Humble Beginnings

For nearly two months while a fifth-grader at Roquemore Elementary, home for Imani Mogaka was the back seat of a 2010 Kia Spectra. Few knew. She would arrive at school as always – neatly dressed with homework at the ready – having washed up at the nearest gas station or a hospital restroom or whatever was conveniently on the way to the school.

Now a senior at Lamar High School, Mogaka didn’t use to speak much about this period in life because she didn’t want to be labeled a victim of any kind.

That changed last school year when Mogaka discussed it during her panel interviews as a Richard Greene Scholar candidate and again recently when she was up for the Youth of the Year honor.

“That whole era of my life . . . it took some time for me to actually realize what happened,” Mogaka said. “For me, I am still working through that internally. I’ll think about it and start crying. But what I have realized is how much stronger it made me. To let me know you can persevere through anything.”

These days, Mogaka could be considered the poster child of perseverance. She made it through Roquemore and Nichols Junior High as one of the top-performing students. This fall she will represent Lamar as its Richard Greene Scholar as well as its 2021-22 class president.

As for the Boys & Girls Club of Tarrant County’s Youth of the Year award, that is now on her rather crowded resume, too.

“She’s outstanding,” said Melanie Hall, Lamar’s AVID coordinator. “She stands out with her smile, her heart to serve others, her compassion for others, and her passion for continuous growth.  She is a mature young lady who chooses to focus on what matters most, and that is her education.”

Hall calls Mogaka one of the most determined students she’s taught and admires her resilience. 

“She, no doubt, will accomplish whatever her little heart desires,” Hall said. 

Daphne Barlow Stigliano, CEO and President of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Tarrant County, said Mogaka, who started attending the Boys & Girls Club as early as the first grade, stood out for a few obvious reasons, like grades, but it was her “high level of caliber and integrity” that put her over the top.

“Imani is an amazing representative of what we hope for young people in our society to be today,” Barlow Stigliano said. “Far too often we hear stories of when things go wrong. Imani for me represents a more common story, and that’s young people working hard to succeed.”

During her homeless stint, the club worked was a godsend because it gave her something to do after school -as well as dinner and snacks.

“The Boys & Girls Club gets you involved in volunteer work so we would go to places like Mission Arlington or just do things around the club like cleaning up the neighborhood,” Mogaka said. “That’s what really got me interested in helping others as a volunteer.”

At Lamar, Mogaka is part academic nerd, part theater geek. She’s a member of the National Honor Society, sings in two choirs and performs in theater plays. She ran for class president not because she thought it might wow college recruiters or that she craved recognition but sincerely wanted the voices of her classmates heard.

“We didn’t get a chance to have much of a junior year and barely had a sophomore year,” she said. “So, I was like, ‘I want to do whatever I can do to make our senior year as great in the best possible way.’”

Mogaka’s mother Ryn Robinson said that her daughter “Is one of those kids with a heart for people. When I say it like that, I mean that sometimes I am a little concerned because there are times I feel like she gives up too much of herself.”

Mogaka said that’s easy to do because “so many people have poured into me.”

Last year when Mogaka was having difficulty working remotely without a desk at home, a desk miraculously showed up at her doorstep, courtesy her AVID instructor Hall.

“She’s amazing,” Mogaka said of Hall. “She’s always been there to talk to me. She knows my personal life and the struggles I went through.”

Then there’s Lamar choir director Greg Haugen, another big supporter of Mogaka.

“He is always saying, ‘Imani, you have it in you,’’’ she said. “I always tell him, well, if I have it in me, I just want it to come out, please! I just have so many people who support me at Lamar and want me to prosper and live my best life.”

Of course, that support system is headed by her mother, who has been instrumental in keeping her daughter positive, especially during their most difficult times. Recently her supporter-in-chief was behind the wheel during a college road trip that spanned six cities and three states in seven days.

What will the future bring?

No college choice, yet, but Mogaka says wherever she goes, she knows she is ready for whatever awaits her.

“One thing being homeless taught me,” Imani said, “is that things are temporary. You are not your situation.”

91��Ƭ�� "holds budget process to a very high standard"

91��Ƭ�� has been honored with a Meritorious Budget Award (MBA) for its excellence in budget presentation for the 2020-21 school year.

