Brazosport ISD Board Highlights

Extra Mile Award
The Board of Trustees recognized the Lake Jackson Optimists Club for their continued sponsorship and dedication to the C.H.I.C.K.E.N. Club project. In assisting the Board with the presentation, Stuart Dornburg, Executive Director of Administrative Services, recounted that Gordon Willis (deceased), an early Lake Jackson Optimists Club member, founded the C.H.I.C.K.E.N. (Cool, Honest, Intelligent, Clear-Headed, Keen, Energetic, and Not-Interested in Drugs) Club after attending an Optimists International Conference in Houston and hearing about the anti-drug program. Currently, all fourth grade students in the District attend an anti-drug rally in September which serves as a “kick-off” to the many on-going substance abuse prevention activities conducted on the elementary campuses. The rally is coordinated by the PALS and other student organizations from both high schools and culminates with a strong anti-drug message from a well known speaker. Board members enthusiastically presented an Extra Mile Award to Bill Renner, Chairman of the C.H.I.C.K.E.N. Club project, and other members of the Lake Jackson Optimists Club for their annual contribution of time and financial support for the C.H.I.C.K.E.N. Club rally.

Campus Recognition
The Board of Trustees honored O. M. Roberts Elementary School for being named to the Texas Business & Education Coalition (TBEC) “Honor Roll.” Mr. Dornburg explained that TBEC identifies Honor Roll schools by analyzing three years of performance and only selects schools having a high percentage of students meeting state standards on the TAKS test in all subjects. Selection criteria also account for each school’s student demographics, numbers of subjects tested, and grades served. Mr. Dornburg stated that the TBEC Honor Roll is one of the most prestigious awards for sustained, whole-school academic excellence in Texas, with only 219 elementary schools in the state and only 28 elementary schools in Region 4 receiving this recognition. This is O.M. Roberts Elementary School’s fourth year in a row to receive this outstanding award.

Walk for Habitat
Serena Andrews, Sharon Rodgers, Art Colwell, and Paul Perdue, representing Brazoria County Habitat for Humanity, announced the ninth annual Habitat Walk scheduled for November 3, 2007, and thanked Board members and the District’s teachers, staff members, and students for their past support of the “Walk.” Mrs. Rodgers stated that the Walk has generated a considerable amount of financial support for Brazoria County Habitat over the past eight years.

Public Hearing on Schools FIRST
The Board held a public hearing to report the Schools FIRST (Financial Integrity Rating System of Texas) accountability rating for 2007. Executive Director of Business Services, Michael Abild, explained that the Schools FIRST program was developed by the Texas Education Agency to achieve quality performance in the management of school districts’ financial resources and that 2007 is the fifth year Texas school districts have been rated under the system. Mr. Abild reviewed the 21 individual performance indicators included in the Schools FIRST accountability system and announced that the District’s overall rating was “Superior Achievement,” the State’s highest rating. Board members thanked Mr. Abild for his presentation and commended the District for meeting all of the Schools FIRST indicators.

Update on Graduation/Completion Rates
Becky Rinehart, Executive Director of Curriculum and Accountability, presented an update on the District’s various initiatives to improve graduation/completion rates. Mrs. Rinehart began her presentation by reminding Board members and the audience that the “graduation rate” is used for AYP accountability and that the “completion rate” is used for state accountability, and by explaining the differences between the two. Mrs. Rinehart stated that the graduation/completion rates of the Class of 2007 will be indicators for the District’s 2008 accountability rating. Mrs. Rinehart continued by stating that significant progress has been made by the high schools and the LLC in recovering students since her last report and shared predicted graduation/completion rates for the Class of 2007 compared to the Class of 2006. Mrs. Rinehart concluded her presentation by reviewing the District’s plans for increasing completion rates and by describing new opportunities for alternative scheduling at the LLC. Following Mrs. Rinehart’s presentation, Brazosport High School Principal, Gary Jones; Brazoswood High School Principal, Steve Snell; and Lighthouse Learning Center Principal, Mike Hall; reviewed completion rate initiatives and recovery statistics for each of their respective campuses. Following the presentation, Superintendent Ripple was joined by Board members in congratulating Mrs. Rinehart and the principals and their staffs for their hard work and diligence.

2007-2008 Budget Amendment
Board members approved a $345,796 amendment to the 2007-2008 expenditure budget to incorporate 2006-2007 purchase orders remaining unpaid as of the District’s fiscal year-end of August 31, 2007.

Nominations to the Board of Directors of the Brazoria County Appraisal District
The Board nominated the following individuals as candidates for the Board of Directors of the Brazoria County Appraisal District:

Textbook Selection Committee
Board members approved the following individuals to serve on the official Textbook Selection Committee for 2007-2008:

Enrollment/Attendance Report
Stuart Dornburg, Executive Director of Administrative Services, presented Board members with a District enrollment report as of September 28, 2007, reporting a 28-student increase over the corresponding date last year. Mr. Dornburg also reported that inter-district transfers (transfers from other school districts) were up by 23 students over the same time last year, while intra-district transfers (transfers between campuses) currently total 471.

Senate Bill 670
Michael Abild, Executive Director of Business Support Services, presented an informational report on Senate Bill 670, dealing with the length of trustee terms. Mr. Abild reported that the legislation was passed by the 80th Session of the Texas Legislature in response to earlier legislation requiring school districts to conduct their elections jointly with either a city within the district or with the county in November of even-numbered years. Mr. Abild reviewed the major provisions of the Bill and noted that action, if any, must be taken by December 31, 2007. Mr. Abild concluded his report by presenting several transition plans that would allow a seven-member board to move from three-year terms, with elections every year, to four-year terms, with elections every other year.

Personnel Actions
In addition to other personnel actions discussed in Executive Session, the Board of Trustees named Judy Thacker as Principal of O. M. Roberts Elementary School, effective immediately.

Other Actions
In other actions, the Board approved the official minutes of the August 27, and September 4, 2007, Board meetings; approved the financial statements for August 2007; awarded contracts for athletic supplies & equipment (track, baseball & softball); and approved a recommendation from the Brazoria County Property Tax Resale Committee to sell delinquent tax property held in trust by Brazoria County.