BISD gearing up for new school year

Trustee Jennifer Humphries and BHS Principal Don Elsom concur on color selections for seat covers in the new auditorium. Van’Go’photo Educating the children of our community is yearround work, and at the regular monthly meeting of the BISD School Board on July 20 Superintendent Jackie Thomason and the trustees were taking care of business and getting ready for the beginning of the 2009-10 school year. They took a final review of the dress code, Student Code of Conduct and handbooks for each campus, then approved those in a split vote. Prices for school breakfasts and lunches were set, and kept the same as last year. An elementary school intervention program for science and math -- similar to the Reading First program which has been so successful at BES -- was approved. It will be funded from available existing grants and at no additional cost to the district. Upon the recommendation of Jeannine Myers, the Board voted to again contract with the company which provided the district's 2008-09 student athletic insurance. The Board reviewed two bids and voted to again contract with Ryder Oil for the district's fuel. They also reviewed and approved changes to improve the traffic route plan at Buffalo Junior High School, as submitted by Principal Lacy Freeman. Mr. Freeman's request to add a speech class to the junior high curricululm was also approved, and it will count as a high school credit. At the high school, a career preparation course request was approved. Principal Don Elsom was also authorized to renew the Optional Flexible Year Program which has been successful in helping boost student achievement on the TAKS tests by offering TAKS Academy.

ACI Architect Paul Mc- Cullough presented an update on the new high school. Highlights included the news that (1) classroom wings A and B are taped and textured and ready to be painted; (2) in the gym almost all the bleachers are poured; (3) the masonry is coming on around the building.

In a facililties-related item later in the meeting, the Board was presented with four bids for the cabling for technology in the new building, and they approved (contingent upon acceptable references) the low bid offered by J&L Technology ($43,260) over those of Ample Computer Services, Lantana Communications and Level One Technology.

Superintendent Thomason passed along a thank you letter from Ben Port for the Casey Scholarship funds which he received as an ongoing student at Texas A&M.

The Board was informed of a change in the football schedule. The first game will now be Saturday, August 29 at Rockdale, against Austin East Side Memorial. In other agenda items: - The Board reviewed the Board Operating Procedure, and at the recommendation of Dr. Russell Jonas a copy will be available at each campus principal's office. - The Board was informed that a Child Abuse Conference will be available on Friday, August 14 in Groesbeck. - A decision to transfer the district's legal services was postponed to further investigate fees.

Following an executive session at the end of the meeting, the Board approved the employment of Blake Porter as a coach/science teacher, approved local policy DEC as presented, and approved final adjustments to the professional staff compensation plan contingent upon federal stimulus funds.

The Board will meet again on August 3 for a special Team Building meeting.