Mr. Schwerin's comment continued, "Our attendance rate during that same time went from 16,527 to 18,336 this year. That’s an increase of 1800 students, which is about a 10.9 percent growth. So we’re increasing students by 10 percent, but yet we’re increasing our budget by 25 percent. That isn’t what I call frugal."

Unfortunately, taxpayers are paying more in taxes due to increasing property values. However, Wylie ISD has lowered the M&O and overall tax rate each year since 2018-19. 

• In 2018-19, the M&O rate was $1.17; for 2021-22, it is $0.9898. 
• In 2018-19, the overall tax rate was $1.64; for 2021-22, it is $1.4598. 

Yes, the district’s budget has increased, mostly accounting for the rapid growth in student enrollment and ensuring adequate staffing. It is important to note that increasing enrollment also means growth in other areas, such as special education and English language learners. Growth in these populations often requires additional staff and resources to ensure student needs are met. Staff salaries have also increased since 2018-19, as has the cost of benefits. In recent years, the Texas Legislature has passed numerous bills that have directly impacted public school district operations, such as expanded safety and security requirements. The school board and district are committed to ensuring students receive the best educational experience possible while also taking a conservative approach to spending.

As homeowners and taxpayers themselves, the Wylie ISD Board of Trustees absolutely considers taxpayers when adopting the district’s budget and tax rate. Trustees remain committed to being good stewards of taxpayer dollars. They take their fiduciary responsibility very seriously. This includes asking questions and staying informed throughout the budget process, as they recognize the long-term impact their decisions may have on the school district and its future. 

The district will host another budget workshop on Monday, May 16, presented by Dr. Mike Moses and David Thompson. The workshop will focus on funding and taxes, including House Bill 3, tax rates and compression, new legislation, and more.

Trustees welcome emails from the public; however, some questions or concerns are best suited for the district to answer. Trustees will share these questions or concerns with the superintendent, who will either respond or direct the appropriate staff member to respond. The school board and district strive to provide community members with factual information from those who know how best to answer the questions or address concerns. 

District administration has responded to several emails from Mrs. Jessica Fourrier, addressing questions and concerns.  

District administration has responded to several emails from Mrs. Jessica Fourrier and her husband, addressing questions and concerns. Questions in her two most recent emails were addressed by legal counsel, as district administration had already several times answered those questions to the best of their ability.

Wylie ISD restructured the D&I program at the end of the 2020-21 school year. This school year, the district began holding monthly meetings with the D&I Stakeholder Group members and other interested community members. Through these small group collaborations, the district receives feedback on many topics, including how Wylie ISD can continue to improve organizational practices. The program's overall goals are to ensure students feel a sense of belonging in our schools and equip staff with how to best serve and meet the needs of the growing school community. Hearing the voices and perspectives from parents and the community this school year is the first step.

If an individual chooses to challenge an instructional resource, they are encouraged to follow Board Policy EF (LOCAL), which outlines the process for the reconsideration of instructional resources. It’s important to note, the district cannot remove and deny students access to books simply because an individual disagrees with the ideas the materials may contain. However, Wylie ISD will continue to review books brought to its attention and determine their educational suitability.

Texas public school superintendents report directly to the Board of Trustees. The Wylie ISD Board of Trustees oversees the management of the district, and Dr. Vinson ensures the board’s goals, vision, and policies are carried out. 

This comment stated that the district has $446 billion in bond debt. Following the voter-approved bond passed in 2019 to deal with the district’s fast growth, the total debt to date is actually $435 million. 

Please know that the Wylie ISD Board of Trustees is committed to paying down our debt as quickly as possible through conservative financial management.     

The district will hold budget workshops from now until the budget is adopted in June 2022. Additionally, once certified values are received from the Collin County Appraisal District, the district will move forward with adopting a tax rate in August 2022. More information can be found on wylieisd.net/schoolboard. 

Community members may also find an overview of school finance here and here, and more information here. 

Important information from the Texas Comptroller’s office regarding the no-new-revenue tax rate (formerly known as the effective tax rate): The no-new-revenue tax rate enables the public to evaluate the relationship between taxes for the prior year and for the current year, based on a tax rate that would produce the same amount of taxes applied to the same properties taxed in both years. Although the actual calculation is more complicated, a taxing unit's no-new-revenue tax rate generally equal to the last year's taxes divided by the current taxable value of properties that were also on the tax roll last year. The resulting tax rate, used for comparison only, shows the relation between the last year's revenue and the current year's values.  

Local Source/Funding: One portion of a school district’s tax rate is its Interest & Sinking (I&S) rate, which is dedicated to debt service. A vast majority of debt payments will be made using I&S funds. 

