AGISD board confirms grads

Posted 5/13/21

The Alba-Golden School Board performed their most important function Monday evening, unanimously certifying 57 students as graduates of Alba-Golden High School. The graduation ceremony will be conducted on Friday, May 21 at the Sulphur Springs Civic Center.

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AGISD board confirms grads

Posted

The Alba-Golden School Board performed their most important function Monday evening, unanimously certifying 57 students as graduates of Alba-Golden High School. The graduation ceremony will be conducted on Friday, May 21 at the Sulphur Springs Civic Center.

Superintendent Cole McClendon commented to the board, “This group of graduates is so impressive. They have been and continue to be leaders in every aspect of life at Alba-Golden High School. I know we should feel this way about each class of seniors, but this group is packed full of leaders.”  

Two of those leaders, Valedictorian Isabella Crawford and Salutatorian Cameron Galyean, were among a long list of achievers recognized before the board. Also recognized were state FFA competitors, marching band awardees, fishing team regional qualifiers and elementary school student of the month, Bradyn Anglin.

In more mundane matters, board members Mike Ragsdale and Grant Sadler were sworn in to their new post-election terms of service. The board voted unanimously to retain the composition and organization of the board with no changes.

Business Manager Brenda Kelley briefed the status of federal relief funds already received and those yet to be dispensed. There have been three relief fund directives from the federal government. They are known as the Elementary and Secondary School Relief (ESSR) Funds 1, 2 and 3.

The first relief funds, ESSR 1, were part of the CARES Act and were specifically targeted for virtual learning and direct COVID-related expenses. Alba-Golden Schools received $226,171. These funds were not, however, additional funds. Rather, these federal funds supplanted state funding which already was represented in the budget.

ESSR 2 monies, although approved by the federal government, have yet to be dispensed. It is unknown if these funds will be actual additional funds or simply supplant already-existing state funding. Kelley noted that the conventional wisdom was that these funds will partially supplant state funding. Alba-Golden expects to receive $978,535 according to federal estimates. 

The most recent federal funding, ESSR 3, is a part of the American Relief Plan. It is estimated that Alba-Golden will receive approximately $2.1 million in two payments, for use between March 13, 2021 and Sep. 30, 2024. This funding will be a true grant and will be additive to the district’s budget. 

ESSR 3 funds must yet be applied for and a detailed plan of expenditure submitted. The district is busily putting that plan together. The funds are broadly designated to “accelerate learning.” This federal codification allows local districts maximum flexibility in executing the additional budget inflow and expenditures.   

In other informational reports to the board, Jackson Construction representative Shane Johnson detailed progress on the new agricultural-science building. He reported that the slab should be poured by the end of the month. The firm was beginning to feel the pinch of material shortages in everything from steel to light fixtures. Delivery of the main steel structure has been delayed twice and is now expected on June 24 – one month after the original delivery date.

Responding to a query from the board, Johnson explained that the costs of building materials were contractually-frozen. He admitted, “We hit the timing on this build just right.”

The board received an update on the school summer lunch program. Alba-Golden has an exemption for conducting a summer feeding program. Students may receive breakfast and lunch at no cost through a partnership with Mineola Schools, Monday through Thursday commencing June 1 at Mineola Primary School. 

In other actions, the board unanimously endorsed the overseas travel of a group of Career and Technology Education students. The group will travel to Italy in June 2022 for a tour highlighting the production of foodstuffs. EF Educational tours will be conducting the tour.

The board also approved the purchase of a new pre-K curriculum. The program, titled Frogstreet Pre-K, will be purchased for eight years at the cost of $20,000.

Trustees accepted letters of resignation from Beth Bacon, Michelle Glidewell and John McNeely.  Amanda Thompson and Deitra Bizzell received teaching contracts for 2021-22, as did new-hire teacher and coach Troy Wallace.