The CISD School Board held its scheduled meeting on July 17. During the meeting, board members discussed essential topics and made decisions that would have an impact on the school district and its stakeholders.
The administration of CISD, in collaboration with our skilled grant writer, devoted a great deal of hard work and dedication towards the application process for a highly esteemed grant that is only awarded to 60 recipients. This grant, known as the Stronger Connections Grant from TEA, offers an impressive one million dollars in funding to bolster mental health initiatives.
Tia Follis, an LPC Associate Counselor, will spearhead the grant program. It is important to note that the District holds no financial obligation for the grant application. The deadline for submission was July 18, with a strict cutoff time of midnight.
"We have an interest in this grant because of the rampant mental health and mental wellness component in our schools. It provides us with some openness and flexibility to develop. There will be an outreach component to it that will get to the root of dealing with some of our students and families. In this particular type of grant, there is an opportunity to root in that work and provide physical resources because otherwise, in a District perspective, we would possibly not be able to provide those resources," said Superintendent Dr. Larry Polk.
The board approved the Stronger Connections Grant contract. The motion was initiated by Jamie Alvarez and seconded by John Martinez. The motion was approved.
The School Board of CISD has granted consent to the MOUs (memorandum of understanding), enabling continuous collaborations with Communities in School of The Big County, Leasor Crass, and Microsoft (TEALS) Technology Education and Literacy in Schools. Such partnerships foster a more enriched and supportive learning environment for students, ensuring access to quality education and advanced technological literacy.
CISD has the opportunity to enlist a Success Coach through these memorandums of understanding. The position is currently open, and CISD seeks the right individual to fill it as soon as possible.
CISD has collaborated with Microsoft TEALS to strengthen our school's cyber security while providing our students with computer science opportunities. Our current offerings include computer science and cyber security courses, and we have partnered with Microsoft to provide online classes via Zoom, where Microsoft volunteers will assist our students.
The valuable partnerships will continue without additional expenses to CISD for the 2023-2024 academic year. Trustee Ty Wood proposed maintaining these collaborations, and Trustee Frank Martinez seconded the motion. The motion was approved.
Our board has approved the renewal of the partnership between the District and Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Services of Mitchell County. The partnership aims at providing support to students of Colorado ISD. Our board also approved the renewal of the District's partnership with Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Services of Mitchell County to support Colorado ISD students.
The CISD Educational Foundation, Inc. has been established to support CISD's philanthropic efforts, acting as both a recipient and donor of gifts. The Foundation enables CISD to enhance its academic programs and provide resources for student success. The Foundation is a milestone in ensuring CISD remains an educational leader and a valuable community asset. Trustee Ty Wood helped in this endeavor, and Trustee Frank Martinez will act as a liaison.
The fuel supply is a crucial aspect of our District's functioning. The board discussed the Gasoline & Highway Diesel Bid for the upcoming academic year of 2023-2024. Matlock Enterprises, a local business with a long history of serving Mitchell County, was the sole bidder for the contract. Robert Oliver, Director of Operations for CISD, strongly recommended that CISD continue our existing partnership with Matlock’s.
Oliver stated, "Matlock's being a local company is great for our school."
Wood motioned to accept Matlock's bid, which John Martinez seconded. The board then gave unanimous approval to the offer.
The board had a lengthy list of county properties with active bids on their agenda. The board granted approval for the sale of all six properties. However, before selling, all taxing entities in the county must provide their approval for these properties.
The board has unanimously approved the DEA-11 (Local) policy regarding the Substitute's Salary Schedule. Under this new policy, substitute teachers who fill in for regular teachers for more than ten consecutive days will be compensated at the state base rate for a beginner teacher from the 11th day onwards. This is a fair and reasonable way to ensure that substitute teachers are justly compensated for their hard work and dedication to education.
The CISD school budget work began on July 17 and will continue at the next budget workshop on July 31. Zach Hobbs from TASB will present the board with updated options, and they will work diligently on finalizing the budget.
During the meeting, Rebecca Russell, former CHS principal, shared her vision for achieving success in her new role as the CISD P-Tech/P-20 Director. Her goals are ambitious and inspiring, and she is determined to bring her experience and expertise to the position to benefit the students and faculty.
"The sooner that we can give our students exposure to the experience. You will hook those children, and they will fall in love with their purpose or what they are called to do in the future," said Russell.
The public planning meeting to discuss the application and use of federal funds for Title 1, Part A, did not receive any public comments, nor was there any public attendance at the Citizen Open Forum on Federal Program Planning.
Wolf Nation, mark your calendars! The upcoming school year of 2023-2024 is just around the corner and will kick off on August 9. Your CISD staff is eagerly anticipating a successful year ahead.