Premier Spotlight

Students from Williams Elementary opened the public portion of the meeting by leading the pledges and invocation.

The Board also recognized VAJH teacher Gavin Ritchie and members of the VAJH Ambassador Club. The student-led group has expanded into a media club consisting of 36 students and seven staff sponsors.

Club members photograph and record campus activities, create content for the VAJH Facebook page and help promote upcoming events. Students meet every two weeks to brainstorm ideas and plan coverage.

Enrollment Update

District enrollment was reported at approximately 3,024 students—an increase of roughly 6% since the end of the 2025–26 school year.

The district’s attendance rate was approximately 96.3% through the previous week. Administrators will continue monitoring enrollment and attendance over the next several weeks to determine the potential impact on the district’s budget.

Alternative Education Programs

The Board received an update on VAISD’s alternative education programs, including the District Alternative Education Program, Panther Academy and PAWS.

DAEP placements decreased from 46 during the 2024–25 school year to 27 during 2025–26—a 41% reduction. Administrators credited campus leaders and staff members with providing proactive support that has helped more students remain successful on their home campuses.

Panther Academy continues to provide flexible opportunities for students to recover or accelerate credits. Twelve students served through Panther Academy and PAWS completed their graduation requirements last year. All 12 also met their identified College, Career and Military Readiness requirements.

The district is also developing a more structured transition process to support students returning to their home campuses following a DAEP placement.

Public Comment

During public comment, community members raised concerns about the level of detail provided on the agenda for the Board’s Aug. 17 consideration of district handbooks. Comments focused on changes involving extracurricular participation and whether the public received sufficient notice of the specific policies being considered.

Speakers requested additional clarification about the changes and encouraged the Board to place the policies on a future agenda for further public discussion.

Consent Agenda

Trustees approved the consent agenda, which included minutes from the Aug. 17 budget hearing and regular meeting and the Aug. 31 special meeting.

The consent agenda passed with four trustees voting in favor and three abstaining. A proposed discussion about rescinding an action from the previous meeting did not proceed because the matter was not included on the posted Sept. 14 agenda. Trustees discussed the process for requesting that an item be placed on a future agenda.

Senate Bill 12 Compliance

Following a public hearing, trustees voted 7 - 0 to approve VAISD’s annual certification of compliance with Senate Bill 12 and authorized Superintendent Dr. David Brown to submit the certification to the Texas Education Agency.

Administrators reported that district policies, handbooks, training materials, programs and contracts were reviewed for compliance. Required training was also provided to district employees before the beginning of the school year.

State Accountability Review

Trustees received an overview of the state accountability system and VAISD’s 2026 ratings.

VAISD earned an overall score of 87, maintaining a B rating.

VAHS earned a distinction designation in Closing the Gaps, while VAJH earned a distinction in Academic Achievement in Science. Distinction designations recognize campuses that perform among the top 10% of comparable schools statewide in the applicable area.

Administrators explained that overall academic achievement has remained steady, but student growth and the performance of individual student groups affected the district’s overall rating.

VAISD has added several supports for the current school year, including:

• Additional instructional coaches in early literacy and mathematics
• Double-blocked mathematics instruction in fifth and sixth grades
• Personalized learning pathways during intervention periods
• Additional behavioral support at Sanford Elementary
• Expanded support for Gifted and Talented and emergent bilingual students
• Districtwide academic growth monitoring using MAP and quarterly assessment data

District and campus administrators will review student data throughout the year and adjust instructional plans based on identified needs.

Additional Board Action

Trustees also:

• Approved the annual 4-H resolution allowing eligible students to be counted as present while participating in 4-H competitions
• Approved the district’s annual investment resolution
• Reviewed and approved the 2026–27 professional development plan
• Approved guardians for the 2026–27 school year as recommended by the superintendent

The complete agenda and supporting materials are available through the district’s BoardBook meeting page