CANUTILLO, Texas (KFOX14/CBS4) — The Canutillo ISD board of trustees unanimously approved an intersessional school calendar as recommended by Texas Education Agency Commissioner Mike Morath. This would be to offset missed school days in the event of a COVID-19 outbreak during the next school year, according to Canutillo ISD officials.  Under the new calendar, students will return to school on August 3.  The calendar will incorporate a fall break and a spring break. view article

CANUTILLO, Texas -- The Canutillo Independent School District at a special board meeting on Tuesday decided to make a considerable change to how their school year operates. The vote was unanimous at 7-0 with the CISD board passing a plan to switch over to a 'year-round' academic calendar. view article

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — It appears shorter summer breaks are in store for the CCISD students. This after CCISD trustees voted unanimously to adopt a year-round school system. The board members also approved a new school calendar.  They voted via video chat, ultimately deciding to go with option number four out of the four options on the table. view article

ECTOR COUNTY, Texas — A member of the Texas State Teacher's Association is now calling for an ECISD board member to resign following posts made on his Facebook page.  Doyle Woodall, who is the ECISD Board Member in Position 4, came under scrutiny recently after he posted a photo of a noose on his social media. The photo was accompanied with the words "If we want to make America great again we will have to make evil people fear punishment again." view article

Due to the unknown nature of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and how it may affect the coming months, officials with the Amarillo Independent School District recently discussed measures they could take with the calendar for the 2020-2021 school year, as well as the length of the school day, to prepare for potential closures of campuses and/or the district as a whole due to the virus.  Doug Loomis, the district’s superintendent, presented a draft calendar with three additional days of instruction to the district’s board of trustees during a recent special meeting. If this calendar is passed, this would move the start date of school to Aug. 17, not changing the calendar of workdays for teachers. view article

Uncertainty regarding the coronavirus combined with a few operational factors has Pearland ISD weighing its options for the upcoming school year.  Superintendent John P. Kelly revealed the three options the district is considering, none of which include the Texas Education Agency’s intersessional calendar. view article

The superintendent and school board president of the school district in Odessa called Facebook posts from one of the board members “offensive” and “demeaning.” Ector County ISD Superintendent Scott Muri and board President Donna Smith in a letter emailed from the district Saturday called out board member Doyle Woodall for comments made on social media they said do not represent the views of Ector County ISD.  Woodall’s comments, according to an article in the Odessa American newspaper, included: view article

Lewisville ISD shared its key priorities in planning for the 2020-21 school year as well as the creation of multiple task forces to help guide the district during a June 8 trustee board meeting.  Deputy Superintendent Lori Rapp, as well as all the district’s chief executive directors and school chiefs, are launching task forces to address contingency planning related to the coronavirus for the upcoming school year.  “There’s task forces to look at what is typical school going to look like with modifications as far as safety and health modifications that are going to be required,” Superintendent Kevin Rogers told the board. view article

Denton ISD board members will discuss whether to remove emergency powers granted to Superintendent Jamie Wilson, projected future growth in the district and proposed pay increases for employees during Tuesday’s board meeting.  Board members will be spread out across the district’s boardroom for the first time since the district closed down campuses in mid-March, but members of the public will still be able to tune in remotely beginning at 6 p.m.  The board will vote on whether or not to remove Wilson’s emergency powers toward the meeting’s end. The powers were always meant to be a temporary measure to help the district maneuver through the pandemic brought on by COVID-19. view article

Longview Independent School District trustees have approved a waiver application for the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) concerning at-risk students in the 2020-21 school year.  The measure passed unanimously during the board's regular meeting June 8th.   As a result of STAAR tests being canceled for the 2019-20 school year, school districts and open-enrollment charter schools are still required by the Texas Education Agency to provide early notice to parents or guardians of students in grades 4 and 7 who are identified as "at risk of failure on the first administration of an assessment required for grade advancement in the next school year." view article

Sanger ISD board members will consider delegating emergency powers to Superintendent Tommy Hunter during Monday’s regular board meeting.  If approved, the move would grant Hunter increased flexibility to act without school board oversight during the “unavoidable emergency” caused by COVID-19, according to the agenda item.  Other school districts have made similar moves amid the pandemic. The move allows school leadership to be able to maneuver as they see fit in a rapidly changing environment. Such moves are only meant to be done in extreme circumstances because school boards are meant to serve as public checks on superintendents’ power. view article

TROUP – School board members will host a special meeting, 6 p.m. Monday, June 8, in the district boardroom, 201 N. Carolina St. in Troup.  According to a meeting agenda, topics include:  view article

Jacksonville ISD trustees will meet in special session at noon Tuesday, June 9, at the district administration building, 800 College Ave.Agenda items include consider/approve waiver for missed instructional days due to the national health crisis, causing the district to be temporarily closed and consider/possible approval of Garrett and Associates competitive sealed bid for the Jacksonville middle school weight room project.  According to the agenda, “due to health and safety concerns related to the COVID-19 coronavirus, this meeting will be conducted by video conference. At least a quorum of the board will be participating by video conference, in accordance with the provisions of Texas Government Code that have not been suspended by the order of the governor.” view article

