Following the Presidents Day holiday, our week began Tuesday with focused collaboration and alignment across key initiatives supporting student success.

On Tuesday morning, I participated in a virtual MCLASS meeting alongside Teaching & Learning, our Bilingual Director, and Region 10 personnel to advance the MS CLASS (Middle School Collaborative Language Acquisition Strategies for Success) project. This initiative will provide participating campuses with innovative, research-based professional learning experiences specifically designed to strengthen instructional practices for Emergent Bilingual (EB) students. The MS CLASS project represents a strategic opportunity to elevate instructional impact and accelerate outcomes for our EB scholars through targeted, campus-based implementation support.

Immediately following, I met with Ms. Bostic and Ms. Harden for a Title I planning session to review campus updates and compliance indicators. I am pleased to report that tutoring plans are in place across all campuses, ensuring structured academic intervention aligned to identified student needs. Additionally, Title I documentation and planning systems are trending in the right direction, reflecting improved organization, accountability, and readiness. In preparation for the evening Board meeting, I convened principals to ensure strong campus representation and alignment. 

Wednesday focused on strategic follow-ups, communication refinement, preparation for the upcoming Principal meeting, and continued grievance process management to ensure timely and compliant resolution.

On Thursday, we facilitated an impactful TTESS calibration session at The Meadows Elementary (TME) led by Dr. Wilson from Region 10. During this session, principals engaged in walkthrough calibration aligned to TTESS evidence standards, strengthening inter-rater reliability and ensuring consistent, high-quality feedback for teachers. This work directly supports instructional coherence and strengthens our commitment to effective teaching and learning practices across campuses.

Additionally, I attended the Title I Conference in Austin on Thursday and Friday, engaging in learning sessions centered on compliance, and fiscal responsibility to maximize federal funding impact for student achievement.

Overall, the week reflected disciplined alignment across instructional leadership, Title I compliance, bilingual education strategy, and leadership calibration—ensuring our systems remain tightly connected to improved student outcomes.

Finance (CONSTRAINT 2)

District Revenues for FY26

 as of February 13, 2026

Maintenance & Operations General Fund (199)

Local Revenue (57XX): $24,844,330

State Revenue Available School Funds (5811): $1,641,798

Foundation School Program (5812): $18,024,117

TRS On-Behalf (5831): $1,561,706

SHARS (5931): $0.00

Indirect Cost (5929-ID): $125,176

JROTC (5949): $80,995

Child Nutrition (240)

Lunch Revenue (5751): $19,657

State Revenue (5829): $15,755

Federal Revenue

School Breakfast Program (5921): $1,100,783

National Lunch Program (5922): $1,222,039

Federal Distributed by State (5939): $172,942

Debt Service (I&S) Fund (511)

Local Tax Collections (5711/12/18/19/42): $15,410,544

State Program Revenues  (5829): $6,461,941

Human Capital Management

Substitute Fill Rate:         63.1%

Resignations:                       1

• Amber Terrace ECLC

  • Paraprofessional

Terminations:                       0

Substitute and New 

Hire Onboardings:                0

Grievances                           2

• Level 1: Grievance hearing held. Legal counsel is working to send over 

• Level 1: Grievant rescinded the grievance

Pending Investigations: 1

NAVEX Incident Reporting Summary:

02.16.2026

Other

West Middle School

During virtual Saturday tutoring, a external participant accessed the tutoring link and shared their screen, displaying inappropriate content. The external party was immediately removed from the meeting.

02.20.2026

Student Safety

West Middle School

Report made by campus assistant principal that a staff member engaged in negative exchange with student. Student was threatening employee in the lunch room while employee served on lunch duty.

02.20.2026

Student Safety

DeSoto High School

Campus principal self reported that he utilized pepper spray in a heavily trafficked hallway during school hours. 

Student Support Services

Athletics

• • Met with Hudl to get a comprehensive review of outr video system.

  • Researched police and security staffing ratios used by other districts for athletic events.

  • Budget proposal to the board.

  • Will be attending TASBE and Co-Chairing the Aspiring Athletic Direct strand.

• Child Nutrition

  • Worked on entitlement report for TDA.

  • Submitted FSMC renewal to TDA for approval.

