Board Briefs: April 20, 2026
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Welcome to the latest edition of Manor ISD’s Board Brief! Each month, we will offer a snapshot of key decisions, discussions, and highlights from our most recent board meeting. As always, Manor ISD is committed to transparency and keeping our community informed about the work being done to support our students, staff, and schools. In this update, you'll find information about important approvals, recognitions, and updates on initiatives aimed at enhancing the educational experience across our district.
Watch The Board Meeting Meeting Agenda
Student Recognition
Manor High School Cosmetology Students Earn Highest Honors at SkillsUSA State
Manor High School is celebrating a major win as its cosmetology students delivered an exceptional performance at the SkillsUSA State Competition, earning the highest honor possible in every event they entered.
The following students earned Superior ratings in their respective events:
Fantasy Competition
Jahve Johnson, Emely Tellez, Alexa De La Cruz, Marie Grande-Miranda, Ana Willemstein, Stephanie Medina, and Makayla Serrato
Braiding & Extensions
C’Asia Clay
3D Acrylic Nail Art
Doralinda Herrera and Crystal Jaimes Ortiz
During the competition, students completed intricate, hands-on tasks under timed conditions. From bold, creative styling in the Fantasy Competition to precise braiding techniques and detailed 3D nail artistry, each event required focus, skill, and confidence, qualities these students demonstrated at the highest level.
Staff Recognition
Celebrating Excellence: March Staff Recognition
Each month, Manor ISD takes a moment to shine a light on the amazing educators and staff members who make a difference on their campuses every day. At the March Board of Trustees meeting, we had the joy of celebrating each school’s Teacher of the Month and Staff Member of the Month for April. Congratulations to our April 2026 Honorees!
Blake Manor Elementary School
- Marisol Diaz – 4th Grade Teacher
- Carla Rodriguez – Pre-K Instructional Aide
Bluebonnet Trail Elementary School
- Hazel Martínez – 3rd Grade Teacher
- Evangeline Peña – Nurse
Child Development Center
- Lorenda Ventura – Pre-K Daycare Associate
Decker Elementary School
- Marielena Santiago – 3rd Grade Teacher
- Emily Venosdel – 3rd Grade Teaching Assistant
Lagos Elementary School
- Sasha Devore – SLE Teacher
- Amber Thorn – Assistant Principal
Oak Meadows Elementary School
- Sandra Ruiz Bello – Kindergarten Bilingual Teacher
- Rachel Pettitte – Librarian
Pioneer Crossing Elementary School
- Briahna Wandel – 4th Grade ELA Teacher
- Edith Plancarte – Registrar & Attendance Clerk
Presidential Meadows Elementary School
- Irma Calonia – 3rd Grade Teacher
- Marlen Rivas – Educational Associate
ShadowGlen Elementary School
- Marcos Romero Gil – 5th Grade Dual Language Teacher
- Fatima Arriaga – Resource & Inclusion Teacher
Manor Rise Academy
- Kevin Lindsey Ryan – Band Teacher
- Devorah Crawford – Special Education Assistant
Decker Middle School
- Diana Reyes – Dyslexia Teacher
- Sandra Garduño – Custodial Staff
Manor New Tech Middle School
- Hannah Hamilton – Band Teacher
- Carlos Chester – Educational Assistant
Manor Excel Academy
- Jessica Galvan – Attendance Associate
Manor High School
- Melissa Adams – English Teacher
- Christopher Frazier – School Resource Officer
Manor New Tech High School
- Alekya Devisetti – 9–12 Grade Teacher
- Wanda Cruz – Senior Administrator
Information Items
Superintendent Update
Dr. Sormani updated the board on the progress of the Strategic Planning Teams. He also highlighted student successes in Track & Field, Tennis, and Robotics. He also thanked the PME PTA for hosting a STEM focused event which allowed high school students to show off their clubs.
TEA IDA (Intruder Detection Audit) Corrective Actions for Finding for Oak Meadows ES
The recent IDA at Oak Meadows Elementary confirms that campus safety systems are working as intended. Auditors were unable to access the building through any exterior doors and were only able to enter through the main entrance, where they were properly identified and processed through established district safety protocols.
The resulting “finding” was clerical in nature and not related to a safety failure. At the time of the audit, required documentation verifying routine door sweeps was not immediately available on-site for review. Under TEA guidelines, documentation must be accessible at the time of the audit, which led to the finding.
