Texas Public Policy Foundation
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📍 Drive to STEPHENVILLE ISD Office   📅 Monday, October 19, 2026 to Calendar
📄 View Official Agenda
Heads up, Texas taxpayers: we’ve reviewed the upcoming STEPHENVILLE ISD agenda and found 4 items that deserve your attention before the gavel falls.
ALERT (LEVEL 9)
District Spending on SEL and Behavior Screening
📅 October 19, 2026
The September check registry, buried in the consent agenda, shows a $9,000 payment for ‘Capturing Kids Hearts’ and a $20,598 payment for the ‘DESSA Universal Screener.’ These are Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) programs and psychological screening tools that can lead to data mining of student attitudes and beliefs, shifting focus from academics to subjective emotional instruction.
Response

DEMAND ANSWERS ON SEL: Contact the Board regarding the payments in the Check Registry (part of Consent Agenda Item IV). ‘What student data is collected by the $20,598 DESSA screener, and can parents see the full curriculum for the $9,000 Capturing Kids Hearts program before it’s used in the classroom?’

💰 Impact: $29,598 for Student Screening
ALERT (LEVEL 8)
Tax Dollars Paid to Lobbying Groups
📅 October 19, 2026
Buried in the September check register (part of Consent Agenda Item IV) are multiple payments totaling over $12,000 to the Texas Association of School Boards (TASB) and Texas Association of School Administrators (TASA). These groups use local tax dollars to lobby the legislature, often against taxpayer interests like property tax relief and parental rights.
Response

DEMAND A RECORDED VOTE: Contact the Board and demand the ‘Review Check Registry’ be pulled from Consent Agenda Item IV for a separate discussion and roll-call vote. ‘Why is Stephenville ISD sending our tax dollars to groups like TASB and TASA that lobby against taxpayer interests?’

💰 Impact: $12,119+ in Lobbying Dues
WARNING (LEVEL 7)
School Board to Adopt Policy Updates from Austin Lobbyists
📅 October 19, 2026
Under the Superintendent’s Report, the board will hold a first reading for two policy updates, DNA(LOCAL) and CFB(LOCAL), provided by the Texas Association of School Boards (TASB). Adopting policies drafted by TASB, a taxpayer-funded lobbying group, can commit the district to priorities that serve the Austin bureaucracy rather than local students and parents.
Response

Contact the Stephenville ISD Board (see district website for emails): ‘Regarding the TASB DNA (LOCAL) and CFB (LOCAL) Updates under the Superintendent’s Report, please reject any policy language that serves Austin lobbyists instead of Stephenville students and taxpayers.’

💰 Impact: Policy Control by Lobbyists
WARNING (LEVEL 6)
Requires Verification

Vote on Undisclosed Campus and District Plans
📅 October 19, 2026
The board is scheduled to vote on ‘Approval of 26-27 Campus and District Improvement Plans’ under Action Item V. However, the actual plan documents are not attached to the public agenda, making it impossible for parents and taxpayers to review them before the vote.
Response

DEMAND TRANSPARENCY: Contact the Board and ask that the vote on Item V, the Campus and District Improvement Plans, be postponed until the full documents are posted for public review. ‘Texans cannot provide input on plans they are not allowed to see.’

💰 Impact: Undisclosed Policy Changes
Local Officials
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