  • Cafeteria monitoring visits.

  • Coordinated repairs for failing appliances.

  • Met with vendor regarding a prior RFP.

• Fine Arts

  • Attended the Texas Music Educators Association Convention. 

  • 11 DHS Choir students advanced to state (May).

  • Upcoming Events

    • Feb 19 — DHS Choir: City of Hutchins Black History Program

    • Feb 21 — DHS Eaglettes: Showtime International Competition (8am-10pm)

    • Feb 22 — McCowan MS Dance Company:Egypt Chapel Baptist Church Black History Program (10:15 AM) 

• Health Services

  • One on One Nurse Coaching

  • Revision job descriptions for RN's and LVN's.

  • Edits for Cardiac Emergency Plan with Oversight Physican.

• Parent Engagement

  • Final planning and set-up for Parent University.

  • Title I budget meeting

• Student Support

  • Executive Team meeting regarding potential student protests

  • Assisted operations with repairs and event coverage.

  • Facilitated OSP training for district counselors.

Communications

This week, the Communications Team continued to advance strategic marketing, stakeholder engagement, crisis communications, and storytelling efforts in support of district priorities.

Through targeted choice marketing strategies, the district closed its campaign with 735 total applicants. At an estimated $7,800 per pupil in Average Daily Attendance (ADA) funding, this campaign represents a potential return on investment of $5.73 million, following an all-in marketing investment of $20,000 covering production and ad placement. This outcome reflects strong alignment between strategic messaging, placement, and community engagement.

The team updated Board-facing materials, including the streaming playlist, events and activities deck, and related presentation assets, ensuring current, accessible, and visually consistent content. Additionally, the team developed proposals and draft content for three public-facing, recurring monthly updates focused on:

• Bond progress,

• District financial management and fiscal transparency, and

• Academic performance and progress.

These updates are designed to translate Board presentations into clear, accessible communications for families and community stakeholders, reinforcing transparency and awareness. Draft proposals are currently on hold pending leadership feedback and guidance regarding timing, scope, and release.

In response to ongoing community climate and adult-focused concerns, the Communications Team designed three new spotlight initiatives to elevate positive storytelling and morale:

• Weekly campus-based spotlights highlighting one student, one campus staff member, and one central office employee, and

• The Difference Maker Spotlight, celebrating staff who go above and beyond for students.

• The TCU Community Scholars finanlists wil also be spotlit in a coming written series leading up tot he final seelctions.

The inaugural Difference Maker feature highlighted DAEP Principal Homer Webb, whose mentorship and encouragement helped inspire a student to persist, return to campus, and ultimately achieve long-term success as a state championship athlete now weighing college opportunities. This series is strategically designed to reinforce positive culture and elevate impact stories across the system.

The team also led crisis communications planning and operational support related to potential student-led protests. This included coordinating district leadership briefings, engaging the DeSoto Police Department, collaborating with district security, and developing parent-facing communications. Internally, the team created guidance materials for staff to support student dialogue around activism and provided principals with talking points to establish clarity and consistency.

Additionally, the team designed and facilitated a student focus group experience using the STP Framework (Situation–Task/Target–Purpose), offering scholars a structured, safe space to articulate concerns, explore solutions, and identify meaningful outcomes. The session included newly assigned SRO Sgt. Pollard, who provided balanced, factual information regarding ICE activity and law enforcement’s role in ensuring student safety during demonstrations. Scholars demonstrated thoughtful engagement and professionalism throughout. The Communications Team documented the experience through photography and videography and will assess appropriate content usage in alignment with guidance from the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) and TEA.

While supporting these efforts, the team responded to two campus-based incidents involving attempted protest engagement at McCowan Middle School and DeSoto High School, supporting leadership with messaging and incident documentation.

Ongoing initiatives included continued recognition and storytelling for CTE Month, Black History Month, Counselors Week, and other student-voice-centered content. The team also worked closely with district legal counsel to respond to open records requests related to bond spending, Board goals, and two pending litigations.

Overall, this week reflected a high-impact blend of strategic marketing, crisis response, transparency initiatives, and positive culture-building communications aligned to district priorities.

