The Brownwood ISD (BISD) Board of Trustees met for a regular session meeting on Monday, December 9, 2019 at 6:30 p.m. The session was called to order by Board President, Michael Cloy. Father Spencer Stubblefield from St. John’s Episcopal Church gave the invocation. Woodland Heights Elementary third-grade students, Katy Means and Ruby Isabell, led the Pledge of Allegiance. Under the direction of music teacher, Caitlyn Tidwell, the Woodland Heights Elementary third-grade Honor Choir performed a rendition of the song, “Feliz Navidad.”
INSTRUCTIONAL FOCUS
BISD Deputy Superintendent, Liesa Land, presented the Instructional Focus update. Ms. Land provided information regarding the district’s focus on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math). Through a generous donation provided to the Brownwood Education Foundation by the Bunin family, $43,445 has been spent on STEM initiatives this year. A few examples included the funding of nine STEM-related teacher grants and the continued support of Tynker, a program recently implemented into the elementary computer labs that teaches kindergarten through fourth-grade students how to learn computer programming. Ms. Land also described a new Manufacturing and Academic Parnerships (MAPS) initiative with 3M and TSTC set to roll out in January with the introduction of a Megatronics class.
RECOGNITIONS
The following groups and individuals were recognized by BISD and were presented with certificates highlighting their achievements.
BISD Deputy Superintendent, Liesa Land
Liesa Land, who has announced her retirement, was surprised with recognition for her “above and beyond” service to BISD in multiple roles over the years. Land has served as BISD Superintendent of Curriculum, Assistant Superintendent, Acting Superintendent, and is currently the Deputy Superintendent. Shown above with school board members.
BISD Spotlight Teachers and Staff:
The Brownwood ISD Spotlight recognizes members of the BISD faculty and staff who go the extra mile to ensure excellence in education for all our students. Spotlight recipients are chosen from peer nominations. December 2019 honorees were Woodland Heights Elementary Pre-K teacher, Deidra Neel, and BISD Technology Department Lead District Tech, Barbara Huber.
BHS Debate Team
The BHS Debate team was recognized as the Region 15 Congress Debate Competition winners. Team members that placed included Mo Goff (1st Place), Madelyne Weldon (2nd Place), Joshua Schwing (3rd Place), Ava Sparks-Hansen (4th Place), and Lauren Womack (5th Place).
BHS Volleyball:
The BHS Volleyball team was recognized as Bi-District Champions. Individual accolades included Ashlyn Storm (Blocker of the Year, Academic All-District), Caitlyn Moody (1st Team All-District), Aleyia Cotton (1st Team All-District), Olivia Fowler (2nd Team All-District, Academic All-District), Jaylen Savage (2nd Team All-District, Academic All-District), Katelyn Windham (Honorable Mention, Academic All-District), Tessa Goodwin (Honorable Mention, Academic All-District), Kylie Morris (Honorable Mention, Academic All-District), Kylie Wooten (Honorable Mention, Academic All-District), Becca Church (Academic All-District), and Gracie Boswell (Academic All-District).
SUPERINTENDENT’S REPORT
Dr. Young provided a summary on the status of various projects around the district. The district’s Facility Use Form and the application process have been reviewed and are being streamlined by BISD Student Services Director, Vick Orlando. Notable maintenance projects that have been completed include the repaving of parking lots at Brownwood Middle School and a new sidewalk at Coggin Intermediate School. City officials have helped to adjust plans for a new road around Northwest Elementary School to avoid the need to move playground equipment. The new road will help to alleviate traffic issues during drop-off and pick-up. Dr. Young also noted that the Safety and Security team has met and reviewed the BISD Emergency Operations Plan.
DISCUSSION & ACTION ITEMS
PUBLIC HEARING ON FIRST REPORT
The state’s school financial accountability rating system, known as the Financial Integrity Rating System of Texas (FIRST), ensures that Texas public schools are held accountable for the quality of their financial management practices. A motion was made by Trustee Evans to enter into the Public Hearing on the FIRST Financial Report at 6:50 p.m. The motion was seconded by Trustee Jones, and the motion passed unanimously.
BISD Director of Finance, Kati Burke reported that Brownwood ISD received a Superior Rating on the 2017-2018 FIRST Report. This rating is based on school year 2018-2019 data. The district score was 96 out of a possible 100. The public hearing adjourned at 6:55 p.m. and the meeting returned to regular session.
DEPARTMENTAL REPORTS
Career and Technical Education (CTE) Report: BISD Superintendent, Dr. Joe Young introduced the report, noting that the district continues to expand CTE offerings. CTE department continues to increase certification options for Pharmacy Technician, Certified Nurse Aide, and Automotive (ASE). The following certifications have been added this year: ACA via Adobe (Graphic Design and Photo classes), MTA – Intro to Programming using Java (Computer Science classes), AWSD1.1 and AWS D9.1 (Welding classes), and Adobe Certified Associate (Audio/Video classes). BHS Principal, Mitch Moore and Assistant Principal, Lindsay Smith provided additional insights to the report which revealed the enrollment of students in CTE pathways has increased from 141 students in 2016 to 766 enrolled in 2019.
Dr. Young also noted that this year’s Brownwood Industry Tradeshow (BITS) will be held in February. The event provides an opportunity for Brownwood High School and the CTE Department to showcase to local industries and the community the many technical opportunities and certifications that are now offered at BISD.
Maintenance and Operations Report: A report was provided listing the facility projects and upgrades that have been initiated and completed by the Maintenance Department over the past year. Dr. Young expressed his appreciation for the work accomplished by the department and noted that because of the certified professionals on staff, the district is able to save money by accomplishing many projects in-house. Projects listed in the report included remodeling, painting, and other improvements completed on each campus. In the last 12 months 2800 work orders have been completed, roof leaks throughout the district have been repaired, a third HVAC technician has been added, and 12 HVAC units have been replaced.
CONSIDER APPROVAL OF TASB-INITIATED BOARD POLICY UPDATE 114
Update 114 includes revisions to BISD policy (LOCAL) language in various areas including board meetings, public participation, investments, technology resources and more. Details for this and any other TASB-initiated policy updates are available in the Policy Book on the Brownwood ISD website. Trustee Evans, made a motion to approve the policy updates, as presented. Trustee Thompson seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously.
CONSENT AGENDA
The following items were listed for consideration on the Consent Agenda.
1. Commodity Processing Coop Inter-local Agreement
2. Approval of Woodland Heights Elementary Fundraiser
3. Approval of Middle School Fundraiser
4. Approval of High School Fundraiser
5. Minutes from November 11, 2019 Board Meeting
Trustee Jacobs moved that the Consent Agenda be approved as presented, with Trustee Dr. Fowler seconding the motion. The motion was unanimously approved.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
The following announcements were made for upcoming events:
Site-Based Decision Making Committee Meeting – December 12, 2019
Early Release – Friday, December 20, 2019
Christmas Break -December 23 , 2019 – January 3, 2020
Staff Development/Student Holiday – January 6, 2020
Youth Fair – January 6-11, 2020
Next Regular Meeting – January 13, 2020
Martin Luther King Holiday – January 20, 2020
EXECUTIVE SESSION
The board moved into executive session at 7:10 p.m. to discuss personnel matters and the Superintendent Evaluation review. They returned to open session at 8:02 p.m. No additional action was needed.
The meeting adjourned at 8:05 p.m.