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GOOD EVENING. I HEREBY CALL TO ORDER THE JULY 21ST, 2020 EMERGENCY CALLED BOARD MEETING BY
[1.0 Call to Order]
VIDEO CONFERENCE OF THE CROWLEY ISD BOARD OF TRUSTEES AND CERTIFY THAT WE ARE IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE PROVISIONS OF SECTION FIVE FIVE ONE POINT ZERO FOUR ONE AND FIVE FIVE ONE POINT ZERO FOUR FIVE OF TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE PURSUANT TO PUBLIC NOTICE OF THIS MEETING AND AS ALLOWED BY THE TEXAS ATTORNEY GENERAL'S ISSUANCE OF TEMPORARY SUSPENSIONS TO CERTAIN OPEN MEETING LAWS DUE TO THE COVID 19 EPIDEMIC AND CLOSURES.MR. KIRCHNER, I REQUEST THE OFFICIAL ROLL CALL, PLEASE.
YES, MA'AM. GOOD EVENING. TRUSTEE PLACE ONE NEDRA ROBINSON.
THANK YOU. TRUSTEE PLACE TWO DR.
DR. MAYFIELD [INAUDIBLE]. SORRY, PRESENT.
THANK YOU. TRUSTEE PLACE 3 MIA HALL.
THANK YOU. TRUSTEE PLACE FIVE RYAN RAY.
TRUSTEE PLACE SIX. GARY GRASSIA PRESIDENT.
PRESENT. THANK YOU. AND TRUSTEE PLACE SEVEN.
THANK YOU ALL FOR JOINING OUR MEETING BY VIDEO CONFERENCE THIS EVENING, WHICH IS ALSO OPEN TO THE PUBLIC TO JOIN.
WE HAVE IMPORTANT BUSINESS TO ATTEND TO THIS EVENING.
I WOULD ASK THAT YOU BE PATIENT AS WE CONDUCT OUR MEETING IN THIS FORMAT AND PLEASE ENSURE YOUR DEVICES ARE MUTED.
IF YOU EXPERIENCE ANY TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES, PLEASE SEND A TEXT MESSAGE OR EMAIL TO MR. KIRCHNER. MR. KIRCHNER JUST TO VERIFY WE HAD NO PARTICIPANTS FOR OPEN FORUM TONIGHT, CORRECT? THAT IS CORRECT. ALL RIGHT.
WITH THAT, WE WILL MOVE TO OUR CONSIDERATION OF POSSIBLE ACTION ITEM.
[3.0 Discussion and / or Possible Action Item(s) : 3.1 Approval of Modified 2020-2021 School Calendar Due to COVID-19 Pandemic]
ITEM 3.1 APPROVAL OF MODIFIED 2020 2021 SCHOOL CALENDAR DUE TO COVID 19 PANDEMIC.DR. MCFARLAND. MADAM PRESIDENT AND BOARD MEMBERS FIRST AND FOREMOST I'D JUST LIKE TO START OFF JUST BY SAYING THANK YOU TO YOU ALL AS OUR ELECTED BOARD LEADERS FOR REALLY HELPING US TO THINK THROUGH THE CHALLENGING DECISION FOR SCHOOL CALENDAR.
AS WE KNOW, WITH THE CHANGING NATURE OF THE PANDEMIC AND THE WAY INFORMATION IS COMING OUT RIGHT NOW, BEING FLEXIBLE, BEING AGILE IS SO CRITICAL.
AND IT'S JUST DEFINITELY I EXTREMELY APPRECIATE THAT AS A SUPERINTENDENT TO HAVING A BOARD WHO IS VERY CLEAR ABOUT OUR FOCUS AND AND OUR INTENT.
ONE THING I HEARD VERY CLEAR FROM OUR BOARD MEMBERS WAS WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE PRIORITIZE THE SAFETY OF ALL OF OUR FACULTY, OUR STAFF, OUR EMPLOYEES AND OUR STUDENTS.
AND SO THAT WAS REALLY LOUD AND CLEAR.