The award was given by the . Participants submit applications and budget documents to a panel of school financial professionals who review the materials for compliance with the MBA criteria checklist and other requirements. Feedback is provided that districts can use to improve their budget documents.

“We know how important it is to present a budget that’s easy for everyone to understand,” 91��Ƭ�� chief financial officer Darla Moss said. “We believe in transparency. We also believe in holding our budget process to a very high standard. This award is further proof that we’re accomplishing those goals.”

Districts that show they’ve met the program requirements can apply for either an Meritorious Budget Award MBA or a Pathway to MBA.

“Districts that apply to the MBA or Pathway to the MBA programs recognize the importance of presenting a high-quality, easy-to-understand budget internally and to the community,” ASBO International Executive Director David J. Lewis said. “By participating in the programs, not only do districts have access to the tools and resources they need to communicate the district’s goals and objectives clearly, they demonstrate their commitment to upholding nationally recognized budget presentation standards.”

June 27, 2019 - A new bond program was proposed to the AISD Board of Trustees by AISD administration and the Capital Needs Steering Committee at the Board of Trustees meeting June 25.

See the PowerPoint presentation and .

The Board of Trustees appointed 37 individuals to serve on a Capital Needs Steering Committee and charged the committee to provide recommendations to the Board for prioritized facility and identified capital needs through 2025 to support the District's strategic plan.

The full Committee met six times and subcommittees met a total of four times from January through June 2019 to assist in prioritizing identified capital needs presented by the Administration. Community meetings and surveys were conducted to gather input to inform the Committee's work. Capital needs were prioritized based on data from enrollment forecasts, a comprehensive capital needs assessment, and results of community surveys.

The co-chairs of the CNSC, Jeannie Deakyne and Gara Hill assisted in presenting the Committee's final recommendations to the Board at the meeting on Tuesday. A partner with Cooperative Strategies, the AISD's consultant for the facility master planning process, was also on hand to answer questions along with AISD administrators involved with the assessment.

Board members followed the presentation with questions and requests for more data. The Board will then reconvene in August to consider the proposed bond program and decide if it wants to call for a bond election. A bond proposition must be called for by the Board by Aug. 19 for it to be included in the November election.

June 12, 2019 - The Capital Needs Steering Committee met for the final time Monday evening before it presents to the 91��Ƭ�� Board of Trustees on June 25. The committee has been meeting since January to help the AISD develop a new bond program.

AISD Superintendent Dr. Marcelo Cavazos opened the evening by thanking the committee members for their dedication and commitment to helping the AISD develop plans to solve persistent issues and to make the AISD a premier district for all of its students.

AISD Chief Financial Officer Cindy Powell followed Dr. Cavazos and explained several potential changes to the proposed bond program along with some additional cuts. Committee members then had time to break into small groups, discuss these changes and offer feedback.

Powell concluded the meeting by thanking the committee.

“You guys have processed a mountain of information,” she said.

She emphasized that the influence the committee members have had on the bond-development process will ultimately influence the entire community.

Now, the CNSC’s chairs will prepare its bond program recommendation to present to the AISD Board of Trustees on June 25.

May 15, 2019 – The Capital Needs Steering Committee (CNSC) met last night as it moves closer to making a recommendation for a new bond program. One more meeting is planned before the committee makes its final report to the AISD Board of Trustees in June.

In this meeting, subcommittee recommendations for the future bond program in the areas of fine arts, transportation, and safety, security and technology were presented, discussed and given consensus approval. Then David Sturtz, of Cooperative Strategies, presented the results from the community dialogue meetings and survey in April and addressed updates to the current list of bond program priorities in the area of facilities. He also highlighted population changes in Arlington over the last five years and how that impacts the school district. Small groups then discussed the facilities list and offered input and suggestions.

The CNSC will have a final discussion of the facilities recommendations at its June 10th meeting and will take a final vote on the facilities recommendations that the committee will include in its report to the Board. 

The Capital Needs Steering Committee (CNSC) is a volunteer committee comprised of community members and AISD staff charged with evaluating and prioritizing the district’s capital needs, which includes evaluation of buildings, transportation, security, technology and more, through 2025. Through a series of meetings, community dialogues and surveys, the committee is reviewing and analyzing the district’s own capital assessment and listening to the community’s priorities and questions. In June, the committee will report its findings to the AISD Board of Trustees and potentially offer a recommendation for a bond program to fund the priorities.

