Irving ISD Board Action - April 7, 2008

Board of Trustees

Michael Hill, President
Nita Patrick, Vice President
Valerie Jones, Secretary

Barbara Cardwell	Jerry Christian
Ronda Huffstetler	Randy Stipes

April 7, 2008

Connie Jordan Named Outstanding Graduate

Connie Jordan, 1983 graduate of Nimitz High School, was honored as an Outstanding Graduate.

Jordan is an abstract artist with her work on display and for sale in galleries from New York to Los Angeles. Her work includes scene painting for television and film, most notably on the TV series Walker: Texas Ranger, and the movies Pure Country and Problem Child II. Jordan’s paintings have been featured on Rachel Ray’s television talk show, and she boasts celebrity customers from the movie and culinary industries. Jordan also authored the book, Re-Paint Your Life, and teaches seminars centered on the book’s concepts.

In 2007, she was named as Irving’s Favorite Television Interview by Irving Community Television Network, and is one of only two abstract artists listed with Texas Landmarks and Legacies. Having lost her father to Parkinson’s disease, Jordan gives 25 percent of all her profits to Parkinson's research.

Outstanding Graduate Connie Jordan was congratulated by Trustee Randy Stipes.

Joel Sam Recognized for Outstanding Achievement

Joel Sam, eighth grader at Lamar Middle School, was recognized for his achievement as Dallas County Spelling Bee Champion and National Geographic Regional Geography Bee Champion.

Following his win at the county bee, Sam advanced to the Dallas Morning News Regional Spelling Bee held March 17, finishing in the top ten out of 30 spellers. Sam also made his second consecutive trip to the National Geographic State Geography Bee after his win at the regional bee.

Joel Sam, eighth grader at Lamar Middle School, was recognized for outstanding achievement by Board of Trustees President Michael Hill.

In other business, Trustees:

	Approval of Minutes of Noon Work Session and Regular Board Meeting on Monday, March 10, 2008.
	Approved Resolution #07-08-127 authorizing renewal of the Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) program from sole-source vendor, AVID Center, for one-year cost of $42,440 to be paid from high school allotment funds.
	Approved Resolution #07-08-128 authorizing renewal of library automation system support from sole-source vendor, The Library Corporation, at a cost of $37,938 to be paid from Learning Resources operating funds.
	Approved Resolution #07-08-129 accepting proposal for cabling infrastructure to be installed by MART, Inc., on an on-call basis and priced according to submitted proposal.
	Approved Resolution #07-08-130 authorizing purchase of Principles of Technology Lab from sole-source vendor, Energy Concepts, Inc., at a cost of $60,902 to be paid from Career & Technology bond funds.
	Approved Resolution #07-08-131 authorizing purchase of Hearit amplification system from sole-source vendor, Speech Banana Therapies, at a cost of $30,000 to be paid from IDEA-B funds.
	Approved the Texas Fitness Now grant application for three qualifying middle schools: Austin, $30,364; Bowie, $34,652; and de Zavala, $32,892.
	Approved plans for elementary and secondary summer school instructional programs and athletic camps for Summer 2008, funded through tuition fees, local budgeted funds, Title III, and/or other grants.
	Approved Resolution #07-08-132 selecting competitive sealed proposals as the method of procurement for middle school #8 site remediation, estimated to cost $60,972.
	Approved Resolution & Order #07-08-15 authorizing 2008-2009 salary schedules for teachers, reflecting an average 5 percent increase in teacher salaries. The teacher salary increase should put the IISD among the top five districts in the DFW area for teacher pay.
	Accepted Cycle 3 Texas Educator Excellence Grant proposals from Good Elementary School, Tom Haley Elementary School, Austin Middle School, Lamar Middle School, Houston Middle School, and Irving High School, awarding these schools with high percentages of educationally disadvantaged students while achieving a rating of exemplary, recognized, or placement in the top quartile of comparable improvement.
	Approved the 2006-2007 Academic Excellence Indicator System (AEIS) report for Irving ISD.
	Approved first reading and filing authorization of TASB Update 82 and other local policies CE, CFC, EFA and EIE.
	Discussed proposal from ReachOut Healthcare America, Ltd. to provide access to free dental care for low-income children.
	Continued discussion of development of the 2008-2009 school calendar.
	Received report on changes in special education accountability in regard to Texas Assessment of Knowledge & Skills (TAKS).
	Discussed zoning change to provide enrollment relief to Lively Elementary School by adjusting the attendance boundary, moving 70 students from Lively into the John Haley Elementary School attendance area.
	Approved Resolution #07-08-133 accepting gifts & donations to the district for March 2008 totaling $24,729.