST.

CALL ME. I'M AN OPEN BOOK WHEN IT COMES TO THINGS, I CAN TELL YOU LEGALLY, I WILL TELL YOU AND AS SOON AS THIS INVESTIGATION IS OVER AND WE CAN LEGALLY SAY SOMETHING ABOUT IT, YOU CAN BET YOUR BOTTOM DOLLAR THAT I'M GOING TO BE THE FIRST ONE TO SAY SOMETHING, BECAUSE I BELIEVE IN THE SEVEN OF US UP HERE, AND THAT WE WERE ELECTED TO DO A JOB, AND WE ARE DOING THAT JOB TO THE BEST OF OUR ABILITY.

AND IT'S UNFORTUNATE THAT THE NARRATIVE DOESN'T REFLECT THAT.

BUT I WOULD ASK THE COMMUNITY THAT YOU HAVE FAITH, KNOW THAT WE'RE DOING OUR JOB AND THAT WE'RE GOING TO COME TO THE BEST DECISION AND IF AT THE END OF THIS, WHATEVER WAY IT GOES, WE HOLD OURSELVES ACCOUNTABLE 100%.

NOBODY HAS THE DISTRICT'S BEST INTEREST MORE THAN THE SEVEN OF US SITTING UP HERE.

THAT'S WHY WE DO WHAT WE DO.

WE WOULDN'T BE RUNNING FOR THIS IF WE DIDN'T.

I DON'T WORRY ABOUT POLITICS.

I'M NOT A POLITICIAN.

YOU SAY YOU VOTE FOR ME? YOU DON'T VOTE FOR ME. THAT'S FINE.

I DO WHAT I DO BECAUSE I CARE ABOUT THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, THE PARENTS, THE STAFF AND THE CHILDREN.

MOST OF ALL, THE CHILDREN AND THE CHILDREN ARE BEING AFFECTED BY THIS, NOT BECAUSE OF WHAT WE'RE DOING, BUT BECAUSE OF WHAT'S BEING SAID OUT IN THE COMMUNITY VIA SOCIAL MEDIA AND THE MEDIA AND I WILL STAND UP TO THAT EVERY SINGLE TIME.

THE OTHER PART OF THIS IS THE PERSON THAT SAYS THAT WE WENT OUT AND ASKED THE COMMUNITY ABOUT WHAT THEY WANT, AND WE GAVE THAT TO YOU.

WE DID. WE DO. LISTEN, THAT'S PROOF THAT WE LISTEN.

BUT WHEN SOMETHING'S BROUGHT TO THE BOARD AND WE ARE DICTATED BY POLICY TO DO WHAT WE DO, WE'RE GOING TO DO IT BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT YOU WOULD WANT US TO DO, TOO.