JISD School Board decided to let parents and students make the call on whether or not to wear facemasks and gave employees five extra “local” days to help them navigate the COVID pandemic.
“I believe that mandating masks for our kids is not necessarily the answer,” said Rachael Cooner during public comment. “In my opinion, you decide what’s best for you, and I’ll decide what’s best for mine. Our kids are coming to school and shouldn’t be living in fear all the time. I don’t want that for my kid. I don’t like the person sitting next to them looking at them like they’re a germ. I ask that you put our kids, and I know you will, and their best interests first.”
“I’m not going to come at you if you want to wear a mask, so please don’t come at me if we don’t,” said Summer Cooner. “Right now [my kids] don’t want to come. They’re scared to come. It’s real and it is out there. Don’t make the kids have to suffer wearing a mask all day long. Leet them be kids.”
Superintendent Rob Barnwell said the district is following Governor Gregg Abbott’s executive orders and the directions given by the Texas Education Agency.
“Politically, governors and legislatures tend to go where the votes are,” said Barnwell. “However, I’ve been inclined to follow the governor and TEA’s orders. They have money over our heads and we can’t function without it. I think it’s best for local schools to have a policy in place in case the orders go away. The calls I’ve gotten were only from people who called me an idiot for not enforcing a mask mandate” and that’s why it was put on the agenda.
Currently the COVID case load in the district is changing daily, according to Barnwell. As of Tuesday, there were 38 positive confirmed cases and 176 students absent. He indicated the district normally runs at a 93-94% attendance rate, but “right now, we’re at 82-83-84%.” Enrollment this year is down about 100 students from last year, according to Barnwell. This year it’s 1150.
Board member Kevin Godfrey reminded the board the district shut down in the spring “due to staffing issues, not student attendance.”
“The parents understand the risk and have chosen, along with their students, not to wear masks,” Godfrey said. “It’s up to the parents as to what their decision is.”
Teachers, staff and administrators will be receiving five extra “local” absence days for this school contract year and the extra days are retroactive to when teachers first reported for duty in August. Currently employees receive five “state” days which can be rolled over from year to year, and five “local” days for their use. Employees are paid for the “local” days they don’t use at the end of the year.
“I’m not for COVID leave days,” said Barnwell. I’m for extra local days that are optional and can be used for whatever.”
High School Principal Jerry Brannon said he already had one teacher who has used up all of their available days and the extra days would be a big help to them.
Other campus administrators mirrored his sentiment in agreeing the five extra days would be a benefit to all their campuses.
Per the motion made by Board Member Leah Cooper, all positions will receive the five extra “local” days but just for this school year and she wants the Board to readdress the issue in July 2022. The five additional days are also “penalty” free for everyone. Currently, teachers must pay $65 for each “local” day they use. The new days will not have this penalty. How the days are used is at the employee’s discretion.
The last bit of COVID related business the Board addressed was if there was to be a student attendance threshold to continue operating.
“We’re having school,” said Barnwell. “And we’ll keep having school. Our enrollment is down. Three-four years ago we were over 1300. Last year we averaged 1,250-1,275. As of today, it’s 1,165. We’re over 100 kids down from what we need to be. That will hurt us severely in term of funding to the tune of almost three-quarters of a million dollars. Today’s 175 absences was $6,000.”
Barnwell said they would be preparing waivers to submit to TEA in hopes the district won’t be held accountable for that lower attendance due to the pandemic.
“I move we stay open as long as we can based on staffing,” said Godfrey. The motion passed 5-0.
In other business, the Board:
• Approved continuing to use Brownrigg Insurance Agency for their Property and Casualty Insurance
• Approved a resolution on how they would procure workers for the tentative stadium project
• Approved a resolution on how those workers would be paid
• Minor end of year budget amendments were made by Mike Wood, totaling $65,000
• Approved the 2021-2022 Fiscal Budget of $13,719,729, of which $595,600 is projected deficit to be taken from fund balance
• Set the 2021 tax rates of M&O at $0.96340, which is lower than the 2020 rate, and the I&S rate at $0.0801, for a total tax rate of $1.0435 per $100,000 in valuation
At the end of the meeting Barnwell asked for direction from the Board on the tentative stadium project’s next steps of asking the architect to draw up specifications and drawings so the district could start getting bids together and see what the total project will cost. The current estimate is $3.5-3.6 million and includes a new press box, turf on the field, repaving the parking lots, a new ticket booth, new entrance way, and lighting. The architect fee is 6% of the total project. The Board indicated they had no objections to him proceeding.
An hours-long executive session ended the meeting where they discussed, and approved afterwards, changes to the Guardian Program’s Administrative Regulations, specifically as to weapons restrictions. “With new members and other considerations, it has been determined that other makes and/or models may be more applicable. It has been recommended by Mr. Walker, and Officers Sherrill, Furlow, and Pearl to amend the allowable weapons within the guardian program,” the agenda board book read. According to minutes provided by Barnwell, the Board also discussed “a student issue, and real estate” during their executive session.
Lastly, the Board accepted the resignation of Charlie Mauldin as an instructional aide at JJHS.
