Lampasas High School staff members updated trustees on the school’s performance during the Nov. 2 Lampasas Independent School District board meeting.
Principal Joey McQueen thanked Superintendent Dr. Chane Rascoe and the trustees for allowing administrators at each campus to adjust to COVID-19 regulations as they saw fit.
“You allowed campuses to make decisions, and whatever we needed, we got everything we needed,” he said.
McQueen said roughly 330 students studied remotely at the start of the school year, but about 190 students have returned to campus since that time.
The high school requires “non-successful virtual students” to return to campus, and McQueen said he is thankful for Rascoe’s support of the policy.
Some parents protested the policy, providing medical letters that exempt poorly performing students from returning to campus.
“They can force our hand, but we’re trying to help [the students],” McQueen said. “We want them all back.”
Currently, about 130 high school students study remotely.
Kalin Wells, the high school’s instructional specialist, said nearly every teacher at Lampasas High School now uses the online curriculum-organization platform Canvas. Before the coronavirus pandemic arrived, about 50% of teachers used it, she said.
Wells said she spends much of her time explaining the system to teachers, students and parents.
She said the high school held its first in-person professional development session since the start of the school year in October.
“We focused on providing them what they needed, not just curriculum-wise, but also with culture,” Wells said. “Everyone went away happy.”
She said the curriculum department has taken a number of measures to boost faculty members’ morale this year as they work to meet the demands of both online and virtual students.
“The culture is really good this year. I don’t know if it’s ever been as good,” she said. “If nothing else, we have school.”
Julie Salvato, Career and Technical Education director, said the district employs 20 full-time CTE staff at the middle school and high school.
She said 951 high school students and 170 middle school students are enrolled in Career and Technical Education classes.
The district offers 20 programs in a variety of disciplines, including agriculture, engineering, arts & design, business, education, cosmetology, transportation, and health care. Opportunities also are available for students to work with local professionals to apply their skills.
Salvato thanked the trustees for moving forward with additions to the culinary arts building and said improvements to the automotivetechnology building will allow the high school to expand its programs.
To conclude the presentation, McQueen expressed his gratitude to the school board.
“On behalf of the high school, we want to say thank you,” the principal said. “We always feel very supported.”
As of Oct. 23, 3,405 students were enrolled in the district, and the LISD had a 95.56% attendance rate.
Rascoe said he is working with principals to increase the attendance rate.
Assistant Superintendent Dr. Kevin Bott reported on the district and campus improvement plans. Because the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness Test was canceled last year, no school in the state received a formal rating, he said.
Graduation-rate data lags one year, but Bott said he expects the Class of 2020 to have a 100% four-year graduation rate. The Class of 2019 had a 98.8% graduation rate.
Trustees approved the consent agenda, which included a notice that the district uses internet filtering. Content Keeper and GoGuardian restrict students’ and staff members' access to certain content and educate students on appropriate online behavior.
Letters of resignation have been submitted by Hayley Spillar, a kindergarten teacher at Taylor Creek Elementary School; Angela McDearmon, an interventionist at Lampasas High School; and Beverly Hawthorne, a pre-kindergarten teacher at Hanna Springs Elementary School.
Spillar’s and McDearmon’s resignations will be effective Nov. 20, and Hawthorne’s will be effective Dec. 18.
Trustees approved a $5,246 increase to the 2020-2021 budget to cover instruction, health-services and cocurricular activities expenses.
In a closed executive session, trustees consulted with their attorney about an annexation dispute regarding property the district owns near Taylor Creek Elementary.