BURTON ISD NAMES NEW PRINCIPAL, ACCEPTS RESIGNATION OF BOARD MEMBER
The Burton School Board named the new high school principal at Monday night’s meeting.
Matthew Wamble will replace current principal Karen Steenken, who is retiring January 31st. Wamble currently serves as an assistant principal at Brenham High School.
Wamble said he has spent around 16 years in education. He graduated in 1996 from Cy Creek High School, attended Texas State, and received his Master’s from the University of St. Thomas in Houston.
Wamble said he and his family built a house in Brenham after previously living in Houston, saying he wanted something different for his children. He’s excited for the opportunity in Burton, saying “just because it’s a small community doesn’t mean you can’t dream big”.
Wamble will begin working at Burton High School January 7th. He will be employed through 2020.
Also at Monday night’s meeting, the board read a written resignation from one of its members. Linda Hasten is stepping down from the board and her position as secretary, saying she is moving away from the school district.
Upon considering the now-vacant positions, the board decided to appoint Ande Bostain for the school board.
The board stated that, per recommendation of the district attorney, the candidate that received the next-highest amount of votes in the past school board election would fill the position.
Bostain will fill the rest of Hasten’s term, through May’s election. The board decided to nominate board member Misty Lucherk for the vacant secretary position.
The board also approved posting notice of its intention to lease about 27 acres of school-owned property for mineral rights. The notice will be posted in the Brenham Banner-Press once a week for three weeks, on the 19th, 26th, and January 2, 2019. The board will meet again on January 9th at 5:30 p.m., to further discuss the matter.
During the athletic director’s report read by Superintendent Dr. Edna Kennedy, Jason Hodde addressed rumors that he would be leaving the district to take another position. He assured the administration and the board that his place was in Burton, and that he would “continue to work diligently with the board and the administration in making Burton the best it can be”.
Board members also heard two bids for the sale of a portable building, located by the baseball field. One of the bids was worth $1,344, and the other worth $2,000.
The board opted for the lesser amount, as the higher sale would require the school to clear out and dispose all of the unwanted items. With the cheaper bid, the school can leave any unwanted items inside for the bidder to dispose of.
The building will be transferred within 90 days to the bidder. The board said a fence in the area would need to be taken down and redone to allow for transport of the building, and said the bidder will be responsible for transport and redoing the fence.
The board also approved a blanket amount of $2,464, to be used for gifts for district employees. Dr. Kennedy noted this staff incentive would be tax exempt.
The board then adjourned into executive session to discuss personnel and district safety and security.