South Longview residents, city officials, Longview ISD employees and school board members came together Aug. 23 to discuss what is on the horizon for Longview.
LISD trustee Shan Bauer Bauer said she was thrilled to invite the public to get more involved with LISD by attending the monthly school board meetings.
'We are excited to work together with this townhall and future projects,' Bauer said. 'Town meetings, construction projects, and expanding our workforce and mentoring efforts are just the beginning to a more sustainable relationship between the city and LISD district.'
Bauer started the meeting off with a presentation discussing roles of a school board member, the opening of the new Montessori campus, teacher salaries, and the district's dual credit program.
Bauer also shared some exciting news with the attendees regarding the district's 37 distinctions, STAAR scores, child nutrition recognition, and being named the Region 7 ESC School Board of the Year, as well as the the board's goals for the year and partnership with the Boys & Girls Club.
District 3 Councilwoman, Kasha Williams, gave a very informative presentation and shared about new safety programs they can attend. She also discussed some technology advances like the City Send app and Interactive Crime maps. She gave updates on their comprehensive plan for downtown Longview, the demolition projects, and street traffic reports.
The attendees were able to let their concerns be heard and asked important questions. Some of those inquires included; speeding on MLK, continued partnerships with city and LISD, safety at the new Montessori campus, lighting on certain streets, and town clean up efforts.
'I just feel like even bringing the two together in this public setting is starting something that can possibly grow,' Bauer added. 'Because we work so close as far as the community and our children are involved. It was just a matter of time before we began doing this and more things.'