LGISD March Board Meeting

In previous editions we reported on personnel changes, the new school calender and the school voucher fight from the March meeting of the La Grange School board of trustees. Here are some more highlights from that meeting:

State Compliance

The board of trustees heard a report from Asst. Superintendent Stacy Eilers stating that the district is in compliance with the following state programs: bilingual education, career and technology education, dyslexia education, gifted and talented education, prekindergarten notification program, and state compensatory education.

Revenue Update

Local property tax receipts through March 3 have totaled $15,457,823.79. Of this $13,024,294.88 was maintenance and operations (M&O) and $2,475,300.50 was interest and sinking (I&S). These receipts represent 98.64% of M&O taxes and 96.69% of I&S taxes projected and budgeted.

Singleton, Clark, & Company Resigns

The board was notified that the accounting firm Singleton, Clark, and Company will cease their services as the district’s auditors. They have served LGISD for the last 13 years. They cited staffing issues as the reason for leaving. They have offered their services to help in the transition to a new accounting firm.

LGISD’s Strategic Plan

Strategic planning is a process that engages stakeholders, such as parents, students, district employees, city officials, business partners, and clergy to collaboratively shape the future of the school district. Through this process, the district and community become partners in creating a five-year plan. This shared sense of ownership enables districts to overcome obstacles and discover new possibilities for students.

Superintendent Andy McHazlett told the board, “It was interesting listening to their perspective on our educational system. What was very interesting was listening to our students, after going through the different areas saying, ‘We didn’t know the school did this.’ Every student has a different perspective. Every student is not served by every program, but every student is served by this school – all means all.”

The community members, staff and students of La Grange ISD, who recently participated in the series of meetings in order to collaboratively shape the future of La Grange ISD, came up with a new vision and mission statement for the district. Strong partnerships were built through a collective sense of responsibility as everyone worked to create a fiveyear- plan.

New Vision: La Grange ISD inspires excellence, builds community, and empowers all students for a purposeful future.

New Mission: In collaboration with our families and community, La Grange ISD provides a safe, inclusive, and respectful environment where students feel valued, challenged, and supported. We engage students with relevant and rigorous instruction. We maintain high expectations and a growth mindset in order to prepare all students for a purposeful future.

It was noted that these statements were discussed at length and that the word successful was originally in the place of the word purposeful. It was one of the high school students on the committee who felt and defended the use of the word purposeful instead.

The plan consists of four strands – Strong, Focused Leadership; Human Capital Systems; Highly-Effective Instruction; and Integrated Student Support. The board heard reports from each of the four strands. A common theme in each the strands is “All Means All.” The district plans to have an active link on the school website for the public to be able to see where they are on each of goals within each of the strands.

Employee Pay During Winter Storm Closure

When the winter storm struck central Texas from Jan. 31-Feb. 1, ice accumulations were expected to impact the county. Out of an abundance of caution and for the safety of LGISD students and staff, school was cancelled on those days. Most district employees were instructed not to report to work on those days. To keep the employees from suffering a loss in pay due to the closure, the board approved a resolution to pay them for the time they would have worked.

Teacher Incentive Allotment Spending Plan

In 2019, House Bill 3 established the Teacher Incentive Allotment (TIA) which allows highly effective teachers to earn recognition and gain access to a higher salary. Designations are distinctions awarded to highly effective teachers. TEA maintains a public Designated Teacher Registry. Districts are entitled to an annual allotment when they employ eligible designated teachers. All Texas public school systems may employ designated teachers and receive allotment funds – a local designation system is not required. Annual teacher allotments range from $3,000 - $32,000. This amount is set by TEA and is based on the campus’ rural status and student socio-economic demographics.

The board approved the following plan for any funds received by La Grange ISD for a designated teacher under the TIA: Ninety percent will be paid to the designated teacher. The remaining ten percent will be used for designated teacher surcharges including TRS contributions but excluding taxes. This payout will be in one lump sum paid before the designated teacher’s contract year is completed that they are eligible to receive the allotment in. Should the district receive funding for a designated teacher who has resigned or retired, and who has met all TIA requirements, the district will forward payment to the resigned or retired designated teacher as soon as possible.