Bryson ISD gets closer to goals

BRYSON – School board members here received a quarterly update on the district’s annual goals during Monday night’s regular meeting.

Superintendent David Stout said after the board said it wanted to see more students take the ACT or SAT tests and would be willing to pay for the first administering, high school students are taking part in the ACT Prep class and have been working hard, including attending an all-day “boot camp” style preparation right before the test is given. Seven students tested this Fall, the most in many years, if not ever, and had an average score of 21, which is a vast improvement over previous years, Stout said.

“We are trying to develop a culture to meet State Accountability criteria where you are not only looked at on how many students took the test but on how well they did,” Stout said.

Teachers are in the finishing stages of Art and Science of Teaching training. Stout said one-third of teachers took the training, which coincides with the Marzano High Reliability Schools training the district is undergoing, each year for the last three years.

Stout explained the current fiscal year budget is in good shape and the district is doing well in comparison with other districts its size in the area in areas such as teacher and staff salary and technology usage.

Stout said that through proper planning he expects to add another $600,000 to the district’s fund balance by the end of August, putting it at an estimated $4,859,562.

The board also approved a standard gratuity allowed for student and staff meals when applicable of between 15 and 20 percent as part of a travel policy being developed.

In his monthly report, principal Eric Wilson said students and staff are staying busy with a number of events. Two students were inducted into the National Honor Society recently. Elementary students competed at the UIL district competition in Newcastle Dec. 7 and finished 4th out of seven schools. Wilson said there were lots of top two finishes and also some good team showings.

The newly formed Tractor Tech team competed at its first competition in Wharton earlier this mont and finished “in the middle of the pack.”

“Staff and students are ready for the break,” Wilson said. “We’ve all had a really good semester.”