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Heads up, taxpayers and parents: We’ve audited the upcoming AMARILLO ISD agenda. There are 6 items targeting parental consent and taxpayer funds that need your immediate attention before the gavel falls.
| 🚨 Alert (LEVEL 10) |
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Final Vote to Raise Property Taxes
The board will hold a public hearing and then take final action to set the 2026 property tax rate. An associated item, 3.A.2, explicitly considers setting the debt service (I&S) tax rate “exceeding the minimum debt rate,” signaling an intent to collect more in taxes than required for debt payments.
Response
PACK THE ROOM: Show up for the Public Hearing (Item 2.C) and the final vote (Item 3.A.3). Contact the Amarillo ISD Board: ‘Adopt the No-New-Revenue tax rate. With rising appraisals, anything less is a tax increase on Amarillo families.’
💰 Impact: Higher Property Taxes
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| ⚠️ Warning (LEVEL 7) |
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Student ‘Clinical Assessments’ on Consent Agenda
Buried in the bundled consent agenda, the district plans to approve purchasing “clinical assessments and software services” from vendor NCS Pearson. These types of assessments can be used to collect sensitive psychological and behavioral data on students without clear parental consent or discussion.
Response
DEMAND A RECORDED VOTE: Contact the Amarillo ISD Board: ‘Pull Item 3.B.3.c from the Consent Agenda for a separate discussion and vote. What specific data will NCS Pearson be collecting on students, and how can parents opt out?’
💰 Impact: Student Data Harvesting
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| 🚩Watchlist (LEVEL 6) |
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Vague ‘Educational Philosophy’ Policy Change
The board is giving final approval to a revised “Educational Philosophy” policy. These broad, philosophical policies can be used to introduce controversial concepts into the district’s core mission without public scrutiny, but the text of the revision has not been provided.
Response
INVESTIGATE: The text for revised policy AE(LOCAL) is not in the agenda. Contact the Amarillo ISD Board: ‘Publish the full text of the proposed changes to the “Educational Philosophy” policy in Item 3.A.4 before the final vote.’
💰 Impact: Politicized Classrooms
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| 🚩Watchlist (LEVEL 6) |
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Vague Board Rule Changes on Consent Agenda
The board is set to approve revised “Board Operating Procedures” as part of a bundled consent agenda vote. These procedures govern how meetings are run, and changes could include new restrictions on public comment time or access, passed without individual discussion.
Response
DEMAND A RECORDED VOTE: Contact the Amarillo ISD Board: ‘Pull Item 3.B.6 from the Consent Agenda. Taxpayers deserve to know what changes are being made to board procedures before they are approved.’
💰 Impact: Reduced Public Access
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| 🚩Watchlist (LEVEL 5) |
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Undisclosed Budget Amendment Vote
The board is voting on an unspecified amendment to the 2026-2027 district budget. Without the details being published in the agenda, taxpayers cannot know if this is a routine transfer or a significant, non-transparent spending increase.
Response
DEMAND THE DETAILS: Contact the Amarillo ISD Board before the meeting: ‘What is in Budget Amendment #1 under Item 3.A.1? Taxpayers deserve to see the details of any budget change before you vote.’
💰 Impact: Undisclosed
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| 🚩Watchlist (LEVEL 5) |
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Policy to Sell Naming Rights to School Facilities
The board is considering a new policy to allow selling naming rights to district facilities, including Dick Bivins Stadium, in exchange for financial donations or contracts. This could open the door to special interests influencing school policy or getting sweetheart deals.
Response
DEMAND TRANSPARENCY: Contact the Amarillo ISD Board: ‘Any policy on naming rights (Item 3.A.5) must require all contracts to be publicly disclosed and prohibit giving donors any influence over curriculum or district operations.’
💰 Impact: Potential Corporate Influence
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