Friday's Internet Edition, July 04, 2008.
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New Junior High Principal John Fabela. (See story on Front Page)
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- Culberson County-Allamoore Independent School District trustees held a special meeting Tuesday evening for the expressed purpose of talking tax rates. They also heard a Texas Association of School Board’s (TASB) representative detail some advantages of possibly seeking a tax rate would require a roll back election.
Dr. Carr, of TASB, told board members that as a result of House Bill 1 passed by the Texas legislature a year ago, school districts across the state have been “having to deal with declining student populations and thereby declining revenues while at the same time experiencing rising costs.”
Dr. Carr noted that “districts are going to have to live with the effects of House Bill 1 through the 2008-2009 school years and the only way they have to get more money is if the kid count goes up.”
However, Dr. Carr went on to note, “District trustees can levy an additional 4 cents without any action from voters, but to raise it up by 13 cents would take voter approval.”
Carr went on to explain that if the district were to tax at the $1.17 rate, which would be the maximum you could tax this year, it would bring in approximately $3,331,393 from local taxpayers and $2,317,707 from the state. That would generate the district some $353,408 more from taxpayers and $110,339 more from the state for a combined total of $463,747.
Carr noted that this is money over and above the effective calculated tax rate and this money can be used for teacher and staff pay raises, and other needed things which the district now does without.
It should be noted here that no mention was made in the discussion of the fact that the districts taxable value had increased by some $31,000,000. Also, not mentioned was how much money the district now has in it’s fund balance or how much money the district anticipates putting in that fund balance this year.
Trustee Lupe Alvarado seemed ready to proceed with the 17 cent increase while trustee Lisa Cottrell noted, “There is so much animosity about the district locally, I don’t think this kind of an increase would go over well.”
In the end, trustees opted to call another special meeting for Tuesday, August 14th at 10 a.m. to formally act on calling for a proposed tax rate. And, no mention was even made of what the proposed budget is.
Following a behind-closed-door session, trustees announced that they were accepting high school principal Merle Dunn’s resignation since he had never signed his new contract issued just last month following an earlier resignation.
Trustees announced that, with school start-up rapidly approaching, they would hire last years counselor, Mrs. Houy, to assist at the high school while they
look for a new principal and an assistant principal.
In the executive session, trustees met with representatives of the TASB to work out details of a time line in the search for a new superintendent.
Before concluding the session, trustees approved the purchase of A Plus software for the high school at a cost of some $39,750 and the authorization to sell items at Saturday’s upcoming auction sale.
School District gets accountability ratings from the state
School District Superintendent Anne Pemberton received the district’s accountability ratings from the Texas Education Agency last week.
In an e-mail sent out to staffers, administrators, board members, and the Advocate last Wednesday afternoon, Pemberton said, “I am sending information out to all staff that became public information...today. Exceptions helped one campus, but not another.” The e-mail went on to say, “There were definitely areas of progress. There are areas that need to be maintained, and areas still needing improvement. Please use all this information in your campus improvement plans, and in attention to course placement of students who have failed the TAKS at third, fifth, and seventh grades, and especially TAKS remediation for eleventh and twelfth graders who need that diploma. Staff development is also being planned around this data. Please continue to align all components of your teaching and curriculum to the TEKS/TAKS.”
The link to the TEA website attached to the e-mail did not work and no mention of the actual ratings were mentioned in the e-mail.
However, if one goes to the TEA website and clicks on accountability ratings for 2007 by district, you will get the results.
Per the TEA, the local district received a rating of “Academically Acceptable.” Both the Elementary and High School campuses also received a rating of “Academically Acceptable.” However, the Van Horn Junior High was rated as “Academically Unacceptable.”
That is a first for the local school district and that is what Superintendent Pemberton must have been referring to in her e-mail of last Wednesday.
There can be no doubt that district administrators will be closely addressing this issue in the days and weeks ahead.
New principal ready to face challenges here
Van Horn Junior High School has a new principal. He is John Fabela and he comes to Van Horn from the Pecos school district.
John, who hails from Fort Stockton, has been in the education field for some 15 years. He is married to Rosa, and the couple has three grown children, a boy and two girls. And, they have 6 grandchildren.
Rosa will be joining John in Van Horn within a couple of weeks, but for now, she’s helping with a new grandchild.
John graduated from Fort Stockton High School and went to the University of Texas of the Permian Basin where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Management and a Master in Education and Mid-Management certification.
He told the Advocate, “I started out in business with an oil company but one of my friends told me that I really should be in education.”
Fabela went on to say, “I tried it and like it so much, it has become my passion and my career.”
Fabela taught for 6 years in Odessa before moving to Fort Worth. From Fort Worth, he moved to the Midland school district, and then on to the Pecos school district before coming to Van Horn last month.
He said, “I love Van Horn. It has a wonderful climate, not near as hot as Pecos. The atmosphere is great here and I love the community. I’m really looking forward to working with the kids here and getting to meet the parents as we undertake the challenges that lie before us here.”
The challenge Fabela alluded to is the fact the Junior High received an “Academically Unacceptable” rating from the Texas Education Agency last week. Fabela said, “It will be a team effort to address this situation. We have a lot of work to do and we’ll be meeting with the staff in the days ahead to line out our plan of attack.”