Technology 

Technology Modernization Overview 

In alignment with DeSoto ISD’s commitment to digital transformation, we are implementing a comprehensive district-wide technology modernization strategy designed to: 

• Enhance learning experiences 

• Strengthen campus safety 

• Improve operational efficiency 

This multi-faceted initiative underscores our dedication to purposeful innovation and operational excellence. 

 Key Initiatives 

•  Interactive Screen Reenforment
  Starting Monday January 19th.  ProComputing will be reinforcing flat panel screens starting with Cockrell Hill. 

•  Student Laptop Upgrades
  With Windows 10 support ending in October 2025, student laptops are being upgraded to Windows 11-compatible models—prioritizing high schools and aging inventory—to ensure optimal performance and access to modern learning tools. 

•  Campus Digital Signage
  Real-time communication is being enhanced through digital signage installations in front offices, cafeterias, libraries, and athletic facilities. Displays will deliver alerts, event schedules, and student recognition, centrally managed for consistency. 

•  Email Threat Intelligence
  Abnormal Security Weekly Update (Feb 16 26–Feb 20, 2026) 

Abnormal Security detected 856 attacks targeting DeSoto ISD, an increase of 40 compared to the previous week. Since integration, the platform has identified a total of 42,659 attacks, reflecting sustained and elevated threat activity across the district. While no critical incidents were escalated, the significant week‑over‑week rise underscores the need for continued vigilance and adherence to established cybersecurity practices.

•   Security Camera Enhancements
  Upgrades to high-definition IP cameras include night vision, motion detection, and law enforcement integration. AI-driven features under review include facial recognition, license plate readers, and behavioral analytics.

•  Document Management System Review
  Enterprise-grade solutions are being evaluated to centralize records and streamline collaboration. Key criteria include FERPA/HIPAA compliance, accessibility, and automation. Stakeholder input is being gathered through pilots and demonstrations. 

Bond-Funded Technology Projects (Pending Approval)
Strategic upgrades include: 

• Chromebook and laptop deployment 

• AV systems for stadiums, gyms, and boardroom 

• Emergency notification and paging systems 

• Baseball field technology (sound and livestreaming) 

• Smart lockdown systems with AI threat detection 

• Expanded security camera coverage

Network Infrastructure Update
1. Network Stability & Performance

• Service Availability: Network operations remained 100% stable throughout this reporting period. No outages, service degradations, or unexpected downtimes were reported across the district.

• Proactive Monitoring: Real-time monitoring continues to show optimal performance across all primary backbones and site-to-site links.

2. Strategic Security Initiatives

• NAC (Network Access Control) Implementation: * Status: Currently in the configuration and setup phase.

• Objective: Implementing a NAC solution to strengthen district security. This system will manage and automate device authentication, ensuring that only authorized users and compliant devices can access the network.

• Current Focus: Defining access policies, profiling devices, and preparing the infrastructure for a phased rollout to improve endpoint visibility and overall network defense.

•  E-rate Assessment and Inventory 

A detailed Network Inventory and Assessment is actively underway, specifically focused on gathering the required data and documentation for the upcoming E-rate application process. This assessment involves a comprehensive review of all existing network infrastructure, hardware, and configurations to ensure compliance and accurate reporting for potential funding. 

Help Desk Performance 

February ticket info:

• 118 tickets submitted

• 121 tickets resolved

• Avg. Resolution time 44.2 minutes

• Avg. Satisfaction rating 4.6/5

These results highlight our ongoing commitment to responsive support and continuous improvement, ensuring timely resolutions and consistently high customer satisfaction.

•  Phone System Update
  Following a review of modern phone systems to support unified communications, mobile integration, panic button features, and emergency notification compatibility, Zoom has been selected as the district’s new phone service provider. This decision was made after completing pilot programs and evaluating all recommendations. 

•  Infrastructure & Wireless
  A new wireless network, DISD-Internet SSID, is actively being tested to ensure full functionality, with the goal of replacing older SSIDs. 

Our Commitment 

Through strategic upgrades, cloud-based tools, and expanded digital access, DeSoto ISD is: 

• Empowering students with confidence 

• Equipping staff with efficient tools 

• Creating safe, innovative learning environments 

These efforts reflect our enduring values of integrity, determination, and excellence. 

Maintenance & Operati