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We reviewed the upcoming agenda for PLANO ISD and found 10 items with policy significance ahead of the vote.
| PRIORITY (LEVEL 9) |
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Policy Text Not Available – Pull Before Vote
The board will vote to approve its official legislative priorities for the upcoming 90th Texas Legislative Session. This document will guide the district’s lobbying efforts on key issues like school funding, accountability, and local control, but the text was not provided with the agenda.
Policy Use
PULL THE DOCUMENT: For item 9.6, immediately retrieve the proposed ‘Plano ISD Legislative Priorities for the 90th Legislative Session.’ This is a high-value intelligence item for the state affairs team.
Policy Lever: State Legislative Agenda
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| PRIORITY (LEVEL 7) |
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Resolution on Proposed Federal Head Start Rule Change
The board will vote on a resolution regarding the proposed federal rule ‘Reducing Federal Burden for Head Start Programs.’ The district’s description suggests the resolution opposes the rule change in order to maintain current program standards, viewing the federal proposal as a reduction in quality.
Policy Use
PULL THE DOCUMENT: Retrieve the resolution referenced in item 5.1 from the official agenda link. Confirm the district’s position on the proposed federal Head Start rule change before the vote.
Policy Lever: Federal Rulemaking
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| PRIORITY (LEVEL 7) |
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Approval of $5M Contract for Special Education Services
The board is approving a $5,000,000 contract for outside vendors to provide special education services, including counseling, therapy, and behavior technicians. The funding is a mix of local general operating funds and federal funds.
Policy Use
REQUEST VENDOR LIST: For Consent Agenda item 8.5, request the list of approved vendors under RFP 2026-10-32-28 to identify providers of counseling and behavior technician services.
Policy Lever: $5M Federal & Local Funds
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| PRIORITY (LEVEL 7) |
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Policy Text Not Available – Pull Before Vote
The board is set to approve the 2026-2027 District and Campus Improvement Plans, which set academic and other goals for all students. These foundational plans often contain details on the district’s approach to student achievement, equity, and social-emotional learning, but the text was not provided.
Policy Use
PULL THE DOCUMENT: Immediately retrieve the ‘2026–2027 District Improvement Plan’ and ‘Campus Improvement Goals’ referenced in item 9.3. Review for language related to DEI, SEL, or other contested frameworks before the vote.
Policy Lever: Academic Standards & Goals
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| PRIORITY (LEVEL 7) |
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Policy Text Not Available – Pull Before Vote
The board will approve new, revised, and discontinued courses for the 2027-2028 school year. The specific course proposals, which are a primary vector for introducing ideological content, are not included in the agenda packet.
Policy Use
PULL THE DOCUMENT: For item 9.4, retrieve the full list of ‘2027-2028 School Year Course Recommendations’ from the district. Review for courses with potential ideological content before the vote.
Policy Lever: Curriculum Adoption
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| WATCH (LEVEL 6) |
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Approval of Administrator Outside Business Contracts
The board is approving contracts between district administrators and external education businesses, as permitted under Texas HB 3372. The specific contracts, administrators, and entities are not detailed in the agenda, which obscures potential conflicts of interest.
Policy Use
PULL THE DOCUMENT: For Consent Agenda item 8.14, retrieve the ‘Administrator Form HB 3372’ to identify the administrators and entities involved in the approved contracts.
Policy Lever: Conflict of Interest Oversight
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| WATCH (LEVEL 6) |
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Policy Text Not Available – Pull Before Vote
The board is considering a first reading of Policy DBAA(LOCAL) concerning pre-employment reviews. The agenda description is vague, and the policy text is not attached, preventing analysis of its impact on student safety and employee screening.
Policy Use
PULL THE DOCUMENT: For item 10.2, retrieve the proposed text for Policy DBAA(LOCAL) to confirm its alignment with the safety-enhancing changes in the related policy, DBA(LOCAL).
Policy Lever: Employee Screening Standards
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| WATCH (LEVEL 5) |
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Waiver Request for Bilingual/ESL Teacher Certification
The district is requesting a waiver from the Texas Education Agency for its bilingual and ESL programs because it is unable to hire a sufficient number of state-certified teachers. This is a required state process to continue offering services with alternatively qualified staff.
Policy Use
TRACK AND DOCUMENT: Add Plano ISD to the tracker for districts seeking waivers for bilingual/ESL teacher certification under item 8.16. This is a data point on the operational challenges of state-mandated programs.
Policy Lever: State Certification Requirements
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| WATCH (LEVEL 4) |
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Approval of $132.5M State Recapture Payment
The board is authorizing the superintendent to execute an agreement to pay the state $132,542,473 in local property tax revenue under the state’s ‘recapture’ school finance system. This is a mandatory payment for property-wealthy districts under state law.
Policy Use
WATCH: Note the scale of the recapture payment in item 8.15 as a data point for state-level school finance reform advocacy. No local action required.
Policy Lever: $132.5M Local Tax Revenue
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✅ Models to Replicate
Local actions worth capturing as model policy.
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| Model Policy (LEVEL 7) |
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Policy Change to Strengthen Employee Background Checks
The board is considering a first reading of revisions to Policy DBA(LOCAL) that clarify and strengthen requirements for pre-employment screening of all employees and contractors. The new language explicitly tasks Human Resources with obtaining and reviewing criminal history and other background information and requires prompt escalation of any concerns.
How to Capture It
CAPTURE THE MODEL: The revised text for Policy DBA(LOCAL) in item 10.1 provides a good model for strengthening employee screening. Capture the adopted language for the state model policy file.
✅ Why It Matters: Employee Screening Standards
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