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Heads up, taxpayers and parents: We’ve audited the upcoming BRYAN ISD agenda. There are 6 items targeting parental consent and taxpayer funds that need your immediate attention before the gavel falls.
| ⚠️ Warning (LEVEL 8) |
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District Signals Voter-Approval Tax Rate Election (VATRE)
The district is providing an update on a planned Voter-Approval Tax Rate Election (VATRE). This is the mechanism the district will use to ask voters for permission to raise property taxes above the state-mandated threshold, which will lead to higher tax bills for homeowners.
Response
PAY ATTENTION: A VATRE is a direct request to raise your property taxes. Contact the Bryan ISD Board to demand they present a clear, honest case for why this is necessary and what cuts will be made if it fails. Find board contact information on the district website.
💰 Impact: Higher Property Taxes
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| ⚠️ Warning (LEVEL 7) |
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District Renews Ties to Anti-Taxpayer Lobby Group TASB
The district’s purchasing report confirms its use of the TASB Buyboard and TASB Risk Management Fund. The Texas Association of School Boards (TASB) is one of the state’s most powerful lobbying groups that frequently opposes property tax relief and school choice in Austin.
Response
DEMAND A RECORDED VOTE: Email the Bryan ISD Board: ‘Pull Item 8.I from the Consent Agenda. Why is the district financially involved with TASB, a lobby group that works against taxpayers? I demand a roll-call vote on this report.’
💰 Impact: Support for Anti-Taxpayer Lobby
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| 🚩Watchlist (LEVEL 6) |
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District to Spend $50,000+ on SEL-Linked Curriculum
The board is set to approve spending over $50,000 for “TeachTown,” a curriculum primarily for special education that includes social-emotional learning (SEL) components. Taxpayers should ensure that any SEL content is focused on foundational skills and is not a vehicle for politicized concepts in the classroom.
Response
DEMAND TRANSPARENCY: Email the Bryan ISD Board: ‘Regarding Item 8.F, please provide the curriculum and training materials for TeachTown. Parents have a right to know what social-emotional content is being purchased with their tax dollars.’
💰 Impact: $50,000+
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| 🚩Watchlist (LEVEL 5) |
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Agreement Grants University Students Access to Student Records
The district is approving an agreement that grants Texas A&M “Educational Psychology” students access to confidential Bryan ISD student records. This designates university students as “school officials” under FERPA, creating a risk to student data privacy and opening the door for psychological assessments without full parental transparency.
Response
DEMAND THE DETAILS: Email the Bryan ISD Board: ‘Regarding Item 8.E, what specific student records will Texas A&M students access? Will parents be notified and given an opportunity to opt their child out of being observed by university practicum students?’
💰 Impact: Student Data Privacy Risk
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| 🚩Watchlist (LEVEL 5) |
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Federal Grant Compliance Requires Extensive Student Data Sharing
An agreement with College Station ISD for a shared technical education program requires Bryan ISD to collect and share extensive student data to comply with federal Carl Perkins Grant reporting. This data includes demographics, test scores, and post-secondary plans, feeding a federal data-gathering system with information on local students.
Response
ASK THE QUESTION: Email the Bryan ISD Board: ‘Regarding Item 8.D and the Carl Perkins Grant data sharing, what specific, personally identifiable student information is being shared? Are parents given a clear notice and opt-out for this federal data collection?’
💰 Impact: Student Data Sharing with Feds
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| ALERT (LEVEL 4) |
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District to Approve $50,000+ Tech Purchase on Consent Agenda
The board is set to approve a purchase over $50,000 for the Schoology Learning Management System without individual discussion. While such systems are common, large tech contracts deserve public scrutiny to ensure they are not used for student data mining or to push non-academic content.
Response
DEMAND THE DETAILS: Email the Bryan ISD Board: ‘Regarding Item 8.C, please provide the full contract for the Schoology purchase. What data is collected on students, who owns it, and what are the parental opt-out rights?’
💰 Impact: $50,000+
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