San Marcos - Buda - Kyle Edition | February 2022

EDUCATION BRIEFS

News from Hays & San Marcos CISDs

Mask mandate upheld through at least spring break

BRIDGING THE GAP The board approved allocating funding to help combat staffing shortage. The incentive and budget allocation will hopefully replenish the vacancies and fill the new positions opened. SOURCE: HAYS CISD/ COMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER

District currently has

District hopes to fill an additional

bilingual educator positions

dyslexia specialist positions

BY ERIC WEILBACHER

SANMARCOS CISD The board of trustees unanimously voted Jan. 18 to uphold the districtwide mask mandate through spring break and to allow Superintendent Michael Cardona the discretion to prolong masking should he determine it necessary. “[If] the superintendent believes that masks are still necessary when students and teachers return from spring break, then he would have the authority to continue to implement it until which time the board meets and can reconsider whether or not we need to continue or we can start lifting [the mandate],” Board Member Anne Halsey said. “God willing, there’s a miracle we can start with lifting restrictions, right? If that is the case, I think we should have the opportunity to do so.”

speech language pathologists

licensed specialists in school psychology (with two vacancies)

licensed specialists in school psychology

Incentive deal for high-need positions approved

BY ZARA FLORES

we know we have an immediate demand.” The district has identified specialists in dyslexia, bilingual educators, speech language pathologists and licensed specialists in school psychology as high-need positions. A hiring incentive of $1,500 will be allotted to those positions upon hiring. The district also identified specific campuses as high-need areas wherein incoming and existing teachers will also receive the incentive as a means of retention, including Camino Real, Uhland and Hemphill Elementary Schools; Simon Middle School; and Lehman High School.

HAYS CISD Due to the high demand for teachers, the board of trustees approved $301,000 for hiring and reten- tion incentives Jan. 31 to bring in new teachers to the district and retain the existing ones in high-need areas. Part of the incentive deal includes an approximate $1.5 million allocation from the 2022-23 budget for up to 21 new positions. “It’s very challenging right now to predict exactly how many [positions] we’re going to need,” Chief Human Resources Officer Fernando Medina said. “We’re asking for up to [21] allocations … knowing that we may need it,

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COMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER • COMMUNITYIMPACT.COM