Board Briefs - July 2023
Back-to-School 2023-2024
Lakewood Leopards Make Board Meeting History!
Lakewood Elementary 1st graders Lily (left) and Norah (right) made history at the July 2023 Belton ISD Board of Trustees Meeting by being the youngest students to lead the Pledge.
Lily shared, "My favorite is reading books because I learn from them. My favorite book is Butterflies are Gross." Lily loves spending time with her family and playing with her basset hound, Johnny-K. She really enjoys gymnastics, swimming and catching insects (caterpillars, butterflies and snails). Lily said her friends would say she’s smart, brave and pretty.
Norah shared, "Circle time is my favorite because we get to do fun things to music and I love science because I like to learn about the sea. When I’m not at school, I like to work in the wood shop with my dad, play with my dogs, Mae and Greta, play fight with my swords, and draw with my sissy. My friends would say that I’m an artist, I’m good at fixing things, and that I’m kind."
State Solo and Ensemble
Outstanding Performer Award
Belton New Tech @Waskow student Maverick Shepherd earned the prestigious Outstanding Performer Award at the Texas State Solo-Ensemble Contest. The Outstanding Performer Award represents the attainment by an individual of superior musicianship as demonstrated in the Texas State Solo-Ensemble Contest. Only students who receive a Division I rating at a UIL regional solo or small ensemble contest during the school year are eligible to participate in this contest, and all solos are performed by memory.
National Merit Scholarship Winner
Kevin P. Thomas, a 2023 graduate of Belton New Tech @Waskow, is one of only 3,800 students in the country to be awarded a National Merit Scholarship sponsored by a college or university. Thomas plans to attend the University of Texas at Dallas, and his scholarship has been financed by this institution.
To compete for Merit Scholarship awards, Semifinalists first had to advance to the Finalist level of the competition by fulfilling additional requirements. Each Semifinalist was asked to submit a detailed scholarship application, which included writing an essay and providing information about extracurricular activities, awards, and leadership positions. Semifinalists also had to have an outstanding academic record, be endorsed and recommended by a high school official, and earn SAT® or ACT® scores that confirmed the qualifying test performance. From the Semifinalist group, over 15,000 met requirements for Finalist standing, and about half of the Finalists will be Merit Scholarship winners in 2023.
Department Showcase
Custodial
Our 131 BISD custodians clean 63 buildings and over 2 million square feet daily. Custodial staff work year-round to ensure our students and staff have a clean and safe environment. Our kind and selfless staff includes 18 Lead Custodians along with their team members. The Custodial Department is led by Custodial Director, Maria Garcia, and Custodial Supervisor, Francisca Guzman.
Grounds
The BISD Grounds Department consists of 15 employees and is proud to serve our 26 district facilities. There are three mowing crews: North, South, and Athletics, that maintain over 15 million square feet of campus grounds and athletic fields. In addition to the lawns, they maintain trees, shrubs, flowerbeds, and playground areas to ensure a safe and aesthetic learning and working environment for students and staff. Grounds includes a full-time irrigation specialist, James Glenn, and is led by Grounds Supervisor, Patrick Crosby.
Integrated Pest Management
Currently, the Integrated Pest Management (IPM) department is a one-man department led by Kenneth Wilson. He is the IPM Coordinator/Certified Applicator for BISD. He monitors and performs pest control for over 2 million square feet of buildings and 15 million square feet of grounds. The IPM department is tasked with controlling everything from insects to rodents. He earned his structural pest control license sponsored by the Texas Department of Agriculture in 2007 and has maintained his IPM Coordinator Certification for 16 years. Wilson has over 190 hours of continuing education in the field of pest management.
Community Partner Showcase
Project Apple Tree supports hundreds of families in Belton ISD by providing them with the tools and relationships they need to help their children thrive on the first day of school and year-round. Apple Tree provides a dignified opportunity for families to obtain school supplies, shoes, and backpacks, no matter their economic situation. Then throughout the school year, the project provides snack bags for almost 200 elementary students for nourishment over the weekends.
Jeannette Kelley, a former school board member and elementary school principal in Belton ISD, started Project Apple Tree 24 years ago. Helping Hands Ministry and a strong team of volunteers are continuing this important community effort to support our students and families. Project Apple Tree is currently underway and you can sponsor a student's school supplies, backpack, and shoes or become a volunteer through their website at helpinghandsbelton.org.
Executive Director Campus Leadership - Secondary
Ben Smith has served BISD as principal of Belton High School since 2019. Previously, he served as principal and assistant principal at New Tech and assistant principal at Lake Belton Middle School. Smith earned his bachelor’s degree from Southwest Texas State University and his master’s degree from Texas A&M University-Central Texas.
Executive Director Campus Leadership - Elementary
Denise Sharp is joining BISD from Round Rock ISD where she served as a principal and executive principal coach. She’s also had roles including supervising elementary curriculum, instruction and federal programs, instructional coach, mathematics coach, and teacher. Sharp earned her bachelor’s in elementary education from Ohio State University and her master’s degree from Shippensburg University.
Director of Curriculum and Instructional Design
Tracy Rieger is joining the Big Red Community after serving as director of academics and holding leadership positions in the curriculum department in Round Rock ISD. Tracy has a bachelor’s degree from Texas A&M University and a master’s degree from Lamar University.
Belton High School - Principal
Claudia Knox is stepping into the role of principal of Belton High School. Her 27 years in education include serving 11 years as an assistant principal at BHS and 4th-6th grade teacher. Knox earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of North Texas and master’s degree from the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor.
South Belton Middle School - Principal
James Larremore III has 16 years of experience in education including service as a principal, associate principal, assistant principal, teacher, and department chair. He has also served as a safety director. James has a bachelor’s degree from Texas State University and a master’s degree from Texas A&M Commerce.
North Belton Middle School - Principal
Fredrick Lilly II has accepted the principal position at North Belton Middle School. Previously he served as a middle school principal in Camden, Arkansas, in addition to assistant principal, coach and teacher. He earned his bachelor's degree from the University of Arkansas-Monticello, master’s degree from Mississippi College and working toward his doctorate through Liberty University.
Unaudited financial report for the month ending May 31, 2023
- Redistribute funds to pay for classroom supplies and various needs
Gifts, Grants and Bequests
Information only.
Expenditures over $50,000
- Fun and Function LLC renewal
- Communities in Schools renewal
- IXL Learning, Inc. renewal
- Studies Weekly renewal
- PowerSchool renewal
- Wilson Language Training Corporation
- Water refill stations from Ham and McCreight Supply
- Digital licenses for Math Intervention from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Supply, Equipment and Service Bids
- Encore Fence to provide fencing services, equipment and supplies
- Software & Applications, Fine Arts equipment, supplies, materials and misc.
- Safety and ID Products Supplemental II
- TASB Risk Management for Workers Compensation, Unemployment Compensation and Property and Casualty Insurance
Administrative Recommendations
- Resolution of District Tax Rates
- Consent to Education Service Center Region 20 Purchasing Cooperative Commitment
- Renewal of ASYMCA Childcare Agreement
- Renewal of Crossroads Park Tennis Facilities Agreement
- Resolution of 4-H Extracurricular Status
- Approval of dual credit agreement with Temple College
- Approval of Adjunct Staff Members Agreement