By Toni Garrard Clay/AISD Communications Specialist
The theme of Monday night’s Athens ISD board meeting was celebratory as the board recognized top teachers and handed out banners for high-achieving campuses.
As announced in August, all five AISD campuses met the state standards under the Texas Education Agency’s accountability ratings for public schools. In addition, three of the five earned academic distinctions, for which banners were presented at the board meeting. Those three campuses and their distinctions are: Athens High School — for Academic Achievement in Science and for Top 25 Percent Student Progress; Bel Air Elementary — for Top 25 Percent Student Progress and for Post Secondary Readiness; and South Athens Elementary — for Academic Achievement in Reading/ELA, Top 25 Percent Student Progress, Top 25 Percent Closing Performance Gaps, and Postsecondary Readiness. (Central Athens Elementary was created beginning this current school year; therefore last year’s ratings do not apply.)
“We are very proud of all that has been accomplished,” said Assistant Superintendent Dr. Janie Sims. “These banners and those already hanging are visible signs of the good work that is happening in Athens ISD.”
The August Teachers and Employee of the Month were also recognized. They are Sandy Carter of South Athens, Lisa Ford of Bel Air, Audrey Thurston of Central Athens, Terrie Baze of Athens Middle School, Patrick Tinsley of Athens High School, Amy Fonseca of AHS’s Career and Technology Education program, and Kelly Burras, custodian at South Athens.
Board members also gave their approval to several action items. Jack Bailey was nominated to continue serving on the board of directors of the Henderson County Appraisal District, representing Athens ISD. Because Athens ISD stretches into a portion of Van Zandt County, AISD also has 40 votes (of a 5,000-vote total) to be allocated to a candidate in the Van Zandt County Appraisal District Board of Directors election. The trustees awarded the 40 votes to Tommy Bulman.
According to a workers compensation attorney the chief Financial Officer Randy Jones informed the board that Athens ISD has reached the end of a four-year agreement for workers compensation coverage with Deep East Texas Self Insurance Fund. The annual premium has been $89,000. The board approved a new, five-year agreement with the same company. For the first year the premium will remain the same, then increase incrementally until reaching $91,900 during the fifth year. Jones reported to the board that bids submitted by other companies for the same coverage were substantially higher.
The board also gave approval for an individual fee expenditure of greater than $10,000 to MSB, if sufficient collection of Student Health and Related Services (SHARS) funds should occur. MSB consults for Athens ISD on issues related to SHARS. SHARS is the program that provides reimbursement through the Medicaid program to school districts for certain health and related services provided to students. MSB receives a fee of 9 percent of funds collected for SHARS services. While fee amounts have been significantly less than $10,000, projections for the current school year indicate some individual reimbursements could exceed $10,000.