State Source/Funding: The facilities funding component of the state’s Foundation School Program (FSP) provides two opportunities for state assistance for a district’s debt service – the Instructional Facilities Allotment (IFA) and the Existing Debt Allotment (EDA). The facilities funding component calculation is tied to a district’s I&S rate. Districts must apply for the IFA. The TEA determines any EDA funding provided to districts. 

Learn More: Wylie ISD is proud to offer CLAAS (Creating Leaders and Advocates for Schools). This year-long program has been offered each school year since 2011-12. The program’s primary focus is to teach parents and community members about the structure and operations of Wylie ISD, including school finance. Applications open the summer before each school year. More information can be found here.

Yes, the district used additional funds generated from property taxes in 2021-22 to execute a cash defeasance of outstanding debt. No, there was no increase in the total debt from last year. School districts can only accrue debt through voter-approved bonds. Wylie ISD has not issued new debt since the last bond referendum passed in 2019. Fast-growth school districts, such as Wylie ISD, often take on additional debt through voter-approved bond referendums to have the funds available to renovate facilities or build new schools. The district and school board are committed to fiscal responsibility and prudently managing outstanding debt. The school board also remains committed to paying down this debt as quickly as possible through conservative and intentional approaches as to not pass the debt burden along to future generations.  

Randi Jackson's statement continued:

"...I’m not here to say that there is anything wrong with this breakdown, I am however wanting to shed some light for those in attendance or listening on live-stream that this might be a reason it feels like we are sometimes shouting into a void. It makes a bit more sense why being in compliance with the TEKS is more important than addressing our concerns in a prompt and meaningful manner. It begins to make sense why meeting state testing benchmarks is proclaimed from the highest rooftops, and yet when it comes to subversive CRT, bullying, drugs and sex on campus, employees not following IEPs, and inappropriate books on library shelves, these things are swept under the rug, kept quiet or not addressed publicly for everybody to know.”

All Texas public school districts follow the same state funding formulas. Funding is based on various factors within each individual district, such as enrollment, student characteristics, property values, etc. All Texas school districts are required to follow the curriculum standards adopted by the State Board of Education. The SBOE is comprised of 15 members who are elected by voters. 

Any violations of the law or district policy are taken very seriously and are addressed accordingly. In accordance with privacy laws, personnel and student matters will not be discussed publicly. Additionally, if parents and students have concerns or are aware of specific incidents on campus, they are encouraged to notify their campus administrator. 

Randi Jackson's question continued:

"...Infrastructure development so that we can handle more bandwidth and increase the devices for students is all well and good but what effect on the internet service provider bill will there be, if any, for the additional bandwidth requirement for all these new devices? What about the long-term viability of the devices themselves? What is the expected lifespan of these devices? What about repairs or will there be cases to prevent damage? Will we need to hire additional IT personnel to manage and set up the maintenance of these devices? Or will this be something that the teachers and campus faculty will be expected to take on? If new hires are needed, how many and what are the resources that will be for that?”  

The Chromebooks were purchased due to the state moving toward online testing for STAAR. These devices will assist students in preparing for that type of testing method and will be the device they test on. It is also important to note that the state requires students to test simultaneously, so an option such as rotating students through computer labs would not be possible.   

1. Students who need accommodations due to disabilities or other extenuating circumstances will receive the necessary accommodations. 
2. The school district has a contract with an internet service provider and the infrastructure in place to adequately support bandwidth needs. The district addressed future infrastructure needs in its 2013-2016 technology plan. 
3. As shared in the January board presentation, these new devices will be absorbed into the four-year continuous refresh cycle. 
4. Chromebook FAQs, including repair information, can be found here.
5. Additional IT personnel are not needed for these Chromebooks, and teachers and non-technology staff will not maintain these devices.  

The board does not hold private meetings behind closed doors, except for closed sessions, where legally-allowed topics such as personnel matters, real estate, consultation with legal counsel take place and no action or vote is taken. The district takes any accusation that it is violating Texas law very seriously and unequivocally denies this allegation.

Every month, numerous items are placed on the agenda. The board and district make concerted efforts to ensure important matters are discussed at regularly scheduled meetings. 

One-on-one meetings allow each individual’s questions and perspectives to be heard.

This Q&A page was created following the November 2021 board meeting to address questions raised during public forum. All stakeholders have access to this webpage. 

