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Northside ISD board meeting, Jun 23, 2026

1 h 55 min · 0 public speakers

Budget cuts and layoffs ▶ 30:27

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What happened

What happened at this meeting

Northside ISD board advances contingent compensation plan with 2% general pay increase 1:03:55

  • Trustees heard a presentation on a FICA alternative plan that staff said would save the district about $1 million, then voted 5 ayes, 1 nay to table the item to July 7th. 30:45
  • Staff presented a compensation plan proposal with a 2% general pay increase and a $15 per hour minimum wage, except for Learning Tree, at a cost of $35.37 million, and after a vote it was announced that the plan moves forward. 1:03:55
  • The board approved the appointments as discussed in executive session. 1:54:20

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Item by item (14)
  1. Opening and meeting rules 0:03
    • Karen Freeman led the invocation and the Pledge of Allegiance. 0:03
    • The meeting was called to order at 6:04 PM, and the chair reviewed rules for the consent agenda and audience participation. 0:56
  2. Student recognition 0:56
    • The board recognized an incoming 8th grader whose letter to a city councilman led to two new stop signs in a neighborhood. 3:04
  3. Superintendent's report 6:22
    • The superintendent thanked custodians honored at an end-of-year celebration and recognized students who placed first and second in a congressional district art competition. 6:28
    • The report included a video about a fishing club at an elementary school. 6:28
  4. Board members' reports 10:40
    • Karen Freeman thanked people who attended the Citizens Bond Committee, said there were around 300 people there and said the next meeting is July the 14th. 10:53
    • Carol Harle, Ph.D. described a Matilda Junior production involving Title I middle and high schools and thanked staff for graduations. 12:14
    • Laura Zapata thanked students and staff for gains in preliminary scores. 14:55
  5. School Health Advisory Council annual report 17:04
    • The council's report said the council is made up of 19 individuals and met 4 times during the 2025⁠-⁠2026 school year. 19:55
    • Robert Blount, Jr. asked why more parents are not joining and what the district should do about it. 24:16
    • Carol Harle, Ph.D. asked how to get more students involved, and a staff member said the number is not set. 26:09
  6. Consent agenda 29:30
    • The chair said there were no citizens to be heard, and no consent items were removed for separate consideration. 29:30
    • Karen Freeman moved to approve the consent agenda items. 30:06
    • The chair announced the motion carried. 30:27
  7. FICA alternative retirement plan 30:27
    • A staff member said the plan would cover a subgroup of employees under a 457 plan instead of Social Security and was part of about $1 million in savings for next year. 31:04
    • Karen Freeman asked whether affected employees would have a choice between the plan and Social Security, and a staff member later said around 2,500 substitutes and tutors could be affected. 37:15
    • One board member said a desire to get more information and moved to table the item to July 7th. 45:42
    • The motion to table to July 7th passed with 5 ayes and 1 nay. 49:54
  8. Low attendance day waiver 50:23
    • A staff member said the district had 73 instances of days at campuses below the threshold and that approval of the waiver would bring in about $2 million in revenue. 50:31
    • The chair announced that the motion passed. 52:37
  9. Fiscal year budget planning 52:46
    • A staff member said projected enrollment is down about 2,200 students and that adding 3 cents to the current M&O tax rate of 0.6694 would make it 0.6994. 53:14
    • The staff member said a proposed budget would come to the July 28th board meeting and a public hearing is proposed for August 11th. 54:15
    • Karen Freeman asked whether the tax rate notice must still run in the print edition of the newspaper, and a staff member said it is still a print version. 1:01:59
  10. Contingent compensation plan proposal 1:03:49
    • A staff member said the proposal includes a 2% general pay increase for employees employed as of June 30th and a $15 per hour minimum wage, except for Learning Tree, contingent on the VADER. 1:03:55
    • Robert Blount, Jr. asked whether there could be a plan for Learning Tree employees, and Carol Harle, Ph.D. said raising that pay would require increasing tuition. 1:06:53
    • A staff member said the cost of the proposal is right at $35.37 million. 1:09:25
    • After a motion by Carol Harle, Ph.D., the chair said the plan moves forward. 1:14:19
  11. Medical third-party administration contract 1:17:46
    • A staff member brought forward UnitedHealthcare for medical third-party administration services and CVS Caremark for pharmacy benefit management services. 1:21:02
    • The district's benefits consultant said separating pharmacy from medical would produce a $34.5 million cost difference over a 3-year period. 1:21:53
    • Robert Blount, Jr. asked whether vendors must provide data in a common format, and the consultant said they agreed to do so without additional cost. 1:29:29
    • The chair announced the motion carried. 1:33:18
  12. CBC committee meeting update 1:33:18
    • A staff member said the first CVC meeting was held on June 15th, that committee members had the opportunity to ask questions and that a little over 100 questions had just about been finalized. 1:33:32
    • Karen Freeman asked that the questions be shared in Friday letters, and a staff member said they would be. 1:40:42
    • Carol Harle, Ph.D. asked about ways to get more teacher input on the VADER information. 1:44:22
  13. Future agenda items 1:47:17
    • A staff member said a July 7th meeting would include budget planning, a U.S. Department of Justice grant, board operating procedures and appointments. 1:47:27
    • One board member suggested a retreat with a facilitator on board operating procedures and a meeting on next steps regarding the superintendent position. 1:48:36
    • The chair said the preferred meeting date is June 30th, or July 1st if posting deadlines cannot be met. 1:52:50
  14. Closed session and appointments 1:52:50
    • The board reconvened in open session at 8:19 with no action taken in closed session, and Laura Zapata moved to approve the appointments as discussed in executive session. 1:52:50
    • The chair announced the motion passed, and the meeting adjourned at 8:20. 1:54:40

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 “NISD Board Meeting 6-23-2026”