Majority of SJHS parents support closing campus

Snyder ISD has accomplished at least part of its goal to close Snyder Junior High School and reopen it with the majority of the district’s grade levels realigned.
Early this morning, a group of parents presented School Board President Ralph Ramon and Superintendent Dr. Eddie Bland with a stack of petitions supporting the district’s plan, which is in response to pending state sanctions against the district because of continued unacceptable academic performance at the junior high school.
The Texas Education Agency (TEA) outlined two possible sanctions against the district — removal of the school board and replacing it with a state-appointed board of managers or closing the junior high school. If the junior high school is closed, it could be re-opened either as a charter school or with a majority of the district’s grade levels realigned.
Bland and other school district officials have devised a plan radically changing how and where students will be taught and have spent most of this month explaining the plan to parents and community members through a series of public meetings.
At least half of the parents of junior high school students needed to sign petitions in support of the closure by the state-imposed Thursday deadline.
Snyder ISD Public Information Officer Valerie Morris said today that 311 parents signed petitions in favor of the closure.
Once the petitions are presented to TEA Commissioner Mike Morath, the state education code states that he will order the requested action.
In addition to those signatures, 486 petitions in support of the dual pathway plan were signed by community members and will be presented to the commissioner. Ten petitions requesting removal of the school board also were signed by junior high school parents.
School district officials were pleased with the results of the petition drive.
“I attribute it to all the hard work put in by Dr. Bland and his staff and the support we received from parents,” Ramon said. “The parents who showed up at the meetings listened to our ideas and let the district know about their concerns. I think that’s how things get better — when the district and the community come together for a common goal.”
“I’m excited about it,” Bland said. “We know everybody had some anxiety about the sanctions. We did, too. But the public also understood we had a plan to deal with those sanctions. Without the public’s support, this wouldn’t have been possible.”
Bland and other school district officials will personally deliver the petitions when they meet with Morath Thursday in Austin. Bland said he is hopeful that Morath will provide some input on how he intends to proceed at that time.
Once Morath announces his decision, the district will have until the start of the new school year in August to implement its plan.
“Realigning the district will require a team effort from staff, administration, parents and the community,” said Dr. Rachael McClain, assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction. “We are ready to get started and to reshape the future of Snyder ISD.”
Morris said community petitions supporting closure and realignment will be accepted throughout November. They may be signed by parents, guardians and community members. Petitions are available at all school campuses and the administration building.