Board Notes: June 11, 2024

Presentations and Recognitions

Braswell High, Guyer High Theater Departments Win State Awards
The Broadway Dallas High School Musical Theater Awards aim to inspire and honor excellence in high school musical theater while recognizing the importance of musical theater and arts education in North Texas.

Students and educators are recognized with an annual awards ceremony modeled after the Tony Awards and include both performance and production categories. The qualifying performances are scored by a select group of adjudicators with backgrounds in various art forms in education, music, theater, dance and related fields. Adjudicators follow rubric criteria to determine the winners in each category

The Betty Lynn Buckley Awards are named after Fort Worth’s own Tony Award-winning Best Actress and Casa Mañana alumna, Betty Lynn Buckley. This scholarship awards program has celebrated the best in high school performing arts since 2000. A panel of distinguished judges – composed of local theater professionals and educators – votes for a winner in 17 award categories.

This year, Denton ISD had award-winners in five Broadway Dallas categories and three Betty Buckley categories. 

The Broadway Dallas and Betty Buckley award winners include:

Broadway Dallas Awards
Outstanding Sound Design (tie)
Braswell High School - Mamma Mia
Guyer High School - Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812

Lead Performer Runner-Up
Emma Grace Freeman, Guyer High School

Spirit Award
Emma Grace Freeman, Guyer High School

Theatre Major Scholarship
Ella Eavenson and Emma Grace Freeman, Guyer High School

Technical Theatre Scholarship
Megan Murello, Guyer High School

Betty Buckley Awards
Excellence in Lighting Design
Mamma Mia – Chloe Milhizer and Bella Houk, Braswell High School 

Excellence in Supporting Performance, Musical
Sweeney Todd and Ella Eavenson, Guyer High School

Excellence in Lead Performance, Musical
Sweeney Todd, Emma Grace Freeman, Guyer High School

Facilities Naming
The Denton ISD Board of School Trustees announced the official name of the Fine Arts Center at Ryan High School – the Jeannene Abney Fine Arts Center – honoring Jeannene Abney, who served as the theater director and teacher at Ryan High School from 1992 until her retirement in May. 

Ms. Abney began her career in education in 1979, and she spent the entirety of her 32 years in Denton ISD at Ryan High School. Over the course of her career, Ms. Abney’s students represented Ryan High at the state and national level, competing and earning championships in UIL, Texans for the Arts (TFA), National Speech and Debate Association (NSDA) and the International Thespian Society (ISA). 

Budget Hearing
Jennifer Stewart, Executive Director of Budget, reviewed the budget, including the impact the final attendance numbers had on the Average Daily Attendance (ADA), which is the rate that the Texas Education Agency uses to fund public schools. Ms. Stewart explained the proposed general fund expenditures for 2024-2025 are $342,048541, and the proposed revenue for 2024-2024 is $322,131145. 

Discussion of 2024-2025 Student and Parent Handbook
Dr. Lesli Guajardo, Director of District and Student Support Services, provided Trustees with an update on the 2024-2025 Student and Parent Handbook as it relates to Chapter 37 of the Texas Education Code. Dr. Guajardo also detailed Denton ISD’s plan for a unified, district-wide set of practices and procedures that will ensure the best learning environment for all students. Notable additions to the 2024-2025 Student and Parent Handbook include: parent review of instructional materials and library materials (pages 14, 15); Texas driving with disability program (page 23), which focuses on improving the interaction between law enforcement and drivers with disabilities; and child abuse, neglect and trafficking (pages 33, 34), which include the addition of “neglect” and “emotional abuse” subsections. 

Discussion of 2024-2025 Student Code of Conduct
Dr. Jeff Russell, Area Superintendent, and Claire Springer, Sandbrock Ranch Elementary principal, provided Trustees with an update on the 2024-2025 Denton ISD Code of Conduct. Dr. Russell noted “telecommunications devices” as an addition to the Code of Conduct glossary. Telecommunications devices are devices that allow for electronic communications and the electronic exchange of data and information including voice, data and video. Examples include, but are not limited to, computers, cell phones, smart phones, telephones, mobile devices, wireless devices, tablets, smart watches, laptops or any other electronic devices and related accessories (including but not limited to wires, headphones/airpods, and ear clips) that transmits, receives or stores digital media.

