On Tuesday, the Angleton ISD Board of Trustees approved the adoption of the 2024-2025 tax rate, which was presented in a public hearing prior to the regular board meeting. The tax rate did not increase; it remained the same this year.

“It’s important to note that AISD is the entity that sets the tax rate, but the amount a homeowner pays in taxes is based on the tax rate as well as the value placed on the home,” AISD Superintendent Phil Edwards said. “The value placed on the home is placed by the appraisal district, and the appraisal district has to follow the values assigned by the Texas Comptroller’s State Property Value Study.”

The board also approved the adoption of the 2024-2025 budget and compensation plan, which was presented as a $3.3 million deficit budget. The budget does still include a three percent pay raise for employees as well as a mid-year bonus and a retention bonus. The budget also included cuts to both department and school budgets in addition to cuts in positions through attrition, which is when an employee leaves the district and is not replaced.

“The non-action by the Texas Legislature in not addressing public school funding as well as the ending of the Formula Transition Grant has deeply affected this year’s budget,” Edwards said.

Edwards says that the removal of the Formula Transition Grant has reduced AISD’s revenue per student by more than $1,000 over a two-year period.

“When you multiply 7,300 students by $1,000, it is a $7.3 million lack of funding by the state for our district,” he said. “We are fortunate that the budget will be covered by AISD’s fund balance, which is the district’s savings account and is in a healthy position to cover the current lack of funding.”

In addition, the district presented two reports at the meeting. AISD Director of Human Resources Cyndy Pullen gave a staffing report that focused on the district’s retention and recruitment efforts. There has been an increase in the district’s teacher retention rate, meaning there has been a trend of fewer employees leaving the district over the past two years. A total of 55 professionals left AISD this past year compared to the 2022-2023 school year with 81 and the 2021-2022 school year with 109.

Pullen also touched on the retention rate of paraprofessional and auxiliary positions in the district. The district had an 84 percent retention rate with instructional assistants and a 67 percent retention rate with auxiliary staff.

“I believe these numbers reflect our commitment not only to recruit quality employees to AISD but also ensure our current employees are satisfied and view AISD as their ideal workplace,” Pullen said. “We remain dedicated to making AISD a premier school district and great place to work.”

Assistant Superintendent of Leadership and Talent Alicia Press presented a report on the district’s work toward achieving board goals. She pointed out AISD’s increase in College, Career, and Military Readiness (CCMR) goal, which has increased from 50 percent to more than 90 percent in five years.

“This past year, AISD was at a 97 percent success rate for CCMR, and we got there by pushing dual credit,” Press said. “The dual credit numbers have increased in enrollment and academic achievement. We also need to mention that our Advanced Placement (AP) passing percentage surpasses the state average, especially in US Government, US History, and English Literature and Composition.”

Press said the district has also seen a boost to the CCMR scores due to the success of its Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs.

“We have seen an outstanding 160 percent increase in students graduating with certifications from our various CTE programs,” she said. “We are very proud of the work our high school and CTE staff is doing.”

Press says there are still opportunities for the district to improve. She said that while the district missed targets in math and reading this past year, the scores are still very close to the national average.

“Several of the measuring sticks the state uses to determine student achievement have changed, which has affected our schools and student scores,” she said. “You see this with the state’s transition in their TSIA (Texas Success Initiative Assessment) and STAAR (State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness). Their move to new versions of these assessments has challenged us to build curriculum and instruction that better prepares our students, and we are setting things in place to meet those new standards.”

As part of the meeting, the board also approved the following items of business:

• New hires

• Continued participation in TASB’s Unemployment Compensation programs for the 2024-2025 school year

• Year-end budget amendments

• Board member school assignments

• Energy coop membership with TASB

• Easement approving motion

• Engineered air balance test and balance proposal

• IXL K-12 curriculum

At Tuesday’s meeting, the Angleton ISD Board of Trustees approved a number of items, including a deal that would allot a piece of land to the City of Angleton. The piece of land, which is approximately 320,906 square feet, is located behind CATS/PACE Academy near the intersection of Walker Street and Hazel Street, and the city will use the land as an addition to Bates Park. The board unanimously approved the item.

