Mustang board approves teacher empowerment grant after public questions about eligibility and evaluations
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Summary
The Mustang Public Schools Board voted to implement the teacher empowerment grant for the 2025–26 school year after a public comment from a teacher who urged the board to postpone and raised questions about who the grant benefits and how evaluations will be standardized.
The Mustang Public Schools Board of Education voted to implement the teacher empowerment grant for the 2025–26 school year (item Q). The vote followed a public comment from a district teacher who said the program appears to benefit a small portion of staff and raised questions about evaluation standards and required work days.
During the public participation portion, teacher Mark Webb told the board the program "on the surface ... sounds good. More money into the pockets of teachers. But instead of helping all educators, this program only lifts up 10% in the district." Webb listed questions about how experience, advanced credentials and different job roles (elementary, specials, team leads) would be weighed and asked the board to delay implementation so staff and teachers could meet and develop a plan together. "I just want you to put it off until September so we can have a chance to sit down and talk and work and develop a plan together," he said, and offered to provide his comments in writing.
Board members moved and seconded a motion to approve item Q, "implementation of the teacher empowerment grant for the 2025–26 school year." The board chair called for the question; the board recorded an affirmative vote with no opposing votes. The motion passed.
The public comment and the board's subsequent approval are separate parts of the meeting record: Webb's remarks were made during the public participation section and were not part of a formal discussion on the agenda item before the vote. The transcript does not specify dollar amounts, the grant's selection criteria beyond the speaker's remark about "10% in the district," or whether any changes to the program will follow from Webb's request; those details were not provided at the meeting and are not specified in the record.
The board approved other personnel- and contract-related items later in the meeting (see "Votes at a glance"), including negotiated agreements and employment schedules.