Board Briefs: June 15, 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
Closed Session Items
Dr. Lauren Whitfield and Rockell Stewart named Manor ISD New Chief of Schools
Manor ISD has named Dr. Lauren Whitfield and Rockell Stewart as the district's new Chiefs of Schools. Whitfield and Stewart bring extensive experience in instructional leadership, school improvement, and campus support and will play a key role in advancing student achievement and strengthening schools across the district.
Superintendent Update
Manor ISD is nearing 100% completion of all safety upgrades recommended in the TEA Audit. Weapons Detection System installation at middle schools has been delayed until July due to equipment being stopped in US Customs.
Points of Pride
Manor ISD celebrated 748 graduates this month! They earned over $5.5 million in scholarships and 83 Associate’s Degrees
Update on Campus Accountability Ratings
While we do not release our own internal estimates of accountability ratings, we wanted to thank the teachers, students and administrators for their hard work. We had several campuses make great gains and we had some that still have work to do. Dr. Sormani wanted to be sure that the community knows that Decker Elementary School is on the edge between a passing rating and 4th year of a failing grade. A 4th F will trigger the need to find an 1882 Turnaround Charter School to operate the school in the 27-28 school year or risk the Texas Education Agency taking over district operations. Since we do not know if the school passed or not, administrative staff will be taking preliminary steps to develop a profile of a possible Charter School operator. The Education Agency will release official ratings in late August.
Information Items
Citizens Facility Advisory Committee Presentation
The Manor ISD Citizens Facility Advisory Committee (FAC) presented its findings and recommendations to the Board of Trustees following a comprehensive review of enrollment trends, demographic projections, facility capacities, and districtwide facility condition assessment data. Through a series of meetings, the FAC evaluated deferred maintenance needs, aging infrastructure, capacity challenges, and long-term growth projections to identify priority facility investments. Based on its analysis, the FAC recommended consideration of a renovation or replacement of Bluebonnet Trail Elementary School; classroom and fine arts additions at the Manor High School Complex; renovations at Decker Elementary, Blake Manor Elementary, and MEELC (Administrative and MEA space); expansion of Manor New Tech High School (Phases I and II); deferred maintenance projects across the district; expansion of the Special Education 18+ Farmhouse Program; renovation of the MHS 9th Grade Center for MEA use; long-term land acquisition; bus and fleet replacement; safety and technology upgrades; student and staff device replacement; and expansion and renovation of the district maintenance facility. The FAC noted that these recommendations are intended to address current facility needs, support future enrollment growth, and guide the district's long-range capital planning efforts.
Next Bond Cycle Update
Following the unsuccessful November 2025 bond election, Manor ISD continues to evaluate facility, infrastructure, and capacity needs across the district. Administration is updating project costs, refining priorities, and engaging stakeholders to prepare for a potential future bond proposal. Based on demographic projections, the expansion of Shadowglen Elementary School has been removed and deferred to a future bond cycle. Current considerations include long-term land acquisition, expansion of the MHS Special Education “Farmhouse @ MHS” 18+ Program, improvements at Decker and Blake Manor Elementary Schools, evaluation of renovation versus replacement options for Bluebonnet Trail Elementary, and districtwide capital improvements to address aging facilities and infrastructure.
Third Future - Manor Middle School End of Year Presentation
Third Future, a Charter School Operator, gave an end of the year report on the academics at Manor Middle School. They are predicting a C rating for the school.
Discussion of the 2027 Tax Rate
Senate Bill 1453 changed the Texas Education Code and Tax Code provisions related to calculating and adopting the district’s interest and sinking (I&S) tax rate (debt service rate).
If the Board anticipates adopting a higher I&S rate than the minimum, a specific motion and a 60% supermajority vote is required. Districts will also be required to calculate two different versions of the tax calculation worksheet. When adopting the tax rate during the August board meeting, two different versions and resolutions will be presented. Version 1 would support the Voter Approval Tax Rate (VATR) based on the minimum debt service rate. Version 2 would support the Voter Approval Tax Rate (VATR) based on the higher debt service rate, should the board approve a higher debt service rate rate.
Property Tax Compression:
The purpose of property tax compression is to provide property owners with property tax savings. Districts must adopt the lesser of the district's calculated Maximum Compress Rate (MCR) or the state's official compress rate.
The 26-27 Maximum Compress Rate (MCR) does not become official until early August, after all districts submit their proposed MCR.
The unofficial state's MCR is 0.6254. Districts must adopt the lesser of the district's calculated MCR or the state's compress rate, which is 0.6254. Since the district is assuming a 0.929% growth to the property value, there is a minimal calculated compression of -0.006, which in turn calculates a lower M&O rate without a TRE of 0.7054. Hence, there is a possibility that the overall 26-27 tax rate might remain slightly unchanged because of the current unofficial state's MCR.
Monthly Financial Report
The operating financial report for the month ending May (11/12 or 92.0% of the budget year), reflects the following:
- The General Fund has collected $108,855,444 (103.4% of the budgeted revenue), which is an increase of $3,201,022 or 3.0%, year over year.
- The General Fund has spent $93,253,114 (88.6%% of the budgeted expenditures), which is a decrease of -$9,170,353 or -9.0% year over year.
- The Debt Service Fund has collected $45,231,946 (95.5% 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 $7,917,822 (76.3% of the budgeted revenue) and has spent $7,862,561 (76.2% of budgeted expenditures).
