LGISD to Get 200 Laptops at No Cost to District; Construction Progressing
A really good deal on a bunch of technology highlighted the La Grange Independent School District board of trustees monthly meeting Monday. Here’s some of what was discussed:
Operation Connectivity
La Grange ISD will be able to purchase 200 laptop computers and 100 hotspots through a joint effort among Governor Abbott and the Texas Education Agency to help connect public school students with a device and reliable internet connections. This program, named Operation Connectivity is part of the CARES (Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security) Act funding. The program provided matching funds for districts to help facilitate the purchases of devices and connectivity. These devices and connectivity spots could be secured at reduced prices with a bulk purchase from the state. Matching funds are based on the number of economically disadvantaged students in a school district.
The total cost for the devices and hotspots will be $68,300 however the district was able to secure discounted pricing through the state’s bulk purchase bringing the cost down to $34,150. Since the county received funds through the CARES Act, the administration asked the county officials to allocate some of these funds for the local district. The district received $17,075 from the county. Texas Education Agency (TEA) will match whatever funds were allocated from the county (up to 25% of the total cost), meaning LGISD will receive the laptops and hotspots at no cost to the district.
Construction Update
The construction of the additions to the La Grange ISD are nearing completion. Progress to date at the elementary school include:
• Administration offices HVAC operation and cooling, drywall complete and wall tile underway.
• Media Center roof and masonry complete, exterior metal panel underway, storefront install near completion.
• Site paving and drainage complete.
Progress at the special education and technology center includes:
• Canopies approved
• Systems commissioning/test and balance near completion.
At the music center:
• Interior wall, floors, and ceilings complete.
• Band furniture and instrument storage set up and installed.
• Restrooms and water fountains complete.
Furniture Purchase
With Phase 2 of the construction set to be completed in December 2020, and a planned move-in date over the Christmas break, furniture needs to be purchased for the new construction. The administration reached out to three vendors to receive bids for the furniture in the offices and student spaces inside of the Phase 2 part of the construction. In addition, 36 bookcases were bid on to match the existing bookcases in each teacher’s classroom giving each room the needed two bookcases instead of one. The board approved a purchase of furnishing not to exceed $150,000.
Threat Assessment Team
With the passage of Senate Bill 11 by the last legislative session, came a requirement to mandate the implementation of threat assessment teams in public schools. The threat assessment teams provides a proactive, evidence-based approach for identifying individuals who may pose a threat and for providing interventions before a violent incident occurs. This team was put in place last school year. Two members of the team resigned from the district at the end of the 2019-2020 school year and needed to be replaced. Sharon Muzny will replace Neal Miller on school safety and security and David Bennett will replace Michael Mach on technology.
Administrative Reports
Superintendent Bill Wagner reported on student enrollment. There are currently 1,863 students enrolled in the district. This is 58 less than last year at this time. He also reported that there have been 12 positive cases in the school since the school year started as of Monday night’s meeting.
Assistant Superintendent Stacy Eilers reported on the activities of the three campuses during the recent inservice day.
Director of School Operations Sharon Muzny told the board that the online school auction of surplus items grossed over $40,000 for the district. There will be another auction of more items in storage. It is slated to start on Nov. 5. She stated that some of the maintenance team will attend training in November to get certified in spraying for pests and weeds so that this service will not need to be contracted out. She said that the software system has been updated so that they can begin the change to the new transportation routing system. It will take about three months for the complete change to the new system. The bus camera system needs to be updated and she is looking at several options for this update. More PPE has been picked up for the district and distributed to the appropriate campuses.
More on the meeting in Tuesday’s edition.