I BROUGHT TO YOU SEVERAL WEEKS AGO SOME OPTIONS AS IT RELATES TO OUR SCHOOL CALENDAR.
WE ACTUALLY HAD THREE OPTIONS THAT WE PRESENTED.
OF COURSE, ALL OF YOU ALL AWARE THAT WE INITIALLY OUR SCHEDULED TO START SCHOOL AUGUST 13TH. AND WE ALSO BROUGHT YOU AN OPTION FOR AN AUGUST 31ST START AND THEN A SEPTEMBER 8 START. AND SO WE'RE HERE TONIGHT TO REALLY MAKE A RECOMMENDATION.
WE KNOW THAT THE TARRANT COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT HAS ALSO COME OUT WITH AN ORDER THIS WEEK, OR ACTUALLY TODAY.
AND SO WE BELIEVE THAT OUR RECOMMENDATION, THE RECOMMENDATION THAT WE HAVE DISCUSSED BOTH WITH TEACHERS WE DISCUSSED WITH EMPLOYEES, WE DISCUSSED WITH PRINCIPALS, WITH CENTRAL OFFICE STAFF AND ALSO WITH WITH OUR FAMILIES, WITH OUR PARENTS.
WE FEEL LIKE THIS RECOMMENDATION THAT WE'RE GOING TO MAKE WILL REALLY MEET ALL OF THE NEEDS THAT YOU ALL HAVE PRIORITIZED.
AND NUMBER ONE, IT WILL PRIORITIZE SAFETY IN OUR DISTRICT.
AND SO WE'LL HAVE MR. KIRCHNER, HE WILL SHARE THE RECOMMENDATION.
AND WE DEFINITELY WILL BE OPEN FOR ANY KIND OF CONVERSATION AROUND THE RATIONALE OR THE LOGIC BEHIND OUR DECISION.
BUT WE BELIEVE THAT THIS WILL GIVE US THE BEST POSSIBLE CHANCE TO BE SUCCESSFUL WITH PROVIDING A HIGH QUALITY EDUCATION EXPERIENCE FOR STUDENTS IN THE SAFEST ENVIRONMENT POSSIBLE FOR OUR TEACHERS, FOR OUR CUSTODIANS, FOR OUR CAFETERIA WORKERS, FOR BUS DRIVERS AND FOR OUR FAMILIES.
SO THANK YOU BOARD FOR YOUR SUPPORT.
MR. KIRCHNER WOULD YOU PLEASE PRESENT OUR RECOMMENDATION.
MCFARLAND MS. HALL AND MEMBERS OF THE BOARD.
YOU'LL SEE IN YOUR EXHIBIT A DRAFT AT THE MODIFIED SCHOOL CALENDAR.
AND AS DR. MCFARLAND MENTIONED, THIS CAME FROM A LOT OF INPUT FROM A LOT OF STAKEHOLDERS AND ALSO THROUGH OUR SURVEY THAT HAD ALMOST SIX THOUSAND PARTICIPANTS WEIGHING IN ON THIS POSSIBLE DELAYED START.
AND SO, AS YOU WILL SEE ON OUR MODIFIED SCHOOL CALENDAR FOR THE 20 21 SCHOOL YEAR, THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL WILL NOW BE TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 8TH.
ALL STUDENTS WILL PARTICIPATE IN ONLINE LEARNING AS SCHOOL BUILDINGS WILL REMAIN CLOSED
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TO PREVENT THE SPREAD OF COVID 19 AND TO ALIGN WITH THE TARRANT COUNTY HEALTH AUTHORITIES ORDER THAT CAME OUT TODAY.SCHOOL BUILDINGS ARE CURRENTLY SCHEDULED TO OPEN MONDAY, OCTOBER 5TH.
AT THAT POINT, STUDENTS WOULD HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO TRANSITION TO IN-PERSON LEARNING, OR THEY COULD CONTINUE ONLINE LEARNING THROUGH THE CROWLEY ISD VIRTUAL LEARNING ACADEMY.
