What to watch: The Midland ISD Board of Trustees will hold a special meeting on Wednesday, June 10, where trustees could take the next step toward legal action against Midland County over a Juvenile Justice Alternative Education Program (JJAEP), reconsider a compensation plan they rejected last month, and vote on a one-time $1,250 retention payment for employees.

Trustees will also consider a $3.4 million construction manager contract tied to the $41.7 million conversion of the current Legacy High School building into the future Storie Middle School and Encore Academy, as well as the district’s annual property insurance renewal.

Key points:

  • Potential JJAEP litigation: Trustees will discuss possible action against Midland County related to a JJAEP in closed session. A JJAEP is a county-run education program for students expelled for the most serious offenses. In January, MISD trustees voted to terminate its JJAEP memorandum of understanding with the county.

MISD now argues that once that agreement ended, the county became legally required to open and operate a JJAEP. Last month, MISD warned the county that it may pursue legal action if the county does not commit to opening a JJAEP before the start of the 2026-27 school year by June 5.

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MISD is relying on guidance from the Texas Juvenile Justice Department, which interpreted state law as requiring the county to move forward with a JJAEP once the agreement ended. However, the statute itself does not explicitly state that, creating what appears to be the central legal question if the dispute reaches court.

  • Revised compensation plan: Trustees will consider a revised compensation plan after rejecting the previous version in May by a 4-3 vote. Trustee Brandon Hodges said the prior proposal failed to improve starting pay for support staff and said administrative raises should wait until academic performance improves. The revised proposal appears largely unchanged from the version trustees rejected last month.
  • One-time retention payment: The board will consider authorizing a one-time payment of $1,250 to full-time, retirement-eligible employees whom the district hired by January 4, who remain active in district payroll as of June 1, and who return for the 2026-27 school year.

The district would issue payments by June 30. Employees who leave the district before January 31, 2027, would have the payment deducted from their final paycheck under a clawback provision included in the proposal. The agenda packet does not list a total fiscal impact.

  • Storie/Encore construction: Trustees will consider awarding a $3.4 million construction manager-at-risk contract tied to the $41.7 million conversion of the current Legacy High School building into the future Storie Middle School and Encore Academy.

The board agreed in March to move forward with a new facility for its Encore program, including reallocating approximately $5.9 million from the 2023 bond and selecting new construction over renovation.

Encore is a specialized program that currently serves 17 students and helps young adults ages 18–22 with special needs transition to independent living through life skills training, job readiness, and vocational experience. District leaders said the new facility could serve more than 45 students and allow for future growth.

  • School finance litigation update: Trustees will receive a closed-session update on ongoing school finance litigation tied to Article VIII, Section 1-e of the Texas Constitution, which prohibits a statewide property tax.

The provision has been at the center of decades of school finance lawsuits arguing that Texas’ recapture system and state control over school property taxes effectively create a de facto state property tax. The Texas Supreme Court upheld the current system in 2016, but districts continue to challenge aspects of the state’s funding structure.