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Heads up, Texas taxpayers: we’ve reviewed the upcoming S AND S CISD agenda and found 5 items that deserve your attention before the gavel falls.
| ALERT (LEVEL 8) |
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Proposed ‘Gag Rule’ in Board Code of Conduct
Item IX.B introduces a new Board Code of Conduct that could silence dissenting board members. The code states that after a vote, a trustee ‘will not misrepresent the Board’s decision or undermine lawful implementation,’ which can be used to punish trustees who publicly explain their ‘no’ vote or continue to advocate for a different policy.
Response
DEMAND A RECORDED VOTE: Contact the S&S CISD board. ‘Regarding Item IX.B, I oppose any policy that gags trustees elected to represent the public. Please strike the ‘undermine implementation’ clause and hold a roll-call vote on the Code of Conduct.’
💰 Impact: Reduced Accountability
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| WARNING (LEVEL 7) |
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New Rules May Block Trustees from Adding Agenda Items
The proposed new Standard Operating Procedures in Item IX.A may allow the Board President and Superintendent to block individual trustees from placing items on the meeting agenda. The rules defer to a separate policy, BE(LOCAL), which often requires a second trustee’s approval, effectively creating a gatekeeper to shut down minority viewpoints.
Response
DEMAND TRANSPARENCY: Contact the S&S CISD board. ‘Regarding Item IX.A, any trustee should be able to place an item on the agenda. Do not adopt procedures that allow the Board President to single-handedly veto a topic from public discussion.’
💰 Impact: Silencing Dissent
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| WARNING (LEVEL 7) |
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Undisclosed Bills on Consent Agenda
Item VII.B on the Consent Agenda asks for approval of the ‘September Bills for Payment,’ but the actual list of payments was not included in the public agenda packet. Bundling undisclosed financial items for a single vote without discussion is a major transparency failure and a common way to hide questionable spending.
Response
DEMAND A RECORDED VOTE: Contact the S&S CISD board. ‘Pull Item VII.B from the Consent Agenda for a separate discussion and roll-call vote. The public deserves to see the full list of bills before you approve payment.’
💰 Impact: Undisclosed Spending
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| WARNING (LEVEL 6) |
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$150,000 Tech Purchase Bypasses Local Bidding
Under Item IX.D, the board plans to spend up to $150,000 on computers and hardware using ‘inter-local government contracts.’ This method allows the district to bypass the traditional competitive bidding process, which reduces transparency and may not guarantee the best price for taxpayers.
Response
DEMAND THE DETAILS: Contact the S&S CISD board. ‘Before approving the $150,000 spending in Item IX.D, please provide the public with a comparison to show this no-bid contract is a better deal for taxpayers than open, competitive bidding.’
💰 Impact: Reduced Transparency
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| WATCH (LEVEL 5) |
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Politically-Charged Books on Proposed Library List
The proposed high school library procurement list (Item IX.E) includes politically-charged materials, such as a graphic novel by activist Colin Kaepernick. This represents mission drift, using taxpayer funds to purchase materials that promote a specific political viewpoint rather than focusing on core educational subjects.
Response
DEMAND NEUTRALITY: Contact the S&S CISD board. ‘Regarding Item IX.E, school libraries should be for education, not activism. Please remove politically divisive materials like the Colin Kaepernick book from the high school procurement list.’
💰 Impact: Politicizing the Library
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