A Budget Workshop of the Board of Trustees of Bonham ISD will be held June 8, 2020, beginning at 6:00 PM in the Bonham ISD Administration Center 1005 Chestnut Street Bonham, TX 75418.  The subjects to be discussed or considered or upon which any formal action may be taken are listed below. Items do not have to be taken in the same order as shown on this meeting notice. view article

West Orange-Cove Consolidated Independent School District will have longer breaks and an earlier start date next year as part of the new calendar they approved at their monthly board meeting.  “During the first of May, Texas Commissioner of Education Mike Morath asked superintendents to begin exploring calendar options that would accommodate possible closures due to another outbreak of the coronavirus,” district superintendent Rickie Harris said in a letter announcing the changes.“The administration developed, and the Board of Trustees approved, an updated calendar with a student start date of August 12 and an extended fall break that may be used as banked days in the event of school closure in the fall semester.” view article

Beaumont Independent School District will hold a special board meeting Tuesday to discuss an altered 180-day school calendar option, and to vote to purchase copier services from a local company.  The meeting will be the first to happen in person at the district’s administrative building since they shut down their campus after spring break in March in an effort to slow the spread of the coronavirus. view article

AMARILLO, Texas (KFDA) - Amarillo Independent School District is holding a special meeting Tuesday to discuss COVID-19 and plans for the 2020-2021 school year.  The Board of trustees will meet at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, June 2, with a video conference.  AISD board of trustees will have a workshop to discuss the 2020-2021 school district budget, which includes a COVID-19 response update and budget implications surrounding instructional guidelines, calendar considerations and plans and projects for the 2020-2021 school year. view article

The Huntsville ISD Board of Trustees has called for a special session meeting on Thursday at the Hawkins Administration Building. This will be the first in-person meeting for the public since the COVID-19 pandemic was declared in late March. Trustees will adhere to a 25% occupancy or 44 occupants. In the event 25% is exceeded, HISD will “Live Stream” to the Huntsville ISD Webpage for public viewing.   The only item on the agenda is the consideration for the employment of professional administration personnel, which is presumed to be concerning the vacant Huntsville Intermediate School principal position.  view article

The Bryan school board unanimously approved a revised 2020-2021 school calendar Monday that will move the start of school to Aug. 17, and the end of school to May 28.  Teachers still will report to their campuses Aug. 11, and graduation will remain May 29. None of the scheduled holidays are affected by the revised calendar. view article

Last week, Jimmy Fallon apologized after a video of him in blackface went viral on social media, sparking outrage nationwide. The offensive practice has also reared its ugly head in North Texas.  The Observer has obtained photos of Tami Tobey, a member of the Midlothian ISD Board of Trustees, dressed in blackface. Tobey confirmed her identity in the photographs via email. view article

At a board meeting on Monday, May 18, the New Braunfels ISD board of trustees voted to approve the adoption of new English Language Arts (ELA) and Advanced Academic instructional materials.  The materials for grades 6-12 students was selected by the Secondary ELA Textbook Adoption Committee, which is comprised of teachers representing each secondary campus in NBISD. view article

Lewisville ISD will be faced with several decisions in the coming weeks as it prepares its budget for the 2020-21 school year.  During a work session last week, Superintendent Kevin Rogers updated the Board of Trustees on early projections for the coming year.  Based on preliminary numbers the district is projected to have a deficit of $15 million to $21 million in 2020-21, though Rogers said that number is a conservative estimate, is likely to go down in the weeks ahead and that the district usually erases the deficit by the end of the school year. view article

Despite the Liberty Hill ISD Board of Trustees election being postponed to November, the Board moved forward with electing new officers May 18, unanimously supporting Clint Stephenson as the new Board President.  Stephenson previously served as Vice President and is replacing Clay Cole, who will be leaving the board in November after choosing not to file for reelection.  Cole served on the board more than a dozen years and as president for eight. His term – which would have ended this month – has been extended to November with the postponement of the election. view article

DALLAS - The 2019-2020 school year is basically over, thanks to the coronavirus pandemic. But school administrators at Dallas ISD have a lot of tough decisions ahead of them.  A lot of what happened at the school board meeting Thursday was procedural, officially voting on changes because of the pandemic. But as seen with other governing bodies in the pandemic, school board members expressed concerns about giving the superintendent too much power.  Board members discussed allowing Dallas ISD Superintendent Dr. Michael Hinojosa to be able to make purchases essentially without looping in all the school board members during this time of emergency. It would be an extension through September 1 of what has already been happening since COVID-19 hit. view article

