SCUC ISD board approves principal hire, facility-planning contract, benefits awards and several personnel actions

The Schertz-Cibolo-Universal City Independent School District Board of Trustees voted unanimously Thursday on a slate of personnel, contract and policy actions, including the employment of a new intermediate-school principal, awarding a long-range facilities and bond-planning contract, approval of voluntary employee-benefit awards, and several personnel contract actions.

The most time-sensitive action approved was the employment of James Butler as principal of Slaughter Intermediate School for the 2025–26 school year. Superintendent Maloney recommended the hire following a closed-session discussion. A motion to approve Butler's employment carried unanimously with a 7–0 vote. Butler addressed the board after the vote, thanking supporters and saying he was "honored to be selected" and looking forward to working with the Slaughter campus community.

On facilities planning and potential bond work, the board accepted the evaluation committee's recommendation to award RFQ 25-015B (long-range facility planning and bond assistance) to PBK Architects Inc. District staff said nine firms responded to the request for qualifications; five were invited for interviews and PBK was ranked highest. The motion to approve PBK as the vendor passed 7–0. During discussion, district leaders said PBK presented a multi-disciplinary team with expertise in bond planning, architecture and communications and demonstrated familiarity with the district's recent planning materials.

The board also approved the award recommendations for employee voluntary benefits under RFP 25-006B. The solicitation covered voluntary products including dental, vision, cancer, critical illness, permanent life, accident, medical transport and supplemental life insurance. Staff reported a competitive process that produced multiple responses; the board approved the recommended carriers and plan awards by unanimous vote.

Several personnel actions were approved after the board returned from closed session. Trustees approved the employment list of term, continuing noncertified, district-of-innovation and probationary personnel for the 2025–26 school year, by a 7–0 vote. The board also voted 7–0 to terminate the probationary contract of a certified employee identified in the minutes as Christopher Domkowski and to authorize administration to provide the required Chapter 21 notice. Separately, trustees voted 7–0 to propose nonrenewal of the term contract for a third-grade teacher, identified as Claudia Moreno (Sippel Elementary), and authorized district administration to provide contract nonrenewal notice as required by law.

Other board-adopted items included:

- Approval of board policy updates and administrative regulations, including DED local (paid-holiday clarification for 260-day employees) and CCA local (debt management policy moved to local policy). Motions to adopt each policy passed 7–0. - Adoption of the board meeting calendar for the 2025–26 school year (draft 2, which moves a June meeting to Tuesday), approved 7–0. - Certification to the Texas Education Agency of provision of instructional materials for the 2025–26 school year (TIG/TEKS certification), approved 7–0. - Approval of the consent agenda (items A–I) and other routine business, approved 7–0.

Board members and staff said the PBK contract will lead into a facilities-assessment phase and that more detailed cost estimates and conceptual designs will follow as the firm works with a district bond-planning committee. Trustees discussed opportunities to provide input on design priorities and to avoid piecemeal additions that produce inconsistent campus layouts; staff said the RFQ process and the selected firm's approach include committee collaboration and phased design.

All motions that required public record showed unanimous support on the meeting floor, according to the minutes. Where motions or votes did not include individual roll-call names in the public record, the board recorded the tally as 7–0. Several items discussed in closed session were acted upon in public session in accordance with Texas law; the board provided the required notices and motions after returning to open meeting.

A full list of motions and outcomes appears below.