Attendance zones OK'd
BY SUZANNE LOUDAMY Staff writer

This month's meeting of the Whitehouse ISD trustees saw two huge hurdles successfully scaled in the process of the alignment of the four elementary campuses.

The proposal brought forward from the community-wide citizen committee, represented by Larry Reeves, was approved by the board. These attendance zones were constructed by the committee, over several meetings, using the data gathered by Population and Survey Analysts.

Following a public forum conducted Oct. 29, the committee met one last time to make changes if warranted and take a final vote.

During the final committee meeting there was discussion of one area of concern voiced by one member of the group and that was the larger percentage of low socio-economic students in the Higgins zone. After further discussing the matter the general consensus of the group was that the map was as good as it was going to get. A vote was taken, with only one vote against and the map was approved.

Under the reports of the superintendent campus plans were also approved by the trustees.

WISD board members and the audience were treated to a viewing of WHS senior William Seal's winning bull ride at the National FFA Rodeo. Seal and his parents, Ben and Jan, were on hand to receive congratulations from the board.

Following executive session, the assignments of principals for the elementary campuses were announced. Taking the helm in the 2008-09 school year at Cain will be Sherri Randall, at Brown will be Valencia Ray, at Higgins will remain Tom Luce and at the new elementary, still to be named, will be Curtis Williams. The new principal at Holloway Middle School will be Travis Splinter.

Two of the appointees are moving up from assistant principal positions.

Valencia Ray is leaving her post as assistant principal at Higgins for the job of principal at Brown Elementary. Ray has been in education for 20 years with seven of those years in WISD. She is looking forward to the challenge of taking the lead at a K-5 campus.

"I've learned a great deal as an assistant principal," Ray said. "I've had a good leader to learn from in Mr. Luce here at Higgins."

Moving up from his post as AP at Holloway is Travis Splinter. Splinter has been in education for 15 years with this being his fifth year in WISD. He said he is looking forward to working with many of the same excellent staff he has come to know at Holloway.

The board also gladly approved these donations: Whitehouse Athletic Boosters $3,545, Ed and Mary Heath Foundation $600, Whitehouse Golf Booster Club $650, and Floor Max, a $2,000 donation of Astroturf carpet for the athletic facilities.

The next meeting of the WISD trustees is set for Dec. 3.