The Brownwood ISD (BISD) Board of Trustees met for a regular session meeting on Monday, March 20, 2023 at 6:30 p.m. The session was called to order by Board President, Michael Cloy. Danny Jaynes from Missionary Church gave the invocation. Woodland Heights Elementary students June Howey, Sadler Howey, Kinsley Doremus, and Hudson Doremus led the Pledge of Allegiance.
STUDENT PERFORMANCE
Woodland Heights Elementary students Drake Stephenson, Wyatt Stephenson, June Howey, Sadler Howey, Kinsler Doremus, Hudson Doremus, Emmaline Browning, Kylie Browning, Adam Gomez, Alan Gomez, and Sara Gomez performed a variety of physical education skills led by PE teacher Jacob Stephenson.
INSTRUCTIONAL FOCUS BISD
Deputy Superintendent, Liesa Land, presented an update regarding the additional day school year (ADSY) program, Camp Adventure: Roar on the Shore. BISD is currently accepting enrollments for the program that offers summer enrichment and activities for current BISD PreK through fifth-grade students. Land noted that 225 students had already signed up (49 from Coggin Elementary, 52 from East Elementary, 58 from Northwest Elementary, and 66 from Woodland Heights Elementary). To guarantee a spot students must be registered by March 22. Additional information regarding the program can be found online at https://www.brownwoodisd.org/summerlearning.
Land also praised the implementation of the Summer School Now program that was piloted this year at Brownwood High School (BHS) for Algebra 1 and Biology. In order for a student to take the end-of-course test in these subjects, they must complete the course and pass it. Summer School Now gives students that do not pass an additional option. Instead of having to complete online credit recovery, summer school, or repeating the course the following year, the program offers students after school tutoring and classwork to provide them another opportunity to pass. Kenan Boland, Patricia Boland, and Kristi Owen provided after school instruction to students two days a week for the duration of the four-week program. Twenty-two out forty Algebra 1 students who participated passed, and ten out of eighteen Biology students passed and earned credit for their courses.
RECOGNITIONS
SPOTLIGHT TEACHERS AND STAFF The BISD
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. March 2023 honorees were East Elementary first-grade teacher Rachel Smiley and Education Diagnostician and Dyslexia Lead Specialist Brec Espinoza. Spotlight honorees are pictured with BISD Trustee Diane Thompson and East Elementary Principal Christi Burks, and Coggin Elementary School Principal Kali Mclaughlin, BISD Director of Special Populations Rebecca Faulkner, BISD Deputy Superintendent Liesa Land and BISD Trustee Amary Doremus.
VETERANS OF FOREIGN WARS DISTRICT 23 TEACHER OF THE YEAR
Brown County Veterans Service Officer James Masters presented East Elementary fifth grade teacher Jay Adams with an award honoring him as the Veterans of Foreign Wars District 23 Teacher of the Year. Mr. Adams is pictured below with East Elementary Principal Christ Burks, Brown County Veterans Service Officer James Masters, and BISD Trustee Justin Posey.
TEXAS A&M AGRILIFE EXTENSION HEALTHY SCHOOL RECOGNIZED CAMPUS
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension representatives Courtney Parrot and Wendy Hamilton recognized Coggin Elementary as a Healthy School Recognized Campus. Coggin is the first school to be recognized in Brown County through the program and partnership. Pictured below are BISD Trustee Diane Thompson, Wendy Hamilton, Courtney Parrot, Coggin Principal Kali McLaughlin, Coggin PE Teacher Stefenia Phipps, and Courtney Parrot.
SCHOOL COUNSELORS
Brownwood ISD school counselors were recognized for receiving the 2022 CREST Exemplary Award. Those recognized included Marci Reagan (Northwest), Dawna Fulton (East), Kimber Bennett (Woodland), Rachel Griffin and Lindsey Bigham (Coggin), and Angie Bertrand and Denise Fletcher (BMS). BISD Counselors are pictured below along with principals Dee Dee Wright (Northwest), Sandra Richardson (BMS), Mykia Anderson (BMS), Christi Burks (East), Kali Mclaughlin (Coggin), Jeanette Lancaster (Woodland), and BISD Trustee Diane Thompson.
