Bullard ISD students will have new dollar limits for charging cafeteria purchases, and staff at the new Bullard Middle School will see improved cellular reception for emergency communications, following decisions by the Board of Trustees on Monday evening. The board voted 7-0 to set charge limits at $14 for elementary students and $16 for middle and high school students. Separately, trustees unanimously approved an $86,000 purchase to install cellular boosters at the new middle school to address poor reception.
The policy change for cafeteria charges prepares the district for a transition to a new cafeteria point-of-sale system. The previous policy allowed students to charge up to four meals, but the new system requires a specific dollar amount to account for varied combinations of meals and à la carte purchases. Students who reach their designated limit will still receive the regular cafeteria meal but will not be able to charge additional items until their account balance is paid. District officials stated that this change does not mean students will be denied a meal due to an outstanding balance, nor does it affect meal or à la carte prices. Officials also noted that all outstanding food-service account balances must eventually be paid. The new point-of-sale system will offer families payment options including credit cards, debit cards, and Apple Pay. Information about this transition will be communicated to families via ParentSquare.
The $86,000 approved for cellular boosters at the new Bullard Middle School addresses signal testing that found poor cellular and data reception. This poor reception created potential problems for staff using the district’s Rave Panic Button mobile app, which is a silent panic alarm system used to alert authorities to emergencies such as medical incidents and fires. The boosters are expected to improve cellular signals for carriers including AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile. The selected bid from Discount Cell was significantly lower than a high bid of approximately $269,000. The purchase and installation will be funded through the district’s Cycle 1 safety and security grant, part of $950,000 the district received from the Texas Education Agency in 2024. The district had slightly more than $100,000 remaining in this grant. Trustees clarified that the boosters are specifically intended to improve connectivity for staff and administrators for emergency purposes, not to provide better cell access for students or improve Chromebook connectivity. District representatives confirmed that the purchase incurs no monthly fee and that the new middle school was the only campus identified with nearly complete loss of connectivity. A timeline for installation has not yet been established.
Bullard ISD officials are also considering purchasing additional school buses in anticipation of a state seat belt requirement set to take effect. Chief Financial Officer Ramsey Starks informed the Board of Trustees that district officials are evaluating the number of buses needed and potential financing methods. The district aims to bring a recommendation to the board before the end of the year. Older buses in the district, all from before 2016, have more than 100,000 miles. Retrofitting these buses with seat belts could cost at least $30,000 per bus, while a new bus costs about $150,000. Under Senate Bill 546, Texas school buses must be equipped with three-point lap and shoulder seat belts by September 1, 2029. Texas Education Code Section 34.013 addresses students’ use of seat belts on equipped buses. Starks noted the district hopes for state funding assistance for these purchases.
In other ongoing projects, district staff are assessing campuses to identify maintenance priorities, determining which projects can be handled in-house and which require outside contractors. Last year, 10 HVAC units were upgraded at the elementary school, and six more are on order, with installation planned around Christmas break. Recent maintenance also included replacing press box glass and cleaning, painting, and treating turf at the football field and indoor athletic complex, with similar work scheduled for baseball and softball fields. Asbestos abatement for the former middle school began Monday, expected to take about two weeks. This building is being renovated into Bullard Primary School under Bullard Bond 2022, and will serve Early Childhood Special Education, pre-kindergarten, kindergarten, and first grade. Construction is slated to begin in January 2027 and finish by July 2027. Plans for these renovations are approximately 65% complete, with district officials scheduled to meet with the project team at the end of October to review the construction sequence. The district is also awaiting certificates of substantial completion for the elementary and high school, with some “punch-list items” still needing attention. Two bathrooms near the high school cafeteria are scheduled for renovations during the winter break, which will temporarily close them for about a week for demolition and removal work.
These developments follow the Board of Trustees’ acceptance of a voluntary resignation from now-former superintendent Micah Dyer last week. Trustees named Jodie Albritton as acting superintendent. The board is expected to discuss next steps in the search for a new superintendent in the coming weeks. The board’s next regularly scheduled meeting is set for 6 p.m. Monday, November 9, at the Bullard ISD Administration Building located at 1426 S. Houston Street.