“This action is a benefit to the district because we will not have to continue to pay to maintain the unused land, and the district has no plans for future use of this land,” AISD Superintendent Phil Edwards said. “It will be for the public good as well. The city has to use the land for public purposes, so the land will go to benefit our parks and our community.”

The board also approved the 2024-2025 Student Code of Conduct. The one significant change to the code of conduct is that the district will no longer provide transportation to CATS students placed at the school for disciplinary reasons.

“Our objective with this move is to place more responsibility on the students and parents when there is disciplinary action that has taken place,” Edwards said.

Edwards also says that more communication about this item will take place before the move is put into action.

“We will communicate this change and initiate it after school starts to give families time to prepare for the change,” he said. “We will still transport CATS students for the first few weeks after school starts.”

In addition to the Student Code of Conduct, the board discussed the 2024-2025 Student/Parent Handbook. This was not an actionable item; it was just open for discussion. The board brought up two different items in the handbook and asked for further information. The discussion surrounded cellphone use in schools and student placement in CATS in the event of a fight where a student was acting in self-defense. Edwards told the board he would provide them with more information on the subjects.

AISD Director of Administrative Services Dr. Alicia Press gave the board an update on the Teacher Incentive Allotment (TIA), which will begin this upcoming school year. TIA is a state-funded initiative that rewards outstanding teachers by giving them access to earn a six-figure salary.

“TIA helps us reward our best and brightest teachers, and our teachers deserve the opportunity to participate,” Press said. “The state has allocated this pot of money to allow us to reward teachers who qualify, and we are excited to use it not only to reward and help retain our current, outstanding teachers, but also to recruit new, amazing teachers to AISD.”

Funding is based on teacher designation level, campus socioeconomic level, and campus rural status. Teachers who qualify can fit into one of three funding levels under TIA: Recognized, Exemplary or Master. National Board Certification automatically qualifies any teacher for a Recognized designation regardless of their teaching assignment.

Press says the TIA process is extensive but worth all the work.

“This first year is a data collection year, and in October 2025 we will submit our data to the state to request funding based on our designations from the 2024-2025 school year,” Press said. “Teachers won’t see the additional TIA funding until the following year, so it is a lengthy process. However, it is what is right for our teachers and gives them an amazing opportunity. It also limits our ability to be competitive if we don’t participate because several other districts in our region are already utilizing the state’s TIA.”

Edwards followed the TIA update with a report on the school rezoning that will take place in the 2025-2026 school year. He presented the board with a current breakdown of the results from the district’s survey that is still active.

The survey, which will close on August 30, allows AISD stakeholders to ask questions or provide input about the changes to school zones based on the preliminary drafts of new attendance zones (drafts of zones and survey on the AISD website at www.angletonisd.net).

He also provided the board with a rundown of the next steps in the rezoning process. An internal district committee will meet in September to review the input from the survey and make appropriate changes based on that input. Then, the district will create a committee of teachers, campus administrators, parents, and community members who will meet in October to provide feedback on the plan after any changes have been made. After the community committee meets, the district will determine the final zones in November and present them to the board at the December meeting.

“We truly value the input we have received from our survey and will take it into consideration as we move forward in this process,” Edwards said. “We understand that rezoning can be a complex process, and we encourage our community members to go to the website, look at the preliminary drafts of attendance zones, and fill out the survey to provide feedback or ask questions before August 30.”

At the meeting, the board also approved the following agenda items:

• New hires for the 2024-2025 school year

• Annual payments and renewals for the 2024-2025 school year

• Annual MOUs for the 2024-2025 school year

• Posting of the “Notice of Public Meeting to Discuss Budget and Proposed Tax Rate” and public hearing for August 20, 2024

• Annual cooperative renewals for the 2024-2025 school year

• Continued participation in TASB’s Workers’ Compensation programs for the 2024-2025 school year

• Approval, for the 2024-2025 school year, to delegate contractual authority to obligate the school district under Texas Education Code (TEC) §11.1511(c)(4) to the superintendent, solely for the purpose of obligating the district under TEC, §48.257, and TEC, Chapter 49, Subchapters A and D, and the rules adopted by the commissioner of education as authorized under TEC, 49.006. This included approval of the Agreement for the Purchase of Attendance Credit or the Agreement for the Purchase of Attendance Credit (Netting Chapter 48 Funding)

