CODER BROWN BAG LUNCH WITH THE SUPERINTENDENT Thursday, October 10, 2013 In attendance: 14 parents, 1 campus administrator, 2 district administrators Dr. Citty opened the meeting by discussing the following items: Dr. Citty stated that he was excited to be the new superintendent and had been on the job since July 1st. He shared that he and his wife, Marla, are building a home in the district and are currently living on the property. Dr. Citty has been in the district almost 100 days and he is glad to be a part of Bearcat nation and such a wonderful community. The Board of Trustees has given him as a number one goal to learn about the schools and community and help prepare the district for the growth we know is coming soon. He shared that we are growing as a district and will soon have our new demographer’s report. There are 16,000 lots in Walsh Ranch and a remaining 4,000 lots across the school district. Dr. Citty shared that it is important that we all work to assimilate the new families that move to our community so that we change and grow from the inside and maintain all the qualities that make Aledo such a special place to live and go to school. House Bill (HB) 5 was also discussed. This bill was passed in the last legislative session and it is over 1000 pages long. It will have a dramatic impact on schools as it changes graduation plans, curriculum requirements, and state testing requirements. Schools are still waiting on rules from the Texas Education Agency on many issues addressed in HB 5. As we learn more information we will share it with staff, parents, and the community. The following questions were asked by parents: Question/Concern: When we will start building more schools? District Response: We will study our capacity reports for each campus, demographer reports, and develop a plan for 10 years out. We will also review where to locate schools and the good news is that Walsh Ranch has already designated land for schools. We will have a plan for growth and put systems into place that will allow us to handle the growth. A discussion was also held about the need to determine grade configurations for the campuses and that the district is currently considering the possibility of moving all the 5th graders to McAnally Intermediate (this was the configuration years ago). That possibility is only being discussed and there will be more information coming concerning this idea. What prompted this idea was that the elementary campuses are getting crowded, more elementary teachers need to be hired due to growth and the 22:1 student/teacher ratio and McAnally has enough classroom space to accommodate the 5th graders. This proposal would also push the need to pass a bond to build another elementary school further into the future. Again, a decision has not been made; this is simply a discussion item at this time. Question/Concern: If the 5th graders are moved, could it happen as early as next school year? District Response: We are and will continue discussing the pros and cons with teachers, parents, administration, and the Board of Trustees. Once a decision is made it will be announced early so that all have time to plan for any changes that may occur. Question/Concern: What is the capacity of the Aledo High School campus? District Response: Our current enrollment is 1157 and our capacity as designed is 1991 students. Question/Concern: Where would the Walsh Ranch students attend school initially before a school is built in that area? District Response: We would have to look at the number of students and they would be bussed to our existing schools. We would review our demographer’s report and current enrollment numbers at the time to make those decisions. It is hard to predict at this time what campuses that might include. It is likely that when we build the first new school in Walsh it may be under-utilized as we redraw the district lines based on the enrollment data at that time. Question/Concern: I hear stories about coaches that don’t teach on “game” day, they just tell the students to look busy… District Response: All of our coaches are fully certified, highly qualified teachers. If you have a concern about a teacher that is not doing a good job in the classroom please notify the campus principal and make that person aware of your concerns. It is a district expectation that all teachers teach every period, every day, regardless of extra-curricular duties. Question/Concern: When is the next board meeting? District Response: October 21, 2013, all are welcome to attend. Dr. Citty closed the meeting by stating that our focus is the kids, to get them here safely, teach them, feed them, and provide extra-curricular opportunities all while keeping them safe. If parents have ideas on how we can better serve our students, please don’t hesitate to contact us.
Posted on: Tue, 15 Oct 2013 01:36:27 +0000
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