School Construction 90% Done
Wagner Gets Raise; Enrollment Down, Bus Changes Ahead
The La Grange Independent School Board of Trustees held their monthly meeting Monday, with a lot on their plate.
Here’s a roundup of some of their actions:
Superintendent Contract
The board approved the 2020-2021 contract for Superintendent William Wagner with a 4% annual increase of $5,480 and an automobile allowance of $6,600.
Construction Update
The board heard a report stating that construction for the district’s $37.9 million bond package of improvements is currently on schedule, with 90% of the work (which began three years ago) complete.
Here is the progress to date:
At La Grange Elementary:
• Administration building roof and masonry and administration building window installation are complete
• Media center insulation, roof masonry, windows, as well as, site paving and drainage are near completion
At the special education and technology center:
• Parking, striping and signage are complete
• Systems commissioning and systems test and balance are near completion
At the music center:
• Power, HVAC, and lighting are complete
• Interior walls, floors and ceilings, as well as, restroom vanities installations are near completion.
New Employees
The district hired three new paraprofessionals, Carolyn Harold-middle school educational aide, Joslyn Hensley-high school receptionist and Juana Gonzalez-elementary school receptionist. The district also hired two new auxiliary personnel, Arcenia Cueller and Mary Lou Goehring - food service workers.
Administrative Reports
Superintendent William Wagner reported that the current enrollment is 1859 which is 61 less than last year at this time. Of that number, there are currently 190 students receiving instruction online which is down from over 300 at the start of the school year. He also reported that there have been eight confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the district – all students.
Assistant Superintendent Stacy Eilers told the board that the Little Leps after school program is in full swing. There are currently 38 students enrolled in the program with seven on the waiting list. The staff consists of one director and two other staff members. They are currently working on getting another person to add to the staff which would allow the students on the wait list to attend.
Director of Operations Sharon Muzny reported that safety on the bus routes is a top priority. As the numbers of students returning to in-person instruction increases, the need for more bus operators increases as well. There was a concern about fencing around the elementary campus needs attention due to the construction.
TASB Media Honor Roll
Lee Fritsch of KTIM radio has been named to the 2020 Texas Association of School Boards (TASB) Honor Roll by the Fayetteville, Round Top and La Grange Independent School Districts. The media honor roll recognizes media statewide for their fair and balanced reporting of news about public schools. Media from radio, television, newspapers and digital publications across the state are recognized. The criteria for being chosen for this honor include the representative’s efforts to get to know the superintendent and school boards, report school news in a fair, accurate and balanced manner, give a high profile to positive news about the schools, visiting the schools and maintaining a policy of no surprises by sharing information with school officials.
New Transportation Software
La Grange ISD school bus transportation is going high tech, well, really just more high tech. In 2017, the district began using Tyler Traversa routing software. This software allowed the district’s student information system to be integrated to set the routes based on student locations and needs for morning, afternoon, and special transportation routes. The district is now going to introduce a student management and parent notification software called Tyler Drive to the existing program.
The current transportation process needs improvement in the following areas:
1. Parents inability to communicate in real-time regarding their child’s whereabouts on buses
2. Inability to communicate with parents on a specified route if there is a delay to that route
3. Children getting placed on the wrong bus and not knowing about it until the bus has left the school
4. Reliance on out-of-date paper bus passes and processes
5. Bus operators and subs relying on paper routes to flip through while driving
6. Monthly reporting of ridership that needs to be reported daily, but cannot be accommodated with the existing workload
7. Lack of accountability and ridership if a bus emergency were to occur
8. Inability to pull historical ridership data
The new software make possible the following:
1. Turn by turn route navigation for the bus operator
2. Student RFID (radio-frequency identification) scanning upon entering and leaving the bus
3. Parent notification tied with the student RFID scans
4. Bus GPS
5. Loaded mileage for reporting and funding
6. Estimated bus arrival times available to parents
7. Ability to send notifications to parents on specific routes
8. Real-time on-board ridership for emergencies
9. Ability for bus operators to view student’s emergency contact and medical/allergy information
10. Reduction in fielding parent inquiries during the busiest time of the day
This new software will cost the district $57,464. This cost includes the software itself, parent notification app, equipment, training and installation. There will be a recurring annual renewal fee of $10,900 for year two and $11,445 for year three.
LVN Position to be Added
The board approved the addition of an LVN position at the Middle School. Recent demands of the health services department have caused our school nurses to be stretched thin. COVID-19 and the requirements associated with the protocols the district has in place requires an additional personnel position of an LVN.
The position would be for the 187 days of the school year and will be housed in the La Grange Middle School.
The salary range for the position would be between $28,020-$33,570, depending upon experience.