During their first online meeting on Monday, May 18, the Elgin Independent School District board of trustees listened to a presentation summarizing population growth in the district.  Representatives from Population and Survey Analysts (PASA), a research firm that specializes in working with high-growth school districts, presented their findings from a months-long study of Elgin ISD, analyzing population trends in the area and offering suggested plans for the school district to accommodate upcoming growth.  The entire presentation and report from PASA is included in the agenda packet for the May 18 school board meeting, which can be found through the Elgin ISD website at www. elginisd.net/Page/1346. view article

HARLINGEN — Across the country, school districts are planning for one of the most challenging school years in modern history as officials monitor the coronavirus and speculate on the strength of its emergence this fall.  In Harlingen, district officials are considering staggering classroom days to help maintain students’ social distancing during the school year that might start earlier than usual.  Meanwhile, San Benito officials are proposing options including a plan in which half of the students receive traditional classroom instruction while others work online from their homes. view article

The Board reviewed the waiver of the CPR instructional requirement due to circumstances related to COVID-19. Motion By: Theresa McClatchy Seconded By: Kyle Hinson Motion to Approve the waiver of the CPR instructional requirement due to circumstances related to COVID-19 as presented. Motion Carried: 6-0 view article

The end of the year for the class of 2020 didn't go as graduates had planned, but the future is still on course.  "I feel really lucky, actually, to be living in this time," Amber Miranda said. On Friday, Miranda had an online graduation ceremony for Dallas ISD's School for the Talented and Gifted.  "I'm the valedictorian of my class," Miranda said laughing. "I never dreamed I'd be valedictorian." view article

As the 2020-21 school year is likely to be disrupted by COVID-19 according to the Texas Education Agency, the Spring ISD board of trustees called a special meeting to further discuss the matter May 28 at 6 p.m.  The TEA released guidelines May 7 for school districts statewide to take into consideration when finalizing their 2020-21 instructional calendars. While each school district has final authority over its own instructional calendar, the guidelines are meant to help minimize anticipated disruptions due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. view article

An amendment in the district’s tax abatement agreement for Hecate Energy Ramsey’s solar farm project was approved by the Louise ISD school board in a 5-0 vote last week. Chris Faas was absent, and Jay Heard abstained from the vote and from signing a conflict of interest disclosure.  Due to COVID-19, Hecate asked for a one-year delay in payments to the district. The district will receive an additional $50,000 pilot payment due to the amendment. view article

Midland ISD trustees had an opportunity to discuss an optional calendar for the 2020-21 school year during Monday’s board meeting, and the comment elected leaders made most often was that they wanted community input.  Board members called on district staff to collect input from school district families and teachers about the optional plan -- which extends the year in terms of range but adds weeks off, including two in October and additional week for spring break. District officials said it was not “year-round” school but could help deliver better academic results. view article

District Judge Fred Biery granted a preliminary injunction that allows all registered voters to apply to vote by mail during the coronavirus pandemic after finding the state's existing election rules violate the Equal Protection Clause.  A federal judge opened a path for a massive expansion in absentee voting in Texas by ordering Tuesday that all state voters, regardless of age, qualify for mail-in ballots during the coronavirus pandemic.  Days after a two-hour preliminary injunction hearing in San Antonio, U.S. District Judge Fred Biery agreed with individual Texas voters and the Texas Democratic Party that voters would face irreparable harm if existing age eligibility rules for voting by mail remain in place for elections held while the coronavirus remains in wide circulation. Under his order, which the Texas attorney general said he would immediately appeal, voters under the age of 65 who would ordinarily not qualify for mail-in ballots would now be eligible. view article

The Round Rock ISD Board of Trustees has approved a 2% district-wide pay increase for the 2020-2021 school year. This new increase will cost RRISD $8.6 million and is a part of the 2020-2021 budget. The budget is expected to be presented for adoption in June. “What makes Round Rock ISD one of the best school districts in the region and state is the dedicated educators and staff that work tirelessly to provide our students with the best education and services possible,” Superintendent Steve Flores, Ph.D. said. view article

WHITEHOUSE, Texas (KETK) – The Whitehouse ISD Board of Trustees approved Monday a policy that will allow authorized personnel to carry concealed weapons on campus.  The board said it approved The Guardian Plan in the belief that “everyone has the right to a safe and caring environment.”  Only employees approved by the board will be authorized to participate in the program Those employees will be required to complete 80 hours of training, 56 prior to carrying and concealing an approved firearm. Each participant will be required to pass a physical and psychological exam. view article

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Monday gave the go-ahead for in-person summer school, but many district leaders who are weighing options to restart in the fall are expected to hold off.  Texas public schools can launch summer classes as early as June 1, as long as they follow social distancing and health protocols laid out by the Department of State Health Services. The task would require daily temperature checks, keeping students’ desks 6 feet apart and limiting enclosed classrooms to 11, including the teacher.  Abbott’s announcement Monday comes as part of the governor’s second phase of reopening the state after the coronavirus pandemic led to widespread closures. But ever since schools were shuttered in mid-March, educators have grappled with a plan for reopening.   (19) view article