TEXAS SCHOOL COUNSELOR ASSOCIATION COUNSELOR OF THE YEAR
Woodland Heights Elementary Counselor Kimber Bennett was recognized for earning the Texas School Counselor Association Rhosine Fleming Award for Elementary Counselor of the Year. Ms. Bennett is pictured below with BISD Trustee Amary Doremus, BISD Mental Health Coordinator Danielle Howard, Woodland Heights Elementary Assistant Principal Kassie Russell, and Woodland Heights Elementary Principal Jeanette Lancaster.
SUPERINTENDENT’S REPORT
Dr. Young provided the following reminders and updates:
• There will be a three-hour early release Friday, March 24 for the Bluebonnet Relays.
• The district has a total of three days to make up due to recent bad weather. One bad weather day was made up on February 20 and another one will be May 29. A Texas Education Agency (TEA) waiver for the third day will need to be filed and is on the meeting agenda for consideration.
• Budget and Salary Schedule Information
• Brownwood Education Foundation will continue to fund end-of-year awards, senior scholarships, and teacher grants, and will be interviewing for a possible interim executive director.
DISCUSSION & ACTION ITEMS
DEPARTMENTAL REPORTS
* BISD Community Relations Report: Dr. Young presented a summary of the communicationsrelated data provided by BISD Community Relations Coordinator, Charles Musgrove. The communications report contained updates and data on several completed, ongoing, and upcoming projects including print ads, website updates, billboard campaigns, and various other digital communications. Since June 2022, sixty press releases and 41 School Messenger direct communications (111,636 Email / 127,662 SMS) have been sent. The report also contained a summary of website and social media statistics which indicate continued growth in all social media platforms. Highlights also included four Texas School Public Relations Association (TSPRA) STAR awards received (East Blue Ribbon Video – Gold, Alumni Billboard – Silver, Choices Billboard – Silver, Back to School ROAR – Silver).
* Return to In-Person Plan: The American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act requires the district to develop and make publicly available a plan for the safe return to in-person instruction and continuity of services. The current BISD Return to In-Person Instruction & Continuity of Services (RIPICS) Plan was provided for the board to review.
CONSIDER APPROVAL OF THE PURCHASE, RENOVATION AND FINANCING OF CERTAIN PROPERTY FOR AN APPRAISAL OFFICE FOR THE BROWN COUNTY APPRASIAL DISTRICT (BCAD) The BCAD currently uses the building at 403 Fisk Avenue for operations. They have identified a property they wish to purchase which gives them multiple benefits. Under Section 551.072, the property address and price are confidential and provided under separate cover. The Board must approve BCAD’s ability to move forward with the purchase. The liability in regard to financing shall in all respects be solely that of Brown County Appraisal District and not that of the Voting Taxing Units (like BISD). BISD Trustee Codie Smith made a motion to approve the Resolution of the Board of Trustees to approve the purchase, renovation, and financing of certain property for an appraisal office for the Brown County Appraisal District. BISD Trustee Roderick Jones seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously.
CONSIDER APPROVAL OF INSTRUCTIONAL CALENDAR FOR 2023-2024
The district’s Site-Based Decision-Making Committee met, as well as solicited input from their campuses in order to develop two calendars. The staff was polled for their preference and there were 250 who answered the survey. The poll results were: Calendar A – 191, and Calendar B – 59. Based on the recommendation of the Site-Based Decision-Making Committee and the results of the employee poll, Trustee Thompson made a motion to approve Calendar A. Trustee Doremus seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously.
CONSENT AGENDA
The following items were listed for consideration on the Consent Agenda.
1. Approval of Weather Closure Waiver to TEA
2. Approval of Addition to the BISD Compensation Plan for ADSY Employment
3. Approval of purchase over $50,000 – Buses
4. Approval of minutes from February 13, 2023 Board Meeting Trustee Doremus moved that the Consent Agenda be approved as presented, with Trustee Thompson seconding the motion. The motion was unanimously approved.
EXECUTIVE SESSION
The board moved into executive session at 7:16 p.m. to discuss personnel matters. They returned to open session at 7:47 p.m. No additional action was taken.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
• Early Release: 03/24/2023
• Early Release: 04/06/2023
• Good Friday Holiday: 04/07/2023
• Next Board Meeting: 04/10/2023
• Summer Leadership Institute: 06/21/2023-06/22/2023
The meeting adjourned at 7:49 p.m.