The board of trustees approved the updated charter to reflect the new BAC on June 26.
How we got here
EISD’s Long-Range Facility Planning Committee presented districtwide campus renovation recommendations during the May 20 board meeting.
The LRFPC first convened in January 2024 and later split into three subcommittees to survey the elementary, middle school and high school campuses.
Some of the recommendations include moving EISD to a four elementary school model by closing Eanes Elementary and repurposing the campus; reconstructing or modernizing the district’s other elementary and middle school campuses; and overhauling Westlake High School which would include revenue-generating opportunities such as the addition of parking garages.
While the recommendations are preliminary and no decisions have been made yet, any renovation projects in the district will require a bond, which could go before voters as early as next May.
The LRFPC and its charter will now be retired by merging select members into the BAC, Superintendent Jeff Arnett said. Members will be selected at a later date.
Something to note
The board also requested for district administration to explore potential ways to allow for committee meetings, such as the BAC, to be video recorded.
The meetings are often two to three hours long and once posted online do not have visuals to go along with it, trustee Catherine Walker said.
"These meetings are not subject to [the] Texas Open Meetings Act, so they’re not under the same auspice as [the board is],” Walker said. “They are open so people can come and attend, but there’s nothing to watch."
Kristy Sailors, assistant superintendent of operations and technology, said officials would need clarification from the board on which committees they would like to see be recorded, as doing so would require time to set up the equipment, edit the video and add captions, and tie the presentation with the video.
In other news
EISD’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion Advisory Committee will be phased out by Sept. 1 following the passage of Senate Bill 12, which prohibits public schools from implementing or promoting policies or curriculum focused on diversity, equity and inclusion, or DEI.
According to agenda documents, an administrative committee that does not require a board charter will be formed to focus on student belonging and community engagement efforts.
