Moses keeps position as head coach

By LPR Staff
Editor/POST-REGISTER

Dozens of parents and students attended the meeting to learn the fate of Boys” Athletic Director and Head Football Coach Troy Moses.
As the board evaluated the district”s staffing needs throughout the year, they came to the conclusion that the structure of the Athletic Department should be changed. For several years, the

district has had separate Boys” and Girls” Athletic Directors, each of whom carried coaching responsibilities in addition to administrative duties. This year, the board decided to assign one Athletic Director, who will be specifically an administrator without coaching responsibilities, and who will oversee the whole of the Athletic Department. In a related but separate issue, Moses” contract as Head Football Coach was for a period of one year only, and included the responsibilities of Athletic Director.
Students, particularly male athletes, attended the meeting in droves to support the coach who led the Lions to a growing, if not winning season this fall and to show unified support of his being invited to return as Head Football Coach next season.
After an executive session lasting just over half an hour, the board reconvened and voted to offer Moses a contract as a Teacher/Coach and as Head Football Coach for the period of one year. Acting Board President Timoteo “Tim” Juarez voted against the motion, and At Large Trustee Juan Alvarez abstained from the vote.
At the request of a committee of teachers, principals and assistant principals known as “The Bilingual Cadre,” some of LISD”s youngest students will embark on a new educational program next year.
After a great deal of research and consideration, the Bilingual Cadre requested the district institute a “one-way language learning” program for pre-kindergarten, kindergarten and first grade students beginning next school year.
Under the program, “limited English proficiency” (LEP) students (formerly known as “English – Second Language or ESL students”) will be segregated into classes with only other LEPs for pre-kindergarten, kindergarten and first grade. Ninety percent of instruction in those classes will be delivered in Spanish, with the other 10 percent being in English.
As children progress through their education up to the fifth grade, the percentage of instruction in Spanish will decrease as the students knowledge and use of English increases, ultimately delivering a population of students with functional literacy in both languages.
Because of the number of LEP students in the district, it was suggested the program would be limited to two campuses within the district, with Bluebonnet Elementary, which currently has classes at all three grade levels, as one of the likely candidates.
In other board business, students at Lockhart High School and the Lockhart Freshman Campus may soon see a change in how their schedules are built.
Under current state rules, students require 26 credits to graduate from high school. However, unless students earn high school credits at the junior high level, they only have a total of 28 class periods in their high school careers to earn those credits. That sort of scheduling, according to Ramirez and Henk, allows students to earn basic credits, but is limiting for those who would prefer to explore a variety of elective courses.
At Large Trustee John Manning raised concerns about reductions in class period, noting classes might be shortened from 50 minutes to 45 minutes. Ramirez said he built the eight-period schedule to reflect 45-minute classes to end the school day as close to 3:20 p.m., the current release time, as possible. He noted, however, the day could start a bit earlier and still end at 3:35 p.m. If the classes were 50 minutes.
Newly-elected board vice president John Flores stated the students have more opportunities to earn those credits than Ramirez and Henk indicated, citing examples of students who earn high school credits in junior high.
“Those are your highly motivated, fast-track students,” Henk said. “While there are many of those, they aren”t the largest portion of our population, and more of our students are waiting until they get to the Freshman Campus to take those classes. Only 18 – 20 percent of the students are enrolled in those classes.”
Trustee Clint Mohle suggested the program might be a benefit to the remaining students, given the fact it will allow them to take different electives and perhaps career and technology classes.
“I”d hate to think that high school has become all work and no fun,” he said. “And I like the idea that this program might benefit the students that are not in that 18 – 20 percent.”
Trustees asked the proposal be discussed with parents and presented in its form at a future board meeting.
In brief board news:
State Representative Patrick M. Rose attended the meeting to give a brief presentation regarding his hopes for school finance in coming Legislative Sessions.
The trustees voted to approve the sale of three properties that were foreclosed and resold for delinquent taxes. While the recovered amount is nearly $13,250 less than the actual tax owed, the board opted it was most appropriate to sell the properties and return them to the tax rolls.
They approved moving expenses in the amount of around $4,800 for Bailey, as promised in his contract. Bailey requested the board pay the lowest estimated amount, stating any extra expenditures above that low estimate were his responsibility.
In a shocking turn of events after an extended executive session, the trustees reconvened in regular session just before 1 a.m. on Tuesday morning and announced that Bailey tendered his resignation, effective May 31, 2008.
Durham Transportation was again the topic of discussion as the contract with the bus company again came up for review. According to Bailey, the price for bus service stood to increase by only 2.4 percent, so it was advised the board renew the contract.
Chief Finance Director Tina Knudsen will prepare a Request for Quote for an external auditor to review some of the district”s practices, including credit card spending, materials and hiring practices and pay policies within the district. A more complete list of responsibilities for the internal auditor will be available in the near future.
The Lockhart ISD Board of Trustees meets on the fourth Monday of each month at 6:30 p.m. in the conference center at Lockhart High School. Board meetings are open to the public and the public is encouraged to attend.