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Forney ISD board meeting, May 4, 2026

1 h 54 min · 0 public speakers

This board doesn’t post agenda times. Click a board member to jump to where they first speak; we list only members whose voice our check named. Video length 1 h 54 min.

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What happened

What happened at this meeting

Forney ISD board takes up seat belt exemption for spare school buses 1:44:27

  • Student and staff recognitions were held before the board took a 5-minute recess at 8:43. 12:54
  • A staff member recommended extending the contract with ESS Substitute Solutions for the 2026⁠-⁠2027 school year. 1:41:39
  • A staff member recommended that the board determine a just cause exemption exists from a Senate Bill 546 requirement that school buses have 3-point seat belts, citing a retrofit cost estimated at over $1 million. 1:44:27
  • After closed session, the board called for voice votes on renewing employee contracts and on a resolution to remove a tract of land from the City of Dallas extraterritorial jurisdiction. 1:47:38
Item by item (13)
  1. Opening, closed session and pledges 0:00
    • The meeting was called to order at 6:00 PM and the board adjourned into closed session on items including attorney consultation, real property and personnel. 0:00
    • The open meeting included an invocation and the pledges, led by student ambassadors. 0:00
  2. Donations to the district 8:01
    • A communications staff member announced that the Griffith PTO would donate $6,040.99 for school culture at Griffin Elementary. 8:11
    • A staff member described a working farm planned next to Dewberry Elementary, including greenhouses, hydroponics, animals and a barn. 9:01
    • A Forney Education Foundation representative asked the board to accept a $100,000 donation for the barn project at Dewberry Elementary. 10:31
  3. Student recognitions 12:54
    • A staff member recognized the top 10 graduating students from both high schools and students who earned associate degrees alongside their high school diplomas. 13:11
    • A staff member recognized students who earned Level 1 certifications and cosmetology certificates, UIL academic state qualifiers and athletic state qualifiers. 29:06
    • A staff member said the district qualified 14 students for the state visual arts competition. 50:18
  4. Staff recognitions 1:09:08
    • Staff recognized campus and district teachers of the year, with the Forney Education Foundation providing a $500 gift for each campus teacher of the year. 1:09:20
    • Staff also recognized graduates of the FACTS teacher pathway program and retiring employees. 1:21:39
    • A presenter said 178 teachers and 40 ISEs earned Recognized, Exemplary and Master designations that will generate nearly $1.5 million. 1:24:30
  5. Golf facility partnership 1:37:04
    • A presenter described a new golf facility with 20 hitting bays, a pitch and putt course and 2 indoor simulators, with half the school day dedicated to students and other hours open to the public. 1:37:04
  6. Investment and tax collection reports 1:38:27
    • A presenter reported cash investments of $304.4 million at the end of March 2026 and interest earned of $3.1 million for the quarter. 1:38:59
    • A presenter reported collecting $129 million of the $133 million tax levy, a 96.6% collection rate compared with a 5-year average of 97.4%. 1:39:47
  7. Public forum and consent agenda 1:40:49
    • No one signed up to speak at the public forum. 1:40:49
    • A motion was made to approve the consent agenda, which included minutes from April 13 meetings and a budget amendment, and the board took a voice vote. 1:40:49
  8. Substitute staffing contract extension 1:41:24
    • A staff member reported a 10% increase in overall fill rates and said ESS onboarded over 450 new substitutes and hosted more than 70 orientations. 1:41:39
    • The staff member said the district's goal is a 90% fill rate and that there were no changes to pricing. 1:41:39
    • Administration recommended the extension for the 2026⁠-⁠2027 school year, and the board took a voice vote on a motion to approve it. 1:41:39
  9. School bus seat belt requirement 1:44:09
    • A staff member said Senate Bill 546 requires school buses to have 3-point seat belts by September 2029 and that all buses purchased since 2018 already include them. 1:44:27
    • The staff member said retrofitting spare buses would cost over $1 million and that the state has not provided additional funding. 1:44:55
    • A motion was made that the district's budget does not permit acquiring or updating buses with the required seat belts, and the board took a voice vote. 1:46:13
  10. Closed session and personnel actions 1:46:34
    • Katrina Burkhalter moved to approve renewal of employee contracts as presented in closed session, and the board took a voice vote. 1:47:38
    • The board also took voice votes on motions to terminate probationary contracts at the end of the 2025⁠-⁠26 school year. 1:48:10
  11. Personal services contracts 1:50:47
    • A motion was made to approve an administrator contract for personal services under House Bill 3372 as discussed in closed session, and the board took a voice vote. 1:50:47
  12. Land removal from extraterritorial jurisdiction 1:51:20
    • Scott Regan moved to approve a resolution removing a district-owned tract from the City of Dallas extraterritorial jurisdiction and to delegate authority to the superintendent or designee to proceed with the application. 1:51:42
  13. Upcoming dates 1:52:18
    • A staff member said a special called meeting is set for Tuesday, May 12th at 6 PM, with the last day of school on the 21st and graduation on the 22nd. 1:52:28
    • The staff member said the budget adoption meeting is set for Monday, June 22nd. 1:53:02

Written by software from the meeting's transcript and checked sentence by sentence against it.

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Video: posted by the district as “Forney ISD Board of Trustees Meeting May 4, 2026”