Four board members sworn in to PWCISD board

PERRIN – Four members of the PWCISD school board were sworn in as part of the regular meeting Nov. 30.

Newcomer Brittany Andrews, who replaced Darren Freancis, who decided not to run again and incumbents James Hall, Linda Richardson and Chad Lambert were were all sworn in. Following that Chris Keenery was reelected to his President position, Mark Sims was vice president and Richardson selected replacing Francis at secretary/ treasurer.

After a more than hour-long discussion on the Teach Incentive Allotment (see story, same section), Superintendent Cliff Gilmore gave his monthly report.Enrollment hangs around 318, down one from last month. The school lost three at the junior high and picked up two at the high school.

Gilmore said the audit was presented right before Thanksgiving and will be given before.

Gilmore discussed what has been going on with COVID over the last several weeks. Two weeks prior to Thanksgiving week, the district had no new cases, a few quarantined, and were rolling along but one morning four students tested positive at the elementary campus. Soon after 60 kids, or almost 2/3 of the high school were sent home.

Students were sent home. In the week the school were sent home, the district has three more cases who were already home, Gilmore said. It was decided to keep masks on the kids and staff.

“Keepingmasks on the students will eliminate close contact tracing which is what led to the original shutdown to begin with,” Gilmore said.

In other news, the December school board meeting has been moved to Dec. 17 from Dec. 14 because of a junior high basketball game. Meeting is at 6:30 p.m.

STAAR resting is also scheduled for the week before Christmas much to the dismay of board members and Superintendents across the region and state. Micki Wesley of Region 9 Education Service Center said all 32 of the region’s superintendents say they have signed a petition against STAAR being given).

STAAR will be given remotely and will not count on a student’s record.