The Whitney Independent School District (WISD) Board of Trustees met in regular session Monday, September 9.
Staff members of the month were elementary school custodian Hector Ramirez, intermediate school teacher Alyssa Mitchell, middle school teacher Gary Kreder and high school librarian Hope Sandoval.
Students of the month were elementary student Caleb Peterka, intermediate student Zaden Mears, middle school student Mia Abrego and high school student Ahtziri Romero.
Director of State and Federal Programs Melissa Marbut presented the district’s 2023-24 State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) data. WISD data was compared to that of the state and of other Region 12 districts.
Students at WISD generally tested at levels comparable to those throughout Texas and Region 12; third- and fourth-grade scores trended below those of the state and Region 12, while eighth-grade scores were above by a considerable margin in most areas.
In years past, the Texas Education Agency (TEA) has provided districts with an annual “academic accountability” rating in which districts received a rating from A through F based on a variety of factors, including test scores and graduation rates.
Marbut explained that this year, the TEA has not been able to release the ratings due to an ongoing lawsuit which alleges that the state’s recently implemented automated computer grading system is unreliable. The litigation also resulted in the TEA being barred from releasing the ratings in 2023. She stated, “Even though it’s on hold, we will do everything we can to find our areas of need and address those areas of need.”
Superintendent Todd Southard presented a Texas Association of School Boards (TASB) salary study for the year of 2023-24. The study compared the salaries of WISD staff with the salaries of others in Region 12.
Region 12 custodians make an average of $13.97 an hour, while custodians at WISD are paid an average of $14.51; bus drivers at WISD make an average of $17.50 per hour, while Region 12 bus drivers make $21.27; maintenance workers for Region 12 are paid $19 an hour on average, and WISD pays an average of $15.89; WISD paraprofessionals make $13.78 per hour, while the Region 12 average is $15.70; food service workers are paid an average of $13.67 per hour, while at WISD the average is $13.26; and computer technicians at WISD are paid $15.82 per hour, while the average for Region 12 is $25.15.
Southard expressed concern at the pay differences for bus drivers and computer technicians in particular, and conveyed interest in reworking the district’s pay scale.
Teachers at WISD earn roughly $2,000 less annually than the Region 12 average at any given pay level. Southard also stated that campus administration roles at the district pay considerably less than the Region 12 averages.
Southard stated: “The reality is that we can’t do everything at once… We’re sitting in about a $580,000 hole, so before we do anything we’ve got to build ourselves out of this hole, then look at what we want to do as far as increasing pay next – and we’ve got to be realistic about that.
“The one thing I think that we’re going to have to do is look at picking and choosing groups. So for example, let’s say that next year we say ‘okay, we’re going to hit bus drivers, maintenance and computer tech people,’ because realistically you can’t afford to do everybody at once.”
Southard also stated that the district is evaluating staffing as well as its Career and Technical Education (CTE) program, saying “I don’t think it’s unrealistic that we can increase our CTE funding by about $300,000 next year if we do it right.”
Southard also gave a presentation of the district’s special education costs. There are a total of 227 students receiving special education services at WISD, with a total cost of nearly $1 million yearly.
Southard stated: “By comparison, in the district that I was previously at there were 270, I think it was, kids receiving special education services and that cost was about $550,000 a year. There is an issue in regards to how much our special ed is costing us.”
Southard said that the district is considering the creation of its own special education department in order to save money. Currently, the district uses a cooperative system and outsources much of the program through a shared services agreement (SSA).
It was reported that 117 WISD students utilize speech-language pathologist (SLP) services. Southard suggested utilizing SLP assistants (SLPAs) as opposed to fully licensed SLPs in order to further cut costs.
In regards to behavioral support, Southard stated: “This is probably the biggest issue that we have in the district. I completely agree with our principals in that they do not feel like they have the support that they need when it comes to behavior on their campuses.
“The co-op – when you need somebody, you need them right then and there… If the LSSP (Licensed Specialist in School Psychology) or behavior therapist doesn’t happen to be on campus at the time, you have to call, you have to wait an hour or however long depending on where they’re at for them to get over and help you… That, right now, is probably our biggest issue with the co-op; the lack of behavior support.”
Southard said that the district has the option to leave the cooperative arrangement by October 1.
“I don’t want to go to that extreme yet. However, I’m not against doing it in the future. What I propose to the SSA is that we sit down as a board and really look hard at what we’re spending on personnel, how things are organized, where people are placed; those sorts of things, and see if we can cut costs that way.”
The board approved a property bid in the amount of $22,087 for two lots in Lake Whitney Estates, as well as a bid for a lot in the Loma Linda subdivision in the amount of $7,956.59. The board also approved allowing authorized personnel to administer EpiPens as necessary.
Board Secretary Ray Watson was nominated to be the TASB delegate for 2024-25.
Superintendent Southard gave his report. The district is planning to reallocate roughly $4.7 million to its TexPool investments account, where it will earn about 5% in interest per year. Currently, said funds are drawing around .25% in interest annually.
Resigning was Maggie Pratka.
Enrollment at WISD stands at 1,435.
The next board meeting will be held Monday, October 7, at 6 p.m. in the WISD Administration Board Room, located at 305 South San Jacinto Street.
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