BOARD RECAP -- April 15, 2024
April 15, 2024
The Prosper Independent School District Board of Trustees met for a regular Board Meeting on Monday, April 15, 2024.
ACTION ITEMS
The Board approved 3.5% raise for all employees for 2024-2025 as one part of their continued commitment to retain and recruit the absolute best employees
At the regularly scheduled Board of Trustees meeting on April 15, 2024, the Board unanimously approved the administration’s recommendation for a 3.5% pay increase for all current employees for the 2024-2025 school year.
"The Board of Trustees acknowledges the impactful contributions of every Prosper employee towards our students and their families. I sincerely appreciate their recognition of our staff's efforts by endorsing this competitive compensation plan. Our team's dedication truly elevates our district, as they strive for excellence every day for the benefit of our students," Superintendent of Schools Dr. Holly Ferguson said.
COMPENSATION HIGHLIGHTS
All full-time employees will receive a 3.5% increase in their base salary.
Teachers new to Prosper ISD with zero years of experience have a starting salary of $60,000, up from $58,250.
In addition to the salary increase, the Board of Trustees also approved recommendations for special education and dual language stipends, aiming to support further and reward our staff's specialized skills and extra responsibilities.
“We continue to prioritize our employees during our budgeting process, and we are committed to offering a very competitive compensation package,” Chief Finance Officer Michele Seese said. “This allows us to have a strong starting pay and meet our goal of rewarding employees with greater experience and longevity with the district.”
CELEBRATIONS
District Valedictorians and Salutatorians
Prosper High School
Valedictorian: Kaitlin Hoover
Salutatorian: Yanhao Hu
Rock Hill High School
Valedictorian: Ethan Horsley
Salutatorian: Alexia Callahan
Walnut Grove High School
Valedictorian: Sariah Thomas
Salutatorian: Aditya Dhanraj
National Merit Finalists
Ten Prosper ISD students have been named National Merit Finalists, placing them among the top 1% of over 1.3 million students across the nation who entered the 2024 National Merit Scholarship Program.
To become a finalist, students submitted a detailed scholarship application, which included information about their academic records, participation in school and community activities, leadership abilities, employment, honors and awards, and an essay. They also scored highly on the PSAT/NMSQT test.
The National Merit Scholarship Program is an academic competition for recognition and scholarships. High school students enter the program by taking the PSAT/NMSQT, which serves as an initial screen of approximately 1.3 million entrants each year. From this group, approximately 15,000 advance to the finalist level.
These National Merit Finalists are now eligible for scholarships from the National Merit Scholarship Corporation, as well as colleges and universities. Winners will be announced later this year.
Since it is in its first year, Walnut Grove does not have any students who are eligible to be National Merit Finalists.
Prosper High School
Kaitlin Hoover
Yanhao Hu
Sachin Kamesh
Hudson Simon
Yebom Yang
Rock Hill High School
Alexander Anderson
Ethan Horsley
Manasa Nekkanti
Adithan Valukaramodu Omprakash
William Pan
Prosper High School Tops in Film
There are 4 categories of Film that students can submit to UIL. Prosper High School was in the top three of 3 of the 4 categories.
Dallin Hansen
Bronze, Narrative Film
Karina Morris
Bronze, Narrative Film
Cade Johnson
Bronze, Narrative Film
Silver, Documentary Film
Rocco Spampinato
Gold, Traditional Animation Film
Two-time state champion
Michael Logan, Coach
Rock Hill High School UIL CX Debate State Champions
This is an evidence-based debate that requires students to research, write, and develop arguments and strategies on both sides of the issue, to the equivalent of a master’s level thesis each year. This Rock Hill High School team competed in 8 rounds over 2 days with 16 different judges. From a pool of 55 teams, they won every round and every judge’s ballot, a rare occurrence. In addition to being state champions, they received individual speaker awards.
Kaden Carr
CX Debate State Champion
Golden Gavel: top speaker in the tournament from among 110 competitors; received perfect speaker points
Danush Gade
CX Debate State Champion
Bronze Gavel: 3rd best speaker in the tournament
- Jack Loeb, Coach
New Campus Leadership
Richland High School Principal Dr. Lute Croy
Dr. Croy has served 21 years in education. His roles have included teacher, athletic coach, instructional coach and assistant principal. Dr. Croy currently serves as Assistant Principal of Prosper High School.
