Southwest ISD Board Update
NOVEMBER
Public Hearing
Assistant Superintendent of Business and Finance Brandon Crisp presented information
on the Schools Financial Integrity Rating System of Texas (FIRST) report. Senate Bill 218 of the 77th Legislature requires the financial health of every school district in Texas to be evaluated. The primary goal of Schools FIRST is to achieve quality performance in the management of school district’s financial resources, a goal made more significant due to the complexity of accounting associated with Texas School Finance Systems. Schools FIRST accountability rating assigns one of the four financial ratings to Texas School Districts.
- Superior
- Above Standard
- Meets Standard
- Substandard Achievement
Southwest ISD Earned a Superior rating with a score of 94 out of 100 possible points. The data used to determine this rating is from the 2020-2021 fiscal year.
November 15 Board Meeting Highlights
The Student of the Month for Hidden Cove STEAM Academy is 5th grader Genavee Casarez. Genavee is described as a bright student who works consistently to exceed expectations. Her most recent accomplishment includes building an inclusive book club that encourages her fellow students to read. She worked hard to lead the mission to create the student group, recruited classmates, and worked with her teacher and the librarian to build the club. Her teachers describe her as an impressive student with a fantastic work ethic.
The Student of the Month for Southwest Legacy High School is Mauricio Hernandez. Mauricio is described as a natural leader. He is the Senior Class President of the 2023 graduating class and President of the Student Council. Mauricio gives his time to his school and his community. In addition to holding office positions, he also devotes his spare time to the SWL community. He participates in the Interact club and assists with fundraising, helping to fund community service projects such as building gardens on campus. Mauricio is also an SWL Best Buddies organization member and helps with special needs students on campus. Mauricio is currently enrolled in the Practicum for Auto Collision and is working on his Industrial Certification. He plans to continue his education at St. Philip's College with the Alamo Promise Scholarship and would one day like to run his own business.
Trustees were given information on this year's Blue Santa Parade and Festival. For many years the Southwest Communities in Action Coalition has worked together with law enforcement, community agencies, Southwest ISD, and South San Antonio ISD to celebrate and pay tribute to public servants who put their lives on the line to help keep our community safe.
Southwest ISD will host the Blue Santa Press Conference announcing the official event on December 6, 2022, at 9:30 a.m. at Sky Harbour Elementary. Everyone is welcome to attend.
On December 10, 2022, Blue Santa will ring in the holiday season when he arrives in the SAPD Blue Eagle helicopter at Miller’s Pond Community Center. Blue Santa will then lead a parade of City of San Antonio officials, Bexar County officials, special guests, community and school district representatives, and organizations through the SWISD neighborhood for approximately 2.5 miles and join the holiday celebration at Miller's Pond Community Center. The parade is scheduled to start at 10:00 a.m. and the procession is expected to arrive at Miller’s Pond at 11:00 a.m. The festival begins with the recognition of dignitaries and school officials on stage. Student performances from both Southwest ISD and South San ISD begin after the introduction and continue throughout the afternoon. There will be information tables, games, and various food booths at the park with many agencies and area resources ready and available to assist community members.
The Blue Santa committee will also host the annual toy giveaway inside the Miller's Pond Community Center. Parents will be encouraged to fill out a gift registration form for their children before they are allowed to enter the center to pick out a toy of their choice.The theme of this year’s event is 'Blue Santa’s Galactic Spectacular.'
Student artists who submitted artwork for the Blue Santa poster contest were also recognized at the Board meeting. Below is a list of the winners:
Middle School Winners
1st Place - Arredondo, Ashley - McNair MS
2nd Place - Martinez, Andrea - McNair MS
3rd Place - Castaneda, Aubrey - McNair MS
Honorable Mention - Alvarado, Gracie - McNair MS
Elementary Winners (9 & 10 year olds)
1st Place - Marquez, Kaleb - Bob Hope ES
2nd Place - Moreno, Joaquin - Bob Hope ES
3rd Place - Echavarria, Isabel - Southwest ES
Honorable Mention - Wheeler, Nicole - Indian Creek ES
Elementary Winners (7 & 8 year olds)
1st Place - Chavarria, Layla Lilly - Indian Creek ES
2nd Place - Kingman, Cecilia - Benavidez ES (South San ISD)
3rd Place - Arispe, Aleesha - Indian Creek ES
Presentations
SWISD Bootcamp Update
Executive Director of Administration and Title IX Coordinator for Students Adrian Ramirez gave an update on Southwest ISD’s Boot Camp Program. It is a component of the district’s
disciplinary alternative education program (DAEP). A student’s placement at Boot Camp depends on several factors, including the severity of the offense committed and prior placements to the DAEP. While assigned there, teachers and staff provide students with academic support. The Boot Camp program also incorporates a military-style physical training (PT) component that requires student participation. Students exit the program upon successful completion of assigned days. The presentation included student placement data collected since the 2018-2019 school year.
District Demographics Update
Assistant Superintendent of Business and Finance Brandon Crisp provided an update on the District's demographics. The presentation included an update on the current campus population growth and addressed different areas of concern.
SWISD Auction Results
The Board of Trustees was also updated on the District's online auction results, which took place from September 27, 2022, through October 6, 2022. It grossed the District $74,968.00 and netted $59,830.63. The auction consisted of 155 lots.
Items Approved
The Board approved the 2021-2022 District Financial Audit. The Coleman, Horton & Company, LLP conducted a comprehensive audit of the District's books and found no material non-compliance issues or material weaknesses in the District's internal controls. The State of Texas, the Federal Government, and the Texas Education Agency require each school District to have an annual independent audit performed.
2022-2023 Capital Projects Plan
The Board approved the recommended 2022-2023 capital improvement projects. The projects will pull funding from multiple sources, including ESSER funding, fund balance, and unspent bond funds. The approval allows District staff to begin preparation for procurement and set up timelines to complete the projects by the end of summer 2023. Below is a list of the projects:
Central Office and Professional Development Center Master Planning
The Board approved RVK Architecture for programming and planning services for
the New SWISD Central Office/Professional Development Center. RVK Architecture is one of seven architectural firms selected by the Board of Trustees to provide SWISD with professional architectural and engineering services on an as-needed basis. RVK will be providing programming and planning for this project. District staff will present the plan to the Board of Trustees to determine moving forward with the project's entire design.
Southwest Independent School District
Website: www.swisd.net
Location: Southwest Independent School District, TX, USA
Phone: 210-622-4300
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SWISDsatx
Twitter: @swisd