The Port Aransas Independent School District has created a new website to document the development of its “District of Innovation” program.
The program, whose development was OK’d by school trustees on Nov. 9, would allow the district to seek exemptions from certain Texas education regulations.
District of Innovation programs were approved during the last session of the Legislature with the adoption of House Bill 1842.
The district’s new website is located at paisd.net/home/ district-of-innovation.
Trustees on Nov. 9 also appointed a committee to develop the District of Innovation plan.
The Innovation Committee held its first meeting on Nov. 16.
The committee members are Ashley Bepko, Christina Hofhiens, Marsha Burkett, Dalton Flowers, Deena Mooney, Danny Welch, Ed Wiatt, Frank Morgan, Glenys Kucera, Amanda Tipps, Rebecca Peterson, Rodrigo Salinas, Carol Sue Hipp, Gina McKeever, Scott McNeely, James Garrett and Sharon McKinney.
The committee at its first meeting split into three groups, with each group reviewing four innovation plans adopted by other Texas public school districts.
During the review of the 12 plans, the groups discussed the exemptions that the districts adopted and how those exemptions might benefit Port Aransas ISD.
After the small groups finished their reviews, each group reported their findings to the entire committee.
Notes from the meeting are posted on the new website.
Next steps
The next steps are to consult with school attorneys, the Texas Association of School Boards (TASB) and administrators from other school districts regarding the exemptions that PAISD may choose to adopt. The consultations will help determine any possible negative impacts of exemptions on the district.
School Superintendent Sharon McKinney has said the district, as it moves forward with developing its District of Innovation program, will be careful not to seek exemptions that could threaten the amount of state funding the ISD receives.
The Innovation Committee is scheduled to hold a public meeting in the coming weeks.
The committee’s plan, once completed, will be posted on the Innovation website.
School trustees are scheduled to vote on adopting the plan on Jan. 11.
Local control
Superintendent Sharon McKinney has said the new state program is designed to give school districts more local control.
“It gives the school district local control to decide what’s best for our district and our students and their learning,” McKinney said.
She said exemptions that might be sought concern such things as the uniform school start date, which prohibits schools from starting before the last Monday in August; the requirement to provide minimum minutes of instruction; and the mandated maximum 22-students-to-one-teacher ratio.
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