Manor ISD remains in full compliance with Texas Education Code 37.1083, requiring weekly exterior door sweeps. The district had 17 consecutive weeks of documented checks available, with additional sweeps completed but not yet uploaded at the time of the audit. The Manor ISD Police Department conducts multiple daily safety checks and patrols across all campuses, reinforcing consistent and proactive security practices.
TEA also affirmed that the district’s documentation process meets IDA requirements, noting that records maintained through CAD/Dispatch logs in Sentinel are acceptable when they include key details such as dates, confirmation of checks, and issue reporting.
To ensure documentation is always readily available moving forward, the district has implemented the following improvements:
- Door sweep logs will be uploaded to Sentinel twice weekly
- Officers will receive emailed copies for immediate printing and on-campus access
- Campus staff are trained to notify the MISD Police Dispatch Center upon auditor arrival to ensure documentation is provided in real time
This finding reflects a timing gap in documentation access, not a lapse in safety procedures. Oak Meadows Elementary and Manor ISD continue to demonstrate strong, consistent, and compliant safety practices.
Student Transportation Safety Compliance and Anticipated Expenditure for Seat Belt Retrofitting and/or Fleet Replacement
The district shared an update with the School Board about new state requirements under Texas Senate Bill 546, which mandates three-point (lap-shoulder) seat belts on all school buses. To meet this requirement, 23 existing buses would need retrofitting at an estimated cost of $769,346.12. Costs may be reduced by gradually replacing older buses with newer, compliant models and by pursuing grant or funding opportunities.
At the April board meeting, administration shared updated data on SB 546 compliance. Of 87 buses, 53 are compliant, while 34 require seat belt retrofits at an estimated cost of $1,139,000.
The district currently lacks available local or state funding to cover these costs without impacting essential services, and funding sources like the I&S fund have limited flexibility.
The district must report its compliance plan and costs to the Texas Education Agency by the end of the 2025–2026 school year, with a required submission by May 29, 2026, if full funding is not available. Full compliance is required by September 1, 2029.
Due to these financial constraints, administration recommended the Board consider whether compliance is feasible; if not, the district will submit the required documentation to the Texas Education Agency. Trustees are expected to vote on next steps at the May regular Board meeting.
CCMR Goal Progress Measure 3 Board Monitoring Report- Williams-Hill/Powell?
Manor ISD is demonstrating progress in College, Career, and Military Readiness (CCMR), with the Class of 2025 showing notable gains and the Class of 2026 trending upward. Current data highlights strengths in dual credit participation and TSI Math, while continued focus is needed in TSI RLA, Industry-Based Certifications, and overall CCMR attainment. The district is addressing these gaps through targeted interventions, strategic advising, and alignment to House Bill 3 goals to increase student readiness outcomes.
Future Bond Considerations
Manor ISD provided an update on needs to be put on the next bond cycle following the unsuccessful November 2025 bond election. Facility and program needs identified in the prior bond remain, and the district is working with architects to reassess projects and update cost estimates.
The district is re-engaging the Facilities Advisory Committee to review revised project lists, with future community feedback helping guide updates. Key changes include removing the Shadowglen Elementary expansion, deferring it based on updated demographic data, while adding focus on long-term land acquisition and expansion of the MHS Special Education “Farmhouse @ MHS” 18+ Program.
Monthly Financial Report
The operating financial report for the month ending February (9/12 or 75.0% of the budget year), reflects the following:
- The General Fund has collected $104,216,856 (99.5% of the budgeted revenue), which is an increase of $14,414,695 or 16.1%, year over year.
- The General Fund has spent $75,817,784 (72.4% of the budgeted expenditures), which is a decrease of -$6,760,919 or -8.2%, year over year.
- The Debt Service Fund has collected $44,221,092 (93.4% of the budgeted revenue) and has spent $31,814,036 (53.1% of budgeted expenditures). Debt service payments are made during the months of February and August.
- The Nutrition Program Fund has collected $6,007,006 (57.9% of the budgeted revenue) and has spent $6,209,157 (60.2% of budgeted expenditures).
Quarterly Investment Report
The 3 QT total interest earnings were $1,138,762 (72.6% over the previous quarter) at an average yield of 3.0419% (-0.26 bps) under the previous quarter. When allocating interest earnings by fund: 53.8% corresponds to the General Fund, 33.7% to the Debt Service, 7.3% to the Construction Fund, and 3.7% to the General Reserves Fund.
