June 4, 2002
Board members joined in congratulating Freeport Intermediate School and its Principal, Clara Sale-Davis, and her staff for being named a recipient of the prestigious National Blue Ribbon School Award. Freeport Intermediate School is one of only 24 secondary schools in Texas, and one of only 172 nation-wide, selected for the award. The award is given to schools that offer programs that meet the highest academic standards and demonstrate overall excellence that is worthy of respect and emulation by other schools. In assisting the Board with the presentation, Becky Rinehart, Coordinator of Assessment, read the following excerpt from the report recommending Freeport Intermediate School for the award: "The nomination application presented a school rich in examples, specific details, and statistics, which exuded a passion for academic excellence. The school has made a dramatic transformation from an identified low-performing school to a model of caring, educational equity, and ensured success for all students. Knowing and understanding the needs of every child, and delivering educational services tailored to these needs, has engendered a very high level of trust and respect from the community. Teachers are educational innovators, risk takers, and cheerleaders for their students, and they play a powerful role in the success of the school. The principal emerges from the narrative as a vibrant force for positive change. The school has posted dramatic gains in student achievement, reduced disciplinary events, and maintained an incredibly high attendance rate for such a mobile student population. Retention of students has almost disappeared, yet student achievement has risen dramatically."
The Board recognized the following students for academic and athletic achievements during the past school year:
The Lady Exporters were recognized for their "exemplary" 2002 season. The Lady Ships took the District 24-AAAA title with a 12-0 record, before moving on to the Bi-District and Area competitions, where they defeated Dayton 5-2. In the Region Quarter-Finals against Dickinson, they lost 1-0, ending a fine season with a 26-5 record. Coach Rachel Whatley led the girls in their outstanding season.
Brazosport High School "starters" Amberly Darby, Danielle Faulk, Stephanie Herrera, and Amanda Parks were recognized by the Board for each maintaining a GPA of 94 or higher all four years of high school.
The
Board presented “Extra Mile Awards” to the following individuals, in
recognition of their service to BISD as school crossing guards:
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City of Clute: |
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City of
Freeport: |
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City of Jones
Creek: |
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City of Lake
Jackson: |
Cindy Clegg, representing the Texas Association of School Boards (TASB), presented Board members with the results of a study of professional support personnel salaries and extracurricular stipends. Ms. Clegg reported that TASB's study found that professional support personnel are paid competitively, but that the District offers fewer duty days than most districts in the surrounding area for social workers, diagnosticians, and high school counselors, and that the District's existing salary schedule for professional support personnel has no consistent design for step increments for years of experience. In response, Ms. Clegg recommended a new salary schedule for professional support personnel, providing a minimum salary increase of $1,000, with a pay differential of at least $1,000 above that of a teacher with an advanced degree, and "step" increments of no less that $400 for each year of experience. Additional duty days were also recommended for diagnosticians, LSSPs, and high school counselors. TASB's study also found that the District's stipends remain below the market average for most assignments, although significant improvement was noted since last year. Ms. Clegg recommended the District continue its multi-year program to improve the competitiveness of its athletic and other stipends by making additional, targeted stipend enhancements for 2003. Board members voted to approve the recommended professional support personnel salary schedule for 2002-2003, and to delay consideration of the stipend recommendations to a later meeting.
Becky Rinehart, Coordinator
of Assessment, presented the District's preliminary results on the Texas
Assessment of Academic Skills (TAAS) for the 2001-2002 school year. Mrs.
Rinehart reported that preliminary results indicate that most campuses will
receive an "Exemplary" rating for 2002, and that the District should,
once again, receive an overall rating of "Exemplary." Mrs. Rinehart
cautioned that the results are preliminary and are still subject to mobility
adjustments. Board members expressed their satisfaction with the results, and
congratulated teachers, principals, students, and staff for their hard work and
commitment to success.
David Waddell and Clinton Noble, with the Pepsi Bottling Group, presented a one-year overview of Pepsi's exclusive soft-drink vending contract with the District that described where they started, where they are now, and where they are going in the future. In describing their journey, Mr. Noble discussed the District's conversion to Pepsi, "lessons learned," issues that have been addressed and issues still outstanding, product sales and donations, sales commissions and other financial contributions, and key action plans for success. Mr. Noble reported that Pepsi's total financial contribution to the District for the past year totaled over $621,000, with over $108,000 paid to campuses in the form of commissions, and nearly $7,000 given to campuses in the form of product donations. Board members thanked the Pepsi representatives for their report, and asked that additional, comparative data be provided at a future meeting.