Consent Agenda
Consideration and Approval of 2025-2026 Final Budget Amendment
A proposed final budget amendment for FY2025-26 was presented and reflected the following budget adjustments:
- The current realized revenues are $108.3MM as of 5/31, which is $7.4MM over the originally adopted revenue budget. The revenue budget was increased to $108,927,000.
- The expenditure budget was adjusted to $104,630,384. Actual expenses are projected to be around $102-$103 million by year end. Regardless, we estimate to return about three million dollars to fund the balance.
Consideration and Approval of Special Education Virtual Homebound Waiver
- An Admissions, Review, and Dismissal (ARD) ARD Committee determined that virtual Homebound Instruction is the most appropriate method to provide a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) while addressing the student's disability-related needs. TEA requires Board approval prior to submitting a waiver request for virtual Homebound services.
- On June 15, the Special Programs team requested that the School Board approve the submission of a TEA waiver application for virtual Homebound Instruction, as recommended by the ARD Committee.
- The Board made the approval so our Special Programs team will now work to submit the application to TEA, as recommended.
Discussion and Consideration of TASB LOCAL Policy Update 127 and Review of LEGAL Policy for Information Purposes - Chris/Sormani
- The Texas Association of School Boards (TASB) released policy update 127. The local policies have been reviewed by staff and were recommended for approval by the Board. The (LEGAL) policy updates were shared for informational purposes only.
- Below are the items approved by the board:
Consider and Approval of the 2026-2027 SY Compensation Manual
The Manor ISD Board of Trustees has approved the district's 2026-2027 Compensation Manual. The plan will soon be posted on the district website under 2026-2027 Manor ISD Compensation Plan.
Information Items
CPM #2 - Finance - Board Monitoring Report
The district’s financial assessment indicator Constraint Progress Measure (CPM) 2, which states that the Superintendent will not allow the district to be fiscally unsound, will be about 1.2% away from achieving its goal of 16.4% or 60 days in general operating reserves. The projected end of year CPM for 2025-26 is 15.2, equivalent to 56 days. The 2-year target is 31.4%, which is equivalent to 114 days or 3.8 months in general operating unassigned reserves by June 2028.
Monthly Financial Report
The operating financial report for the month ending April (10/12 or 83.0% of the budget year), reflects the following:
- The General Fund has collected $106,374,645 (101% of the budgeted revenue), which is an increase of $15,194,544 or 16.7%, year over year.
- The General Fund has spent $85,049,290 (80.8% of the budgeted expenditures), which is a decrease of -$7,560,265 or -8.2%%, year over year.
- The Debt Service Fund has collected $44,745,220 (94.5% 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 $6,896,841 (66.5% of the budgeted revenue) and has spent $7,111,319 (68.9% of budgeted expenditures).
Next Bond Cycle Update
Manor ISD is continuing long-range facilities planning with a focus on refining priorities, updating project details, and ensuring future proposals reflect current needs and costs. The district is adding more detailed information to its list of potential bond projects, reviewing construction costs, and working with architects and planning partners to re-evaluate project scopes and update cost estimates. Planning partners are scheduled for on-site visits in May-June 2026 to support this work.
Based on updated demographer reports, the proposed expansion of Shadowglen Elementary School has been removed from the current project list and deferred to a future bond cycle. The district is also planning for long-term land acquisition to support future growth and exploring expansion of the Manor High School Special Education “Farmhouse @ MHS” 18+ Program as part of the next bond cycle. The Facilities Advisory Committee met on May 19 to review the updated list of potential projects and feedback from future surveys and focus groups will continue to guide revisions as Manor ISD plans responsibly for future facilities needs.
Action Items
Manor ISD Board of Trustees Approves 2027-2032 Strategic Plan
The Manor ISD Board of Trustees has approved the district's 2027-2032 Strategic Plan, a roadmap that will guide the district's priorities, decisions, and investments over the next five years.
For more information, visit the district’s Strategic Plan website.
Consideration and Possible Approval of a Resolution Authorizing the Issuance, Sale, and Delivery of Manor Independent School District Maintenance Tax Note, Series 2026; and Approving Other Matters Incident and Related Thereto.
A borrowing resolution was presented for $18,120,000 (3.42% APR) to finance operations during the months of July through November 2026. During this time, tax revenues are insufficient to cover operating costs as tax revenues are not realized until early December. Thus, an influx of cash is necessary during this time to continue operations. This temporary loan will also be paid off prior to maturity to save on interest costs, as with other prior loan borrowings.
The district expects at least one or two future loans for a lesser amount before realizing enough cash reserves to prevent future short-term borrowing for operations.
Consideration and Approval of 2026-2027 Manor ISD Budget
The Manor ISD Board of Trustees approved a balanced budget of $105,466,188 for the 2026-2027 school year during its June meeting, marking the district’s second consecutive year of adopting a balanced budget.
While the district approved a balanced operating budget for the coming year, district leaders emphasized that operating funds cannot be used to address many of the district’s long-term facility needs. While the approved budget provides the resources necessary to educate students, support staff, and maintain daily operations, it does not include funding to replace aging campuses or complete major facility renovations. As Manor ISD continues evaluating the condition of district facilities, leaders will work to identify future facility priorities and potential solutions, including a potential bond election.