Princeton Herald

Photo by Jennifer Fike
Clinton Lowrance, Chuck Campbell and Tim Tidwell were sworn into office May 18 by Lindy Hummel, Secretary to Superintendent.

By Jennifer Fike

Staff Writer

Clinton Lowrance, Tim Tidwell and returning trustee Kenneth “Chuck” Campbell took the oath of office for the Princeton Independent School District’s board of trustees May 18.

The trio was elected to the Board during the general election held May 9, but officially became trustees at the close of Monday night’s meeting.

Board President Carol Bodwell presented outgoing board members Glinda Beauchamp and Josh Andor with commemorative plaques and clocks in honor of their time serving PISD. Andor and Beauchamp did not seek re-election.

The trustees, new and old, spent a majority of their four hour meeting discussing construction projects, but they also reviewed campus improvement plans and Caldwell Street.

Construction updates, GMP’s

The district has sold $24 million in bonds since citizens approved the issuance during the May 2008 election. The bulk of the bond money was set aside for the reconstruction of Panther Stadium, but with it and other projects coming in under budget, Superintendent Phil Anthony told trustees there should be extra funds after the scheduled projects have been completed.

The additional funds could be used for reconstructing Caldwell Street, Anthony suggested.

One of the projects covered with the bond money, was the renovation of Lacy Elementary, including repairs to the main canopy and installing a security vestibule at the front of the school. Less essential repairs, also covered by the bond, include a paved bus loop and front entrance aesthetic treatments. The cosmetic changes caused some discussion.

“We’ve done a lot to improve the district visually,” Bodwell said.

She said completing parafit work on the exterior of Lacy to hide the school’s air conditioning units and to beautify the campus would help complete the look of the school front.

A parafit is a louver that filters sunlight through existing light fixtures. Parafits can be used to add a decorative, more modern element to a building’s design.

Andor, however, said he felt the proposed $150,000 investment in a parafit would be a waste of district funds.

Putting money into purely aesthetic treatments on the front of Lacy, PISD’s oldest elementary campus, would be like the district deciding to “put lipstick on an ugly girl,” he said.

After much discussion, trustees voted 6 to 1 to approve Pogue Construction’s guaranteed maximum price of $687,509 for the Lacy renovations. Andor voted against the project.

The Board also approved Pogue’s $169,620 guaranteed maximum price for the renovations to the Panther field house. The cost of that project includes a new canopy and a privacy wall that will be built outside the field house.

Caldwell Street

At their last meeting, trustees voted to ask the city of Princeton to share in the cost of reconstructing Caldwell Street. When Deputy Superintendent Danny Folk addressed the City Council, councilmembers told him the city could not afford to share in the cost of renovating the street, but they would be willing to grant variances in order to reduce the project’s cost.

Anthony told trustees about the council’s suggestion, but said he felt the savings would be insubstantial compared to the decreased quality and therefore, longevity of the roadway. “In my opinion it’s better to spend the $21,000 and build a quality road,” Anthony said.

Bodwell said she was still not convinced that the School Board should have to pay for a city street, but she agreed the renovations need to be completed, even if it has to be at PISD’s expense.

Several trustees said they agreed with Bodwell, that renovating Caldwell is not the district’s responsibility, but they proceeded to approve building the street out of the excess bond funds.

Baseball, softball fields

Board members reviewed the projected costs for one additional baseball and one softball field. The fields were originally drafted as practice fields without lights or dugouts, but because of available county funds, administrators had the project redesigned as game fields.

“We’re trying to take advantage of county matching money,” Anthony said, explaining that the district would scale the project back to a practice field if they did not receive the grant money.

Trustees voted to apply for the grant money and to budget for the district’s portion of the project if they receive the grant. If the district is not awarded county grant money, trustees advised administrators that they wanted to re-evaluate the cost and scope of the fields’ designs.

Campus improvement plans

Each of the campus’ principals presented the Board with their campus improvement plans. Ideas ranged from family math nights and physical fitness training to self-esteem building classes and implementing new computer programs.

Changes for Leaves and Absences Policy

Board members also voted to update the district’s policy for local compensation and benefits. Rather than continuing to offer extended leave and the option of a Sick Leave Bank, the district will only offer enrollment in Sick Leave Bank, which allows all staff and faculty members to donate days of work in order to gain additional paid sick leave.

Both programs are intended to help employees forced to miss work due to severe illness or the health problems of a family member under their care. Anthony said he did not think having both programs running simultaneously would be beneficial.

Instead he said he would like to limit the policy to the program that seems to be preferred by staff. Most of the teachers have already chosen Sick Leave Bank, he said.

Other business

Board members also reviewed a district-wide technology plan, as presented by Jill Bennett, Assistant Technology Director.

They also approved update number 85 to the Texas Association of School Boards policy.

Photo by Jennifer Fike
Board President Carol Bodwell thanks outgoing trustee Josh Andor for his many years of serving on PISD's School Board.

Photo by Jennifer Fike
Outgoing trustee Glenda Beauchamp receives a plaque from Board President Carol Bodwell in honor of her service to the district.

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PISD trustees take oath

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