The Official Monthly Board Newsletter for the Lamar CISD Community |
The Lamar CISD Board of Trustees met
on Tuesday, August 18.
To watch the full video of the board meeting,
click the link below.
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The next regular board meeting is scheduled to
take place on Tuesday, September 15.
In addition, a board workshop will be held
on Thursday, September 10.
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Message From the Board President
Welcome to the first edition of the Lamar CISD Board Brief!
One of the things I’ve learned during my time as a trustee is that a lot happens at a school board meeting that never makes its way beyond the boardroom. And understandably, most people don’t have the time, or perhaps the desire, to spend several hours watching a board meeting or reading through a lengthy agenda packet.
But the work happening in that room belongs to our community, and we want to make it easier for you to stay connected to it.
That’s the idea behind the Lamar CISD Board Brief. Each month, we’ll give you a quick recap of the Board meeting, highlight some of the students, staff, and programs we had the opportunity to recognize, and give you a look at what’s coming up in the months ahead. We’ll also link directly to our video agenda, where you can easily find and watch the portions of the meeting that are of interest to you.
My hope is simply that this makes the work of your Board a little more accessible and gives you an easy way to stay connected to what’s happening across Lamar CISD.
Thank you for trusting us with a school district that means so much to so many. I’m looking forward to a great year ahead.
Jacci Hotzel
Board President
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To help kick off the new school year, for the August Board Meeting, Trustees’ children and grandchildren led the pledges.
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Brooke Henderson, 7th grade, Briscoe JH
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Ashlyn Henderson, 4th grade, Frost ES
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Auggie Hotzel, 5th grade, Campbell ES
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Piper Hotzel, 8th grade, Reading JH
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Wren Lambert, 6th grade, Steenbergen MS
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Estevan Murillo IV, 9th grade, Randle HS
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TAEA District of Distinction
The Board recognized the fact that Lamar CISD has officially been named a 2025–2026 Texas Art Education Association (TAEA) District of Distinction, one of only 109 school districts statewide to receive the honor out of more than 1,200 eligible districts.
Districts are evaluated in areas such as professional membership and participation in TAEA, student exhibitions, competitions, community engagement, field experiences, service learning, and cross-curricular collaboration. Lamar CISD met or exceeded the standards in every area of evaluation, reflecting the exceptional work of visual arts educators and students, and the district's ongoing commitment to providing meaningful artistic learning experiences for students at every grade level.
The following art teachers were present to help celebrate the milestone.
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Joan Maresh Hansen, Terry High School – Secondary Visual Arts Team Lead
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Christian Funderburk, Thomas Elementary School – Elementary Visual Arts Team Lead
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Jeremiah Moore, Steenbergen Middle School – Art Teacher
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Summer Graduation
In addition, the Board offered a special shout-out to the 46 seniors who crossed the stage at Tomas High School during Summer Graduation to become the newest members of the Lamar CISD Class of 2026.
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Note: Official meeting minutes will be posted online at www.LCISD.org once approved by the Board.
CTE Annex Site Development
The Board approved the selection of the architectural firm Stantec for a future CTE annex site development project to bring access to Career and Technical Education to a wider range of students across the district in coming years.
Demographics Report
The Trustees received an informational presentation on Lamar CISD's latest Demographics Report and updated enrollment projections, including a discussion of school vouchers, charter schools, and the district's work to respond to the continued high pace of new home development in the district.
The latest demographic report, along with an archive of previous reports, can be found at the link below.
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TEA Accountability Ratings
Trustees also received a report on the recently released final STAAR Scores and Texas Education Agency (TEA) Accountability Ratings for 2025-2026. Read more about the district's rating at the link below.
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Future Action Items
The Board discussed several Future Action Items including the development of designs for the new Terry High School, updates relating to 2026 tax year assessment and levy of property taxes, and the annual DEI Certification of Compliance and instructional requirements under Texas Senate Bill 12.
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- Minutes from June 9, 2026 Regular Monthly Board Meeting;
- Budget amendment requests;
- Quarterly financial and investment reports (Q4-June 2026);
- Optional Flexible School Day program waiver;
- Student Code of Conduct;
- FA (Local) board policy amendment;
- Architect contract and procurement method for improvements to new Administration Annex;
- Architect contract and procurement method for safety and security/HVAC/roofing projects;
- RFP# 50-2025TB for language proficiency systems; and
- Amendment to add full risk coverage and preventative maintenance to new HVAC RFP# 20-2025 TB contract for new facilities.
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The Lamar CISD Board of Trustees are a dedicated group of community leaders who together act as the school district's policy-making body and serve as the official representatives of the people for all public education in Lamar CISD. The Board functions according to state and federal laws, the rules and regulations established by the State Board of Education and the Texas Education Agency, and the will of the people as expressed in district elections.
To learn more, click the link below.
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The Lamar CISD Strategic Plan represents the District's collective commitment to students, families, staff, and the community. This plan serves as a roadmap for the future of learning in our schools.
With a clear vision and mission, six powerful values, and five strategic priorities, the District is aligning every action to ensure big thinking, bold learning, and bright futures for every student. Learn more about the Strategic Plan by clicking on the link below.
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