Chief Innovation Officer Dr. Bobby Markle told the board that the district is developing "Evergreen ETX," an umbrella of strategic initiatives designed to accelerate improvement at targeted campuses and build sustainable teacher pipelines.

Markle described three headline strategies: 18/82 partnerships that pair district campuses with higher-education institutions to create clinical lab schools, K-2 literacy lab models and biomedical/technical pipeline schools; a "Grow Your Own" program to cultivate future teachers beginning in K-12 with dual-credit and career-technical pathways; and Systems of Excellence to concentrate supports on schools that need accelerators rather than a districtwide overhaul. "We do have a letter of intent from a higher education partner that we will vet through the process," Markle said, and staff expect to present an 18/82 partner by January for possible submission to Texas partnership programs in 2026-27.

On Grow Your Own, staff said the program could include paraprofessional-to-certification pathways, paid residencies or fellowships, and contractual service commitments when districts fund advanced degrees. Trustees asked whether the district would fund internships and how to prioritize bilingual and high-need subject areas; staff said bilingual teacher pathways are a priority and that models may not be implemented districtwide immediately but could begin with targeted campuses.

District staff said some funding streams (LASO and ADDSI grants) are TEA-managed and that most of the grant opportunities discussed are state-managed allocations; federal dollars routed through TEA may contribute to specific programs. The board did not take a final vote on a partnership during the meeting; staff repeated that higher-education partner capacity and vetting would shape the timeline.