May 2 election faces cancelation
A mid-year report card on subjects ranging from improving math scores to putting a cellular tower at Taylor High School dominated this week’s meeting of Taylor Independent School District trustees.
In addition, trustees are poised to cancel the May 2 election since the races for two board slots are uncontested.
Megan Zembik, chief academic officer, and Ron Verano, executive director of maintenance and operations, provided presentations Monday on what keeps the district running inside the classroom and out.
Last year, the district approved the use of i-Ready, a kindergarten through 12th grade screener and diagnostic tool, to help monitor academic growth and to note areas for student improvement, the school board heard.
“This is our baseline year to figure out what the measures look like, what correlation they have. We’re still learning as we go,” Zembik said.
Her presentation began with a look at Taylor ISD’s younger students and moved up to the older ones.
Zembik noted Taylor Middle School math scores have risen with the advent of signing bonuses for incoming math teachers.
No one expected scores to change overnight, she noted, but the results have not disappointed.
“Seventh grade math has been a struggle… but we had 20% growth (in that subject) from the beginning of the year to the middle of the year,” she said.
Zembik said they are replicating what works for learners and educators.
“We’re continuing to learn about the process, but growth is happening,” Zembik said.
Meanwhile, Verano provided an infrastructure update on the strength of cellular coverage at the high school where he said communication is unreliable.
The campus has experienced dropped calls, delayed texts and inconsistent connectivity indoors, officials said.
Cellphone use during class is prohibited for students, but the issue is more about ensuring staff can reach out, he said. “ This is about operational reliability, efficiency and most importantly student safety,” Verano said.
He presented a map to trustees with different colors highlighting coverage areas of the city.
“If we put a proposed (communication) tower at the high school…it will improve coverage,” Verano said.
Verano said a tower will help the campus with consistent phone usage, improve staff communication and provide dependable emergency communication.
In other Feb.16 business, board President Marco Ortiz tabled the cancelation of the school board election until the district’s March 30 meeting.
Neither incumbent Shorty Mitchell nor newcomer Rachael Westerman face opposition on the upcoming May 2 ballot. The filing deadline closed Feb. 13.
Westerman will fill Jim Buzan’s at-large position on the dais. Buzan is running for mayor of Taylor.
The next school board meeting is 6:45 p.m. March 30 in the Taylor ISD boardroom, 3101 N. Main St.
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“If we put a proposed (communication) tower at the high school…it will improve coverage.”
— Ron Verano
