Advisory Board Meeting:
Monday, October 20, 2025, 1:00 PM

1. Call to Order
2. Establish Quorum
3. Meeting Minutes
   1. Presentation and approval of Meeting Minutes, September 8, 2025 (Consent)
4. Public Comment
5. Superintendent’s Report
   1. October 2025 Enrollment
   2. Staffing Report
   3. Effective Schools Framework Update
   4. December EOC Testing
   5. Strategic Plan Development
6. Board Appreciation
7. People First Spotlight
   1. Technology Team
8. Professional Development
   1. Program Spotlight - Tuition-Free Program
9. School Safety Waiver – 2025-26
   1. Emergency Operation Plan Waiver
10. Strategic Plan 2030 Draft
11. Adjourn

Call to Order:

• Superintendent Robert Bayard called the meeting to order at 1 p.m.
• Quorum established; majority of board members present.

Board Members Present:

• Margaret Leifeste
• Jon McNaughtan
• Shawn Mason
• Cameron Brown

Consent Items:

• Minutes from the Sept.8, 2025, meeting were reviewed and approved by advisory board, correcting the previous date from Sept. 7 to Sept. 8.
• No public comment.

Superintendent’s Report:

• Enrollment Update: Supt. Bayard reported that the full-time program has increased by over 100 students compared to this time last year. Enrollment in the International Program and Learning Academy remains steady, consistent with typical trends.
• Staffing Updates: Two additional advisors have been hired to support student enrollment and graduation processes. A registrar’s assistant has also joined the team. Recruitment for the executive assistant and curriculum positions is progressing well.
• Accountability/Curriculum Review: Tori Mitchell from Region 17 conducted a review of the school’s curriculum as part of the accountability improvement plan. She walked through courses, curriculum development processes and school operations. A targeted improvement plan will be drafted and presented to the advisory board for review.
• December EOC Testing: The school will partner with UT High School to share testing sites for the December EOC. This marks the first collaboration with another special-purpose district. If successful, this model may be applied in the spring to share responsibilities across the state.
• Strategic Plan Development: 25 stakeholders participated in the strategic planning process. The focus remains on building upon past successes and driving continuous improvement.
• Board Appreciation: The board acknowledged and expressed sincere appreciation for the advisory board.

Staff Spotlight:

• Marissa Sanchez provided an overview of the team’s unique role, emphasizing that operations differ from a traditional school technology team. The team focuses primarily on the Student Information System (SIS) and provides technical support to both students and staff. All technical requests are routed through this team, and extensive testing is conducted before any SIS updates are implemented. Key responsibilities include account provisioning, ensuring proper staff permissions and creating and managing counselor accounts.
• Ryan Nunnally highlighted the team’s commitment to customer service, noting the development of 56 self-help guides for staff support. Luis Martinez shared that the team manages customer tickets, including accommodation requests such as extended time for students. The team also provides online proctoring support, reporting and data services. Toni Hendrix oversees PEIMS reporting, while Josh Engwer utilizes SQL programming to create customized reports for registrars, counselors and administrators. Over the past three years, more than 300 reports have been created to support key indicators, data quality, funding and performance metrics. James Day noted that reports often integrate multiple data sources and utilize Power BI for visual dashboards and enhanced insights.
• Overall, the team ensures accurate reporting, streamlined processes and effective technical support for staff and students, reflecting a highly specialized and essential function within the school’s operations.
• Brown inquired how parents and students are notified of missing or failing work, and how alerts are used to support students by monitoring various indicators. McNaughtan asked about the role of AI in this setting. Supt. Bayard explained how AI is being integrated in collaboration with the university to support student learning and operations.

Professional Development:

Program Spotlight:

Braxton Allison reviewed the tuition-free program, a newer initiative funded by the state. This program allows public K-12 students to participate in a free online public school. The school functions similarly to a traditional public school, though there are similarities to the paid program discussed previously.

Currently, the program serves approximately 900 students and offers several endorsements. Students in grades 3–8 take STAAR assessments, while high school students take EOC exams. In the paid program, grades 3–8 do not take STAAR, but both programs require EOC assessments.

The program now offers additional services, including special education and 504 support, compared to previous offerings. Funding is based on per- student enrollment, and students must reside in the state to qualify, maintaining and proving residency.

Students are expected to work at a traditional pace and follow pacing guides to ensure timely course completion. Attendance at all testing is required, and certain program requirements may limit flexibility.

School Safety Waiver – 2025-26:

The school plans to submit a waiver related to safety requirements, as most schools are required to check doors, perimeters and other physical facilities. Since this is an online school providing only virtual instruction, the waiver will request exemption from those requirements. The school utilizes Texas Tech University’s emergency planning and practices. There is no funding tied to the waiver. The advisory board approved moving forward with the submission of the waiver.

Strategic Planning:

• Superintendent Bayard reviewed the draft model of the proposed strategic plan. Teachers, DFW staff and various members of K-12 participated in its development. The discussion included an overview of the organization’s structure and purpose as a special purpose district.
• The 2024 rebranding represents the culmination of the school’s growth and evolution over the years.
• Mission statement: Empower students through a premier online education built on flexibility, innovation and engagement.
• Vision statement: Transform online education, rooted in the Texas Tech spirit of excellence, to deliver world-class learning opportunities anytime, anywhere.
• Shared values: People first, fearless, integrity, pursuit of excellence and community.
• Strategic pillars: Curriculum and digital publishing, student and parent experience, brand awareness and community connections, organizational growth and K–16 pathways.

Adjourned:

2:16 p.m.

Next Meeting:

Nov. 10, 2025