VISD trustees vote 4-3 to approve homeschool participation in UIL events

During the VISD school board meeting Monday, trustees voted 4-3 to approve allowing homeschool students to participate in UIL events. Voting in favor of allowing homeschool students participate in district UIL activities were trustees Patrick Parmer, Bryson Henry, Carrie Hawkins and Chris Lehman. Voting against allowing homeschool students participate were trustees Emory Byars, Amanda Lehman and Jarrod David. District administrators, according to VISD, “…will begin working on necessary policies that need to be in place to make this a smooth and successful process.”

In other business the board welcomed the new McCord Principal Rusti Blount.

Following that, the trustees were advised future board meetings must be recorded starting Sept. 1. The recordings will then be posted on the board’s website starting on that date.
Progress continues on the high school roof project, which is approximately two weeks from completion. Minimal gas line damage at the high school was reported and was addressed the same day. All other projects across all campuses are also going well.

Other actions and decisions made during the meeting include:
— Trustees were reminded of upcoming events, including a staff breakfast and convocation scheduled for 9 a.m. Aug. 4. These events help kick off the academic year and bring staff together before classes resume.
— The board approved the renewal of the NWEA testing program, a vital tool for tracking student academic progress
— The board approved the Vernon ISD Code of Conduct for 2025-2026, ensuring student expectations are clearly outlined for the new year.
— The board approved the consent agenda, which included minutes and the financial report.
Several key action items were also approved:
— Vernon ISD Code of Conduct for 2025–2026, specifically, the phone policy that now states all smart-electronics must be powered off and out of sight unless in a dual credit setting.
— , with implementation guidelines still under review.
— A continued contract for the Austin Telco phone system was approved to upgrade district communication infrastructure.
In preparation for the new year, the board adopted the following financial and staffing measures:
— 2025–2026 Teacher, Auxiliary, Hourly, and Administrative pay schedules.
— Supplemental, extra duty, and athletic stipends for district staff.
— Health insurance contribution rates for 2025–2026.
— Approval of the Goals and Progress Measures for the upcoming year to guide district accountability and strategic planning.