Jennifer Bradley's question continued:

"You are fixated on D&I working while you are closing a blind eye to everything else around you that is happening. What has D&I accomplished? Well, let me tell you what it has accomplished. Students are vaping illegal substances in the bathrooms. Students are having sex in the bathroom stalls. Students are getting into more fights. Students are reading books about oral sex and molestation. Students are doing whatever TikTok tells them to do without repercussions or remorse. You can continue to choose to ignore facts, but it doesn’t mean they won’t still exist! Let’s redirect the $200K being wasted on D&I and put that back into teaching our kids to respect one another, quit the bullying, and quit the fighting.  Let's teach our kids about peer pressure and how to say “NO”.  Let’s remove the sexually explicit books from the high school libraries – the ones that have been on the American Library Association’s top ten lists for most challenged books, such as Kite Runner and Me, Earl, and the Dying Girl. Let’s teach our kids the long-term effects of vaping and what it will do to their lungs, overall health, and how it affects those they use it around.  Let’s get home economics back into the school and teach our kids how to survive in the real world.  Let’s teach our kids how to manage their finances, how to get help for grants to further their education instead of getting into student debt. Let’s focus on core subjects and not programs focused on feelings.  Our children should not be focused on safety when using the school bathroom. It is sad when innocent students are being punished by the reckless behavior of others. Maybe we can take some of the unused (or perhaps, misused) D&I money that is not being used and hire monitors for the bathrooms?”

There is zero evidence the district’s D&I program has led to vaping, sex, reading books about sex, fights, and/or poor digital citizenship. The program does not involve students. 

VAPING: Unfortunately, vaping is a reality schools and districts face today. Our district does its best to combat it, and there are serious consequences for students caught vaping. Junior high and high school families received vaping information and resources via their campus newsletter earlier this school year. The information provided shared the adverse effects of vaping and encouraged parents to have conversations with their children about the dangers of vaping.   

SEXUAL ACTIVITY: District administrators looked into Ms. Jennifer Bradley’s claims about sexual activity taking place in school bathrooms. The Student Services department visited with principals, and there have been zero submitted reports of sex on campus. If families know about a specific incident, we ask them to notify their campus principal so the claim may be investigated.

BOOKS: The district is reviewing books brought to its attention. Parents are encouraged to follow Board Policy EF(LOCAL), which outlines the process for the reconsideration of instructional resources. They may also request that their child not check out certain books. A unique feature our district offers that many parents utilize and appreciate – parents have the ability to see any book their child checks out from the library via the Wylie ISD mobile app. Library Media Services FAQ. 

COURSES & CURRICULUM: Wylie ISD is proud to offer a robust course offering for high school students. Courses related to personal finance and home economics include, but are not limited to, Personal Financial Literacy, Money Matters, Accounting, Human Development, and Culinary Arts. The full course guide may be found here.

Jennifer Bradley's question continued:

"...Is it because administration doesn’t hold teachers accountable (for example the teachers that push their personal political agendas onto our children while the district looks the other way? Remember the national controversy when one of our very own teachers at Cooper compared the police to the KKK – the administration condoned it by doing nothing…remember when a McMillan junior high teacher signed a pledge to sneak CRT into her classroom? Is it because there is no leadership from administration to ensure problem students are removed? We have a school system that pushes to accept everything, provides safe spaces and makes excuses and condones bad behavior. Is it because these teachers wanted to protect the students that wanted to learn?”

The district cannot share specific information about resignations. Every year employees resign for a multitude of reasons. Some reasons given this school year include moving, a new opportunity, family matters, and health issues. The district has not received any resignations due to the reasons listed by Ms. Jennifer Bradley.

A board member attended the most recent pillar meeting in December. Meeting dates, agendas, and notes have been posted on the D&I webpage for several months.

This Q&A page was created following the November 2021 board meeting to address questions raised during public forum. All stakeholders have access to this webpage.

Campus staff routinely monitor bathrooms. If your child is experiencing issues, please report these incidents to the campus principal as soon as possible.

The district regularly communicates via campus and community newsletters, social media, the website, and family email updates. If you have suggestions for improving communication to families, please let us know.

The district does not have nor is aware of any policy that allows pornographic material. The district continues to review books that have been brought to its attention. 

The district does not tolerate bullying and takes it very seriously. Anti-bullying is a priority. The district has a webpage dedicated to anti-bullying and secondary campuses show students anti-bullying videos. It is also part of our Unity Day curriculum.

Dr. Vinson will continue to meet individually with parents and community members to hear any concerns they may have and to ensure their perspective is considered. 

A D&I program update was provided at the Aug. 16, 2021 Board Meeting. The district does not have an update to provide at this time. The program does not involve students, and the district does not have plans to remove the program.

In accordance with board policy and this board’s operating procedures, public forum is three minutes.