• ADA Reporting time for the 2024-2025 school year

• Purchase of classroom furniture

• Agreement with Sierra Schools

• Auditorium screen repairs

• Sidewalk easement, construction and maintenance agreement

• Inclement Weather Resolution

• Resolution regarding Emergency Purchases

At the meeting Tuesday, the Angleton ISD Board of Trustees unanimously approved the adoption of the 2024-2025 Budget and Compensation Plan at a total of $1,621,693. As part of the plan, they approved a three percent raise for AISD employees, with a $2,200 cap for administrators, as well as a $300 mid-year salary bonus and a $1,000 retention bonus to be paid in August.

“Our board is committed to maintaining our standard raise and bonuses for our employees,” AISD Superintendent Phil Edwards said. “That is something they feel strongly about as does the district, and we are happy that we are able to offer them again.”

Also at the meeting, the board approved the hiring of the principals for the new elementary school and junior high school. Emily Davis will take the lead of Heartland Elementary when it opens in 2025-2026. Davis is currently serving as the assistant principal at Northside Elementary. Kelsey Payne will become the new head principal at Heritage Junior High School in the Fall of 2025, coming from an assistant principal position at Westside Elementary.

“We had a number of excellent candidates for both principal positions,” Edwards said. “We are happy to announce Ms. Davis and Ms. Payne as the final decisions and believe that they will bring great insight and leadership skills to our two newest schools, helping our students find success.”

In addition, the board approved the hiring of two assistant principals, Kayla Josey and Elana Simmons, for the 2024-2025 school year. Both Josey and Simmons come from Brazosport ISD.

In other business, the board approved three purchases. One was replacement choral music risers for five of the district’s elementary schools. Central Elementary was excluded from the purchase since the school received new risers last year. The $61,922 purchase will be made from StageRight and will come from the 2022 Bond school improvement funds. The board also approved the purchase of classroom Chromebooks and computer equipment from Trafera, LLC. The district will use savings from Covid-relief funds, also known as ESSER funds, to purchase student Chromebooks in the amount of $299,789. The third approved purchase was for large kitchen equipment from Mission Restaurant Supply for $193,331 that will be paid from the Child Nutrition Department’s fund balance.

The district also presented the board with an adoption of Policy Update 123 as recommended by the Texas Association of School Boards (TASB). The action included updates to 12 different board policies. The board approved the update adoption recommended by TASB.

Finally, the board recognized three groups of students for their exceptional performance during this past year’s competition season. The AHS Choir and AHS Band had students recognized for competing and ranking highly at the State UIL Solo & Ensemble competitions and State UIL Concert & Sight Reading competitions. Recent graduate Torin Merchant was also spotlighted for being named an Outstanding Singer Finalist for the Tommy Tunes Awards. In addition, the board recognized eight AHS Theatre students who qualified for the International Thespian competition and will leave Sunday to participate in the International Thespian Festival.

At the May meeting, the Angleton ISD Board of Trustees approved several actions in preparation for the 2024-2025 school year, including:

• a group of new hires,

• the purchase of Chromebooks for students and staff,

• an Inclement Weather Resolution, allowing staff to be paid on weather-related off days,

• curriculum and textbooks for Career and Technical Education (CTE), and

• Capturing Kids Hearts (CKH) training for Frontier Elementary and Westside Elementary, which will complete training for every AISD campus.
  
  

One of the key actions taken by the board was the approval of entry-resistant film at all schools. At the last legislative session, the state passed a law that requires all school districts to reinforce any glass around an entry area to hurricane-resistance grade. AISD had already met the state standard but proposed adding another layer of protection by adding an entry-resistant, shatter-proof film. The film will delay entry by an intruder, providing up to six minutes of additional reaction time in a lock-down emergency. The project will be completed with 2022 bond funds and will cost $599,995.

