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Heads up, Texas taxpayers: we’ve reviewed the upcoming HAMSHIRE-FANNETT ISD agenda and found 5 items that deserve your attention before the gavel falls.
| ALERT (LEVEL 9) |
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Vague Title — Manual Review Required
Item 13 asks the board to approve the 2026 Tax Roll, which is the basis for property tax bills. The actual tax roll document was not included in the public agenda packet, preventing taxpayers from seeing the total tax levy or how it compares to the no-new-revenue rate.
Response
INVESTIGATE: Open the ‘2026 Tax Roll’ attachment for Item 13 in the Official Agenda (linked above). Contact the District Office (see the Official Agenda link): ‘Before approving the tax roll under Item 13, please publicly state the proposed total tax levy and confirm whether it is at or below the no-new-revenue rate.’
💰 Impact: Potential Property Tax Increase
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| ALERT (LEVEL 8) |
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Rule Prohibits Criticism of Employees in Public Comment
The board’s rules for the Open Forum in Item 4 explicitly state that speakers are not permitted to criticize HFISD employees. This rule shields government employees from public accountability and chills the free speech of taxpayers and parents at public meetings.
Response
SIGN UP TO SPEAK: Email the Board secretary at egilpin@hfhorns.net before 10:00 a.m. on the meeting day. During Open Forum (Item 4), ask the board to remove the unconstitutional rule prohibiting criticism of public employees and to affirm the public’s right to hold them accountable.
💰 Impact: Reduced Public Accountability
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| WARNING (LEVEL 7) |
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District Plan Approves Student ‘Climate’ Surveys
The District Improvement Plan under Item 11 includes a ‘Student Climate Survey’ that collects subjective data on students’ feelings, beliefs, and perceptions of their ‘Connection,’ ‘Environment,’ and ‘Experience.’ This type of social-emotional data harvesting can be used to justify ideological programs and infringes on family privacy.
Response
DEMAND A RECORDED VOTE: Contact the District Office (see the Official Agenda link) before the meeting. ‘I request that the board remove the student climate survey and its associated data collection from the District Improvement Plan in Item 11 before approval. We need to focus on academics, not surveying student feelings.’
💰 Impact: Student Data Harvesting
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| WARNING (LEVEL 6) |
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Vague Title — Manual Review Required
Item 8 recommends awarding a contract for a ‘High School Sanitary Sewer Improvement Project’ to Amar Contractors, LLC. The agenda does not disclose the contract amount or the other bids received, making it impossible for taxpayers to verify if they are getting the best value.
Response
INVESTIGATE: Open the file ‘HS Stormwater Intrusion Bid Results’ attached to Item 8 in the Official Agenda (linked above). Contact the District Office (see the Official Agenda link): ‘Please publish the full bid results and the final contract amount for Item 8 before the vote.’
💰 Impact: Undisclosed
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| WATCH (LEVEL 5) |
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Vague Title — Manual Review Required
Item 6.B proposes changing the dates for four future board meetings, including those around the holidays (November, December). Such changes can reduce public attendance and scrutiny, and the district has not provided the proposed new dates in the public agenda packet.
Response
INVESTIGATE: Open the file attached to Item 6.B in the Official Agenda (linked above) to see the proposed new dates. Contact the District Office (see the Official Agenda link): ‘Please explain the reason for changing four meeting dates and ensure they are not scheduled to reduce public participation.’
💰 Impact: Reduced Public Access
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