School board members, students recognized during meeting
BHS Assistant Principal Gina Austin, Board Secretary Heidi Battle, Board Member Tiffany Haynes, Board President Brittany Hicks, BMS Assistant Principal Bobby LaLanne, Board Vice President Bo Mansfield, Director of Learning Laura Klein, and Interim Superin
As part of School Board Recognition Month in the state of Texas, The Bandera ISD School Board was honored for their service and commitment to Bandera’s students and community on Monday, January 10, at its regular monthly meeting at the BISD Administration Building.
Bandera ISD Board members are Brittany Hicks, Heidi Battle, Tiffany Haynes, Laurie Neff, Greg Butler, Rhondo Jauer, and Bo Mansfield.
“Our school board members are selfless volunteers who spend long hours working to ensure all of our students have the opportunity to learn and grow,” Interim Superintendent Gary Bitzkie said. “Celebrating School Board Recognition Month is one way to say thanks for all they do,”
The Bandera High School Culinary Arts program and students were recognized for their contribution to School Board Recognition Month. Laura Klein, Gina Austin and Bobby LaLanne presented the Board with a plaque to commemorate the month.
The Consent Agenda passed unanimously. There were no Citizen’s Comments.
Interim Superintendent Bitzkie gave a report on Average Daily Attendance and Enrollment. The district has enrolled 2,326 students with a 92 percent attendance rate.
Bitzkie reported currently there were 29 positive cases of Covid and 45 exposures in the district. The district is providing testing to all students and staff.
Director of Assessment and Accountability Donald Tosh gave a briefing on the Texas Academic Performance Report to the Board, detailing detailed the timeline for state assessment and reviewing the grade level percentages for each individual subject tested in 2021. He reminded the Board that there was no testing in 2020.
The new 2022-2023 school calendar was presented to the Board by Director of Learning Laura Klein. The proposed school calendar begins on August 15 and ends on May 25. All traditional holidays are maintained. Klein remarked that the calendar could change slightly if the stock show decided to change its dates for 2023.
A possible change to attendance zone boundaries was presented to the Board by Director of Transportation Kay Miller. This change would help balance enrollment between Alkek and Hill Country Elementaries. Interim Superintendent Bitzkie emphasized any change would affect new families to the district. Current Alkek students would be able to continue to attend Alkek, and transportation will be provided.
CFO Mike Neuman presented the budget planning calendar for the 2022-2023 school district budget. Neuman remarked the planning calendar was identical to the planning calendar used last year.
In the Regular Agenda, the board voted to move the monthly Board Meeting from March 14 to March 21 so the meeting would not fall during Spring Break.
Neffendorf & Blocker, P.C. was approved as the district’s financial auditors. The substitute pay scale was changed to $80 a day for substitutes and $100 a day for degreed or certified substitutes.
The Board went into closed session at 6:48 p.m. It reconvened at 7:10 p.m. and no actions were taken. The meeting adjourned thereafter.
The next meeting of the Bandera ISD Board of Trustees will be on February 14, 2022.