TISD to keep current tax rate, moves to tackle cyberbullying

The Texarkana Independent School District voted to keep the current tax rate for the 201718 school year and approved changes to the student code of conduct to target cyberbullying.

During Tuesday’s meeting, the Board of Trustees approved the the rate of $1.425, which includes $1.17 for maintenance and operations and $.255 for interest and sinking funds. The rate has been the same for the past three years. Certified appraised values are $1.997 billion.

The board also approved the student code of conduct, making changes related to Senate Bill 179, or “David’s Law,” that makes cyberbullying a crime in Texas when it leads to injury or suicide and the victim is a minor. State Sen. Jose Menendez (D-San Antonio) worked with the family of David Molak to create the legislation, which was approved by Gov. Greg Abbott in June.

The bill classifies cyberbullying as a misdemeanor, allows courts to issue subpoenas to unmask those who anonymously harass minors online and requires public schools to report and intervene in any suspected cyberbullying cases. It also allows victims to sue the parents of cyberbullies if the parents could have intervened but didn’t.

Cyberbullying was added to the Texas Education Code in 2011 under the “bullying” classification but without any legal punishment. School districts were required to develop their own policies on bullying and cyberbullying situations.

With David’s Law, school district boards are required to create a mental health plan that addresses suicide prevention and bullying, but still allows schools to move or expel student if they bully minors.

“Student safety is our number one priority,” said Paul Norton, TISD superintendent. “David’s Law helps ensure that our campuses and parents will work together to ensure the safety of each and every student. Cyberbullying is not to be taken lightly, but rather to be taken seriously. By working together, we can reinforce with students that cyberbullying is not acceptable at any level.”

The board also approved state expedited waivers to be submitted to the Texas Education Agency in three-year intervals. The waivers cover 2017-18 through 2019-20 and include:

Staff development waiver– Allows districts to train staff on various educational strategies designed to improve student performance in lieu of a maximum of three days of student instruction;

Early release waiver–Allows districts to conduct school for fewer than seven hours for a total of six days of student instruction to provide additional training in educational methodologies and/or to provide time to meet the needs of students and local communities;

Modified schedule state assessment testing days waiver–Allows districts to modify the schedule of classes on state assessment testing days during the current school year to reduce interruptions during testing period;

Timeline for accelerated instruction waiver–Allows districts to adjust the timeline for providing the accelerated instruction required for placement in/promotion to the next grade. This waiver is limited to students who fail the third administration of the grade 5 or 8 STAAR reading and/or mathematics test;

Teacher data portal of the Texas Assessment Management System waiver–Allows districts to waive participation in the teacher portal component of the Texas Assessment Management System. A waiver is granted if a district can provide assurance that the local teacher data portal meets the statutory requirements outlined in Texas Education Code 32.258

Foreign exchange student waiver–Allows districts to limit the number of foreign exchange students to a number that is not fewer than five per high school.

Trustees also approved an amendment to Policy EIE on academic achievement retention and promotion. A kindergarten standards-based report card has been developed by a committee of kindergarten teachers and administrators. This report card will help teachers, students and families focus on specific essential skills throughout the school year based on the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for Kindergarten. The recommended promotion policy is based on the skills included on the kindergarten standards-based report card.