October 1, 2002
The Board of Trustees recognized Karen Toomer, parent volunteer at Stephen F. Austin Elementary School, as a recipient of an "Extra Mile Award" for October. The Extra Mile Award is awarded monthly to those individuals who have shown a dedication to the children of the District and a willingness to "go the extra mile.'' Ms. Toomer was nominated by Principal, Michael Hall, and the faculty of Stephen F. Austin Elementary for her leadership as a parent volunteer for the past three years. Ms. Toomer was instrumental in reviving the PTO at that campus, and has served as a key member on the executive PTO Board and as the school's DEIC representative. Her work in fundraising, community workdays, and the yearly Gatorfest has contributed to a nurturing and pleasant environment for the students and staff at Austin Elementary.
Mrs. Jolene Renfro, Mr. Mike Golden, and Mr. Larry Potter, representing the Sam Houston State University (SHSU) Alumni Association (Brazoria County Chapter) presented the District with a check, in the amount of $1,588.06, in support of the Project Teach Program. The Project Teach Program is a collaborative project, involving the District, Brazosport College, and SHSU, that provides scholarships to Brazosport and Brazoswood High School graduates interested in becoming teachers and teaching in the Brazosport Independent School District.
Charlene
Burgner, Executive Director of Instruction, presented the 2002-2003
District/Campus Performance Objectives to Board members for their consideration.
Mrs. Burgner reviewed each of the six District Performance Objectives, as
well as associated Performance Objectives for elementary, middle and
intermediate, and high school campuses and the Alternative Placement Center.
Mrs. Burgner reported that the associated District and Campus Improvement
Plans are currently undergoing a comprehensive review to ensure compliance with
TEA components, DEC indicators, and No Child Left Behind requirements, and will
be presented for Board consideration at the December meeting.
Following Mrs. Burgner’s presentation, Board members voted to approve
the 2002-2003 District/Campus Performance Indicators.
Executive Director of Special Programs, Dr. Rosa Maria Garcia, was joined by Special Programs Coordinator, Dr. Sylvia Castro, and Teacher/Facilitator, Gail Schultz, in presenting Board members with an overview of the District's Newcomer Center Program. Dr. Castro explained the need for the Newcomer Center and the criteria for placement, and reported that students participating in the program are currently housed at Rasco Middle School where they participate in a three-hour block of instruction each day. The stated goals of the program are for participating students to improve 2-6 levels on the oral and language proficiency test, to ensure that students enjoy attending school and are motivated to graduate, and to better prepare students for academic success. Currently, 15 high school and 5 intermediate school students participate in the program. Students participate in the program for one year before returning to their regular classrooms.
Faithe Koser,
Reading/Language Arts Curriculum Facilitator, presented the District's grades
K-2 reading achievement results for the 2001-2002 school year. Mrs. Koser's
presentation focused on the following questions: · Why is the District
assessing reading in grades K-2? · What kind of testing is the District doing?
· How are District students doing in satisfaction of the State's goal of 95% of
all students reading at grade level by third grade? · What is the District
doing if a student is not making progress? Mrs. Koser reported that 94.7% of
kindergarten students, 96.1% of first-graders, and 93.7% of second-graders
successfully completed reading assessments last year, and described various
strategies being deployed to support the "struggling readers." Board
members thanked Mrs. Koser and the District's reading teachers and other
educators for participating in this important initiative.
Mr. Mike Kohn, with Convergint Technologies, presented a demonstration of a digital surveillance system to Board members. Mr. Kohn reported that technology associated with such systems has come a long way, and now allows both real-time surveillance monitoring and instant play-back and printing. Mr. Kohn stated that modern systems are triggered by motion detectors and allow for remote camera control (with zoom capabilities), remote monitoring, and authorized users to monitor images from any networked desktop computer. Board members questioned Mr. Kohn on the system's network requirements and cost, warranty period, maintenance requirements, and upgradeability. Robert Daughrity, Director of Technology/Media Services, explained that the District is currently considering similar surveillance equipment for Brazosport and Brazoswood High Schools and the Alternative Placement Center, and stated that a recommendation would be made to the Board at a later meeting.
Board members approved a $352,954 amendment to the 2002-2003 expenditure budget to incorporate 2001-2002 purchases orders unpaid as of the District's fiscal year-end of August 31, 2002.
Board members approved the following individuals to serve on the Official Textbook Selection Committee for 2002-2003: Norma Molina, Kathy Garza, Judy Roskosky, Mary Stewart, Tholocco Melton, Janelle Button, Alan Standlee, Linda Kesler, Sheri Minter, Janice Eubank, Diane Williams, Karen Miller, Maria Silva, Faithe Koser, and Jackie Brewer. The following individuals will serve as ex-officio members: Rudy Okruhlik, Charlene Burgner, and Karla Christman.
The Board of Trustees voted to postpone reviewing legal policy changes and modifying or deleting local policies, as included in Localized Policy Manual Update 68 and as recommended by the Texas Association of School Boards (TASB), to a future meeting.
Board members appointed
officials to serve as Election Judges and Alternate Judges for the November 5,
2002, special trustee election to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of
Board Member, James P. Saccomanno, representing Single Member Trustee District
7.
Board members discussed various funding strategies for the District's Project Teach Program, including using all or part of the $1 million Pepsi sponsorship payment to endow the program. Board members reviewed the District's original plan to fund Project Teach and the projected annual funding required to sustain the program when fully implemented. Board members also discussed the District's interlocal cooperation agreement with Brazosport College and Sam Houston State University to sponsor the program, as well as the District's contract with the Community Foundation of Brazoria County to administer donated funds and oversee scholarships. After discussing numerous options at length, Board members voted to "table" the item to a future meeting, and requested Superintendent Okruhlik to provide additional information for their review.
Ron Bailey and Van Franks, with PBK Architects, Inc., provided Board members with a budget status report for the various "Interim Bond" projects. Mr. Bailey reviewed each project included in the bond program, comparing each project's actual cost to its respective budget and reviewing its current completion status. Mr. Bailey also distributed a "timeline" of the various projects included in the "Primary Bond" program to Board members, and stated that he would be meeting soon with Mr. Okruhlik and his staff to begin the planning process.
Ron Speir, Director of Student Services, presented Board members with a District enrollment report as of September 27, 2002. Mr. Speir reported that the District experienced a 184 student loss in enrollment as of September 27, 2002, compared to the same period last year. Inter-district transfers (students attending from other districts) are up 61 students over last year's totals and intra-district transfers (transfers between campuses) totaled 430 students. Mr. Speir also reported that 82 of the 126 students reported as drop-outs on August 26, 2002, have been "recovered" in District programs or outside programs. Board members thanked Mr. Speir for his report and the District's efforts in recovering drop-outs.
In other actions, the Board approved the official minutes of the September 2, 2002, Board meeting and financial statements for August 2002.