The Average Ending Balance was $11.2MM, which is $3.7MM (49.1%) over the previous quarter. The Weighted Average Maturity (WAM) is zero days since the TClass Investment Pool provides for immediate liquidity and continues to yield the highest return of 3.8110% (-0.3062% over prior quarter).
On 4/08/2026 Treasury Bills were yielding 3.67% (3-mo), 3.69% (6-mo), 3.65% (1-yr), and Municipal Bonds at 2.29%. Thus, the TClass pool is yielding the highest and safest return (Bloomberg, 2026).
Consent Agenda
Consideration and Approval of 2025-26 Budget Amendment #3
A budget amendment was presented to adjust end of year projected revenues and other anticipated expenses ranging from various personnel account code reclassification, budgeted vacancies, contracted services, utilities, and general supplies.
The budget remains balanced with total revenues at $105,317,181 and total expenditures $105,275,679, thus a surplus of $41,502.
Consideration and Approval of Resolution for Missed School Days and Low Attendance Waivers for 2025-26 School Year
Texas public schools receive funding based on average daily attendance (ADA), and for full funding, students must receive 75,600 minutes of instruction during the instructional year.
The TEA Student Attendance Accounting Handbook (SAAH) states that if school was held but attendance was at least 10 percentage points below the overall average attendance rate for the district or the applicable campus for the prior year because of issues related to inclement weather, health, or safety, the district may request a Missed or Low Attendance Waiver from TEA so that those days can be excluded from ADA and FSP funding calculations for the applicable year (Section 3.8.1.5 of the SAAH).
We are requesting Low Attendance Day Waivers for the Manor Middle School (Third Future Campus) for 1/26/2026 and 1/27/2026, and for Missed School Day Waivers for Manor ISD for 1/26/2026 and 1/27/2026.
Consideration and Approval of a Vendor to Create and Run the Manor Excel Virtual Academy
The Board approved the selection of Pearson as the vendor partner to design and launch Manor ISD’s virtual high school program, Manor Excel Virtual Academy, with a targeted start date of August 2026.
Pearson brings more than a decade of experience in virtual education and will support a strong program launch while minimizing the need for additional district staffing. Following approval, the district will move forward with contract negotiations. Once finalized, Pearson will begin working alongside Manor ISD to support implementation and student recruitment.
The program is designed to meet the needs of current Manor ISD students while also creating opportunities to re-engage students who have transitioned to charter schools, homeschooling, private schools, or other public districts. Additionally, the platform allows for the recruitment of non-Manor ISD students, creating a potential avenue for increased enrollment and revenue.
An interest form is currently available to gauge demand and inform planning as the district prepares for launch.
Consideration and Authorization for the Superintendent to Expend up to $500,000 for Professional Services for Strategic Staffing
The board approved for Manor ISD’s partnership with strategic staffing partners to ensure we are able to address existing teacher vacancies with creative solutions through team teaching and coaching opportunities for teachers. Human Resources will continue to prioritize hiring certified teachers and retaining teachers through competitive compensation and growth opportunities within the classroom.
Consideration and Approval of Non-Business Day Designation For Public Information Act For 2027-2028
The board approved 10 non-business days not counting towards the Public Information Act for 2027-2028. By law, the district must designate 10 days per calendar year.
2027-2028
Oct. 11 - 14
Nov. 22 - 24
Dec. 20 - 22
Action Item
Consideration and Approval of K-5 Reading Language Arts and Spanish Language Arts Curriculum Adoption
Administration recommends no action on this agenda item and proposes continuing use of the updated Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (HMH) curriculum, as approved by the State Board of Education, for K–5 Reading Language Arts and Spanish Language Arts for the 2026–2027 school year. The updated HMH resource is designed to support student needs in both English and Spanish and to strengthen overall reading proficiency.
Consideration and Approval of Provision of Curriculum Materials Certification for 2026-2027
The Board voted to certify that the Manor ISD approved instructional materials that students will have access to for the 2026-2027 school year cover the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS). In accordance with Texas Education Code (TEC) §31.1011, school districts are required to annually certify to the State Board of Education and the Commissioner that students have access to instructional materials addressing all TEKS for required subjects, excluding physical education.