And that made the applicant a prime candidate for North Texas school districts, which are scouring the landscape for qualified science and math teachers. [ View Article ]   May 16, 2008, 08:32

AG Opinion:Social Security at Charter Schools
Opinion No. GA-0629 Go to: Re: Whether an open-enrollment charter school is a governmental entity, and whether the state may enter into an agreement with the Social Security Administration on the school's behalf (RQ-0652-GA) Summary: Chapter 606 of the Texas Government Code and section 218 of the Social Security Act authorize an agreement between a state and the Social Security Administration whereby Social Security coverage may be extended to employees of the state and its political subdivisions. Chapter 606 and section 218 define a political subdivision as an instrumentality of the state that is a juristic entity legally separate and distinct from the state and whose employees are not employees of the state. As determined by state law, an open-enrollment charter school is a political subdivision under chapter 606 and section 218. Accordingly, an open-enrollment charter school is an entity for which the state may enter into an agreement with the Social Security Administration.   May 16, 2008, 08:31

Tyler ISD Director of Student Services
Tyler Independent School District Board of Trustees has named Jeff Collum, a Texas educator with 10 years of experience, to the new position of Director of Student Services.  Collum is currently a high school principal, grades 7 through 12, for Martins Mill ISD in Ben Wheeler, Texas.  He officially begins his duties July 1, 2008 Jones Elementary Principal - The Board of Trustees named Patricia Lewis as the new principal for Jones Elementary MST Academy.  Lewis has 13 years of education experience.  Lewis currently serves as assistant principal at Bell Elementary Global Communications Academy.  She officially begins her duties July 1, 2008.   May 16, 2008, 08:25

Crockett students released
Two Crockett Junior High eighth-grade boys have been released from the Ector County Youth Center after being detained Wednesday on Class B misdemeanor charges of disruptive activities, an ECISD official said Thursday. ECISD Communications Director Mike Adkins said one of eighth-graders ran Wednesday through the second floor of Crockett as assistant principal Oscar Guzman tried to stop him. [ View Article ]   May 16, 2008, 07:45

Campaign promotes peace, harmony at THS
Not all conflicts between teenagers can be avoided, but Taylor High School has proven that fist fights can. Since November, when a fist fight that erupted at THS was widely publicized, the students at the school have worked to better their mediation skills through a program called the Peace and Harmony Campaign. With the program in place, THS saw many peer mediations and principal Kimberley Mason said no two students have traded blows. [ View Article ]   May 16, 2008, 07:44

AG - Conflict of interest CAD Boards
Opinion No. GA-0627 Go to: Re: Whether, under Tax Code section 6.035 or 6.05(g), the Liberty County Central Appraisal District Board of Directors may contract with an appraisal company that employs the son of the District's chief appraiser (RQ-0650-GA) Summary: Tax Code section 6.035(a) disqualifies from employment as a chief appraiser an individual who is related within the second degree by consanguinity "to an individual who is engaged in the business of appraising property for compensation for use in proceedings under [title 1, Tax Code] or of representing property owners for compensation in proceedings under [title 1, Tax Code] in the appraisal district." Whether a chief appraiser's son is, in particular circumstances, "engaged in the business of appraising property for compensation for use in proceedings under [title 1, Tax Code] or of representing property owners for compensation in proceedings under [title 1, Tax Code] in the appraisal district" is a question of fact. Tax Code section 6.05(g) prohibits an appraisal district from employing or contracting with "an individual . . . who is related to the chief appraiser within the first degree by consanguinity." An individual for purposes of section 6.05(g) is a natural person. Section 6.05(g) does not prohibit a contract with an appraisal company that employs the chief appraiser's son.   May 16, 2008, 07:30

Weslaco: Cuellar wins heated Dist. 2 race
WESLACO - John F. "Johnny" Cuellar will extend his service as city commissioner after narrowly winning District 2 on Saturday. Cuellar defeated challenger Lazaro "Larry" Cardenas Jr. by 28 votes, capturing 296 votes (52 percent) compared to Cardenas' 268 votes (48 percent). "It was a close race because both candidates worked hard," Cuellar said. "Larry Cardenas is a good friend of mine. I appreciated him running a good, hard campaign." [ View Article ]   May 16, 2008, 07:21

As School Districts Look to Save, Athletic Programs Lose Out
Even when it’s not basketball season, Brock Tesdahl likes to shoot baskets in the gym at Crosby-Ironton High School. The sophomore was part of the Rangers team that finished second in Class 2A at the boys’ state tournament in March, and he’s already thinking about next season. But his junior year might be the last chance he gets to play high school basketball.  Like a growing number of schools in Minnesota, Crosby-Ironton is facing a crisis in funding sports and other activities for its 357 high school students. After local voters turned down a levy last fall, the district announced that all high school and middle school activities would be cut in the 2008-09 school year. [ View Article ]   May 16, 2008, 07:10

”Is it true that you have to vote for a rollback in order to be against the higher tax rate?” by Joe Smith- Good Morning - May 15, 2008