In addition, the board approved the installation of fencing to enclose the playgrounds at Rancho Isabella Elementary and Southside Elementary. The project will cost right at $73,000 and will be completed over the summer using 2022 bond funds. Once complete, all elementary schools will have secure play areas.

“The district's first priority is the safety of our students and staff, and we appreciate the board's continued support of the additional safety measures we have proposed,” AISD Superintendent Phil Edwards said. “The entry-resistant film will add to our safety measures, and the additional fencing at Rancho Isabella and Southside will prevent anyone from coming on the school grounds during the school day, again, helping our schools remain as safe as possible.”

At April’s board meeting, Angleton ISD Superintendent Phil Edwards opened a discussion about Old Wildcat Stadium. When the new junior high opens in 2025, it would call for the current Wildcat Stadium to be used three to four nights per week between girls and boys soccer and five football teams. This would also interfere with the use of the field for band and athletic practices.

As part of the discussion, Edwards presented a plan that calls for renovations at the Old Wildcat Stadium, which could then be used for junior high competition athletic events. The renovations will include a new artificial turf field, bleachers to seat 1,500 people, a small press box, a new scoreboard, and a resurfaced parking lot as well as a building housing a new concession stand, restrooms, and possibly locker rooms.

“The current grass field at the old stadium is no longer viable or safe due to non-use over an extended period of time, and that is why the turf is needed in addition to the other renovations,” Edwards said. “This second field is an investment needed to prevent overbooking at the current Wildcat Stadium once Heritage Junior High is complete.”

The expected cost of the project is approximately $10.5 million and will be funded through the use of 2019 Bond savings and the general fund balance.

“It’s important to note that 2022 Bond funds will not be used on this project,” Edwards said. “It was not part of the original bond election that citizens voted to approve in 2022.”

As a discussion item, the renovations to Old Wildcat Stadium were just presented to the board in April. The plan would possibly be voted on at a later meeting. If approved, construction would begin in November 2024 and is expected to be completed in conjunction with the opening of Heritage Junior High in 2025.

Additionally, the board voted to support an application submission to the Texas Historical Commission by the Marshall & Wright Education Alumni (MWEA) for a plaque commemorating the old Marshall High School site.

“The placing of this marker is a benefit to our community and will provide AISD with a significant reminder of the importance of not only Marshall High School but all of the Marshall schools,” Edwards said. “As the MWEA’s application states, the impact of Marshall High School was transformative, advocating for education, justice and equal opportunity for the African American community.”

The meeting also addressed the removal of old library furniture from elementary and junior high schools. At a previous meeting, the board approved the purchase of new library furniture. Principals were given the opportunity to keep or remove the previous furniture, and the pieces designated for removal will be made available to the community.

Furniture will be listed on the district website from May 6 through May 17 and will be available to the community on a first-come-first-serve basis. Interested parties must fill out an application form to be processed by the Superintendent’s office. Once approved, a date and time for pickup in June will be communicated. Parties will be required to pick up and transport the furniture off the property during the designated date and time. All information will be posted on the website.

Additionally, the board approved the adoption of science materials for elementary and secondary schools after Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum Dr. Adam Stephens gave a report. He recommended the SAVVAS Experience Science Texas curriculum for elementary campuses and McGraw Hill Texas Science Resources for secondary campuses, both beginning with the 2025 school year and ending with the 2032 school year.

“The district spent extra time on this adoption process,” Stephens said. “We were very thoughtful about it and had a team with a good cross-section of teachers from throughout the district who provided input and ultimately made the choice after reviewing presentations from four state-approved vendors.”

Finally, the board approved an amendment to the Angleton High School Course Guide that will take effect in the Fall of 2024. Starting with the 2026 graduating class, students will have one grade point average (GPA) course exemption available their junior year and one available their senior year for specific courses and if the courses are beyond the requirements for graduation.

“We encourage our students to pursue their interests and skills, but we were seeing students drop their extracurricular classes in order to maintain their class rank,” AISD Director of Secondary Education Dr. Tyler Press said. “What makes AISD outstanding is that we provide students with options. We don’t want to limit our students from taking a course because they know the course won’t help their GPA and, ultimately, their class ranking.”

