Board approves SRO contract, 20 tutors, Perkins plan and consent items; superintendent lists overnight trips

The Harris County Board of Education on Aug. 19 approved several operational items for the 2025-26 school year, including the school resource officer contract, a roster of 20 additional day tutors, the FY26 CTAE Perkins local plan, and the board's consent agenda (major purchases, financial report, principals' quarterly accounts and the school nutrition report). The consent agenda was amended before the meeting to add personnel recommendations (item J5), which the board also approved.

The board reviewed a proposed SRO contract for 2025-26 and approved it with no changes from the prior year. Superintendent Dr. Justin Finney thanked Sheriff Jolley and Chief Walden for providing SROs and said the district appreciates their ongoing presence in schools. The board recorded the action as approved; the transcript does not include a roll-call breakdown for that motion.

The board approved a list of 20 additional day tutors for 2025-26. Dr. Finney said the state provides extra funding for those positions and that the tutors have been vetted as certified teachers. The motion to approve the tutors was moved by Mr. Green and seconded by Miss Oliver; the board approved the item as recorded in the meeting transcript.

Trustees also reviewed and approved the district's FY26 CTAE Perkins local plan, which the superintendent said includes the federal and state CTAE/Perkins allotments and appears on the plan's third page; the board indicated the approval was a review consistent with Department of Education requirements.

The consent agenda items approved (as amended) included: - J1: Major purchases report for July 2025 - J2: Financial report for July 2025 - J3: Quarterly principals' accounts for the quarter ending 06/30/2025 - J4: School nutrition report for July 2025 - J5: Personnel recommendations (added to consent agenda earlier in the meeting)

During a superintendent update, Dr. Finney outlined approved overnight field trips for student groups: the cross-country team will travel to Huntsville, Alabama, Sept. 12'13; Carver Middle School and Creekside will attend a junior Beta conference at Great Wolf Lodge in LaGrange, Georgia, Oct. 21'22, and a junior Beta conference in Savannah in December (dates not specified). Dr. Finney said the district will use school buses for transportation and that drivers will stay overnight for trips outside roughly a one-hour radius.

Board members offered closing remarks thanking staff, bus drivers, teachers and community members who participated in recent public meetings and tax hearings. The transcript does not record additional implementation steps or dollar amounts tied directly to these approvals.