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Pearland ISD board approves budget amendment, library purchases with holds, and personnel actions
Summary
At its March 17 meeting the Pearland ISD Board approved a FY25‑26 budget amendment reflecting TEA methodology changes, approved the January library materials list while holding several titles for review, and authorized personnel employment actions and letters to the Texas Education Agency concerning alleged contract abandonment.
The Pearland Independent School District Board of Trustees at its March 17 meeting approved several formal items that will affect district operations and policy oversight.
Budget amendment: The board approved Fiscal Year 2025‑26 Budget Amendment No. 5 after Dr. Berger told trustees that recent TEA changes to the summary‑of‑finance methodology reduced projected district funding and shifted a previously projected $5.3 million surplus to an approximate $3.1 million deficit. Dr. Berger said the change is driven by TEA’s reclassification of code '51' and '14' items and a reduction of approximately $8 million in available foundation school funding. The board voted to approve the amendment; the motion carried unanimously as recorded.
Library materials: The board considered the January district library materials list posted under Senate Bill 13. Dr. Berger said the district received an inquiry about Better the Devil (Eric J. Brown) and trustees raised concerns about multiple titles — including Two Perfect Lies, The Thorn Queen and volume 17 of The King's Beast — asking for a clearer policy and an informal review process. Trustees debated whether to pursue a District of Innovation exception or create a policy committee and requested staff present options. The board approved the list while agreeing to hold specified titles for additional review; Trustee Carter recorded a vote against the motion and Trustee Johnson abstained from that vote because he said he had not been present for the full discussion.
Personnel and certification actions: After reconvening from a closed session the board approved recommended employment actions and adopted findings that two term‑contract employees had abandoned their assignments. The board authorized the president to notify the Texas Education Agency’s Educator Certification Division seeking sanctions in those cases; recorded votes on these motions carried as noted in the meeting record.
The board also discussed next steps: staff were asked to bring options for a library‑materials policy or committee and to continue monitoring the budget as TEA calculations and property evaluations finalize.
