Board approves 2018-2019 school calendar

By BRITTANY FHOLER 
Cove Leader-Press

The Copperas Cove Independent School District Board of Trustees approved the school calendar for the 2018-2019 school year and recognized several local businesses and organizations for their support of the students and teachers at their February meeting held Tuesday evening. 
The board approved the proposed Copperas Cove ISD 2018-2019 school calendar which includes 76,590 minutes of operation, 990 minutes more than the required 75,600 minutes. This excess will allow for at least two bad weather days. The calendar also includes 187 days for teachers: 171 days of instruction 6 days of pre-service 2 work days 7 days of staff development 1 flex day. 
The first day of school will be August 15, 2018, and the last day of school and the day of the high school graduation will be May 24, 2019. One concern brought up by superintendent Joe Burns was regarding the unevenness of the days per semester in previous calendars. The 2018-2019 calendar has 82 student days in the fall semester and 89 student days in the spring semester.
The board recognized the Copperas Cove Moose Lodge organizations and Bearables for their work hosting a holiday party for 100 special education students for the second consecutive year. They also recognized local businesses and organizations for their support of public education year-round with the Stand Up for Texas Public Schools Award. This award requires the organizations to show their support throughout the school year, not just with a one-time event, according to CCISD Public Information Officer Wendy Sledd. The businesses and organizations recognized included the Copperas Cove Education Foundation, the Copperas Cove Extraco Bank, Star Group- Veterans Helping Veterans, Copperas Cove Walmart, Cinergy Cinemas and Entertainment, Copperas Cove HEB Plus!, Copperas Cove Optimist Club, the Mount Sinai #42 Holy Royal Arch of the Masonic Order, Copperas Cove Chick-fil-A, VFW Post #8577, the Copperas Cove Rotary Club, the Copperas Cove Altrusa International and the Copperas Cove Retired Teachers Association. 
The board also approved several budgeted purchases exceeding $25,000 to include a Microsoft EES Licensing Agreement for $57,771.68; Cisco Small Business SG500X-48P switches at Copperas Cove High School, for $58,016.90; a network cabling upgrade at Copperas Cove High School for $313,000; and Ruckas Wi-Fi access points at Copperas Cove High School, for $47,313.98. 
They also approved two out of state trips using budgeted funds such as the National Association of Federally Impacted Schools (NAFIS) Spring Conference in Washington, D.C.  March 16-20, 2018, for $12,300. According to the agenda packet, NAFIS represents children residing on Indian Lands, military children, children residing in low-rent housing projects, and children whose parents are civilian but work and/or live on federal property.  The board participates in this conference to “show continued support to the soldiers and their families; to educate legislators on the importance of Impact Aid funding to the federally connected students in the district; and to stay informed of current legislative initiatives that impact district funding.”
The second trip is the School Nutrition Association Leadership Conference in Long Beach, Cal., April 24-28, for $1,986.00 which will be reimbursed to the district by the Texas Association of School Nutrition. 
The board adopted Board Policy CNA related to Hazardous Traffic Conditions to comply with a new state law passed during the 85th Legislative Session. Education Code 42.155(d) allows CCISD to obtain supplemental funding for transporting regular, otherwise ineligible students, who live within two miles of their school but who would be subject to hazardous traffic conditions if they walked to school. The following areas meet the criteria references in the new law: Summers Road, Lutheran Church Road, Oak Hill Drive, the south side of FM 1113 in the Mesquite West subdivision, East Highway 190, the South Meadows subdivision along FM 116 South, the Big Valley subdivision along FM 3046, Walker Place Boulevard, and the 1200-1300 block of Katelyn Circle. 
The board also revised board policies related to ADA and 504 coordinators, separating the 504-coordinator required under law from the ADA coordinator, also required by law. Rick Kirkpatrick, Deputy Superintendent for Operations and Support, was named as the ADA Coordinator and Catherine Dunham, Coordinator of Special Programs, will remain the 504 Coordinator.