COURTESY PHOTO | TERRY BABINO The Warren ISD Tribe Tribute for April went to Gladys Mitchell from the WISD Food Services Department who was praised as being a model employee and "cooking from the heart". (Left to right front row) Scott Mitchell, Tammy Heriard, Gladys Mitchell, Stephen Mitchell, Dr. Tammy Boyette (Left to right back row) Kimen Johnson, Clay Brown, Steve Moore, Rocky Burks, Burt Moore, Billie Read.

WARREN – At its most recent monthly board meeting, the Warren ISD board of trustees voted for the mask mandate to be lifted, it passed.

After Gov. Greg Abbott made Executive Order-GA 34 allowing school boards to determine their school’s mask policy, many schools in Texas jumped to remove the policy.

The board voted to make masks optional effective Monday May 17, nearly seven days before some graduation ceremonies will take place.

COURTESY PHOTO | TERRY BABINO UIL District, Regional, and/or State Qualifier Honorees (Left to right front row) Dr. Tammy Boyette, Brianne Dean, Isabell Stanford, Ty Lambert, Bryce Dean, Julia Drake, James Swinney (Left to right back row) Kimen Johnson, Clay Brown, Steve Moore, Rocky Burks, Burt Moore, Billie Read.

WISD superintendent Dr. Tammy Boyette released a letter with the following information covering the frequently asked questions of the matter.

• Masks will be a matter of personal choice for employees and students beginning on Monday, May 17
• Daily self-screening for COVID-19 symptoms is still required for all employees and students
• Employees and students remain subject to existing requirements for self-reporting and quarantining
• The current TEA definition of “close contact” remains in effect and is enforceable for all employees and students
• Students required to quarantine will be allowed to attend school remotely
• The district will continue to provide notice to parents of known positive COVID-19 cases and to monitor data associated with case prevalence
• The district will continue to provide hand sanitizer and maintain existing cleaning protocols
• To the extent possible, schools will continue to exercise social distancing practices at lunch, common areas and in the classroom in order to reduce the likelihood that students meet the close contact definition
• Buses will open windows to allow for improved air circulation while in transit
• Indoor school visits will continue to be restricted to only those essential to school operations
• To the extent possible, principals will provide events for end-of year celebrations that can be held outdoors to accommodate family attendance
• TEA requires that screening protocols be in place for entrance into all WISD sponsored events
• Medically fragile students may submit a waiver with accompanying medical documentation to opt in to the At-Home learning platform for the remainder of the school year, if they so choose

Other Business:

• The TEA 2021-2022 Allotment and TEKS certification were approved
• Burke Dagle was approved as the “designated asbestos manager” for Warren ISD

CHRIS EDWARDS | TCB Wheat Elementary students present a check to Brian and Deborah Smith of Sleep in Heavenly Peace. The students raised the money through a coin drive fundraiser.

WOODVILLE – At its regular monthly meeting, the Woodville ISD Board of Trustees discussed taking the first steps toward long-range planning involving its facilities.

The district recently went out for request for proposals from architects and construction managers and received eight submitted proposals. Superintendent Lisa Meysembourg said that in reviewing the materials and conducting interviews, it will be a matter of finding out who will be able to suit the district best. “This is the initial part of seeing what firm best fits the district’s needs,” Meysembourg said.

The board discussed the best method for reviewing the proposals and agreed to use a 10-day period for review, ranking and to schedule interviews on May 10.

Meysembourg emphasized that in gathering the proposals and reviewing them that was the first step toward whatever the district might need in the future; that there’s been no discussion of any expenditures concerning the facilities or other infrastructure concerns, and that needs might change years down the road.

Wheat Elementary students make presentations

At Monday night’s meeting, the WISD board convened with a full boardroom full of Wheat Elementary students, faculty and parents. Several Wheat second graders and gifted and talented students made presentations. Wheat Vice Principal Allison Mosley and second-grade teacher Bridgette Stott introduced the students.

The presentations by the second graders ranged from facts about flying squirrels to a discussion about what tigers eat. Stott said the students began their projects in March, with researching.

The GT students presented a check to the Woodville chapter of Sleep in Heavenly Peace, which builds beds for children who do not have beds to sleep in.

The GT students, through a coin drive fundraiser, raised more than $1,200 to give to the charitable organization. SHP’s Brian and Deborah Smith were on hand to accept the donation. Stott said the fundraiser was helpful in teaching financial literacy to the students.

On behalf of the WISD board, Vice President John Wilson said the students’ efforts made the board, faculty and parents of the district proud.

