Lubbock ISD to refer attendance cases first to county dispute‑resolution mediators before court, board approves MOU

The Lubbock ISD Board of Trustees approved a memorandum of understanding with Lubbock County to use the county Office of Dispute Resolution (ODR) as an initial step for attendance cases that previously would go directly to court. District staff framed the MOU as an effort to provide mediators to work with parents and families and to explore alternatives to immediate court referral.

Staff described the change as a streamlining measure: rather than sending parents to court as a first step, the district will refer families to ODR for mediation and resource coordination, with court referral remaining available if mediation does not resolve attendance issues. "Instead of fines being the first option to be considered, let’s work with ODR first and see if there’s things that we can put in place," a district presenter said.

Gene Valentini, director at ODR, said Lubbock ISD would be a pathfinder for the approach in the area: "Based on what we are talking about, we’re gonna be the pathfinders." Trustees discussed the process, noted the potential to shorten timelines to resolution, and asked staff about how the system would work with existing court referrals.

Recusal: Trustee Chavez recused from the vote because of an identified affiliation with the body; the chair noted the recusal before the recorded vote. The MOU passed with the remaining trustees voting in favor.

Implementation: Staff said ODR mediators can draw on community resources and that the court remains an option if mediation fails. District staff and ODR representatives said they would coordinate implementation and provide updates as cases are routed through the new process.