Discussion of TASB Update 123 and Local Policy Revisions
Dr. Deron Robinson, General Counsel, provided Trustees with TASB Update 123 and other local policy revisions. TASB Policy Update 123 encompasses changes in law from the 88th Regular and Special Legislative Sessions that have an immediate effect on the governance and management of the district. Changes to local policies offered for consideration address the following topics: Board member training, ethics, safety programs & risk management, technology resources, employment practices, complaints and grievances and instructional arrangements and resources. 

Update 123 includes the changes to the following local policies:

  • BBD(LOCAL): BOARD MEMBERS – TRAINING AND ORIENTATION
  • BBFA(LOCAL): ETHICS – CONFLICT OF INTEREST DISCLOSURES
  • CKC(LOCAL): SAFETY PROGRAMS/RISK MANAGEMENT – EMERGENCY PLANS
  • CKE(LOCAL): SAFETY PROGRAMS/RISK MANAGEMENT – SECURITY PERSONNE
  • CQC(LOCAL): TECHNOLOGY RESOURCES - EQUIPMENT
  • DCE(LOCAL): EMPLOYMENT PRACTICES – OTHER TYPES OF CONTRACTS
  • DGBA(LOCAL): PERSONNEL-MANAGEMENT RELATIONS – EMPLOYEE COMPLAINTS/GRIEVANCES
  • EEH(LOCAL): INSTRUCTIONAL ARRANGEMENTS – HOMEBOUND INSTRUCTION
  • EFA(LOCAL): INSTRUCTIONAL RESOURCES – INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS
  • EFB(LOCAL): INSTRUCTIONAL RESOURCES – LIBRARY MATERIALS
  • FNG(LOCAL): STUDENT RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES – STUDENT AND PARENT COMPLAINTS/GRIEVANCES
  • GF(LOCAL): PUBLIC COMPLAINTS

It is further recommended that additional changes be made to the following local policies:

  • CDC(LOCAL): OTHER REVENUES – GIFTS AND SOLICITATIONS

Bond Progress Report
Community volunteer Dr. Dean Anthony provided Trustees with a bond progress report based on a recent review by the committee. A team of community members review financial statements, building plans and any adjustments that have occurred each quarter to ensure the projects materialize as they were portrayed to the community. The process is an additional level of transparency that is a common practice of the district.

Construction Report
Brandon Boytner, Denton ISD Executive Director of Construction, Planning and Growth, provided an update on active construction projects ongoing in the district from the 2023 bond. Mr. Boytner detailed progress at Hill Elementary and Martinez Elementary School, as well as the Denton High School Multipurpose Facility. 

Quarterly Growth Report
Bob Templeton of Zonda, the district’s demographer, provided the Denton ISD quarterly growth report for the first quarter of 2024. Mr. Templeton noted that, as was the case in the fourth quarter growth report, Denton ISD continues to rank as one of the fastest growing school district in the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex in terms of annual starts and closings. 

Mr. Templeton also explained that Denton ISD currently has 57 actively building subdivisions, with 22 future subdivisions in various stages of planning with over 3,000 lots available to build on. In the first quarter of the year, 180 lots have also been delivered for development. 

Denton ISD is forecasted to enroll nearly 37,106 students by 2028-29 and more than 42,261 by 2033-34. 

Period Six Attendance Report
Dr. Lesli Guajardo, Director of District and Student Support Services, provided an update on the 6th period attendance report, noting the average daily attendance (ADA) was 94.57 percent. 

End of Year Attendance Report
Dr. Guajardo provided Trustees with the 2023-2024 End of Year Attendance Report. ADA for the 2023-2024 school year was 94.58 percent, a slight increase from the 2022-2023 ADA of 94.5 percent. 

End of Year Discipline Report
Dr. Jeff Russell, Area Superintendent, provided Trustees with a 2023-2024 End of Year Discipline Report. From 2023 to 2024, Denton ISD’s total out-of-school suspensions decreased from 2,781 to 2,327. 

Federal Grant Awards for Current School Year
Vicki Garcia, Executive Director of Financial Operations, provided public notice of federal grant applications through a presentation to Trustees. Federal awards for the 2023-2024 school year included Child Care and Development Block - Wage Supplement Grant, Head Start, Title I, Part A; Title I, Part C; Title I, Part D, Subpart 2 and 12 others.