A motion to approve salary increases for three Ira ISD administrators failed at Tuesday’s meeting as board president Shawn McCowen cited it was “not a good time.”
Superintendent Jay Waller had recommended raises for Dave Hanes, Morgan Preston and Dale Jones. Board member J.J. Caswell asked Waller when Ira teachers last received salary increases, and said he worried about the morale of teachers if administrators were to get raises.
Dennis Taylor made a motion to approve the raises and Russell Wall offered a second. The vote was split 3-3 and McCowen broke the tie by voting to not approve the increases due to the current economy.
“It’s nothing against y’all, please know that,” McCowen said. “It’s nothing but economics. It’s just bad timing.”
The board approved the resolution to give extracurricular status to the 4-H organization. This ensures that students who miss school due to 4-H events will be excused.
Jones said report cards for the first grading period went out today.
The current enrollment for the school is 270 students, six more than at the beginning of the school year.
Jones also said the annual Fall Festival will be held on Nov. 4 this year.
Waller said the school district recently used a grant to replace all faculty computers.
Agriculture teacher Leo Sellers said Ira students had a good showing at the Permian Basin Fair earlier this month and several students will show animals at the State Fair of Texas in October.
Waller said a new special education aide will be employed by the school district, but will not work on campus. Instead, the aide will work with two students in need of pre-kindergarten services, which the school does not offer.
The students qualify under state and federal laws mandating that the school district provide pre-kindergarten. Ira ISD will keep its current special education aide, Waller said.
He said the school district would have to provide transportation to the new aide so she could visit the students, but other specifics are still being worked out.
“We’ve looked at this from every angle,” Waller said. “It’s not going to break us.”
Waller advised the board that he will be in Austin Thursday to testify at the Additional State Aid for Tax Reduction (ASATR) legislative committee hearing at the state capitol.
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