Board Members and Information
The Board of Trustees acts as the school district's policy-making body and is the official representative of the people for all public education in Burnet CISD. The Board functions according to state and federal laws, the rules and regulations established by the State Board of Education, the Texas Education Agency and the will of the people as expressed in district elections.
The seven-member board, while composed of individuals, acts officially only as a group. No member or group of members acts in the name of the Board unless authorized by the Board. A majority of the Board constitutes a quorum for the transaction of business. Individual trustees, serving without pay, are elected for three-year terms.
The Board of Trustees holds regular board meetings monthly beginning at 6:00 p.m. in the Board Room located in the BCISD Administration Building, 208 East Brier. The public is encouraged to attend.
The seven-member board, while composed of individuals, acts officially only as a group. No member or group of members acts in the name of the Board unless authorized by the Board. A majority of the Board constitutes a quorum for the transaction of business. Individual trustees, serving without pay, are elected for three-year terms.
The Board of Trustees holds regular board meetings monthly beginning at 6:00 p.m. in the Board Room located in the BCISD Administration Building, 208 East Brier. The public is encouraged to attend.
 Earl Foster
President
Place 1, Elected 2016
Term Expires May 2025
|
 Angela Moore
Vice President
Place 2, Elected 2015
Term Expires May 2027
|
 Mark Kincaid
Secretary
Place 7, Elected 2017
Term Expires May 2026
|
 Katy Duke
Trustee
Place 5, Appointed November 2023
Term Expires May 2025
|
 David Bennett
Trustee
Place 6, Elected 2024
Term Expires May 2027
|
 Suzanne Brown
Trustee
Place 3, Elected 2017
Term Expires May 2026
|
 Ross Behrens
Trustee
Place 4, Elected 2018
Term Expires May 2027
|
Board Information
What does the Board of Trustees do?
The seven-member Board of Trustees is Burnet CISD’s policy-making body.
Primary Functions
- Set the direction for the district, primarily focusing on the education and well-being of students.
- Translate the needs of students into policies, plans and goals that will be supported by the community.
- Represent the public interest.
Responsibilities
- Hire and evaluate the superintendent
The seven-member Board of Trustees is Burnet CISD’s policy-making body.
Primary Functions
- Set the direction for the district, primarily focusing on the education and well-being of students.
- Translate the needs of students into policies, plans and goals that will be supported by the community.
- Represent the public interest.
Responsibilities
- Hire and evaluate the superintendent
- Approve the district's budget
- Approve district personnel decisions
- Establish goals and evaluate outcomes
- Adopt and evaluate policies
- Levy and collect taxes, and issue bonds
- Order elections, canvass returns, declare results, and issue certificates of election as required by law
- Adhere to guidelines and policies mandated by the Texas Education Agency and the U.S. Dept. of Ed.
- Communicate with the community
- Approve district personnel decisions
- Establish goals and evaluate outcomes
- Adopt and evaluate policies
- Levy and collect taxes, and issue bonds
- Order elections, canvass returns, declare results, and issue certificates of election as required by law
- Adhere to guidelines and policies mandated by the Texas Education Agency and the U.S. Dept. of Ed.
- Communicate with the community
- Recognize significant student and teacher accomplishments
Who serves on the Board?
Any registered voter who has lived in Texas for one year and in the school district for six months may file for election to the School Board. Trustees are volunteers and receive no compensation for their service.
Training Requirements
School board members must complete continuing education hours annually. A trustee must complete any training required by the State Board of Education. Texas Education Code 11.159 (b) The requirements are set by the State Board of Education in administrative rule 19 Texas Administrative Code 61.1.
Who can attend Board meetings?
School Board meetings are open to anyone. Individuals may address the Board during the open forum portion of each meeting.
How are the meetings conducted?
- The Board observes Robert's Rules of Order during all of its meetings.
- The Board President or Vice President in his absence presides at all meetings.
- A simple majority is required to pass a motion.
- The Burnet CISD Board of Trustees meets in compliance with the Texas Open Meetings Act.
How is the Board meeting agenda developed?
The agenda is finalized the week before each Monday meeting and delivered to Board members on the Wednesday preceding the meeting.
Agenda Items
The agenda is designed to include citizens' comments, student and staff recognitions, action items and report items.
Posting of the Agenda
Agendas are posted 72 hours before meetings on the front door of the Burnet CISD Administration Building and at www.burnetcisd.net
Closed Session
A closed executive session notice is placed on the agenda to address the following legally appropriate items:
- Consultation with the Board's attorney on legal issues
School Board meetings are open to anyone. Individuals may address the Board during the open forum portion of each meeting.
How are the meetings conducted?
- The Board observes Robert's Rules of Order during all of its meetings.
- The Board President or Vice President in his absence presides at all meetings.