Other Business

At its meeting, the WISD board also approved the following items:

• The board approved a resolution regarding affordable broadband access. The resolution is one going through school boards across the state, Meysembourg said. She said broadband access has “a critical impact upon the education of our students.” The resolution will be sent to Gov. Greg Abbott and the state legislature.
• The Texas Education Agency’s annual verification for TEKS certification was approved.
• A two-year extension for WISD’s depository contract with Citizens State Bank was approved.
• The next regular meeting of the WISD Board of Trustees is scheduled for 7 p.m., Monday, May 17.

CHRIS EDWARDS | TCB WISD Business Manager Cody Jarrott discusses information for the board members to look at about possible salary schedules for the next school year.

WOODVILLE – The Woodville ISD Board of Trustees had a host of achievements to recognize among the faculty, staff and student body at its regular Monday night meeting.

Prior to moving the meeting to the board room in the WISD Administration Building for the regular agenda items, the meeting began in the community room in the cafeteria to accommodate the large audience of students, parents and well-wishers. The board recognized WISD athletes Kesean Paire and Linus Mannino for their achievements at the UIL State Track and Field Meet. Paire won the gold medal in the wheelchair shot-put event and Mannino took home a bronze medal in the high jump.

Lady Eagle powerlifter Natalli VonEssen was recognized for her achievement of placing eighth in the state in her sport.

Two WISD Speech and Debate competitors, Jaydee Borel and Izzy Narvaez were recognized for qualifying in the State-level Congressional Debate event.

The trustees also recognized Michelle Merchant on being named “3A Girls Assistant Coach of the Year” by the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches.

On to its regular agenda, the WISD trustees approved an interlocal agreement between the district and the board of directors of the Allan Shivers Library and Museum.

Superintendent Lisa Meysembourg spoke about the matter. She and trustee Josh McClure have served on the library board and have worked with the other board members to come up with a new interlocal agreement to help with administrative matters concerning the library, particularly since the death of longtime director Rosemary Bunch last year. The last document was signed in 1985, Meysembourg said. The City of Woodville recently entered into an interlocal with the library, as did the county.

Mask mandate lifted

The board approved a recommendation by Meysembourg to change its district-wide COVID-19 safety protocol of mask wearing.

Meysembourg said she feels “very confident” that it is time to lift the mandate, and make mask-wearing optional. There have been two active cases reported since spring break, and no active cases in the district for several weeks.

“I feel the community and school district have taken all of the necessary actions to prevent and mitigate the spread of COVID,” she said.

The lifting of the mandate was deemed effective immediately after its passage by the board.

Architectural firm chosen for long-range planning

The trustees approved an architectural firm, Goodwin-Lasiter-Strong, for long-range planning. The district went out for proposals earlier in the year from architects and construction managers and combed through them to review and rank the submissions to find the best fit for the district.

At the board’s April meeting, Meysembourg said that gathering the proposals and reviewing them was the first step toward whatever measures the district might need in the future, infrastructure/facilities-wise.

Meysembourg was approved by the board as authorized to negotiate and execute a contract with the firm. The Lufkin-based firm was also selected as the construction manager for the district’s long-range planning concerns, and Meysembourg was given authorization to negotiate and execute a contract with the firm on that front, as well.

Other Business

WISD’s Board of Trustees also approved the following items, or received the following information items:

• Belt, Harris, Pechacek was approved to conduct the annual fiscal year audit for WISD.
• The board authorized a resolution regarding ESSER III policy.
• Meysembourg reported a community-wide meeting scheduled for Monday, May 24 beginning with food at 6 p.m. The public is invited, and it is an open-house for information for the community’s benefit. The meeting will take place in the cafeteria on the elementary campus.
• WISD Business Manager Cody Jarrott reported in his regular report that the district is at 91.53% for its collection of property taxes. Jarrott also presented packets of information for the trustees pertaining to possible salary schedules for the coming 2021-22 school year.

File Photo - Woodville ISD superintendant Lisa Meysembourg

WOODVILLE – The Woodville ISD Board of Trustees discussed and approved a pair of agenda items relating to district-wide goals and improvement plans respective to each WISD campus at its Monday night meeting.

The first item up for discussion was the district’s revised goals, with respect to how they relate to the district’s own goals as well as meeting goals with regard to the sweeping House Bill 3 passed during the last legislative session. WISD Curriculum Director Ashley Weatherford spoke about this item, and where the district needs to be.

“We’re at the point where we need to dig deeper,” she said, and explained that data is being looked at through the federally required metric of student achievement meeting the appropriate grade levels. She cited, as an example, data that showed WISD’s third grade as performing at 67% below the level for reading and 84% for math.