Items will be added to the agenda when deemed necessary.

Board members often share their thoughts and opinions on different matters. However, school boards are nonpartisan and trustees will not engage in political matters. Instead, trustees remain focused on the education and well-being of students. Further, the board’s policy has been to direct inquiries to those who can best provide a factual answer. 

Every school board in Texas is a member of TASB, and all 1,024 school boards in Texas have been active members for more than 30 continuous years.

This issue was addressed. Due to staff shortages in January, Wylie High School moved a couple of classes to the cafeteria where they were monitored by a few staff members. Campus administrators let district administration know about the issue, and the district sent additional staff to assist with the staff shortage. This is no longer an issue.

At this time, the district is focused on gathering and listening to the feedback provided by parents and community members at the stakeholder group meetings that are being held throughout this school year.

This question is in reference to the district purchasing remote openers for a gated community within the Wylie ISD. These remotes allow district buses to enter the neighborhood.  After following proper district purchasing procedures, the payment for the remotes was processed and mailed to Spectrum Management (the Riverchase HOA management company) on January 13, 2022. The district followed up on Jan. 19, and Spectrum Management said they would mail the remotes. The district received the remotes on Jan. 31. For transparency purposes, the following email was sent to the Riverchase HOA on Jan. 26: 

Riverchase HOA Board of Directors,

Good afternoon! We hope you are having a great week. We are reaching out today to provide the Riverchase HOA Board of Directors with information regarding bus service to the Riverchase gated community. 

On Nov. 2, 2021, Wylie ISD contacted the Riverchase HOA about replacement gate openers for bus drivers, as we are down to one working remote. The Riverchase HOA president responded and asked how many remotes the district needs and if we could pay for the associated costs for the remotes.

Historically, the Riverchase HOA has provided the district with remote gate openers free of charge as a courtesy to best serve the children and families of the neighborhood. Our district is more than happy to pay for the costs associated with the remote gate openers. However, as a public school district, we must follow the procurement laws in place to protect the district and its taxpayers. Unfortunately, that process can be a bit time-consuming, and we acknowledge it takes longer than we’d like sometimes. 

Our purchasing department set up Spectrum Management as a vendor on Jan. 6. Payment for the five remotes—$275—was processed and mailed to Spectrum on Jan. 13. The district followed up with Spectrum on Jan. 19, and Spectrum said they would mail the remotes.

On Jan. 24, the Riverchase HOA president spoke at the regularly-scheduled Wylie ISD Board of Trustees meeting and stated the following, “I am president of the Riverchase gated HOA here in Wylie. On Nov. 2, the transportation coordinator reached out to us asking for more remotes to get in our gates. Here we are January 24, bus drivers still don’t have remotes.”

We want to assure the Riverchase Board of Directors and our Riverchase families that the district has been working diligently to get these remotes ordered and in the hands of our bus drivers as soon as possible. As of today, Jan. 26, we have not received the remotes but are hopeful we will receive them soon.

We want to apologize for any inconvenience or disruption in bus service this may have caused our Riverchase families. If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact me. 

Thank you for your understanding and for your support of Wylie ISD.

Jessica Fourrier's question continued:

"In typical Wylie ISD Board fashion, I only got a response from your attorney which was more pomp than anything. I was told I must submit a form for each book I wanted removed from each school. I was also told repeatedly that the district will no longer address this matter with you. So here I am addressing it with you tonight. The first book I wanted removed was ‘The Bluest Eyes.’ Is this the Wylie Way? The second book is titled Me, Earl, and the Dying Girl. Why should I or any other parent have to submit a form to remove books like these? How do these books get into our schools in the first place? Is this the Wylie Way?”

Ms. Jessica Fourrier sent the district an email on Jan. 6, 2022, regarding these two novels. The Bluest Eyes was brought to the district’s attention in Fall 2021. The novel was reviewed and removed from library shelves in Fall 2021. 

Wylie ISD is committed to providing a wide range of instructional resources that enhance the student learning experience. The selection of instructional materials, such as library books, is governed by Board policy, and campus librarians are responsible for selecting and removing books based on that policy, state standards for school libraries, recommendations from professional organizations, and more. While our school librarians routinely review books and remove those that no longer meet collection standards, staff does not know each book's content due to the vast array of literature (200K+ books). The district provides an online catalog of each school’s library books, and parents can review the available content. Additionally, parents can let their child’s campus know if they believe there is material that is not appropriate for their child and prevent their child from checking out specific titles. 

It’s important to note, the district cannot remove and deny students access to books simply because an individual disagrees with the ideas the materials may contain. However, the district will continue to review books brought to its attention and determine their educational suitability. More information about library books and selection can be found in our Library Media Services FAQ section.

