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Heads up, taxpayers and parents: We’ve audited the upcoming ARLINGTON ISD agenda. There are 7 items targeting parental consent and taxpayer funds that need your immediate attention before the gavel falls.
| ⚠️ Warning (LEVEL 7) |
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Student Data Platform Hidden on Consent Agenda
Buried in the consent agenda is a $195,191 purchase of the “SeeSaw Instruction and Insights” platform for Pre-K through 2nd-grade students. This digital tool, funded by a federal grant, collects extensive data and work product from very young children, raising significant privacy and data security concerns for parents.
Response
DEMAND A RECORDED VOTE: Contact the Arlington ISD Board. ‘I demand Item 11.B, specifically the $195,191 SeeSaw contract, be pulled from the Consent Agenda for a separate discussion and roll-call vote. What data is being collected on our youngest students, who owns it, and what are the long-term costs when the federal grant runs out?’
💰 Impact: $195,191 (Federal Grant)
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| ⚠️ Warning (LEVEL 7) |
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Data Sharing Agreement with University on Consent Agenda
The district plans to approve a partnership with TCU’s Advising Corps that requires sharing sensitive student data, including names, birthdates, transcripts, and College Board scores, with the program. This data will be used for program evaluation by a team affiliated with Stanford University, sending Texas student data to an out-of-state entity with little local oversight.
Response
DEMAND A RECORDED VOTE: Contact the Arlington ISD Board. ‘Pull Item 11.L from the Consent Agenda. Parents must be given an explicit opt-in before their child’s personally identifiable information and academic records are shared with any third-party organization, especially one sharing it with an out-of-state university.’
💰 Impact: Student Privacy Compromised
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| 🚩Watchlist (LEVEL 6) |
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District to Implement Vague “Wellness Framework”
The district is adopting “Key Progress Measures” that include creating and implementing a “Wellness Framework” to support “student well-being.” This vague initiative opens the door for the district to expand its role into sensitive mental and emotional health areas that are the primary responsibility of parents.
Response
DEMAND THE DETAILS: Contact the Arlington ISD Board. ‘Regarding the “Wellness Framework” in Item 10.B, what specific programs and curricula will be involved? Parents must have the right to review all materials and opt their children out of any non-academic social-emotional programming.’
💰 Impact: Mission Creep into Family Healthcare
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| 🚩Watchlist (LEVEL 6) |
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New “Well-being Index” to Survey Students
The district is approving campus performance goals that include a “Student Experience & Well-being Index (SEWI).” These types of climate surveys are often used to collect sensitive, non-academic data on students and introduce controversial Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) concepts without direct parental oversight.
Response
DEMAND THE DETAILS: Contact the Arlington ISD Board. ‘Regarding Item 10.D, what specific questions are included in the ‘Student Experience & Well-being Index’? Parents have a right to review all survey instruments and be provided a clear opt-out process before any non-academic data is collected from their children.’
💰 Impact: Student Data Harvesting
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| 🚩Watchlist (LEVEL 5) |
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Process Begins to Renew “District of Innovation” Status
The district is starting the process to renew its “District of Innovation” plan, which allows it to seek exemptions from state laws on issues like teacher certification and class size. This process can reduce local accountability and transparency if not carefully monitored by the public from the very beginning.
Response
DEMAND THE DETAILS: Contact the Arlington ISD Board. ‘Regarding the District of Innovation renewal (Item 8.D), please commit to public workshops and a clear, line-by-line explanation of every state law the district plans to waive before the final vote.’
💰 Impact: Reduced State Oversight
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| ALERT (LEVEL 3) |
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District Unveils Plan to Target Charter and Homeschool Families
The district presented a detailed marketing plan that explicitly targets families who have chosen charter schools or homeschooling. This plan uses taxpayer dollars to fund recruitment campaigns aimed at competing with other educational options chosen by parents.
Response
ASK THE QUESTION: Contact the Arlington ISD Board. ‘Regarding the marketing plan in Item 8.C, how much taxpayer money is being budgeted for advertising instead of being spent in the classroom? The district’s focus should be on academic excellence, not marketing campaigns.’
💰 Impact: Tax Dollars for Marketing
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✅ Wins to Defend
Good moves worth showing up to support so they stick.
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| Major Win (LEVEL 8) |
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District Proposes Tax Rate Below No-New-Revenue Level
The district is proposing a total property tax rate of $1.0961, which is below the calculated “no-new-revenue” rate of $1.1155. This fiscally responsible move means the district will collect less overall tax revenue from the same properties taxed last year, resulting in a lower tax bill for the median homeowner.
How to Secure It
SECURE THE WIN: Attend the public hearing for Item 9.A to thank the Board for proposing a rate below the no-new-revenue level. Ask them to make this the new standard for fiscal responsibility in Arlington.
✅ Why It Matters: Lower Property Tax Bill
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