Trustees Weigh Possibility of Calling for Bond Election |
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Belton ISD Superintendent Matt Smith told the Board of Trustees at its December meeting that growing enrollment, program equity, aging facilities, and safety updates are driving the need for the district to call for a bond election.
At the meeting, Smith outlined for trustees his prioritized list of proposed projects totaling $168.2 million. The list of proposed projects includes building two elementary schools, an addition at Southwest Elementary, campus safety and security updates, land acquisition for future facilities, and Career & Technical Education and fine arts improvements at Belton High School and Belton New Tech High School @ Waskow.
Also included is a facility for the Delta Program, the district’s special education program for students ages 18-22 designed to teach life skills, along with security enhancements, HVAC, roofing, plumbing, electrical repair/replacement, and technology infrastructure and devices.
The list of proposed projects potentially impacts every student at every campus.
The board, which has the ultimate authority of whether to call for a bond election or not, is scheduled to make a decision by Feb. 15.
Smith’s recommendation to call a bond is the culmination of more than 28 hours of work by a Bond Exploration Committee of community members and parents representing each campus and area of the district. The group began meeting in September to review demographic information, growth trends, facilities assessment data and school/district needs.
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Student Showcase -
Belton High School Medical Microbiology Symposium
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Highlighting important competencies of our Journey of a Graduate, students at Belton High School demonstrated critical thinking and communication when they participated in a Medical Microbiology Symposium in November, coordinated by their teacher Mr. Malintha Abeysiri. The day-long event gave students the opportunity to conduct original research, create posters and present their findings to teachers, local professionals and their peers. Six students took home awards, and all benefited from the multiple real-world applications the lesson provided. |
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Board Approves Hiring of Chief Financial Officer |
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The board approved the hiring of Melissa Lafferty as the district’s next chief financial officer. Lafferty, a certified public accountant, has almost 20 years of business financial management experience with 11 of those being in a school district.
Lafferty holds both a bachelor's and master's degree in business administration from the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor. She most recently served as the executive director of finance in Marble Falls ISD. She has also worked in Lago Vista ISD and Killeen ISD.
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Student Showcase -
Miller Heights Elementary Lego Robotics
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Our values and beliefs that student learning experiences are enhanced through the engagement of the community were on full display at the meeting. In the fall, first- and third-graders at Miller Heights Elementary used Lego robotics kits donated by BEEF to create theme parks and solve problems. The students learned computer science and design engineering concepts while utilizing their literacy, math, social, emotional and creative skills — and the skills and abilities reflected in our Journey of a Graduate, communication, critical thinking and adaptability. Jessica Rakes facilitated this project. |
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Board Approves Election Services Contract with County, 2022-2023 School Year Calendar |
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The board voted to approve contracting May 7 election services with the Bell County Office of Election Administration. The move is expected to save the district money by sharing the cost of election workers, supplies and equipment, and programming fees with the county.
The board also approved the 2022-2023 school year calendar, which includes the first day of school on Aug. 17 and the last day on May 24. To arrive at this calendar, district leaders weighed feedback from members of the Districtwide Educational Improvement Council (DWEIC) and campus leaders.
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Board Recognition -
Texas High School Coaches Association Academic All-State Recipients
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Belton High School is celebrating 32 student-athletes who were named to Texas High School Coaches Association Academic All-State teams in cross country, volleyball and football. To be nominated, seniors must be in good standing with their team, of good moral character and have an overall GPA of 92 or above. Class rank and SAT/ACT test scores are also taken into consideration. As a district, we believe each and every student deserves exceptional experiences according to their unique needs and passions. It is awesome to see students excel in both academics and athletics.
This year’s recipients include:
Cross Country: Aidan Sallee, Shannon Cook and Madeline Fournier (first team); Zach Dennison, Lesa Doskocil, Cooper Fix, Josiah Kahler and Ryan McKenzie (second team); and Kiel Bolton, Seth Branham and Natasha De La Rosa (honorable mention).
Volleyball: Gabrielle Benson (elite team); Kendall Dollar, MyKaela Johnston and Emily Revis (first team); and Kylie Blomquist, Elizabeth Losoya, McKenna Maddux and McKenzie Mansell (second team).
Football: Myles Byars, Dante Hudson, Garrett Mooney and Owen Langford (second team); and William Hayes, Jackson Engelke, Andrew Baird, Tanner Conroy, Aidan Cearley, Seth Morgan, Jonah Myers, Joshua McDermaid and Aaron Bain (honorable mention).
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Board Committee Reports
Policy: The policy committee met on Jan. the 3 and heard a first reading of FDA(LOCAL) and FDB(LOCAL), both policies related to admission processes for interdistrict and intradistrict transfer students. The committee also discussed policies surrounding board member elections.
Facilities: The facilities committee met on Jan. 19. Committee members heard an update on the design of a new elementary school footprint along with a report on long-term facility needs. They also heard recommendations from the Bond Exploration Committee about their desire for the district to call for a bond election in May and the committee's prioritized list of needs.
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Board Recognition -
Texas Department of Agriculture "Best of the Bunch" Award
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Belton ISD’s Nutrition Services department recently received statewide recognition for participating in the Texas Department of Agriculture’s Farm Fresh Challenge. The district joined schools and childcare providers from across the state to “Eat Local, Teach Local and Be Social” during October 2021. As part of the challenge, Belton ISD students ate local foods and learned about Texas agriculture, while staff shared their success on social media. For its efforts, Nutrition Services earned the “Best of the Bunch” award — the highest award tier available to school districts. This honor reflects one way our staff are being student-centered and demonstrating their World-Class competencies for the betterment of our school communities. |
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Superintendent's Report
- Dr. Smith outlined for trustees his prioritized list of proposed projects totaling $168.2 million.
- The list of proposed projects includes building two elementary schools, an addition at Southwest Elementary, campus safety and security updates, land acquisition for future facilities and Career & Technical Education and fine arts improvements at Belton High School and Belton New Tech High School @ Waskow.
- Also included is a facility for the Delta Program, the district’s special education program for students ages 18-22 designed to teach life skills, along with security enhancements, HVAC, roofing, plumbing, electrical repair/replacement, and technology infrastructure and devices.
- The list of proposed projects potentially impacts every student at every campus.
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Board Recognition -
School Board Appreciation Month
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The Big Red Community is celebrating Belton ISD’s Board of Trustees in January for School Board Recognition Month. As committed volunteers with a passion for public education, Belton ISD’s School Board members serve our students, staff and taxpayers through their commitment to the district’s mission. They provide vision and leadership in their roles as advocates, ensuring a link between the community and classroom, so that exceptional learning experiences are possible for each and every child in our district. Our work as educators is strengthened through their leadership and support. Their model of continuous improvement and learning is reflected downward through our organization in meaningful ways.
Trustee service revolves around service to our community. Last year trustees averaged about 100 volunteer hours attending board and committee meetings plus training sessions. They spent an average of 65 additional volunteer hours at events, like graduation and visiting campuses, and meeting with state and local representatives. On top of these time commitments, they also frequently attend athletic and fine arts activities.
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Consent Agenda Highlights
- Unaudited financial report for the month ending December 31, 2021
- Supply, equipment and service bids (RFPs for custodial supplies; printing and copy services; and land surveying services)
- Budget amendment #3 for 2021-2022
- Annual report of student activity funds maintained at high schools
- FDA(LOCAL): Admissions, Interdistrict Transfers - 2nd Reading
- FDB(LOCAL): Admissions, Intradistrict Transfers and Classroom Assignments - 2nd Reading
To review Belton ISD board meeting agendas and full packet materials, click here.
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