Thread by @CognitaVagabond

Watching the @RoundRockISD BoT meeting: roundrockisd.org/about-rrisd/li…

US: "22 million people have filed unemployment in 4 weeks."
@roundrockisd: "If we don't raise property taxes now we will fall behind other districts who do."
Me: 🙄 "Let them eat cake."
#rrisd1family

.@vessacory: "I'm concerned abt assumption that enrollment will increase by 500. My concern is that #COVID will cause students to leave"

✋My son is worth $25K in revenue in #SPED to @roundrockisd w/ basic allotment & if he doesn't get synchronous learning soon, I'm leaving.

.@sfloresRRISD: we're in daily contact & that's a discussion as we talked about earlier something about online learning, things are great. If we lost 500 students I'll come to the board & something about companies, please give us money, blah blah. Nonetheless, everything's great.

Vote on compensation plan: @tasbnews is going over 4 compensation plans now. They all would necessitate the Board approve a tax increase in September or the District would be over current budget during biggest econ downturn during any of our lifetimes unless born before 1929

.@tasbnews lady: "bad (2% pay raises across the board), worse, even worse, totally fucked." Opens to questions from the @roundrockisd Board.

.@vessacory: "Um, when was this data (for projections) collected?"
@tasbnews: before CoronApocalypse. "We started study in January. Finished up data in a month ago (before 33 million Americans lost their jobs).

Other @tasbnews lady: "we're behind private sector data as public sector. We won't catch up until next year. Other districts are already adopting this." @vessacory (pushing back) No, only @pfisd has voted on this or will this month.

.@sfloresRRISD: despite what other districts told @vessacory, other districts will be presented this same data by @tasbnews this month and they MIGHT also adopt these asinine measures.

Trustee Chad Chadwell brings up that @RoundRockISD offers 3 year contracts instead of 1 year contracts.

@masonamoses' internet connection sucks, and no one heard what he said just now.

.@sflores really likes himself and also wants 2 percent because quality, quantity and awesomesauce! He knows the will of community and we should totes do this.

@masonmoses wants the best because everyone loves children! There's no viable argument against this.

.@smath3333 wants to know when we lose people, who do we lose them to? @tasbnews lady: we lose people to @LeanderISD mostly.

Why are they leaving when we're already above them in compensation? 🤔

.@tasbnews lady#3 goes over 4 pay models (all necessitating increased tax rate during massive layoffs): bad, worse, even worse, and totally fucked.

.@NikkiGtrustee (reads a campaign speech from her teleprompter paper): What are we waiting for? We should spend money now. Why wait for #texleg or #Covid19 to spend more money when we could do it now? As a Republican, spending taxpayer money is what I stand for.😯

Chad Chadwell applauds District for their efforts but think it's prudent to wait to make a decision due to #Covid19.

Amber Feller analyzed things w/ future & thinks... we shld give modest raise & spend down robust fund balance during biggest economic downturn bc she loves kids.

.@vessacory: We don't live in same reality as last fall. 80-85% of callers to TWC don't get thru. Data is dated! (Yes, girl!) She asked other districts, "who is voting on increases right now?" and there was silence. She has no data source 2confirm competitive disadvantage. WAIT!

.@yesthatamyweir: she knows that we'll be fine this year. But we have all these additional costs that she knows are coming and there may be cuts... She's not personally dipping into savings and can't ask @RoundRockISD to do that either. WAIT!

.@smath3333: Is sensitive to what people are saying about financial prudence to spend down fund balance. Strong believer that u should pay at or above market value for employees. Elephant in room is voting increase during tremendous economic uncertainty. Sees merits to both sides

.@masonamoses: it's our responsibility to pay⬆️for the kids during uncertain times (his internet still sucks so who the hell knows what happened after that). It's your civic duty to do what we can until the well runs dry, spend away, so shoot for the hills, all systems spend, etc

.@NikkiGtrustee wants to know what data we'll have in 2 weeks that we don't have now (clearly, she hasn't seen line graphs on flattening the curve). She's insulted by conversations.

Amber Feller is also confused by line graphs and bell curves. She really likes children.

.@vessacory: The #txed system is funded by franchise taxes, sales tax revenues, Permian Basin (she's also pretty sure at least 3 of the other trustees must be drunk). We don't "have the money", we HOPE to have it. They're based on assumptions, and they cld be wrong. #rrisd1family

.@yesthatamyweir: A raise now might mean layoffs in the future. At a time like this, we have to be FISCALLY CONSERVATIVE. When all the assumptions are on the positive side, there have to be contingencies on the negative side. She thinks we should wait MORE then two weeks. WAIT!

.@smath3333 wld like to see at least 1 other district put out numbers before we do. WAIT (only 2 weeks tho)!

@sfloresRRISD: teachers laid off n 2011, but the positions were refilled w/new teachers later. So don't worry if you're fired U will eventlly B replaced. #rrisd1family

.@masonamoses wants to invest in staff so that they know we trust them, for the kids. Doesn't want to be timid or fearful when spending jobless homeowners' money on staff raises that will accelerate teacher layoffs during uncertain times. Now is the time to spend MORE not less.

