Sulphur Springs ISD Board of Trustees, in addition to receiving updates on the School Health Advisory Council, also approved 2 personnel changes, the recommended list of SHAC members, and addressed items related to 4-H and the Extension Agents during their regular September meeting. The school board also considered a petition asking the county to abandon or close a portion of County Road 3602.
Personnel Matters
Suphur Springs ISD trustees accepted the resignation of Morgan Mayers as a Title I aide at Barbara Bush Primary.
The school board also approved the recommendation of Corban Jenkins to join the staff at Sulphur Springs High School as a special education aide.
4-H, Extension
Hopkins County 4-H organization was designated as an extracurricular activity, according to 19 Texas Administration Code, Chapter 76.1. That allows 4-H members who participate in off-campus activities to be considered “in attendance” when accompanied by and adjunct staff member.
Hopkins County AgriLife Extension Agents Johanna Hicks and Mario Villarino were appointed as adjunct faculty members, able to go with 4-H members to related school approved events. The approval is good from Sept. 1, 2020-June 30, 2021. The agent won’t receive compensation from the school and won’t hold the district responsible for any benefits.
Both agents have the required minimum bachelor’s degree and are eligible for participation in the Teacher Retirement System of Texas stipulated for adjunct faculty. Hicks the family and community health agent, earned a Master’s degree from Tarleton State University. Villarino, the agriculture and natural resources agent, earned a Master’s and PhD from Texas A&M University.
SSISD students in 4-H must complete and return to the Extension Office a Declaration of Eligibility Form for each activity which will require the students to be absent from the school campus during class time. It includes signatures from the parents, extension agent and principal designating that student’s academic eligibility status to miss class.
Road Closure
The SSISD trustees also were asked to consider a request for closure or abandonment of the last 407 feet of County Road 3602, in Dike. If they had no objection, the petitioner asked for a letter of no objection to complete the process of requesting the road closure/abandonment.
According to Precinct 3 Commissioner Wade Bartley, the request was made by a property owner who now owns the land on both sides of that section of road. The road dead-ends into their property, on which private family residence are located. The property owner would like to put up a gate across that section of road for privacy of the residences.
In order for a road to be closed or abandoned, the person making the application must follow 8 steps in order to submit the request to the Commissioners Court.
Those steps include getting a petition signed by eight property owners in the same precinct and identifying using Appraisal District records “abutting landowners. Letters must be also be obtained from any emergency district, school district, utility district and the county fire department that would indicate no objections to the road closure. Once all other terms are met the proposal may then be submitted to Hopkins County Commissioners Court for consideration.
SSISD school board at the Sept. 14 meeting authorized the superintendent to execute a letter indicating no objections from the district to the closing or abandonment of that section of land. The district does not have a bus route that would be negatively impacted by the closure of the road.
SHAC Update
The SSISD School Health Advisory Council (SHAC) met 2 times for school year 2019-2020, SHAC Chairman Veronica Arnold noted in the School Health Advisory Council Activities report.
The committee, along with nurses and counselors of the district, discussed the increasing use of vape pens and vaping. An informational program was observed by two members but due to COVID-19 further discussion and results were not available. It will continue throughout the new school year. The committee will also continue with setting a plan in place to increase
parent awareness on suicide prevention.
The committee updated the Wellness Plan to include diet drinks for a la carte purchases only at the High School level. The Child Nutrition Department filed an extension for the Triennial Assessment requirement of the Local Wellness Policy. It is due by June 30, 2021.
Veronica Arnold served as Committee Chair for the past several years. She will be stepping down and will be replaced by Amy Glenn, a parent with two children in the district. Meeting dates for school year 2020-2021 will be set by Amy Glenn.
The school board approved the SHAC members as recommended. The list submitted for the 2020-21 school year included:
Parents representatives — Amy Glenn, Amy Griggs, Susan Mooney and Kimberly Williams;
SSHS student representatives — Savannah Allen, Kayla Garcia, Matthew Sherman and Jadyn Van Winkle;
Community representatives — Johanna Hicks, Laura Kosub, Adela Martinez, Sylvia Millsap, Robbin Vaughan and Elma Viera;
SSISD representatives — Veronica Arnold, Summer Brooks, Tammy Carrell, Lisa Lantz, Lauren Olvera, Mac Rhoades, Shanna Romero, Dana Sills and Lauren Spataro; and
Ex officio representative — Kristin Monk.
