During its Sept. 18 meeting, the Board of Trustees agenda included:

The Board will meet next for a special meeting Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2025.

Meeting Agenda
Meeting Recording

Spotlight on Learning: Reed Elementary

Students and campus administrators from Reed Elementary shared how the school’s dual language program is shaping confident, bilingual learners.

Nearly half of Reed’s student population is considered emergent bilingual. As one of the campuses that helped pioneer the two-way dual language program in LISD, Reed focuses on helping students prepare themselves to be bilingual, biliterate and bicultural – skills that will serve them well in school and beyond.

Students Nina and Bernie said being bilingual feels both powerful and practical — a way to connect with family and friends, understand others more deeply, and even carry a “superpower” into future jobs and careers. Way to lead, Reed!

Board Approves Policy Change Allowing Families Outside LISD Boundaries to Enroll Starting in 2026–27

For Every Student. Always.

🎬 7.B.1. Consider Approval of Board Policy FDA(LOCAL), Admissions: Interdistrict Transfers a.k.a. Open Enrollment Policy

Starting with the 2026–27 school year, families who live outside of Leander ISD’s boundaries will be able to apply for their children to attend an LISD school after the Board approved revisions to Policy FDA (Local). Until now, this option was only available to children of LISD employees and a few other limited scenarios.

The updated policy – often referred to as “open enrollment” – positions LISD to welcome new families while continuing to prioritize resident students. Applications will be considered annually, with approvals based on factors, such as building capacity, staffing and student standing. Trustees emphasized that open enrollment will focus on targeting under-enrolled campuses while closing access at campuses that are already full or near capacity.

While operational details and formal application guidelines are still in development, interested families can complete this form to receive updates and be the first to know key details as the process takes shape. If you know a family living outside of LISD who may be interested, please feel free to share this form with them so they can stay informed as well.

Interest Form

Updates to Transfer Process Enhance Family Options and Campus Planning

Transfer Process presentation slide

🎬 7.C.1. Discussion of Intra-District Transfer

The Board reviewed updates to the district’s transfer process for those living within the district’s boundary. Year over over, the system continues to evolve as one way Leander ISD provides families with choice in where their children attend school. 

Looking Ahead to 2026-27

The transfer request window will open in January 2026, giving families earlier opportunities to apply and allowing LISD to consider requests before staffing decisions are made. Administrators believe placing the transfer window ahead of staffing will lead to less unnecessary denials at schools that have space.

LISD is also evaluating a new digital platform to make the process easier for families and more efficient for staff. 

Transfer decisions will continue to weigh building capacity, grade-level enrollment and program needs, with students required to be in good standing. The appeals committee and centralized denial process will remain in place, ensuring consistency and fairness.

Trustees emphasized the importance of clear communication with families, particularly around earlier deadlines, and called for policy updates to align with current practice.

Background

Over the past two cycles, LISD has refined the transfer process with improvements such as applying limits on a grade-level basis instead of the previous practice of the whole school. Dedicated transfer communications and an appeals committee round out other improvements to the process. 

Together with upcoming changes, these efforts reflect the district’s commitment to supporting family choice within LISD schools, helping every student find the right fit.

No School Consolidation Decisions Made; Board Sets Sept. 30 Special Meeting to Establish Clear Next Steps

Board Meeting

🎬 7.C.2. Discussion of Long-Range Planning Recommendation

At Thursday night’s Board meeting, Trustees directed administration to prepare for a Board resolution that will set expectations, deliverables and timelines before any decisions are considered. A special-called meeting is set for Tuesday, Sept. 30 to review and possibly adopt that resolution.

Key Takeaways

  • No campus decisions were made. The Board is choosing to craft a resolution to align process, data and timelines.
  • Budget context remains serious. Trustees and administration reiterated multi-year deficits and the need to align decisions in time to meet staffing/budget timelines for 2026–27.
  • What families can expect next. The Board will hold a special meeting Sept. 30 to review and potentially adopt a process-setting resolution that defines roles, timelines and required information before any school closure proposals are considered. No closure actions will be taken at this meeting.

Administrative Recommendation

Administration began to outline a near-term path centered on revising staffing guidelines at elementary campuses with low enrollment for 2026–27. The intent is to realize moderate, sustainable efficiencies while minimizing disruption to students and families. 

Read More

Previous Updates

Board Reviews District and Campus Improvement Plans

Improvement Plans presentation slide

🎬 7.A.1. Discussion of District and Campus Improvement Plans

Trustees reviewed how the District and Campus Improvement Plans align with the LISD’s strategic plan and community-based accountability system. These cyclical, data-driven plans guide the district’s one-year work toward long-term goals, with consistent strategies such as Professional Learning Communities and high-quality learning experiences, alongside campus-specific actions based on local data.

The plans are developed with input from site-based committees and remain “live documents,” updated throughout the year as new data emerges. Trustees praised recent successes highlighted in the plans, including student performance gains and expanded business partnerships for work-based learning

Community members can view the full set of plans here: View the plans