The Carroll ISD board of trustees unanimously approved its 2019 legislative platform during a Monday meeting. Identified priorities focus on issues related to school safety, finance, curriculum and local control. Trustees Michelle Moore and David Almand spearheaded the development of the platform to identify crucial issues relevant to CISD students and educators. “Safety, for us, was the number one thing that we had on [the platform],” Moore said. CISD’s 2019 legislative platform reaffirms the district’s commitment to safety measures such as increased counseling services, mental health programs and staffing. School finance reform is another big issue that needed to be addressed, Moore said. The adopted platform advocates for a more updated and simplified school finance system, increased financial transparency, greater contributions from the state to fund public education and continued benefits for teachers. In contrast, the district opposes legislative mandates without proper funding and voucher systems that transfer public funds to entities that are not held to the same standards of traditional public schools. Other priorities emphasized support for local control and a more effective accountability system beyond high-stakes, multiple-choice exams. Moore said the board will meet with legislators to talk about policy-related public education, and trustees plan to trek to the city of Austin to participate in discussions during the state legislative session come January. “We did not do that in 2017, and so that’s a huge priority for us to be much more vocal about our platform and be much more engaged with our representatives and let them know what’s important for Carroll ISD to ensure they’re hearing from us as a community and what we value,” Moore said.