Polk County News - Breakout

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The April Livingston ISD school board meeting included service contracts, a report on Career and Technical Education, as well as the renaming of athletic fields Monday from the high school library.

Under action items, the board approved the Direct Solutions service contract for district facilities, including maintenance, custodial, and grounds. The board had questions about the company’s ability to provide insurance long term for its employees. The vote for the item was 6-1. In a special meeting three weeks ago, the board authorized LISD Superintendent Dr. Brent Hawkins to negotiate a service contract with Direct Solutions for district facilities, including maintenance, custodial, and grounds. Livingston ISD was previously in a contract with SSC for the past five years.

Also approved was the authorization of Hawkins to take the action necessary to recover the facility usage fees owed to the district. The outstanding balance of $11,200 will be filed through small claims court.

The meeting of the LISD Board of Trustees opened with a Career and Technical Education (CTE) audit report presented by LHS CTE Coordinator Blake Thornton.

“Currently, LHS has 17 programs of study with 18 CTE teachers servicing 1,000 students,” Thornton said. “Classes are full, six programs of study were complete with no issues, and six programs need to address future growth, as well as the need to add or take away class offerings. We will address continued student growth, close a few classrooms of study not being utilized, and improve communication with staff to be sure staff needs are being addressed.

“Health science is growing so quickly that we may have to add an additional teacher. TEA has changed a number of industry-based courses, and LHS students have 150 industry-based certifications so far, with several weeks left in the semester. There is a group of students who will be certified through the criminal justice path. This Friday is the second in-house certification event in welding to be held at LHS.”

Hawkins shared, “I would like to reiterate that the folks from Lamar State College were here last week to meet with our eighth-grade parents of PTECH students who will be entering LHS next year. If you need motivation and can see the opportunities for our kids, it’s very heartwarming. It’s what we should be about. We appreciate the interest from our parents, and they were appreciative and had good questions.”

The board approved the consent agenda. The baseball field located at the LISD Baseball-Softball complex will be named the Ross Hightower Field. The City of Livingston is allowing the name of the field at Pedigo Park to be transferred to the LISD field at the complex. Also included on the agenda was out-of-state travel for FCCLA students to attend the national convention in Denver with the travel expenses co-funded by GEAR UP. Another item accepted was the amended consumer price index fixed-rate contract flexibility for food service management. USDA and TDA have allowed adjustments to the food service contract due to the inflationary mechanisms affecting the industry. This was allowed because the labor and food increases do not allow for operation under the current contracts.

Purchases recommended by the board facility committee and approved under the consent agenda include track resurfacing and repairs at the Livingston Junior High campus in the amount of $189,680, as well as a new roof at Creekside Elementary in the amount of $975,518. Also approved under the consent agenda was the change to summer hours at the district offices and the purchase of 600 Chromebooks in the amount of $223,614.

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Corrigan-Camden ISD officially made the transition to new superintendent Dr. Keith Brooks (left in picture) at Monday’s regular meeting. Brooks comes to Corrigan from Sheldon ISD and has 22 years of experience in education, with 13 of those in administration. Corrigan-Camden Board President Thomas Roberts (right) is shown welcoming the new superintendent to the district. COURTESY PHOTO

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An executive session is on the agenda for a special called meeting of the Onalaska City Council at 6 p.m. Friday at which time Council will discuss personnel matters and enhancement efforts for staff retention and recruiting offer options. Following the executive session, Council is expected to consider action on the 2023 staff retention and recruiting plan, authorizing the mayor to initiate it immediately.
Council will consider accepting the resignation of Officer Simon Prince and will review and consider action on the employment of Dispatcher Jamee Davis.

A personnel policy amendment authorizing the mayor to take action to hire or release non-exempt employees will be reviewed and considered for approval.

In other business, Council is expected to consider approval of Resolution No. 2023-011 authorizing the financing of one 2023 Ford Explorer police pursuit vehicle for $63,908 with First State Bank. Council is also expected to consider approval to add a 2006 GMC truck “as is” and “without warranty” with a minimum bid set by Council to be posted to the city surplus website page for no less than 10 days.

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Volunteers from the Rotary Club of Livingston and Habitat for Humanity of Polk County completed a landscaping project at the 20th Habitat home in Polk County Saturday. Located at 211 Waka in Livingston, the home will be dedicated during a ceremony at 9 a.m. Saturday. Courtesy photo

From Enterprise Staff

Dedicated volunteers from the Rotary Club of Livingston and Habitat for Humanity of Polk County gathered April 15 to landscape the yard of the 20th Habitat home in Polk County.

The Rotary Club of Livingston provided a generous grant with a matching grant from Rotary District 5910 to provide a rock driveway, construct flower beds, purchase plants, place a small walkway and lay pallets of grass to complete the new home. Volunteers from both organizations helped to make the funds go further by providing the labor for the flowerbeds, walkway and grass.

“On behalf of Habitat for Humanity of Polk County, we would like to thank Ray Gearing for advocating for Habitat during the grant application process, Rotary President Andrew Boyce and Rotary Grant Coordinator Will Watson for managing the project and all the hard-working volunteers who labored,” Amy Borel, executive director of Habitat for Humanity of Polk County, said.

Habitat for Humanity of Polk County is the local affiliate for Habitat for Humanity International and builds homes for hard-working low-income families who are unable to qualify for traditional mortgages. Habitat homeowners help build their own homes alongside volunteers and pay an affordable mortgage. Habitat for Humanity of Polk County is funded through local donations to the ReStore and volunteer efforts. For more information, visit www.habitatpolkcounty.org or call Habitat at 936-337-0502.