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Board approves amendment to District of Innovation, narrows discipline exemption and adds art/music hiring flexibility
Summary
San Felipe-Del Rio CISD trustees unanimously approved amendments to the district's District of Innovation plan removing the exemption for a designated campus behavior coordinator required under Chapter 37 and extending certification flexibility to hard-to-fill art and music positions with specified degree-and-experience criteria.
Board President Mesa presided over a unanimous July 28 vote to amend San Felipe-Del Rio CISD’s District of Innovation plan, removing language that had allowed an exemption from certain provisions of Chapter 37 of the Texas Education Code and expanding educator-certification flexibility to include art and music programs.
Sandra Hernandez, who presented the recommendation, told trustees the change responds to the 89th Texas Legislature and House Bill 6. She said the amendment removes the district’s earlier request for a campus behavior coordinator exemption and adds targeted language to allow the district, when it cannot hire a certified teacher in hard-to-fill art or music roles, to consider qualified candidates with a degree or formal training and relevant professional experience.
Hernandez said the District of Innovation Advisory Committee reconvened July 15 to review legislative changes and proposed edits to the plan and that the committee members who attended the meeting polled unanimously in favor of the proposed amendment.
During a follow-up exchange, Board member Webb asked how oversight would work without removing campus discipline responsibilities. Dr. Veers (administrator) explained that the designated coordinator’s role is to ensure compliance with Chapter 37 requirements (for example, due-process checks before alternative-school placements) but does not replace campus administrators or hearing procedures; principals remain responsible for discipline and due process at the campus level.
After trustees discussed the packet language (staff noted blue text as additions and red strikethroughs as deletions), Mrs. Webb moved to adopt the amendment and Mr. Almaraz seconded the motion. The board voted to approve the amendment unanimously.
The amendment will be implemented as outlined in the packet and the district will notify the commissioner of education as required. The board took no separate action on hiring changes; the amendment defines eligibility criteria that would permit non‑certified hires only when qualified credentialed candidates are unavailable.