April 3, 2019 – The Capital Needs Steering Committee (CNSC) met for its fourth meeting last night as it helps the 91��Ƭ�� make plans for a future bond program.

Planning for a future bond program has been a long process, including thorough capital needs assessments, community dialogues and the CNSC meetings.

At this point in the process, capital needs have been identified, along with cost estimates, for the areas of facilities, fine arts, transportation, technology and security.

The list of needs is likely too long to fit in one bond package, so the CNSC spent last night’s meeting reviewing the list of options, suggesting priorities, exploring where cuts might be made, and explaining why those cuts could be made.

The next step in the process is to again get feedback from the community. Community dialogues were held in February, and now the district is hosting four more meetings next week now that the bond planning process is further along. Members of the CNSC will assist in leading discussions about the identified capital needs and seek community input on priorities. An online survey will also be open to the community from April 11-21 at .

The community dialogue meeting schedule is:

The Capital Needs Steering Committee (CNSC) is a volunteer committee comprised of community members and AISD staff charged with evaluating and prioritizing the district’s capital needs, which includes evaluation of buildings, transportation, security, technology and more, through 2025. Through a series of meetings, community dialogues and surveys, the committee is reviewing and analyzing the district’s own capital assessment and listening to the community’s priorities and questions. In June, the committee will report its findings to the AISD Board of Trustees and potentially offer a recommendation for a bond program to fund the priorities.

March 20, 2019 - The Capital Needs Steering Committee met last night at the AISD Professional Development Center to continue reviewing and prioritizing the AISD’s capital needs.

The committee first received a presentation from a member of the AISD’s Financial Futures Committee (FFC). The presentation reviewed the district’s financial status, its sources of revenue and its projected future, and then concluded with the FFC’s recommendation for a Tax Ratification Election (TRE).

Following the financial presentation, David Sturtz, consultant with , presented a list of district capital needs for the elementary, junior high and high school levels, along with needs for support facilities, technology and security, and fine arts. The list had been developed using input from the CNSC’s subcommittees, community dialogue meetings held in February, a community survey, a two-day options development meeting with AISD administrators, and a districtwide capital needs assessment. CNSC members then had time to discuss the list of needs in small groups and offer feedback.

The committee will continue to review the options and offer feedback at its next meeting on April 2.

See the meeting materials.

Jan. 25, 2019 - The Capital Needs Steering Committee (CNSC) held its second meeting on Jan. 22, as it begins its charge to analyze and prioritize the AISD’s capital needs.

After introductions from the committee chairs, AISD Chief Financial Officer Cindy Powell presented answers to questions submitted by the committee members at the first CNSC meeting. (Read the questions and answers in the meeting materials.) Then the committee reviewed a draft of a community survey about the district’s capital needs and offered suggestions.

The survey, which will be available online, will be given to attendees at the upcoming community dialogue meetings on Feb. 4 and 5 (Meeting times and locations). Each meeting is open to the public and will include a brief review of the 2014 Bond program, a presentation of the AISD’s own capital needs assessment developed over the past year, small group discussions and the survey. The input from the meetings will be collected and reviewed by the CNSC and used to assist its evaluation of the district’s capital needs and any recommendations it gives to the AISD Board of Trustees.

CNSC Meeting Materials – Jan. 22. 2019

CNSC Meeting Materials – Jan. 8, 2019

The 2019 Capital Needs Steering Committee kicked off with its first meeting last Thursday at the AISD Dan Dipert Career and Technical Center. The new committee members received an overview of the AISD’s program and the district’s current capital needs assessment.

The volunteer committee, comprised of community members and AISD staff, is charged with evaluating and prioritizing the district’s capital needs through 2025. Through a series of meetings and community dialogues, the committee will review and analyze the district’s own capital assessment and listen to the community’s desires and concerns. In June, the 2019 Capital Needs Steering Committee will report to the AISD Board of Trustees with its own assessment of capital needs and offer a recommendation for a bond program to fund the priorities.

John Hibbs, AISD Board Vice President, welcomed and thanked the new committee members at the meeting and highlighted their important role.

“You’re going to be helping us road map the direction that our district is going to take,” he said.

“Roll up your sleeves.”