Improvement plans okayed
By Melinda L. Lucas
Albany ISD trustees spent most of Monday night’s regular meeting going over the district’s various required improvement plans, as well as approving the final version of the 2020-2021 financial audit.
CPA Cameron Gulley presented the audit at the September meeting, but no motion was made at that time to approve it, because figures were not yet available from the Community Foundation of Abilene regarding Albany ISD’s investments.
The final numbers presented this week show $4,892,123 in the AISD Education Foundation and $50,484 in the Carlile Scholarship Fund, a total of almost $5 million in “private purpose trust funds.”
The audit notice is being published in this week’s paper.
District Reports
Director of Student Services Leigh Lowe, along with both campus principals, presented and explained the required District Improvement Plan and separate Campus Improvement Plans for the elementary and secondary schools, as well as an Targeted Improvement Plan for Nancy Smith Elementary School and another plan for the College, Career, and Military Readiness (CCMR) board goals.
All the annual plans are required by the Texas Education Agency.
Lowe also reported on the district’s accountability for 2020-2021.
“Although we don’t want to focus on testing, we have to be realistic,” said Lowe. “Accountability is very important, and we have to get every point we can in every category.”
All three improvement plans were approved in a single motion, with the CCMR goals okayed separately.
Other Business
•Superintendent Jonathan Scott and secondary principal commended the AHS band for achieving a Division I rating at UIL competition earlier that day, displaying the band’s trophy during the meeting.
•Scott gave an update on the new bus being purchased, stating that the gas-powered vehicle will cost more than the budgeted amount by almost $11,000.
•Rodney Casey and Ruth York of Cisco presented board members with copies of the “Omega Plan”, which has previously been presented at city and county meetings.
•Bruce Bailey, Clint Bumguardner, and John Tate are AISD’s nominees for the Shackelford County Appraisal Board.
•Ginny Ivy was elected to serve on the School Safety Committee.
