The Livingston ISD School Board’s regular meeting for July was highlighted by a public hearing, student recognition and an administrative report on the start of school.
LISD Superintendent Dr. Brent Hawkins’ start of school report began with recognizing staff members during the recent storm.
“I would like to thank every member of our staff,” Hawkins said. “When the hurricane hit, we had the custodial, maintenance, and technology departments that were already embedded in summer preparation to be ready for the start of school. Once the weather hits, they now have remedial work to repair the damage caused by the storm. It pushes the timelines into a much more restrictive plan. I appreciate everyone’s positive attitude and work to continue to ready the district. We are lucky the storm hit when it did, because it was a slower time of year with the break of the summer feeding program, and the freezers weren’t full of food. We had to repair the LHS generator, and we had some damage to the LHS greenhouse, but we were lucky not to have any other main damage. The one generator that we do not want to go down is in the technology department, so we’re very fortunate to not experience any major damage from the storm.
“I also want to share the good news of the addition of the K-9 officer, who will be working with Officer Kristen Benfer. In the past, we have, in effect, rented the services of a dog. Through the work of Officer (Marty) Drake, grant funds were used to secure a dog, and will be the eighth school-based officer to join the ranks and serve the students and staff of LISD.”
Reports included the junior high campus progressing well, with the installation of the HVAC system installation continuing, as well as new tile and carpet nearing completion. The front of the building is being waterproofed, and sediment that has built up over the years has been removed. The buildings will be ready, and focus now shifts to registration for all students.
“We need our parents to complete the registration process; it is paramount to update the information and know that everything is up to date from a safety standpoint,” the superintendent said. “We want to be sure we can reach the parents if the need arises. We’ve had registration open since May, so we’re going to really encourage our parents to get this process completed. This is where safety starts, and it is important to know how to communicate with the parents. It just takes about five minutes to get the students registered. We don’t want to wait until the first day of school. We’re asking for parents to have registration completed before releasing schedules for our secondary students or classroom assignments for our elementary students. We will be emailing parents more back-to-school information this week.”
Hawkins said 30 teachers were hired, meaning turnover is much improved. Several teachers retired and he is proud of the low turnover rate providing continuity from one year to the next.
The meeting Monday began with recognition of Kassidy Cubbison. She was presented a certificate from Dr. Bradley N. Kent, UIL State Director of Music, reading: “On behalf of the University Interscholastic League, please allow me to congratulate you for being selected as a UIL Outstanding Performer at the 2024 Texas State Solo-Ensemble Contest out of the approximately 100,000 students participating in the regional UIL music contests and the thousands of musicians in the state. Only 2%-3% of the solo performances earned the distinguished honor of being recognized as an Outstanding Performer, which is a mark of musical excellence.”
Cubbison was presented with the UIL champion medallion, which is identical to those awarded to state champions in all UIL events.
Also acknowledged by LISD Choir Director Renee Vore was the musical achievement of eighth grader Cameron Ivory, who was selected as the Outstanding Performer for best junior high performance during the UIL Solo and Ensemble competition held this year. This is the highest recognition given to a junior high student.
Anna Wells was the Texas state runner-up talent winner at the F.F.A. state convention held in Houston, representing the LHS chapter. Wells was the winner of the district and area. After performing on a stage in Houston in front of thousands, she was awarded state runnerup.
LISD Chief Academic Officer Lisa Cagle presented the Public Hearing for ESSA (Every Student Succeed Act).
“The federal grant requires a public hearing as a formality when the district applies for the grant,” Cagle said. “The grant is broken into three parts, where each part allows a different amount of money as the grant proceeds and benefits schools with high populations of socioeconomically disadvantaged students. The money is used to help fund tutors, software, and programs while helping to offset local funding.”
The board approved items on the consent agenda, including the purchase of an intercom system for Livingston Junior High from Hi-TEK Sound and Signal for $96,751, T-Tess Appraisal Calendar for 2024-2025, ordered the November Board Election, and proposal of property and casualty insurance with TASB Risk Management in the amount of $470,093.
Comment
Comments