Weatherford said one new goal set forth, district-wide, is the investment in technology infrastructure and professional development, and she added that in spite of the “COVID slide” throughout the second half of last school year and this year’s term, she has seen some “great wins” on each WISD campus.

WISD campus principals each spoke to their respective campus improvement plans. Woodville Middle School principal Kevin Frauenberger said that his campus’s two main goals are to improve community relations through outreach and to improve student achievement.

High school principal Rusty Minyard said his campus goals are focusing on two areas: reaching out and nurturing the student population in the low-income socioeconomic demographic for them to succeed and supporting his campus’s teachers.

“I want them to feel good about coming to work every day,” Minyard said.

Woodville Intermediate principal Bonnie Trammell said that her campus’s priority is to meet standards appropriate to grade levels and putting resources and energies into training teachers with flexible, data-driven plans.

Along with the goals and improvement plans, the board also approved a one-time incentive payment for all WISD employees for their November paychecks. Superintendent Lisa Meysembourg said the incentive, which will be a bonus of about $300 per employee, is a way to recognize the hard work and dedication of the district’s faculty and staff during this school year with all of its changes due to COVID-19.

In another measure related to the coronavirus, WISD voted to terminate remote learning. Board president Jimmy Tucker said that many of the districts in the region are dropping remote learning, and Meysembourg said “We just need our kids back in school.”

Meysembourg gave an update from the Texas Education Agency Commissioner Mike Morath about remote instruction that gives school districts the latitude to either continue or terminate remote learning, but to give the option for those who must be quarantined due to compromised immune systems.

USED COURTESY OF CREATIVE COMMONS The Woodville City Hall

WOODVILLE – At its regular monthly meeting on Monday evening, the Woodville City Council began with a proclamation to honor blind military veterans in Woodville.

Mayor Paula Jones read the proclamation aloud

The date of March 28 is recognized nationwide as Blinded Veterans Day, recognition that is now in its 76th year, enacted by the 111th Congress to aid in rehabilitative efforts for our nation’s blinded veterans.

Such efforts as improving the VA’s vision rehabilitation services, benefits, research and caregiver support for blinded veterans.

Cleanup scheduled

Under the “Items of Community Interest” standing agenda item, City Administrator Mandy Risinger apprised the council on a variety of ongoing projects and events within the city limits.

One such topic is the city’s annual cleanup effort, which begun on Monday and will last through Friday, March 19.

The city will accept heavy waste at its warehouse, located at 200 Wingate Street. Residents can take advantage of this opportunity for disposal of heavy, solid waste items during this time period from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday.

There will also be “Be Green – Stay Clean” events on Saturday and on March 20, and Risinger encouraged individuals, as well as organizations to take part in the effort.

On a related topic during her report of community-related items, Risinger said the city will begin sending out letters to property owners of problematic and/or nuisance properties soon to compel them to clean-up said properties. There will also be hearings scheduled over these matters, also with substandard buildings. These issues have been put on hold due to COVID, she said.

Risinger also spoke about the coming Dogwood Festival events, all of which are scheduled to take place as they traditionally do, with Festival of the Arts at Heritage Village; Western Weekend and Queen’s Weekend, scheduled for the third and fourth weekends in March and first weekend in April, respectively.

She referred to the language of Gov. Greg Abbott’s most recent executive order, which ended the mask mandate and reopened occupancy for businesses to 100%, statewide. She said the order does not address public gatherings, and the previous order addressing them allows for localized approval for events of more than 10 people. The festival’s governing board has already approached the city for approval, which was granted, Risinger said.

The city is not planning to issue any vendor permits until May 1, however, which will be after the festival has taken place. “By that time, vaccinations should be readily available, and the summer months will be on,” Risinger said, which are both factors that will further mitigate the spread of the virus, which is in decline locally and nationwide.

Other Business

• The city approved its fiscal year 2019-20 audit, which was conducted by Alexander, Lankford & Heirs. Richard Rudel reported on the audit results to the councilmembers and Jones and said there were no difficulties encountered in conducting the audit.

• Citizens State Bank of Woodville was awarded as the city’s depository bank.

• Risinger reported that the city looked at applying for the $350K CDBG grant cycle, with a match that is to be calculated based on variables such as population. “We are primarily looking at street improvement projects (if funded),” she said. A hearing was held to look at potential projects.

• The city approved the procurement for administration services for CDBG program grant funding to David Waxman and Associates. Risinger said the firm has helped the city obtain millions and millions of dollars throughout the years.