The Whitney Independent School District Board of Trustees met Monday, March 9, and approved a $2,000 stipend for all certified teachers in the 2026-27 school year.
The stipend is the latest component of the district’s efforts to provide more competitive pay to educators with the goal of recruiting and retaining teachers amid a statewide teacher shortage.
The board discussed updating WISD’s buses to comply with upcoming changes in the law that will require all school buses in Texas to be equipped with three-point seatbelts for passengers. The expected cost is approximately $842,000.
Assistant Superintendent Amy Leech presented the district’s 2024-25 annual report. The report is publicly available at whitneyisd.org.
The board also heard a presentation and approved a contract with Skyward to transition to their software throughout the district. The move is intended to provide a more user-friendly experience and is anticipated to save approximately $40,000 yearly. The change will be implemented during the 2026-27 school year.
Students of the month were as follows: elementary school student Juniper Lewis, intermediate school student Melina Reyes, middle school student Levi Threadgill and high school student Kaytie Moore.
Staff members of the month were: elementary school interventionist Rachel Elton, intermediate school teacher Jenny Redding, middle school teacher Sara Ripley and high school teacher and coach Paulo Gonzales.
The board approved a four-day school week calendar for the coming year, continuing with most Mondays off. Also approved was a new pay scale for clerical staff, ranging from a $25,970 196-day annual salary or $28,487.50 215-day annual salary for new employees to $35,003.64 and $38,396.85 salaries for employees with 30 years or more of service.
The board approved a lease agreement with Hill County Elections Administration for equipment needed in the coming May elections and voted to move the regularly scheduled Monday, June 8 meeting to Monday, June 22.
Part of the HVAC system at Whitney High School has failed, and a new pump has to be built in order to make the necessary repairs. Superintendent Todd Southard stated that the part is estimated to be ready in four to eight weeks.
Enrollment stands at 1,403. Resigning or retiring were: Meghan Elder, Jacquelynn Souders, Jackson Roten, Brad Coffelt, Karry Ward and Haley Cormier.
The next regularly scheduled board meeting will be held Monday, April 13, at 6 p.m. in the WISD Administration Board Room at 305 South San Jacinto Street in Whitney.
The Lakelander 