Students must have taken the first two years of the course for which they are seeking the exemption, and they must have an overall “A” average in the prerequisite course(s) for the third and/or fourth year for which they are seeking the exemption. Also, students will have to apply for the GPA exemption basis within the first three weeks of the school year. Courses allowed for exemption will be listed in the 2024-2025 AHS Course Guide.

At the March school board meeting, the Angleton ISD Board of Trustees approved the 2024-2025 school calendar with minimal changes compared to last year’s calendar.

Among the changes, a teacher planning day was moved to December 2, which is the Monday after the Thanksgiving holiday. Fair week remains the same while the Easter holiday will fall later next year.

Also, district officials presented the board with prekindergarten tuition rates for approval at $5,750 for non-AISD employees and $2,950 for AISD staff. A motion to amend the tuition fee for AISD employees to $0 was made in an effort to provide an additional benefit to staff. 

“When we suggested the option of removing the tuition fee for AISD staff, the board saw this as a great opportunity to help our employees and as a recruiting tool for future teachers and staff members, encouraging them to want to work for the district,” AISD Superintendent Phil Edwards said.

In a unanimous vote, the board approved the Prekindergarten tuition rate for the 2024-2025 school year. Tuition for AISD employees will be free while the non-employee rate remains the same as last year at $5,750.

The board also approved an Order of Cancellation for the school board election due to it being uncontested. Trustees Kimi Hunter, Heather Brewer and Justin Journeay have opted to run again for their current positions, and no other person filed to run.

In other business, the board reviewed and approved the renewal of property (including windstorm) and liability insurance policies in the total amount of $2.1 million, which is a $16,526 increase from last year.

Finally, the board approved an order authorizing the issuance, sale and delivery of the next round of bonds from the 2022 Bond in the amount of $80 million.

2024-2025 Academic Calendar

As part of February’s board meeting, Angleton ISD Human Resources Director Cyndy Pullen and AISD Director of Instructional Programs and Professional Development Bridgette Percle updated the board on the district's Grow Our Own program, which gives opportunities for the district to develop current employees and train new recruits to become future AISD educators. The program meets candidates at their current level of education and partners with institutions to offer candidates the opportunity to achieve higher education while transitioning into a teaching career. Last year’s expansion allowed for the addition of 19 candidates to the program at all levels, including three graduating high school students pursuing education as their degree.

This year, the program is being expanded to include paid student internship opportunities. The purpose of this expansion is to pay eligible students for their clinical experience through their university or alternative certification program. Selections will be made based on the district's needs and offered to candidates who meet the program’s specified criteria.  

“We want to be good stewards of the program's funds, and we saw a gap with traditional students on a student teacher path,” Percle said. “This expansion now allows us to get our students in traditional pathways and who are committed to our district because we can now place them in the program and pay them while they complete student teaching clinicals.”

Since the inauguration of the program in 2022, 10 participants have graduated, three have become classroom teachers, and 13 have landed classroom instructor positions while earning their degree and becoming certified.

In addition, AISD has a growing number of employees and candidates wanting to become Special Education professionals as well as teachers looking to get their Master’s to teach dual credit and teachers looking to earn their certifications to teach Advanced Placement courses. The Grow Our Own program will now include pathways for those individuals, helping them make their desired move within the district.

AISD Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum Dr. Adam Stephens also reported on the progress of the Teacher Incentive Allotment (TIA). The TIA was designed by the state to incentivize teachers to work in more impoverished districts and in harder to staff schools and positions. School districts were given the framework of the program by the state, and AISD administrators worked to design a system tailored to meet the needs of the district. An application for the district will be submitted to the state in April.

If the application is approved, the district’s plan will start with the Eligible Teacher Group, which was selected as the first group of AISD teachers able to receive the additional funds based on the TIA’s purpose outlined by the state. AISD plans to start the program with Kindergarten through 8th grade reading and math teachers, Algebra 1 teachers, and English I and II teachers. In order to receive the incentive pay, teachers will need to show evidence of student success through the NWEA MAP, an assessment given to students three times during the school year to measure individual student growth throughout the year.

