The MISD Board of Trustees met in a regular meeting on Monday night and approved the creation of a citizen advisory committee for the Long Range Facilities Plan.

According to Dennis Womack, assistant superintendent for plant management, current demographic projections indicate the district may need another eight elementary schools by the year 2014. Additionally, MISD may need two more middle schools by 2012 and high school #4 by 2012.

"As the district continues to grow, we must continue to address the enrollment growth by providing additional learning space," he said. "In studying facility needs, we are recommending a process that is similar to the process that the MISD Board has used in the past."

He said the Long Range Facilities Planning Committee will assess the current school facilities, study the district demographics and growth projections, assess the new facilities needs, discuss the needed funding, and make a recommendation to the MISD Board of Trustees. The committee will meet May through July.

In the recognitions portion of the meeting, several MISD students who participated in the 2004-2005 Duke TIP 7th Grade Talent Search were honored.

The Duke University Talent Identification Program, also known as Duke TIP, was founded in 1980 and is dedicated to the cultivation and education of talented youth.

The 7th Grade Talent Search identifies academically talented 7th graders based on standardized test scores achieved while attending elementary or middle school.

These candidates are invited to complete either the SAT Reasoning Test or the ACT Assessment college entrance examination. Duke TIP then provides participants with comparative information concerning their academic abilities and resources for unique educational opportunities. The goal is to assist young people with excellent mathematical or verbal aptitude.

More than 60 MISD students earned state recognition by scoring at or above the national average (of juniors and seniors taking the test) on at least one part of the SAT or the ACT.

Evans Middle School students recognized include: Andrew Alvarez, Christopher Beal, Jacob Bescherer, Lauren Blankenship, Sarah Cameron, Jesse Carriere, Delaney Dowd, Dustin Driggs, Daniel Goss, Tyler Hope, Hayden Jackson, Cameron Leviere, Noah Mack, Joshua Middlebrook, Kelsey Modesto, Vivian Murcia, Kendall Roberts and Victoria Whiting.

Dowell Middle School students include: Jodi Berdis, Patrick Bitting, Jennifer Bukovec, Kasey Givens, Steven Grim, Rajiv Guha, James Haley, Cara Howley, William Huang, James Juno, Drew Knox, Alexander Law, Dillian Lewis, Kuan Yu Li, Braeden Loveless, Gilbert Pena, Trey Pierce, Allie Purnell, Parker Reed, Andrew Rydzak, Brittany Samko, Reid Shackleford, Justin Wilkinson and Alex Wilson.

Scott Johnson Middle School students include: Jeremy DeShan, Jess Dixon, Samantha Draper, Luis Ramirez and Derek Scalzi.

Faubion Middle School students include Paul Adamski, John Beasley, Christian Buckler, Kegan Darbonne, Braylon Hartfield, Michael Houser, Emily Ledbetter, Katherine Lutek, Tanner Newton, Jonathan Pearsall, Christine Rump, Jeffrey Smith, Justin Sullins, Richard Thomas, McKensie Wallesen and Logan Webb. 

One student, Amber Bhargava from Faubion Middle School, will be honored at the grand recognition level. Students who qualified at the grand level scored at or better than 90% of the juniors or seniors in high school who took the college entrance exams. This represents 2% of the entire Talent Search population.

Each year, in recognition of Youth Art Month, only 100 pieces of artwork are selected from across the state to hang in the Youth Art Month Capitol Building Show. The artwork of three McKinney ISD students was selected this year to hang in the Capitol.

The board recognized Mary Watson from Eddins Elementary School. Her art teacher is Denise Silver. Fredy Mendoza from MNHS, whose art teacher is Shannon Kessler, was also recognized. Sharon Lee, an MHS student in Anne Fitzgerald’s class, was also recognized. At the end of the show, the Governor selects 10 pieces of artwork to hang in the Capitol for a year. Sharon’s artwork was one of 10 selected statewide to hang in Capitol for a year.

