Brownwood News – The Brownwood ISD (BISD) Board of Trustees met for a regular session meeting on Monday, February 11, 2019 at 6:30 p.m. The session was called to order by Board President, Michael Cloy. Southside Church Youth Ministry Intern, Christian Garcia, gave the invocation. The Pledge of Allegiance was led by Coggin Intermediate School (CIS) students, Andre Martinez, Ariana Rodriguez, and Eric Smith. Following the pledge, the CIS 6th Grade Choir performed a song under the direction of music teacher, Mrs. Krissi Weid.

 

INSTRUCTIONAL FOCUS

BISD Deputy Superintendent, Liesa Land provided the latest data from the DIBELS assessment system. The Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS) are a set of procedures and measures for assessing the acquisition of early literacy skills. When comparing the data (K-6th Grade) collected from the beginning of the year (BOY) to the middle of the year (MOY), it shows overall positive student progress from Tier 2 & 3 (additional help needed) to Tier 1 (goal skill level for that grade).

RECOGNITIONS

The following groups and individuals were recognized by BISD and were presented with certificates highlighting their achievements.

BISD Spotlight Teachers and Staff:

The Brownwood ISD Spotlight recognizes members of the BISD faculty and staff who go the extra mile to ensure excellence in education for all our students. Spotlight recipients are chosen from peer nominations. February 2019 honorees were Woodland Heights Elementary 3rd grade teacher, Christy Couch, and BISD HVAC Technician, Kelly Wheeler.

Spotlight honorees are pictured with BISD Trustee, Codie Smith, Director of Facilities, Justin Felts, and Woodland Heights Elementary Principal, Jenny Swanzy.

Academic UIL – Brownwood Middle School

Pictured are Brownwood Middle School (BMS) students that placed in their Academic UIL events along with BISD Trustee, Eric Evans and BMS teacher and UIL Coordinator, Melody Smith.

UIL One-Act Play – Brownwood Middle School

Pictured are BMS students that competed in UIL One-Act Play along with BISD Trustee, Eric Evans, and BMS One-Act Play Coordinators, Brittany Martin and Jennifer Evetts.

BHS Varsity Football Awards

Pictured are BHS students that earned Varsity Football Awards along with BISD Trustee, Diane Thompson, and BISD Athletic Director, Sammy Burnett.

SUPERINTENDENT’S REPORT

BISD Superintendent, Dr. Joe Young provided an update on retirements, resignations, and new hires within the district. Information regarding budget, personnel, and upcoming TASB Summer Leadership Institute (SLI) dates were also presented.

Dr. Young noted that BISD Counselors and Special Populations Director, Landry Blackstock had recently presented at a conference in San Antonio with regards to the counseling programs at BISD and they had attended sessions regarding mental health.

To conclude the report, Dr. Young highlighted the BHS Boys and Girls Basketball teams which have both made the playoffs, with the boys having won their first District Championship since 1991.

DISCUSSION & ACTION ITEMS

DEPARTMENTAL REPORTS

Budget Calendar: A calendar was provided that contained target dates for regular budget activities and processes through September 2019.

School Nutrition Report: Southwest Food Excellence representative, Hunter Aaron, presented a report regarding the status of the Food Service Department and ongoing initiatives. Aaron highlighted the success of their Healthy Helpers program, as well as a new concept called the 2 Bite Club which encourages younger students to take 2 bites before they decide if they like a particular food. The addition of the Lion’s Den at BHS is continuing to grow in popularity, with offerings of frozen yogurt, coffee, hot chocolate, slushes and fresh donut holes. Aaron also provided a schedule for hamburger cookouts at each campus and noted that they are serving an average of 199 adult free meals a day for staff, with continued positive feedback. In addition, the department has recently secured approximately $80,000 worth of free commodity food.

Pre-K, Kindergarten, & Head Start Roundup: Dates and times for upcoming Pre-K, Kindergarten, and Head Start pre-registrations was provided. A flyer with the information has been prepared and will be released to the community.

Team of 8 Board Training Update: The board met with Dr. Young on Friday, February 1st, to go over goals and objectives for the district to be worked on throughout the year.

PUBLIC HEARING ON TEXAS ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE REPORT (TAPR):

BISD Trustee Evans made a motion to enter a public hearing for the TAPR. The motion was seconded by Trustee Jones and the motion passed unanimously. The TAPR pulls together a wide range of information on the performance of students in each school and district in Texas every year. Liesa Land explained sections of the report that provide data on how BISD compares to the state average with regards to teachers and staff with bachelor’s and master’s degrees. Land pointed out other report categories including discipline, financial, district accreditation,

and post-secondary student enrollment. Land noted that the report data is behind 2 years and reflects information from the 2016-17 school year. Regarding post-secondary tracking, Land stated that there hasn’t been a good method to track seniors after they leave, but counselors are continuing to explore available options.

CONSIDER APPROVAL OF 2019-2020 SCHOOL CALENDAR

The District’s Site-Based Decision Making Committee met, as well as solicited input from their campuses in order to develop two calendars. The staff was also polled for their preference between the calendars. Based on the results, a recommendation was made to approve Calendar 1. BISD Trustee Jacobs made a motion to approve Calendar 1, as presented. Trustee Jones seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously.

CONSENT AGENDA

The following items were listed for consideration on the Consent Agenda.

  1. Approval of Woodland Heights Fundraiser
  2. Approval of BHS Fundraisers
  3. Minutes from January 14, 2019 Board Meeting
  4. Minutes from February 1, 2019 Board Meeting

Trustee Evans moved that the Consent Agenda be approved as presented, with Trustee Jones seconding the motion. The motion was unanimously approved.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

The following announcements were made for upcoming events:

  • President’s Day Holiday – February 18, 2019
  • Early Release/Bluebonnet Relays – March 8, 2019
  • Spring Break – March 11-15, 2019
  • Next Board Meeting – March 18, 2019

EXECUTIVE SESSION

The board moved into executive session at 7:31 p.m. to discuss personnel matters. They returned to open session at 8:05 p.m.

CONSIDERATION OF APPROVAL OF ADMINISTRATOR CONTRACTS: The Board reviewed a recommended list of Administrator contracts for the upcoming year(s). Trustee Jacobs moved that the contracts be approved as recommended, with Trustee Thompson offering the second. The motion was approved unanimously.