“Our goal is to have as many teachers as possible with access to the allotment funds,” Stephens said. “We are starting with the Eligible Teacher Group, and we will continue to work to bring the opportunity to as many of our teachers as possible, because we know they all bring value to the system.” 

Finally, Superintendent Phil Edwards discussed the delay in the release of the school calendar for the 2024-2025 school year. Voting on next year’s calendar was held up due to the redistricting of the football program and will now be pushed to the March meeting.

At Tuesday’s board meeting, Angleton ISD Superintendent Phil Edwards presented the AISD Board of Trustees with the new bell schedule that will begin with the 2024-2025 school year. A committee of principals, teachers and coaches met multiple times to ensure a thoughtful and inclusive planning process.

At the secondary level, which includes the high school, junior high, PACE Academy and CATS Academy, doors will open by 6:40 a.m., and instructional time will begin at 7:15 a.m. Elementary campuses will open doors by 7:30 a.m. and begin instructional time at 8:15 a.m.

“We understand this change in school start time is very different, but many factors were considered during the planning process,” Edwards said. “The modified schedule brings positive improvements, including improving the efficiency of bus transportation throughout the district. With the opening of Heartland Elementary and Heritage Junior High and not having this time change, we would have some elementary students on buses for several hours a day.” 

Also, in a unanimous vote, the board approved a master improvement plan for the Marshall property, which was once the site for Marshall High School and Marshall Elementary and now houses AISD’s Special Education Department.

The master plan was developed with the input of a citizens committee, including alumni from Marshall High, and has been in the works since late August. Work on Phase 1, which includes the demolition of the existing fuel station, the maintenance structure, and a concrete parking lot, has already begun. 

“We want our facilities to look presentable and nice, something our community can be proud of and that represents the values of tradition that AISD respects,” Edwards said. “We know this project is something that will preserve the legacy of the Marshall schools and the Marshall community, and will provide a beautiful and functional space for our community and the citizens of Angleton.”

The board also approved the purchase of new library furniture for all six elementary schools along with Angleton Junior High. A committee of three librarians, one principal and two district office leaders met to collaborate on choosing furniture that would serve multiple purposes.

Director of Elementary Education Vicki Harmon said the committee considered the need for furniture that accommodates large groups and meetings while creating an attractive environment for students that promotes collaborative learning. 

“Our goal was to enhance the overall character and environment of our libraries for years to come, and I believe our committee achieved that.” Harmon said.

Finally, the purchase of exterior door hardware in the amount of $48,898.01 was also approved by the board. The hardware replacement will be made to doors that have had issues with the operation of door locks and are no longer repairable at Central Elementary, Frontier Elementary and the Administration Building. 

“The state has now come out with new standards that we have to meet, and this will help us standardize our exterior doors and improve safety across the district.” Edwards said.

Angleton ISD recently had a demographic study completed to aid in planning for the coming growth throughout the district. At the December meeting, board members received the demographer’s full report. Notably, AISD experienced growth over the last year, with the largest jump in the 3rd-6th grade cohorts. 

According to the report, there currently are 16 active housing subdivisions with 735 lots and an additional 19 subdivisions planned with more than 12,000 lots to be constructed within the district. Projections estimate the housing developments will yield about six students per 10 homes. Groundwork on 310 lots across three subdivisions is already underway. 

The study also revealed the district can expect an additional 181 students overall next year with a consistent upward trend expected the next couple of years. Once homes are completed and occupied, the district anticipates enrolling an additional 300 students annually. Looking ahead, AISD is forecasted to enroll roughly 8,165 students by the 2028-2029 school year and approximately 9,610 students by 2033-2034.  

AISD Superintendent Phil Edwards highlighted the significance of this study in guiding strategic decisions crucial to the district's preparedness in anticipation of imminent growth.

“This study confirms our district's growth trajectory and helps us identify areas of focus,” he said. “It is vital in helping us make key strategic decisions now in order to be prepared for future growth, and it helps specify where the growth will take place, leading us to where we need to be in the future.” 

A rezoning plan is also in the works to ensure a balanced distribution of students as the district works toward the inauguration of two new campuses in 2025. A preliminary plan will be available for public feedback following spring break, with the goal of finalizing it by Fall 2024. Once approved, the plan will take effect with the start of the 2025-2026 school year.

