BURTON ISD MOVING TO IN-PERSON INSTRUCTION ONLY
Burton ISD will soon be joining several other area school districts in offering only in-person instruction to students.
At Monday’s meeting of the Burton School Board, the district announced that Friday will be the last day for remote instruction. Letters distributed to parents today (Tuesday) inform them that online learners must return to on-campus instruction on Monday, or they will be counted absent.
Options available to families who do not wish to return to face-to-face instruction include home school, enrolling in the Texas Virtual School Network, or transferring to a district that offers online instruction. If a family chooses any of these options, their student will be withdrawn from Burton ISD.
Students will only have access to remote learning or be allowed to complete classroom assignments at home if they have a qualifying medical condition that would put them at risk for being present on campus, or if they are under a mandatory quarantine by the district’s COVID-19 team, a physician, or a medical clinic.
In the letter to parents, Superintendent Dr. Edna Kennedy said this decision was not made lightly, and after doing due diligence, the district believes this is the best option for students and staff. She said the district will continue to prioritize health, safety, and thorough cleaning protocols.
Elementary and High School Principals Melinda Fuchs and Matthew Wamble reported at Monday’s meeting that there were only 24 remote students remaining in the district, 12 in elementary school and 12 in high school.
The district confirmed its first positive case of COVID-19 on Monday in a Burton High School student, with contact tracing finding that the student was in close contact with five other students and one staff member. According to the district, contact tracing has not indicated that COVID-19 was transmitted at Burton ISD.
Also at Monday’s school board meeting, Tracey Cox announced her resignation from the board in a letter to trustees, saying she is moving out of the district. The board thanked Cox for her service to Burton ISD and the community, and wished her well with her move. The resignation will not have an effect on November’s school board election, which has six candidates vying for three spots on the board. The position held by Cox will be addressed at a later date.
The board also:
- Approved and addressed improvement plans for the district, elementary school and high school.
Plan highlights for the district include continued discussion for increased safety and security; planning for additional facilities to meet academic and extracurricular student needs; increasing academic rigor in core subject areas, career and technology, and electives; pursuing grant opportunities for building upgrade projects; communication; building partnerships; and making community connections.
Plans for the elementary school include increasing school safety, ensuring instructors are teaching rigorous curriculum for students to leave each grade level mastering the TEKS, improving attendance, and getting staff appropriate training.
Plans for the high school include exposing all students to increased academic rigor in all content areas; making sure educational opportunities meet the academic, social, and emotional needs of all students; providing a safe and orderly school climate conducive to learning; taking a comprehensive approach to developing a program that will support success after high school; creating an environment that includes students, parents, and community stakeholders; and recruiting, retaining, and training fully certified and high-qualified staff.
- Heard a financial advisor report on the district’s outstanding 2008 bond series refinance. Currently, the district owes $512,428 of interest on the outstanding $955,000, based on a rate of 4.2 percent. The district was able to receive a rate lower than expected at 2.09 percent, saving $283,360 in interest and helping enhance the district’s debt capacity. Kennedy said the low interest rate will allow the district to use the cash saved and retire the bonds at a much faster rate.
- Selected Antonio Naylor of Reliance Architecture as an architect for the district’s secured vestibules project. The board also approved going out bids for a delivery method for the vestibules; competitive bids will be posted on October 15th and October 22nd, and will be due back to the district on October 26th. Trustees also adopted a prevailing wage rate and international building code for the project, while also giving Dr. Kennedy authority to negotiate necessary construction contracts.
- Tabled a proposal for custodial services.
- Approved an update to the ESL Program Evaluation.
- Took no action in executive session after reviewing a safety audit report.