LISD Board Approves Superintendent’s Evaluation/Contract
Election Scheduled for May 5
By Will Johnson
Messenger Reporter
LATEXO – After over four hours in executive session, the Latexo Independent School District Board of Trustees approved the renewal of LISD Superintendent Dr. Stacy Easterly’s contract.
The contract approval, along with several other items of business, were addressed during a regularly scheduled meeting of the board which began on Jan. 18 and concluded on Jan. 19.
The meeting began at 6 p.m. with an appreciation dinner for the board to help celebrate School Board Appreciation Month. Following the dinner, the board convened in regular session to deliberate on school related matters.
After over three hours in open session, the board retired behind closed doors to discuss Easterly’s contract. When the trustees returned to open session just after 1 a.m., a motion was made, seconded and approved to extend the superintendent’s through the 2021 school year.
Prior to the contract deliberation, the LISD Board approved a resolution calling for an election to be held on May 5. Positions three and four will appear on the ballot for consideration.
“The deadline for filing for a place on the ballot is Feb. 16. Early voting begins Monday, April 23 and the election is Saturday, May 5,” Easterly informed the board.
As the meeting continued, the approval of TASB Policy Update 109 was discussed by the board members. TASB Policy Update 109 encompasses changes in law from the 85th Legislative Session that have an immediate effect on the governance and management of the district. The items covered in the update include:
- Board member requests for records and visits to campuses;
- Security of polling places;
- District investments;
- Criminal history for contractors and subcontractors;
- Prepaid meal card/accounts for students;
- Board delegation of certain termination actions;
- Employee standards of conduct, including electronic communications with students;
- Possession of firearms on locked vehicles in district parking areas;
- Cameras in special education classrooms;
- Parental notification of certain educator misconduct with students;
- Transportation funding for areas with a high risk of violence;
- Student issues, including attendance, bullying, mental health, and lice notification;
- Refusing entry to or ejecting persons from district property and visits by sex offenders to district premises;
- Responding to Public Information Act requests;
- Opportunities for patriotic society representatives to speak to students.
In other matters brought before the board:
- A resolution with Grapeland State Bank concerning interest rates and financial investment vehicles was approved by the board.
- A lengthy discussion on the repair of a bus was held but the matter was tabled for further discussion.
- Consent agenda items were approved.
- Business Manager Jo Lane provided an update to the trustees on the 2018-2019 budget process and some of the items being talked about for fund reallocation.
- The trustees also deliberated making changes to the current drug-testing policy implemented in the district.
Will Johnson may be contacted via e-mail at [email protected].
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