Parents have the ability to see any book their child checks out from the library via the Wylie ISD mobile app. This is a feature that many district parents utilize.

Campus staff will review books brought to our attention to see if they meet district guidelines. Each parent has the opportunity to review available books and let their campus know if they believe there is material that is not appropriate for their child. If a parent chooses to challenge an instructional resource, they are encouraged to follow Board Policy EF (LOCAL), which outlines the process for the reconsideration of instructional resources. More information about library books and selection can be found in our Library Media Services FAQ section.

Just as it recognizes the need for open meetings, the Texas legislature also has long recognized that civic bodies must be able to consult with their legal counsel to fulfill their responsibilities. Many issues faced by elected officials have potential legal consequences and privileged communications between attorneys and their clients (including elected boards and city councils) is a long-standing and well-established legal principle that complies with Texas Government §551.071(2) as well as the requirements of Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct of the State Bar of Texas. Posting all issues that could result in an executive session on the agenda addresses the fact that the board may need to ask for legal advice on any issue listed in the statutes at any time during the board meeting.

The law balances the need for public bodies to consult privately with legal counsel and the public’s right to know by requiring that any action on issues discussed in executive session be posted on the agenda and voted on in public. The Wylie ISD Board of Trustees is in full compliance with Texas Government Code §551.101 and other statutes relating to open meetings.

We are both proud and hopeful of what this means to law enforcement and the kids we serve. This program has been publicly discussed in detail on multiple occasions as part of the Diversity & Inclusion initiative. 

• D&I Board Presentation: November 2020
  Mr. Reggie Bibb provided a D&I update at the November 16, 2020 Board meeting, where he highlighted the Chew & Chats program. In the Board meeting video, Mr. Bibb discusses this from 38:21-39:24.

•  D&I Meeting: April 2021
  WPD Asst. Chief Tommy Walters speaks from 7:53-22:00. The presentation has been available on the D&I web page since the spring. In fact, 134 community members/parents provided feedback following the presentation. Here is a direct link to that April meeting: https://www.wylieisd.net/Page/16269

• D&I Board Presentation: August 2021
  Mr. Casey Whittle presented a D&I update at the August 16, 2021 Board meeting and highlighted connections with the Wylie PD as a success from the 2020-21 school year.

The Chew & Chats have been mentioned several times as part of the D&I program, and our campuses would share information regarding the program on social media as well. 

The district has been reviewing how best to make agenda packets accessible to the general public and will begin providing these packets online in January.

Our goal is to provide clear and transparent information to all stakeholders. The issue in question is based on a May 2021 survey to parents asking for them to indicate their interest in participating in the D&I stakeholder group. Because more than 110 parents expressed interest, we invited all to participate in the group but reformatted our meetings to make them valuable and manageable to ensure all voices are heard. 

During this process, a few additional parents and community members expressed interest in participating. While it took some time, we changed our entire committee membership process and included everyone who showed interest.

D&I stakeholder group communication, including agendas and meeting notes, can be found on the D&I webpage. Reminder emails are also sent prior to meetings. Any parent or community member who wants to participate in our stakeholder group is welcome. If you are interested in participating, please RSVP in advance to the D&I Director, Reggie Bibb. 

The district stands by that CRT has not, is not, and will not be taught, practiced, or discussed in Wylie ISD. In regards to Wylie High School’s 2020 Graduation, everyone in attendance was asked to join with their thoughts and prayers for “those who have lost loved ones due to the coronavirus and for our fellow Americans who have lost their lives to civil injustice.” The graduation reference sheet, which the principal shared with families days in advance, included the following bolded bullet point, “we will have a short ceremony to show unity with our students.” The 2020 graduation moment had nothing to do with CRT. You can view the graduation ceremony here. This was an all-encompassing moment, with students, families, staff, and law enforcement.

We cannot comment on personnel matters. However, our teachers are restricted to teaching the TEKS and following Wylie ISD scope and sequence standards. We have no indication that our teachers are doing anything but teaching the TEKS and scope and sequence. These standards are clear, and have been and will be communicated frequently to staff. If you have a specific concern or question regarding how and why curriculum is being delivered, please reach out to the campus principal as soon as possible.

Each parent has the opportunity to review available books and let their campus know if they believe there is material that is not appropriate for their child. If a parent chooses to challenge an instructional resource, they are encouraged to follow Board Policy EF (LOCAL), which outlines the process for the reconsideration of instructional resources. More information about library books and selection can be found in our Library Media Services FAQ section.