Education
BY BRITTANY ANDERSON
A task force to help shape Pugerville ISD’s strategic plan recently completed its list of action items. Superintendent Quintin Shepherd provided the task force’s ndings during a Pugerville Chamber of Commerce event March 11 at Spare Time Texas. The details Shepherd said the ndings are the “big overar- ching statements” indicating the general direction the district should go toward, while the directions provide a more “granular” look. • Planning for the future: prepare students to discover their passions, develop core values and life skills, communicate eectively, and foster a sense of self worth and community • Student learning experiences: create an envi- ronment of connection and trust where teachers inspire and empower students to take risks, think critically, and embrace a growth mindset • Recruit, develop and retain teachers and sta: essential for fostering student achievement • Community: collaboration between the district and community will help families and students foster a value for learning • Safety, belonging and mental/social wellness: foster a culture of safety and connection to ensure students and sta feel respected • Communication: transparent, proactive PfISD prioritizes student growth, nancial planning
P ugerville ISD Superintendent Quintin Shepherd provided updates on PfISD’s strategic plan visioning task force and Texas Legislature updates during a March 11 P ugerville Chamber of Commerce event.
BRITTANY ANDERSONCOMMUNITY IMPACT
communication, active listening, and sharing students’ work with the community • Finance: transparent and intentional nancial planning to ensure equitable access to education • Facilities: monitor, review, and address facilities and infrastructure and integrate sustainable solutions Also of note A few education bills have been discussed since the Texas Legislature convened in January. The PfISD board of trustees adopted a list of priorities for legislators ahead of the session, including shifting public school funding from attendance-based to enrollment-based, increasing the basic allotment, increasing funding for safety mandates and fully funding special education. Community Impact recently reported that legislators discussed House Bill 2, which pro- poses a $220 increase to the basic allotment. The basic allotment has not increased from
"...When doubling the [funding] amounts are still less than half of what we need, it’s just not good enough.” QUINTIN SHEPHERD, PFISD SUPERINTENDENT
$6,160 since 2019. “You can reach out to our legislators and say that’s not even close to being enough,” Shepherd said. Legislators have also eyed House Bill 3, which includes a plan for a potential school voucher program. However, Shepherd said the district is still trying to fund House Bill 3 from 2023, which required schools to place an armed police ocer on each campus. The district needs 20 additional police ocers to meet HB3’s requirements, which equates to about a $3 million cost.
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