Continuing efforts to prepare for the future of the district, the board approved a recommendation of $64,000 for facility assessments to be completed as part of the strategic plan. These assessments will leverage the demographer’s findings to identify a timetable of additional facility needs and what the district can expect over the next 10-15 years to accommodate the forecasted growth. At the same time, the facility assessment will evaluate current facilities’ needs and requirements as well as any necessary renovations. The cost of the overall assessment will be divided to $49,000 for Facility Condition Assessments and $15,000 for Long-Term Facility Planning. 

“This is not about planning for a bond, but the facility assessment will serve as a valuable resource in future planning as needed.” Edwards said. “The community will be included in any discussions pertaining to bond initiatives if or when that process is necessary.” 

In addition, the board approved the Course Selection Guides for the 2024-2025 academic year. High school students will now have access to three new science courses and a more streamlined selection across other subjects. Additionally, junior high students will benefit from two new elective class options -  “Health and Wellness” and “Chess and Gaming Strategies.” 

A local EIC Policy regarding class rank calculation was brought to the board for consideration. The policy states that if a student fails a course and retakes it, the GPA will reflect an average of the two final grades. However, if a student retakes a passing course to try to attain a higher score, the original grade will be used for GPA calculation. The board approved this policy as presented.

“It's important to note that students are legally permitted to retake a class even if they previously passed it,” Edwards said. ““The policy aims to mitigate GPA jumping and avoid students using it as a way to chase grades for rank.”

The board also unanimously approved the 2023 District Audit performed by KM&L. The audit showcased no budgetary issues, and  the district received a positive, unmodified opinion, which represents the highest achievable score.

Finally, the board recognized the Purple Pride Marching Band who racked up an impressive list of accomplishments and awards this season, including 5A Overall First Place and Overall Grand Champions at the Edna Marching Invitational. They also achieved an Overall Superior Rating at the UIL Region 17 Marching Contest and advanced to the UIL Area Contest where they finished 8th overall at Area.

Recognitions ended with the winners of AISD’s 2023 Holiday Greeting Card Contest. Each year, 3rd-5th grade students participate in an art contest where the winning design is used as the district's greeting card. First place was awarded to Northside Elementary 5th grader Jayla Gasaway. Second place went to Southside Elementary 5th grader Jordyn Robert, and third place ended in a tie this year between Frontier Elementary 4th grader Story Orlea and Southside Elementary 3rd grader Ximena Alvarez. Community members, partners and other districts received the greeting card.

In November’s meeting, Superintendent Phil Edwards presented the Angleton ISD Board of Trustees with recommendations for the names of the two new campuses being added to the district. After careful consideration and discussion by a committee of six citizens, the names Heritage Junior High School and Heartland Elementary were chosen and unanimously approved by the board. 

“I’d like to thank the committee of community members for their service and participation,” Edwards said. “They worked very well together and were pivotal in developing names that represent unity within the district and community of Angleton.”

AISD also held a special public hearing to review its annual score on the Financial Integrity Rating System of Texas (FIRST). The Texas Education Agency rates school districts based on 20 indicators. AISD received the highest rating of a “Superior Achievement” with a perfect score of 100. Director of Finance Connie Cox stated that the primary goal is to achieve quality performance in the management of the school district’s financial resources.

“The district has received a superior rating since the start of FIRST in September 2001,” Cox said. “We are proud to have received the highest rating, which aligns with our values and commitment to our stakeholders.”

In addition, the board recognized several AISD students who excelled in the 2023 Brazoria County Fair Association’s various competitions. Whether it be in showing animals and artwork or participating in rodeo events and other individual competitions, AISD had a strong representation at the Fair with more than 60 students placing at high levels in their respective categories.

Lastly, the board approved policy DEC (local) revisions regarding peace officer leave. The revisions included the addition of paid mental health leave days for an officer who experiences a traumatic event in the scope of employment and paid quarantine leave. It also added policy to allow for an extended leave of absence if necessary for officers who are injured or become ill in the line of duty.