Board eyes Pride School rules and regulations

By LPR Staff
Editor/POST-REGISTER

Under a request by one of Lockhart Independent School District”s trustees on Monday evening, the board engaged in a lengthy discussion about implementing district policies at Pride High School on Monday evening.
Having heard complaints from constituents about students at the Pride High School not being subject to certain

district-wide dress code regulations, At Large Trustee John Manning asked the board to publicly discuss the issue.
Manning noted he had heard complaints about Pride High School students violating a variety of dress code policies, including wearing revealing clothing, facial hair and body piercings.
“I support this facility and its intended purpose because it may be the last chance for some of these kids,” he said. “But the issue is continued, unchecked violation of the policies set down by this Board.”
Other board members expressed concern that students in the alternative learning programs at Pride High might be leery of remaining at the school if they became subject to the same dress code policies as Lockhart High School students. However, the main bone of contention remained the fact there is no separate policy for Pride High School.
Pride High principal Patrick Venglar and Superintendent John Hall suggested that a policy manual separate from the District”s Secondary Campus Policy Manual should drafted in the future.
In other business, the board decided to name the LHS track after LHS graduate, Brigadier General Harold Gary Bunch. Bunch, who was recently promoted to Brigadier General, was a member of the Lions” 1971 Regional Championship football team.
They also heard discussion on the contract cost for the district”s food service program.
The contract, currently held by ARAMARK, costs the district nearly $2 million each year. ARAMARK provides food service for each campus district, preparing nearly 50,000 meals each month. Although some trustees expressed concerns about food costs, the Board did approve the report.
Students from each LISD campus presented the members of the board with cards and gifts in honor of School Board Appreciation Month.
“This is my favorite part of the year,” said an emotional Gary Allen after receiving his gifts. “These thanks from the students are all the payment I need to do this job.”
In brief board news:
The Board recognized the winners of the Bluebonnet Elementary School Science Fair, the Plum Creek Elementary School Science Fair and the Lockhart High School Voice of Democracy Essay Contest.
They considered the possibility of refinancing the 2002 series bonds for a savings of almost $50,000, but took no action on the proposal.
They also discussed, but took no action, on the concept of consolidating the two existing athletic directors” positions and having only one, non-teaching athletic director.
The trustees approved a Resolution of Appreciation to Lonie Borrer Brite, a former schoolteacher who will turn 100 years old this month. They also approved a resolution recognizing Texas Public Schools Week, March 5-9, 2007.
Although they were scheduled to evaluate the Superintendent”s performance this week, the Trustees voted 4-3 to wait until June, after the end of the school year, to perform the evaluation.
The LISD Board of Trustees meets on the last Monday of each month at 6:30 p.m. in the Lockhart High School Conference Center.