Board members enthusiastically approved a Resolution of Appreciation in honor of former Board member, Vicki Kirby. After reading the resolution to Mrs. Kirby and to the audience, Board President, Ron Miles, complimented Mrs. Kirby for her professionalism and preparedness in carrying out her duties as a member of the Board of Trustees from 1996 through 2002. Mr. Okruhlik and other Board members joined Mr. Miles in congratulating Mrs. Kirby for her years of distinguished service on the Board of Trustees.
Board members ordered a special bond election for September 21, 2002, to consider a proposition allowing the District to issue and sell bonds totaling $128.5 million. In recommending the action, Superintendent Okruhlik explained that the $128.5 million referendum represents a continuation of the District's efforts to implement the Master Facility Plan that was developed by the Master Facility Planning Committee and approved by the Board in May. If approved by voters, the $128.5 million issue would provide funding to replace the existing Clute and Lake Jackson Intermediate Schools and the Velasco Elementary School, substantially replace Brazosport High School and Lanier Middle School, and provide badly needed renovations and modernizations to many of the District's other aging campuses. Bond funds would also be provided to purchase school buses and to provide funding for the District's technology, athletic, and career and technology education needs.
Board members unanimously approved a resolution in support of the Texas Economic Development Act (HB 1200) that was passed by the 77th Session of the Texas Legislature. Dan Casey, with Moak, Casey and Associates, LLP, explained to Board members that the Act enables local government officials to authorize local economic development incentives to major industrial taxpayers in the form of property tax relief. Mr. Casey further explained that a "HB 1200 agreement" would assist local industry in attracting new capital investments and jobs to the area and would result in an enhanced tax base and increased enrollment for the District.
Board members voted to approve
the sale of $6 million of Brazosport Independent School District Unlimited Tax
School Building and Refunding Bonds, approved by voters on May 4, 2002. The
"interim bond" proceeds will be used to address district-wide
environmental and safety issues, as well as to provide funding for school buses
and technology, maintenance, and athletic equipment.
The Board held a workshop to review and discuss the preliminary budget for the District's 2002-2003 fiscal year. Michael Abild, Director of Business Services, reported that property values are expected to increase by approximately $211 million for 2002, resulting in an increase in tax revenues of approximately $3 million for the upcoming year. Mr. Abild explained that increased salary and benefit costs represent the largest increase in the 2003 preliminary budget ($2.8 million), including teacher and other professional personnel salary increases recommended by TASB, and a corresponding average 2.5% increase in wages for other employee categories. The preliminary budget also reflects the addition of 9.5 new teaching positions, as well as requests for numerous other increases. Mr. Abild also reported that the District expects its "Robin Hood" payment for 2003 to moderate somewhat to approximately $11.4 million. Budgets for the Long-Range Technology Plan and for district-wide refurbishing projects will continue to be suspended, pending consideration of the Master Facility Plan by voters in September 2002. Superintendent Okruhlik thanked Board members for their participation and direction and stated that the Board would review the 2003 budget again at their July 2 meeting.
The Board of Trustees appointed Eddie Damian as Principal of Madge Griffith Elementary School, and Steven Snell as Principal of Lake Jackson Intermediate School.
Board member, James P. (Jim) Saccomanno, announced his intent to resign from the Brazosport Independent School District Board of Trustees. Board members expressed their regret with Mr. Saccomanno's decision, and announced that formal action to approve the resignation would be scheduled for a later meeting.
In other actions, the Board of Trustees approved the official minutes for the May 7 and May 20, 2002, Board meetings, approved financial statements for April 2002, approved proposals for training room supplies and technology maintenance and support management services, approved 2001-2002 Alternative Placement Center campus performance data for submission to the Texas Education Agency, and re-appointed Insurance Committee member, Debbie Paul, to serve as a Trustee for the District's Employee Medical Benefits Plan Risk Pool.