Thorndale ISD recognizes businesses for service

The Thorndale ISD Board of Trustees recognized a group of business and community partners for their service to Thorndale ISD during its meeting July 16. 

Superintendent Adam Ivy explained that the district had submitted these names to the business recognition program through the Texas Association of School Boards and that each business or community organization would receive a thank you packet in the mail. He said without the community and business partners many of the things the district does for students would not be possible.  

Those recognized at this meeting were:  A Swat Pest Control, Accent Plumbing, Apache Pass, Big Texas Hair, BS Tire, City of Thorndale, Climate Control, Darrel’s Barber Shop, Floyd’s Glass, G&T Truck and Auto, Gattis Pizza, Jack Hilliard Dozer Services and Materials, K&T Catering, KRXT Radio-Rockdale, Melde Electric, M&G Designs, Prosperity Bank, Rockdale Federal Credit Union, Rockdale Signs, Sassy Up, Thorndale Chamber of Commerce, Thorndale Champion, Thorndale Meat Market, Thorndale Police Department, Top Hat Services, Uptown Café, Vic’s Heat and Air, Will’s Garage, and Woelfel Automotive.

Ivy also made a brief presentation on the recent STAAR scores that were released. He explained that in 18 of the 23 testing areas that TISD was ahead of the state average. He told the board that in the five areas that were below the state average the campus principals and teachers were already making adjustments to address those deficits even before scores were released. 

The next items on the agenda were proposed revisions to local policies CKC local, DH local, and GKA local, which deal with the recent creation of a Guardian program. Ivy explained that due to a timing issue involved with a recent update the policies that were used to make changes during June were not written from the correct version. He said that the board had already approved all of the details of these policies but that this needed to be consolidated into a single policy. The board voted 5-0 to approve these updates.   

Ivy also presented the first reading of policy Update 111. He stated that this update covers a few local policies that cover board continuing education hours, financial ethics, criminal history checks, drug testing and concealed carry. He stated that no action was necessary at this point.

Ivy then presented a Memorandum of Understanding with the University of Texas at Permian Basin. This is the university that provides dual credit services to TISD students. He stated that the board did not need to take action but that he wanted to inform them of a recent development. He said that during the last week of June he had received a letter from UTPB stating that they would be increasing the tuition from $150 per course to $300 per course. It also stated that tuition would have to be paid in full by the 12 day of class. Ivy explained that he had called the president’s office and spoke with the provost. He explained to the provost that this information was coming very late and that it could affect some of our student’s ability to afford their tuition. The university did not change the tuition fee back to $150 but they did agree to allow students to pay over the course of the semester to make it more affordable.  

The board was presented with a list of transfer student applicants for 2018-19 that included the acceptance and denial list. Ivy stated that the district continues to be closed to middle school and high school transfers due to increased enrollment at the high school level. He also reported that no Pre-Kindergarten or Kindergarten transfers would be accepted unless they have previous records from another school or pre-school to use a reference.  

Business manager Rebecca Peel gave a quick update on the progress of the upcoming budget and the 2018-19 compensation plan. The plan will officially provide normal step raises to those employees on pay scales and 1.5 percent pay increases to those that are not on step scales.  Those full-time employees who are at the top of a pay scale will receive a $500 increase. The board voted 5-0 to approve the 2018-19 compensation plan.

The board entered closed session to discuss personnel and school safety.  

They returned and voted 6-0 to regretfully accept the resignations of Meghan Esau and Taunja Shroeder.  

Peel presented a single budget amendment to help fund the recently created Guardian Program. The board voted 6-0 to approve the amendment. 

The Board set the dates for special budget meetings in Aug. 6 and 27 along with the regular meeting on Aug. 20.