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Heads up, Texas taxpayers: we’ve reviewed the upcoming MARBLE FALLS ISD agenda and found 5 items that deserve your attention before the gavel falls.
| ALERT (LEVEL 8) |
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District Uses ‘Innovation’ Plan to Cut Required Parent-Teacher Meetings
Under Consent Agenda Item 11.A.1, the board is using its ‘District of Innovation’ (DOI) status to adopt policy changes that make it exempt from state law. One key exemption eliminates the legal requirement to offer at least two in-person parent-teacher conferences per year, reducing a key channel for parental involvement.
Response
DEMAND A RECORDED VOTE: Email the Board of Trustees. ‘Pull Item 11.A.1 from the Consent Agenda for a separate vote. Why is the district using its DOI plan to reduce state-mandated parent-teacher conferences? Vote NO on policy EIA(LOCAL).’
💰 Impact: Reduced Parental Access
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| WARNING (LEVEL 7) |
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District Adopts Official Lobbying Platform to Influence Legislature
Item 10.F asks the board to formally adopt a list of ‘Legislative Priorities’ for the 90th Texas Legislature. This action turns the school district into an official lobbying entity, using taxpayer resources to advocate for policies like increased state spending and preserving ‘local control’ to resist taxpayer-friendly reforms.
Response
Contact the Board of Trustees. ‘Regarding Item 10.F, the district’s mission is to educate children, not lobby Austin. Please vote NO on adopting these legislative priorities and focus our resources on the classroom.’
💰 Impact: Taxpayer-Funded Lobbying
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| WARNING (LEVEL 7) |
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Plan to Collect ‘Social-Emotional Data’ on Students
The proposed District Improvement Plan in Item 10.C includes a goal to develop the ‘whole child’. A key strategy is ‘centralizing all student academic, behavioral, and social-emotional data into a comprehensive platform,’ opening the door to subjective data collection on students without clear parental oversight.
Response
DEMAND THE DETAILS: Email the Board of Trustees. ‘Regarding Item 10.C, what specific ‘social-emotional data’ will be collected on students, how will it be protected, and will parents have a clear opt-out? Do not approve this plan without public answers.’
💰 Impact: Student Data Harvesting
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| WARNING (LEVEL 6) |
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District Plans $790k Purchase of ‘Gold-Plated’ Weight Room Equipment
The board will consider spending $789,504 on new weight room equipment for the high school’s multipurpose activity center under Item 10.E. The quote includes luxury features like custom logos on nearly every piece of equipment and LED lighting inside the racks, raising questions about fiscal responsibility and spending priorities.
Response
Contact the Board of Trustees. ‘Regarding Item 10.E, is spending nearly $800,000 on a weight room with custom logos the most responsible use of taxpayer money? Please seek competitive bids for a more basic, functional option and vote NO on this expensive package.’
💰 Impact: $789,504.58
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| WARNING (LEVEL 6) |
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Failing School ‘Turnaround Plan’ Relies on Consultants and Data Tracking
The district’s plan for the failing Highland Lakes Elementary (Item 9.A) involves hiring outside consultant ED-Pact and implementing a data platform called ‘Branching Minds’. While action is needed, this strategy risks taxpayer money on expensive consultants and may involve collecting sensitive student data without full parental transparency.
Response
DEMAND TRANSPARENCY: Email the Board of Trustees. ‘Regarding the Turnaround Plan in Item 9.A, what is the total cost of the ED-Pact contract, what specific student data does Branching Minds collect, and what happens to our budget when the grant money runs out?’
💰 Impact: Consultant Fees & Data Mining
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