8 Personnel Changes Will Impact 5 District Campuses
Sulphur Springs ISD received the top rating on the annual independent auditor. Trustees during the regular school board meeting Jan. 9, 2023, also approved eight personnel changes, announced candidate filing dates for two seats on the school board and heard a brief update on the SSISD 2021-2022 Texas Performance Reporting System report.
Annual Audit
Taylor and Company, PC
Robert Lake with Rutherford, Taylor and Company, PC., presented the annual financial and compliance report accountants conducted on 2021-2022 school district finances.
Lake said while there are a few new things in the report, overall, they did not have any significant impact on the outcome of the audit.. More importantly, Lake reported, Sulphur Springs ISD received an “unmodified opinion, the best you can receive.”
The business’ audit of internal controls and compliance found they had not changed; they remain unmodified. In fact, Lake noted, “across all facets of the audit, everything looks great.”
Lake commended the district for its 98.7% tax collection rate, which increases to more than 100% when delinquent collections and fees are added. SSISD is one of only a few school districts that still collect their own taxes, which officials stated, is why the tax collection rate is so high.
The district finished out the 2021-2022 school year which concluded Aug. 31, 2022, about $1 million under budget for the year, Lake pointed out from the annual audit report.
Personnel Items
The eight personnel changes approved by Sulphur Springs ISD Board of Trustees following an executive session Monday night will impact five district campuses.
Chasity Roy’s resignation as a Title 1 aide at Sulphur Springs Middle School was accepted as was that of Sulphur Springs Elementary math aide Melina Rivera.
Two SSISD employees were approved to swap jobs. Both receptionist Jerika Hankins and at-risk aide Sandra Forshee will remain on the Sulphur Springs Middle School campus. However, Hankins was approved to become the new Middle School receptionist and Forshee will become an at-risk aide.
Five people were approved to join the SSISD staff. Alicia Henderson will become a Title 1 aide at Bowie Primary. At Rowena Johnson Primary, Lori Nix assumes the role of third grade English language arts/reading teacher while Hannah-Kay Brazel becomes a behavior aide. Finally, rounding out the list of new staff approved by the trustees Monday night as the new career and technology education business teacher at Sulphur Springs High School was Nickie Smith.
Trustees Election
Those interested in serving on the Sulphur Springs ISD Board of Trustees may begin filing candidacy Wednesday morning, Jan. 18, with filing continuing from weekdays through Feb. 19. Filing will be conducted from 8 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. Monday through Thursday and from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Fridays, through Feb. 19, 2023,
The election is slated to be held Saturday, May 6, 2023. All places on Sulphur Springs school board are at-large, so the two candidates receiving the most votes at the conclusion of the election on May 6 will be elected to the school board.
Robert Cody and Robbin Vaughn, who have continued to be reelected to the board since 2014, are currently serving in the two seats up for election in May. Neither trustee indicated whether or not they plan to seek another term on the school board.
Applications for a place on the ballot may be downloaded from the SSISD website, www.ssisd.net. From the About SSISD menu on the main page of the website, select SSISD Board of Trustees, then select the School Board Election Information. An Application for a Place on the Ballot and Form CTA (Campaign Treasurer Appointment). Both must be completed and filed in the Tax Office of the SSISD Administration Building, 631 Connally Street.
Candidate applications may also be obtained in the SSISD Tax Office. All applications filed are public records and open to inspection upon request.
To be eligible for candidacy in a school board election, the individual must be 18 years of age or older; a US citizen; have lived in the state for 12 months, and in the district for 6 months on the date of the regular filing deadline, or the election date if a write-in candidate; and be registered to vote in the trustees election.
Trustee candidates may not have been determined by a final judgment of a court exercising probate jurisdiction to be totally mentally incapacitated or partially mentally incapacitated without the right to vote; not have been finally convicted of a felony from which the person has not been pardoned or otherwise released from the resulting disabilities.
School board election qualifications and eligibility information may be found in SSISD Board Policy BBA(LEGAL). A Candidate’s Guide to Primary and General Elections may be accessed by clicking here.
For additional SSISD Board Elections information, call SSISD Tax Assessor/CollectorSandra Gibby at 903-885-2153, extension 1111.
Other Items
Superintendent Michael Lamb gave a brief report on the 2021-2022 Texas Performance Reporting System. Trustees received 6 pages, which are a quick snapshot with district STAAR scores broken down by grade level, test and social economic and other student subsets so the board members can begin looking over the data.
Lamb noted the TPRS is based on data that is released in December, which encapsulates data the district received and presents in August. A full report is slated to be reviewed at the Feb. 13, 2023, SSISD Board of Trustees meeting by administrators. The full TPRS report is available online on the Texas Education Agency website.
One notable change in reporting is that whereas in the past school scores were based on pass or fail. Now, however, scores reflect “at or approaches,” “at or meets” and “masters” grade level on tests.
Most students’ score across the state reflected the impact of lost lessons due to COVID-19 shutdowns in 2021 test scores. That did not seem, in some instances, to catch up to SSISD students until the 2021-2022 school year in some areas. In other areas, the district scored higher than state averages. While some scores are lower at the lower testing grade levels, students appear to have caught up by the time they exit middle school.
Following an executive session, SSISD Board of Trustees reviewed and discussed options for facilities and future bond possibilities. The board also discussed these matters during a special board meeting last week.
Another meeting of SSISD Board of Trustees is slated to be conducted at 5:30 p.m. Monday, January 23, 2023.