JISD School Board decided to let parents and students make the call on whether or not to wear facemasks and gave employees five extra “local” days to help them navigate the COVID pandemic.
“I believe that mandating masks for our kids is not necessarily the answer,” said Rachael Cooner during public comment. “In my opinion, you decide what’s best for you, and I’ll decide what’s best for mine. Our kids are coming to school and shouldn’t be living in fear all the time. I don’t want that for my kid. I don’t like the person sitting next to them looking at them like they’re a germ. I ask that you put our kids, and I know you will, and their best interests first.”
“I’m not going to come at you if you want to wear a mask, so please don’t come at me if we don’t,” said Summer Cooner. “Right now [my kids] don’t want to come. They’re scared to come. It’s real and it is out there. Don’t make the kids have to suffer wearing a mask all day long. Leet them be kids.”
Superintendent Rob Barnwell said the district is following Governor Gregg Abbott’s executive orders and the directions given by the Texas Education Agency.
“Politically, governors and legislatures tend to go where the votes are,” said Barnwell. “However, I’ve been inclined to follow the governor and TEA’s orders. They have money over our heads and we can’t function without it. I think it’s best for local schools to have a policy in place in case the orders go away. The calls I’ve gotten were only from people who called me an idiot for not enforcing a mask mandate” and that’s why it was put on the agenda.
Currently the COVID case load in the district is changing daily, according to Barnwell. As of Tuesday, there were 38 positive confirmed cases and 176 students absent. He indicated the district normally runs at a 93-94% attendance rate, but “right now, we’re at 82-83-84%.” Enrollment this year is down about 100 students from last year, according to Barnwell. This year it’s 1150.
Board member Kevin Godfrey reminded the board the district shut down in the spring “due to staffing issues, not student attendance.”
“The parents understand the risk and have chosen, along with their students, not to wear masks,” Godfrey said. “It’s up to the parents as to what their decision is.”
Teachers, staff and administrators will be receiving five extra “local” absence days for this school contract year and the extra days are retroactive to when teachers first reported for duty in August. Currently employees receive five “state” days which can be rolled over from year to year, and five “local” days for their use. Employees are paid for the “local” days they don’t use at the end of the year.
“I’m not for COVID leave days,” said Barnwell. I’m for extra local days that are optional and can be used for whatever.”
High School Principal Jerry Brannon said he already had one teacher who has used up all of their available days and the extra days would be a big help to them.
Other campus administrators mirrored his sentiment in agreeing the five extra days would be a benefit to all their campuses.
Per the motion made by Board Member Leah Cooper, all positions will receive the five extra “local” days but just for this school year and she wants the Board to readdress the issue in July 2022. The five additional days are also “penalty” free for everyone. Currently, teachers must pay $65 for each “local” day they use. The new days will not have this penalty. How the days are used is at the employee’s discretion.
The last bit of COVID related business the Board addressed was if there was to be a student attendance threshold to continue operating.
“We’re having school,” said Barnwell. “And we’ll keep having school. Our enrollment is down. Three-four years ago we were over 1300. Last year we averaged 1,250-1,275. As of today, it’s 1,165. We’re over 100 kids down from what we need to be. That will hurt us severely in term of funding to the tune of almost three-quarters of a million dollars. Today’s 175 absences was $6,000.”
Barnwell said they would be preparing waivers to submit to TEA in hopes the district won’t be held accountable for that lower attendance due to the pandemic.
“I move we stay open as long as we can based on staffing,” said Godfrey. The motion passed 5-0.
In other business, the Board:
• Approved continuing to use Brownrigg Insurance Agency for their Property and Casualty Insurance
• Approved a resolution on how they would procure workers for the tentative stadium project
• Approved a resolution on how those workers would be paid
• Minor end of year budget amendments were made by Mike Wood, totaling $65,000
• Approved the 2021-2022 Fiscal Budget of $13,719,729, of which $595,600 is projected deficit to be taken from fund balance
• Set the 2021 tax rates of M&O at $0.96340, which is lower than the 2020 rate, and the I&S rate at $0.0801, for a total tax rate of $1.0435 per $100,000 in valuation
At the end of the meeting Barnwell asked for direction from the Board on the tentative stadium project’s next steps of asking the architect to draw up specifications and drawings so the district could start getting bids together and see what the total project will cost. The current estimate is $3.5-3.6 million and includes a new press box, turf on the field, repaving the parking lots, a new ticket booth, new entrance way, and lighting. The architect fee is 6% of the total project. The Board indicated they had no objections to him proceeding.
An hours-long executive session ended the meeting where they discussed, and approved afterwards, changes to the Guardian Program’s Administrative Regulations, specifically as to weapons restrictions. “With new members and other considerations, it has been determined that other makes and/or models may be more applicable. It has been recommended by Mr. Walker, and Officers Sherrill, Furlow, and Pearl to amend the allowable weapons within the guardian program,” the agenda board book read. According to minutes provided by Barnwell, the Board also discussed “a student issue, and real estate” during their executive session.
Lastly, the Board accepted the resignation of Charlie Mauldin as an instructional aide at JJHS.