The Wylie ISD Board of Trustees met in regular session Monday, Aug. 10, at the Wylie Early Childhood Library. The meeting included updates on district finances and bond construction, approval of several items ahead of the 2026-27 school year, and an in-depth discussion about the process and timeline for Wylie ISD’s superintendent search.

No speakers addressed the Board during open forum. Trustees also approved the minutes from the July 13 meeting before moving into the district’s monthly financial reports.

Financial Update

Chief Financial Officer Katheryn Bristow reviewed July bills, the district’s cash position, bond activity and year-to-date financial reports.

The district paid a little more than $10.6 million in July bills, including approximately $3.2 million in payroll. Trustees also asked about an asbestos survey expense, and administration explained that the work included updated surveys at district buildings requiring them along with the associated reporting.

As of June 30, Wylie ISD reported approximately $35.24 million in cash across all funds.

The June financial reports showed:

General Fund: Year-to-date revenue totaled approximately $47 million, while expenditures were approximately $43.19 million. At that point in the fiscal year, revenue exceeded expenditures by about $3.81 million, although additional year-end activity remained. Administration also noted that additional state funding was still expected before the fiscal year closed.

Debt Service: The district had received approximately $14.85 million and spent approximately $9.21 million as of June 30. Administration noted that an additional bond payment of approximately $4.8 million was scheduled shortly after the reporting period.

Bond Program and Construction Progress

The district’s bond activity report showed $190 million in bond funds had been accessed, with more than $9.2 million in interest earned to date. After expenditures and other required adjustments, approximately $108.19 million remained for ongoing bond work. Approximately $6.83 million in bond-related activity was reported for the most recent period.

Superintendent Joey Light also provided an update on projects underway throughout the district.

Wylie South Elementary received its certificate of occupancy ahead of the start of school. Some final landscaping work remained underway, but the city had provided additional time for its completion.

At Wylie High School, contractors are working on underground electrical and plumbing for the new two-story classroom addition. The new band hall also continues to make significant progress. While an October completion had originally been discussed, Light said completion sometime during the first semester appears more realistic.

New lights have been installed at the practice field, while work also continues on the parking area near the training center and junior high.

Parking improvements at Wylie West Elementary and Wylie West Intermediate were substantially completed, including striping and signage.

At Wylie East Intermediate, construction continues to advance, with the addition nearing the point of being dried in, an important milestone that allows more interior work to move forward.

2026-27 Student Code of Conduct Approved

The Board approved the 2026-27 Student Code of Conduct.

Assistant Superintendent Terry Hagler explained that because this is a non-legislative year, there were no changes to the Student Code of Conduct from the version approved last year. The document establishes districtwide standards of student behavior, consequences for misconduct and procedures for administering discipline.

Campus handbooks received only minor operational updates for the new school year.

Public Hearing Set for Budget and Proposed Tax Rate

Trustees set Aug. 31, 2026, as the date for a public hearing on the district’s proposed 2026-27 budget and proposed published tax rate.

The proposed total rate is $1.1171, consisting of:

Maintenance & Operations (M&O): $0.6445

Superintendent Joey Light explained that the M&O portion reflects the maximum compressed rate provided by the state.

The Aug. 10 action did not adopt the final tax rate or budget; it established the Aug. 31 public hearing and the rate to be published as part of that process. The unofficial minutes show the action carried 6-0.

School Safety Resolution

The Board renewed the district’s good cause exception related to the HB3 armed security officer requirement.

Transportation Director Ricky Bacon explained that Wylie ISD continues to use a hybrid approach to campus security. For 2026-27, the district plans to have two School Resource Officers and 12 school marshals.

Bacon emphasized the district’s continued investment in its school marshal program while explaining the challenges associated with placing commissioned peace officers throughout the district.

The resolution was approved 6-0 according to the unofficial minutes.

Taylor County Extension Agents Granted Adjunct Faculty Status

The Board also approved its annual resolution granting adjunct faculty status to Taylor County Extension Agents Steve Estes, Kim Miles and Maggie McBride.

