Board Notes

A Summary of the August 10, 2009, Tyler ISD Board of Trustees Meeting

Board Approves Lease Agreement with the Boys and Girls Club

The Board of Trustees approved to a lease agreement between the Tyler ISD and the Boys and

Girls Clubs of East Texas for Dogan Athletic Fields.  Construction of the new Griffin Elementary School will require the relocation of the athletic fields at Dogan Middle School. An agreement has been reached between TISD and the Boys & Girls Club of East Texas to place the athletic fields on property owned by the Boys & Girls Club of East Texas through a lease agreement.

Board Approves Dogan Athletic Fields

Board of Trustees approved the bid of L&L Asphalt Corporation in the amount of $671,755.55. Funding in the amount of $737,405.55 including engineering fees of $66,250.00 for the 2009 project will be provided through the Bond Program.  Current plans are being developed to build the new Griffin Elementary School on the existing Dogan Middle School property. Due to site constraints and size of the new Griffin building, the existing area does not have enough area

to meet the required amount of playground area for the new elementary school. The decision has been made to utilize the existing football practice field for the playground area and build a new athletic facility on the Boys and Girls Club of Tyler site. In order to achieve this, Tyler ISD is entering into a lease agreement with the Boys and Girls Club of Tyler.

2009-2010 Budget Report Presented

Tyler ISD Superintendant, Dr. Randy Reid, and Executive Director of Finance, Tosha Bjork, provided the Board of Trustees an update on the 2009-2010 budget.  Dr. Reid said Tyler ISD is proposing a total tax rate of $1.375 per $100 valuation, an increase of 16.5 cents from the current total tax rate of $1.21 per $100 valuation. Most of that increase would be because of the passage of the 2008 Bond Election to build five new schools.  Dr. Reid also explained that the district is proposing to raise the maintenance and operations (M&O) tax rate to $1.04 per $100 valuation, which is an increase of 1.5 cents.

Dr. Reid shared with the Board that the District has proposed in the budget a minimum $1,000 raise for teachers.  He also said the district is proposing in the new school year’s budget to take money from the fund balance and create a raise for other staff.  He said the District is recommending taking $800,000 of the fund balance to give a 2 percent raise to "other" staff, which consists of professional staff such as administrators and other non-teachers as well as all of the district's paraprofessional and hourly workers.

Kim Tunnell, Executive Director of Curriculum and Instruction explained to the Board the funding for Special Education and Title I where the district is receiving new money from federal stimulus package.  The special education department will receive $2.1 million and Title I will receive $1.6 million in funding. Tunnell said there are very specific guidelines for these monies.  She also explained to the board that the funds are guaranteed for only two years. Tunnell explained that these federal funds cannot pay teacher salaries but can pay for support personnel during these two-year, short-term positions.

Board Approves Board Meeting Date  for Purpose of Adopting Budget and Proposed Tax Rate

Board of Trustees approved the Board meeting date of August 27, 2009, for the purpose of adopting the budget and the proposed tax rate.  The Board of Trustees also approved that the proposed tax rate of $1.375 be used in the publication “Notice of Public Meeting to Discuss Budget and Proposed Tax Rate.”

Bilingual Report Presented

Tyler ISD Executive Director of Instructional Support Services, Dr. H.T. Sanchez, provided the Board of Trustees an update on the bilingual and English as a Second Language (ESL) programs .  He shared with the board the following information:

Transitional Model Evaluation:  The Tyler ISD has created a research-based sequence that took into account the perspective, experience, and guidance of bilingual teachers who have shown strong TAKS test results balanced with up-to-date research in teaching students in two languages. 

Head Start:  The Bilingual Department, in collaboration with the district Head Start office and the elementary campuses with a Head Start program, hired 8 bilingual certified teachers to meet the needs of students whose first language is Spanish.  In the 2009-10 academic year and thereafter, English language learners will have a teacher who will present content in the students’ first language with English social and academic vocabulary and grammatical/sentence structure interwoven through instruction.

Dr. Sanchez went on to say that the Bilingual Coordinator, ESL Coordinator, Bilingual Cognitive Coaches, and an external consultant collaborated to create a research-based ESL scope and sequence.  The intent of the ESL scope and sequence is to ensure that all students in the bilingual program are engaged in no less than 45 minutes of clear English language arts instruction. 

Secondary Course Design:  The course sequence for ESL secondary students has been aligned with graduation under the Recommended Graduation Program (RGP) for the 2009-10 academic year. 

Transcript Evaluation:  The Bilingual/ESL Department completed its evaluation of enrolled high school student transcripts in collaboration with the high school campuses. A system is now in place to help ensure that students do not take duplicate courses or courses that do not align with graduation standards. Working with the University of Texas LUCHA program, Dr. Sanchez says the District now has a mechanism to ensure all students who bring credit from Latin American countries have such transferred appropriately to TEA recognized courses. 

Professional Development:  The Bilingual/ESL Department scheduled professional development through the summer professional development calendar.  Among the sessions was a department initiative that brought in a consultant to train teachers in ESL strategies and prepare them to pass the ESL supplemental certification exam.  Over 56 teachers participated, and over half of those who attended have already taken and passed the ESL certification test.  Dr. Sanchez said that more than 100 teachers have been trained in ESL strategies with over 50 who have taken and passed the certification test.  A science consultant was also hired to work with John Tyler High School during the 2008-09 academic year.  Her focus was working with science teachers who taught limited English proficient (LEP) students.  The feedback from this initiative was very positive.   

Dr. Sanchez explained to the Board of Trustees that those who still need language support will continue in either the bilingual or the ESL program. Ongoing cumulative file evaluation is now part of a yearly audit conducted by the Bilingual/ESL Department.  Enrollment procedures have also been conveyed by the Bilingual and ESL Coordinators to campus principals and administrators.  By following the guidelines they put forth, the campuses will have fewer students placed in an educational setting devoid of language support, despite needing such.     

Dr. Sanchez also shared with the group that no teacher will teach a class with two grade levels in the same room. 

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