Blasingame confirmed with Community Impact on Sept. 9 that she recorded a community member.
“I wouldn’t want people to feel like we couldn’t have transparent debate about issues in committee or at the dais, so therefore I agreed to the policy because nothing needs to stand in the way of us getting back to being an A [rated] district,” Blasingame said.
As previously reported by Community Impact, CFISD received a “B” rating in the Texas Education Agency’s 2024-25 accountability ratings.
Long story short
According to board discussion during a Sept. 4 work session, trustees Julie Hinaman and Christine Kalmbach presented policy recommendations to the board governance committee pertaining to recording conversations and requesting district information as a trustee.
The board adopted the policy changes, which go into effect immediately, in a 6-1 vote on Sept. 8 during a regular board meeting.
“Members of the community and employees of the district must be able to speak openly and honestly with their elected board members,” trustee Justin Ray said Sept. 4 when introducing the agenda item. “These provisions are intended to restore and enhance that confidence that’s critical to district governance.”
Recording without permission is technically legal according to state law, unless someone is recording to commit “an unlawful act.” Texas is a one-party state, meaning only one person in a phone call or conversation needs to consent to recording. However, under the new board policy, trustees may no longer record conversations without consent from other parties.
Also of note
Kalmbach voted against the policy changes due to a concern about also altering the language in the board operating procedures regarding a trustee’s ability to request new reports and data analyses from the district.
In addition to new recording rules, the proposed changes included provisions about trustee requests for information. According to new language in a red-lined version of board policies, “requests for creation of reports or analysis of data should be made only by board committees or the full board.” The policy goes on to clarify that committee requests must be unanimous by board members on the committee.
Kalmbach said the wording of the policy could restrict her ability as a board member to request new district-created reports and data if the rest of the committee group disagrees.
The policy only applies to district reports and data that do not exist and would need to be created or collected.
Looking ahead
The board will meet in a special-called meeting Sept. 10 at 5 p.m. to discuss the “purchase, exchange, lease or value of real property,” which will be discussed in closed session.
The next board work session is scheduled for Oct. 9, and the next regular board meeting is Oct. 13. Both meetings will be held in the Mark Henry Administration Building located at 11440 Matzke Road, Cypress.
