Longview ISD hosted the third of four town hall meetings about Senate Bill 1882 and what it means for the future of the district on Oct. 8th at Judson STEAM Academy.
'The dialogue continues to be productive,' said Superintendent Dr. James Wilcox. 'We are thankful to the many parents and members of the community who have come to the meetings thus far — with some folks coming to multiple meetings — to share their thoughts, questions, concerns and compliments with our district leadership.'
Paul Pastorek, Executive Advisor for the Texas Education Agency, echoed Wilcox's sentiments, offering praise to those in attendance as well as the district itself.
'Longview is so very fortunate to have this level of passion and candor from its community, and this dedication to innovation and improvement from the district leadership,' he said. 'It says a lot about the greater Longview community that so many people — staff and residents alike — feel so strongly about their schools, and are willing to do whatever it takes to provide the best education possible for the students of Longview ISD.'
Earlier this year the LISD received the green light from the TEA to turn six campuses into a district-within-a-district charter schools. Those campuses, operated by the nonprofit East Texas Advanced Academies are East Texas Montessori Prep Academy, Ware East Texas Montessori Academy, Johnston-McQueen Elementary School, Bramlette STEAM Academy, J.L. Everhart Elementary School, and Forest Park Magnet School.
The approval came after the passage of Senate Bill 1882. The legislation creates an opportunity for nonprofit organizations to operate public school campuses. LISD leadership believes SB 1882 helps cultivate innovative educational programs and opportunities for additional resources to teachers, as well as professional enrichment.
Various members of LISD administrative leadership and the Board of Trustees have attended each meeting, including Ava Welge, Michael Tubb, and Ginia Northcutt, board president.
'These meetings have been extremely helpful in giving us a better picture of where our community stands on a variety of issues pertaining to the district,' said Northcutt. 'Our plan is to continue with this dialogue as we move forward with providing the best and most diverse educational opportunities for the precious children in our care.'
The next town hall meeting is set for 6 p.m. Nov. 5th at the LISD Education Support Center, 1301 E. Young Street, Longview.
“I am grateful for the intelligent questions the community has and how much they care,” Northcutt added. “I am looking forward to the Nov. 5 meeting and looking forward to continuing the conversation, and we will have more of these meetings scheduled for the next semester.”
Follow these links for more information about Senate Bill 1882, System of Great Schools, and the Texas Education Agency.
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