THIS MODIFIED CALENDAR THAT YOU SEE IN FRONT OF YOU INCLUDES THE SAME NUMBER OF INSTRUCTIONAL DAYS AND TEACHER CONTRACT DAYS AS THE PREVIOUSLY APPROVED CALENDAR.
AND SO TO ACCOMMODATE THIS LATER START, YOU WILL NOTICE THAT THE LAST DAY OF SCHOOL WILL NOW BE FRIDAY, JUNE 11TH.
YOU'LL ALSO NOTICE IN NOVEMBER, THE WEEK OF THANKSGIVING, THE BREAK WAS REDUCED FROM FIVE DAYS TO THREE DAYS.
AND SO THESE ARE THE BIG CHANGES WE MADE.
IT'S A COUPLE OF MINOR CHANGES TO EARLY RELEASE DAYS AND SOME OTHER PD TIME.
BUT THIS IS THE RECOMMENDATION FROM THE ADMINISTRATION TO BOTH COMPLY WITH THE TARRANT COUNTY HEALTH ORDER AND TO ENSURE PROVIDING A HEALTHY AND SAFE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT.
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS FROM THE BOARD? MCFARLAND JUST A QUESTION.
DID WE RECEIVE INPUT FROM I GUESS OUR STAFF OTHER THAN ADMINISTRATION? JUST TO CLARIFY. OH YES.
THE CLARIFICATION, I THINK I SAID EARLIER ADMINISTRATION, BUT ALSO TEACHERS AND PARENTS ALSO COMPLETED THE SURVEY.
AND THE SURVEY WAS REALLY THEY WERE GIVEN AN OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE WITH US BETWEEN THE THREE CALENDAR OPTIONS, THE ONE THAT THEY FELT MOST COMFORTABLE WITH IN THE SEPTEMBER 8TH CALENDAR OPTION WAS THE OPTION THAT ALL CATEGORIES OF PEOPLE WHO COMPLETED THE SURVEY FELT MOST COMFORTABLE WITH.
THANK YOU I JUST WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT THAT WE DID SOLICIT THE INPUT OF ALL STAKEHOLDERS.
THANK YOU. YES. MS. HALL. ONE THING I FAILED TO MENTION THERE, YOU SEE AUGUST 24TH.
THAT WOULD BE THE NEW START OF TEACHER CONTRACTS BASED ON THIS ADJUSTED CALENDAR.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS FROM THE BOARD.
ALL RIGHT. DR. MCFARLAND ANYTHING ELSE YOU WOULD LIKE TO ADD? NO, MA'AM. OK, WELL, THIS IS AN ACTION ITEM OR POSSIBLE ACTION ITEM IS THERE A MOTION . I WOULD MOVE THAT WE APPROVE THE CHANGES TO THE CALENDAR AS PRESENTED.
THANK YOU, MR. RAY. WE HAVE A MOTION FROM MR. RAY. I'LL SECOND.
WE HAVE A SECOND FROM MRS. ROBINSON MOVE TO VOTE, PLEASE.
MR. KIRCHNER. YES, MS. ROBINSON. YES.
THANK YOU. DR. WOODSON MAYFIELD.
THE MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY.
WE NOW HAVE A NEW 2020 2021 SCHOOL CALENDAR.
ALL RIGHT. MOVING ON THROUGH OUR AGENDA.
I BELIEVE WE HAVE AN EXECUTIVE SESSION ON THE AGENDA, BUT WE MAY NOT HAVE AN EXECUTIVE SESSION. DR.
MCFARLAND ARE THERE ANY ITEMS FOR OUR DISCUSSION? NO, MA'AM. WE DON'T HAVE ANY ITEM FOR EXECUTIVE SESSION TONIGHT.
ALL RIGHT. WELL, IF I AM READING EVERYTHING RIGHT.
IF THERE IS NO OTHER BUSINESS TO BRING BEFORE THE BOARD, WE ARE ADJOURNED AT 6:10 P.M..
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.