CCISD trustees certify candidates, cancel Nov. 3 board election

By LYNETTE SOWELL

Cove Leader-Press 

The Copperas Cove Independent School District board of trustees accepted the certification of unopposed candidates and canceled its November 3 election during the board’s regular meeting on Tuesday evening.

Place 6 candidate, retired CCISD educator John Gallen, was the sole candidate to file for that position, and will be sworn in at the board’s next regular meeting, on Nov. 9. 

Place 7 incumbent Dr. Karen Harrison, who was first elected to the board of trustees in 2011, was also unopposed. 

The board also approved a contract with LAN Engineering to conduct a drainage study at Copperas Cove High School, for $43,490-from budgeted funds. 

“This is just the initial step of looking at the drainage at the high school, and looking at how to manage that and make better use of the property we have there,” said CCISD superintendent Joe Burns. 

CCISD is looking to address drainage issues at the high school and also provide additional usable space, for possible future expansion. 

LAN Engineering will also provide the district with a preliminary opinion of probable cost, to be used when the district determines a future construction budget.  

The board also approved its annual shared facilities agreement with the city of Copperas Cove, for use of city facilities such as the Copperas Cove Civic Center, with the city being able to use some of CCISD’s facilities. 

The board unanimously approved a resolution to approve the Coryell Central Appraisal District’s purchase and financing of an appraisal office in Copperas Cove. 

The Coryell Central Appraisal District plans to purchase 202 Robertson Avenue. Currently, the office leases office space. The plan is to own the property outright in about 10-15 years, Burns told the board. 

The majority of the 14 entities that support the appraisal district, have to vote in favor. 

“Certainly we would supportive of anything that would create equity in a facility and not be wasting money on lease payments,” Burns said prior to the vote. 

He added that for some reason, if the appraisal district were to cease to exist, the district would receive its share of the equity in the building. 

The board approved the district’s funding of insurance premiums/coverage for CCISD, totaling $679,177.00 from budgeted funds, to include district insurance, property and casualty liability insurance ($462,329.00); Property, Casualty, Auto, School Liability & Privacy Insurance; Workers Compensation Insurance ($73,719.00); and Unemployment Compensation Insurance ($143,129.00). Another expense greater than $25,000 includes Skyward software hosting, in the amount of $52,141.56, also from budgeted funds. 

During the recognition portion of the board meeting, Noah Spitzer was recognized as being one of 15 public school students in Texas to be named a Texas Student Hero. Spitzer is a forth grader at Williams- Ledger Elementary.

In front of the board, Texas State Board of Education District 14 representative Sue Melton-Malone presented Noah with a proclamation, a plaque and a medal. Spitzer, during his 2019 reign as Little Mister Five Hills, kept all of the Free Little Libraries at Copperas Cove ISD campuses along with little libraries at the two city pools, stocked with books.