Southwest ISD Board Update
February
Public Hearings
ESSER II and ESSER III Plans and Amendments
ESSER II (Elementary and Secondary Schools Emergency Relief) and ESSER III Grant plans and amendments were shared during this public hearing. In addition, the presentation included an overview of the collaboration of more than 62 staff members on the steering committees, community/parent surveys, and two prior public meetings.
Annual Performance Report
A presentation of the District's Annual Performance Report was shared during this public hearing. This report is composed of seven separate sections: The PEIMS Financial Standard Report of the 2020 – 2021 Financial Actual Information; Campus Performance Objectives; District Accreditation Status; Report on Violent or Criminal Incidents on Campuses; Reports for Student Performance in Postsecondary Institutions; Progress Toward Board-adopted HB 3 Goals; and The Texas Annual Performance Report (TAPR).
February 21 Board Meeting Highlights
Students of the Month
Arianna Zapata is the Student of the Month for Medio Creek ES. The 5th-grader is an exceptional student who consistently goes above and beyond both academically and as a helper at Medio Creek Elementary. She is always willing to assist her teacher with any task, whether it's charging Chromebooks, sharpening pencils, relaying messages to the office and other teachers, or helping a substitute teacher navigate their busy day. Her reliability is unparalleled. In addition to her excellent work ethic, Arianna also excels academically. She actively participates in classroom discussions, sharing her thoughtful ideas and taking charge when needed, such as guiding a group of struggling readers through difficult words or explaining her reasoning for complex questions.
Arianna's love of writing is also apparent as she is always jotting down creative and inventive stories in her writing journal. She frequently uses the classroom plot flipbook to inspire her writing and we have no doubt that she will one day see her name in Barnes and Noble.
McAuliffe Middle School takes great pride in recognizing Sarah Del Rio for her exceptional character and achievements. The 8th-grader demonstrates admirable traits both in and outside of the classroom, including respectfulness towards her teachers and peers, kindness, a willingness to learn, and a drive for success. She is a true embodiment of the "Rocket Way" and serves as an exemplary role model for her fellow students.
In addition to her outstanding academic performance, Sarah is actively involved in various sports and serves as the president of the National Junior Honor Society. She is a highly dedicated student, excelling in all aspects of her academic and extracurricular pursuits, including being an all-around athlete, a Rocket Warrior, an all-A student, and a talented musician playing the violin in Mariachi. Sarah's willingness to go above and beyond is exemplified by her willingness to help both teachers and fellow students whenever they are in need.
Her kind, respectful, responsible, and trustworthy nature has made Sarah a highly respected member of the school community. McAuliffe Middle School is proud to recognize Sarah and her exceptional achievements, and we are confident that she will continue to inspire and achieve great things in the future.
Gavin Avey is the Student of the Month for Southwest High School due to his impressive achievements and exceptional character. The 12th-grader is involved in a variety of extracurricular activities such as the student council, chess club, and UIL Academics, and has also taken on the role of Dragon Mascot this year. Despite his busy schedule, Gavin has maintained a full load of dual credit courses and is currently ranked fourth in his graduating class. Additionally, he has earned the prestigious rank of Eagle Scout.
Mr. Urby, Gavin's teacher, commends him for his inquisitive nature and ability to ignite engaging conversations in class. He praises Gavin's character and work ethic, citing his commitment to helping others and his impressive contribution of building two beautiful benches for the chess club as part of his Eagle Scout project last summer. Gavin's willingness to assist with cleaning up the classroom and going the extra mile sets him apart as an exemplary role model at Southwest High School.
Gavin has chosen to attend the University of Houston in the fall, where he plans to study psychology. Southwest High School is proud to recognize Gavin for his outstanding achievements and wishes him the best in his future endeavors.
Presentations
TASB Board Policy Update 120 was brought forth as a first read to the Board. In this packet the policies extended to topics such as accountability, board member elections, board meetings, state and federal revenue sources, ad valorem taxes, accounting, safety program/risk management, equipment and supplies management, technology resources, insurance and annuities management, basic instructional programs, special education, special programs, academic achievement, testing programs, state assessment, equal educational opportunities, wellness and health services, student welfare, student rights and responsibilities, and student discipline. More clarification on these new policies will come when the Board approves them in the coming months.
SW Legacy HS Band Hawaii Trip
Trustees were updated on an upcoming Southwest Legacy HS band trip that has been approved by the Board. The trip is an overnight stay in Hawaii from May 27th to June 1st, 2023, and will include a special performance by the students at Pearl Harbor on the island of Oahu. This Memorial Day performance will honor the fallen and pay tribute to their sacrifices. In addition to this, the students will have the opportunity to engage in historical learning and other cultural experiences during their trip. To ensure that the students can travel together as a group on one plane, the District has pledged to provide some financial support for the trip. The students have also been actively fundraising to contribute to the overall cost of the trip. This exciting opportunity promises to be a memorable and valuable experience for the participating students.
Items Approved
The Board approved the additional stipend for interim campus administrators. As campus administrative positions become vacant in the school year, this will allow the District to have certified personnel support their campuses in these roles without moving several positions that affect campus instruction or student learning. In addition, this allows the campus to provide leadership opportunities to aspiring administrators and to enable the campus to have the best applicant pool for selecting the permanent administrator for any position.
SWISD 2022-2023 School Calendar Amendment
The Board approved an amendment to the SWISD 2022-23 Calendar to include Juneteenth as a holiday for all staff beginning this year on June 19, 2023.
SWISD 2023-2024 School Calendar
Trustees approved the calendar for 2023-2024 school year. Draft calendars were presented to the District Improvement Team on January 18, 2022. Senior Staff reviewed the draft calendars. Two calendars were chosen to present to employees for voting. The results of the voting was out of 1,126 votes about 78% voted for the calendar presented to trustees. The calendar will be posted publicly next week.
Emergency School Closing Wages
The Board approved the resolution dealing with wage issues involving the emergency closure for all employees that started on January 31 through February 1, 2023. Due to inclement weather the District closed all school and facilities in SWISD on January 31 through February 1, 2023. This was deemed necessary based on the safety of students and staff to protect from potentially traveling in bad weather conditions and the lack of power or water and frozen pipes at most locations caused by the storm.
Chromebook Purchase for Campuses
Trustees approved CDWG as the awarded vendor for purchasing 3,000 Chromebooks for the campuses. Chromebooks are the primary instructional devices for students, and the District has committed to providing at least a 1-to-1 device-to-student ratio to support our campuses. While they are cost-effective, Chromebooks do reach a scheduled date at which they will no longer update. These dates are set by the vendors. The purpose of this project is to replace 1,000 devices that will expire in June 2023, and to supplement campuses with a total of 2,000 additional devices.
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