WISD hears population report pertaining to realignment
BY SUZANNE LOUDAMY Staff writer

Plans for the new elementary school in Whitehouse are well under way. During Monday night's school board meeting, trustees heard from Population and Survey Analysts of College Station on the reports they will be compiling to provide the district with the most current data necessary as well as predictors for choosing boundary lines and alignment decisions for the elementary grades.

Along those same lines, a sub contractors list was approved giving the board the guaranteed maximum price for the construction of the new elementary school as well as additions and renovations to other campuses. Joe Denson of Denson Construction was on hand to assure the board that each bid was carefully weighed for quality of workmanship as well as cost effectiveness. The total package came in at $13,890,000.

The board also approved bids for milk, ice cream and bread for the 2007-2008 year, as well as the depository bid continuing their banking service with Austin Bank.

"They still offer the best value and we have a great working relationship with them," said Supt. Dennis Miller.

Sherrie Lloyd, director of finance, reported on budget preparation and legislative issue connected with that task. Lloyd said all of the documents provided by the legislature through the TEA had not yet been made available, but as soon as they were, the process would begin.

A report on the recent P.E./Health audit was tabled until trustee Howard Patterson would be present. It was at his request that this report be given.

Reports were given by Curtis Williams, principal of Holloway Middle School, and Pat Richard, principal of the AIM Center.

Williams gave a glowing report on preliminary TAKS scores which has fifth graders at 98 percent on math and 92 percent on reading with sixth graders at 91 percent on math and 97 percent on reading. He also included several academic accolades for winners in local and state level science fairs, Word Masters, East Texas Academic Rodeo, Poetry in Schools contest, Texas State Mathematics League, Texas Archery in the Schools Tournament, UIL and community service projects.

Richard was proud to announce that 12 of the 16 students eligible to graduate did. She praised the program's teachers for giving so much oneon one time to the students and said that it was the dedication of the students and the attention of the educators that brought such great success.

The 2007-2008 calendar was amended to include June 2 and 3 as bad weather days. It also set April 28 and May 30 as Early Release/Staff Development days. The amendment received a majority of the vote with a no vote coming from Vince Primo. Primo objected to the spring break date not coinciding with Tyler Junior College and UT Tyler. "We are punishing our brightest kids by not giving them a spring break," Primo said. With the breaks not being aligned, if a student attends classes on the TJC campus while a WHS student, they will not have an entire week break.

Following an executive session, new personnel were announced. Joining the ranks at Cain will be Janae Black as a kindergarten teacher and Tori Prater who will teach first grade. At the junior high, Katherine Jones will take on the role of theater arts teacher, and Nicole Allen will be a coach and teach history.

Topping the donations announced to the trustees was that of the Cain-Brown PTA. They donated over $4,000 through various projects including field trips, Weekly Reader and Scholastic News, which all directly benefit the children.