EDUCATION BRIEFS
News from Katy ISD & Texas
NUMBER TOKNOW years of Katy ISD Future Farmers of America 79 Board restructures aftermisconduct allegations BY LAURA AEBI
HIGHLIGHTS
The investigation concluded that one or more trustees in varying degrees violated the board code of ethics and board operating proce- dures; misled board o cers and district personnel; did not provide all requested required communication; did not follow legal guidance to have no communication with plainti ’s rep- resentatives on pending litigation; and inappropriately handled con dential and legal information, Schulte said. “Safety nets are in place to ensure this behavior does not occur,” he said. Champagne was censured, or publicly condemned, by the board
KATY ISD The board of trustees at Katy ISD voted to restructure its members after two trustees allegedly breached the board’s code of conduct. Board Secretary Dawn Champagne, elected in 2021, and trustee Leah Wilson, elected in 2020, had their conduct condemned via a majority vote at a Feb. 24 meeting. Board President Greg Schulte said the board held a Feb. 3 closed meeting that discussed an investigation of alleged improper communication between the trustees and a family involved in litigation with KISD.
The Katy ISD board of trustees will meet at 5 p.m. on March 28 at 6301 S. Stadium Lane, Katy. 281-396-6000. www.katyisd.org MEETINGSWE COVER districts are facing related to teacher vacancies; develop recommendations for regulatory or other policy changes for TEA; and provide feedback on TEA initiatives designed to help impact vacancies. KATY ISD According to a March 3 press release from the district, Katy ISD enrolled its 90,000th student, a rst-grader from Mayde Creek Elementary in March. According to the district, KISD is the fth-largest school district in the state. KATY ISD At a March 8 special board meeting, the Katy ISD board of trustees heard the rst round of feedback for its ve-year strategic plan. In 2017, the district created its rst-ever strategic plan, which outlined KISD goals for personalized learning, digital infrastructure, recruitment and retention, student well-being, and other topics, according to the district. That plan ends in 2022. TEXAS The Texas Education Agency on March 10 announced the creation of a Teacher Vacancy Task Force that will bring together superintendents, teachers, human resource o cers and other stakeholders from districts across the state. School districts have struggled to ll vacancies and retain teachers, and a study conducted by the Charles Butt Foundation found that 68% of teachers surveyed considered leaving the profession in 2021, compared to 58% in 2020. Some primary goals of the task force will be to understand the challenges
Leah Wilson
Dawn Champagne
before being replaced as secretary by Position 1 trustee Duke Keller. She was also replaced with Schulte for her one- year term on the Texas Association of School Boards’ board of directors. The board also voted to censure Wilson, who holds Position 4.
FFA brings in $815K at livestock show Katy ISDnames top principals, teachers BY HOLLY GALVAN
KATY ISD The 2022 Katy ISD FFA Livestock Show held Feb. 15-19 at the Katy ISD Agricultural Sciences Center yielded $815,480 for the district, according to a March press release from the district. The Katy ISD FFA Livestock Show, located at 5801 Katy Hockley Cut O Road, has allowed students to develop their talents and show- case their abilities through a range of agricultural pathways for the past 79 years, according to district o cials. Competition categories include steers, goats, lambs, hogs, broilers and rabbits. “We have over 450 FFA students participating in our livestock show,” said Sarah Martin, KISD director of career and technical education, in the March press release. “These students, with
BY LAURA AEBI
KATY ISD In a March press release, Katy ISD named its 2021 elementary and secondary principals, teachers and rookie teachers for the 2020-21 school year. Per the district, these individuals were selected for their leadership skills and dedication to their students, sta and the community. They will be honored at an April 12 ceremony. The principals of the year are Kelly Ricks of Wolman Elementary School and Melinda Stone of Taylor High School. The teachers of the year are Tasha McDonald of Rylander Elemen- tary School and Daxus Nesossi of Pae- towHigh School. The rookie teachers of the year include Hailey Burgower of Memorial Parkway Elementary School and John Shaw of Seven Lakes Junior High School.
The 2022 Katy ISD FFA Livestock Show was held Feb. 15 19. (Courtesy Katy ISD)
the support of their agriculture teachers, have put in a tremendous amount of time and e ort with their animal projects. It takes commitment from not only the students, but also their family, as these animals require care throughout the year.”
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KATY EDITION • MARCH 2022
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