April 17, 2023 – Trustees began the April Board meeting by recognizing several remarkable Amarillo ISD students, including Jayden Zheng, the 2023 Regional Spelling Bee winner from Bonham Middle School, who will travel to Maryland this summer to represent AISD and our region at the Scripps National Spelling Bee. Other student honorees included the District’s six National Merit Scholarship program finalists: Michael Carathers, Christopher Castaneda, William Ellis, Elijah Hamilton, Lily Sobey, and Jeffrey Zheng.
The Board conducted a public hearing regarding the 2021-2022 State Compensatory Education (SCE) program evaluation. AISD receives SCE money from the state and is required to annually report the effectiveness of the program. This money is above and beyond revenue from local tax dollars, and its purpose is to support programs for at-risk students, increase academic achievement, and help reduce the dropout rate.
Trustees approved a $689,500 contract with the Turn Center to provide physical and occupational therapy for AISD students for the 2023-24 school year. The Turn Center has provided PT and OT services for AISD students for many years. The Board adopted a revision to Policy FFAC(LOCAL) Wellness and Health Services - Medical Treatment. The policy authorizes the District to purchase epi-pens, asthma inhalers, and opioid antagonist medications for all campuses to have on hand in case they are needed in an emergency situation.
In February, the Board approved schematic drawings for a project to upgrade HVAC units to add air-conditioning at several high school and middle school gyms, and at this Board meeting, trustees approved the selection of AMA Pro Air as the project contractor for installation of these HVAC units. The units will allow air conditioning to be added which will improve security since gym doors will no longer need to be propped open for ventilation purposes. The Board also awarded a bid to Don Harrington Discovery Center to provide summer camps in June at four different AISD schools for Title 1-eligible students entering 1st-6th grades.
After attending a Board Work Session on April 5 to discuss the District’s employee benefits plans for medical, dental, vision, and pharmacy, the Board voted Monday to select Insurance Management Services (IMS) as the medical insurance third party administrator, Metropolitan Life Insurance Company as the dental and vision benefits provider, and Elixir Rx Solutions as the pharmacy benefits management provider. AISD Director of Benefits and Risk Management Nicole Murphy told the Board that open enrollment would expand to four weeks and benefits staff will schedule times at every campus and the Education Support Center to meet with employees to ensure everyone is properly educated on the new benefits providers.
Finally, Trustees thanked those who generously gave gifts and donations to AISD and its schools this month. A total of $42,912.62 was given to various schools from River Falls Lions Club, Rick Looby, Texas Panhandle Charities, River Road United Supermarket, Plains Dairy, DTP Automotive and Diesel, Dena Cornelius and Lance Trahern, Judy Geisler, Education Credit Union, Our Agents in Action, EquipmentShare, Cacique Foods, and Hershey Youth Service America program.
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