CCISD recognizes retirees, volunteers at meeting

By BRITTANY FHOLER

Cove Leader-Press

 

The Copperas Cove Independent School District Board of Trustees recognized retiring staff members and student groups that helped with the Convocation when they met for the month of September Tuesday night. The district recognized two staff members, Becky Battreal and Tami Martin, who are retiring after 27 years each of service. Battreal, who was not at Tuesday’s meeting, was a counselor at Crossroads High School and was with CCISD for 23 years. Martin, who was the secretary to the director of student services, received a certificate as well as a yellow Rally Rag donated by Walmart, which was also given to everyone else being recognized.

 

Recognition was also given to groups who helped contribute school supplies to the district, with the Clear Creek Sonic Drive-In being recognized for its book drive for Mae Stevens Early Learning Academy and La Societe des 40 Hommes et 8 Chevaux Voiture 266 for its donation of school supplies to Hettie Halstead Elementary.

 

Other recognitions were given to individuals and student groups that helped with the annual CCISD Convocation held last month. These include GymKix; Self Defense America; S.M.I.L.E.; the Pride of Cove Band and Color Guard, who learned nine new songs for the convocation; Kelsey Dane, who was the event’s narrator; the Teachers of the Year Nancy Zimmer-Clark and Angela Murphy; CCHS DECA and their advisor Charlotte Heinze; CCHS JROTC; the Copperettes; the CCHS Cheerleaders; and athletes from various departments including golf, soccer, basketball, and swim. Not present but still recognized were the CCHS tennis team, the Copperas Cove Junior High golf team, the CCHS Lady Dawg Volleyball team, the CCHS Girls soccer team, the Wrestling team, the Girls Basketball and the CCJH cheerleaders.

 

After the recognitions, the board approved several budgeted items exceeding $25,000 from the Consent Agenda, including $120,000 to be put towards Special Education; $87,184 for the purchases of 120 student and 24 library laptops from Dell; $657,972.55 for a districtwide Voice Over Internet Protocol telephone system; $48,986.70 for two vehicles for the maintenance department; and three new 77-seater school buses, two without undercarriage cargo and one with, at a total cost of $271,056.

 

The Board of Trustees also approved the competitive sealed proposal as the method for securing a contractor which will provide the best value to the district for the project of moving the transportation facility, also known as “the bus barn” from 5th Street to previously purchased property on Summers Road, along with authorizing superintendent Dr. Joe Burns to negotiate contracts with the selected vendor.

 

The board approved changes to the out-of-district transfer fees for students. Currently, for K-12, the fee is $1,000 for the first child and $500 for the second and third child. That changed to $1000 for the first child, $500 for the second, $250 for the third and no fee for subsequent children. Half-day pre-kindergarten currently was assessed at $1,800. That changed to $500 for the first child, $250 for the second and no fee for subsequent children. Burns also added that if any fees have been charged that would result in a reduction for any family, the district would contact the family and refund the necessary amount to them.

 

The board accepted the certification of unopposed candidates and approved an order canceling the November 8, 2016 election due to only the incumbents, Mike Wilburn, Joan Manning and Doug Cook, having filed to run for office. The board also approved appointing June Crawford as an additional investment officer for CCISD.

 

With a unanimous vote, the board approved the decision to join the PACE Purchasing Cooperative for Region 20, which would allow the district to “be more effective in utilizing tax dollars,” Burns said.

 

The school board approved the use of a job order contractor from Buy Board and authorized Burns to negotiate contracts with the contractor who provides the best value to the district for the project of building new covered batting cages for the baseball and softball teams.

 

One of the final items approved by the board was for the acceptance of and payment of $90,433.41 for the completed reroofing projects at Martin Walker Elementary, Copperas Cove Junior High and Copperas Cove High School done by Honey’s Roofing.