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Heads up, Texas taxpayers: we’ve reviewed the upcoming CALHOUN COUNTY ISD agenda and found 6 items that deserve your attention before the gavel falls.
| ALERT (LEVEL 9) |
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Plan to Hire Uncertified Teachers
The district is renewing its ‘District of Innovation’ plan, which includes an exemption from state law to allow ‘local credentialing.’ This policy allows the superintendent to approve hiring uncertified individuals or certified teachers to teach subjects outside their expertise, bypassing state standards. This directly impacts classroom quality and accountability by lowering the bar for who is considered qualified to teach your children.
Response
DEMAND A RECORDED VOTE: Contact the CCISD Board (see the Official Agenda link for details). Ask them: ‘Regarding Item 9.H, I oppose waiving state teacher certification standards. Our students deserve fully qualified teachers. Please vote NO on the District of Innovation plan.’
💰 Impact: Lowered Classroom Standards
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| ALERT (LEVEL 9) |
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Plan to Weaken Parent Grievance Rights
Within the ‘District of Innovation’ plan, the board seeks to exempt itself from state laws that establish a standard grievance process for parents and community members. The district claims the state-mandated process is inefficient and wants to revert to its own local policy. This move reduces transparency and makes it harder for parents to hold the district accountable when they have a formal complaint.
Response
PACK THE ROOM: Show up on November 16 and sign up for public comment on Item 9.H. Tell the board: ‘Do not vote to weaken parent grievance rights. We demand the full protection and transparency of the state-mandated process. Vote NO on the DOI plan.’
💰 Impact: Reduced Accountability
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| ALERT (LEVEL 8) |
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Final Vote to Enact Property Tax Increase
Following a recent Voter-Approval Tax Rate Election (VATRE), the board is taking the final vote to officially set the 2026 tax rate at $0.7425 per $100 valuation. This rate is higher than what the district could adopt without voter approval. This is the last step to lock in higher property tax bills for Calhoun County residents.
Response
DEMAND A RECORDED VOTE: Contact the CCISD Board (see the Official Agenda link for details). Ask them to publicly state how this new tax levy will impact the average homeowner’s bill before they take a final vote on Item 9.D.
💰 Impact: Higher Property Taxes
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| WARNING (LEVEL 7) |
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Backdoor Pay Raise for Teachers
An amendment in the ‘District of Innovation’ plan proposes reducing teacher contract days from 187 to 182 without any reduction in salary. The district claims this makes them ‘more competitive’ by increasing the daily rate of pay. This is a pay raise for five fewer days of work, funded by taxpayers.
Response
DEMAND THE DETAILS: Contact the CCISD Board (see the Official Agenda link for details) regarding Item 9.H. Ask: ‘What is the total cost to taxpayers for paying teachers the same salary for five fewer work days? This should be debated openly, not buried in a larger plan.’
💰 Impact: Pay More for Less Work
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| WARNING (LEVEL 6) |
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Vague Title — Manual Review Required
The board plans to vote on a budget amendment for the current 2026-2027 school year, but the attachment detailing the changes was not included in the public documents. Budget amendments can be used to approve new spending or reallocate funds with little public scrutiny. Without the document, taxpayers cannot see what money is being moved or why.
Response
INVESTIGATE: Open the file ‘Budget Amendment 11.16.26’ attached to Item 9.B in the Official Agenda (linked above) to confirm whether it contains hidden spending or reallocations.
💰 Impact: Undisclosed
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| WATCH (LEVEL 5) |
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Vague Title — Manual Review Required
The board is set to approve the District and Campus Improvement Plans for 2026-2027, but the actual plans are not available for review in the provided agenda packet. These documents can be a vehicle for introducing costly consultant contracts or politically-charged initiatives like ‘Social-Emotional Learning’ (SEL) or ‘Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion’ (DEI). The vote is scheduled to happen without public visibility into the content.
Response
INVESTIGATE: Open the files for Item 8.B in the Official Agenda (linked above) to confirm the District and Campus Improvement Plans do not contain ideological curriculum or expensive consultant contracts.
💰 Impact: Undisclosed
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