March 18, 2019 - At the March 18 Board meeting, trustees heard a report from Interim Superintendent Doug Loomis regarding a bus driver shortage that is causing some student transportation issues. Currently, AISD contracts with Apple Bus Company to provide bussing for students. Only about 10 percent of AISD’s student population rides the bus to and from school, but school buses are also used to transport students to field trips and athletic and other extracurricular activities. Mr. Loomis said AISD and Apple Bus are working to try to address the shortage by recruiting more bus drivers and streamlining the driver clearance and certification process.
The Board approved submitting a low attendance waiver request to the Texas Education Agency for six school days in February due to illness and one day in March that was weather-related. Attendance at 16 schools on these days was less than the prior year average by ten percent or more. Districts can request that the TEA grant a waiver so these low-attendance days are not included in average daily attendance calculations for purposes of state funding.
In other business the Board re-leased the District’s central bakery facility. The food service department uses this facility as a central location for making baked goods that are supplied to all AISD schools. The Board also approved Tri-State General Contractors as the contractor for the $1.4 million project to replace the elevators at Dick Bivins Stadium and refurbish the elevators at the Rod Schroder Education Support Center and the AISD-owned Park West Office Center.
The Board acknowledged gifts and donations totaling $12,345, given to various schools this month from Captain T. L. Johnson, Jr., Happy State Bank, First Bank Southwest, Panhandle Ushering Service, Judy Fugate, Sharon Bowers and Access Credit Union.
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