October 2026 Board Meeting Recap
The Van Alstyne ISD Board of Trustees met Thursday, Oct. 15, for its regular monthly meeting.
Students from Sanford Elementary’s “production crew,” helped open the meeting by leading the pledges. The students are part of the team responsible for delivering Sanford’s campus announcements.
Trustees then recognized new student opportunities at Van Alstyne Middle School, received updates on district enrollment and the Emergent Bilingual program, and approved several items related to facilities and the planning of Elementary School No. 4.
Premier Spotlight: VAMS Clubs and Student Leadership
Van Alstyne Middle School took center stage during this month’s Premier Spotlight, highlighting the campus’s growing number of clubs and student leadership opportunities.
VAMS administrators reported receiving more than 650 club participation forms as the campus works to expand opportunities for students to connect with their school beyond the classroom. Clubs highlighted during the presentation included Art Club, Chess Club, Writing Club, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Crochet Club and the Spider-Man Comic Book Club.
VAMS also launched its Student Council this year. Nearly 90 students applied, with 22 ultimately selected to serve on the council and provide a student voice on school culture, climate and leadership.
The Board also heard from Harrison Bausell, a student who developed the idea for a Spider-Man Comic Book Club and worked with teacher Rebecca Rhodes to bring the club to campus.
Enrollment Reaches 3,024 Students
VAISD reported a current enrollment of approximately 3,024 students, with continued growth noted at the junior high and high school levels.
District officials also discussed 11 students who receive specialized services from VAISD but are not fully enrolled for standard state funding. Federal funding available to provide those services is limited, but administrators emphasized that the district continues to serve eligible students.
Emergent Bilingual Program Update
Trustees received the district’s annual Bilingual/ESL report, which showed that approximately 150 Emergent Bilingual students make up about 5% of VAISD's enrollment.
While that percentage has remained relatively steady over the past decade, the linguistic diversity of VAISD students has grown significantly. The district now serves students representing 28 different home languages, compared with primarily English and Spanish approximately 10 years ago. Spanish speakers account for roughly two-thirds of the district's Emergent Bilingual population.
The district also reported that 15 students were successfully reclassified out of the program during the 2025-26 school year, following 16 the previous year.
Public Comment
During public comment, a community member addressed the Board regarding its procedures for public participation at Board meetings. The speaker asked trustees to consider revisiting portions of the district’s public comment procedures, including rules regarding agenda-related comments, information requested from speakers and written comments.
Board Approves Contracts for Elementary School No. 4
Trustees approved two contracts allowing VAISD to move forward with the design and planning process for Elementary School No. 4.
The Board approved a contract with WRA Architects for design services and Cummings-Gallagher for construction management services on the new elementary school. The combined contracts are projected to save the district more than $550,000 compared with the cost of Williams Elementary.
Both contracts were approved unanimously.
A/C Approved for Indoor Athletic Facility
Trustees unanimously approved adding air conditioning to the district’s 72,000-square-foot indoor multipurpose athletic facility.
The facility was originally designed with ventilation fans, louvered vents and heating rather than a complete air-conditioning system. During the meeting, administrators explained that changes to UIL heat-safety requirements now rely on wet-bulb globe temperature measurements to determine when student activities must be restricted. Those requirements could significantly impact practice schedules during the summer months.
The new system is designed to keep conditions inside the facility below applicable UIL heat-safety thresholds. It is not intended to maintain a conventional indoor temperature of approximately 72 degrees. The addition is expected to expand the facility's availability for athletics, band and other student activities during periods of extreme heat.
The estimated cost of the addition is approximately $1.5 million. Administrators reported that the broader facility project is currently tracking approximately $2.3 million under budget following value engineering, allowing the district to fund the addition without exceeding the project's original budget authorization.
Other Board Action
Trustees also unanimously approved the proposed list of new library materials following the required 30-day public review period.
The Board approved the district’s annual Good Cause Exception related to state requirements for armed security personnel on each campus. District officials explained that circumstances such as officer illness, training and vacancies can make continuous campus staffing difficult. VAISD works to mitigate those circumstances by reallocating personnel and utilizing trained Guardian personnel when necessary.
Trustees also approved budget amendments related to a $1,600 community donation for Unstoppable Athletes (formerly Special Olympics) and adjustments involving district fee reimbursements.