Each year, students from McKinney ISD compete against 1,400 students in our region in the Visual Art Scholastic Event. The artwork of five McKinney ISD students advanced to the state level. Chad Smith and Megan Willshon, whose teacher is Ms. Kessler, advanced to state competition, along with Ryan Conlin, MNHS, and Melissa Londono, MHS, who both won a superior rating at state. MNHS student, Chance Trawick, received a gold medal and his artwork will go on tour around Texas. He has been offered a $10,000 scholarship from the Savannah School of Art and Design for receiving a gold medal.

The board also recognized seven MISD choir members who were recently selected to the OAKE National Children’s and Youth Choirs. The students performed in conjunction with the Organization of American Kodály Educators National Conference in Springfield, Mass. in March of 2005. Only 381 students are selected nation-wide based on audition tapes. Representing MISD in the Children’s Choir includes Austin Scott and Hailey Stevenson from Glen Oaks Elementary. Their sponsoring music specialist is Debbie Taylor. Also recognized include Shelby Green from Malvern Elementary and Mary Shaffer from Johnson Middle School. Their sponsoring music specialist is Edith Barton. Walker Elementary also sent Emily Briley, Heidi Wilzbach and Kathleen "Tate" Mulligan. Their sponsoring music specialist is Chuck Pineda.

The board also recognized Lori Oglesbee, journalism teacher and yearbook adviser at McKinney High School, who was named recipient of the Max R. Haddick Teacher of the Year Award by the Interscholastic League Press Conference. The award was presented during concluding ceremonies of the 78th annual ILPC state convention, held April 16-17 at The University of Texas at Austin. The Interscholastic League Press Conference, an affiliate of the University Interscholastic League, is the nation’s largest state high school association of student newspapers and yearbooks.

Oglesbee has taught 22 years, the past eight years at McKinney High School. As a teacher she has been honored in several areas. She has been named as an Edith Fox King recipient for leadership in scholastic journalism in Texas and has won the Distinguished Service Award from Southern Interscholastic Press Association.

After hearing a report from Farrel Ritchie, school resource officer at MHS, about the MISD SRO program, the board expressed their appreciation for the school resource officers.

"I appreciate the fact you take a personal interest in our students and what a positive influence you are on our students," said Wade Johnson, board vice-president.

"It takes a special person to do the SRO job and you are dealing with mom and dad’s most precious possession," said Superintendent Tom Crowe. "This job is more of a counseling role and I appreciate you all very much."

The following school resource officers were recognized: Tom Turpin, Brian Baker, David Birdwell, Terry Qualls, Farrel Ritchie, Steve Roddy and Ting Sun. After the school resource officers were recognized, Assistant Chief Rex Redden and Captain Ron Jones presented Greg Hill with a citizen’s certificate of merit. Hill, the coordinator of transportation and safety for MISD, was recognized for his efforts to maintain a positive relationship between MISD and the McKinney Police Department.

Rey Rivas, a fifth grade student at Burks Elementary, led the board and audience in the Pledge of Allegiance and presented a report.

The board also approved a recommendation to approve the change order to the guaranteed maximum price (GMP) with Pogue Construction on McKinney Boyd High School. The total requested change order totals $2,394,862 and would be taken from the bond funds. Crowe explained that if funds had not been removed from the Boyd HS project to renovate Burks, Caldwell, Finch, Slaughter, and Webb elementary campuses, MISD would have included these "alternates" as part of the base package and not as alternates.

"The alternates we are recommending basically put Boyd on equity standing with the other high schools," Crowe said.

The board also renewed the food service management contract with ARAMARK. There will be no changes in student meal prices in 2005-06 as a result of the change. Additionally, the board approval authorizing the Superintendent or his designee to enter into a facilities agreement with City of McKinney for water main installation located along the west side of LaCima from Stonebridge Drive to Bristol.

Additionally, they approved 2005-2006 property, casualty, auto and various liability coverages. Furthermore, the board authorized the superintendent or his designee to enter into a contract with CoServ Gas Ltd. for gas service and associated easements for McKinney Boyd High School.

In the consent agenda, the board approved a recommendation that the bank depository contract for the 2005-07 biennium be awarded to American National Bank. They also approved a recommendation allowing the MNHS and MHS theater groups to attend the International Thespian Conference in Lincoln, Nebraska.

The board also heard a legislative report and a report about the library media specialists. The next meeting will be held on May 17.