September 14, 2026
McCallum Library
MINUTES
Present: Administrative Representative Andy Baxa; Teacher/Staff Representatives Elaine Bohls-Graham, Andrea Rogers, Margaret Smith, Thea Ramsey; Student Representative Shiloh Hendrickse; Parent Representatives Stephanie Erlewine, Lindsey Cook, Katy Escandell, Travis Jordan; Community Representative Susan Moffat; Visitors: Rachel Briles, Sarah Spradling, Casey Burns, Nhaila Hendrickse.
1. Call to Order and Welcome. Faculty Co-chair Elaine Bohls-Graham called the meeting of the McCallum CAC to order at 5:41pm. A quorum was present. Principal Andy Baxa and Ms. Bohls-Graham welcomed new and returning members and visitors.
2. Minutes. Minutes of the last CAC meeting of the 2025-26 school year were approved via email prior to the September meeting and posted to the McCallum website.
3. Public Comment. No one present wished to speak.
4. CAC Training. Ms. Bohls-Graham reminded CAC members to complete the required training available on the district’s website. She will also email live links to the training slide deck, noting that some slides have changed from previous years. The McCallum CAC still needs one more student representative and Ms. Bohls-Graham encouraged members to seek out any students who may be interested in serving in this role.
5. Seat New Members. Ms. Bohls-Graham seated new CAC members for the 2026-27 school year.
6. Elect Co-Chairs. Ms. Bohls-Graham thanked Stephanie Erlewine for her service as last year’s s parent co-chair and called for nominations for this year’s co-chairs. Stephanie Erlewine nominated Katy Escandell to serve as parent co-chair, with Margaret Smith seconding; Margaret Smith then nominated Elaine Bohls-Graham to serve as faculty co-chair, with Stephanie Erlewine seconding. CAC members voted unanimously to approve Ms. Escandell and Ms. Bohls-Graham as 2026-27 CAC co-chairs with no abstentions.
7. Principal’s Briefing/Update. Principal Andy Baxa provided an overview of McCallum’s draft Campus Improvement Plan (CIP), noting that some CIP goals are predetermined by AISD administration and may not always align with the campus goals
that were identified in a root cause analysis begun last spring with the McCallum faculty. The draft CIP notes that McCallum received an A and earned five of seven distinctions under the state's accountability ratings, which are largely based on standardized test scores.
The document shows that McCallum’s percentage of economically disadvantaged students has fallen to roughly 18-19%, resulting in McCallum now being compared to more affluent suburban schools, rather than urban ones, under the state
accountability system. However, Mr. Baxa noted that it has become more difficult for schools to identify economically disadvantaged students because some parents are reluctant to complete the required forms due to fears their information may be shared with ICE; he stressed that ICE does not have access to this information, but unfortunately that does not allay all parents’ fears. The draft CIP retains McCallum’s current Mission, Vision, Value Statements though Mr. Baxa plans to ask students for input on the “Characteristics of a Graduate” profile. Areas targeted for improvement in the draft CIP include: disparities in attendance rates, discipline referrals, and Special Education services; increased focus on student learning
needs, including mentorships and vocabulary development; raising the number of industry-based certifications; strengthening accountability scores for lagging groups; aiming for 100% College, Career, and Military Readiness (CCMR) by 2030; providing
teachers with more time for planning and preparation, especially given the transition from Blend to Google Classroom; increasing parent involvement; coordinating school health activities; using advisory lessons to focus on violence prevention; decreasing chronic absenteeism, defined as four unexcused absences per semester; and increasing student performance in Algebra, Biology, and U.S. History. Mr. Baxa noted that McCallum’s current enrollment of 2017 students has made for
congested hallways, though this is improving as incoming students become more familiar with the campus layout. While McCallum's student mobility rates are generally stable, 31.95 percent of current students are identified as at-risk; this includes students experiencing homelessness, many of whom choose to attend McCallum because of its welcoming atmosphere and strong supports. McCallum’s discipline data has improved in the last year, which Mr. Baxa largely attributes to AISD’s cell phone ban. Mr. Baxa noted that the district provides no additional funding or transportation to support McCallum’s Fine Arts Academy, though its presence is enriching for all students. Mr. Baxa expressed concern that proposed boundary changes to McCallum’s attendance zone may decrease the diversity of our student population and encouraged
parents to become involved in those discussions. Boundary changes have been tabled for now but will likely be taken up again in 2027.
In response to a question about how parents can best support teachers, Mr. Baxa said he would make inquiries with the faculty and get back to the CAC with some suggestions in October. Another parent observed that her daughter’s four core classes are all being taught by first-year teachers and asked how they were being supported. Mr. Baxa replied that all first-year teachers receive strong mentoring and support from their more experienced colleagues and administrators, with frequent classroom walk-throughs. He emphasized that McCallum will never let a new teacher flounder.
8. Other Business. Ms. Bohls-Graham reminded CAC members to review the CAC bylaws, which are available on the district website. She will also send a link to the bylaws.
9. Adjourn. There being no further business, the McCallum CAC adjourned its meeting
at 6:37pm.