The Longview ISD Board of Trustees received an update on the current status of Senate Bill 1882 and applications to the district from Dr. James Coleman, Chief Innovative Officer, during the Board of Trustees regular meeting on Thursday, Jan. 9th.
'We are in the process now of going through review and evaluation of the proposals we have received, and hope to bring a recommendation to Dr. Wilcox and the board by Jan. 29th,' he said. 'It's exciting, I'm excited about it, and I think it's going to be something that will provide a lot of excellent opportunities for the students of Longview ISD.'
Senate Bill 1882, passed in 2017 by the 85th Texas Legislature, creates new incentives for traditional public schools to partner with outside entities to improve student outcomes.
Longview ISD received four applications for partners to run possible charter schools by the Jan. 6th deadline.
Coleman said staff will make a formal recommendation to the school board on Jan. 21, and the board will vote on whether to approve entering negotiations with the potential partners by Jan. 29th.
'The call for proposals does not mean the district-wide charter decision is final, he added. 'The district needs its proposed partners for the final application, which is due to the Texas Education Agency on March 31st.'
ETAA Update
The board also received an update from members of the East Texas Advanced Academies leadership team.
ETAA director Dr. Cynthia Wise shared information on the progress being made with students and staff, and expressed great enthusiasm about what the future holds for Longview ISD students and staff.
'Progress remains ongoing, and we are optimistic about the progress we are making so far, as well as the goals we hope to achieve before the end of this school year,' she said.
Donald Stewart, Deputy of Business Operations, presented information on the finances of the organization.
'We are continuing to work very closely with the [LISD Chief Financial Officer] Joey Jones to ensure that our structure is seamless and continues to remain aligned with the district,' he said. 'We're on track to be very financially healthy throughout the rest of the year and going forward.'
In other business...
Longview ISD received an annual audit report from Longview-based CPA Karen Jacks. Jacks said her firm had rendered a “clean opinion” in its audit for the previous year.
Jacks praised the stewardship of the LISD Business Office, saying her firm made a few minor suggestions, but found no issues with the audit, and determined that financial statements are materially accurate.
The board later accepted donations of $15,000 from the Lobo Football Booster Club, $6,000 from the LHS Boys Soccer Booster Club, and $5,000 from Texas Bank and Trust; in addition to approving the Quarterly Investment Report and a resolution of Investment Policy and Investment Strategies for 2020.
For more info
Trustees usually meet in the boardroom of the LISD Education Support Center, 1301 E. Young St. The next regular meeting is tentatively scheduled for 6 p.m. Feb. 10th.
For more information about the Longview ISD Board of Trustees please click here.