The Snyder ISD board of trustees approved each of the campus improvement plans during Thursday’s meeting.
Improving test scores topped the improvement plans, with the main focus at Snyder Junior High School being to move out of improvement required (IR) status as designated by the Texas Education Agency (TEA).
Campus principals also noted that communication between the district and the community has improved since the beginning of the school year and the implementation of the improvement plans.
“Our main goal at the junior high is to get out of IR,” said principal Jorge Mendez.
Superintendent Jim Kirkland discussed a drug-testing policy change.
The policy defines the testing pool as those participating in interscholastic events, including all sports, students who request a parking permit and students whose parents request they be put in a testing pool. Trustees will vote on the policy changes in January.
Kirkland said the initial plan was to test all students for drug usage, but the cost is prohibitive.
“We’re doing all we can to prevent it (drugs on campuses), because we do have a drug problem,” Kirkland said. “If we have one student using drugs, that is a problem. But we have significantly more than one. We’re trying everything we can with the exception of patting down every student every morning.”
The board heard updates on the RTI discipline program at the junior high school, reviewed the targeted improvement plan for the district and heard an update on the planned new TEA A-F grading system.
“This is scheduled to go into effect next year,” said Chief Academic Officer Dr. Rachael McClain. “But the TEA will release a trial rating of our district to the public on Jan. 6. A myriad of things will go into these ratings.”
Board president Ralph Ramon reported that all board members have met their required number of hours of training for this year.
The final items on the construction punch list at Snyder Junior High School are expected to be completed when school is out for the Christmas holidays. One of the major problems is the leaking roof.
Trustees spent more than an hour in closed session to conduct Kirkland’s evaluation. No action was taken on the evaluation when they returned to open session. Kirkland is retiring at the end of June and a search has begun for his replacement.
Following the closed session, Ramon announced the hiring of Karolyne McMillian at Snyder Primary School, and the resignations of Robbie Jamison at Snyder High School and Jordan Clements at the primary school.
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