School Board Highlights Student Achievement and Civic Duty to Vote

The Groesbeck ISD Board of Trustees met for their regular monthly meeting on Monday, Sept. 17 and passed resolutions that reflect the importance placed on voting by the board; they also voted to begin the process of refunding/refinancing a 2008 bond at a savings to the district. The meeting began with student recognition, and GHS Principal Richard Cooper was the first principal chosen to highlight students at their campus, and he chose four students to bring before the board for recognition. Cooper presented Hannah DeFriend for her many tennis victories and accomplishments; Moises Rocha,drum major and band leader; Ameer Lee, multi-sport student athlete who has received attention for his skill as a football player; and Hannah Rash, FFA district representative. Superintendent Dr. James Cowley and other board members expressed their appreciation to the parents who attended with their child, as well as the coaches and sponsors who work closely with each student to ensure success beyond the classroom. A large portion of the meeting was devoted to a presentation by Doug Whitt, Senior Managing Director with SAMCO Capital Markets. Whitt explained various opportunities for the district to refinance or refund a bond from 2008. For more detailed coverage on this topic, look for a story in next week’s paper titled GISD Gets the Ball Rolling for Refinancing of 2008 Bond. Next, School Health Advisory Council (SHAQ) member Kimberly Carter spoke to the board about Narcan nasal spray, a drug intended to fight known or suspected opioid overdose that was presented at the August school board meeting. Carter told the board that the SHAC committee suggested the district move further on implementing an opioid antagonist policy (Narcan), and shared some of her findings in research about implementation. She suggested only offering it for grades 9-12, and Region 12 representatives offered advice for how to write policy, though they were surprised to learn the district does not currently have an Epipen program in place. The board voted to implement a Narcan policy at the high school campus, and asked Carter to confer with SHAC about an Epipen program to be considered at a later date. The board also considered and ultimately passed a few resolutions recommended by Cowley. “This comes from the Make Education a Priority campaign under the Friends of Public School,” said Cowley of the School Priority Month resolution and similar resolutions that followed. “As a district, we want to have things in place to remind our legislators they need to think about public school as we move into the legislative session.” Approved were the School Priority Month resolution, Texas Education Human Resources Day resolution, and the Culture of Voting resolution, which encourage voters to do their civic duty and vote. Assistant Superintendent Dr. Diane Freeman addressed the board about changes and updates in House Bill 5 that required the district’s attention. Credit-byexamination is currently offered at Groesbeck ISD for students interested in earning credit for a class or advancing to a higher grade level, but changes made to HB5 in August now require an audit process to be in place so that exams that can be easily checked to insure TEKS were covered and the questions were valid and unbiased. While some districts are opting to buy tests that meet the new criteria from state universities or other means, the board voted in favor of approving the policy that allows an inhouse solution. Freeman, who also serves as Director of Curriculum, will create an audit system tailored to GISD at a savings for the district. After approving consent agenda items, the board entered into executive session at 7:13 pm. Upon reconvening, the board voted to hire Patricia Watson for the Criminal Justice position at the high school. The meeting ended at 8:21 pm, and the next regularly scheduled meeting is set for October 16 at 6:30 pm.

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Groesbeck Journal

P.O. Box 440
Groesbeck, TX 76642
Phone: 254-729-5103
Fax: 254-729-0362