The designation allows the Extension agents to work with and supervise Wylie ISD students participating in eligible 4-H activities and events outside the district’s FFA program.

Superintendent Search: Building the Process Around Community Input

A significant portion of the meeting focused on Wylie ISD’s upcoming superintendent search.

Steve Post, Deputy Executive Director and School Board Field Service Agent at Region 14 Education Service Center, met with trustees to provide an overview of the search process and begin developing a working timeline.

Region 14 is assisting the district with the search at no cost to Wylie ISD. Post stressed throughout the discussion that the Board will ultimately determine how the search is conducted.

“This is your search. I’m just the facilitator and maybe a thought partner.”

Confidentiality Throughout the Search

Post discussed the importance of maintaining applicant confidentiality throughout the process. Trustees were provided nondisclosure agreements, and Post said he and others working directly with the search would follow the same expectations.

The purpose, he explained, is to protect potential applicants who may be serving in other school districts and may not want their interest in the Wylie position publicly disclosed during the application process.

Listening Before Building the Candidate Profile

One of the Board’s clearest priorities was gathering input before determining exactly what qualifications and leadership characteristics it will seek.

Post proposed meeting with campus employees, administrators and community members, while also using an anonymous survey to reach people who may be more comfortable providing feedback privately.

When asked which groups should be included, trustees indicated they wanted input from all of them.

Potential questions would focus on topics such as what Wylie ISD should preserve, what could be improved, challenges facing the district, the direction Wylie should take in the coming years and the qualities stakeholders want in the district’s next leader.

The working plan is to allow the school year to get underway before beginning campus conversations in early to mid-September. Post said he would like to visit individual campuses, meet with central administration and provide opportunities for community participation. Survey responses would then be combined with those conversations to help the Board develop its candidate profile.

Working Superintendent Search Timeline

The timeline discussed Aug. 10 remains flexible and will be adjusted as the search progresses.

Under the preliminary framework, September would focus heavily on staff and administrative conversations and the beginning of profile development. October could include broader survey and community feedback. By November, the goal would be to bring that information together and identify approximately six to eight major expectations or characteristics the Board wants in its next superintendent.

Trustees would also begin discussing compensation, benefits and other elements that could ultimately become part of a superintendent contract.

The Board could then choose to formally post the vacancy in December or January, with an application period of approximately six weeks.

Depending on that decision, applicant review and interviews could take place during the winter and early spring, potentially leading to the selection of a lone finalist around late March or early April. Post reminded trustees that state law includes a 21-day waiting period before a lone finalist can officially be hired.

The preliminary calendar was developed around the possibility of having the next superintendent begin around July 1, 2027, although Post repeatedly emphasized that the schedule belongs to the Board and can change.

Evaluating Candidates

Post also encouraged trustees to distinguish between minimum credentials and the broader professional expectations they want in a superintendent.

He cautioned that making the minimum qualifications too restrictive could unnecessarily reduce the candidate pool. Instead, the Board can establish broad baseline requirements while using the candidate profile to describe the leadership qualities, experience and expectations that matter most to Wylie ISD.

The Board also discussed possible video screenings, extensive reference checks and multiple rounds of interviews. Post said his preference would be to begin learning about applicants and checking references early rather than waiting until only a few candidates remain.

Trustees acknowledged that the later stages of the process will likely require several specially called meetings as candidates are reviewed and interviewed.

The superintendent search remains in its planning and community-input phase, with additional information and opportunities for stakeholder feedback expected as the process moves forward.

Executive Session and Adjournment

The Board entered executive session at 7:35 p.m. to discuss security and personnel matters for the 2026-27 school year. The Board returned and adjourned at 8:04 p.m. No additional action following executive session is listed in the unofficial minutes.

This recap is intended to provide the Wylie ISD community with an overview of Board discussions and actions. Official meeting minutes are approved by the Board at a subsequent meeting.