The Aubrey ISD board approved the purchase of the IXL curriculum for the 2026-27 school year at the June 17 meeting.
The curriculum is not to exceed $75,000.
“This is a program for intervention and enrichment,” said Joanie Rouk, Executive Director of Curriculum, Instruction and Learning. “We are also going to take the math piece of that and expand the diagnostic. They have a beginning, middle and end-of-year diagnostic piece to be able to track student growth and progress monitor.”
She said it will start in first grade and go through high school, and that another benefit is that it will provide guidance.
“If you have a kid above level in math, it's going to give them skill recommendations on the level that they're at,” Rouk said. “That's what we love about it.”
The board also renewed its contract with Aramark, the food service company, for a one-year term covering the 2026-27 school year.
“The only difference is there's a 3.6% increase in the per-meal cost, but there is no additional cost to the student,” Chief Financial Officer Dr. Brian C. Walton said. “They're going to charge us 3.6% more; the student prices have remained the same.”
He noted that it will remain a break-even contract, meaning the district will not lose any money.
Walton also shared that there is no new information on next year’s budget; however, he did discuss the process.
“The state requires us, because we're a Sept. 1 fiscal year, to adopt a budget prior to Aug. 31,” Walton said. “We must adopt a tax rate after that decision. It'll happen the same night. It'll just happen on the agenda, one after the other.”
He added that the goal is to organize budget workshops in July. Operations Director Matthew Gore gave district- wide construction project updates, starting with Elementary No. 5, which had begun installing utilities.
Other construction projects underway are renovations and additions to the high school, the field house and the high school road.
“We are still working with the city on getting the permit for the road and the properties to do the building,” Gore said. “We're in our third set of comments, and so the architects are working through that with the city, but they expect to have that permit in place well before any inspections take place on the road or the sites.”
However, the Planning and Zoning Commission did approve the final plat for the site.
“I can't stress enough,” Vice President Jody Gonzalez said. “There's no point in this road without adjusting the signal on 377. It's got to have a left turn signal.”
Superintendent Dr. Shannon Saylor agreed and expressed that it is in the works.
AJ Prince, an Aubrey alumnus, was there on business as a representative of Lee Lewis Construction.
During his time at Aubrey High School, he had both Saylor and Gore as his principals.
“We love it when kids come back and are able to contribute back to the school district, so it's fantastic,” Gore said.
Aubrey High School was approved for a teaching permit for an American Sign Language position, with over 150 students interested in taking the new course.
A group of supporters came to cheer on Tiffany Wilson as she received board approval to become the Fuller Elementary School Assistant Principal.
Ayden Bass, who graduated from Aubrey in May, was recognized during the board meeting for making both the All-State Golf and Baseball teams.
“Great kid, I remember when he was really little helping us out on the sidelines, so I’m excited what the future holds for him,” said Tyler Walterscheid, the head athletic trainer and golf coach.
Abigail Bardwell, editor and publisher of the Post-Signal, was also recognized after being nominated by the district to the Texas Association of School Boards Media Honor Roll for her coverage of Aubrey ISD.
“We appreciate our small-town journalists,” Saylor said. “She never attacks people, but she's about ensuring that there's transparency, fairness and trust. So, I think she's an outstanding voice for Aubrey ISD.”
