CISD Recognizes Students, Passes Resolutions

By Will Johnson

Messenger Reporter

CROCKETT – More than 100 Crockett Junior High and High School Students were on hand during the Dec. 19 meeting of Crockett ISD Board of Trustees as they were recognized for their academic, theatrical and athletic prowess.

After the meeting was called to order by CISD Board President Lela Wheeler. The first student recognized by the board was Kara Fiolek for winning state championships in several different shooting events during 4-H competition.

Fiolek was recognized by CISD Superintendent Terry Myers, and the entire CISD Board of Trustees for capturing titles in International Skeet, Bunker Trap and “Whiz Bang” competition.

“Anytime anyone can win even one event shooting in the state of Texas, it is very special and I hope that one day we can see you on the Olympic team,” the CISD Superintendent said.

The next students to be recognized were the Crockett Jr. High UIL Academic team members. Beth Stewart, the Jr. High UIL Coordinator, along with several other UIL sponsors recognized the students for a job well done and for their hard work and preparation for the contest.

“This is the third time (in a row) we have won the UIL District Championship. For our eighth graders, they are three time champions. We had a total of 1,436 points and there was a difference between first and second place of 580 points. We placed in every event and with every team,” Stewart said.

“We had a total of 23 individual first place awards and a total of 21 first place team awards,” she said.

The Area Championship Crockett Bulldog football team was the next group of students to be recognized by the board and superintendent.

“This is the third straight year we have been here and this is also the third straight year we have made it to at least the third round of the playoffs,” AD and Head Football Coach Jimmy Thompson said.

“The first year we went 7-6, last year we went 10-4 and this year we were 11-2. This has been a great group of kids to work with,” he said.

Before Myers moved the board members into the actionable item part of the agenda, he informed the trustees he informed the trustees, the district would be joining an organization known as “The Friends of Texas Schools.”

“It costs us $300 per year and helps to promote all of the things Texas public schools do well,” the superintendent said. “They look at all the good things Texas public schools do and refute all those folks who are running around and saying they are not doing a very good job.”

As he continued, Myers reported the district had contracted with Powell and Leon Consulting services as a result of the ongoing issues the district is having with Serenity Place.

“Y’all know the difficulties we are having with Serenity place. I asked Powell and Leon to put together a consulting service for all the schools that actually have these residential treatment facilities,” Myers said.

“Considering all of the difficulties we have had and with Serenity now looking at becoming a charter school sometime in the future, our interests, both legally and organizationally, we are going to become a member of this community,” he said.

Myers said the fee is $5,000 annually but added it would be worth the price “…considering the gravity of what we are doing over there and the fact that we have $700,000 tied up in a budget over there. I think it would be a small price for us to pay to ensure our interests are represented.”

As the meeting continued, the board unanimously approved a resolution requesting State Senator Robert Nichols and State Representative Trent Ashby “… to author, co-author, and/or support the final passage of legislation that will correct a more than 40-year-old penalty against small/rural school districts with less than 1,600 students in attendance and less than 300 square miles within their boundaries.”

The matter revolves around the financial mechanisms put in place by the Texas Legislature as to how to fund school districts throughout the state. A district with less than 300 square miles and less than 1,600 students is funded less than other districts around the state and the resolution is a means of expressing the desire of smaller districts to band together in an attempt to be funded at an equitable level to larger school districts.

If a bill slated for submission as the Texas Legislature convenes is brought forward and passed, it would mean over $700,000 would be received by Crockett ISD, according to Myers.

A second resolution concerning the new “A-F” accountability system also was approved by the trustees. This resolution called for the Texas Legislature to do away with the newly approved “A-F” ratings system “… and develop a community-based accountability system that empowers school districts to design their own internal system of assessments and accountability that, while meeting general state standards, allows districts to innovate and customize curriculum and instruction to meet the needs of each student and their communities.”

The resolution also calls for the reduction of “high-stakes, standardized tests” and to use a variety of assessments in order to reflect greater validity and accuracy about what students know and can do when held to rigorous standards.

The motion was unanimously approved.

In other matters brought before the CISD Board of Trustees:

• Consent agenda items were approved.
• Myers informed the trustees an agreement with the Little Dribblers organization would be signed in the near future allowing for usage of the district basketball facilities.
• An update on Continuing Education Credit for CISD board members was provided. It showed all board members were at or above the compliance levels.
• It was announced Executive Assistant Angela Fudge was now a Certified School Risk Manager.
• The board approved the disposal of retired, obsolete or non-functioning information technology items.
• JoAnn Gibson was hired as a teacher at Crockett Elementary.

Will Johnson may be contacted via e-mail at [email protected].