BRENHAM SCHOOL BOARD VOTES 5-2 TO RETAIN TASB
The Brenham School Board opted on Monday to remain a member of the Texas Association of School Boards (TASB) following a split vote and discussion that occasionally turned heated.
The 5-2 vote to stay with TASB and not join the alternative group, Texans for Excellence in Education (TEE), matches that of when this same item appeared before trustees last September. Trustees Kyle Hafner and Archer Archer were in support of joining TEE.
Four members of the public spoke at the beginning of the meeting, all in favor of dropping TASB and choosing a different group such as TEE.
Superintendent Clay Gillentine told trustees before dedicated discussion on the topic began that this item concerns whether the school board would continue to receive legal policy updates through TASB or switch to another provider. He said he is open to competition if the district is able to get good services for a fair price.
Trustee Kyle Hafner said the number one question he gets from the public is when will the district leave TASB. He does not support TASB’s stance promoting Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), as he believes it works to separate rather than bring together. He also feels the organization has not done its job of advocating for the public school system, leading to the present situation of school districts struggling to make ends meet.
Trustee Archer Archer said he cannot support an organization whose values do not reflect those of the Brenham community, but also because of the district’s current budgetary considerations. According to Archer, the district has spent $21,679 over the past two years for its TASB membership, but the cost for TEE over two years would be $5,500, with the first year free.
Board Secretary Kelvin Raven said he wanted to go into this with an open mind, but he never got word back from TEE after attempting to call and email them. He said he has only heard of two school districts who have joined TEE and did not feel comfortable with “rolling the dice” with them, adding, “Everything free is not good for you.”
Hafner said he has been able to get in touch with TEE and actually requested that the group come back to give a follow-up presentation to the board. However, he stated that the representative he spoke with did not want to send anyone down, claiming that people from the community had made “threatening phone calls” to them. When Raven asked to confirm that the calls came from Brenham, Hafner answered yes.
Board Vice President Jared Krenek and Trustee Tommie Sullivan both said they have not received the comments that Hafner has in support of dropping TASB, with Sullivan mentioning that he has been very pleased with TASB. Krenek said TEE is not established enough to show what they can offer, and that they were not able to do so despite having a full year since the board’s original discussion. Trustee Bonnie Brinkmeyer said TASB has been there for Brenham ISD and feels they are in it to help all school districts. She also said that while TEE may be a great option down the road, right now they are not ready.
Sullivan expressed disappointment about how this issue has divided the members of the board.
Board President Natalie Lange agreed with Sullivan, saying the board agrees on many more matters than it disagrees with, but this has taken the focus over the most important thing, which she said was the “defunding of public education.” She said the terms Diversity, Equity and Inclusion do not mean the same politically as they do in education, and without them, a good education is not possible.
The board first took a vote on a membership with TEE. The motion was made by Hafner and seconded by Archer, but the two were the only trustees who voted in favor, so the motion failed.
The board then acted on renewing its TASB membership. Raven made the motion and was seconded by Krenek, and the item passed 5-2 with Hafner and Archer voting no.