THRALL – The Thrall Independent School District needs more special- education instructors and potentially a director and nursery teacher if a planned child care facility for employees comes to fruition.
In the last year, Thrall’s percentage of special-education students jumped from 10% to 17%, prompting the need for another behavioral specialist, trustees heard during a Thursday school board meeting.
Jolena Pokorny, director of programs, credited the efforts of the current special-ed team, James Supak and Jude Martin, in handling the increase.
“We have a great program. The word has gotten out,” Pokorny said.
As the number of special- education students continues to rise, the district must meet the challenge, officials said.
“We knew this need was coming. We just weren’t expecting it so fast,” Pokorny said.
Superintendent Tommy Hooker said any discussion about new teacher hires should also include employing assistant principals for all schools in the next few years.
He prefers a title such as “dean of academics.”
Thinking ahead, Hooker said assistant principals almost always ended up handling disciplinary issues, which ultimately results in high turnover rates.
“With a dean of academics, the focus is on instruction, not discipline,” Hooker said.
In other plans, Thrall ISD provides preschool for the 3- and 4-yearold children of teachers and district employees. Thrall wants to open a child care facility next August.
“We have made a promise to our staff that we will have it up and going,” Pokorny said, adding the project is only in the early stages.
Pokorny and district business manager Blake Schneider will attend an informational meeting in November providing guidance the district needs to open the facility.
It will need a director and a teacher, but as the program grows more staff at an additional cost are required, officials said.
A survey of Thrall ISD employees indicated parents of five children between 18 months to 2 years old are interested in an on-site nursery school.
Others surveyed said they are considering having children, but some put off those plans because convenient child care is lacking.
Trustee Domingo Valdez noted a child care facility could help retain teachers and staff; Pokorny agreed.
“This is something that’s very important. (Thrall ISD) is all about the family,” she said. “We want (our staff) to have their babies here, that makes a huge difference.”
The next school board meeting is 6:30 p.m. Nov. 19 at 601 S. Bounds St.
