School Board appreciation month
BISD Board of Trustees honored

Wanda Nichols Photo BOARD RECOGNITION & APPRECIATION -- Members of the Chandler Intermediate student council honored the Brownsboro ISD Board of Trustees during Monday night's meeting with a presentation of goodies for the Board's hard work and dedication to the school district. Pictured (L-R) CIS student council members Gabe Grantham, 5th grade; Ryan Wellman, 4th; Joey Duncan, 6th; Devin Carver, 4th; Wyatt Bynum, secretary/treasurer, 6th; Abbey Adair, president, 6th; Tom DeBoer, 5th; Kaylan Harris, 6th; Chad Costlow, 5th; Jerry Don Satterfield, 4th; and Cody Cade, 4th; school board members Joey Ridgle, John Hartsfield, Becky Grahtham, Charles Anderson, Board President Joel Irwin, Dusty Wise, and Bobby Teague.

A very special group of young students were on hand Monday night to honor the Brownsboro ISD Board of Trustees for their dedication and contribution to the school district during the Board's regularly scheduled meeting.

With January designated as Board Appreciation Month, representatives from the Chandler Intermediate student council - Abbey Adair, president; Wyatt Bynum, secretary/treasurer; Gabe Grantham, Ryan Wellman, Joey Duncan, Devin Carver, Tom DeBoer, Kaylan Harris, Chad Costlow, Jerry Don Satterfield, and Cody Cade, introduced themselves and listed the group's accomplishments before presenting gifts of goodies to the board.

The list of those accomplishments include selling 352 poinsettias, visiting the Chandler Nursing Center to sing Christmas carols and give out cards and treats; raising over a ton of canned goods for God's Open Hands; recycling paper, plastic and aluminum items; and collecting 5,034 soda can tabs that will provide 83 hours of free chemotherapy to children.

In regular business, the Board approved the results of the outside audit presented by J.W. Lambright of Smith, Lambright & Associates, P.C., of the District's financial transactions performed by the District personnel during fiscal year 2005-2006.

"Overall I think the report is very positive," Lambright said.

Cindy Bright, the School District's Public Education Information Management System (PEIMS) clerk and the person responsible for seeing all of the District's fixed assets are properly accounted for presented a report on the District's fixed assets, and explained what is included on the list of fixed assets and when they are removed. No action was taken on Mrs. Bright's report.

BISD Assistant Superintendent Vicki York reported to the public and Board, during a hearing, the results of the school district's academic progress as indicated by the results of the state-generated District and Campus Academic Excellence Indicator System (AEIS) report.

She reported, in most cases, the school district's performance was above the state and regional level, but still had room for improvement.

"We know if we're going to get our kids up there, we have to set higher expectations," Mrs. York said.

Mrs. York said the school district achieved a "Recognized" accountability rating for 2006. Four individual campuses, Brownsboro and Chandler Elementary schools, and Brownsboro and Chandler Intermediate schools also received the "Recognized" accountability rating for 2006. Brownsboro High, Junior High and the ACES Campus each received an "Academically Acceptable " rating.

Accountability ratings are the district and campus ratings assigned by the 2006 state accountability system. Districts and campuses are evaluated on performance on the TAKS (Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills), SDAA II (State-Developed Alternative Assessment), completion rate and annual dropout rate. Possible ratings are Exemplary, Recognized, Academically Acceptable, Academically Unacceptable, and Not rated.

The board approved the BISD Educational Improvement Plan for 2006-2007 presented by Mrs. York.

Goals and Objectives in the Improvement Plan for the school district include:

*90 percent of the students in each student group will meet or exceed expectations as defined in the Chart of Expectations for TAKS-tested content areas.

*Increase the high school completion rate to 95 percent or more. Last year's high school rate is estimated at about 91 percent.

*85 percent of graduates ready to enroll in college.

*100 percent of teachers teaching core academic subjects will meet the No Child Left Behind "highly qualified" requirements.

*Raise student performance on ACT/SAT tests by 5 percent

*Improve attendance to 96 percent

*Decrease the dropout rate to one percent or less, decrease school violence, and promote campus safety and involvement

*Promote parental involvement by providing opportunities to participate in their child's activities and educational opportunities

The board authorized the District Tax Collector to issue refund checks to district tax payers, financial institutions and businesses that have overpaid their taxes or made duplicate payments.

Currently the tax office refunds these duplicate or overpayments as needed but does so with money orders. The District's auditor, J.W. Lambright recommended the school district change this procedure and authorize the District's tax collector to repay these duplicate payments or overpayments by check. By doing so, this will allow the overpayment to be deposited into the tax account and refunded out making a better paper trail for the money.

Also approved was the purchase of up to three new 71- passenger school buses, at the cost of just over $77,000 each or $231,000 for all three. The buses will be purchased in September and paid for out of the 2007-2008 school year.

Finally, the Board authorized the replacement of the east and west windows, doors, and toilet partitions for the old Brownsboro Elementary gym. This facility is used by the community four to five nights a week during Little Dribbler season.

The Brownsboro ISD Board of Trustees meet the second Monday of the month at 7:00 p.m., in the Administration Building. All parents, faculty and members of the community are welcome to attend.