Middle School Superintendent Advisory Council Winning Service Project
Under the Prosper Promise initiative, Superintendent Holly Ferguson engages with students from elementary, middle, and high schools to solicit their input for ongoing district improvement. Emphasizing the critical role of student voices, the initiative aims to consistently propel the district towards excellence.
The middle schoolers were organized into well-balanced groups, ensuring a variety of viewpoints and skill sets. These groups identified a problem to address and developed solutions to be presented to a panel of middle school principals. This challenge provided students with a rare opportunity to not only deepen their understanding of the topic but also refine their presentation abilities to resonate with an adult audience.
The group that impressed the judges the most then had the honor of presenting their improvement proposal to the Board of Trustees. Their winning concept was a sustainable school supply recycling project designed to repurpose unused supplies from middle schools for the benefit of campuses and students facing shortages. This innovative approach underscored the impact of student involvement in district-wide decision-making and sustainability efforts.
The winning team consisted of
Rogers Middle School students Kenzie Rogers, Jiya Reddy, Felicity Cleveland, Kasey Dailey, and Tinotenda Sunde
- Hays Middle School student Emmy Dyer
- Reynolds Middle School student Tedd Hansen
INFORMATIONAL REPORTS
The administration provided a report on Bond 2019 construction projects.
The administration provided an enrollment update.
The administration provided a report on the district's Fine Arts program.
CONSENT AGENDA
The Board approved the consent agenda as presented.
- Approved the minutes of the prior meeting(s)
- March 25, 2024
- Adopted the proclamation of 2024-2025 instructional materials
- Certified TEKS for 2024-2025
PUBLIC COMMENT
- Two people spoke during the non-agenda public comment segment.
SUPERINTENDENT'S REPORT
CLOSED MEETING ITEMS
- The Board approved hiring contract personnel as presented.
IMPORTANT DATES
- April 22 - First Day of Early Voting
- April 26 - Professional Learning/Student Holiday
- May 4 - Election Day for the School Board Election for Place 4 and Place 7
- May 20 - Regular School Board Meeting
- May 22 - Prosper High School Graduation, Children's Health Stadium, 7:30 pm
- May 23 - Rock Hill High School Graduation, Children's Health Stadium, 7:30 pm
- May 24 - Walnut Grove High School Graduation, Children's Health Stadium, 7:30 pm
VIDEOS OF BOARD MEETINGS
- Videos of Board meetings are posted within 7 days of the Board meeting.
- Board Meetings are also streamed live.
- Live Stream/Video Archive
PROCESS FOR SPEAKING AT BOARD MEETINGS
The Prosper ISD Board of Trustees welcomes public comment at Board meetings. In order to provide an efficient process at the Board meetings, we ask that individuals complete the Public Comment Form and submit it no later than noon on the day of the meeting. The Notice of Meeting/Agenda is posted 72 hours in advance of the Board meeting.
Prosper ISD Board of Trustees and Superintendent of Schools
From left: Board Member Tommy Van Wolfe, Board Member Jim Bridges, Board President Bill Beavers, Board Vice President Dena Dixon, Superintendent of Schools Dr. Holly Ferguson, Board Member Garrett Linker, Board Member Kelly Cavender, and Board Secretary Jorden Dial
Visit the Board of Trustees website.
Best Public Schools in Texas
Prosper ISD has an established 66-year history that is grounded in the humble roots of a farming community, now soaring to the fastest growing school district in the State of Texas, due in no small part to the pursuit of excellence in the arts, academics and athletics. Our students are routinely recognized on the local, state and national level for outstanding achievements, and our teachers are highly qualified experts who bring out the best in every student.
About Prosper ISD
Prosper ISD is a school district located north of Dallas in Collin and Denton Counties. The district spans approximately 58 square miles and serves more than 29,000 students in 17 elementary schools, 4 middle schools, 3 high schools and one early childhood school.
Email: communications@prosper-isd.net
Location: 605 East 7th Street, Prosper, TX, USA
Phone: 469-219-2000