.@masonamoses and @vessacory both want to make motions. @masonmoses wants model 1 (bad); @vessacory wants to wait until next scheduled Board mtg; both seconded. @NikkiGtrustee thinks she knows things abt stuff, but @amyweir proves she's wrong; Doug confirms that Nikki sucks.

.@smath3333 clarifies when next regular meeting. Per @yesthatamyweir 5/28. @smath3333 6wks seems like a lot. What does @vessacory want to see. She wants to know Gov plan for reopening, unemployment stats, tax rev impacts. Wants to know we aren't going into special #txlege sesh.

.@masonamoses thinks people need to plan their budgets, so we should approve increase (without a hint of irony during massive layoffs). He needs to invest the extra 2% admin pay so his family can pay off their new swimming pool or something.

@vessacory: Fine, not next "regular" mtg, next "scheduled" mtg, which is in 2 weeks. Willing to amend her motion to next "scheduled" meeting. @smath3333 wants to pick a date. Toxic optimist @sfloresRRISD wants to know what we'll know later that we don't know now. (Uh... lots!)

<insert sob story from HR about the plight of @roundrockisd Admin about managing automated systems here> 🙏

Motion and second to postpone until next "regular" BoT mtg. Motion to postpone passes 4/3 moving it to next Board meeting. @masonmoses wants to take a break (hopefully to ck his internet connection). Reconvening at 7:50PM. @roundrockisd may amend the motion, so STAY TUNED!!!

Can the @RoundRockISD revisit a motion during the same meeting after it's already passed. I thought that was against that Robert dude's rules, or something. Also, who's Robert? (just kidding. We're old friends. 🤫)

Stuff is happening, but they're not technically back yet. Nevermind, now they're back. @NikkiGtrustee has disappeared from the meeting, but they have a majority so the meeting is proceeding.

.@masonmoses is talking about rules for the message boards; wants to make sure they stay on topic on meeting agendas. (YAY, message boards!) @yesthatamyweir wants to know other thoughts.

.@vessacory wants to make sure that they have the flexibility to communicate relevant information with the community. @NikkiGtrustee doesn't like things like opinions. Amber Feller points out rules say, "no links or attachments" @yesthatamyweir says that's a cyber security thing.

.@masonmoses thinks that including discussion on topics that aren't already agenda items will confuse the dumb public and make them think it's an agenda item when it's not, because people inclined to follow district message boards are probably not terribly savvy about things.

Really technical convo about FERPA right now and @masonmoses' internet also really, really, still sucks. Hopefully his kids go to bed soon for his sake. @SgttmS says that employee eval must be in closed session. (Duh) Also, per @masonamoses purchasing property is off limits.🙄

.@NikkiGtrustee wants a mission statement for the message board. (Wait... What?! Isn't that self evident? It should be one word long: TRANSPARENCY. I mean... it's a message brd. Trustees just posts relevant Qs/thoughts so the public knows what's on their minds re @RoundRockISD)

Board moves on to motions by consent. @vessacory wants to know abt guaranteed maximum price, wants to make sure it's not actual cost only "never to be exceeded"; notes discrepancy between large price discrepancy between #35 and @JLJohnsonElem.

All motions by consent items pass 7-0.

@vessacory wants some feedback from @RoundRockISD abt online learning: logging in, #SPED, progress, etc. @yesthatamyweir wants a framework from this. Wants to set up a board workshop for this.

.@sfloresRRISD wants more solid information, because there's a lot of misinformation out there 🙄 (remind me to tell y'all about speech and OT worksheets that parents are expected to feed to their #SPED kids and report back to their poor teachers).

Chad Chadwell notes that @AustinISD is having a hard time finding several thousand of their students. Is @RoundRockISD having a similar challenge? (GREAT QUESTION!)

.@masonamoses compliments @RoundRockISD for going from several apps to one app. Thanks, everyone! No one heard anyone after that except "make a decision for staff" because his kids still haven't gone to bed and they're using all of his bandwidth.

.@masonamoses and @sfloresRRISD still seems to really want to revisit the tax/pay raise increase bc he didn't like the vote. Robert says the motion has to come from winning side. Awe... a winner has to make a motion to reconsider. Reset to May 4th from Chad Chadwell.

Motion to reconsider would potentially undue last vote that was voted on per lawyer Doug. @vessacory wants to know if this motion would just be the date. They need a majority to reconsider. This just got real, y'all!!!

.@masonamoses is insisting on motion to reconsider the entire motion for parliamentary correctness. Chad Chadwell will need to first make motion to reconsider and THEN make a motion to change date. He does 1st; it passes. Chad moves date to May 4th. NO SECOND!!!

.@vessacory wants May 14th. Holy shamoley... @masonamoses just put his original motion for 2% BACK ON THE TABLE!!! Cory wants to redo motion for May 14th. Amber Feller calls to question requiring 2/3ds vote.... whoa, y'all!!!

.@KenPaxtonTX and @TXWorkforce, holy crap!👆

Motion and second to postpone until May 14th. (Adix and @tasbnews allowed to comment-more of the same crap he's already said). @vessacory amends to May 7th w/ 2nd. (@NikkiGtrustee and @masonamoses are super pissed)

Illegal motion to amend original motion re pay and tax increases moves from next regular meeting to May 7th passes 4/3. (There's some serious shenanigans afoot up in here) 🧐🤨Meeting adjourns #rrisd1family