In order to secure the safety of ag students, the school board plans to use unassigned funds to renovate the Stock Show Barn. At the April 14 regular meeting, the board took those discussions into closed session but made no decisions on the work. They did, however, approve three contracts for new teachers.
Also, during public comments, a graduating senior brought concerns to the board about the accuracy and availability of information from the counseling office.
School Counselor Dina Menn said in a statement that "information regarding course offerings –including Honors, AP, OnRamps, Victoria College Dual Credit classes– and the GPA point system has always been provided to students and parents. Additionally, any schedule changes require the completion of a schedule change form signed by a parent."
"I consistently encourage students and their families to visit colleges and meet with academic advisors to review degree plans," Menn wrote. "This helps ensure that any dual credit courses taken in high school align with their post-secondary goals. Given the variety of colleges, degree plans, and career pathways available, I strongly advocate for students to have ongoing discussions with both their parents and college advisors to make informed decisions about life after high school."
During the recognition items, the elementary Wildcats of the Month were commended for showing respect, responsibility and safety: Kyzen Palacios, Isaiah Rhea, Makiya Green, Mila Loya, Iris Williams, Braelynn Torres, Nat Flores and Julian Gonzales. Kyzen, Isaiah and Makiya received their certificates and a round of applause at the meeting.
The powerlifting teams’ successes were also highlighted, with several members setting regional records and two placing at the state championship.
Girls’ Powerlifting Coach Whitney Shroeder shared the achievements of four of her athletes who advanced to regionals: Mariah Alvarez, Zoe Rodriguez, Allie Geffert, and Brianna Cox.
She described the unequipped competition as “pure strength and pure grit.”
Boys’ Powerlifting Coach Bruno Mata said, among all the teams that he has coached, this year’s team would hold a special place in his heart. He said they had every reason to quit at the Region 5, Division 4 meet.
“We had some hills that we had to climb, more specifically, the passing of the Guerrero brothers' father eight hours before we competed,” he said. Mata also described how Rylan Rau was driven straight to the competition by Mr. Nixon from competition all week at the Houston Livestock Show.
The regional team consisted of Rylan Rau, Manuel Macias, Justin Guerrero, and Johnathan Guerrero. Rylan Rau placed 5th at state in the 242 pound weight class and Johnathan Guerrero won state in the 132 pound weight class.
For student outcomes, the board heard from Secondary Principal Michael Hannum about the District Goal 5 on reading, noting improvements in ELA scores from 33% to 74% in one year.
In their quarterly Lone Star Governance evaluation, the board looked at the superintendent's constraints, scoring high in student outcomes and community engagement.
Mention was made of Dr. Ashley Chandler’s updates on the district’s Facebook page as helping with community engagement.
Board President Benjamin Hahn announced that all trustees had completed the required training for state compliance, and he thanked them for their time and service.
Also at the meeting, trustees went into closed session to consider the use of up to $500,000 from the Unassigned Fund Balance for the renovation of the Stock Show Barn as well as employee contracts.
According to the agenda, “this project aligns with LSG Goal 3 and will help YISD meet recent TEA safety standards. The proposed use of fund balance is within the district's financial guidelines and will not negatively impact the overall budget.”
No action was taken on the renovation. Superintendent Gerald Nixon said the board wants to see all the bids before taking action. He said the three new teachers hired were a coach, an English teacher and an elementary teacher.
The next meeting of the Yorktown School Board will be Monday, May 12, at 7:30 p.m.