- A simple majority is required to pass a motion.
- The Burnet CISD Board of Trustees meets in compliance with the Texas Open Meetings Act.
How is the Board meeting agenda developed?
The agenda is finalized the week before each Monday meeting and delivered to Board members on the Wednesday preceding the meeting.
Agenda Items
The agenda is designed to include citizens' comments, student and staff recognitions, action items and report items.
Posting of the Agenda
Agendas are posted 72 hours before meetings on the front door of the Burnet CISD Administration Building and at www.burnetcisd.net
Closed Session
A closed executive session notice is placed on the agenda to address the following legally appropriate items:
- Consultation with the Board's attorney on legal issues
- Real property purchases or economic development decisions
- Prospective gifts or donations to the district
- Personnel matters, including employee complaints
- Student discipline
- Security issues
- No voting or polling of votes is allowed in executive session.
What authority do individual Board members have?
The Board's authority is considered to be "body corporate." As a result, no individual has authority outside of a Board meeting.
How do I address the Board?
The Board of Trustees represent you in determining what is best for the students attending Burnet CISD schools, and you should feel comfortable expressing your opinions to them. Your input into the direction of Burnet CISD is encouraged and will always be considered by the Board.
- Prospective gifts or donations to the district
- Personnel matters, including employee complaints
- Student discipline
- Security issues
- No voting or polling of votes is allowed in executive session.
What authority do individual Board members have?
The Board's authority is considered to be "body corporate." As a result, no individual has authority outside of a Board meeting.
How do I address the Board?
The Board of Trustees represent you in determining what is best for the students attending Burnet CISD schools, and you should feel comfortable expressing your opinions to them. Your input into the direction of Burnet CISD is encouraged and will always be considered by the Board.
The Open Forum Section of the Board’s Agenda provides the opportunity for members of the public to convey information and opinions to the Board. At Regular Meetings the Board shall permit public comment, regardless of whether the topic is an item on the agenda posted with notice of the meeting. At Special Meetings, and all other Board meetings, public comment shall be limited to items on the agenda posted with the notice of the meeting.
A person who wishes to address the Board must complete an Open Forum Form before the meeting to indicate he or she wishes to speak. Open Forum Forms are availble at the location where the Board Meeting is being held, and completed forms must be submitted during the 30 minute window indicated on the Board Meeting Notice and Board Agenda. For Regular Board Meetings, this is typically 5:15-5:45 p.m. A speaker may complete one Open Forum Card for each meeting.
The public comment period is not the appropriate time to present complaints. The complaint process is outlined in Board Policies FNG and GF which can be found on the District’s website. The Board will only consider complaints that remain unresolved after they have been addressed through proper administrative channels and when they have been placed on the Agenda.
During this portion of the meeting, the Board will not engage in dialogue with the speakers and cannot deliberate or make a decision on any subject that is not on the agenda.
Each speaker is limited to a total of three (3) minutes. A speaker may not take the time of another speaker. A digital timer will be displayed on the screen for the speaker.
The public comment period is not the appropriate time to present complaints. The complaint process is outlined in Board Policies FNG and GF which can be found on the District’s website. The Board will only consider complaints that remain unresolved after they have been addressed through proper administrative channels and when they have been placed on the Agenda.
During this portion of the meeting, the Board will not engage in dialogue with the speakers and cannot deliberate or make a decision on any subject that is not on the agenda.
Each speaker is limited to a total of three (3) minutes. A speaker may not take the time of another speaker. A digital timer will be displayed on the screen for the speaker.
When necessary for effective meeting management or to accommodate large numbers of individuals wishing to address the Board, the presiding officer may make adjustments to public comment procedures, including adjusting when public comment will occur during the meeting, reordering agenda items, deferring public comment on nonagenda items, continuing agenda items to a later meeting, providing expanded opportunity for public comment, or establishing an overall time limit for public comment and adjusting the time allotted to each speaker. However, no individual shall be given less than one minute to make comments.
A speaker should approach the podium when his or her name is called. If a speaker has written materials for the Board, he or she may place them on the table beside the podium. A staff member will provide the copies to Board members.
Each speaker should clearly state:
• His or her name
• The BCISD school or schools the speaker’s children attend or have attended
• The topic being addressed before beginning to comment
The speaker must promptly end his or her comments when the allotted time has elapsed. Not yielding the podium, as well as remarks or other conduct that disrupt the meeting, are considered out of order and will not be allowed. The Board shall not tolerate disruption of the meeting by members of the audience. If, after at least one warning from the presiding officer, any individual continues to disrupt the meeting by his or her words or actions, the presiding officer may request assistance from law enforcement officials to have the individual removed from the meeting.
A person who chooses to speak during the Open Forum Section is consenting to the online publication of his or her name and comment topic.
2018 School Board of The Year Nomination: